1. I am sure you have heard that President Trump intends to build a wall between the US and Mexico to cut down on illegal immigration
a. Great Wall of China
b. Berlin Wall
c. Bethlehem Wall
d. Wall to be in Heaven:
12 It had a great, high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and on the gates the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel were inscribed— 13 on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Revelation 21.12-14 (no undocumented people in Heaven – Matthew 22.11-14)
2. There was a great work on the Jerusalem wall in Nehemiah 3
a. An Identity Issue for the People
b. A Security Issue for the People
c. A Matter of Restoring Glory to God
3. Once they got to work, they completed the task in 52 days (Nehemiah 6.15)
a. Big tasks require an intentional start.
“A journey of 10,000 leagues begins with the first step.”
“How do you eat an elephant?” – “One bite at a time.”
b. Big tasks require united cooperation.
4. Notice some People and their Places in this great work:
I. The Leader, Nehemiah
A. His Steps for Success:
1. Personal Preparation
a. A Prepared Heart – Touched by the News of Jerusalem
b. Personal Preparation, before God – Prayed/fasted
c. Seized the Opportunity
d. Planned and Delegated
e. Acted
2. Project Preparation
a. He Recognized Order in the Process of Building vv. 1, 2a, 4a, 5a, 7a, 8a, 9a... "and next unto him"
• 38 Individual workers were named in this chapter
• 42 Groups
• Anonymous Workers
b. The universe is orderly
• God is of shalom (order) not of chaos (confusion) – 1 Corinthians 14.33
• In churches – Elders/Deacons/order and structure
• In Families – Husband/Wife/Parents/Children
3. The Place of Priorities – Ultimate Glory of God
• Jesus and Sabbath
• Family more important than work (No one has said on their deathbed, “I wish I had spent more time at work.”)
When Chris Spielman played for the Buffalo Bills, he was everything a middle linebacker should be: tough, strong and smart, with passion, total commitment, and loyalty to the game. He played the entire 1995 season with a torn pectoral muscle that he sustained in the season opener. But the game took a distant second place in his thinking during the 1998 season. He chose to stay home. He cooked, took care of his kids, and cared for his wife—by choice. Stephanie, Chris’ wife, was struggling through the stark reality of breast cancer. Surgery, chemotherapy, and nausea were Stephanie’s opponents. During her fight, Chris was at her side. His actions supported his "family before job" credo. Asked by a reporter from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle if he’d consider a return to the Bills late in the season, Spielman said, "I’d play in a heartbeat, but what kind of man would I be if I backed out on my word to her? I wouldn’t be a man at all. "Football fans saw Spielman as a man because of his aggressive, leave-it-all-on-the-field style of play. But what really makes him a man? It’s his personal sacrifice and unending commitment and loyalty to his wife.
• God is more important than family, and everything else – Matthew 6.33;
B. His Plan in Action
1. “Built” – 6 times = “rebuilt” – not doing new, rebuilding the old, putting the pieces back together
2. “Repair” – 35 times = “making strong/firm”
a. Not a quick fix
b. Lasting
c. Our work with people is to be eternal/lasting – “Make DISCIPLES” (not converts; Restore – Galatians 6.1-2 (put back – as setting a bone; mending a net)
3. We are not looking for gimmicks to make a crowd but for the things of God that will grow people
II. The Workers Who Got It Done:
A. The Leaders Who Set the Example (v. 1) –
1. Priests normally did not do manual labor but jumped in to set the pace
2. Spurred on others – who were not professional craftsmen:
perfumers (v. 8), goldsmiths (v. 8, 31), temple servants (v26), merchants (v32),
B. The Faithful Workers – “Next to him” – Repeated about 15 times in this chapter (v. 1, 2a, 4a, 5a, 7a, 8a, 9a...) – In Sections Near Their Own Homes – Acts 1.8
1. The wall was for the security of the city and a breach would have been disastrous; by building together, the wall would be completed.
Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China has a main-line length of 2,150 miles. Completed during the reign of Qin Shi Huangdi (221-210 B.C.), it has a further 2,195 miles of branches and spurs. It is 15-39 feet high and up to 32 feet thick.—Guinness Book of World Records
The Great Wall of China was decades in building, and was finished at the expense of vast treasure and 400,000 human lives. It was intended for a defense against the marauding hordes of the north, who had so often laid waste to the land.
However, historians tell us that within a short time of its completion it was pierced and proved inadequate, not because it was not massive and well enough built, but because of the human element—in each case the enemy bribed the guards.
2. Jesus sent his disciples out in two’s to do their work – encouragement and support;
3. As body of believers, we participate in this community of faith – together – Ephesians 4; Romans 12
C. The Shirkers (v. 5) – Nobles who refused to work
1. Leon Trotsky
In 1915 Leon Trotsky, future leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, who would one day lead Russia into Communism, was invited to a Sunday school class in Chicago and he attended. He was a young man in search of ideas in life. The Sunday School teacher did not show up, and didn't cover himself either. The class sat there in an empty room. So far as history tells us it was the last time he ever set foot in a church, and in 1917 he led Russia into atheistic communism. How would things have been different perhaps if on that day standing before him was a spirit filled, Bible drilled, victory thrilled man of God. But he missed his place along the wall, there was a breach!
2. “Just church”?
D. The Second Mile Workers (v. 11; 19; 21; 24)
1. Did their job and the jobs of those who did not do theirs – Tekoites shamed by their Nobles
2. Along with the Tekoites, 6 other groups repaired two portions of the wall (11, 19-21, 24, 27, 30).
1. What would happen if each of us worked in our places?
• We see a Big Nation in need of repair – a HUGE task!
• We see a Church Fellowship in need of improvement/our congregation can always be better
• One bite at a time starting with Our personal lives; then our families; spread the fire through our community and congregation
• Then, one by one, person by person, the “walls” of God are restored
2. This is OUR time – will the work be completed, or would it be left undone?
3. Will we Build and Build with Excitement/Enthusiasm? Verse 20 – Baruch diligently/zealously repaired. Some translations say he carefully repaired the wall, but the Hebrew word used means to burn or to be kindled, showing more of an idea of zeal or passion for the work.
4. God has put us in our places and given us opportunity to build step up to the task, together!
In 1973 Gary Kildall wrote the first popular operating system for personal computers, named CP/M. IBM approached Kildall in 1980 about developing the operating system for IBM PCs. But Kildall snubbed IBM officials at a crucial meeting, according to author, Paul Carroll.
The next day when IBM came calling, he chose to fly his new airplane. The frustrated IBM executives turned instead to Bill Gates, founder of a small software company called Microsoft, and his operating system named MS-DOS.
For Bill Gates the rest has become history.
