The Sermon Exceptionally Ordinary by David McGee
Oct 25, 2015
Exceptionally Ordinary (36:24)
Referenced Scriptures: Nehemiah 1:4-11; Nehemiah 4:1-12; Nehemiah 9:6;
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The scriptures below are from the WEB Bible.
Nehemiah 1:4-11
4) It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
5) and said, I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and lovingkindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:
6) Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father‘s house have sinned:
7) we have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
8) Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples:
9) but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.
10) Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand.
11) Lord, I beg you, let now your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. Now I was cup bearer to the king.
Nehemiah 4:1-12
1) But it happened that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2) He spoke before his brothers and the army of Samaria, and said, What are these feeble Jews doing? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, seeing they are burned?
3) Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.
4) Hear, our God; for we are despised: and turn back their reproach on their own head, and give them up for a spoil in a land of captivity;
5) and don‘t cover their iniquity, and don‘t let their sin be blotted out from before you; for they have provoked [you] to anger before the builders.
6) So we built the wall; and all the wall was joined together to half [the height] of it: for the people had a mind to work.
7) But it happened that when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabians, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very angry;
8) and they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.
9) But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
10) Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
11) Our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, until we come into the midst of them, and kill them, and cause the work to cease.
12) It happened that when the Jews who lived by them came, they said to us ten times from all places, You must return to us.
Nehemiah 9:6
6) You are Yahweh, even you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all things that are thereon, the seas and all that is in them, and you preserve them all; and the host of heaven worships you.
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The le of my messages morning is exceptionally ordinary. Exceptionally ordinary. And those words do not go together. You know I doubt that we've ever seen them or heard them as two words following each other one word following another. And I thought of exceptionally ordinary as from one to a hundred. You're an exceptional fifty. You're fifty. You're an exceptional fifty. It's like. But that's just ordinary and exceptional is so they don't belong together. While this morning we're look at Nehemiah and. We're going to look at this. This profit that we see his writings and we see his ministry. And he seeing such an ordinary person. But you see inside of every one of us is an exceptional person is it we think sometimes that we're just ordinary. But you see we're an exceptional ordinary meaning that inside of us there is an exceptional person that excels in being you. Being uniquely you. And that is the person that created to be his instrument. At this place in this time in our life. So we seeing the A My him. He's. He is an indication of what can do and how that can work through a person's life. In a very risky but yet. In tree level job in the mire we see working through a person who will change a nation. And whose qualifications. Seem to be just not up there with everybody else. So Nehemiah. He was a common man in a very unique position. He was an ordinary man in a very seemingly ordinary but risky place. . Prepared and positions. Nehemiah to accomplish. One of the Bible's most impossible path. And that's what we're going to look at this morning. How that used the man. Nehemiah to do. Who was a ordinary person to accomplish something exceptional. Something that. Just didn't seem was an impossibility to overcome. He was Nehemiah was the cup there. To the Persian King Arthur's erks ease. Now. Being a cup bear to the king was that. He got to drink. Everything that the king got to drink. In that good to get. But what happens is. He got to drink it first. And if he didn't die. Then the king could drink it. How many going to sign up for that job is kind of a cushy job. I gotta do is sit around and drink from the King's Cup before he does. So the king. If you might imagine. He was ruler over. Much. But yet. His. Kingdom came down to one individual. Willing to take a sacrifice for his life to be the King's Cup air. So he persists in Him position him in a place of being the King's trusted servant. But Nehemiah his heart was not for the kingdom of Persia. His heart was for Jerusalem. And he was a Jewish individual that had not returned to Jerusalem and after the different concept. Conquest. If you look at a kind of a timeline. In five eighty six B.C. we have Jerusalem being captured by the Babylonian kings So it's five eighty six B.C. then after that we have the return of the exiles. To Israel but the return is not like it should have been. The people you know they had kind of settled into babbling. You know babblings philosophy was. We we capture the people we bring them to Babylon. We reorganised them we re prioritize them. We bring them into the Babylonian culture. And then we imilate them. Well that was how that the Babylonians conquered their lands and how that they conquered people. Well. After the period of time they were. Drew slim Israel was supposed to go back. The Jewish people were supposed to go back to Israel. Because had punished him for their sins. For their lack of staying close to and the lack of a law. Being themselves to adhere to the One Jehovah. So there's kind of instrumental times in this timeline from five eighty six B.C. down to the first return in about five eighty five thirty eight in the temple being constructed in five sixteen and are to search season four sixty five so he see these. There's it's decreasing from five eighty six. Towards the birth of Christ. So we have Nehemiah which is about four forty five B.C.. Which is about one hundred forty years since. DANIEL. And Chad wrecked me shakin to Bendigo got taken to babbling. So it's about one hundred forty years since the beginning of the Book of Daniel and. So now that Nehemiah he's been praying. And he's heard and he's heard what's going on in Jerusalem. He's concerned for it because his heart was dare. That the Kingdom of Israel the Kingdom of Israel would be reestablished. And it was. It was his desire that would have that. Remanent of people that group of people that were designated as his chosen individuals that they would be back in Israel and back in Jerusalem. Well. As for A in the book of Ezra you read how Esther went back and he started the got the people back to the king back to the temple back to the Word of . But Nehemiah. While Nehemias call to do an impossible task. The walls of Jerusalem. Are in ruin. And you can have a nation. That doesn't have a secure capitals. Doesn't have a secure city. And so Jerusalem is the place that they want to go back to. And they want to rebuild the. The walls of Jerusalem need to be redone. So began then to speak to in the Maya. Nehemiah you don't long for Israel he longed for the city to be rebuilt. And for the walls to be rebuilt. And wanted it done so when 's 's will and a man's desire. Come together. We find a calling. And so began to speak to Nehemiah. He began to make a plan for him in his mind in his heart. As of what was going to happen and how he was going to do this. So he would have a part. Nehemiah would in rebuilding this. In rebuilding this city. Now. It's something how that when Jesus. When Jesus needed something done. He simply took something very ordinary and blessed it. When he fed the five thousand. You know. He used the five loaves and two fishes of this little boy's lunch to feed five thousand men plus women and children. You know Jesus could have said you know everybody pick up a rock. Beside you. And they pick up a rock and says. Jesus was a the bread. And there would be bread. So if you picked up a little pebble that's all the bread you got picked up a big rock my you had a whole loaf. You know why this is a pretty good thing you know. According to your faith let it be you know could have been one of those il rations are one of those stories. But he didn't do that. He took a little boy's lunch. Prayed over it. Blessed It broke it. Divided up among the twelve disciples. And the twelve disciples divided among five thousand men plus women and children. That's kind of a Great Miracle. It is something very ordinary something very ordinary An exceptional. Ordinary. It was an exceptional ordinary that. Five loaves and two fish five flat tank cakes into sardines. To be more specific. He took one exceptional meal. What an exceptional ordinary that Jesus found in this little little boy's lunch. Well you see. When Grace when the grace of comes upon our life. It is this exceptional ordinary. When the grace of touches our life and. And it is the vine favor of That is the unmerited favor. 's grace is unmerited we cannot earn it we cannot make it. We cannot produce it we cannot make give it to us. He just gives it to us. So the grace of the exceptional favor. The unmerited favor of upon our life is for everyone and so we find ourselves in this place of unmerited unearned blessings. An unearned grace upon our lives. Well. Nehemiah. Was the man whom had chosen to do the impossible. Near my knew the problems of Jerusalem. And he could have been a complainer. You know. Drew slim isn't built you know I don't know what's going on with them people over there. Why they don't get their job done. I don't understand why these people are not rebuilding the walls and were getting their selves back in church and get in the cells back in the temple. I don't understand. You know anybody like that. Who is a chronic complainer. You know this is wrong and that's wrong and you know you stand in a far off and throwing insults back to Jerusalem. Well that's not Nehemiah. I've a little story here. It's kind of fits in with this part this part this part this. This point of the message. A lovely little girl was holding two apples with both hands. Her mom came up and softly asked the little daughter for politely and sweetly. Could you give your mom. One of your two apples. The girl looked up at her mom Mom word used here looked up at her mom. For a few seconds. Then she suddenly took a quick bite. On one apple. And then took a quick bite on the other the mom felt. The smile on her face. Freeze. She tried hard not to reveal her disappointment. Then the little girl handed. One of the bitten apples to her mom and said mommy. Here you are. This one is the sweetest. Madge what the story's about. No matter who you are how experienced you are and how knowledgeable you think you are always delay judgment give others a privilege to explain themselves. What you see may not be the complete reality. Never conclude. Another's fun. Which is why we should never only focus on the surface of judging others without understanding them first. Those who like to pay the bill do so not because they are loaded but because they value friendship. Those who take the initiative at work. Do so not because they are stupid. But because they understand the concept of responsibility. Those who apologize first. After a fight do not do so not because they are wrong but because they value the people around. Those who are willing to help you do not do so because they owe you anything but because they see. See you as a friend. Those who often text you do so not because they have nothing better to do but because you are in their heart and those who take time to chat with you does not mean they are jobless or hopeless. Or less busy. But they know the importance of keeping in touch. So you see Nehemiah. Was he was in touch with what was going on in in Jerusalem. But yet he found himself in a place that he could have been very critical but instead of being critical we have this prayer in Nehemiah chapter one than Eyebright. Chapter one or Chapter two down on that. OK good. Chapter one. Beginning in verse four. When I heard these things so he's heard about what's going on in in a jar in Israel. He's heard about what's happening there and this is what Nehemias response is not heard of these things and I sat down and wept for some days. Lamented and fasted and prayed for of heaven. Then I said. Oh Lord of heaven. The great and awesome who keeps his covenant of love with those who love Him and obey his commands. First of all. He begins by stating what he believes he believes that the that. Of Israel is the of the Covenant. The of the agreement that initiated. To be with his people. The good the initial promise that had made to Abraham. And then to wisely. And then to Jacob. So he calls upon this who has given promise to his to this nation. Let your ear. Be patient. Excuse me. Let your ear be attentive and your servant. The people of Israel. I confess the sins that we Israelites including myself in my father's house. Have committed against you. He begins by commish confessing the sins of the entire nation and of himself. He doesn't go into this. You know those people endure or follow him. They need to get their act together. He's no. The people we've all seen before you. We've all fallen short. We have acted very wiggly toward you we have not obeyed your commands and decrees and laws that you gave your servant. Moses. Remember the instructions you gave your servant Moses saying if you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the nations. But. OK. You see they were unfaithful. Went into the Babylonian captivity. But if you return to me and obey my commands then even your exile people are not the farthest horizons I will gather them from where they're and bring them to the place I have chosen as a drawling for my name. He remembers. Nehemiah does. So he has he has his prayer in line with everything that has promised to the nation of this row. He has put them in place now. They are your servants. And your people whom you're reading to by your great strength and your mighty hand all Lord. Let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant. Did you ever disc and discount your prayers. Because it's you praying. While you to see a better things to do listen to me. You know there are more important prayers in mine know there are no more. There are no other prayers that are more important than yours. Because every prayer is important in every situation is of value. And so when we become the vessel. To whom will use. You see we have value. Because you are exceptionally ordinary. We look at ourselves and say of a hundred we are fifty we are Kannan the middle. And we always kind of say that while we're a little better a little worse you know. We're fifty water forty nine We don't very much stray from the middle of the road. You know what happens to the person who walks down the middle of the road. They get hit from both directions. So we find our lives being challenged in many different directions. But you see we're not ordinary We are an exceptionally and we're an exceptional person with unique qualities of individual. Individuality. So old lord. Let your ear be attentive to my prayer. Give your servant success today. By granting him favor. In the presence of this man. Nehemiah is going to go before the king and the king. Values Nehemiah. And he values his relationship and he values his friendship. But he is not in a position to rebuild Jerusalem. But he has an exceptional relationship. Did you ever know that your relationship with certain people is exceptional. You have exceptional relationships. You know we may well they're not that important they're not the king but that doesn't matter. They are important because they're connected to you and has you connected to them. And so that he can bless them through you. You see you're an exceptional individual. That is an exceptional church challenge channel. You are in it. You are a a steamed. Channel through which 's Spirit is going to flow to be able to touch other people's lives. Amen. Thank you so we have this understanding that is at work in our life. Through who we are and what we do so Nehemiah goes to the King and King says New Mile. What's going on here all downcast are all sad. Wow. I'm sad because Jerusalem is in ruin and. We need. And I want to do something and. This is what needs to be done I need to go back to Jerusalem and. I need to somehow bring all the materials that were going to need the words and what you know the timbers and all this a king says go ahead. Whatever you want. You've got a blank check. And you've got p age from here to there. Which is over a thousand miles. So. Nehemias going to travel from here to Kansas City. Almost a Kansas City Kansas. Kansas City Missouri. That same city just on different sides of the river. So. He's going to give you permission to go from here to Kansas City. And it's going to go by camel. And you go by donkey. And you're going to get there you're going to walk. So when the and I want to go to Jerusalem. It's not a trip from here to the mall. It's a trip from here to Kansas City. So he takes off with this declaration from the king. He has a plan in his heart. He has a desire to see the walls rebuilt. He makes the thousand mile trek to Kansas City. Well. Did you ever want to do something for . And it just worked perfectly. Did you ever have a plan that really came together. That there were no problems. There were no difficulties and no one was against you. Well. Near my has a wonderful idea here Ryan said to roost slim. And for three days he doesn't tell anybody why is there. He arrives at the city and he doesn't say anything it doesn't do anything. But every night he's out walking around the . He's walking around the walls that have been burnt and pushed over in the gates that have been torn apart. There's nothing left except rubble. So this is one hundred forty years since the walls have been torn down and sense they're almost one hundred forty wasn't quite at the initials. Towards the middle of the captivity so maybe a hundred and twenty years. From where an E.M.I. is that these walls have been set torn apart and left in ruins so there's people inside of these walls. Now. I wondered how big this was so if. If you take a waltz. It's a fifteen mile journey around the walls. So that's like going. Perhaps from here to the mall. To values City old Value City and back to hear that might be around fifteen miles. So we see that what Jeremiah wants to do is to rebuild these walls. And he's not telling anybody why he's there. And so for three days he goes out at nights in my watch marks marches. Walks around the walls. To see how bad they are. So what he does is. When he's got everybody's curiosity. He said. You don't know why I'm here. We're going to rebuild the walls. And for whatever reason it was everybody says Yeah. We'll do that so wake it's all the people together. And he does a very unique concept. He has people build the walls. By their house. And by their own because if you're going to build a weak wall. You don't want it to be by your house. You know you can be on the other side of town you can be up in Richmond. Those people rich learn. We can just like their wall loan. But the wall here we're going to take care of our wall. Well. That's what he did. He had everybody do they're saying on their part of the wall and Everything's going good. He has them working and so on but you know. When you. When you do anything there's always somebody against it. Well there was a sand ballot. Who heard that they were really beginning. Rebuilding the wall. He became angry and was greatly incense incest. Incensed. Because he was the leader of let's go raid the city. When we need anything. You know. They had free reign of raising the city any time they wanted because there were no walls there were no gates. And as soon as the people had anything. He would go after it. And he could get it because one of their going to do. Who's going to stop me. So Santa. He doesn't like what's going on so what does he say he becomes the chief critic. How he. I like this part. He ridiculed the Jews. And in the presence of his ociates. The army of Samarian he said What are these feeble Jews doing. Did you ever try somebody in some one are you feeble minded people trying to do. The first thing that we have the first encounter we have when we want to do something for got in the first encounter we have when you think that you are exceptional. Is you're going to find your critics. Either a self appointed one. Or somebody else that's going to come by and and give you the criticism. What are you feeble minded people doing. Will they restore the wall will they offer sacrifices will they finish it in a day. Can they bring stones back to life. Of those heaps of rubble that burned as they are. How are they ever going to rebuild the wall. And then of course you have somebody else is going to be the critic in his name is to buy what are they building. Even of the Fox climbed on the wall they would fall down. What a ridiculous thing. See what happens whenever we want to do something for . Whenever we want to do something exceptional there's always a critic. And you know what if we don't listen to the critic. They just go away and never come back. No not so they don't go away. They kept on building. And the second time. Sand ballot and Tobias. What they do. When they heard that the repairs of Jerusalem walls had gone ahead and that the and that the gaps are being closed. They were very angry they all plotted together to come and fight against the Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. So not net now are they not only being critical. They're going to come and fight. And they and they they promise that they are going to come so secretively. If you read through here in chapter four. They're going to come so secretly that they're going to be among us. And when they get among us they're going to kill us all. And so they plotted. What in the am I a do. He prayed. When people plot. 's people pray. When people plot. 's people pray. Because we are an exceptional. We are an exceptional person. We are a person of excellence. Not because we're perfect but because of the who works and flows through us and. You know what happen. People believed the lie. In verse twelve. Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us. Ten times over. You know the people outside the wall came they heard from the sand ballot they heard from these that we are all going to die. That I tell you we're all going to die. Then I tell you all we're all going to dive sky's falling. It's all over Sambo is going to come. He's going to destroy it. Then I tell you that it's not going to work. Ten times over there are these individuals coming in and trying to get the work to stop. You see when you want Nehemiah's answer was. We're going to put men. Half of the people were going to work and half the people are going to stand guard. And when the people who are done working. They're going to stand guard for the people who are worse than he got and they're going to work. And so everything is going well and there are about halfway done. So now all the critics fall apart all the problems. Fall by the wayside. And know. Now the people themselves. Say why are we building a wall. The poor people say why we building a wall for the rich. They own us. What they did was the rich. They would give to the poor loan to the poor and the poor couldn't pay it. So they became slaves to the rich and now they are rebuilding the wall. So that they can become better slaves. So they go to Nehemiah say Nehemiah. We're not doing it. We're done. Every time the M I gets a certain place. Other people come along with a different problem. You see because we're doing something for . Because we are an exceptional person doesn't mean we don't have difficulties between find ourselves like Nehemiah. We need to always be a person of prayer. Because it was the prayer of Nehemiah that initially initiated division. It was a prayer of the A minor they got him to Jerusalem. It was the prayer of the a Maya which gave him a plan. It was a prayer of the a my that gave him insight into what was going on with the surrounding people. So Nehemiah. What does he do. He gets the rich. To sign off on all their loans. And that every man is a free man and every man now is equal footing. In the city of Jerusalem. So now they're getting back to work. Then working to send out a bio and and guess in the Arab and the rest of the enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it. Now what do we do with the enemies on the outside. They come back with another attack. They said. The Am I your good man. I want you to come and visit us. Outside of the walls over here. In a couple miles from the Jerusalem. We want to have a secret meeting with you. We have a plan. So that we can all live together in peace. OK. And I remember some guy called me on the phone once. He wanted money from those churches for me. And that we would. He said You know I want to meet you. About ten miles from Jerusalem. Hutch Reuss I'm from Wimber out in the middle of nowhere where these two roads intersect. Can you beat me there. Well let me think about this. No I'm not going up there. To the middle of the where to meet some stranger that I'm going to give them money. Well. What was going on Nehemiah had insight to know. I wasn't born yesterday. These guys are going to try and kill me. So he wouldn't go so. Then after all that the pin of me stops. Know the enemy now says. Near my have. We're going to single that are to the king. And we're going to tell him. You have set up your kingdom against against the king. And he's going to come and destroy you. Well the king. Nehemiah knew that the king would believe them and they were all trying to frighten us. This is verse nine of chapter six. And they were all trying to frighten us thinking their hands will get too weak for the work. And it will not be complete. But I prayed. And now strength. Now strengthen my hands. To see whenever we get tired. Whenever we get frustrated when things get difficult and difficult. We need to pray. And praying for strength for the hand to do the work is a good thing. Praying for wisdom to be able to understand what is happening is a good thing. And you see. No matter what conflict comes into our life. has promise you said lord. All things will work together for good. You said. You see had Nehemiah. As a cup there. To the King. She now Esther became queen. She won a beauty contest. had his people at the right place for the right moment to do the impossible thing. You see near my I was an exceptionally ordinary person. He was an exceptionally ordinary person. He was just an ordinary man in an ordinary place. But yet with certain relationships that triggered his ability to change a nation. And what is so unique about Nehemiah near Maya. Completed the wall. In fifty two days. Because he was able to inspire. He was able to lead. He was able to that all the difficulties. And he was able to face the opposition. And he was able to complete the task. That was born in his heart. A thousand miles away. Drinking from the King's Cup. You see and that's the exceptional. Ordinary the exceptionally ordinary position that we are in that each one of us are in that we look at our life and we say it is just fifty. I am exceptionally ordinary. But you see. We're not ordinary. We are completely unique. We are completely different than anyone else and. Each of us have a position in the body of Christ. I'm just a cup there for the king. I die first. What a great job. Is here right. We're not signing up but you see. Our job is not ordinary. It's extraordinary. Our position is exceptional. Because the hand of is upon your life and his call. Can never be cancelled. And what he called us to do. He continues to enable us to accomplish it. Because we have a job to do. We have a responsibility to the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. To allow him to do exceptional things through us. Such as smiling at someone. Complimenting them. Encouraging them believing in knowing that is working in our lives and he has promised. you said you would bless us. You said that me and my household would be saved. You said that and so I am believing for my entire family. Not just miles kids. But all my brothers kids. Oh my family's kids and their kids. And no matter who it is weeks can unscramble the egg. We got some people that are really scrambled. But you know what is the of the impossible. And so we pray for them. And we pray for them. And we believe that will do the work in their lives but he's going to call us in exceptionally ordinary person that you are he has called you to the kingdom. Justice Esther. For such a time. Is this a man on the stand. Exceptionally ordinary. This Father we thank you. How can we say thanks for all the wonderful things you've done for us. we didn't deserve them because by your grace in. And they are your divine presence. Your Divine favor. Your divine blessing the encouragement the strength the wisdom the guidance. It's all in our hearts and minds. Because you have touched us. By your spirit. So thank you Lord for this exceptional moment in time where we hear your voice speak strengthen love forgiveness and life into us. We thank you for this exceptional moment where you call us to be a kind loving forgiving person a man. bless you. Big steps and all. And your ordinary life. The le of my messages morning is exceptionally ordinary. Exceptionally ordinary. And those words do not go together. You know I doubt that we've ever seen them or heard them as two words following each other one word following another. And I thought of exceptionally ordinary as from one to a hundred. You're an exceptional fifty. You're fifty. You're an exceptional fifty. It's like. But that's just ordinary and exceptional is so they don't belong together. While this morning we're look at Nehemiah and. We're going to look at this. This profit that we see his writings and we see his ministry. And he seeing such an ordinary person. But you see inside of every one of us is an exceptional person is it we think sometimes that we're just ordinary. But you see we're an exceptional ordinary meaning that inside of us there is an exceptional person that excels in being you. Being uniquely you. And that is the person that created to be his instrument. At this place in this time in our life. So we seeing the A My him. He's. He is an indication of what can do and how that can work through a person's life. In a very risky but yet. In tree level job in the mire we see working through a person who will change a nation. And whose qualifications. Seem to be just not up there with everybody else. So Nehemiah. He was a common man in a very unique position. He was an ordinary man in a very seemingly ordinary but risky place. . Prepared and positions. Nehemiah to accomplish. One of the Bible's most impossible path. And that's what we're going to look at this morning. How that used the man. Nehemiah to do. Who was a ordinary person to accomplish something exceptional. Something that. Just didn't seem was an impossibility to overcome. He was Nehemiah was the cup there. To the Persian King Arthur's erks ease. Now. Being a cup bear to the king was that. He got to drink. Everything that the king got to drink. In that good to get. But what happens is. He got to drink it first. And if he didn't die. Then the king could drink it. How many going to sign up for that job is kind of a cushy job. I gotta do is sit around and drink from the King's Cup before he does. So the king. If you might imagine. He was ruler over. Much. But yet. His. Kingdom came down to one individual. Willing to take a sacrifice for his life to be the King's Cup air. So he persists in Him position him in a place of being the King's trusted servant. But Nehemiah his heart was not for the kingdom of Persia. His heart was for Jerusalem. And he was a Jewish individual that had not returned to Jerusalem and after the different concept. Conquest. If you look at a kind of a timeline. In five eighty six B.C. we have Jerusalem being captured by the Babylonian kings So it's five eighty six B.C. then after that we have the return of the exiles. To Israel but the return is not like it should have been. The people you know they had kind of settled into babbling. You know babblings philosophy was. We we capture the people we bring them to Babylon. We reorganised them we re prioritize them. We bring them into the Babylonian culture. And then we imilate them. Well that was how that the Babylonians conquered their lands and how that they conquered people. Well. After the period of time they were. Drew slim Israel was supposed to go back. The Jewish people were supposed to go back to Israel. Because had punished him for their sins. For their lack of staying close to and the lack of a law. Being themselves to adhere to the One Jehovah. So there's kind of instrumental times in this timeline from five eighty six B.C. down to the first return in about five eighty five thirty eight in the temple being constructed in five sixteen and are to search season four sixty five so he see these. There's it's decreasing from five eighty six. Towards the birth of Christ. So we have Nehemiah which is about four forty five B.C.. Which is about one hundred forty years since. DANIEL. And Chad wrecked me shakin to Bendigo got taken to babbling. So it's about one hundred forty years since the beginning of the Book of Daniel and. So now that Nehemiah he's been praying. And he's heard and he's heard what's going on in Jerusalem. He's concerned for it because his heart was dare. That the Kingdom of Israel the Kingdom of Israel would be reestablished. And it was. It was his desire that would have that. Remanent of people that group of people that were designated as his chosen individuals that they would be back in Israel and back in Jerusalem. Well. As for A in the book of Ezra you read how Esther went back and he started the got the people back to the king back to the temple back to the Word of . But Nehemiah. While Nehemias call to do an impossible task. The walls of Jerusalem. Are in ruin. And you can have a nation. That doesn't have a secure capitals. Doesn't have a secure city. And so Jerusalem is the place that they want to go back to. And they want to rebuild the. The walls of Jerusalem need to be redone. So began then to speak to in the Maya. Nehemiah you don't long for Israel he longed for the city to be rebuilt. And for the walls to be rebuilt. And wanted it done so when 's 's will and a man's desire. Come together. We find a calling. And so began to speak to Nehemiah. He began to make a plan for him in his mind in his heart. As of what was going to happen and how he was going to do this. So he would have a part. Nehemiah would in rebuilding this. In rebuilding this city. Now. It's something how that when Jesus. When Jesus needed something done. He simply took something very ordinary and blessed it. When he fed the five thousand. You know. He used the five loaves and two fishes of this little boy's lunch to feed five thousand men plus women and children. You know Jesus could have said you know everybody pick up a rock. Beside you. And they pick up a rock and says. Jesus was a the bread. And there would be bread. So if you picked up a little pebble that's all the bread you got picked up a big rock my you had a whole loaf. You know why this is a pretty good thing you know. According to your faith let it be you know could have been one of those il rations are one of those stories. But he didn't do that. He took a little boy's lunch. Prayed over it. Blessed It broke it. Divided up among the twelve disciples. And the twelve disciples divided among five thousand men plus women and children. That's kind of a Great Miracle. It is something very ordinary something very ordinary An exceptional. Ordinary. It was an exceptional ordinary that. Five loaves and two fish five flat tank cakes into sardines. To be more specific. He took one exceptional meal. What an exceptional ordinary that Jesus found in this little little boy's lunch. Well you see. When Grace when the grace of comes upon our life. It is this exceptional ordinary. When the grace of touches our life and. And it is the vine favor of That is the unmerited favor. 's grace is unmerited we cannot earn it we cannot make it. We cannot produce it we cannot make give it to us. He just gives it to us. So the grace of the exceptional favor. The unmerited favor of upon our life is for everyone and so we find ourselves in this place of unmerited unearned blessings. An unearned grace upon our lives. Well. Nehemiah. Was the man whom had chosen to do the impossible. Near my knew the problems of Jerusalem. And he could have been a complainer. You know. Drew slim isn't built you know I don't know what's going on with them people over there. Why they don't get their job done. I don't understand why these people are not rebuilding the walls and were getting their selves back in church and get in the cells back in the temple. I don't understand. You know anybody like that. Who is a chronic complainer. You know this is wrong and that's wrong and you know you stand in a far off and throwing insults back to Jerusalem. Well that's not Nehemiah. I've a little story here. It's kind of fits in with this part this part this part this. This point of the message. A lovely little girl was holding two apples with both hands. Her mom came up and softly asked the little daughter for politely and sweetly. Could you give your mom. One of your two apples. The girl looked up at her mom Mom word used here looked up at her mom. For a few seconds. Then she suddenly took a quick bite. On one apple. And then took a quick bite on the other the mom felt. The smile on her face. Freeze. She tried hard not to reveal her disappointment. Then the little girl handed. One of the bitten apples to her mom and said mommy. Here you are. This one is the sweetest. Madge what the story's about. No matter who you are how experienced you are and how knowledgeable you think you are always delay judgment give others a privilege to explain themselves. What you see may not be the complete reality. Never conclude. Another's fun. Which is why we should never only focus on the surface of judging others without understanding them first. Those who like to pay the bill do so not because they are loaded but because they value friendship. Those who take the initiative at work. Do so not because they are stupid. But because they understand the concept of responsibility. Those who apologize first. After a fight do not do so not because they are wrong but because they value the people around. Those who are willing to help you do not do so because they owe you anything but because they see. See you as a friend. Those who often text you do so not because they have nothing better to do but because you are in their heart and those who take time to chat with you does not mean they are jobless or hopeless. Or less busy. But they know the importance of keeping in touch. So you see Nehemiah. Was he was in touch with what was going on in in Jerusalem. But yet he found himself in a place that he could have been very critical but instead of being critical we have this prayer in Nehemiah chapter one than Eyebright. Chapter one or Chapter two down on that. OK good. Chapter one. Beginning in verse four. When I heard these things so he's heard about what's going on in in a jar in Israel. He's heard about what's happening there and this is what Nehemias response is not heard of these things and I sat down and wept for some days. Lamented and fasted and prayed for of heaven. Then I said. Oh Lord of heaven. The great and awesome who keeps his covenant of love with those who love Him and obey his commands. First of all. He begins by stating what he believes he believes that the that. Of Israel is the of the Covenant. The of the agreement that initiated. To be with his people. The good the initial promise that had made to Abraham. And then to wisely. And then to Jacob. So he calls upon this who has given promise to his to this nation. Let your ear. Be patient. Excuse me. Let your ear be attentive and your servant. The people of Israel. I confess the sins that we Israelites including myself in my father's house. Have committed against you. He begins by commish confessing the sins of the entire nation and of himself. He doesn't go into this. You know those people endure or follow him. They need to get their act together. He's no. The people we've all seen before you. We've all fallen short. We have acted very wiggly toward you we have not obeyed your commands and decrees and laws that you gave your servant. Moses. Remember the instructions you gave your servant Moses saying if you are unfaithful I will scatter you among the nations. But. OK. You see they were unfaithful. Went into the Babylonian captivity. But if you return to me and obey my commands then even your exile people are not the farthest horizons I will gather them from where they're and bring them to the place I have chosen as a drawling for my name. He remembers. Nehemiah does. So he has he has his prayer in line with everything that has promised to the nation of this row. He has put them in place now. They are your servants. And your people whom you're reading to by your great strength and your mighty hand all Lord. Let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant. Did you ever disc and discount your prayers. Because it's you praying. While you to see a better things to do listen to me. You know there are more important prayers in mine know there are no more. There are no other prayers that are more important than yours. Because every prayer is important in every situation is of value. And so when we become the vessel. To whom will use. You see we have value. Because you are exceptionally ordinary. We look at ourselves and say of a hundred we are fifty we are Kannan the middle. And we always kind of say that while we're a little better a little worse you know. We're fifty water forty nine We don't very much stray from the middle of the road. You know what happens to the person who walks down the middle of the road. They get hit from both directions. So we find our lives being challenged in many different directions. But you see we're not ordinary We are an exceptionally and we're an exceptional person with unique qualities of individual. Individuality. So old lord. Let your ear be attentive to my prayer. Give your servant success today. By granting him favor. In the presence of this man. Nehemiah is going to go before the king and the king. Values Nehemiah. And he values his relationship and he values his friendship. But he is not in a position to rebuild Jerusalem. But he has an exceptional relationship. Did you ever know that your relationship with certain people is exceptional. You have exceptional relationships. You know we may well they're not that important they're not the king but that doesn't matter. They are important because they're connected to you and has you connected to them. And so that he can bless them through you. You see you're an exceptional individual. That is an exceptional church challenge channel. You are in it. You are a a steamed. Channel through which 's Spirit is going to flow to be able to touch other people's lives. Amen. Thank you so we have this understanding that is at work in our life. Through who we are and what we do so Nehemiah goes to the King and King says New Mile. What's going on here all downcast are all sad. Wow. I'm sad because Jerusalem is in ruin and. We need. And I want to do something and. This is what needs to be done I need to go back to Jerusalem and. I need to somehow bring all the materials that were going to need the words and what you know the timbers and all this a king says go ahead. Whatever you want. You've got a blank check. And you've got p age from here to there. Which is over a thousand miles. So. Nehemias going to travel from here to Kansas City. Almost a Kansas City Kansas. Kansas City Missouri. That same city just on different sides of the river. So. He's going to give you permission to go from here to Kansas City. And it's going to go by camel. And you go by donkey. And you're going to get there you're going to walk. So when the and I want to go to Jerusalem. It's not a trip from here to the mall. It's a trip from here to Kansas City. So he takes off with this declaration from the king. He has a plan in his heart. He has a desire to see the walls rebuilt. He makes the thousand mile trek to Kansas City. Well. Did you ever want to do something for . And it just worked perfectly. Did you ever have a plan that really came together. That there were no problems. There were no difficulties and no one was against you. Well. Near my has a wonderful idea here Ryan said to roost slim. And for three days he doesn't tell anybody why is there. He arrives at the city and he doesn't say anything it doesn't do anything. But every night he's out walking around the . He's walking around the walls that have been burnt and pushed over in the gates that have been torn apart. There's nothing left except rubble. So this is one hundred forty years since the walls have been torn down and sense they're almost one hundred forty wasn't quite at the initials. Towards the middle of the captivity so maybe a hundred and twenty years. From where an E.M.I. is that these walls have been set torn apart and left in ruins so there's people inside of these walls. Now. I wondered how big this was so if. If you take a waltz. It's a fifteen mile journey around the walls. So that's like going. Perhaps from here to the mall. To values City old Value City and back to hear that might be around fifteen miles. So we see that what Jeremiah wants to do is to rebuild these walls. And he's not telling anybody why he's there. And so for three days he goes out at nights in my watch marks marches. Walks around the walls. To see how bad they are. So what he does is. When he's got everybody's curiosity. He said. You don't know why I'm here. We're going to rebuild the walls. And for whatever reason it was everybody says Yeah. We'll do that so wake it's all the people together. And he does a very unique concept. He has people build the walls. By their house. And by their own because if you're going to build a weak wall. You don't want it to be by your house. You know you can be on the other side of town you can be up in Richmond. Those people rich learn. We can just like their wall loan. But the wall here we're going to take care of our wall. Well. That's what he did. He had everybody do they're saying on their part of the wall and Everything's going good. He has them working and so on but you know. When you. When you do anything there's always somebody against it. Well there was a sand ballot. Who heard that they were really beginning. Rebuilding the wall. He became angry and was greatly incense incest. Incensed. Because he was the leader of let's go raid the city. When we need anything. You know. They had free reign of raising the city any time they wanted because there were no walls there were no gates. And as soon as the people had anything. He would go after it. And he could get it because one of their going to do. Who's going to stop me. So Santa. He doesn't like what's going on so what does he say he becomes the chief critic. How he. I like this part. He ridiculed the Jews. And in the presence of his ociates. The army of Samarian he said What are these feeble Jews doing. Did you ever try somebody in some one are you feeble minded people trying to do. The first thing that we have the first encounter we have when we want to do something for got in the first encounter we have when you think that you are exceptional. Is you're going to find your critics. Either a self appointed one. Or somebody else that's going to come by and and give you the criticism. What are you feeble minded people doing. Will they restore the wall will they offer sacrifices will they finish it in a day. Can they bring stones back to life. Of those heaps of rubble that burned as they are. How are they ever going to rebuild the wall. And then of course you have somebody else is going to be the critic in his name is to buy what are they building. Even of the Fox climbed on the wall they would fall down. What a ridiculous thing. See what happens whenever we want to do something for . Whenever we want to do something exceptional there's always a critic. And you know what if we don't listen to the critic. They just go away and never come back. No not so they don't go away. They kept on building. And the second time. Sand ballot and Tobias. What they do. When they heard that the repairs of Jerusalem walls had gone ahead and that the and that the gaps are being closed. They were very angry they all plotted together to come and fight against the Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. So not net now are they not only being critical. They're going to come and fight. And they and they they promise that they are going to come so secretively. If you read through here in chapter four. They're going to come so secretly that they're going to be among us. And when they get among us they're going to kill us all. And so they plotted. What in the am I a do. He prayed. When people plot. 's people pray. When people plot. 's people pray. Because we are an exceptional. We are an exceptional person. We are a person of excellence. Not because we're perfect but because of the who works and flows through us and. You know what happen. People believed the lie. In verse twelve. Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us. Ten times over. You know the people outside the wall came they heard from the sand ballot they heard from these that we are all going to die. That I tell you we're all going to die. Then I tell you all we're all going to dive sky's falling. It's all over Sambo is going to come. He's going to destroy it. Then I tell you that it's not going to work. Ten times over there are these individuals coming in and trying to get the work to stop. You see when you want Nehemiah's answer was. We're going to put men. Half of the people were going to work and half the people are going to stand guard. And when the people who are done working. They're going to stand guard for the people who are worse than he got and they're going to work. And so everything is going well and there are about halfway done. So now all the critics fall apart all the problems. Fall by the wayside. And know. Now the people themselves. Say why are we building a wall. The poor people say why we building a wall for the rich. They own us. What they did was the rich. They would give to the poor loan to the poor and the poor couldn't pay it. So they became slaves to the rich and now they are rebuilding the wall. So that they can become better slaves. So they go to Nehemiah say Nehemiah. We're not doing it. We're done. Every time the M I gets a certain place. Other people come along with a different problem. You see because we're doing something for . Because we are an exceptional person doesn't mean we don't have difficulties between find ourselves like Nehemiah. We need to always be a person of prayer. Because it was the prayer of Nehemiah that initially initiated division. It was a prayer of the A minor they got him to Jerusalem. It was the prayer of the a Maya which gave him a plan. It was a prayer of the a my that gave him insight into what was going on with the surrounding people. So Nehemiah. What does he do. He gets the rich. To sign off on all their loans. And that every man is a free man and every man now is equal footing. In the city of Jerusalem. So now they're getting back to work. Then working to send out a bio and and guess in the Arab and the rest of the enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it. Now what do we do with the enemies on the outside. They come back with another attack. They said. The Am I your good man. I want you to come and visit us. Outside of the walls over here. In a couple miles from the Jerusalem. We want to have a secret meeting with you. We have a plan. So that we can all live together in peace. OK. And I remember some guy called me on the phone once. He wanted money from those churches for me. And that we would. He said You know I want to meet you. About ten miles from Jerusalem. Hutch Reuss I'm from Wimber out in the middle of nowhere where these two roads intersect. Can you beat me there. Well let me think about this. No I'm not going up there. To the middle of the where to meet some stranger that I'm going to give them money. Well. What was going on Nehemiah had insight to know. I wasn't born yesterday. These guys are going to try and kill me. So he wouldn't go so. Then after all that the pin of me stops. Know the enemy now says. Near my have. We're going to single that are to the king. And we're going to tell him. You have set up your kingdom against against the king. And he's going to come and destroy you. Well the king. Nehemiah knew that the king would believe them and they were all trying to frighten us. This is verse nine of chapter six. And they were all trying to frighten us thinking their hands will get too weak for the work. And it will not be complete. But I prayed. And now strength. Now strengthen my hands. To see whenever we get tired. Whenever we get frustrated when things get difficult and difficult. We need to pray. And praying for strength for the hand to do the work is a good thing. Praying for wisdom to be able to understand what is happening is a good thing. And you see. No matter what conflict comes into our life. has promise you said lord. All things will work together for good. You said. You see had Nehemiah. As a cup there. To the King. She now Esther became queen. She won a beauty contest. had his people at the right place for the right moment to do the impossible thing. You see near my I was an exceptionally ordinary person. He was an exceptionally ordinary person. He was just an ordinary man in an ordinary place. But yet with certain relationships that triggered his ability to change a nation. And what is so unique about Nehemiah near Maya. Completed the wall. In fifty two days. Because he was able to inspire. He was able to lead. He was able to that all the difficulties. And he was able to face the opposition. And he was able to complete the task. That was born in his heart. A thousand miles away. Drinking from the King's Cup. You see and that's the exceptional. Ordinary the exceptionally ordinary position that we are in that each one of us are in that we look at our life and we say it is just fifty. I am exceptionally ordinary. But you see. We're not ordinary. We are completely unique. We are completely different than anyone else and. Each of us have a position in the body of Christ. I'm just a cup there for the king. I die first. What a great job. Is here right. We're not signing up but you see. Our job is not ordinary. It's extraordinary. Our position is exceptional. Because the hand of is upon your life and his call. Can never be cancelled. And what he called us to do. He continues to enable us to accomplish it. Because we have a job to do. We have a responsibility to the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. To allow him to do exceptional things through us. Such as smiling at someone. Complimenting them. Encouraging them believing in knowing that is working in our lives and he has promised. you said you would bless us. You said that me and my household would be saved. You said that and so I am believing for my entire family. Not just miles kids. But all my brothers kids. Oh my family's kids and their kids. And no matter who it is weeks can unscramble the egg. We got some people that are really scrambled. But you know what is the of the impossible. And so we pray for them. And we pray for them. And we believe that will do the work in their lives but he's going to call us in exceptionally ordinary person that you are he has called you to the kingdom. Justice Esther. For such a time. Is this a man on the stand. Exceptionally ordinary. This Father we thank you. How can we say thanks for all the wonderful things you've done for us. we didn't deserve them because by your grace in. And they are your divine presence. Your Divine favor. Your divine blessing the encouragement the strength the wisdom the guidance. It's all in our hearts and minds. Because you have touched us. By your spirit. So thank you Lord for this exceptional moment in time where we hear your voice speak strengthen love forgiveness and life into us. We thank you for this exceptional moment where you call us to be a kind loving forgiving person a man. bless you. Big steps and all. And your ordinary life.