12/27/09
Tim Franklin
Neh 1:10-11; 2:5; 4:6; 6:15
Introduction:
· “All Hands on Deck!” is a naval cry for available person to be alert and to come to their post.
o It was call that was given to bring an entire crew to attention whether it was for battle, inspection, caution, or opportunity.
o In all instances it was a call to readiness.
· I want to sound all hands on deck this morning. In the midst of the rest of the last couple of days I want to call us to our posts today. It is easy in the aftermath of holidays to fall in to a slump, get discourage by the rubbish, and be overcome by weariness.
· Nehemiah was one of those who sounded the cry, “All hands on deck!”
· Read the scriptures. Three things I want to do this morning: Embrace the mission, expose fear, and execute the plan.
1. Embracing the Mission
A. The Mission begins with a burden
i. Nehemiah’s Mission began with a burden
a. Nehemiah 1:4 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. NKJV
b. Nehemiah realized the condition of his nation and he heart was moved for his people.
c. Most missions in life begin with a burden in the heart. A burden is a weight that is felt in the heart. It has to do with change that desired for a person or people. It can start with your family, your friends, your city, or state.
ii. Every one of us has a mission in this life and everyone has a mission field. When we are born again, our mission is twofold, to grow in Christ and pick up His mission of making disciple of all nations. That is the ultimate burden that every believer must pick up.
a. For many this may start in your own home (Family). I remember when my dad got saved. My family’s life changed immediately. My dad instantly received a burden for the rest of our family. For my sister and I. He had a burden for his dad, for his sister and her husband.
b. Your burden in life may be to grow a strong business that employs many (work). And that field becomes your mission field of which you influence others to know personally Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
iii. The mission begins when the heart is heavy in response to the condition of those around you and in response to what God has put upon your heart to do.
B. The Mission starts where you are
i. One man—it started with Nehemiah. The rebuilding of the wall of Jerusalem began with one man getting a burden and it started right where he was at—a slave, a cup bearer to the king of Artaxerxes.
a. Nehemiah 1:10-11 Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. 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." NKJV
b. The mission starts with you. You can’t wait for others to get the burden and begin. You have to start where you are.
(i) My dad began by quitting smoking. He was letting his light shine. Next was my grandfather. Next was my uncle. I watched in matter of weeks, the influence of one born again man, upon other. I watch them also submit their hearts to Jesus. I watched my family come to know God.
(ii) You are not always given the best circumstances to grow in. But in Christ Jesus we live above the circumstances and not below them.
ii. One people-it continued with a people. Notice that the burden on one man’s heart eventually became the burden and vision on many people’s hearts. That is called influence!
iii. One strength-it was strengthened by God. One man’s burden and one people’s burden cannot be stopped when strengthened by God!
C. The Mission appears to always be in jeopardy
i. Jeopardy--OF. jeu parti an even game, a game in which the chances are even, to be exposed to death, loss or peril.
ii. As we read through book of Nehemiah, we find that the mission is always in jeopardy.
a. Anything you do for God will be opposed by hell and the fallen nature of humanity at work in people and in our own un-renewed minds.
b. This is a natural part of living the Christian life.
iii. There is always one main enemy that will seek to neutralize you. FEAR
2. Exposing the Fear
A. Fear revealed.
i. Robs us—calls us to pull back in the face of opportunity.
a. Think of the ideas you have had but because of one fear or another you pulled back from running with your idea only to find later on that someone else is making money from an idea that you had.
b. Think of the times you heard the Spirit of God say something to you about your spouse, child, business etc. but because you were afraid you pulled back in the face of opportunity because of fear.
ii. Paralyzes us—stops us from acting and causes us to live in the past experiences, failures and disappointments. Causes inaccurate hearing/poor listening—therefore we can’t see his direction.
a. Numbers 13. 10 spies full of fear paralyzed a nation from going into the promised land. For 40 years the children of those who came out of Egypt watched their parents die in the wilderness the place they were not called to die in.
iii. Inspires doubt—‘what if’, blinds us from the vision of our future and of the prize.
a. Illustration of lion in ditch while dad and Joshua were hiding.
b. Leviticus 26:36 'And as for those of you who are left, I will send faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; the sound of a shaken leaf shall cause them to flee; they shall flee as though fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when no one pursues. NKJV
c. Peter while walking on the water begins to consider his surroundings (wind and waves) rather than the word of the Lord and who it was who was calling him.
iv. Causes us to see the impossible. If all we see is the impossible we will never attempt anything for God. God has always intended us to see the impossible as conquerable in Christ Jesus.
B. Note the spirit of fear at work against Nehemiah as he rebuilt the wall.
i. Anger creates fear and confusion. Nehemiah 4:7-8 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. NKJV
a. Anger creates fear and confusion
ii. Beware of believers who live to close to the enemy.
a. Nehemiah 4:12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us." NKJV
b. Disassociate and remove yourself from those who continually speak failure or seek to incite fear in your heart. There are those who will speak wisdom to you that you may not want to hear, I am not talking about them. I am talking about believers who live so close to the enemy that you can hardly tell the difference between them and those who oppose you.
iii. Be aware of the design of threats.
a. Nehemiah 6:9 For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, "Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done."Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. NKJV
b. The enemy was threatening Nehemiah with lies that attacked his integrity. Ps. 25, and 26 are two Psalms that declare, “Let integrity and righteousness guard my footsteps.”
iv. When friends sell you out.
a. Nehemiah 6:13 For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act that way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me. NKJV
b. The spy who worked for Nehemiah was bought out that he might bring reproach against Nehemiah. He was sent to defame Nehemiah.
v. When others speak evil about you
a. Nehemiah 6:19 Also they reported his good deeds before me, and reported my words to him. Tobiah sent letters to frighten me. NKJV
b. The media is an incredible source of fear. Because fear sells. People love the juice of fear and they love to share it with others.
3. Executing the Plan to Conquer Fear
A. In the face of fear Nehemiah strengthened himself in the Lord.
i. Nehemiah 6:9 Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands. NKJV
ii. David encourage himself in the Lord. He was being threatened by his own men after a major set back. 1 Samuel 30:6 Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. NKJV
B. Talk to God—lots.
i. Prayer is the place where we call upon Him for His help. Nehemiah 4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night. NKJV It was EM Bounds who said, “Man is looking for better methods, but God is looking for better men.” Better men are made in the place of prayer. Ie. Praying the Word, gazing on His beauty.
ii. Nehemiah set a 24/7 watch. Night and day prayer. Thank God for IHOP and the call to 24/7 prayer. It creates in the heart of those who join a prayer life without ceasing.
C. Reposition yourself.
i. Nehemiah positioned the people according to their families. There is nothing like considering your family when faced with adversity. Men and women will fight with everything they have when their family is threatened.
ii. Sometimes we have to reposition ourselves mentally and physically when we consider the impact of our lives upon those we lead and steward in our homes.
D. Remember the Lord and fight for your family. Neh. 4:14
i. Strength comes when remember who He is! What He has done! And Whose we are!
ii. Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. NKJV It is easy in adversity to consider what is going around you. But we need to set our minds on things above and remember what He has done for us. Consider Paul’s words from the Message Bible-- Rom 8:31-39So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? 32 If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? 33 And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? 34 Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us — who was raised to life for us! — is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. 35 Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture: 36 They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. 37 None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. 38 I'm absolutely convinced that nothing — nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, 39 high or low, thinkable or unthinkable — absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. THE MESSAGE
E. Return to the Mission. Neh. 4:15 When the fear has been subdued return to the mission.
F. Learn to be a fighter and builder at the same time. Neh 4:17. You can’t just be one who learns spiritual warfare. You have to learn to build too. God said to Jeremiah, uproot teardown, replant, build and establish. We have to be purposeful in building the lives of our family and community, nation.
G. Embrace the mission. When the mission is worth dying for courage rises in the heart.
i. Not all who die for the mission began their.
ii. Their hearts had to be trained to do it.
iii. They had to learn to love each other.
iv. They had to learn to fight for a great cause (their nation)—their King.
Conclusion:
- Is fear stopping you today?
- It is time to return to the mission.
- Invitation to make Jesus Lord of Your life.
