Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction & Review

<<PRAY>> <<CW>> <<TRANSITION>>

We’re a few weeks into our series in Nehemiah.

445 BC, Israel under Persian power

God redeemed from Egypt, Covenant, ( in )

Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar, 586 BC

Return 538, Temple 516, still no wall 141 years later

2:12 - It’s N’s mission… Q:

Intro to Nehemiah

Intro to rebuilding of Jerusalem

“Viggo Olsen, who helped rebuild ten thousand houses in war-ravaged Bangladesh in 1972, derived unexpected inspiration from reading a chapter ordinarily considered one of the least interesting in the Bible: ‘I was struck . . .

that no expert builders were listed in the “Holy Land Brigade.”

There were priests, priests’ helpers, goldsmiths, perfume makers, and women, but no expert builders or carpenters were named.”

Q: Why not leave the building work to the pros?

Q: Why not leave the building work to the pros?

3 discoveries in the text in 3 points.

CPS: God builds when his people stand shoulder to shoulder in Gospel work.

I.

One mission for all our works

EXPLAIN:

7 kinds of work listed in this chapter:

Build gate (1, 3); Consecrate (1); Repair wall (4-13, 16-32); Repair gate (6, 13, 14, 15); Repair tower (11); Rebuild gate (13, 14, 15); Build wall (2)

Consecrate (1)

Consecrate (1)

READ v1 for BUILD GATE & CONSECRATE; READ 13 for REBUILD GATE, REPAIR GATE, and REPAIR WALL; READ 11 for REPAIR TOWER; READ 2 for BUILD WALL

Repair wall (4-13, 16-32)

Repair wall (4-13, 16-32)

Repair gate (6, 13, 14, 15)

Repair gate (6, 13, 14, 15)

Explain gates, towers, walls

Towers were defensive structures - allowed for protecting the gates - esp. on the north side where we begin, where the Temple stood.

Gates also security / defensive structures.

Must be able to be quickly closed against attackers, strong enough to keep them out, etc.

Sheep Gate & Tower of Hundred & Tower of Hananel - top of Mt Zion, north of temple

Repair tower (11)

Some portions of the wall were devastated so completely that they crushed and demolished the terraces & houses built further below the hillside, and were abandoned - rebuilt further up-hill; some were torn down but rebuilt in same place

Repair tower (11)

Walls were stone, very thick and strong, but built rapidly - stone walls filled with rubble

Rebuild gate (13, 14, 15)

Rebuild gate (13, 14, 15)

To accomplish this work: Gathering of stone, mixing of mortar, filling of wall cavities, repairing of breaches.

Surveying, leveling, setting foundations & pillars, beams, cutting stone, laying stone

Build wall (2)

Sheep Gate & Tower of Hundred & Tower of Hananel - top of Mt Zion, north of temple

Gathering of stone, mixing of mortar, filling of wall cavities, repairing of breaches.

Surveying, leveling, setting foundations & pillars, beams, cutting stone, laying stone

Gates - beams, doors, bars, covers (canopies or roofs)

Build wall (2)

Rapid work - “So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

( ESV)”

Archaeology shows wall was built rapidly, but solidly.

So there’s a lot to do! Too much for Nehemiah, that’s for sure.

Nehemiah knew this from the beginning.

I think we’ve seen already in this book that Nehemiah’s no fool.

There’s a few important verses in chapter 2 that sets the stage for chapter 3.

neh 2.1

Nehemiah had a job - to equip and deploy his people to build the wall.

Look how he did it in verses 17-18 of chapter 2:

Who gave Nehemiah the mission he was on?

Verse 12 says it was God who put it on his heart.

Was there a different mission for Tekoa, Zanoah, Mizpah, Gibeon?

No! The priests, the nobles, the officials and the rest were all called to one mission: Build the wall of Jerusalem.

But they had different works on that mission.

The priests were the only ones with the job of consecrating the work.

Some worked on towers, some worked on gates, some worked on walls.

You want to know what would have been off-mission?

For a family to rebuild their ancestral house when the mission is to build the wall.

Here’s how I know <<CONTEXT>>

There was one mission, given by God, to all the people.

And there was enough work for everyone, and too much for Nehemiah.

APPLICATION

Mistaken missions: Repair your house first, repair the road first, repair another town first.

As the people of God, by faith in Christ, we must not forget that the priorities and the mission don’t get set by the wider culture, or by Christian authors or podcasts.

Churches don’t get to decide on their own mission.

The priorities haven’t changed since Jesus gave them.

The wall of Jerusalem was a priority because people were in trouble and shame (, ).

An insignificant problem, but basement: if I install the ceiling before I deal with the drainage problem, I’m still in danger of flooding and I’ve wasted time on a project likely to be destroyed

To rebuild the house before the wall is to prolong the danger to all in order to serve themselves.

Today, we need a reminder that there is only one mission for the Church.

It’s not different for churches in the suburbs and churches in the city, not different for churches in Illinois and churches in India.

In times of relative ease, we’re seduced into thinking the priorities have changed.

There’s a time and place for Christian involvement in politics, and compassion ministries, etc., but these things absolutely must submit to the mission Christ gave us or else they become idols and false gospels.

So what’s the mission?

And does it have enough work for all of us

Not just for apostles - , in , Pet preaches but all telling works of God; - Stephen (deacon) proclaims; - apostles in Jerusalem, all the rest bearing witness to Christ in fulfillment of Acts 1:8

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.

mention hell

In times of ease, we must not forget that the people around us are in trouble and shame, just like

Legion: "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you."

And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

( ESV)

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?

37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

( ESV)

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.