I Was A Cupbearer 1/26/2020

Vision Series  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  46:17
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Nehemiah was a cupbearer, not a builder. But his commitment to God’s promise caused him to take action where other’s would talk. Eqquiped by the king, Nehemiah set to work leading the re-building of Jerusalem.

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Nehemiah, book written as the last of the recorded history of Israel in the OT. It was written so the people would remember the rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem paralleled with their own spiritual restoration.
God is doing a spiritual restoration in this world. It looks bad when we look at the news and when we look at the larger culture around us. But God is restoring some things.
Restoration of a revelation of Biblical truth.
New Birth experience
Repentance, Baptism in Jesus Name, receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit speaking in tongues.
Revelation of the oneness of God.
Revelation of holiness and modesty before God.
There are some key spiritual insights that I want to draw to our attention today.
Nehemiah 1:1–4 NKJV
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
History:
First Captivity 722 BC Assyrians
Babylonian Captivity 586 BC
586 BC Temple Burned
539 BC Medo Persian Captivity
539 BC Medo-Persian King Cyrus gave Jews permission to rebuild the Temple.
455 BC Nehemiah
Hanani and others come from Jerusalem and Nehemiah asks for a report of the people and the city.
“The people are in great distress and reproach (taunted by enemies). The wall is broken down, it’s gates are burned dow (no safety).”
Nehemiah was so moved at what was told him. That he sat down and wept, mourned for days. Moved to prayer and fasting.
When was the last time you were so moved by something that for days it disturbed you? You could not clear it from your head or your heart. You wept and mourned, and when that was not enough to unburden you. You began to pray and fast?
Nehemiah 1:5–6 NKJV
5 And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned.
Nehemiah got personal. My father’s house and I have sinned. Repented for others and for himself.
Nehemiah prays for many days. He was so disturbed at the need it affected his life, his work, the burden of his soul began to flow into and affect the other areas of his life.
Nehemiah 2:1–3 NKJV
1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 Therefore the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.” So I became dreadfully afraid, 3 and said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?”
Nehemiah is the King’s cupbearer. Any servant of the king was required to maintain a cheerful expression at all times. Nehemiah had to look happy, whether he was or not.
The King could have in that moment dismissed Nehemiah. But instead the king asks Nehemiah if he would make a request...
Nehemiah 2:4 NKJV
4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Notice that Nehemiah again prays. It’s a simple prayer. We don’t know what the prayer included… it may have been “Lord let this go good.”
Nehemiah is a prayer first kind of guy.
Nehemiah 2:5 NKJV
5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”
Send me...
Give me a letter for the governors of the region…that they permit me to pass.
Give me a letter to the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber for the gates.
The King gave Nehemiah what he needed.

True Church

A church today is defined as a group that assembles together for the purpose of worship.
God’s vision for the church was not a group that assembled to worship. It was a people who were equipped to do the work of the kingdom.
God has given his people what they need.
Need redemption - gave us a lamb.
Need salvation - gave us a plan. Repent, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Need an answer - gave us His Word.
Need to hear - gave us a preacher.
Need a place - gave us a body, the church.
Look at someone and say: get ready, Pastor is about to get real and this might sting a little.
His vision was not a house of entertainment, was not a place where we sit on a pew. It was to be equipped.
Ephesians 4:11–12 NKJV
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,
There are no “attenders” in the Kingdom of God. Attenders are not counted as saints. Scripture does not say “He Himself gave some to be… for the equipping of saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, for the entertaining of those who attend services.
May want to take a time of repentance...
God forgive us for being ok with sitting in weekly services, being entertained, encouraged, ministered to, equipped but not working in ministry...
We were not called to be ministered to, but to be ministers!
But I am not capable, I’m not ready… all the excuses we bring. I’m just a member. I am just a saint. I have problems, I have needs…join the party. You know where the party starts…right here on the platform.
At some point we have to get over ourselves, problems will persist, needs will continue. But what am I going to do that helps push His vision ahead?
The King is giving you everything you need!

Vision into Action

I am calling for us to take the vision that God has given and commit to it.
Commitment is more than agreement. Commitment is sacrifice. Commitment is action. Commitment is work.
Commitment does not watch from the sideline… wait for the work to be done…
Nehemiah commitment
Let the vision affect your life.
Prayer and fasting.
Take action to see the work done.
Fight with a sword in one hand, build with a tool in the other.
2020 Commitment
Get the vision - lead people to a new birth experience. Branches a diverse church, every culture and language, in every city, community, and neighborhood in Metro Atlanta. Right now establishing in Suwanee/Gwinnett.
Pray and fast for the vision.
Take action, what can you do?
I want to help, but I don’t know what…Talk with Shelley and I.
Fight the battle and build at the same time. Give to the vision.
Nehemiah could have said “I’m not a builder”.
Nehemiah 1:11 NKJV
11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” For I was the king’s cupbearer.
I was the king’s cupbearer. Now I am a contractor for the Lord.
I have been supplied and I am building.
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