BAD NEWS AND BREAKTHROUGHS
This is a monumental series…
First time all four Mariners churches have done a church-wide campaign together
All sermons… all life groups… (including students) for 7 weeks
building toward a very special “Dream” event
Plus the book, FAVOR WITH KINGS, for daily reading
book is only $10 on patio—can’t get it cheaper
we hope EVERYONE joins in the fun and reads… even if you’re not a reader, you can do this—short, inspirational chapters that will make the story of Nehemiah come alive and make sense to your life
DEDICATION of book <
Hilary’s ring story
Bad news is the genesis of breakthroughs
sometimes everything works out in a fairytale outcome… sometimes it doesn’t
but either way, there are breakthroughs
God is the only person who brings good from out bad
Sometimes life blows up in our face
And we can go down with it… or we can believe there is more
Is there hope for a broken person in this broke world? Does God really have a bigger plan for me, despite everything?
That’s what we’re talking about today…
Where there is no vision, the people perish… Proverbs 29:18 (KJV)
If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; but when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed. Proverbs 29:18 (MSG)
THIS IS VISION:
Seeing what God has already done…
…Sensing what He’s doing now…
…Anticipating what He might do next.
“I have a dream” (MLK)
You have a dream
Maybe you had one and gave up on it
Maybe you want one but aren’t clear yet
We want to help you get clear on your dream and take steps toward it over the next 7 weeks.
Hint: You will one day be able to say this about your dream:
I have a mission from God that motivates me and matters to someone else.
Nehemiah 1:1-4
These are the memoirs of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah.
In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the fortress of Susa. 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came to visit me with some other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.
3 They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
4 When I heard this, I sat down and wept…
Context
Babylon takes Jerusalem, captivity
Persia takes Babylon
Persian kings allow some Jews to go back and settle again in Jerusalem
Decades pass, rebuilt temple, but can’t make any progress on walls
Vulnerable, unsafe, disrespected, hopeless
Nehemiah’s brother and others come visit Nehemiah
800 mile trip
Nehemiah is cupbearer to King of Persia, Artaxerxes
Comfort
Good to be Nehemiah
Eats like a king
Lives in luxury
Is in king’s presence constantly
Is trusted by the king (we’ll understand this more later)
Brother and other guys have the look of desperate people who might rain on Nehemiah’s parade
Maybe he didn’t want to know what they had to say…
“I don’t want to know”
“Let’s party”
“Just stay here and mooch off my status”
But Nehemiah asks…
…So, ask the hard question: How are things, really?
Because Nehemiah believed:
Bad news is the genesis of breakthroughs
Getting real
Honesty about current realities
• In culture
• In family
• Inside self
They said to me, “Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”
Have you ever felt like a person who is in trouble and disgrace?
Do you know what it is to be a person who’s walls are torn down and your gates are destroyed?
EX: My story…
I do. Humiliation… loss… uncertainty about the future…
had a difficult time believing that things could get better
but it did
and that pain, humiliation… make me a far better pastor—relatable… not trying to impress… just trying to point myself and all of us to a God who is real
What’s your story?
How does the present reality that you see around you connect to the heart-break in your own story?
In other words,
What breaks your heart?
• Injustice —> Initiation
• Difficulty —> Determination
• Tragedy —> Transformation
• Pain —> Purpose
Bad news is the genesis of breakthrough.
Someone said that for God to use you greatly, you’ve got to be wounded deeply.
Jesus—John 11
Now a man named Lazarus was sick…
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Matthew 11:1,4
Jesus loved Lazarus and his sisters.
Jesus makes this declaration: “This sickness will not end in death.”
But then Lazarus dies…
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days… 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him…
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
You let me down
I though you said this wouldn’t end in death
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
The pain is obvious… let’s look for the BREAKTHROUGHS
Breakthrough #1: Faith
Jesus would later raise from the dead, but Martha seems to believe He’s God sooner. Despite that fact that she feels Jesus just let her down.
She has faith even when she’s heartbroken
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
Breakthrough #2: Relationship
The realization that Jesus is in this with me
He cares like I do
I’m not alone
It seems to me like he was late… but he’s HERE
He loves us
Even if God doesn’t fix the circumstance, the sense of his presence can heal your heart and give you hope.
He was with you in the middle of your tragedy… He’s with you now…
Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Breakthrough #3: Resurrection
Lazarus rises from dead
Sometimes, dead things come back to life
Sometimes, they don’t
The resurrection of Lazarus pointed to a future resurrection: JESUS
Jesus resurrection points to another future resurrection: OURS… AND WHEN ALL THINGS ARE MADE NEW
Jesus says that if you believe in me you will never died even though you die. So, even if you you don’t get the miracle you’re asking for now… this isn’t the end. There’s a resurrection coming… There is new life still ahead.
And remember this:
Jesus’ ministry is about redemption, not perfection.
Life doesn’t always go according to plan…
There is bad news in this life.
But bad news is not the end.
Bad news is the genesis of breakthroughs.
Bad news reminds us that there is a resurrection coming… eventually.
…And in the meantime,
Bad news inspires our best opportunities.
What breaks your heart?
What bad news has, or can, move you toward meaningful action?
God loves to bring purpose from your pain.
In fact, there was one more breakthrough in the story of Lazarus… did you miss it?
Breakthrough #4: Participation
A bunch of other people got to participate in the miracle of Jesus. He used others.
He still uses others.
He’ll use you.
It doesn’t matter how old you are… how young you…
It doesn’t matter if you gave up years ago…
It doesn’t matter if you got distracted by less meaningful things…
What matters is that God brought you here, today… He brought you here to remind you that you’re part of a bigger story… And that you have a part to play. He was with you in your sadness and pain. And, even if it didn’t turn out you prayed, it’s not over.
That was not the end of the story. He’s not done with you yet.
Will you ask the question?
HOW ARE THINGS REALLY?
There is greatness in you that God wants to draw out.
He has a mission for you.
It has something to do with your pain… and pain around you in the broken world.
What breaks your heart?
Today… Action step:
Just believe that bad news can be the genesis of breakthroughs.
God uses broken people with broken hearts…
“Yes, I believe you are the God of the universe who holds life in his hands… I and trust you. And I want to play my part.”
That’s it.
That’s your prayer.
And if you want to know what it looks like to play your part… You need to come back next week :)
