SERMON OUTLINE

Rebuilding the Fallen Walls        Nehemiah 4

Introduction

-God called Nehemiah from his position as the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes to lead the Jewish people to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem.

-God has called me to rebuild the walls of Rosedale, walls of prayer, of godly thinking, of a Biblical worldview and lifestyle, of pure eyes and minds, and of a testimony to Christ in our daily walk.

-Chosen leadership, willing work of the people, God’s power.

5 Principles of Building Walls

1) External Opposition is Certain    4.1-3

-Any determination to fulfill the purposes of God will be opposed by the Devil, demons, the world. 2 Timothy 3.12

2) Prayer is Essential      4.4-5

-God’s work; by God’s power; over God’s enemies

-Prayer conforms us to God and ensures Glory to God

-Leadership in prayer; a plea for more prayer

-Wednesdays; Saturday’s; Your daily time

-I will spend ____ minutes in prayer every weekday

3) People Must be Willing to Work    4.6

-All types of people who worked with a willing heart

-Built the section of the wall that was before them

-Cultivate a heart for God by asking God for that kind of heart and then making decisions to lead you there.

Spend time in God’s Word and prayer each day; turn away from sin; renew your mind with a Biblical world view and lifestyle; stop being discipled by the world; place your time, talents and finances at God’s disposal.

-Let’s pursue God and His purposes together in 2011

4) Weakness in the Word    4.7-12

-Weariness with the greatness of the task; fear of growing opposition.

-Taking their eyes off of God and God’s purpose and looking at the impossible task and the opponents.

5) Renewed Vision, Strength and Refined Plans 4.13-23

-The importance of strong leadership

-Protection and review of circumstances

-Refocus on God and His purposes

-Refining of plan with same purpose

Conclusion         6.15-16

With godly leadership, a people willing to work, and the empowering of God, the work was completed and God was glorified. Let us work together to accomplish God’s purpose at Rosedale by a personal commitment to cultivate a heart for God and then a commitment to work to build disciples at Rosedale.

SERMON NOTES

Rebuilding the Fallen Walls                   Nehemiah 4.1-23

-God called Nehemiah from his position as the cupbearer of King Artaxerxes to lead the Jewish people to rebuild the broken walls of Jerusalem. This morning I see myself on a much smaller scale as God’s Nehemiah called to Rosedale to rebuild broken walls. God has not called me to Rosedale to rebuild physical walls but walls of prayer, of godly thinking, of a Biblical worldview and lifestyle, of pure eyes and minds, and of a testimony to Christ in our daily walk. You are the walls that God desires to rebuild to His Glory. The people around you are the broken walls that God wants to rebuild through us to His Glory.

–How is God going to rebuild these walls? God is going to rebuild you and the people around you through godly leadership, through the willing commitment and work of His people, and through His Sovereign power that fulfills His purposes when His leaders and His people are determined to submit to Him and to give Him all the Glory for what He does. This morning I would like to take you through Nehemiah chapter 4 and point out 5 principles of building walls for God so that you can know what to expect in 2011 at Rosedale.

1) External Opposition is Certain      4.1-3

-Any attempt to fulfill the purpose of God will be met by opposition from the enemies of God. These enemies are the Devil, his demons, and all the institutions and people that are not under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If we are determined to fulfill God’s purpose here at Rosedale we will meet with opposition. In this example before us the opposition was verbal slander. We will see later in the chapter that the opposition becomes more threatening and more effective. If you decide to become an open witness for Jesus Christ you will meet with mocking and slander. If you decide to stand for God’s truth in your home or at work, you will be opposed because the world hates God and God’s truth and God’s call to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Paul clearly says that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. (2 Timothy 3.12) If we are determined as a church to fulfill the calling of God to make disciples of all the nations we will be opposed by the enemies of God. Let us not look for opposition or create opposition but let us expect opposition as we seek to make disciples here at Rosedale.

2) Prayer is Essential   4.4-5

–Prayer is essential to fulfilling the purposes of God. Without prayer we will fall and fail. Prayer recognizes that this work is God’s work. Prayer recognizes that the purposes of God are to be fulfilled by the power of God at work in us. Prayer recognizes that God is stronger than His enemies. Prayer brings us under the direction of God and conforms us to image of God. Prayer ensures that the Glory goes back to God when the fruit of our labors is seen.

A major responsibility of your leadership is prayer. One of my ongoing prayers is that God will give to Rosedale a growing desire to meet together for prayer and a greater longing to see God work in answer to prayer.

-We meet on Wednesday night for prayer and I ask you to join us as we pray for God to work in the church and in the lost. On your monthly calendars you are reminded to pray for the Sunday service on Saturday evenings. Determine this year to take 10 minutes each weekday to pray for God to fulfill His purposes at Rosedale. Put into your life this year a discipline of spending a fixed amount of minutes each weekday in the presence of God. (bulletin/calendar) Even if you do this and utter no prayers, you will be changed and will grow in your desire for God. If we do not see people growing spiritually at Rosedale or new converts joining us at Rosedale it is because we have not prayed for God to work and have not expected God to work in us to fulfill His purposes. Prayer is essential in meeting opposition to God’s purposes and in moving forward to fulfill God’s call upon us to make disciples.

3) People Must be Willing to Work                 4.6

-The story of the rebuilding of the broken walls of Jerusalem is encouraging. We find all types of people from the leaders to the common people working together to get the walls rebuilt. We also find this statement that “the people worked with all their heart”. When God’s purpose is clear and the people of God are willing to get the work done, and are trusting God in the work, the work will get done.

-Another detail in the story is that all the workers built the section of the wall that was before them and linked up with those who rebuilt the section of the wall that was before them, and so the whole wall was rebuilt as each one did their part. That reminds me of a verse in Ephesians (4.16), “From Christ, the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

-So what is your part in rebuilding the walls at Rosedale? Let me propose that the first thing is for you to cultivate a heart for God that is determined to fulfill God’s purpose, and seek God’s Glory. Ask God to give you a heart for Him and for Him alone. Then make choice in line with that prayer and determination. Choose to spend time in God’s presence each day in the Word and in prayer whether you feel like it or not. Make seeking God each day a regular discipline in your life.  Put aside your sin and obey God as He leads you by His Spirit. Renew your mind with a Biblical worldview and lifestyle. This will require that you no longer allow yourself to be discipled by TV and the world. Place your time and talents and finances under God’s control and let Him show you how you are to work to rebuild the lives of others that are all around you.

–Let us determine to seek God together this year and to work together with all our heart to fulfill God’s calling upon us as a congregation.

-This is my thinking. God is God. Knowing God is the most important pursuit of my life. Fulfilling God’s purposes and bringing Glory to God is what I was created for. One day the only thing I will have is God. Therefore what consumes my life each day, until the day that I come into God’s presence, is God and God’s purposes and God’s Glory. If you are of the same mind and heart as me then join me by building yourself up in God and working with all your heart to fulfill God’s purpose in the circumstances that are right in front of you.

4) Weakness in the Work     4.7-12

-As the work of building the wall moved forward, opposition increased and so did prayer and leadership responsibility to protect the work and keep it moving forward.

-The people began to get weary because the work they had committed themselves too was looking like it would never be accomplished. The scope of the task before them overwhelmed them. Rumors started to spread that enemies were going to attack and destroy them and the people began to fear. The people were starting to discourage one another and give up even though the work was only half done.

-What the people were doing was taking their eyes off of God and God’s purpose and looking to the large task yet to accomplish and the opposition to the work. Because of that they started to get weary and fearful and considered giving up the work that God had called them to and equipped them to do.

5) Renewed Vision and Strength and a Refinement of Plans     4.13-23

-Here we see the importance of strong godly leadership that is focused on God and on the purpose of God and ready to lead the people.

-Nehemiah provided extra protection for the workers, reassuring them that they were safe.  Then he reviewed the situation and determined the true extent of the danger. Finally Nehemiah turned their attention back on God and on God’s purposes for them. The people returned to the work with new energy and determination.

-In reviewing the situation Nehemiah revised his plan for rebuilding the walls. The purpose remained the same but some of the methods changed. They were more aware of the enemy and made provision for that. As we engage in God’s work and God’s enemies increase so must our vigilance increase. Again I think of this particularly in the area of prayer and personal relationship with God. We will come to God more often and more desperately and must determine to keep ourselves in God’s Love and Light, in order for God’s work to continue. Unity is vital to fulfilling the purposes of God here at Rosedale.

Conclusion

-In chapters 5 and 6, Nehemiah encounters more problems and opposition to the work but in 6.15-16 we read, “So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.” With godly leadership, a people willing to work, and the empowering of God, the work was completed and God was glorified. The nations recognized that this was a work of God and not man. Our goal at Rosedale in 2011 is to carry on God’s work of making disciples. We invite each one of you to join in by your personal commitment to cultivating a heart for God, and by your commitment to the work of making disciples at Rosedale.

-I would like to close this morning in a way we have not ended any service before this that I remember anyway. I would like to invite everyone to stand and form a circle and hold hands.

-Let us close this final service of the year by committing ourselves to God. You can pray aloud or quietly but we will all be praying together and then I will close our time of commitment in a final prayer.