Let Us Rise Up And Build

says, ‘do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells

in you?’ The Lord dwells in man.

Every person we encounter is a place God desires to dwell. People are in great distress.

Their walls are broken down and their gates are burned with fire.

Their marriages are broken down

Their homes are burned with fire

Their families are fractured

Their relationships are ruined

Their bodies are unhealthy

Their minds are confused

Their emotions are unstable

Their lives are unmanageable

Their finances are flames

II.THE GREAT DISCUSSION

Nehemiah 2:17b-18a “Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach. And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.”

Nehemiah is a role model for leadership. He is broken by the facts. Nehemiah is faithful and wise enough to pray. Nehemiah is courageous enough to act. Nehemiah is the king’s cupbearer. He holds a prestigious position. But his purpose is not found in his position! His purpose develops from his spiritual paradigm. There is often a difference between what you do for a living and who you are as a person! Some people go through life never understanding who they are and why they exist!

Nehemiah spends three days in Jerusalem. During the night he inspects the situation. He keeps his plan under wraps. There is a problem. There is a purpose. There is a plan. Nehemiah forms the plan before discussing it with ‘the officials,’ ‘the Jews,’ ‘the priests,’ ‘the nobles,’ or ‘the others who did the work.’

Nehemiah’s purpose is, ‘that we may no longer be a reproach.’ The word for reproach means disgrace, contempt or state of dishonor and low status. Nehemiah was attempting to elevate people of lower status! This is exactly what Jesus did in His ministry.

Leadership is about helping people remove their disgrace and dishonor. Nehemiah gives no statistics. He quotes no experts. He is not asked to prove his credentials. Nehemiah simply says let’s face the facts! Jerusalem lies waste and its gates are burned with fire!

Church lets’ face the facts. Denominations are growing and we are declining. It’s time for an update! We need spiritual human resources and we need material resources. We need spiritual human resources. We need God’s people to serve faithfully with dedication and commitment. We need God’s people to use their spiritual gifts and talents in sync with the purpose and plan of the church. We need spiritual servants to work on their portion of the wall.

We also need material resources. It takes men and women to do ministry but it also takes money. Concrete, wood, steal, electrical wiring, roofs, paint, brick, plumbing, ac, heat, and furnishing cost money.

But Nehemiah didn’t worry about money because he says, ‘and I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me.’ Nehemiah was ordained by God and ordained by the king!