no more exc

I have been thinking a lot this week about where I am, where we are and where we are going.

Since the start of this series on Hall of Faith I keep asking myself could I be included in this list? Could my life be reflective of this legacy?

Last week there were many in our area who ran the Tely 10. This is such an amazing accomplishment, something that I would one day love to accomplish. However, to get there I have to overcome many obstacles to make it.

We as a church, have been running a race and there have been many obstacles, especially in these last few years hey?

Some of us think we are going to go on a run and it is as easy as it looks. That we just need a little tune up on our waist to get back in shape after we have let ourselves go.

Not long after you get in the race you realize its not a quick run it is an obstacle course. We begin to run then stop and start for a bit. When you actually get started you realize that you need to put all of yourself in this to make it to the finish line.

You are exhausted, humbled and feel spent/drained. Sometimes the obstacles may take us down for a while.

Hebrews 12:1 NIV

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

Run with Perseverence

Run with Perseverence the race marked out for us.

That’s easier said than done.

The word race in the Greek is “agon”. This is where we get the word agony. That word indicates that the race marked out for us is not a fun run.

It is:

difficult

demanding

challenging

It is not a run on the beach it is a run where your sides hurt, legs cramp and muscles that you did not even know you had hurt.

But you don’t stop you KEEP RUNNING!

Sometimes we think that life should be a fun run simply because you’ve signed up with Jesus.

For some you may think the whole reason for signing up with Jesus was to avoid obstacles because regular life has too many of them.

As you look through the Bible you see that those who ran the race God marked out for them they had to deal with one obstacle after another.

I know, I know you are saying aren’t you a ray of sunshine and roses this morning.

But heros of faith faced significant and surprising obstacles.

This is the theme of the chapter after Heb. 12: 1.

Nehemiah ran that kind of race. His story is one of troubling and humbling time for the people of Israel.

They were:

exiled in a foreign land

humiliated

dragged off

slaves

The book of Nehemiah can been seen as a 2500 year old prayer journal.

587 BC the Babylonians conquered Israel and took them away to serve them

Then the Persian empire rose up and conquered the Babylonians

So you can say they were twice captured into slavery.

This is a little background and now we find Nehemiah, an Israelite who has probably never seen his homeland, never ever visited Jerusalem. Israel was miles away from him and most of the people had never been back in 40 years.

That’s a long way to be away from home.

Nehemiah lives in the capital city of Persia and he works in a prominent position as cupbearer to the King. His job is to taste the wine to make sure it has not been poisioned.

Nehemiah heard that his home city of Jerusalem was in ruins, walls destroyed and gates burned down.

Nehemiah 1:4 NIV

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

He was devestated emotionally. Jerusalem had been bright and beautiful in his mind and now that picture had been destroyed.

After days of prayer & fasting Nehemiah knew what he should do, he had firm assurance. God had laid it on his heart to do something about his ruined homeland.

He now needed to get to work at it.

Nehemiah had a comfortable life. He lived in a palace with all the luxury and comforts of that day. Why would he want to give that up?

He realized that it was time to enter the race, time to discover that many basic obstacles we all face.

This morning we are going to look at some of these obstacles:

Indifference

This is the mother of all obstacles, why? It can keep us from even running.

Nehemiah could have said:

Jerusalem is too far away

I’ve never been there

I will help someone else go

I can’t leave my job

What does that city really have to do with my life now?

No one else is doing anything

The bystander effect - when people are more concernced with filming the event than intervening.

illustration:

Popeye Brutus and Olive Oyl

Brutus was the villian

Olive Oyl was Popeye’s girlfriend

Brutus often gives Popeye and his lady love a hard time. He tries to put up with it. He endures a lot of stuff before he takes action.

Finally he says the famous words: “That’s all I can stand, and I can’t stand no more!”

Then he pops open a can of spinach which gives him a boost and he becomes a fighting machine.

I say that to ask this how long do you stand on the sidelines enduring before you can’t stand it no more?

I am not saying fight this cause or that cause. I am saying run with endurance in the race that is before us.

Have we lost sight of what we are supposed to be doing?

Has our focus of the great commission shifted?

Do we still strive to do for God all we can?

Do we still try to reach out?

Or have we stalled out? due to the obstacles, pandemic, age??

We have to overcome apathy - our lack of interest, enthusiasm and concern.

You may say of course we are on board pastor.

I ask these questions for these reasons:

our attendance is lower than normal

there was a time when nothing would ever stop us from worshipping together now it seems that has changed. Even before covid.

our willingness to serve as leaders, board members, ushers/greeters, children’s workers

often we say yes then quit before really giving it a good go.

We give up before we have even done anything.

Nehemiah reached the point where he knew it was time to get on track and start running.

Then the question gets asked:

What can I do?

Which is another bystander effect - the belief that nothing can be done.

Then you hear these types of things:

I’m too old

I’m too young

I’m not smart enough

I don’t have the resources

None of us would have blamed Nehemiah for thinking this way. He lived thousands of miles away and worked directly for a king. This king would would be threatened if the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt.

So the risk to do what God had called Nehemiah to do was greater than we even think.

If Jerusalem’s walls were rebuilt and the city reestablished there could be a revived Israel.

Let’s talk about the next obstacle:

Insufficiency

Nehemiah looks at the race marked out before him and realizes he is not able to deal with the known obstacles he would face.

Think about the challenge laid before him:

distance

danger

no people power

no supplies

no money

But he did have a powerful conviction. He was not sure of what he could do but he believes he must act.

I believe this is a way you know you are in a race God has marked out for you:

you feel insufficient

you feel unqualified

there is no way to run it without God’s power and provision

If you try to do it on your own strength you will grow weak.

If you try to do it in your own confidence you will be humbled.

What you need to do requires dependence on God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

On paper there is no way for him to run this race and Nehemiah knows that. He knows he doesn’t have what it takes.

But he overcomes insufficiency with PRAYER!

When we look at Neh. chapter 2 four months have passed, he prays and keeps praying but nothing seems to be happening.

Nehemiah understand prayer as the real work not a quick answer. It requires patience.

He felt like nothing was happening even after 4 months. Then one day...

He is at work, brings the king his wine and the king sees the anxiety on his face. The king asks him about it. Nehemiah’s whole story comes flooding out. He could have said no nothing is wrong. But He is counting on God to answer His prayers.

Leap of faith in action here.

Take a look at Neh. 2:2-4

Nehemiah 2:2–4 NIV

so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven,

God had opened the king’s heart.

Nehemiah asks for the royal blessing to go home and rebuild.

The king gives:

permission

timber

armed guards

complete support

Then another obstacle:

Opposition

Nehemiah and the workers are into the project. We expect to hear a happy ending but in stead we see that they face opposition.

Neh. 4 talks of this. A local leader Sanballat begins to mock the Jews.

Telling them they will never succeed.

But Nehemiah has said yes to God and that means saying yes to facing opposition.

Sometimes we say I ran into a problem and that must mean it isn’t God’s will.

Sometimes when you face roadblocks you know you must be doing the right thing.

Newton’s 3rd law of motion:

“Every action has an = and opposite reaction”

For every spiritual action, there is an equal and opposite spiritual reaction.

So when you set out to rebuild you are taking action that is consistent with the character of God.

He is:

creator

restorer

rebuilder

While your action aligns with his character it opposes Satan, whi is at his core a destroyer.

God creates

Satan destroys

When we try to rebuild what Satan has destroyed there will be opposition

Nehemiah was not facing opposition because he was doing something wrong but because He was doing something right!

Nehemiah is opposed by people who are insecure and jealous.

7 times we find a consistent cycle as work advances.

They get a little momentum the opposition tries to stop them through criticism and ridicule.

When you start to rebuild, people who you expect would be supporting and encouraging are sometimes critical and discouraging.

Watch your words - they can build up or tear down. Pray before you speak.

Discouraging people make it difficult to endure.

Challege: Be an encourager!

The right word from you at just the right time can make all the difference in someone’s life.

Hebrews 10:24–25 NIV

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Think about how you can spur someone on?

How can you be a blessing?

How can you appreciate their progress?

When you encourage others you will be encouraged yourself

There are two ways people often react to opposition:

Discouraged

Determined

Despite the opposition the progress continued.

Nehemiah 4:6 NIV

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

So first half complete, so far so good.

Then there is another obstacle:

Slow Progress

People start with strength and determination but then once you realize how much there is to do they grow tired, and overwhelmed by how much rubble is around them.

garage or shed so much stuff just close door and leave

bedroom

homework

painting

Some people are ready to give up and then there are a lot of half done projects.

Ever start cleaning and feel instantly overwhemled?

We start to build and after a few days or weeks we get discouraged.

Thought:

it would be faster

there would be more help

the people would be more receptive.

We then find our strength is giving out.

Nehemiah 4:10 NIV

Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”

The question is being implied here: What’s the point?

Just like when you get three days into a diet and you go out somewhere and there’s cheesecake or your most favorite thing in the world and you decide why not have it.

Or get derailed by donuts, cheeseburgers with chocolate covered bacon!

Too much work

Too much rubble

Too much time

Then you give up!

Conclusion:

We have spent enough time on the obstacles let’s talke about options:

Embrace the obstacles

Face the obstacles head on with the same faith that the one who called equips.

The path of comfort and least resistance is appealing and tempting.

Nehemiah does something else he rallies thr troops and calls everyone together and says it like it is.

No sugar coating.

I believe we too need this reminder.

Honesty doesn’t mean negative it means refocus!

Nehemiah 2:18 NIV

I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

Think about your life - where do you need to rebuild?

Address the mess and stop putting it off.

It takes courage to identify and assess the situation and embrace the obstacles.

2. Persevere in prayer

Whenever Nehemiah faced obstacles he prayed.

That’s the theme of the book of Nehemiah. Its his prayer journal. It also allows us to learn how to pray when we confront obstacles.

A. He prays for courage

Nehemiah 1:5 NIV

Then I said: “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments,

He begins with prays not reminders of how deserving he is.

He makes a humble request founded on God’s character.

Remind yourself of how great God is. Then you gain perspective and God shows us situations as they really are.

We realize He is sovereign and nothing in this world is bigger than He is.

B. Finds courage by reminding himself what God has done for His people. He brings his people before God as a part of his praise.

Reviews God’s history in our life and the lives of others and that gives perspective. It reminds us He is trustworthy and faithful and our confidence and courage grow.

Prayer connects us to the wonderful truths about God. What He did before He can do again.

Nehemiah 1:8–9 NIV

“Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’

Steep your mind and heart in God’s Word.

Nehemiah prays and grows in confidence concerning a very simple but powerful truth and speaks it truth to the very people.

Nehemiah 4:20 NIV

Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

It is a ringing declaration and shows Nehemiah’s mentality.

How can we give up when we know that “Our God will fight for us”?

See God as our warrior and you know you are fighting for his cause and have every right to feel strong.

3. Just keep building!

When it is time to run just keep running. No matter what!

In Nehemiah’s case he kept building. When obstacles came Nehemiah tells the people to defend their families, to fight and remember God’s greatness. Meanwhile he tells them, keep building.

People carried building materials in one hand and weapons in the other.

Sometimes it seems right to stop and deal with obstacles. But if at all possible we should continue to run the race, to do the work that God has set for us to do. Keep running, Keep building, Keeop doing what God has called you to do.

Don’t cry and pout if someone has taken a shot at you.

It’s difficult to hear grown adults whine about how hard the race is.

What did you expect? Did you think you could do good for God and not get attacked?

We need to serve God with a sense of urgency.

Neh. 6 tells what happens when Nehemiah receives 4 letters and sends 4 replies. He basically says why should I stop when I am on a roll?

Nehemiah teaches a lot about endurance.

Keep praying

Keep working

Simple powerful. You may not feel like doing it. You may feel tired or doubtful you are doing the right thing. Keep building. Never stop building.

At the point when you are most ready to quit it is likely the turning point in your rebuilding effort.

There are so many who quit when momentum is beginning to build.

How long do you think it took for Nehemiah and the people to rebuild the wall that surrounded the city of Jerusalem?

Nehemiah 6:15 NLT

So on October 2 the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after we had begun.

Somehow that doesn’t seem too long.

All of the obstacles seem epic, we may have expected it would have taken decades but sometimes when we look back we realize we didn’t have so far to go.

The real obstacle is perspective.

Don’t give in

Don’t give up

Keep on praying, Keep building!

You may be 52 short days away from BREAKTHROUGH!!

Song: Don’t give up you’re on the brink of a miracle