Let's Start Rebuilding

Nehemiah 2:17 Then I said to them, “You can see the trouble we have here. Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won’t be full of shame any longer.” 18 I also told them how God had been kind to me and what the king had said to me.Then they answered, “Let’s start rebuilding.” So they began to work hard.

To begin with Brothers and sisters, II come to you today with Pious Purpose and Godly Instructions. We all need to hear a word from God Amen? And the Instructions that The Lord gave me for you is in Nehemiah 2:18 “Then They answered Let Start rebuilding”. We can do it because There is nothing too hard for God. Nothing!

And so the story began in Nehemiah chapter 1 the scripture tell us, that Nehemiah was a cup bearer for the king of Babylon. This was an important job. This precarious job was so important until King Artaxerxes made sure that whoever had that job had been vetted, checked out, and thoroughly investigated. Because the cup bearer’s job was to pour the king’s wine and if the cup bearer was wicked or sinister he could plot to poison the king with a cup of his own wine. So King Artaxerxes trusted Nehemiah.

And one day Nehemiah’s brother Hanani came from Jerusalem to the citadel of Susa with a bad report. He said Nehemiah, things don’t look too good. The walls are broken down, the church is broken down, the community is full of shame and there’s no hope in the people.

And the bible says that Nehemiah wept and fasted and prayed. Church we need to pray about our situation.Because when we pray God listens. When we pray , storms get stilled, When we pray, doors open. When we pray, relationships get restored. When we pray sickness, get healed, When we pray hope is rekindled and renewed, and Brothers and sisters when we pray God send us the answers we need.

In Nehemiah 1:5-11 Nehemiah pours out his heart to God in prayer. And if you noticed in Nehemiah’s prayer he didn’t say it was one or the other’s fault, he said Lord it’s all of our fault, we all are to blame but Lord in your Covenant to Moses you said If we repented of our wrong doing that you’d come and see about us. Lord please give us success. Pilgrim Won’t He come and see about us. Somebody shout Amen

Poor Nehemiah was saddened and his countenance had fallen and King Artaxerxes noticed it. King Artaxerxes was different from his daddy Xerxes, because he actually cared about the Jews in his captivity who were from Jerusalem. So King Artaxerxes was different and a A wise king will notice when something is wrong. The king said Nehemiah what’s wrong, because you don’t look right. If you have the spirit of discernment, can tell when your people don’t look right.

The bible says in Nehemiah 2:3 that Nehemiah said king my people are in trouble.Everything is in disrepair… and in Nehemiah 2:4 the king said “What do you want?” The bible says in the NT that we have not because we ask not.... And Nehemiah said king give me a minute, “let me pray to God about this before I answer you”. Verse 5 says that Nehemiah prayed to God about the situation. Because just a little talk with Jesus will make everything alright. let Jesus fix it for you, He knows just what to do.

So Nehemiah talks to God about the situation and then when he gets his answer Nehemiah talks to the king about it. Nehemiah needed a lot of resources to do the enormous task that was ahead him.Nehemiah said king I need letters with your official seal on them to give to each providence I pass though.King I need a part of your secret service detail to protect me while I’m traveling so nobody don’t mess with me . King I need a massive amount of materials and resources. King I need a letter to Asap the one who keeps your forest and men to accompany me to cut wood for rebuilding Jerusalem, And king I need money. The king said alright and in Nehemiah 2:6 the king while sitting on side of the queen, the king said “How long do you need off from your job here in the palace?”, Nehemiah I want you to go down to Jerusalem and do your job. ( Listen to me every job ought to have an estimated time of completion Nehemiah completed the wall in 52 days). Brothers and sisters when God is on your side I don’t care how hard the task is God can fix it in an ample amount of time.

And so the bible says that Nehemiah finally arrives in Jerusalem. And instead of notifying all the big shots he made and observation, Nehemiah didn’t talk to the governor, or the councilmen or the parish government or the priests or the religious orthodoxy.

Nehemiah made a placid observation, un-noticed, quietly, stealthy, secretly and surreptitiously And nobody knew what he was doing.Not the left hand or the right hand Nehemiah went to the Valley Gate the Jackal Well, the Dung Gate, the Fountain Gate and the King’s pool. That was a lot of observing and Finally after making a placid observation Nehemiah meet with the people of Jerusalem.

When he knew what to say then he called them all together.Look at Nehemiah 2:17 Then I said to them, “You can see the trouble we have here. Jerusalem is a pile of ruins, and its gates have been burned. Come, let’s rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so we won’t be full of shame any longer.” 18 I also told them how God had been kind to me and what the king had said to me. Then they answered, “Let’s start rebuilding.” So they began to work hard.

In every story there’s a protagonist and an antagonist. The protagonist is there for the good. The antagonist is there for the bad. And Nehemiah 2: 19 says But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite officer, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they made fun of us and laughed at us. They said, “What are you doing? Are you turning against the king?” They were the antagonist of the story, but Nehemiah didn’t back up like a crawfish he said in Nehemiah 2: 20 But I answered them, “The God of heaven will give us success. We, his servants, will start rebuilding, but you have no share, claim, or memorial in Jerusalem.”

In other words Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem you’re not here for the good and you’re not going to stop our progress!!!.My Motto is“ You can help us win or you can watch us win but make no mistake about it we are going to win!!! Pilgrim Baptist Church is going to win!!! I read the bible it says that we win in the end.

So Let’s see how many leaders, put aside their differences and started working to rebuild that massive city of Jerusalem. And for the record, the temple was on the wall of the city. So if you repair the city walls you’d be repairing the temple walls also.Yes sir !! God is intentional 2x and So in Nehemiah Chapter three for 32 verses I counted 61 sets of leaders including the Priests and Levites and others who were from various walks of life. They came together and decided to rebuild their community and temple wall. They came together.

But! you know the devil got to raise his ugly head. Because in NEHEMIAH 4 Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem came tormenting and hassling and harrassing the people while they were trying to get their lives back together. Wait nah You’re trying to pull your life back together and your enemies trying to pull you a part”

Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were trying to stop God’s progress “and I say God’s progress,” because God uses people to get His work done. I’m going to bring it closer to home, God is using you and I to get Pilgrim Baptist Church back in order. Amen?

It’s up to us to restore this great house, and let me back it up with bible. Look at Nehemiah 4: 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. When you got a mind to work together the devil can’t stop God’s program. The bible says they tried to stop the people of Jerusalem but everybody kept working. I want everybody here to keep working on God’s program.

They wanted to attack the people but Nehemiah 4: 9  says But we prayed to our God and appointed guards to watch for them day and night. They prayed but they didn’t turn your back on their enemies either. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem were their enemies. They had enemies! and believe it or not but you have enemies too. And the Jewish people who dwelled near by told Nehemiah ten times how they plan to attack. Ten times.

They prayed! but they also had guards to watch out at the same time. Church you have to protect your interest. and Nehemiah had to change his strategy because Nehemiah 4:19 the bible says “Then Nehemiah said to the important people, the leaders, and everyone else, “This is a very big job. We are spreading out along the wall so that we are far apart. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, assemble there. Our God will fight for us.”

In other words stay on one accord and don’t separate and go off and do your own thing “stick to the plan”. What’s the plan Pastor? Let’s Start Rebuilding. We can’t do it all overnight, but if we work together everything will get done for the betterment of Pilgrim. 52 days

Nehemiah chapter 5 teaches, talks, and tells us about not taking advantage of the congregation because they are already working hard. They have a good heart. Brothers and sisters when some people find out that you’ve got a good heart they’ll bleed you dry. The leaders and contractors were charging folk too much for materials and the labor to fix the walls in Jerusalem. In Nehemiah chapter 5 And when the people complained Nehemiah told the leaders and the contractors to stop taking advantage of the people, and they stopped!! and that’s what was happening in Nehemiah’s day.

Nehemiah said stop it because he had a mind to take care of the folk, And Nehemiah went into his own pocket and help folk out. And he did that to show that in leadership, the leader must have compassion for the parishioners.Let me prove it Look at Nehemiah 5:17 Also, I fed one hundred fifty Jewish people and officers at my table, as well as those who came from the nations around us. 18 This is what was prepared every day: one ox, six good sheep, and birds. And every ten days there were all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the food that was due a governor, because the people were already working very hard. In 19 then Nehemiah talked to God and said “Remember to be kind to me, my God, for all the good I have done for these people”.

Well Nehemiah took 52 days to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem And the bible says in KJV in Nehemiah 6:1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. 3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? Oh Lord

In other words no matter how many times that Sanballat, Tobiah, or Geshem tried to get Nehemiah to come down off the wall He wouldn’t come down . Great God

Pilgrim I’m doing a great work for the Lord and I can not come down. And no matter how many enemies try to stop us we’ve got to press on the upward way newer heights we’re gaining everyday still praying as I on ward bound Lord Plant my feet on higher ground

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of Jesus Christ Oh Lordy And I’m going to stand for Pilgrim Baptist Church even if I have to stand all by myself. I’ve got a question will you stand up for Pilgrim Baptist Church tell the Lord Thank You. Thank you Jesus for our beautiful church. Thank you Jesus for giving us a church to go to on Sunday Morning. And Thank you Lord for giving us a plan on how to get your house back in order .

Thank you Lord, Thank you Jesus If I had ten thousands tongues it wouldn’t be enough. Thank you Lord