Faith-Driven Action: Transforming Dissatisfaction into Change

Summary

Nehemiah and George Muller exemplify the power of faith-driven action. Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the king, was deeply moved by the news of Jerusalem's desolation. Despite his comfortable position, he was dissatisfied with the status quo and felt compelled to act. His story begins with a heartfelt prayer, acknowledging the people's unfaithfulness and seeking God's intervention. Nehemiah's dissatisfaction led him to devise a plan to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, a task he approached with strategic planning and community involvement. He inspired others to see the need for change and to join him in the rebuilding effort, emphasizing the importance of communal action and faith in God's guidance.

Similarly, George Muller, a man transformed from a petty thief to a man of profound faith, demonstrated the power of prayer and action. Dissatisfied with the state of orphan care in England, Muller established orphanages through prayer and faith, never directly soliciting funds but trusting in God's provision. His work was a testament to the impact of faith-driven dissatisfaction, planning, and action. Muller's orphanages provided for thousands of children, and his legacy continues to inspire.

Both Nehemiah and Muller teach us that dissatisfaction can be a divine catalyst for change. When we are stirred by the Holy Spirit to see the brokenness around us, we are called to pray, plan, and act. God desires to partner with us, using our hands and hearts to bring about His purposes. As we step out in faith, we must remember that God is with us, guiding and providing as we work to build His kingdom.

Key Takeaways:

1. Dissatisfaction as a Catalyst for Change: Nehemiah's story begins with a deep dissatisfaction with the state of Jerusalem. This dissatisfaction is not a negative emotion but a divine stirring that prompts action. When we feel a holy dissatisfaction, it can be a sign that God is calling us to be agents of change in our communities and lives. [19:44]

2. The Power of Prayer and Planning: Nehemiah and George Muller both demonstrate the importance of prayer as the foundation for any action. Prayer aligns our hearts with God's will and opens the door for divine intervention. However, prayer must be coupled with strategic planning and action to bring about real change. [22:12]

3. Community and Collaboration: Nehemiah's success in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was due in part to his ability to rally the community around a common goal. Similarly, Muller's work with orphanages was supported by a network of believers who shared his vision. True transformation often requires the collective effort of a community united in purpose. [25:36]

4. Faith in Action: George Muller's life exemplifies faith in action. He trusted God to provide for the needs of his orphanages, and time and again, God answered his prayers in miraculous ways. This teaches us that faith is not passive; it requires us to step out and trust God to work through our actions. [28:16]

5. God's Partnership with Humanity: Both Nehemiah and Muller show that God desires to partner with us in His work. While God can perform miracles, He often chooses to work through human hands and hearts. Our willingness to act in faith allows us to be part of God's redemptive plan for the world. [30:51]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [02:00] - Introduction to Heroes of Faith
- [04:30] - Overview of Nehemiah's Context
- [08:15] - Nehemiah's Dissatisfaction and Prayer
- [12:00] - Nehemiah's Plan and Action
- [15:45] - George Muller's Transformation
- [19:44] - Nehemiah's Community Involvement
- [22:12] - The Role of Prayer and Planning
- [25:36] - Building Community and Faith
- [28:16] - George Muller's Faith in Action
- [30:51] - God's Provision and Partnership
- [33:21] - Conclusion and Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Nehemiah 1:1-4
2. Nehemiah 2:4-5
3. Nehemiah 4:9-14

---

Observation Questions:

1. What was Nehemiah's initial reaction upon hearing about the state of Jerusalem? How did he respond to this news? [19:44]

2. How did Nehemiah's position as a cupbearer to the king influence his ability to act on his dissatisfaction with Jerusalem's condition? [22:12]

3. What role did prayer play in Nehemiah's plan to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem? How did he incorporate it into his actions? [25:36]

4. How did George Muller demonstrate faith in action through his work with orphanages? What was his approach to funding these projects? [28:16]

---

Interpretation Questions:

1. How does Nehemiah's dissatisfaction with the state of Jerusalem serve as a catalyst for change? What does this suggest about the role of dissatisfaction in our own lives? [19:44]

2. In what ways did Nehemiah's strategic planning and community involvement contribute to the successful rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls? How can this be applied to modern community projects? [25:36]

3. How did George Muller's reliance on prayer and faith influence the success of his orphanages? What does this teach us about the relationship between faith and action? [28:16]

4. What does the partnership between God and humanity, as demonstrated by Nehemiah and Muller, reveal about God's desire to work through us? How can we recognize and respond to this partnership in our own lives? [30:51]

---

Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt a holy dissatisfaction with a situation in your life or community. How did you respond, and what steps did you take to address it? [19:44]

2. Nehemiah's story emphasizes the importance of prayer and planning. How can you incorporate these elements into a current challenge you are facing? [22:12]

3. Consider a project or cause you are passionate about. How can you engage your community to collaborate and work towards a common goal, similar to Nehemiah's approach? [25:36]

4. George Muller demonstrated faith in action by trusting God for provision. What is one area in your life where you need to step out in faith and trust God to provide? [28:16]

5. How can you actively seek God's partnership in your daily life? What practical steps can you take to align your actions with His purposes? [30:51]

6. Identify a specific area in your life where you feel God is calling you to be an agent of change. What initial steps can you take to begin this journey? [19:44]

7. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's provision in a seemingly impossible situation. How did this experience strengthen your faith, and how can you share this testimony with others? [30:51]

Devotional

Day 1: Divine Dissatisfaction as a Call to Action
Dissatisfaction is not merely a negative feeling but a divine stirring that prompts us to act. Nehemiah's story begins with a deep dissatisfaction with the state of Jerusalem, which he did not ignore. Instead, he saw it as a call from God to be an agent of change. This dissatisfaction can be a sign that God is calling us to address the brokenness around us. When we feel this holy dissatisfaction, it is an invitation to partner with God in bringing about transformation in our communities and lives. [19:44]

Nehemiah 2:17-18 (ESV): "Then I said to them, 'You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.' And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, 'Let us rise up and build.' So they strengthened their hands for the good work."

Reflection: What is one area in your life or community where you feel a deep dissatisfaction? How might God be calling you to act in response to this feeling today?

Day 2: The Synergy of Prayer and Planning
Prayer is the foundation for any action, aligning our hearts with God's will and opening the door for divine intervention. Nehemiah and George Muller both demonstrate that while prayer is essential, it must be coupled with strategic planning and action to bring about real change. Nehemiah prayed fervently before devising a plan to rebuild Jerusalem's walls, and Muller relied on prayer to guide his work with orphanages. This synergy of prayer and planning is crucial for effective faith-driven action. [22:12]

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV): "Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established."

Reflection: How can you incorporate both prayer and strategic planning into a current challenge you are facing? What steps can you take today to align your plans with God's will?

Day 3: The Power of Community and Collaboration
True transformation often requires the collective effort of a community united in purpose. Nehemiah's success in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem was due in part to his ability to rally the community around a common goal. Similarly, George Muller's work with orphanages was supported by a network of believers who shared his vision. When we work together, we can achieve far more than we could alone, and our collective efforts can bring about significant change. [25:36]

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (ESV): "Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!"

Reflection: Who are the people in your life that you can partner with to achieve a common goal? How can you reach out to them today to begin collaborating on a shared vision?

Day 4: Faith in Action
Faith is not passive; it requires us to step out and trust God to work through our actions. George Muller's life exemplifies this principle, as he trusted God to provide for the needs of his orphanages, and time and again, God answered his prayers in miraculous ways. This teaches us that faith involves taking action and trusting that God will guide and provide as we step out in obedience. [28:16]

James 2:17-18 (ESV): "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."

Reflection: What is one step of faith you can take today, trusting that God will work through your actions? How can you actively demonstrate your faith in a tangible way?

Day 5: Partnering with God in His Work
God desires to partner with us in His work, using our hands and hearts to bring about His purposes. While God can perform miracles, He often chooses to work through human agency. Nehemiah and Muller both show that our willingness to act in faith allows us to be part of God's redemptive plan for the world. As we step out in faith, we must remember that God is with us, guiding and providing as we work to build His kingdom. [30:51]

1 Corinthians 3:9 (ESV): "For we are God's fellow workers. You are God's field, God's building."

Reflection: In what ways can you partner with God in His work today? How can you use your unique gifts and talents to contribute to His redemptive plan?

Quotes

"Nehemiah first of all is dissatisfied he is stirred up by the fact that Jerusalem is in ruins he sees the need for change and he wants the opportunity to go back and do something about it he could have said to his brothers ah it's a shame what can we do about it you know we're hundreds of miles away do you know what I'm quite happy I'd lose my position someone else would get the job of taking the cup to the king they might do a better job what if he realized he doesn't need me particularly he could have asked himself all those all those kind of questions but he didn't he was concerned enough to say I'm going to put myself out here I need to help effect change he got permission to do something about it because he was dissatisfied" [00:13:21] (58 seconds)

"Now the first point I want to make is that Nehemiah is a builder actually he's he's a cupbearer but in his head he's a builder he is someone who says I've got a problem what can I do about it if you want to build something you do not start by laying a brick there's a lot of buildings around where you can see this you know this stone was laid by some important person I bet that was the only bit they did a bit of trowel work you know make it look as if they did anything they didn't do anything after that you don't actually start with that you have to have plans before that don't you but you don't start with the plans you might actually say how am I going to build this and have some drawings built you might go to a structural engineer and say what seals do I need to put in place that's not the start the start is a dissatisfaction with what you've got you see until you've decided that what you've got needs to change you won't have any plans to draw up you won't have any building done because you're quite happy with what you got" [00:12:07] (74 seconds)

"George Muller was born in 1805 in a town in Prussia which is now in the middle of Germany by 10 he was a petty thief he was even put in jail briefly because he stole from his father not a pleasant little boy he went to university though and while he was at university someone took him to a bible study and he was absolutely overwhelmed by the fact that someone opened the bible study not by saying let's turn to this particular book in the bible but by getting down on his knees to pray how could anyone get down on the knees to pray was his attitude he suddenly realized that there was more to being in relationship with God than simply going to a bible study or simply going through the motions and he realized he needed to give his own life to Jesus" [00:17:01] (57 seconds)

"Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem. He gets permission to go and he doesn't immediately put a plan of action. He's got his dissatisfaction, he now needs to go to his design stage, his planning. He needs to know what he needs to do. So he goes out at night to survey the land, say well what is the situation he's seeing for himself? What are the implications of these destructions? What resources does he need to rebuild? How can he get other people to help make a difference? And we read in chapter 2 verse 15. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall and I turned back and entered by the valley gate and so returned." [00:18:54] (52 seconds)

"Then I said to them, you see the trouble we're in? He's getting other people to see it. Now Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burnt. You're not dissatisfied, he's saying, with what you've got. You're living with this. For over a hundred years you've rebuilt the temple, but hey, you know, you don't notice the walls. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer suffer derision. People are laughing at us. Our God is so powerful but he hasn't got a capital city anymore. And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good. And also of the words that the king had spoken to me and they said, let's rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work." [00:19:50] (48 seconds)

"He continues to pray and his plan is put into effect. He decides that the best way of doing it is to allocate different sections to different parts of the city wall to different families. If you look at the wall of a city, it's a big job, isn't it? But if you actually break it into smaller chunks, it's not so bad. If you're told as a family, just build this bit here. Just keep going until it's done. Get on with that, that's your job. Then that's a much smaller operation. He's moved into project management as it were. He knows what needs to be done and he implements a plan." [00:20:38] (47 seconds)

"George Muller. The key method that he used for his orphanages was prayer. The story is told that he was once travelling across to America to raise funds. Let me tell you, he never once approached someone and said, I want you to give me your money. He just said, this is the need. And he allowed people to respond to that need. When he was a pastor, he said, I don't want paying a particular wage. I'm going to ask for people to put money in the offering and that's it. More money came in than that had been coming in from pew rents. We used to pay to get the best seats." [00:27:12] (38 seconds)

"And so he went up onto the bridge to say, are we going to get in in time because I've got a speaking engagement coming up? And the captain said, no, I mean, look at the fog. He said, shall we pray about it? So he just said a simple prayer, Lord, take this fog away and let us get there safely and on time. The captain was about to pray. He said, no, no, let me stop you there. He said, I want to stop you for two reasons. First of all, I don't think you believe your own prayer. I don't think you believe that God will answer your prayer. And secondly, he's already answered mine, look. And the captain went out and the fog had gone." [00:27:56] (39 seconds)

"When Muller was raising money, he just prayed and it came. But he was no fool. He didn't start building until he had the money to build a complete building. His first building housed 26 girls, gave them training for the years ahead. His second building, six months later, was for infants. But then he had some unexpected help. So this is the 1830s. In 1837, Charles Dickens wrote Oliver Twist. People saw how wrong it was the way people were dealing with orphans, putting them in workhouses, allowing people to make money out of them. And suddenly, the hearts and conscience of the nation was touched. Money began pouring in." [00:28:54] (50 seconds)

"Sometimes they sat down and said grace and there was no food to give the children. Now, that requires faith, doesn't it? On one occasion, just as they'd finished grace with empty plates, there was a knock at the door and this milkman was there and he said, my cartwheel's just broken. All my milk's going to go off if I don't, you know, I won't get to my customers. Can I give it to you? Ten large cartons of milk to feed. 300 children who had just prayed for God to provide. And time and time again, they had no idea where the food was coming from, but they prayed for grace and the food would come in." [00:30:25] (45 seconds)

"It's amazing what God will do if we are dissatisfied and decide to do something. If we plan to do something about it and then if we actually take steps to see how we're doing with our plans. Everything is possible with God, but he wants us to work with him. In EMI, I worked with him. George Muller worked with him. By the time he died in 1898, Muller had raised one and a half million pounds. That's Victorian pounds, not modern pounds. I mean, I think it's probably about 60 million in today's money. He'd looked after over 10,000 children." [00:31:02] (44 seconds)

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?