The Work Begins
Notes
Transcript
Stand with me this morning as we read from the book of Nehemiah. We’ll read Nehemiah 2:17-20. This is God’s Word, and if you let it, it will change your life.
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”
Pray
You can make all the plans that you want to, but sooner or later it is time to act. And the proof is in the pudding.
You see this truth in sports. Coaches go into games with a strategy. They study hours and hours of film, looking for clues for how to best beat this opponent. They devise certain plays, plan to have specific players in strategic positions, and seek to exploit their oppositions weakness from the very beginning of the game. But all that could go to pot if the players don’t execute that strategy.
You see this truth in parenting. Every single one of us used to be an expert in parenting…before we had kids. We had read the books, thought about discipline techniques, and devised perfect solutions to every situation we could think of. And then the baby is born and we instantly become dumb as rocks when it comes to raising kids.
You see this truth in war. No matter how much PT or training young cadets go through, there is nothing - NOTHING - that can prepare that private for actual warfare.
Yes, preparation is good. Making plans and seeking God’s will is vital, prayer is the breath of the spiritual life, and those long, hard, honest assessments are critical components to doing what God wants you to do. But all that preparation doesn’t amount to a hill of beans until you execute. Until you actually do it, you will not be obedient to God’s will.
Nehemiah has reached the point where the planning phase is done. Now, it’s time to get to work. Remember from last week that Nehemiah has made about a midnight, half-mile journey to tour parts of the wall. He has inspected the damage and made assessment of what needed to be done. He now knows with clear mind the scope of the work. So it’s time to move from preparation to action. And the first step is to call the people to action:
Nehemiah 2:17a (ESV)
17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned...
When Nehemiah addresses the people, he doesn’t sugar-coat the situation. He doesn’t say “It’s not that bad.” But he also doesn’t oversell the need, either. He doesn’t claim a great catastrophe where there is a minor annoyance. He states a simple truth: we’re in trouble. With the wall broken and the gates burned, there is only danger and disgrace.
Sometimes, all that is needed to get God’s people to act is a simple recognition of the problem. I was a member of a church in my college years that was incredible at meeting needs. There was a young girl in the community who was disabled: this church raised the money (in the days before crowd-sourcing websites) from all over the country to buy this family a wheelchair-accessible van. It seemed that every time the pastor stood and declared there was a need, by the following Sunday that need was met. Sometimes, just knowing the need is enough.
But sometimes, it takes more than just knowing the need exists. Sometimes God’s people feel powerless to do anything about that need. I think Nehemiah faced that kind of challenge.
Here’s why I say this: the first group of returning exiles in Judah had arrived nearly 100 years prior to Nehemiah’s arrival in the city (c. 538 B.C.). The temple was rebuilt about 70 years prior to this (c. 515 B.C.), and Ezra had led a second group of Jews back to Jerusalem about 13 years ago (458 B.C.). Yet the wall was still not yet built.
Time was not the issue: hopelessness was. Day after day, these individuals had gone about their lives, just trying to make ends meet. They had difficult-enough lives, and had no hope that things would be any better. Forget the wall: many of these folks could barely keep a roof over their heads. Even the officials just couldn’t seem to get a leg up on the vast amount of work that was needed. They got the Temple up, but it seems that little else was possible other than mere survival.
That’s why Nehemiah was sent to Jerusalem. When hope is in short supply, someone with fresh eyes and an active faith can make the difference between survival and success. So Nehemiah calls them to stop being hopeless and start actively doing God’s work:
Nehemiah 2:17 (ESV)
17 ...Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”
For Nehemiah, the solution to their present trouble and shame is to rebuild the wall. The wall serves two purposes: first, it will enable the revitalization of the city by providing the security needed to protect the work to come.
Second, it will reverse the shame suffered by Jerusalem’s residents. To have a city with the history and former prominence of Jerusalem but without a wall would make it the laughing stock of the region. And in fact, they were:
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
Now, if this people really are hopeless, they will need something. They need to know that this isn’t just a pipe dream - that rebuilding this wall is actually possible. So Nehemiah helps them:
Nehemiah 2:18 (ESV)
18 And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me...
Nehemiah comes with two words of testimony: one from God’s hand and the other from the king’s hand. The king had given his authority and resources for the project. That alone was good news.
But God’s hand was on Nehemiah. If the king’s approval was a boost, the King’s approval was a calling; knowing that the True King was “on their side” would have injected a massive dose of hope. And what a difference it made:
Nehemiah 2:18 (ESV)
18 ...And they said, “Let us rise up and build.” So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
God’s good hand was upon his people to do his good work - and it still is today. Jesus says to his disciples:
16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
God speaks to the church through Paul:
8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
And
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
And his words are given to us with a specific intention:
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
God has called us, his people, to good work. Just as Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem were called to the good work of rebuilding the wall and restoring God’s heritage in Jerusalem, so he is calling us to build his kingdom here on earth. And just as it did with Nehemiah and the people, God’s hand confirms his calling on us. The testimony that God was with them gave them strength to build, and so it will with us.
But that doesn’t mean it will always be easy. Look again at verse 19:
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”
Just as soon as the people begin to work, opposition arises. They mock, they despise, and they accuse. Notice the language they use: they speak of rebellion against the king. They accuse the Judahites of doing bad, when the biblical account has already shown that it is really good. This is a veiled threat: if they are suspected of rebellion, the king would certainly seek the project’s end. But Nehemiah isn’t having it.
20 Then I replied to them, “The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.”
What follows in chapter three is impressive. Read it when you get home: section-by-section, it describes how families and leaders each took responsibility for a section of the wall. It starts on the north at the sheep gate, the place where residents would bring their offerings into the temple grounds. Then it proceeds all around the wall, showing the wall with its gates and towers being started throughout the city.
In fact, if you keep one hand here, turn to the back of your Bible. Depending on your Bible, you should have some maps in the back. If you do, find the one that has Nehemiah’s wall on it. If there’s not a map like that, just do an online search for Nehemiah’s wall and you can follow along as the wall’s sections are described in Nehemiah 3.
One more detail I want to point out about chapter 3: there are dozens of names in this chapter, and almost none of them are well-known. You see, that’s the interesting thing about God’s work: it often takes a host of “nobodies” who are simply willing to obey God’s commands and do his work. They don’t need accolades or recognition this side of glory. “Well done” from God’s lips will be plenty of reward for these faithful ones.
That’s the secret to God’s work: faithful obedience. Preparation matters, yes. But even Christ had to become obedient, and the only way to do that is, well, do it.
God has a calling on each and every one of us. Mine is to preach the gospel. Yours might not be a call to vocational ministry, but God still has a calling for you. And like the people of Jerusalem, all he needs is your obedience to make his good work a reality.
So what is God calling you to do? While we sing this invitation, you respond with “Yes, Lord,” and start the good work of God.
Pray to Invitation