Rebuilding The Walls - The Plan

Rebuilding The Walls

The Plan

Nehemiah’s background

We can learn about revival from Nehemiah’s rebuilding the walls

1. Nehemiah was aware of the PROBLEM.

1:3 “The wall of Jerusalem is broken down and its gates are destroyed by fire.”

He was not just aware that “something was wrong, He knew exactly what it was...THE WALLS ARE DOWN

We have problems today... war; drugs, aids, homosexuality, divorce, child abuse, pre/extra marital sex, corrupt politicians, corrupt spiritual leaders, famine, hunger, homeless, terrorists, deficits, abortion, rape, murder, and more.

We look at it and say, something is wrong

what is wrong with people today

people don’t care anymore

people are so selfish

it can’t get much worse

Not enough to know that something is wrong… we must know WHAT IS WRONG

Like Nehemiah, we need to see the real problem... the WALLS ARE TORN DOWN

What walls ?????

the walls of purity, holiness, godliness.

“Most of us have gotten so familiarized with the evils that stare us in the face every time we go out upon the pavement, read a newspaper, watch the news, talk to friends, “that we have come to think of them as being inseparable from our modern life” just natural parts of life, the bad that we must accept with the good, “like the noise of a carriage wheel on the pavement.”

Alexander MacLaren

All of our problems today come from the destruction of the Walls... of obedience

of purity,

of godliness,

of holiness

of discipleship,

of service,

of sacrifice

The walls are torn down and trampled under the feet of modern man.

They laugh at the walls,

those who built them,

those who try to rebuild them.

They say, “We are well rid of the walls” “We are better off”

They see the walls as restricting personal growth freedom and happiness

Glass walls around WTT observation deck

The walls of godliness, holiness, and purity are what made us great and protected us

Now they are broken down!!!

2. Nehemiah was concerned.

1:4 When I heard these words I sat down and wept, and mourned for days; and I continued in fasting and prayer.

Look how he reacted to the knowledge

Wept… mourned… fasted…prayed

Nehemiah not only knew; He cared.

Most don’t know; so can’t care

Some do know; but don’t care

FEW KNOW AND CARE

Do you care that divorce, affairs, and desertion are killing the family?

Do you care that drugs and alcohol are ruining lives that children and wives are abused?

Do you care that babies are being murdered in the millions?

DO YOU CARE THAT ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENENING BECAUSE WE HAVE FORSAKEN THE WALLS?????

Do you care enough to do anything about it??

Nehemiah cared enough to give up ease for work and a peaceful life for constant danger

He cared enough to give up a brilliant future for reproach

He was willing to forsake clean cloths daily for same cloths

IF we really care about the state of the world, America, our state, our home WE MUST ACT

Occupy Boston supporters cared enough about the financial situation of our country that they were willing to put themselves out… be arrested

They care enough… but about the wrong thing.

Do they see the suffering of abortion and addiction and are they willing to protest those things?

If we REALLY care...

WE MUST START TO REBUILD THE WALLS WHERE WE LIVE

3:28-30 28 Above the Horse Gate the priests carried out repairs, each in front of his house. 29 After [a]them Zadok the son of Immer carried out repairs in front of his house. And after him Shemaiah the son of Shecaniah, the keeper of the East Gate, carried out repairs. 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 carried out repairs in front of his own [b]quarters.

in our personal life

in our family in our job

Nehemiah knew the problem

He was concerned enough to act AND

3. He knew the CAUSE.

1:6b-7 I and my father’s house have sinned. 7 We have acted very corruptly against You and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses.

When he looked for the causes of the walls demise... HE

DIDN’T LOOK OUTSIDE

He looked inside-

sins of the people

personal sin

father’s house Predecessors (owe apology)

IT is sin of EACH and ALL

SPECIFICALLY… We have not kept commandments, statutes, and ordinances

4. Nehemiah knew the CURE.

a. INTROSPECTION—

2:11-16 11 So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God was putting into my [a]mind to do for Jerusalem and there was no animal with me except the animal on which I was riding. 13 So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the [b]Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire. 14 Then I passed on to the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was no place for [c]my mount to pass. 15 So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall. Then I entered the Valley Gate again and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.