promises of god final layout

8/3/2019 Promises of God Final Layout

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The theme for this month is the Our promise keeping God and the

theme for our meditation this week is

Be devoted to Jerusalem

We have been meditating on the book of Nehemiah for the pastthree months. In the opening chapters we saw Nehemiah hears

about the broken walls of Jerusalem, a city in ruins. He prays and

cries out to God.

Nehemiah was the lone voice,

the lone voice,

we see that Nehemiah is the only person devoted to Jerusalem,

devoted to rebuilding Jerusalem and returning to its past glory

why was he devoted to Jerusalemit was because he believed that promise that God made of a rebuilt

and vibrant Jerusalem will be fulfilled

a belief that promise of God regarding Jerusalem will be fulfilled

not many shared the same devotion and desire for Jerusalem to be

rebuilt

the majority had given up, they did not see any future for

Jerusalem,

it was in ruins for 70 years, with no people, no king, no leadership

They had given up on Gods promise which said That even if the people are scattered, it they repent and pray he

would bring them back and restore the city

people could not be devoted to Jerusalam because they felt the

promise of God about Jerusalem was unrealizable

When we look at the history of Jerusalem there were many times

that promise of God about Jerusalem the land of Jebusites for the

people of Israel was unrealizable

God promises land of Canaan which includes Jerusalem belonging

to the Jebusites to Abraham and his descendants in Gen 15:31

After 400 yearsAgain when the isrealites are coming to the promised land from

their slavery in Egypt God is reminding them that canaan

including Jebusite territory will be given to them

Duet 7:1

when the Lord your God brings you into the land you are abut to

enter he will clear away many nations before you including the

Jebusites

that did not happen

But during the time of Joshua, isreal claimed most of the areaspromised to them but when they came to Jerusalem they failed to

conquer it

Jos15:63

The people of Judah could not drive out the Jebusites, the

inhabitants of Jerusalem

After Joshua during the time of Judges Judah captured Jerusalem

for a very brief period but lost control of it once again ( Judges 1:8

they capture but in Juges 1:21)

Judges 1:21

The benjaminites could not drive out the Jebusites who lived in

Jerusalem

More than 800 years had passed about the promise of Jerusalem

yet it was not fulfilled


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Almost 800 years after it was promised Jerusalem was conquered

by King David

But in 597BC Jerusalem was destroyed by nebuchadnzar and

raised to the ground and people scattered

But for many isrealites before the time of David and during theperiod of exile Jerusalem was an unrealizable promise

They could not be devoted to Jerusalem because the promise

of God seemed unrealizable

Friends this evening to many of us, some of the promises of God

seem unrealizable in our lives

When we are in confusion, not knowing what to do - the promise

that God will counsel us with his eyes and tell us to turn left or

right does not seem realisticWhen we are battling disease, when pain wracks our body, when

there are cracks in our relationship the promise that I am the God

that healeth thee seems unrealizable

When were going through loneliness, misunderstanding, and

separation the promise that I am with you seems too far away

All these promises look good on promise cards, wall plagues,

bumper stickes and highlighted in the bible

Where is God when it hurts we cry, where are his promises we cry

out

This evening Nehemiah is reminding us

Be devoted to the areas of your life which needs rebuilding

dont give

Believe that the promises of God will be fulfilled and broken

areas of your life will be rebuilt as He has promised

When David Livingston was asked how he became a missinory

and explorer to the dark continent

'I was enabled to go on because I had the word of a perfect

gentleman, never known to break a promise, that He would be

with me always'. The LORD's promise

God will never break a promise

If you have given up! I you find the promises of God unrealizable

just repeat what DL says

I have the word of perfect gentleman

Secondly

Nehemiah was devoted to Jerusalem

because he had the conviction that Gods promises can be

claimed

Yes Jersalem was in ruins

It pointed to a very pathetic picture

But Nehemiah was not looking at the ruins, he was convicned

that Gods promise can be claimed

See how he claims the promise of God regarding Jerusalem

Neh 1:8

Remember now what you have told Moses ifyou people of

Israel are unfaithful to me I will scatter you among other nations,but then if you turn back to me and do what I have commanded

you I will bring you back to the place where I have chosen to be

worshipped, even though you are scattered to the ends of the

earth

Nehemiah was devoted to Jerusalem he was convinced that Godspromise could be claimed


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Going back in Jewish history, David the first to capture Jerusalem

because he too had the conviction that Gods promise regardingJerusalem, could be claimed and nothing could stop him

Jerusalem at Davids time was unassiable fortress,

the Jebusites who lived there were so confident that no one could

capture itThey boasted and their boast is recorded in

2 Sam 5:6

You cannot come in here even the blind and lame will turn you

back

Why was it such a strong hold

It was surrounded by forest of olives almond and pine, the city

was at a height of 2500 feet about sea level, surrounded by valleys

and sharp ravines so it was difficult for anyone to capture itAnother feature of Jerusalem was that even though it was on a hill

any traveler could see it only when he came close to it. All this

made it impregnable during davids time

There is an interesting incentive David gives his men, he says to

them whoever go up the water shaft first shall be my chief and

commander. Joab goes up and helps david capture it.

David did not focus on the difficutlty of the terrain, he did not

think abut history when Jews constantly faild to captureHe was looking only at the promise that God had made to abrham

to that included Jerusalem and it was there to be claimed

When Adoniram Judson set out to India and Burma, people asked

him

What are the chances of converting people

Judsons reply was that the prospects were "as bright as the

promises of God."

During his first several years in Burma, his faith in those

promises was to be severely tested and proven.

In his first four years, he had only one inquirer and

it was six long years before that first convert.

Another five years rolled Judson unfatiguingly translated the New

Testament into the Burmese language.After 11 years of labor, the number of converts had increased to

18!

When conversions seemed to lag and Judson heard rumors from

home that his ministry might be considered a failure, he declared,

"Tell them to wait a few years and they will hear from us."

By the conclusion of his 37 years there, the Judson had become a

living legend.

Yes friendsThis evening many of us have given up claiming the promises of

God

When doubts, failures, shortcuts have come up we have taken the

easy way out

May be we have not been long enough on our knees

Claiming the promises of God

Nehemiahs call comes this evening

The promises of God will be fulfilled if you believe

The promises of God can be claimed if you want it

Thirdly

Nehamiah was devoted to Jerusalem

because he knew that promises of God can be enjoyed

it may seem a strange title but let me explain


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when Nehemiah started out to claim the promise of God

no one forced him, no one pushed him to do it

he voluntarily believed, claimed and acted on the promises of God

he did not do things because he had to but because he wanted to

when the promise of God was being fulfilled and Jerusalme was

taking shape it gave him great joy

rebuilding the walls was not the end of the matter for Nehemiah,

repopulating was

After rebuilding the walls, it seemed that the city was empty

Neh 7:4 says = the city was wide and large but the people within

it were few and no houses had been built

Not many seemed enthusaiatic to live in the newly built cityIn the passage read to us

We see the leaders had moved in

Then there was a lot cast to move one out of ten into the city

But there was a surprise

The third category of people come in the volunteers the want

to people

Why ? just like Nehemiah they wanted to enjoy the promises of

God

To do that they had to sacrifice safety of the plains, comforts of

home, being away from family and friends but

They volunteered because they wanted to enjoy the promises of

God

A new set of people were doing what nehemisah had done many

years ago

Being devoted to Jerusalem means a person

Who is a want to person

Bible stydy why

It builds up the leaders, it movtivates and supports the have to

peopleWe read

The people blessed the volunteer

Today the church needs people the volunteers/ the want to

people/ those who enjoy the promises of god

There is a lot of space for the want to people

Are you willing to commite to it

Lord I am devoted to you, I dont need any postion, no invitation,

no compulsionI come to do your servicebecuaes

I want to

Being devoted to Jerusalem

Belief the Gods promises will be fulfilledConvction that Gods promises can be claimed

Knowledge that Gods promises can be enjoyed

Illustration

There is story of an island nation with riches and wealth, manyarmies came in ships and tried to capture it but often retreated

unable to climb the rocky slopes on the beach.

One day the people of the island many ships approaching them,

they were sure that they too would retreat like the others but after

the army had landed on the beach they saw them burning their

boats.

The islander knew here was an army which would conquer them

becaue they were not going to give up.


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The attackers believed could fulfill their ambition of taking the

island

They were convinced they could claim the island

They were here becaue they wanted the island and enjoy its riches

They burnt their boats and concentrated on victory or death

They were men who wanted to capture the island

Friends, this evening there are boats we have to burn, boats that

stop us from claiming the promises of God, boats that keep us

from trusting the promises of God can we burn the boats

Promises of God will be fulfilled, it needs to be claimed and it

needs to be enjoyed

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