Moving with God in Disappointing Times

Moving with God in Disappointing Times
Part 1 of a study of Nehemiah
Winter 2008
 
Historical background
•A demoralized & discouraged people…
•A people who had lost focus & had to deal with consequences…
•The sovereign movement of God unfolding around & including them…
 
Who was Nehemiah?
“The words (memoirs or journal) of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah…I was the king’s cupbearer.” 
-Nehemiah 1:1, 11
 •An Israelite
•A participant in God’s sovereign story…
•A man who personally engaged with God…
 
Who was Nehemiah?
“During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year (November-December 446 B.C.), when I was in the fortress city of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had returned from exile.”
-Nehemiah 1:1-2
oA man who was personally vested in God’s kingdom & glory…
 
How did Nehemiah deal with disappointment?
“They said to me, ‘The survivors in the province, who returned from the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace.  Jerusalem’s wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.’  When I heard these words, I sat down and wept.  I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.”
-Nehemiah 1:3-4
 
How did Nehemiah deal with disappointment?
oHe faced reality
oHe grieved and wept for an extended period of time
oWe can tell what we value by what we get emotional about!!!
oHe turned to God
oEmotional identification with & surrender to God helped him receive direction & vision
 
ReFocusing Process
Church revitalization is a journey of discovery, a quest really, to discover God’s unique calling for your church in the day and community in which you now live. It is not a scheme for guiding your church to a pre-determined destination. Rather, it is literally an opportunity to come together and hear from God in a fresh way, and then move into alignment with His purposes and calling.