The book of Nehemiah has much to say about the building of the walls of Jerusalem and there is just as much need for walls in our lives. We look here at the walls of truth, obedience, love, joy, respect, and peace.
We’ve been looking at the book of Nehemiah.
The book was written by Nehemiah. Chapter 1 shows him becoming aware that the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which he thought was in hand, was not happening; and he was led to call out to God. Chapter 1 records his prayer. It’s good to pray, and God hears your prayers. Maybe you’ve prayed of late and have been wondering. God hears your heart-felt prayers. Nehemiah’s prayer was answered.
In Chapter 2, the king observed that Nehemiah was concerned about something, and asked what it was. Nehemiah asked permission to go, and the king let him go to oversee the rebuilding. Not only that, but Nehemiah was emboldened to ask for material assistance.
Chapter 3 has Nehemiah at Jerusalem, surveying the state of the city. And he explains to the people how God had prospered his way. Enemies of the city tried to undermine the work, but Nehemiah said God would prosper them.
Chapter 3 lists 72 people who joined together to do the work. There is reference to one group who got involved, but whose nobles refused. But in other cases, everyone joined in. For example there is mention of one man and his daughters who got involved. I believe they respected their father, respected what he stood for, and they got on with it.
As the work progressed, it was obvious that Sanballat and the other enemies were even more anxious about what was going on, and the opposition went up a gear. We’ll look today at this opposition and the way Nehemiah and everyone else responded.
It’s possible to think about the walls of Jerusalem as the walls of the church. I don’t want to dwell on that today. Today we will cover the walls of your life, as an individual. What is the foundation of your life? What is the foundation of you as an individual? And those of you who are fathers, what are the walls you are creating for your family? Married men, what walls are you creating for your wife? And for everyone, the walls need to be right in your life.
It’s possible to look at the gates in chapter 3 as the walls of a Christian life. The first gate mentioned is the Sheep Gate, where the priests were involved. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Wonderful that God sent His son to be the way that we come back into life away from the paths of sin through the Sheep Gate, the entry point, Jesus Christ.
In Chapter 4 it was obvious that Nehemiah was organising things. He gave out responsibilities :-
Nehemiah 3:10
Nehemiah 3:23
Nehemiah 4:1
Sanballat thought in his arrogance that he could knock down the work which was being done. His first two questions were a direct hit – the Jews were weaklings; would they fortify themselves? It’s possible that the enemy of your soul through opposition makes a direct attack on you – “Call yourself a Christian? You don’t believe that, do you? Do you really believe in God?” There’s a chipping away.
Sanballat thought he was so clever. Would the Jews return to their religious observances, given the state in which Jerusalem found itself? And then there was a prod on the timescale – will they make an end in a day? What was the timescale supposed to be? Will they revive the stones? “Look at your life. You messed up. God isn’t blessing you. He hasn’t answered your prayer? How on earth is something going to be made out of that?”
Let’s just confirm here – we believe in the God who answers by fire and who makes the impossible, possible. You may be staring at an impossibility. You may be unable to think of a scheme to sort things out, and the enemy has come and said, “Are you going to make something out of that mess?”
Nehemiah 4:3
Nehemiah 4:4
Nehemiah 4:6
It’s how you think, your attitude to things, you as an individual stating, “OK – the foundation of my life is Jesus Christ, the foundation of my future is what He wants me to do. I want to please Him.”
I will look shortly at what the walls might consist of in a Christian’s life.
It would have take time to set up the walls. It wasn’t a day’s work.
Nehemiah 4:7
There was a conspiracy. The opposition was growing, and the opposition made loud noises. The conspiracy was real. But ...
Nehemiah 4:9
The watch was there twenty four hours a day. There was constant supervision. There was an urgency in sorting things out for the family. The enemy is real, and our vigilance needs to be there. Nehemiah was wise is setting a watch.
I was given an article about a teenage suicide as a result of a person being isolated from her friends on FaceBook. The article is all to do with how an innocent-looking thing like a social networking site can become a vehicle not only for gossip, but for isolating people.
If I want to share news with someone overseas, the technology is brilliant. But at the same time this can be a channel for the enemy’s work. I’m not against the internet and hi-tech. But be careful that this doesn’t become an addiction for you, so your time is spent on catching up with gossip and on pulling people down. Be careful. Be vigilant.
We need to look at the walls in our lives.
The walls were half way up, and the opposition were angry and conspired together.
Nehemiah 4:9
They weren’t bitter when they said this – it was just that people were tired. There was a lot to sort out and they couldn’t build.
Nehemiah 4:11
Judah pointed out that people were tired and there was a lot to do. Then the enemies started piling on the threats. And the people who were near the enemies, camped around the cities, and could hear what was being said, came with reports. Opposition can come like that – “What’s the point? It’s not going to last. It’s not real.” Ten times it came from the people who lived near the enemy.
Nehemiah 4:13
“You’re right – I’m not denying what people is saying.” So he organised the people, and set the foundation of their heart as they grouped in families. There was no equivocation. They knew, with their weapons in their hands, that there was no way they were giving up, no way they would give in to the opposition, no way they would give in to tiredness.
Nehemiah 4:14
Those of you who are fathers here ... are you fighting for your family? Are you bringing your family in prayer to God? Are you setting the example for your family of respect and love? What are the walls of our lives that God wants to strengthen and develop? I want to look at six walls ...
1. The wall of truth - Ephesians 4:14
“Speaking the truth in love”. “In love” – those words are important. What will be our common denominator when we speak to one another? “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus said the spirit of truth would come. You’re a Christian, so you speak the truth. “Thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” So when I speak about anyone or address anyone, I speak the truth in love. I don’t speak things to pull down and destroy. I speak in love to build up. Lying will be the one thing which will not happen in your family. No lying. I don’t dwell in grey half-truths. I don’t cash in on another comment which may or may not be true. “Speaking the truth in love.”
2. The wall of obedience to God - Acts 5:29
This was in response to them being imprisoned. To obey is better than sacrifice. Obedience to God is key. So a wall of your existence is to be obedient to God, to what He says for you and what He wants for your life.
Jesus had just ascended, and Peter was clear that they should obey God rather than men.
Obedience is crucial, because if I have a disciplined home – not tyrannical, but disciplined – where the norm is that every time there is obedience, it engenders an attitude of doing what we’re told. And when the Holy Spirit opens up the way for that youngster, the same attitude applies. There comes a shaft of light, and there’s a track-record of obedience. The heavenly father talks to that youngster and draws them in love. Obedience. And there’s been no lying, so there’s truth – “I know I’m a sinner. I know that power of sin has to be broken in my life.” There’s a track record of truth and obedience.
3. The wall of love - John 15:11
That’s the commandment – that you love one another as I have loved you. It’s a wall in your life – to see people as God sees them, to have His love expressed through you, not to write people off. There’s a love which goes the extra mile, which lays down his life for his friends, with Jesus as the foremost example.Truth, obedience, love. And in these same verses is another one ...
4. The wall of joy - John 15:11, Hebrews 12:2
That joy was a people for Himself – the Bride of Christ. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, because the Bride of Christ is being established. There is a strength in joy for each of us. That means there is a joy in knowing we are seated with Him in heavenly places. There is a security. It is His life inside by His Holy Spirit. There is a joy in us.
When things happen in your life, what’s it like for the people around you? Pressures are real. Do we smile when something terrible happens? No. But it means that the wall of your life is joy, the joy that you are seated in Christ in heavenly places. There’s a joy and security. It’s something you want to share with others, not something to make you arrogant. And it cuts out the sulking, the reaching for the violin at a moment’s notice.
Stand – and having done all, stand. The wall of your life ... joy. Maybe so far there’s been a murky world of half truth rather than clarity. You’ve known what to say, but you know it doesn’t ring true. What’s it going to be? What’s the wall of your life? Truth, obedience, love, joy?
5. The wall of respect - Romans 12:10
Respect is important as a wall in your life – respect for God; respect for the older generation; respect for God when you come into a meeting chewing gum; respect in turning up to meetings on time. If I were to tell you that we were all invited to Buckingham Palace next week at 10 am, you’d be up at 6 am to make sure you were there.
Truth, obedience, love, joy, respect.
6. The wall of peace - Colossians 3:12
There’s something you have to let happen – let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Let it rule you.
Nehemiah 4:14
Who is your brother? He’s sitting next to you. Some of you have sons, daughters, wives. All of us have brethren. We have a place to live, thankfully. We’re to fight? Why? Because there are matters the enemy would seek to destroy, and there are elements in your life that God is putting His finger on this morning. You know that God is speaking to you. There are walls in your life which must be there. And the reason you’re hearing this this morning is that God wants them to be there and will help you. He is the answer, the one who provides a way forward, the one who is the source of love itself.
So when we’re asked to love one another, it’s an expression of God Himself. God is the source of love. For any individual, my prayer is that you would know more and more of the love of God. What would be the result of that? It will be a coming together, of fighting for your brethren, not cashing in on rumour.
Nehemiah 4:14
The walls of your life are on the foundation of Jesus Christ. What a foundation! The walls wouldn’t be there but for Him. He is our foundation.
Romans 13:12
Sunday, 1 February 2009
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