Title: Salvation Prayer/Nehemiah 1:1-11
Contents Prayer for salvation
961020-1 Ne 1:1-11
The reality we all face today is a reality of considerable crisis.
It was a time of crisis politically, economically, militarily, socially and ethically. All of these things come to us suddenly in a complex way, which is a reality that is experiencing many conflicts. Values are shaken. Morality has fallen to the ground. Society is sick with all kinds of crime and injustice.
We are afraid to see this reality. Perhaps the reality of this difficulty is a more difficult reality than we imagine and know. The reality of being sick on the inside is more frightening than the difficulties on the outside.
We only think about the difficulties of this environment. We live our lives in a comfortable and good environment, thinking about our home and work, and I think we may face difficulties.
But when we face tribulation, the more difficult and terrifying thing is that God does not look after us. I am afraid of the wrath of God's punishment for not fearing God. A person who is under God's protection does not really care what kind of tribulation comes.
However, we may have several reactions to this reality.
1. Fear of the reality of this crisis can make you feel like a child.
You may not be able to catch your heart and wander. There is nowhere to evacuate. How can I save my life?
2. Also, there is a wrong worldview that the country of this world does not matter what it is because the country we are going to is an eternal country.
It sounds like a great belief, but it's biased.
3. Some people are not even aware of the crisis. There are people who are so busy living day by day that they do not care when tribulation comes.
4. We should be concerned for this country and people and have a heart to love our country. You must have more love for your country and people than any other person.
Why is this country and people a place, a gift, a field where salvation is accomplished, and an object of missions, so we must love and cherish this country as God loved the world. do.
We must be the most patriotic people of all. It is biased to say that Christians today are oriented to the afterlife and pretend that they are not living in this world.
The Apostle Paul said that even if he was cursed and cut off from God in order to save his people...
So, what are we going to do in this reality?
We should be held accountable for all these wrong looks.
Why? We are in a great position. God is interested in us. Because we are the sons of God.
Let's learn Nehemiah's patriotism by examining today's text.
First, Nehemiah knew the suffering of the nation as his own and prayed.
At this time, Nehemiah's position was a captive people, but he was living a very comfortable life because he was the chief of the royal palace as a drinking officer of King Artaxerxes. However, the text is about how he prayed to God for the country and people after hearing the news of the ruined country through his brother Hanani.
Nehemiah's love for his country was always open to Jerusalem. Hearing this sad news, he did not just watch. It was more heartbreaking than anyone in Judea. He wept and prayed to God. Not for anything of your own. Those who remain silent despite the glory of God and the reproach of God's people do not know God. In this time of individualism, such a person is precious.
Daniel also said that he prayed with the window open toward Jerusalem three times a day.
Nehemiah's interest in and affection for his country was great.
When there is a crisis of war, those who have permanent residency are fleeing and emigrating. This Nehemiah is living a comfortable and satisfactory life when he thinks about himself and his family, but he was more interested in his homeland than all these things. is.
Second, he knew that the rise and fall of his country depended on God. So I pray to God.
Through his brother Hanani, his heart was broken when he heard the news that the walls of his country were burning and that his people were suffering hardships. He mourned, gave up food and drink, fell on his face and prayed to God.
When he heard that many of his people were taken captive, that those who escaped captivity suffered great tribulation, and that the city of Jerusalem was slaughtered, and that all the gates were burned, he was not heard. This news broke his heart.
He accepted the pain and humiliation suffered by his people as his own suffering and grieved. We must not remain indifferent when the country is in crisis. Why was God angry? We need to pay attention here and pray to God.
We have become so selfish that we know that our family's difficulties are great difficulties, and we ask for prayers, we want to be comforted, and we want to discuss together because of the difficulties we are facing, but we are bystanders in the crisis of the country, which is a big problem have a posture of
Whether the net is a small net or a large net, the fish already in the net will be caught. It seems that it doesn't matter because the net is so large that I cannot see it, but when there is a war or national hardship, it may be difficult to come back to me and annihilate me without even having sympathy. Let us learn from Nehemiah. Knowing that this national crisis is also a crisis for me, let's have patriotism to get our hearts broken and to have this problem solved by God. Nehemiah prayed because he knew that all of this was the work of God. Those who know God pray to God.
Third, Nehemiah knew that sin was the cause of all these sufferings.
(Nehemiah 1:6) Now your servant prays day and night for your servant the children of Israel, and the children of Israel confess their transgression before you. Incline your ear, and open your eyes, and hear the prayer of your servant. I and my father's house have sinned, and (Nehemiah 1:7) They said, "I have done exceedingly evil toward you, and have not kept the commandments, ordinances, and ordinances you commanded to Moses your servant."
First, it knew that Israel had sinned and that God was angry. However, he soon confesses that he is guilty of this sin in his own family, without blaming anyone else for all these sins.
This attitude is the attitude of Christ and the attitude of the saints.
There is nothing else to say to fix it.
No one is without sin. Everyone is guilty.
are you fixing yourself? Fix it or not, that's the problem. Now, when you realize that the cause of all ruin is the price of sin, and you are also responsible for that sin, God begins to help.
Of course, our Korean church must bear this difficulty of our people.
There is nothing that God does not do. If God keeps it, no matter how strong or prepared, God can prevent them from crossing over, just as God sets the limits of the waters of the sea. He is the God of Israel's horsemen and chariots. But if God is going to strike with a stick, what and who will stop it? Even if it's not from the north, God is the one who can destroy it by preparing another club. God is a God of jealousy. God, who loved the Korean church so much and helped the Korean church through the amazing miracles and history that he has been with so far, is just as jealous as he loved the Korean church when it became proud, served idols with arrogance toward God, and was corrupted by musculism and humanism. is strong too. This was the cause of Israel's defeat. He must deliver the good sound of peace and blessings today, but he will not be a true prophet. Is this the sound of a curse? No. That's really a blessing. It is a message to release God's wrath and continue to receive the blessings that He bestows upon us.
Fourth, Nehemiah did not just pray, he practiced.
Knowing that rebuilding this country was his job, he prayed to God and prayed to God that God would work through King Artaxerxes so that he could return to his homeland.
At this time, God allowed it, so he opened the king's heart.
Not only did I grieve and appeal to God, but I also prayed to God that I would now bear the burden of suffering. He knew that it was a disgrace to God that God's people were being humiliated, and he could not bear it, so he was determined to do anything. This was to go out to the king, ready to die. Why? It was King Artaxerxes who stopped the wall reconstruction when he heard the word.
Therefore, if the king says no to this, Nehemiah may be killed for treason against the king. However, as Esther said, he pursued this work with a single-minded determination that if he died, he would die. Surprisingly, God's grace moved the king's heart to allow him to return to his home country temporarily and do this work.
Fifth, Nehemiah's salvation movement was a faith restoration movement.
Nehemiah was responsible for rebuilding the wall. Building a wall isn't that important. In fact, I was working to gather the hearts of the scattered people to God through this visible work while building the wall.
Through the prophet Ezra, the hearts of the people returned to the word of God. We worked to thoroughly correct all wrongful acts of faith by contrasting them with the Word. Their faith was repented and restored.
How do we save this country?
We have to do our duty as a citizen, but our church's job is different. At this time we must awaken. All the luxury, waste and vanity of life must be cleaned up. Let's get rid of lewdness. Let's stop serving superstitions. Now we must return to God. You must repent to God. Idols are what I loved more than God, and we must cast away all these false idols. If we become a God-fearing church, family, and individual by putting away all disbelief and doubt and trusting God completely, God will not hurt us.
1. We must not let all these things happen. Not an onlooker. When we suffer, we all suffer together.
2. Our rise or fall depends on God. You must pray.
3. The cause of all these sufferings is our sins. First of all, you must repent. God's wrath is more frightening than war.
4. We don't just pray. If you have made up your mind, prepared yourself, and prayed for repentance, you must put it into practice.
5. Our faith must be restored. Isn't it a cold and insensitive life of faith? it is seriously ill.
He is giving you all these things so that you can fix them.
We can save the country. To return to God is to save the kingdom. Not only can I save this country through my own righteousness, but I don't know if he is giving me this kind of crisis to repent of my sins.