Nehemiah 1:1-11

Intro – The land of Judah had been a Jewish nation for more than three hundred years when in 586 B.C. King Nebuchadnezzar brought the Babylonian army against the land of Judah and the people of Jerusalem and took the people captive.  The historical account from 2 Chronicles 36:18,19 reads….

In capturing the city, the Babylonians burned the house of God, the temple, and they destroyed the protective wall around the city.  Everything was destroyed by fire and gone.  The Jewish people who survived the siege were chained together like slaves and taken back to Babylon, some eight hundred miles away.  A final word about them is given in 2 Chronicles 36:20..

Finally, after seventy years had passed, God moved upon the heart of  a new ruler and new world nation, the Persians to allow the people of God to return to the land of Judah.  2 Chronicles 36:22,23

There will be three returns back to the land – First under Zerubbabel, about eighty years later, a group will return under Ezra and thirteen years after that, a group led by Nehemiah.  The people that returned, each group were people of vision.  They were not content to dwell in a distant land and maintain a distant relationship to their God.  They had a vision of what God could do again!

We are thousands of years removed from the time of Nehemiah, but we also live in a land that desperately needs people of vision for God.  The walls of morality and decency in America have been breached by sin and self.  The glorious church of Jesus Christ in America which once dwelt near the fires of revival and experienced the glory and blessing of God has been taken captive by indifference, love of things and love of self.

We need in these days in our church some people of vision.  That through divinely guided minds and eyes can see the great possibilities of what God can do in and through this body of believers.  People who are simply not satisfied with the status quo of religion as usual and desire to do something of significance for God!  Nehemiah, and the people of his day were such people.  Let me give you some basic truths about people of vision.

I. PEOPLE OF VISION ENCOUNTER PROBLEMS    1-4

People of vision are NOT people without any problems.  They are people who when they encounter problems…rise above them by the power of God and move forward.

ILL – born in Milan, Ohio and reared in Port Huron, MI, he was the seventh child to be born, the baby boy in the home of Samuel and Nancy.  During school his mind often wandered, he was not good at studies and finally was home schooled by his mother.  As a child he had a bout with scarlet fever which left him with a good deal of hearing loss.  But, he was a man of vision.  Seeing the need of better lighting, Thomas Alva Edison said, “We will make electricity so cheap only the rich will burn candles.”  Seven key inventions later, he needed only one thing to make that become a reality – a long lasting filament inside a vacuum bulb.  Over 3000 experiments later, he found a carbonized filament would both burn brightly and was long lasting.  Before he died in 1931 he had 1093 US patents and last month, when I paid my electric bill, I wrote it to DTE energy, a division of Detroit Edison. 

1. The Calmness Of Nehemiah’s Life v.1

Nehemiah lived a good life.  He was King Artexerxes cupbearer.  That doesn’t sound too good to us but it was a great position.  The cupbearer tasted the king’s food and beverage before he drank it so that no one slipped him a “mickey.”  People knew the king had a cupbearer that would taste everything, so it was not a real dangerous job.  However, it was a job which created a very close relationship between the cupbearer and the king.  Besides the king’s wife, Nehemiah was the closest man to the king.  The one in whom he trusted, the one who had his ear.  It was a powerful and great  position.

The first problem you will encounter when you break out of the norm and get a vision for God is that it will cost you the complacency of the “normal” religious life.  It is an inside problem.  Are you willing to pay the price for God to use you?

1. The Calamity Of Nehemiah’s Life vs.2,3

His peace and serenity was shattered by a visit from the how own brother and others from Jerusalem.  They brought news that the people of Israel were being afflicted by their enemies and the city of Jerusalem was completely devastated because the walls were broken down and had never been repaired.  It woke him up.  God used this to speak to his heart.

1. The Concern Of Nehemiah’s Life v.4

The news of Jerusalem breaks his heart.  It brings him to his knees as he begins to fast and pray, weeping for God to do something.  This is how God forms people of vision.  Out of their complacency God stirs their hearts.  The question is “Will we let Him?”  We are happy in our lives.  Happy to do religion as usual.  We have our lives all planned out.  Work, house, car, kids – planning for retirement, recreation, rest, relaxation.  Will we let God stir us?

II. PEOPLE OF VISION EXERCISE PRAYER    vs.4-11

Breakout churches, from many denominations, many areas of the country, many different sized churches all have one thing in common – before they broke forth for God, there was concentrated and concerned prayer.  I am reading a book about turn around churches, those that used to have a greater attendance, a greater ministry, but things happened to make them decline.  These churches come from many denominations, many parts of the country – what was the one thing all had in common in their effort to turn it around ? – That’s right – concentrated and concerned prayer by the people.

1. Visionary Prayer Involves Praise v.5

Nehemiah begins his prayer by uplifting the Lord, exalting the Lord, praising God for His Sovereignty, His Strength, His Glory, His Wonders.

1. Visionary Prayer Involves Perseverance v.6a

It says here that Nehemiah prayed “day and night.”  He prayed before God until the answer came.  Prayer, much prayer, persevering prayer.  Not just a time or two.  Not just when it is convenient to do so.  Praying as Christ instructed us to do in Luke 18 when he implores us to persevere in prayer, continue in prayer, cling to Him in prayer, storm heaven with our prayer until we hear.

1. Visionary Prayer Involves Pentience v.6b,7

As Nehemiah prays, he begins to confess his sins, individual sins but also the sins of his people, the nation of Israel.  Repentance of sin is necessary for successful prayer.

Ps 66:18-20 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:  But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.  Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

1. Visionary Prayer Involves Promises vs. 8-10

Nehemiah reminds God of the promises He made to Israel.  If they sinned, God promised punishment.  When they repented, God promised forgiveness and blessings.  God has given us many promises in His Word.  Prayer needs to be bathed in the promises of God.  ILL – when we lived in Ohio, we lived in a little town called Ross.  In that town, there was a creek that ran through it.  That creek had a gravel company that hauled sand and gravel from the creek bed.  A fellow working with one of the men in our church went down to that creek every Saturday, he panned for gold.  Stupid – gold in Ohio, gold in a little creek, ha!  But after many weeks of panning he found a nugget worth $2000.  That is like God’s Word – it has nuggets of promise in it – there for us to find if we want to!

1. Visionary Prayer Involves Partners v.11

Nehemiah prays and in his prayer he reminds God that he is not the only one involved in the effort.  Others are praying for Jerusalem too.  Others are concerned too.  He might be the star but prayer is a team effort.  It still is!  We need to get as many people as possible involved in praying for our church – souls to be saved, God to move!  There is power in corporate prayer!  Mt 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.

III. PEOPLE OF VISION EMBRACE PROVIDENCE    v.11b

The final statement in verse 11 – “For I was the king’s cupbearer.”  That is not a statement by accident!  It is by design for Nehemiah senses something here.

1. Position Is No Accident

Regardless of your position in life, if you are faithfully and fully following the Lord, God has you there for a purpose.  There is no accident with God!  In the days of Esther, Mordecai said to her…who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?  God has you where you are for a purpose.

1. Prosperity Is No Accident

The resources you have been given are not yours by luck or because you are such a good person.  God has given you those resources.  The providence of God has placed them in your hand to be used as He desires.

1. Power Is No Accident

What God places in your hand is not by accident.  The people in your sphere of influence, they are there by design.  Parents – those children are from the Lord, treasures God has placed in your hand, heart and home.  Allow God to use you where you are and with those you come in contact with.

Conclusion –

Would you pray and ask God to help us have in our church people of vision.  Would you be one of those people?  We need people of vision, in a Sunday School class, on the bus route, working with the youth, in our daycare and preschool, in the academy, on visitation, in prayer meeting – people of vision.