Introduction:
A. How many of you have heard of elephant jokes?
1. Elephant jokes were a fad in the 1960s.
2. An elephant joke is a joke that is usually an absurd riddle or conundrum, and often a sequence of such that involves an elephant.
3. For instance: Q: How can you tell if an elephant is in the refrigerator? A: The door won’t shut.
4. Q: How can you tell if an elephant has been in the refrigerator earlier? A: Footprints in the butter.
5. Q: How do you get down from an elephant? A: You don’t! You get down from a goose.
6. Q: How does an elephant get down from a tree? A: He doesn’t! Even elephants know you get down from a goose!
7. A classic: Q: How do you stop an elephant from charging? A: Take away his credit card.
8. Q: What game do you NOT want to play with an elephant? A: Squash!
9. Q: What time is it when an elephant sits on your fence? A: Time to build a new fence.
10. Now here’s the one that applies to today’s sermon: Q: How do you eat an elephant? A: One bite at a time.
B. Nehemiah’s big question was: How do we rebuild the walls of Jerusalem? A: One stone at a time, and one section at a time.
C. Let me briefly stage the historical context.
1. In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian army over-threw Israel and destroyed Jerusalem – the temple and walls of Jerusalem were torn down and burned, and the many Jews were taken into captivity.
2. But God did not abandon His people, just as he promised, 70 years later, God moved in the heart of Cyrus, the Persian king, and he allowed the Jews to return and rebuild.
3. In two stages, the Jews migrated back to Judea and rebuilt the temple and the Jewish religious life.
4. But about 100 years after the first group had returned, the walls of Jerusalem were still in ruins, and when Nehemiah, the cupbearer to the king, heard about it, he decided to allow God to use him to do something about it.
5. Last week, we journeyed with Nehemiah back to Jerusalem and watched him wisely do some prospecting, promoting, and promising as he and the Jewish people decided to begin rebuilding.
D. Today, we are going to examine Nehemiah chapter 3, and as we do so, we are immediately faced with one of those lists that proves to be the bane of would-be Bible readers.
1. There are 38 different individual names and 42 places that are mentioned, and most of us dread wading into these lists that someone called “The Fellowship of the Unpronounceable.”
2. But I want us to read the entire chapter anyhow, because there are many important lessons that we need to learn that can only come as we experience the impact of this chapter.
E. Nehemiah 3: 1 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zaccur son of Imri built next to them. 3 The Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenaah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 4 Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired the next section. Next to him Meshullam son of Berekiah, the son of Meshezabel, made repairs, and next to him Zadok son of Baana also made repairs. 5 The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors. 6 The Jeshanah Gate was repaired by Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah. They laid its beams and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 7 Next to them, repairs were made by men from Gibeon and Mizpah--Melatiah of Gibeon and Jadon of Meronoth--places under the authority of the governor of Trans-Euphrates. 8 Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section. 10 Adjoining this, Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs opposite his house, and Hattush son of Hashabneiah made repairs next to him. 11 Malkijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-Moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters. 13 The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the residents of Zanoah. They rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. They also repaired five hundred yards of the wall as far as the Dung Gate. 14 The Dung Gate was repaired by Malkijah son of Recab, ruler of the district of Beth Hakkerem. He rebuilt it and put its doors and bolts and bars in place. 15 The Fountain Gate was repaired by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah. He rebuilt it, roofing it over and putting its doors and bolts and bars in place. He also repaired the wall of the Pool of Siloam, by the King's Garden, as far as the steps going down from the City of David. 16 Beyond him, Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler of a half-district of Beth Zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Heroes. 17 Next to him, the repairs were made by the Levites under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him, Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, carried out repairs for his district. 18 Next to him, the repairs were made by their countrymen under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler of the other half-district of Keilah. 19 Next to him, Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section, from a point facing the ascent to the armory as far as the angle. 20 Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section, from the angle to the entrance of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Next to him, Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib's house to the end of it. 22 The repairs next to him were made by the priests from the surrounding region. 23 Beyond them, Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs in front of their house; and next to them, Azariah son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 Next to him, Binnui son of Henadad repaired another section, from Azariah's house to the angle and the corner, 25 and Palal son of Uzai worked opposite the angle and the tower projecting from the upper palace near the court of the guard. Next to him, Pedaiah son of Parosh 26 and the temple servants living on the hill of Ophel made repairs up to a point opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the projecting tower. 27 Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section, from the great projecting tower to the wall of Ophel. 28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. Next to him, Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, the guard at the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him, Hananiah son of Shelemiah, and Hanun, the sixth son of Zalaph, repaired another section. Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. 31 Next to him, Malkijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs as far as the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the room above the corner; 32 and between the room above the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and merchants made repairs.
I. Helpful Observations
A. Let’s me make a few preliminary observations before we move to some important principles.
1. First of all, Nehemiah chapter 3 reveals Nehemiah’s extraordinary gift of administration and organization.
a. He was able to mobilize and empower 44 separate groups of people for the difficult task of rebuilding the walls.
b. The account proceeds in a counter-clockwise manner, starting and finishing at the Sheep Gate.
B. A second observation: this passage shows how people working together can accomplish more than if just one person tried to do all the work.
1. Underline in your Bible every time you see the following phrases: “next to him,” “next to them,” “after him,” and “after them.”
2. These expressions are recorded 28 times in this chapter!
3. The biblical principle is this: every person is to be involved in ministry because everyone has a job to do.
C. A third observation has to do with the purpose of the work - Nehemiah was able to build his team around a central rallying point.
1. He pointed them to the purpose of the work the glory of God.
2. They weren’t just working on walls, they were worshipping their worthy God.
3. They longed for God’s city to regain its splendor and for God to get the credit.
4. The purpose of all ministry, and really of life itself is the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 puts it succinctly: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
5. Take another look at verse 1: “Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place…”
6. It’s no accident that the list starts at the Sheep Gate - It’s another way of saying, “they put God first,” because this gate provided easy access to the Temple, and was given this name because of all the sheep that entered through it to be sacrificed.
7. So, by beginning here, Nehemiah was establishing that their relationship with God was central. This was the most important place to start.
8. Note also that they had a time of dedication right at the beginning of the construction project. We must make sure we are dedicated to God before we begin working for Him.
9. We must not make the mistake of focusing so much on the work or the task that we forget God Himself. He wants our heart more than our work. That’s why worship must always precede work.
10. We must always keep the main thing the main thing and do what 1 Peter 3:15 says, “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord…”
D. Now if you’ve already read the Book of Nehemiah you know the final results the wall was rebuilt in a only 52 days!
1. The crumbled walls sat in ruins for about 170 years, but was completely rebuilt in just 52 days!
2. That is truly a testament to what God can do when His people work together.
3. I want us to consider 6 principles from this chapter that will help us “When There is a Big Job to Do, to Work as a Team.”
II. Helpful Principles
A. The first principle is: Leaders must set the example.
1. We see this in verse 1 - If anybody in the city should have been busy with the work, it was the priests, for God’s reputation was at stake.
2. The high priest had no hesitation using his consecrated hands to swing a hammer or push a wheelbarrow. The high priest was willing to pick up rubble and lay stone.
3. We leaders here at Wetzel Road take seriously our joyful responsibility to be involved in most of the work of the ministry as well – we don’t have a problem getting our hands dirty.
4. Good leaders lead by example and are willing to do any part of the job that needs to be done.
5. Sad to say, Eliashib did not remain true to his calling and later partnered with the enemy to create some serious problems for Nehemiah as we will see later when we get to chapter 13.
6. This serves as a good reminder to us How we begin a project is important, but it’s also important how we finish. A good start doesn’t guarantee a good finish.
7. Unfortunately, some people who enthusiastically begin a job or a ministry may drop out or even turn against it for one reason or another.
B. A second principle is: God uses all kinds of people.
1. Take a look at verse 8: “Uzziel son of Harhaiah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired the next section; and Hananiah, one of the perfume-makers, made repairs next to that…”
2. God didn’t need a thousand masons and carpenters to rebuild the wall he needed ordinary people who were willing to work.
a. Sometimes availability is a more important trait than ability.
3. People from a wide variety of different backgrounds, trades, and localities gathered to work on the wall.
4. There was a place for everyone, and a job for everyone to do.
a. No one could do everything, but everyone could do something.
b. Romans 12:6 says, “We have different gifts according to the grace given us…”
c. Are you serving in your area of giftedness right now? If not, it’s time to get to work.
5. Keep in mind that this project was hard work – it wasn’t easy – it cost them something.
a. For nearly 2 months these folks dropped everything else to work on this wall.
b. This wasn’t glorious work from an earthly standpoint – it was sweaty, back-breaking work, and they had sore muscles at the end of the day.
c. Also, keep this in mind - they didn’t have nice tools and equipment like we have – no backhoes, no jackhammers, not even a cordless drill!
C. A third principle is: Some people will not work.
1. Having just said that there is a place for everyone, and a job for everyone to do, we need to realize that there will always be those who refuse to exert themselves.
a. Most people worked on the wall, but some shirked their responsibility.
b. We see this in verse 5: “The next section was repaired by the men of Tekoa, but their nobles would not put their shoulders to the work under their supervisors.”
2. Tekoa was a town about eleven miles from Jerusalem, and while some of the people commuted to the job site; the nobles from Tekoa called in sick.
a. Actually, the text says that they refused to participate in the work of God because they didn’t want to follow orders.
b. They were too proud to submit themselves to the supervisors of the job. They were too important to get their hands dirty.
c. The phrase, “would not put their shoulders to the work,” suggests that it was pride more than anything else which kept them from pitching in.
d. Nehemiah was using agricultural imagery that describes a “stiff-necked” ox who refuses to be yoked.
3. Is there anyone here today who refuses to be yoked, or to roll up their sleeves and work. Is anyone unwilling to follow good leadership?
a. I hope no one feels like they’re too important to spend time with a hurting person, or teach Sunday School, or work around the building, or help with bread ministry.
b. Jeremiah 48:10 is a stinging rebuke to those of us who just sit back and don’t lift a finger: “A curse on him who is lax in doing the Lord’s work.”
4. By the way, those who are lax in the Lord’s work are not only subject to a curse they’re also missing out on one of the greatest privileges of all time!
a. I can’t think of anything more rewarding than being involved in kingdom work.
b. Diana and I love giving our time, talents and treasures in the work of the Lord.
c. We love serving because we believe it makes an eternal difference.
d. The happiest Christians I know are those who are serving.
e. On the other hand, some of the grumpiest Christians I have known in my years of ministry are those who are “pew potatoes” and are not willing to put their shoulder to the work.
D. A fourth principle is: Some people do more work.
1. In every church, and in any project, there will always be some who are slack in their serving, but at the same time, there will always be those who do more work than others.
2. Remember the men from Tekoa we mentioned earlier?
a. In verse 5, we read that they finished their section of the wall, even though their nobles didn’t help out at all.
b. Drop down to verse 27: “Next to them, the men of Tekoa repaired another section…”
c. Refusing to follow the bad example of their leaders, these workers went the extra mile.
d. I picture them coming up to Nehemiah and telling him that they finished their job.
e. Nehemiah then asked them if they wanted another section and they said, “Bring it on.”
3. The men of Binnui did the same thing in verses 18 and 24.
4. Another guy named Meshullam completed one part (verse 4) and then repaired an additional section (verse 31).
5. In verse 21: “…Meremoth son of Uriah, the son of Hakkoz, repaired another section, from the entrance of Eliashib’s house to the end of it.” After he finished his assignment, he worked on the wall in front of his neighbor’s house.
6. There’s a tendency within most of us to finish the work we volunteered for and then stop, stretch out our arms and say, “Boy, that was great to do the Lord’s work, but I’m finished now.”
a. Not so with these guys. They knew that kingdom work is never finished.
b. When we complete one job for the Lord, we can’t sit back and think we’ve fulfilled our ultimate responsibility as a Christian.
c. Friends, as long as there is work to be done in God’s kingdom, there’s work for you to do.
E. A fifth principle is: Some people work with passion.
1. In this entire chapter, there is only one guy mentioned who worked zealously.
a. Verse 20 says: “Next to him, Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section…”
b. The Hebrew word means “to burn or glow” and suggests that Baruch burned a lot of energy. He was not just serving; he was on "fire."
2. This is amazing because in 4:6 we read that “the people worked with all their heart.” Everyone was working hard, but in a crowd of committed construction workers, Baruch stood out from the rest.
3. We need to be like him, we need to be able to say, “I’m going to do my very best and with zeal, no matter what anyone else is doing!”
4. We have many great examples of people who serve with passion here at Wetzel Road – I would like to mention some of them by name, but I won’t embarrass them.
5. How about you, do you want to be like Baruch? Are you willing to go the extra mile and burn with zeal and passion in your service?
6. If the truth were known, most all of us could turn up the zeal dial a little bit, right?
F. The final principle from this great chapter is: Some people work as families.
1. In verse 3, we notice: “the Fish Gate was rebuilt by the sons of Hassenah” (wow…sons working together!).
2. In verse 12, we notice: Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler of a half-district of Jerusalem, repaired the next section with the help of his daughters.
3. How awesome is that…families serving together!
4. Last week Alan had an excellent bulletin article on the importance of serving God as families.
a. He shared the results of a survey on the spiritual health of families.
b. The study revealed that the number one, common habit of spiritually strong families, was that the family ministered together!
5. If we want to have a strong, Christian family, and raise spiritually strong children, then living as a Christian at home and participating in worship and Bible classes are very important, but serving together as a family is one thing that solidifies it all.
6. As individual families, we have the opportunity to be used by God in our neighborhoods, in our community, and in our church.
7. Instead of just looking at what you can do as an individual, think creatively about how you can include your entire family in the joyful task of kingdom building.
Conclusion:
A. If God’s work is going to get done, we’re called to cooperate with one another.
1. We must keep the main thing the main thing by never forgetting that God’s glory is at stake.
2. And, we won’t all give or serve equally, but we can all make equal sacrifices.
3. Keep in mind that nothing has ever been done for God without hard work.
4. In order to work well with others on a job that is much bigger than we are, at a task that demands everything we have, we need to remember the principles we examined today, that:
a. Leaders must set the example
b. God uses all kinds of people
c. Some people will not work
d. Some people will do more work
e. Some people will work with passion
f. Some people will work as families
B. Let me end with this illustration:
1. I love to watch the geese in the Fall as they migrate toward the South.
2. One of the fascinating things about geese is that they normally fly in a V-formation.
3. Have you ever wondered why geese fly in a V formation?
a. Scientists at Cal Tech did. They put their computers and flight simulators to work and discovered the answer - geese form this pattern because it is the easiest way to fly.
b. The formation acts aerodynamically like a single wing; that is, wind drag is distributed equally across all the birds.
c. This in turn reduces drag on each individual bird. Twenty-five geese flying together in a V formation can travel 70% farther than one goose flying alone.
d. Because the lead goose actually situates itself slightly behind the perfect point position of the V, the geese that follow relieve some of its wind drag, and it does not have to work harder than the others.
4. From geese we can learn a very important lesson.
a. Although we live in a society that promotes individualism and self-reliance, we function more effectively in community – God made us that way!
b. Like geese, we were created by God to work together, serve together, and encourage and support each other.
c. And when we cooperate and help each other to succeed, we not only accomplish much more, but we do it with less stress and difficulty.
C. Our mission as a church is bigger than any one of us and that’s why we must work as a team.
1. May God bless us and work through us as we work as a team for the glory of God.
2. May God help us to fulfill the words of the apostle Paul that we read in our Scripture Reading: From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Eph. 4:16)
3. When there’s a big job to do, let’s work as a team!
Resources:
Ezra-Nehemiah, by Mark Throntveit, Interpretation Commentary Series, 1992
Ezra & Nehemiah, by Derek Kidner, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 1979
Ezra, Nehemiah, & Esther, by J. Vernon McGee
Working Well with Others, Sermon by Brian Bill, SermonCentral.com
