Nehemiah 2; 3:1-5 "Let Us Arise and Build"
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Introduction
I. Nehemiah Fixed His Focus
II. Nehemiah Found the Facts
III. Nehemiah Formed a Fellowship
IV. Nehemiah Fortified His Faith
V. Nehemiah Faced the Foe
VI. Nehemiah Fulfilled His Function
A. The Pattern
B. The People
C. The Places
Conclusion
Priming the Pump
Priming the Pump
We are not going to read the entire passage, my hope is that each of you took time to read it on your own. We will however, go deeper into chapter 2 and just a smidgen into 3.
Like I said in the email, this is a full teaching that will definitely span 2 Sundays and I’m hoping for great discussion and revelation on our “walls” and what needs to happen in each of our lives as we begin to assess and rebuild these walls.
So let’s “Arise and Build!”
Introduction
Introduction
“Let Us Arise and Build.”
This is the story of the rebuilding of the walls around about Jerusalem under the leadership of God’s man, Nehemiah. We will pick up where we left off two weeks ago—chapter 2, and verse 11.
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,
12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding.
13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through.
Nehemiah
That is, there was so much rubbish and so much debris and so much rubble, that he could not even get past.
Now here me on this. We are talking about “reparing” the walls of our Faith. We first identified what was causing the crumbling to take place. For some of us, it was a complete Jerecho moment…complete devestaion of our walls of faith.
However, I want each of us today to see that these principles will be true in the building of your lives.
You have a family to build, and these principles will be true in the building of your family.
You have a business to build, and these principles will be true in the building of your business.
We have a church family and a church fellowship to build, and these principles will be true here.
These are great, eternal, vital principles.
Now, I will share with each of you the three things to look for when you study any passage of Scripture:
number one, what it meant then;
number two, what it means now; and,
number three, what it means to me personally.
Let’s continue to keep those three in our forefront for the remainder of this study keep those three in mind, because if you will take any verse of Scripture and ask, first of all, when you read it, “What did it mean then?”
and study it in its context, and then ask, “What does it mean now?”
and see what it means in our current day and age, and then go one step further and apply it to your own life, the Bible will just burst wide open in your hands. And the truth of it will leap up off the page down into your heart and will fuel you.
Now Nehemiah has received a commission from the Lord to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem that were decayed and broken down and fallen, leaving the people of God without defense, and leaving the people of God in despair. I want you to notice six principles that Nehemiah practiced in building the walls.
I. Nehemiah Fixed His Focus
I. Nehemiah Fixed His Focus
The very first thing he did was to fix his focus. Look, if you will, in verse 12 of chapter 2. Nehemiah says here,
12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding.
Nehemiah had a mandate from God.
Nehemiah was a man who knew how to get alone with God. And remember, he fasted, he prayed, he wept—and God had told him what to do.
Have you done that?
Have you gotten leadership from the Lord?
Are you just wandering aimlessly like a ship without a rudder, like a ship without a compass, and a ship without a sail?
Are you just putting yourself in neutral and letting life push you around?
Or do you have a focus?
Do you have a goal?
Do you have an aim?
Question:
“How are you allowing God to fix your focus?”
I want to share with you, God has a plan for your life.
God has something that He wants you to do.
You are special to God. God made you special, just like He wanted you.
And God has a job for you to do.
And the same God who has called you is the God who has equipped you.
You can’t do what I do. I can’t do what you do.
You can’t do what they do. They can’t do what you do.
But I want to tell you, God has a job for everyone.
God has a plan for every life. Both mine and Kerry’s prayer is for each of you to get alone with God and fix your focus on that plan to find the will of God for your life!
Too many people are simply drawing their breath and drawing their salary.
They don’t have a plan, a goal.
They get up in the morning, gulp down a cup of coffee, fight the traffic to work, go to work all day, come home, plop down on the couch, binge watch some tv, eat their dinner, watch a little more television, and go to bed.
The next day, it starts all over again. That’s their life.
Oh, my dear friend, God has something greater for you. God has something more wonderful for you. What are you doing? Have you fixed your focus on the purpose of God?
God has something greater for you. God has something more wonderful for you.
Have you fixed your focus on the purpose of God?
Nehemiah said, “God had laid something on my heart.” And if you’ll listen, God will lay something on your heart. And I want you to focus on it. I want you to say like the Apostle Paul, “But one thing I do.” ()
13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and reaching forward to what is ahead,
Symbolism of the Rear-View Mirror (Kerry Shares/Explains)
Symbolism of the Rear-View Mirror (Kerry Shares/Explains)
Do you really have a goal in life? If not, why not? God has a purpose for your life, and your goal ought to be that purpose.
II. Nehemiah Found the Facts
II. Nehemiah Found the Facts
Now, the second thing he did: Not only did he fix his focus, but he found the facts.
I want you to notice, as he goes out on a tour of inspection—notice here in verse 13:
13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire.
14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through.
15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
What is he doing? He’s out there reconnecting.
What is he doing? He’s out there reconnoitering. He’s out there getting the facts. He wants to see what the condition really is. He’s not like an ostrich that sticks his head in the sand. He’s saying, “Really, what are the facts?” And once he sees these facts, then he’s ready to go do God’s work.
He’s out there getting the facts. He wants to see what the condition really is.
He’s not like an ostrich that sticks his head in the sand.
He’s saying, “Really, what are the facts?” And once he sees these facts, then he’s ready to go do God’s work.
And what were the facts that he saw?
He saw that God’s work was in ruins. He saw that the walls around the city of Jerusalem, that had been a thing of strength, a thing of beauty, a thing that brought glory to God—remember we said that the walls around Jerusalem are symbolic of God’s salvation and symbolic of God’s glory in the Bible—and these walls were fallen down.
Let’s stop and ask, “What does that mean to us today?”
I’m telling you that walls of a Christ centered society have crumbled and walls of decency have crumbled.
And with this money-motivated, sex-soaked, distorted age, things that used to break our hearts, we just simply overlook today.
I don’t have time to even talk about those things. But I want you to find the facts.
I want you to be a spiritual Nehemiah.
want you to do what Nehemiah did and go out and make a survey, and look and see for yourself what the situation is.
Question:
“Why are we so often hesitant to search for the facts?”
III. Nehemiah Formed a Fellowship
III. Nehemiah Formed a Fellowship
Now I want you to notice the third thing that he did: Not only did he fix his focus on what God had told him; not only did he find the facts; but then he formed a fellowship.
He got some people to help him. I want you to notice in verse 17 of this same chapter—look at it:
17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.”
Nehemiah did not believe in a one-man ministry.
Nehemiah did not believe in a one-man ministry. Nehemiah knew that there is strength in numbers, and strength in unity, and he knew that he could not possibly do it by himself. And though God had called him to lead, he said, “Come, let us do it together.” Oh, what strength there is unity! You know, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 9, “For we are labourers together with God.” () Oh, how powerful it is when we work together in unity!
Nehemiah knew that there is strength in numbers, and strength in unity, and he knew that he could not possibly do it by himself. And though God had called him to lead, he said, “Come, let us do it together.”
What strength there is unity!
You know, the Bible says in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 and verse 9,
9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
For this concept, I read about Canadian Geese, how they always fly in a V-formation.
You know, I was reading the other day about Canadian Geese, how they always fly in a V-formation. Have you ever noticed them up in the sky, flying like this, in a V-formation? Of course, one leg of that “V” is always longer than the other. Do you know why that is? There are more geese in that one leg than there are in the other. And that’s the way they fly—like that. They fly through the air in a formation. But seriously, why do they fly in a V-formation like that? Well, the lead goose is making it easier for all of the rest of them. He is just splitting a way through that air, and he is moving the wind resistance for the rest of them. And so while he’s flapping real hard, the rest of them are cruising. And that’s the way they do; that’s the way they go through the air. But after a while, the lead goose gets tired, and so he falls back to one end of that thing, and the next goose moves up. And he for a while takes care of the resistance. And that’s the way they travel.
Have you ever noticed them up in the sky, flying like this, in a V-formation?
Of course, one leg of that “V” is always longer than the other.
Do you know why that is?
There are more geese in that one leg than there are in the other. And that’s the way they fly—like that.
Why do they fly in a V-formation like that?
Well, the lead goose is making it easier for all of the rest of them. He is just splitting a way through that air, and he is moving the wind resistance for the rest of them. And so while he’s flapping real hard, the rest of them are cruising.
And that’s the way they do; that’s the way they go through the air.
But after a while, the lead goose gets tired, and so he falls back to one end of that thing, and the next goose moves up. And he for a while takes care of the resistance. And that’s the way they travel.
And do you know what they studied—the engineers—in the wind tunnel experiments?
They have found out that geese flying in a formation like that can fly seventy-two percent further than one goose could fly by himself. Isn’t that interesting?
Seventy-two percent.
Now, who taught them to do that? God did.
So this is the question, “Who can you lock shields with today so as to strengthen you focus and bring clarity, the facts, to how to rebuild your walls?”
The same thing that He has put into nature, peeps: that we can do more together than any one of us can do by himself.
We need to work together!
There’s a biblical principal in all this...The Bible says,
30 How could one pursue a thousand, or two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, unless the Lord had given them up?
“While one shall chase a thousand, two shall chase ten thousand.” () You know, folks, if you could stand here where I stand on Sunday morning and see this magnificent place filled with people not once, but three times, as we have the joy of doing it Sunday after Sunday, I tell you my heart gets enlarged and almost jumps out of my throat when I think what could happen if all of us ever decided to focus our energies together to do something really together. You think of the power, the spiritual dynamite, that’s locked up in this place.
Folks, I believe that it is time that we got focused and we said, “Together we build.” Hey, I like that. Let’s just try it. Say it with me together, all right? “Together We Build.” That sounds goods—doesn’t that sound good? Let’s try it again. All right, say it with me: “Together We Build.” Now, look, folks. Just as your voices took on strength and power, if you could hear it from up here, you’d understand what I’m talking about. Now if we just had one little ol’ fellow out there saying, “Together we build,” it wouldn’t sound so good. But all of us together sang it one time. But won’t it be wonderful, rather than just simply saying it, together we’re doing it?
Do you know what Henry Ford, who was a mastermind at organization and cooperation—do you know what he said? Henry Ford said, “Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Thinking together is unity. Working together is success.” Isn’t that good? You want to hear it again? Thank you. All right: “Coming together is a beginning.” Now that’s what we’ve done this morning. We’ve just come together. “Keeping together is progress.” Let’s stay together, folks. “Thinking together is unity.” That’s what we’re doing right now. “Working together is success.”
See, there is something about forming a fellowship.
No matter what you’re doing, if you’re even building your own personal life, you can’t do it by yourself.
The Bible says that
7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself.
Your family—spouse and children—you’ve got to do it together to build your family.
“no man liveth unto himself.” () Your family—husband, wife, boys, and girls—you’ve got to do it together to build your family. If you have a business, you need to involve those people who are working for you—do it together. Do it together—form a fellowship.
As followers of Christ we need to own this principle: “Do it together—form a fellowship.”
IV. Nehemiah Fortified His Faith
IV. Nehemiah Fortified His Faith
Now, notice what he did. He fixed his focus.
And then after he fixed his focus, he found his facts. He went out and he looked at the situation. He didn’t just go off half-cocked.
And after he did that, he formed a fellowship. He got some people with him and he said, “Folks, we’re going to do it together—and it’s going to be wonderful, and it’s going to be glorious.”
The next thing he did was he fortified his faith. He fortified their faith also.
Look in verse 18,
18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
I love that verse.
I want God’s hand to be good upon me. Don’t you want His hand to be good upon you? Oh, that’s a beautiful verse to me: “I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been upon me, and what the king had said to me.”
I love that verse. I want God’s hand to be good upon me. Don’t you want His hand to be good upon you? Oh, that’s a beautiful verse to me: “Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king’s words that he had spoken unto me.”
Well, what had the king spoken to him?
Remember? What did he have?
First of all, he had the king’s permission.
Secondly, he had the king’s protection.
Thirdly, he had the king’s provision.
We do, too.
From the King of kings, we have His permission. We have His protection. We have His provision.
And so Nehemiah just simply rehearsed what the king had said unto him. And how the hand of God was good upon him!
Question:
“When I say that we have His permission. We have His protection. We have His provision. What dose that speak to you today…this morning?
Better question, “Do you believe it? Do you own that kind of Faith today?”
Now, what was he doing?
He knew that they needed to be fortified in their faith.
He knew human nature fears change and something new.
And whenever anybody says, “Let us rise and do anything great and noble,” there’s always a sick feeling in the pit of our stomach that maybe it cannot be done.
Peeps, if God is leading; if God’s good hand is upon us, then it can be done.
And what he did—he just simply turned around for a little bit and reviewed the past so that he could face the future.
And he’s saying the God of yesterday is the God of tomorrow.
Well, you say now, “Why, then, is God blessing?
Well, you say now, “Why, then, is God blessing? Does God just bless arbitrarily? Does God just bless sometimes because it’s a whim or a fancy?” No. The God who formed this universe works according to principles. And if you want to know why the hand of God was upon Nehemiah, or why the hand of God is upon any church, you can find it from the Bible.
Does God just bless arbitrarily?
Does God just bless sometimes because it’s a whim or a fancy?”
No. The God who formed this universe works according to principles.
And if you want to know why the hand of God was upon Nehemiah, or why the hand of God is upon any church, you can find it from the Bible.
Let’s go to Revelation the third chapter for a moment; I want to show you verses 7 and 8 of . That’s the story of the church at Philadelphia. And I just wonder sometimes why some churches do grow and why they’re blessed; and why God sets before them an open door, and others seem to have a closed door.
Is it because God has favorites?
I think not. I do believe He has intimates, however.
I want you to notice here Revelation chapter 3, beginning in verse 7. God here is speaking to this church, and it’s the church at Philadelphia.
7 “Write to the angel of the church in Philadelphia: Thus says the Holy One, the true one, the one who has the key of David, who opens and no one will close, and who closes and no one opens:
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
Revelation 3:
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this:
8 ‘I know your deeds. Behold, I have put before you an open door which no one can shut, because you have a little power, and have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
9 ‘Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.
10 ‘Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
I personally love these verses!
() I love that verse.
I personally love these verses!
Our God is the keeper of the keys.
When He opens a door, there are not enough demons in hell to shut it.
And when He shuts the door, there are not enough angels in heaven to kick it open.
You see, He’s the One who opens doors and He’s the One who closes doors in your personal life, in your business, in your family, in this church.
He’s the One that opens and no one can shut. He’s the One that shuts and no one can open.
Now, does He do this by whim? No.
Does He do this capriciously, arbitrarily? Certainly not! Why?
Well, look at the next verse and you’ll see. Here’s why God set before that church an open door. Number one: He says, “I know your deeds.” ()
Here was a church that was activated by the Spirit of God. “I know your deeds”—it was a working church.
You see, God is not going to bless our idleness or laziness.
God only opens doors for people who want to go through them.
And so here was a church that was activated by the Spirit of God.
But I want you to go down to the last part of verse 8—and it says, “You have kept my word,”—not only were they activated by the Spirit of God; they were saturated with the Word of God.
It was a church that loved the Bible.
It was a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church.
But wait a minute; one more thing—“have not denied my name.” ()
They were dedicated to the Son of God.
Oh, they loved the Lord Jesus!
You take a church that is activated by the Spirit of God, saturated by the Word of God, and dedicated to the Son of God, and God says, “I will give to that church, that person, that family, that business—whatever it is—
God says, “I will give to them an open door. And when I open that door, no one can shut it. And when I shut it, no one can open it.”
And I believe that that’s the reason that Nehemiah, even in the Old Testament, had the good hand of God upon him.
God doesn’t just act capriciously.
God acts according to certain principles.
God works and God acts according to principles.
V. Nehemiah Faced the Foe
V. Nehemiah Faced the Foe
V. Nehemiah Faced the Foe
All right now, the next thing he did: Not only did he feed their faith, and remind them of the good hand of God that had been upon them; but the next thing he did, he faced the foe.
All right now, the next thing he did: Not only did he feed their faith, and remind them of the good hand of God that had been upon them; but the next thing he did, he faced the foe. I want you to notice in verses 19 and 20 of Nehemiah chapter 2: “But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.” () He told them, didn’t he?
I want you to notice in verses 19 and 20 of Nehemiah chapter 2:
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, “What is this you’re doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
He told them, didn’t he?
“But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king? Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.” () He told them, didn’t he?
I’ll tell you what: you see, anytime God’s people say in their personal life or in their corporate life, “Let us rise up and build,” all the enemy will say, “Let us rise up and stop them.”
And the door to the room of opportunity swings on the hinges of opposition.
Never forget it.
And if you think there is an easy way, a cheap way, a lazy way, to do the work of God, forget it.
Paul said,
9 because a wide door for effective ministry has opened for me—yet many oppose me.
You see, when we have an open door, that doesn’t mean there are not any adversaries.
“For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” ()
You see, when we have an open door, that doesn’t mean there are not any adversaries. When God calls us to do this thing, do you think it’s going to be easy? Do you think it’s going to be a piece of cake? Well, it’s not. This is not a Sunday School picnic I’m calling you to, but a grim conflict. Now these three wicked men were demon-inspired, and they represent the devil himself in this story. You see, we are coming against the demonized, mobilized forces of hell in this city. Whenever we decide to do anything great and noble and good, there will be plenty of people right here in this city who will say, “Let’s stop them.” They don’t like anything that’s built for the name of Jesus and the cause of Christ. Think of the names the Bible gives to the devil: deceiver, liar, murderer, accuser, tempter, destroyer, the evil one. These things are enough to tell you something about the character of the one who will oppose us. But, you know, opposition ought not to discourage us; it ought to encourage us.
When God calls us to do this thing, do you think it’s going to be easy?
Do you think it’s going to be a piece of cake?
Well, it’s not.
This is not a Sunday School potlock I’m calling you to, but a grim conflict.
Now these three wicked men were demon-inspired, and they represent the devil himself in this story.
You see, we are coming against the demonized, mobilized forces of hell in our society today.
Whenever we decide to do anything great and noble and good, there will be plenty of people right here in our lives who will say, “Let’s stop them.”
They don’t like anything that’s built for the name of Jesus and the cause of Christ.
Think of the names the Bible gives to the devil: deceiver, liar, murderer, accuser, tempter, destroyer, the evil one.
These things are enough to tell you something about the character of the one who will oppose us. But, you know, opposition ought not to discourage us; it ought to encourage us.
You know, I’ve learned a little secret now.
Whenever I come on Sunday morning and things happen—you don’t know what I mean by “things happen”; but, peeps, things happen every Sunday—they’re just things.
That’s when I spend time in prayer walking thru these halls…praying hard! I give it to God first. this is His Sunday, His church, I am His servant.
We’ve got some war and so I just simply say, “That used to bother me, but that doesn’t bother me; that encourages me now,” because I know the devil is upset.
You know, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” () “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” () Have you fixed your focus on that thing which God has called you to do? Have you found the facts, dear friend? Have you formed a fellowship? Have you fortified your faith? Have you faced your foe? Don’t worry about your foe; let him be an encouragement to you. And if there are people who say something bad about you, don’t worry about it. Criticism can’t hurt you.
You know, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” ()
“Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” ()
Have you fixed your focus on that thing which God has called you to do?
Have you found the facts?
Have you formed a fellowship?
Have you fortified your faith?
Have you faced your foe? Don’t worry about your foe; let him be an encouragement to you. And if there are people who say something bad about you, don’t worry about it. Criticism can’t hurt you.
Real quick like…let me tell you how to escape criticism.
They’ll criticize you for saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing. And there’s not a way you’re going to escape criticism—forget it!
There will always be a Sanballat; there will always be a Geshem; there will always be the Arabian there to say, “What do you think you’re up to? What do you think you’re doing?” Well, face your foe with faith.
VI. Nehemiah Fulfilled His Function
VI. Nehemiah Fulfilled His Function
VI. Nehemiah Fulfilled His Function
Now, the next and final thing I want you to notice that they did: Not only did they face their foe, but they fulfilled their function.
Now, the next and final thing I want you to notice that they did: Not only did they face their foe, but they fulfilled their function. You see, begin here in chapter 3—and don’t get worried: I’m not going to preach another whole chapter, but I’m just going to give you a taste of chapter 3. And I want you to read chapter 3 by yourself, because I don’t want to preach from chapter 3. So I want you just to go home and read chapter 3. But I want you to get some ideas about chapter 3, because I want you to see in chapter 3 after these people have done everything else, this is the story of how they really begin to build. And the Bible says, “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.” () And on and on, it reads like this: “So-and-so built here; so-and-so built here; so-and-so did this; and, so-and-so did that.” And what a wonderful thing it was as each one of them filled his function, as each one of them found his place along the wall!
You see, begin here in chapter 3—and don’t get worried: I’m not going to teach for another whole week, I’m just going to give you a taste of chapter 3. And I want you to read chapter 3 by yourself, because I don’t want to teach from chapter 3.
So I want you just to go home and read chapter 3.
But I want us all to get some ideas about chapter 3, because I want you to see in chapter 3 after these people have done everything else, this is the story of how they really begin to build.
And the Bible says,
1 The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests began rebuilding the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated it.
2 The men of Jericho built next to Eliashib, and next to them Zaccur son of Imri built.
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
And on and on, it reads like this: “So-and-so built here; so-and-so built here; so-and-so did this; and, so-and-so did that.” And what a wonderful thing it was as each one of them filled his function, as each one of them found his place along the wall!
“Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel. And next unto him builded the men of Jericho. And next to them builded Zaccur the son of Imri. But the fish gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.” () And on and on, it reads like this: “So-and-so built here; so-and-so built here; so-and-so did this; and, so-and-so did that.” And what a wonderful thing it was as each one of them filled his function, as each one of them found his place along the wall!
Now, notice under this last point three sub-points—and then I’m finished.
A. The Pattern
First of all, I want you to notice the pattern; I want you to notice how they did it.
Each one of them found an organized spot—at least there was a leader.
They didn’t just all go off and say, “Well, I’m going to do my thing.”
You see, God had a plan. And God gave this plan through His spiritual leadership to the people. And the people were willing to follow.
The people recognized God’s chain of authority, and they were willing to follow God’s man, and they were willing to do what He directed them to do.
Each person had a part in the work.
Each person had a job to do.
You see, no man can do everything.
Everybody can do something.
I’m only one, but I am one.
I can’t do everything, but I can do something.
And what I can do, I ought to do.
And what I can do, and ought to do, that, by the grace of God, I will do.
Have you ever said that?
Have you just said, “I’ll do what I can do, be it little or be it much”?
You see, here was the principle: not equal gifts, but equal sacrifice.
That was it: not equal gifts.
I can’t do what you can do. You can’t do what I can do.
But as you will notice here, every man had a job.
There was a principle, that everybody was involved.
B. The People
All right now, not only the principle, but the people.
Look—there was a job for everyone.
As you study this chapter this week, and you’ll find that there were apothecaries there.
There were goldsmiths there.
There were priests there who were working.
Some of them were young and some of them were old.
Some of them were rulers.
Some of them were laborers.
Some of them were craftsmen.
The rich were there; the poor were there; women and men, they were all doing their part.
These are the people that God has working together. Why, some of them were from out of town. Look in chapter 3, verse 2: “And next to him builded the men of Jericho.” ()
Now I must say this. We’ll never get a hundred percent. Brother Whitmire, do you think we’ll get all these folks to working on the wall? No! Especially that guy over there—we won’t get him, will we? Don’t look at anybody. All right now, look—I want you to look at verse 5: “And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.” () Oh my! “Their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.” There are always some like that, aren’t there? There are always some of you nobles. You just sit back and you say, “Well, if they want to do it, just let them do it.” But you’re not going to have a part in it, are you?
How are you choosing today to humble yourself before Christ and serve those around you for the greater cause of the Kingdom of Christ.
Well, do you know what? It is forever written in this book that there were certain people—when there was a job to do, they didn’t do it. I pray to God that will not be written about you. Almost three thousand years, and it’s still there: “Their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.” Friend, these are days of opportunity—golden days, glorious days. Don’t you miss it! Don’t let the final record be written and it be written of you that when these treat days so rich with opportunity were here upon us, you didn’t have a part in it! God forbid that that should be forever written about you!
Some little boys were sitting around being real quiet—and that’s unusual for some little boys—and a man asked them, “What are you boys doing?” One of them said, “We’re playing war.” He said, “You are? You’re awfully quiet for playing war.” He said, “Well, we’re all generals.” Well, listen, generals. We need some soldiers. And you noble generals, I want you to get into the fray; I want you to get into the battle.
C. The Places
Now, the next thing I want you to notice is not only the pattern, and not only the people, but the places.
As you’ll find them, you’ll find them, actually, each one building right near his own house; and then starting out, each one started right near his own house.
You know, you’ve got to start with your family first.
And I want you to get your family.
I want you to pray together.
I want you to ask your spouse and ask your children: What part does God want us to have in this thing? What are we going to do?
What is your family going to do?
Here’s an application...
Start right next to your own house, in your own heart, in your own life.
Get your life straight with God.
Get alone with God.
Get on your knees and say, “O God, make my heart right!
And if nobody else does anything, O God, I want to be your man. I want to be found faithful.”
I want to be found faithful.”
Would you do that?
Find your place along the wall.
What is your place?
Not, what is our choir going to do? What are you going to do?
I read something that almost broke my heart. Did you know in 1915 Leon Trotsky, who was one of the leaders in the Bolshevik Revolution and the spread of communism, Trotsky was invited to a Sunday School class in Chicago, and he went, because this man was searching, looking for some ideas. And when Trotsky came to that Sunday School class in Chicago, the Sunday School teacher was not even there; he didn’t even show up. And furthermore, he had not appointed anyone to take his place. So far as history tells us, that was the last time Trotsky ever attended any kind of a Bible study. And in 1917 he was in the middle of that revolution, leading the revolution that is changing the world and damning the souls of men.
One cannot help but wonder what would have happened in 1915 if he had come into a Sunday School class and there was a Spirit-filled, Bible-drilled, victory-thrilled person of God standing up there teaching that class, a man with the anointing of God upon him.
What may have happened on that day?
God knows! But we’ll never know, because there was a Sunday School teacher who had missed his place along the wall. And because of that, there was a gap.
In Dallas, Texas, there were two teenage boys—troublemakers, juvenile delinquents—both of them had a Sunday School teacher. The Sunday School teacher of one of these boys visited him again and again and again and again—and he wouldn’t let up on him.
Well, friend, if bad boys don’t need a Sunday School class, tell me, who on earth does? I mean, that’s the reason why God put you there. But, you see, this Sunday School teacher visited this one boy again and again and again, and finally brought him to Jesus. Do you know who that boy was? Jim Ponder, the Director of Evangelism in the Florida Baptist Convention.
The other boy, his teacher didn’t care about him. His teacher said, “I don’t want that kind of a boy in my class,” and forsook him and let him go. That other boy assassinated JFK.
Two boys; two Sunday School teachers—one teacher with his place on the wall doing the job that God had called him to do.
I say, if all of us together were in that particular place where God wants us to be, what do you think would happen? It’s thrilling to think about, isn’t it?
Isn’t it strange
That princes and kings,
And clowns that caper
In sawdust rings,
And common people
Like you and me
Are builders for eternity?
Each one is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass,
A book of rules;
And each one must make—
Ere life is flown—
A stumbling block
Or a steppingstone.
—R. L. SHARPE
You’re building either a stumbling block or you’re building a steppingstone.
Now we must close the study, but I want you to go back and look at chapter 2 and verse 20. Look at it—Nehemiah chapter 2, verse 20. Here were these people who were not interested in the building of the walls, and I want you to notice what Nehemiah said to them:
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Isn’t that sad?
Conclusion
Conclusion
I wonder if the last part of this verse could be spoken of you?
Do you have a portion in the work of God?
Do you have a right in the work of God?
Will your life be remembered when all of the dust is settled for a memorial that you served the Lord?
Not if you don’t know the Lord Jesus. You see, there are only two classes of people in the world: there are the builders, and there are the destroyers. Either you’re for God, or you’re not; you can’t be neutral. Jesus Christ said, “He that is not with me is against me.” ()
And I’m telling you today that the God of heaven wants to save you. And the God of heaven who saves you wants to call you and give you a job—something worth doing.
But you cannot build without a foundation.
And that foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:58 PM October 1, 2019.