Sermon Tone Analysis

!!! Arise And Build!

All Things Are Possible With God’s Help

!!! Rebuilding Together 1

Nehemiah 3:1-32

 

 

*Involved*

 

       There was an article in the Toronto Globe of a lady who had a terrible experience in trying to rescue her 7-year-old son from the jaws of a crocodile.

With arms outstretched, the child was screaming for his life as the reptile dragged him in among the reeds.

The mother splashed through the water and grabbed the helpless boy by the shoulders.

Other vacationers formed a human chain, and they finally were able to free the victim from his powerful captor and bring him safely to shore.

The youngster, now fully recovered, is alive because his mother and many others became involved in a time of danger to rescue him from a desperate situation.

We live in a day and age that screams for all of us to get involved, and work together, if we are going to snatch people out of hell’s fire!!!  Yet, in this day of individualism, we need intense lessons on togetherness and teamwork.

We find such a lesson in the third chapter of the book of Nehemiah.

This is a very important chapter.

It may seem like a boring chapter with all of the names and repetition, but there are some very important principles to be learned here.

Notice with me please Nehemiah 3:1.

/(In Nehemiah 3:1 we can see:)/

 

I.

The Solidarity.

Notice that the people went to work rebuilding the wall.

Also notice that Nehemiah begins his account with the work of the High Priest and his brothers.

Please consider the fact that Jesus, our great High Priest, has already performed the great work of salvation.

Jesus said,

 

“I must work the works of Him who sent me while it is day.

The night is coming when no man can work.”

*/In keeping with the example of Jesus Christ, leaders should pitch in on the physical work sometimes, particularly at crucial times./*

They must lead the way in their work and their work ethic.

Leaders must work on behalf of and along side of the people.

They cannot sit around and be lazy.

*/Leadership is hard work!/*  Leaders must plan, organize, staff, direct, control, teach, preach, counsel, research and train.

*/In addition, we must all learn to work together./*

We must develop teamwork.

There can be no big I’s and little you’s.

Everybody in the body of Christ is important.

The trite and shopworn cliche is still true, “In unity there is strength.”

Jesus talked about the power of unity in

 

Matthew 18:19-20 (NASB-U), “Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven.

[20] For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.”

Although the passage is about church discipline, it can certainly be applied to the larger contexts of fellowship and service!!!

 

 

*It Takes Teamwork*

 

       An incident from the life of the great Italian conductor Toscanini was related by Jackson Wilcox in the book /450 Stories From Life/.

During a rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera House, in New York City, the maestro offered some constructive criticism to a featured soloist.

She was too proud to accept his help, however, and expressed her resentment by exclaiming in anger, “I am the star of this performance!”

Toscanini responded wisely and firmly.

Madame,” he said, in this performance there are *no* stars.”

Wilcox commented, “Unless the soloists and the members of the chorus were ready to work together in harmony, there could be no...symphony!”

We can make *no* advances with only solo work.

All of us, from the greatest to the humblest, should work together in harmony and devotion.

*/In the first verse, we also see the element of consecration./*

As we build these new buildings, we want to consecrate them and dedicate them to the Lord.

They will be consecrated by prayer and by their use.

Now, take note of how the name of every ruler and every family is mentioned.

*/God is keeping a record!

He knows who is working and who isn’t.

The center of our lives should be the Kingdom of God, and in history the terminology changed from “the Kingdom of God” to “the Church.”/*

\\ /(Let’s move on to verse 2.  Let me read it aloud for us.)/

Look at the words “next to him,” “next to them,” and “after him.”

These phrases occur over twenty times.

*/We can see that the people worked together./*

They worked side-by-side.

There were 42 different work crews, but they worked together.

They were like one unit, one body.

*The Parable Of The Watch*

 

       From an experience of her childhood, Mrs. Floyd Crook recalls how this truth was impressed upon her with special meaning.

She writes, “I came home from school one day crying because I had been given only a small part in the children’s program, while my playmate got the leading role.

After drying my tears, my mother took off her watch and put it in my hand.

‘What do you see?’ she asked.

‘A gold case, a face, and two hands,’ I replied.

Opening the back, she repeated the question.

I told her I saw many tiny wheels.

‘This watch would be useless,’ she said, ‘without every part--even the ones you can hardly see.’

That helped me all through life to see the importance of the small duties we’re asked to perform.”

Please don’t here this as a criticism, but an observation.

We can’t all have our own personal ministry!

Some of us are going to have to be little parts in a very big church.

Think about the early church.

How could they impact so many people so quickly?

How could 3,000 be added to the church in one day?

*/It may surprise you to realize that unity and togetherness were crucial to success of the early church./*

Acts 2:44-47 (NASB-U), “*And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common*; [45] and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

[46] *Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple*, and breaking bread from house to house, *they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart*, [47] praising God and having favor with all the people.

And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (/emphasis mine/).

\\        In the book of Philippians, Paul does some very important teaching on unity.

Philippians 1:27 (NASB-U), “Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, *I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel*” (/emphasis mine/).

Philippians 2:1-2 (NASB-U), “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, [2] *make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose*” (/emphasis mine/).

In Paul’s teaching on unity, he goes on to cover what is probably the most important element of unity in

 

Philippians 2:3-4 (NASB-U), “*Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit*, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; [4] *do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others*” (/emphasis mine/).

We will only be able to minister to thousands of members, as we work together!!!

       *In order for us to work together,*

 

·        We must give up our groundless self-esteem;

·        We must give up our selfishness;

·        We must have a renewing of our minds;

·        We must subject our personal goals to Kingdom goals;

·        Our minds must be transformed from exalted minds to humble minds;

·        We must make a different evaluation of ourselves in respect to others;

·        We must regard others as more important than ourselves;

·        We must make room in our minds to consider, allow, and be concerned about the interests and values of other people.

\\ Often, we can’t work together because of clashes in values:  *not* God’s values, but men’s values.

We must understand that unity of purpose can be achieved, even though the people involved possess a variety of gifts, interests, values, personalities, etc.

 

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NASB-U), “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.

[5] And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.