Finding Purpose Through Christ's Sacrifice and Nehemiah's Example

"So today we remember our Lord's sacrifice, we remember his death, we remember his broken body. The apostle goes on, he says, In the same way, Jesus took the cup of wine. After supper, saying this cup is a new covenant between God and his people, in agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it. For every time you eat this bread and you drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord's death until he comes again." [00:34:00] (71 seconds)


"But God cares about everything. He cares about your thing. He cares about what you're going through. He cares about your struggle. And maybe you're here this morning and you say, Ken, I am hurting. I'm struggling. Maybe it's a health issue. Maybe it's anxiety and depression. Maybe it's a financial issue. Maybe there's something going on at work. Maybe there's family stuff, relational stuff. You say, Ken, I'm struggling. I need the Lord's touch today. I need his healing. I need his help. I need peace. Right?" [00:36:32] (36 seconds)


"And, Father, I speak to storms that are raging in this room, in people's minds, in their hearts, in their lives, in their families. We speak peace. We speak healing. We speak freedom. We speak release. We speak peace in the name of Jesus. And, Father, we thank you that you're big enough that you care about every situation. And you're powerful enough to touch each situation for your glory. So, we pray for your help. We pray for relief. We pray for light in the darkness." [00:38:33] (49 seconds)


"And he begins to ask some caring questions about Jerusalem, because he really does care about the city. He's never been there, but it's the city of his ancestors, and he cares. And so he begins to hear about the devastation and the destruction that Jerusalem has experienced. And he begins to feel the weight of that. I mean, for some reason, it hits him, and it hits him hard. And he begins to just carry the weight of, somebody's got to do something about this. Like, this is not right." [00:46:37] (31 seconds)


"Nehemiah had found favor with the king to say the least, right? Now, can I just tell you that sometimes we pray like crazy and we take a risk and we land on our face and it doesn't work the way that we are hoping that it will work, that we pray that will work. But God had been orchestrating this story and Nehemiah has now found favor with the king. And so what does he do? Well, we're going to find out here that Nehemiah has not just been weeping and fasting and praying. He has been praying and planning." [00:52:08] (32 seconds)


"God has a purpose for your life. God has a way that he wants to glorify his name through you if you will allow him. You say, Ken, I don't know my purpose. That's all right. Keep asking him. He'll show you. It doesn't happen overnight. Sometimes you're on a journey and it's just saying yes to certain things. And as you go around a curve, you go, oh, there she is. There it is. Right? And you don't have the whole thing unpacked to begin with. You're just saying yes in each moment." [00:58:52] (33 seconds)


"Sometimes it's that thing that you can't stands any longer, right? To quote the words of the great philosopher of the 1950s, that's all I can stands and I can't stands no more. Anybody know who that is? That's a great Popeye the Sailor Man, right? That's all I can stands. I can't stands no more. Maybe you're looking around your middle school, your high school, your college. Maybe you're looking around your workplace. Maybe you're looking around your home or your neighborhood and there's something that's going on or it's not going on and you think that it should be going on or it's going on and it needs to stop being going on." [01:00:56] (37 seconds)


"And God's purposes for your life will always require the help and the assistance and the giftings and the experiences and the generosity of other people, right? So in all of these instances, whether it's Sarah Chris with the grace bags, or it's Bob Chrisman with the nursing home, or Servano and Ruth, like they needed other people to come alongside and help them and, and help in the areas where they have weaknesses. And it's amazing when God gives you a purpose and other people will come alongside and, and help you in that purpose." [01:10:08] (38 seconds)


"When I, when I think about all this, you know, we, we can look at the example of Nehemiah, and Nehemiah is incredible. What an example, right? But an even greater example of all this is, is Jesus. And it's always about Jesus. Some of you are like, every sermon, he's got to bring it back to Jesus. Well, that's why we built this place, and that's why we're here today, is because of Jesus. Did Jesus, anybody, did Jesus have a purpose?" [01:16:08] (33 seconds)


"Can I just tell you, the greatest purpose of your life is following Jesus. And I mean, not just, not just going to church, not just trying to follow the rules, but I mean, getting to a place of surrender, where you say, God, I'm surrendering my life to you. Jesus, I want you to lead my life. I confess that I've sinned against you. Would you forgive me of my sins? And would you give me the power to do the things that you want me to do? And to accomplish the things that you care about here in this world?" [01:19:18] (35 seconds)