Sermon notes from Sunday 9 September 2018 am
James 5 verses 13 - 20, Daniel 6 verse 10 and Nehemiah 1 verses 1 - 6
We read from 3 accounts of 3 men - Elijah, Daniel and Nehemiah. These men had one thing in common - they were men of prayer. They were men who knew how to pray. Think today of how many people are dependent on what we do this winter. The souls of men and women that hang in the balance. There are so many instructions in Nehemiah, encouragements, challenges in it. So many directions for us to take and follow. Whenever we have it in our minds, when we leave this scene of time behind, close our eyes in death, are ushered into God`s eternity, stand on the golden shore, the first person to meet us, to greet us, to take us by the hand will be our Saviour and Lord. After the Lord wouldn`t it be nice to go around and find out about this man Nehemiah, ask him about some of the great characters of this book. He had a great income and future yet gave it all up that he might come down into Jerusalem, gather the people together to pray. It took so much out of him. He was not a man who would sit on the fence. He got down to the work straight away. He had an interest in the people and work of God. He inquired about the people then got involved. We saw the impact it had on him but also the involvement it led to. Chapter 2 verse 10 "it grieved them exceedingly". Here are the enemies of God`s work set out to oppose him. They were concerned that a man would come to seek the welfare of the children of the Israel. Is the devil angry? Are the demons of hell grieved today because you have compassion for others. In chapter 1 verse 4 we come to the first of Nehemiah`s prayers, there are 11 in total in this book. Look at the blessings and benefits that prayer brings.
There was a time of preparation in Nehemiah`s prayers. There was a need for tears. The walls are broken down, the gates are burned with fire. The enemy could come in. The people were scattered. They did not know their God anymore. It was a time to weep, getting down to business with God. Nehemiah heard about the conditions in Jerusalem and did 5 things.
He weeps and he mourns - it is the same weeping and mourning we have for someone who has passed away.
He fasted - goes without food and drink.
Then he prays - what was taking place in Jerusalem drove this man to his knees to pray.
When we think over the years how many great preachers and churches have been raised up, how many prayer times have been held - is that still the case today? Prayer times have stopped, the people in the pulpits do not know God personally any more. Maybe we need to take time to weep and pray once more. Daniel was studying the book of Jeremiah when he stumbled on something very significant. God told Jeremiah that the people would be in captivity for 70 years. Daniel is now reading this and he knows it is coming up to near the end of the 70th year. He knew it would be a time of movement by God and deliverance by God. Prayer is something we must be careful of. The example of 2 men - Daniel and Nehemiah - they set a time to seek God`s face. Do we still set time for God today? So busy in the morning that we set the prayer time aside. Daniel took time each morning to pray to God. Nehemiah realised that this was a big burden the Lord had laid on him. He set to pray, he had to receive the power of God to take him through. How do we handle problems and difficulties today? When was the last time you took time to pray for people? To be broken hearted, to weep and cry?
A time for praise. Praise is also important in prayer. What gave Nehemiah assurance coming into the presence of God? Psalm 34 verse 18 "the Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart and saveth such as be of a contrite heart." Nehemiah 1 verse 5. We see the same in the book of Daniel - "O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments." This is someone who needs our respect and reverence and awe. "Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity." Habbukuk 1 verse 13. We need to still have great respect for him. Here is a demonstration of great respect for the God of heaven. Do we take time to come into his presence in preparation? Take time to praise him? Prayer is not just mentioning a few names and running out again as quickly as we can. It is coming into the presence of God, realising who he is. Praising him for who he is. Thanking him. Do we sit down before God`s presence. Sometimes you cannot find words to pray but simply saying "thank you Lord for saving me" is sufficient.
A time to plead - verse 5. He makes this great plea in verse 6 "let thine ear now be attentive and thine eyes open that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant which I pray before thee now day and night." He admits the sin of the people, he is getting to grips with the seriousness of the situation. He is open and honest before God. He admits that he has sinned first. We need to be careful. There is an apathy amongst the people of God. The people of God went back to Jerusalem. God delivered them from Babylon, set them free after 70 years. He sent them back to build the house of God, to get the walls built and gates restored, to gather the people together. The people however went down to Jerusalem and settled down. Some times that can happen to us. We can be on fire for God when we first get saved but then we settle down. The people in Jerusalem built their own houses but had no time to build the Lord`s house. Solomon in his day realised the people he lived amongst were prone to fall short. "If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land or if I send pestilence among my people. If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7 verses 13 and 14
A time of personal engagement - verse 11. Praying for himself then others. "I pray thee thy servant this day and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king`s cupbearer." There is a work to be done in Jerusalem but there is one problem - the king. Nehemiah was a servant of the king. If I go down and say to this man I want to serve another, I will be put to death. If you grant me mercy and open the door for me I will work through it. He trusted the Lord to open the doors for him. It is easy to pray "send someone to do that work" but we need to pray "Lord what about me?" Could you send me somewhere, open the door for me? Nehemiah was serious about the things of God, had a burden for the things of God. He needed God to soften the heart of the king. He was praying for Jerusalem but also for himself. The seriousness of the situation. He could be put to death for the request he had to make of the king.
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