Keep Building

Introduction

As I was preparing for tonight, I wanted to be a help to the Man of God. I asked him what was the theme for Running Branch. He informed that the theme was build the vision. I asked God what can I say to the people of God about building the vision. We understand that where there is no vision people perish. Yet, I found that sometime it’s not that there is no vision, their’s no vision builders. What’s the point of a blueprint, if there is no construction workers. There’s no need for vision, if there is no vision runners. For the Bible tells us to in Habakkuk 2:2 “And the Lord answered me: “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.” So there must be some vision runners, or builders. So as I can tell tonight, and as I have kept an eye on you from afar, I can tell that there are some vision builders here. I want to encourage you, as well as all those that are here under the sound of my weak voice to tell you to keep building.

Background

Our text tonight is found in the book of History, Nehemiah. The book of Nehemiah is a record of Nehemiah and third wave of the returning exiles to Jerusalem. In the original Hebrew Bible Nehemiah is a continuation of the book of Ezra and they are treated as a single book. We find that Nehemiah is the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. I don’t have time to deal with it, but if I had time I would tell you how Nehemiah became downtrodden in his countenance after he found that Jerusalem was still lying in waste and ruins after over 60 years of being exiled. I don’t have time to tell you, but if I had time to tell you, I would tell you how the King gave him his wish to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild. At this point of our text he and the people of Jerusalem worked together to rebuild Jerusalem. Our text is found here in the 6th chapter, the wall is almost complete, people are hard at work on the wall.

Body

If you work, you will see progress

A lot of the issue is that I see in a lot of churches is that we seem to believe that if we close our eyes, say a 30 second prayer, and don’t do anything, we will see what we pray for. That’s not true. The issue is that it take hard work to see progress. You can pray, you should pray, you need to pray, but it takes more than prayer when you’re building. James makes it plain in James 2:17 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” You have to have more than faith. There is a need for work. Everything in life worth having takes work. I am trying my hardest to finish strong in these classes strong, so that I can earn my degree this May, but guess what saints it is taking work. I want to buy a house, it takes me working, I want a car, it takes me working. The issue is we live in a time where we act like we believe God is a genie, that all you have to do is rub him and make a wish and you will receive it, but baby let me let you know something, you can shout, pray, speak in tongues all you want to, but after you get done with all that you still gotta work. Even Jesus made it very clear when he tells his Disciples when passing the man born blind, I must work the works of him that sent me. I have to put my hands to work. That’s what Nehemiah tells us in Nehemiah 2:18 “And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.” God didn’t put his hand on you, just to sit still, he put his hand on you to work. Work while it’s day, cause night is coming. Tell somebody, keep building.

When you’re building, you will have opposition

Nehemiah and the Children of Israel is building the wall. Their almost finished and the text tells us opposition shows up. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. These men had been giving Nehemiah a hard time from even before he had began to work on the wall. Nehemiah 2 tells us that when they heard that they were going to build the wall, they began to make fun of them. Nehemiah 4 says that Tobiah says “if a fox climbs on whatever they build, their wall of stones will crumble.” They threatened them physically to the point that they had to put guards in place to protect the workers. And here in chapter 6, They have come back again. Can I submit that when you are doing anything worth anything, you should be on the look out for opposition. I don’t understand why we live in a world that gets so angry when the enemy does what he does. My question is, what do you expect from the enemy? What do you expect from the devil? The devil is not your friend, he care about you, he doesn’t care about who you are, who your parents is, where you come from, the enemy only cares about doing what he has come to do. For the thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. When you are trying to be all that God has called you to be, you should expect opposition. Catch this, when Nehemiah found out about the skim that Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem was planning he set guards around the workers. He didn’t stop the workers, he weaponized some to allow some to work and some to fight if need be. The issue I find is that we don’t have enough workers weaponized in the Body of Christ. We don’t know how to fight. I know you know how to fight with your fists and hands, but do you know how to fight in the spirit. Paul gave us the remedy, when he told us that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty THROUGH GOD to the pulling down of strongholds. Praying, fasting, reading God’s Holy Words, Praises, and worship, these are our weapons, are our tools for warfare. You have to be prepared to fight, if and when the fight comes. Instead of cussing you out, I’ll pray for you, Instead of running away, I’ll read my bible, instead giving up, I’ll praise and worship, these are the weapons to win the fight. Nehemiah Weaponized them because of the opposition.

Let me tell about 17 of you all under the sound of my voice something, opposition doesn’t have the power to stop the work that have been assigned to you. Look at our text they send a letter to Nehemiah, saying for Nehemiah to come down and meet them. What blesses me about this text is Nehemiah’s response, He says, I am doing a good work, and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop for me to come down to talk to you? Nehemiah said, what is so important about you and what you have to say, that I should stop the good work, I’ve already started. What is so important about what someone think about you, that you should stop to respond. I know we’re quick to quote the scripture, come let us reason together, but let me help you out, everything doesn’t need a reason. There’s somethings I’m not even going to waste my time talking with you about. While I’m talking to you, I’m missing the opportunities to build. The problem Pastor is we give too much attention to the enemy, instead of what God has called us to do. So what, you enemy doesn’t like you? So what, your enemy talks about you and scandalizes your name? So what, they don’t think you’re going to do what you say you are? SO WHAT? Stop giving the enemy so much attention and just let the work speak for itself. The old song writer says, may the WORK I’VE DONE, speak for me. As a matter of fact, there’s nothing to talk about, I’m busy building. Tell somebody, I’m busy building!!!

Conclusion

Keep Building

You can’t afford to stop. Too Many things are depending on you to keep building.

Your Family is depending on you to keep building.

Your Career is depending on you to keep building.

Your Business is depending on you to keep building.

Your ministry is depending on you to keep building.

Your church is depending on you to keep Building.

With tears in your eyes, keep building

With scars over your body, keep building

After it’s all said and done, when the finished product is going to blow folks mind.

They’re going to want to know, how is it that you do what you did?

After everything that you have been through?

After every lie

every backbite

every back stab

every betrayal

every scandal

After everything you’ve been through, you tell them I kept building and just like they said about Nehemiah God was my help.

And if God be for you, who can be against you.

No wonder why David said he’s a present help in times of trouble.

I’ll lift up my eyes to the hill from whence cometh my help? ALL MY HELP comes from God.