Nehemiah 1:1-4
“Does Anybody Care about Me”
There was once a man who had been put into a prison as a prisoner of war.
He thought that at any moment his comrades would come and retrieve him but that never happened. Instead he spent day after day in that prison with a floor of mostly dirt and the only light coming from a crack in the roof. He even got so despondent that he cried out one day, “Does anybody care about me?”
The next week a small plant began to grow in his cell responding to the light from the crack above.
Day by day it grew bigger till one day it bloomed into a beautiful flower.
On that day he learned something.
This man learned that yes somebody does care for him…God does.
We know that God cares about us.
I’ve got a question for you this morning?
Who cares about God?
I think that is an honest question.
Who really cares about God?
Oh it is one thing to say that you care about God.
It is quite another to live it out.
If one of our little ones were to run out to the street…no doubt one of you would run out and risk your own life to save him from an oncoming car.
Because you care.
But in a day when God’s church is going down instead of up.
In a day when morality is at a low ebb.
Do you care about God?
Do you care enough to do something about it.
Nehemiah was a man that cared.
Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king.
This was a very trust worthy job…but when you think about it…Nehemiah had it made.
While most Jews were suffering back in the promised land and in captivity trying to make a go at it…Nehemiah was able to live the good life in this palace.
He had a place of safety.
He had a place of comfort.
He had the trust of the Persian king.
Nehemiah sees his brother one day in the palace and he could have asked many questions.
But the questions he asks concerns the people and the city of God.
The response that he hears is not good.
The wall of Jerusalem is broken down…the gates have been burned with fire.
Not only that but the people of God are continuously being attacked by the enemy.
The Bible says that Nehemiah went and fasted and prayed and wept for many days.
Why?
Here was a man that cared.
He cared about what was happening to the people of God.
He cared about what was happening to the worship of God in the city of God.
He cared enough that he did more than just cry and pray.
I get so sick sometimes of hearing Christians say…well I’ll be praying for you.
No, he cared enough to leave all the comforts of the palace to go to Jerusalem.
He cared enough to go and to do.
2:1-6
He went.
And when he got there Nehemiah began to lead the people into doing some things to the city.
And this morning I want to ask you a question before I go any further.
Do you care about your God?
Because if you do…then there are some things that you will do as well.
Just as Nehemiah took care of some things…so will you.
I. The first thing Nehemiah did was rebuild the walls of the city.
The walls of the city was one of the most important defenses a city of this time had.
One of the first things a king would do would be to build up his walls.
One of the first things an enemy would do would be to tear down the walls.
Walls were built to keep the enemy out and the people safe.
David was so concerned about his walls that he prayed.
Psalm 51:18
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Well just as Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem God is also calling us to build up the walls in our own lives.
A wall of separation from Sin.
G.K. Chersterton so wisely once said, “Don’t ever take down a fence till you realize the reason it was put up.”
I’ve got a friend who had a fenced in back yard.
I used to be so glad they had that fenced in back yard.
Because on the other side of the fence was this huge Rock Wiler.
My friend God has called us to be a Holy and different people.
He has called us to live in this world…yes.
But he has not called us to live like this world.
And the reason is…God knows what sin will do to you.
God knows the cost of sin.
Therefore we are to have a wall of separation from the enemy.
II. They rebuilt the gates.
The second thing Nehemiah did was rebuild the gates.
It really does not matter how high and sturdy your walls are if you don’t have high and sturdy gates.
There were ten gates to the city of Jerusalem.
And just as they rebuilt those gates we should rebuild the gates in our own lives.
A. The sheep gate.
3:1
The first gate they rebuilt was the sheep gate.
This gate was on the northeast corner of the city and was the gate that was used to bring in all of the sheep for sacrifice.
That is why they called it the sheep gate.
Strangely enough this was the gate that Jesus used the most when he entered the city.
Maybe Jesus was living out a testimony saying…I’m the ultimate sacrifice.
One day Jesus did become the lamb slaughtered for our sins.
They rebuilt this gate.
My friend this is the first gate we must build into our lives.
Because this is where we begin with God.
In a day when many people have plenty of ideas about what it takes to get to heaven…I’m telling you…you must come by the sheep gate.
You must have a relationship with the one who has died for sin.
B. The Fish Gate
3:3
This was a main gate on the north side and was so named because there was once a large fish market there.
This was the gate that most of the fish were brought into the city after being caught.
This gate reminds me of the very first thing a person should do after he has built the sheep gate.
He must become a fisher of men himself.
Matthew 4:19
19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
My friend we who have been saved from the wretches of sin ought to be the greatest soul winners there ever was.
But we are not.
If you really care about God…then you will care about this.
C. The Old Gate
3:6
This gate was on the Northwest corner of the city and entered what was called the Old district of Jerusalem.
This gate reminds me that we need to go back to some old truths.
Jeremiah 6:16
16 Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
My friend today many Christians have some weird ideas about serving God.
It is almost as if they are making up their own rules.
But I want you to know this morning that God has some old truths that He still wants followed.
Like Sin is still Sin.
God still hates it.
The preaching of the Word of God is still important.
NOTHING substitutes worship.
I can’t believe that there are Christians who will just casually just miss church…don’t care.
Old paths…the old gate.
D. The Valley Gate
3:13
This gate opened up into the Tyropean Valley on the west side of the city.
Therefore it was called the valley gate.
This gate reminds me that we too are to have valleys.
One of the greatest characteristics of a Christian is that he or she should be humble.
But we have turned into a proud people.
So proud that we don’t need God.
So proud that we don’t need revival.
E. The Dung Gate
3:13
This gate was on the southwest corner of the city facing the Hinnom valley.
This is where all of the garbage was brought out of the city.
No doubt this gate stunk.
But garbage would be brought out and burned and when the rainy season came the floods would wash away the garbage.
My friend this is a gate that needs rebuilding in our Christian lives.
God has provided a way for the Christian to remove sin out of his life.
But sin does not bother us so much anymore.
Christians dabble in sin more than they ever have.
We have so many ways of sinning.
It must have been hard for whoever worked on this gate to have done it.
But it had to be rebuilt.
Sometimes it is hard dealing with sin.
F. The Fountain Gate
This was on the Southeast corner of the city facing the Kidron Valley.
This gate reminds me of something that Jesus said.
John 7:38
38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Now you cannot rebuild this gate till the dung gate has been rebuilt.
But my friend God has called us to be blessings to others.
He has called us to minister to other people…to meet their needs.
He has called for our lives to be a fountain.
For others to come and drink from when they are dry and thirsty.
Let me ask you…is your life such that others can come and drink.
And be ministered to.
Or are you all dried up…because your relationship to God is lacking.
G. The Water Gate
3:26
This gate was about halfway up the east side of the city.
This gate faced the Kidron Valley and the main water source for the city, the Gihon Spring.
Through this gate was brought all of the water for the city.
I’m reminded of something Paul said:
Ephesians 5:26
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
My friend something that Christians need to do is fall in love with this book again.
Psalm 119:11
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.
The Word of God has a cleasing affect to it.
H. The Horse Gate
3:28
This was on the Northeast side of the city and was the gate used for the soldiers who would enter the city.
This gate reminds me that we are to be soldiers for God and fight valiantly in the war against Satan and Evil.
We must take the risk of being injured for Christ.
2 Timothy 2:3
3 Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
My friend so many Christians sit on the sideline because they are afraid of getting hurt.
I’m here to tell you today that you will get hurt.
You will get scars from the battle.
There are some in this church not serving…still pouting over things that happened long ago…it is time you get back in the battle.
Rebuild your horse gate.
I. The Eastern Gate.
3:29
This gate was probably one of the most important gates of the city.
This gate was the very first gate opened every morning to let the new sunrise in.
It was sometimes called the gate of hope…because back then many times the enemy would attack at night.
For this gate to be opened meant that they had lived another day.
For as sunlight streamed into the city it brought hope.
My friend we also have our Eastern Gate.
For one day Jesus will burst through the Eastern Sky to take his children home.
That is our hope.
But there was a time when Christians lived expecting this to take place.
That at any moment Jesus could return.
As I read the Scriptures this should cause us to do one thing.
We should want to get ready…be prepared.
What will the Lord find you doing.
Rebuild this gate in your life.
J. Gate Miphkad.
V. 31
Gate Miphkad was the final gate rebuilt.
It was called the Gate of Review…because it was there that David would review his troops.
They would line up there…and it was there he would review his troops.
He knew how well each one fought.
Sometimes he would give out medals and such at the gate of review.
My friend we all have a Gate Miphkad.
A gate of review.
2 Corinthians 5:10
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
My friend do we truly believe that this day will come.
When I say…rebuild this gate…I’m talking about living like we truly believe that the day of review is coming.
You say I don’t care about rewards.
You will on that day.
The Bible tells me that our crowns are thrown at the feet of Jesus.
You will care.
III. They built a foundation.
The very first thing they had to do was build a foundation for this wall and these gates.
My friend you cannot rebuild these things unless your foundation is strong and sturdy.
Some of you don’t have this because your lost and without Christ.
Some of you don’t have this because you have backslidden away from God.
Your not as close as you once were.
And you need to return.
My hope is built on nothing less.
Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame.
But wholly lean on Jesus name.
On Christ the Solid Rock I stand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
All other ground is sinking sand.
How bout you?
Do you really care about God?
Then what are you doing about it?
