Kingdom Agents Part 3

 

This message was preached at Word Of Grace Church on March 3rd 2024  by Colin. For the audio & video please click here.  For the worship please click here. 

KINGDOM AGENTS PART 3 – NEHEMIAH

Colin D

Change is inevitable. Nations have changed in their power and influence. Portugal was a powerful nation in 16C AD. Two thousand years ago the Romans ruled and before them the Greeks, before them the Persians, and before them the Babylonians. Kingdoms will come and go but God’s purposes will prevail and continue to be fulfilled. Rom9:17

Let us look at Nehemiah – He lived 450 years before Jesus.

What can we learn about transforming cities and nations through this book?

1Cor 10:11 “These things were written as warnings and examples for us.

NEH 1:1: Our story begins in November in Susa – modern-day Iran (Persia). They conquered Nebuchadnezzar. How did Nehemiah land 900 miles away from Israel?

150 years before Nehemiah the Jews (Jer 25) continue their rebellion. Jeremiah prophecies that they would go into captivity for 70 years. They were taken captive to Babylon. Seventy years later the Persians rose and conquered Babylon.

Return of the exile Phase 1 – Ezra. He helped build the temple, but the walls were not yet built.

Neh1 Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the King. He had an important role. To be a cupbearer you also had to be cultured, conversant in law, have a good personality etc.

Neh2:1 The King is Artaxerxes. Nehemiah and Ezra were contemporaries. Ezra was older. Nehemiah came 20 years later. Artaxerxes was the stepson of Queen Esther.

Nehemiah is still in exile, but this was his heart posture.

1.  He was concerned about what was happening in Israel.

2.  He wept and mourned.

3.  He fasted and prayed for days.

4.  Nehemiah had a great relationship with the King and was the closest to the King next to his wife.

 

Prayer is mentioned fourteen times because Nehemiah was a man of prayer.

Neh. 9:5-37 is the longest prayer recorded in the bible.

Am I concerned about God’s people i.e. both the small c church and the big C church?

Ch2:4 Nissan – it is the month of April. A few months later. Nehemiah’s sadness shows on his face and the king notices it.

Nehemiah speaks to the Kings and asks to go to Israel.

This reminds us of Jesus. He was concerned for us who were lost and in exile to Satan’s kingdom. He left His comfort of heaven and came to save us.

 

Nehemiah asks on behalf of his people at 2:11. He comes to Jerusalem in v 13 inspects the ruins and sees the mess.

2:17 He saw a problem and did not grumble about it. So, they start building a wall.

Ch3:1 So the people got involved. The high priest, priest, goldsmiths, perfume maker, temple guard, Levites and merchants – all together built the wall. They got their hands dirty – they did not stand at the ceremony.

3:5 One group did not help i.e. the nobles of Tekoa.

4:6 They worked with all their heart. Whatever we do for God is a great honor.

When you are building for God, you will face opposition.

4:13 So this is what Nehemiah did. He put families in charge of guarding the walls where they lived. They built with a shovel in one hand and a sword in one.

6:15 The wall was built in 52 days.

They also helped the poor.

Ch8 – they heard the word.

Ch9, They repented and fasted and rejoiced.

 

What can we learn from this?

History keeps repeating itself. But Jesus is building His church and transforming cities.

Rulers will come and go but the church will last forever.

What can we do? – Be a people for prayer

They all served together.

We need to guard unity. God can do great things through unity. So, make an effort to be there.

As we play our part, we can build great things for God.

 Word of Grace is an Evangelical (Born Again),  Spirit-filled (Charismatic), Reformed, English-speaking church in Pune that upholds the Bible as God's inspired Word for life. We are a church community that has people from every part of India and parts of the world. We are here to put the Great Command and the Great Commission into practice by equipping and releasing every member into works of service.  Word of Grace is part of a wider international family of Churches called RegionsBeyond.To know more about us please log onto www.wordofgracechurch.org.