by Hope City Church on Jul 21, 2024
### Summary
Greetings, Hope City! Today, we delved into the book of Nehemiah, exploring the themes of burden, boldness, and building. Nehemiah's story is a powerful example of how God can use our burdens to drive us towards bold action and ultimately build something greater for His glory. Nehemiah, a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes, was deeply troubled by the news of Jerusalem's ruined walls. His burden led him to fast, pray, and seek God's favor, which in turn gave him the boldness to ask the king for permission and resources to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
We discussed how burdens can be a divine calling, pushing us out of our comfort zones and into action. Nehemiah's burden for his people made him uncomfortable in his comfortable position, leading him to take bold steps. Similarly, we are called to have a burden for our city, Savannah, and to pray for boldness to act on that burden. This burden should drive us to pray for favor with those in authority and to seek God's guidance in all our endeavors.
We also touched on the importance of unity and vision within the church. Just as Nehemiah needed builders to accomplish the task, we need each other to fulfill God's vision for Hope City. This vision includes not just the physical building of new campuses but also the spiritual building of our community. We must be ready to face opposition, as Nehemiah did, but with God's favor and our collective effort, we can overcome any obstacles.
In conclusion, we are called to be burdened, bold, and builders for God's kingdom. As we enter a season of prayer, let's focus on praying for our city, our personal boldness, and the builders of the vision. God has great plans for Hope City, and together, we can see His vision come to fruition.
### Key Takeaways
1. **Burden as a Divine Calling**: Nehemiah's burden for Jerusalem's ruined walls drove him to fast, pray, and seek God's favor. Similarly, our burdens can be a divine calling, pushing us out of our comfort zones and into action. When we are deeply troubled by the state of our community or the needs around us, it can be a sign that God is calling us to do something about it. [37:57]
2. **Boldness in the Face of Opposition**: Nehemiah's boldness to ask King Artaxerxes for permission and resources to rebuild Jerusalem's walls is a testament to the power of prayer and faith. We too must pray for boldness to act on our burdens, even when facing opposition. Boldness is not the absence of fear but the presence of faith in God's promises. [38:35]
3. **Unity and Vision in Building**: Just as Nehemiah needed builders to accomplish the task, we need each other to fulfill God's vision for Hope City. Unity and a shared vision are crucial for any community endeavor. When we come together with a common purpose, we can achieve great things for God's kingdom. [46:47]
4. **Facing Opposition with Faith**: Nehemiah faced significant opposition from figures like Samballot and Tobiah, yet he remained steadfast. We too will face blockers and haters when we attempt to do God's work. However, with faith and perseverance, we can overcome these challenges and continue building what God has called us to build. [01:03:41]
5. **Prayer as a Foundation**: As we enter a season of prayer, we must focus on praying for our city, our personal boldness, and the builders of the vision. Prayer is the foundation that supports all our efforts. When we align our prayers with God's focus, we invite His favor and guidance into our endeavors. [01:11:16]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[33:46] - Introduction and Personal Story
[36:46] - Nehemiah's Burden
[39:19] - Aligning with the Vision
[41:47] - Standing Fast and Faithful
[43:18] - Messages Within the Message
[45:35] - Relaunching the Vision
[49:07] - Regrouping and Refocusing
[51:48] - Experiencing Revival
[53:13] - Nehemiah's Burden, Boldness, and Builders
[58:12] - Boldness in the Presence of Enemies
[01:01:05] - Builders and Diplomatic Immunity
[01:03:41] - Facing Blockers and Haters
[01:08:14] - Finding Comfort in Labor
[01:11:16] - Season of Prayer and Focus
[01:14:16] - Encouragement and Endurance
[01:16:03] - Invitation to Accept Christ
[01:17:49] - Closing Prayer and Blessing
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
1. **Nehemiah 1:1-4** - "The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. They said to me, 'Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.' When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven."
2. **Nehemiah 2:1-5** - "In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before, so the king asked me, 'Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.' I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, 'May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?' The king said to me, 'What is it you want?' Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, 'If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.'"
3. **Isaiah 58:12** - "Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings."
#### Observation Questions
1. What was Nehemiah's initial reaction upon hearing the news about Jerusalem's walls? (Nehemiah 1:4)
2. How did Nehemiah approach the king with his request to rebuild Jerusalem's walls? (Nehemiah 2:1-5)
3. What promise is given in Isaiah 58:12 regarding rebuilding and restoration?
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Nehemiah's burden for Jerusalem led him to fast and pray before taking any action? (Nehemiah 1:4)
2. How does Nehemiah's boldness in approaching the king reflect his faith in God's promises? (Nehemiah 2:1-5)
3. What does Isaiah 58:12 suggest about the role of God's people in restoring and rebuilding communities?
#### Application Questions
1. Reflecting on Nehemiah's burden for Jerusalem, what burdens do you feel for your own community or city? How can you turn these burdens into action? [37:57]
2. Nehemiah prayed for favor before approaching the king. How can you incorporate prayer into your daily decisions and actions, especially when facing challenges? [38:35]
3. Nehemiah faced opposition from figures like Samballot and Tobiah. Have you ever faced opposition when trying to do something you felt called to do? How did you handle it, and what can you learn from Nehemiah's response? [01:03:41]
4. The sermon emphasized the importance of unity and vision within the church. How can you contribute to building unity and a shared vision in your church community? [46:47]
5. As we enter a season of prayer, what specific prayers can you offer for your city, your personal boldness, and the builders of the vision? How can you make prayer a foundational part of your efforts? [01:11:16]
6. Nehemiah's story shows that boldness is not the absence of fear but the presence of faith. Can you think of a situation where you need to act boldly despite your fears? How can you rely on your faith to take that step?
7. The sermon mentioned that burdens can push us out of our comfort zones. Is there a specific area in your life where you feel God is calling you to step out of your comfort zone? How can you prepare yourself to take that step? [37:57]
Day 1: Burden as a Divine Calling
Nehemiah's burden for Jerusalem's ruined walls drove him to fast, pray, and seek God's favor. Similarly, our burdens can be a divine calling, pushing us out of our comfort zones and into action. When we are deeply troubled by the state of our community or the needs around us, it can be a sign that God is calling us to do something about it. Nehemiah's discomfort in his comfortable position as a cupbearer led him to take bold steps for the sake of his people. This teaches us that our burdens are not just emotional weights but divine nudges towards purposeful action. [37:57]
Nehemiah 1:4-5 (ESV): "As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, 'O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.'"
Reflection: What burden has God placed on your heart recently? How can you begin to take action on this burden today?
Day 2: Boldness in the Face of Opposition
Nehemiah's boldness to ask King Artaxerxes for permission and resources to rebuild Jerusalem's walls is a testament to the power of prayer and faith. We too must pray for boldness to act on our burdens, even when facing opposition. Boldness is not the absence of fear but the presence of faith in God's promises. Nehemiah's courage came from his deep trust in God, which enabled him to take risks for the sake of his calling. This teaches us that true boldness is rooted in our relationship with God and our confidence in His plans. [38:35]
Joshua 1:9 (ESV): "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Reflection: What is one area in your life where you need to act boldly? How can you rely on God's promises to overcome your fears?
Day 3: Unity and Vision in Building
Just as Nehemiah needed builders to accomplish the task, we need each other to fulfill God's vision for Hope City. Unity and a shared vision are crucial for any community endeavor. When we come together with a common purpose, we can achieve great things for God's kingdom. Nehemiah's success was not just due to his leadership but also to the collective effort of the people who shared his vision. This teaches us the importance of working together in unity to accomplish God's plans. [46:47]
Ephesians 4:3-4 (ESV): "Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call."
Reflection: How can you contribute to the unity and vision of your church community? What specific actions can you take to support the collective mission?
Day 4: Facing Opposition with Faith
Nehemiah faced significant opposition from figures like Samballot and Tobiah, yet he remained steadfast. We too will face blockers and haters when we attempt to do God's work. However, with faith and perseverance, we can overcome these challenges and continue building what God has called us to build. Nehemiah's story reminds us that opposition is inevitable, but it is our faith and determination that will see us through. This teaches us to remain focused on God's calling despite the obstacles we encounter. [01:03:41]
2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV): "For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
Reflection: What opposition are you currently facing in your efforts to follow God's calling? How can you strengthen your faith to persevere through these challenges?
Day 5: Prayer as a Foundation
As we enter a season of prayer, we must focus on praying for our city, our personal boldness, and the builders of the vision. Prayer is the foundation that supports all our efforts. When we align our prayers with God's focus, we invite His favor and guidance into our endeavors. Nehemiah's story shows us that prayer was his first response to his burden and his ongoing strategy throughout the rebuilding process. This teaches us the importance of making prayer the cornerstone of our actions and decisions. [01:11:16]
Colossians 4:2 (ESV): "Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."
Reflection: How can you make prayer a more integral part of your daily life? What specific things will you pray for this week to align with God's vision for your community?
How you doing, Hope City?Coming in hot, like a fajita.How you guys doing today? You good?Can we just give our worship team a hand?Like they are incredible.I said, last service, if you could put that in a cup,I'd give up Starbucks quick, like just drink that.You'd be fired up, do anything, even go to the gymand be like, I'm gonna stay for the whole workout.So they did a great job.So of course, I was already introduced.I'm Rodney Lowen, I'm the campus pastordown at Impact Church.I've been there for eight years with Bishop Georgeand Pastor April Davis, and they took a chance on this youth,pastor and told me I wouldn't be the youth pastor very long.And I said, no, I'll be 20, 30 years a youth pastor.I love student ministry.I still do to this day, but somehow they tricked meand got me being a campus pastor there.So super grateful for them.I have in this service with me, I have my beautiful wifeof 20 years, Andrea, my two daughters, McKay and Brielle.They stand up for them, stand up for them.I didn't need y'all to see, thank you.People see her.They see her and assume I'm rich, but I cook.That's my gift is I cook.And I like to think I have a little swag too.So 20 years we celebrated this year.Don't have time to tell the story, but we met in traffic.So it can happen.So one thing about me is I'm not really deep and spooky.I don't blame a lot of things on the devil.I don't think I'm important enough.I don't think I'm enough for him to mess with a whole lot,but I just had a heck of a weekand my voice normally isn't this sexy.I don't normally sound like,normally don't sound like Pastor Corey,but I'm not sick.I'm not congested, no fever,but the devil just been messing with my voice this week.So, but I believe this is a word from the Lordand I'm going to teach it.I can't preach it.I do want to shout out your pastor.It's Corey and Tameka Williams.listen, I know probably everybody that comes gives honorand you probably should do that.But Corey's a visionary.Like he's a, he's a,doesn't make any sense the type of visionthat he has for this city.But can I just say that Pastor Tameka, she is a preacher.She is the, give me the microphone type preacher, love her.I used to work with her years ago at HSBC.Who knew we'd both be preaching together at some point,but God, and then I just got to shout out Courtneybecause it's not easy to be a pastor's kid.It takes a grace and a calling to do that.And they're not perfect.And they're always under the spotlightwhen they didn't ask to be.So I just honor you Courtney and thank Godthat you even came to service today to hear me.You could be off doing that.You could be on whatever.So bless the Lord.So I want to teach you a little bit todayfrom the book of Nehemiah.I'm going to read a lot of scripture to you.They're going to put it on the screen,but I'm super passionate about the word of God to this day.I got saved for real, for real, June 12th, 1994.Didn't grow up in church and God got a hold of me.I didn't know a Bible verse.The next day I was out witnessing at the beach,sharing my faith, didn't know what to say, but God saved me.And it's this word.It's this word that has kept me.And so I lean on it heavenly.So Nehemiah chapter one, we'll restart there for four verses.Then we're going to jump to chapter twoto set the stage for this word today.It says, these are the memoirs of Nehemiah,son of Hekeliah in late autumn in the month of Kasef.I don't know when that is.Could be July.I don't know.In the 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign,I was at the fortress of Susa.Hanani, one of my brothers,came to visit me and with some of the other menwho just arrived from Judah,I asked them about the Jews who had returned therefrom captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem.In other words, how are things back home?That's what he's asking.How is it back home?And they said to me,things are not going well for those who returnedto the province of Judah.They are in great trouble and disgrace.The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down.The gates have been destroyed by fire.And when I heard this, I sat down and wept.In fact, for days I mourned, I fasted,and I prayed to the God of heaven.See what the result is.Chapter two.Early the following spring in the month of Nisan,during the 20th year of King Artaxerxes reign,so within the same timeframe,I was serving the king his wine.I had never before appeared sad in his presence.Imagine that.Working for a boss you do not like,who does not like you,and never being mad, sad, angry,or indifferent in their presence.So the king asked me,why you looking so sad?You don't look sick to me.Something must be wrong.You must be deeply troubled.Then I was terrified.But I replied, long live the king.But how can I not be sad?For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins.The gates have been destroyed by fire.Today from the subject, a huge burden,a little boldness, and some builders.I know I get two amens, but that's stay tuned.Most of the time when I preach in anybody's house,especially another's house,I try to sense what I think the heavenly fatheris saying to me.And I say, I think because I'm capable of missing God,and we all are.And we have to be careful when we say,thus sayeth the Lord.But I try to be sensitive to what God is saying.And then I try to get a sense of what the father of the househas been saying.In other words, what has Pastor Corey been preaching to you?And how can I possibly flow with the message of this house?And more preachers ought to do that,because Paul said it's dangerous to buildon another man's foundation.But Pastor Corey, he's been taking you on a journeyrecently.Hopefully you've been paying attention and catching up.He's been taking you on a journey,and he's been retooling you.He's been shifting you.He's been trying to right the ship a little bit,and point it towards this designated course.And now you're launching a second campus in Pooler.I'd give God a hand for that right there.But what's interesting is some of youhave gone through some things that you cannot even explain.I wonder if after you've gotten connected to this church,you've gone through anything.Anybody.You know, like I thought this was the right church.But still having trouble paying my mortgage.And I thought this was the right church,but my marriage is still not great.And I thought this was the right church.And just the market is acting funny.And I don't know how to get my kids to behave.And I'm doing everything you want me to do,but something is not right.There was a preacher that got connectedto my previous church.And within four weeks of me getting connected to him,I lost my job.I lost my job.And then the economy crashed.And I don't think it was because of him, but I think it was because of him.But when the economy crashed, it was just hard for me to find a job.And we just had a season in our life.And I was doing everything that I knew to do.I was serving God, and I was in the house, and I was doing what they asked me to do.And I was being available and saying, God, I want to do what you want me to do.And I still got these responsibilities over here.And sometimes just because you're connected, there's mushrooming opposition, in other words.Some of you have wanted to give up.Some of you wanted to throw in the towel.Well, some of you said, what next, God?Anybody been there?What next, God?I don't know why they're prospering over here.And I'm in church on Sunday, and my neighbor's taking their boat out.And I don't understand, God.I'm doing the right things.Why do they look like they get to live the good life?But we stand in this proverbial line of what's next.When I was in the Navy, we had a phrase, stand fast.It's like, what does that even mean, stand fast?No, it means stand ready.You stand ready.But if I stand ready, that means I have to be equipped for what's coming so that I'm ready when it comes.I stood in a place, I stood fast for 15 years at a ministry, knowing God had put something in me,knowing that I was supposed to be preaching full time, knowing that I was supposed to be pastoring.And God just had me standing fast.But when you stand fast, you got to stand faithful.I don't know who this is for because I didn't say this last service.But we stand fast.We stand ready.And there's a strategy in all of this.There's a strategy.And what Pastor Corey's been doing, because oftentimes when a series of messages is given, there's this overwhelming thought.There's this singular focus that we should all be able to tune into.It's in the name of your church.It's Hope City.Your pastor's burden is for this city to have hope.And therefore, I believe it's your burden for this city to have hope.But what we have to realize is when we're in a place that's visionary.Amen.You're in a visionary place, right?Okay.I just want to make sure.I'm in the right place.And when you're in a visionary place, even though there's a main message, there are messages between the message.And so I'm going to give you an example.In my house, for me, like my kid's job is to get good grades.That's their job.They don't have to pay rent.They don't contribute to the mortgage, to the electric bill.I don't need them to go out and get a job at Arby's or anything like that.Your job is good grades.And if I hammer that long enough,my daughters can get a job.They get focused, so focused on getting good grades,they catch the overarching message, but then they miss the smaller messages.See, your grades are up, but you ain't clean your room in two weeks.Your grades are up, but you rolled your eyes at your mom.Now, they wouldn't do that.They might be crazy, but that'd be.White kids get away with that.But they black side getting snatched.Jesus said, you tithe.You pay a dime out of every dollar and you should do that.But then you left justice.And so there's a message, but then there's messages between the message.And the message has to be your burden.But there's also some burdens in between the burdens, in other words.So while you have a burden for hope to be in Savannah,you also need to have a burden of living like the father.You need to have a burden of discovering your purpose,a burden of making a difference.And then my favorite, a burden that Tamika Williams preaching of faith,that is a burden.Works.And if you weren't here for that message, you need to watch it on YouTube.That message was incredible.But these are messages within the message.Listen to this point right here.They probably put it on the screen.It's hard to have a burden for something or someone you didn't birthor haven't spent adequate time with.Now, see, most of us didn't birth this vision.So the only other option we have is to spend time with this vision.You have to begin to spend time with this vision.In order to have a burden for it.And we're going to see as we study further.But what does all of this have to do with Nehemiah?What does all of this have to do with our text?You see, Nehemiah and the book of Ezra,they're really two books in one.I'm telling the same story.And they are books about a relaunch.Say relaunch.They are books about a relaunch.And in that relaunch, lots of moving pieces have to come together.You have new pieces.And you're going to have.You're going to have used pieces.You're going to have young pieces.And you're going to have old pieces.I'm pointing to myself.I'm not calling none of you all old.But you're going to have all these different pieces that come together.And the movement becomes more about God than the prophets who lead it.Amen.Now, Nehemiah will regroup a group of people to refocus the task in front of themand relaunch an existing vision.It's about this phrase right here that I put on the screencalled,same new.The same new.How is that even possible?It's like a jumbo shrimp, right?I don't care how big it is.It's still a shrimp.How can it be the same and be new?But that's what Nehemiah is about.In other words, it's the same thing we've already done,but it's going to look new to those who don't already know.So this morning, I decided we had a late night, got in late, had a long week.So I want to let my wife and girls sleep in.And so I decided to catch an Uber here,get here early, let them stay.I didn't call the church and ask for a ride or anything like that.Nothing wrong with it.But I just sensed yesterday, I said, I think I'm gonna take an Uber.And sure enough, on my way here, I take an Uber and I get talking to the Uber driverand she doesn't know about Hope City.And that's perfectly all right.It tells us there's still people to reach.But then as I get to talk to her, she grew up in church.But that has its own connotations.And then there was some drama.in the church and so now she has her own relationship with God but said she was lookingfor a church I believe with all of my heart one Sunday she's going to come in here to Hope Cityand she might smell like weed her car did I mean maybe it's one of her passages but I justI could sense things them red eyes and them black lips tell me but but that being saidwe can't take for granted what we always have because it'll be brand new to her it's the sameto us but it's new to her so in order to relaunch because that's all you're doing a pooler is you'rerelaunching the same new in order to relaunch you need to regroup and the word re you keep see Ikeep using these re words re has two meanings it's a prefix right and if you have Tamika Williams ishere she could do a better job because she's a teacher but re can either mean again or againand again so if you regroup yourregrouping back up again if you're relaunching you're launching again and you do another campusagain and again or re can also mean to go back or backwards indicating backwards motion so if youremember that means you're thinking back if you repent you're going back to where God wants youto be and so we regenerate we remove we remember we repent we refocus we regroup we rebirth werebuild do you see what we're doing here and then get this point right here regrouping is abouton a larger scale people tend to drift off they get comfortable here and so people tend to driftoff because even though maybe you're not one of those people have gone through hell maybe you'vegotten here and your life has been great and now you've you've got the house and you've got the jobyou've got the career and you got a little extra money in your pocket and so now it's just easierto go to brunch on Sundays and I don't got to be in church it's not that deep you know we're notthat type of church anyways and nobody's going to condemn me and well you know if I don't servetoday it's not a big deal somebody they'll call somebody you know and I'm not going to be in churchbut I don't like it when they call me because I have plans but a city this is the summer of hopethough let me not preach like this to y'all but people can get the cares of this world and peoplecan also get division division means two or more visions that's why people get divorced they havetwo visions and so we have this whole system of the world out there right now that's trying todivide and conquer us red and blue left and right Trump and Biden social justice and sanctity oflife and all of this stuff and they really don't care about any of usthey just sold they sold you on their version of Christianity to get your vote and to divide youfrom focusing on the vision that God has given this house the burden and so when I think ofrefocusing I think the vision just can become a little bit blurry you notice I keep taking myglasses off I'm still new to wearing glasses and so these are supposed to be transition lenses butI have to get used to it and so I have the big progressive okay not transition progressiveI should have her preach so nobut I could see the big picture in this room but then if I need to see a small detailon the screen I have to refocus with these glasses on and I don't know if anybody sawthe American Sniper movie but one of the things that Chris Kyle had to do is he had to be he hadto get steel and he had to get focused and when he got focused what he was able to do was to makesure it was safe for the other troops to advance but if he was unfocused it was easy for one of hiscounterparts to get picked offfirst to make sure we don't get picked off, to make sure we don't come up missing, to make surethat we don't get this division and that we just get comfortable with our Christianity.Stephen Oldford, but when this all happens, when we get singular focus, when we begin to get theburden that God has for this house, it's then we can experience revival. And I pray for revivalall the time. And revival is going to look different than what everybody thinks. But Ithink revival is going to happen in this nation. It has to. Stephen Oldford, he wrote a book I justread, and he said this. He said, revival is that strange and sovereign work of God in which hevisits his own people. But look what happens. He doesn't do something new. He restores, he reanimates,and he releases them into the fullness of his blessing. And when you get to this place,reanimating is to go back and do the works. Remember Jesus said,I love you, but I need you to go back and do your first works. I need you to reanimate,and I need you to get back into the vision. I'm not talking about Pastor Corey's vision.I'm talking about God's vision for your life, and God's vision for this church, and God's vision forus as a collective. Because we got to forget that we can never forget that the Bible was not writtento me. The Bible was written to us. And so when we say that God works all things together for thegood of them that love him, it doesn't mean because your car broke down that God worked that out forus. It was written to us as a collective. And so is God, you want to get God's attention,you have to start praying about what God's focused on. And now you got to ask yourself,is God into lost people? I asked you a question. Is God into lost people? Yeah, it's his focus,right? So if I want to get God's attention, I have to focus on lost people. Is God into peoplefinding freedom? Is God into people discovering their purpose? Is God into people making adifference? And so when you get focused there and we get to this place, we're going to get to thissingular focus, revival can come to this house. And when you get to this place, then you can havea Nehemiah moment. What is a Nehemiah moment? It's interesting, the word or the name Nehemiahmeans comfort or comfortable. And think about this, Nehemiah means comfortable. But when hegets in the king's presence, the king can see visibly he is uncomfortable. The man of comfortis uncomfortable. And Nehemiah was anything but comfortable. But however, when it is his lovefor God, when he has this love for God in his discomfort, God gives him three things that Iwant to talk to you about now. And the first thing that God gives him is a burden. Say burden.God gives him a burden. In other words, he became so comfortable in his relationship withGod, he became uncomfortable with the position of his people. You see, my wife and I, this isn'tour first time to Savannah. We come here every year, sometimes a couple times a year. We comehere to eat. You guys got food up here. You got good food. But you know, I don't tell somebodyabout the ordinary pub. And I don't tell somebody about Vicks on the River because I'm scared they'regoing to starve to death. I tell people about the ordinary pub and I tell people about theVicks on the River. And I tell people about Nairobi because it's good, because it's amazing.And that's the same thing with God. I don't tell people about God because I don't want them to goto hell. I tell people about God because he's good, because he's amazing, because he saved me.And I'm so comfortable in my relationship with God. Remember, I told you, I didn't grow up inchurch. I got saved. I got saved for real. And God was so good to me. He rescued me when Ididn't deserve to be rescued. I didn't do anything to deserve it. I was, I was not only, I wasn'trunning from God. I would just stand in his face and say, I don't need you, but he saved me. And asa result, I wanted other people to know about this God. And so when I'm comfortable in my positionwith God, I become uncomfortable with people who are not comfortable with God. And my burdenbecomes for them. And you know, if you have a serious burden, you call 9-1-1. Nehemiah won.9-1-1. Look at this. If you return, so Nehemiah's praying to God. And at first here, he's quotingMoses, something God said to Moses. And he's saying, God, but if you return to me and obeymy commandments and live by them, then even if you're exiled to the ends of the earth, guesswhat? These people are exiled. They are not in Jerusalem. They are in another country and theyare slaves. I will bring you back to the place I've chosen for my name to be honored. And thegreat power and strong hand, they're your servants, God. Please, Lord, please hear myprayer. Listen to the prayer of those of us who delight in honoring you. Please grant me successtoday by making the king favorable to me. Put into his heart to be kind to me, because in those daysI was the king's cupbearer. What you got to understand is Nehemiah is working for hisenslaver. He has direct access. They don't like the Israelites.But they'll use the Israelites. What I just say, they don't like you. They just want your vote.But Nehemiah said, God, I know what you promised. You said you would bring us out. And now I havea burden for my people, God. But in order to have a burden, I'm going to need some favor with theking. When you pray for Hope City, you need to pray that you have favor with contractors andyou have favor with real estate investors and you have favor with the mayor and you have favor withcheck building codes out. And you have favor with plumbers who are going to do a good job in hereand that the AC is going to work. And you want favor. I don't care if they saved or not. I justneed the favor with them when they get here. That's my burden. And so God gives Nehemiah thisburden. But a burden is useless unless you get part two. And so God gives him boldness.God gives him boldness in the presence of his enemies to ask them for favor.Boss, I know you don't like me. I know you're far from God, but I need Sundays off.Listen, I know you don't know what the church is and you think it's a bunch of divisiveness anddon't do anything in the community, but I need a good price on this foundation we're about to layfor the next building. We have to pray for, we have to have boldness to just ask people forthings and then trust that God is going to meet it with favor. David says he prepares a table for mein the presence.Of my enemies. I can just sit there and eat. I'm at Vicks on the river while my enemies out thewindow. And I'm like, yeah, but I have a scallops and risotto. And what? Talk to him. Nehemiah chaptertwo, which is, we already read it, but early the following spring in the month of Nisan during the20th year of King Artaxerxes reign, I was serving the king wine. I'd never appeared sad. I'd neverappeared indifferent. I had never appeared with an attitude in front of my boss. I walked in thefruit of the spirit. Imagine that.You can have the Holy ghost speak in tongues and speak to people. Imagine that. And that's, that's,that's what he did. He says, long live the king. I love this job. Thank you for hiring me. You'reamazing, man. I wish I got more, but I'm thankful for what you gave me. But since you asked the citywhere my ancestors are buried is ruined. The gates have been destroyed by fire. You have to, the Biblesays that everything in the old Testament was written for our learning. You have to see Jerusalemat Savannah and you have to see the city of Jerusalem at Savannah. And you have to see theJerusalem is pooler and you have to see Savannah. Jerusalem is the next place you go, whether it beWoodbine, whether it be up to South Carolina, whether wherever you go. And there is some historyin this city. And if you live here, you know, I mean, there's history. There's, there's witchcraftin this city and there's ghost tours. And then you have the whole slave trade and people escapeit through here. There's a, there's a lot of things that our ancestors had left here, butthere's some amazing things. And the Bible says you can build up the old waste places. We'll seethat in a little bit, but God will give you the boldness. Like he gave Nehemiah when you get theburden, but you have to be in line with the vision to get the burden. And then once you get, once youget the boldness from getting the burden, then the Bible says, as a result, God gave him builderssay builders. Are there any builders in the room? Yeah. No, I see any builders, just three of you.No, listen, you got to get this.Cause otherwise you'll just be coming to church. Nehemiah chapter two, verse 17 and 18. What'shappened here is the King has gone ahead and given him the favor. And what's amazing isthe King not only gives him favor, the King gives him basically diplomatic immunity.Like you ever watch a movie and somebody gets pulled over by the cops and be like, well,you can't arrest me. I'm got diplomatic immunity. I'm from overseas or whatever.And so he can, he's got this paper from the King. The King says, if anybody stops you,you just tell them I sent you.Man, when the King sends you somewhere. And so Nehemiah two, he's now with his people. He says,now I said unto them, the builders, you know, very well what trouble we're in. Jerusalem liesin ruins. Savannah has lied in ruins and Pooler has lied in ruins and Georgia has lied in ruins,but his gates and his gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalemand end this disgrace. Then I told them about how gracious the hand of God had been on me.And if you didn't, you didn't have to do it. And so Nehemiah two, he's now with his people,he'll do it for me. He'll do it for you. And about my conversation with the unsaved King.And they replied at once. Yes, let's rebuild the wall. So they began a good work. And then in Isaiah58, it's prophesied that those from among you shall build the old ways places. You shall raiseup the foundation of many generations. There are many generations who've been here before and triedto do something for God. And it kept getting shut down, but you guys, you're going to do it.You guys got a burden, right? And you're going to be able to raise up those generations and allthat work and build on it. And you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restore of streetsto dwell in. God wants to do something amazing here. God is already doing something amazing here.I mean, when you drive through this city, I've been coming here for years. I've never seenanything like this. I see a lot of history and I see a lot of old churches and a lot of old systems.I see a lot of the same, but not a lot of the new.And God was wanting to do the same new. And you're getting ready to go to Pooler and it'sgoing to be amazing. You're going to open another campus. But can I tell you, you have a burden,you have boldness, you have the builders. But when you attempt to do anything for God,then come the blockers. Now, blockers are haters. I needed another B word, so.And I can't use the one I was thinking of. So, hey, the 10 o'clock crowd, we could do that,right? No, that'll go well in the noon service. Yeah, they alsocame from the club and they'll get it. But hey, God's going to allow the blockers to come.He allows them to come. And look at this in Nehemiah chapter four, verses one through three.You have two guys here, Samballot and Tobiah, and they're both enemies of the Jews. The problem is,the king already gave them permission and the king is their king too. But Samballot was veryangry when he learned that we were opening a campus in Pooler.And he flew into a rage and he mocked this little church off of 95 saying in front of his friendsand the Samaritan office officers, what is this bunch of poor, feeble Jews, dream teamers thinkthey're doing? Do they think they can build a wall? Do they think build a campus in a singleday by offering just a little few tithes and offerings? Do they actually think they can makesomething of stones? Now, pay attention to this next part. They can make something of stones froma rubbish heap and change ones of that?And it is amazing that when people start hating on you, it becomes contagious. One person gotopinion, then another person feel like they could drop into. And I don't know why she with him. Well,I'll tell you what I heard. And then people start talking about stuff that they don't know anythingabout. And so Tobiah jumps in. Tobiah jumps in and says, that stone wall would collapse if even a foxwalked on top of it. Anybody ever heard a fox walk? You say, yes, you're lying. You don't hearno fox walk.They quiet. They like the ninjas of the forest. But this is a statement of a hater. Sandballot isjust a hater. It's a hater that says, why you got to do that? It's a hater that says, there's enoughchurches. Why do we need another one? It's a hater that says, nobody wants to come watch a videoscreen message when they can just go find a pastor somewhere. It's a hater that tells you not to starta business in this economy. It's a hater that's going to tell you the rates are too high for youto buy a house. It's a hater that's going to tell you you don't have enough education to apply forthat job. It's some haters out there.It's some blockers. But if you have a burden, if you have the boldness to pursue what God has foryou, he'll send the builders for your vision. But then here's the other thing I don't want you tomiss from that. He said that they built this wall from a rubbish heap. They were building this walland there were brand new stones that they got, but they also had to use some of the burnt stones.Do you know how much opposition has to come against the stone for it to be burnt?I want to talk about a little pebble. We talk about big rocks that build a walland they have been burnt like my Uber driver. Not that type of burnt, but she had been burntby church. And there are people out there that don't do that church thing because they've beenburnt. They never even had a chance to get inside because they were told you had to do A, B, and Cbefore God would love you. And before God would love you, you had to do A, B, and C before God would love you.But this wall, God said, I'm doing new thing, but I'm doing the same new. You see, you need the newand the used. You need the old and the young. You need the cross and the lights. You needcommunion and the smoke. We need teenagers and we need seniors. We need everything. God wants to doa new thing, a mixed thing, a same thing. That's what the Joshua generation was about. It wasn'tjust young people that crossed over the Jordan. It was the young and the old together.And God is going to take some of these burnt stones and they're going to come in and be soamazed and they're going to try to outwork us. And we should let them try, but then we shouldalso lead them. And we have to remember that they've been hurt, but they just want to be apart of a community, even with their burnt edges. Remember, Nehemiah means comfort. And when we getin and do the work of God, when we build new places and rebuild old places, we're going to beplaces. It's in our labor for God that we can truly find comfort. Remember, Nehemiah chaptereight is, it says, the joy of the Lord is my strength. That's the first song we sung today.I didn't know, I've never even heard that song before. And I thought, man, how great is that?That goes right along with our message, because the joy of the Lord is our strength. And Jesussaid, come to me, all you that are labor and are burdened. And if you come to me, I'll give yourest. But he gives us rest when we have a burden. He gives us rest when we have a burden. He givesus rest when we labor in that burden. He gives us rest when we're building something. We can'tcome to God and be like, I need rest. He said, you haven't done nothing for me yet. Listen,what we do doesn't save us, but we get saved to do something. And everything we do isn't in thefour walls. I was talking to a guy after last service and he's a business owner. And I toldhim, don't, don't, I don't want to come in here. Don't want this. Don't want this platform.We need Christian lawyers and we need Christian police officers and we need Christian plumbersand we need Christian bakers. And we need people that work in gyms and we need people in thegovernment. We need Nehemiah's who work for Kings who are unjust and can represent God and change.There's a reason your company hasn't gone under. You wonder why people in your industry are gettingfired and you still have a job. It's because God has kept it because you're there. And when we goto Jesus, we find the comfort. And when we get the comfort, comfort is rest and rest iscomfort in that. I don't care what my neighbor does today. I was where I was supposed to be. I wasbuilding something because I have a burden and because I have a burden and it's from God. Can'tanybody tell I'm bold. I'm not ashamed of my faith. I'm not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power ofGod, the salvation to everyone that believes. And if I can't articulate it like my pastors can,I know how to get people to where they can hear it. Amen.Nehemiah means comfort and we get comfort when we do the work God has for us.I want to give you one more thing here in a minute, but what does this mean for Hope City?What am I asking today? God didn't come to just fire you up. You're getting ready to go into aseason of prayer. I think in August, August, you're going into a season of prayer. And Chris Hodgesalways says that if you want to get God's attention, you pray for where God's attention is at.God's attention is the lost. And so I want you to pray for three things during this time of prayer.You should pray this every day anyways. But the first one is I want you to pray for Savannah,Georgia. I want you to ask the Holy Spirit to give you a burden for Savannah that rivals yourpastors. It's going to be hard, but I want you to try to have a bigger burden for your city thanPastor Corey and Tamika. And guess what? When you have a burden, when you're praying about it,God told me a long time ago,don't complain about what you pray for. You don't roll your eyes at why they do this and get mad whythey haven't fixed that and why is this law and what's this tax? No, I'm praying about it. I'mpraying about it. If I'm praying about it and I'm believing it in faith, then I know God's going totake care of it and God's got a bigger plan. You got to pray for a burden for your city. And youknow why it's so important to pray for a burden for your city? Because cities represent people.Cities are metropolises of people. When you think of New York, when you think of Chicago,when you think of LA,you think of great masses of people. And there are great people in Savannah that God wants tosave. The second thing I want you to pray for is I want you to pray for your own personal boldness.This cannot be a secret. God helped me to ask somebody, hey, you have any spiritual beliefs?Hey, you go to church anywhere? What's the worst thing to do? Like, no, I don't do that churchstuff. Yeah, I get it. How can I pray for you this week? Maybe you start there. You're going to prayfor Georgia. You're going to pray for your own personal boldness. And then three, I want you topray for the builders of the vision. And remember, some of those builders are going to be brand newstones and some of them are going to be used and dirty and burnt, but they're going to make abeautiful work at the end of all of it. And during these seven days of prayer that you're going into,like every day, God, I got to pray for these three things. And I dare you to pray for thismore than you pray for your own needs.knows what you need. And I think that's why Jesus said, God already knew what you need beforeyou asked for it. But there's a lot of people out there who don't know what they need and they don'thave anyone praying for them, but you are. Amen. Let me read this verse to you. Hebrews chapter sixverses nine through 12 says, we are confident that you are meant for better things,things that come with salvation. And can I tell you, those things are not houses and cars andshoes and all that stuff. That's basic. You can earn that. You can work for that. But no, we'retalking about souls because they're the only thing you could take to heaven with you as people.For God is not unjust. Man, that's good news. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him.Not for me, not for Corey. How hard you work for him and how you have shown your love to him. Howdo you show your love to him? By caring for other believers.You still do. And our great desire is that you'll keep on loving others as long as life lasts.I've been doing church for so long. I've done my time. Nope. In order to make certain that what youhope, city of hope, what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become, can you imaginethis? Look at this. You will not become spiritually dull. You can become spiritually dull andindifferent. Wow. Instead, you'll follow the example of the Lord. You'll follow the example of the Lord.Those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and their endurance.Listen, the work is not easy. It's no fairy tale. I'm not here to promise you that. I'm not here totell you, oh, if you just do what God tells you to do. Now, I told you, I started doing what Godtold me to do and I lost the job. It's hard work, but it's also rewarding work because someday we'llall stand. If we're saved, we'll all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and we'll be rewardedbased on God's promise. So, I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here totell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that.I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that.I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that.I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that.I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that. I'm not here to tell you that.I'm going to ask everybody to bow your head right now. Everybody close your eyes.Because maybe you'rein this room and you thought,that sounded real good, but I'm not qualified,P-Rod, Pastor Rodney.Yeah, I don't know about all that.I've got a lot of stuff.But you don't come to God with anyqualifications.You don't come to God with aclean record. None of us do.You come to Godwith your yes.And if you want to say yes today,I'm going to pray a prayer with you.And the Bible says, if you believe in your heart, confess with your mouth.That's it.You're saved.You're in.You're part of the family.Whether you build or not, you're part of the family.And if you want to know that Jesus today, I'd love the opportunity to pray with you.So I'm going to count to three.And then when I do, I'm just asking you to slip your hand up, put it back down.And if you're watching online, just type in the chat, that's me.We want to know who we're praying for.And right now, if you want to know Jesus, on the count of three, one, two, three.Anyone at all, lift your hand.Anyone at all.Anyone at all.Anyone at all.Thank you.Thank you.See those hands.Thank you.Thank you.I want us all to pray together, and then I'm going to pray for you individually.So I want all of us to pray together so nobody feels left out.Say, dear Jesus, thank you for your grace.Thank you for paying a price I can't pay.Thank you for taking me just how I am.I believe in you and what you've done.And today, I am born again in Jesus' name.Amen.Now lift your hands.I'm going to pray for you.Father, in Jesus' name, I thank you for Hope City.I thank you, God, that hope is your word.Hope is something you invented, God.And this is a people who are burdened, they are bold, and they are building God.And I ask that you just, in their most weary times, that you give them grace.I thank you.With any opposition.You give them favor.And with everything, you give them success.In Jesus' name.Amen.Thanks, Hope City.Love you.
### Quotes for Outreach
1. "I don't tell people about God because I don't want them to go to hell. I tell people about God because he's good, because he's amazing, because he saved me. And I'm so comfortable in my relationship with God. Remember, I told you, I didn't grow up in church. I got saved. I got saved for real. And God was so good to me. He rescued me when I didn't deserve to be rescued." [54:59] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "When you stand fast, you got to stand faithful. I don't know who this is for because I didn't say this last service. But we stand fast. We stand ready. And there's a strategy in all of this. There's a strategy. And what Pastor Corey's been doing, because oftentimes when a series of messages is given, there's this overwhelming thought. There's this singular focus that we should all be able to tune into." [42:42] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "When you get to this place, reanimating is to go back and do the works. Remember Jesus said, I love you, but I need you to go back and do your first works. I need you to reanimate, and I need you to get back into the vision. I'm not talking about Pastor Corey's vision. I'm talking about God's vision for your life, and God's vision for this church, and God's vision for us as a collective." [51:48] (20 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "You have to, the Bible says that everything in the old Testament was written for our learning. You have to see Jerusalem at Savannah and you have to see the city of Jerusalem at Savannah. And you have to see the Jerusalem is pooler and you have to see Savannah. Jerusalem is the next place you go, whether it be Woodbine, whether it be up to South Carolina, whether wherever you go." [59:37] (15 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "Listen, what we do doesn't save us, but we get saved to do something. And everything we do isn't in the four walls. I was talking to a guy after last service and he's a business owner. And I told him, don't, don't, I don't want to come in here. Don't want this. Don't want this platform. We need Christian lawyers and we need Christian police officers and we need Christian plumbers and we need Christian bakers." [01:09:41] (29 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
### Quotes for Members
1. "But Pastor Corey, he's been taking you on a journey recently. Hopefully you've been paying attention and catching up. He's been taking you on a journey, and he's been retooling you. He's been shifting you. He's been trying to right the ship a little bit, and point it towards this designated course. And now you're launching a second campus in Pooler. I'd give God a hand for that right there." [39:54] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "It's hard to have a burden for something or someone you didn't birth or haven't spent adequate time with. Now, see, most of us didn't birth this vision. So the only other option we have is to spend time with this vision. You have to begin to spend time with this vision. In order to have a burden for it. And we're going to see as we study further." [45:35] (24 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "And so when I think of refocusing I think the vision just can become a little bit blurry you notice I keep taking my glasses off I'm still new to wearing glasses and so these are supposed to be transition lenses but I have to get used to it and so I have the big progressive okay not transition progressive I should have her preach so no but I could see the big picture in this room but then if I need to see a small detail." [50:25] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "And so Nehemiah two, he's now with his people. He says, now I said unto them, the builders, you know, very well what trouble we're in. Jerusalem lies in ruins. Savannah has lied in ruins and Pooler has lied in ruins and Georgia has lied in ruins, but his gates and his gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace." [01:01:05] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "And so I want you to pray for three things during this time of prayer. You should pray this every day anyways. But the first one is I want you to pray for Savannah, Georgia. I want you to ask the Holy Spirit to give you a burden for Savannah that rivals your pastors. It's going to be hard, but I want you to try to have a bigger burden for your city than Pastor Corey and Tamika." [01:11:16] (25 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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