THE RIGHT FIGHT
More than 400 years before Christ… the people of Israel found themselves in a hard moment. After over 100 years of exile… separation from their home and scattered abroad… they struggle to keep their heritage, their faith, their history. Nehemiah is one those exiles… and hears about his homeland… Jerusalem in ruins.
Nehemiah 1: 3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.
Nehemiah made himself a part of the prayer…
Nehemiah 4: 13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." 15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
A teenage daughter… In 7th grade, long brown hair… with friends… and is doing well… but making some really bad choices. A father is upstairs standing in her room… talking with her… well, fighting with her… trying to get through his heart, thoughts and concern for his daughter… she is trying to convey her heart, her needs, her fears… and the sides have been drawn… then Reggie (the dad) in a moment with talking to his daughter… who was very verbally skilled… took a verbal shot at him… that was so personal, and cut to the quick…
• He was devastated… took him by surprise…. Took his breath away… And he didn’t know what to do in that moment… so he walked out, went downstairs, left the house, got in the car… and drove away…
• 15 minutes later he gets a call… his daughter on the phone… “Daddy… I’m sorry. You know I didn’t mean it… but, (a moment where the child becomes the parent) but, why did you leave? “
• Why did you walk away… Daddy, I need to know that I’m worth fighting for…
In our passage this morning…
Nehemiah is up against all kinds of odds… as they rebuild their society, their city… their families.
This is the Right Fight – fighting for your kids, your grandkids, your spouse, learning from life’s mistakes… and investing into the families and people around us… starting at home, coming to church, and then outside these walls.
Here the significant moment again, half way through building the wall they are threatened…
Nehemiah 4: 13 Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. 14 After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes." 15 When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.
How Nehemiah met this moment of crisis within their community… he did something, and said something…
He placed each family member at the wall…
So they would know what they are fighting for… you are fighting for your families… your sons, daughters, wives and homes…
And Remember the Lord…
The Answer: Fight for each other…
and remember the Lord!
In life, know what is at stake… there are exposed places in the wall… and we must fight for each other… and remember the Lord!
Fight for each other, and remember the Lord!
Fathers… don’t stop fighting for your sons, daughters, wives…
Mothers… don’t stop fighting for your sons, daughters, husbands…
Children … don’t give up on your parents…
For all of us… fight for one another… and remember the Lord…
There are exposed areas in the wall:
a. Truth about our kids…
i. On average… the church get 40 hrs a year with your kid. If they come to church… typically most miss a few services throughout the year… with sports, life, etc…
ii. 400 hrs studying math
iii. 500 hrs playing video games
iv. Even having a camp, having vbs… the church still only has about 60-70 hrs (MENTION VBS HERE).
b. Parents have on average 3000 hrs that goes largely untapped… with their kids
c. But it’s not that they don’t want to… we just often don’t know how to reach our kids…
d. On any given week a third or slightly less of all Americans are in church.
e. In one population segment the numbers are 2/3rds… parents of elementary age kids. Because they are looking for help.
f. Stats: 1 out of 5 parents that come to church state that the church helped them in raising their kids. \
Tell the following isn’t true…
• When your kids are elementary age – you have high hopes…
o You are highly motivated for your kids.
o I don’t know if they are going to be a baseball player, find a cure for cancer… or make a million and let me retire early.
• When your kids shift from elementary to Jr. High and High school – you shift from highly motivated to concerned. (2nd stage you worry a lot)
o You become very concerned with their friends
• The third stage you are more confused…
o Wondering if it’s worked, not worked… dealing with regrets maybe…
o Not sure what is to come…
o You go from high hopes, to worrying a lot, to drinking a lot… you just are not sure about things.
No matter what the phase of your kids… you have to fight for them.
• Fight for time with them.
• Fight to make sure they know you love them.
• Fight to stay in tune with their hearts and lives.
WHAT ARE YOU FIGHTING FOR IN LIFE…
What makes you most angry shows what you value…
Is it all about you… your time… your space… or is it about others… about God…
For if we want the breath of life…
The Answer: Fight for each other…
and remember the Lord!
I was a youth pastor for several years, and then worked with college students and young adults… and had many of them talk about their teen age years like a blur… and they will talk about not knowing why but something happened in their relationship with their parents… and now something is different.
Church family… don’t stop fighting for your children, your grandchildren… and we must also fight for the 100’s of kids in our city who are fatherless, motherless, and need us to stand in the gap.
If you are sitting here, wondering what you can do… how can you fight the right fight?
First – keep coming to church… let us partner with you in raising your kids, your grand kids… we can’t do it for you… but we can do it with you… be here next week I will talk about the Right Platform… and the point of God’s Word in helping us.
• Second: Today… I need 5 men to step up to the plate and check out become involved in Royal Rangers… TOM…
• Next – I need 2 to 4 people… for kids bible studies on Wednesday nights. A 45 minute class… 6 month commitment.
• I need 6 people for nursery once a month. One service a month. 1 and a half hours a month. Also a 6 month commitment. So 9 hours in the next 6 months. Don’t tell me you can’t.
Reggie, our father in the story today… said he would never forget the lesson his daughter taught him that day… “Daddy, I need to know I’m worth fighting for…”
Are you in the right fight? Don’t give up… know what you are fighting for…
Fight for each other… and remember the Lord!
