Sandusky Life Church
Sunday, September 27

      • Hebrews 12:1–2ESV

      • Hebreos 12:28–29NVI

  • Gratitude
  • Trust In God
  • I Give Myself Away
  • Precioso Jesús

  • Nehemiah 2:1-20

    1. Introduction

    What is success?
    Success is not bad right? We all want success in life. I know I want success.
    I want success for myself in life.
    I want success for extended family
    I want success for my Wife and son. So success in General is not a bad thing.
    Notable people thoughts on success
    Steve Jobs: “ Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Everything else is secondary.”
    Booker T. Washington ““I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached”, but “by the obstacles which he has overcome”
    Maya Angelou - "Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it."
    The problem
    However, there seems to be this tension that arises with God’s word and ambitious, success-driven people.
    The book of James distinguishes between Godly, pure wisdom versus earthly, demonic wisdom, rooted in“selfish ambition”. Joshua speaks to the same tension.
    Joshua 1:7–8 NRSV
    7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful.
    We see a distinction between how the world determines success and how God defines it. No shot, at those beautiful minds; they celebrate resilience and following your own ambitions. However, God’s word ask the deeper question: Not, “Did I become what I dreamed of being” But “Am I being faithful to who God has called me to be?” So, it’s no longer about destination, accomplishments, but obedience and surrender. Like James we don’t state, “I’ll do this” “or that”. Let the redeemed of the Lord say, “If it’s the LORD Wills, I’ll do”.
    So today, we get a live example of someone who is successful in the LORD, Nehemiah.

    2. History

    a.
    Abraham - A Gentile from Ur of the Chaldeans, called from his home to the promised land of Canaan. In Genesis 12, he received this promise: Genesis 12:2-3
    Genesis 12:2–3 NRSV
    2 I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
    Abraham had his son Isaac at the ripe age of 100. Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob.
    Jacob’s name became Israel, and his twelve sons or variation of that, became the twelve tribes of Israel.
    One son, Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and landed in the second highest position in Egypt. After a famine, Joseph invited his eleven brothers to live there. Joseph foreshadows Christ because what men intended for harm, God used for the salvation of his people.
    Their families grew and became known as the Israelites. When they became too numerous, Egypt enslaved them for over 200 years.
    God sent Moses, another foreshadowing of Christ, to free Israel, reestablish their worship, and lead them toward the promised land. God gave them the tabernacle and the Law so they could worship him.
    Eventually, Israel asked for an earthly king instead of God. God’s warned them and gave them Saul.
    From there, we see exactly what God warned: kings suck. Saul, David, and Solomon ruled before civil war divided the kingdom into Northern Israel and Judah, Southern Israel. But hey, at least they got a completed temple.
    Because of their sin and rebellion, Assyria conquered Northern Israel. Babylon later conquered Assyria and Judah.
    Babylon Destroys the temple 587 years Before Christ. Then everyone get’s conquered by Persia.
    By Ezra and Nehemiah, Israel had been in captivity for 70 years. God made a way to rebuild and dedicate the temple through various Kings, Zerubbabel and Ezra the Priest. Nehemiah came because Jerusalem lacked gates and walls to protect its people. Chapter 1 reveals his burden to rebuild and restore Israel from it’s shame; chapter 2 picks up there.
    b. Nehemiah 2 is about leadership, trust, and obedience. Nehemiah has a plan. I love heist movies, and the plan makes or breaks the movie. If it sucks, I’m out. Nehemiah is a great planner, but he trusts the greatest Planner. Anyone who has completed a task knows there is always a plan before the plan: the pre-plan. You must count the cost and details before starting.

    2. Exposition

    Neh:2:1-5
    Nehemiah 2:1–5 NRSV
    1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was served him, I carried the wine and gave it to the king. Now, I had never been sad in his presence before. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This can only be sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3 I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my ancestors’ graves, lies waste, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors’ graves, so that I may rebuild it.”
    i. Background
    This portion has a lot in it. Let’s begin with Nehemiah approaching the Persian king. The Persian Empire was no joke. We’ve seen movies where entering a king’s presence requires proper etiquette, like bowing. In Persia, approaching the king without proper behavior was against the law and could result in torture or death. Nothing too crazy, right? Stuff like being skinned alive, locked in a room full of ashes to breathe in, or force-fed until diarrhea, and covered in milk and honey, then strapped to a boat so insects could eat you alive. Nothing too psychotic. This is what Nehemiah faced. The rules included bowing, not speaking unless spoken to, and covering your mouth so your breath didn’t reach the king. Each offense could be punishable by death. Nehemiah had a sad face, or “sadness of heart.” The Hebrew says “evilness of heart,” meaning his face looked ugly or of bad quality. The king could see this as illness, nervousness from a plot to kill him, or just a bad day. Either way, the wrong question could mean prison or death. The text says, Nehemiah “was very much afraid,” yet made his request. This brings me to the first point of application.
    We see Godly success when we are courageous.
    Courage - Cambridge defines courage in two ways - the ability to control your fear in a dangerous or difficult situation: & to be brave and confident enough to do what you believe in: Biblical courage is reflected in two-ways for the Christian.
    Courage to share the Gospel. 2 Timothy 1:7 In context this speaking about evangelism.
    2 Timothy 1:7 ESV
    7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
    2. Secondly a courage to approach God’s throne with confidence. Hebrews 4:16
    Hebrews 4:16 KJV 1900
    16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
    ii. Both applications speak to faith: trusting God more than ourselves. My biblical definition of courage is: “The ability to be obedient and trust God in the face of your fears.”
    Six years ago, I was invited to Colorado to help train our denomination’s national leadership on biblical ethnicity and diversity. I only handled part of it, so I wasn’t as nervous. Then our president sent me a gift and a letter saying, “Calvin, we would like you to run our chapel on Thursday morning.” And by the way, it would be broadcast to thousands nationwide. Nervous, I stayed up until 4 a.m. the night before, rewriting. Glory to God, it went well. That night, I didn’t trust Calvin. I trusted God.
    It can be a decision for your job, family, or even an act of holiness; God says, be courageous despite the consequences. That leads into the next point.
    We see Godly success when we are dependent on God.
    There is a line you can overlook if you not careful. Nehemiah 2:4b
    Nehemiah 2:4 NRSV
    4b So I prayed to the God of heaven.
    ii. So earlier the text begins with in the month of Nisan in Twentieth year. If you go back to chapter 1 it says Nehemiah 1:1
    Nehemiah 1:1 NRSV
    1 In the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, while I was in Susa the capital,
    In Nehemiah 1 he begins fasting and praying in the ninth month. By chapter 2, he is still praying at the start of the new year. The author’s intent is clear: Nehemiah fasted and prayed for four months, heartbroken over Israel’s sin and shame. I have trouble fasting and praying past one week, but Nehemiah was faithful.
    Also, the month of Nisan began the Jewish calendar in spring, when Israel remembered the exodus from Egypt and its past glory.
    However, in chapter 1, we see Nehemiah exalt Yahweh’s mighty strength and hand. So he remembered the glory days, but not his glory, but the glory found in the works of the Almighty.
    iii. He was motivated, not by his own ambition, but driven by his trust, and dependence on God. Prayer is a work of dependence.
    In Dr. Christopher Yuan’s testimony, he came out to his parents as homosexual, devastating his family because of their culture, because they weren’t Christian. Already on the brink of divorce, the dad's solution was divorce and abandonment; his mother planned to unalive herself. Before saying goodbye, she visited a minister who gave her a gospel tract, and she was saved. She lived out her faith before her husband, who was eventually saved. She fasted every Monday for eight years and regularly completed 39-day fasts. In 1998, Christopher surrendered his life to Christ. He later became a theology professor and preacher of the gospel.
    God Gives success to the Dependent. John 15:5
    John 15:5 NRSV
    5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.
    Psalm 86:1–3 NLT
    1 Bend down, O Lord, and hear my prayer; answer me, for I need your help. 2 Protect me, for I am devoted to you. Save me, for I serve you and trust you. You are my God. 3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly.
    Some of struggle because we’re more dependent on ourselves. I struggle because of my self dependence. God desire for our success.
    We see Godly success when we have a plan. Nehemiah 2:6-16
    Nehemiah 2:6–16 NRSV
    6 The king said to me (the queen also was sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a date. 7 Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may grant me passage until I arrive in Judah; 8 and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, directing him to give me timber to make beams for the gates of the temple fortress, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me. 9 Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent officers of the army and cavalry with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. 11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there for three days. 12 Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the animal I rode. 13 I went out by night by the Valley Gate past the Dragon’s Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool; but there was no place for the animal I was riding to continue. 15 So I went up by way of the valley by night and inspected the wall. Then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest that were to do the work.
    i. So, Nehemiah receives permission and begins laying out the full plan. It’s easy to read this as a simple conversation with the king, but notice the key details:
    The king asks, “How long will you need off work?” Nehemiah gives an estimate.
    He requests authorization from local governments for safe passage through other territories.
    He requests supplies for the wall, his lodging, and the workers.
    ii. The king says, “what he has in mind, and Nehemiah basically says, “Well, since you asked, here’s a whole spreadsheet of requests.” He was prepared, and in the next section, he prepares even more.
    In Jerusalem, he got up at night, told no one his plans, and investigated. Before a hammer swung, he gathered information with discretion and wisdom because adversaries were watching.
    He assessed the damage and did the prep.
    iii. As believers, we can treat our walk with Christ as happenstance, moving wherever perceive the Spirit blows. But Scripture shows people obeying God’s order and submitting their plans to his direction.
    Proverbs 16:1–3 NRSV
    1 The plans of the mind belong to mortals, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. 2 All one’s ways may be pure in one’s own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. 3 Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.
    Proverbs 16:9 NRSV
    9 The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.
    My mentor’s office sign says, “Grind like it depends on you, Pray like it depends God.”
    As believers, we must steward our time, money, gifts, and the people God places around us. Planning, scheduling, and organization aren’t ungodly; they become ungodly when not surrendered to Jesus.
    The remaining verses give us two more nuggets.
    Nehemiah 2:17–20 NRSV
    17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace.” 18 I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us start building!” So they committed themselves to the common good. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they mocked and ridiculed us, saying, “What is this that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” 20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building; but you have no share or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.”
    a. Once again, Nehemiah is intentional in presenting the plan:
    i. He gathers Jerusalem’s remnant.
    ii. He identifies the problem: “The wall is in ruin, and we are in shame.”
    iii. He proposes a solution.
    iv. He encourages them by sharing everything God did to make the solution possible.
    This teaches believers a valuable lesson.
    We see Godly success when we present the mission & vision clearly.
    a. I’m good and communicating vision and I love to plan things. The thing that is my weakness is my ability to always communicate the plan in a way where everyone from the 7 year old to the 90 year gets it.
    This may sound controversial, but I believe Scripture supports it: everyone is a leader. That doesn’t mean we’re all pastors or need titles. We all carry some degree of leadership in our homes, with our children, and in our communities. If you lead, you must clearly present the plan.
    In 1 Corinthians in an issue over the use of tongues within the Assembly Paul says this, 1 Corinthians 14:33
    1 Corinthians 14:33 NLT
    33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God’s holy people.
    He’s let’s them know if their communication is no clear, chaos follows.
    b. I’ve seen so many marriages, families, relationships, churches, face conflict because the direction was not clear. God has recently been convicting heavily that I need to be even more intentional clear about mission, vision and planning for our family. I explain myself but not always to the degree everyone gets. To have success we must make our plans clear.
    In this section, two recurring figures arise in opposition: Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite. They oppose the prosperity of God’s people. Verse 10 says they were displeased that someone sought the welfare of the Israelites. That’s the clearest definition of a hater I’ve ever seen: upset over someone else’s success. We’ll encounter them later throughout the story.But they represent opposition to Israel’s holiness, God’s Law, and worship as the people rebuilt Jerusalem.
    We all face attacks against our holiness, worship, and progress in the Lord. Nehemiah’s opposition came through foreign people, but under the New Covenant, our enemies aren’t human though they work through humans: “Are weapons are not physical in nature, but spiritual. -Eph 6.” Nehemiah’s response teaches us a lesson.
    Our response to attacks can impact our success. Nehemiah does two things
    He points to God’s promises
    He points to the truthfulness of the work God has begun to do through them.
    Colossians 4:5–6 NRSV
    5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. 6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone.
    When people are hostile to God and truth, we tend to match their energy or avoid them completely. Both responses fall outside the biblical scope. We must confront lies with truth and challenge opposition in a way that leads people to honor Jesus, not praise or fear us.
    Romans 12:18 NRSV
    18 If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
    Lastly, We can be courageous, pray, plan, present, however it is God who is giving success. Throughout this narrative, their has been statements that all aline.
    Nehemiah 2:4 he prays to God before the request
    Nehemiah 2:4 NRSV
    4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
    Nehemiahs 2:8c
    Nehemiah 2:8 NRSV
    And the king granted me what I asked, for the gracious hand of my God was upon me.
    Then
    Nehemiah 2:12 NRSV
    12 Then I got up during the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem.
    Nehemiah 2:18 NRSV
    18 I told them that the hand of my God had been gracious upon me, and also the words that the king had spoken to me.
    Lastly
    Nehemiah 2:20 NRSV
    20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven is the one who will give us success, and we his servants are going to start building;
    a. Nehemiahs understood that no matter the situation, that his success was built on the providence and guiding of God. All his wisdom, guidance and favor with the King was God’s hand.
    b. Romans 8:28
    Romans 8:28 NRSV
    28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
    Godly Success is determined by God.
    Conclusion:
    In this story, we see the beauty of God’s providence and his definition of true success. Success doesn’t mean always getting what we want or never facing opposition. Success is remaining faithful to God’s commands and surrendered to his guidance.
    The greatest success story in history isn’t the rise of Amazon, Apple, or Tesla. It’s the work of Jesus on the cross.
    Philippians 2:8 NRSV
    8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross.
    In his human nature, Jesus struggled with the price of the cross, yet remained obedient. His success meant his death and our salvation. What the enemy meant for evil, God meant for good.
    Like Nehemiah, Jesus knew the plan, remained courageous, presented it clearly, and obeyed God’s command
    Are we obeying God and surrendering our will to him?
    Life on Life
    Grab a worksheet from your table and begin working through your assignment.

    1. Your Devotional Plan for the Week

    On the weekly chart, write a Scripture passage and a prayer point for each day of this week. Use this as your daily devotional plan.

    2. Reflecting on Past and Future Successes

    On the chart on the second worksheet, list:
    Three past successes in your life, big or small.
    Two successes you hope to achieve in the future.
    Throughout this week, pray over each item. Ask God:
    “What do You want me to learn from my past successes?”
    “How can I surrender my future desires into Your hands?”

      • Joshua 1:7–8NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:1–5NBLH

      • 2 Timothy 1:7NBLH

      • Hebrews 4:16NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:4NBLH

      • Nehemiah 1:1NBLH

      • John 15:5NBLH

      • Psalm 86:1–3NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:6–16NBLH

      • Proverbs 16:1–3NBLH

      • Proverbs 16:9NBLH

      • Juan 15:5NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:17–20NBLH

      • 1 Corinthians 14:33NBLH

      • Colossians 4:5–6NBLH

      • Romans 12:18NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:4NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:8NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:12NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:18NBLH

      • Nehemiah 2:20NBLH

      • Romans 8:28NBLH

      • Philippians 2:8NBLH

  • Song
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