Preparing for the Lord's Day
Rebuilding the Kingdom
Inertia is the tendency of an object at rest to remain at rest. A boulder will not start rolling unless a large force is exerted to get it moving. It takes more energy to get a car up to sixty miles per hour than to keep it at that speed. In like manner, it takes a great effort to get people to move from inaction to action. There is an inertia toward inaction that keeps us doing nothing when we know that we should act. We know that we should be exercising but it is much easier to remain inactive. We know that we should mow the lawn or rake the leaves, but it is easier to put those chores off until tomorrow. As God’s people, we are called to work toward the building of God’s Kingdom. The primary task in this work of building the Kingdom is to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). And yet it is easier to do nothing. It is easier to remain a resting Christian, not an active Christian.
How then are we to overcome this inertia toward inaction? How are we to overcome the tendency to do nothing and begin to act in faith for the sake of God’s Kingdom? In our passage for this Sunday, we see that Nehemiah must take the next step to progress the work of the Kingdom. Last week we saw that he prayed first. He fasted and he prayed that God would move so that His people might flourish again. This week Nehemiah is given the opportunity to act. He is presented with the challenge to trust that God will answer his prayer as he steps out in faith. And what we will see is that if we would act in faith we must take the risk, we must count the cost, and finally, we must trust the outcome of acting to God. To come prepared for the sermon, take time this week to read and to meditate upon Nehemiah 2, Psalm 48, Luke 14:28-30, 1 Corinthians 3:6, Hebrews 11:1,6, and Westminster Confession of Faith 16.
This week we will celebrate the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper during our worship service. As we receive the elements of bread and wine look in faith to the Lord Jesus Christ. For as we physically receive the signs of the Lord’s body and blood, spiritually we feed upon him and all his benefits. Our hymns for this week include “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” “Before the Throne of God Above,” and “For All the Saints.”
A Liturgical Note:
In the Church liturgical year, November 1 is designated as All Saints' Day, on which Christians traditionally remember with thanksgiving the life and witness of the faithful Christian men and women who have gone before us, following Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. In the Communion Prayer this Sunday, we will remember those saints of this congregation who have died since November 1, 2021. This is not a prayer of intercession for them, but a prayer of thanksgiving for their life and faithful witness, in the assurance that Christians who have preceded us in death are "away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Text: Nehemiah 2
Title: Acting in Faith
Outline:
- Every Christian Must Take the Risk of Acting in Faith (vv. 1-8)
- Every Christian Must Count the Cost of Acting in Faith (vv. 9-16)
- Every Christian Must Trust the Outcome of Acting in Faith (vv. 17-20)