Rise & Rebuild

Rise & Rebuild: Two Questions. So What? Now What?

June 2, 2024 • Pastor Tammy Long • Nehemiah 2:17–18

Sermon Quick Summary For the past few weeks, we have been in the Old Testament book of Nehemiah. The theme has been repairing broken walls in our world, such as systemic injustice and inequalities, broken relationships, broken emotional, physical, mental or spiritual health, and broken financial realities. The list of brokenness in our world is endless. Brokenness can cause us to grieve, mourn, pray, and celebrate spiritual renewal as we listen for how God would have us repair and restore what is broken. Two lingering questions for us today are the following: (1) So what does this all mean for us? (2) What would God have us to do next? Three people shared personal testimonies about how they felt God leading them to respond to broken walls in their personal lives. Then the mission team who went to Atlanta shared how they saw God at work and the call to repair broken walls like Nehemiah in our partnership with New Life Covenant Church. This partnership follows the declaration of Jesus when he declared in Luke 4:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free.”

Rise & Rebuild: Celebrations for Spiritual Renewal

May 26, 2024 • Reverend Harry Cox • Nehemiah 8

We are continuing our mini-series, “Rise and Rebuild.” Wherever there is brokenness, including broken systems, relationships, or communities in this world, there is a need for repair and healing. Pastor Tammy Long has delivered three messages covering Nehemiah Chapters 1 through 4 in this Rise and Rebuild miniseries. Nehemiah was deeply troubled by the literal broken walls around Jerusalem, which left his people vulnerable, unprotected, and in disgrace. Brokenness in the fallen world needing repair and healing includes broken systems, relationships, or communities. He went to God in prayer with fasting and mourning. God gave him a vision. Nehemiah assessed the situation and mobilized the diverse community. Nehemiah faced opposition and internal struggles like fatigue and fear. Continual prayer and action in support of the vision got Nehemiah through it. This message in the Rise and Rebuild miniseries is focused on Nehemiah Chapter 8. As recorded in Nehemiah 6:15-16, rebuilding the wall was finished and perceived by all as accomplished with the help of God. Nehemiah continued to mobilize the community guided by the vision from God. Here is a summary of 7 applications to our lives today of Nehemiah Chapter 8 that this message will explore. (1) Reading or hearing God’s Word with explanations to ensure understanding can be convicting with feelings of falling short. (2)Careful examination of God’s Word leads to obedience. (3) We may then engage in self-remorse or cry, but instead, God wants us to celebrate. (4) God directs us to spiritual renewal in our celebration. (5) Celebrations can be spiritual renewals if we have God as part of our celebrations. (6) The spiritual renewal will point out, transform us, and remind us about the attributes of God and what God has done to bless us, our ancestors, and God’s people. (7) The Hebrew language words convey truths that point to the Good News Gospel of Christ. These words in the Hebrew of the Old Testament facilitate obedient celebrations of the right relationship with God both for the Israelites in 845 BC and for us today. The Israelite's use of the Hebrew words translated town, people, water, scribe, priest, bless, amen, hand, holy, and strength in Nehemiah 8 facilitate obedience in embracing celebration for spiritual renewal in the joy of relationship with God. These are words celebrating the joy of God’s mercy and forgiveness as we remember what God has done for us, our ancestors, and God’s people. This is not self-absorbed condemnation based on our falling short, but joy in celebrating and trusting in Jesus Christ.       Let each of us read and hear the Word of God, pray, and teach for understanding just as Ezra and the Jewish leaders did. Let’s worship God with joy because when we hear the Word of God and obey, we are truly living and experiencing spiritual renewal.

Rise & Rebuild: Fighting Opposition

May 19, 2024 • Pastor Tammy Long • Nehemiah 4

We are continuing our mini-series, “Rise and Rebuild” based on the model of Nehemiah rebuilding. Today, we celebrate Pentecost Sunday as we remember that the Holy Spirit did come as God’s presence within us that never leaves us. Nehemiah preceded the coming of the Holy Spirit, but he did know about the faithfulness of God. God placed on the heart of Nehemiah to rebuild broken areas in this world in need of healing and restoration, including broken systems, relationships, or communities. Nehemiah faced opposition like we face when doing great work for the Lord from the forces of evil in this fallen world. There is a spiritual battle waging that we may feel through circumstances, people, systems, attitudes, or mentalities.

Rise & Rebuild: All Hands On Deck

May 5, 2024 • Pastor Tammy Long • Nehemiah 2:11—3:32

Rise & Rebuild: Vision, Risk, Courage

April 28, 2024 • Pastor Tammy Long • Nehemiah 2:1–8

We are continuing our mini-series, “Rise and Rebuild” based on the model of Nehemiah rebuilding. As followers of Christ, we are the hands and feet of God. What bothers you to the point of saying, “Someone should DO something”? This question may keep you up at night. If you have not become desensitized, numb, or compassion-fatigued, whatever areas of brokenness most stir in your heart may be God inviting you to rise and rebuild some walls wherever there is brokenness in this fallen world. Today, there are broken walls all around us. Brokenness includes financial, relational, social, judicial, political, and spiritual with additional ruins that follow. Rebuilding broken walls is core to our church mission of action in bringing God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Nehemiah provides us an equation to pray, listen, and discern the walls God is inviting us to rebuild (Nehemiah 2:1-8): Seek God’s Vision + Take the Risk + Be Courageous = Rise to Rebuild Some Kingdom Walls. Rebuilding walls takes seeking God’s vision in prayer. It has been three to five months since Nehemiah learned about the destruction of the walls in Jerusalem allowing time to pray for God’s vision. Nehemiah had an honored, esteemed, and influential position as the King’s cupbearer. God had positioned Nehemiah for the task, just like God positions you and me. Nehemiah’s continence was unusually sad, noticed by the King, who asked how the King could help Nehemiah. Before Nehemiah responded, he continued his ongoing prayers to God. Nehemiah shared with the King what has been keeping him up at night: “How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire” (Verse 3). We need to pray like Nehemiah and seek God’s vision. We need to see as God sees and ask how God would have us respond. Helen Keller said, “The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision.” Rebuilding walls takes risk. We have to take risks to follow where we feel and trust that God is leading us. “Nehemiah was terrified” (Verse 2). It was considered dangerous and inappropriate to appear before the King with any signs of sorrow. Nehemiah took the risk of being removed from the King’s Court of Officials. Nehemiah also risked the King saying no to his request. Being disappointed is part of taking a risk. Sometimes what we think God is telling us doesn’t happen the way we thought or bring the results we expected. We may find ourselves regretting we took the risk in the first place. God does not waste anything. God is always doing more than we can see. Risk could also go the other way as it did for Nehemiah. Your efforts to repair brokenness may be well received. For example, there could be a relationship breakthrough, a response of gratitude and friendship, a step toward health and wholeness, and a desire to hear more about Jesus. Author Joel Barker said, “Vision without action is merely a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. Vision with action can change the world.” Rebuilding walls takes courage. Taking risks can result in fear. Fear and lack of courage can thwart, limit, stifle, and impede the very thing God is trying to do through us. This theme of courage resonates throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It applies to the assignments God gives to us to rebuild broken walls. God continues to invite us to trust God. God also empowers us with the Holy Spirit to be courageous. God goes before us and is present with us, just like God was with Nehemiah, even if we are trembling. Let us have a thick faith in being faithful, to our faithful loving God, to rebuild walls in the broken world.

Rise & Rebuild

April 21, 2024 • Pastor Tammy Long • Nehemiah 1:11

This message begins a new series, Rise and Rebuild, based on applications to our life journey from the biblical book of Nehemiah. Pastor Tammy Long shared her recent spiritual pilgrimage through Spain. It was modeled on St. Ignatius’ journey when he developed spiritual exercises. These spiritual exercises include imaginative prayer, recognizing God in both the highs and lows of your day, and God’s grace is all you need. In the evening at the hotel, the breaking news on TV was Iran’s military attacks on Israel, and the US military assisted in shooting down missiles and drones. The Bible is clear that there will be wars and rumors of wars (See Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7). We live in a fallen and broken world. In our world of media and round the clock reporting, we are inundated with brokenness, pain, and suffering. Our minds can struggle to take in distressing events and can lead to a decrease in empathy and sensitivity towards the pain and suffering of others. We can experience compassion fatigue in which continuous negative news can diminish our capacity to empathize. Also we may experience psychic numbing in which the scale of suffering is too much. We may experience a reduced sense of urgency to respond to crisis that we see because we are numb to it. We can also experience desensitization from prolonged exposure to violent media content. Desensitization decreases our emotional response to violence and lessens our perception of the severity of a problem. Faced with brokenness and injustice all around us, like Nehemiah, you and I can take it to God for help. Nehemiah deliberately sought and listened with the following four prayer movements in Nehemiah 1:1-11. First, Nehemiah recounts that God is great and awesome with unfailing covenant love (Verses 5-6a). Second, Nehemiah acknowledges in humility and confession that he has sinned, fallen short, contributed to the brokenness being experienced, and allowed God’s grace of forgiveness to cleanse him, you, and me (Verses 6b-7). Third, as Nehemiah recalls God’s promises, we align with God’s Word, we are reminded of our part for focus and commitment, and God’s promises are sure amidst brokenness, pain, and suffering because God can be trusted (Verses 8-10). Fourth, Nehemiah makes his request to God and responds to God’s leading. God positioned Nehemiah to respond to broken walls all around from people who are not doing well (Verse 11). Nehemiah’s prayer is a model for us today.