April 12, 2015

The Person God Uses

Pastor: Jeff Bedwell Series: Get-R-Done: Walking with God; Accomplishing His Will Scripture: Nehemiah 1:1–1:4

Get-R-Done: Walking with God; Accomplishing His Will

The Person God Uses
Nehemiah 1:1-4

Whenever God wants to get a job done, He lays hold of a willing servant!

What We Will Learn From The Book of Nehemiah?

  • There is no opportunity without Opposition
  • There is no winning without warring
  • There is no victory without Vigilance
  • The importance of perseverance
  • The importance of thinking and Planning
  • The priority of prayer
  • The impact of Godly Leadership

Two Leadership Observations

1. The foundation of Godly leadership is Character, not Charisma (See 1 Timothy 3:1-13)

Reputation – What people say you are.

Character – What you really are.

“Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7)

2. Leadership can be Learned

“What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:9)

Leaders are learners!

A Short History Lesson:

587/586 BC – Jerusalem destroyed; People deported
538 BC – Persian King Cyrus allows people to return to their homelands
516 BC – Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem
445 BC – Events of the Book of Nehemiah begin

Why Did God Choose To Work Through Nehemiah?

1. He was Concerned

Are you aware of what’s going on in the lives of people around you?

Are there broken down walls in the lives of those around you that God may want to use you to help rebuild?

“How many nights will we go to bed dry eyed while people all around us cry themselves to sleep?” Jay Strack

“Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.” Bob Pierce

2. He was Faithful (11)

Tests of Faithfulness

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own? No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Luke 16:10–13)

  • Faithfulness in Small Things
  • Faithfulness in Handling Money

3. He was Available

  • To sacrifice his Comfort And Security
  • To be a Contributor to the solution instead of merely a commentator or a critic
  • To Sacrifice for a greater cause and a grander vision
  • To be Stretched into new areas of growth and service
  • To Risk criticism and unfair accusations
  • To attempt the Improbable and trust God for the Impossible

Whenever God wants to get a job done, He lays hold of a willing servant!