Building God's Kingdom through Preparation
Blueprint for God's Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted
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· 55 viewsBeginning a new year can give us the opportunity for a fresh start in our commitment and devotion to God's will for our lives. As we continue our series in "Blueprint for God's Kingdom" we look at how Nehemiah prepared for the rebuilding Jerusalem's walls and what elements of preparation are seen in Nehemiah 2.
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Introduction
Introduction
Blueprint for God’s Kingdom
Blueprint for God’s Kingdom
New year, new opportunity to recommit to the Lord and working alongside him.
Historic Setting
Historic Setting
Joshua has brought Israel into the promised land (1405-1375 BC)
Israel has conquered different parts of Canaan. They want to have a king like all other nations.
God lets them have a king in Saul as their first one.
David receives kingship and God promises his line will have the throne for eternity.
The kingdom of Israel is divided into the kingdoms of Israel and Judah.
Both kingdoms are conquered and exiled to strange lands.
Nehemiah receives the bad news of the walls of his nation being burned down and after much prayer and fasting asks God to go to the land of his ancestors. (~445 BC)
Nehemiah 1: Building through Prayer
Nehemiah 1: Building through Prayer
Capt. Lily beautifully introduced us into this series of the Blueprint for God’s kingdom in the first chapter of this book as Nehemiah learns about the distress of Jerusalem and seeks the Lord through fasting and prayer.
Today we continue to look at how the story of Nehemiah unfolds and later what resources God has provided for us to continue building his kingdom.
Nehemiah 2: Building through Preparation
Nehemiah 2: Building through Preparation
Different people prepare their own ways.
Morning routine, winding down at the end of the day, preparing for a basketball game, etc.
Today we will look at the following elements of preparation we see in the second chapter of Nehemiah:
Prayer continued (every day life), v. 4
Perspective, v. 8
Planning, v. 12
Timing, v. 18
Perseverance, v. 20
Read Nehemiah 2 (stop at v. 4)
1 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence,
2 so the king said to me, “Why do you look so sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
3 and replied to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens
Building through Prayer (Nehemiah 2:4)
Building through Prayer (Nehemiah 2:4)
Continued to seek the Lord’s will and favor especially when the opportunity presented itself in the midst of the conversation.
5 and answered the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.”
6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you return?” So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.
7 I also said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah.
8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.
Building through Perspective (Nehemiah 2:8)
Building through Perspective (Nehemiah 2:8)
The reason why Nehemiah’s plan was accepted was because “the gracious hand of God...” was on him.
9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to pursue the prosperity of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding.
Building through Planning (Nehemiah 2:12)
Building through Planning (Nehemiah 2:12)
Nehemiah kept what the Lord had laid in his heart within himself as he gathered more information.
13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through.
15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.
17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
Building through Timing (Nehemiah 2:18)
Building through Timing (Nehemiah 2:18)
When the time was right Nehemiah shared what God had laid on his heart and what the Lord had done.
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Building through Perseverance (Nehemiah 2:20)
Building through Perseverance (Nehemiah 2:20)
Following God’s will, Nehemiah was met with mockery and despise (burla y desprecio).
Conclusion
Conclusion
Summary
Summary
The Israelites continued to rebuild by the grace of God through prayer, perspective, planning, timing, and perseverance.
Application
Application
I want us to think about these elements of preparation.
Let us look at one instance in particular where we see most, if not all, of these traits come together in God’s Son as he established God’s kingdom through his ministry.
Set the stage: dark, stars in the sky, etc.
32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34 He said to them, “I am deeply grieved to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake.”
35 He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.
36 And he said, “Abba, Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but what you will.”
30 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to him, “today, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
31 But he kept insisting, “If I have to die with you, I will never deny you.” And they all said the same thing.
32 Then they came to a place named Gethsemane, and he told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
Prayer
Perspective
Planning
Timing
Perseverance
What does this mean for us as we follow Jesus?
What does this mean for us as we follow Jesus?
Building God’s Kingdom: Prayer
Building God’s Kingdom: Prayer
4 Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens
Not always silence and solitude, but in the midst of conversation and every day life.
Prayer for Rene Rodriguez, prayer for people when I have nothing to say, sometimes nothing needs to be said so praying in the midst of conversation is what we need.
Building God’s Kingdom: Perspective
Building God’s Kingdom: Perspective
8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple’s fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.” The king granted my requests, for the gracious hand of my God was on me.
We pray for alignment and God gives us the privilege of allowing us to co-labor with Him.
Building God’s Kingdom: Planning
Building God’s Kingdom: Planning
12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding.
What is God laying on your heart for His kingdom?
Building God’s Kingdom: Timing
Building God’s Kingdom: Timing
18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
A timely reminder of God’s faithfulness can empower the church to fulfill His desires.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb: sweet to the taste and health to the body.
24 Las palabras amables son como la miel: dulces al alma y saludables para el cuerpo.
Building God’s Kingdom: Perseverance
Building God’s Kingdom: Perseverance
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Proper perspective can give power to perseverance
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed.
22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
23 Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
26 In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
28 We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
29 For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?
God has prepared everything so we might come alongside Him and co-labor in bringing His kingdom to fruition in the lives of others. (Dios ha preparado todo para que podamos unirnos a Él y colaborar para llevar a cabo Su reino en la vida de otros.)