Hand Me Another Brick

Text. Nehemiah 6: 1 - 4

When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though *up to that time* I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

Intro: what do I DO with the brick I’m handed?

Vs. 1 latter part- “Up to that time” a lot was accomplished .. (put ourselves here)

*been through a lot* an understatement...YET God’s Grace!

With the brick you’re handed..First item of importance..

Vs 3 Sent messengers to them..

can view it as delegation, ( yes ) but more than that, it is what I consider

1. PARTNERING

Man had driven his car into a ditch in a desolated area.

Luckily, a local farmer came to help with his big strong horse, named Buddy. He hitched Buddy up to the car and yelled, "Pull, Nellie, pull!" Buddy didn't move. Then the farmer hollered, "Pull, Buster, pull!" Buddy didn't respond. Once more the farmer commanded, "Pull, Coco, pull!" Nothing. Then the farmer nonchalantly said, "Pull, Buddy, pull!" The horse easily dragged the car out of the ditch. The motorist was most appreciative and very curious. He asked the farmer why he called his horse by the wrong name three times.

The farmer said, "Oh, Buddy is blind and if he thought he was the only one pulling, he wouldn't even try."

When we feel that were not alone – we get the work done ?

“As the Challenge Escalates the need for Team work must Elevate”

What Might Prevent Partnering ~ Top 3:

Address..to deal with

1. Jealousy

Proverbs 14:30 NLT “A peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy is like cancer in the bones.”

To those who struggle: Don’t let your food get cold, worrying about what’s on my my plate

1 Samuel 18: 6 - 9 They sang and danced for joy with tambourines and cymbals Vs 7 This was their song:“Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” Vs 8 This made Saul very angry. “What’s this?” he said. “They credit David with ten thousands and me with only thousands. Vs 9 Saul Kept a jealous eye on David

Drive this home: it wasn’t David that was being sought out to be killed, / from that moment on when Saul was jealous...but (rather) “to kill the Saul in David..so he wouldn’t became like him”

2. Pride

Most of the trouble in the world is caused by people wanting to be important.

Having pride can have interesting consequences..

A married couple went to the hospital to have their baby delivered. Upon their arrival, the doctor said he had invented a new machine that would transfer a portion of the mother's labor pain to the father.

He asked if they were willing to try it out. The husband in a prideful response“ I can take IT”. The doctor set the pain transfer to 10% for starters, explaining that even 10% was probably more pain than the father had ever experienced before. But as the labor progressed, the husband felt fine and asked the doctor to go ahead and kick it up a notch. The doctor then adjusted the machine to 20% pain transfer. The husband was still feeling fine. The doctor checked the husband's blood pressure and was amazed at how well he was doing. At this point they decided to try for 50%.The husband continued to feel quite well.

Since the pain transfer was obviously helping out the wife considerably, the prideful husband encouraged the doctor to transfer ALL the pain to him. The wife delivered a healthy baby with virtually no pain. She and her husband were ecstatic.

When they got home, the mailman was dead on the porch.

3. Slander- character assassination

It takes an enemy and a friend, working together, to hurt you to the heart. The one to slander you, and the other to get the news to you.

Gal 5: 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

Backbite: To ''speak of a man as you find him'' when he can't find you.

Jewish proverb: what you don’t see with your eyes, don’t invent with your mouth

Chinese Proverb: Slander cannot destroy an honest man when the flood recedes the rock is there.