Revived from Rubbish
Notes
Transcript
Revived from Rubbish
Revived from Rubbish
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
Last week we looked at Priorities - Tonight I am going to give you the secret on “How to keep your priorities the priority”
In the book of Nehemiah, we find the Hebrew people and the holy city Jerusalem in a great time of affliction and despair.
They have experienced the ravaging and destruction of a nation - People who were used to winning have lost...
The Babylonians have destroyed all that was holy and human to them...
The people are beginning to come back into their homeland - but it has been rough...
Beauty is only a memory...
The walls
The worship - temple
The ways of life -
it’s all upside down.
In 445 BC It all changed...
Praise the Lord for an Amazing God with a Sovereign plan...
Praise the Lord for His preparation and planning
Praise the Lord for His people who would stand up to the challenge of the day...
But it wasn’t easy...
To be honest nothing that is great is easily accomplished...
Revived from Rubbish
Revived from Rubbish
1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
2 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
Disregard the discouragers
Attitudes of the enemies
anger -
they were wroth
they took great indignation
attacks
Mocked the Jews
Enlisted more enemies
Lured the people
name calling - feeble Jews
question their motives and their end desires
will they fortify themselves
feeble jews vs armies of enemies...
will they sacrifice
“what, do you think your faith is good enough?” -
will they make and end in a day
“they won’t ever finish” - this is too much...
will they revive the stones out of the heaps...
“where will they get the needed resources???”=
Don’t get detoured
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
Don’t get sucked into the enemies trap
Don’t bite the hook.
Don’t Devalue your purpose
5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
Our God given purposes have nothing to do with the circumstances of life...
Our circumstances do not determine our priorities
So we built the wall...
all the wall was joined together
the people had a mind to work
This was a priority...
Glory of God -
His name -
His people -
Family - the home
mom’s & dad’s -
the world is getting worse and worse...
the society has lost any sense of a moral compass
the destructive nature of the secular influence is detrimental
to you
to your marriage
to your home
to your children
to your future off spring
to your grandchildren
to your legacy...
Dad’s - don’t lose focus on your family
mom’s don’t lose focus on your family
your home has to remain a priority
The Lord
Your home
church - serving the Lord
work - job - career - nothing wrong with this - just keep the order right
hobbies / entertainment
Church
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
Be a part of the body - join
Be a part - be active - attend
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Support -
tithes
10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be meat in mine house, And prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, If I will not open you the windows of heaven, And pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
Offerings
5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.
7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.
Service
15 I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)
Tonight I said I was going to give you the secret to keeping your priorities the priority....
Disregard the discouragers
Don’t get detoured
Don’t devalue your purpose
The wall was completed...
in the midst of all the trials, troubles and terrors… They finished their course...
You can stay faithful...
You can fulfill God’s plan
You can finish your course WITH JOY...
REVIVED FROM RUBBISH