Nothing Is Impossible For The LORD
Nehemiah 1:1-2:18
July 24, 2005
DON JAQUES
MAIN IDEA:
All Christians can do seemingly impossible things if they follow Nehemiah’s example.
1. Start where God has given you a concern. (Neh. 1:1-3)
2. Spend time praying and fasting and waiting. (Neh. 1:4-10)
3. When God opens the door, be bold! (Neh. 2:1-9)
4. Keep your vision guarded until the time is right. (Neh. 2:10-18)
INTRO:
Last October, baseball fans were treated to one of the most amazing comeback stories of all time. Down 3 games to 0 in the ALCS to the New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox were on the brink of elimination. Everything looked like the hated Yankees would, once again, send the Red Sox home disappointed. No team in the history of Major League Baseball had EVER come back from a 3 games to 0 deficit to win a best of 7 series. But guess what? The Red Sox, helped along by a fan-interference call, stole game 4. Then they went on to do what noone outside of the Boston area believed they could do. They won 3 more and took the series, and then went on to sweep the St Louis Cardinals in the World Series.
They did what seemed impossible. They gave hope to all the underdogs out there that if they keep believing in themselves they just might pull off what everyone says is impossible.
In life we all face challenges – sometimes they come to us, such as the loss of a job or an unexpected diagnosis, or a relationship crisis that catches us by surprise. But sometimes, the impossible situations are things we, as believers in an almighty God, step into deliberately out of faith in His power to bring about change.
God wants to use those of us who are His disciples to bring change into this world. His plan is to see the status quo changed for the better all over our society through believers who will dare to dream that God can do the impossible through them.
Maybe you’re a person like that, or maybe not. It’s my hope that as I share a few lessons from the life of a man named Nehemiah, God will begin to give you that same faith to believe that YOU can be an instrument of change in some sort of “impossible situation”.
If you’ve got your Bible with you, turn to Nehemiah chapter 1. Nehemiah is just a few pages to the left of Psalms, near the center of your Bible.
Before I begin reading this story about how God can do impossible things through people like you and me, let me take a minute to set the context of the story.
As you read through the Old Testament, you discover that the Kingdom of Israel is established around 1050 BC. Less than 100 years later this Kingdom has a civil war and splits into the Northern Kingdom of Israel (including 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel) and the Southern Kingdom of Judah (with the remaining 2). In the year 722 BC the Northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed at the hands of the Assyrian Empire, as God brought judgment upon them for their idolatry and unfaithfulness. Then, tragically, in 586 BC the remaining southern Kingdom was overrun by the the Babylonians. They trampled Jerusalem and took anyone who was anyone hundreds of miles to the North and East to the land of Babylon. This too was allowed by God as judgment upon them for their unfaithfulness to Him.
70 years pass, and the Babyonians are replaced by the Medes and Persians as the main power in the region. Their leader begins to allow small groups of the Jews to return to their homeland, and even allows the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, which is finished in 516 BC. By the time Nehemiah’s story begins it is 445 BC, about 70 more years later. Nehemiah then, is a Jew who has heard stories about his homeland passed down to him from generations past. He has never seen his homeland, but one of his brothers has gone there. We pick up the story now in Neh. 1:1…
Neh. 1:1 The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah:
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 survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.
Note this happened around our month of December.
Neh. 1:3 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.”
Neh. 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
When God wants you to do something great for him – even to attempt something impossible, the first thing you need to do is…
1. Start where God has given you a concern.
Nehemiah has a cushy job in Susa, serving the King. But it is obvious that his heart is concerned with matters greater than just his own life and happiness. He has a burden for the welfare of his homeland. He’s concerned about what’s going on there – even though he’s never been there himself. And when he receives the bad news from his brother he doesn’t just say “Oh well, I sure hope they get it together soon.” No – God has given him a passion – a great concern that burns in his heart. His heart is broken when he hears about the broken down walls of what was once a great and powerful city.
What is it that moves your heart to compassion and concern? What stirs you to action? Recognize that God has given you that passion for a reason. Perhaps he wants you to do something about it!
ILLUS: I recently talked with a man in our congregation whose son has struggled with meth addiction – and he told me that he saw a video about the effects of meth upon people and he just couldn’t get the images out of his mind. It had been a few days, and what he told me was that he just HAD to do something about it. Maybe it wouldn’t help his son, but maybe he could help someone else who was vulnerable or who wanted out.
START WHERE GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A CONCERN.
Neh. 1:4 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:
“O LORD, God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands, 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 house, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
Neh. 1:8 “Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, 9 but if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.’
Neh. 1:10 “They are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and your mighty hand. 11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” I was cupbearer to the king.
Neh. 2:1 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.
Here we see the next step after God gives you a concern for something that needs changing. It may be the hardest one of all.
2. Spend time praying and fasting and waiting.
Look again at verse 4. What was Nehemiah’s response to the bad news he received about the remnant living in Jerusalem? Neh. 1:4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. He mourned, he wept, he fasted, and he prayed.
There’s an important principle here. BEFORE you go out to accomplish anything for God, you need to spend time on your knees clarifying exactly what it is God is calling you to do. BEFORE you go out to change the world, to do impossible things in His name, you’ve got to take the time to pray – to fast – and to wait.
What is fasting? In the Bible it is going without food for some period of time. By doing so you focus your mind on prayer, and you serve God notice that you are serious about what you are praying for. You show God that the spiritual work you are involved in is more important for the time being than your physical needs. And it is one of the keys to spiritual breakthroughs, especially when it comes to spiritual leadership.
And so Nehemiah fasts – and while he’s fasting, an important thing happens. He begins to realize that the problems of the remnant back in Jerusalem are partly HIS fault. He begins to confess the sins he and his house have committed, in addition to all the people of Judah, which have brought them to the place of disgrace. As he waits upon God, praying and fasting, God does surgery on HIS heart, purifying him of any pride and judgmental attitudes toward those in Jerusalem.
How long does this go on? Well we started the story in the month of Kislev – or December. Chapter 2:1 tells us when he finally goes in to bring wine to the king it is the month of Nisan – or April. Four months have passed.
Four months! Most of us have a hard time waiting 4 minutes for God to clarify his plans for us, or for God to break in miraculously and change our impossible situations. But Nehemiah prayed, and fasted, and waited, and prayed some more and fasted some more, and prayed some more, until finally the Lord opens the door for action on his part. In the next part of the story we’ll learn what to do after we pray and fast and wait upon God.
3. When God opens the door, be bold! (Neh. 2:1-9)
Neh. 2:1 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 fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
Neh. 2:4 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 fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
Neh. 2:6 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.
Neh. 2:7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
Nehemiah has spent 4 months praying and fasting and waiting for God to make it clearer what he is supposed to do. And then finally, the king notices a difference in his cupbearer’s demeanor and asks about it. Did you notice Nehemiah’s response: he was afraid! But the important thing is he doesn’t allow his fear to paralyze him. He realizes that here is an opportunity to end his period of waiting and begin acting upon the the concern God has given him for Jerusalem. And so he asks – BOLDLY. I love this part of the story.
First he asks for time off, not really customary for a servant of the king. Then when he sees this receives a favorable response, he goes further, and asks for the provision of materials and safe journey. Here is where we see the benefit of his season of waiting. He had a plan. No one else knew about it, but he was developing plans inside his head for what he would do when God opened the door.
And because he waited for the right opportunity, and was ready to boldly ask when God opened the door – God granted him favor from the king and queen, so that he could begin acting upon the concern God had burdened him with.
If you or I are ever going to do the “impossible” for God, there is going to come a time when our praying and waiting will need to turn to action. God will provide on opportunity somehow, and then even though we may feel afraid we need to have the courage to swallow hard and move through that fear into asking for what we need.
The next few verses give the final insight for accomplishing “impossible” things for God.
Neh. 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
Neh. 2:11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.
Neh. 2:13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.
Neh. 2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: 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 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.
They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
4. Keep your vision guarded until the time is right.
Nehemiah did not go around telling everyone about his vision too early. He waited and prayed and fasted for 4 months, until finally it was so heavy upon his heart that the king noticed his sadness.
Then, even after the king answered his requests and he made the long journey to Jerusalem, and even for the first few days there, he kept the vision to himself.
There’s an important principle at work here, too. Guard your vision carefully from the influence of negative people.
There are some people, who will hear about the big, impossible task you feel God has called you to do, and all they will do is try and trample your dream. They will remind you of all the reasons you can’t do it, or why it’s a bad idea to begin with, or of all the people who’ve tried before and failed, and that you’re unqualified.
If God gives you a burden for something – hold that concern closely and give God time to strengthen and clarify your vision through prayer, fasting, and waiting. Then when God opens a door – be bold and act upon your concerns. But even then – carefully guard who and when you share your vision.
ILLUS: I know in my life I have a tendency to get some small part of what I feel God may be leading me to do, and then I start talking about it. And too often what happens is if the people I’m sharing it with don’t respond enthusiastically I drop it. I’m convinced that many of the dreams God has given me have not come to fruition because I shared them too early. God would have had me wait upon him more.
When the time was right, Nehemiah finally shared with the officials of the city what he had come to do, and again he was met with a favorable reply. As verse 18 says, They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.
CONCLUSION:
There are plenty of “impossible” situations out there in our personal lives, and in our culture that many would say are beyond the powers of people like us to change. But God’s word reminds us today that he uses people like us to partner with his unlimited power and resources to bring change. In the words of the Lord’s prayer, “thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
But we’ve got some questions to ask ourselves.
• What has God given you a concern about? Are you willing to move beyond “someone should do something about that” thinking?
• Are you willing to fast and pray for direction? Are you willing to wait for direction, while constantly praying and seeking His direction?
• Will you move beyond your fear to boldly act when God opens the door?
If God has given you a burden about something, I urge you to follow Nehemiah’s example – and see what God might be able to accomplish through someone just like you.
