Reconstruction

Today, let's look at reconstruction.  Reconstruction happens after a time of destruction, defeat, imprisonment, capture, and such.  Reconstruction happens when things have been torn down and it is time to start over again.  The reconstruction I want us to look at this morning is the reconstruction for those of Jerusalem during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. 

Let me briefly set the stage for what is happening.  God's people had been in bondage.  Jerusalem had been defeated and destroyed.  They are looking for redemption and reconstruction.  Nehemiah has been called out of a place of prominence and called to help his people rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  It was a tremendous feat which most did not think possible.  However, Nehemiah was a mighty man of God and what God had called him to do, he was going to do.  He understood the power of God.  He was not without opposition.  At some point, I want to go back and look at what Nehemiah encountered as he sought to do God's will. 

Today, I want to look at what happened once the walls were rebuilt. We will look at this in steps…we will call the steps of reconstruction.  I think this has so much to teach us as His people in our lives, our churches and our world when it comes to reconstruction.  The first step is reading and implementing the Word (in this case, the Torah). 

Nehemiah 7:73-8:3

As we begin to look, the people are gathered together for worship.  This was no ordinary worship, this was worship unto God as he has provided restoration to His people.  They are gathered and notice that the scriptures are read that morning.  What reverence do you think they might have had this day?

Nehemiah 8:5-6

Notice, they are not only reverent but thankful and excited to hear the Word of the Lord.  The crowd was large so there were people disbursed throughout the crowd to help people to hear and understand what was being read…it was that important.  They wanted people to get it.

Nehemiah 8:9-12

The people are weeping over the reading of the scripture.  They could be weeping because of what the Word is telling them and where they have so far strayed or they could be because this is such a pivotal moment for them and to just hear the Word is that important. 

Nehemiah 8:13-18

This is where the Word is implemented for the people.  They are reading the Torah.  They are beginning to understand it.  It was not enough to just read and understand…they now needed to put it into practice.  They did so with the festival of the booths.  They learned from what we know as Leviticus.

This accounts for what we will refer to as step 1 of the reconstruction.

Why is this important?  There are couple of lessons from this that I want us to make note of…

First, they were eager to hear the Word of God.  It was something they were looking forward to.  It was not an obligation.  They were getting to hear from God.  That was important to them and should be important to us.

Imagine what might happen if we looked at the Word of God the same way.  We open our Bibles and read for many reasons…many of them not the best of reasons.  But the Word of God is alive and active, sharper than any two edged sword.  God has much to say and one of the ways He has chosen to communicate with us is through the Bible.  Do you look at it as God's way of communication with you?

Second, they heard the Word and understood it.  This meant that they took the time to understand it.  They put in the effort to really find out what the Word was telling them.

Third, when they realized what the Word of God was saying, they put it into action.  How many times do we hear the Word, learn the Word, understand the Word, but walk away and act the same?  It is obvious by how we act that we don't always put God's Word into action.

If we want to reconstruct our lives, our homes, our churches, our nation, our world, we begin with the Word of God…listening, understanding, and obeying.  Do you want real reconstruction today?

A New Commandment

I don't think that anyone would question the fact that as followers of Christ, we are to love others.  It begins all the way back in the OT.  One of the first things that God's people learn is to love God and to love others.

Jesus gives us an illustration of loving others in the story of the Good Samaritan.

He also shows us what it is to love others in His own life example.  Think of how He ate with people who were outcast, He went to homes of those who knew no love, He went to serve and rescue the 'least of these'. 

There is no doubt that we are called to show love to others.  But, I think that we can easily encounter a problem if we don't also take the words of Jesus in the lesson today seriously.

John 13:31-35

When we first read this, we can easily miss what Jesus is trying to tell us because we have heard so much of this scripture in songs and lessons.  Let's look at what is going on.

First, Jesus has been spending time with the disciples teaching them lessons regarding being a servant and has shared the Passover meal with them.  He has identified who the betrayer is and Judas has departed.

This is significant because the series of events that are leading up to Jesus' crucifixion are underway.  This begins the betrayal which leads to the arrest.  Jesus is trying to tell the remaining disciples what is happening.

Jesus will glorify The Father by giving of His life.  God will be glorified in Jesus who He sent as a sacrifice. Jesus will be glorified in the resurrection thus showing His power over death and the grave.  All of this is powerful news for the followers of Jesus. 

Jesus is also saying that He is the only One who can do this.  He is giving up His life for His followers…you and me.  No one can do this for Him.  His love is for you and me beginning now.

Then, Jesus gives them a new commandment.  When we first read this, we wonder what is so new about it.  As I said in the beginning, they had been taught since the beginning to love God and to love others.  So, what is so new?

We must understand something…Jesus is asking the disciples, what will be a new community of believers different from what has been before (because of Jesus)…to love one another.  Now, they aren't just to love one another.  They are to love one another as Christ has loved them.

Jesus gave Himself for you and me.  He showed the ultimate love.  He asks us as a community of believers to love one another…love each other.  And if we show love to each other, then we are able to show love to the world.  People will see that we are a community of believers who love Jesus Christ if we show love to each other as Christ has loved us.

Why is this significant?  Let's consider that the church, us, the community of believers, is made up of people.  We are people from various backgrounds.  We have different opinions.  We see the world from different lenses.  We had different upbringings.  We have different personalities.  Yet, Jesus calls us, His people, to come together and to love one another.

That isn't always going to be easy.  On the surface, that doesn't seem possible.  How can you put a whole bunch of different people together and ask them to love one another?  To top it off….let's put a whole bunch of people who love the Lord and put them in different churches and ask them all to love one another.  Just getting along with the people in your own circle can be challenging enough.

The KEY:  We have the love of Jesus Christ in us if we are His followers.

We can show love to others because the love has been poured out in us.  When we aren't able to work together or love one another, it is because we aren't allowing the love of Jesus to work in and through us. 

This is new for the disciples because they haven't experienced the kind of love that is about to take place soon.  They haven't experienced the power of Jesus Christ to it's fullest just yet.  But, when they do…they are to love one another. 

People should know us by our love…not just for them, but for each other.

That is the starting point for a powerful community of believers. If we allow Jesus to change us with His powerful love, Jesus changes the church, Jesus changes the world.  Will you allow Jesus to change you?

You Are

Prayer is essential in our Christian lives.  It is our communication with the Father.  It is a way to bring our requests before Him. 

We try to establish rules for everything…even prayer.  We try to say what it should look like.  In reality, it is communication with the creator God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is a way we show respect to Him.  It is also a way of showing our trust in Him.

Today, we are looking at the story of Hannah and what she offers to our understanding of prayer.

1 Samuel 1

There are several things going on in this scripture.  Let's look at some of the characteristics and circumstances for Hannah.

First, Hannah is unable to have children.  In this time, a man often had more than one wife.  Hannah's husband, Elkanah, had another wife named Peninnah.  It appears she was jealous of Hannah and in turn, made Hannah feel inferior and beat down because she couldn't have children.  It was definitely Hannah's desire to have children. 

Second, we see that Hannah is a faithful follower of God.  She went to the house of the Lord and offered her sacrifice.  This was a time of great pain because it was a reminder year after year that her prayer had not been answered.  It was also a time when she was provoked most by Peninnah.

Elkanah wanted to make her feel better.  He really did love her.  But, this wasn't something he was suppose to fix.  It was something that God was going to handle.  He couldn't change the situation…only God could. 

Third, we see that Hannah brings her requests before God.  She does it sincerely.  She does it whole-heartedly.  She does it with a heavy heart and sorrowful spirit.  She is so intense that Eli, the priest thinks that she is intoxicated.  She was definitely deep in prayer.  She makes a vow to God.  That is important to note.  This wasn't just a minor promise she would forget…this was a vow to God.

What happens?  Eli lets Hannah know that God has heard her prayers and speaks a blessing over her.  She gets up, washes up and moves on.  She does become pregnant and not only does she have a son, but she does just as she promised God she would do…she offered him back to God to use.

What does this all mean?  God heard Hannah's prayers for years.  He knew her heart's desire.  It wasn't that He didn't love her.  It wasn't that He didn't care about what she wanted.  It wasn't that He was trying to punish her.  She didn't do anything wrong.  But, God had a plan.  He had an important plan for Hannah.  He had an important plan for Samuel.  In this plan, Elkanah had an important part, as did Peninnah. 

Hannah was chosen to be Samuel's mother.  God chose a woman who would be faithful and would give her son back to Him to use.  He chose a woman who was faithful and believed in Him.  He chose Hannah.  He chose Hannah to have Samuel at that particular time.  God saw the whole picture. Hannah only saw her immediate need.  In Hannah's life and call, God used those around to help her as well.  Elkanah was a supportive, loving husband.  She had someone who cared for her and really wanted to give her everything.  The realization that he couldn't do it encouraged even more dependence on God.  As well, Peninnah was a part of that plan as well.  We can look at her and think how hateful and spiteful she was.  Or, we can see that the taunts from Peninnah gave Hannah even more fuel in her prayers.  It drove her to her knees like never before. 

Samuel was important to God and definitely had a purpose.  You have to know that Eli's two sons were crooks, liars, and horrible priests.  They did things that were evil in the sight of the Lord.  God couldn't use them because they weren't willing.  Eli would grow old.  God wanted a faithful servant in the absence of Eli.  Since neither of Eli's sons would make it, God looked to Samuel.  Samuel was exactly what God chose…for such a time as that. 

God uses me and you as well.  He uses us in our willingness.  He uses us in our faithfulness.  He uses us in our pain and sorrow and in our joys.  He created us for something for Him.  We aren't able to fulfill that when we are disobedient, unfaithful, and not willing.  Our circumstances don't determine God's faithfulness.  What we see isn't what God has done.  God sees from a different perspective and thus, God has a plan despite our circumstances.  God can even use our circumstances to do mighty things for Him.    

Eli's sons weren't what God needed.  Samuel was.  Hannah was.  You are. 

Are you a NEW CREATION?

God does have a plan for you.  Some of us are in the middle of God's plan and in the middle of His will.  That is a great place to be, but not always a comfortable and easy place to be.  To be in the middle of God's plan can be out of our comfort zone, but in His perfect peace. 

But, we have to understand something about those in God's will.  The people in God's will don't all look the same.  They don't all talk the same.  They don't all dress the same.  They don't all live in the same neighborhood or drive the same cars.  Those in God's will aren't all of a certain economic status.  Those in God's will have varied pasts, different life situations, and multiple experiences.  They are of different ages and races. 

What unites them are not the same as the things that unite people in this world.  Some people come together because they have a common cause in mind.  Some come together because they have associations with others.  That isn't what brings people together who are doing God's will.

Many don't quite get this…and the Jews didn't quite get it either.  Galatians 6:11-15.  This is an interesting text because we are of a different time, culture and generation.  Paul is addressing the Galatians because there are those who are telling them that in order to be 'real Christians', they must be circumcised.  This was the law for the Jews.  It was part of a covenant with God.  There are many bringing Jewish law with them as Christians and demanding others follow the law.

Paul explains that circumcision isn't what defines the person…following the law doesn't give you new life.  He says that a new life comes through Jesus Christ and with him, we are a NEW CREATION.

This is debated in many of Paul's letters because so many people were holding on to Jewish law as a way to be saved.  Paul explains that faith is what makes the difference and faith makes us a new creation.

As a new creation, we don't completely forget who we are and how we got here.  We are a new creation because Jesus Christ, through believing in Him, offers us the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins.  But, God uses who we are (He created us) and what we have been through as part of this transformation into a new creation.

When we come to Him, ready to trust, completely open to what He has for us, He puts us right in the middle of His will and His plan.  Amazingly, this plan uses who we are to fulfill His will.  That's why we can come from different backgrounds and different life experiences and join together as new creations to serve Him.  When God's people do that, He works in a mighty and powerful way. 

So, here are a couple of questions for you…

-Are you a new creation?  Do you have faith in Jesus Christ and believe in Him as your Lord and Savior?  Do you really trust Him and have a desire to follow?

-If you are a new creation, what is God doing through, in and around you?  What is it that He can use from who you are, where you have been, and what you have been through to help others? 

-If you are a new creation and following God's will, have you looked around to see if there are others who need encouragement to do the same?  Are there people who need your experiences so that they might become a new creation and find God's will?  If not, you may want to take off your blinders and realize that being a new creation doesn't change who you are on the outside, but who you are on the inside.