NEHEMIAH(Some copied content; not every source is endorsed;

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NEHEMIAH is BOTH a BOOK, and a MAN.It means THE LORD COMFORTS.

We’re going to take a look at some key THEMES through the Book - to see what it teaches us, for our lives today...

It’s a BOOK about BUILDING... How to DO A WORK FOR GOD How to BE A BUILDER BRICK BY BRICKHOW TO BE A BUILDER for GOD...

The book has various themes. It tells... of God’s FAITHFULNESS The importance of PRAYER, and, of...

Nehemiah the MAN, the LEADER...

Nehemiah’s whole life showed... DEVOTION to duty DILIGENCE in planning and action DEDICATION to the Word of God, and DEPENDENCE on God, in a life of prayer.NEHEMIAH... the MAN...

He was... Cupbearer and counsellor of the King of

Persia Guardian of the king’s food Protector of his life I suppose, like his personal bodyguard.

NEHEMIAH, as the royal cupbearer... Had to be thoroughly trustworthy He had built up credibility through years of

faithful service He had the second most important job in the

kingdom.

Archaeologists tell us, according to Assyrian salary records, that the position of a cupbearer received the fourth-highest salary in the kingdom, above even that of a justice of the highest court of that day.

He lived at ease, and in honour.

YET – Nehemiah was HUMBLE before God.He always gave God the credit for success.

NEHEMIAH... Had a CLOSE SPIRITUAL RELATIONSHIP

with God He called God ‘MY GOD’ eleven times He often turned to God in PRAYER.

Nehemiah proved his DEPENDABILITY and his unwavering faith in God – even in a land of idol worshippers.

His character would show through even more...

We read in... CHAPTER 1 of a CRISIS that he faced...

As men and women of God we are all going to have times of crisis that we will have to face.

What MATTERS, will be... How will we RESPOND?

One day a group of Jews arrived at Shushan, the capital of the Persian empire. One was Hanani, Nehemiah’s brother.

Nehemiah asked after his people, the Jews, and asked about his beloved city, Jerusalem.

1:3 And they said unto me, The REMNANT that are left of the captivity there in the province are IN GREAT AFFLICTION and REPROACH:

The WALL of Jerusalem also is BROKEN DOWN,

and THE GATES thereof are BURNED WITH FIRE.

The Babylonians had destroyed the city and taken its people away. It was one hundred and forty years later, and Jerusalem STILL lay IN RUINS.

JERUSALEM... Was a SHAMBLES It was SURROUNDED by powerful ENEMIES The people were in TROUBLE God’s people lived in AFFLICTION and SHAME.

Its WALLS... Were broken down The people were open to attack from

their enemies, robber bands, and wild dogs

The walls needed to be REBUILT.

WALLS are IMPORTANT... They... SEPARATE us PROTECT us They keep out what needs to be kept out They keep in what needs to be kept in.

There is A PROBLEM in our own nation.We need to realise that.There is a breakdown of truth.There is a collapse of morality and Biblical faith.

We have been invaded by the godless, who rule over us, and educate our children and our grandchildren. Our churches are decayed and A WRECKING BALL has demolished much Gospel truth and Bible doctrine, such that we can hardly recognise the truth anymore. And many Christians are shipwrecked.

Something needs to be done.

Do we SEE THE NEED?

We see Nehemiah’s RESPONSE to this crisis that he faced...

In... 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven.

Nehemiah’s RESPONSE was TO PRAY... He was BURDENED for his people He WEPT and PRAYED He showed SENSITIVITY for the needs of the

people

And Nehemiah’s practice of prayer is a stand out feature, right throughout this book, this record of his life...

What about us? Does the need of our nation drive us to PRAY? Do our hearts yearn in a COMPASSION that

leads us to INTERCESSION...?

When we face difficulties and concerns, do we stop, to think, TO PRAY as OUR FIRST RESPONSE?NEHEMIAH did... He prayed EARNESTLY, and He CONTINUED to pray, DAY AFTER DAY He prayed with HUMILITY, and

REVERENCE.

It says, in 1:5-6 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments:

(6) Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

Nehemiah’s PRAYER was... HEARTFELT Filled with ADORATION and

Humble CONFESSION and REPENTANCE.

He acknowledged God’s glorious redeeming power.

He prayed for God’s MERCY and PARDON.

1:11 O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who DESIRE TO FEAR THY NAME: and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.

For I was the king's cupbearer.

And his prayer was no token exercise.

Nehemiah spent FOUR MONTHS in prayer for this need.

In CHAPTER 2... now,

We see Nehemiah’s COURAGE...

Nehemiah went in before the king. He took a personal risk to reveal his unease to the king, which could have been a dangerous step to take.

And the king noticed his sorrow of heart... He asked him of his concern...

And Nehemiah replied, in 2:3 ...Let the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?

2:4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?

It’s great to notice here, again, how Nehemiah – as he faces another crisis –

another test - just breathes a prayer, mid conversation, before he answers the king...

So I prayed to the God of heaven.

2:5 And I said unto the king, If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favour in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.

SEND ME, THAT I MAY BUILD IT.

How bold. How brave...!

And God honoured his faith and courage.

Nehemiah had already done the hard yards – he had already earned the king’s trust and favour.

And the king granted Nehemiah’s request.

He even gave SUPPORT for him on his journey, and SUPPLIES for the building project.

Nehemiah laid aside his role as CUPBEARER to take up the role of GOVERNOR and BUILDER.

Nehemiah LEFT THE COMFORTS of the king’s court TO TRAVEL TO HIS TROUBLED LAND, 1,600 kilometres away.

He was launching out in courage and faith on his incredible mission – to be a BUILDER for GOD...

BUT, NOT EVERYONE WAS HAPPY...

Here’s a picture of someone who left our church a little while back...

When you stand up for God, expect CRITICS... It’s par for the course It’s part of standing up for God, for truth It’s part of the package deal.

2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

Nehemiah would have, in them, a persistent enemy.

YET God gave Nehemiah a clear VISION...

He knew God’s PURPOSE Nehemiah knew God was the author of

the PLAN to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

When he arrived at Jerusalem Nehemiah set about to survey the condition of the city...

2:12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man WHAT MY GOD HAD PUT IN MY HEART TO DO at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.

Nehemiah surveyed the damage under cover of darkness, out of sight of the enemy.

2:13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

Nehemiah, as a godly leader, knew how to MOTIVATE the people... When you are a BUILDER for GOD you will want to see others built up in their faith, and encouraged to join in.

2:17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: COME, AND LET US BUILD UP THE WALL of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.

2:18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me.

AND THEY SAID, LET US RISE UP AND BUILD. SO THEY STRENGTHENED THEIR HANDS FOR THIS GOOD WORK.

Now, again, when you set about to do something for God you will face CRITICS...

They were on the scene AGAIN...

2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?

2:20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us; therefore WE HIS SERVANTS WILL ARISE AND BUILD: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah met the challenge, head on.

He faced down the opposition and the resistance.

We can surely expect opposition.

The enemy will always try to hinder God’s work.

The question is, WHAT WILL WE DO when it comes?

Will we face it with COURAGE and TENACITY, as Nehemiah did?

Don’t lose MOTIVATION.

Keep on keeping on.

Sadly, not everyone who names the name of Christ has THIS MOTIVATION...

We move on to...

CHAPTER 3

In Chapter 3, as someone has said, here is not just a list of names but this is A RECORD – OF ACTION.

Now here is a picture of someone who didn’t quite get the message. They are having a Sabbath rest...

Of course it’s not like anyone in this church...

Nehemiah had a bias to ACTION.

Nehemiah ASSIGNED WORK to different people and family units... And THE WORK BEGAN IN EARNEST They WORKED TOGETHER As a picture of THE BODY OF CHRIST.

Everyone of them HAD A PART TO PLAY Each one COMPLETED his ASSIGNED

TASK

They KEPT ON until they had FINISHED THE WORK.

BUT, THERE WAS AN EXCEPTION to THE WORK EFFORT of God’s people... What a shame if we would follow their example – like the lazy nobles of the Tekoites... 3:5 And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their Lord.

Will we be like these so-called ‘nobles’? I hope not. Rather, let us WORK WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

Like Paul puts it, in...Colossians 3:23 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men.

There should be NO HALF-MEASURES in the kingdom of God.

In CHAPTER 4 we see that more OPPOSITION comes Nehemiah’s way...

The question is, for you and me, how will we handle opposition? Will we crumble? Or will we dig ever deeper and fight on?

4:1 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.

4:2 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?

God’s work was again confronted – with naysayers and opposition.

What will you do when people attack YOU for your FAITH and WALK with God?

Nehemiah showed STRENGTH and COURAGE... He held the people together He stood strong with determination, and He even instructed those building the wall to

have a spear in one hand and a tool in the other!

There’s A TIME TO FIGHT BACK.

You WILL be mocked...

BUT stand STRONG, stand FIRM.

4:3 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.

Sanballat and Tobiah wanted to DISCOURAGE the builders, and STOP the work.

The builders were poor in resources and surrounded by enemies.

But THEY PRAYED...

Each one made a stand They held fast against opposition.

One of the critical things in BEING A BUILDER FOR GOD is to watch over your own THINKING.

The enemy was battling the builders in their minds, trying to bring discouragement.

The battle is being fought in the arena of our minds. Minds can be BLINDED and CORRUPTED, DEFILED, SHAKEN, and WEARIED the Word says...

It is important that we adopt the MINDSET to BATTLE THROUGH the tough times...

Like Peter says, 1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind...

If we want to be a builder for God we are called to set our minds stedfast on the work that God has given us to do.

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.

Here again we see the resolve of the people.They had won the battle in their minds.They kept on regardless.

The enemies conspired to fight them... But the people HAD A MIND TO WORK. The people PRAYED THROUGH...

4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

As well as OPPOSITION from WITHOUT, the builders had to battle with DISCOURAGEMENT WITHIN the camp, as well...

4:10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and THERE IS MUCH RUBBISH; so that WE ARE NOT ABLE TO BUILD THE WALL.

This can happen within our own ranks.We can get disappointed.It can seem overwhelming.

Again, it’s about winning the battle in the mind...

There was much discouragement, there was much rubbish, yet Nehemiah refused to be sidetracked.

The enemy continued to conspire to attack.

Another line of attack our enemy takes is the battle on the home front. The battle for FAMILIES.

Another truth we see in the BUILDERS for GOD in the Book of Nehemiah is that they laboured as families and that they built sections of the wall near their own homes.

We need to watch over our families, our relationships in the home.

The devil will launch his attacks there.

Nehemiah armed the people to defend their families...

4:13 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

Nehemiah reminded the people of THE GREATNESS OF GOD.

He overcame the enemy’s threats with boldness... Nehemiah sought the Lord...

4:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people,

BE NOT YE AFRAID OF THEM: REMEMBER THE LORD, which is great

and terrible, and FIGHT FOR YOUR BRETHREN, YOUR

SONS, AND YOUR DAUGHTERS, YOUR WIVES, AND YOUR HOUSES.

EVERYTHING was at stake— their LIVES and their HOMES.

Nehemiah prepared them for battle.

LIFE can be a FIGHT... As we BATTLE with THE ENEMY of God As we RESIST the enemy, even ON THE

HOME FRONT As our OWN FAMILIES are UNDER

ATTACK.

God’s people were fully armed and watchful.

What about us?

Do we DEFEND our families?Do we make our homes a REFUGE?Do we have the SPIRITUAL WALLS OF PROTECTION around our families?

Or do we allow our CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS to subside away – because of our own NEGLECT and CARELESSNESS?

4:15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

Throughout the book of Nehemiah we see BATTLE after BATTLE, but also, VICTORY after VICTORY...

The Book of Nehemiah is NOT ONLY a BUILDING manual, it is a BATTLE manual...

It shows us how to get victory.

In verses 16-17, it says that Nehemiah organised the people to be BUILDING, and also WATCHING for the enemy.

As they worked, they always had a weapon at hand, in case they needed it.

What of us, will we take up the whole armour of God?

Will we take seriously that we are in days of SUSTAINED, RELENTLESS SPIRITUAL ATTACK that we are under?

Will we soldier on, or just give up fighting?

The people TRUSTED THE LORD for VICTORY.

Nehemiah rallied the troops and urged them, in faith.

How do we get the victory?

4:20 ...our God shall fight for us.

We see here the people got on with the job They were Battling and Building... Building and Battling Praying and working Working and praying.

If we are to be a BUILDER for GOD we have to be willing to do the HARD YARDS...

They God’s people were committed,

As we read in...4:21 So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared.

They worked long and hard.They gave their all, scarcely stopping from the work...

Nehemiah and the people showed they were determined to persevere and cooperate together.

We can all learn something from Nehemiah’s perseverance and courage.

If we are going to be a BUILDER for GOD we need to go the distance and do the hard yards.

It will be worth it all when we graduate with honours from the toughest University of all, and some of you have been there, THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

Don’t shy away from doing the HARD YARDS.

CHAPTER 5

In chapter 5 they faced some DISUNITY and DISCONTENT within the ranks. At the heart of it was SIN.

Really, at the heart of it, discontentment and disunity is SIN.

Nehemiah was angry at SIN in God’s people and he confronted it.

He confronted the troublemakers and he sought to bring justice and peace.

In Verse 14 we read that for twelve years Nehemiah had led the people, without taking the governor’s salary or entitlement.

He showed by his own personal example how to live. We see his personal generosity. In verse 17 it says that he had 150 people eating at his own table.

Nehemiah showed a genuine love for his people and worked to resolve conflict.

What will we do, when disunity strikes at the work of God?

At the heart of it is SIN.

SIN calls for rebuke and for repentance.

It separates us from God. It hinders the BUILDING up that God wants for us.

Our only hope is to trust God, to make peace with God, to come to His terms of surrender.

CHAPTER 6

In chapter 6 we read of a further conspiracy against Nehemiah... This time it took another form – as the enemies tried to sweet talk Nehemiah, to get him to COMPROMISE...

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;)

6:2 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.

NEHEMIAH’S SLOGAN was COME, AND LET US BUILD UP THE WALL...

SANBALLAT AND GESHEM and the PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH had their own ALTERNATIVE, CATCHY MARKETING SLOGAN: COME, LET US MEET TOGETHER...

Nehemiah’s enemies wanted him to ‘chill out’... Come on, Nehemiah, no need to get so fanatical, to be so narrow-minded... We can all live in harmony.

Come on, Nehemiah, let’s have some dialogue... Let’s have a little ecumenical meeting.

Let’s all get together. Let’s work out a compromise.

It was a crafty ploy to detour him from the work.

But, again, Nehemiah would not be sidetracked.

We will face these smokescreens sometimes too... Take the easy path. Just

go easy on the hard preaching, the hard truths. Let’s all just be wishy washy. Let’s not worry about preaching sound doctrine...

But - how did Nehemiah respond?

6:3 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?

They tried again and again, but Nehemiah would not be moved.

The work was too great, too important, because it was the work of God.

When you are truly a BUILDER for GOD you are doing something too great, too important, to cave in to compromise.

Again, he went to prayer...

6:9 ...Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

The opposition continued to the work of God...

In Verse 10, there was even a plot against Nehemiah’s life which included a close friend and supposed prophet. But Nehemiah perceived it, and he still would not be deterred.

Finally, at long last, we see the work completed!

There was cause for great praise and of giving GLORY TO GOD.

6:15 SO THE WALL WAS FINISHED in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.

And even the enemies of God had to acknowledge it...

6:16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all

the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that THIS WORK WAS WROUGHT OF OUR GOD.

The work was successful because ‘This work was wrought of our God’ – this was THE DIVINE side.

And on THE HUMAN side ‘The people had a mind to work’.

God’s people had worked together in unity and commitment to bring it to pass.The people did not give up when things got hard. They continued to do what God had told them to do, until the work was done.

What of us, do we PERSEVERE? Or do we – all too easily – QUIT?

As a QUICK RECAP, consider...

NEHEMIAH’S LESSONS FOR US,

As to how to be a BUILDER FOR GOD...

We are all, ourselves,

A WORK IN PROGRESS...

GOD HASN’T FINISHED WITH US YET.

Each of us is building a life – and we, ourselves, are THE RAW MATERIALS.

Nehemiah showed GREAT DEPENDABILITY.

In CRISIS he prayed.In COURAGE he stepped out, in faith.

With A GOD-WROUGHT VISION he TOOK ACTION.

He encouraged others with that SAME HEART and MOTIVATION.

He OVERCAME critics and OPPOSITION.

He WON THE BATTLE in HIS THINKING, and fought FOR FAMILIES.

And won THE VICTORY.He did not shy away from THE HARD YARDS.

He battled against SIN WITHOUT and WITHIN THE CAMP.

And THE ULTIMATE RESULT was, GLORY TO GOD, the building project was completed!

What of YOUR LIFE?It is still a work in progress.You are still under construction.

Like Nehemiah you can be a builder for God.

We can take heart that Nehemiah stayed the course and was stedfast no matter what criticism and disappointments he faced along the way.

You can know too, Chapter 8:10 ...the joy of the LORD is your strength.

Now we have to leave the Book of Nehemiah here. This is only half the story.

This message is to be continued.

Now I promise you it won’t be as long as this message...

But if you want to hear the rest of the story come tonight.