The Great Revival

Nehemiah 8 The Great Revival

Growing up, my family had a business in Sanford. It was a building material center. Several blocks behind our store were the projects. Over the years we had trouble with some of the people from there. Until we had alarms installed and put guard dogs in the back lumber yard, the place would be burglarized somewhat regularly.

During the day, groups of boys would come in and we would catch them trying to shoplift. It was frustrating when you’re working countless hours trying to build a business and provide for your family, while others think nothing of stealing from you.

The city knew the projects were a problem. They were centers for violence, drug dealing, and crime. Their solution? Let’s move the people out of there. The buildings are getting to bad shape. They don’t look good. If we move these people out of here and put them into nicer housing, things will change. So, they moved the folks out of the projects, and with section 8 housing, began putting them up in some of the local apartment complexes.

You know what happened? Those apartment complexes became centers for violence, crime and drug dealing. Here is a lesson I wish our politicians would learn, you are not going to change the situation until you change the people, or at least until you change the peoples’ hearts.

That is a lesson we see amply demonstrated here in the book of Nehemiah. In the first 6 chapters of the book, God has led Nehemiah back to the city of his people, back to Jerusalem. The Lord has used him to lead the people to rebuild the city walls.

The walls are rebuilt. The rubble is cleaned up. The towers are constructed. The gates are repaired and rehung. In chapter 6 and verses 15-16 we read,”

> Nehemiah 6:15-16 The wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.

God rebuilt the city.

In chapter 7, the people return to the city. The city is partially repopulated.

The people were now well-ordered, well-defended, and well-grounded. But in this community, even though its residents had nice homes, and good jobs, and were well-protected, there was still something missing. So God brings about one of the earliest, and one of the largest revivals recorded in the Bible.

- Read Nehemiah 8:1-18

Notice of you will, the ingredients of this great revival.

1. There is humility among the leadership.

- Read Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5

After Nehemiah had led the people to do the impossible, after he had led them to rebuild the city in a time frame that would have been impossible without the Lord, after he had led them to rebuild in spite of opposition and enemies, the people built a large platform and said, Ezra, come and read to us from the book of the law.

Wait a minute. Nehemiah led you to do the impossible but now you want to hear from Ezra and the other priests?

My friends, in ministry as in other places in life, people are equipped with different gifts and different abilities. We do not all do well at everything. God has called and equipped us differently, so we can work together as the Body of Christ.

Sometimes, the Lord just calls us to get a ministry going, because we have the gifts of organizing and the ability to head things in a certain direction, and the ability to get people involved who share a similar dream, but then the Lord calls someone else to take it to another level. Or, we work side-by-side, each doing what the Lord has specifically called and equipped us to do.

There is no room in life, and especially in ministry, for us to build tiny kingdoms where it is all about me, and what I have done, and what I want. There is no place for us to claim all of the spot light, or all of the attention or to think that we are the only person the Lord can use in a given situation.

When God needed the temple rebuilt, he called a priest, Ezra. When He wanted a city rebuilt, He called Nehemiah. When He wanted the people taught, He again called Ezra and the other priests.

Did Nehemiah wash his hands of the whole thing because he was no longer center stage and the only one being recognized? No.

- Read vs 9.

Nehemiah was still in the thick of things. He was still leading and instructing and motivating the people, but he recognized his gifts and his calling and he recognized the gifts and abilities of others as well.