Nehemiah - Sermon 7

What Do Your Hands Reveal About Your Heart

Text: Nehemiah 3

Introduction

One of the reoccurring struggles for a pastor and/or spiritual leader to get across is the fact all believers should have a heart to work. I have learned that the much used tactic of guilt tripping everyone is a very shallow solution; it doesn’t create enough love for gospel work for there to be a longevity that has any endurance to celebrate.

I have often said (and still believe this), “if someone loves Jesus enough, they will have a deep desire to find their place in serving through the church.” Now, that being said, I will not be so bold to say that if you don’t serve somehow that you have no love for Jesus. However, even you would have to admit that when compared to what Jesus tells us, those who don’t serve have a very shallow love for Him.

John 14:15 “15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

Quote: D.L. Moody, who over one hundred years ago founded a church, a school, a publishing house, and more, said, “A great many people have a false idea about the church. They have an idea that the church is a place to simply rest in … to get into a nicely cushioned pew, and contribute to the charities, listen to the minister, and do their share to keep the church out of bankruptcy. The idea of work for them—actual work in the church—never enters their minds.” Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 70.

Maybe for you who are outside the work camp, it is not a matter of love for Jesus, but more so the way you perceive your significance in the work.

My desire for you, is that following this message, you will walk away from being outside the work camp to walking through the gate and asking, “Where am I needed and how can I serve?”

1 Corinthians 12:14-18 “14 For the body is not one member, but many. 15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.”

What we have before us in this chapter is a large group of people (not all) that Nehemiah describes in Neh. 4:6 “... for the people had a mind to work.” This kind of mindset was not created by Nehemiah’s words of judgement and brow beating. This mind was brought to life by Nehemiah’s proclamation of Jehovah’s promises and love for them.

Even though the church as we know it did not begin until the time of Christ, we have a beautiful cross-section of what a working church should look like.

Let’s take a few moments and grow from some highlights in this amazing building/restoration project.....

1) Opportunity Was Given To The Willing

NOTICE VERSE 1

At a brief read of this chapter, you will find “all” are mentioned in the work.

Here is the common thread — all who were willing to work were given jobs to do.

What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty, and every difficulty has an opportunity.”—J. Sidlow Baxter

It is interesting to note that the very first group listed are the priests.

These towers were on the westward side of the Sheep Gate. This was the place where sacrificial lambs and sheep would enter to be offered for the sins of the people. Since the priests performed the atoning services, this would be a significant wall to them—in fact, they may have considered it holy ground. 1 Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 74.

Four hundred years later, Jesus Christ Himself, the Lamb of God, would walk through that reconstructed gate to pray in a nearby garden called Gethsemane. Later, He was undoubtedly brought back through that same gate by the soldiers who arrested Him and took Him before the Sanhedrin. He was, indeed, the final Lamb led to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7). 1 Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 74.

Those priests set the example for everyone else.

2) People Were Willing To Learn

NOTICE VERSE 8-9

It was not a matter of what they knew, but rather WHOM they knew for them to do the work that needed to be done.

The person who says he cannot work because he does not know how should learn a lesson from a perfume maker who has exchanged sweet-smelling vials of delicately scented liquid for a pile of rocks and a trowel.1 1 Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 75.

3) Some Were Able To Do More

Notice the following verses: 11, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30

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they repaired another section

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they did more. What a tremendous testimony of people who went the extra mile!

4) Some Were Willing To Handle The Most Difficult

Notice verse 14

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That name Refuse Gate can be translated Dung Gate. This was the gate through which all the garbage, manure

This person was from royalty.

You and I would often prefer the working condition mentioned in verse 15.

Some GOT to work in more pleasant conditions while Rechab was WILLING to work in not so pleasant conditions.

Did you notice what description is not mentioned about Rechab?

He was willing to work in those conditions WITHOUT COMPLAINING!

Nehemiah People Who Were Willing to Work in More Difficult Places than Others

In other words, you have one official who willingly works near the garbage dump and another official who gets to work by the pool near the king’s flower gardens.

Col. 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

Col. 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

5) Some Will Work Harder

Notice verse 20

Notice this guys attitude here; “zealously.”

The Hebrew word that this word translates from means “to burn or to glow.”

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Just because you work willingly at a task does not necessarily mean you are working with a glow. Baruch represents those who work—and smile while they are at it. They show up at their posts with cheer and kind words

These are the kind of people who you ENJOY to work around.

6) Some Were Indifferent Toward The Work

NOTICE VERSE 5

The Tekoite nobles wouldn’t work, but the common people would. It’s not any different in the Church today. The tasks related to ministry are filled with ordinary people with a zeal for the Savior. 1 Stephen Davey, Nehemiah, ed. Lalanne Barber, Wisdom Commentary Series (Apex, NC: Charity House Publishers, 2012), 76–77.

1Corinthians 1:27-28 “27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:”

Conclusion

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Churches are more like construction sites and cafeterias than palaces and winter resorts. It may not be glamorous work, but it is a place where God is honored and the work is never done in vain. In fact, the results will last forever because we are building people—and people last forever.

Striving together in the work (serving each other) gives us a two-fold benefit:

We are less likely to be deceived.

We are less likely to become disabled.

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The Lord has placed you at a “wall”; which of the seven characteristics describes your attitude and your effort? What does the work of your hands reveal about the condition of your heart?

1 Peter 4:10-11 “10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”