The Necessity Of Preparation Series

Satan is tearing things down in this world, but Jesus Christ is building things up. For

which one are you working?

God is looking for people who will make a difference in the difficult places of life! People

with vision who see possibilities, not problems! People with courage who will finish the

job! People with faith who believe that God can use them! Are you that kind of person?

Do you desire to be that type of person? Do you yearn to “go the extra mile” for God and

maybe, just maybe complete some of the tough tasks in life? I hope so!

Nehemiah was this kind of person. Nehemiah was the kind of person who cared. He

cared about the traditions of the past and the needs of the present. He cared about the

hopes for the future. He cared about his heritage, his ancestral city, and the glory of his

God. He was a layman called by God to give Jerusalem a new beginning. In spite of

opposition, Nehemiah stayed on the job and saw the holy city restored. The restoring of

the city was God’s desire! The restoring of this church to greatness is God’s desire! But

God is looking for men, God is looking for women and God is looking for young people

who are willing to do what they can with what they have and to see the task through to

completion. Are you ready? Are you anxious? Are you excited? Not excited about what

you or what I am going to do, but rather are you excited about watching and participating

in what God is going to do with this church? I hope so! I pray so! So let’s get started

shall we!?

Over the next five weeks we are going to spend an extended period of time learning

together about Nehemiah and the manner in which God directed him to rebuild the wall

around the holy city of Jerusalem. Today we are going to look at some of preparation

that Nehemiah did before even starting the task of rebuilding the wall. Then in upcoming

weeks we are going to see how the construction progressed and what types of people that

God used, what conflict and opposition both from outside and also from within that they

came up against, the diligence or “stick to-it-iveness” of the peoples and finally the

cleansing and celebration upon the completion of the job. I think that is going to be a

great time for each of us as individuals as well as in the life of this church as a body of

Christ. I hope that you will make it a point to be here each Sunday for the next five

weeks. I do have to warn you, however, that at the end of this time together, maybe, just

maybe you will be changed, I will be changed and this church will be stronger, healthier

and more vibrant.

Prayer!

How will you accomplish anything great for God? Let me ask that again, How will you

accomplish anything great for God? How will we accomplish anything great for

God?

Nehemiah was attempting something great for God in the rebuilding of the wall around

Jerusalem. Now before we get too far into our teaching this morning, we should take a

quick look at just who Nehemiah was and where Nehemiah was so that we can better

understand just how big of a task this was.

Nehemiah, whose name means “The Lord has comforted” was a layman cupbearer to the

King Artexerxes, who was ruler over Persia or modern day Iran in the mid 400’s BC.

Now a cupbearer was much more than our modern day butler. It was a position of great

responsibility and privilege. At each meal he tested the king’s wine and tasted the king’s

food to make sure that it wasn’t poisoned. He was a “secret service agent’ of the time. A

person who stood that close to the king in public had to be well cultured, good looking,

knowledgeable in court procedures and able to converse with the king and advise him if

asked. Because the cupbearer had great access to the king, he had great influence and

power which cold be used for good or evil. It is also interesting to note that this was quite

a position for Nehemiah to hold since he was an “ex-patriot” or someone who was not

originally from that country. Nehemiah was from Judah and had been driven out of his

homeland by a succession of invading armies over the years.

But Nehemiah was in Susa because God had placed him there, just as he had placed Esther

there a generation before, just as He had put Joseph in Egypt and Daniel in Babylon.

When God wants to accomplish a work he always prepares his workers and puts them in