This morning, we will begin by looking at the prologue to this gospel. In this prologue, Luke offers several clues about his purpose in writing this book. This will be the focus of our message this morning—what is the purpose of this gospel. What makes it unique? Why did Luke write it? How did Luke know what to write? We’ll take some time to answer these and other questions to help us get a clearer understanding of this book we’re about to study.
Have you ever asked yourself the question “What is God’s will for my life?” It’s an important question and one that every believer should ask themselves at some point or another. Thankfully, the Bible has the answer! In his first letter to the Thessalonian church, Paul gave some instruction about what God commands His followers to do in all circumstances.
Over 120 years ago, God raised up a group of Christian businessmen into a men’s ministry with a specific purpose – to hold each other accountable for the way they lived and worked in a culture in which the temptations to immorality were abundant and formidable. The mission he gave them was to work alongside the local churches they serve to introduce people in all walks of life to the Gospel of Jesus Christ through their own personal testimonies and through distributing free copies of God’s Word. Those objectives are as relevant today as they were when these men organized.
This morning we will hear a stewardship report from The Gideons International on how God has developed this group into the most effective, most comprehensive, and most integrated Bible distribution network the world has ever known. Nearly 2.5 billion times in some 200 countries, territories, and possessions of the world Scriptures have been placed into the hands of an individual, or into a room where people will have occasions to encounter it under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
This is the final episode that we will study from the Book of Nehemiah this year. Nehemiah’s story is not finished, but as we see here in this study, the rebuilding of the wall is complete. It was evident to all that the wall’s completion was a work of God. The same can be true of our lives as well–God wants to rebuild the broken aspects of our lives! And when we allow Him to do that, people all around us will be aware that our transformation is being accomplished by the power of God!
This sermon was delivered as the Annual Message at the Baptist Missionary Association of Arkansas meeting on November 4, 2021, at Central Baptist College in Conway, Arkansas.
As we continue our study in Nehemiah 6, we once again find Nehemiah contending with those who have opposed him from the beginning—only now their tactics have changed. Does that mean that they have changed? Are they now trying to make peace with their neighbors? Nehemiah will have to depend on discernment from God to know what he should do and how he should do it.
By definition, the word compassion means “a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.” Love and compassion go hand-in-hand. “The opposite of compassion is often thought to be indifference or cold-heartedness. So as we continue to explore the story of Nehemiah, let’s see how he is confronted with an issue and moved to compassion as a result.
Oftentimes, when we set our hearts to do what God has called us to do or to walk according to His Word, opposition is sure to follow. Why is this? What should we do when this happens? As we continue through the book of Nehemiah, we’ll gain some insight into the nature of opposition and how we should respond to it.
As we jump around considering the circumstances and situations of some of these groups listed in chapter three of Nehemiah, we discover four biblical principles of teamwork and leadership: 1) God chooses to work through people, 2) God empowers leaders on all levels, 3) God wants all people to participate, and 4) God wants our work to be meaningful. We’ll unpack each one of these principles as we study this passage.
In the previous study, I introduced you to five principles for restoring the broken. We looked at how Nehemiah started this process with his God-given purpose in mind; and then he seized the opportunity that God set before him. This morning, we’re going to focus on the next two principles on this list—analyze the situation you find yourself in and then motivate your team to join you in the effort. Nehemiah accomplishes this by taking five specific steps.