"It's impossible to take notes off of your preaching"

Here are the notes from my Wednesday night "Series on Nehemiah". They should be here for you every week. ENJOY!


Nehemiah’s prayer

Nehemiah 1:1
Somewhere mid November to mid December 444 b.c., Nehemiah was sitting successful in a job that many would give their right eyes for. As cup bearer he was given certain duties that seemed more like privileges then the former. When his brother shows up. And amidst the small talk the subject of home gets brought up.

I. The report
A. The people in reproach
1. Predators both animal and man
2. The joke of being open and bare
3. No protection from attackers.
B. The walls in ruin
1. As they had been for over a decade
2. The returning remnant still had not repaired them after 50 years.
God’s land, and His people were hurting.
II. The response
A. Selflessness
This was none of Nehemiah’s concern. He had a job, a position in the kings court, A prominent one. What was it of his business? Jerusalem was hundreds of miles away, and after all it wasn’t his fault that his ancestors had sinned. Why should he care, why should he be bothered by such news. But…
B. He Wept
1. A lot can be said about what makes someone laugh or weep. It tells of their character, if they easily laugh at the pain of others, or if they weep or whine in the face of minor discomforts. But Nehemiah had something to be sad about. God’s people were in danger, His work was as of yet undone.
2. When was the last time you wept at a mission report?
3. Rolled up your sleeves in the face of soul winning?
4. When was the last time you fell to your knees over a lost sinner?
C. He mourned
1. The Glory of Jerusalem
Could you imagine if this building were to be shattered torn apart, and the congregation scrambled. Picking up the pieces would be difficult. The memories would be overbearing. My pew, this is where the pastor would stand. This is the tub I was baptized in. I never knew Mr. Simonton, but I heard he made this, fixed this. The years of history that were lost in that defeat is terrifying. The streets David had walked, the buildings, the houses, all of them rich with the heritage God had sprung from Ole’ Abraham.
2. The relationship with God
They had both His love and His security. It all seemed to be lost as punishment for Israel’s wrong doing.
D. He fasted
E. He Cared.
Too often today the phrase “I don’t care” is equated with something that makes us sound cooler then what we are. In effect all we are doing is announcing to the world that we are closer to it then to God.
1. Have a dislocated heart.
2. Apathy is not a fashion statement
It was once said that the worst thing one human can have for another isn’t hatred its indifference.
3. Wax horse
III. The request
A. Honor Given
B. Business first
1.Humility
2. Repentance
a. Forgive us
b. May we never do it again.
C. Remember your promise !\
1. He was familiar with God’s word
2. It meant enough for him to rely on it.
3. He didn’t say fix it, he planned to do it himself.

“For I was the kings cup bearer” I always read that as though it was dawning on Nehemiah as something that could be brought to his advantage. He never mentioned sending someone else. He didn’t send money with a messenger, he had already made up his mind to step in and do the work. The church needs building my friends, souls are reaching the destination by the truck loads, how many of them did you do right by? How many of them had the gospel to reject I wonder? Our pastor shared a dream of owning that land back there. Our you behind him? Don’t say you agree, show me your knees, where they are marked from kneeling, show me your calloused knuckles, or your stained Bible that you’ve held in front of so many of your acquaintances. The Lord has given us much, lets not disappoint Him by letting His work fall to the wayside.