A Time To Build

God Expects Work When He Provides Protection

READ: Nehemiah 4

PRAY

Intro: Preaching on Wednesday night feels a little different. It probably shouldn't. Maybe its because Im not wearing a suit tonight, I dont know. In Nehemiah 1, and 2 we saw the idea of preparation. That God was preparing Nehemiah’s heart for the work He would call him to, and how we to should prepare our hearts for the work we have before us today as well. In Chapter three we saw that Gods plans are Logistically Perfect in every way. How God used people and resources to set in motion a building project that would most certainly require God to act. And so acknowledging that drawing truth from chapter three required consideration. That we were required to look past the surface of the text. Chapter four was equally and diversely obvious to what God has for us in the chapter. So saying this when we look at chapter 4, what we should see is that while God most certainly provides protection to us when we are about His work. He also requires action on our part. That we cant just sit and pray on it. And so the idea of God expects an action from us when He provides us the how to His work.

Gods Work Work Will Almost Always Have Opposition- VS 1-3

One way you can always know if you are starting to get on track with God’s plan. Is the enemies of God will come out. When you make the conscious decision of obedience to the King. The enemy will Kit up, and meet you in battle. Nehemiah hadn’t even settled into the city of Jerusalem before his motives were questioned. Gods enemies will try to discredit, and mock the acts of service to Jesus. In one way you could say, that it’s nice to know that things havent really changed in this sense through out history. In America this is done mostly on Social media. As of right now, we don’t have people calling for our deaths for proclaiming the name of Jesus. However I have been called simple minded before. And not like the simple, Pastor Thomas talked about when preaching from Proverbs. No, instead the kind that infers a low IQ. I been called a racist, and a chauvinist. However, we should understand two very important things about the Christian life. One that society has been made to believe that people in general are good. And so when Christian’s respond in a spirit of truth and love. In speaking truth, that people are in fact born sinful. That it’s not something we can do better at. That it’s only through the blood of Jesus are we able to be made righteous. These facts hurt when the lost are made aware of them. Think about that for a moment. If you were to have lived your whole life in the dark, and all of a sudden someone was to flip a light switch on. It would be painful. Ripping off a bandaid is always painful. Almost searing in nature. Saying this sharing the gospel of Jesus, and the revelation of our destiny apart from Jesus is offensive. This is where Jesus has to step in and people the faith to believe. Faith in Jesus doesnt come from ourselves. And so understanding that we aren’t actually the ones doing the saving, doing the fighting. That we fight against a spiritual enemy. Of which we don’t see or hear yet is just as real as i am standing here tonight. Ephesians 6:10. So understanding this, that we have an enemy we aren’t equipped to fight ourselves. That Jesus is the warrior in that battle. Who is fighting right now for your attention. That the Holy Spirit might get ahold of your heart. That the seeds of truth would take root. And so as we continue reading we see how we should respond when attacked by our enemy.

Gods Order of Operations - VS 4-7

VS 4-7. In school I learned about PEMPDAS. I wont say in which grade I learned this type of math. as I always hated math. But we do see that God has given an order of operations for our lives. Ready for it? PFAS! PRAY FIRST - ACT SECOND. Think about that for a moment. For myself for sure. If I were to pray first, before I say the thing that is in my brain. How many times would I refrain from saying something mean. Something thoughtless. How many times would I respond with Gods spirt instead of one rooted in pride, and arrogance? And so we see that Nehemiah's first response when being confronted by the enemy was to pray to the God that fights for His children. It’s not insignificant that these men referenced in vs 1-3 were angry that Gods people were rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. But Nehemiah not being a man or war, he did what seemed most natural as a man of God. He fired up the Bat signal. He sent up a call for help to the King. Jesus I need you right now, my location! This is your work! If it be your plan and purpose may it continue, and preferably that I wouldn’t die Its that kind of a prayer. So what we see in vs 4-7 is that while God stands ready for our prayers, Jesus also expects us to step out in faith. To do the things He has called us too. Think of Peter walking on water referenced in Matthew 14:29-32. This would have been one of the most scary times in the apostles life for sure! Think about how they respond to Jesus in this moment. As professional fishermen, they would have seen violent seas. And so In the same idea, Nehemiah and the Israelites were completely safe to do the work of the Lord, because King Jesus decided to work out His mission at that point and time. But walking out, was still very much required in the walking out in faith part. To put in the work. To go door knocking as it were. To invite our family and friends to church. To not just be a FB Christian. But to be known in our work places as the ones that speak the gospel. So while God always hears our prayers. There is a couple things Christian’s should keep in mind. One, that God still hears our prayers even when the circumstance doesn’t turn out to our benefit. This last year I commuted up to Portland, and for a short time we had considered moving up to Portland and that I would work there full time. Well despite prayer, our house failed to sell. No It didn’t sell in a most miserable fashion. Regardless of being priced right, and being reassured by our realtor. We had one person come look at the house, and they said it wasn’t what we were looking for. So then Ana and I said, ok I’ll just commute up there. I’ll sleep up there sometimes, and we can make it work. We considered buying a camper van. You know what I’m talking about, a van built out to live in. But for various reasons neither Ana or I felt peace about this either, and so slowly I started acknowledging the call to ministry I had in my heart. Making that kind of a commitment is scary. It can be allot of change. Yet when I became honest about what I was supposed to do instead of what made logical sense. When I started praying about that. Things started falling into place. Jesus proves himself worthy of our faith in Him every single time. Nehemiah had to step out in faith, to continue to build the wall despite the death threats. Despite any self doubt.

Gods Defense Plan for the Christian - 8-23

Finally we see that God’s plan has a defense plan built in. We see in VS 8-23 is that God expects His children to take some responsibility for what He blesses us with. He expects us to provide certain things for our family, and partially for our church body. Men I’m talking to you right now… When my son was about six years old. I asked him one day, what the definition of a man was. You wanna know what he said? Without skipping a beat he said, “To provide and protect those that you are responsible for…”In that moment, my mouth fell open. A six year old little boy had got it. It’s that simple, and this same idea is what we see in Nehemiah chapter four. Nehemiah sees, and hears the threats coming from the communities surrounding Jerusalem. And so as a wise man of God, Nehemiah puts out sentries. While half the people worked on the walls, half the people pulled a security watch over the people working. God expects us to defend the weak. Let’s be clear about something. God doesn’t need us to protect ourselves. He doesn’t need me or Alex to stand at the security desk while Pastor Thomas is preaching the Word of God. Turn in your Bibles real quick to Isaiah 59:15. I found this the other day. Erik can attest, I was in my office studying for this sermon. Keep in mind Ephesian 6:10 as we read this. READ Isaiah 59:15-17. So as Ephesians 6:10 is talking of spiritual armor. King Jesus has seen what has been going on, and he kitting up to make war against the enemies of the Father. While we don’t completely understand what it means to have a spiritual body, the author of Isaiah is speaking of Jesus putting on kit, and making ready to ride into battle. And so as we step out in faith. That door knocking isnt a waste of time. That God will work through that work. That inviting that person your friends with at work to church may accept the invitation. That the King FIGHTS ON!!

Conclusion: When David prayed this Psalm 3:7. He wasn’t praying for peace. He was praying for a Matthew 10:34-36 kind of a response. Praying to the God who breaks the teeth of the wicked. What kind of a King do you serve? Is he the American picture of Jesus who desires peace at all costs type of God? Or he is a wild man. A warrior King. Who daily fights for His children. Who has encouraged us to trust Him, to walk out in faith to follow Him, and to continue to build this church.

PRAY