Emory Baptist Church

Only Two Choices

This morning, we come to the end of chapter 11, and I want to share with you a sermon entitled, “Only Two Choices.”  Today’s text will be John 11:45-57.

 

If you will remember from last Sunday, we look at John 11:1-44.  A close friend of Jesus’, Lazarus, was sick.  Lazarus’ sisters, Mary and Martha, seemed to want Jesus to come.

 

However, Jesus didn’t get to Lazarus until he had already died, but God had a plan.  Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  Obviously, Mary and Martha witnessed this miracle as did others were present comforting the two sisters.

 

How did they respond to this miracle?  How will you respond to this miracle?  There are only two choices.

 

 

1. The Choice to Believe, John 11:45

45 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

 

Notice verse 45.  I’m not sure why Mary is mentioned and not Martha.  However, many of the Jews who had come to Mary, presumably to comfort her, saw the things that Jesus did and believed in him.  In other words, they were saved.

 

Remember, John’s Gospel is built on these seven miraculous signs.  They began in John 2.  Look at 2:11 after Jesus turned the water to wine.

 

11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

 

When Jesus turned the water to wine at this wedding demonstrating that He could bring something from nothing, that was the first miraculous sin.  Raising Lazarus from the dead was the seventh miraculous sin demonstrating He was Lord over life and death.

 

Let’s remember all of the signs.  First, He turned water to wine demonstrating He could bring something to nothing.  Second, He healed the nobleman’s son who was some 15-20 miles away.  Jesus was master over distance.

 

Third, Jesus healed the paralytic who had been that way for 38 years demonstrating He was master over time. Fourth, Jesus fed over 5,000 people with two sardines and five biscuits demonstrating He was the bread of life that could satisfy for eternity.

 

Fifth, Jesus walked on water and calmed the storm demonstrating He was master over nature.  Sixth, Jesus healed the man who was born blind demonstrating He was the light of the world that can enable the spiritually blind to see.

 

Seventh and finally, Jesus raised Lazarus demonstrating He was the master over life and death.  When He did these signs, many believed in Him along the way.

 

By the way, remember again that was the purpose of this book and these signs.  See John 20:30-31.

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

 

2. The Choice NOT to Believe, John 11:46

46 But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.

 

However, the choice to believe is yours, and no one can force you to believe.  Therefore, there is the choice of not believing.  That is what we see in verse 46.

 

There are many who saw Lazarus raised, and they believe in Jesus, but some choose not to believe and went to the Pharisees to rally the troops. 

 

There are some of you in this room this morning who have never believed in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  I wish I could make that decision for you, but I can’t.  Only you can.

 

However, I invite you to do that again today.  Consider all of the miraculous signs Jesus did.  Those miracles affirm all that Jesus said, and last Sunday, we read these words and this invitation from Him.  See John 11:25-26.

 

25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

 

 

Conclusion

From the rest of this text, I want to draw your attention to one final observation and a very ironic one at that. 

 

In verses 47-50, those that chose not to believe in Jesus and the Pharisees were worried.  They were worried about His popularity and a potential uprising.

 

However, Caiaphas, the high priest at the time, talked them off the ledge with some ironic logic.  He convinced them to seize Jesus and ultimately murder Him rather than their entire nation be overthrown.

 

John then added his own editorial comments in verses 51-53.

 

51 Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, 52 and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  53 Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.

 

Under the sovereignty of God, Caiaphas prophesied about the substitutionary death of Christ.  What does that mean?  It means that Jesus died on the cross and in the place of sinners.  He died so that we wouldn’t have to die.

 

That’s the message for this morning.  You don’t have to die spiritually.  You can decide for yourself and make the choice to believe in Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior.  If you do, you will be at peace with God, receive forgiveness of sins, and a home in heaven with God for eternity.

 

However, if you make the choice not to believe in Jesus, you will die physically, and you will die spiritually and spend eternity in a Christless hell separated from God. 

 

You have only two choices!

Confident Hope

Safe and Secure from All Alarm

This morning, we come to the end of John 10.

 

In the recent Sundays, we have heard Jesus telling an allegory of a shepherd and his sheep.  We know that Jesus is the shepherd, and we are His sheep.

 

Today’s text is related to that allegory, and we will finish John 10 today.  The next time we are in John’s gospel, it will be in John 11.

 

I want to share a message with you this morning entitled, “Safe and Secure from All Alarm.”  In today’s text, I am going to show you three proofs.

 

 

1. The First Proof is the Proof of Jesus’ Deity, John 10:22-25, 30

22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.  30 I and My Father are one.”

 

In this first section, John tells us that it was winter.  Keep in mind, there is probably a three-month gap between John 10:21 and John 10:22. 

 

Jesus was in Jerusalem, and it was the Feast of Dedication.  This feast was not one of the main three in Judaism, but it was the celebration of the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus.  Today, it is known as Hanukkah. 

 

Jesus was in Solomon’s porch under the covering and out of the cold weather and rain.  The Jews surrounded Him and told Him to verify His identity.  Specifically, they wanted to know if He was the Messiah. 

 

Notice Jesus’ answer.  Essentially, He said yes, and I have already told and shown you.  Two proofs of Jesus’ deity were His words and His works.

 

As for His words, I have told you about the 7 I AM Statements in this Gospel.  So far, we have seen four. 

 

In every instance, Jesus is claiming to be God, the Promised Messiah, the Christ.  I am the bread of life.  I am the light of the world.  I am the good shepherd.  I am the gate for the sheep.

 

In verse 30, He said He and the Father are one.  That doesn’t mean the same person, but it does mean the same purpose.  They are unified in their purpose as they are both God.

 

In addition to His words, Jesus’ works are also proof of His deity.  The gospel of John is not only built around 7 I AM Statements but also 7 Miraculous signs. 

 

So far, we have seen six of the seven.  Jesus turned water to wine. He healed the nobleman’s son from a distance.  He healed a man who was a paralytic for 38 years.  He walked on water and calmed a storm.  He fed 5,000 men.  He healed a man born blind.  When we get to John 11, He will raise the Lazarus from the dead.

 

Jesus did what no else had done and what no one else could do.  His words and His works were proofs of His deity.

 

 

2. The Second Proof is the Proof of the Believers’ Security, John 10:26-30

26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one.”

 

In our next few verses, we see two proofs for the Believers’ eternal security.  There is an external proof, and there is an internal proof.

 

The external proof is the believers’ intimacy with the Shepherd.  Unlike the Pharisees and false prophets who did not believe, Jesus’ sheep hear His voice and know Him and follow Him.  There is an intimacy between the Good Shepherd and His sheep. 

 

It is that intimacy that is the external proof of a believers’ security.  Our obedience and following Jesus is what the watching world sees and proves that our salvation is secure, and when were not obedient and living in rebellion, the watching world begins to wonder.

 

On the other hand, the internal proof is remembering the authority of the Son.  In verse 28, Jesus gives us eternal life, and the thieves and or robbers will never snatch us from Jesus’ hand.  We are safe and secure from all alarm. 

 

But please remember, we aren’t safe and secure because religiosity or generosity or genealogy or ingenuity.  Our security is based on Jesus and the authority He has that was given to Him by His Father, and no one is able to snatch us from Jesus’ hand or the Father’s hand.

 

Our intimacy with the Shepherd and the authority of the Son are the two proofs that a believer is secure for eternity in heaven.  He or she is safe and secure from all alarm.

 

 

3. The Third Proof is the Proof the Unbelievers’ Futility, John 10:31-42

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”  33 The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”  34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.” 39 Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. 41 Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” 42 And many believed in Him there.

 

In verse 31, the Jews took up stones to stone Jesus.  Jesus asked them why, and it was because He claimed to be God. 

 

The unbelievers’ first proof of futility was the charge of blasphemy.  They didn’t think Jesus was God so when He said He was God, that was blasphemy in their minds. 

 

Jesus challenged the logic of their charge by taking them back to the Scriptures.  In Psalm 82:6, God called Jewish judges gods…with a little “g.”  They were gods because they made judgments, and this is what the Bible says.

 

Therefore, if the Bible says this, and the Bible can’t be wrong, and God the Father called them gods with a little “g,” then surely it should be ok to call the One that God sent the Son of God.  Again, Jesus put them in their place.

 

Not only do we see their charge against Jesus as a proof of their futility, but we are so their lack of belief in Jesus as a proof of their futility.  In verse 37-38, Jesus took them to His works again. 

 

If they believe remember and believe His works, they can believe that God sent Him.  However, verse 39 says they attempted to seize Him again. 

 

Chapter 10 ends with a brief description of Jesus’ ministry in another area.  Some believed Jesus because of the witness of John the Baptist.

 

 

Conclusion

Do you need proof that Jesus is God?  Think about His words and His miraculous works.

 

Do you need proof that you as a believer are security for eternity?  The proof for the world is our intimacy with Shepherd.  The proof for us is remembering the authority of the Son.

 

Do you need proof that unbelievers will end their lives in futility?  They will when they claim Jesus isn’t God, and the fail to believe what He did.

 

 

Will You Enter through the Gate?

If you are visiting EBC this morning, we study God’s Word during our Sunday Morning Worship Service verse-by-verse and chapter-by-chapter.  Today, we are in John 10.

 

1. In John’s Gospel, Jesus makes 7 “I AM” statements declaring He is God. We know that because of the language He used and because of the OT Name of God.
2. His fourth I AM statement is the one we will look at this morning. He said He was the gate for the sheep.

• Before that, He first said He was the bread of life. Next, He said He was the light of the world.  Fourth, He said He was the good shepherd.

1. Jesus is using an allegory or symbolic story to help His first century hearers understand who He was. This allegory is that of a shepherd and his sheep.  Jesus is the shepherd, and we are the sheep.
2. During the summer months, shepherds would lead their sheep and stay with their sheep overnight in the pasture. They would carry temporary fencing with them that might be akin to the temporary orange construction fencing that we often use.  Once all of the sheep were accounted for, the shepherd would literally lie across the opening and act as a gate for the sheepfold.  In this allegory, Jesus said, “I am the gate.”

 

 

Exposition

1. Entering through Jesus as the gate is salvation, John 10:7-9.

7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.

 

Notice again Jesus’ I AM statement in verse 7.  Jesus is the gate for the sheep.  Knowing a little about first-century shepherd helps us picture exactly what Jesus was saying. 

 

Compared to thieves and robbers, true sheep follow their shepherd and not those they don’t know.  These thieves and robbers were the Pharisees and the false shepherds of Ezekiel 34 that we looked at last week.  They only looked out for themselves and not the sheep of God.

 

Again, in verse 9 now, Jesus said He was gate.  When the sheep would enter the sheepfold and the shepherd was their gate, they were safe or saved.  The shepherd saved them, and the thieves and robbers couldn’t get to them because the shepherd acted as the gate.

 

Ladies and gentlemen, that is true today as well.  Jesus is inviting us to be saved by entering through Him as the gate. 

 

That invitation is comprehensive in that it is open to anyone.  That invitation is consensual in that you can never be forced to enter Jesus as the gate.  You are only invited.  The result of that invitation is certain if you accept it.  You will be saved.

 

This morning, I extend that invitation to anyone and everyone in the room that is not saved.  Enter through Jesus as the gate, and you will be saved. 

 

That means admitting that you are a sinner and recognizing that your sin separates you from God.  Believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sin.  Call on Him as your Lord and Savior.  Your entrance to heaven is through Jesus as the gate.

 

 

2. Entering through Jesus as the gate is ONLY way to be saved and to have access to the Father.

 

In theological terms, this idea is called the exclusivity of the gospel.  Salvation and eternal life in heaven come exclusively through Jesus Christ and no other way.

 

Jesus said this of Himself in John 14:6.

 

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

 

Peter said this about Jesus in Acts 4:8-12.

 

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9 are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10 Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’  12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

 

Thirdly, this is what the majority writer of the New Testament, Paul, said in Romans 5:1.

 

1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

 

Therefore, Jesus is not one of many ways.  We all aren’t trying to climb the mountain of God and some get up the Christian side and some get up the Jewish side and some get up the Muslim side.

 

There is only one way to heaven and eternal life and forgiveness of sin and peace with God.  It is exclusively through Jesus as the gate.

 

 

3. However, entering through Jesus as the gate is not an easy or popular choice, Matthew 7:13-14.

13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.

 

Toward the end of the sermon on the mount, Jesus told another parable and equated Jesus with narrow gate.  Verse 14 says taking the gateway of life is very narrow, and the road is difficult or not easy. 

 

Furthermore, it’s not the popular choice.  Only a few find it.

 

To be more explicit, you have to turn from your sin and self and turn to Jesus.  You have step down off the thrown of your heart and allow Jesus on the throne.  You have to die to self and allow Jesus to live in you.

 

The other choice is the highway to hell.  It is broad or easy with plenty of room even through many choose this way.

 

However, it leads to eternal destruction.  It leads to an eternity in hell separated from Christ.  Please don’t choose that way today.

 

 

Invitation

I have tried to be as explicit and clear and simple as I can be today.  Now, as I have preached publicly to you the Word of God, I am going to invite you to publicly respond to the Word of God and the invitation to walk through the gate that is Jesus to heaven and eternal life and forgiveness of sin.

 

Jesus, Our Good, Good Shepherd

In John 10, Jesus was still speaking to the man who born blind but was healed and the Pharisees.  He told them a parable or a parable-like story about shepherds and sheep. 

 

This was a very common and familiar analogy as Genesis tells us that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all shepherds, and Moses and David were both shepherds.  Therefore, the people knew this language and imagery. 

 

Furthermore, Ezekiel 34:1-10 serves as a backdrop for Jesus’ analogy.  He indicted some bad shepherds in John 10 that were similar to those indicted in Ezekiel 34.

 

1 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God to the shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, My flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them.”  7 ‘Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: 8 “As I live,” says the Lord God, “surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food for every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock”— 9 therefore, O shepherds, hear the word of the Lord! 10 Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.”

 

As we think about Jesus as our Good, Good Shepherd, I want you to see that He pastors us intimately, provides for us abundantly, and protects us sacrificially.

 

 

1. As our Good, Good Shepherd, Jesus pastors His Sheep INTIMATELY, John 10:1-6.

1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

 

Verse 1 is a nighttime scene, and we are introduced to the thief or the robber.  He does not enter the door of the fold, but climbs over the top trying to be stealth. 

 

In verse 5, he is called a stranger.  In verse 10, he comes only to steal, kill and destroy.

 

These are simply false prophets or false messiahs or false teachers.  They attempt to lead astray and be something they are not.  The thief is not necessarily Satan, but what is true of the thief is also true of Satan.

 

The sheep are Jews.  However, verse 16 mentions “other sheep,” and we will talk more about them in just a moment.

 

The shepherd is mentioned in verse 2, and the shepherd is Jesus, and Jesus is our Good, Good Shepherd.  We know that also because of verse 11.

 

That word shepherd comes from the same root word that means pastor.  Therefore, my position and my ministry is sometimes referred as the shepherd shepherding the sheep or the people. 

 

Very quickly and almost without notice the scene switches to morning shepherding.  Shepherds would often use mountains and cliffs and caves as their pins with two or three flocks in the same pin. 

 

The shepherd would access his flock through the door, and enter the pin after the doorkeeper opened the door.  We aren’t told specifically who the doorkeeper is, but the shepherd goes into the pin.

 

Demonstrating his intimacy with his sheep, the shepherd would specifically call for his sheep.  Maybe at the same time, another shepherd would call for his sheep out of the same pin. 

 

His sheep know his voice, and he calls them by name.  He then leads them out. 

 

The shepherd is not driving the sheep from behind but leading the sheep from the front.  The sheep will not follow unless they recognize the unique voice of their shepherd.

 

Verse 6 tells us that Jesus told this story, but it wasn’t understood.  Therefore, the remainder of our text is a further explanation of the story.

 

As our Good, Good Shepherd, Jesus pastors us intimately. 

 

 

2. As Our Good, Good Shepherd, Jesus provides for His Sheep ABUNDANTLY, John 10:10.

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

 

I’m going to come back to verse 7-9 next week.  Jesus’ first IAM statement was I am the bread of life.  Then He said I am the light of the world.  Today, we see that He said I am the good shepherd.  Next week, for Friend Day, we will see Him say I am the door of the sheep.

 

In verse 10, the safety of the shepherd is contrasted with the danger of the thief.  The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. 

 

On the other hand, Jesus came to give live and give it abundantly.  We often take that to mean physical or material blessings, but I don’t think that is what Jesus had in mind here.

 

The life that Jesus spoke of here is certainly eternal life.  However, it is also abundant life on earth that doesn’t come from more money or a bigger house or the latest toys.

 

The abundant life that Jesus provides for His sheep is peace and satisfaction and fulfilment in living your life in the middle of God’s will and according to God’s word.  There is no satisfaction like it in the world.

 

Jesus wants that for you, and has provided the way for you to have by giving us His word.  However, we have to be obedient.  We have to say no to self and yes to Him. 

 

As our Good, Good Shepherd, Jesus provides for His sheep abundantly.

 

 

3. As Our Good, Good Shepherd, Jesus protects His Sheep SACRFICIALLY, John 10:11-21.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.  17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”  19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?”  21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

 

In verse 11, Jesus said He was the good shepherd and He lays down His life for the sheep.  He is foreshadowing His substitutionary death. 

 

Verses 12-13 speak of the hired hand.  He is the opposite of the shepherd.  The shepherd is concerned about the sheep.  The hired hand is concerned about himself.  Therefore, if danger ensues, the hired hand will run to protect himself, but leave the sheep behind unprotected. 

 

In verse 15, Jesus again speaks of laying down His life for His sheep.  He sacrificed His life for His sheep. 

 

In verse 16.  Jesus said He had other sheep which are not of this fold.  He must bring them in and make one flock with one shepherd.  If you understand that His immediate audience was Jewish, the other sheep seem to be Gentiles. 

 

Again, for the third time, Jesus said in verse 17 of laying down His life for His sheep. 

 

In verse 18, Jesus did what He did in dying not because anyone forced Him to do it.  He went to the cross on His own initiative.  He protects His sheep sacrificially. 

 

All of these comments confused and divided the Jewish listeners.  They couldn’t completely figure out Jesus.

 

As our good, good shepherd, Jesus protects His sheep sacrificially. 

 

 

Conclusion

As I close this morning, is Jesus your good, good shepherd?  He wants to be.  He wants you to be one of His sheep.

 

How does that happen?  Admit that you are sinner.  Believe that Jesus died on cross for your sins.  Call on Him to save you.

 

Seeing is Believing!

This morning, it is my pleasure for us to return to John’s gospel after six weeks in Nehemiah.  If you have your Bibles, please turn to John 9:1.  I want to share a message with you entitled, “Seeing is Believing!”

 

The last time we were in John 8, the Feast of the Tabernacles was finished.  The giant menorahs were extinguished, and Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the Light of the world.” 

 

This was Jesus’ second I Am statement following, “I am the bread of life,” and today, you will see the sixth of seven miraculous signs in John’s gospel that Jesus performed proving that He was the promised Messiah. 

 

Chapter nine is lengthy with 41 verses, and we will look at all of them today.  As we do, keep in your mind these three characters or groups of characters: a Seeing Sinner, a Gracious God, and Fallible Pharisees.

 

 

Exposition 9:1-12

1 Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”  3 Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4 I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  6 When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7 And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.  8 Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”  9 Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”  He said, “I am he.”  10 Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”  11 He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”  12 Then they said to him, “Where is He?”  He said, “I do not know.”

 

In walking through Jerusalem, Jesus came across this man who was probably a beggar.  He was a probably a beggar because he was blind from birth, and he most likely didn’t have any other source of income.

 

Jesus disciples saw this man, and somehow, they seemed to be familiar with him and his situation.  They knew that he had been blind since birth, and their curiosity led them to ask why. 

 

It was a very common Jewish belief that either somehow this man sinned in the womb as a baby or his parents had sinned.  These were the two options for him having been born blind.  This mindset came from passages of Scripture like Exodus 34:6-7.

 

6 And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, 7 keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

 

However, Jesus denied both of these options.  Instead, He said that this situation was an opportunity for God to work in this man’s life.  Does that mean that God made Him blind?  It means that God allowed to be such.  However, it was not to punish him or his parents. 

 

Jesus went on to say how He and His disciples had much work to do for God.  They would not have forever but only a temporary period of time as Jesus is the Light of the world in order to light the world.

 

Brothers and sisters, that is true for us as well.  Because we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow, we need to demonstrate some urgency in doing what God wants for us to do today!

 

In 9:6, He then spat on the ground or into the dust and made clay and put it on the blind man’s eyes.  Next, He told the man to go and wash the clay off in the pool of Siloam, and he went and did it, and could see.  It was a miracle.  He was blind, but now he could see.  This man was now a Seeing Sinner.

 

 

Once this man had been healed, the masses of people who knew him couldn’t believe it.  They thought their eyes were deceiving them so they asked him how it all happened, and he told them.

 

 

Exposition 9:13-34

13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”  16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”  Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.  17 They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”  He said, “He is a prophet.”  18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”  20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; 21 but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. 23 Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”  24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”  25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”  26 Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”  27 He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”  28 Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”  30 The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! 31 Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. 32 Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. 33 If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”  34 They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.

 

When the Pharisees heard about all that went on, they were upset with Jesus but reprimanded the man who was healed.  Jesus had broken their understanding of the Sabbath and what was allowed by kneading the clay and applying it to man’s eyes.  Therefore, they denied the claims that He was from God and God.

 

However, the people said otherwise.  They knew not just anyone could perform miracles, and that is exactly what took place.

 

The Pharisees went so far as to verify what happened with the man’s parents.  They affirmed the truth, but otherwise, didn’t want to get involved. 

 

When this man was questioned for the second time in 9:24, he simply told again what Jesus had done for him.  He shared his testimony.

 

Brothers and sisters, can we not do the same?  When God gives us those opportunities, and He does every day, can we simply tell what God has done for us?  We can. 

 

Before the Pharisees kicked this man out of the synagogue, he did his best to convince them that Jesus was from God.  No one had ever been healed from congenital blindness until Jesus.  He must be God, and I would say that He was a Gracious God for doing for this man what he couldn’t do for himself.

 

 

Exposition 9:35-41

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”  36 He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”  37 And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”  38 Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.  39 And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”  40 Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”  41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore, your sin remains.

 

Afterwards, Jesus went to find him.  Once He found him, He began probing his spiritual condition.  Jesus asked him about the Son of God to which he replied that he didn’t know him.  Jesus then confessed to being Him, and the man instantly believed and began to worship Jesus on the spot.

 

Jesus then had some commentary for the Pharisees that were there as well.  Keep in mind that Jesus’ words in 9:39 should not be understood to mean that Jesus’ purpose was judgment, but it was a result.  He came to bring light to the blind, and consequently, those who could see were choosing blindness by their rejection of Him. 

 

In verse 40, the Pharisees then asked if they were blind too.  Remember we are talking about spiritual blindness. 

 

Jesus told them if they were blind, they would have no sin.  In other words, if they had no knowledge of the truth, they couldn’t be held accountable.  However, since they claimed to have knowledge of all truth and were spiritual enlightened, their sin remained.

 

Contrary to their own opinions, they were fallible Pharisees.  That means they were capable of error and were in error.

 

 

Conclusions

Make no mistake about it.  This story has one point, anyone that is spiritually blind can see when Jesus touches your life. 

 

This man was healed after Jesus touched him and he believed and acted.  In other words, he trusted and obeyed. 

 

The text says in verse 7 that he came back seeing after he went and washed.  Today, you can be saved if you will trust and obey.  Seeing is believing, but first, you have to admit that you can’t see and need Jesus to heal you.

 

RISE UP! And Make the Commitment!

• Today is our last Sunday of the 6-week intensive period of our RISE UP! Capital Campaign.
• Next Sunday, October 30, we will return to the Minor Prophets in our Sunday School Small Groups…Hosea I believe and John 9 in our Morning Worship.
• Thank you for your faithfulness and support during these past six weeks.
• Also, I just want to remind you that we will be announcing our total dollar commitments next Sunday, October 30.
• Finally, please plan to give as much of your commitment as possible for our First Fruits Offering on Sunday, November 6. Whatever you give on that Sunday will of course count toward your total commitment, and God bless you for those commitments.

 

This morning, I am going to finish Nehemiah, and I understand this is not ideal, and we may come back to it at another time.  However, I want to get back to John

 

In chapters 7-13, I am going to show you what happened in Jerusalem after Nehemiah and the remnant rebuilt the walls and gates.  However, as I show you what they did and what EBC will be doing, I want you to know that this is what we will be doing with or without a FLC. 

 

1. We will be committed to proclaiming God’s Word, Nehemiah 8:1-8.
   1. Ezra read from the Law on a wooden podium while the people were standing
   2. Their response to the Law was their worship.
   3. The priests then helped them understand the Law and its application to their lives.

 

At EBC, we will be committed to the study and application of God’s Word in all that we do with everyone who attends our church.

 

 

2. We will be committed to remembering God’s Faithfulness, Nehemiah 9:1-38.

 

God was faithful again and again, and the people made a covenant with God and wrote it down.

 

I know some have pushed back against signing commitment cards.  This is what is happening here.  They are putting their commitment in writing, and we do that today for cars and houses and boats and land.  Why not for the Lord?

 

 

3. We will be committed to living according to God’s Will, Nehemiah 10:28-31.
   1. May this be true for us individually-10:28-29
   2. May this be true for us in our families-10:30
   3. May this even be true in our businesses-10:31

 

 

4. We will be committed to giving to God’s Work, Nehemiah 10:32-39.
   1. For us, God’s work is the local church-10:32
   2. That means our offerings-10:33-34
   3. That means our tithes-10:35-39

 

 

5. We will be committed to celebrating God’s Worth, Nehemiah 12:27-43.
   1. By singing
   2. Young and old
   3. To God about God

 

 

Conclusion

I hope and pray that you individually and EBC collectively are committing on this day to do the financial work for the FLC.  Regardless, we are going to be committed at EBC to proclaiming God’s Word, remembering God’s faithfulness, living according to God’s Will, giving to God’s Work, and celebrating God’s Worth.

 

 

RISE UP! And Do the Work!

Today is Week 5 and the next to last week of our RISE UP! Capital Campaign.  Thank you for being committed to this process and faithful through these weeks as we have temporarily departed from the Minor Prophets in our Sunday School Small Groups and John’s Gospel in our Sunday Morning Worship Service.

 

In Week 1, we remembered God’s faithfulness.  In Week 2, we were reminded of the importance of kneeling down in prayer and calling on God to be involved.  In Week 3, we saw God’s vision for Nehemiah to rebuild the city and heard our vision of making disciples and how a Family Life Center can assist in that.  In Week 4, we assessed the reality of opposition and were challenged to replace our fear with faith.

 

Today, our challenge is to RISE UP! And Do the Work.  However, even though we will see Israel do the actual manual labor for Jerusalem, our work will be of a different type. 

 

Our work will be financial.  Allow me to explain the Commitment Cards in detail.

 

Commitment cards or pledge cards are normal when it comes to churches doing capital campaigns.  I have used them now in four churches. 

 

They are also very helpful when we go to a lending institution and ask to borrow money.  Even though they aren’t guaranteed, they are beneficial from a bank’s perspective. 

 

I am asking you to pray and ask God how much you can commit to give above your tithe for the next three years.  Again, when churches do capital campaigns, three years is the industry standard. 

 

When you make your commitment and turn it in, the only person at EBC who will see or know your commitment is our financial secretary.  I won’t know it.  Our deacons won’t know it.  Our capital fund raising team won’t know it.

 

What if you can’t fulfill your commitment?  Then so be it.  No is going to know except he financial secretary, and no one is going to hold you accountable.  That is between you and the Lord. 

On the commitment card, those numbers are simply examples.  You don’t have to choose one of those denominations. 

 

When Christy and I filled out our card, our total commitment number is not on here, and you can give your commitment all at once on the front end, all at once on the back end, and any time in between. 

 

We are asking for all commitment cards to be turned in by Sunday, October 23, and we are asking you to give as much of your total commitment that you can give on Sunday, November 6, for our First Fruits Offering. 

 

For example, let’s say you commit to $1,000 over three years.  Then you bring $500 for November 6.  Then you will give the remaining $500 over three years, and the three-year giving period is November 2022-October 2025.

 

By the way, when we seek a loan, that loan will be 25-30 years even though we will try to accomplish a miracle of epic proportions by paying it off in 3 years.  However, if we can’t, then we will simply pay on it until it is paid in full.

 

So let’s look at the work that the people did in Nehemiah 2-6.

 

2:17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.  So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.

 

In verse 17, Nehemiah shared his vision with the remnant there in Jerusalem.  He also invited them to join him.

 

In verse 18, he told them that the king had given him permission, but more important than anything else, this was God’s vision and so God’s hand was on him.

 

How do you think the people responded? Look at the text.  They said, “Let us rise up and build,” and that is what you have in chapter 3.  They people did the actual work themselves.

 

Beginning in verse 1 and through 32, I counted somewhere between 40-45 families that came together and helped rebuild the wall and gates and city, and notice the end of 4:6.  They had a mind to work.

 

Therefore, here is my question for Emory Baptist Church.  What if we followed the Lord and followed our leaders and set our minds and hearts to doing the work, what could be done?

 

 

1. We could do more than we ever thought.

 

We saw last Sunday that the leaders of Samaria didn’t want Jerusalem to be rebuilt because they wanted Israel to be easy to take captive.  When they heard what was happening, they acted in opposition.  See 4:7-8.

 

7 Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.

 

How do you think Israel would respond?  Could they keep working and finish the wall?  Did they have to stop working and fight?  What would say if I told you they did both? They did more than they ever thought.  See 4:13-18.

 

13 Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.”  15 And it happened, when our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had brought their plot to nothing, that all of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armor; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

 

They kept building the wall, and they protected themselves from adversaries. 

 

Some of you might be thinking, “I can tithe or I can commit to the FLC, but I can’t do both.”  Really?  Are you sure about that?  Have you asked God? 

 

Go back and look at 4:9. Also, don’t forget 14-15.

 

9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

 

Follow God and your leaders and commit your mind and heart to do it, and see if God doesn’t enable you to do more than you ever thought. 

 

 

2. We could overcome economic adversity.

 

Perhaps economic adversity is one of our biggest challenges right now, and I understand.  Since January, I have lost over $80,000, and I looking at sending three daughters to college.  I get it.

 

In Nehemiah 5, there was a famine, and working on the walls had kept the remnant from working their crops, and so they were in need of food.  What did they do?

 

Verse 3 says they mortgaged their land and vineyards to buy food.  However, they needed to borrow more money to pay the king’s taxes.  They ended up selling their children into slavery to pay their bills. 

 

The rest of chapter 5 says that Nehemiah was able to step in and help alleviate their hardship. 

 

Brothers and sisters, I know times are tough right now.  I buy the same groceries as you.  I buy the same gas as you.  I have lost the same investments as you, and yet I believe that God wants to do a miracle that can’t even comprehend as it relates to funding our Family Life Center.  However, He isn’t going to do it apart from the obedience of His people.

 

3. We could accomplish our goal.

 

I said to you last week that Nehemiah would have many challenges along the way.  We saw Nehemiah’s first opposition but not his last. 

 

Today, we have seen challenges from the outside trying to attack the people.  We have seen challenges from the inside and economic adversity. 

 

Chapter 6 has more challenges for Nehemiah personally.  His opponents tried to smear his reputation and sabotage his leadership.

 

However, look at 6:15-16.

 

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

 

The wall was completely rebuilt in 52 days.  Remember how it long it had been in ruins?  140 years. 

 

 

Conclusion

So let me paint a picture.  What if you said God is in this?  God brought us to this point, and God is leading our pastor and deacons and FLC Committee and CFT. 

 

Because this was of God, you committed to following our leaders and putting your mind and heart into working financially to make this happen. 

 

God could allow you do more than you ever thought.  God could help you overcome economic adversity that is crippling our country, and we could accomplish our goal.

 

However, all of that most likely won’t happen if don’t commit to follow the Lord and follow our leaders and commit our mind and heart to obeying the Lord in what He says to give. 

 

Brothers and sisters, I am inviting you to ask God what you should commit and then rise up and do the work.

RISE UP! And Assess Reality!

Today is week of 4 of our RISE UP! Capital Campaign.  Where have we been in the recent weeks?

 

Week 1 was RISE UP! And Remember God’s Faithfulness!  Has God been faithful to you?  Has God been faithful to us?  Don’t forget it!

 

Week 2 was RISE UP! And Kneel Down!  This capital campaign will not be successful unless we pray and ask God to intervene and ask how we should participate.  By the way, we still have two one-hour time slots left for our 24-hour prayer vigil.  They are 2 and 3 AM.

 

Week 3 was RISE UP! And Reclaim God’s Vision!  God’s vision for Nehemiah was to rebuild the city walls so that people of God would be safe and secure in the city of God. 

 

At EBC, our vision is to love God and love people and make disciples.  Our vision is to make disciples of this generation and the next generations of children of teenagers.  A Family Life Center can help with this vision tremendously.

 

Week 4 is RISE UP! And Access Reality.  Today, for the first time, but not the last time, we will see that when an individual or a group of individuals is seeking to following the follow the Lord, the reality is that there will be opposition. 

 

I want you to see this morning that opposition can come from people, passivity, and perspective.

 

 

1. Opposition can come in the form of people, 2:9-10.

9 Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel. 

 

Verse 9 says that Nehemiah went to the governors beyond the Euphrates River and gave them the letters from the king.  What is that about?  Look back at 2:7.

 

7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah.

 

In order to get the timber needed from the king’s forest to rebuild the walls and gates, Nehemiah had to pass through enemy territory.  Therefore, he requested letters from the king that gave him permission. 

 

However, that didn’t sit well with these governors.  The king had even sent an entourage with Nehemiah to protect him, and verse 10 shows the first opposition that Nehemiah encountered.

 

Sanballat and Tobiah were their names, and they didn’t like the idea of Nehemiah rebuilding the city because of what that would mean for Israel.  These men were leaders of Samaria, and Nehemiah’s efforts, if successful, would embolden Israel and make them harder to conquer.  Therefore, they didn’t like and opposed what Nehemiah was planning.

 

I know there are some church member today that don’t think we need a FLC.  There are others who are fine with a FLC but not right now.  There are others who are fine with a FLC but not for that price.

 

I understand, but I want you to remind you that we haven’t gotten to this point over night.  We also haven’t gotten here because of the vision of one person but of many, and it has been well-said that delayed obedience is disobedience.

 

In Deuteronomy 1, Israel turned an 11-day journey into the Promised Land into a 40-year wandering in the wilderness.  How?  They were fearful and disobedient to what God told them to do and had even provided for them.

 

 

2. Opposition can come in the form of passivity, 2:11-12.

11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.

 

Verse 11 says that Nehemiah came to Jerusalem for a three-day tour.  Verse 12 says that he did his surveying and accessing of reality at night, and he had some men with him that evidently shared his vision.

 

The end of verse 12 gives us insight into what drove Nehemiah.  God had put in his heart to rebuild Jerusalem.  It was Nehemiah but God. 

 

However, think about this.  What if Nehemiah would have said to God, “Thanks but no thanks.”  What if he chose not to act on what God wanted him to do for whatever reason?

 

Well, simply put, that would have been disobedience, and Nehemiah would have run the risk of discipline for himself and the remnant if he would have responded passively to what God put in his heart. 

 

I did this last week so I won’t do it again, but over 14 years ago, God put it in the heart of EBC to build a FLC, and you approved.  For the past 14 years, EBC has been acquiring property to make that happen, and you approved.  In the past two years, we hired an architect to design a FLC, and you approved, and God provide the property to build it on this block, and you approved. 

 

Now, I am asking God to provide the money through His people.  You get another opportunity to actively approve rather than passively do nothing.

 

 

3. Opposition can come in the form of perspective, 2:13-16.

13 And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15 So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. 16 And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.

 

When Nehemiah went out at night, what do you think he saw?  He saw exactly what we knew he would see. 

 

The walls were broken down.  The gates had been burned.  There was so much ruin piled up that his donkey couldn’t pass through. 

 

The story of Nehemiah is that he responded to God’s vision with faith instead of fear.  What is the difference?  It is all about perspective. 

 

The perspective of fear sees circumstances instead of God.  In this case, the circumstances were a city in ruins, 140 years, too few people to do anything about it.

 

The perspective of faith sees God in the circumstances.  Faith doesn’t deny the circumstances. However, faith sees God in the circumstances and able to overcome the circumstances. 

 

Think back with me to three very familiar Old Testament Bible stories.  What if Noah responded with fear instead of faith to what God told him to do?  He had never heard of rain.  No one ever needed a boat of that size.  How could one man and his family accomplish such?  See Genesis 6:12-14, 22.

 

12 So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.  13 And God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth. 14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.  22 Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.

 

What if Joshua responded with fear instead of faith when God told him how to take Jericho?  Obviously, God had never attended West Point.  He must have failed military strategies.  You want me to circle the city in silence for six days?  On the seventh day, you want me to circle and then yell?  That’s going to bring the walls down and give us the city?  See Joshua 6:1-5.

 

Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel; none went out, and none came in. 2 And the Lord said to Joshua: “See! I have given Jericho into your hand, its king, and the mighty men of valor. 3 You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. 4 And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; then the wall of the city will fall down flat. And the people shall go up every man straight before him.”

 

What is David responded with fear instead of faith when Goliath taunted the God of Israel?  Goliath was too big.  He had already killed too many.  David was just a little shepherd boy.  1 Samuel 17:10, 37, 45.

 

10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

 

37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”  And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

 

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

 

Brothers and sisters, I want to ask you to ask God to replace your fear with faith…faith in Him, and faith in your leaders, but that isn’t all.

 

Tony Evans said, “Obedience is the visible, verifiable proof of your faith or trust.  I’m not just asking you to trust but also to obey.”

 

Trust and obey…that would make a great song. 

 

1

When we walk with the Lord

  In the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way;

  While we do His good will,

  He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

 2

Not a shadow can rise,

  Not a cloud in the skies,

But His smile quickly drives it away;

  Not a doubt or a fear,

  Not a sigh or a tear,

Can abide while we trust and obey.

3

Not a burden we bear,

  Not a sorrow we share,

But our toil He doth richly repay;

  Not a grief or a loss,

  Not a frown or a cross,

But is blest if we trust and obey.

4

But we never can prove

  The delights of His love,

Until all on the altar we lay;

  For the favor He shows,

  And the joy He bestows,

Are for them who will trust and obey.

5

Then in fellowship sweet

  We will sit at His feet,

Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;

  What He says we will do;

  Where He sends, we will go,

Never fear, only trust and obey.

But that song isn’t simply some one’s thoughts and ideas, it is the truth of Scriptures.  See Proverbs 3:5-6.

 

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths.

RISE UP! And Reclaim God’s Vision!

We are in week 3 of our RISE UP! Capital Campaign.  In the recent weeks, we have begun studying the book and story of Nehemiah.  Two weeks ago, we were challenged to RISE UP! And Remember God’s Faithfulness.  Last week, we were challenged to RISE UP! And Kneel Down.  That was a reference to prayer.

 

By the way, we still have available 1-hour time lots for our weekly prayer room and our 24-hour prayer vigil scheduled for October 15-16.  Brothers and sisters, if you are retired or determine your own work schedule, help me understand why you aren’t part of our weekly prayer room ministry.  Furthermore, with the 24-hour prayer vigil happening on Saturday and Sunday morning, it should not take us long to fill all of those time slots.

 

Today, we turn our attention to Nehemiah 2:1-8, and consider the challenge of RISE UP! And Reclaim God’s Vision, and vision is important.  I know that you are familiar with KJV of Proverbs 29:18.

 

18 Where there is no vision, the people perish.

 

What was God’s vision in Nehemiah 2?

 

 

Exposition

In verse 1, we see that this scene takes place approximately 4 months after chapter 1.  Back in the chapter 1:1, we saw that the time marker was the month of Chislev.  That is our November and December.

 

Here in 2:1, it is the month of Nisan.  This our March and April. 

 

Also in this first verse, we see Nehemiah doing his job.  Remember, he was the king’s cupbearer.  A cupbearer was a trust individual whose job was to drink the king’s drink and eat the king’s food to make sure it was safe for the king.

 

Nehemiah took the cup of wine after he had tasted it, and gave it to the king.  However, the king noticed something about Nehemiah that he had never seen before.  Nehemiah was sad, and the king could tell it.

 

When asked why, Nehemiah became deathly afraid.  He didn’t want the king to think his sadness had anything to do with him. 

 

In verse 3, we see the reason for his sadness.  He was grieved at the state of Jerusalem.  Remember, King Nebuchadnezzar ransacked Jerusalem in 586 BC, and it had laid in ruins for 140 years. 

 

Without saying the name of the city, he said the place where his fathers’ tombs were laid in waste.  Furthermore, the gates had been burned with fire.  In case you are thinking about gates that we are accustomed to, these were wooden gates.  In verse 4, King Artaxerxes asked what Nehemiah wanted him to do.

 

To be clear, God’s vision was Jerusalem, His holy city, to be safe and secure.  Consequently, He put that vision in Nehemiah’s heart, and Nehemiah’s part was then to rebuild the walls and gates. 

 

Here at Emory Baptist Church, what is our vision?  Our vision is to love God, love people, and make disciples.

 

Of course, the first step in making disciples is evangelism, and if you were here last Sunday, you remember how I demonstrated the importance of evangelism children and teenagers because once they turn 18 years of age, there is only a 16% chance that will be saved as adults. 

 

Consequently, God’s vision is to save the children and teenagers of Rains County.  A Family Life Center can be a tremendous resource and tool in aiding that effort. 

 

That is the big picture goal…making disciples.  However, what is the specific goal of RISE UP?  You can find it on page 8 of your RISE UP! booklet: To pay for the entire cost of our Family Life Center in a three-year period beginning November 2022 by engaging every member of Emory Baptist Church in biblical financial stewardship.

 

Therefore, how do we accomplish our vision in light of God’s vision?  What did Nehemiah do?  Look at verse 4.

 

 

4. Nehemiah prayed, 2:4.

So I prayed to the God of heaven.

 

Nehemiah’s normal practice was to pray.  He prayed here, and we saw him pray last week.

 

Do you remember the contents of his prayer? He asked for God’s attention.  What is a great way to get God’s attention in prayer?  Tell Him how great He is.

 

Next, Nehemiah confessed his and Israel’s corruption or sin.  In short, they were disobedient to God’s commands given to them through Moses. 

 

What are your sins to confess specifically as it relates to RISE UP?  Are you guilty of fear or doubt or self-indulgence?

 

Finally, he petitioned God for prosperity.  Nehemiah prayed for God to prosper him in his efforts to rebuild the walls and gates. 

 

What would prosperity or success for us look like in this capital campaign?  Join me in praying for our construction costs to be no more than $225/square foot.  Join me in praying for every single EBC Family to live out biblical, financial stewardship, and that starts with giving and working toward tithing. 

 

Finally, join me in praying for God to provide every single cent to pay for our Family Life Center in a three-year period.  Humanly, it can’t be done, but when you call on the Lord God Almighty who owns the cattle on a thousand hills and can feed 5,000+ people with 5 biscuits and 2 sardines, He can turn our impossible to possible. 

 

 

1. Nehemiah planned, 2:4-8a

5 And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.”  6 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time.  7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.”

 

When the king asked Nehemiah what he wanted or needed, he had obviously been thinking about it and planning it out.  Verse 5 says that Nehemiah told the king that he wanted to go and rebuild the city.

 

Of course, the king asked some details questions about timing, and then Nehemiah make some more requests of the king.  Verse 7 says that he requested some letters of permission and protection as Nehemiah traveled into enemy territories. 

 

Verse 8 is how we know that Nehemiah was rebuilding and repairing wooden walls and gates.  He needed access to king’s forest.

 

At least since August 2008, I believe EBC has been planning for where we are today.  Keep in mind, that is at least 14 years in the making.

 

• Slide 1: August 24, 2008-First worship service in existing facility
• Slide 2: May 23, 2010-EBC votes to establish our first Family Life Center Committee
• Slide 3: May 15, 2011-EBC votes to purchase first of 4 lots on the east side of Ravine Street for future growth
• Slide 4: August 17, 2014-EBC votes to build a Family Life Center
• Slide 5: August 17, 2014-EBC votes to purchase the second of 4 lots on the east side of Ravine Street for future growth
• Slide 6: November 16, 2014-EBC votes to call Richard Piles as their 29^th pastor
• Slide 7: July 2017-EBC is completely debt free having paid off our note on this main building
• Slide 8: 2017-EBC acquired the Avon Rice property on this city block
• Slide 9: January 2020-EBC votes to purchase the Wright property on this block
• Slide 10: December 2020-EBC votes to hire Godwin Design Architects for our Family Life Center
• Slide 11: January 2021-FLC Committee received input from the congregation on the design of the FLC through multiple bulletin inserts and multiple listening sessions
• Slide 12: March 20, 2022-EBC votes to approve GDA’s design for our FLC
• Slide 13: March 20, 2022-EBC votes to establish the Capital Fund-Raising Team for the FLC
• Slide 14: September 18, 2022-RISE UP! Capital Campaign begins for 6 weeks
• Slide 15: September 25, 2022-EBC votes to purchase third and fourth lots of 4 on the east side of Ravine Street for future growth

 

Brothers and sisters, we have not rushed to where we are today.  As a matter of fact, we have been planning, like Nehemiah, for 14+ years moving closer to our goal.

 

 

• The King perceived, 2:8b

And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

 

At the end of verse 8, Nehemiah said the king granted his request.  Why did he do this?  He granted his request because he perceived or trusted that God was leading Nehemiah.

 

Brothers and sisters, sooner or later, as it relates to our FLC and how to pay for it, you are going to have to perceive whether or not your leaders are being led by God.  Is your pastor following the Lord?  Are you deacons following the Lord?  Is your Family Life Center Committee following the Lord?  Is your Capital Fund-Raising Team following the Lord? 

 

If no, then sit back and do nothing but watch.  If yes, then it is incumbent upon you to follow your leaders as they follow the Lord.

 

Here is one couple that doing just that.