How to Walk by Faith.
#Wearethebridge • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
Handout
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
for we walk by faith, not by sight.
ILLUSTRATION: SNICKERS COMMERCIAL
Have you ever snapped angrily at someone when you were hungry?
When was the last time you were hangry?
Have you ever snapped angrily at someone when you were hungry?
Or has someone ever snapped angrily at you when they were hungry?
That’s hangry and it’s a real phenomenon whereby some people get grumpy and short-tempered when they’re overdue for a feed!
There’s science behind this!
So you’ve had a meal, but you’ve also exercised, dropped the kids off at school, and have begun walking around the office so the nutrients circulating in your blood stream start to drop. If your blood-glucose levels drop significantly enough, your brain actually perceives it as a life-threatening situation.
By the way, I called my mom and said, “Do you remember all those times i’d get grumpy as a kid when I was hungry and you told me, ‘Aaron, it’s not life or death’ well, actually my brain was telling me it WAS life or death!” So I have been to resolve some issues from my past through this knowledge...
But here’s the thing, unlike most other organs and tissues in our bodies which can use a variety of nutrients to keep functioning, our brains are critically dependent on glucose to do their jobs!
We experience this all time...
Simple tasks can become difficult when we’re hungry and blood glucose levels fall
It can be hard to concentrate.
When blood glucose levels drop our chances of making silly mistakes increase significantly.
In extreme cases your words can become muddled or slurred...
Some of you parents are like “I understand my teenager so much better now!”
Walking with Jesus is like that.
If we don’t depend on Jesus moment by moment we aren’t getting the fuel we need to live this life and accomplish the things he’s set in front of us to do.
Simple tasks become difficult when we’re not relying on Jesus.
It’s hard to concentrate when we’re not relying on Jesus.
When you’re not relying on Jesus your chances of making silly mistakes increases significantly.
In extreme cases your words and actions can wound yourself and others indefinitely.
So what’s the answer? How do we depend on Jesus moment by moment? We do it by faith.
Our lives will demonstrate faith day in and day out.
Nehemiah showed us to do this...
Nehemiah showed us to do this...
In chapter 1, Nehemiah was broken… He simply acknowledged that brokenness existed in his life and the lives of those around him and he began seeking God’s will and direction.
We left off last week with Nehemiah bearing the weight of the brokenness in his world, weeping and praying and fasting.
Nehemiah finds himself facing a difficult sitiuation and courageously moves forward by seeking God’s counsel and being confident in God’s goodness.
When we talk about demonstrating faith day in and day out…this is what we mean...
Facing life’s demands with wisdom
Facing life’s challenges with confidence
He was going to have to depend on God.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: What would it have been like to approach a king about a royal decree in that era?
Facing life’s setbacks with resolve
It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king. At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king. I had never been hangdog in his presence before,
so he asked me, “Why the long face? You’re not sick are you? Or are you depressed?” That made me all the more agitated.
I said, “Long live the king! And why shouldn’t I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?”
The king then asked me, “So what do you want?” Praying under my breath to the God-of-Heaven,
I said, “If it please the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it.”
The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, “How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?” I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me.
Then I said, “If it please the king, provide me with letters to the governors across the Euphrates that authorize my travel through to Judah;
and also an order to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest, to supply me with timber for the beams of The Temple fortress, the wall of the city, and the house where I’ll be living.” The generous hand of my God was with me in this and the king gave them to me.
When I met the governors across The River (the Euphrates) I showed them the king’s letters. The king even sent along a cavalry escort.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very upset, angry that anyone would come to look after the interests of the People of Israel.
And so I arrived in Jerusalem. After I had been there three days,
I got up in the middle of the night, I and a few men who were with me. I hadn’t told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with us was the one I was riding.
Under cover of night I went past the Valley Gate toward the Dragon’s Fountain to the Dung Gate looking over the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken through and whose gates had been burned up.
I then crossed to the Fountain Gate and headed for the King’s Pool but there wasn’t enough room for the donkey I was riding to get through.
So I went up the valley in the dark continuing my inspection of the wall. I came back in through the Valley Gate.
The local officials had no idea where I’d gone or what I was doing—I hadn’t breathed a word to the Jews, priests, nobles, local officials, or anyone else who would be working on the job.
Then I gave them my report: “Face it: we’re in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come—let’s build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer.”
I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up. They said, “We’re with you. Let’s get started.” They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work.
When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they laughed at us, mocking, “Ha! What do you think you’re doing? Do you think you can cross the king?”
I shot back, “The God-of-Heaven will make sure we succeed. We’re his servants and we’re going to work, rebuilding. You can keep your nose out of it. You get no say in this—Jerusalem’s none of your business!”
So here Nehemiah is. He’s exemplifying our first declaration.
Nehemiah 2:1-
Our hearts will break for the things that break God’s heart.
look at this encounter
And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
Nehemiah 2:
Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you!
Nehemiah felt what he felt but he moved forward in faith.
Trusting God doesn’t mean we have to ignore or diminish how we feel.
Nehemiah’s countenance was sad but his heart was confident in God’s ability to move the heart of a king.
And this is what Nehemiah is doing...
Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”
Then the king asked me, “What is your request?” So I prayed to the God of the heavens
Nehemiah 2:
Nehemiah makes some other big asks.
he asked to be gone for an extended period of time
he asked for royal letters to be written and signed that he could give to all the governors of the territories he’d pass through on his way to Jerusalem
he asked for access to the king’s own private forest for timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress, the city walls, and for his own house!
And check this out...
and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
Nehemiah 2:8
The good hand of my God was upon me.
Whatever you’re facing, you can move forward in faith. Living by sight will cripple you but living by faith will free you.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.
Nehemiah demonstrated faith day in and day out because he trusted in his great & awesome God.
The good hand of God is upon his children!
Nehemiah demonstrated faith day in and day out because he trusted in his great & awesome God.
He knew he couldn’t please God without faith
He knew he couldn’t walk God’s path for him without faith.
This is our declaration:
Our lives will demonstrate faith day in and day out!
When we fulfill our responsibilities.
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
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,
so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
This is about being faithful where you are. “If you’re faithful in the little things, you’ll be faithful in the bigger things.” Taking responsibility for where you are and fulfilling your responsibilities in your current situation develops your character and prepares you for what lies ahead!
Nehemiah couldn’t control what he heard, what he was feeling, or what was going to happen next, but was able to respond.
Provide a home
That’s what responsiblity is: your ability to respond to life.
Protect my kids
You didn’t choose:
birth
parents
how your parents would raise or where
As a human being...
natural talents and abilities
caring for our environment
We demonstrate faith when we respond responsibly to the things we can and can’t control.
God has given us the freedom to respond to what comes our way.
We demonstrate faith when we show up to work...
We demonstrate faith when we open our bible...
We demonstrate faith when care for our fellow human beings...
We demonstrate faith when we protect and provide for our children...
We demonstrate faith when we keep our commitments...
Nehemiah had a burden that was from God, but that didn’t keep him from showing up to work. He was faithful where he was and trusted God to get him to where he wanted him to be.
When we deal honestly with others.
And that takes courage too. We demonstrate faith when we move forward with courage...
When we move forward with courage.
so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
Nehemiah 2:
Faith isn’t demonstrated by our emotions but by our actions.
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?”
And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
so the king said to me, “Why are you sad, when you aren’t sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.” I was overwhelmed with fear
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?”
Notice the emotions here.
“Why is your face sad?” He was visibly unhappy. The king sensed some kind of emptiness in him… “This is nothing but sadness of heart.”
He was down.
He was disappointed.
He was discouraged.
He may have been depressed.
He was heartbroken
And then notice the fear. “Then I was very much afraid!”
He honored his feelings. It’s courageous to own how you feel and still trust. That’s faith.
When we’re afraid and we move forward courageously we’re demonstrating faith.
Your feelings don’t justify your behavior, but if you can identify your feelings you have power over them and they can’t determine which course of action you take.
Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you!
But Nehemiah wasn’t guided by his feelings, he was guided by his faith in God.
Whenever I am afraid I will trust in you!
Nehemiah felt what he felt but he moved forward with courage. That’s faith!
Trusting God doesn’t mean we have to ignore or diminish how we feel.
Nehemiah’s countenance was sad and his heart was heavy but he had the faith to fulfill his responsibilities and the faith to move forward with courage.
How else did he demonstrate courage here?
He honored his feelings.
He humbled himself.
He was honest with the king.
He was honest with the king.
He didn’t sugar coat what he felt even though it could have gotten him killed.
Nehemiah could have lied here. He could have to tried to save his own skin. But he told the truth. He did it respectfully. He did it with humility. But he was bold & courageous.
I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
He honored his feelings. “Then I was very much afraid”
But he also humbled himself. “Let the King live forever!”
He was honest with the king. “Why should I not be sad…?”
He didn’t sugar coat what he felt even though it could have gotten him killed.
Nehemiah could have lied here. He could have to tried to save his own skin. But he told the truth. He did it respectfully. He did it with humility. But he was bold & courageous.
This kind of honesty requires a lot lot of courage. Faith doesn’t diminish your feelings. It just recognizes that God is bigger than your feelings and He’s bigger than whatever it is that’s causing you to feel whatever it is your feeling!
When we move forward with courage.
He was sad and he was afraid
unconfessed sin cripples us
unfounded fears hold us captive.
Notice what happens next...
Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Nehemiah could have started rattling things off. Instead, he demonstrated faith. He prayed. We demonstrate faith day in and day out when we seek God’s guidance.
When we seek God’s guidance.
Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
If you feel overwhelmed or confused about a decision or a course of action, you might be caught up in yourself and not God’s voice. God is not a God of disorder but of peace. In other words, he’s not the author of confusion.
So what do you do when you’re up against enormous financial, spiritual, or physical barriers?
Simply confess, “God, there are mountains on either side and an impassable barrier in front of me” And then we move forward as God guides us.
God will make a way where there seems to be no way!
What kind of guidance did Nehemiah need? Should I keep talking? Should I be honest? Should I really tell the king what I want?
What did Nehemiah need in this situation?
He needed wisdom.
He needed the right words.
He needed the right attitude.
He needed humility.
He needed confidence.
He needed courage.
So in he utters a quick prayer. I’ve always kind of imagined a kind of “hail mary” pass. I guess if you’re going to throw up a hail marry prayer, throwing it up to God is a pretty good idea. I think He’ll catch it.
It’s a demonstration of faith when we rely on God’s wisdom instead of our own.
When we trust Him to do what seems impossible.
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”
And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah,
Nehemiah 2:
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”
And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.
And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah,
and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
Nehemiah 2:
So Nehemiah made a big ask. Let me go back to Jerusalem.
And Nehemiah makes some other big asks.
he asked to be gone for an extended period of time
he asked for royal letters to be written and signed that he could give to all the governors of the territories he’d pass through on his way to Jerusalem
he asked for access to the king’s own private forest for timber to rebuild the gates of the fortress, the city walls, and for his own house!
When we recognize God’s faithfulness in every situation.
and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.
You can demonstrate faith day in and day out because your God is a good God. The good hand of the Lord is upon you.
Nehemiah found himself in a frightening situation (a seemingly impossible situation) and courageously moves forward by seeking God’s guidance and being confident in God’s goodness.
You can move forward in whatever situation you’re going through right now because God is always available and He’s always good.
Some practical takeaways:
Honor your feelings.
Face your fears.
Be bold.
Don’t forget to pray.
How are we able to declare that our lives will demonstrate faith day in and day out?
Because God is with us day in and day out.
Because God is good day in and day out.
Because God is going before us day in and day out.
We can move forward in faith in every situation because GOd is always available and he’s always with us!