Sermon Notes, October
6, 2013
Pastor Jan Sinozich
Pastor Jan’s
message, second in the series “Living Life On Purpose,” was titled “Responding
to the Concern,” and was based on Nehemiah 2:1-20. She started with a recap of last week’s
message, “Cultivating a Concern.” Pray,
fast, and bring it before God. Center on
the eternal: God-given concerns are never just about you, but the people in
your circle of concern. Concentrate on the one Great work: not every good thing
is the best thing.
There is a gap
between having a concern and living a life on purpose. It was 3 to 5 months in Nehemiah’s case. A patient response is necessary. Wait on God for the right timing and
opportunity. While he was waiting,
Nehemiah patiently served—he continued to do his job as cupbearer for the
king. He continued in prayer so he would
be able to recognize the opportunity to move forward when it came. And he patiently planned—when the king asked
him what he wanted, he knew exactly what he needed. Since Nehemiah was a man of integrity, the
king trusted him, and gave him all he asked for—time off, letters to the
governors of the land he was passing through, access to the kings forest for
necessary materials: even a military escort.
Nehemiah
responded in praise to God. Upon his
arrival in Jerusalem he made a nighttime assessment of the condition of the
wall. He praised God by explaining his
concern to the people, who were in disgrace.
There would be no action if people didn’t know about his concern. Then he proposed God’s plan to answer the
concern. It was more than rebuilding the
wall; it was God’s concern for the people.
God is still
concerned for the people. All people
matter to God. He wants all people to be
in relationship with Him through His son Jesus Christ. We are to BE the church, helping the hurting,
praising God in all things, more interested in where people are heading than
where they have been. Our concern must
be about people. When we are committed
to God’s concerns, He will bless us and continue to re-build us. He will draw us closer to Him.
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