EXPECT TO DO A GREAT WORK

  1. Holy Spirit came to make us witnesses.

The book of Acts defines the birth of the church.

Acts 1: 5 in a few days you will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Reaction : Has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom.

TODAY: Holy Spirit come to fill our church people travel from miles around to see what is happening here.

Acts 1: 8 Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be (prayer meeting attenders, church goers, Bible studiers, tithers, ushers, greeters,) You will be my witnesses to the end of the earth.

Acts is full of ordinary people who changed their world because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 11: 19 – 21 ordinary nameless people who broke the race barrier and shared Christ with the Gentiles in the midst of great persecution.

HOW DO WE GET THERE?

2. Nehemiah builds the wall.

The book of Nehemiah tells the story of a man whose job it is to eat food for the king to see if it poisoned.

Jerusalem’s walls are broken down and God lays a burden upon Nehemiah to do something about it.

Nehemiah 6 he is rebuilding the walls against incredible opposition. In verse 3 Nehemiah says an incredible statement that challenged me. “I AM ENGAGED IN A GREAT WORK”

Luke 5: 5 We have worked hard all night and haven’t caught a thing.

Yet John 15: 8 when you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

DILEMA: WANT TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT SO I CAN BE A WITNESS FOR JESUS, BE INVOLVED IN A GREAT WORK, AND PRODUCE FRUIT, BUT MANY TIMES I END UP WORKING ALL NIGHT AND PRODUCING NOTHING.

3. Great work is to believe.

Jesus is talking with people and challenging them to commit their lives to something of eternal value rather than on things that will fade away.

John 6: 28 – 29 “They replied, ‘We want to perform God’s works too, What should we do? ‘ Jesus told them, ‘This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.'”

If I am going to do a “GREAT WORK” for God it has to start here. DO I believe in Jesus?

Yes, James 2: 19 “you believe in God. Good for you! even the demons believe this and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless.”

Works without God are useless, Believing without works are useless.

John 14: 12 I tell you the truth anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father (SO HOLY SPIRIT CAN COME)

KEY POINT: EXPECT GOD TO GIVE YOU A PENTECOST SO YOU CAN DO A GREAT WORK.

4. Obey to produce fruit.

Luke 5: 5 we have worked all night and haven’t caught anything.

We can reason why God will not do anything and why nothing is going to happen.

BUT- if you say so I’ll let the nets down again.

The Fruit came because Peter heard the voice of God and obeyed it.

5. Come and Rest

Matthew 11: 28 – 30 Come to me all of you whoa re weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. (those things that are unproductive in our lives) Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you. ( He will teach us how to believe)

Problem

John 6: 44 No one can come to me unless the Father draws him.

Why would Jesus ask us to come if he knows it is impossible for us to do it?

When Jesus gives us a command he also gives us a promise. “AT THE LAST DAYS I WILL RAISE HIM UP.”

You cannot accomplish anything, but I will flow through you and work in you to accomplish the great work that I want to.

Philippians 2: 13 It is God who works in us giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

QUESTIONS FOR LIFE GROUP STUDY

We are doing a study of the life of Nehemiah and the building of the wall of Jerusalem that was destroyed during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Seventy years after the fall of Jerusalem, Nehemiah is called to rebuild the walls. He faced a lot of opposition to the rebuilding project, but there were three specific attacks he faced in Nehemiah 6 from three men. That is going to be our focus tonight.

The Great Work

Nehemiah 6: 2 …I am engaged in a “Great Work” so I cannot come. (New Living Translation)

  1. What do you think of when you hear the term “engaged in a Great Work”?
  2. Many will probably bring up that a great work is doing something large for God. We each read the bible through the lens of our environment. There is no real way to avoid this. In America, we have a society that tends to lean toward the idea that “If you work hard enough, you can accomplish anything.” This is why many answers will lean toward the idea of doing something as a definition for being involved in a great work.
  3. Read John 6: 28, 29. The works God requires is to believe in the one he sent. (This is Jesus)
  4. What ideas come to mind when you hear the word believe?
  5. It is an important word because Paul stated in Acts 16: 31 that if we believe in The Lord Jesus, we will be saved”, but what does that mean? According to James 2: 19 demons believe in Jesus and they tremble at the thought.
  6. Read James 2: 20 What does James tie believing to? The answer is good works. The problem is the same problem we had at the beginning. We try to do good works to please God and the result is that we burn out and are unable to accomplish what we God wants us to accomplish.
  7. Read Luke 5: 1 – 11
  8. What was the result of the fisherman fishing all night? Have you ever felt like them? Worked hard and accomplished nothing? Allow them to share an example.
  9. What was the difference between fishing all night and catching nothing, and now bringing in a great haul of fish? The second time they were obedient to Jesus words. f we are going to do a “GReat Work” we can’t just do what we want, we have to be obedient to the voice of God and be willing to obey it no matter what the cost. This is the belief in God that God requires. This is the obedient heart that sent Nehemiah, who was not a carpenter, out to rebuild a wall. He faced many obstacles, but he was able to persevere because he believed and obeyed the voice of God.
  10. Check up time. Is there an area of obedience that we are delaying acting upon? It may be starting a relationship with Jesus. Let’s close in prayer asking God for help in obeying his voice and doing the work God requires.