January 4, 2004 Nehemiah 1
“The state of the church”
INTRODUCTION
It’s a new year. And that means that it is time for evaluation. One of the things that gets evaluated the most at the beginning of the new year is a person’s weight. My family and I just got back Friday from my mom’s house in Georgia. My mom doesn’t know how to do small meals. I put on about 5 pounds while I was there. That means that the new clothes that I got for Christmas are already getting a little snug. Nobody likes to face up to the fact that they are bigger now than they were this time last year. The nice thing about winter is that we really don’t have to face up to our weight because sweaters and coats hide so much. But spring is coming. I noticed in the Walmart circular that was waiting for us when we got home that the first few pages of the ad were devoted to exercise equipment.
One winter morning, after the holidays were over, a man went into the bathroom to get ready for the day. He stepped on the scales to get a measure of his weight, and as he did, he sucked in his belly. His wife, who was also in the bathroom noticed what he was doing, and said with a sly smile, “That’s not going to help any.” To which he replied, “Oh yes it is. It’s the only way that I can see the numbers.” I have told that joke before, and the reason that I tell it again is because it is only one of two jokes that I have ever told that my daughter, in her evaluation, actually thought were funny.
Actually, I should be used to evaluation. People have evaluated me all my life – every time that they call me short. That’s probably one reason I started wearing cowboy boots. They make me a little taller. (Do you like the new boots that I got for Christmas?) And I admit it. I am short. But I’m not as short as some people in the Bible. Have you heard of Bildad the Shuite (shoe height)? What about the guard who slept on his watch? There’s one more – Nehemiah (knee-high-miah).
Whether Nehemiah was short or tall in his physical stature, I do not know. But I do know that Nehemiah was tall – very tall – in his character and in his ability to lead people to accomplish more than they ever thought possible. So it is to Nehemiah that we come this morning to help us evaluate where we are as a church and what we need to do over the coming year to get to where God wants us to be. This morning, we’re going to look at Nehemiah chapter one and discover three principles that can help us change the situation that we are in as a church.
1. Describe the situation accurately. (vs. 1- 3)
When you are trying to evaluate where you are and why you’re there, it is usually helpful to look at how you got to where you are. What steps did you take, what mistakes did you make, that led you to the place where you find yourself now.
The setting of this story is the year 445 BC. Almost 300 years earlier, the nation of Assyria conquered the northern half of Israel and carried them into exile. 120 years later, after Babylon had already conquered Assyria, they came to Judah (the Southern portion of the kingdom) and carried off the first captives. In succeeding years, Daniel and his companions were taken to Babylon and finally, the protecting walls were broken down, and the capitol city of Jerusalem was leveled and destroyed. Most of the Israelites were destined to live out the remainder of their lives separated from their homeland and build the best existence that they could living in the land of their invaders. Two generations later, the political climate in Bablylon changed, and all Israelites who wanted to – about 50,000, were allowed to return to Israel to re-build the temple and begin to re-populate the land. Now, it’s 70 years later. The temple has been re-built, but that’s about all that has been accomplished. Once that task was complete, the people started meeting opposition, they lost their courage, and nothing more had been accomplished. Nothing exciting was going on. They were just existing. That’s where Nehemiah comes into the story.
[read verses 1-3]
Based on the description given in these verses, I want us to see some characteristics of the Jewish nation at this point. Pay careful attention to see if any of these characteristics match our church situation and maybe even your life situation.
– They were small in number “remnant”
To our church of 40 people, 50,000 seems like a significant number. But do you remember how many Israelites originally came out of Egypt toward the promised land? There were about 2 million. Their numbers had been greatly decreased.
It would be difficult for them to make a significant impact. [God can save through a few or many]
“…Nothing can hinder the LORD from saving, whether by many or by few." 1 Samuel 14:6 (NIV)
– They were the people of God “Jewish”
As such, they were recipients of the promises and blessings of God.
“Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;…” 1 Peter 2:10 (NIV)
– They were survivors of suffering “survived”
They had been hurt; life had not been easy
This church came out of adversity. We began as a church split. And we have been struggling ever since. Those of you that were around at the beginning – have you made peace with the past? Do you still harbor resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness?
– They were without outside protection “wall…broken down”
In danger of being destroyed – ceasing to exist – seeing all their dreams come to an end.
Their dreams had been of returning to Israel and returning Israel to the glory that it had once enjoyed under David and Solomon. Their dream was never realized.
Our outside funding ended a year ago. We are on our own. We are surviving – barely. Every month, Greg (our church treasurer) has to be very careful about what bills he pays and when. It has been very tight – especially the last 4 or 5 months.
– They were discouraged “great trouble and disgrace”
Nobody wants to face up to what they really look like. It can be painful. But until they do, they won’t be motivated to do anything about it.
I fully recognize that I am short, and knowing that helps me to plan better and know what my limitations and my possibilities are. An accurate picture of yourself can help you know what to expect and set good, achievable goals.
You can practice self-deception and denial if you want to. Stores are actually sizing things larger and putting tags on them with smaller numbers on them. Size 2 store. It doesn’t matter what size they actually wear; they can tell everyone that they are wearing a “size 2”.
The first step to a person coming to faith in Christ is that they be honest with themselves about their own sinfulness. Until that happens, they see no need for God or for forgiveness. They are content with their lives just as they are.
Once you gain an accurate picture of yourself, you have to be careful to maintain the right kind of attitude about it.
2. Maintain the right kind of attitude. (vs. 4)
– Helplessness “sat down and wept”
There’s nothing I can do about it.
According to statistics, about 50% of Harrison County goes to no church anywhere.
It’s easier to take an attitude of helplessness – to just sit down and put your heads in your hands. Helplessness can be a defense mechanism. If you take a helpless attitude toward difficult situations, you don’t have to get involved. You don‘t have to try.
– Heartlessness “wept…mourned…fasted”
There’s nothing I want to do about it.
Apathy. Don’t really care, at least, not enough to change the way I do things.
Apathy comes from selfishness and comfort. Nehemiah was comfortable. He had a good job. He was safe. But he was NOT heartless.
Some of us are a little too comfortable. We’re not willing to give up that comfort even if it means the salvation of lost souls.
– Hopelessness “prayed before the God of heaven”
There’s nothing anyone can do about it.
Nehemiah wasn’t heartless and he wasn’t hopeless either.
Prayer is a statement of faith that you believe that the God of heaven can actually change the present circumstances.
3. Be willing to take the steps necessary to effect change. (vs. 5-11)
– He recognized that God had the power to change things – reliance (vs. 5-6a)
His power “great and awesome God”
His persistence “keeps His covenant”
His perspective “ear be attentive…eyes open”
Reliance is the antidote to helplessness.
That is exactly where God wants you. “I can do all things through Christ…”
– He recognized that he was partially responsible – repentance (vs. 6b-9)
Repentance is the antidote to heartlessness.
God cares about the people around us. He cares about our situation. And when we refuse to care enough to change the way that we do things, we are being ungodly.
– He recognized that there was hope for the future – risk (vs. 10-11)
Because of the people he knew “king”
Because of the position he held “cupbearer”
Risk is the antidote to hopelessness. Risk is all about faith.
There are no hopeless situations with God. Ask Mary and Martha. They had lost all hope regarding their brother Lazarus, but when Jesus shows up, the most hopeless of situations can be turned around.
The dream of the Israelites is still unfulfilled in this day. But they have the promise that their dream will be fulfilled one day.
CONCLUSION
There are some things that you can change and some things that you cannot. I can’t change my height. (“who of you by worrying can add a single cubit to your stature?”) But you CAN change the width of your waist. You may not FEEL like you can, and you might not be WILLING to do the work that it takes, but you can change it.
I am short. There’s nothing that I can do about that. But I can prevent it from controlling my attitude and keeping me trapped in helplessness. I can use my limitations as keys to get me into areas that others who are taller cannot get into.
Right now, I may not have a step by step plan that I believe will get us from where we are to where I would like us to be. But I do have a plan. It’s called reliance, repentance and risk. Are you willing to join with me in relying on God instead of yourself, in repenting of the sin of not caring about God and His kingdom more than you care about your own personal kingdom, and take the risk of stepping out on faith when God gives you a task to do?
