BIG GAINS, GREAT RISKS
Nehemiah 2:1-9
INTRODUCTION:
Good morning! How’s everyone doing today? Well I’m so glad you’ve joined us this morning to study God’s Word.
Sherlock Holmes and Watson were camping one night. In the middle of the night Sherlock Holmes awoke and looked up at the stars. He asked, “Watson, what do you see”. Awakened from his sleep Watson looked up and said “stars”. Holmes replied,“Yes, but what do these stars tell you.” Watson said…“Cosmologically they tell me that we are part of a large universe – that we are one of billions and billions of planets. Theologically they tell me that we have a great God who made all of it. Meteorologically they tell me that the sky is clear and we will have good weather tomorrow. Temporally they tell me that it is the middle of the night and we should be sleeping! Sherlock, what do they tell you.” “Well Watson,” he replied, “they tell me that someone has stolen our tent”.
Let me ask you, as you think back over this past year — and the places you’ve travel, and the things you’ve done…“what do you see?”
The book of Nehemiah was written by a man who lived to see things through the “eyes of God”.
He prayed for and sought after a perspective in life that would allow him to catch a glimpse of GOD’S DREAM for himself and God’s people! The Book bearing his name contains his memoirs…and the experiences he had as he led God’s people to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem — and reestablish Israel as a nation to be respected.
In recent days, we have come to discover the fact that God’s dreams are always bigger than our dreams! And that’s one of the key lessons of the book of Nehemiah. As this prophet discovered…his best thoughts and greatest dreams were barely scratching the surface in comparison to what God was doing and the plans he had for His people.
Nehemiah was a Hebrew man. But, he lived in Susa — a nation other distant from his own (more than 1000 miles away from Jerusalem). His people (the people of Israel) had at one time been a great a powerful nation…but because of their sin, and arrogance, God allowed them to be defeated in battle and overtaken.
When that happened, the best and brightest young men were taken as prisoners and enslaved by Babylon. But the time Nehemiah comes on the scene, the Persians were now in control…and Nehemiah had been promoted through the ranks to Cup Bearer to the great and powerful King Artaxerxes.
Nehemiah lived 500 years before the time of Christ…and was ultimately used to accomplish one of the greatest comebacks any nation has ever seen.
MESSAGE:
So, Nehemiah gets word that his homeland is in ruins. The walls of the city of Jerusalem were in disrepair.
His heart was broken for his people. He realized — with the nation of God suffering, it was a reflection on God Himself. And so, for the next four months be prayed…asking God what could be done.
During those days — he knew God had a great DREAM for him that would require great FAITH and RISK…but Nehemiah was determined to take advantage of any opportunity God gave him to fulfill that DREAM!
Let me pause His story — and go to a more modern day story of opportunity. It’s a story that Billy Graham tells in his autobiography, Just As I Am. He writes about a conversation that he had with John F. Kennedy…shortly after he was elected president. On the way back to the Kennedy house, Kennedy stopped the car and turned to Dr. Graham. He looked at him in the eye and said do you believe in the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ. Graham replied I most certainly do. Kennedy said well does my church believe it? Graham said it is written in your creeds. Kennedy said well they don’t preach it. They don’t tell us much about it. I’d like to know what you think. Graham explained what the Bible says about Jesus coming the first time, how he lived his life, his death on the cross, his resurrection and how he then promised that He would come again. And he said then and only then will we have true world peace. Kennedy said that’s very interesting…he began to look away and he said we’ll have to talk about that someday. And he drove on.
Several years later the two of them met again, this time at the National Prayer Breakfast in 1963. Dr. Graham said I remember I had the flu, so after I gave a short talk and the president gave his and then we walked out of the hotel to his car. At the curb, Kennedy turned to Dr. Graham and said Billy could you ride back to the white house with me? It was a cold, snowy day and he said I was freezing as i stood there without my coat. On top of that Dr. Graham was running a fever and feeling pretty weak. He said Mr. President I don’t feel well and I don’t want to pass this along to you… couldn’t we wait and talk some other time? Kennedy graciously said of course…we’ll talk another time.
But the two of them would never meet again. Later that same year Kennedy was assassinated. Billy Graham says this….his hesitation at the car door and his request to talk with me…those things still haunt me. What was on his mind? What was he thinking? Should I have gone with him? He said it was an irrevocable moment.
Would you agree with me that all of us have moments like that?
They may not seem as dramatic, they certainly don’t involve the president but nonetheless they are moments in our life when we find ourselves at a crossroads and the decision we make at that moments changes us forever. Every one of us experience moments like that.
It’s at that point that we pick up the story in chapter 2.
So, if you’ve got your Bible, turn with me to the Old Testament book of Nehemiah. We will pick up right where we left off last week — in chapter 2. Nehemiah chapter 2. Beginning at verse 1 we read…
In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, 2 so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”
I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?”
4 The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”
6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?” It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.
7 I also said to him, “If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?” And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests. 9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king’s letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.
I love the fact that within this story we discover that Nehemiah’s go to response again and again is to PRAY!
- He prays when he discovers the bad news of his people.
- He prays asking God for direction and how he’s to respond.
- He prays when he is given an opportunity to stand before the King.
- He prays again and again.
What’s more, is that Nehemiah understood the importance he would play in God’s plans….and he was willing to do GREAT THINGS FOR GOD!
As a believer — as man — I am challenged by the fact that he never prayed for God to rebuild the walls. What he prayed for was an opportunity to go and rebuild the walls himself.
This story — is really a story that I think we can identify with, because (like many moments in our lives), this story is one of RISK and FEAR…but Nehemiah understood that…
BIG GAINS ALWAYS REQUIRE GREAT RISKS!
Can you imagine the fear that must have crept into his heart and mind when he considered asking the King to let him go to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of a Nation that could potentially become a threat to his own Nation in the days to come?
For Nehemiah, it was a risky move…but it was one worth taking. So he placed his faith in God’s ability to ultimately fulfill his DREAM…and REBUILD THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM.
This morning I really want to challenge you (as you serve God with your whole heart), to always be willing to take great risks in order to achieve great gains for the Kingdom of God.
As we think about God’s call for our lives and for our church, I want us to realize that..
1. WE MUST BE BRAVE TODAY — IF WE WANT TO CELEBRATE TOMORROW!
God never calls us to be FOOLISH or CARELESS…but has no room for those who are complacent or wish to play it safe with His call for our lives.
Aristotle once wrote, “We become brave by doing brave acts!”
One of the ways we witness Nehemiah’s bravery was in the way he approached the King (the most powerful man on the planet during his day).
The Bible tells us in verse 2 that Nehemiah was “…very much afraid…” to speak to the King. And with good reason. The King had the power and authority to banish him — or worse…to take his life! Contrary to what some believe…it’s not GOOD FEELINGS that always lead you to step out with GREAT FAITH.
I can guarantee you that Nehemiah wasn’t FEELING GOOD in this moment in his life — in fact, he was wrestling with the angst of his FEAR!
But Nehemiah was unwilling to be stopped by his fear! (Maybe you ought to write this down…)
Good feelings don’t always lead you to great faith.
But, great faith will lead you to FEELING good!
I think this is one of the marks of all great leaders. Great men and women…great heroes! They persevere and press on past their FEAR! (David did, Moses did it, Joshua did it, Caleb did it, Peter did it, and Nehemiah did it).
In his story — Nehemiah does four things that really appear to have taken great bravery. But more than anything, they reflect his willingness to take bold steps of faith for God:
1. He asked for a leave of absence from serving the King.
2. He made his request in the presence of the queen (which was questionable and incredibly risky).
3. Beyond that — He asked for letters of permission — and the King’s favor to travel to Jerusalem.
4. And then he asked the king to finance the “rebuild”…requesting permission to cut trees from his forest.
I love this — because, if you’re going to ask for something…you might as well as for something big! Which reminds me of a story…
A man found an old dusty lamp. He wiped it clean and a genie popped up and said, I’m so powerful, you can ask me for anything, and I can do it! The man said, I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii but I’m afraid to fly. I wish there was a road that went from the mainland of California all the way out across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii so I could drive there. To which, the genie responded, you clearly misunderstand my powers…I’m a genie — not God! I don’t know if I can do such a big thing. Why don’t you ask for something else. So the man said, “Alright…I’ve always wanted to understand women–how they think, what makes them tick, how to please them. To which the Genie responded, “Do you want that to be a 2 lane or 4 lane highway?”
My point is simple — God delights Himself in our asking for big things! Praying grand prayers. Trusting Him to accomplish those things that we cannot do ourselves! One of my favorite verse that echoes this point is Ephesians 3:20, where Paul tells us,
“God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.”
Ephesians 3:20 (MSG)
That’s why we need to ask Him for some big things in our lives, in our families AND IN OUR CHURCH! When we PRAY BIG PRAYERS…it affords God the opportunity to show Himself faithful and powerful to us!
So, let me ask you — what bold steps do you feel God leading you to take? Where do you need to be brave?
- Is it to surrender your life to Jesus? (To accepting the forgiveness and mercy of Christ)
- Is it to submit to God’s will & direction in your life? Maybe he’s asking you to dare to do something you’ve never done before. (To dare some great exploit in His name)
- Or maybe it’s to speak up and share your faith with a friend or loved one? (Risk a relationship for His glory)
- Maybe it’s to trust God with your TITHE — or maybe give more than you’ve ever given before. (Trusting Him to provide)
- Maybe its getting more involved in ministry — and serving more than you’ve ever done before. (Trusting Him to provide)
What is it? What is God directing you to do — that will require you to act with BRAVERY and FAITH? And I’ll remind you — if it doesn’t require FAITH — it’s not God’s DREAM for you! As Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) tells us, “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Another thing I think God is saying to us through this story is — if we intend to accomplish his DREAM, then…
2. WE MUST BE WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE TO ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE!!
Here’s the thing — Nehemiah could have lived the rest of his life in the comfort of the king’s palace, sipping the wine from the king’s vineyard, and dining at the king’s table.
But it wasn’t enough for him. When he heard about the disgrace of Jerusalem, his heart was stirred and he decided to do something about it — even though he had an easy life … even though he had never been to Jerusalem and the problems of this ancient & city really wasn’t effecting him personally. He didn’t have to get involved…but he did!
He knew what the costs would be if he obeyed God’s leading. And was willing to pay them. In life and in faith — counting the cost is critical to the success of any plan. Jesus said in Luke 14:28 & 33,
“But don’t begin until you count the cost…So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.”
The call of God on our lives is to acknowledge the cost of His DREAM…but then in FAITH — step up and be willing to pay it. In Luke 14, Jesus really calls us to be “ALL IN” with Him.
And that’s what Nehemiah had done! He knew it was risky to SHARE his Dream with the King.
Beyond the possibility of losing his life — as the king’s cupbearer, Nehemiah would also have to sacrifice the comfort and security of the palace for the rigors and dangers of life in a ruined city. He would face ridicule and slander. He would leave behind the ease of the palace and take up the toils of working with a dejected group of people to accomplish the task of rebuilding their city!
The CALL of God ultimately cost Nehemiah his comfort, his job, his money, and at times he was ridiculed and slandered. Even so, he BOLDY made his request to the King anyway.
I wonder if he ever recalled the ancient words of God which had been spoken to one of Israel’s best leaders — Joshua. In Joshua 1:9, God said to him…
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (ESV).
- What cost are you willing to pay in order to FULFILL God’s call on your life?
- What cost are you willing to pay in order to FULFILL God’s call on our Church?
I like what Pastor and author Joe Stowell says about this. He says,
“In the midst of the changing circumstances of life, we have a choice. We can live in fear of all the uncertainties, or we can cling to the reality of God’s sustaining and intervening presence in our lives.”
APPLICATION: Fulfilling the vision God has given us will not come easy. There will be costs to pay. How willing are you to sacrifice today in order to achieve God’s best for your future?
And, when it comes to our CHURCH — and the potential of increasing our influence in the Upstate…are you willing to be brave, willing to walk in FAITH, and willing to PAY THE PRICE to do together what we could never do alone?
CONCLUSION:
While it would be easier to sit back, become complacent, remain in the façade of the safety of these walls…it’s time for us to take great risks to achieve big gains for the Kingdom of God. (Give more, serve more, pray more, believe for more?)
God is still looking for people who care, people who care enough to dare the impossible with Him. Can we individually and corporately be those people?
CLOSING PRAYER