Back to Life - 5
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Building Together with God’s Help
Building Together with God’s Help
This morning we are finishing our series on Back to Life as we look at building together with God’s help.
As we look at building together we are looking at
Nehemiah chapters 2–4
Nehemiah was the cup bearer for King Artaxerxes, and Nehemiah was an Israelite that had been living in exile in the Persian capital Susa.
Nehemiah was informed that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down, and the remnant that remained in Jerusalem were in great trouble.
Nehemiah prays asking God to forgive the sins of the nation of Israel, the sins of his father’s and his own, that God would restore the nation of Israel, just as He had promised.
Nehemiah as the cup bearer, served the King wine, when the King noticed that Nehemiah’s appearance and demeaner were not as they generally are, the king could tell that something was bothering Nehemiah.
The king asks Nehemiah what is bothering him, and this opens the door for Nehemiah to share his concern for his homeland.
The theme of the Book of Nehemiah is that God enables His people to rise, rebuild, and overcome opposition when they work together in faith and dependence on Him.
When Jerusalem’s walls lay in ruins; the people were discouraged and vulnerable, when things are not going like we want them to or think that they should we become discouraged.
Nehemiah was a man of prayer and vision, and he was moved by God to go and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem.
This morning as we look at our text we should see the rebuilding of the wall and that it represents not just physical restoration, but spiritual renewal and unity among God’s people.
I. God Gives the Vision
I. God Gives the Vision
11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, 12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn’t tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. 13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. 17 So I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild Jerusalem’s wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.” 18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me.
They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
In our text here we see that after being in Jerusalem for three days Nehemiah went out at night to inspect the wall.
He did not say anything to any of the leaders, but went out to see what all needed to be done.
Then he went to the leaders to discuss the damage
Before Nehemiah left for Jerusalem or even spoke to the king, he spoke to God.
A. We must understand that a Vision Begins with Prayer
A vision begins with a prayer, because the vision is from God.
Therefore, Before Nehemiah built anything, he wept, fasted, and prayed
4 When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of the heavens.
Every work for God must begin with seeking His direction.
If we are going to be successful we must seek God’s direction and vision
B. A Vision Requires Assessment and Planning
Nehemiah inspected the walls silently
13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent’s Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned.
Nehemiah wanted to understood the problem before presenting the plan.
Wise builders count the cost and depend on God’s wisdom.
Jesus says in Luke 14:28-30
28 “For which of you, wanting to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, after he has laid the foundation and cannot finish it, all the onlookers will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This man started to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
Jesus was speaking about discipleship and following Him, we must understand that there is a cost to following Jesus.
This even includes leading a church, being part of the committed core group, requires a cost.
The cost could be many things, like time, energy, financially, and even giving up time doing other things, we must be committed to Jesus.
C. A Vision Inspires Cooperation
“Let us rise up and build!”
18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me.
They said, “Let’s start rebuilding,” and their hands were strengthened to do this good work.
— the people responded in unity to Nehemiah’s God-given vision.
God’s work advances when His people catch the same vision and move as one body.
Application:
I believe that God has given us the vision of reaching young families, and we begin doing that by showing love to the families and workers of the daycare.
We strive to reach them, to share the love of Jesus with them.
God calls us to see beyond ruins — to the possibilities of renewal through Him.
The second thing we see this morning is:
II. God’s People Work Together (Nehemiah 3)
II. God’s People Work Together (Nehemiah 3)
In Nehemiah chapter 3 we see the people working together.
We see this in six verses scattered out through chapter 3.
1 The high priest Eliashib and his fellow priests began rebuilding the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated it.
3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars.
13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired five hundred yards of the wall to the Dung Gate.
20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai diligently repaired another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of the high priest Eliashib.
28 Each of the priests made repairs above the Horse Gate, each opposite his own house.
A. What we see here is that Everyone Had a Role
We see a lists of builders from all walks of life — priests, goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, and families.
God’s work requires every hand and every heart.
B. The diversity of the group worked together in unity to complete the job
Different gates and sections, but one wall — each part mattered.
When everyone does their part, the whole structure stands strong.
Paul speaks about one body but many parts in 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
12 For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.
C. The group had unity because of the Spirit of Cooperation
No competition, just contribution.
True kingdom building happens when we work side by side, not against each other.
We must understand the goal is not to make a name for Chris, or for any other human, or even for the church, but the goal is to build the kingdom of God, and make much of Jesus.
Application:
The church is strongest when everyone uses their gifts for a common purpose — building God’s kingdom together.
Just as with our text, there was all these different people, like the blacksmith, the goldsmith, the priests and even leaders, they had different gifts and talents, but they came together in unity to do the work.
As believers in the church we are given different spiritual gifts, to help each other grow spiritually, so that we might make an impact for the kingdom of God.
Our third point this morning is:
III. God Helps Us Overcome Opposition (Nehemiah 4)
III. God Helps Us Overcome Opposition (Nehemiah 4)
In chapter 4 of Nehemiah we see that the people rebuilding the wall faced opposition.
1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?”
Sanballat and others liked that the walls of Jerusalem were broke down, this allowed them to go in and take advantage of the Israelites, but if they have walls then they are able to defend themselves.
A. When working for God, Opposition Is unavoidable
Sanballat, Tobiah, and others mocked and threatened the builders, these people tried everything to stop the work of God in rebuilding the walls.
Whenever you build for God, expect resistance — from outside and within.
As we work at rebuilding, we must understand that there is going to be opposition from time to time.
When we are doing what God has called us to, the enemy, Satan and his followers will do whatever they can to stop the work of God.
B. When facing opposition we are to use Prayer and Perseverance as Are Our Defense
Nehemiah’s responded to the opposition in Nehemiah 4:4
4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity.
As the opposition came, Nehemiah prayed and set a guard — faith and action working together.
C. When opposition comes we need to Keep the Sword and the Trowel
As the people worked on the wall they had in One hand a trowel to work with, and in the other hand they other held a sword for defending themselves.
17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.
The Word of God is our sword that provides protection and strengthens to keep us building despite pressure.
Application:
It is not if we face opposition but when we do, we cannot give up when mocked or opposed.
We must Keep praying, keep building, and keep trusting God’s help.
When Building Together with God’s Help
When Building Together with God’s Help
God gives the vision, His people do the work, and together they face opposition with faith.
Just as Nehemiah’s people rebuilt Jerusalem’s wall, God is calling us to rebuild lives, families, and communities today.
Nehemiah responds to opposition from the start, as other officials as in verse 19 if they are rebelling to the king, we see the response in Nehemiah 2:20 tells us
20 I gave them this reply, “The God of the heavens is the one who will grant us success. We, his servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”
Challenge:
Challenge:
We need to ask ourselves, What “walls” in our life or church need rebuilding?
Then we must considered whether we Will take our place in God’s work?
We need to understand that We Grow Together, Build Together, Serve Together, To Glorify God Together and all this is done with God’s help.
