Rebuilding The Wall
Stewardship 2022 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 3 viewsBeing a relevant church requires everyone to chip in however they can.
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History
Persian Empire - King Artaxerxes (465-424 BC)
Because of Israel’s disobedience, God sent the Babylonians to wipe out the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God also then sent the Persians to punish the Babylonians for harming His people.
All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture (Artaxerxes I)
The captives from Judah had been brought to Babylonia in 587 BCE, and they were allowed to return when Cyrus II conquered Babylon in 539 BCE. The Persians then ruled Palestine for two centuries until it fell to Alexander the Great.
Ezra came to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple, Nehemiah was a contemporary of Ezra.
All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture (Artaxerxes I)
A dissident and rebellious group were opposed to Ezra, and they reported to Artaxerxes that Ezra was corrupt. The work on the temple was suspended, but later Artaxerxes found out the truth and authorized the resumption of the work. In 445 BCE he sent his palace servant Nehemiah to supervise the reconstruction of the temple.
All the People in the Bible: An A–Z Guide to the Saints, Scoundrels, and Other Characters in Scripture (Nehemiah)
While Nehemiah and Ezra were friends and worked together, Ezra was more a man of thought and ideas while Nehemiah was a man of action. The combination of their efforts left an indelible mark on Judaism that is still strongly apparent even today.
When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.” So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.
Some worked
Some watched and waited
They worked as one; same task, same plan
Each one sacrificed rather than hoping someone else would do it
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
How Now Shall We Live
How Now Shall We Live
We have a task that is before us, to be that light, that city on a hill to the world around us. It will take determination, it will take dealing with attacks of the enemy, and it will take every one of us working where we are able. This is not work for the faint of heart, this is a job for those called by God as lambs amongst wolves. Let us not sit on our hands because the work is too much or too costly. Let us not cower in fear because we will be rejected by this world. Let us instead be of those who stood firm with a brick in one hand and a sword in the other. If we are to meet our end, then let it be a glorious end with dents in our helmet, a shield that cracked, shoes that are worn, but our hearts are not broken as we stand before the judgment seat of God.
As the Marine, Chesty Puller, is quoted as saying, “We’re entirely surrounded. They’ve got us right where we want ‘em. We can shoot in every direction now.” Church, the harvest is plentiful and all we have to do is be about the work.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
What is it that you can do? Can you give? Great, do it. Can you serve? Awesome, we need you. Maybe you can help fill out our choir or the hand bells. Maybe you can help with the youth. Maybe you can help with the children’s ministry.
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
The best thing you can do is take the light of Christ with you wherever you go. How can you impact those around you for the kingdom of God?
Now go, do it.
Benediction
Benediction
Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.