Sermon Tone Analysis

Lokahi, Unity

Restore, Rebuild, Rededicate

We are in the middle of a series, on the book of Nehemiah

This series is about Restoration, Rebuilding and rededicating

We are in the third chapter of Nehemiah

The message for this morning is

Lokahi, Unity of purpose

The story of restoring, rebuilding and rededicating of Jerusalem begins in the book of Ezra also written by Nehemiah.

The people of Israel and Judah didn’t listen to God’s warning and they and end up into exile, Jeremiah had prophesied 70 years of exile.

In exile the people begin to cry out to the Lord,

God raises Cyrus

Cyrus the Great, Persian King, He was the monarch who ended the Babylonian captivity.

He reigned from 559-530 BC He was also known as Cyrus II.

150 years before Cyrus was born Isaiah the prophet, prophecy about him by name.

Later Jeremiah also prophesied about Cyrus,

In the first year of his reign God led Cyrus to decree that the Temple in Jerusalem should be rebuilt

As a result 42.360 Israelites went back to Jerusalem to rebuild the city under the leadership of Zerubbabel and other leaders.

They began the work, and took their time rebuilding Jerusalem, by now news comes to Nehemiah The governor of Persian Judea, and the cup-bearer under King Artaxerxes of Persia.

This is several years later, Nehemiah receives news that the walls of Jerusalem were broken and the gates were burned the people were under distress.

Lokahi, the literal definition of lokahi is unity.

When we look into some of the visions God placed upon our hearts, it is impossible to accomplish it without an army in unity.

Children’s ministry, Music, documentaries, homeless, the mentally ill, families in need, foster parents, missions, the preservation of our sanctuary.

After Nehemiah went before the Lord, he repent for his sins and of his forefathers, received God’s forgiveness, then Nehemiah received the blessings and the materials he needed from King Artaxerxes, he went back to Jerusalem to encourage the people to finish the work they had began.

Neh 2:18 Then I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the words that the king had spoken to me.

And they said, "Let us rise up and build."

So they thoroughly supported the good work.

They began the good work, in unity everyone, high priest, priest, merchants, they were all working in some part of the wall and gates, the women were also included, some began repairing their own homes.

Only the nobles of Tekoa would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors, they were too proud.

We know that for a city to function well, the walls needs to be in place to protect them and also the gates, who provides entrance and exit in and out of the city.

As we bring this passage into our lives today.

I would like to for us to compare the city of Jerusalem to our hearts, not our physical heart, but our spiritual hearts our personalities.

In our hearts we also have many entrances and exits, that must function properly for us to live well.

Let’s pray

📷1 Sheep Gate.

The Sheep Gate proclaims forgiveness of sins through the blood of the Lamb (Jesus Christ).

The Sheep Gate proclaims grace of redemption (grace of God), which a man can encounter through the blood of the Lamb (the Lord Jesus).

The High priest, and other priests rebuilt the sheep gate.

The sheep gate it was very important for their spiritual lives, These were the same sheep who would be offered as a sacrifice unto the Lord.

A entrance gate, we must enter life through the sheep gate,

Joh 10:7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

Joh 10:8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

Joh 10:9 I am the door.

If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

Joh 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

We need to make sure that this gate of salvation is working, through Jesus and His sacrifice we have access to our Heavenly Father, enter into His presence.

2 Fish Gate, witness or evangelism

The spiritual meaning of the Fish Gate is that after our redemption we begin to follow Jesus, making us, his disciples, ‘fishers of men’.

Fish gate Obtain it’s name from the fish market near by.

A entrance of food nourishment

When Jesus first met, Andrew, Peter and John He called them to follow Him and he would make them fishers of men.

Today Jesus makes the same call to us.

Are we being nourish and refreshed by bringing others into the kingdom of God?

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Mat 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Mat 28:20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Amen.

3 Old gate, Eviction

The Old Gate brings us to the place where we must learn of the old ways of truth.

In The Old Gate the elders of the city would meet to discuss matters of community importance and issue judgment on disputes.

Paul Speaks of our old self

Col 3:8 But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

Col 3:9 Do not lie to one another, for you have stripped off the old self with its evil practices,

Col 3:10 and have put on the new [spiritual] self who is being continually renewed in true knowledge in the image of Him who created the new self-

4 Valley gate – Evaluate

A city gate on the SW side of Jerusalem

Valley gate was equipped with towers by Uzziah 500 yards from the Dung gate.

The Valley Gate represents humility and our willingness to occupy a lowly place in the Lord’s service.

Christ set the example by humbling Himself (Phil.

2:8).

Php 2:8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Psa 23:4 Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.

There are times when the Lord call us to go somewhere, or ask us to do something that is dangerous in our eyes, or humbling, but in our hearts we know that we have the word of the Lord.

We need to keep this gate functioning so we can respond to the Lord at the end we will be stronger.

5 Dung gate – Evacuate, garbage removal

The Dung Gate suggests the need for constant cleansing.

The filth of the city was carried out through this gate, reminding us of the constant need to be cleansed from the sinfulness of the flesh and spirit.

All the waste from the sacrifices was taken out through this gate,

Waste must be disposed, a city where allows garbage to accumulate on the streets will soon suffer from many diseases.

Kim and I worked in the garbage dump in Manila, thousands of people lived there, everyday trucks would come filled with trash and dump there, people would run to it to scavenge things to recycle.

Many were sick, the same will happen if we don’t get rid of our trash, specially the trash in our hearts.

Php 3:7 But whatever former things were gains to me [as I thought then], these things [once regarded as advancements in merit] I have come to consider as loss [absolutely worthless] for the sake of Christ [and the purpose which He has given my life].

Php 3:8 But more than that, I count everything as loss compared to the priceless privilege and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord [and of growing more deeply and thoroughly acquainted with Him--a joy unequaled].

For His sake I have lost everything, and I consider it all garbage, so that I may gain Christ,

6 Fountain gate, fullness

Gate of the fountain, SE section of the wall

It derived its name from the location where the Siloam Tunnel emerged from the ground with water from the Gihon Spring, the fountain par excellence of Jerusalem.

The Fountain Gate alludes to the Holy Spirit.

Joh 7:37 On the last day, the great day, of the feast, Jesus stood and cried aloud, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.

Joh 7:38 Whoever continues to believe in me will have, as the Scripture says, rivers of living water continuously flowing from within him."

Joh 7:39 By this He referred to the Spirit that those believing in Him were going to receive -- for the Spirit had not yet come, because Jesus had not yet been glorified.

To serve and walk with God is impossible to do in our own strength, we need to be empowered and filled by the Holy Spirit.

7 Water Gate, cleansing

City gate on the E side of Mount Zion

It was very significant that the people gathered at The Water Gate because it was a place where running streams of water would enter the city underground and go into the Temple of God where the priests would wash.

The priests had to wash in fresh, running water (rather than a tub) in order to be properly purified to minister to God.

A picture of God’s word cleansing us

Eph 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Eph 5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,

Eph 5:19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,

Eph 5:20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,