#3 “Book of Nehemiah”
Series
"THE RIGHT STUFF!"
TEXT: Nehemiah
3:1-32
INTRO: Why do so
many government programs fail? The
government allocates huge sums of money for many of them ... they often fail
from lack of human commitment to the task or from an unmotivated
bureaucracy.
ILLUS: It is like
the dad who went outside to see what his boys were doing and saw a group of
neighborhood boys just meandering around quietly. He finally asked his son what they were
doing and the reply was "we are playing war." The father was puzzled and asked why they
were so quiet if they were playing "war"? The response was revealing, "Because we
are all generals, we can't get anybody to do the fighting!" – Source Unknown
This is often the state of the church
of Jesus Christ! We sing, "Onward Christian Soldiers" but no one
wants to dig in their heels and fight ... we are more like the crowd of people
who watch war on TV and never get involved in the real war on
sin!
It is time the saints of God quit
watching church and start participating in church! This is no show ... there will be no
commercials ... what we are doing is the most serious thing in the world right
now! The church cannot succeed
without volunteers and workers in the ranks!
PROP.
SENT: The Word of God teaches us that if the
church has the "right stuff" and by that I mean “workers,” God can accomplish
incredible feats that will astound the world ... and baffle the enemy! But it will take the whole effort by all
the saints!
I. MODELS 3:1-4
A. Elders
3:1
1. There was a huge task facing
the Jews in Jerusalem ... we are talking about rebuilding a wall and gates that
were enormous in size and shape and only a scattered remnant existed in
Jerusalem at the time!
a. It was like asking today about 18
to 20 people to buy land and plan on building a church that could seat over
1000!
b. God never has been bothered by
small numbers ... as long as they were ready to work!
c. In God’s economy small numbers
working together has great strength!
ILLUS: The story
is told of a horse-pull in Canada. One horse pulled 9,000 pounds, another 8,000.
Together you would expect them to pull 18,000 pounds. Not so! When teamed together, they pulled 30,000
pounds.
The principle is called synergism.
By definition, the simultaneous
action of separate agents working together has a greater total effect than the
sum of their individual efforts. More can be done in a team effort than
can be accomplished solo. In order
for the principle of synergism to work like it should, there has to be
teamwork.
Everything we do takes teamwork
and trust. Every person in the
local church is valuable and needed. The church is a team, and together we can
build for the Lord. – Source Unknown
d. This was the point with Gideon ...
at first Gideon had 32,000 men to fight, against an enemy of at least 135,000
according to Judges 8:10 ... yet not all these
Jewish men were true warriors or willing to fight.
(1. First, all the faint-hearted were asked
to go – 22,000 left, leaving him with only 10,000 men!
(2. Second God asks Gideon to
have the half-hearted men leave
... those who drank water without watching for a surprise attack, another 9,700
men leave!
(3. This left him with 300 real
warriors ... but they were real alert fighters!
2. It is important to realize
that the first to rally to the call to work were the High Priest and the other
priests ... they set the example as Elders of the community ... they put
themselves to the task joyfully!
a. Not only do they do the first
section of the wall but it was the section near the temple where they started,
not by their homes!
b. They also dedicated their finished
job as a sign of gratefulness to God!
c. In a unique fashion, the first gate
fixed was the SHEEP gate by the Pastors of the community ... reflecting the
nurture and need of the sheep which was so much a part and symbol of the
people!
3. Elders are held to high
standards and good ones set the pace and example
willingly!
a. This must have been an
encouragement to the people of God! Their leaders actually
led!
b. They weren’t giving orders ... they
were accomplishing God's orders together!
B. Established 3:2-4
1. The next names listed are
interesting, these were well established men in Jerusalem ... they can be traced
back to Ezra's ministry and the rebuilding of the temple under
Ezra.
a. They remembered that being in the
ILLUS: For many
years, the church I pastored in Vergennes, VT (Assembly of God Christian Center)
had placed over the main door into the sanctuary a sign that read: “SERVANT'S
ENTRANCE.” I wanted the
congregation to remember at every service that they were first servants, the
very entrance to worship is the “servant’s entrance.” – Dennis Marquardt.
b. They set the example as
servants!
2. The next to take leadership
and show an example were those who were well established families within the
family of God in Jerusalem!
a. They understood the need to
minister to the newer folks by their example of being
servants.
b. They served as an example of
willingness to work again ... even though they had worked hard on the previous
project of the temple years earlier!
3. All of these early sections
built by the priests and these established men were the areas nearest to God's
house ... demonstrating their realization that they were to serve God before
self!
a. Rather than secure the walls near
their homes first, they secure God’s house first.
b. Servanthood is an example in
action, not just a concept.
II. MENTALITY! 3:5,
27
A. Excellence
3:5a,
27
1. These two verses reveal an
interesting attitude about the men from Tekoa, a small town about 11 miles from
Jerusalem. These men could not get
the "nobles" from their community to help out!
a. "Nobles" here meant the "magnificent" ... men of wealth and power ...
they were unwilling to help out their own brothers!
b. Yet they fully expected to be
blessed by the protection that would later come from a strong protected
c. Tekoa was the hometown of the
prophet Amos, what would he have said about these insolent goof
offs?!
2. The common folks from Tekoa
however don't become angry or bitter about their mighty nobles inaction, nor do
they complain about having more to do with less help ... THEY INSTEAD DO ANOTHER
section of the wall after finishing the one assigned them!
3. If God only gives you a few people with the right stuff,
don't be discouraged, a few soldiers with God's help can overcome tremendous
odds!
a. The work of the kingdom must not be
held up by all the correct things having to be in place
first.
b. Even when some won’t serve, there
are people ready to serve no matter what!
ILLUS: A
missionary society was deeply impressed by the courageous devotion of David
Livingstone who worked single-handedly for God in Africa. The society wrote to Livingstone: "Have you found a good road to where you
are? If so, we want to send other
men to join you." Livingstone
replied, "If you have men who will come only if there is a good road, I don't
want them. I want men who will come
if there is no road at all." – Source Unknown
B. Excuses!
3:5b
1. Undoubtedly these nobles had
their excuses:
a. They were the merchants and kept supplies
coming in ... busy with work.
b. If they got hurt on the job it might really
upset their families!
c. How could the government run without
them?
d. They already had everything they wanted ...
so why do more!
e. They weren't living in
f. “It probably isn't going to be finished
anyways, so why waste all the time and effort!”
g. “We've lived this long without those walls,
so why change things!?”
ILLUS: A
one-legged school teacher from
2. These are the same excuses
people use today!
a. Let's be honest ... we can always
come up with some excuse if we really want to!
b. God doesn't just look at what we
would LIKE to do, but notice what we follow through with
doing!
III. MOTLEY 3:6-32
A. Ensemble!
3:6-32
1. What a wild combination of
workers!
a. Priests
b. Levites
c. Goldsmiths (vrs, 8)
d. Perfume makers (vrs. 8)
e. Rulers (vrs. 9,12,14-19)
f. Ordinary citizens (vrs. 13)
g. One man with his daughters even did
their own section! (vrs. 11b)
h.
i. Guards (vrs. 29b)
j. Merchants (vrs.
32)
k. Numerous neighbors from nearby
towns and cities pitched in as well!
2. It is somewhat ironic that so
many different kinds of tradesmen were willing to build for God what they were
not trained to do!
a. God can make anyone capable ... but
they have to be WILLING and AVAILABLE!
b. Many of these people had never done
this kind of ministry before, but with a willing heart God enabled them to do it
anyways!
c. Don't say, "IT CAN'T BE
DONE" ... or "I'm not trained to do this" ... we can work on
the training, but we need people to train!
3. What a motley crew this work
force was ... not much different than when I pioneered a church in Vermont and
we went through our building programs and did almost all the work
ourselves!
a. We had men trained on computers who
helped do construction work for the first time.
b. Women who were housewives who did
insulation work.
c. A
carpenter
d. A welder
e. A Forest
ranger
f. Couple of job corps teachers
& office workers who discovered new experiences in
building!
g. A farmer or
two
h. An odd assortment of other careers
(teachers, etc.).
4. A few believing folks who are
also working folks can do a great amount of work when God is trusted and we are
available!
5. This odd ensemble of people
in
6. The lesson: Watch out when a
few saints get on fire for God ... every thing around them will burn
too!
ILLUS: There is
an old legend about a herd of mules that was attacked nightly by a pack of
wolves from a nearby forest. When the wolves came, the mules began kicking
viciously in all directions. Consequently the mules maimed and injured each
other while the agile wolves escaped unharmed. Finally, a wise old mule called
the rest together for a conference and made known his plans. That night the
wolves came yelping from the forest as usual, but instead of the mules kicking,
they all ran and put their heads together in a circle and began kicking outward.
The wolves were put to flight, and the mules did no harm to each other.
Christians need to get their heads together and kick outward against the forces
of iniquity. The world must sometimes wonder whether we who call ourselves
Christ's fishermen have any heads to put together. – Source Unknown
7. THEY DID THE ENTIRE PROJECT
IN 52 DAYS!!!!! These walls had
lain in ruins for almost 150 years and a few people with the right stuff had
them in proper shape again in only 52 days!!!
a. We are talking about 4 miles of
walls and gates!
b. About 40 to 45 men are named at
overseeing about 45 sections, each section ran about 168 yards long, which meant
they had to finish about 3-4 yards a day allowing for Sabbath days
off!
c. These walls were somewhere around
15 feet thick and around 25-30 feet tall!
B. Empowered!
1. They were empowered with the
simple knowledge that God had brought all this to
happen.
2. When you know it is right
from God no gates of hell can stand against you!
3. Their strength not only came
from God but from the unity they had among themselves ... remember the variety
of people who put themselves to the task!
4. GOD'S WILL ... AND MAN'S
WILLINGNESS combined cannot be beat by the devil
himself!
5. What none of them could have
done alone they did together, cooperation with a clear mandate from God's own
Word got the job done!
ILLUS: Several
years ago, in England, Sir John Barbirolli was conducting a great symphony
orchestra before a "standing room only" audience. The concert hall was unusual
in that it was used for cultural events on weekdays and for religious services
on Sundays. On this particular Saturday evening, one of the patrons of the
orchestra noticed that the clergyman who was to preach there the next day was in
the audience. He leaned over and said to him, cynically, "When are you going to
fill this hall on Sunday the way Sir John Barbirolli has tonight?" The clergyman
looked his antagonist straight in the eye and said with a steady voice, "I will
fill this hall on Sunday morning when you give to me, as you gave to Sir John
tonight, eighty-five disciplined men and women to be with him and to work with
him." -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton:
Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 126.
6. Think of the possibilities of
a small church where there is an army of saints building and
fighting!
IV. MOTIVATION 3:20
A. Eagerness
3:20
1. "Zealously" ... you have to like the Old
Testament Pentecostal!
a. Notice that this guy like the men
of Tekoa does more than his share of work!
b. Baruch ... repaired ANOTHER
section.
c. Some
guys just aren't satisfied with doing only what they have to for
God!
d. This guy couldn't be stopped ...
not until the job was done, and he inspired others!
ILLUS: Maggie
Kuhn, head of the Grey Panthers, tells of some interesting facts about sandhill
cranes. It seems that these large
birds, which commute great distances and traverse continents, have three
remarkable qualities. First of all,
they rotate leadership. No one bird
stays out in front all the time. Second, they choose a leader that can handle
turbulence. And then, all during
the time one bird is leading, the rest are honking, signaling their affirmation.
That's not a bad model for the
church. Certainly we need leaders
who welcome turbulence and who are aware that leadership ought to be rotated.
But most of all, we need a church
where we are all honking encouragement. -- Bruce Larson -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited
(Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 124.
2. It is far better to burn out
for God than it is to rust out!
3. I like the family of Shallum
too (verse 12), it wasn't enough for this guy
to do his share ... even his daughters helped!
4. Can you imagine the kind of
enthusiasm that spread around in town with all these exciting saints working
with all their hearts!
a. They weren't counting the cost,
just the privilege!
b. They worked with a real sense of
mission and with joy!
B. Encouragement
1. If they could do this big job
then, can we do less now?
2. They serve as encouragement
to us, to show what can be done even when the task seems overwhelming ... if all
will put their shoulders to the task!
a. We must remember that many have
traveled this way before, so when it seems impossible we must not be afraid to
try!
ILLUS: As we
drove up the steep, winding road in the Cave of the Winds near Colorado Springs,
we came suddenly to a narrow passageway between high rock walls through which it
looked as if the car could not possibly go. But facing us was a sign which said:
"Yes, you can! Millions of others have!"
And so, driving carefully through, we soon came to a wider roadway.
So many times we face seemingly
insoluble problems and impossible situations. But we can know that God is able to open
ways before us which are now hidden from our view. We may hear God's message to us: "Yes,
you can! Millions of others have gone this way. Be of good cheer. Trust in the Lord and
go ahead!"
Heavenly Father, when we face
difficult times, help us to trust in You to show us the way through. In Jesus' name. Amen. – Source Unknown
b. God can make a way for us if He did
for others!
3. God has never called a
Christian to sit and be comfortable in church each week, EVERY ONE OF US IS A
MINISTER, there is no such thing as LAYPEOPLE!
a. Too many "lay" people ... sleeping
all the time, letting others do the work!
b. We need ministers, our babies need
them, our young children need them, the older children need them, the youth need
them, and the unsaved need them, GOD GIVE
4. It doesn't matter what your
earthly occupation is ... in the church God can use you in many different ways,
find the spot or section of wall you are suppose to work on or the wall will be
left unfinished, and the enemy can slip in!
5. GOD CAN DO ANYTHING WITH
MINISTERS WHO BELIEVE IT AND BEHAVE IT!
CONCLUSION:
It is amazing what can be
done for God when ALL God's people get in on the action! Excitement breeds excitement, as examples
encourage more examples! Nothing
short of the miraculous happens when God's people pull together to build the
work of God and to stand against the enemy of God and fight the odds! Are you working or
wallowing!?