9/12/10 Nehemiah 2-3
September 12, 2010 Speaker: Matt Reed Series: 5 Walls
Passage: Nehemiah 2:1–20, Nehemiah 3:1–2
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Nehemiah 2-3:2 (pp. 473-4 of the pew bibles)
- Recap of Nehemiah 1
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- Nehemiah, cupbearer to the Persian King, has a heart to see Jerusalem’s walls rebuilt
- He begins with a heartfelt and fervent prayer
- His prayer ends with his own willingness to be the answer
- Acting on Faith; God Answers His Prayer
- Nehemiah’s look of sadness is displaying an improper attitude in the king’s presence—this look is risking his life (explains his fear)
- Nehemiah had built trust with the king; his comments show his loyalty
- Building good relationships and behaving in a godly way can have positive effects down the road
- The Great Life Change—the shift from v. 8 to v. 9 represents a major change in Nehemiah’s life
- Learning and Assessing (vv. 11-16)
- Nehemiah takes time to assess
- The Jerusalem situation looks bleak
- Bad ministry= just doing
- Good ministry= praying, assessing, doing, reflecting, and modifying or changing when needed
- Nehemiah takes time to assess
- Servant Leadership and Team Work
- V. 17—Nehemiah leads the people to move forward
- Let us rise up and build… Nehemiah leads by being a part of the people
- Ministry is a team effort
- Nehemiah does not focus on the past or the problem but on the future and the solution
- V. 18—Nehemiah shares his God-given vision and how God has already worked
- Moving Forward Despite Conflict (vs. 2:19-3:2)
- Conflict is inevitable when people move forward in God’s plan
- Despite conflict, Nehemiah the people in Jerusalem act on their plan
- Don’t let negative thinking or conflict keep us from going forward in God’s work
- What about You?
- Will you pray fervently for the future of this church?
- Will you be open to God’s call in your life, to be an answer to prayer?
- Will you help lead by serving
- What do we hope our church will look like in 15 years? What steps need to be made to become that church?
More in 5 Walls
November 21, 2010
11/21/10 Nehemiah summaryNovember 14, 2010
11/14/10 Nehemiah 12November 7, 2010
11/7/10 Nehemiah 10