Latest / Providence Baptist Church - Sermons / Nehemiah 2:1-18

Transcript

Nehemiah 2:1-18 · Providence Baptist Church - Sermons

0:00
We'll be looking at this today at chapter 2, verses 1-18.
0:06
Join me in a word of prayer.
0:12
Father God, we recognize this morning that this is your word.
0:14
!
0:15
And you spoke it to us in various ways and different means,
0:21
but all of it was inspired by your spirit and it is sufficient for us.
0:25
And I pray, Father, this day that you'll help us to relish it,
0:30
to appreciate what it is that it has to say to us in our time now
0:36
as we're studying this story of Nehemiah and what was happening then.
0:39
It has implications for us now.
0:43
And I pray that you'll help us to take these things to heart.
0:47
We pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
0:52
So, just to give us this kind of a summary up to this point,
0:55
we've worked our way through chapter 1 in the past couple of weeks here.
0:59
We have seen that Nehemiah is the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.
1:03
He is in the Persian Empire.
1:06
And we're now at kind of the tail end of the remnant of Israel
1:10
that had been taken away during Babylonian captivity, being taken back.
1:14
They've been able to travel back now to Jerusalem.
1:19
And word reaches him by way of his brother that the city is still in shambles.
1:23
The wall is still broken down.
1:26
We can see this through the beginning of the chapter through verse 3.
1:30
And when he hears this, he sits down and he weeps and he mourns for days.
1:36
Not simply because his people, his nation is in shambles,
1:42
but more so because his God is being ridiculed.
1:46
Because God's visible glory on earth at this time was the state of his nation.
1:52
The state of Israel.
1:55
And Nehemiah then launches into a prayer.
2:00
And that's what we looked at together last week and the very nature of this prayer.
2:05
Today I want to show you in verse 2 some themes that are kind of showing back up here again
2:13
from when we studied in Romans chapter 15, the life of Paul.
2:18
And those themes are prayer, planning, and providence.
2:24
Prayer, planning, and providence.
2:27
And we looked last week at length at this prayer that Nehemiah prayed.
2:34
Now, recognize that he was praying for approximately four months.
2:38
Fasting and praying continually.
2:41
This was a huge task ahead of him.
2:44
Not only the task of building the wall,
2:46
but even getting the permission to go and build the wall.
2:50
Obtaining the means necessary for the building of the wall.
2:54
It was a balancing act there, wasn't it?
2:56
It was a massive, massive task ahead of him.
3:01
I misspoke a little bit last week and said that King Artaxerxes had issued an edict 20 years previous.
3:08
It wasn't quite that.
3:08
It was about 13 years prior.
3:11
To stop the building of the wall.
3:13
Within the seventh year of his reign,
3:15
word had reached him that the Israelites were beginning to build the wall again around Jerusalem.
3:19
And he issued an edict saying,
3:21
You will not build this wall.
3:23
No glory will go to your God because all glory belongs to me as the king.
3:28
So here, the cupbearer, lowly Nehemiah,
3:31
is going to face the king and ask him to reverse his edict.
3:36
Which was a big deal.
3:37
We change our mind all the time.
3:39
I'll tell you all the time that I was wrong then.
3:41
We're going to do something different now.
3:43
Kings didn't do that in these days.
3:46
So it was an admission of their own frailty.
3:50
Kings were worshipped as deities.
3:52
They were gods.
3:53
In their own minds, they were gods.
3:55
So if they were to go back on their own word,
3:57
they were admitting that they have faults.
4:01
In addition to that, we kind of get this idea.
4:05
I think some people read chapter 2 and they think that Nehemiah and the king were kind of buddies.
4:10
You'll read that often the cupbearer to the king kind of became endeared to him
4:15
because he risked his life every time the king drank wine.
4:18
And kings drank a lot of wine.
4:20
And they often became counselors to them.
4:23
But the position stayed the same.
4:26
The king was still the king.
4:28
And the cupbearer, the cupbearer.
4:30
They weren't buddies.
4:31
He didn't walk in and stride up onto the platform and sit down next to him next to the throne and say,
4:38
Hey, my people are kind of in a rough spot.
4:40
I'd love to go help them out.
4:41
What do you think?
4:43
He had to go face this king.
4:44
He had to go present something to him which was to say,
4:48
You were faulty in your original edict.
4:50
And I want to go build something that's much more glorious than you.
4:54
I want to steal from you your glory.
4:55
This was the presentation he was to make before the king.
5:01
So for four months, he fasts and he prays.
5:05
Presented to you a Latin term, sine qua non, without which nothing.
5:11
He fully understood for the task ahead of him that if God was not with him in it,
5:17
through his prayer, nothing would be accomplished.
5:20
And we saw that his prayer was persistent.
5:23
That it was saturated by God's character.
5:28
That it was motivated by God's promises.
5:31
And that it was humble and intercessory.
5:34
He admitted both his guilt and the guilt of the nation.
5:40
I exhorted you last week that we ought to be more patient in our prayers.
5:45
Psalm 27, 14 says,
5:47
Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your hearts take courage.
5:51
Wait for the Lord.
5:53
Psalm 130, 5 and 6,
5:56
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.
6:01
My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning.
6:05
More than watchmen for the morning.
6:08
And this was the way in which he prepares himself for what we're about to see happen here.
6:13
And I promise we're going to read the text together.
6:16
But this is the stage being set.
6:17
So we see the prayer on his part for this task that's ahead of him.
6:23
So let's begin reading in verse 1 of chapter 2.
6:27
And I'm going to stop along the way and bring some commentary into this as we go through it.
6:32
And then we'll go back and visit the themes.
6:35
Verse 1.
6:35
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.
6:44
Now I had not been sad in his presence.
6:47
And the king said to me,
6:49
Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick?
6:52
This is nothing but sadness of the heart.
6:55
Then I was very much afraid.
6:57
I said to the king,
6:59
Let the king live forever.
7:01
Why should not my face be sad when the city, the place of my father's graves, lives in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?
7:10
Now, recognize that as he's approaching the king,
7:14
What a great time for God to orchestrate this conversation.
7:20
Because he has now tasted the wine.
7:22
He's shown how faithfully he's willing to serve the king.
7:25
And the king is now endeared to him in this way.
7:29
Yet, as I talked previously about their position,
7:33
it was a very dangerous thing to be sad in the presence of the king.
7:37
If you were sad in the presence of a king, it was to say to the king,
7:40
The way you're ruling is not ample for my joy.
7:44
And kings wanted people in their presence to think that they hung the moon.
7:48
Everything is great in your kingdom.
7:50
We are so, so very happy with all that's going on because you rule over everything.
7:56
So to be sad in the face of the king could potentially lead to beheading.
8:02
Just imagine some of the conversation that may have happened as the report of this went out.
8:07
Somebody said,
8:07
Can you believe what Nehemiah said to the king?
8:09
He was sad in his presence and this is what he said?
8:12
And that the other buddy would have said,
8:14
Oh man, when is he getting beheaded?
8:16
I'd love to watch that.
8:17
And they go,
8:18
The king granted him his wish.
8:20
Can you believe it?
8:21
What a shocking thing this would have been to have taken place here.
8:25
So Nehemiah was afraid, we see there in verse 2.
8:29
Because the king recognized his sorrow.
8:32
Recognized that he wasn't content with the way things were.
8:35
And I want to believe that as Nehemiah had the scriptures to this point,
8:41
He took heart in things like Psalm 56, 3 and 4.
8:44
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
8:47
In God whose word I praise, in God I trust.
8:50
I shall not be afraid.
8:52
What can flesh do to me?
8:54
So here's a man that has been communing with God in prayer for the past four months.
9:00
And he's willing to be sad in the presence of the king to make known his request.
9:07
Now verse 3, you'll notice that he talks about the tombs of his fathers and the gates.
9:14
A tomb was a place of honor where respect was shown for the dead.
9:17
And a place that the living hoped to one day join their ancestors.
9:22
Recognizing the Jews knew there was an eternal state.
9:24
But they wanted their bodies to be laid along with their ancestors.
9:28
And the gates were emblematic of the life of the city.
9:32
This is where traffic happened.
9:34
Many meetings happened.
9:37
Courts were adjourned at gates.
9:39
So the city gates being burned meant that the people had no community.
9:44
There was no livelihood happening in this place.
9:48
Verse 4.
9:50
Then the king said to me,
9:52
What are you requesting?
9:53
So I prayed to the God of heaven and I said to the king,
9:56
If it pleases the king,
9:58
And if your servant has found favor in your sight,
10:01
That you send me to Judah, to the city of my father's graves,
10:04
That I may rebuild it.
10:06
Now notice again the pause here for prayer.
10:10
And some scholars have suggested that he went away,
10:13
Spent more time in prayer,
10:14
And returned with this plan.
10:16
And I don't believe so.
10:18
I have no way of knowing that for sure.
10:19
But it seems ludicrous to me that the king would have granted him permission to do that.
10:25
He asked him a question.
10:26
He wanted an answer to the question.
10:28
And I believe that in this case,
10:30
Nehemiah did a quick little,
10:32
Now God?
10:33
Like, this thing we've been praying about,
10:35
This vision you give me for what needs to be done,
10:37
Should I speak up now?
10:39
You better put your hand over my mouth,
10:40
Because I'm about to say it.
10:41
I think this is the prayer that Nehemiah prays at this point.
10:45
And I believe Nehemiah would have understood completely what Paul meant in 1 Thessalonians 5.17
10:51
When he said,
10:52
Pray without ceasing.
10:54
This continual conversation happening with the Lord.
10:58
So when the king asked the question,
11:00
He said,
11:01
Now God, go?
11:03
Is this the moment we've been waiting for?
11:05
God said yes.
11:06
And off he goes into this conversation with the king.
11:11
Nehemiah is often considered the Old Testament counterpart to Paul.
11:17
Because he had such a grand, holy ambition,
11:20
Just as Paul did to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
11:23
And he had such a beautiful life of prayers.
11:28
I've said before, there are ten prayers recorded in the thirteen chapters of Nehemiah.
11:33
So he prays.
11:35
Verse 6,
11:36
And the king said to me,
11:38
The queen sitting beside him,
11:40
How long will you be gone?
11:42
And when will you return?
11:44
So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time.
11:47
Now just an interesting note,
11:48
I believe the introductory paper I gave you,
11:51
This note saying that the queen was sitting beside him
11:54
Probably meant
11:56
That there was some endearing quality
11:59
That had been passed down
12:02
For the Jews.
12:04
Recall the story of Esser.
12:06
Esther was likely
12:07
King Artaxerxes' stepmother.
12:10
She was married to Xerxes.
12:13
And she would have had great influence over the current queen.
12:16
She would have taken her under her wing
12:18
And probably passed along
12:20
A love for the Jewish people.
12:22
So just an interesting note for you there.
12:25
Verse 7,
12:27
And I said to the king,
12:29
If it pleases the king,
12:31
Let letters be given me
12:32
To the governors of the province beyond the river,
12:34
That they may let me pass through
12:35
Until I come to Judah.
12:37
And a letter to Asaph,
12:38
The keeper of the king's forest,
12:39
That he may give me timber
12:40
To make beams for the gates
12:41
Of the fortress of the temple,
12:43
And for the wall of the city,
12:44
And for the house that I shall occupy.
12:46
And the king granted me what I asked,
12:48
For the good hand of my God was upon me.
12:51
Then I came to the governors
12:52
Of the province beyond the river,
12:53
And gave them the king's letters.
12:55
Now the king had sent with me
12:56
Officers of the army and horsemen.
12:58
But when Sambalat the Horonite
13:00
And Tobiah the Ammonite's servant heard this,
13:03
This pleased them greatly
13:04
That someone had come to seek the welfare
13:06
Of the people of Israel.
13:09
So when the king asks him what he needs,
13:12
Seems that he cashes all of his chips in,
13:15
And he asks for letters for safe passage.
13:17
It's about 800 miles distance
13:19
That he had to travel from where he was
13:21
In Susa, where they were wintering,
13:24
To Israel.
13:26
It would have taken them about three months,
13:27
And there would have been a lot of peril
13:29
Along the way,
13:30
If they didn't have the permission of the king.
13:32
If the king hadn't given them a pass,
13:35
So to speak.
13:36
But he goes even a step beyond that,
13:39
Because the people needed the resources
13:41
By which to rebuild.
13:43
And forests at this time
13:45
Were highly, highly guarded.
13:47
Wood was a high commodity in this region,
13:51
As if you've ever seen photos or traveled
13:53
In the Middle East,
13:54
You can understand that very thing.
13:57
So not only does Nehemiah ask for permission
13:59
To go to relinquish his duty as the cupbearer,
14:03
To go rebuild something
14:04
That's going to compete with the glory of the king,
14:06
But he also asks for the king to pay for it.
14:09
He asks for letters
14:10
To go to Asaph,
14:12
Who governs his property
14:14
To get wood for the rebuilding.
14:17
It's a bold, bold,
14:20
Very bold thing he did.
14:22
And beyond this,
14:23
Beyond what he asks,
14:24
You'll notice in verse 9 and 10
14:25
That the king sends with him an armed guard
14:28
To protect him to that degree,
14:30
Because the governors were not pleased
14:32
With the work that was going to be done.
14:35
Verse 11,
14:37
So I went to Jerusalem
14:38
And was there three days.
14:39
So we fast forward this three months journey.
14:41
So I went to Jerusalem
14:43
And was there three days.
14:44
Then I arose in the night,
14:46
I and a few men with me.
14:48
And I told no one what my God
14:49
Had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem.
14:51
There was no animal with me
14:52
But the one on which I rode.
14:54
I went out by night,
14:55
By the valley gate,
14:55
To the dragon spring,
14:56
And to the dung gate.
14:57
And I inspected the walls of Jerusalem
14:59
That were broken down,
15:00
And its gates had been destroyed by fire.
15:02
Then I went on to the fountain gate,
15:03
And to the king's pool,
15:04
But there was no room for the animal
15:05
That was under me to pass.
15:08
Then I went up in the night
15:09
By the valley,
15:09
And inspected the wall,
15:10
And I turned back
15:11
And entered by the valley gate,
15:13
And so returned.
15:14
And the officials did not know
15:15
Where I had gone,
15:16
Or what I was doing.
15:17
And I had not yet told the Jews,
15:19
The priests,
15:20
The nobles,
15:20
The officials,
15:21
And the rest,
15:22
Who were to do the work.
15:24
So once he gets there,
15:25
He sets out,
15:26
He spends three days
15:27
Making a very careful plan.
15:28
In fact,
15:29
Travels by night
15:30
To inspect the work
15:32
That's ahead of them.
15:33
The record here
15:34
Of these gates
15:35
And the sections of the wall
15:36
Are of interest,
15:37
But only historical interest.
15:39
They really add no weight
15:41
Or bearing
15:42
To the text itself.
15:43
But it does help us see
15:45
That the record is accurate.
15:47
That the way the city was built,
15:49
The state that it was in
15:50
At this time,
15:51
Even the fact that he had to
15:52
Get off of the animal
15:54
And travel through a narrow area
15:55
Gives record that there's
15:57
Some accountability here.
15:58
There's legitimacy
15:59
To the text itself.
16:02
So he goes out
16:03
And he surveys
16:04
And he plans.
16:06
Verse 17,
16:07
Then I said to them,
16:09
He addresses the people,
16:10
You see the trouble we are in,
16:12
How Jerusalem lies in ruins
16:13
With its gates burned.
16:15
Come,
16:15
Let us build the wall of Jerusalem
16:17
That we may no longer suffer
16:19
Derision.
16:20
And I told them
16:21
Of the hand of my God
16:22
That had been upon me for good
16:23
And also of the words
16:24
That the king had spoken to me.
16:26
And they said,
16:27
Let us rise up
16:28
And build.
16:29
So they strengthened their hands
16:30
For the good work.
16:32
Now notice here again,
16:35
He addresses them
16:35
In verse 17,
16:36
He says,
16:37
That we may no longer
16:38
Suffer derision.
16:39
And I want you to always remember
16:41
That the state of the people,
16:43
They connected their state
16:45
To the glory of God.
16:47
So he's not saying,
16:48
Let's build this for us.
16:50
We don't want to be ridiculed.
16:52
Let's do this for us.
16:52
When he spoke these words to them,
16:54
They recognized fully
16:55
What he was saying.
16:57
Let's do this
16:58
So we're not ashamed
16:59
Because when we're ashamed,
17:00
Our God is ashamed.
17:03
And then it says,
17:04
They put their hands
17:05
To the good work.
17:07
Means they became
17:08
Resolute
17:09
To build the wall.
17:11
And the picture in my mind
17:13
Of this is when you're
17:14
Getting ready to do something
17:15
Hard with your hands.
17:16
So you're going to
17:16
Dig a hole with pulse hole diggers
17:18
And a guy cracks his knuckles
17:20
And gets ready for that
17:21
Kind of a work.
17:21
Or a boxer who tapes his hands up
17:23
And gets ready to go.
17:27
You're going to have to do
17:28
A lot of dissuading
17:29
To keep that guy
17:29
From getting into a fight
17:30
Once that happens.
17:31
Right?
17:32
They were resolute.
17:33
They got themselves ready.
17:34
They strengthened themselves
17:35
For the good work
17:37
That was ahead of them.
17:39
So we saw already
17:41
Nehemiah's prayer
17:42
Leading up to this
17:44
In the midst of his request
17:45
To the king.
17:47
He also planned.
17:50
Three ways he planned.
17:52
He knew
17:53
That he needed to go.
17:55
God had directed him
17:57
In his time of prayer
17:57
To know that he was
17:59
The one that was meant
18:01
To go back
18:01
And lead the people
18:02
In the rebuilding.
18:03
Remember he's a three month journey
18:05
Eight hundred miles away.
18:07
Could he have not
18:08
Written a letter?
18:09
Dispatched a plan?
18:11
Sent it along?
18:12
And had somebody else
18:13
Build it?
18:14
Certainly God could have
18:16
Reconstructed the wall
18:17
In that way
18:18
And used Nehemiah
18:19
To that degree.
18:21
But Nehemiah knew
18:22
He was the one
18:23
That was meant to go.
18:24
To be so bold
18:25
As to ask the king
18:26
To let him relinquish his duty
18:28
And leave.
18:29
He knew
18:29
It was him.
18:32
It's in verse five.
18:32
Verse six.
18:33
He knew how long
18:34
He needed to go for.
18:36
He must have had
18:37
A very clear plan
18:38
For the work
18:39
That was ahead of him.
18:39
He had it to see the wall.
18:41
But he was able
18:41
To give the king an answer
18:42
As to when he would return.
18:45
And in verses seven and eight
18:46
He knew what provisions
18:48
He needed from the king
18:49
As well.
18:50
He had already plotted it out.
18:51
He had thought about the journey.
18:53
Once he got there
18:54
He thought about the things
18:55
That were going to be available
18:55
For the rebuilding.
18:57
And he knew what to request
18:58
Of the king.
19:00
So the planning was
19:01
Very very important here.
19:05
But the planning is not devoid
19:07
Of the providence of God.
19:10
Rejoice John MacArthur said
19:11
Making sensible
19:12
And careful plans
19:13
For serving God
19:14
Does not conflict
19:15
With reliance
19:16
On his providence.
19:18
And reliance
19:18
On his providence
19:19
Does not excuse
19:20
Failure to plan.
19:23
Notice
19:24
In the last half
19:25
Of verse eight
19:26
He says
19:26
And the king granted me
19:27
What I asked
19:28
He granted me my plan
19:29
Why?
19:31
For the good hand
19:32
Of my God
19:33
Was upon me.
19:36
So he prayed
19:37
And he planned
19:38
But he fully recognized
19:40
The providence of God
19:42
Which is necessary
19:43
For any work
19:44
Any holy ambition
19:45
To come to pass.
19:47
So let's look some more
19:48
At this providence.
19:51
We see it again
19:51
In verse 18.
19:53
It says
19:53
And I told them
19:54
Of the hand of my God
19:55
That had been upon me
19:57
For good.
19:58
He encourages the people
20:00
To do the work
20:01
This work
20:02
That they had been
20:02
Ordered not to do
20:03
Thirteen years previous.
20:04
This work
20:05
That had yet
20:06
To be completed
20:07
For the 90 years
20:09
That they've been
20:10
Back now
20:11
In Jerusalem.
20:12
They were encouraged
20:14
By his report
20:15
Of his presentation
20:16
To the king.
20:17
They would have said
20:18
The king did what?
20:20
You're here with letters
20:21
Protection
20:22
An armed guard?
20:24
You got his credit card
20:25
To get wood
20:26
For this building?
20:28
Incredible.
20:29
It was an encouragement
20:30
To them.
20:32
Proverbs
20:34
They had these
20:34
Proverbs by the way
20:36
These scriptures.
20:37
Proverbs 16
20:38
3
20:39
Commit your work
20:40
To the Lord
20:41
And your plans
20:42
Will be established.
20:45
16
20:45
9
20:46
The heart of man
20:46
Plans his way
20:47
But the Lord
20:48
Establishes
20:49
His steps.
20:51
Proverbs 19
20:52
21
20:52
Many are the plans
20:54
In the mind of a man
20:55
But it is the purpose
20:56
Of the Lord
20:57
That will stand.
20:59
Nehemiah
21:00
Certainly knew this
21:01
As he set a course
21:02
As he thought through
21:03
What needed to be done.
21:06
How foolish would it have been
21:07
For Nehemiah
21:08
To stand in front of the king
21:09
And the king says
21:10
What do you need?
21:11
What are you requesting of me?
21:13
Nehemiah goes
21:14
I don't know.
21:17
Can I have a little bit of time
21:19
To think about it?
21:21
Would the king have responded
21:22
Favorably to that?
21:23
Probably not.
21:24
He would have said you fool.
21:26
Probably would have beheaded him
21:27
In this case.
21:28
He had a plan.
21:31
He knew when it was time
21:32
To press on
21:33
And act.
21:33
He had it all
21:35
Plotted out.
21:37
A couple of weeks ago
21:38
We had one of our
21:39
Project Grow outings
21:40
And we did our
21:41
Annual boat race
21:42
Where we bring together
21:43
A bunch of
21:44
Junk cups
21:45
And styrofoam plates
21:46
And things of that nature
21:47
And we build boats
21:49
And we race them
21:50
Down Yuhula Creek
21:51
Just for fun.
21:53
It's always a good time though.
21:54
We always have a blast.
21:55
The whole boat
21:56
Has to cross the finish line
21:57
So that's always the joys
21:58
They come down in pieces.
22:01
These boats have no power sources.
22:03
They usually have some sails.
22:04
Some really creative people
22:05
Put sails on them
22:06
But it's never windy enough
22:07
Really to propel the boat
22:08
Down the river.
22:09
So all of these boats
22:10
Are kind of victim
22:12
If you'll allow
22:12
To the current.
22:13
Right?
22:14
We line people up
22:15
Across the creek
22:16
And I always try to get people
22:17
To be smart about
22:18
Where they put the boat in
22:19
The current.
22:20
You know?
22:20
Because there's logs
22:21
And things that are going to
22:22
Cause them to get caught up.
22:23
But ultimately
22:24
Once you let the boat go
22:25
You have no control of the boat
22:27
The boat just moves its way down
22:28
And the boat certainly has
22:29
No control of its own.
22:33
God's providence is like that
22:34
An undercurrent providence
22:36
That carries us along.
22:39
Now in real life
22:39
A boat has no power
22:41
Out on the ocean
22:41
It's just going to get tossed
22:42
To and fro
22:43
By the waves
22:44
Until you put it under power.
22:46
You put a boat under power
22:48
You have it move faster
22:49
Than the water around it
22:50
And the rudder then actually
22:51
Has some ability to turn.
22:53
The same is true on a river
22:54
If you're paddling a canoe
22:55
If you're just drifting in a canoe
22:57
You can't turn the canoe
22:58
You speed the canoe up a little bit
23:00
And you can use the paddles
23:01
To steer the boat
23:03
Down the river.
23:04
In our lives
23:05
We have power
23:08
We have minds
23:09
We have ability
23:10
But recognize that even that
23:13
Is a gift of God.
23:14
Even that is providential.
23:17
So everything we do
23:19
There is an undercurrent
23:21
That carries us along.
23:24
Romans 8
23:25
28-31
23:27
And we know that for those
23:28
Who love God
23:29
All things work together
23:31
For good.
23:32
All things.
23:34
No matter what you do
23:36
Or anyone does to you
23:38
All things.
23:40
No matter what major calamity happens
23:43
No matter what economy fails
23:45
Or mudslide goes down
23:47
Or tornado comes
23:48
And rips your house apart
23:49
All things.
23:51
Work together for good.
23:53
For those who are called
23:54
According to his purpose.
23:56
For those whom he foreknew
23:57
He also predestined
23:58
To be conformed
23:58
To the image of a son.
24:00
And there's our definition of good.
24:02
Work together for good
24:03
To be conformed
24:04
To the image of a son.
24:05
In order that he might be
24:06
The firstborn among many brothers.
24:08
And those whom he predestined
24:09
He also called.
24:10
And those whom he called
24:11
He also justified.
24:12
And those whom he justified
24:12
He also glorified.
24:14
What then shall we say
24:15
To these things?
24:16
If God is for us
24:18
Who can be against us?
24:22
The undercurrent of providence.
24:25
And so the encouragement in that
24:27
Is to strengthen your hands
24:30
For the good work.
24:32
Why not?
24:34
The providence of God
24:35
Is presented to us.
24:37
We know that his goodness
24:40
Is upon the good work.
24:42
Strengthen your hands
24:45
For the good work.
24:48
That would bring us back
24:48
To the Old Testament again.
24:50
Again a story
24:50
That Nehemiah
24:51
And the people he was speaking to
24:52
Would have been very aware of.
24:55
Genesis chapter 39
24:57
We see the story of Joseph
24:58
Being sold into slavery.
25:00
And he is now a slave
25:01
In the house of Potiphar.
25:03
In verse 2
25:04
It says the Lord was with Joseph
25:05
And he became a successful man.
25:08
And he was in the house
25:09
Of his Egyptian master.
25:10
His master saw the Lord
25:11
And the Lord caused
25:13
All that he did
25:14
To succeed in his hands.
25:16
So Joseph found favor
25:17
In his sight
25:18
And attended him
25:19
And he made him
25:19
Overseer of his house
25:20
And put him in charge
25:21
Of all that he had.
25:23
Verse 3
25:23
The Lord was with him
25:25
And the Lord caused
25:26
All that he did
25:28
To succeed in his hands.
25:31
Later
25:31
We know Potiphar's wife
25:33
Tries to be with him.
25:35
Accuses him
25:36
Of trying to be with her.
25:39
Potiphar has him
25:39
Thrown into prison.
25:40
Beginning in verse 20
25:41
Of chapter 39
25:42
And Joseph's master
25:43
Took him
25:44
And put him
25:44
Into the prison.
25:45
The place where
25:46
The king's prisoners
25:47
Were confined.
25:48
And he was there
25:49
In prison.
25:50
But the Lord
25:50
Was with Joseph
25:51
And showed him
25:52
Steadfast love
25:53
And gave him favor
25:54
In the sight
25:55
Of the keeper
25:55
Of the prison.
25:56
And the keeper
25:57
Of the prison
25:57
Put Joseph in charge
25:58
Of all the prisoners
25:59
Who were in the prison.
26:00
Whatever was done there
26:01
He was the one
26:02
Who did it.
26:03
The keeper of the prison
26:04
Payed no attention
26:05
To anything that was
26:06
In Joseph's charge
26:06
Because the Lord
26:07
Was with him
26:08
And whatever he did
26:09
The Lord
26:10
Made it succeed.
26:13
The keeper of the prison
26:14
Gave him charge
26:15
Of a section of the prison
26:16
And said
26:17
I don't have to worry
26:17
About that anymore
26:18
Because Joseph the prisoner
26:19
Has got it handled.
26:20
He'll take care
26:21
He'll keep everything
26:21
In order.
26:22
Right?
26:22
Because the Lord
26:23
Made it succeed.
26:25
And of course
26:25
If we go on
26:26
In that story
26:27
We see Joseph
26:28
Having visions
26:29
Being put in charge
26:30
Of all of the crops
26:32
Of Egypt
26:32
Storing them up
26:34
To save the Egyptians
26:35
And later
26:36
We find out
26:37
The Jews
26:39
From famine.
26:40
Right?
26:40
We see God's providence
26:41
As an undercurrent
26:42
Working through the story
26:43
And I believe that
26:44
The people here
26:46
Would have known this
26:48
And they're seeing
26:48
Evidence of God's providence
26:50
In the working
26:51
Through Nehemiah
26:51
To come back and build
26:52
So they strengthen
26:53
Their hands
26:54
For the work.
26:58
Need some further
26:58
Encouragement?
27:00
I hope not
27:01
But you're getting it
27:02
Anyway.
27:04
Colossians 1.16
27:05
Paul, speaking of Christ
27:06
Says,
27:08
For by Him
27:08
All things were created
27:10
In heaven and on earth
27:11
Visible and invisible
27:13
Whether thrones
27:14
Or dominions
27:15
Or rulers
27:16
Or authorities
27:16
All things were created
27:18
Through Him
27:18
And for Him
27:20
Now, catch
27:21
I always
27:22
Grab hold of the beginning
27:25
And I grab hold of the end
27:26
For by Him
27:26
All things were created
27:27
That's awesome
27:29
All things were created
27:30
Through Him
27:31
And for Him
27:31
But notice the list
27:32
Of things that were created
27:33
By Him
27:34
And for Him
27:35
All things in heaven and earth
27:37
Visible and invisible
27:37
Whether thrones
27:38
Or dominions
27:40
Or rulers
27:41
Or authorities
27:43
Reigns over
27:45
All of those things
27:47
Certainly
27:48
In the case of
27:49
Artaxerxes
27:50
We see that God
27:51
Shapes
27:52
The heart of this man
27:53
To go back
27:54
On His own edict
27:55
To basically say
27:57
To His people
27:57
I was a fool then
27:58
To send off
28:02
A people
28:02
To build a fortress
28:03
Against Him
28:04
And His reign
28:05
To rob
28:06
Some of the glory
28:07
That He felt
28:08
Was due Him
28:08
The name
28:11
Artaxerxes
28:11
Means
28:12
Righteous
28:13
Ruler
28:14
And we can certainly
28:16
See here
28:16
That He was ruled
28:17
By the
28:18
Righteous ruler
28:19
Jesus Christ
28:21
All the rulers
28:24
Of this world
28:25
Those that we face
28:26
Today
28:27
Are ultimately
28:28
And finally ruled
28:29
By Jesus Christ
28:30
They were created
28:31
By Him
28:32
And
28:33
For Him
28:35
Is this true
28:35
Of our president
28:36
It certainly
28:37
Is
28:38
How about
28:39
Of Kim Jong-un
28:41
Right
28:42
We probably
28:42
Could label him
28:43
One of the most
28:44
Evil men
28:44
Alive now
28:45
He's the
28:46
Succeder to his
28:46
Father
28:47
Kim Jong-il
28:49
North Korea
28:50
If you know this
28:50
Right
28:51
You know he's not
28:51
The president
28:52
Of North Korea
28:53
The presidency
28:55
Belongs to
28:55
His grandfather
28:56
Who apparently
28:57
Will be the
28:58
President forever
28:59
His father
29:01
Is the supreme
29:02
Leader
29:02
Who will be
29:03
The supreme
29:03
Leader
29:04
Forever
29:05
So
29:05
Kim Jong-un
29:06
Has had to come up
29:07
With some of his
29:07
Own titles
29:08
And in seven
29:09
Months time
29:10
He's come up
29:10
With six
29:11
You ready for them
29:12
He is the
29:14
Marshal of the
29:15
Democratic People's
29:16
Republic of Korea
29:17
The first chairman
29:19
Of the National
29:19
Defense Commission
29:20
First secretary
29:21
Of the Workers
29:22
Party
29:22
Chairman of the
29:23
Party's Central
29:24
Military Commission
29:25
Member of the
29:27
Presidium of the
29:28
Party's Political
29:29
Bureau
29:29
And supreme
29:30
Commander of the
29:31
Korean People's
29:32
Army
29:32
This is Kim Jong-un
29:35
He is ruled
29:37
By the Son of
29:39
God
29:39
The right arm
29:41
Of the Lord
29:42
The Lion of Judah
29:43
The Great I Am
29:45
No title
29:47
No matter how
29:48
Lofty
29:49
Will ever
29:50
Place a man
29:51
In charge of
29:52
The greatest man
29:53
The one who
29:54
Walked this earth
29:55
Fully human
29:56
And fully
29:57
Divine
29:58
The one that we
29:59
Call Jesus Christ
30:00
He reigns
30:01
Supreme
30:02
Over all
30:03
So here we
30:05
Have
30:06
The Jews
30:08
Living in
30:08
Shambles
30:09
Their walls
30:09
Torn down
30:10
The glory of
30:10
God defaced
30:11
In this way
30:12
And they hear
30:13
A report
30:14
Of the providence
30:15
Of God
30:16
God working
30:18
Through
30:18
Nehemiah
30:19
And they're
30:20
Encouraged
30:21
To strengthen
30:22
Their hands
30:23
For the work
30:24
We're going to
30:25
See the work
30:25
They do
30:26
It's incredible
30:26
They complete
30:27
This wall
30:27
Hasn't been
30:28
Completed
30:28
In 90
30:29
Years
30:29
They do
30:30
It in 52
30:30
Days
30:31
They work
30:33
Tirelessly
30:34
We'll talk
30:35
About that
30:35
Next week
30:36
An incredible
30:37
Incredible
30:37
Effort
30:38
And they're
30:39
Encouraged
30:40
To do this
30:41
By the
30:41
Providence
30:41
Of God
30:42
How much
30:43
More should
30:43
We
30:44
Be encouraged
30:45
To work
30:46
Because we
30:46
Now have
30:47
The full
30:47
Revelation
30:48
Of the
30:49
Providence
30:49
Of God
30:49
We have
30:50
Jesus
30:51
Christ
30:52
The finisher
30:53
Of all
30:54
Of that
30:55
All the
30:56
Promises
30:56
Of God
30:57
Are yes
30:58
And amen
30:59
In Jesus
31:00
Christ
31:01
We should be
31:02
All the
31:03
Much more
31:04
Encouraged
31:05
So let me draw
31:07
Out the connection
31:08
For you
31:08
As we talk
31:09
About these
31:09
People
31:10
Who are
31:10
Building a
31:11
Wall
31:11
Visible
31:12
Glory of God
31:13
On earth
31:13
What is now
31:14
The visible
31:14
Display
31:15
Of God's
31:16
Glory
31:16
On this
31:16
Earth
31:17
It's me
31:19
And it's you
31:20
It's the
31:20
Church
31:21
This is
31:22
Redeemed
31:22
People
31:23
1 Peter
31:25
2
31:25
1
31:27
Let's go
31:27
And turn
31:27
There
31:27
With me
31:28
It's too
31:30
Much goodness
31:31
Here for you
31:31
Just to listen
31:31
To me
31:32
Say it
31:32
1 Peter
31:44
2
31:44
1
31:45
Peter's giving
31:47
Instruction
31:48
To the way
31:49
These people
31:49
Ought to live
31:50
What their lives
31:51
Should look like
31:52
So put away
31:53
All malice
31:54
And all deceit
31:55
And hypocrisy
31:56
And envy
31:56
And all slander
31:58
Like newborn infants
31:59
Long for the pure
32:00
Spiritual mick
32:01
Though by it
32:02
You may grow up
32:03
Into salvation
32:04
If indeed
32:05
You have tasted
32:06
That the Lord
32:06
Is good
32:07
As you come
32:08
To him
32:09
A living stone
32:10
Rejected by men
32:11
But in the sight
32:11
Of God
32:12
Chosen and precious
32:13
You yourselves
32:14
Like living stones
32:15
Are being built up
32:17
As a spiritual house
32:18
There's the key
32:19
To this
32:19
Whole connection
32:20
Right
32:21
As you come to him
32:22
Being Christ
32:23
Right
32:23
You're able to put off
32:24
These things
32:25
This type of living
32:27
Long for the pure
32:28
Spiritual milk
32:29
Jesus is the
32:31
Saver
32:32
Of God
32:34
He is the
32:35
Very
32:36
Flavor
32:37
That the Lord
32:37
Is good
32:38
So as you come
32:39
To him
32:40
To Christ
32:40
A living stone
32:41
Rejected by men
32:42
But in the sight
32:43
Of God
32:43
Chosen and precious
32:44
You yourselves
32:45
Like living stones
32:47
Are being built up
32:48
As a spiritual house
32:49
To be a holy priesthood
32:51
To offer spiritual
32:52
Sacrifices
32:53
Acceptable to God
32:54
Through Jesus Christ
32:55
For it stands
32:56
In scripture
32:57
Behold
32:58
I'm allaying
32:58
In Zion
33:00
A stone
33:00
A cornerstone
33:01
Chosen and precious
33:02
And whomever
33:03
Believes in him
33:04
Will not be put
33:05
To shame
33:05
So the honor
33:07
Is for you
33:07
Who believe
33:08
But for those
33:09
Who do not
33:09
Believe
33:10
The stone
33:10
That the builders
33:11
Rejected
33:11
Has become
33:12
The cornerstone
33:13
And a stone
33:14
Of stumbling
33:15
And a rock
33:16
Of offense
33:16
They stumble
33:17
Because they
33:18
Disobey the word
33:18
As they were
33:19
Destined
33:20
To do
33:21
So we're
33:22
Being built up
33:22
Into a spiritual
33:23
House
33:23
We're not
33:23
Building
33:24
Houses
33:25
It's not
33:26
The point
33:26
Of us
33:26
To build
33:27
Elaborate
33:28
Grand
33:28
Buildings
33:29
To God
33:29
It's us
33:30
We're being
33:31
Built up
33:31
As a spiritual
33:32
House
33:33
And for those
33:33
Of us
33:34
Who place
33:34
Our faith
33:35
In Christ
33:35
Jesus
33:36
Is the
33:37
Cornerstone
33:37
And we
33:37
Will not
33:38
Be put
33:39
To shame
33:40
Verse 9
33:41
But you
33:42
Are a chosen
33:43
Race
33:44
A royal
33:45
Priesthood
33:46
A holy
33:46
Nation
33:47
A people
33:48
For his
33:48
Own possession
33:49
That you
33:49
May proclaim
33:50
The excellencies
33:51
Of him
33:51
Who called
33:51
You out
33:52
Of darkness
33:52
Into his
33:53
Marvelous
33:54
Light
33:54
There is
33:55
The work
33:56
We may
33:57
Proclaim
33:58
The excellencies
33:59
Of him
33:59
Who has
34:00
Called us
34:01
Out of
34:01
Darkness
34:01
And into
34:02
His
34:02
Marvelous
34:03
Light
34:03
Once you
34:04
Were not
34:05
A people
34:05
But now
34:05
You are
34:06
God's
34:06
People
34:06
Once you
34:07
Had not
34:08
Received
34:08
Mercy
34:08
But now
34:08
You have
34:09
Received
34:09
Mercy
34:09
Beloved
34:10
I urge
34:11
You as
34:11
Soldiers
34:12
And exiles
34:12
To abstain
34:13
From the
34:13
Passions
34:13
Of the
34:14
Flesh
34:14
Which wage
34:15
War
34:15
Against your
34:15
Soul
34:16
Keep your
34:17
Conduct
34:17
Among the
34:17
Gentiles
34:18
Honorable
34:18
So that
34:19
When they
34:19
Speak
34:20
Against you
34:20
As evildoers
34:21
They may
34:21
See your
34:21
Good deeds
34:22
And glorify
34:22
God
34:22
On the
34:23
Day of
34:23
Visitation
34:24
This is
34:26
The work
34:26
That's
34:26
Before
34:27
Us
34:28
Have
34:29
We seen
34:30
The providence
34:31
Of God
34:31
I sure
34:32
Hope so
34:33
We see it
34:34
In the story
34:35
Of Nehemiah
34:35
We see it
34:36
In the personal
34:36
Work of
34:37
Jesus Christ
34:38
We're given
34:38
The promises
34:39
Of scripture
34:40
Whether or
34:41
Not you
34:41
Feel it
34:42
Day to
34:42
Day
34:42
You're being
34:43
Carried along
34:44
On the
34:44
Providence
34:45
Current
34:46
It's happening
34:47
Even now
34:48
You're here
34:50
For a very
34:50
Specific reason
34:51
Not just by
34:52
Happenstance
34:53
Did you show
34:54
Up today
34:54
God brought
34:55
You along
34:56
By his
34:56
Providence
34:57
To be here
34:58
Today
34:58
So do
35:00
Do you
35:00
Have a
35:00
Plan
35:01
I'll make
35:02
This
35:02
Really
35:02
Simple
35:03
Do you
35:03
Have a
35:04
Plan
35:04
For this
35:05
Week
35:05
About how
35:06
It is
35:07
That you're
35:07
Going to
35:07
Proclaim
35:08
The excellencies
35:08
Of God
35:09
That you're
35:10
Going to
35:10
Live out
35:11
Righteous
35:11
Lives
35:12
In front
35:12
Of
35:13
Evil
35:13
Doers
35:14
So they
35:15
May glorify
35:15
God
35:15
On the
35:16
Day of
35:16
Visitation
35:17
If you're
35:18
Part of
35:18
A community
35:19
Group
35:19
This is
35:20
The week
35:20
That we're
35:20
Not meeting
35:21
In order
35:21
To meet
35:21
With our
35:22
Neighbors
35:22
Do you
35:23
Have a
35:23
Plan yet
35:23
For who
35:24
You're
35:25
Going to
35:25
Meet
35:25
With
35:25
Who
35:26
You're
35:26
Going to
35:26
Work
35:26
Toward
35:27
Sharing
35:27
The gospel
35:28
With
35:28
You should
35:29
Plan
35:30
You should
35:31
Set up
35:31
Time
35:32
Specific
35:32
Times
35:33
To meet
35:33
With people
35:33
To build
35:34
Relationships
35:35
Find strategies
35:37
For turning
35:38
Conversations
35:39
To spiritual
35:39
Ones
35:40
That you
35:40
Might share
35:41
The goodness
35:42
Of our
35:42
Lord
35:43
Make
35:44
Plans
35:45
Do you
35:46
Know that
35:46
Our church
35:47
Has a
35:47
Plan
35:47
We call
35:49
It the
35:49
Plan
35:50
Of
35:50
Action
35:50
For
35:50
2013
35:51
Here
35:52
It is
35:52
Some of
35:52
You may
35:53
Or may
35:53
Not
35:53
Have
35:53
Actually
35:53
Seen
35:54
This
35:54
Or may
35:54
Have
35:54
Forgotten
35:55
Already
35:55
That it
35:55
Exists
35:56
It's
35:56
Beautiful
35:57
Isn't
35:57
It
35:57
We'll
35:59
Present
35:59
Another
36:00
One
36:00
In
36:00
October
36:01
The way
36:02
In which
36:03
We believe
36:03
God
36:04
Is
36:04
Directing
36:05
Us
36:05
There
36:05
Are
36:05
Some
36:05
Men
36:05
In
36:06
This
36:06
Church
36:06
That
36:06
Have
36:06
Gone
36:07
Out
36:07
At
36:07
Night
36:08
And
36:08
We've
36:08
Surveyed
36:09
The
36:09
Wall
36:09
And
36:09
We've
36:09
Come
36:10
Up
36:10
With
36:10
A
36:10
Plan
36:10
For
36:11
This
36:11
Year
36:11
We're
36:12
Going
36:12
!
36:12
To be
36:12
Coming
36:12
Up
36:12
With
36:13
One
36:13
For
36:13
Next
36:14
!
36:14
Year
36:14
A
36:15
Way
36:23
It
36:23
And
36:23
Our
36:23
Calendar
36:24
Comes
36:24
Out
36:24
Of
36:25
The
36:25
Way
36:25
In
36:25
Which
36:25
We
36:26
Believe
36:26
God
36:27
Is
36:27
Leading
36:28
Us
36:28
So
36:30
Prayer
36:30
Planning
36:32
And
36:33
Providence
36:33
I hope
36:34
That
36:34
These
36:34
Are
36:34
Realities
36:35
In
36:36
Your
36:36
Life
36:36
Let's
36:37
Pray
36:37
Together