Every Stone in Place: Building God’s Work Together
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Sermon Title:
“On the Right Side of the Wall”
Text: Nehemiah 3; John 10:1–18
Opening Story
Tim Pollitz Basketball Award
But When walls and gates are established, it separates who can get in and who cannot.
Nehemiah 3 describes a city rebuilding its wall—stone by stone, gate by gate.
But walls always do two things: they protect what’s inside,
and they separate what’s outside.
And that raises a far deeper question than construction:
How do you know you’re on the right side of God’s wall?
Need
We live in a time where people assume they’re right with God because they’re near spiritual things—church, morality, good intentions.
But proximity is not the same as access.
Nehemiah 3 forces us to confront a truth we’d rather avoid:
Not everyone is inside the city. Not everyone belongs to God.
So here’s the question we must answer:
Interrogative Question
How does God rebuild His people in such a way that they are protected, united, and truly brought into His presence?
Division 1 Neh. 3:1–7
Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.
The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.
Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River.
God’s Work Begins at the Gate—and It Begins with Sacrifice
Explanation
Nehemiah opens the chapter with the rebuilding of the Sheep Gate (v.1).
That’s intentional.
The Sheep Gate was the entrance through which sacrificial animals were brought into the temple.
The priests lead the work, and the text says they consecrated the gate—set it apart as holy.
The wall does not begin with military strength, but with atonement and worship.
[Textual Gap]
In Nehemiah’s world, everyone understood: access to God required sacrifice.
In our world, we assume access should be automatic.
[Theological Principle]
God’s presence is entered only through a consecrated gate established by sacrifice.
Illustration
Picture a traveler lost in a dense forest, desperately searching for a path that leads to safety. Suddenly, a sign appears: 'Only through the path of sacrifice can you find the way out.' The traveler realizes that true freedom lies not just in wandering but in committing to a specific journey, much like how we approach God. Entering His presence requires us to let go of our old ways and embrace the transformative power of sacrifice.
Christological Fulfillment
Jesus says in John 10:9
I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
And then He says something even more staggering—He is not only the Gate, but the Sheep who is sacrificed.
Israel brought sheep through the gate.
God sent His Son as the Lamb.
Canonical Support
“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold,
but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
Application
You cannot rebuild your life without first coming through the Gate.
Good works will not open the gate.
Sincerity doesn’t open the gate.
Only Jesus does.
Division 2 (Neh. 3:8–21)
God Builds His People Through United, Yet Unequal, Contributions
Explanation
The chapter moves through goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, and common laborers.
Everyone works—each in their assigned place.
Some build large sections. Some build small ones.
But every section matters because every section touches the wall.
{Textual Gap]
They saw themselves as one people with one mission.
We often see ourselves as individuals with personal preferences.
Theological Principle
God forms His people into one protected community through diverse but unified obedience.
Illustration
Imagine a football team where every player has a different role. Some are on defense, some offense and some special teams, all are essential for victory. When they play their parts, the team thrives. Likewise, in Nehemiah's time, each laborer brought their unique skills to the wall. God invites us to recognize our individual roles within the church community. By embracing our differences and working together in obedience, we foster a unified and protective environment for one another.
Christological Fulfillment
Jesus doesn’t just save individuals—He forms a flock.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
We failed to live in unity, but Christ creates it by His blood.
For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Application
If you belong to Christ, you belong to His people.
You don’t get Jesus without the church.
And the wall doesn’t stand if people refuse to build.
Division 3 Neh. 3:28–32
Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house.
After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired.
After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber.
After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner.
And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.
God’s Work Advances When Responsibility Is Personally Owned
Explanation
Many repaired sections near their own homes.
They took ownership.
They protected what they loved.
Repeated phrase: “next to him.”
No one builds alone.
[Textual Gap]
We often outsource responsibility to others.
God calls His people to own their obedience.
[Theological Principle]
Those who have entered God’s protection must actively participate in preserving it.
Illustration
Imagine a ship sailing across the ocean. The captain provides safety through navigation and careful crew management. However, every sailor has a role. If one crew member neglects their duties, it could lead to disaster. Each must actively maintain the ship and its course, ensuring a smooth voyage. This resonates with Nehemiah 3, where everyone had a role in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem—not just for their own safety, but for their whole community. In our journey with Christ, how well are we fulfilling our roles in preserving God’s protection in our lives?
[Christological Fulfillment]
Where we failed to finish our assignment, Jesus did not.
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.
Application
If Jesus has brought you inside the wall, you now help protect others from the world’s attacks on them and also by pointing people to the Gate.
Appeal Worship Team Up
Here’s the truth Nehemiah 3 presses on us:
There is a wall.
There is a gate.
And not everyone is inside.
Jesus says, “I am the gate.”
Not A gate. The gate.
And He is also the Sheep—slain so you could enter and live.
You don’t climb the wall.
You don’t earn access.
You enter through Christ, or you remain outside.
Response
Some of you today need to enter the gate for the first time—to trust fully in the finished work of Christ.
Others need to stop standing near the wall and start building with God’s people.
And some need to remember this:
If you are in Christ, you are on the right side of the wall—not because of you, but because of Him.
“I am the gate… and I lay down my life for the sheep.”
Closing Prayer Prompt
“Lord Jesus, we come through You alone—
the Gate,
the Lamb,
the Shepherd who laid down His life
so we could dwell forever in the presence of God.”
