Returning to Prayer
Notes
Transcript
ME
Did you know October is Pastors appreciation month? It was started in the 90s by Focus on the Family to recognize pastors and their families and their work in the local church.
WE
And is it ever needed in this time. Pastors burnout during pandemic has flown off the roof. Many pastors have just left their church because of political strifes in their congregation. Things which use to be fairly black and white, such as racial reconciliation, taking care of the least of these, sexual abuse, power abuse, even empathy have become polarizing topics, fueled by media from all sides. and that’s on top of expectations from congregations, boards, while balancing your household. Marriage and Tozer.
Some might need a vacation while other a longer sabbatical.
While a month where a pastor is showered with love, encouragement, and appreciation isn’t all that bad, but is it sustainable? Or are we missing the obvious?
GOD
We’ve been travelling back into the time of Ezra after the end of the exile of the Jewish people in our series, Return to Normal? Last week, Pastor Tim explored with us what returning to faithfulness means especially in context to dating and marriage because the Jews were intermarrying with the foreigners around them and bringing in their foreign gods when they should be exclusively worshipping the LORD, the one true God.
This week, we begin looking at the book of Nehemiah. Now originally Ezra and Nehemiah were created as one book, and were later separated into two books as we see in our Bible now. But just to remind ourselves what the whole point of Ezra and Nehemiah is all about, it is this:
Through the decree of Cyrus, king of the Persian empire, Ezra-Nehemiah is a historical account of the post-exilic Jews return to Jerusalem. They rebuild the temple and the city walls in order to restore the worship of the LORD and preserve covenant faithfulness. The majority of text is in Hebrew sprinkled with some Aramaic. The text narrates selected episodes from the rebuilding of the temple and the wall. It speaks to the faith of Israel in the promise of God between 410 to 370 BC.
As we start on the Book of Nehemiah, 30 years have passed since chapter 10 of Ezra. And we will be drawing a bit from it but we are introduced to a new character whose name is the same as the book attributed to him; Nehemiah, or “The LORD has comforted.” But the setting is not in Jerusalem, but Susa, the stronghold of the Persian empire and one of many fortresses the current King Artaxerxes I possess throughout his vast rule. The book starts as one written by the prophets:
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem.
Here’s an account of Nehemiah. His ancestry is a bit of a mystery because nowhere else is he or his father, or his brother Hanani named. Now Hanani could be a son of Hacaliah or it could mean he is a kinsmen from the same tribe and blood. His name, shortform for Hananiah means “The LORD is gracious.” Regardless, Hanani came to visit in the Eleventh month, possibly the mid-November to mid-December timeframe in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I reign at his winter residence. They were from Judah, so could Nehemiah have also came from Judah, the tribe of King David? Nehemiah was concerned about the well-being of those who now live in Jerusalem after being returned. But what is this about escaping and surviving? Didn’t Cyrus let the Jews go freely?
Perhaps this is pointing to those who remained from the initial exile to Babylon who needed to live in the rubbles of Judah, and also a use of remnant langauge to point to the words of previous prophets. Now remnant refers to the few faithful (as opposed to the rest of the Jews who had gone astray. See the language in Isaiah 10:20-22
20 In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no more lean on him who struck them, but will lean on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21 A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the mighty God. 22 For though your people Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will return. Destruction is decreed, overflowing with righteousness.
Here’s Hanani and the men’s report:
3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
Trouble and shame. Those are gripping words for any culture, but especially to middle eastern culture. Honour and shame play a huge role in everyday life. This is after all Jerusalem, the city of David, the once glorious witness of God’s presence. The temple, though rebuilt, is not what it used to be like (recall Ezra 3 on Returning to Worship). The wall never got a chance to be built up from the rubble. Thus, the temple exposed to ridicule and possible invasion and looting at anytime. The former wall, before the exile, meant Israel could defend themselves, but now, they are at the mercy of the elements or the warring factions around them. The gates through which you can enter deeper into the city, the door to the mystery of God’s city, are charred black. It reminds the Jews of the pillage and shame when Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar came in and with one fell swoop and destroyed the city. He captured the Israelite king and royal households, and dragged them away to serve as slaves. And those lefft behind were people who could barely fend for themselves. This was to complete the ridicule that all hope is lost.
Nehemiah is moved to tears and so overcome with emotion he had to sit down, and mourn as though someone close to him had died. But not so much for the building or because of the state of the buildings, as important a role as they serve as a symbol of prestige and a place of safety. He also mourns for what the inhabitants must feel like, desperate, defeated and despondent.
However, it may be precisely this news that brings about God’s action.
Was there ever a time when you have been so stirred by something that it led you to this stage of grief? Let me be more specific. How are we doing as an english congregation? Is there anything which so troubles you, that so bothers you that it causes you to be paralyzed with sadness? If not the congregation, maybe it’s a person in your family? Maybe it’s an issue in society, such as homelessness, or indigenous treatment at the hands of the government and the religious system and residential school. Maybe it’s climate change and how its destroying crops and livelihoods in much of the third world. Or how the rich are getting more rich, and tax havens, and pandora papers.
What do we do when the odds are so overwhelming, the invisible oppressive forces are so huge, and we feel so small?
Nehemiah has a God size problem which needs a God-guided solution. And that solution is prayer.
There are two parts to his prayer, two aspects to our own prayer in returning to God:
Our first point:
I. We remember God’s Holy Character and Bring Our Knees into Confession (5-7)
I. We remember God’s Holy Character and Bring Our Knees into Confession (5-7)
5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.
Nehemiah begins not by drawing up a plan immediately with Hanani or making an emotional decision (though he was emotional) to head back to Jerusalem at once, or blame God for how things have turned out. He goes to prayer, earnest prayer of focus including fasting. In his prayer, he recounts who God is, ruler of heaven, great in power and awesome in might. He keeps his covenant and steafast love.
This language is found in Deuteronomy 7:9 from Moses’ writing:
9 Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,
And also the exilic prophet Daniel:
4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
This is tried and tested covenant language.
Perhaps here it’s important to talk about a covenant. A covenant is an ancient contract between two parties, called the Suzerain and the Vassal. The Suzerain is the higher power who gives what is needed. The Vassal is of lower power and is the receiver of the benefits. There would be a preamble which would say something about the greatness of the Suzerain, followed by the stipulations of the contract. This is further followed by blessings if the contract is fulfilled, or curses, if one party violates the contract. Applying it to here, obviously The LORD is the suzerain and Nehemiah, on behalf of the Israelites is the vassal. This language should be familiar because a more familiar covenant is one between Moses and the LORD, if you read Deuteronomy, much of it is in that context. Or Abrahamic covenant, if you recall how God’s spirit goes between a slain bull, which was the curse on the violation of this covenant which God willingly took. And of course David’s covenant that as long as the descendants of David remain faithful, there would always be a King and a kingdom of David forever. The exile happened precisely because Israel in its idolatry, exploitation of the poor, incur the curse which God has delayed in his patience until justice must be exercised!
Nehemiah is recalling this covenant and admitting how he and his whole people, and ancestry violated to love him exclusively and keep, that is to obey his commandments. It is to take upon himself the guilt of the whole people and intercede on their behalf.
The first step to returning is to remember who it is we are standing before and where we are in standing before him. A God size problem requires a God-guided solution through prayer.
Perhaps our first step before returning to normal, returning to worship, returning to challenges and faithfulness is returning to prayer in a humble act of confession. No, we didn’t cause the pandemic, but perhaps yes, we have reacted to the pandemic with faithlessness and distrust, fear and doubt. And while all those experiences are understandable, they will continue to paralyze us from action. God wants to free us from the guilt and shame, the complacency and apathy towards being part of this community. What is it that’s hindering us from the excitement of being part of the english congregation? Not just attend, but participate and dive into ministry again?
II. We recall God’s Mercy and remember His Faithfulness (8-11)
II. We recall God’s Mercy and remember His Faithfulness (8-11)
8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ 10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
That last verse in some translations belong in the next chapter and some like here as the last verse. I prefer the latter because it leaves us on a cliffhanger to realize God has indeed had a solution placed near King Artaxerxes at least for twenty years since his reign. It is Nehemiah himself, as the cupbearer, who both tastes the king’s food to ensure it has not been posioned, and even handles some of the king’s financial affairs. In other words, this Jewish man by God’s providence has risen to a trusted position beside the greatest power in the known world. And in chapter 2 next week with Rev. Alvin again, we will see Nehemiah risk his place “for such a time as this.” This explains then what he is praying from verses 8 to 10. He continues for a bit in verse 8 to talk about the curse, but starting in verse 9, he recounts to God (not that God is forgetful but as a representative of the vassal, he uses covenant language) the stipulation of return.
IF after idolatry, exploitation and corruption, the Jews were to repent and return to God and obey the laws of God, again Nehemiah draws from the Mosaic law in Deuteronomy 30:1-5, but particularly in verse 4
4 If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there he will take you.
is word for word the same as parts of verse 8, combined with Deuteronomy 12:5.
5 But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go,
Finishing it off with Moses’ intercessory prayer for Israel on Mount Sinai from Deuteronomy 9:29.
29 For they are your people and your heritage, whom you brought out by your great power and by your outstretched arm.’
Nehemiah in his prayer is reliving the Mosaic prayer of the past and bringing it into power today. God can be trusted to keep his covenant, promises to gather his people no matter how much he scattered them, to be their God and them his people. To have a focal point where God will be worshipped and where his name is make known, and has been saving them since the days of Exodus under the hands of another oppressive force, Pharaoh of Egypt.
Same calamity, different king.
Same God, Same mercy.
Nehemiah is basically saying, if this is going to work, if indeed the walls are to be rebuilt, the people to have their hope renewed, the remnant truly to believe they are favoured by God and will be a witness to all the other nations, it’s not going to be up to me. I will do what you ask but it’s by your power and your steadfast love and on your condition this will all happen. Otherwise, like Moses bargained with God when God was about to abandon his people, if you won’t go with us, I am not going to go any further. Not because I am disobedient, but because I know now as I know then only with you can there be any hope the walls will be rebuild, when Israel once again knows you will be their God and they will be your people!
The same is true for us today. Perhaps we have relied too much on our own strength and way when it comes to returning to normal. I mean, this is not to discount the work that everyone has put into making that closer and closer to a reality. But when was the last time we prayed for all our ministries, one by one? And lift them up and intercede on their behalf knowing if God’s power is not there, this sermon is but merely a pep talk, sunday school is but people’s opinion, small group but a social gathering, and children and youth ministry but merely a holy babysitting service. There has to be something more!
One way for us to not be forgetful as the Israelites were is to actively recount the blessings we have received, and celebrate it. Have we forgotten how God led us through paying off our building debt, right before the pandemic hit? Have we forgotten how God has blessed us with a faithful team of pastors in all the congregation when we asked for them? Have we forgotten how he took us through a trying time of senior pastor succession and maintain our unity as one church through it all? Remember God‘s faithfulness. He hears and listens.
YOU
Let me share personally. Brothers and sisters, I need your prayers. I need you to pray for my personal ministry. I need you to pray for every message I preach, from the conception of it to the research, to writing it and then delivering it. Yes, I will put my utmost effort in being accurate with my interpretation, making the message easy to understand and relevant to our needs as a congregation. But I can’t be the only one who prays for it to make a spiritual impact and it won’t make a spiritual impact if it is but a man-made invention. Partner with me by praying and you may even begin to experience God’s work in the truth despite this imperfect vessel delivering it.
So pray for your pastor. That when and if he sins, God will convict his heart quickly so he would not be disrupted from that sweet fellowship with his Lord Jesus. Pray when he makes a mistake he will humble himself and be quick to accept fault and make changes. Pray that he has wisdom to make difficult decisions. Pray that he has the favour of those he works with and ministers to, not because he wants to be popular (the temptation is there), but so he can nurture and develop a team to minister to one another.
Now apply this by taking out the word pastor and replacing it with every deacon, every small group leader, maybe starting with your own. then the worship team. Our Mission Board. Our council members.
And here’s the truth as well, sorry for a being a bit more direct. When I came to MCBC the first thing I started immediately attending was the prayer meeting which used to be on a Tuesday evening, and then moved to Saturday. It’s something ingrained in me before I was a pastor from my previous church to find where corporate prayer is happening and go there. It averages around four people, and it hasn’t stopped since inception. Besides the fellowship we shared for over a decade, I can honestly say if I didn’t attend there, and I weren’t a pastor, I would not know what to pray for in our ministry. Sure, I can pray at small group, but small group usually pray for small group needs or individual members need, and that’s for sure needed. But the ministers and leaders behind each ministry need you too! The missionaries we support overseas need you too!
We now have three prayer meetings at different days and times, three opportunities to partner together in the gospel, and seek God to strengthen our ministries to you, and you to us. There, every pastor and leader share their heart and struggles. We celebrate God’s answered prayer and fervently pray for childrens, youths, parents, singles, married, students, pastors, caring, small groups ministries so they will be forefront in our mind and aligned to God’s agenda. Paradigm shift.
WE
God has mapped out a way for us to return. we have set a date of Sunday, October 24 to have our in-person as well as online service. But between now and then and beyond our return, what we need is your prayer in all settings, but in our prayer meetings especially to ignite the spiritual flame to awaken our souls for a passion to worship God, equip the saints, serve others and proclaim the gospel together as the body of Christ!
That would be the best gift for any pastors during appreciation month.
let’s pray.