The Difference a Cupbearer Can Make

Neh. 1:10-11

1. We Have the Truth

We as apostolics have the greatest gift of all time. We have the truth.

It will propel us beyond this lifetime, into eternity.

We sing songs about it all the time.

“This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through, my treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.”

We have verses that we believe 1 Cor 15: 51-53-Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

I’ve been to a few funerals in my life. Some of friends, some of family members, and others of church members.

Some of the funerals I KNEW that they did not make it and i grieved because i thought of the last time i spoke with them, and I knew i had the chance to be a witness to them, but somehow I allowed the chance to get away from me.

But, I’ve been to others where I knew that they made it, that they had the truth.

I remember at my Uncle Gary’s that we sang the song “Ain’t No Grave Gonna Hold My Body Down.”

We knew then that there was a peace and a hope beyond this life.

And there there will be a day when we will see him again at that meeting in the sky.

We have this hope!

We have the privilege of knowing this Truth.

We know how to get to this place called Heaven.

Someone told us about the wonderful news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and now we have this eternal hope!

2. The Issue

A. The Issue of a Lost World

We as apostolics have this issue though. Sometimes we become content with being saved but to never make a difference.

God did not call us to make a living, He called us to make a difference.

If we are not careful we can get caught up in culture, and trying to be like everyone else.

We come to church and go through the motions, we come to church and pay our tithes, and we do all the things and check them off of our list, getting so caught up in the religion.

But do we truly get a hold of the heart of God and what He has called us to do?

He does not want us to just come to church 3 times a week and go through the schedule.

There are people all around us every day who are lost and they need what we have.

There are people at our jobs, people at our schools, people in our family.

There are people everyday around us going the wrong direction.

You find this predicament of the people of God in the first 3 verses of Nehemiah.

The children of Israel are living under captivity because they turned their back on God, and you find in these first 3 verses that the remnant of the people who escaped captivity are in distress and reproach, the walls of Jerusalem are broken down, and the gates are burned with fire.

The people in Jerusalem were living in a condition that was detrimental to life. They were living in a place of shame, disgrace, insult, and threat.

And Nehemiah hears the news of the destruction of Jerusalem and He says that he sat down and wept and mourned for days, and prayed and fasted before God for days!

Nehemiah was disturbed, he was devestated by the report he had recieved.

How many times do we see the news on social media, or we hear bad news about a loved one or a brother or sister in the church, but yet sometimes it seems like we only have a passing concern.

We know we are around lost souls, people who have needs, people who are hungry and searching for something that we have, but sometimes we only have a passing concern, but not a passion and a burden for them.

We were not called to pass them by, we are called to make an impact in their lives!

We are called to intercede for the lost souls that are around us everyday!

The Bible says that Nehemiah prayed!

Why is it that we don’t see the wise men in the kingdom burdened for Jerusalem, Why were the priests not burdened for Jerusalem? Why is it that God burdened Nehemiah? Because Nehemiah was a praying man, Nehemiah communicated with God. God knew Nehemiah’s voice in prayer!

B. The Issue of Prayer

Acts. 3 it says that they went to the temple every day at the hour of prayer.

When is the last time that we prayed and we lost track of time because time did not matter?

When is the last time that we got into that place of prayer where nothing else mattered except for that time and place where we were communicating with our Creator?

Maybe the reason God added to the church daily such as should be saved because the church prayed daily.

Sometimes I myself wonder why I do not win souls the way that other’s do, but I become convicted because the reason may be that I might not spend my time in the prayer closet the way that i should.

If we are to be truly Apostolic, there has to be a place of daily prayer and daily communication with our God.

Being Apostolic is more than speaking in tongues and showing up to church and shouting and doing all the things that an Apostolic does.

God has called us to a deeper purpose.

God has called us to make an impact in the world that is around us.

God has called us to be difference makers in His Kingdom.

Think about where you come from.

Someone shared the Gospel with you, or if you were raised in the truth, someone shared it with a family member, and that is the reason why you are here today.

God sent someone to you or your family, and something stirred in the heart and they said I need what that person has.

God wants to send us to someone to tell them that they don’t have to go to Hell, but that there is a way for them to make it to Heaven.

Nehemiah was burdened for Jerusalem. He was burdened for the people who were crying out because of their destruction and their distress.

Can we hear the lost sould crying out from a world that is bound for destruction, can we hear them crying out for for someone to pull them away from the plight of sin, can we hear the lost souls crying out to hear the message of the death, burial, and ressurection of Jesus Christ, does the love of God constrain and urge us to tell them?

Nehemiah tells God,” I know we as a nation have sinned against you, but God do you remember your promise? You said you will scatter the unfaithful, but if we return to you then you will reach to the most remote part of heaven and gather us back in!

Do you know that there is a gathering together going on now?

God is preparing the fields now, that God is preparing the Church for growth and revival, that there is going to be an influx of souls that are hungry for this truth.

Ch. 1:10 says God they are Your servants, Your people who You redemmed by Your great power.

God they are Your people, the ones that You shed your blood for, the ones that You took stripes for their healing, the ones that You sacrificed Your own life for!

You finally find the end of Nehemiah’s prayer in v. 11. He ask’s god for favor before Artaxerxes, the Persian king and says,” Now I was the king’s cupbearer.”

1. What is a cupbearer?

The word cupbearer occurs 12 times in the OT.

A cupbearer literally means someone who gives something to drink.

A cupbearer could have also been in charge of administrative offices and in some instances in Near Eastern history they were appointed 2nd in command in the kingdom.

Varied sources suggest that as a royal cupbearer Nehemiah was well trained in court ettiquette, he knew how to select wines to place before the king, he would have always been willing to lend a listening ear to the king, he would have great influence because he had close access to the king, and above everything he enjoyed the unreserved confidence of the king.

The cupbearer ranked high in the kings courts.

He filled the kings cup, he tested to see if the cup was poisoned, he protected the life of the king aginst dangerous plots to kill the king.

Nehemiah was in a place where he was constantly near the king.

He said,”I was the king’s cupbearer.”

How many want to be the King’s cupbearer? How many want to always stay near the King?

Whatever I do, wherever I go, I always want to be near my King! I never want to put myself in a place where I can no longer be in the presence of God!

I want my whole life to be about the service of the King!

C. The Issue of How We Feel

Neh. 2:1- And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

There was about a 4 month delay from when Nehemiah heard the knews of Jerusalem, and when he felt prepared to approach the king.

Nehemiah says that he had never came before the king with sadness.

Everyday for 4 months, Nehemiah masked his emotions, hid his feeling, and put aside how he felt so that he could serve the king.

You see Christianity in this generation has turned into easy faith.

Easy faith and easy preaching, and mainstream Christianity has taught people to do what feels good.

People have been taught to follow their own emotions.

How many times when we come into the presence of the Almighty God do we not find the energy to get our hands up, do we not give Him the praise that He deserves?

He has done too much for me, that i cannot come into His presence without thanksgiving, and without praise.

The burden I’m carrying now may be heavy, the pain i may be feeling now may be a lot, I may be going through a difficult trial or situation,but my King is more than a man in a purple robe! I serve a God who wrapped His self in this flesh, He suffered the pains and persecutions of this life, He carried the cross for my guilt and shame, He laid down his own life so that He could defeat death and hell so that i could have the hope of eternal life, and guess what HE ROSE AGAIN on the third day!!!

Jesus is my KING of KINGS!!

I want to be His cupbearer, I want to serve Him!

I want to pour my life out in service to my KING!!

It does not matter how I feel.

This is not about me, this is so much bigger than me!

This is all about the KING!

D. The Issue of Fear

Neh. 2:2- 2 Wherefore the king said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid

The king saw the emotion on Nehemiah’s face, and Nehemiah was afraid.

Why was Nehemiah afraid?

This month of Nisan was the beginning of a new year for the Persians. It was a time of celebration.

Also Israel celebrated New Year and Passover around this same time, and these Persian celebrations may have affected Nehemiah’s emotions even more because it seemed like Israel had nothing of their own to celebrate at this time.

Nehemiah could have been afraid because Artaxerxes had a record for shedding blood.

Artaxerxes killed his own brother in otder to take the throne, and he also killed the man who assinated his father.

Persian kings were not reluctant when it came to killing, even when it involved killing the poeple who were closest to them.

Nehemiah’s demeanor could have easily been construed as an affront to the king.

Another cause of Nehemiah’s fear could have been that Artaxerxes stopped the re building of Jerusalem when the Hebrew exiles returned to Judah.

Normally kings would not take back a decree that they had previously made.

Nehemiah could have been afraid of a negative response.

Talk about being afraid of witnessing to people, and being afraid because of negative voices talking against the call of God.

Fear is a liar!

I bind up fear, I bind up negativity, I bind up voices of the past that say we are not good enough, I come against insecurity, and anything that would try to hinder the will of God in our lives!

3. The Will of God

Neh. 2:4-Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Nehemiah had about four months of prayer and fasting to back up this little time of prayer in v.4.

Nehemiah prayed, fasted, and even though he was afraid he prepared for this moment.

The statement at the end of v.4 shows that he was dependent on God and he wanted God’s will above all else.

There is no greater indicator of how much we rely on God than our need to pray.

When we pray we acknowledge our inadequacy of ourselves and our sufficiency of God.

When we serve the Lord we need wisdom, strength, deliverance, help, provision, and protection.

Ps. 46:1- God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

Ps. 72:12- For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; The poor also, and him that hath no helper.

I’m guilty sometimes of thinking, how can I work this out myself.

I’m an independent person, I do not like to ask for help sometimes, I am the type of person that I think I can figure things out myself.

Most of the time that does not work out the way that I need it to.

But when we are searching for the will of God in our lives, we have to know that we do not have what it takes to accomplish God’s purpose on our own.

God’s will is bigger than we are.

We will only fulfill the will of God when we give our lives to God, and allow God to use us for His glory.

Nehemiah may have prayed and fasted and prepared for this moment for 4 months, but he still knew that he needed God to be his very present help.

He still understood that regardless of his emotions that God’s will was still bigger than him.

He was constantly seeking after God’s will in his own life!

Does anyone feel a call on their life today?

Their could be a call to the ministry going forth today?

Have you been praying and seeking the will of God in your life, and you are still waiting on the comfirmation?

Or do you know what God has called you too, but the fear and anxiety perplexes you so much that you still question what God has called you to?

4. God Has Given Us Favor

In 1:11 Nehamiah asked God for favor in the sight of the king.

Neh. 2:5- 5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour

God has given us favour!

Do you know what favor is? It is the annointed singing, it is the ability to talk to that co worker or class mate.

I do not believe in coincidence in the will of God!

God can put a lost soul in your path and give you the ability and strength to speak something to that person!

God has given us favor according to the calling that is on our lives!

5. Send Me

Get ready to close, stand

Neh. 2:5- Nehemiah says to the king,”Send me to Judah, that I may build it.”

SEND ME!

Whatever you want me to do Lord, send me!

There are souls that are in a lost and dying world, Lord send me!

I hear the call Lord send me!

I want to be the KING’S cupbearer!

I want my whole life to be given to the service of the King!

Send me, so that I can do a work for YOU!

Isaiah 6:1-8- In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. 2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said,

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts:

The whole earth is full of his glory.

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 6 Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: 7 And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.