NATIONAL REVIVAL THAT BEGAN WITH THE BUTLER
Neh. 1:1-2:18
INTRODUCTION
A. HUMOR
1. There are a lot of people who need revival!
2. One lady, Vickie, called a lawyer’s office in the Yellow Pages. She made an appointment with their Family Law department.
3. "How can I help you, madam?" asks the lawyer.
"Is it true," asks Vickie, "that if I get divorced, I'm entitled to 50% of all of my husband's possessions?"
4. "Well," the lawyer replies, "the law firm would get their fee, of course, but after that, it’s usually the case that the woman ends up receiving at least 50% of her husband’s entire assets. So, are you ready to file for your divorce?"
5. "Oh no," replied Vickie, "I need to find a husband first."
B. THESIS
1. We're going to find out tonight how National Revival came through a Butler. This is Amazing.
2. Usually, in all the mystery/thrillers -- it's usually the Butler who’s one of the bad guys, villains.
3. How much can a Butler do anyway? They’re usually are poor, they’re servants, they’re kept very busy & don't get to go to church.
4. Question -- So How can a Butler bring National Revival?
C. TEXT
1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hakaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 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, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. 8 “Remember…your… saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands…I will gather…’ 11 Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king. 2 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 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, 3 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?” 4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” 6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time. 11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate…examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 17 Then I said to them, “Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18 They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
D. TITLE
“NATIONAL REVIVAL THAT CAME THROUGH THE BUTLER.”
I. BROKENNESS OVER SIN
A. 7 STEPS OF NEHEMIAH’S BROKENNESS
1. WEPT (4)
a. I am reminded of a story about William Booth who founded the Salvation Army. He sent several young man to another city to establish a Christian work.
b. They tried praying, outreach, visitation -- but nothing seemed to work. They set a telegraph back to Gen. Booth, asking for advice on how to get breakthrough for revival.
c. He replied with two words, "Try tears!" Church, our tears must not only be shed for America, but for our own sins.
d. You see, the problem with America is not with the darkness, but with the Light. The church is to be the salt of the earth, the Light of the world, the Pillar of the Truth. If the church will be the church it ought to be, then we can change the nation.
e. It's time for us to stop blaming Washington and stop blaming Hollywood, and start weeping over our own sins. f. Why do we get upset that sinners sin? What do we expect them to do? The problem is not that sinners sin, the problem is that the church can't wait to spend seven dollars on Saturday night to go watch them do it!
2. MOURNED
3. FASTED – not as leverage, but demonstrated how deep the mourning went. He mourned and fasted 3 to 4 months.
4. PRAYED (5)
5. CONFESSION OF SIN (6-7)
6. REMEMBERED/ CLAIMED GOD’S PROMISES (8-9)
7. BELIEVED FOR GOD’S INTERVENTION (10-11)
B. ARE WE BROKEN OVER SIN?
1. We ought to be!
2. Insert Statistics on the sin of our nation.
II. THE BIRTH OF HOPE
A. ANSWER TO HIS PRAYERS
1. The Holy Spirit quickened him to speak to the King.
2. The King responded positively to him.
3. He went to Jerusalem and went out by night, because of his enemies, to view the ruined walls and gates. His intent was to see what he could do to repair the damage.
4. This is equivalent to us seeking God in early morning prayer for what can be done to restore and rebuild our nation and take away the disgrace of our sin.
5. In prayer, view the breaches in our walls, how the protections that give us safety have been compromised. How can we rescue the perishing?
6. William Booth did this and started the Salvation Army that has saved millions. David Wilkerson saw the helpless condition of drug addicts and started Teen Challenge.
7. What can you do to rescue those around you?
B. EMPTIED, THEN FILLED
1. We make our plans, we set our goals and fortify our faith in ourselves. We tell ourselves, "Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, he can accomplish."
2. Our power relies on our ability to get things done. The approach in the Book of Nehemiah was much different. We find Nehemiah totally emptied of himself. There's no way he can single-handedly repair a large city surrounded by enemies; his total dependence is upon God.
3. He empties himself in prayer before God. It's then that God placed the plan in Nehemiah's heart. He began to realize what needed to be done.
4. The result was the gracious hand of God began to move and bring progress.
C. WE TOO MUST BE EMPTIED
1. In the Book of Joel the prophet sensed that the day of the Lord was at hand. He knew that God was going to judge Israel. He understood Israel's deepest need.
2. Joel described in most urgent tones the appropriate response: "Awake! Weep! Howl! Lament! Fast! Call a sacred assembly... Cry unto the Lord... Below the trumpet... sound an alarm... Turn to Me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rend your hearts... gather the people... assemble the elders, gather the children and those that suck at the breasts. Let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber and the bride out of her closet.”
3. The priests, the ministers of the Lord, are to weep between the porch and the altar and let them say, "Spare your people, oh Lord...!”
4. This is remarkable. The prophet says, "Stop the honeymoon! Stop nursing the baby!" Do you get the picture?
5. The situation is so desperate that the most serious action is necessary. Everyone must stop what they are doing and cry out to the Lord for mercy!
6. The sad part about this urgent cry is that the people didn't realize the urgency of the hour; they couldn't see the need for revival.
7. Here’s the NIV translation,
“Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly. Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders, gather the children, those nursing at the breast. Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar. Let them say, “Spare your people, Lord!” Joel 2:15-17.
CONCLUSION
A. ILLUSTRATION
1. In the 1800’s a town was holding a revival with the great preacher George Whitefield.
2. A teenager and his friends decided they would go to the revival and break it up. They went, but instead, the preaching was so powerful that the young man was converted.
3. At the age of 23, he entered the ministry and wrote one of the greatest hymns that's been sung, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."
4. In the third verse, Robert Robertson tells that he knew we have the tendency to let the fires go out. The actual words he wrote were, "Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love. Here's my heart, take and seal it, seal it for Thy courts above."
5. For many years he was on fire for the Lord, but over many years he began to wander. He left his God and his Church.
6. Later in life, he found himself on a train sitting opposite a woman who was humming the song, "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing."
7. Robert seemed quite despondent so the lady began witnessing to him, saying that what he needed was the message of that song.
8. History recounts that he broke down in tears and said, "Ma'am, I'm the one that wrote that song. I would give anything if I hadn't because I would give anything to have those feelings again!"
B. THE CALL
1. If you are thirsty for more of God, I believe that God will relight the fire in your heart as you make your way to the altar.
2. Prayer.
[I think I got the idea for this message from a writer on sermoncentral, but I have not been able to locate the source]
