With The Help Of God

With the Help of God

Griffith Baptist Church – 11/2/08

P.M. Service

Text: Nehemiah 6:15-19

Key verse: Nehemiah 6:16 - And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

Premise: With God helping us we will get the job done that He requires and fulfill His will in and for our lives.

The Introduction

A family asked a priest to help ‘straighten out’ a rambunctious young boy and his sister. After he agreed to speak to them separately, the older child, a girl of 8, went in to the office. She found the priest sitting solemnly behind a big desk. Silence - then the priest asked "Where is God?" More silence; the question was repeated. This happened three times, at which point the child burst out of the priest’s office and ran for home, straight upstairs to her room. ‘Boy, are we in trouble,’ she reported to her anxious younger brother. ‘Why? What happened?’ ‘God’s missing and they’re blaming us!’

Well, good news; God is not missing, He’s right here with us.

He was there with Nehemiah as well. (Discuss text)

God needs to be in the center of everything in our lives and church, if we are to do His work.

Let’s look at three realities that Nehemiah teaches us when God helps us.

Body

1. With the Help of God The Work Will Get Finished – 6:15

A. One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check it out. So he called one of His best angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time. When the angel returned she told God, yes it is bad on Earth, 95% is bad and 5% is good. Well, God thought for a moment and said "Maybe I had better send down a second angel, to get another point of view." So God called another angel and sent her to Earth for a time too. When the angel returned she went to God and told Him yes, the Earth was in decline, 95% was bad and 5% was good. God said this was not good. So He decided to E-mail the 5% that were good. He wanted to encourage them..............give them a little something to help them keep going. Do you know what that E-mail said? * * * * * * * * * You didn’t get one either, huh? From Christianstories.com We need God’s help in everything, and in our context, we need His help to do and complete the work of ministry He has for us.

B. John 15:5 – I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

i. If God is not in the work, than the work will not prosper

ii. What you do for God is God’s work

iii. It took three traits to make it work for Nehemiah and it will work the same everywhere.

C. It takes teamwork

i. Nehemiah 4:6 - So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

ii. In an old Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demanded that her brother Linus change TV channels and then threatened him with her fist if he didn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asked Linus. "These five fingers," said Lucy. "Individually they are nothing, but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." Linus replied "What channel do you want?"

D. It takes prayer

i. Nehemiah was a man of fervent prayer and got results

a. Nehemiah 1:4 – he prayed before the God of heaven,

b. Nehemiah 2:4 – So I prayed to the God of heaven.

c. Nehemiah 4:9 – Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God

ii. We need to be dedicated prayer warriors if we want to see great things happen - James 5:16 - The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

E. It takes dedication

i. Some just don’t have a stomach for the fight

ii. Nehemiah and his work crew stood together against overwhelming odds.

iii. Dedication means approaching every task for God with confidence in God - 1 Corinthians 16:13 - Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.

iv. Reward comes with staying with the stuff - Galatians 6:9 - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.