unBROKEN – Part One

Nehemiah

Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

Nehemiah’s Prayer

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”

Nehemiah 1

Sermon Notes – unBROKEN

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ONE YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN - WEEK 19

Day 1: Day 2: Day 3: Day 4: Day 5: Acts 22:22-23:35; Ps 78:11–26

Acts 24:1-25:12; Ps 78:27–46

Acts 25:13-26:32; Ps 78:47–57

Acts 27; Ps 78:58–72

Acts 28; Ps 79

Discussion Questions – Nehemiah 1-2

� What stands out in this story?

� Why did God wire creation to sense pain? What good does it do? Give an example.

� What are some examples of people treating symptoms instead of problems in their life? Why do they do that?

� Review the story from Nehemiah. What is the background? Where did Nehemiah live? What is the situation with the wall around Jerusalem?

� Why did Nehemiah confess the sin of the nation? Why did he take responsibility for sin that took place 150 years earlier?

� Read Leviticus 26. What does God promise? What does God warn? How does God say to return to Him after He has disciplined them?

� What would you say to someone who keeps treating the symptoms in their life instead of the problems?

� How does the Gospel force us to deal with the root issues of our sin?

Monday – God of Recovery By George Volpe

“He that has no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.”

Proverbs 25:28

God has enabled the recording of His relationship with people from the beginning of time so that we can know Him and what He requires of us. The One who is life, and Who made all things deserves all praise, all honor, all glory, all worship. And while there have been seasons when people have praised and worshipped God for Who He is, there have been so many times when people have rebelled against Him.

The living God who reigns over all the universe is continually communicating to mankind that He is to be taken seriously. When man chooses the path of disobedience, God responds in ways that affect our lives so that we either harden our hearts against Him in further rebellion, or we recognize and admit our failure, yield to God, repent, and return to the place of God’s blessing. Boy do we need that place of blessing today.

When the Jewish nation reached the point when God had enough of their wicked, misguided worship of everything except Him, it was time for a powerful and painful lesson. They had allowed the spiritual protection of the “walls” of their hearts to crumble into ruins. So, God would allow the Babylonians to destroy the walls of Jerusalem. The blessing of the walls of safety were gone. The city was an open door to thieves and invaders from everywhere. The broken walls of Jerusalem would be a visible reminder to the Jews of the condition of their hearts before God.

For years they lived in constant fear of attack without the walls of protection. For most people this would be the “new normal.” But challenges and struggles that God allows in our lives are purposeful. They’re not meant to stay with us forever, but to bring us back to Him. I’m sure every person in Jerusalem wished the walls were repaired to their former strength. But who would take on such a monumental challenge? It seemed as if the safety and protection they enjoyed in the past could never be restored.

God is a God of redemption, of recovery, of restoration. He is the God who makes the impossible possible. When God worked in Nehemiah’s heart, Nehemiah embraced the challenge to rebuild the walls. He was not deterred by the magnitude of the task. He recognized God’s will and carefully pressed forward, trusting God with each step.

In the same way, the spiritual walls of our hearts may need attention, recovery, restoration. God is our very present and willing help.

Read Isaiah 58.

Tuesday By Kenny Tibbetts

Scripture But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. But Azariah the priest went in after him, with eighty priests of the Lord who were men of valor, and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.” Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and behold, he was leprous in his forehead! And they rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out, because the Lord had struck him. And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. And Jotham his son was over the king's household, governing the people of the land. 2 Chronicles 26: 16-21

Pause 1. What effect did pride have on King Uzziah? 2. How did sin affect King Uzziah’s life? 3. What is one area of your life that is negatively affected by your sin? 4. Why do you think sin is so destructive to us?

Pursue Take a few moments to read the story of Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26. Look for the pattern between self-sufficiency and self-destruction.

Pray Ask God for direction and clarity as our church seeks to minister in a global pandemic. Ask for God’s wisdom as we consider how we might be able to re-open in the coming weeks.

Wednesday – Plan to Pray By Brooke Corbett

“Commit your work to the Lord,

and your plans will be established.”

Proverbs 16:9

One of the most legendary basketball coaches of all time, John Wooden is quoted saying “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” I believe often in our lives when a challenge arises, we often stop before we even begin because we do not have a plan. Whether we do not know how to get started, or what it will even take to achieve or overcome, we become crippled and cannot more forward. Great coaches like John Wooden did not just show up to practice and wing it for two hours, rather they created a practice plan.

I love that in the first two chapters of Nehemiah we see his first reaction, to go to God in prayer. He does not just react and start developing a plan after receiving troubling news about Jerusalem and his people. Instead, he goes before the Lord in prayer. While being questioned by the king on his demeanor, he does not immediately answer out of his own wisdom, he pauses in prayer and then responds.

This causes me to stop and think about my own life and how often I immediately just go into fix-it mode. It can be a situation at work, trying to figure out how to deal with a family issue, or even in regard to dreams and passions in my life. Do I pause in prayer first? Do I seek God and allow Him to guide my steps in my responses? Or do I just respond and get to work without my Heavenly Father’s plan in hand?

I would pose the thought that we need to learn to prepare ourselves in prayer and communication with the Lord in all plans, challenges, and situations or else we will fail. I desire greatly to become someone who seeks God first before I respond or begin working to achieve or overcome in any given situation.

I challenge us all to heed Nehemiah’s example of preparing himself and his responses first in prayer, committing ourselves, our work, our situation to God and then allowing Him to direct us in our plans.

I feel if we do not prepare with prayer, we are preparing to fail in what lies ahead in our lives. Let’s seek God today for His plans in the areas we so desperately need Him to make a plan and make a way.

Thursday By Kenny Tibbetts

Scripture But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him. Acts 5: 1-6

Pause 1. How did sin affect Ananias?

2. Why do you think we treat sin so flippantly in our own lives?

3. What sin do you need to address in your own life right now?

Pursue Take a few moments to memorize Romans 5:8 and marvel at the mercy of Jesus and the disastrous effects of sin on our lives.

Pray Ask God to forgive your sin. Ask God to give you the strength to diligently and recklessly remove that sin from you the same way He has already removed its penalty through His sacrifice on the cross.

Friday – The Heart of the Issue By Todd Poppell

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

Kids growing up in the 70’s and 80’s were partially raised by a common

television babysitter named “Sesame Street.” It was a place where puppets, known as “Muppets,” came into our everyday lives and taught children about emotions, feelings, attitudes, letters and numbers, etc.

I recently watched a documentary on the puppeteer, Caroll Spinney, who portrayed the endearing characters of both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch. Each week Spinney would bring joy, love, humor, understanding, and learning to kids as they watched the ten-foot tall yellow bird meander down Sesame Street.

At one point in his career, puppeteer cohorts Jim Henson and Frank Oz realized that something was not emotionally right with Spinney. His acting was not on-par with other performers, his attitude had changed for the worse, and he fought battles of isolation and feelings of inadequacy. Behind the layers of yellow feathers there was a problem, a problem that was becoming harder and harder to deal with.

In Dr. Henry Brandt’s book, “The Heart of the Problem,” he points out that in life, all problems ─ family, career, relationship, finances ─ can be traced back to one single source: the human heart. While reading this devotion today, there may be issues in your life you are praying through, struggling with, and it is possible you feel that you have come to “the end of the rope.” Maybe it is marital issues, perhaps financial strain to make ends meet, perchance it could be that tension is running high with teaching your children.

Some of life’s real conflicts also come from within, such as struggles with sexual sin, impure thoughts, lying or laziness. Perhaps you find your mêlée of struggles in Galatians 5:19-21. However, try as you might, you will never be able to find a cure for what ails you, because there is no human remedy. The only cure for our heart issue is Jesus. No matter where you find yourself, victory over heart issues is found in the Word of God.

Galatians 5:24 says, “those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” Christ cleanses sin and invites you to walk in the Spirit. The antidote to sinful living is clear and abundant in God’s Word.

Caroll Spinney was having symptoms of bad acting, poor attitude, and feelings of distress, despair and self-pity. However, his problem did not begin on Sesame Street. It found its start in his heart, the same place all of our problems begin.

Read Galatians 5:16-26. � What heart issues are you facing today? � How do you confuse outward symptoms with real heart issues? � What Fruit of the Spirit will you actively emphasize today?

Pray for understanding of God’s grace and forgiveness

Weekend – unBroken By Phillip Hamm

“If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the

city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.”

Nehemiah 2:5

Scientists will tell us the brain is an amazing thing. It works in ways we don’t see and sometimes in ways in which we are not even aware. When a message comes into the brain from anywhere in the body, the brain tells the body how to react. For example, if you touch a hot stove, the nerves in your skin shoot a message of pain to your brain. The brain then sends a message back telling the muscles in your hand to pull away. We don’t make a conscious decision to move our hand, it happens instinctually. Our brains are wired to help us avoid those things that cause pain.

The truth doesn’t only apply to hot stoves. We want to avoid pain in all areas of life. This is why an exercise routine is so difficult. This is why we leave bad relationships. This is why we get new jobs. We want to avoid the uncomfortable and the difficult and the painful.

But what if God is telling us to do something that is hard and potentially painful? Our instinct is to say no. Our instinct is to protect ourselves from all things uncomfortable. But if God is ‘good and does good’ as Psalm 119:68 says, then somehow we need to override our instinct and press forward.

As we continue our study in the book of Nehemiah this week, we will see God invite Nehemiah to do something very hard.

Read Nehemiah 2 and prayerfully consider what hard thing God is inviting you to do.

Our instinct is to protect ourselves from all things uncomfortable.

Our Church’s Response to COVID-19

Out of extreme caution, we have decided to temporarily conduct Sunday worship services at FBC Palmetto online only. While we don’t want to pander to the fear that consumes our nation, we do want to be responsible. Those most impacted by the virus are of retirement age and this demographic makes up a large portion of our attenders. Given the size and scope of our church, we would be filled with remorse if someone contracted the virus while attending one of our services.

We also want to respect the wishes of our governing officials as President Trump and Governor DeSantis requested meetings with over ten in attendance be canceled. Our hope is that these and other measures will help curb the spread of the virus and protect those most susceptible.

This doesn’t mean we have to give into fear. Instead of being controlled by panic and anxiety, let’s be continually reminded of the character of God. Psalm 46:1-3 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”

Please join us for worship Sunday as we spend a few minutes turning our hearts toward the God who is all powerful and almighty. Join us on the FBC Palmetto app, or the FBC Palmetto website at this link for this Sunday's Service at 9:15 or 10:45 am.

Here are some ways we invite you to stay connected:

The campus may be temporarily closed, but your leadership team is hard at work sharing the love of Christ with our community and beyond. Remember your neighbors, continue to share Jesus and help them wherever possible. If their needs exceed your ability to assist, give the church office a call and we will do our best to help you help them.

• Invite your friends and neighbors to watch live services on Sunday at 9:15 or 10:45 am. We recommend staying consistent with our state officials’ guidelines of limiting the number who gather at one time.

• Have Bible studies in your home utilizing resources from RightNowMedia • Reach out by phone to another church member or visitor to ask how they

are doing. Please continue to financially support your church and local charities as they

experience an increase in requests for assistance from members and the local community.

You can give by using online giving, through the FBCP App, or mailing a check to: First Baptist Church 1020 4th St. W. Palmetto, FL 34221

You can communicate with us at 941-722-7795 or e-mail through the church website: www.fbcpalmetto.com.