"going Public" Series

“Going Public”

Nehemiah 2:11-20

This is the setting for our message today. There are three major points we have seen in this study of Nehemiah. (1) The walls and the city of Jerusalem are in ruins and the people are no longer safe. (2) Nehemiah has a vision to rebuild the walls. (3) There is a new king, and he gives permission to do so.

The temple has already been rebuilt so they are making progress, and it is now that Nehemiah arrives on the scene. He is standing there looking at the city of Jerusalem and this is probably the first time he has ever seen it.

• Remember he has been in captivity all his life.

• He considers this his hometown because this is where his ancestors were from.

• Fifty years have now passed – a remnant/portion of the people have already gone back and rebuilt the temple.

• Nehemiah has been given permission by the king to go.

• We believe he would be about 30 years of age. Now with all of that in mind , let’s look at today’s scripture.

Nehemiah 2: 11 – 20. So, we remember from our previous study that when Nehemiah receives the news of the state of Jerusalem, he sat down, and he wept. It is likely he does that again, here. After all it’s one thing to hear about a tragedy; it’s another to see the results. Before I made my first trip to Guatemala 24 years ago – I knew very little about the country. I knew it was a poverty-stricken country – but when I saw it for myself, it was definitely an eye opener. Especially when I saw the homes – here’s a picture from that visit – this picture was a home where there had been a fire – but the family had continued to live there. After all, they had no place to go. Also, they had no front door. No protection from anyone who might want to hurt them. And neither did the people of Jerusalem. No wall around the city to protect them. Now he is there. Here is another building block. The first 5 are listed in your notes for the day.

Investigate before you initiate.

When God first places something on your heart – remember you are likely the only one who knows – no one else has the vision, yet. So, this would likely be the first time Nehemiah had set foot on the soil in Jerusalem. But as he arrived, the people likely noticed him because he would have been riding into town with an armed escort. And he had picked up all that lumber we mentioned earlier. The news is likely traveling fast. Nehemiah, according to verse 2: 12 hadn’t told a soul. In fact, he didn’t share his vision with anyone for at least three days. 😊 If I get a good idea, I can’t wait that long. 😊 From the time we moved to this property three years ago God began to place it on my heart to build a worship center on this property or at least some classrooms. The vision was a bit vague to me. But God put some people in my path, and this is the day when the vision really began to open for me, was on this day. The day we went from this to this. Show pics. And I suspect it began to open for you as well. Sometimes we must clear some things from our minds before we can see the vision. In the same way there was no way for Nehemiah to know what he would find when he arrived in Jerusalem. He knew what God had placed in his heart to do but he also knew that without the support of everyone/ the people this would be impossible.

The vision is always meant to be shared but timing is crucial. You must share at the right time. Nehemiah 2: 12 – 13.

So, investigate it. Get as much information as possible. Make the vision as clear as possible. If there are barriers to the vision clear them up. To begin with, nobody is going to be nearly as excited as you are. So, it’s wise to know what you might be up against. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is speaking of the cost of being/ becoming a disciple/follower. Luke 14: 27-30. Notice that in this passage people are laughing. 😊 Now Nehemiah wasn’t investigating the walls to make up his mind whether he should build new ones. He had already made that decision. He already understood what he would be up against. But I know this, once, you announce your vision, you must be open to two things.

(1) Discussion

(2) Criticism.