Building a Life that Matters

---

Building a Life that Matters The Confrontational Gospel July 25, 2010 Text: Nehemiah 4:7-23 (p.475)

________________ is part of a life of faith. ___________________ in various forms and to various degrees has always been a part of a life of faith. Nehemiah had to deal with it in severe ways. Behind the scenes, in the very real yet ______________ world, the enemy of God and mankind – Satan – had different reasons to keep Jerusalem from being rebuilt. Satan knew God was going to bless the ___________ ___________ through Jerusalem. No Jerusalem, no blessing. If the element of ______________ is so important in battle, why would God give up this advantage and “announce” what He was going to do often hundreds of years before it happened? The answer is fairly simple. God doesn’t need a _______________ ___________. In the midst of all that seems chaotic to you and I, we can never forget one overriding truth. Our God is King – King of all kings, Lord over all that has any authority. He has not in any way lost ______________ of this thing He began. (Phil. 1:6) Nehemiah called the people to see reality – to see things accurately. God is in ___________. But he also called them to act. They adjusted their plans and kept laboring for God in the midst of insults and ______________. They didn’t allow persecution – the reality of the battle – to stop them.

Really following Jesus is ____________________ (whether we like it or not). (John 15:18-20; 2 Tim. 2:12) We as followers of Jesus are supposed to ______________. We are the aroma - the fragrance - of Christ. (2 Cor. 2:14-16) If we are not careful, not smelling can become a major goal of our faith. And when that happens, I would challenge that it is really the _____________ of real faith. Persecution, even at the smallest of levels, can make us want to shrink back from in any way being _________________. We cannot truly love God and follow Him as our Lord and not have an “_________” about us that some will find offensive no matter how humbling and loving we live it out. When we follow God in love and obedience, we will make decisions that others will not only fail to understand but will at times find _________________ because the decisions challenge the decisions they are making. •

If we cherish purity in sexual matters, our lives will be an _______________ on people’s love for what is called free sex.

•

If we are punctual, honest and hard working in our jobs because we want the way we work to reflect the greatness of God, then we expose the ________________ of laziness and dishonesty.

•

If we say trust and surrender to Jesus is the only way to be right with God, then we _______________ the tolerance and universalism of our society.

John 3:16 is likely the most known verse in the Bible. It magnifies the love of God for those who don’t deserve it. But God’s love is only great if we were in ________________.