Monty brings us to the 13th Chapter of Nehemiah to a place where the enemy had occupied the special romms in the City of Jerusalem. Nehemiah is away on official business with the King in the Capital of Assryia and while he was away the the nobles and those who were under oath to Tobiah has brought him into the city, where the High Priest allowed him to take up residence in one of the huge store rooms that were set aside for the tithe and for the sacred things of the temple. Join DCBC as Monty draws out for us today the significance od the room, its empty state and the natural order of things to fill the voids in our lives… Where is your heart at? is it full of the LORD or has the LORD been away for a time and season, have other things become close to your heart now… do you feel the difference… or are you numb to it? Let Jesus come and open a way back to His love and power in your life… and see life in 3D once more.
Malcolm Hunter brings us to Chapter 9 of Nehemiah, regarded as the centre peice of the book where the people are brought to God by God’s intervention in Human history to the Land promised and lost here regained, and to himself. They now are exposed and find themselves in repentance, humility and prayer because they recognise God is Holy and they desire relationship once more with God. The big idea “God who is from Everlasting to Everlasting” and His Plan to Call a people out of the world for His own treasured possession. The Bible starts with God, “In the Beginning, God…” Yet this God is unknowable, beyond our understanding Romans 11:33-36, he has made himself known to us! Malcolm presents us with some problems that we face with God’s Choice and our responses to His actions that we do not understand or agree with… and brings us through to the New Testament where again, we find ourselves at odds with the Plan and Purposes of God and are in need of the Gift of Repentance, Rethought, Reformation and revival. Join DCBC and allow your heart to be laid bare before The Holy Scriptures and see what God will do.
Mat Percy spoke on the different attacks that Nehemiah experienced at the completion of the walls in Nehemiah chapter 6. The four attacks were: external distractions (Sanballat’s plot to lure Nehemiah away from Jerusalem and the work), external threat (international blackmail), internal betrayal(prophet priest) and internal/external alliances (intimidation).
Patrick challenged us on the question ‘What is our church going to be?’ He spoke of the situation that Nehemiah and the Israelites having rebuilt the walls: the rich Jewish nobles and rulers were exploiting the poorer Israelites by taking them as slaves, getting them to sell their land and charging interest. The poor people were on the edge of a riot and Nehemiah had to decide what to do: does he stand against his peers(the nobles and rulers) and speak up for those that were being oppressed? Having rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem, was Nehemiah going to allow it to be a place of persecution and imprisonment for the poor and needy or was it going to be a place of safety and freedom from persecution? Is our church going to be a place of imprisonment or freedom for those who enter into its wall?
Mathew preached through chapter 2 of the Book of Nehemiah: Nehemiah, on hearing the news of the devastation of Jerusalem’s walls and gates desired to do something about it, but what could he do? As Nehemiah position of Cup-Bearer to the king and the responsibility that went along with it he began to realise that he only had one option, to risk his life and speak with the King. Nehemiah was grief-stricken when he heard about the walls and cried out to God. The opportunity did not happen as soon as he wanted (on the same day he heard the news!) God made Nehemiah wait for four months before giving him the opportunity to talk to the king. God’s wisdom in the delay meant that Nehemiah could consider prayerfully and plan what he needed to do, what he needed to say to the King and how he could accomplish the mamouth task of rebuilding the walls and taking away the discrace and the Same upon the God of Israel. When the time came it was not Nehemiah’s asking but the Kings that broke the silence. The king asked Nehemiah why he was so sad, a sadness of the soul… this opened the door to his adventure and showed God’s power and care for him and the Israelites. But it was only after four months of grieving, fasting and praying that the king noticed Nehemiah’s sadness and asked him what was wrong. Nehemiah was able to tell the king what he wanted and the king gave him everything he asked for. This demonstrated God’s sovereignty over all men, Kings and cup-bearers! The message brought out the faithfulness of God to his promises and the fulfilment of prophecy through human agents. God promised that because of sin and becoming like the World he would scattere the Israelites, but He also promised that when the time came He would cause a remnant to return to Jerusalem and it is in partial fulfilment to these promises that we learn in Nehemiah, God is Sovereign, He is in control and yet he responds to the crys and the prayers of His people. Finally, Jesus Christ said in the New Testament, that He would build His Church… and the Gates of Hell would not prevail against it! God is building up Devonport Baptist Church … he has not abandoned us, and we will see his Glory!
