"Building And Battling"

Building and Battling

Nehemiah 4:18

18 For the builders, everyone had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

This morning I would like to speak a message that I believe The Lord has placed upon my heart.

It is entitled "Building and Battling"

Just like Nehemiah set out to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, you and I also have been called to rebuild.

Nehemiah was called to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but you and I have been called to rebuild the lives of hurting people.

We have been called to bring the Good New of Jesus Christ to hurting people in our city, state, world, and continent.

Now why was the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem so important?

Well, Nehemiah is a book of the Bible that can be looked at as a book that is the story of restoring people from despair and ruin, to a new walk with God.

In case you don’t know Jerusalem is a symbolic city.

Jerusalem can represent the place that God desires to dwell.

When the city was first designated to King David as the place where God wanted him to build the temple, he was told that this was the place where God would dwell among his people.

I Chronicles 23:25

For David had said, "Since the LORD, the God of Israel, has granted rest to his people and has come to dwell in Jerusalem forever,

Psalms 135:21

Praise be to the LORD from Zion, to him who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD.

Ezra 6:12

May God, who has caused his Name to dwell there, overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to change this decree or to destroy this temple in Jerusalem. I Darius have decreed it. Let it be carried out with diligence.

Ps 74:2

Remember your congregation, which you purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your inheritance; Mount Zion, in which you have lived

So with that in mind, Jerusalem throughout the Old and New Testaments, has pictured the place where God seeks to dwell.

However, it is only a picture -- it is not the actual place where God dwells, according to the New Testament, man is to be the dwelling place of God.

Paul says in Colossians 1:27 , "Christ in you, the hope of glory,"This is God's provision and desire for man.

According to Colossians 1:27 God desires to dwell in you and I.

Just like Nehemiah rebuilt the walls in Jerusalem which was the place where God desired to dwell, so it is today you and I have been called to rebuild the lives of people - where God desires to dwell.

Now when the walls of Jerusalem were burnt down and destroyed that meant that anything could come in and out, there was no defense.

Doesn’t that sounds like many people today?

They have no defense in their life. The walls to their life have been burnt down and destroyed and anything can come in and out.

Such as depression, addiction, violence, suicide, alcoholism, false gods, and so much more, but you and I have been called to rebuild the walls of the lives of people.

So when Nehemiah set out to rebuild these walls they represented more than just the walls of Jerusalem, but they represented a picture of the place where God wanted to dwell.

Now - God desires to dwell in you and I.

The old Testament God is with us.

The new testament God is in us.

Now that tells me that Nehemiah was not out to rebuild the walls for his own good, but he was out to rebuild the walls to benefit the Kingdom of God.

Now when you and I set out to do a work for God. It should not be for selfish gain, but our motives should be "that we have been called to do a work for the Kingdom of God."

We have been called by God to rebuild lives in the inner cities of Africa and throughout the world.

How are we going to do that?

We are going to do that by building a Church that is a base.

Is there anybody here this morning that is willing to rebuild lives for the Honor and Glory of Jesus Christ?

This morning I would like to take a look at some of the things that Nehemiah faced when he decided to step out and build and do a work for The Lord.

1. Ridicule - Nehemiah 4:1-3

1 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews,

2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”