On a Mission

Good morning.

My name is Matthew Capone, and I'm the pastor here at Cheyenne Mountain Presbyterian Church,

and it's my joy to bring God's word to you today.

Special welcome if you are new or visiting with us.

We're glad you're here, and we're glad you're here not because we are trying to fill seats,

but because we are following after Jesus together as one community.

And as we follow after Jesus, we are so convinced that there's no one so good that they don't need God's grace,

and no one so bad that they can't have it.

And so we look into God's word because we're convinced that everyone needs to hear what God has to say in his word,

and God has something to say to every single one of us.

If you were with us last week, you know that we just started the book of Nehemiah.

The book of Nehemiah is in the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is everything that happened in God's plan before Jesus' first coming.

And we're at a specific point in the Old Testament.

We're at the point where God's chosen people of Israel had been given the promised land,

but they had failed to do what God had called them to do.

They'd failed to be a people of justice and mercy and goodness.

And so instead of allowing them to live in the land, God had to punish them,

and he allowed them to go into exile instead.

And after they were in exile for almost around 70 years,

they came back partially in 538 B.C.

They began to return to their home city of Jerusalem,

and yet not everyone returned.

And even those who returned did not do everything that they needed to do

to restore the city that God had given them.

And so while they began to return in 538 B.C.,

we are now in the year 445 B.C., almost 100 years later.

And even 100 years after God had allowed his people to return,

we met a man named Nehemiah who saw and heard that the walls

that were supposed to protect the city of Jerusalem had still not been rebuilt.

And so we asked this big question of what does it look like to stay close to God?

What does it look like to return to God or to know him for the first time?

And as we watched the story of Nehemiah last week,

we saw that first it involves seeing the ruin that is caused by sin.

Nehemiah sees the fact that the walls around Jerusalem have been broken down

and that Jerusalem is, instead of being a light to the nations,

it's a disgrace and a shame.

But after seeing the ruin, he doesn't despair.

Instead, he repents.

And finally, after repenting, we saw that Nehemiah understands

and sees the great hope that God offers to everyone who returns to him.

In fact, when we left off last week,

we had this cliffhanger verse at the very end of chapter 1

because we find out that this man who sees the ruin, who repents,

also happens to be one of the most powerful people in the Persian Empire.

We find out at the very end of chapter 1, he tells us,

Now, I was cupbearer to the king.

And if you're familiar at all with ancient history,

you know that the cupbearer was, first of all, a practical role.

This was someone who would show up and taste food that was given to the king

to make sure it wasn't poison, to make sure that he was safe.

But it was more than that,

because someone who was tasting the king's food

is someone who would be in constant contact with him.

Now, we don't know for sure in this situation,

but often the cupbearer had political power as well.

They had influence.

They were someone who had a relationship and access to the king

that few people had.

We might even think of it as something similar to a president's body man.

They're with him all the time, making sure he knows what he needs to know

and he has the information he needs.

In some places we know in the ancient Near East,

this person would have been someone who functioned

almost like a chief of staff for the king.

And so as he turns towards God in repentance,

God has already begun to provide a way for Nehemiah.

He's brought the right man at the right place at the right time

to begin to turn God's people back to him.

As we begin chapter 2, then,

we talked earlier this morning about

what is repentance unto life,

repentance that leads to life.

And last week we discussed the turning away from sin,

the seeing of the ruin and the repentance.

And this week we're going to, as we read chapter 2,

we're going to turn to the other half of repentance.

Not just the turning away from sin,

but the turning back to God and his mission.

And so the question of chapter 2 is,

what does returning to God's mission look like?

If we've truly turned away from sin,

we're not just going to turn away,

but we're going to turn to.

We're going to turn towards everything

that God has called us to do and be.

Now there's lots of different ways

we could define God's mission.

There's lots of...

...about God's mission.

God's mission to his people

and ultimately to the world

is that his kingdom would come on earth

as it is in heaven.

The purpose of Jerusalem,

the purpose of Israel, was this.

We read about it this morning from 1 Peter,

that it would be a people

who would point the world to God.

Not just for our good,

but for God's glory as well.

And so what does returning to God's mission look like?

We're going to be in Nehemiah 2,

starting at verse 1.

Remember that this is God's word.

And God tells us that his word

is a lamp to our feet

and a light to our feet.

In other words,

God has not left us alone

to stumble in the dark.

He gives us his word

so that we know the way to walk.

So read with me now as we're in the sea.

And the king said to me,

the queen sitting beside him,

how long will you be gone

and when will you return?

So it pleased the king to send me

when I had given.

And I said,

let me pass through

until I come to Judah

and a letter to Asaph,

the keeper of the king's forest,

that he may give me timber

to make beams for the gates

of the fortress of the temple

and for the wall of the city

and for the house.

And I gave them the king's letters.

Now the king had sent with me

officers of the army and horsemen.

But when Sanballat the Horonite

and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this,

it displeased them greatly

that someone had come to seek

the welfare of the people of Israel.

Verse 11.

So I went to Jerusalem

and was there three days.

Then I arose in the night,

I and a few men with me.

And I told no one

what my God had put into my heart

to do for Jerusalem.

There was no animal with me

but the one on which I rode.

I went out by night

by the valley gate

to the dragon spring

and to the dung gate.

And I inspected the walls of Jerusalem

that were broken down

and its gates

that had been destroyed by fire.

Verse 14.

Then I went on

to the fountain gate

into the king's pool

but there was no room

for the animal

that was under me to pass.

Then I went up in the night

by the valley

and inspected the wall

and I turned back

and entered by the valley gate

and so returned.

And the officials did not know

where I had gone

or what I was doing.

And I had not yet told the Jews,

the priests,

the nobles,

the officials

and the rest

who were to do the work.

Then I said to them,

you see the trouble we are in

how Jerusalem lies in ruins

with its gates burned.

Come, let us build

the wall of Jerusalem

and no longer suffer derision.

And I told them

of the hand of my God

that had been upon me for good

and also of the words

that the king had spoken to me.

And they said,

let us rise up and build.

So they strengthened their hands

for the good work.

But when Sanballat the horror night

and Tobiah the Ammonite servant

and Geshem the Arab

heard of it,

they jeered at us

and despised us

and said,

what is this thing

that you are doing?

Are you rebelling

against the king?

Then I replied to them,

the God of heaven

will make us prosper

and we his servants

will arise and build.

But you have no portion

or right or claim

in Jerusalem.

Please pray with me

as we come to this portion

of God's word.

Dear Father in heaven,

we thank you

that you do not just call us

to repent of our sins,

but you also call us

into your plans

for the world.

You call us to be

a part of your mission.

And so we ask

that you would help us

this morning to do that,

that you would show us

everything that you have

for us in your word.

We ask this

not because we have earned it

or deserve it,

but because Jesus

has earned it

and deserved it for us.

And so we ask it

in his name.

Amen.

If you have been

following the news

the last few weeks,

you know that we've had

a couple important dates pass.

Now it's debate

as to whether it's

January the 12th

or January the 17th,

but there is an official

ditch New Year's

resolution day.

And I believe it's based

on some sort of polls

or data about

when people are most likely

to drop their

New Year's resolutions.

So there's some debate

about which week

in January it is,

but there comes a point

at which people decide

or maybe don't even decide,

but they finally drop off

everything that they've

resolved to do

in the new year.

Now this is bad news

for people who set goals.

It's amazing news

for all the gyms

in the world.

That was a joke.

You can laugh.

It's okay.

But the reality is

that it's one thing

to set a goal

and it's another thing

to see it through.

It's another thing

to carry it out.

Nehemiah in chapter 1

repented of the sins

of himself

and the people of Israel

on the one hand.

But now he actually

has to do all the work

that it requires

to come back.

All the work

to restore years

and years

of neglect

of Jerusalem.

It's been hundreds

of years leading up

to this point.

It's been almost

a hundred years

since the return

from exile.

It was decades

in exile

and it was hundreds

of years before that

as Jerusalem fell

and Israel fell

little by little

into sin

and rebellion

against God.

And so while it's easy

to at times

feel sorry

or regret

the things

that we've done

it's on the other hand

much more challenging

to begin

to walk the path

away.

To walk the path

back to what God

has for us.

And yet we had

that great cliffhanger

last week

that great hint

that there were

wonderful things

in store for Nehemiah

and we're not

disappointed at all.

We find out

at the very beginning

of chapter 2

that Nehemiah

has been praying

for four months.

It's the month

of Nisan.

So we've gone

from November

and December

of one year

to April

of the next year.

Remember I told you

that this prayer

that we saw

in chapter 1

was a summary prayer

of everything

that Nehemiah

had been praying

for months.

And as he's been praying

he's also been planning

because we're going

to see the brilliance

of everything

that he's thought through.

He's waited

four months.

Now we would assume

at this point

that he's had

many chances

to bring food

before the king.

There's many times

that the king

is going to eat.

We can assume

he hasn't been fasting

for the last four months.

Right?

And so Nehemiah comes

he's been waiting

and finally

he has the right opportunity.

Everything that he does here

it seems to be strategic.

First of all

he's coming before the king

when there's wine

to be had.

If there's any time

that the king

is going to be

most friendly

and receptive

to what Nehemiah

has to say to him

it's going to be

when he's feeling good.

Now Old Testament scholars

have a debate here

about whether this was

a Pinot Noir

or a Cabernet

but the type of wine

that is here

is not important.

The point is that

Nehemiah is using

everything at his disposal.

He's using all the

intelligence and faculties

that God has given him.

He picks the right time.

Then he also does

something else

that's strategic.

He tells us in verse 1

he had not been sad

in the king's presence before.

Now we know that

this isn't because

Nehemiah had not been

feeling sad

he had been fasting

and weeping

in chapter 1.

But instead

it's more likely

that Nehemiah

strategically decides

this is going to be

the day that he finally

lets the king see

everything that he's

been feeling.

So he picks the right time.

He sets the right mood.

And the plan begins

to work because

the king notices

that something is wrong

with Nehemiah

and he asks him

this question.

Nehemiah continues

in his brilliance there

because he doesn't even

make a request

at this point.

Verse 2

the king asks him

why he's sad.

And Nehemiah

doesn't say

here's what I want

you to do

and says

instead he says

let the king

live forever.

Verse 3

why should not

my face be sad

when the city

the place of

my father's graves

lies in ruins

and its gates

have been destroyed

by fire.

Here Nehemiah's

strategy continues

because instead

of talking about

his regret

over sin

his repentance

he speaks in words

that the king

can understand.

And at this time

in history

there is few

things worse

than your father's

graves being destroyed.

And so Nehemiah

chooses the right time.

He chooses

the right mood.

He chooses

the right words

that he knows

will be most

effective to the king.

And it leads

to the result

that he wants.

In verse 4

the king says to him

what are you requesting?

What does Nehemiah do?

After he's laid out

this brilliant strategy

after he's decided

for the perfect moment

at the perfect time

to speak to the king

he prays.

He does

again

what he's been doing

for the last

four months.

He continues

and we can see

that he has

planned out everything.

The king continues

to ask him questions

and Nehemiah

has thought

through every contingency

every need

that he has.

He strikes

when the moment

is right.

He asks for the

permission that he needs

the letters

that he requires

to be able to do

everything that is required.

Even so much so

that he gets

the king to pay

for the resources

that he needs.

You see in verse 8

he asks for a letter

so that he could use

wood from the king's forest.

And so Nehemiah

does two things here.

He acts

decisively

and boldly

and intelligently

with everything

that God has given him.

but he also

prays

and relies

on God

to give him

the favor

that he needs

in the eyes

of the king.

And so what does it

look like for

us

to return

to God's mission?

What does

returning to God's

mission look like?

It means that we

act

and we pray.

We act

and we pray.

Now some of us

are going to

fall more

on the side

of acting

others of us

more on the side

of praying.

we don't just

invite our

neighbors

over to our

house

or invite

them to church.

We also pray

for them.

And we don't

just pray

for our

neighbors

that they would

come to know

Jesus

but we also

act.

We also

invite them

over to our

house

and we

invite them

to join

us at church.

We don't

just pray

that our

children would

come to know

Jesus

and embrace

him.

But we also

model for them

what that looks

like as we

talked about

last week

in repenting.

We don't

just model for

them what it

looks like to

repent but we

also pray.

We don't

just pray about

injustice and

poverty and

homelessness but we

also join with

people in our

city who are

doing that.

We don't just

join with people

who are doing

that though we

also pray.

pray.

Oftentimes for

Christians as

much as God

calls us to

pray prayer can

become a cop

out.

I often hear

people say well

I'm praying about

that and that is

good and right.

God calls us to

pray about things

but he also calls

us to act.

He calls us to

step out like

Nehemiah and to

use the resources

that he has given

us to return to

his mission.

He doesn't just

call us to

repent of our

sin but he

calls us to

fight it as

well.

And so we

don't just pray

that God would

give us victory

and faithfulness

in the things in

our lives that

continue to trip

us up but he

calls us to

take the action

that we need to

put it to death.

It might look

like confessing

not just to God

but to a friend

and asking for

their help.

It might look

like joining an

accountability group

that will help

us move back

away from sin

and towards

righteousness.

When we return

to God and

his mission we

don't just act

but we pray.

And we don't

just pray but we

act.

Nehemiah sets a

model here of

depending entirely

on God.

He prays for

four months

before doing

anything.

but he also

sets us a

model of

being bold

and decisive.

And he

doesn't do it

because he is

a man of

great confidence

and ability.

Did you see

what he said

in verse 2?

Just as his

plan is about

to succeed

just as it's

underway

the king is

asking him

about the

sadness of

his face.

The very end

of verse 2

then I was

very much

afraid.

As Nehemiah

repents

and moves

back towards

God and his

mission he is

not immune

from fear.

He is not

immune from

the challenges

and the

frightening

reality of

living in

this world.

Of pushing

back against

all the

effects of

sin.

Everything

that sin

has ruined.

And yet he

moves forward

not because

Nehemiah is

brilliant.

But he knows

that God's

good hand is

upon him.

That's what he

tells us at the

end here in

verse 8.

The end of

this scene.

The king

granted me

what I

asked for

the good

hand of

my God

was upon

me.

And so

as we

turn back

as we

return to

God and

his mission

as we

want God's

kingdom to

be here on

earth as

it is in

heaven.

We work

and we

pray but

we work

and we

pray because

we know

that God's

good hand

is with

us.

It's on

us.

Because it's

God's

mission.

It's God's

kingdom that

he wants

to return.

And so

God is

going to

bring his

good hand

anywhere and

everywhere that

his people are

returning to

him.

And so

our next

portion as we

return to

God's mission

is this.

First we saw

as we look

to return to

what God has

called us to

do, we act

and we pray.

But we also

have to make

sure that the

mission that

we're on is

God's mission.

In other

words, how do

we know that

the good hand

of our God

is upon us?

When do we

know that God

is with us?

What are the

actions that

result in God's

blessing and

favor here?

God's

God's

mission?

Sometimes it's

tempting when we

talk about God

and the

coincidences that

he provides, the

doors that he's

opened.

Sometimes I hear

people talk about

those things but

it's things that

seem to have

nothing to do

with God and

his mission.

So God's

promised to

us.

His presence

with us is not

a promise that

he's going to

help us with

everything in

every way.

God is not

necessarily going

to help everyone

in this room

become a

multimillionaire.

God is not

going to help

everyone in

this room start

a successful

real estate

business.

God is not

necessarily going

to help everyone

in this room

find what we're

looking for.

And so as we're

praying and acting,

how do we know

that we are on

God's mission?

How are we with

God?

How do we know

that that good

hand of God

is upon us?

We see here

in this chapter

in the following

section that

Nehemiah is

pursuing the

kingdom of God.

He's looking to

rebuild and

restore Jerusalem,

the place where

God wants his

kingdom to be

modeled on earth.

The point of

Jerusalem was that

all of the

nations would be

able to look and

see what it's

like when God's

people live in

God's ways.

God's mission.

And so we see

here in this

chapter that

Nehemiah is on

God's mission.

We see in verse

10 that he's

come to seek the

welfare of the

people of Israel.

We see in verse

12 that God

had put this in

his heart to do

something for

Jerusalem.

And so Nehemiah

here has a special

mission from God.

And what's difficult

as we ask and

wonder what is

God's mission is

that Nehemiah

doesn't just have

a special mission

from God but he

plays a role in

the Bible that we

do not play.

Not everyone in

the history of

Israel makes it

into the Bible.

Not everyone has

a special mission

from God in

redemptive history.

God has not

called us to

rebuild the walls

of Jerusalem like

he called Nehemiah

to do that.

And yet we do

have God's

commands to us in

the Bible.

God has given

us enough that

we know everything

that God loves.

And so we

experience God's

good hand.

We know that we

are returning to

God in his

mission when we

work for the

things that God

loves.

We know that we're

returning to God's

mission when we

are seeking for

God's kingdom to

be here on earth

just as it is in

heaven.

And so on the

one hand we make

a mistake if we

want everything to

happen to us just

like it happens to

Nehemiah.

We are not an

Old Testament

governor of Judah.

On the other

hand we can be

confident that God's

hand is with us

whenever we turn

back to him and

his mission.

And so what we

see here in

chapter 2 is

similar to what we

saw in the book

of Ruth.

Remember Ruth

goes out trying to

provide for Naomi

and it just so

happens that she

turns out in the

fields of Boaz.

We expect things

to just so happen

not with every

coincidence in our

lives but whenever

we're seeking God

and his ways.

And so how do we

know that we are

with God on his

mission?

One thing we can

do is we can ask

the why test.

We can use the

why test.

In other words,

why is it that we

are pursuing what

we're pursuing?

Why is it that we

want what we want?

How is it that our

lives are seeking

after God and his

mission?

One way that this

shows up is in our

prayers.

Yemiah here has been

praying to God that

Jerusalem would be

destroyed.

Excuse me, not

destroyed.

Jerusalem would be

restored after its

destruction.

And so we can ask

the same question for

ourselves.

How does our life

relate to God and

his mission?

And this is not just

something that involves

building up the church

but all of our lives.

If we are single and

praying for a spouse,

are we praying for a

spouse so that we will

not be lonely?

Or are we saying to

God, please bring me a

spouse and here is how I

see my marriage bringing

you and your kingdom

glory.

I want it to be a place

where people see the

gospel lived out and

acted out.

Do we ask God for a

house?

Because we are

interested in our own

comfort.

Or are we asking God

that he would come and

bring us a place that's

not just for our good

but for his glory.

A place where people are

going to experience the

safety and belonging and

rest and challenge of the

gospel.

If we are asking God for

children, are we asking

him for children so that we

won't be lonely in our old

age?

Or are we asking him that

he would provide us with

children so that we can be

part of raising them to

love God and know God and

that they would play a role

in bringing God's kingdom

here on earth.

That he would raise them up

and give them vocations and

work.

That they would be a part of

restoring this world that God

has given us.

Are we seeking to help those

who are homeless so that we

can feel good about

ourselves?

Or are we praying that God

would use us to help restore

everything that's been

ruined by sin?

In other words, are we

seeking God and his mission?

Are we seeking the things that

God loves?

For the reasons that he loves

them.

God has not called us to build

a wall around Jerusalem.

And yet he has called us, just

like Nehemiah, as we repent of

our sin to turn back to all of

his purposes for this world.

And so whatever we're pursuing,

whatever we're doing, we're

pursuing it with God and his

mission in mind.

It's not that we need to become

frantic and fill our schedules

with more things in our lives.

But that the things that we're

already doing are not more

things, but they become mission

things.

Things that are bringing God and

his goodness and his justice and

his love to bear in the world.

We see in this section, Nehemiah

meets some enemies.

We're going to see a lot of

Nehemiah's enemies and the rest of

Nehemiah, so we're going to save

some of that for later when they

oppose him even more.

But we see throughout all of this,

as he faces the enemies, as

Nehemiah looks around the wall,

that he is interested in God and

his good hand.

It's God and his provision that is

the motivating factor for Nehemiah

as he's leading.

We saw already in verse 12 that God

had put this in his heart.

We see in verse 8 before that the

good hand of God was upon Nehemiah.

In fact, that's a theme here in this

chapter because it shows up again in

verse 18.

Nehemiah is trying to lead and

encourage the people of Jerusalem to

join him in the work.

And so he says,

And I told them, this is verse 18,

of the hand of my God that had been

upon me for good, and also of the

words that the king had spoken to me.

And they said, let us rise up and build.

So they strengthened their hands for the

good work.

In one verse,

we see that God has given his good

hand to his people.

And the result is that they can

strengthen their hands as well.

But then the real kicker comes in

verses 19 and 20.

Nehemiah's enemies and opponents

come to him and they make fun of him.

And they ask him a question that he

doesn't answer.

Do you notice that?

Verse 19.

What is this thing that you are doing?

Are you rebelling against the king?

And Nehemiah doesn't answer whether

he's rebelling against the king.

Because he answers to a different king.

And so in verse 20 he says,

Then I replied to them,

The God of heaven

will make us prosper.

And we his servants will arise and build.

But you have no portion or right or claim

in Jerusalem.

In other words,

Nehemiah knows

that God allows

and calls

and invites his people

to be a part of his mission.

He invites them

not just to repent of sin

but to turn back.

And he does that

not because of our good hand

but because of his.

It's God's good hand

on his people.

It's God's good hand

on his people here

in the Old Testament.

As they look forward

to Jesus coming.

And it's God's good hand

on us as well

as we look back

to Jesus coming.

God doesn't allow us

to be part of restoring

the world

that's been broken by sin

because we

are not a part

of the problem.

He allows us

to be a part of it

even though we are.

Even as we are part

of the brokenness

of this world,

God allows us

and invites us

to join him.

because his good hand

is with us

and it's with us

because of Jesus.

As we talked about

with repentance,

God is bringing

his justice

on the earth.

And yet for those

who follow him

and have faith in him

and trust him,

he allows that justice

to fall on Jesus.

He takes people

who allow the walls

to be torn down

and destroyed

and he invites us

to come back

with him

and rebuild them.

And so because

of everything

that Jesus has done

for us,

God's invitation

to Nehemiah

is his invitation

to us as well.

That we can be

a part of his mission

and we can return

with action

and prayer

joining God

in everything

that he has

that is good

for this world.

And so that's

what we're about

to sing

as we sing

By Faith.

We're going to sing

a verse about

the city

that God has given

of justice

and goodness.

That it's something

that we don't see now

but we walk by faith

knowing that God

comes and joins

and gives us

his good hand

as we choose

to walk with him.

Even when we don't

see and know

everything that lies ahead.

And so let's do that now.

Please pray with me

before we sing

our closing hymn.

Dear Father in Heaven,

we thank you

that even though

we are part

of the problem

of this world,

we've contributed

to its brokenness,

to its destruction.

You allowed Jesus

to be broken

and destroyed for us

so that we could

join with you

in rebuilding

everything that's

been broken and lost.

We ask that you

would encourage us

with that this morning,

that you would remind us

of your love

and your grace.

And we would take that

and it would allow us

to walk forward

in faith,

building and restoring

as you guide us

and lead us.

We ask all these things

in the name of your son.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you.