Starting to Rebuild

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson decide to go on a camping trip. After dinner and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and go to sleep.

Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend.

"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."

Watson replied, "I see millions of stars."

"What does that tell you?"

Watson pondered for a minute.

"Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets." "Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo." "Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three." "Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful and that we are small and insignificant." "Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow." "What does it tell you, Holmes?"

Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke: "Watson, you idiot. Someone has stolen our tent!"

Context:

Because of Solomon’s disobedience, God split the nation into two kingdoms following his death in about 930 B.C. (1 Kings 11-12).

Ezra and Nehemiah were leaders in the reign of Artaxerxes. The return of the exiles to Judah, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem, was accomplished in three main stages. The first and main party returns with Zerubbabel 538 BC.

A second party returns with Ezra about 80 years later. They make spiritual and religious restoration and reform. A third wave returns with Nehemiah in 445 BC. They rebuild the city walls and gates but not many houses.

This conversation begins in 446 BC. 13 years since Ezra went back to Jerusalem.

Northern Kingdom Israel. Southern Kingdom Judah. Northern Kingdom fell to Assyrians, the Southern Kingdom fell to Babylon.

The Report:

Nehemiah 1:2–3 ESV

that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

How do you rebuild what sin has broken?

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The people had been found unfaithful and began to compromise.

Its what brought them into captivity, its why the people were scattered, and why the walls were destroyed.

They had rebuilt the temple and altar not many years earlier, but the people were vulnerable! This was a crucial report, because Nehemiah seemed to realize that if something does not change, and quickly, the city and the people could be destroyed.

The walls themselves were symbolic of God’s protection. A fortified city refleted to the surrounding nations that they had a God who was with them, and protected them. So, if the walls were down, it was deeper than just the walls, it was reflective of thier spiritual lives. Of God’s protection, and thier reliance on Him.

This news wasn’t just a natural disaster, it was a spiritual one! And something had to change!

Sin brings bondage: Do you feel stuck?

Sin brings sepration: Do you feel alone?

Sin brings destruction: Are there areas in your life that you see are destroyed or beginning to decay?

Sin brings shame: Do you feel unworthy? Not good enough? The butt of the joke?

The walls have been broken down. Sin has done its job.

The problem was deeper than just the walls! It was unfiathfulness, it was turning from God.

When the news breaks in to your comfortable life that the walls has fallen, that the sin in this world has destroyed , sickness, loss, debt, loss of a job, where do you turn?

The truth is, we live in a broken world, and bad things will happen. But the problems in your marriage, in your job, in your home, in any area of your life, the root is always sin.

There always comes a point in your life where you get some news you never you’d hear. When you find out just how weak you are. Where you find out no matter how great my life may seem, it doesn’t save me from suffering. There is still sin in me

Sin can destroy a great man, a great career, a great life. The wall had fallen and the people were in shame, because they had turned from God, served other things, and God was no longer first!

Famillies will fall apart when God is not at the center. Marriages will fall apart when God is not at the center. Your joy will fade, when God is not at the center. A nation will fall apart when God is not at the center.

You don’t have to think hard to find areas of your life that sin has broken.

Maybe its a drug addiction that has hit your family. Maybe its a porn addiction. Maybe its anger and resentment that has destroyed a relationship. Maybe its as simple as, you just have no more joy in your life. Maybe you feel alone, like no one hears you or loves you.

Where do you turn? How do you rebuild?

All of us need to rebuild some things in our life that sin has broken down.

We need to rebuild!

Start with the foundation.

How to Rebuild

1. Look up: Remember Who God is

Nehemiah 1:4–6 ESV

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.

Look In

He is the ONLY foundation a lasting life can be build

“My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness; I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

Refrain: On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand, All other ground is sinking sand.”

He Keeps His Promises- Faithful

He is Working

He Hears You

When Christ is the foundation, it doesn’t mean there will be no storms, but it does mean that you can endure!

Nehemiah was the cupbearer. He could’ve appealed to the king, tried to gain the kings support first, but He doesn’t. He appeals to God, and remembers that if this thing is going to be rebuilt..God must be, and has to be the foundation.

Prayer should be your first response! We often pray when we see no other option. It should be your first response!

If you only pray when you’re in trouble, your’re in trouble!

Benedict Option: Where prayer is, there is the future. Prayers are the wings which will carry us. And if there is any good, lasting, thing in your life, it will come by the hand of God, carried on the wings of prayer. James says, Every good and perfect gift comes from above.

Application:

Stop trying to fix it yourself. It is trying to do it without God which causes the problem in the first place.

Your prayer life needs to grow!

Spend more time in God’s word! Build good habits!

Stop focusing on what you can’t do, and start remembering what God can!

“I can’t do it, Lord.” He says, “I know but I can”

“I can’t do it, Lord.” He says, “I know but I can”

Your courage comes not from who you are, but who He is.

Look out

2. Look In

Nehemiah 1:6–10 ESV

let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

Everybody else isn’t the problem. You have to acknowledge that our own sin, our own hearts are the issue.

That as unfair as the world may seem, and as mean as my spouse, or coworkers can be. Even if it is family members who are addicted to drugs, or are unsaved. Understand that before God can rebuild, he first has to break my heart over my own sin!

The biggest problem is the human heart!

Jeremiah 17:9 ESV

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

James 4:1 ESV

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?

The Time once sent a letter asking authors what the problem with the world was. G.K Chesterton, writes back,

Dear Sir,

I Am.

We must repent, before we can rebuild.

God must first break your heart before over your sin, befoer you can rebuild.

Illustration: Grayson: Cleaning

No sense in trying to rebuild, when you’re still living with the thing that did it.

When’s the last time you cried over your own sin? When’s the last time you got angry, not at what they did, but what you did? When’s the last time you got sick of not everyone else’s issues, but your own?

When everybody things that everyone else is the problem, nothing gets fixed.

Do you understand the destructive power of your sin? It was so bad, it has so messed up the world, that a perfect God had to become a man and die for it!

3. Look out

Nehemiah 2:4–5 ESV

Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.”

You have to be willing to put in the work.

You have a responsiblity.

There are people who are counting on you doing what God has called you to do.

He is willing to go and put in the work, to put his own neck on the line!

It is going to be hard to rebuild! NEhemiah and the people had to have hammers in one hand and swords in the other from those who didni’t want to see it happen.

It will be heard to rebuild that relationship, that marriage, forgive that person, serve and give to people who don’t like you.

Look Up: Remember who HE is and get the right foundation. Look IN: REcognize that I am the problem! The sin in me is the problem. And look out, trust that as you turn form your sin, and pursue God he can use you.

The rebuilding wasn’t just about Nehemiah, it was about all of his people.

Begining to rebuild, is not about you. Your whole family will be blessed.

Remember Jesus: