Restore My Glory Part 4

Posted by Paula White - Thu, September 03, 2009 at 09:00 PM

Click here to download the sermon notes for “Restore My Glory Part 4”.

Nehemiah 1:1-4

God will take what’s left and restore.
Restore = to build up again, to repair, to renew

Origin etymology = “Back Again”

I. We Must First Define and Look at the Problem
a. The solution is meaningless if you don’t make the problem real
b. Nehemiah Chapter 1 has 3 elements:
i. Inquiry (verses 1-3)
1. takes place in the 9th month of the 20th year
ii. Involvement (verse 4)
iii. Intercession (verses 5-11)
c. There are times we get under such a state of adversity that causes a “collapse” somewhere
i. 2 Corinthians 7:5 For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
1. tired = physically exhausted
2. troubled everywhere I turn = no escape
3. external battles
4. internal fears = no enemy like an “inner me”
a. fears = (greek = phobos) where we get the word “phobia”
ii. If you stay under that kind of pressure long enough, something breaks
d. The walls of Jerusalem are broken down and the gates are burned with fire
i. Temple = Spirit
ii. Walls = Soul
iii. Land = Body
e. While most believers understand and accept they are forgiven, they are not whole
i. Wholeness = without fragment. Spiritually, emotionally and mentally sound.
ii. 4 Basic needs to be whole
1. Identity = know who you are
2. Security = knowing everything will be alright
3. Acceptance = knowing you are loved
4. Purpose = knowing why you are here

Only God’s love brings you life…

Light (Hebrew) = Illumination, and internal photograph

Psalms 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.

II. Gates and Walls
a. Gates
i. the place of portal
ii. the entrances and exits
iii. the things permitted and prohibited
iv. the openings and closings

Colossians 2:19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

b. Walls
i. The wall of protection and the place of joining
ii. When the walls are broken down, the joints, which supply the body, don’t get nourishment. Therefore, they do not increase
iii. We need our walls built back up

Proverbs 25:28 He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.

iv. Walls represent self control
1. self control is the establishment of conviction
a. Boundaries
i. Boundaries show you ownership
ii. A boundary is a personal property line that marks those things for which we are responsible
iii. They define who we are and who we are not
iv. Without clear lines, you will have no real sense of “self”
v. Boundaries protect and preserve us
vi. We are responsible for ourselves, but not for the cares of others

Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden.

Burdens (Greek) = weight or crushing load

Burden (Greek) = diminutive, invoice as part of freight

III. We are Built for Relationship
a. Attachment is the foundation of the souls existence
b. When this foundation is cracked or faulty, boundaries become impossible to develop
i. When we lack relationship, we have no where to go in a conflict
ii. We are not secured by love so we are forced to choose between 2 bad options
1. We set limits and risk losing a relationship
2. We don’t set limits and remain a prisoner to the wishes of another
iii. The first developmental task of infants is to bond with mom and dad
1. Stage 1 = Hatching
a. The first 5-10 months of life marks a major shift in infants
b. “being there” is a state called “emotional object constancy”
i. Ephesians 3:17 “being rooted, established in love”
2. Stage 2 = Practicing
a. 10-18 months
b. “I can do anything”
c. Wants to try everything on their own
3. Stage 3 = Rapprochement
a. 18 months to 3 years
b. “a restoration of harmonious relations” – when a child come back to reality
c. Now the child brings a more separate self into the relationship

IV. Healthy Boundaries Construction
a. The ability to be emotionally attached to others, yet without giving up a sense of self and ones freedom to be apart
b. The ability to sat appropriate “no’s” to others without fear of loss or love
c. The ability to take appropriate “no’s” from others without withdrawing emotionally
i. Symptoms when there are no boundaries
1. can’t say no
2. depression
3. anxiety
4. panic
5. resentment
6. passive-aggressive behavior
7. co-dependency
8. identity confusion
9. difficulty being alone
10. victim mentality
11. blaming others
12. over-responsibility and guilt
13. isolation
14. extreme dependency
15. substance abuse/eating disorder
16. lack of direction/disorganization
17. procrastination
18. impulsiveness

There must be a secure line of defenses (boundaries) against the adversary (Satan) and against our flesh…

Restore My Glory Part 4

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