God's Agent of Comfort

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ILLUSTRATION

When Michigan residents Christine Bouwkamp and Kyle Kramer got married in the spring of 2007, they held a wedding reception that was anything but traditional. Instead of hosting a formal dinner, they held a simple reception at their church where guests were invited to help distribute food to people in need.

In the weeks leading up to their wedding, Christine and Kyle had decided they wanted to begin their marriage with an act of service to Christ. With that goal in mind, they figured out how much money they would have spent on a more extravagant reception and instead used that money to purchase five thousand pounds of food for those in need. The week of the wedding, the couple spread the word that a truck with free food would be at their church. Immediately after they exchanged their vows, Christine and Kyle put on aprons marked "Bride" and "Groom" and joined their wedding guests in distributing food to 100 needy neighborhood families.

A.   Introduction

1.    I’d call this compassion.  They saw a need and they deliberately chose to address the need.  

2.    And I know that many of you have hearts just like this.  Hearts that ache for people in need.  Hearts that grieve over sin, are burdened for the lost, and feel deep empathy for those who are making harmful decisions. 

3.    There are a number of people this morning carrying huge burdens for those they love. 

a)    Parents that are without Christ / perhaps sick

b)   Conflict in a family because of one member’s selfishness

c)    Brothers or sisters falling into sin, wandering from the faith.

d)   Children who are making destructive choices and who are not walking with the Lord

e)    Friends who are facing hardship, who refuse the wisdom of Scripture

f)     A spouse who is not interested in spiritual things and who has abandon righteousness. 

4.    God has given you a heart for these people whom he has placed in your path. 

5.    BUT sometimes you just don’t know how to help them. 

6.    Sometimes the help you give them doesn’t seem to be effective, and you are wrestling with God.  What does he expect for your life in this matter?  Perhaps you can do more.

B.   Proposition

1.    This morning we’re going to look at the first chapter of Nehemiah and we’re going to be introduced to a man who was not only a model of godly leadership, but a man who demonstrates deep empathy and compassion for God’s people. 

2.    We’re going to see that there are 3 characteristics of Nehemiah’s life that make him God’s Agent of Comfort

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

 

3.    And through his testimony we can gain insight into how we can be Agents of Comfort as well. 

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

a)    You must Share God’s Heart

b)   You must Seek God’s Help

c)    You must Surrender Yourself

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

Read Nehemiah 1:1-11

 

TRANSITION: Do you want to be used of God to Comfort others, FIRST . . .  you must Share God’s Heart

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

II.        You must Share God’s Heart (1:1-4)

A.   What does Comfort look like?

1.    There’s a big difference between Comfort & Compassion.

2.    COMPASSION – sympathetic concern of another’s distress and a desire to alleviate it, PITY

3.    COMFORT – to give strength and hope, to ease the grief or trouble of someone else.

4.    COMPASSION is often just a display of emotion, and often involves aimlessness, lack of direction, limitation to really address the core need, a sense of helplessness, feeling overwhelmed, uncontained emotion and pity

5.    COMFORT – directional, finds an effective solution to the core problem.  Does not address the symptoms as much as tackling the core issues at hand.  There is wisdom in comfort, and there is healing in comfort.  It is effective, it accomplishes its objective. 

 

TRANSITION: As you can see, there is a major difference between COMFORT and COMPASSION, and in order for us to Share God’s Heart we must recognize 4 basic truths. 

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

B.   Comfort comes from God

1.    First principle is implicit to our text

2.    None of us will be effective as Agents of Comfort unless we recognize this FUNDAMENTAL truth.

3.    John 14:16 – (Jesus) “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper (COMFORTER), that He may be with you forever . . .”

4.    2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

5.    It doesn’t get any clearer than that à Real COMFORT comes from God.  It is not possible without God’s help.  If we are trying to do it on our own, it is sure to fail. 

 

TRANSITION: SECOND

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

C.   Comfort flows through his people.

1.    God often administers His Comfort through willing vessels. 

2.    The first verse of this chapter introduces us to a new character.  A man named Nehemiah

3.    Although Nothing is known of Nehemiah outside of this book

4.    Although Little is known about his family

5.    We will find that Nehemiah was uniquely qualified to be used of God as an AGENT of Comfort

6.    God Sovereignly placed him in this position so that he might accomplish this specific task.

7.    CONSIDER Nehemiah’s name

a)    Nehemiah – “Yahweh comforts”

b)   Hacaliah – “whom Yahweh disturbs, darkness, trouble”

c)    I find it interesting that born out of sorrow comes Jehovah’s comfort / born out of judgment and exile comes Jehovah’s mercy / born out of depression comes Jehovah’s joy

d)   In His sovereignty, the Lord orchestrates  the names of a father and son which would describe the plan that he has for his people.

8.    CONSIDER ALSO - Nehemiah’s lineage

a)    We know he was a Jew – descendent of one of the captives who had been taken to Babylon – This connection with God’s people made him sensitive to their plight, tied him directly to their destiny

b)   Likely that Nehemiah came from the royal line of David – In the following chapters we find that he becomes governor in Jerusalem. 

9.    CONSIDER Nehemiah’s position

a)    We read from verse 11 that he was a cupbearer

b)   Nehemiah would not only have direct access to the king, but he would be privy to all of the information concerning the Empire. 

c)    As cupbearer, he would also have direct influence on the decisions within the kingdom. 

d)   He would be like our “Chief of Staff” or the Secretary of State – He wasn’t just tasting the wine to make sure it wasn’t poisoned, this was a significant role in the kingdom that God had given to Nehemiah

10.     God had combined all of the right elements in Nehemiah to equip him for this task.

 

TRANSITION: THIRD

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

D.  Comfort comes in hard times  

1.    This might be a little to obvious for us at first, but you can’t provide comfort unless someone is suffering.

2.    Political – a time of great upheaval

a)    Month of Chislev -- Mid November to mid December

b)   In the 20th year of King Artaxerxes , as I was in Susa the citadel  (444 B.C.)

c)    12 years have transpired since Ezra had gone to Jerusalem.

d)   Nehemiah finds himself in Susa ; the winter palace of Persia.  à The events of Esther took place here as well as Daniel’s vision in Daniel 8. 

e)    The years immediately before 444 and 445 B.C. had been difficult for Persia, especially in the region surrounding Israel

(1)   10 years earlier, a revolt lasting 5 years had just been quelled in Egypt (460 B.C – 455 B.C.) à a region of great upheaval, unsettledness, chaos. 
(2)   Just 3 years earlier, 448 Magabyzus, the Persian General who was victorious over Egypt and responsible for the Trans Euphrates region had rebelled

f)     This left the area surrounding Israel in great distress.  It was a war torn region, full of insecurity

3.    National upheaval for the Jews (vs 2-3)

a)    Nehemiah asks him about the situation in Jerusalem and he hears some devastating news. (vs 3)

b)   The people are in GREAT TROUBLE and SHAME  

(1)   DISTRESS – describes their emotional and physical well-being
(2)   REPROACH – describes the condition imposed on them by others.  BDB (taunt of an enemy, scorn, condition of shame, disgrace – Neh 3:36)  Gesenius (a person or thing which is despised – Neh 2:17)
(3)   Fear of the surrounding nations
(4)   Harassed from every side
(5)   No means of defense
(6)   Heavy taxation (Neh 5:4)
(7)   Food was scarce (Neh 5:2)

c)    The WALLS are broken down and the GATES are burned with fire

(1)   Israel’s national IDENTITY and PRIDE was contained in their DEFENSE and SECURITY
(2)   What gives respect to a nation and standing in the WORLD THEATER is their MILITARY MIGHT.  à That is why Iran and North Korea are clamoring for nuclear capability.  They want the world to take them seriously.  They want to be recognized as a major player.
(3)   The Jews did not have this advantage.  They had no military, they had no defense, so they were easily taken advantage of, pushed around, manipulated, and threatened.  Easy TARGET

 

TRANSITION: FOURTH

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

E.   Comfort is often initiated by sorrow (vs 4)

1.    Nehemiah was not a stoic.  He was not unaffected by the pain that other’s experienced. 

a)    He SAT down and HE WEPT

b)   He was one who “wept with those who wept”

c)    He demonstrated the heart of a true Comforter; one who sympathizes with the hurts of others.  He was one who grieved over the hardships they faced

d)   CHRIST’S HEART à Luke 19:41-42 (NIV) 41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.

e)    PAUL’S HEART à Romans 9:2-3 (NIV) 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race,

f)     Philippians 3:18 (NIV) 18 For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.

2.    Nehemiah was not moody. 

a)    His weeping turns to MOURNING

b)   The Hebrew language uses a VERB tense that underscores Nehemiah’s deliberate decision, and then it ADDS an ending to that VERB to further emphasize Nehemiah’s volition. 

c)    Mourned – to lament, to play the mourner

d)   And it was a prolonged and deliberate period of grief for him. 

e)    “wept and mourned for many days” (vs 4)

F.    APPLICATION

1.    How seriously do we view this ministry of Comfort?  I confess that this is NOT an area that comes naturally for me, BUT one that I have to work at. 

2.    Do we SHARE the HEART of GOD in this matter? 

3.    Do we understand that COMFORT is important to God!  So important that he sent the Holy Spirit who is chiefly known as the COMFORTER.    

4.    Are we those who “weep with those who weep”? 

5.    Are we allowing God to condition us in such a way that we are sensitive to others? 

6.    Do we feel a burden to minister the salve of God’s COMFORT? 

7.    If you do, then that’s a GIFT from the LORD and that’s the first step of being an AGENT of COMFORT

 

TRANSITION: BUT Nehemiah did not allow his emotion to defeat him.  He was not overcome by this weight of SORROW. 

o       Nehemiah turned his sorrow into action (vs 4).   It says he, “Fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”

o       Nehemiah recognized that hope was not lost

o       And as a TRUE COMFORTER must always do, he ENTRUSTED the situation to the Lord.

o       As an AGENT of COMFORT . . .

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

III.    You must SEEK GOD’s HELP (vs 5-10)  

A.   Quotes on prayer

1.    One pastor put it this way (Alan Redpath) “There is too much working before men and too little waiting before God.”  (Wiersbe, Be Determined, 1:4)

2.    D.L. Moody “I had rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach.” 

3.    Oswald Chambers à “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

 

TRANSITION: In order to SEEK God’s Help, you’ve got to believe some things about him, not just acknowledge them intellectually.  What drives us to pray is that we FIRST . . .

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

B.   Believe He is a BIG God (1:5)  

1.    God of heaven

a)    The God who occupies the highest place

b)   The GOD of POWER.   

c)    The God who alone can act

2.    Great and awesome God

a)    He is worthy of reverence, awe, wonder. 

b)   His works are awe inspiring, and Nehemiah expresses his humility consistently throughout this prayer. 

c)    Scattered throughout this prayer is what is called a particle of entreaty.  It’s unfortunate that the ESV does not translate this world because it emphasizes the urgency and dependency of Nehemiah throughout this prayer (vs 6, vs 8, vs 11 – 3x)  

d)   Here in this passage, the word is used 5 times.  Just magnifies the reverence that Nehemiah had for God  

3.    Nehemiah knew that God was the only one who could intervene in this situation and bring about an answer.

4.    TRUE comfort, TRUE help and TRUE change only comes from God.

5.    THEREFORE, We must first ENTRUST the ones we care about to the LORD.

6.    We must believe that he is SUFFICIENT to address the needs of the heart.

7.    The QUESTION IS, DO we trust GOD to do this WORK?  OR are we trusting ourselves? 

8.    DO we carry the burden ourselves or do we GIVE it to GOD?

9.    Prayer was Nehemiah’s first line of ACTION.  It was his consistent solution to every DILEMMA

a)    We find him in prayer 11 times throughout this book

b)   It begins and ends with prayer – The very last words of this book are a prayer “Remember me, O my God, for good.”

c)    It was the source of his strength.  The SECRET to his effectiveness.  The power of God working through his life

TRANSITION: You must not only BELIEVE He is a BIG GOD, BUT SECOND, You must also  . . .

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

C.   Believe He is FAITHFUL GOD (1:6-10)

1.    The common thread throughout this prayer is an APPEAL to God’s Covenant; a REMEMBRANCE of God’s Promises; a CONFESSION of His faithfulness. 

a)    vs 5 – “God who keeps covenant . . .”

b)   vs 6 – “God whose ears are attentive and eyes are open . . .” (direct reference to Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the temple) – 2 Chronicles 6:40 / Deut 30:1-10

c)    vs 7 – “we have not kept the commandments, the statutes or the rules you commanded Moses . . .” (reference to the Mosaic Covenant)

d)   vs 8-9 – “remember what you commanded Moses . . . though you are dispersed I will gather you from the there and bring them to the place I have chosen.”

e)    vs 10 – “these are your servants and your people whom you have redeemed . . .”

2.    “God, remember your promises.”  They never fail.  You are a God of your Word.

3.    Why do you suppose Nehemiah includes the curse of disobedience as well as the blessing of obedience in verse 8-9?

a)    Israel had experienced God’s curse.

b)   God was FAITHFUL to carry out His JUDGMENT by bringing them into exile.

c)    And based on that, Nehemiah is now looking for the rest.  He’s looking for God’s blessing

d)   God has restored his REMNANT to Jerusalem

e)    God has restored the TEMPLE and its worship

f)     This was evidence that God was not finished; that He was FAITHFUL.

g)   And so Nehemiah calls God to CARRY OUT the rest of his PROMISE.

D.  APPLICATION

1.    How BIG is your God?  And How trustworthy is He?

2.    “One of the most important elements in intercession is to think through, in the light of Scripture, what it is God wants us to ask for.  Thoughtful, balanced answers depend on a growing grasp of just what the Bible says in its parts, and as a whole.”  (D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation, 32-33)

3.    By doing so, We can have that same CONFIDENCE as Nehemiah in our prayers. 

4.    God has made promises to us as well; promises that we can DEPEND on; promises that can DIRECT, ENHANCE, and EMPOWER our prayer. 

5.    God wants to act.  Do we TRUST HIM?

6.    Let’s do a quick exercise à in your bulletin is an insert entitled KNOWING and EMBRACING GOD’S PROMISES – I’d like to show you God’s promises in Scripture can direct our prayers as they relate to hurting people. 

a)    Regarding Ministry – Galatians 6:9 – God, I have sought to be faithful in ministry, but I’m not seeing the fruit that you promise, however I know that you will bring about the fruit that you desire.  So, help me to persevere in ministry, help me to stick with it and trust in your promise to bring change . . .

b)   Regarding prayer – 1 John 1:9 – Lord, I know that you are holy and that you hate sin, but that fellowship with the Father is available through repentance and obedience.  God, will you please give (my friend, loved one) a heart of humility?  Will you please bring them to a place of confession and obedience so they can enjoy a walk with you?  

c)    Regarding His Work – John 16:7-8 – Lord, I trust in your work to convict the world of sin.  And I believe that you will work through the circumstances of life to bring (my friend, loved one) to repentance as you see fit. AND Phil 1:6 – I’m confident that those you’ve called to salvation will ultimately be brought to maturity as you carry out your work in their hearts until it is complete.  SO, I trust you to do the work as only you can do.  

7.    Knowing God’s promises GIVE us CONFIDENCE

8.    Knowing God’s promises ENACT God’s POWER

9.    Knowing God’s promises ENABLES God’s COMFORT

10.     How do we know if GOD’s PROMISES are real to us?

a)    They are REAL if we have laid our burdens at his FEET.  If we have cast our cares on him because he cares for us.

b)   They are REAL if God’s peace reigns in your heart – “be anxious for nothing . . . and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard you heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7

c)    Do you believe that God can accomplish his purposes without your help?  

d)   Do you believe that if you were to do nothing more than pray, that God could bring COMFORT to the person you LOVE?

11.     If so, then you are trusting God as you should.  And you are in the perfect position to move to the next STAGE. 

 

TRANSITION: As you know, there are times when God moves us through the PROCESS of SHARING His HEART, of SEEKING His HELP, to this last PRINCIPLE of SURRENDERING OURSELVES

 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

IV.     You must Surrender Yourself – 1:11; 2:4-5

 

ILLUSTRATION:

In his book And You Know You Should be Glad: Bob Green describes  what a friend did for him in a painful juncture in his life.  He says this:

My wife had just died, and I was so numb that I felt dead myself. In the hours after her death, as our children and I tried in vain to figure out what to do next, how to get from hour to hour, the phone must have been ringing, but I have no recollection of it.

I awoke the following morning with the harsh reality of another day without my wife.  It felt as if a boulder was pressing me against the earth with such weight that I was afraid I would never be able to get up—the phone rang again, and it was Jack, my best friend.

I didn't want to hear any voice—even his voice. I just wanted to cover myself with darkness. I knew he would be asking if there was anything he could do. But I should have known that he'd already done it.

"I'm in Chicago," he said. I misunderstood him; I thought he was offering to come to Chicago.

"I took the first flight this morning," he said. He had heard; he had flown in. "I know you probably don't want to see anyone," he said. "That's all right. I've checked into a hotel, and I'll just sit in the room in case you need me to do anything. I can do whatever you want, or I can do nothing."

He meant it. He knew the best thing he could do was to be present in the same town; to tell me he was there. And he did just sit there—I assume he watched TV, or did some work, but he waited until I gathered the strength to say I needed him.

He helped me with things no man ever wants to need help with; mostly he sat with me and knew I did not require conversation, did not welcome chatter, did not need anything beyond the knowledge he was there. He brought food for my children and, by sharing my silence, he got me through those days.

TRANSITION: Like the friend in this story, there are times when God calls us to be His AGENTS of COMFORT And in order for us to be used of him in this way, TWO things must be true of us

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

A.   Be available for God’s service --  “O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive . . . and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. (1:11)

1.    Nehemiah wanted to be part of the solution if God enabled him to do so. 

2.    He agonized over God’s people.

3.    He wept for them, mourned for them, prayed for them.

4.    And God used this time to CONDITION his heart to PREPARE him to COMFORT them personally; to be God’s AGENT of COMFORT

5.    Nehemiah is oozing DESIRE at this point in his prayer. 

a)    The Hebrew uses two more particles of entreaty stacked on top of one another – Literally, this would be “Please, O please” –

b)   “Let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and the prayer of Your servants who delight to revere (fear) Your name

6.    And Nehemiah’s passion in prayer caused him to pull others into his circle.  

a)    Apparently, Nehemiah wasn’t alone in this prayer. “prayer of your servants”

b)   Joint effort – team prayer – shared responsibility

c)    His zeal for God’s people was contagious. 

d)   His CONFIDENCE in God’s HELP was INFECTIOUS. 

e)    And his FAITH was so STRONG that he DESIRED to be used personally as God’s instrument for COMFORT. 

7.    Grant me mercy in the king's sight

a)    Nehemiah knew, like no other person, the political strain on the  Empire at large and also on the land of Israel. 

b)   He knew the danger that he faced.

c)    He knew the obstacles that would confront him

d)   BUT that didn’t deter him. 

e)    His love for the people, and consistent prayer for their welfare deepened his love and intensified his resolve.  

TRANSITION: But Nehemiah didn’t take matters into his own hands.  He didn’t feel God’s conviction and MOVE on his own TIME.  Nehemiah was . . . 

(ADVANCE SLIDE)

B.   Be PATIENT for God’s timing (2:1-8)

1.    Month of Nisan (4 months had passed)

2.    Had prayed this prayer each day (day and night) – (vs 6)

3.    And now it was the Month of the Passover – a month that would symbolize deliverance for the people.

4.    The same month that Ezra began his journey to Jerusalem. 

5.    The same month that Israel entered the Promised Land.

6.    The same month that Israel left Egypt

7.    Now God’s answer to Nehemiah’s prayer is beginning to materialize.  4 months of pleading with God to deliver the people hand passed and now an answer was starting to take shape.  

8.    Warren Wiersbe has stated that perseverance in prayer is not overcoming God’s reluctance but rather laying hold of God’s willingness.  Our sovereign God has purposed to sometimes require persevering prayer as the means to accomplish his will for us.”  Thrasher, Victorious Praying, 189.

9.    And Nehemiah was willing to wait for God’s timing.  Taking advantage of months of prayer so that his own heart could be ready. 

10.     It was a time of preparation for Nehemiah as much as it was a time for developing FAITH.  

11.     God was preparing him for the task, helping him think ahead, strengthening his resolve, helping him develop a team, orchestrating the perfect time of departure.

C.   CONCLUSION

1.    My dad has said, “Faith is a STEP into the Light, not a LEAP into the darkness.” 

2.    “Thy Word is a LAMP to our FEET and a LIGHT to our PATH.”

3.    “Walk in the Light as he is in the LIGHT.” – obedience is often much easier than we make it.

4.    And the ROLE of a TRUE comforter is to DIRECT people to the LIGHT of God.  This is not an easy task

5.    That is why Paul had to encourage Titus (2:15) – “Speak these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority.  Let no one disregard you.”

6.    2 Corinthians 2:4 (NKJV) 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you.

7.    What sets COMFORT apart from COMPASSION is its willingness to CONFRONT the issues.  To REBUKE the sinner and ENCOURAGE and STRENGTHEN the faithful.

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