“Can You Identify?”
Nehemiah 2:1-6
Doug Brown FBC (SBC) Lawrenceville, Ill. 62439 P.O. Box 403
Hedonism, Dionysians, Epicureans, and Stoics.
(R.C. Sproul… Lifeviews pp. 129-138)
There is no sin in enjoying that which is pleasant and fleeing from that which is painful. But there are times when the Christian must choose the pain. Doing that which is difficult out of obedience to God is the better route. Hell is the ultimate of pain, and Heaven is the ultimate of pleasure.
Pleasure is defined differently for the Christian than it is for the Hedonist. Pleasure is defined as doing that which is pleasing to God, who has our ultimate best interest at heart.
There is a human restlessness looking for fulfillment, but if all we do to try to satisfy it is to follow the Hedonist’ philosophies, then we will come up short, particularly for the Christian because the Flesh wars against the Spirit.
The Road To Peace is Found In Doing The Will of God.
That is the road upon which we find Nehemiah seeking to travel.
SIX COMMON ELEMENTS THAT DESCRIBE HIS CHOOSING THE PAINFUL ROAD.
I. SITUATION AT HAND v1
Neh 2:1 “twentieth year of King Artaxerxes,”
Historical Background. Artaxerxes I, whom Nehemiah served as cupbearer, was the son of Ahasuerus (Xerxes), who took Esther to be his queen. The Feast of Purim (Est 9:20-32) was instituted on March 8, 473 B.C., only eight years before Artaxerxes I became king. In the spring of 457 B.C., Ezra led an expedition of Jews back to Jerusalem with the blessing of Artaxerxes;
One of the by-products of the revival under Ezra seems to have been an effort on the part of the Jews to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. This in turn provoked the wrath of Rehum and Shimshai, who wrote an accusation against them to Artaxerxes Ezra 4:23 “ Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease.”
Rehum and Shimshai, upon receiving this decree from the king, hurried to Jerusalem and "made them to cease by force and power," presumably breaking down the wall that had been started and burning the gates. It was the news of this fresh disaster that shocked Nehemiah and brought him to his knees before God. (from The Wycliffe Bible Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1962 by Moody Press)
Things were not what Nehemiah would have them be. In one sense, they were very much out of his control. The Odds were against him. He couldn’t just walk out and go home doing what he wanted to do.
His Hands were Tied and it was not within his power to untie them.
His Hope was Limited, He must find a way to rise above it.
His Honest Appraisal of his situation seemed to be short-sighted. After all, it was the king who brought the issue to the fore front. He undermined making a simple request.
While not in captivity, how many of us are like this? Challenges and goals await us. But what good do they do if we do not allow ourselves to go about attaining them? We Must Push On, Or Lose Out!
How do we do that? God says to take it One Day at a Time… and that is where He comes into Nehemiahs’s life… as he is working…
II. SERVANT AT WORK v 1
“ and it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king.”
Not a very glamorous job is it? I mean giving something to drink to a king. All He Was Is Someone To Check To See if The King’s Drink was poisoned. And if it was,… O Well, get another slave!
Folks, when Jesus came in the lowly fashion he did, God was communicating that He comes to everyday people in the the every day world. Koinania is the word used to describe one phase of Greek literature. The common language of the day.
Many times we look for God in the grand and Glorious.
And He is there… i.e.. Creation. However, when it comes to daily experiences. He is found working through the day to day stuff of life.
So, what is required of us is Submissiveness In Our Daily Walk of Life Living For The Lord. Submission says Lord I am here to do as you would have me do, no matter how small, large, menial or important the task. In the mean time I will live my life.
One Person’s Prayer goes as follows:
Lord, You said if I want to follow you, I will need to carry my cross every day. I want to follow, Lord. But there are days when I’m dragging my cross, making a trail for everyone to see. There are days when I’m pushing my cross, making my own path miserable and dusty. There are days when I’m sitting on my cross, trying to get comfortable and going nowhere. There are days when I’m giving my cross to somebody else, who already has one of his own. Help me, Lord, to carry my cross on my shoulder. When it’s up there, it leaves no room for a chip!
(Heaven Word, Stories for Teachers and Preachers)
Nehemiah could have had a “chip” on his shoulder about being a slave. He could have been jealous that he had not been born a son of this King. He could have so fussed that his being seen as “sad” was not unusual. No, No, he was dealing with his lot in life in true fasion of a servant of God.
In the movie CASUALTIES OF WAR, Michael J. Fox plays Private Erikson, a soldier in Vietnam who is part of a squad that abducts and rapes a young Vietnamese girl. He didn’t participate in the crime. Afterward, as he struggles with what has happened, he says to the other men in his squad, "Just because each of us might at any second be blown away, we ’re acting like we can do anything we want, as though it doesn’t matter what we do. I’m thinking it’s just the opposite. Because we might be dead in the next split second, maybe we gotta be extra careful what we do. Because maybe it matters more. Maybe it matters more that we ever know."
Just because we live common every day ordinary lives, does not mean we need to live in a way that denys who we really are. We Are Children Of God. Rise Above Our Situations. Be Submissive to God’s Will, yet open to Changes. WE CAN LIVE LIFE AS A CHRISTIAN THINKING THE LITTLE THINGS I DO HAVE NO CONSEQUENCE, BUT ON THE CONTRARY… LITTLE THINGS BECOME BIG THINGS IN THEIR OWN TIME.
III. SCEPTER’S UNDERSTANDING v 2 Why is your face sad, since you are not sick?
This is an earthly king’s understanding… What does he understand? His servant’s sadness? Servants change of outlook. To him that was more important than him being sad. To whatever extent it was, he knew it could affect his kingdom. Now while that thought is a stretch for Artaxerxes… however true it was for him… It Is Magnified a Thousand Times Over For God’s Kingdom!!
Sparrow doesn’t fall and God does not know about it!
IV. SICKNESS OF HEART v 2
“This is nothing but sorrow of heart." So I became dreadfully afraid.”
Neh 1:1-3
The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, "The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire."
Nehemiah was upset that his homeland, its city, etc were not what they could be! His people were not right with God, and the situation said it loud and clear!
We Become Heart Sick over those things to which we are closest to. FOR A CHURCH THIS CAN BE MOST PAINFULLY TELLING !!!
1. Where Our Hearts Are Gives Clear Indication Of. “Whereever your treasure there will your heart be also.”
Do We Treasure The Things and The Ways Of God? Do we, like the Psalmist so clearly says,
“as the deer pants for the water brook so pants my soul for you O God.”
2. Where Our Hearts Are At Can Also Be Our Greatest Condemnation in Silence!
We grovel over little insignificant things, while the world of the things of God is neglected.
“You tithe mint and cummin while the weitghtier matters of the Law you leave out” Major on the Minors.
The Christian Life is about Life In The Spirit. So often we focus on the Life in the Flesh.
A church having no concern for 1. Lost Souls, those who have never made a profession of faith, 2. Those who have yet have no interest in the activity of God’s kingdom through the local church.
3. Where Our Hearts Are At Can Also Be The Saving Grace from Daily Worrys in Life.
When one focuses on that which is greater, then that which is Smaller worries us the Least.
Folks those folks are our family. Estranged though they may be, nonetheless are still kin to thee!
IV. SIMPLE RECOGNITION v 3
“and said to the king, "May the king live forever! “
We ought To Give To Caesar That Which Belongs To Caeasar, i.e. Living in the work a day world. Balancing that time. Being responsible to our duties and obligations here…
but let us not forget… there is One Who Is Greater Than Caesar!
V. SEEKING THE SAVIOUR v 4
Neh 2:4 “So I prayed to the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah 1:4-12.
1. Nehemiah was Specific in His request.
2. Nehemiah was Sure About To Whom He made
the Request
3. Nehemiah was Sacrificial in making the Request.
VII. SANCTIFIED MISSION v 6
Neh 2:5-6 “ Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), "How long will your journey be? And when will you return?" So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.”
Folks we already have that Sanctification… It’s Called The Great Commission.
Two Simple Questions This Pastor Has Of You About The Great Commission… Are you
Hindering It, or Furthering it?
CLOSE
One of the sweetest assurances that Jesus ever gave to his followers was that he had come not merely to save men, not merely that they should have life, but "that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Look upon some narrow, self-centered life, where the first question is always that of self-gratification, and then look at the life that is pouring itself out on the world, a stream of blessing, and you will begin to catch his meaning: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt. 16:25). Our Lord came to teach us a more excellent way. The saving soul can never know the meaning of abundant life.
Hear the parable of the vine-dresser. There is a vine, living and bearing leaves enough to feed its body, and that is all. There are no clusters of fruit to bless those who come to it. The vinedresser looks at it. It is alive, but that does not satisfy him. Of what profit is it that the vine be kept alive, if it is to live on in this meager fashion? See, he begins to cut away here a limb and there a limb; and when he leaves the vine it seems to be impoverished indeed from having given up so much of itself. But let us return at the time of harvest. Look at the weight of great, purple clusters under which it bends. "Ah! this is life," we say; "it is abundant life."
O men, women, learn this lesson. When the Master of the vineyard comes down to take away that which you cherish as a part of yourself, he has come not in anger: he has come that you may have life, and that you might have it more abundantly.
(Heaven Word, Stories for Teachers and Preachers)
