DREAM TEAM
Nehemiah 3:1-32
S: Courage
Th: Brave Hearts
Pr: WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE A TEAM.
?: Inductive
KW: approaches
TS: We will find in our study of Nehemiah 3:1-32, seven approaches to building the wall that make it a success.
The _____ approach is…
I. PRIORITY
II. UNITY
III. INDIVIDUALITY
IV. GENEROSITY
V. AUDACITY (NOT)
VI. RESPONSIBILITY
VII. INTENSITY
Version: ESV
Note: The outline found its start in The Bible Speaks Today commentary on Nehemiah by Raymond Brown.
RMBC 02 Feb 03 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Remember (scrambled)
An Australian travel writer at the beginning of a six month tour of Canada was checking out the Vancouver Hilton, and as he paid his bill said to the manager, asked, “By the way, what’s with the Indian chief sitting in the lobby? He’s been there ever since I arrived.”
“Oh that’s Big Chief Forget-me Not,” said the manager. “The hotel is built on an Indian reservation, and part of the agreement is to allow the chief free use of the premises for the rest of his life. He is known as ‘Big Chief Forget-me Not’ because of his phenomenal memory. He is 92 and can remember the slightest detail of his life.”
The travel writer took this in, and as he was waiting for his cab decided to put the chief’s memory to the test. “ello, mate!” said the Aussie, receiving only slight nod in return. "hat did you have for breakfast on your 21st birthday?”
“Eggs,” was the chief’s instant reply, without even looking up, and indeed the Aussie was impressed. He went off on his travel writing itinerary, right across to the east coast and back, telling others of Big Chief Forget-me Not’s great memory. One local noted to him that “How” was a more appropriate greeting for an Indian chief than “ello mate.”
On his return to the Vancouver Hilton six months later was surprised to see ’Big Chief Forget-me Not’ still sitting in the lobby, fully occupied with whittling away on a stick. “How?” said the Aussie to the Chief, who again did not stop to look up.
“Scrambled,” said the Chief.
Now, that’s a great memory!
1. Do you like to be remembered?
We all like to be remembered.
If someone who has only met us once or twice, hasn’t seen us in a while, and they remember our name, we are rather impressed.
(We also might wonder what we did to cause them to remember us!)
When the Lord brought our role to a conclusion at each church we have served in, we left with a memento to remember them by: a memory book, a video…
At our first church, they gave us a shirt, with all the names of the youth group members.
They are names that I know, but you do not.
But they are important to me.
They are people that have made an impact on my life.
More than that…
2. Names represent people whom God loves.
As we come to chapter three of Nehemiah, you are going to find that there are a lot of names.
Let me set the context of why we find these names.
In the first two chapters, we observed that Nehemiah left the Persian palace of king Artaxerxes, where he was the trusted cupbearer, and with the king’s blessing, returned to his nation’s capital, Jerusalem, to repair and rebuild its walls.
When Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, after a thorough evaluation, he successfully inspired a vision to complete the walls.
He was able to do so because he established a link between what God was doing through him and what God was up to in history.
He demonstrated that God had been working behind the scenes for their benefit.
This proof of God’s thumbprint awakened the dormant faith of the people.
Now they are ready to be a part of something God has His hand on.
So, as we come to chapter 3, we observe that the building has begun.
And we have a list of the names of those that have worked on the wall.
They are here because they are winners!
You know…
3. It is great to be on a winning team.
They are Jerusalem’s dream team.
They came together and pulled it off.
And Nehemiah makes sure they get the credit because they are heroic people – people with a holy ambition!
So, today…
4. We will find in our study of Nehemiah 3:1-32, seven approaches to building the wall that make it a success.
Let’s hear the text as a whole…
[1] Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. [2] And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. [3] The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. [4] And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. [5] And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord. [6] Joiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Gate of Yeshanah. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. [7] And next to them repaired Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, the seat of the governor of the province Beyond the River. [8] Next to them Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, goldsmiths, repaired. Next to him Hananiah, one of the perfumers, repaired, and they restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. [9] Next to them Rephaiah the son of Hur, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired. [10] Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired. [11] Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens. [12] Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters. [13] Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars, and repaired a thousand cubits of the wall, as far as the Dung Gate. [14] Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. [15] And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and covered it and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. And he built the wall of the Pool of Shelah of the king’s garden, as far as the stairs that go down from the City of David. [16] After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool, and as far as the house of the mighty men. [17] After him the Levites repaired: Rehum the son of Bani. Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district. [18] After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. [19] Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the buttress. [20] After him Baruch the son of Zabbai repaired another section from the buttress to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. [21] After him Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired another section from the door of the house of Eliashib to the end of the house of Eliashib. [22] After him the priests, the men of the surrounding area, repaired. [23] After them Benjamin and Hasshub repaired opposite their house. After them Azariah the son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah repaired beside his own house. [24] After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another section, from the house of Azariah to the buttress [25] and to the corner. Palal the son of Uzai repaired opposite the buttress and the tower projecting from the upper house of the king at the court of the guard. After him Pedaiah the son of Parosh [26] and the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower. [27] After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel. [28] Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. [29] After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house. After him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, repaired. [30] After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another section. After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber. [31] After him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, repaired as far as the house of the temple servants and of the merchants, opposite the Muster Gate, and to the upper chamber of the corner. [32] And between the upper chamber of the corner and the Sheep Gate the goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.
OUR STUDY:
Now…
I. The first approach is PRIORITY.
[1] Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors...
The first verse shows us that…
Work begins on the spiritual center.
We see here that the Priests didn’t sit on the sidelines when it came to this work.
They committed themselves to the work and joined right in.
What is also significant here is that the very first place that is mentioned is the Sheep Gate.
This is important because this gate is the closest to the temple.
It probably took its name from the animals that were brought in for sacrifice.
Since the Sheep Gate is mentioned first, the idea of “Put God first” is reinforced.
The priority is thus established.
The spiritual center for worship is to be protected.
This is true for each one of us as well today.
Just your presence here communicates your desire to protect your spiritual center.
You are here to worship and feed your soul.
You are establishing what your spiritual priorities are.
II. The second approach is UNITY.
[2] And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built… [4] And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired. [5] And next to them the Tekoites repaired…
We see here that…
Work is accomplished shoulder to shoulder.
Did you notice the Italicized words?
Repeatedly, throughout the text, the words “next to them” appear.
These are people working together, side by side, with the same purpose.
They are building a wall.
Note also the variety of backgrounds that Nehemiah uses.
Personally, I would have looked for the construction types.
You know the guys…
They have big arms, sleeveless shirts, hard hats over a ponytail and a tattoo or two.
That’s who I would have picked.
Nehemiah, however, uses a great variety of people to accomplish the task: priests, goldsmiths, perfume-makers, merchants, and district rulers.
As they build next to each other, they build each other up and demonstrate how absolutely indispensable unity is.
Their portion of the wall must come together with the next portion.
They must match.
This is so much a lesson we need to learn in the church.
For note this…
We will never get beyond how well we are getting along.
If we are not united by a biblical purpose, we will nit-pick, gossip, argue and fight.
And we will not accomplish God’s agenda.
III. The third approach is INDIVIDUALITY.
[11] Malchijah the son of Harim and Hasshub the son of Pahath-moab repaired another section and the Tower of the Ovens… [14] Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate.
See here that…
Work is done by distinct individuals.
I have pointed us at verses 11 and 14 because we have two different people with the same name.
The building was not done by people that were identical and could be stereotyped.
No, these were different kinds of people that worked in harmony.
Also note 3:12…
Next to him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, ruler of half the district of Jerusalem, repaired, he and his daughters.
Shallum and his daughters are mentioned here.
They are respected and honored.
This was not exclusively men’s work.
This was for all that had a stake in what was going on.
Let us also note at this point that since we are all different, we need organization.
Cooperation needs coordination.
This is so true in the church as well.
Just as it was back then, we have contrasting personalities, complementary abilities, and distinctive abilities.
Because of this, each one of us possesses a certain dignity.
What each one of us has to offer has value.
Now…
IV. The fourth approach is GENEROSITY.
[13] Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate... [14] Malchijah the son of Rechab, ruler of the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate… [15] And Shallum the son of Col-hozeh, ruler of the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate… [16] After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, ruler of half the district of Beth-zur, repaired to a point opposite the tombs of David… [17] …Next to him Hashabiah, ruler of half the district of Keilah, repaired for his district. [18] After him their brothers repaired: Bavvai the son of Henadad, ruler of half the district of Keilah. [19] Next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, ruler of Mizpah, repaired another section…
Work is done by those willing to sacrifice.
As you look at this section of people, note that they were all out-of-towners.
Some of them traveled 15 – 20 miles.
This means that there was little or immediate benefit to them if Jerusalem’s walls were repaired.
Yet they showed up for this sweaty, back-breaking work.
They had their own fields to cultivate.
They had their own farms and places of business to be maintained.
They had families to care for.
Yet, they left them behind and unattended for a greater cause.
They were people of sacrifice and generosity.
Through the centuries, the church has been built on those that have sacrificed and were even willing to work behind the scenes.
They were ready to do anything to further God’s agenda.
They did it whether it was cleaning, catering, repairs, visiting, or literature distribution.
Whatever needed to be done, they set aside other cares, and exhibited generosity.
We continue to need sacrifice and generosity today.
In fact, the church is paralyzed and unable to accomplish its purpose without it.
V. The fifth approach is AUDACITY (NOT).
[5] And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.
Work is not accomplished by those filled with self-importance.
Verse 5 is intriguing because it is the only negative in the chapter.
The leading citizens of Tekoa knew the need of Jerusalem, but they refused to help.
The text tells us that they did not put their shoulder to the work.
Pride kept them from it.
They wouldn’t stoop this low.
They were too important.
But do note this…
All that are recorded in this chapter are positively reported but these.
They are remembered forever for their failure.
And it is a lesson to us as well…
God records the goof-offs.
So we must remember that pride is a cruel enemy.
It inflates our self-importance, makes holiness impossible and, thus, we are unable to fulfill God’s plan for us.
VI. The sixth approach is RESPONSIBILITY.
[28] Above the Horse Gate the priests repaired, each one opposite his own house. [29] After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his own house… [30] …After him Meshullam the son of Berechiah repaired opposite his chamber.
Work is done by those that are determined to give their best.
Nehemiah made assignments wisely.
He encouraged people to work opposite of their residences.
Interestingly, it was an opportunity to protect ones’ own reputation.
Their work would have a direct impact on their own homes, so it had better be good.
No one would want his or her present work to bring future embarrassment.
Sometimes, our search for a ministry opportunity is not so far away.
It is the wall right in front of our homes.
It is the people that God has already brought into our life.
It is our family.
It is the people we live around.
It is the people that we work with or go to school with.
So be careful not to be looking elsewhere when the wall in front of you is in disrepair.
Be responsible for what God has already given you to do.
VII. The seventh approach is INTENSITY.
[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. (NIV)
[27] After him the Tekoites repaired another section opposite the great projecting tower as far as the wall of Ophel.
Now note that the…
Work is finished by those that are willing to go the extra mile.
In this chapter, we see that Meremoth, Meshullam and the Tekoans all finished one part of the wall.
What they didn’t do at this point was brush off their hands and clothes and say, “We’re done.”
No, they looked for more opportunity.
They were eager to do God’s work and went the second mile.
In verse 20, Baruch is also mentioned as one that is zealous to accomplish the building of the wall.
He was enthusiastic.
He was on fire.
As many of you know, I coach soccer.
My latest assignment by the Amherst Soccer Association is a travel team of 13 and 14 year old girls.
The characteristic that I value the most in a soccer player is not skill.
It is passion.
I will pick passion over skill every time in soccer.
Let me switch categories for a second.
Imagine for a moment, men especially, when you asked your future wife that special question.
You asked, “Will you marry me?”
And, of course, you are looking for that passionate and enthusiastic answer of “Yes.”
Yet, what you hear is “Maybe.”
Wait a second, that’s sound vaguely familiar.
Perhaps I should move on…
Let me tell you this…
The church still needs people with passion of every age.
The church is looking for people that look to see what needs to be done and are willing to put feet on it.
The church needs people that will not settle for what has been, but for what needs to be!
APPLICATION:
All of this together demonstrates that…
1. WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO BE A TEAM.
God has not called on us to act rashly and do our own thing.
He has called us to coordinated cooperation.
He calls us to have the courage to set aside our preferences, our desires, our hurts and our pride so that the team will succeed.
He needs people that will commit time, talent, and treasure to complete the task.
You have to admire Nehemiah here, for he takes a disorganized, unmotivated, and uninspired people and turns them into an army with a mission.
You know, Nehemiah teaches us many lessons about leadership.
One of them is that…
2. leaders must recognize that visions from God are bigger than them.
It has been said, “If you can do this job yourself, then your vision is too small.”
You have to appreciate Nehemiah’s “can do” attitude.
But you must realize his source.
He is confident about God’s agenda and God’s call, so he moves forward, even though it is huge.
By gathering the team together, though, he teaches us that…
3. The church is not designed for loners.
Whether you are a leader or a follower, the principle still applies.
We are not meant to do anything alone.
God has designed the church to function together.
We need each other.
For…
4. We are designed to network together.
This means you have a place!
Remember the long list of names we read a while ago…
It shows us that God is a great believer in putting names down.
It also means that God has not forgotten our names either.
You may feel obscure and unimportant, but God does have a place for you.
He has a strategic place for you at the wall.
God has a job for you to do in the church that matches up perfectly with what He has wired you to do.
You belong on this team.
One of the things that we are doing to help you with this in a month is having a “Network” seminar (Febriary 28 & March 1).
It will be a time centered around God’s Word that will help you discover your passion, your personality and your spiritual gifts.
So I encourage each of you to give consideration to attending.
Sign-ups will begin next week…
No more loners.
It’s time to have courage, be on the team, and build the wall.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
