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Sunday Service at NTCG Handsworth
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Good morning, church. Hallelujah. It's good to be in the house of the Lord this morning. We serve an awesome God. Worship team, to God be the glory. Truly the presence of the Lord is in the house.
The psalmist says that we must come before his presence with thanksgiving. Make a joyful noise unto the Lord. Serve him with gladness. And come before his presence with thanksgiving.
I want to greet Sister Paulette, and our bishop who's watching online. Thank you, bishop, for your word of encouragement today. To our church and pastors council, visitors, friends, and our online church this afternoon, I greet you all in the mighty name of Jesus.
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The scripture the bridge gave me was from Isaiah 61:3:
"To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified."
And before I go on, I just want to say to Joshua — what a beautiful prayer this morning. Glory to God.
The scripture reading this morning came from both Isaiah 61 and Nehemiah. Nehemiah is well known for building the walls in Jerusalem. He was a man from the generational diaspora of those who had been exiled from Judah. His occupation placed him in the courts of royalty, surrounded by luxury and power. The Bible says he was from the tribe of Judah — significant because it tells us Jesus came through this lineage.
Nehemiah had not been to Jerusalem before. It was not his homeland; he was born in Persia. Nehemiah tells us his occupation: he was a cupbearer before the king.
If I want to give a message this morning, it is this: we must serve the Lord in gladness.
Psalm 100 reminds us how we must serve. It tells us that we must come before his presence with singing and enter his courts with praise. I wonder if David recognized this demand for the heavenly king because it was a demand of earthly kings — their subjects weren't allowed to come before them in sadness.
Gladness is a deep abiding joy that transcends temporary happiness. Gladness comes from:
It provides strength during difficulties and hardships. Gladness originates from spiritual fulfillment, from his presence, from a choice of gratitude rather than our external circumstances.
God's presence is not just here within the four walls of Handsworth — his presence is everywhere. He is omniscient. David says, "Where can I go from your presence?" recognizing that God is everywhere, not just in a physical space. So we can enter his gates with thanksgiving wherever we are.
Nehemiah served the king, and he couldn't come before the king with a sad countenance. The cost of doing so would be severe.
We see this in the book of Daniel too. When Daniel chose not to accept the king's food, the chief eunuch said:
"I fear my lord the king who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are of your age? Then you would endanger my head before the king."
Serving the king was not a matter of just being fired like you would be from work — it would cost your life.
How could Nehemiah be glad when there was trouble? When his brethren came to him and he asked them what was going on, they told him that the walls were broken down and the gates were burnt. He was sad and broken and sorrowful in heart.
How can we serve the king in emotional and difficult times? Nehemiah directed his sorrow not only within, but he directed it up. When there was nothing more he could do, he approached the King of heaven, the King of the universe:
"Oh Lord our God of heaven, you are an awesome God. You keep covenant and mercy with those who love you. Please be attentive and your eyes open and hear the prayer of your servant."
He recognized his position. He recognized who God was and who God is.
The Bible says in James 5:16 that the effective, fervent prayer of the righteous avails much. In the Amplified it says it's effective prayer. What makes your prayer effective?
When you persistently pray over something, God hears our prayer.
There are times when we have to pray and believe by faith. Times when we feel we're just long-suffering because God hasn't yet come through. Nehemiah served the king in his distress — he didn't go to the king straight away. He fasted and prayed for months before he approached the king, waiting for a strategy, believing God, serving the king in the meantime while deep in sorrow.
We can't escape brokenness because we are made to feel. We are made with emotions. Things break our hearts and cause us distress:
But my God, God still comes through for us. In Psalm 5:1-3, the psalmist still says he will allow his voice to cry out to the king: "In the morning, I will direct my request to you."
Nehemiah was the king's cupbearer, close to the king, probably in the prime of life — young, skilled, in a good mindset. He was the advisor for the king. Yet even in his high position, he was concerned about a place he wasn't in.
Hearing about broken walls may not sound like much. If one of you came to me and said, "Jenny, my walls are broken," I don't think I'd be sorrowful. But do you know what the walls represented?
Without the walls, the people were left in a state of disgrace and mockery.
Nehemiah recognized the importance of building the walls. We all want to be safe and secure. We don't like hostile environments.
Nehemiah could easily have said, "The issue doesn't concern me." As cupbearer to the king and his advisor, he had his own situation to think about — he had to taste of the wine to make sure the king wasn't poisoned. But he had the ability to understand the feelings of others. He was concerned.
The fact that it troubled Nehemiah recognizes his dual role. He served the earthly king, but also the heavenly King and God's people. Philippians 3:20 says:
"But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a savior from the Lord Jesus Christ."
Same as us — we must recognize our allegiance to the King, and also serve others with all our hearts.
Do you know someone who's in trouble? Is someone acting out of character? Does that mean we don't serve them? Do you see an area of need that needs to be filled? There is a place where we can serve with all our giftings and abilities to the eternal King.
Romans 12:10 says we must be devoted to one another.
Where are our walls of compassion, walls of understanding, walls of love? Do they need to be built up?
Do we recognize we need these walls built — not to divide us, but to protect us? The Bible says love suffers long and is not easily puffed up. When these things fall, we allow the enemy to come in.
The Bible says we must provoke each other to good works. The word provoke comes from a Latin root meaning "call forth." We call forth even between ministries what we can do to help each other, how we can serve each other well. We must encourage one another, speak well of one another.
Young people, do you see your peers? Are they in trouble? Do they need calling forth? Do they need stirring? Do they need a word from the Lord?
We must learn to stir up one another for good works — not just be interested in our own works, but in the interest of others. When we don't serve each other, we allow the enemy to work against us. When we are:
...we break down the walls. James 5:9 reminds us we must not grumble against one another. We are to be kind, considerate, and helpful to one another. This is what Nehemiah did — he saw the people needed help, and he was there.
We know at times rebuke is needed and warning is needed. The Bible says, "Let the righteous strike me" — it's better that the righteous reprove us because it helps us align with God's will. When we are rebuked, or when we have to give rebuke, we've got to give it in love and receive it in love. We don't hear it and turn our backs saying, "Who do they think they are?" or "Who does Jenny think she is?" We do it together. We serve one another. We stir one another up. And we build our walls so the enemy cannot come in and divide us.
So Nehemiah had to face the king. The king said to him, "Why is your face sad and you are not sick?"
When we feel burdens and heavy, some situations just cause us to feel sad. We can't help it:
These things cause us not to enter into his presence with thanksgiving and gladness because we are unhappy.
When we are unhappy spiritually or emotionally, when the joy has gone from serving the Lord, we just don't feel it anymore. We can't enter the joy of the Lord with gladness. We don't want church to become a ritual where we come only for the singing or our favorite parts of the service. We need to come into the presence of the Lord and delight to do his will. We must not be tossed to and fro by life's problems, letting the devil get a foothold in our progress. We need to make the joy of the Lord be our strength.
What do we do in these times? Nehemiah showed the king respect. He addressed him kindly even in his discomfort and fear.
He came before the king in the sorrow of his heart. The king says to him, "What is your request?" It's a beautiful example of empathy. God calls us to come before his throne of grace to obtain favor in our time of need. As Joshua rightly said, God cares for us. We can call upon him in our time of trouble because he answers.
What do you need to serve the Lord with gladness? What do you need to ask the Lord for? God opens up his favor for us in unexpected places and at unexpected times.
Nehemiah asked for favor. "If it pleases the king, can I have letters for safe passage?" He told the king the walls were broken and he needed to go help his people. He needed letters for safe passage. He also needed timber to build. And the Bible says, "And the king granted his request."
How much more will our King grant our request when we serve the King? He will come to our aid.
I want to encourage you today:
Peace belongs to you. Joy belongs to you. Contentment belongs to you. You belong to the King.
In Psalm 69, the psalmist recognized his distress: "I sink in the mire of the deep, and there is no place to stand." But in verse 30 he says, "I will praise God's name in song." Even in his distress, he glorifies God. Come on, church — let us praise God.
We are required to serve the Lord with gladness even in times of grief and sorrow. These are a natural reaction to the loss of a loved one, and it's really difficult to praise God in those times.
This week I was reflecting because it was my mother-in-law's birthday — she would have been 90 on Tuesday. We never forget our loved ones, and there are triggers that can pull us back into grief. But my God, we recognize that God is with us even through our emotional turmoil.
Breakups and divorce cut deep. Health challenges. Not being able to fulfill ambitions. Spiritual failure — when we have fallen short, when we have fallen into sin. How do we come into God's presence? With gladness — even when our hearts are pained.
According to research, grief has different components:
Anticipatory grief — grief over an impending loss, such as a terminal illness or diagnosis. You wait for the report, and in the meantime your emotions and your physical body go into grief because you don't know the outcome. This is what Jesus experienced in the garden of Gethsemane when he had to face the cup, knowing he was going to lay down his life for us (Matthew 26:36-46).
Compound grief — when someone experiences multiple losses in a short period. Job comes to mind. He lost family, business, everything. Compound grief leaves little room to recover from one thing before hearing bad news of another. In this church, we keep burying and burying because there is so much loss.
Collective grief — grief shared across a community or nation following disaster and tragedy. This is what Nehemiah experienced, and what we and people across the waters are facing today.
I encourage you today that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion, comforts us in our troubles. Paul said, "We have set our hope that we will know that God will continue to deliver" — because he focused on the character of God.
Church, how are we serving? Do we focus on the character of God? Romans 8:28 says:
"All things work together for good to those who love God."
You may not see your good yet, but it will come. Wait on the Lord.
Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." In any time of loss, we are given the assurance that we shall be comforted — so that we can enter his gates with thanksgiving, serve one another, be concerned about each other, and allow our walls to be built up.
Isaiah 61 talks about consolation. The Lord wants to console those who mourn. He wants to soothe you. He wants to cheer you in times of difficulty.
Those difficulties serve a purpose. As a church, we will go through some of them as the spiritual climate of our world changes. Joshua was preaching my message at the same time — wars are around us, the spiritual climate is shifting, and we are going to face difficult times like the early church, where even praying was a crime. These things should concern us.
But the Bible also says he wants to give us beauty for ashes — signifying God's transforming power in our mourning, our despair, our brokenness. He wants to turn our mourning into joy, and restore us to praise.
Do you feel like your life is ruined? Let me tell you something: in the eyes of the Lord, your life is not ruined. There is nothing too hard for God to do in your life. I am standing here, hallelujah, as a witness of God restoring me for his glory. We can be glad.
In Psalm 103, the psalmist says:
"Praise the Lord, oh my soul, all my inmost being. Praise his holy name."
And forget not his benefits — because God still upholds his benefits to us in troubled times. We can have the oil of joy. We can have the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.
As I heard the worship team praising today, there was just a lifting of the atmosphere. This is what the presence of the Lord brings. In his presence, there is fullness of joy. I want you to be excited, church. I want you to leave here glad. I want you to leave here happy, knowing whom you serve.
Will you serve the King well? We are agents of God. Nehemiah was cupbearer for the king. The cup serves different purposes:
Jesus took the cup of sorrows for us. He laid down his life so that we could have restoration, hope, redemption — so we could be back in the place God has for us. He took the cup for us.
Nehemiah's job was to taste the cup before the king to make sure the king would not be poisoned. Jesus took that cup for us. Why then shall we not be in gratitude for what the cup signifies?
As we serve, let us remind ourselves: Nehemiah said he was a cupbearer for the king — and that stands as a symbol that we too are cupbearers. Cupbearers for the kingdom.
Is shame stopping you from coming into the house with gladness? Let me remind you this morning:
"There is therefore now no condemnation for them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit."
There is no condemnation. If you get up in the morning feeling condemnation, rebuke the spirit. It is the plan of the enemy to keep you down and steal your joy. He comes to kill, steal, and destroy.
You don't have to bear the shame. You don't have to come here thinking, "I can't sit anywhere," or "I can't come," or "I have to leave because I don't want to face people." Not in God's kingdom. God restores you whatever you've done, wherever you find yourself. If you repent, God will forgive.
On that thought — we must make sure we are not conduits of the enemy, being accusatory towards one another when someone else has fallen. Instead of picking them up, the walls come tumbling down. Remember: the walls are to protect us, not to divide us.
As I bring this to a close — because there's more to say — what is your request? What do you need from the King?
Your King is:
What do you need to serve God with gladness? He is your protector, your shepherd, your deliverer. And there is nothing too hard for him to do.
Church, let me encourage you today:
God works things out. Sometimes when we can't bear it by ourselves, we call on one another to pray and intercede. That's what Nehemiah did — he interceded for the people of Judah. That's what we are called to do.
I want you to wake up in the morning remembering that you're going to send your request to God, give him the glory, honor, and praise, and remember who God is. Don't let the enemy have control over your life.
"Call upon me in the day of trouble, because I will rescue you. And I will honor you."
Does anybody need to be rescued today? Does anybody need to be vindicated today? Does anybody need to be restored today?
Weeping may endure for a night, but joy is going to come in the morning. You may be waiting a long time — but serve the Lord with gladness, because he's working on your behalf.
There's a song that says, "Late in the midnight hour, God's going to turn it around." He's going to work in your favor. He's going to work in our favor.
What do you need from the Lord today? What is your request? God is here to help us, to heal us. We don't need to be disgraced in his presence. He's a restorer of your character. And not just yours — bring anyone else you know who's in difficulty, heavy, burdened, depressed. Let them come into the house of the Lord and experience the joy. Experience the gladness.
The song says:
"I'm trading my sorrows. I'm trading my shame, and I'm going to lay them down for the joy of the Lord. I'm trading my sickness. I'm trading my pain, and I'm going to lay them down for the joy of the Lord."
Nehemiah was able to build the walls, and even though he faced difficulties, persecution, and criticism, God allowed him to build. Will we build together, church? Will we be glad for one another?
Let me remind you that:
You are an overcomer. I remember when I was going through my difficult times, and Mother Malcolm would just meet me in the aisle and remind me who I was, so I didn't have to hang my head in shame. Hold up your head. I remember when Sister Carmen used to say that to me: "Hold up your head, Jenny. You are an overcomer."
Hallelujah. We are overcomers. Come on, stand. Glory to God. We bless the name of the Lord.
