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Nehemiah 2:9-20
Stephen Caswell © 2000
Leadership By Example
Leaders in God's work need to do so by example.
Leadership is graphically illustrated in the U.S. Army.
The symbol of the infantry foot soldiers is pictured like this.
A soldier with a rifle in one hand, helmet cocked, and head looking back behind him.
The rifle is pointing forward, the other arm is giving a come on ahead motion, and the leader is shouting back, Follow me!
This illustrates leadership by example, as the soldier calls his men to follow him into battle.
Introduction
In our first two sermons on Nehemiah we have seen the importance of prayer and planning.
Even though Nehemiah was very concerned for his people he didn't rush in to do something.
He prayed and waited on God first.
He gathered information and planned carefully.
He relied on God completely as he sought to help the situation in Jerusalem.
A week ago we saw how God answered his prayers and moved the King to help him.
In today's passage we see Nehemiah present his plan to the people of Jerusalem.
Yet, again he doesn't rush into this.
Nehemiah takes further time to prepare himself.
Today we will see how Nehemiah calls his people/ to go to the wall for God./ */Three things out regarding his leadership:/*
*1.
Examination Of The Work 2.
Encouragement To The Work *
*3.
Enemies Of The Work *
/a.
Adversaries Appear/
/ /
*Nehemiah 2:9-10* /Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters.
Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel./
/ /
Nehemiah delivered the king's letters to the various governors as he traveled to Jerusalem.
This allowed him safe travel to Judah.
It also revealed that the king supported the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls.
But not everyone was happy about this.
Sanballat and Tobiah were */deeply disturbed/* that someone wanted to help the children of Israel.
The words */deeply disturbed/* mean */displeased, grieved, sad./*
They liked the way things were.
Whenever you start a good work for God expect the enemy to appear.
Satan always resists God's work.
This is another reason why we must bathe our plans with prayer.
Sanballat was the governor of Samaria.
Whilst Tobiah was an Ammonite official.
Satan usually has his men in high places.
/ /
/b.
Assessment Attained/
/ /
*Nehemiah 2:11-15* /So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.
Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire.
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass.
So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned./
Rest & Research
After Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem he took three days to rest and evaluate the situation first hand.
This was very wise.
He had spent at least three months traveling from Persia.
He was tired and needed to rest.
This also gave him time to meet the priests, leaders and people.
He found out what life was like in Jerusalem.
It is never wise to rush into something.
Nehemiah planned each step.
After three days he surveyed the city to find out first hand the state of the walls and the gates of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah needed to know the situation exactly.
Then he could plan where to build and what materials would be required.
The walls that Nehemiah built around Jerusalem were different from the first city.
Originally some of the city houses were terraced into the valley had collapsed down the valley when Jerusalem was overthrown.
The walls were broken down and the houses next to the walls had collapsed into the Kidron Valley.
The city Nehemiah rebuilt was smaller than the previous city.
/ /
The Importance Of Plans
In 1981, the Italian shipbuilding firm Inter-Marine at Ameglia landed a contract from the Malaysian government worth four million British pounds!
Though they usually built smaller vessels, Inter-Marine contracted to build a mine sweeper and three military launches.
It was only after the work was completed that they remembered their shipyards were connected to the sea by the Magre River, and over the river hung the Colombiera Bridge.
Not one of the four new vessels could pass beneath it.
Ÿ What is planned ahead of time can be done quickly.
Ÿ He who plans his program for tomorrow takes confusion out of the day.
/Ÿ /When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Ÿ He who aims at nothing is sure to hit it.
Ÿ Plan ahead -- it wasn't raining when Noah built the ark!
Ÿ Light your lamp before night overtakes you.
/c.
A Secret Plan/
/ /
*Nehemiah 2:12,16* /Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode.
And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work./
After three days he assessed the city by night.
/Why did he go by night?/ /Why not view the city in the daytime?/
He didn't want everyone to know what he was planning to do.
This proved to be a wise course of action since some his own people had contacts with the neighboring nations.
Nehemiah wanted to keep his enemies in the dark as long as possible.
Nehemiah was proving to be both a clever man and very able leader.
*It is never wise to underestimate an enemy.
We look upon the enemy of our souls as a conquered foe, so he is, but only to God , not to us.* /-- Oswald Chambers/
*/Wisely, Nehemiah didn't reveal his plans until they were complete and he was ready to act!/*
Application
/a.
Adversaries Appear/ - Whenever believers start a good work for God expect opposition.
This is why we should earnestly pray beforehand.
/Have you experienced opposition?
Do you pray for God's help to overcome it?
Are you determined to win, or do you quit? /
/ /
/b.
Assessment Attained/ - Nehemiah never rushed into this task.
He rested and gathered further information in Jerusalem.
He carefully made plans for the task.
All the time seeking God's help.
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