HOME BUILDERS:
BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE
Nehemiah 1-6
INTRODUCTION:
A. It’s good to be back with you this morning.
1. Last week Kay and I had the opportunity to visit with the Endeavor Christian Church which meets close to Polaris.
a. They are only about 6 weeks old, so it was kind of nice to visit a church that is just starting out.
2. This morning I want to continue our Home Builders series–Building for the Future
a. This is a message that is geared toward our graduates, but it is also an important message for every Christian and every church
b. While we are to be content with where we are, we are also to look ahead
c. Philip. 3:13b-14
Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
d. Making it through twelve years of school or 16 years including college, involves facing some very real challenges.
B. So the question is, “What’s next? Where do you go from here?”
1. But the question I want to ask is, “Are you striving for success?”
2. I believe that God wants us to live successful lives
a. That does not always go along with the world’s idea of success
● You can be a successful business person, but be a terrible failure as a parent or a spouse
● You can be a successful farmer, or politician, or job foreman, or teacher, but be lacking in your relationship with God.
b. So, it’s not a matter of being a success in the eyes of the world
● But are you planning to be a success in the eyes of God?
c. Here is what you need to understand–you can be successful and still be within God’s will
C. As a matter of fact, success is what a guy by the name of Nehemiah prayed for
1. About 500 years before Jesus came into the world, Nehemiah found himself working as a slave for the King of Persia, Artexerxes
a. You see, the Jewish nation had grown so far away from God that He allowed His chosen people to be defeated and carried away into captivity
b. One day Nehemiah got word that the wall and the gates around the holy city of Jerusalem were in utter ruin
2. Being a slave Nehemiah couldn’t just go in and ask the king for permission to go back to Jerusalem
a. He couldn’t even appear said in the sight of the king–after all, the king didn’t want people bringing him down
b. The fact that the holy city was in ruin touched Nehemiah’s heart, but he didn’t know what to do–so he prayed
c. READ: Nehemiah 1:4-11
d. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.
3. Our graduates need to realize that they have already succeeded several times in their lives
a. You graduated from the womb and successfully adjusted to life on the outside.
b. You graduated from infancy and successfully began that first day of kindergarten.
c. You graduated from pre-adolescence and successfully navigated those teen years.
d. Now you have graduated from high school / college and now you must travel the road of adulthood.
4. What do you need to do in order to have a successful life?
a. This is true for graduates, young or old
b. This morning I want to take a few pointers from Nehemiah that will help you be a success
I> PRAY PERSISTENTLY
A. One day Nehemiah was in the presence of the king whom he served and his sadness was quite evident
1. You need to realize that this is a big deal–the king did not want to be depressed by those around him
a. Nehemiah could have been imprisoned or worse
b. When the king finally asked, “What is it you want?” it says that Nehemiah prayed again before answering
2. Make sure your heart is right with God
a. Keep working on your relationship with God
B. Three reasons prayer is important
1. Prayer clears our vision
a. Nehemiah was in a tough spot–he didn’t know what to do
b. You are going to run into some situations in your life where you don’t know which way to turn
c. When you feel like you’re at the end of your rope, tie and knot and hang on–and pray
2. Prayer quiets our worry
a. Philip. 4:6-7
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. [7] And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
3. Prayer keeps us connected
a. Prayer helps us to put our trust in God
b. God delights in accomplishing what we cannot do on our own
c. At times, however, God waits for our cry–He waits for our call
d. A lot of teens go off to college and flaunt their newfound freedom
● Because of that, many never make it out of their freshman year
4. 1 Chron. 16:11
Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
a. 1 Thes. 5:17
pray continually;
II> PRACTICE PATIENCE
A. Nehemiah had a great deal of patience
1. VS 4 says that he mourned and fasted and prayed for some days
a. About 4 months in all before an answer came
2. Our timing may not be God’s timing, but He’s never late–He’s always right on time.
a. I think God has a sense of humor about those kinds of things
b. Patience means that we have to trust God.
ILL> When Kay and I got engaged my mom and dad wanted to know how we were going to live. They said, “You can only live on love for about 6 weeks and then you’ve got to start paying bills.”
I told them that we had everything figured out–as most young couples try to make us believe. I told them that I was going to get a weekend church and with grants and scholarships, everything would be fine.
We had planned to get married 3 weeks after the school let out for the summer. When school let out, I had no church. Two weeks before getting married, no church. The Sunday before we got married I was hired by a small church outside of Athens, Ohio.
(If you think you’ve heard some bad sermons over the years, you need to pray for that church, because they listened to some awful sermons.)
c. God came through–it was the last minute, but He still worked things out in His time.
B. In order to be successful in life you need to learn the art of patience
1. A lack of patience...
a. Run ahead of God’s timing
b. Pushes couples into getting married before they are ready
c. Leads to promiscuity
d. Causes young couples to run up high debts that take years to pay off
C. Prayed for 4 months
QUOTE> Eddie Cantor (well-known actor from the 1930’s - 1960’s)
It takes twenty years to become an overnight success.
III> PRODUCE A PLAN
A. In chapter 2, beginning in verse 11, Nehemiah takes a midnight stroll around the city, examining each section of the wall–the gates that were in ruin
1. In other words, he went to work.
a. He didn’t know how he was going to get this wall built–he didn’t know exactly how everything was going to be accomplished
b. But neither did he didn’t sit around waiting for God to show him
c. He went out to investigate and began working a plan in order to accomplish the task of rebuilding the wall
QUOTE> Conrad Hilton
Success seems to be connected with action. Successful men keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.
B. Some of you have already taken the next step–applied for college and are beginning to prepare for the next stage of your life
1. Some of you are planning to get a job
2. Let me talk to everyone here for just a moment–what’s the next step in your life?
a. What do you need to do to be more committed
b. What steps do you need to take in order to help this church be the kind of church that God desires?
QUOTE> If you fail to plan, then you are planning to fail.
IV> PARTNER WITH PEOPLE
A. Realize that you cannot do it all on your own
ILL> Alex Haley, the author of Roots, has a picture in his office, showing a turtle sitting atop a fence. The picture is there to remind him of a lesson he learned long ago: “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had some help.” Says Alex, “Any time I start thinking, ‘Wow, isn’t this marvelous what I’ve done!’ I look at that picture and remember how the turtle–me–got up on that post.
B. As we look at the rebuilding of the wall (chapter 3) it becomes apparent that there is no position or talent that is greater than the next
1. In this chapter we read of several different groups repairing different parts of the wall or gates
● 1 - fish gate
● 3 - old gate
● 6 - valley gate
● 13 - valley gate
● 15 - fountain gate
● 14 - dung gate (this is the gate I would probably get)
2. There are some parts of every job that are undesirable–maybe even right down stinkin
a. But, somebody has to do them
b. Do your part
V> PERSEVERE UNDER PRESSURE
A. Nehemiah’s job was tough–there was pressure on him from the very start
1. When he finally made it to Jerusalem there were a couple of guys, Sanballat and Tobiah, that were waiting to cause him grief
a. Neh. 2:10
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.
2. As if that wasn’t enough, there were neighboring countries that weren’t too crazy about the Jews coming back to rebuild their holy city
a. Neh. 4:7-9
But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. [8] They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. [9] But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
3. From the people of Jews themselves - 4:10
a. [10] Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."
4. Since the people were in danger, they had to cut their workforce in half
a. Half would work at the rebuilding of the wall and the other half would stand guard
b. Not only that, but even those who were working carried their swords at their side in case of attack.
B. Whenever you try to do something positive there is always going to be pressure
QUOTE> Sidney Greenburg
A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him.
1. Sometimes it will come from people that don’t like you
a. People who are trying to climb the same ladder you are climbing
b. Sometimes from your friends
ILL> There are two kinds of people in the world–those that see the obstacles and those that see beyond the obstacles. I tend to be an obstacle seer and have to be careful not to get caught up in that trap.
Growing up I had a friend by the name of Eric Derry who was and still is one of those that sees beyond the obstacles. Eric always had big ideas and he wanted me to be a part of them. He would call me on the telephone (back before we had instant messenger) and tell me what he had in mind, then I would give him 5 reasons why it would not work. By hanging around with Eric I got to be a part of some big things.
SONG> Got any rivers you think are uncrossable?
Got any mountains you can’t tunnel through?
God specializes in things thought impossible,
He does the things others cannot do.
C. Nehemiah chose this task which to many seemed impossible
1. NEH 5:15
VI> CONCLUSION:
A. Real success means keeping your life in line with God’s will.
ILL> Hours behind the runner in front of him, the marathoner finally entered Olympic stadium. By that time, the drama of the day’s events was almost over and most of the spectators had gone home. This athlete’s story, however, was still being played out.
Limping into the arena, the Tansanian runner grimaced with every step, his knee bleeding and bandaged from an earlier fall. His ragged appearance immediately caught the attention of the remaining crowd, who cheered him on to the finish line.
Why did he stay in the race? What made him endure his injuries to the end? When asked that question later, he replied, “My country did not send me 7000 miles away to start the race. They sent me 7000 miles to finish it.”
