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Intro: In our study last week we saw that Nehemiah and the people had begun to rebuild the walls, and we focused in specifically on the gates. We looked at three gates last week, they were the sheep gate, the fish gate, and the old gate. Remember that the gates were how the nation of Israel allowed things into the city and out of the city.
A building can only be built properly if it is on a proper and firm foundation. In 1185 an Italian architect designed a standing bell tower in the city of Pisa. The tower was eight stories and 185 feet tall. However the builders discovered a problem as building went underway. The soil that the tower was being built was soft and they were unable to sure up the foundation. It took almost 200 years for the building to be completed and over that time frame there were many things that were done to try and compensate for the building that had begun to lean. They attempted to sure up the foundation, and they even built some of the upper levels to compensate for the angle to make the tower look straight but nothing worked. The tower today has stood for over 800 years, but has had many problems. Recently it went under a 25 million dollar renovation project to and were able to correct its lean by 16”. Their was great concern because to top of the tower was 17 feet more south than the bottom of the tower and they believed that the leaning tower of Pisa would collapse.
Was it a bad design, poor workmanship, was the stone used bad? No, the problem was not with the building itself, the problem was in the foundation.
Isaiah 28:16 Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, A tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: He that believeth shall not make haste.
Any spiritual building project that we undertake as a church cannot be started unless the foundation is sure. It is not built upon a man in this church and it is not built upon a family, it is not built upon a structure, or upon a city. They church which this building the body of Christ is built upon is the person of Jesus Christ!
For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
We understand that when we talk about building church is so the pastor can brag to his friends. We are talking about what Jesus commanded to be done, and that is to build upon the foundation that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God!
Nehemiah built Jerusalem upon the foundation of what God had said concerning the promises of the city of Jerusalem!
The Valley Gate: In chapter 2 this is the gate that Nehemiah went out and returned to when he went out at night to examine the city.
Nehemiah 3:13 (This gate is located in the southeast corner of the city and is about 500 yards from the dung gate. Both of these gates opened up into a valley and the name of that valley was called in the Bible the valley of Hinnom
The valley of Hinnom was a constantly burning city dump. The workers not only repaired the gates but the section of wall between the gates.
The valley… The valley in Scripture speaks to those trials and tribulations that we as believers live through. Psalm 22-24 are Messianic Psalms and teach us great truths concerning the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of dragons,
And covered us with the shadow of death.
He setteth an end to darkness,
And searcheth out all perfection:
The stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.
The valley is a picture of the trials and tribulation, physically for the nation of Israel, and spiritually for the church today! Everyone goes through and is going to go through a period of darkness. Have you ever gone through something in your life where you feel like death, or that death is coming? Have you ever been there?
Before I was afflicted I went astray:
But now have I kept thy word.
Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes.
The proud have forged a lie against me:
But I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart.
Their heart is as fat as grease;
But I delight in thy law.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted;
That I might learn thy statutes.
We learn through the book of Job 1 and 2 that everything that Satan does in this world is allowed by God, and it is meant to draw us through the valley, not closer to death, but it is meant for us to grow closer to God. Listen if everything was good in this life, we would get to the place that we don’t need God anymore. It is through affliction and sometime great affliction that we are brought through the valley and reminded that I am not all that I think I am, and that I need God in my life more today then I ever have before.
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
God knew that had Paul not had that thorn then He would not have lived the life that brought glory to God!
Sometimes our life is full of despair and distress through attacks from the outside, but they are all meant to bring us closer to our Saviour.
I want you to think about that valley… When is the last time you called people that were downtrodden, or got on your knees and called out to God on their behalf.
So now that we have talked about the valley, let’s put some meaning to the valley gate…
We already discussed how the gate was there to let things in, and their is the picture. AS a church we have got to allow other peoples struggles to enter into our lives!
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
Guess what, if we are not willing to open up our valley gate and let the burdens of one another in, then we are not doing the commands of Christ!
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
It is about time that we got serious about this Christian life and saw the valley’s for what they are meant to be. Stop trying to build a wall to block the valley and build a gate to #1 to bear one another’s burdens, and #2 to start welcoming those struggles that come into our life and say I’m going to cast my cares upon Him for He carreth for me and I am going to allow those trials and tribulations in my life to be used for the glory of God, and to draw me closer to the only one Who cares for about my life in the way that Jesus does..
If we are serious about building the church then we need to make this place a place where people come in and are loved and cared about, and that their load when they come into God’s house is lifted and not added too! A place where we can hear people talk about their issues without having to bring up your own to try and out do their story.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord
To prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people
By the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God;
Whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
To guide our feet into the way of peace.
Believer’s and unbelievers alike, there are people stewing in their own darkness. What they need is the light of Christ, that is shed abroad in the hearts of us… To help bring them out of their shadow of death… When lighting in a room is designed it is done in such a way that it minimizes the shadows in the room. That’s is what we need to be for our brothers and sisters in Christ, a reflector of the light of Christ that removes the shadows in their life!
People need to see Christ in this church so that they can be guided through their valley of darkness. Their is such an abundant life that is missed today, because we are unwilling to help Christians see the wonderful and glorious life that can be lived in conjunction with His Spirit and His word.
Listen I get it, something might seem so petty to you, but it isn’t petty to someone else that is going through it. Well, you just need to get over it, man I am so thankful for that great encouragement and edifying words… Just get over it.
Most of the time when people are sharing their struggles with you, they aren’t looking for counsel they are looking for someone to listen and pray for them. The valley gate, if we want to help build the church, be an encouragement for people that are going through struggles, be patient and long suffering, showing them the mercy and grace of God.
We have already established that the gate is their to let things in, but it is also their to let things out. If you have built walls in your life, then the church will never be the help that God intended it to be in helping you with your valley. Repair the valley gate, let people into your life.
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
Yeah but I don’t want people to judge me… Leave that to God, open your valley gate and let it out… Their is not help in wall building… In building a wall you have rejected help from others in the church, and you have rejected God’s plan through the church to bear one another’s burdens.
Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain: But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me. The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.