We remember that there were some people that didn’t want the walls of Jerusalem to be built. Nehemiah dealt with this very well. The opposition was incessant.
Nehemiah 4:13
Nehemiah 4:15
When Nehemiah talked to the people he was unequivocal and clear. And when he conveyed to them “be not afraid of them, remember the lord,” all of them took courage and took heart and they realised that it was God who was going to fight for them as they themselves stood their ground.
‘...God had brought their counsel to nought’; this reminded me of many verses where we can see that man might have the best strategies on this earth but when it comes to fighting God’s purposes, God brings their counsel to nothing. And I was reminded of the words of Moses to Joshua.
Deuteronomy 31:6
There was an assurance on the part of Moses that God was the one who had led them thus far and it was God who was the one who was going to lead them into the promised land. “Fear not”. I was reminded of other words of Moses.
Exodus 14:13
There’s a sense in which this was true to Nehemiah. He knew his destiny and the man appointed by God for that purpose. And the people rallied. And here when the people were about to cross the Red Sea “see the salvation of the Lord” it was then that he lifted his arm and stretched out his staff over the Red Sea.
There is no need to jump up and down. When God fights for you, you will hold your peace and you will see the victory He brings. And when He fights for you, there is no doubt that He has brought the victory about. The opposition that some of you are having at this time is for the reason that you are going to witness how God and He alone will bring the victory and you will know it’s of Him.
“You will hold your peace” as in he knows the outcome and he knows what you need to do at each points of the journey. He knows how to influence things, so that you meet this person at this time. It doesn’t matter what situation you are in. You will see as a result of you standing still, you will witness the victory that only God has brought about. That’s because he loves you. He loves to reveal His love for you.
And when Nehemiah told them to fight, they grouped.
Nehemiah 4:15
And there is a sense in which God uses opposition to unite people together. The focus is put on opposition outside. There is a common denominator where you are in difficult circumstances and you can say “I’m going to trust God in this” or you’re not. He’s not going to force you, but by His Holy Spirit, he is going to cause you to witness his victory, in your situation. The timing of that victory, he knows. The timescale of the pressure, he knows.
Nehemiah knew the wall had to be built.
Nehemiah 4:16 And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
So Nehemiah was given wisdom.
Nehemiah 4:17
So half of the people were there with the defence. The other half were getting on with the building. But even those on the walls, they had a weapon.
Nehemiah 4:18
It’s interesting because everyone but everyone was able to defend their position. There was no gap; no one was left out. You were in either half. Everyone was able to defend their position. No one missed out. It’s interesting, when we think about a sword. And I want to just zero in on that. When we think of the image of a sword, for the builders, 'everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded’. There was a readiness to defend; there was an awareness of their situation. They were there to rebuild and the advent of Nehemiah marshalling the forces, as it were, in a structured planned way, irrespective of the voices shouting at them and of those who were trying to cease the work. Nehemiah and the people got to work and every one of them had a weapon.
This book (the Bible) is our weapon and the defence of truth is this. That’s why there are some at the moment who are doubting this. Why? This is key.
I want to share with you some things about what this sword of the spirit means. This is what we strap to our side. Every one of us has one.
I want to just look at 10 things about this sword.
Ephesians 6:16
One thing that I’ve been very conscious of is that, going forward, we need to have a study going on of the Bible. There has been a profusion of interest in the Bible and a prompting to pray more. Please don’t neglect your sword. You’ve got to be ready to give a hope; a reason for the hope that lies within you.
Hebrews 4:12
Reading your Bible, asking God to reveal himself through the Bible, is crucial. There is no way that we want it to be anything but growing, acknowledging, getting involved in, reading, God’s word. Read the word of God. Why? It’s our sword. Why should we? Because we need to be ready. God wants for you to take part in His church and do what He has prepared you for. The opposition you’re facing right now is God whittling down the inside of you, questioning what is the basis of your life.
2 Timothy 2:15
If we do not make an effort to read this book, you won’t know how to rightly divide it. Read His word.
2 Timothy 3:16
Psalms 119:9
Mark 13:31
Heaven and earth shall pass away; our lives shall pass away. But God’s word will not.
Are you reading the word of God?
1 Peter 1:22
Luke 16:17
This sword, that is in your possession is a daily, life giving, word of God. Every one had a weapon.
Romans 10:17
2 Samuel 22:31
How often are you reading the word of God? How involved are you with your sword? Does it only come out on a Sunday or do you have it to hand and it is something relevant to you? Every one had a weapon and the builders had a sword by their side.
This is a time for all of us to shake ourselves up and be aware that as rampant opposition occurs, with groundless words, as shouts occur, with fruitless aims, so it is that God is building his church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. You’re a part of it.
Nehemiah 4:17
It’s time for you and me to take our part.
Showing posts with label walls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label walls. Show all posts
Friday, 6 February 2009
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Nehemiah (Part 4 of 9) - The Walls of Your Life
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
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
Friday, 30 January 2009
Nehemiah (Part 3 of 9) - Everyone Working Together
When the walls at Jerusalem were built Nehemiah was careful to record the name of every person who helped so that future generations would know. He did this to bring glory to God because He knew that it was God who had brought them together. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and because of this God has a plan for our lives. We are here to bring glory to His name.
Chapters 1 and 2 told of the strength of Nehemiah’s relationship with God. His prayers were genuine and heart-felt. I know that many of you have identified with that in your own lives. The prompting of God causing us to pray recently has solely been to show you how timely His answers have been or will be. Chapter 3 is all to do with the record of those who built the walls of Jerusalem. There were ten gates in Jerusalem: the sheep gate, the fish gate, the old gate, the valley gate, the dung gate, the fountain gate, the water gate, the horse gate, the east gate and the inspection gate. The gates had to be repaired and so did the walls in between the gates and there were only a certain number of people who were able to do that. Here and there, in chapter three, it becomes apparent how delegated jobs to the people.
Nehemiah 3:1-4
First three verses we come across the fish gate and the sheep gate. The sheep gate had something about it because it was sanctified and was built by the priests. It is very significant that our lives are grounded in the faith of God and what He has done for us. He is the door of the sheepfold. The priest here is recorded specifically by Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 3:4-5
You get the gist of this. There’s a sense in which there’s a joint effort going on here. I want to emphasize the fact that everyone mentioned in this chapter was pulling the same weight. They were aware of the fact that they were doing something that was not welcome by the fraternity, but they knew this was something they had to do. It was like a sort of scrum in a rugby match where the players bind tightly together. The binding together was a distinct purpose born of God. Unfortunately, in v.4 the Tekoites put not their necks to the work of their Lord. The Tekoites were the nobles. There’s something sad and unnerving about the situation where you have a number of people, seventy-two listed here, joined together as one and yet a few decided not to put their necks to the work of the Lord.
Nehemiah 3:6-8
All sorts of occupations. It’s very easy to translate this into our own situation. Each one of us has our own abilities. When we come in here there’s a common bond – the faith of Jesus Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Him. There’s a sense in which where we are at the moment going forward fulfilling God’s purposes for His church. It’s time for us to link up together going forward.
Nehemiah was very aware that family by family they joined together as one.
Nehemiah 3:9-12
There are families involved here; Shallum and his daughters. It came to the point that they were building with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other hand. There was a task they had to do; opposition was not going to stop them. At each gate there was a group of people getting on with what God wanted them to do, it was specific for each person. To the end that the walls would be built. Young and old were involved, there was nobody on the side lines. Everyone together. It must have been a sight to see.
As I thought about these names that are recorded here I began to think about your name and where your name is already recorded. I just want to look at a few scriptures relating to that.
Luke 10:17-20
When Jesus spoke to the seventy He empowered them. The work that God has for you you will do as unto Him, it’s His church. The tasks that He has for us will bring glory to Him. As we lift up His name collectively, so it is He will draw others to Himself. We should not just rejoice in the work that we are going to be getting on with, we should rejoice because our names are written in heaven.
Isaiah 4:2-3
Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. With your name written there, as a result of what Jesus Christ has done for you, you know that our position is secure, seated in the heavenlies. We are seated with Him in the heavenlies. Why? So that we can walk in the ways He has prepared for us and so that we can make a stand for Him. It is as if we are collectively on top of a hill and the enemy of our souls is always trying to come up the hill, and the armour we put on is purely defensive. We are not going down the hill to fight, we are merely defending. Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life so that you will bring glory to His name. Each of us has a work to do.
Hebrews 12:18-25
This is the time when our work is to be co-workers with Him. Sharing the good news of the Gospel with others, so that they can become part of His church worldwide. Our situation is secure in Him through His wonderful grace. He wants us to, both individually and corporately, reach out to others in need. It is His love in us reaching out to others. We are here to glorify Him.
Revelation 21:25-27
That’s where security is. Your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. For the glory that was set before Him He endured the cross. That glory was His church, the heavenly Jerusalem. Tonight I’m confirming to you that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. As a result of that there is a work for you to do. That’s not something we have to work out, we just have to lift His name up. Our lives are going to be a testimony to what He has done. We know the power of sin broken in our lives. There are people waiting for us to share the gospel with them. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
You can imagine Nehemiah carefully recording every name of every person who worked on that wall, because everyone had put their hand to their plough and he believed it was important for future generations to see who had done the work. Nehemiah knew that what he was recording was bringing glory to God because it was God that had brought them together.
Ephesians 4:13-16
Jesus Christ is in charge of His church, He knows what He’s doing. This year we are going to see miraculous things, we are going to see people met. Now is the time when collectively we need to draw together because the enemy of our souls will try to stop us. As, in Nehemiah’s time, there is a specific work which God has for each of you here to do. He is already showing you what that work is. My responsibility before God is to identify and steer, by God’s Holy Spirit, to what collectively we can do. We can have a huge impact on many people in many ways. Is that to build us up? No. It’s to share the wonderful good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will fulfil God’s purpose in this place no matter what loud noises occur off-stage. We will set ourselves to the work that God has given us each to do. When Nehemiah started recording these names I’m sure He was meticulous in recording every single person that got involved. The reason for reading the section in Ephesians is all to do with v. 16: “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” We shall be known by the love that we have for one another.
Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It will be that as we go forward together the glory will be to His name. We will see, undoubtedly, that it has been God who has brought things about. The way we have been protected since March last year has definitely been Him. He has things prepared that we will walk into for His glory.
Chapters 1 and 2 told of the strength of Nehemiah’s relationship with God. His prayers were genuine and heart-felt. I know that many of you have identified with that in your own lives. The prompting of God causing us to pray recently has solely been to show you how timely His answers have been or will be. Chapter 3 is all to do with the record of those who built the walls of Jerusalem. There were ten gates in Jerusalem: the sheep gate, the fish gate, the old gate, the valley gate, the dung gate, the fountain gate, the water gate, the horse gate, the east gate and the inspection gate. The gates had to be repaired and so did the walls in between the gates and there were only a certain number of people who were able to do that. Here and there, in chapter three, it becomes apparent how delegated jobs to the people.
Nehemiah 3:1-4
First three verses we come across the fish gate and the sheep gate. The sheep gate had something about it because it was sanctified and was built by the priests. It is very significant that our lives are grounded in the faith of God and what He has done for us. He is the door of the sheepfold. The priest here is recorded specifically by Nehemiah.
Nehemiah 3:4-5
You get the gist of this. There’s a sense in which there’s a joint effort going on here. I want to emphasize the fact that everyone mentioned in this chapter was pulling the same weight. They were aware of the fact that they were doing something that was not welcome by the fraternity, but they knew this was something they had to do. It was like a sort of scrum in a rugby match where the players bind tightly together. The binding together was a distinct purpose born of God. Unfortunately, in v.4 the Tekoites put not their necks to the work of their Lord. The Tekoites were the nobles. There’s something sad and unnerving about the situation where you have a number of people, seventy-two listed here, joined together as one and yet a few decided not to put their necks to the work of the Lord.
Nehemiah 3:6-8
All sorts of occupations. It’s very easy to translate this into our own situation. Each one of us has our own abilities. When we come in here there’s a common bond – the faith of Jesus Christ. We are brothers and sisters in Him. There’s a sense in which where we are at the moment going forward fulfilling God’s purposes for His church. It’s time for us to link up together going forward.
Nehemiah was very aware that family by family they joined together as one.
Nehemiah 3:9-12
There are families involved here; Shallum and his daughters. It came to the point that they were building with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other hand. There was a task they had to do; opposition was not going to stop them. At each gate there was a group of people getting on with what God wanted them to do, it was specific for each person. To the end that the walls would be built. Young and old were involved, there was nobody on the side lines. Everyone together. It must have been a sight to see.
As I thought about these names that are recorded here I began to think about your name and where your name is already recorded. I just want to look at a few scriptures relating to that.
Luke 10:17-20
When Jesus spoke to the seventy He empowered them. The work that God has for you you will do as unto Him, it’s His church. The tasks that He has for us will bring glory to Him. As we lift up His name collectively, so it is He will draw others to Himself. We should not just rejoice in the work that we are going to be getting on with, we should rejoice because our names are written in heaven.
Isaiah 4:2-3
Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. With your name written there, as a result of what Jesus Christ has done for you, you know that our position is secure, seated in the heavenlies. We are seated with Him in the heavenlies. Why? So that we can walk in the ways He has prepared for us and so that we can make a stand for Him. It is as if we are collectively on top of a hill and the enemy of our souls is always trying to come up the hill, and the armour we put on is purely defensive. We are not going down the hill to fight, we are merely defending. Your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life so that you will bring glory to His name. Each of us has a work to do.
Hebrews 12:18-25
This is the time when our work is to be co-workers with Him. Sharing the good news of the Gospel with others, so that they can become part of His church worldwide. Our situation is secure in Him through His wonderful grace. He wants us to, both individually and corporately, reach out to others in need. It is His love in us reaching out to others. We are here to glorify Him.
Revelation 21:25-27
That’s where security is. Your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life. For the glory that was set before Him He endured the cross. That glory was His church, the heavenly Jerusalem. Tonight I’m confirming to you that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. As a result of that there is a work for you to do. That’s not something we have to work out, we just have to lift His name up. Our lives are going to be a testimony to what He has done. We know the power of sin broken in our lives. There are people waiting for us to share the gospel with them. Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
You can imagine Nehemiah carefully recording every name of every person who worked on that wall, because everyone had put their hand to their plough and he believed it was important for future generations to see who had done the work. Nehemiah knew that what he was recording was bringing glory to God because it was God that had brought them together.
Ephesians 4:13-16
Jesus Christ is in charge of His church, He knows what He’s doing. This year we are going to see miraculous things, we are going to see people met. Now is the time when collectively we need to draw together because the enemy of our souls will try to stop us. As, in Nehemiah’s time, there is a specific work which God has for each of you here to do. He is already showing you what that work is. My responsibility before God is to identify and steer, by God’s Holy Spirit, to what collectively we can do. We can have a huge impact on many people in many ways. Is that to build us up? No. It’s to share the wonderful good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We will fulfil God’s purpose in this place no matter what loud noises occur off-stage. We will set ourselves to the work that God has given us each to do. When Nehemiah started recording these names I’m sure He was meticulous in recording every single person that got involved. The reason for reading the section in Ephesians is all to do with v. 16: “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” We shall be known by the love that we have for one another.
Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. It will be that as we go forward together the glory will be to His name. We will see, undoubtedly, that it has been God who has brought things about. The way we have been protected since March last year has definitely been Him. He has things prepared that we will walk into for His glory.
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