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Transcript

LaunchPad: Day 3 · Equipped: A Podcast Platform for the Equip Ministry of Cuyahoga Valley Church

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah 1 five Starting with who God is.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: One of our favorite rooms in our home is the living room.
• 0:11
  SPEAKER_00: It features furniture from Marianne's childhood home passed down to us from her mom and dad.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: But the feature in that room that I love best isn't a piece of furniture.
• 0:22
  SPEAKER_00: It's the mantle around the living room fireplace.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: When we moved in, the mantle was, let's say, underwhelming.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: But a CVC member, the late great master carpenter John Polking, rebuilt that mantle.
• 0:39
  SPEAKER_00: He added to what was already there and turned it into what I consider a true work of art.
• 0:47
  SPEAKER_00: Before he could rebuild it, though, he had to understand who he was building it for.
• 0:53
  SPEAKER_00: Sure it was for me partially, but it was really for Mary Ann.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: John already knew her, of course, but he spent more time with her, understanding her tastes, her preferences, and her vision.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_00: She was really the architect.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_00: John wanted to rebuild something worthy of my Southern Bell.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: And he did.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_00: Before we can build or rebuild anything at CVC, we must understand the personality, character, and vision of our architect, the one we are seeking to please.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_00: And that, of course, is the Lord God Himself.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_00: So we have to start with who God is, and that leads us to Nehemiah 1, verse 5.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_00: After Nehemiah heard about the need for a rebuild, he spent time in prayer, and his prayer begins by praising the nature and the character of God.
• 1:50
  SPEAKER_00: O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: None of these words in Nehemiah's prayer are fillers.
• 2:04
  SPEAKER_00: Look at each word that describes the great architect of the rebuild, Lord.
• 2:10
  SPEAKER_00: When you see that word in all caps, it's a reference to the self-existent, great I am who spoke to Moses from the burning bush.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_00: This is the God who, by miraculous means, saves his people from captivity, delivers them with power through the wilderness, and brings them into the promised land.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: God of heaven, this is the God of blue skies and storm clouds.
• 2:35
  SPEAKER_00: He's the God who sends cool breezes and frightening hurricanes.
• 2:39
  SPEAKER_00: But he is more than nature's God.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_00: He is also the commander of angel armies, the messengers who do his bidding.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_00: The great and awesome God, we use the word awesome entirely too much, at least I do.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: We need to reserve it for the one who truly is.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: He's more awesome than the best sunset you've ever seen, the best vista you've ever viewed, or the best meal you've ever eaten.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: No one compares to him.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_00: Keeps covenant.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_00: When Nehemiah praised this prayer, he's thinking of the promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
• 3:18
  SPEAKER_00: He promised those patriarchs that his people would be blessed to become a blessing to the entire world.
• 3:25
  SPEAKER_00: God is a covenant maker and a promise keeper.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: This reminder fueled Nehemiah's faith that God himself would see to it that the rebuild would be blessed, keeps steadfast love.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: The Hebrew word is chesed.
• 3:41
  SPEAKER_00: In some versions it's translated loving-kindness or steadfast love.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: Why would we trust that God would use the likes of us to build or rebuild?
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_00: It's because even though we don't deserve his love, he keeps loving us and invites us to participate with him in his work in the world.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_00: Our work for God must always be motivated by a recognition of his worth.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: Nehemiah had no doubt read the famous words of Exodus 34, 6 and 7.
• 4:14
  SPEAKER_00: The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
• 4:25
  SPEAKER_00: So before he starts to work, Nehemiah reminds himself of the character of the architect of the rebuild.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_00: He intends to do the work through him and for him.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And as we begin our rebuild, we too must remember who the architect is and make every effort to please him.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_00: We want our rebuild to reflect his renown.
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_00: The rebuild is actually an expression of our love and obedience to the one who is worthy.
• 4:57
  SPEAKER_00: Just as John Polking wanted the rebuild of our fireplace mantle to please Mary Ann, we want the work we do at CVC to please our great and awesome God.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: We must start with who God is.
• 5:12
  SPEAKER_00: A question to consider how will remembering the worth of God impact your work for God?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_00: And a prayer prompt.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Ask the Lord to help you see his worth more clearly and fully so that your work for him is worthy of who he is.