Series: Building for God / Date: June 14, 2015
Topic: Nehemiah 1:1-11 / Speaker: Pastor Joe Ong
For the ice breaker this week, answer the following question: What kind of wall do you have between your home and your neighbors? Is it a solid concrete wall, a PVC, wooden or chain-link fence? Does it provide for complete privacy or is it open enough to have a conversation with your neighbors? Today’s discussion is about Jerusalem’s walls and a leader in Nehemiah who had a burden for the remnant in Judah.
Start the worship time by encouraging people to share praises for what God has done in their life this past week. Sing worship songs from the Sunday services or select your own.
I. Spiritual Objective. At the end of the discussion, members will:
A. Understand how God uses people of influence right where they are to accomplish His purposes.
B. Realize how important it is to lift up our burdens and plans to the Lord before embarking on any major endeavor.
II. Sermon Synopsis for Nehemiah 1:1-11.
1The 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, 2that 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. 3And 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.” 4As 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. 5And 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, 6let 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. 7We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 8Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9but 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.’ 10They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 11O 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.
· The Jews are in exile in Babylon. Nehemiah has not been back to his homeland, but he hears about the conditions in Jerusalem. Although he has an important role in Babylon as a consultant for the king in his position as a cupbearer, Nehemiah empathized with and was burdened for his people in Jerusalem. He often prayed to God confessing their sins as his own and asking Him to remember His people. Nehemiah also asked God for favor before the king.
III. Discuss the Following Questions:
A. Nehemiah Hears of Jerusalem’s crisis condition (v.1-3).
1. Nehemiah heard that the walls of Jerusalem were broken and in ruins. Why was it significant for the remnant of Jews who were back from exile that the walls were broken? What is the function of the walls around a city, any city, during those days? How should they balance the need for walls with trusting God as their ultimate protector? How about us, how should we trust God for His protection and provision vs. buying enough insurance to cover every potential calamity in lives, e.g., our cars, homes, health, disability, long-term care and eventual death?
2. Nehemiah was in a position of influence where he lived. Are we in a position of influence as a Christian in our workplace or school? How are we using this influence—to get things for ourselves, or do we influence people for God? Do we sense God may have placed us in a position of influence and how He wants us to use it? Give an example of how God may have used you?
B. Nehemiah’s Reaction to the news about Jerusalem its people. (v.4)
1. Nehemiah wept and mourned for many days. Have we ever been so grieved that we wept for those we hurt for? Who was the last person we mourned for? What was our relationship with them?
2. Are we mourning for what God mourns for? Have we ever had a spiritual burden for anyone that caused us to mourn? What have you been moved by recently—a mission field like India or Mongolia? In the midst of our comfortable surroundings where we live, how can we become more sensitive to the physical and spiritual needs around us locally, globally?
3. I was Fasting and Prayer before the God of heaven. How has fasting and prayer helped us to break out of our spiritual inertia? What have we fasted and prayed for? What has been our burden? Where does God want us to be involved personally?
C. Nehemiah’s Prayer (v.5-7)
1. Prayer is Essential to Spiritual Leadership. Nehemiah took his Pain and Stress to God in prayer. How regular is prayer part of our life? What’s the longest we’ve prayed for something? Are our goals big enough to compel us to go to God in prayer? How persistent do we pray for what we really care about, what we’re passionate for? Do we bring them to God in prayer or try to take care of it ourselves with our own strength and resources?
2. Nehemiah comes to God in humility & Confesses his sins. Do we humble ourselves and confess our sins before God when we first approach Him in prayer? How does this affect us and prepare our hearts for prayer? What do you think would happen if we didn’t do this first?
D. (v.11) Nehemiah Prays with a Heart to Do Something—that God would Give him mercy when he goes before the king and would let His servant Prosper. Are our hearts pure in what we ask for that we can unselfishly pray for prosperity from God? What do we pray for more often—ourselves or for others? When we hear from God through prayer, do we immediate do what He wants us to do or do we delay out of uncertainty?
IV. Practice and Application:
Ø Ask God to show you how He wants to use you in your workplace or school as a Christian influence for Him.
Ø Ask God to, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours” to have a passion and burden for what God wants in our lives. (1For another perspective of the often used quote, see the quote below.)
Ø Set aside time for fasting and prayer on a regular basis to hear God and ask Him what He wants you to do.
Ø Pray: Pray and thank God for the role He has given you in your workplace. Ask Him how He wants you to be an influence for Him by stirring your heart for what He wants you to do with your life. Pray that He will help you spend a regular time in fasting and prayer in dependence on Him to provide all you need to do His will.
Announcements:
1. Seniors Outing. Seniors Fair and the Okinawa Center on Friday, 6/19 at 9:00am. Car pool from the LCC.
2. PUSH Night of Prayer. Friday, 6/26 at 7:00 pm.
Pray for Our Building Expansion Project (BEP). Continue praying for the Elders and Deacons, the BEP and the Stewardship Campaign Committee as well as our architect, Max Guenther and contractor Gary Cordery as we continue moving forward with our Building Expansion. Pray that God will direct us and provide the financial support we need.
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1The Blog: “Break My Heart for What Breaks Yours”, 7/11/12,
Inotherwords84.wordpress.com
“…When we ask God to break our hearts and to give us His eyes, we are basically asking to be like Christ in every way. Yet, we lose focus on the things that truly break God’s heart and that is the condition ofOURhearts, our actions & words towards others, and what we do outside of church when we claim to bear His name. What is our motivation for doing the things we do in the name of Christ anyways? …Is it because we honestly and truly want to be the hands and feet of Christ to a seriously broken world that is searching for something to hope in?
To be broken for the things of Christ means to die to self. We have to stop living out of our own selfish desires, give up the selfish ambition, stop living for the expectation of man, and truly allow God to burden us with concern for others…I am talking a deep concern for them that their soul could be in danger of eternal separation from God; a concern for them when they are going through rough times and need prayer and encouragement; a concern for whether or not they are fully allowing God to serve His purpose through their lives. Are we mentoring, speaking into their lives & edifying them, holding them accountable? Are we loving them, learning compassion and understanding by exposing ourselves to that which makes us uneasy so that we can learn to walk in empathy?
If you are praying for God to break your heart for what breaks His, it’s time to move past the basics of Christianity and really seek out the burdens of others He wishes to place on your heart and take responsibility for praying for them and seeking God’s will through it…”