Nehemiah Series - Sermon #5

The Forecast Is Perfect For Building

Text: Nehemiah 2:11-20

Introduction

Nehemiah Chapter Five: Blood, Sweat, and Tears (Nehemiah 2:11–20)

So far, the battle has been invisible. Nehemiah has agonized with God for four months and has seen the miracle of the king’s heart turned in his favor. Now, however, the battle becomes visible—as real as German bombs. It will no longer be waged in the prayer closet; it will be a battle out in the open where everyone can see and hear.

Nehemiah Chapter Five: Blood, Sweat, and Tears (Nehemiah 2:11–20)

He will refuse to surrender to the enemy; he will promise his people final victory … and in the days ahead, he will also ask from them their blood, sweat, and tears. Together they will discover the painful, yet deepening, maturing truth that there is no such thing as opportunity without opposition.

1) Applying Wisdom To Opportunities

Christianity is no stranger to God providing opportunities for gospel ministry and serving others.

I think you and I would probably approach the construction site differently than Nehemiah did.

Our culture (when it comes to construction) sets a project completion date and penalties for every day passed.

In other words, there is no time to waste, lets get going, don’t stand around, etc...

Nehemiah Don’t Just Do Something … Stand There!

I would have expected Nehemiah to set up a trailer on the site, unload his gear, unpack his tools, hire the bricklayers, roll in the heavy equipment, interview the subcontractors, and have a backhoe start digging the footings. “Let’s build some walls here!”

Even when the project gets off the ground, you then wonder will it ever get completed?

We really need to take in the waiting period of the Israelites.

They had waited for more then a hundred years.

Many of us probably would have given up before then.

THAT HAD GIVEN UP!

They had grown accustomed to their history being filled with failure and defeat and had developed the idea that their walls would NEVER BE BUILT AGAIN.

The fact that Nehemiah remained silent for three days was more beneficial than you might think.

This did not mean that he was not doing anything.

Up until this moment, he had only heard of the current state of the walls and gate.

Nehemiah Wisdom Waits

He probably spent three days talking to the locals about their city and, perhaps, meeting the city officials. I am quite sure that Nehemiah was also taking inventory of their spiritual condition, along with the condition of their walls.

Notice VERSES 13-16

Nehemiah Wisdom Investigates

Even today, those who are involved in leadership are often awake while others sleep. I can assure you that the moment you sign on to serve others and the moment you accept the burden of rebuilding your broken world, you will have many sleepless nights. That is what Oswald Sanders called “the penalty of leadership.”

He took a midnight ride to “view”; to perform a quality inspection.

Nehemiah Wisdom Investigates

It is a verb that is used in the medical profession to describe the probing of a wound to determine not only the damage but also the action needed for healing to take place.

2) Vision Casting Meets Opposition

VERSES 17-18

When it comes to catching a vision for personal or corporate ministry there are some key elements that Nehemiah displays for us that must be put into action:

FIRST — You must have an honest attitude (v17)

You will find no sugar coating here!

There is no over the top optimism here (its not as bad as it seems)

Illustration: Charles Swindoll tells this story:

A farmer who was continually optimistic had a neighbor who was just the opposite. Grim and gloomy, his neighbor faced each new day with a frown. The optimistic farmer would see the sun coming up and shout over the roar of the tractor, “Look at that beautiful sun and clear sky!” With a frown, the negative neighbor would reply, “Yeah, it’ll probably scorch the crops.”

When clouds gathered and much-needed rain started to fall, the positive farmer would smile across the fence, “Ain’t this great—God is giving our corn a drink today!” Again, a negative response, “Uh-huh, but if it don’t stop before long, it’ll flood and wash everything away.”

One day, the optimist decided to try to trump his neighbor’s pessimism. He bought the smartest, most expensive bird dog he could find and trained him to do things no other dog on earth could do—impossible, even miraculous, feats that would amaze and delight anyone. He invited the pessimist to go duck hunting, and they sat in the duck blind. The ducks flew over. Both men fired and several ducks fell into the water. “Go get ’em!” ordered the owner to his dog.

The dog leapt out of the boat, ran on the water to where the ducks were floating, gathered them in his mouth, and ran back to the boat and jumped in. “Well, what do you think of that?” the optimist asked.

Unsmiling, the pessimist answered, “Hah!… can’t swim, can he?”

Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 57–58.

Nehemiah did not overlook the problems nor did he become overwhelmed by them.

SECOND — Humility in personal identification

Notice the pronouns in verse 17 (we and us)

Nehemiah 2. A Humble Identification

If you want to discourage someone whose life is in ruins, just say, “Man, are you a mess; you really ought to do something about that.” It will work every time. On the other hand, if you want to encourage them, begin by saying, “This is a mess. How can we get out of this together?”

THIRD — A God honoring invitation (v17)

Nehemiah 3. An Honorable Invitation

He said, “Hey, guys, let’s rebuild the wall so we, the people of God, will be so representative of Him that people around us can’t speak poorly of our character or disparage the character of God.”

There are a couple forms of MOTIVATION: extrinsic & Intrinsic

Extrinsic requires something enticing on the OUTSIDE.

Intrinsic in an internal desire or passion.

Nehemiah 3. An Honorable Invitation

The highest intrinsic motivation is the desire to bring glory and honor to the reputation of God, whom you represent on earth.

FOURTH — Filled with hope (v18)

Nehemiah 4. A Hope-Filled Testimony

Can you imagine how the people must have hung on every word? “God is here with us,” Nehemiah declares. “God has prepared the way. He has turned the heart of the king. He has supplied our financial need. He has not forgotten you, dear friends. He has not forgotten His holy city.”

Often times discouragement comes from the simple fact that the work is never completed.

Nehemiah 4. A Hope-Filled Testimony

It must have been equally encouraging to the people of Jerusalem to hear a man say, “I know you’ve lived for years surrounded by these broken-down walls. You don’t think God is even noticing anymore. But I want you to know that God has been favorable to me. He has been at work in my life, and He is at work even now among you.”

After God honoring vision, opposition follows closely behind. (v19)

Quote: When you decide to build anything for the glory of God—whether a godly home, a pure mind, honest character, or numerous other things—any-thing and anyone who opposes God will oppose you. There is no opportunity from heaven without opposition from hell. If you think that walking with Christ is a path strewn with flowers, think again. Jesus Christ warned His disciples that the object which would grace their necks would not be a garland but a cross: Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 62.

Matthew 16:24 “24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”

Notice Nehemiah’s response to opposition (v20)

Where do you think his courage came from??? GOD!!!

Some notes I have taken about avoiding discouragement:

FIRST — God’s will is never easy, but is always possible.

Matthew 19:26 “26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

SECOND — God’s commands are always followed by His enablements.

Philippians 2:13 “13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”

Illustration: Fresh Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching:

There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day at school. Since I was smaller than he was, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate instructor told me I owed him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully. Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the bully than it is to learn how to defeat him. Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 64.

Quote: God never commands you to live for His glory without helping you to overcome the obstacles you will face. Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 64.

THIRD — Opposition is the forecast of opportunity

The Apostle Paul encourages us to never throw in the towel.

1 Cor. 15:58 “58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

Conclusion

I say all of that to say this.....RISE UP AND BUILT!!!