Don't Fall For Traps of Religion
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Yes, we are a religion, yes we have a relationship with Jesus but that doesn’t make us less of a purpose and meaning for this world outside of ourselves.
I’m a special education teacher so going over tests ...
Nehemiah was heartbroken over A: Rome not having walls B: Kardashians breaking up C: Jerusalem with no walls and no security D: His feelings
Nehemiah was heartbroken over A: Rome not having walls B: Kardashians breaking up C: Jerusalem with no walls and no security D: His feelings
Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King of A: Jerusalem B: Persia C: Rome D: USA
Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King of A: Jerusalem B: Persia C: Rome D: USA
God answered Nehemiah by convincing the King of Persia to allow Nehemiah to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with A. permission letters to get all the wood and materials as well as a small army B. IKEA card C. 5 loaves and 2 fish
God answered Nehemiah by convincing the King of Persia to allow Nehemiah to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem with A. permission letters to get all the wood and materials as well as a small army B. IKEA card C. 5 loaves and 2 fish
When Nehemiah got to Jerusalem everybody was happy to see him and excited about building a wall A. True B. False
When Nehemiah got to Jerusalem everybody was happy to see him and excited about building a wall A. True B. False
When Nehemiah started leading the people to build the wall enemies tried to stop it by A. Threatening Harm B. Discouragement saying they couldn’t do it. C. Attacking the people when they were outside the city D. All of the Above
When Nehemiah started leading the people to build the wall enemies tried to stop it by A. Threatening Harm B. Discouragement saying they couldn’t do it. C. Attacking the people when they were outside the city D. All of the Above
The Jews, Nehemiah’s own people, were excited to help build the wall but had to be encouraged against the enemies attack. But Nehemiah also had to get them to stop doing what: A. Getting the newest IPhone B. Drinking and doing drugs. C. charging their own people so much interest on loans that they had to sell their daughters into slavery. D. All of the above
The Jews, Nehemiah’s own people, were excited to help build the wall but had to be encouraged against the enemies attack. But Nehemiah also had to get them to stop doing what: A. Getting the newest IPhone B. Drinking and doing drugs. C. charging their own people so much interest on loans that they had to sell their daughters into slavery. D. All of the above
The King of Persia sent Nehemiah as governor of Jerusalem with the purpose of rebuilding the wall. To stay focused and helped his people Nehemiah never took all the food that the law required the people give him. He did this because He lived out his faith with A. Diets B. Generosity C. McDonalds D. Happy Thoughts
The King of Persia sent Nehemiah as governor of Jerusalem with the purpose of rebuilding the wall. To stay focused and helped his people Nehemiah never took all the food that the law required the people give him. He did this because He lived out his faith with A. Diets B. Generosity C. McDonalds D. Happy Thoughts
Sanballat tried to murder Nehemiah by calling him to some villages. What did Sanballat say to Nehemiah to try and convince Nehemiah he needed to come. A: Vague threat; I know what you did last summer. B: Lunch; I have pulled pork sandwhiches and air conditioning C: Gossip and Lies; I and others know you are planning to rebel against the king and set up false prophets to say you should be king D: Peace; Let us, just let things go
Sanballat tried to murder Nehemiah by calling him to some villages. What did Sanballat say to Nehemiah to try and convince Nehemiah he needed to come. A: Vague threat; I know what you did last summer. B: Lunch; I have pulled pork sandwhiches and air conditioning C: Gossip and Lies; I and others know you are planning to rebel against the king and set up false prophets to say you should be king D: Peace; Let us, just let things go
This isn’t Disney, Enemies will often stay enemies. Some of you have forgiven people and they keep staying mean, and do something else.
I have people in this world who just don’t like me. It bothers me. A long time ago, someone told me they were surprised to hear someone doesn’t like me. I don’t like it when people don’t like me but the only way that I have ever learned that people will like me is if I do everything they say and agree with everything they think and put them far above anyone else including God and even then,
they may hate me for that.
I have enemies. Jesus told us,
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
He did not say,
Love your enemies and they will be your friends.
Love your enemies and they will be your friends.
Jesus said
44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Pilate never became Jesus friend, that we know of, nor did the High Priest or the others in power. No Ceasar who ordered the killing of Christians to my knowledge ever became a Christian themselves.
We love others because Jesus told us to.
G.K. Chesterton said, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.”
G.K. Chesterton said, “The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.”
But How do I love God, how do I live a life where I do what God wants and have people who dislike me, hate me, or want to stop the very work of God in my life.
Often, I mean often, people want to do the right thing and be liked. In church, we think that we should do nice things, but sometimes the very nice things we do anger others.
Nehemiah is a guy in the Bible who shoes us how to live a life, following God, in a world full of enemies and people that need to be motivated.
10 I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said: Let’s meet at the house of God, inside the temple. Let’s shut the temple doors because they’re coming to kill you. They’re coming to kill you tonight!
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go.”
12 I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.
14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.
I wanted to read it all the way through, just to let us all have the ah-ha moments of the story. But you might not have caught all that is in there, so let’s go back and read it some more and stop along the way so I can point out the sights.
10 I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said: Let’s meet at the house of God, inside the temple. Let’s shut the temple doors because they’re coming to kill you. They’re coming to kill you tonight!
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go.”
Enemies were literally trying to kill Nehemiah.
Sanballat and other leaders wanted him dead.
Couldn’t get him out of the city, needed to get him to a spot they could kill him
Shemiah plan was for Nehemiah to claim sanctuary in the Temple. To look for shelter from God because Nehemiah was under threat.
Nehemiah was not allowed to enter the Temple. He was not a priest and he was a eunuch. By the law of God in Leviticus 21. He was not allowed in. Nehemiah knew this.
Also the law of God did allow for sanctuary but not because you were afraid of a foreign enemy. Entering due to fear would be an insult to God, who could protect. An insult to the army with Nehemiah, that needed to protect him, and an insult to his position as governor under the king.
Using God not for his intended purpose
“The weight room is my church”
I use God and the church to make myself feel better
Can see this when you reject the directions of the Lord, the discipline, the training, the building of the Lord for what feels good about the Lord
Nehemiah was a Eunuch. He couldn’t enter the temple.
Nehemiah could hide as temples were often a shelter of last resort.
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
God called Nehemiah to build the wall. God promised protection and God also put up rules, laws, standards, and ways for Nehemiah to live. Ignoring the everyday practice, would end up with Nehemiah ignoring the protections God had for him and putting him in actual danger.
I got a new Ice Maker
Flipping through the instructions and one of the first thing I read, is in bold letters near the middle of the page.
I tell you my immediate thought was what kind of ice maker did I just buy. The Terminator movie didn’t tell me to watch out for ice makers. My whole life is now controlled by an ice maker? Come on.
Then I zoomed out to read the rest of the page immediately so I didn’t get seriously injureed or die.
Let me read the whole thing if you don’t see it.
Many of us know a part of what God has told us but not taking the time to read all of it
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
12 I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
13 He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.
His enemies were actively working to get him rejected.
You have enemies and you also have an enemy looking to pull you away from God
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time,
7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.
8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.
9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
How do you resist the Devil?
Be aware of your enemy
Humble yourself, that means realize you aren’t God
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
When we do, we are on God’s side, not our enemies side and we don’t use God for us, instead we allow God to use us
Analogy:
Coming to God for help and you get fed, you feel better. But then find out to grow in God you need to change. You don’t want to go back to the table to be fed. Really you should be eating but you don’t want to mature, you want to dabble in what destroys and come back to gain enough strength to dabble more. Yet, often by the time you need to return to the table, your longer able to even be fed, you need an IV.
13 He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.
If someone is taking you away from the responsibilities and challenges of following the Lord, they may very well be, not from God.
Nehemiah would have been ruined had he not put God first in his life.
I have been there
Nehemiah didn’t punish them.
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
14 My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.
He turned the punishment over to God.
If its not one thing, it’s another.
If its not one thing, it’s another.
Forgiveness can and often does look like us telling God to punish others. Yes that is followed by us praying for blessing for our enemies but we too can call on God, and God alone for justice.
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You
Listen and Obey God First, Then Do You