"A NEW BEGINNING PART 3"
TEXT: NEHEMIAH 2
"Early in the morning Joshua and all the israelites set out from Shittim and went to the Jordan, where they camped before crossing over..." Joshua 3:1
Have you ever experienced what people call Da Ja Vu? You know when you feel like you’ve been somewhere or done something before.
Well, God’s people had been there before -- camped on the east side of the Jordan river. However the last time they were there they didn’t do so well. You see, God after freeing them from slavery and delivering them from Pharaoh offered them a new life in a new land (a land flowing with milk and honey), but for fear of the unknown because of a bad report by 10 spies, and due to their lack of faith in God they refused their new beginning, choosing rather to hold on to the old ways and the old life.
And it cost them, boy did it cost them -- they were forced as a people to wander in the barren wilderness for 40 years. 40 years of never staying put, always moving about, of sleeping in tents and living out of a suitcases.
And now they find themselves once again at the same spot, and God is once again offering them a new beginning.... A second chance to live in that promise land and to bask in His blessings. And this time under the leadership of Joshua they would get it right - they would cross over the Jordan and start again..
That second chance for God’s people occurred over 3,000 years ago and you can read about it in the books of Deuteronomy and Joshua.
POINT; our God has always been a God of THE second chance.
And today we (you & I) are just like those Israelites camped on the east side of our new beginning. God is offering me, He is offering you and he is offering Central a new beginning - a chance to live in a better land.
Sure He may have offered it to us before and yes we may have made the wrong choice in our past but here we are again and the choice is ours as whether or not we begin again; whether or not we cling to the old or embrace the new.
New beginning’s are great to have, second chances in life are a gift from God, but they are not always that easy to bring bout to see through. It’s great that we can have a "do over" with God, but many times we do not take advantage of it. Often times our new beginning becomes hauntingly like our old ending... Instead of moving forward we end up moving backward. And we find ourselves wandering n a barren wilderness - living out of suitcases.
It is because of this tendency we all have of messing up not only our 2nd chances but our 3rd & 4th as well that I am convinced that every one of us needs help in order to make our new beginning possible this year.
You know this time of year people naturally think about new beginnings; new diets, new exercise programs, new hopes, new dreams, new habits, new attitudes..etc.
And this really is a year of New Beginnings here at Central that is why our theme for 1998 is just that A NEW BEGINNING -- if you noticed our sign out front says, "Need a new beginning, we’ve had one so can you."
The people in this world those driving by this church need to know that this is a place where they can have a new beginning, Regardless of how long or how far they have been wandering in the wilderness..
Personally, I am really excited about my new beginning in 1998, I’m beginning a brand new fresh ministry here in good old Georgia - in what is probably one of the hottest growing spots in the country.. And it’s a New beginning for my family (for Lauire, Chelsea, John & Leila), we have a new home, new lives, new friends.
And it is also a new beginning for you; a brand new year has dawned, full of new experiences, new opportunities and 2nd chances.... 98’ can be the year when you become the husband, wife, parent, child, worker, servant, it can be the year where you become the Christian you’ve always wanted to be. The year God finishes the good work he began in you.
And in order to help us make our new beginning a reality we began a study last week from Nehemiah, a study where as we dig into the text we are finding principles that will help us and hindrances that we need to avoid.
And if we as a church, and if we as individuals embrace these helps and avoid these hindrances our new beginning in 1998 will be a successful one, a very successful one.
Let’s briefly review where we have been so far....
If we want our new beginning to be successful we need to embrace
HELP #1; A DEEP DESIRE FOR SOMETHING BETTER
Just how bad do you want this new beginning....
Do you want as bad:
as an Olympic athlete wants the Gold
as a football team wants that superbowl ring...
as a starving man desires a bite of food...
When Nehemiah heard how things were going back in Jerusalem, when he heard that things were not going good that the people were having all kinds of trouble, that they were in disgrace because the walls were still torn down.... He was upset because he desired something better for God’s people. He knew as God’s people they were not meant to be living this way... Nehemaih had a desire for something better, and he wanted it bad enough to leave his cushy job in the Persian empire to get it done.
There is no substitute for desire when start out on a new beginning - desire is essential... Desire is what fuels our tank, propels our engine, ignites our fire.
As you begin a new year; What is your desire for 98’: you marriage/family/your spiritual life/friends, community..etc
And just how bad do you want it?
(orange forms - fill out)
Let me also ask you what’s your desire for central as she begins anew in 98’
Friends, God has blessed us with a tremendous opportunity in this place... What’s your desire for God’s kingdom, for Christ’s Bride right here @ 1294 Brasleton Highway? What do you se happening here as this new year trolls on.
Desire the first help we need to embrace.
Next we need is to:
HELP #2; DEVELOP A HIGH VIEW OF GOD
When you dream big dreams when you have big desires you need a big God.
Nehemiah had a high view of God he referred to God in His prayer as the "Great and awesome God.."
And since he had such a high view of God Nehemiah knew that even though for over 140 years no one was able to get the walls around Jerusalem built, He was confident that knew he could because this was an easy thing for the Greta and Awesome God...
We too need to have a high view of God, there is nothing Our God can not do...
Do you believe that?
I listed few scriptures in your outline that underscore that truth. 3 examples of where God said I know it seems hard to believe but I can do it...
Gen 18:14; "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (God’s reply to Ab & sarah when she laughed about having a child at 90)
Once when God was going to fill a valley full of water without any rain or wind, he said; "This is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord..." (2 Kings 3;18)
And when Mary was told by an angel that she would give birth to child even though she was still a virgin the angel said, "Nothing is impossible with God" (Lk 1:37)
And Understand that God is just as powerful today (He is the same yesterday, today and forever) and he can bring about the good desires in your life.... even the things that right now seem impossible.
Remember when it comes to your dreams and desires - God can!!!!
Last week we also uncovered in Nehemiah 2 hindrances that we need to avoid;
HINDRANCE #1; SELFISH DESIRES
If all our desires are for selfish reasons only, it will greatly hinder our new beginning.
"Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others" -- Phil 2:4
Nehemaih certainly practiced this... we have to be concerned about others and about God’s desire for our lives - selfish desires can trip you up...
A second hindrance which is a very dangerous one is
HINDRANCE #2; THE PAST
We said that before God can open a door to a new beginning we must close the door to the past.
Sometimes we let our past failures trip us up (we never really forgive ourselves and we carrying around a heavy load of guilt)... Seek forgiveness form God -- accept that forgiveness and then --- close the door... and God will open a door to a new beginning.
And sometimes we let past hurts and disappointments trip us up. People let us down in our lives and in the church, but if we want to move forward individually and as a church we need to close those doors to the past... Let’s leave the past in the past.. Our future/Your future is ahead not behind...
Okay that’s where we were last week -- I know we spent a lot of time in review but I feel it’s important for each us to get these principles down.... 10 minutes of review for a new beginning is a small price to pay...
Today we want to continue our excavation of Nehemiah and see what new helps and hindrances to a successful new beginning we can uncover.
Again as we said the first 2 helps to embrace are a deep desire for something better and a High View of God....
And these are good, they are essential, but a high view of God will not do us any good unless we have embraced help #3.
True God Can! But the question is will God.
Yes God has the power - He is all powerful and He can do immeasurably more than all we ask our imagine.
But is there is a prerequisite for this immeasurably more stuff happening in our new beginning. Let’s look at Eph 3:20 and see;
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask our imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
Circle --
The key for God being able to do immeasurably more - is "God’s power at work within us..." You see it is only when His power is at work within us that He can do all He wants to do for us, that he can do immeasurably more.
So the question begs to be asked, How then do I ensure that I have this power of God working in me?
NEHEMIAH 2:1-8
It is obvious that Nehemiah had a relationship with God "and because the gracious hand of God was upon me the king granted my requests" and that is what we want to talk about today...
Our relationship to God and we will do this by answering 3 simple questions.
Does God want to have a relationship with us?
Why is a relationship with God important?
How do we get one?
HELP #3; A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
Does God want to have a relationship with us?
Does God want us to know Him? This is an important and vital question, because if God does not want us to know Him -- no matter how hard we try we will not find Him.
Does God want to be known by man, by you -- by me? Yes He does. You see God is not some cosmic hide and seek player who is stashed in the bushes saying to us "your getting warmer, your getting warmer...as we fumble around in the dark trying to find him" No God is not trying to hide from us -- but has rather revealed Himself to us... You see, God wants us to know Him.... And I am so grateful that he does....
A. The created world itself, speaks to God’s desire to be known....
The Psalmists writes in Ps 19, "THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD, THE SKIES PROCLAIM THE WORK OF HIS HANDS. DAY AFTER DAY THEY POUR FORTH SPEECH; NIGHT AFTER NIGHT THEY DISPLAY KNOWLEDGE..."
B. And God has not only revealed himself to man in His creation, but He has also revealed Himself to man personally/directly...
Right from the beginning it was God’s desire to be known by man -- to have a relationship with the crown of His creation.
We are told that in the garden God walked with Adam and Eve...
Later we see God walking with Enoch, speaking with Noah, calling Abraham, wrestling with Jacob and appearing to Moses in the burning bush.... Throughout the Old Testament in events like these and in many others like: God giving His people His law -- sending the prophets, performing great miracles and in inspiring the written word of God. It is readily apparent that God desires that His people know Him -- that they know what He is like...
That they have a relationship with Him.
Paul when he spoke in Athens to the intellectuals of the day, said this about God’s dealings with man.
"FROM ONE MAN HE MADE EVERY NATION OF MEN, THAT THEY SHOULD INHABIT THE WHOLE EARTH; AND HE DETERMINED THE TIMES SET FOR THEM AND THE EXACT PLACES WHERE THEY SHOULD LIVE. GOD DID THIS SO THAT MEN WOULD SEEK HIM AND PERHAPS FIND HIM, THOUGH HE IS NOT FAR FROM EACH OF US. FOR IN HIM WE LIVE AND MOVE AND HAVE OUR BEING.."
C. AND, what is the greatest example of God revealing Himself to man, what is the ultimate example of God’s desire for a relationship with us/you? It is when God in the person of the Son put on flesh and walked the earth -- so that man could see with his own eyes and hear with his own ears -- the person and very words of God. Jesus Christ was God incarnate/God in the flesh and he made His dwelling among men.
Jesus said as recorded by John in 14:6, "I AM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT. NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH ME. IF YOU REALLY KNEW ME, YOU WOULD KNOW THE FATHER AS WELL. FROM NOW ON YOU DO KNOW HIM AND HAVE SEEN HIM...IF YOU HAVE SEEN ME YOU HAVE SEEN THE FATHER...."
Does God want us to know Him -- O yes He does!! Since the creation God has revealed himself to man in many ways; and in these last days he has revealed Himself to us through the person of The Son.....
We need to praise God, we need to be thankful to God -- for revealing Himself, for wanting to be both Father & Friend to want to hang out with imperfect and finite creatures like us.
Though I know it’s true I still wonder like the Psalmist why?
"I often think of the heavens your hands have made, and of the moon and stars you put in place. Then I ask, `Why do you care about us humans? Why you are concerned for us weaklings?" Ps 8:3,4
Why is this relationship w/God so important?
(Illustration with a electrical thing)
1. It connects us to the power source;
All the power God has does us no good unless we are connected to Him...
Remember he does immeasurably more beyond what we ask or imagine; "according to His power working in us.."
2. It’s the only way we will ever be what we were designed to be. until this CD player is connected to it’s power source it will never be what it was designed to be or do what it was designed to do.
I can use it as a paper weight; put it on my fireplace mantle, I can do other things with it...
Same with you can do many other things but not what you are made for until you get connected....
3. It allows us to relax;
You see life does not depend on us when we depend on God. He is the father - we are the child.
My kids don’t worry about the rent being paid, they are not concerned about water bills, gas bills, utility bills, credit card bills or car payments.
They don’t worry about whether are not there will be food in the refrigerator...
You see they are my children nd they depend on me....
They know it;s my job (their job is to drive me crazy)
In like manner a relationship with God allows you to relax. MATTHEW 6:31-33 (CEV)
Okay I think that you will agree that this relationship with God stuff seems to be a pretty good deal. God wants us to know Him He went through great efforts to insure that we can. And knowing Him, having this relationship w/Him, results in some awesome things, it connects us to the ultimate power source; it helps us be what we were designed to be and it allows us to relax...
So the question begs to be asked;
How do I get one?
A great thing like this you would expect to pay thousands of dollars, expend incredible amounts of effort, but you don’t because it’s absolutely free!!!
A relationship with God is free and it consists of at least 3 components...
1. IT BEGINS WITH A BIRTH
In Nehemiah’s day (Old Testament times) you became one of God’s people by birth. You were born into it. If you were a descendant of Abraham you were born a Jew, you were one of God’s chosen people.
And in our day, in New Testament times your relationship with God also begins with a birth. But it is not a physical birth, rather it is a spiritual birth.
Now you and I did not have a choice whether or not we were born physically someone else made that decision for us. But the choice as to whether or not we experience the new birth, whether we are born again spiritually rests solely on our shoulders. It’s up to us, it’s up to you.
Let me briefly explain how this new birth comes about according to the bible. And remember - we have to build this relationship God’s way. He’s God, he’s in charge we are not.
Jesus said we all must be born again; He told Nicodemus as recorded by John, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless He is born of water and spirit...you must be born again." (John 3:6,7)
And to be born again we must die, and we have to die the thing that is killing us -- we have to die to sin.
QUESTION where does this death take place?
The bible clearly teaches that a repentant believer dies to sin when he or she is immersed into Jesus Christ. In baptism we are buried with Christ - we die to sin and we arise to newness of life.
Romans 6:1-8
Biblical Immersion moves a repentant believer from being outside Christ to being in Christ.
And as Paul wrote in 2 Cor 5:17, "if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come..."
Through this new birth we are now connected to life’s ultimate power source...
Our relationship begins with a birth (it begins after we have obeyed God’s word in faith, repentance and immersion) but it is to not to end there... it’s to continue
And it continues - is maintained, kept charged up by the next 2 components of our relationship with God.
2. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS BUILT ON THE WORD
Did Nehemiah know God’s word, sure did? He knew the warnings, he knew the laws and He also knew God’s promises.
The Bible helps us know God - It helps us know what he is like - who He is and what He wants to do in, thru and for us.
The bible helps us to grow in our relationship with God... It is absolutely essential...
"like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow..." 1 Pe 2:2 (NASB)
If we want to grow in our faith we must be in the word...
Let me ask you a question who do you find it easier to talk with, people who you know well or people who you don’t know....
(who have you talked to today?)
The more you know God the more you will want to talk with Him.
Which brings us to our 3rd component of a relationship with God.
3. OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS EXPRESSED IN PASSIONATE PRAYER Did Nehemiah have a passionate prayer life....
You bet he did (1:5ff; 2:4; 4:4,9; 6:9,14 - you can look these up at home)
When Nehemiah had a question he prayed, when he needed to make a decision he prayed, when he faced obstacles he prayed -- Nehemiah was a man of prayer.
Prayer is essential in our relationship with God.
I know we know this/have heard this for years.
Just like for years we’ve know that we should floss our teeth, eat right and exercise.
But sometimes knowing isn’t enough, is it? sometimes we just have to do it...
To pray:
>is to tap into God’s power
>is to have the ear of Him who controls it all
>is to walk into the Holy of Holies
>is to confidently stand before the throne, knowing that we will receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
There are many verse I could read about prayer but I’ll just read 3 short ones;
"Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened..." Mt 7:7
"The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective" - James 5:16
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you" - 1 Pe 5:7
"After 3 days the officers went throughout the camp, giving orders to the people: when you see the ark of God and the covenant of the Lord your God and the priests who are Levities, carrying it, you are to move out form your positions and follow the ark. Then you will know which way to go since you have never been this way before..."
