“Living in Freedom: Our Passion, His Purpose” Christ Connect Church (24-Nov-2013)

“Saviour, worthy of honour and glory Worthy of all our praise, You overcame Jesus, awesome in power forever Awesome and great is Your name, You overcame” “We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb And the word of our testimony, everyone overcome” “Overcome” by Jeremy Camp Our Proclamation

Forever Barangay Ginebra! “If you don’t wanna get hurt, just play chess!”

Forever Barangay Ginebra! “I thought our imported player is strong and good. As it were, he has a strong appetite and he’s really good in speaking english!”

Forever Barangay Ginebra! “We’ll win if we work together. If you’re a ball-hog (or a crocodile), you belong at Manila Zoo!”

Forever Barangay Ginebra! “We worked hard for this! This is not a dream or a lucky fluke!”

Nehemiah – “Yahweh Comforts” 1.Background – he was a Jew living in Persia (at the citadel of Shushan) and was a cupbearer to the Persian King (about 446 BC) 2.He mourns for his people – after hearing that the Jews in Jerusalem were living distressed and insecure (with no city walls) 3.Most of the Jews are still in exile – living like Nehemiah in the cities of the Persian empire 4.A few of the Jews have returned – to live in Jerusalem, a rebuilding the city and the Temple; their work is still unfinished (the walls lay broken for about 120 years)

The Intersection 1.“Our destiny is where our passion and God’s purposes intersect” Man’s passion – Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and uplift and comfort the Jews God’s purposes – to bring spiritual revival and a renewed hope and faith to His people Q. “Are my passions aligned to God’s purposes?”

The Intersection Nehemiah 1:4 So it was when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven “Seek God and find out if your passions have His approval and blessings”

A New Identity 2. “When our passions and God’s purposes intersect, He gives us a new identity” Nehemiah 2:1-9 The Persian King gave the Nehemiah: Approval to go back and rebuild Jerusalem (v. 5). Approval to go back and rebuild Jerusalem (v. 5). Instructions to the other governors to provide for building materials to Nehemiah (v. 8) Instructions to the other governors to provide for building materials to Nehemiah (v. 8) A group of the king’s captains and horsemen to protect him (v. 9) A group of the king’s captains and horsemen to protect him (v. 9) The appointment as governor of the Jews (5:14) The appointment as governor of the Jews (5:14)

A New Identity Nehemiah 2:4 Then the king said to me, “What do you request?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. “Our new identity is marked by profound prayer” James 5:16b The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much

Be Prepared to Fight! 3. “Watch out and fight against spiritual terrorists who would try to stop us” Nehemiah 2:10, 19 Nehemiah’s powerful enemies: Sanballat the Horonite (gov. of Samaria) Sanballat the Horonite (gov. of Samaria) Tobiah the Ammonite (junior official to Sanballat) Tobiah the Ammonite (junior official to Sanballat) Geshem the Arab (possible gov. of Arabia) Geshem the Arab (possible gov. of Arabia) “Every work of God will be opposed by the enemy. It’s not a question of IF but WHEN”

Be Prepared to Fight! Revelation 12:11 And they (the Church) overcame him (the devil) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. “The enemy will fight to silence the church and our testimony about Jesus and His Word. But we shall overcome!”

Identity Protection 4. “Our new identity in Christ protects us and helps us fulfill God’s purposes” Nehemiah 6:1-9 Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem tried 5x to get Nehemiah to go out of Jerusalem to meet them at the plains of Ono (25 miles away). Verse 3 “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”

Identity Protection Nehemiah 6:10 Afterward I came to the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was a secret informer; and he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you; indeed, at night they will come to kill you.”

Identity Protection Nehemiah 6:11 And I said, “Should such a man as I flee? And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in!” Declaration: “Don’t you know who I am?” “When we remember who we are in Christ, we can say to the enemy ‘away with you!’”

Identity Protection 4. “Our new identity in Christ protects us and helps us fulfill God’s purposes” Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. Walls of Jerusalem – 1.5 miles long & 8 feet deep with 12 huge wooden gates!

Identity Protection “When we use our God-given authority and act in Spirit-led unity, the miraculous will happen!”

A Call to Action “What are my passions? What is my calling?” “Seek God and ask Him if my passions are aligned to His purposes and will” “Be bold and be ready to strike out in fight” “Prepare for a fight! My new identity in Christ will help me overcome and succeed”