Intro:

We’ve been making our way through the book of Nehemiah and we are actually getting pretty close to the end. We’ll have a few more sermons from this amazing book and then move on to our next study.

Today is going to be a bit of review of the first 10 chapters, but it all leads up to what we see here in chapter 11.

Our focus throughout this study has been on Godly Leadership and one of the main points that has been evident throughout this entire study is the fact that we need to be godly leaders who lead by example…

And the reason for that is… Godly Leadership is not just about authority—it’s about faithfulness. When leaders remain steadfast in their calling, the people they lead are inspired to follow in faithfulness as well.

As we come to Nehemiah 11, we are going to see a powerful example of this truth. As Nehemiah and the leaders of Israel committed themselves to restoring Jerusalem, the people responded by willingly resettling the city, which included sacrificing their own comfort for the greater good of God’s kingdom. Their faithfulness was a direct reflection of the leadership they followed.

History confirms this principle. Consider George Washington and the Continental Army. Despite hardships, Washington’s unwavering commitment to the cause of independence inspired his soldiers and citizens to remain steadfast, ultimately leading to victory.

Likewise, in our families, churches, and communities, faithful leadership cultivates faithful followers.

Faithful Leaders, Faithful Communities

Today, as we explore Nehemiah 11, we will see how God uses devoted leaders to cultivate a devoted community.

We will only read a few verses of the Chapter this morning, but we will cover the whole thing.

(Read vv. 1-3)

Please forgive me… last week we made or way through all of the names and this week we will honor them by speaking of the category in which they are listed.

There are many people who bypass this chapter altogether in their studies, because they feel it is just a bunch of names and there is not much here that is of any sort of significance.

They figure, the walls are built, Israel’s enemies have been dealt with and the people are committed to following the Law that God had given to Moses… What more could there be…

Well… within the first three verses of this chapter, we see a very important event that takes place and it shows us, once again, the leadership skills and abilities that Nehemiah possessed.

I believe it was President Harry Truman that said… “Great leaders are people who can get others to do what they don’t want to do and make them like doing it!”

Which, in essence, is exactly what Nehemiah was able to accomplish… … and the key to his success was not just his leadership skills but his own deep commitment to being a faithful, godly leader. His personal dedication to God and His mission set the tone for the entire community, proving that when a leader walks in faithfulness, the people will follow.

Meat:

If we are going to be faithful, godly leaders then we have to follow the same principles of Nehemiah…

First of all…

Faithful Leaders:

1. Answer God’s Call

Nehemiah answered God’s call back in chapter 1 when he learned about the broken walls and the suffering of his people in Jerusalem. He responded with deep mourning, fasting, and fervent prayer, seeking God’s guidance and favor.

Moved by his faith, in chapter 2, he boldly approached King Artaxerxes and received permission, resources, and authority to return to Jerusalem and begin the rebuilding process.

But it was his initial response in chapter 1 that set the foundation for his journey as a godly leader, demonstrating his reliance on prayer, courage, and his unwavering commitment to God’s call on his life.

Faithful leaders answer God’s Call…

1.1 Despite the Obstacles

The big obstacle that we talked about, at the beginning of this study, was the rebuilding of the walls around the city of Jerusalem… which we know. from Chapter 6, that it was completed in record time at 52 days…

All while building the walls, Nehemiah also had to deal with the obstacles of opposition from enemies outside of Israel and even some opposition from fellow Israelites.

But there was at least one more obstacle that he needed to deal with… and he knew this obstacle was going to be a big one before he ever responded to God’s call on his life… and that was the repopulation of the city of Jerusalem.

For us to realize why this was an obstacle, I think we need a slight review of the state that the city was in… which will bring us back to a King that we have already learned about as we made our way through the book of Daniel.

In 586 B.C., King Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem.… - Now, quite often as a King was expanding his kingdom by besieging and conquering other nations, he would turn the palace of the King or ruler that he just defeated into his own administrative center or royal residence.

This act served multiple purposes. First, it symbolized the total transfer of power, demonstrating to the conquered people that their former ruler had been completely replaced.

Second, it provided immediate infrastructure, as the palace was often the grandest and most fortified building in the city, already equipped to house a ruler and facilitate the conquering King’s governing administration.

Setting up in the conquered King’s palace also served as psychological weapon to the locals by reinforcing the dominance of the conquering ruler while subtly reminding the local population of their weakness and defeat.

However, this was not the intention of King Nebuchadnezzar… When he conquered Jerusalem, he had it utterly destroyed. He wanted to make sure that it was indefensible and uninhabitable…

Anything that was flammable got burned

They completely obliterated the defensive walls around the city… (these are the walls that Nehemiah led the rebuilding of)

They utterly destroyed the beautiful Temple that was built by King Solomon

They destroyed all of the official government buildings.

They even went as far as destroying a vast majority of the residential homes… just to make sure that there would be no chance of this city ever being rebuilt and that the nation of Israel would never rise up in rebellion against Nebuchadnezzar’s Empire.

Fast forward about 150 years and Nehemiah hears about the conditions of the city, feels that God is calling him to lead the people in the rebuilding project and answers that call... despite the obstacles… … and he did it to Honor God…

Faithful Leaders Answer God’ Call because…

1.2 It Honors Him

The question that many people ask is… Why was this rebuilding project such a big deal?

There are several reasons…

The walls were meant to protect a thriving city, not a ghost town… why would you go through all the work to put the defensive walls around a city and then leave it as a pile of rubble?

The city of Jerusalem served as their National Identity… … Imagine the United States without Washington D.C… Without a functioning capital, the nation would lack unity, direction, and a unifying identity… … Also, without a strong central authority, the country would be far more vulnerable to external threats and enemy attacks, as there would be no clear defense strategy or organized leadership to respond to crises.

This was the situation Jerusalem faced in Nehemiah’s time. The city, meant to be the heart of Israel’s faith, culture, and governance, lay in ruins. Without a thriving Jerusalem, the Israelites were like a scattered people, lacking solidarity and easily exposed to enemy threats.

Nehemiah understood that rebuilding the city was about more than just walls—it was about restoring their national identity, securing their protection, and reestablishing God’s presence among them.

Another reason that this project was a big deal… The temple had been rebuilt for 100 years, but proper worship had yet to take place because there were no Priest’s, no Levites, and no temple servants living there to keep the operations of the Temple going.

But in reality, all of these reasons culminate into just one overall reason… and that is the fact that a rebuilt city of Jerusalem would Honor and Glorify God’s name in the midst of Israel’s enemies.

We’ve gone through the first 10 chapters of this book and right here in the first verse of chapter 11, for the first time in Nehemiah, Jerusalem is referred to as “The Holy City”.… Meaning that it is a unique, one of a kind, special city that belongs to Almighty God.

At the very beginning, as Nehemiah was motivating the people to take on this project, he said…

Nehemiah 2:17 NKJV

“You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.”

The once holy city had been considered a reproach for almost 2 centuries due to Israel’s sin. But now the walls have been rebuilt, the people have renewed their commitment to God and it is now back to being referred to as a holy city.… It is no longer a reproach to God, but instead it honored Him…

As godly leaders, this needs to be our motivation for everything we do, especially when it comes to answering God’s call on our lives… We do it to honor and glorify Him…

Secondly… Faithful Leaders…

2. Make Sacrifices

One of the most powerful aspects of Nehemiah’s leadership was his willingness to make the same sacrifices he asked of others.

As godly leaders, we need to realize that people will never make a commitment to the Lord that we are not willing to make ourselves… Nehemiah understood this very well…

One of the things that we will have to sacrifice is…

2.1 Our Time

One of the greatest sacrifices a godly leader makes is their time. Time is a precious resource, and how we, as godly leaders, chooses to invest our time reflects our true priorities and depth of our commitment to God's calling.

Nehemiah exemplified this sacrifice by dedicating himself fully to the rebuilding and restoration of Jerusalem.

He spent time in Prayer and Seeking God’s Guidance…

Before Nehemiah ever lifted a stone or made a leadership decision, he spent significant time in prayer, making sure that his plan aligned with God’s will.

He spent time serving others…

He didn’t just issue orders from a comfortable position—he worked alongside the people that were rebuilding the wall.

Godly leaders willingly give up their own plans and personal time to serve those they lead, whether through mentoring, teaching, counseling, or simply being present during their times of need.

And even after the walls were built, he came alongside Ezra and spent time Discipling Others…

He didn’t just build walls—he built people. He appointed leaders, restored worship, and ensured the spiritual health of the nation.

As godly leaders, we sacrifice our time in order to equip the next generation to carry on the mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This means that we will also sacrifice some of …

2.2 Our Finances

A godly leader understands that money is a tool to fulfill God’s purposes, and they use their resources to glorify Him and support His people.

If you remember from chapter 5, Nehemiah actively used his own wealth to provide for those in need by paying off their debts from his own finances… and he regularly hosted 100’s of people at his dinner table, who couldn’t otherwise afford to eat.

And then, as we looked at last week, Nehemiah ensured that the temple and its workers were provided for, by restoring the practice of giving tithes and offerings so that “God’s house would not be neglected.”

I am guessing that he and the other godly leaders were some of the first ones to submit their offerings.

Godly leaders understand that financial sacrifice is part of serving others… … The reality of the situation is - it all belongs to God - we don’t own any of it.

And so it is our duty as stewards of what God has entrusted to us, to use it for His honor and glory…

Along with the sacrifice of our time and finances, it should come as no surprise that we may have to sacrifice some of…

2.3 Our Comforts

Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the Persian king Artaxerxes, a position of high honor and comfort in the royal court. His life was secure, and he enjoyed material blessings and status. However, when he heard about the broken state of Jerusalem and the suffering of his people, he chose to leave behind his comfortable position to lead the effort to rebuild the city walls and restore hope to his people.

When he arrived in Jerusalem as Governor he didn’t take the food allowance that was given to all of the other governors before him… and it would stand to reason that he didn’t reside in the house that would’ve been provided for the governor either.

Again, v.1 of chapter 11 says…

Nehemiah 11:1 “… the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem...”

There was no higher leader in the province than the governor, Nehemiah himself… and I firmly believe that the previous governor of Judea likely chose not to reside in Jerusalem due to its desolation but instead lived in a luxurious villa in the beautiful countryside, outside of the city.

In Chapter 2, we saw that Nehemiah requested building materials from King Artaxerxes for his own house. This suggests that he did not move into the governor's mansion but instead chose to build a home within the walls of Jerusalem—right at the center of the action.

By doing so, he sacrificed his own comfort, willingly placing himself in the midst of the city's challenges rather than enjoying the luxury and security that his position alloted him to have.

From the moment Nehemiah arrived in Judea, we never see him leaving the city or engaging in any activities outside the walls of Jerusalem.

The Apostle Paul, when writing about Christ to the Corinthian church, said this…

2 Corinthians 8:9 NASB95

9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.

By submitting himself to the Holy Spirit, Nehemiah knew this principle over 400 years before Paul ever wrote it down.…

Godly leaders will need to make sacrifices, but that’s ok… because we make sacrifices…

2.4 That Produce Results

The city of Jerusalem was still lying in ruins… yes the walls are up but the city is nothing but rubble and still uninhabitable… Meaning that, anyone who even wanted to move to the city would have to go through the daunting task of clearing out layers of debris before they could even build their homes.

Not to mention… Nehemiah was virtually talking to a bunch of farmers… they had land, livestock, fields and vineyards… they were living on their ancestral homesteads…

But for the city of Jerusalem to survive, it needed to be rebuilt and it needed residents to live in it.

As the rest of the nation sees Nehemiah and the other leaders making these sacrifices of time, finances and comfort, it instills into them an attitude of “If they can do it… so can I”…

Faithful leaders cultivate faithful communities…

Nehemiah 11:1–2 “Now the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine-tenths were to dwell in other cities.

2 And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.”

No one was forced to move to the city… and even though, most probably didn’t want to move to the city, they were all willing to do so in order to honor God, just as their godly leaders had been doing.

So the heads of all the families had gotten together, they split off in groups of 10, cast lots, and the lot would fall on one family out of each group of 10.

Everyone was willing to go if the lot fell on them, because from their reading and studying of God’s Word they would know that…

Proverbs 16:33 NASB95

33 The lot is cast into the lap, But its every decision is from the Lord.

They knew that God was the one controlling the outcome of the decision…

Their trust in God’s sovereignty, coupled with their willingness to follow the example of their godly leaders, fueled their commitment to the task at hand.

The sacrifices of faithful, godly leaders, will produce results…

And lastly this morning… faithful leaders…

3. Give Credit Where Credit is Due

We read the first 3 verses chapter 11 this morning and the remaining 33 verses list the names of the households and how many men from each that came to live in Jerusalem. If you account for wives and children, it amounts to around 10,000 people that committed to rebuilding and living in the city.

But it is not just a list of names… Nehemiah also recognizes the works of all the people, whether great or small…

He includes the government officials and the Priests… and the list goes all the way down to the seemingly insignificant gatekeepers… and I believe he does this to make sure that everyone knows that no act of service—no matter how small—goes unnoticed by God.

Hebrews 6:10 NASB95

10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.

Even if you feel unnoticed or insignificant, remember, God takes notes on everything that is done for Him!

Closing:

Faithful leaders cultivate faithful communities, and Nehemiah’s example reminds us that godly leadership is not about position or power—it is about commitment, sacrifice, and honoring God. As we reflect on this passage, let’s ask ourselves: Are we answering God’s call despite obstacles? Are we making sacrifices for the sake of His kingdom? Are we giving credit where credit is due?

Nehemiah’s leadership set the tone for an entire community, and the same is true for us today. Whether in our homes, workplaces, or churches, our faithfulness—or lack of it—affects those around us.

Like the people of Jerusalem, who willingly stepped forward to repopulate the city, we, too, must be willing to step forward in obedience and trust.

So here’s the challenge: What is God calling you to today? Where is He asking you to lead by example, even when it’s hard?

May we be godly leaders who answer the call, make the necessary sacrifices, and inspire others to walk in faithfulness—so that, in all things, God will be honored and glorified.

Prayer:

Father, may you find us faithful in

answering the call

making sacrifices that produce results

and giving credit where credit is due.