Christ Church at Grove Farm

Rev. Craig Gyergyo: As you hear this message, I am praying specifically that we would feel a sense of conviction. I'll tell you that upfront. I don't mean that to frighten you. Conviction from God is actually a really good thing. We're praying that there will be a sense of that through the word this morning.

Speaking of the word, we have been reading since January 1st through the New Testament using this wonderful resource called *The Life Focus New Testament*. You could join in with us for this. They are available in the Mint Commons and we'd love for you to go on this journey of reading through the New Testament during this year. On January 16th, which was just two days ago, there was a little prayer in the box here, and I want to use this prayer because this is the prayer inviting the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Bow your heads with me and I'm just going to read through this prayer and ask God to speak to us. Oh, dear Savior, how thankful we are that you did not draw back from the way of the cross. Oh, Lord, help us not to draw away from what you ask of us when you bring that kind of conviction. Help us to walk willingly with you in difficult relationships, in trying circumstances, and whatever it might be.

We praise you that your grace is sufficient moment by moment, day by day, week by week, month by month. Thank you for your faithfulness. Lord, speak to us through your word. We're listening. Give us attentive hearts and minds to all that you are saying. We praise you and thank you in Jesus' name. And together we say, Amen.

To get started, I've got a question for you. This is a show-of-hands kind of question. How many of you have a problem? Would you raise your hand if you have a problem? Anyone got a problem out there? Well, looky there, lots of problems. How many of you are sitting next to a person who has a problem? How many of you are sitting next to your problem? Amazing how many women raised their hand when I asked that question. Interesting.

I just want to be sure I'm talking to a people who have a problem because, in many ways, your life will be shaped by what you see as broken. Your life will be shaped by your problem. People devote themselves to all kinds of problems. They devote themselves to the problem of how can I be comfortable, how can I be successful, how can I be secure?

Then there are God-sized problems, the kind that New Hope’s Haven has taken up. This is the kind of problem that's a brokenness that God won't let you ignore. That's a big problem. What happens is this question hangs over our lives: do you have something God is inviting you to help rebuild? What are you devoting your energy and your life to?

When you begin to think about this, there's a question that will begin to surface in your life and it's a question you can ask God. You can say, "God, what problem in the world do you want to use me to help address?" The idea of a problem is really significant. People who follow Jesus actually very intentionally embrace problems. This is the life of a Christian.

This is where the sense of calling will begin in your life. Calling's not just for people like me who stand up and preach. There are lots of callings. You notice something that's broken and then you will feel moved in your heart. This is one of the ways the Holy Spirit works. God will reveal to you what needs rebuilding and he'll do that by burdening your heart.

The burden is not like an audition for God. This isn't God looking for people to prove their worth. What he's doing is forming his people. He's forming in us a response that fits what he's already done. He's done great things and what he's doing in your heart is he's forming you to that. He's inviting you into that.

The book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament is where we are. The book of Nehemiah is written about one man who could not ignore what broke his heart. Before chapter one, presumably, Nehemiah's life was going well. He had a stable job, he had influence, and he had security. But then he heard about Jerusalem and everything changed.

God showed Nehemiah a problem: the broken condition of God's people and the fact that God's name was being dishonored. That became Nehemiah's burden. This book shows us a pattern about how God moves. I hope that we can see today that God moves us from burden to visibility, from burden to obedience, and from burden to collaboration.

When God places a burden in your heart, it does not stay hidden. Sooner or later, it will show. In Nehemiah Chapter 2, it says, "In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, 'Why does your face look so sad? You are not ill. This can be nothing but sadness of heart.'"

"I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?'" Nehemiah was a cupbearer, which is akin to the director of the Secret Service in our country. It was a big job. He was a safeguard against anyone who might betray the king and he had great proximity to the king.

Therefore, that person would often become a close companion of the king. He's more than just the wine guy. If you're in the royal court, you don't bring your private problems on duty with you. That's a no-no in the king's presence. Sadness could be interpreted as disloyalty or even some kind of conspiracy. Either of those things could cost your life.

Just by being sad, Nehemiah was being bold. Nehemiah's grief could not be hidden any longer because what God was doing in his heart now was becoming visible on his face. MLK Day is tomorrow and it compels us to think about the battle for human equality. History tells us of another figure in that fight for human equality who shows us what a burden made visible looks like.

The person I'm talking about is William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was a young British parliamentarian in the late 18th century. His life could have remained comfortable and respectable given his role, but Wilberforce first of all received Christ. Jesus touched his heart and the grace of God began to change his life.

God burdened his heart with something that he could no longer ignore, and that was the injustice of the slave trade. For a time as he was wrestling with this, the burden of inequality remained largely inside of him. But in 1789, silence was no longer possible for Wilberforce. He stood up in Parliament and spoke openly against the slave trade. From there, there was no going back for him.

A true burden cannot remain private. When we're praying for the Holy Spirit to convict, we know that God will take that burden and it will eventually become public. New Hope's Haven is a good example of this: a burden for young women who are in a difficult situation. It no longer becomes something that they're thinking about or wish was different; they do something about it.

You'll be able to manage an appearance for a while, but what God puts in your heart will eventually come out. It shows up in your life. Just ask the people closest to you; they already know what's on your heart. They know the things that you're burdened by that are complaints to you. The question isn't whether you have a burden, the question is what does your burden reveal about your heart?

Nehemiah's heart was oriented toward God's people and toward God's glory. But we're human. We face a very human issue: very often what we worry about is temporal and we don't worry about so much what's eternal. We worry about our homes, our finances, our futures, and none of those are meaningless to God.

But they're not to be the final horizon of our concern. As God is maturing you by his spirit, the Holy Spirit will gently widen your heart so that you care about more than just yourself. You hear about Wilberforce and think you don't have a problem that big, but not every problem begins as a world-changing concern. It can start much more simply and close to home.

Over time, God will align your heart and deepen that concern with his purposes. This is the way your burden will develop. God does not ask every person to carry every burden. He gives you a unique burden and he will invite you to pay attention to what he is repeatedly putting before your eyes. One sign that you have a burden will actually be that you feel a sense of fear.

The king noticed Nehemiah's burden and asked about it. The scripture tells us that Nehemiah was very much afraid. This wasn't because he lacked faith; it was because his obedience was no longer just theoretical. His burden was about to become public action. Here fear means that something is becoming clear. Nehemiah is knowing that following God is going to cost him something and the outcome is still unknown.

Fear appears in your life in this exact place. You've got a burden, you've got a problem. It's right there before the answer, before the provision God provides, and before the plan comes together. Faith actually becomes visible while fear is still present, not when it's gone. Your burden, when it becomes visible, is going to demand obedience because it's not just a feeling we're looking for. A feeling is not the same thing as following through.

Picking up in verse 4: The king said to Nehemiah, "What is it you want?" Then it says, "I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.'"

We're moving to obedience. The king asks Nehemiah to clarify. He wants to know if Nehemiah actually intends to do something. Is he committed enough to make a thousand-mile journey with sand, flies, danger, and discomfort? The king is asking him, "Are you willing to let this burden reorder your life?" Nehemiah is realizing here a door has been opened.

He also realizes that wisdom is going to be required in order to walk through that door. He prayed to the God of heaven and he answered the king. This is really interesting. He prays without delaying his answer to the king. In chapter one, his prayer was day and night for months on his knees, fasting. This prayer is just a moment. It's a flash prayer.

This split-second prayer reveals he's been preparing for years for this moment. What appears to be spontaneous is actually the fruit of a long-formed life with God. When that happens, God will align your burdened heart for obedient action. Why do we pray? We pray because we desire that God will make our ways his ways, that he'll align our hearts so that we can be obedient.

Wilberforce didn't rush into action impulsively when he had his burden. He prayed, he sought counsel, and he ordered his life around obedience to Christ. Then when the moment came, he acted again and again. His efforts were resisted and legislation failed year after year. The progress was slow, but he remained obedient because obedience is formed long before it's ever required.

All the prayers, all the submission to God was forming Wilberforce's heart and that's exactly what Nehemiah is doing here. He's not just improvising; he is responding. He's drawing upon this settled confidence that God is present. He's standing before the king, which is intimidating, but God is sovereign and he's with him even in a Persian throne room.

This is life with God. This is the life that you were designed for. You're not walking through this alone. This is a life not without fear, but a life no longer governed by fear. As an aside, I wonder how often our lives would be different if that same phrase preceded our actions: "Then I prayed to my God and I said to my spouse..." How would that change things?

Try this. What if this week that simple phrase becomes your quiet, simple habit, that you train your heart that in every moment you're having a conversation with God? You're very aware that he's with you wherever you are. Nehemiah is not praying to decide whether he should obey. He's long decided that in his heart already. He is praying because obedience requires wisdom. His prayer is about "how." "Lord, how can I act and live in this moment?" It's not about "if."

Verse 6: "Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, 'How long will your journey take and when will you get back?' It pleased the king to send me, so I set a time. I also said to him, 'If it pleases the king, may I have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates so that they will provide me safe conduct until I arrive in Judah? And may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?' And because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king granted my requests."

This is from burden to collaboration. The moment here is way bigger than just Nehemiah or the king. God is inviting human participation in something divine. This is a divine purpose, a kingdom plan. The work actually belongs to God, but he chooses to involve his people. The king asks Nehemiah, "How long will you be gone?" On one hand, he's saying, "Sure, you can go."

On the other hand, he's asking, "Do you recognize what your obedience is going to require?" Because Nehemiah has prayed deeply and persistently, he is ready to work with God rather than to rush ahead of him. This causes him to ask big. He makes some very large requests of the king. He asks for time; he probably didn't even know how much time he was going to have, but it was twelve years.

He asks for safe transport through letters to the governors. This gave him diplomatic immunity. Then he asks for the royal credit card so he can stop by Home Depot and get all the lumber he needs. He gets timber from the king's forest. Faith doesn't shrink from the size of the task. When God calls you to rebuild, don't pretend it's easy. Count the cost and then ask honestly for what obedience will require.

This is not about the plan. The plan of what Nehemiah is doing is not the point. Here's the point: "Because the gracious hand of my God was on me, the king answered my request." This is the spiritual reality that Nehemiah is tapped into. God acts and then Nehemiah acts and the work moves forward. Like Nehemiah, William Wilberforce labored for decades.

He didn't even live to see the immediate success of what the burden was. He died three days after the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in the British Empire. He barely got to see this thing begin to take off. But here's what his confidence was: that the work was ultimately God's; it wasn't about him. Even when the obedience was his, the work was God's.

This is what it means to be a disciple. It's not just about learning who God is, it is actually learning what God and I can do together. It's collaboration. Prayer is not just asking for help; prayer is a conversation about a shared work. The New Testament says that we are God's co-workers, God's co-laborers. We work alongside him; we collaborate.

Nehemiah's story opens up to something larger because the rebuilding of Jerusalem was never meant to be the end of the story. The story is about far more than rebuilding a city. What Nehemiah is doing is participating in God's redemptive plan not just for Jerusalem, but for the world. Jerusalem had to be restored because God is a promise keeper. From this people, from this remnant, the Messiah would come.

God's way ahead. He's not just thinking about this moment; he's thinking about a greater work. Here's how God moves his purposes forward: it's always by rebuilding people. The walls were never the point; people are the point. What God ultimately does is rebuild the brokenness between himself and us through Jesus Christ.

Nehemiah rebuilds walls, while Jesus rebuilds the kingdom come. Nehemiah risked his life before a king and Jesus Christ offered his life before a heavenly Father. Nehemiah is acting under the gracious hand of God; Jesus Christ is the gracious hand of God in this world. Rebuilding was just preparation for redemption.

The redemption of our hearts becomes the foundation for our obedience because God, before he ever invites us into his work, has invited us through Christ into the completed work that reconciles us to God. Don't hear a call to do good work for God to earn his favor. Hear a call to live from the favor of God that comes to you through Jesus Christ.

Christ has crossed the ultimate threshold. Nehemiah stood at a threshold of faith. "God, am I going to make this public? God, am I going to be obedient?" Jesus Christ crossed the ultimate one and he bore the burden that we could never carry. He endured the cross in our place and he rose to victory. Therefore, you never ever have to face obedience alone because Christ is with you.

Some of you are standing at a threshold yourselves. You don't have the answers, you don't have a plan, and you feel the fear, but here's what you do feel: the burden. It might be a personal burden that your own brokenness, your own sin is becoming overwhelming. It might be a brokenness about what you see when you look out at the world and you see pain, loss, and destruction. It might be the kind of burden you see when you look at a loved one.

Whatever problem you have, you don't have to have the answers because the same God who placed a burden before you has already gone ahead of you in Jesus Christ. So don't wait for perfect clarity. Don't wait for the fear to disappear. Don't wait until obedience feels safe; it won't. You stand where God has brought you. You pray what Nehemiah prayed and then you step forward in confidence that his gracious hand will be on you.

Wilberforce once observed, "You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you do not know." The burden that's being revealed to you by the Holy Spirit cannot be ignored. So I ask you today, what problem do you have? Whatever it is—a personal brokenness, a burden for the lost, a burden for some aspect of our world that is in tatters—God calls you to carry that burden, make it visible, and to be obedient, trusting in him. Recognize that he is with you, that you go not alone, but you have a co-laborer through the Holy Spirit.

God, thank you that you are the one who rebuilds what is broken. Thank you for rebuilding our lives. Thank you, Lord, that you are rebuilding in this world. Thank you, God, that you rebuild people. You do this through Jesus Christ. Thank you, Lord, that you rebuild what is broken between us and you.

God, as you have placed a burden on Nehemiah, we invite you to place a burden on us. God, where you have made the need clear, give us courage to act, to be obedient. God, where fear is present, anchor us in your grace. I pray that you would send us now into the work you have prepared. Oh, God, help us to trust in your gracious hand upon us. Ready us by your spirit to take the next step that you place before us.

We pray all this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. And together we say, Amen. I'm going to ask you to rise. Thank you, Lord. We celebrate your goodness. You can make a declaration here today, a simple one: I trust in God. He is the one who rebuilds the walls. He is the one who meets me amid the burden of life and empowers me to live in obedience. He is my co-worker. Oh, I trust in God. I pray that our hearts will sing this great prayer with joy and thanksgiving. Let's sing of our trust in the Almighty, the God who saves us. Amen.