The Wall
Pt. 2 – Control Freaks
I. Introduction
Last week we began our discussion based on the account of Nehemiah. You will remember that Nehemiah has probably lived in captivity all of his life. He has risen to the position of cup bearer for the king (this teaches us a free lesson that in spite of how deplorable our conditions or environment may be as Children of God we can still thrive, serve and flourish . . . conditions/environment are no valid excuses for lack of service). A group of men show up from his home town (Jerusalem) and they report that things are bad. The people are living in poverty and the protecting wall that is supposed to keep them safe from their enemies is in absolute ruins. Nehemiah is shaken by the news. So we began our discussion by talking about some building blocks we need in our lives. We need to build our compassion! What will move you beyond tears? What will cause you to get up, shake off apathy, move outside your comfort zone and begin to take action? Then we talked about the building block of God's Word. God keeps His Word . . . both curses and promises. How we live determines which we tap into. So we should be great repenters. Then we talked about those that are used by God are those that have building blocks of availability and prayerability. Nehemiah was a man of prayer. So let's continue by going into Nehemiah 2 and see what we can learn about building a wall of God's favor around our lives!
II. Text
Nehemiah 2:1-20
1-2 It was the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king. At the hour for serving wine I brought it in and gave it to the king. I had never been hangdog in his presence before, so he asked me, "Why the long face? You're not sick are you? Or are you depressed?" 2-3 That made me all the more agitated. I said, "Long live the king! And why shouldn't I be depressed when the city, the city where all my family is buried, is in ruins and the city gates have been reduced to cinders?"
4-5 The king then asked me, "So what do you want?" Praying under my breath to the God-of-Heaven, I said, "If it please the king, and if the king thinks well of me, send me to Judah, to the city where my family is buried, so that I can rebuild it."
6 The king, with the queen sitting alongside him, said, "How long will your work take and when would you expect to return?" I gave him a time, and the king gave his approval to send me.
7-8 Then I said, "If it please the king, provide me with letters to the governors across the Euphrates that authorize my travel through to Judah; and also an order to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, to supply me with timber for the beams of The Temple fortress, the wall of the city, and the house where I'll be living."
8-9 The generous hand of my God was with me in this and the king gave them to me. When I met the governors across The River (the Euphrates) I showed them the king's letters. The king even sent along a cavalry escort.
10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very upset, angry that anyone would come to look after the interests of the People of Israel.
11-12 And so I arrived in Jerusalem. After I had been there three days, I got up in the middle of the night, I and a few men who were with me. I hadn't told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal with us was the one I was riding.
13-16 Under cover of night I went past the Valley Gate toward the Dragon's Fountain to the Dung Gate looking over the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken through and whose gates had been burned up. I then crossed to the Fountain Gate and headed for the King's Pool but there wasn't enough room for the donkey I was riding to get through. So I went up the valley in the dark continuing my inspection of the wall. I came back in through the Valley Gate. The local officials had no idea where I'd gone or what I was doing—I hadn't breathed a word to the Jews, priests, nobles, local officials, or anyone else who would be working on the job.
17-18 Then I gave them my report: "Face it: we're in a bad way here. Jerusalem is a wreck; its gates are burned up. Come—let's build the wall of Jerusalem and not live with this disgrace any longer." I told them how God was supporting me and how the king was backing me up. They said, "We're with you. Let's get started." They rolled up their sleeves, ready for the good work.
19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they laughed at us, mocking, "Ha! What do you think you're doing? Do you think you can cross the king?" 20 I shot back, "The God-of-Heaven will make sure we succeed. We're his servants and we're going to work, rebuilding. You can keep your nose out of it. You get no say in this—Jerusalem's none of your business!"
III. Control Freaks
A. We must practice countenance control!
I want to take you back into the passage I read to you and show you an incredible statement . . . I had never been hangdog in his presence before, so he asked me, "Why the long face? You're not sick are you? Or are you depressed?" In the NAS it says it like this . . . Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2 So the king said to me, “Why is your face sad though you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of heart.”
Nehemiah . . . a slave, a captive, has never known a day of real freedom in his life. He has served the king in the capacity of cup bearer for a length of time . . . he had been there long enough that the king knew his normal look and had become attached to him, trusted him, and depended on him. If anyone had the right to be sad, downcast, depressed it was him and yet the king says I have never seen you sad! That is an incredible lesson for us.
In spite of how bad our life may be. In spite of the struggles and trials we are facing. In spite of empty cabinets, relationships that are strained, bodies wracked with pain we must learn to practice countenance control!
Nehemiah had facial recognition! He apparently understood that our face helps others recognize God in you, pain in you, hope in you. Some of us have so little recognition of the message that our face is sending that people can't figure us out and God gets a bad rap! Am I saying we should smile and hide our real feelings? You have heard me say just the opposite. We have to live so transparently before one another that we can help . . . God can't heal what you hide. However, some of us are so downcast all the time that no one can discern if there is real pain or if that is just the way we always look. If you are happy all the time you may be faking it. If your sad all the time you may need to ask some hard questions about your spiritual walk!
David said it like this in Psalm 42:11, "11 Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God—soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God." The KJV says He is the health of my countenance.
So should our face ever show pain, worry, struggle? Sure, but our countenance should show and reflect our King! Maybe we need to start this year off by asking God to heal our face! Maybe if we would give God our face He would heal our issues!
B. We must practice conversation control!
When Nehemiah gets the report about the fallen wall Scripture gives no indication that he talked to other Jews there he could have confided in, cried with, and complained to. Not only did Nehemiah have control of his countenance he had control of his conversation. When he was moved He talked to the king about his issue.
I think you have to have people in your life with whom you share your pain. However, I think we utilize all of our conversation with people and often we forget to actually take our petition to the One who can do something about it.
Notice that Nehemiah speaks to THE King and then he talks to a king! He discusses his need with God and then he goes to the natural king. He used his conversation to talk to those who had the ability to produce change!
Philippians 4:6 encourages us not to worry or become anxious about anything, but to make our petitions known to our King! The Message says it like this, "6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."
Perhaps our petitions are being presented to the wrong person! Perhaps our King would step in if we would learn to control our conversation!
Why is it important to talk to the king? Go back to the account and you discover that Nehemiah's conversation with the King (and the Queen - who happens to be Esther) produces provision (the timber to build the wall, his house, the gates) and protection (he provides an armed escort)! We should talk to our King because He is the One who can provide provision and protection. I know you like to share all your problems with your Auntie, your bestie, and on Facebook, but can those folks take the action a King can take? I think too often what we settle for is sympathy when if we would approach the king we might actually get a solution. Should we share our issues with others? Yes, but this year learn to practice some conversation control and take your cares and lay them on the One that can bring change!
C. We must practice complaint control!
As soon he is ready to rally the troops and get started on accomplishing God's plan and purpose for his life two guys show up and begin complaining about what he is doing. Sanballat and Tobiah were constant critics and complainers. They had tried to curtail the construction for decades.
Some of you have folks in your life that have proven themselves already. They are consistent complainers! They are consistent accusers. Every year for years they have failed to support or believe in your dream, your freedom, your cause! This year it is time to practice complaint control!
Why should we allow our enemy to poke his nose in where he has no business. I love the question that Nehemiah poses to the people. Perhaps we should be asked the same question! Why do we continue to settle for or grow comfortable with disgrace?
We accept disgrace and bondage too easily! We accept the negative report too easily. Why live another year with the same and disgrace?
Remember what happens to an entire nation of people who believed 10 negative reports or complaints rather than listening to what God was saying through 2 men. Nehemiah learned the lesson and said complain all you want, but I declare it is time to get your nose out of my business. Some of you need to tell Aunt Busybody to backup. Some of you need to tell Critical Carl it is time to step off. Some of you need to tell Nervous Nelly to get out of the way. We all need to tell the dumb devil to shut up and watch us while we do what God said to do!
The only authority the enemy has in your life is the authority you allow him to have! Why don't you use 2012 to tell him to get his nose out of your business!
IV. Close
Ask God to help you control your countenance, your conversations, and your complainers! Let's become control freaks this year!
