Pastor Allan Kircher
Shell Point Baptist Church
It’s about time, isn’t it? part two
Nehemiah 3
We have seen the symbolism and rich meaning behind the first 3 gates of Jerusalem's 12 gates.
• The sheep gate reminded us of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
• The fish gate speaks of soul winning, being fishers of men.
• The old gate led/new quarter
• Old message never changes, though methods may change.
The next gate to be rebuilt was the Valley Gate .
What does/valley gate mean for us today?
Why the long stretch of wall between old gate and valley gate?
I. Valleys
• word "Valley"/used symbolically/Bible/place of sorrow,
• of trials, of humbling experiences:
• "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death”
No one ever said/road walked/Christian is an easy one: "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33).
This must not discourage us however, for Jesus goes on to say: "But take heart! I have overcome the world." (Luke 3:5)
Because we know that suffering produces PRESEVERANCE, perseverance, CHARACTER; and character, HOPE." (Rom 5:4).
We may not enjoy walking in the valley, but it is a necessary part of our Spiritual growth!
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Time spent passing through the Valley Gate is never easy
• but remember that, in the natural
• Nothing really grows/mountain top
• The ground is stony and barren.
• The fertile ground is down in the valley.
• So it is in the spiritual.
• It’s never a happy experience to go through the valley
• but it always produces fruit.
II. Time on the Wall
Why so lengthy of a walk to the valley gate?
• When a new Christian comes to the Lord
• God often allows a "honeymoon" type period free of major trials
• God can teach us personally
• Where His presence becomes strong in our lives.
• this "honeymoon" period can go on for quite a while
• purpose/strengthen us in the Lord/our Valley experiences.
Hard times WILL come; but not until God Himself has conditioned us to be able to stand up to them!
• Remember His promise: 1 Cor. 10:13….
• God gives us the opportunities to walk with Him.
• To learn to trust Him in everything.
Take advantage of the lengthy wall sections before the valley.
• Work on a strong relationship with God.
• Build your faith and trust in Him to control you.
• Then when the Valley gate arrives/you will stand up!
• You will have a way out of the gate.
• Swing wide the Gate!
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III. Stuck in the valley?
Valley Gate led/two main valleys/defined Jerusalem geographically/historically.
• First the Hinnom Valley.
• Solomon erected high places/idol god/Molech
• children were sacrificed by fire
• Called "Gehenna" name used hell itself, the Lake of Fire.
• Second valley called Kidron Valley
• means "dim, dusky, gloomy
Valley Gate leads to these valleys/Are you stuck in them?
• Represents/dark valleys of life
• Sometimes/God’s directions
• Sometimes by the choices we make.
• It is the valley of suffering and cleansing.
• These can be very long valleys for some of us
• sometimes the trials are fiery and hot
• remember in the valley/garbage in our lives is burned away
• spiritual maturing and growth occurs
• Our hearts become fertile ground in the valley. .
Swing wide the gate>>>>
5. The Dung Gate.
• This was where the garbage was carried out.
• It led to the dump.
• It may not have a nice name but it provided a very valuable service.
• This reminds us of repentance.
• It is important to take out the trash in our lives
Heb. 12:1-2….
Again here there is a great distance to this gate.
• Indicating the valley experience can carry on for some time.
• The result is seen in this gate—the dung gate.
This/gate/used to take all the refuse/rubbish out of Jerusalem, down to the valley of Hinnom to be burned.
• This is what happens in our own life.
• Valley experiences are used/Lord to clear away the rubbish
• So that true faith, refined by the fire
• Can come forth and produce fruit.
Clearing away the rubbish in our lives is never easy
• The benefits of this experience can be seen in the next gate
• As God’s new creation
• We count the shame/ways of the old life as "dung.”
• We must clean out the trash/heart/life/dump all this refuse out at the Dung Gate.
• We begin this cleansing, or sanctification process by casting aside the sin of the old life
• putting on the new man
• And then learning to lean upon Jesus.
After a while we get to the place where living for Jesus becomes easier.
• The draw of the world is not as strong anymore.
• The old ways have been burned away.
• The old desires for the things of this world are growing weaker every day.
• The brightness of the future that we see ahead in serving our Lord makes the glitz and glamour of this world lose its luster.
• Our treasure is not here anymore, now it’s in Heaven.
Therefore, our hearts are set on finishing the course and running the race.
• We have a lot of walls left to build
• a lot of gates left to pass through
• a lot of battle yet to fight
• Now we have learned to trust in the Lord and keep building.
You will notice also that at this point of your Christian life there is a dramatic ‘turning of the corner’ that takes place.
• Up/this point we have been moving downward
• the experiences have been hard
• Having come to this point there is a sharp turn in the road and we begin to move upward again.
• God says to take out the garbage! Swing wide the gate!
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When you have had the garbage washed from your life
• Every little weight/sin/easily entangles you burned away
• Then you can really start to live a victorious life.
Some people take a long time to get past the Dung Gate.
• They love to hang on to the things of the world too long.
• They aren’t ready to forsake all to follow Jesus.
• Until that day comes
• we must continue go back/forth/Valley Gate/Dung Gate
• time and time again
• Until we are finally cleansed/we forsake our old life of sin.
So what does that sharp turn represent to you and I?
It represents the fountain gate!
6. The fountain gate.
It was located near the Gihon spring. This fed the water system of the entire city. Water for drinking is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.
John 7:37-39….
Only those who are hungry for it will ever experience it.
Notice the progression.
• The valley gate stood for humility.
• The dung gate is repentance/cleansing.
• Now the fountain gate, which is Spirit fullness.
• We must humble ourselves, repent, and then we can be filled w/ the Spirit!
• You can't fill something that's already full of something else.
Before we can access the power within us, we must exercise humility; we must confess our sins; THEN we can be filled (controlled) by the Holy Spirit!
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• Once that has been accomplished
• We are finally ready to begin our life in Christ
• to take steps of faith toward that heavenly Jerusalem
• A closer walk with God.
Nehemiah continued to build the wall:
• One brick at a time; one stone at a time
• lay the stone upon the foundation
• Add the mortar to hold it in place
• And keep on keeping on until the work is done
• We can move on to the next section.
One day/one step/one prayer at a time
• Little by little we build a strong wall of separation from the world and get one step closer to Jesus.
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Jesus was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well when he said in John 4:10-14…
• That’s what we find at the Fountain Gate!
• we find that True and Living Water
• The fruitfulness of our lives that comes from Jesus in us.
If you will look with me at Revelation 22:17, you will find that when Jesus comes for His bride, she will be found drinking from the fountain at the Fountain Gate.
Revelation 22:17, "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come! And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life."
Drinking of that Living Water means:
• We are continually drinking of his mercy, his grace, his love and his salvation power.
• We are ever seeking and needing more
• there is never enough to last for long without coming back for more
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Since this water of life was unending and Jerusalem could last a lot longer with good clean water, Nebuchadnezzar’s army centered its attack upon the Fountain Gate.
The devil knows:
• Your source of life is that Fountain Gate of living water
• He knows/you drink from it when you stay in communion/Lord Jesus Christ
That’s where Satan will always center his attack in your life.
• He will attempt to destroy your relationship with Jesus Christ
• He will attempt to cut off that living water.
• He knows that if he can get you to stop your prayer life
• quit reading and studying the Word
• get you away from the church, your Christian friends
• Then he will be successful in conquering you.
You will notice from the picture that the Fountain Gate is located very close to the Dung Gate.
In other words, after a Dung Gate experience where rubbish in our lives is cleared out and true faith comes forth, then the fountains begin to flow and it doesn’t take long until you are under attack again.
Thank God that Jesus is a never-ending fountain of living water.
• He is an ever-present help in time of trouble.
• It/Fountain Gate where we see the Holy Ghost come in
• Come in to endue us with power to live for Jesus
• to accomplish his will within us.
The old hymn says it this way:
There is a fountain filled with blood, flowing from Emmanuel’s veins. And sinners plunged beneath its floods lose all their guilt and shame.
Thank God for the Fountain Gate and it’s life giving, cleansing power.
Now let us continue going northward, rebuilding the wall of the city, for protection and strength against any enemy.
We must continue to walk humbly and prayerfully before the Lord.
