Welcome back to part 2 in our series on the book of Nehemiah…
Review: looking at a wall rebuilding project in the book of Neh…
-making the connection that our lives are like the walls of Jer…there is some degree of brokenness...damage...parts of our life are crumbling, in need of repair...doesn’t mean that we’re completely ruined...for some it’s just a little area.....for others there’s lots of rubble…
....but for all of us there is a need for restoration and rebuilding....
...we began last week by an honest admission of our brokenness which invites us to cry out to God with honest, humble, confessional prayer.....
-that’s where the rebuilding process begins…in a partnership with the HS…reminder this is not a self-help program…
…by the show of hands last week, lots of you are ready for this journey…
Today, God wants you to take the next step in this rebuilding process......and the next step is reminding you who you are…who He says you are in Christ…
-the truth about who you in Christ serves as a great inspiration to not settle for brokenness but to go on to wholeness and restoration by the power of the HS…when we know who we are in Christ we become bold to live for Him and are empowered not let anything hold us back from going forward toward healing, restoration…and serving God with confidence and courage…
-turn to Neh. 2....
** know that most people in our congregation are saved.....but some of you may not be....it’s foundational to this rebuilding process that you be saved....without the HS in your life, you’ve only got your own power and ability to bring to the rebuilding process....and that won’t go very far.....
…as I talk today about who God says you are in Christ…I am talking about those who have chosen to place their faith in JC for salvation…
…have to be right up front with you and tell you the truth…can’t give any false assurance here today…more damaging than helpful…
...so dear friend.....if you’re outside of Christ… I can tell you who you are: you are loved, created to know and love God, precious person that God is calling…you need the salvation found only in JC…you have to have a genuine relationship with JC…so that what you hear today can be true of you as well…
…prayer…read vv.1-4.....
-v.4 is a great question....”What is it you want?”
-it’s a question God would want to ask us here today…
“What is it you really want me to do for you?”
…the fact that God would even ask this question shows how much He is for us and not against us…
…how would you answer if God were to ask you that today?
* word of caution: for me to suggest something like this is dangerous in today’s Christian culture because of the growing false belief that God’s main purpose is to give us what we want, when we want it…eg cultural Xny vs. Biblical Xny – gap is widening…difference is essentially whether or not the Bible is changing you or you are trying to change the Bible…
Nevertheless, with that warning, the question still remains: God asks us today, “What is it you want?”
Let’s look at Nehemiah’s answer in v.5.....read…”I want to rebuild it (the walls)....”
Neh’s compelling desire, his number one prayer request, is that Jer. would be restored, made whole again, built back up so that it can be protected and thrive…
If you’re compelling desire is for your life to be rebuilt, the walls restored, for healing and deliverance…then I can assure you that when you pray that way, God is 100% willing to answer that prayer…that’s the prayer He is looking for…
The Bible tells us that God is first and foremost concerned with our growth into Christ-likeness…to make us more like Christ…to develop in us a Christ-like character…Rm 8:29…
“…for those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…”
…and that conforming work God does certainly includes our healing, restoration…so let’s agree with God that this is the work He wants to do in us...express that to Him in prayer…
To show us how much God is on our side (Christian) and wants our lives to be rebuilt, we now get to the heart of this passage, and discover:
Three Things God says about who you are in Christ
-this is where we get our inspiration and boldness to proceed into God’s rebuilding plan…
I We have God’s approval (2:6)
-read v.6… “it pleased the King…”
Child of God, you please God the King…
-you have God’s favor, His approval, He delights in you...you are the object of His amazing love...you are a secure child of the Heavenly Father…
…you please the King....not just what you do pleases the King, not just your record of Christian service pleases the King (altho it does), not your accomplishments for God please Him....not your ministry gifts and talents....
-no, you please the King, simply who you are, a child of God, a precious person God has created and loves and has redeemed and chosen to be His friend and follower.....
eg. this is especially precious to me because of my struggle with living in sonship…my brokenness…)
1John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!
But you say, “What about my sin? Certainly my sin doesn’t please the Lord…” True, but our sin does not stop God from loving us and being pleased with us…eg the same way you feel about your children…even when that child hurts you or disobeys…
** so much of our brokenness gets restored when we feel/experience/washed by the love and delight God has for us....
-for some of us who have grown up in the church, we have heard this all our lives, but this truth has rarely moved from our heads down to our hearts......
eg. how I learned that God really loves me…when I returned home as a prodigal son…was forgiven by God…vs. the older brother
** you please the King so it pleases the King to do a work of rebuilding in you....He wants to answer your prayer…prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance, its laying hold of His willingness…
Let’s read on and see the second thing God says is true about us: read vv.7-8…
II We have God’s authority (2:7-8)
-read vv.7-8…
- just like Neh., you and I, Child of God, have been given the King’s letters, which represents God’s authority on this earth…
-we have been given the right and power to be involved in this work of rebuilding and to get results....
-this authority is not in us...it is given to us by God Himself
-because of God’s authority, which is the highest authority in the universe....we have the assurance that this work of rebuilding will take place…
eg. many years ago…scene of head-on collision…witnessed it… fatalities…policeman gave me his flashlight to direct traffic…people actually obeyed my directions…I had no authority for this, other than what was given me by the policeman…
* our sp. authority is something we generally don’t understand as Christians…live far below the level of our God-given sp. authority…so we live unaware of how much authority there is “in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ”…in the name of the King…
Satan wants to keep us unsure, uninformed about what it means to be given sp. authority in the name of JC…
The King’s Letters
God’s authority is found primarily in His word, the Bible....
God has put into your hand, Christian, The King’s Letters....
...and it is to be used to claim our victory, to declare our position in Christ and not let the Enemy of our souls keep us in ruin and rubble any longer
Examples: • if brokenness is fear...
-authority is in Ps.27:1 “In the name of Jesus…The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life -- of whom shall I be afraid?
• pride ....Phil.2:3-5....”In the name of Jesus…”Do nothing out of selfish ambition and vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves…having the same mind that was also in Christ Jesus…
• lust / sensuality ....Rm.6:11,13 “In the name of Jesus, I…
“count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God....do not offer the parts of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life, and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness...”
• unforgiveness ....Eph. 4:32 “in the name of Jesus, I choose to…Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
In Jesus’ Name
God has given us His name as the basis of our sp. authority, so that when we pray, we do so in the name of Jesus Christ…(learning this from my African brothers and sisters)… often “in Jesus’ name” is a meaningless formula we attach to the end of our prayer…
** What it really means…that when we pray in Jesus’ name, Jesus is taking our prayer and making it His own on our behalf…He is praying our prayer to the Heavenly Father as our advocate…
Heb. 7:25…”Jesus always lives to intercede for those who come to God through Him…”
Satan tries to keep us broken, our lives in ruin…”you’re broken and nothing can be done about it…”
God says, “You have my letters of authority...use them to defeat the enemy and see the rebuilding take place.”
You have been given the name of Jesus Christ…use it to take sp. authority over sin, brokenness, defeat…healing comes through the name of Jesus…
And then the third thing God says is true about you is.....
III You have God’s angel army (2:9)
-read v.9b....
-this verse reminds us of the invisible army of angels that God says surrounds His people…
-what do they do? Protect and serve....
Heb.1:14 “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?”
eg. reminds us Elisha’s servant Gehazi (2 Kg.6) ......”Don’t be afraid -- those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”
eg. Crossing into Kenya from Uganda…young soldier who took us back to our bus…
God has an invisible angel army looking out for you (protecting, serving, guiding, delivering....) and that is a great encouragement to us in the rebuilding process...
God has angels surrounding our church…protecting, serving, ministering to us…
-you are not alone in this process…you have God’s heavenly support in unseen ways…not to mention the human support which we will talk about throughout this series…
Response
-for those of you who are in Christ, this is who you are in Him…this is what He has done for you so you can be empowered to go forward in the process of restoration and rebuilding…
God’s approval, authority, angel army…
-come to Christ…so these things can be true of you…
-simply receive the truth today about who are you in Christ…
Prayer......Worship…