Month: April 2016

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Since last few weeks we’ve been doing this series on the Book of Nehemiah.

We looked through chapter 1 and now moving on to chapter 2

Here’s a short summary of Nehemiah’s story so far –

This story is from 445 BC, a story recorded in the Bible. The people of God disobeyed and rebelled against Him. In return, God turned them over to their enemies and they were expelled from their native country for almost 70 years. Nehemiah was one of those exiled people who ended up as a cup-bearer to the Persian King Artaxerxes and was stationed at his winter palace in Susa the citadel.

After 70 years of exile, the people of God were now coming back to their native country led by two other men called Zerubbabel & Ezra. Nehemiah is living  a comfortable life as a cup-bearer to the King and after hearing the news of his people he is devastated and for almost 4 to 5 months he fasts, mourns and prays to God reflecting on His promises and asking him to show compassion in the eyes of the king so he can go to his people and rebuild the walls again.

Week 1 – We saw how the Book of Nehemiah was primarily the Story of God. It’s a story that gives us a glimpse of how God graciously worked among His people just after the great exile. We saw God as a Promise-making, covenant keeping, loving and gracious God. It ultimately points us to Jesus Christ and his sacrifice on the cross that rescued us from sin, shame, death and defeat. God kept his promise and displayed his love and grace by making a new covenant with us through his son.

Week 2 – We looked at Nehemiah’s reaction when he heard that his people were in great danger. In the light of Gods saving grace, we learned that it’s never too late to turn back to God, that Gods timing is always perfect and even through our failures and short-comings he is always Glorifying himself in and through us.

Week 3 – We saw Nehemiah’s response in prayer, a patient, heartfelt, long-suffering prayer. His prayer starts with God at the center, he owns his sins, he reflects on Gods promises and ultimately desires that God’s WILL would be fulfilled in all of it.

Last week I was personally convicted of two things 1) I felt that I never started on the right note before stepping into this ministry and that I hardly spend time seeking God the way I should be. 2) I felt at times I’ve been quite complacent and ignorant about the pain, suffering, needs of the people in this city to whom we want to reach out. And as I confessed and repented before the Lord last week I felt God’s peace and a newness in my spirit.

For this week, the passage we will look into is Nehemiah 2:1-8. We will learn about God’s Sovereignty, Graciousness and Provision and what should be our right response to all of it.

Let’s read through Nehemiah 2

One day after around 4-5 months, Nehemiah as usual goes to the King to serve him and unlike other days, Nehemiah was quite sad in the presence of the king. Interestingly the King notices his sorrowful countenance and asks him the reason for this .

Nehemiah’s reaction implies that he did not expect the King to ask him that question because he became afraid when the King questioned him. He firstly responds by saying “Let the king live forever” indicating that he means no harm to the king in anyway. He then personalizes the problem saying “the city where my father belonged to is in ruins, its gates are destroyed by fire.”

And when the king asks him for his request, he immediately makes a quick prayer to the Lord going on to say “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 father’s graves, that I may rebuild it”. When the king asked him about his return he immediately gave him a time and also added “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the prince beyond the river, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the Kings 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”.

When I look at this passage the first thing that strikes me is God Sovereignty over the situation.

What seems like a casual interaction between Nehemiah & King Artexerxes was pre-ordained by God,  He was in complete control from the beginning of the story. We can sometimes wrongly conclude by thinking that because Nehemiah prayed, God acted or else the walls of Jerusalem would have been in ruins forever.

But the truth is, it’s the other way around. God in His sovereignty prepared Nehemiah’s heart to fall on his knees in prayer so that He can act.

Psalms 135:6 says “Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps“

Psalms 115:3 says “Our God is in heaven; he does whatever he pleases“

Isaiah 46:10 God declares “My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my pleasure“

Imagine a chess game between a grand master and an inexperienced young player. No matter what  strategy the new guy starts comes up with, the master ultimately find his way around to win the game.

In our story God is the grand master, his ultimate goal is His Glory. We are like the young player, no matter what wise orfoolish choices we make in our pursuit of fulfilling Gods purposes in our lives God ultimately finds His way around to bring us to a point where He is glorified in and through us. Isn’t that amazing!

God uses us and our circumstances ultimately to bring Glory to His name.

And that’s what he did in Nehemiah’s life and that’s what is does in our life.

God is the story writer, the cinematographer, the producer, the director and even the main character of a film that when released will shake the foundations of humans beliefs and change the course of human history forever.

We are the fortunate ones that God has chosen as instruments in his hand.

I look at my past and see God’s sovereignty over every aspect of my life. My failures, my successes, my disappointments, my anxieties, my hardships, my wrong choices, my right choices … all of it seems to be so much orchestrated by a sovereign God who desires His glory more than anything else.

Our God is a sovereign God.

Talking about Gods sovereignty, once Abraham Lincoln was sitting with his ministers and while addressing a problem one of his ministers turned to him and said “we should pray that God is on our side” to which Abraham Lincoln said “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.”

The second thing I see in this passage is God’s gracious heart towards his people. I love the portion in Ezra’s prayer in

Ezra 9:8-9 he says “Even in our slavery, God has given us new life and light to our eyes. Though we we are slaves, our God has not abandoned us in slavery. He has extended grace to us in the presence of the Persian kings“

Ezra 9:13 – “Our God have punished us less than our sins deserved and have allowed us to survive“

We see God’s graciousness evident even in Nehemiah’s situation. In verse 8 Nehemiah says “And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me“.

The third thing we see is God’s provision for his people. God not only moved the king’s heart to release Nehemiah from his duty but also to provide timber to make beams for the gates and for the walls.

When God Calls, He also Equips. When God Calls, He Enables. When God Calls you, He qualifies you. When God Calls, He Provides, Equips, Enables, Qualifies & Provides.

God provided Nehemiah everything he desired to re-build the walls of Jerusalem for the protection of his people.

When Jane & I decided to move to this new church plant in mumbai we did not anticipate anything, we had no clue where we will be heading to. All we wanted to do was to follow the Lords leading and here we are enjoying God’s blessing and favor.

He gave us a family  to encourage us, build us, cover us, pray for us, Love us, care for us. Just the last week the owner of this hall where we meet called us into his office and brought down our rent money to less than half. Isn’t that God’s favor?

Matthew 6:33 – When we seek Gods kingdom and his righteousness he promises to provide everything that we need.

Remember he is a promise making and covenant keeping God.

Hers’s how Nehemiah responded to Gods sovereignty, graciousness & provision.

1. Because he knew that God will extend His grace as He did in the past Nehemiah trusted in him –He knew God will show up and did not lose hope.

You see Nehemiah saw God changing the Assyrian king’s attitude toward them in Ezra 6:22 “For seven days they celebrated with joy the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because the LORD had filled them with joy by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God, the God of Israel.”

On the other hand he also knew that it was King Artaxerxes who had in the past decreed that work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem should stop. (Ezra 4:23).

There was hope as well as uncertainty & risk but Nehemiah knew God will act and show grace.

The question we need to ask ourselves is how are we doing in the aspect of trusting in him?

When things get rough do we believe God to be the grand weaver who is at work and is making everything beautiful in his perfect time?

When our hearts are driven towards sin and temptation, do we believe and constantly remind ourselves of the power of the Gospel that is constantly at work in our lives?

Or do we lose hope and give up on God?

Nehemiah trusted in God.

As a church, God  has called us to be a blessing to the city of Mumbai. Are we willing to trust God and put our hope in him for growth and fruitfulness?

Man says,‘Show me and I’ll trust in you’. God says, ‘Trust in me and I will show you’.

We can’t always see where the road leads but God promises there’s something better up ahead, we just have to trust him.

2. Because Nehemiah knew God is sovereign, He waited on the Lord– He not only trusted but waited on the Lord till he showed up. Almost for 4-5 months he continued fasting and praying until one day God showed up at the Kings palace.

Waiting is one of the hardest things to do, isn’t it? Especially for our generation who are used to instant gratification.

Psalms 37:34 Wait for the LORD and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land.

Lamentations 3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

How are we doing with WAITING? I’m sure everyone here has been holding on to some promises of God over your life. How long are you willing to wait? It could be 5 days, 5 months, 5 years or even more.

Most often when we don’t see an answer from the Lord, our tendency is to work things out on our strength and wisdom. We can get carried away with the need so badly that we can fail to allow God to do his work in his time.and by doing that we make a mess of our lives.

Even though we know the scripture in Proverbs 3:5 that says “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” we still go back to working out things on our own.

Nehemiah could have done a 100 things on his own but he waited on the Lord and continued fasting, weeping and praying till God answered.

As a church lets continue to be in the posture of prayer as the Lord reminded us last Sunday, faithfully serving him; even sharing and witnessing to our friends, colleagues and the people God brings in our life.

At the right time God will show up and cause us to inherit His land for His glory. Amen.

3. Because Nehemiah knew God will provide, He was well prepared– Even before God showed up, Nehemiah had already prepared his heart to step out in faith. He had done the planning, he had counted the days because when the king asked him to give a definite date of his return he was prepared with an answer. He knew exactly what resources he would need for the building of the walls.

Our prepared heart is the evidence of our faith.

There were two farmers who prayed for rain while there was a drought in the land, but only one of them would get up in the morning and plough his field. Tell me which farmer trusted the Lord more?

God wants us to have a prepared heart just like Nehemiah so that when the opportunity comes we are ready to step up.

All you young men and ladies prepare yourselves in the Lord. Let’s not remain as infants feeding on milk. Soak yourselves in the Word of God, grow in your faith. Pray unceasingly, so that when the harvest is ready we will have enough laborers to gather the crops. You know what I am talking about.

God is doing a great work among us. He is building his Kingdom in the city of Mumbai. Either we are in or out. Today you will have to decide for yourself whether you want to trust in Him, wait for his perfect timing and stay prepared when the call comes.

God bless you!

Nehemiah’s Story is a part of our story… How? Because it is the story of God’s faithfulness to make a way for Jesus life death and resurrection bring salvation to sinners.

Nehemiah was awakened to God’s purposes and plan’s and was awakened to his own part in God’s grand story of redemption.

RECAP – Who is Nehemiah? What is going on in his heart?

Nehemiah was the Cup Bearer to the king (trusted)
He was living in the Persian Kings (Artexerxes) Winter Palace.

Nehemiah was comfortable, he had it good. But his people were broken, distraught and filled with shame. Nehemiah’s brother brings news of their people’s condition and Nehemiah’s heart was broken. He could not remain comfortable while his people sank in their shame.

Whatever we find comfort in we will spend all our time protecting and maintaining that. It will consume our thoughts, it will control our fears, and empty us of our time, talents, and affections…

Nehemiah was reminded…

// This is not who you are! //

You might be doing this job and God might have provided for you and his people through this job, or circumstance but that is not your identity… You are worth more than this and your purpose on the earth is greater than this BECAUSE

YOU BELONG TO GOD!

He chose you from the foundation of the earth to be spotless and without blemish He set you apart for HIS glory and HIS purposes!

Nehemiah’s response

Weeping, Praying, and Fasting:

This began in the month of Chislev and Nehemiah’s request to the king happened in the month of Nissan… The passage says that He prayed and fasted day and night… This season of prayer and fasting lasted anywhere from three – five months.

The prayer that we read is not one eloquent prayer it is the cliff notes of Patient, Heart-felt, long-suffering prayer.

Nehemiah went to God first and was was willing to wait on Him until he understood what God was doing.

Psalm 130:5
“I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;”

4 things we learn from Nehemiah’s prayer

1. Nehemiah prayer starts with God and was centered on God’s character and nature.
2. Nehemiah owned His sin (humility // dependance and need)
3. Nehemiah knew God’s promises (Creature of the word)
4. Nehemiah’s desire is for the scriptures to be fulfilled (God’s plan and not His own)

Related Sermons from the Nehemiah series:

• Nehemiah – A Covenant Making, Promise Keeping, Loving and Gracious God (04.04.2016)
• Nehemiah: It’s Never Too Late to Turn Back (11.04.2016)

We just started a new series from the book of Nehemiah. To put it plainly this is an amazing story of a covenant making, promise keeping, loving and gracious God!

Last week we were reminded about three truths about God:

1. God’s promises are bigger than our circumstances: When your circumstances trouble you and overwhelm you, know that even in those moments God’s promises are as sure and firm as a solid rock! You can bank your life on the certain and sure promises of God.
2. God’s faithfulness is bigger than our rebellion: That’s the assurance for sinners like you and me. Our destiny lies in the hands of an unchanging God. 1 John 1:9 says…if you confess your sins, he is faithful and just to forgive you from all your unrighteousness. Our forgiveness is based upon the faithfulness of an unchanging God.
3. The cycle of failing to keep God’s law is always broken by grace and provision of God: We all struggle to keep God’s law. We know that’s impossible for us in our flesh to obey God’s law perfectly as he demands. So God shows grace and provides a way through His Son by which that cycle can be broken. And that’s how He’s always operated right through history!!

And today we’ll be taking a closer look at the first four verses and look to apply those truths in our lives.

The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah1:1-4)

In the first verse we are introduced to this character called Nehemiah. And the setting is in the king’s palace because he was a cup-bearer to the king. It was an important position because it meant that he worked very closely with the King. That’s where Hanani, his brother and some other men from Judah come to meet him. And you see him inquire and question them about the Jews who survived the exile and the condition of Jerusalem.

Right away you understand that he’s concerned about his people. Even though he’s in a culture and a lifestyle that’s distant from the Israelites, he still retains his identity which is why he would want to know how things were back home. Another way of putting the question: these are the people of God…my people…how are they doing?

However, the fact that he would actually ask it showed that he was disconnected from what was taking place in Jerusalem. This was their answer:

And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.” V3

What are they referring to? In 2 Kings 25 it tells us how Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon burned the house of the Lord, the king’s house and the great houses of Jerusalem and the army broke down the walls around Jerusalem. And all of Judah were taken captive and brought out as prisoners of war!

By the time we reach the book of Ezra, we see that the people have returned back to Jerusalem and Judah and start the rebuilding process. Some of the enemy leaders of the province wrote a formal letter of complaint to the Persian King requesting him to stop the work that is taking place. They made it seem like something wicked was being plotted by the Israelites as they were rebuilding the walls. The King listens to them and writes back telling them to stop the work until another decree made by the King approves of that. The rebuilding work stopped soon after it began and the work was made to halt for another 15 years.

As a result, Jerusalem and the people are left open and defenseless against their enemies because they don’t have a city wall. So it’s not just for decorative purposes that they needed a city wall. It was absolutely necessary for protection! A lack of a city wall clearly brought trouble and shame to the Israelites as described by Hanani and the other men.

And this is how Nehemiah responds to the news. As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. (v4)

He understood the plight of his people. He began to feel the weight of the trouble and the shame that his people were going through. This was his wake up call! One thing we can infer from this text is that Nehemiah probably was going through a season of comfortability. He was working in the palace, he had a dignified position and a place in society, was man of influence. How do we know if he was being too comfortable and needed a wakeup call?

Look at his response…v6 and 7. He’s confessing the sins of his people and his own sins. How did that happen? He realized that what was happening to the remnant was not because of anything else but because they forsook God. The parallel of the city walls with the condition of the Israelites hearts is very evident. When the city walls were broken and torn down, it was also a reflection of the spiritual decline that had taken place. They were spiritually in ruins!
The brokenness of the people exposed and made him aware of his spiritual need for God. Immediately you see him turn to God in repentance. He got his wake up call!

Let’s just pause and think for a moment.

When you look at the moral and spiritual condition of the people around you…your family, your neighbors, your colleagues, your college friends and the 23 million people in the city, does it break your heart and move you to weep for them? Does it prompt you to pray for them because you realize they’ve forsaken God? When was the last time you wept and prayed for someone?

What would it take for us to be awakened to the reality of spiritual decline all around us?

It is a convicting question when we take a closer look at our comfortability and apathy. It is convicting to realize that we need to be awakened from our state of slumber. We need to be reminded that there is hope in the grace and provision of God!

Firstly, I want us to be encouraged by this truth. It’s never too late to turn back to God.

“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster. (Joel 2:12-13)

“Yet even now”…It wasn’t too late for Nehemiah and it isn’t too late for us! All of us realize that we’re not where we should be. Our burden and brokenness for our own sins and the lost in the world is not where it should be. We struggle with the same issue of comfortability and apathy just as Nehemiah did. However, let’s be encouraged by the fact that it’s not too late and God wants us to repent.

Secondly, his timing is perfect.

One would think that the people’s disobedience and Nehemiah’s apathy could ruin God’s plan but it’s not the case. God is still in firm control of everything as He has planned. He will redeem His people as He has ordained. After this prayer of repentance we see how Nehemiah’s position as a cupbearer to the King was carefully used by God to accomplish His purposes. Does that encourage you to know that even though we fail and mess up, everything is still on time on God’s watch?

Thirdly, God uses our failures for His glory.

God gave Nehemiah such fervor for God’s glory and concern for people that now Nehemiah is the man whom God uses to restore the people back to God!!! Who would’ve expected a person who is a public servant, disconnected from His people to be the leader appointed to complete the task of restoring the city walls and likewise the people’s hearts to God? And that’s the encouragement. If you feel today like you’ve failed in your service toward God, know that God can still use you as a powerful vehicle to display His glory if you repent and turn to Him. The reason for that is He is God! He delights in the humble submission of His people: People who seem to be ordinary and unworthy and failures by worldly standards but used in extraordinary ways for His glory.

What God calls us to is repentance and humble dependence on Him. Being transformed and used for the purposes of God is purely His doing. That’s a common pattern that you see in the Bible. People encounter a Holy God, their sin is revealed, they respond in repentance and humble dependence and it’s God who then commissions them. Let’s look at one of those passages in the Bible:

Isaiah 6:1-8

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah’s Commission from the Lord
8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

Again in v7 see a provision made from God to remove our sin and guilt. That could only be removed by a sacrifice on our behalf. We need to remember that our repentance is only made effectual by the death of Jesus on the cross. Apart from Jesus, there is no forgiveness, no cleansing and no service that will be acceptable to God. Jesus died in our place, purchased our freedom and now sends us to go and proclaim His glory!

And how do we respond to him? In humble dependence! Many times it’s our own sin that prevents us from seeing the brokenness around us. Let’s turn to the Lord in repentance – repenting of our sin, comfortability and apathy. Let’s ask God to break our hearts for the lost around us so that it moves us to weep and pray for them. All he requires from us is humble dependence on Him!

Related Sermons from the Nehemiah series:

• Nehemiah – A Covenant Making, Promise Keeping, Loving and Gracious God (04.04.2016)
• Nehemiah: A Patient, Heart-felt, Long-suffering Prayer (17.04.2016)

We are staring with a new series on the Book of Nehemiah. The approach is to do an Expository study of Nehemiah and understand God’s heart and His purposes for our lives as His children.

Expository preaching involves the exposition, or comprehensive explanation of the Scripture; that is, expository preaching presents the meaning and intent of a biblical text, providing commentary and examples to make the passage clear and understandable. The word exposition is related to the word expose — the expository preacher’s goal is simply to expose the meaning of the Bible, verse by verse.

In case you’re wondering why we’ve taken this route, here are 5 reasons why we think it’s Significant.

1. Exposition magnifies the Scripture which therefore leads the preachers to discover the original intent and meaning of the text before drawing out any conclusions.

2. Expository preaching is one of the best ways to preach the Bible because if every word of God is pure and true, then every word needs to be dealt with.

3. Expository preaching familiarizes people with the scripture itself instead of simply giving them a speech. It also encourages them to study the Bible on their own.

4. In Expository preaching, the Scripture clearly stands out as the ultimate Authority no matter how powerful and gifted the preacher is.

5. Last but not the least and my personal favorite – Expository preaching drives us to see the Gospel at work in every text of the Bible because the ultimate goal of every word of the Bible is to point us to Christ and His finished work on the cross.

Let’s Read Nehemiah 1

Personally, I love the story of Nehemiah. I’ve always been drawn to the courage of this guy called Nehemiah who took up the challenge to build the broken walls of Jerusalem at any cost.

This time though when I read through the story of Nehemiah, I realized that Nehemiah is not just a story of a man and the Rebuilding of the wall. The story of Nehemiah is an amazing story that gives us a glimpse of how God graciously worked among His people just after the great exile. It is primarily the story of God.

Rebuilding the wall was least critical in the rebuilding of a nation dedicated to God’s purposes. The wall is important only because what was restored at the same time behind the wall.

– The more special the watch case, the more expensive the watch.
– The more guards around a home, the more valuable the goods and people within are esteemed.

So the wall was rebuilt to protect and maintain a work within the people of God.

What made the walls of Jerusalem so valuable are not the walls themselves but what the walls could protect: the heart of the nation of Israel or later as we discover, the heart of God’s people, the Jews.

So, as we open the series on Nehemiah, the goal for today is to see God as a covenant making, promise keeping, loving and gracious God. That’s the goal for today.

The story of Nehemiah goes back in history when God’s people sinned against him and God turned them over to their enemies.

2 Kings 17:7 – “And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods”

Psalms 78 gives us a descriptive explanation of how Israel rebelled against God and refused to obey Him and acknowledge Him even after all the wonders He did for them.

God eventually turned them over to the enemies because it was God’s Glory that was at stake.

2 Kings 24 – Nebuchadnezzar (king of Babylon) came up to Jerusalem, and the city was attacked.

70 years of exile is what they went through.

At the end of these 70 years, we see a number of Jewish exiles returning back to Jerusalem.

Ezra 1-6: Zerubbabel led the first wave of Jewish exiles to return in 536 BC
Ezra 7-10: Ezra led the second in 445 BC
Nehemiah 1 -3: Nehemiah led the third in 445 BC

The book of Nehemiah opens up with an account where Hanani, one of the brothers come to meet him and when asked by Nehemiah about the people who returned from exile, he replies by saying “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

A closer look at the man Nehemiah will tell you that he wasn’t different than anyone of us who live in the city of Mumbai. He had a full-time job as the cup bearer to the King and possibly lived a routine life, though a luxurious one because to be a cupbearer to the King was not a low esteem job. But what amazes me is his heart for God and for his people.

Even though he was far away from his country and people, living a comfortable routine life, he obviously seemed to be a devoted person because his first and immediate response when he heard the dreadful news was to go to God in prayer. The other aspect in his opening statement reveals that he knew his God and revered Him unceasingly.

“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”

Nehemiah calls on God by mentioning His character & His nature. ‘A God who is a covenant making, promise keeping, loving and gracious God.’

His people are in trouble, life seems to be unfair to them, and they are falling prey to their enemies because of the broken walls but Nehemiah goes to God and calls out to Him as a covenant making, promise keeping loving and gracious God.

Our generation almost live in similar circumstances where pain and suffering are part of life for many around us. Wars, deaths, calamities, destruction, poverty, hunger are headlines in our newspapers. It is easy for people to look around and say God does not exist because if God exists this wouldn’t be the state of our world.

The truth is not that God doesn’t exist but that we constantly fail to go to Him and give Him the Glory He deserves.

In a situation like this it is important how we as children of God respond back to Him. Do we join the majority and question God and his sovereignty? Or do we go to Him in a humble posture of worship just like Nehemiah and remember Him as the covenant making, promise keeping, loving and gracious God?

“He is and will ever be the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.”

In the light of Nehemiah’s beginning statements I want us to remember 3 things about God that which if we hold close to our hearts will change us more as a person and will take us on an unbelievable journey just like Nehemiah in building the Kingdom of God.

1. God’s Promises are bigger than our circumstances

Yes, the circumstances of the people of God who came out of exile was devastating. They were in great trouble and shame because of their enemies who had access to the city due to broken walls.

But Nehemiah was falling back on the promises of God because he knew God’s promises are bigger than any circumstances his people are facing.

In a similar way even though Sarah was barren and couldn’t bear children for Abraham, he still believed in the promises of God that his children will be as numerous as the stars in the sky. The bible says in Genesis 15:6

“Abram believed the LORD, and he credited to him as righteousness”

Abraham believed that God’s promises were bigger than his present circumstances.

What is our response when we look at our present circumstances? Do we get disappointed and heart broken or do we chose to fall back on God’s promises instead? Let’s search our hearts.

2. God’s faithfulness is bigger than our rebellion

As we read through the book of Nehemiah you will learn that these people even after returning from the exile had the same issues of rebelliousness and disobedience.

They ridiculed Nehemiah, spoke lies, behaved Lazy, entertained ungodly fear and even continued having strife among themselves.

Before we judge these people let’s be honest, don’t we behave like them at certain times? We quite often disobey and hurt God in indulging in our sins, we pretend and perform to cover our wrong doings, behave lazily and even entertain ungodly fear while proclaiming the gospel to our friends and colleagues.

What is God’s response to all of this?

FAITHFULNESS

2 Timothy 2:13 – “Even though we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself”

Deuteronomy 7:9 – “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations”

Let’s remember this – God’s faithfulness is bigger than our rebellion and our response should be Repentance just like Nehemiah.

3. The cycle of failing to keep the law is always broken/overcome by the grace and mercy and provision of God.

After Nehemiah repented of his and his forefathers sins, he took on the task of obeying God by rebuilding of the walls. And as we read on the story we will learn that eventually the cycle of failing to keep the law was broken and overcome by the grace, mercy and the provision of God.

What is our greatest need today?

Deliverance from sin and slavery and a healthy relationship with our heavenly father. Isn’t it?

Did God already make provision for our need?

Yes, he did.

Can we achieve it on our own?

Never. The Bible says Even our righteousness are like filthy rags before a Holy God.

The fact is we can receive forgiveness & freedom from our sins only by believing in God’s son Jesus Christ who came and died for us 2000 years ago. He lived a sinless life yet paid the penalty that our sins deserved by dying a horrific death on the cross, conquered death and rose again in victory on the third day.

There is absolutely nothing more that we can do other than believe in Jesus and accept His Grace, Mercy and Provision which he bestowed upon us in full measure.

Just like the days of Nehemiah, God is building His Kingdom and our response to Him is what will matter the most. And remember the end goal of all of this is GLORY, GLORY, GLORY to the Lord Almighty.

Let’s Pray.

Related Sermons from the Nehemiah series:

• Nehemiah: It’s Never Too Late to Turn Back (11.04.2016)
• Nehemiah: A Patient, Heart-felt, Long-suffering Prayer (17.04.2016)