Working Together Series

Working Together

Nehemiah 3

They started building!

Can you imagine what would have happened if instead of building they:

Talked about building? Wrote books about building?

Critiqued Nehemiah’s proposal of building?

Formed various committees to investigate the possibility of building?

Discussed at length the advantages of building?

Began to meet and pray diligently about building?

Saying and doing are often two things: many are ready to say, "Let us rise up and build,’’ who sit still and do nothing.

What good is it to be concerned; what good is it to be broken; what good is it to fast and pray; what good is it to survey the ruins; what good is it to ask the people to work if you’re not going to build?

1. All the people were involved in the project…. almost all the people.

Note vs. 5

The whole city gave itself over to building the walls and the gates. From the priest to the merchants, perfume makers to goldsmiths. Everyone worked men, women and children.

That portrays for us a very important principle of the New Testament: that the ministry of the church in the world today belongs to everyone in the church.

2. They worked together.

All through this account you will find the phrase, "next to him" worked so and so, and "next to them" worked others 23 times.

John 17:20-23

1 Corinthians 12:27 - Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.

Note the also in verse 13. They exceeded their allotment and went on to help somebody else to the extent of repairing 500 yards of wall. There are other mentions of those that did their work and then repaired "another" section. Probably to make up for the portion not done by the “nobles”. But the simple fact was, the work had to get done and they were going to do it.

3. They worked near their home.

Vs. 10, 17, 21, 23, 24, 28, 29, 30

God has placed each of us strategically where He wants us to be. Your neighborhood, office, home, or school is where your ministry should be. That is why God put you there.

John 15:16, 17

In John 15, Jesus said to his disciples that he had appointed them, and the word means, "strategically placed them." He had put them in the place where he wanted them to be.

This is brought out beautifully here as we watch these people laboring in their own neighborhood.

4. Each one completed his assigned task.

They kept on until they had finished the work. Some had more to do than others did, but no one failed -- except the "nobles" of Tekoa who would not dirty their hands.

Nehemiah 4:6 - So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.