The Pilgrims Progress
At first glance Nehemiah Chapter 3 looks like one of those
Chapters in the Bible that you would be tempted to skip over TEDIOUS
A) A long list
of names telling where the families worked as they build the wall Each family positioned by a different gate .
B) But if you
have been a student of the Bible for any length of time you know that God never does anything by accident
1) Often times what seems like a mundane list or
incidental information contains a message behind the message
C) That is the
case here in Nehemiah ch. 3 For that reason we will spend 2 or 3 Sundays looking at this passage
1) For there are two messages that are revealed for
us in this text
The first we will call the message of the gates The
Pilgrims Progress
A) Jerusalem
was a city that was surrounded by a wall the wall was for Protection People
live in security / worship without worry
B) That is why
it is so important to Nehemiah and the Lord that this wall get built God wants His people SECURE
1) Around the wall were these
10 gates points of entry each for a different reason each symbolizing a
different thing { Picture
C) What these gates reveal to us is The Progress of
the Believers walk
That takes us from Salvation
to the Great white throne Judgment
1) And every where in between The Victories and
the Valleys / High points and Low points are all represented in the message of
the gates
Your life is a Story : Being written as we speak Day by
day situation by situation all are adding to the Story of your life in the Lord
A) Where does
it begin THE SHEEP GATE v. 1
John 10:7,9 Then Jesus said to them "Most assuredly, I say to
you, I am the door of the sheep
If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and
will go in and out and find pasture.
When
the shepherds were herding their sheep in Bible days they didnt have Carols
like we have today where the sheep would stay
A) So usually
what they would do when they were going to stop for the night they would find
an enclosure { Cave / Canyon entrance
B) They would
find the Narrowest spot and then once the
sheep were settled the Shepherd would lay across the opening
1) So the only way that someone
was going to get into the Sheep fold was to go thru the Shepherd No Sheep could get out no stranger could get in
C) Now the Bible declares that we are - Ps 95:7
For He is our God, And we are the people of
His pasture, And the sheep of His hand.
D) No one can get into the Sheep fold of God
without first having to go thru Jesus the Shepherd
Now what is interesting about the sheep gate is that is the
gate that the Children of Israel would come in thru when going to the temple to
Sacrifice
A) And when
they came to the temple they would bring with them a Lamb to offer to the Lord
Sacrifice for sins
B) Before that lamb was to be slain the Priest would
first inspect it to make sure that the lamb had no blemishes
1) The person
bring the offering was not inspected but the lamb was
C) Then the
Priest would have the person who was offering the sacrifice place their hands
on the head of the lamb
1) This was an act of
IDENTIFICATION - It symbolized
that the person realized that the Lamb was paying the price for his sin {
TRANSFERRED
Well the same thing is true in our Salvation We enter into
the Sheepfold of God thru Jesus Christ
A) He was not
just the Shepherd but he became the Lamb of God who came to take away the
sins of the world
B) When we
come to God we are not inspected because we
would be full of flaws and blemishes
1) We are not inspected because Jesus was He was
found to be the lamb who was without spot without blemish { Perfect
sacrifice
C) We identify
with the fact that all of our sin was placed on Him He paid the price for us
1) All of his Righteousness was transferred to us
I am in the Lamb
D) He is worthy to be Praised I am ACCEPTED into the Sheepfold of God not based on my
performance but based on His
1) His Performance was Perfect
E) So that is always the Starting place Sheep gate
= SALVATION
After the Sheep gate comes the Fish gate v.3 Also the sons of
Hassenaah built the Fish Gate; they laid its beams and hung its doors with its
bolts and bars.
A) See when I
realize how great God is He is worthy I am accepted into the Sheepfold of God
because I am IN THE LAMB
B) This is
such great news I have to tell somebody I have to let people know there is
Salvation available forgiveness freedom
1) JESUS IS THE LAMB
C) Jesus was walking by the beach one afternoon
saw a set of brothers who were fishing Matt 4:19 follow me I will make you fishers of men
1) The Bible tells us that they immediately left
their nets and followed him
New Priority Before everyday they would wake up wondering
where is the best place to go fishing Best way to catch fish
A) But now
they were fishing in a new sea The sea of Humanity they were fishing for
the souls of men
B) There is
nothing more exciting in the life of the believer than sharing our faith with
someone especially when that person accepts the Lord
1) To think that God used us to affect another
persons eternal destiny is absolutely incredible Mind blowing !!!
C) Now I have observed an interesting thing about Christians
& Evangelism:
1) Most Christians have a tendency to share their
faith MORE when
they are first saved than they do once they have been saved a while.
Now there is a reason for that You see first saved we
had a lot of friends who were not Christians suddenly our life changed
A) Those of
you who are new in the Lord you have a tremendous opportunity Your unsaved
friends are watching you
B) Wondering
what happened to him/ her They are curious why you suddenly are so interested
in going to Church Bible study
1) You are in a great
season for IMPACT but one of two things is going to happen Your
friends will either get saved or abandon you
C) They are either going to turn to Jesus from what
they see from you or they are going to turn from you not want to be their
friend anymore
John 3:19-21
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come
into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds
were evil.20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to
the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.21 But he who does the truth comes
to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in
God."
So that is what happens / Turn to Jesus or Turn away from
you.
A) Now the
reason that most of us shared our faith more when we were first saved than we
do now is back then we had more opportunity
B) But now
that we have been in the Lord 10 yrs all our unsaved friends either got
saved or said see ya
1) Now most of our friends are
believers We gravitate toward those circles at work/ in the neighborhood at Little league games
C) That is why I want to say to those of us who have
been in the Lord a while we are to still be fishers of men
1) It might take a little more effort but we need
to look for those opportunities
D) In Matt 5:13,14 We are
the salt of the earth & we are the light of the world Light speaks of our witness How we live Example /
Light seen!
1) In order for salt to be affective it has to be
applied We need to permeate the world around us Make friends with
unbelievers
E) Lend a helping hand to a neighbor Bring a meal
to a friend who is sick
1) Be aware of a fellow worker who is down Show
the love of Christ by reaching out to the hurting
F) And when the opportunity
presents itself Share the Gospel
1) Remember: Paul declared
in Rom 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes,
G) There is power in the gospel We are the
messengers but the Power is in the message: So
the Sheep gate = SALVATION/ Fish gate =
service S/L
Well that brings us to the next gate v.6 tells us about
those who worked at the OLD GATE
A) Now this
was the oldest of the gates the most established of the gates it was always
open not everyone used it always there
B) What does the old gate represent: The TIMELESSNESS of the
Word of God !
1) When you start sharing your
faith invariably you will come across people who will ask you questions you
dont know the answer to
C) You discover the need to search the scriptures
to discover what you believe and why 1
Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts,
and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the
hope that is in you,
D) The old gate speaks of our need to be grounded in
the word of God !!!
This is why what we were doing this past week in Africa was
so important Kenya is filled with many Churches
A) What I
would call Salvation centers They are good at Preaching the gospel { FIRE } problem is that is
all that they do
B) Every week
is a salvation message People getting saved 50 times over but never growing
in the Lord
1) Their like a babies that are
born but they remain spiritual infants the rest of their lives because of a LACK OF NOURISHMENT
C) Or they
become sickly because they are eating the wrong food
1) Because they are not grounded in the truth they
are lacking in strength
D) Our goal was to teach the Pastors how to teach
thru the Word how you can do that and still have the FIRE THAT PASSION FOR God
1) Exciting to see them catch it { Pray for these
guys
E) Solomons testimony Our Pastor has lost the
fire !!!- Now they get it
We have Salvation centers here in the states as well
Churches that are really Strong in Evangelism always people getting saved
A) Often times
what happens in that person who has been born again for a few yrs starts to
get hungry { wander into a Church like ours
B) I often hear this type of testimony I have learned more
here at CCV in 4 months than I did at my old Church in 4 yrs
1) God used
that ministry to get them saved but He is going to use another one to help
them grow
C) Having a
good balance of both is best !!
So the old gate speaks of the Timeless truths of the word of God and
the need for every believer to get grounded in Gods word
Matt 24:34-35 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means
pass away till all these things take place.35 Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My words will by no means pass away.
1 Peter
1:24-25 "All
flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The
grass withers, And its flower falls away,
25 But the word of the LORD endures
forever."
Listen Heaven and earth are going to pass away Gods word
remains
A) Society
might change like the changing of the seasons like the flower fades - 25 But the word
of the LORD endures forever."
B) See in the
same way that 2+2 always = 4{ Fact this is a
Fact Now matter how culture Changes / world changes
1) Gods word DOES NOT CHANGE !!! ENDURES FOREVER
C) Important to realize because Culture is always
Changing
1) Africa it is culturally & governmentally
acceptable for a man to have more than one wife Openly Practiced
D) But what does Gods word say ! That is what
matters that is the authority !!!
In our Culture Homosexuality is becoming more and more
accepted as the norm Even those who say Homosexuals can still be Christians
A) What does
Gods word say ? 1 Cor 6:9 makes it very clear that those practicing Homosexuality &
Sodomy will not inherit the Kingdom of God
B) Now it also says that those who practice Sexual immorality / Sex outside of
Marriage / Idolatry Something above God in life / Adulterers
1) Thieves / Drunkards or Practicing Alcoholics
.EITHER
C) So I am not picking on Homosexuals I simply use
that example because there are those in our Culture who are aggressive in
saying OK
1) In Fact legislation
is on the books right now that would make it against the law for me to make
such a statement
D) Even though the statement is not my opinion It
is from the Bible
1) Gods word remains the same it is endures
forever
The Old gate speaks of the need in our lives for our lives
to be built upon the Foundation of Gods word
Matt 7:24-27
"Therefore whoever hears these
sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his
house on the rock:25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the
rock.
26 "But everyone who hears these
sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his
house on the sand:27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds
blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."
Sheep gate = SALVATION
Fish Gate = Service being salt & light
Old Gate the soundness that comes into our lives when
we are
students of Gods word
After the Old gate comes the Valley gate v.13
A) The valley
gate was one of the lowest spots in the city
B) Valleys
are such a part of our Christian experience
1) After TEACHING COMES TESTING Valley = trials
C) We all go
thru trials Deep dark Valleys Times of testing / times of temptations / times
of difficulties
1) Times where
you wonder what is going on but those times of trial are necessary
James 1:2-5 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various
trials,3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.4 But let
patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking
nothing.
1 Peter 1:3-9 Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy
has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead,4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not
fade away, reserved in heaven for you,5 who are kept by the power of God
through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though
now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,7
that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold
that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and
glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,8 whom having not seen you love. Though
now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full
of glory,9 receiving the end of your faith -- the salvation of your souls.
Trials reveal if our faith is genuine if it is real
A) What
happens to Plastic in Fire? It burns up it dissolves
B) You can
take a piece of Plastic and shape it like a gold brick / paint it gold and
put it into the Fire guess what going to burn up
1) Reveal that
it is not gold at all
C) That is
what happens to Plastic faith in the fire not real
True faith like gold when put into the fire it melts It
becomes liquefied so that the goldsmith can mold & shape it
A) Valley
times do the trials soften us so that the Lord can perfect us
Mold us and
shape us { He is there PSA 23 / Shadrach
.
B) The Valley
times are meant to Prepare us for the future
1) This part of your life is the Prologue Eternity
will be the real story
C) Earth is
restored We will reign
2 Cor 4:16-18 Therefore we do
not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is
being renewed day by day.17 For our light affliction, which is but for a
moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,18
while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are
not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are
not seen are eternal.
There is another thing happens to the gold when it goes
into the fire the first thing that happens is the impurities rise to the
surface
A)That is what
happens when we go thru the Valleys { Our - Impurities come out { BIG GULP} bumps
B) Although we
dont deny or abandon our faith sometimes we dont pass the Test -
1) What is revealed is our
Impurities we say things that we shouldnt
We react in ways that are not proper
C) Our sin becomes also apparent the areas where we still
need to grow are revealed
Sheep gate = SALVATION
Fish Gate = Service being salt & light
Old Gate the soundness that comes into our lives
when we are
Grounded in Gods word
The Valley Gate = Suffering & trials
Which brings us to the next gate last one today: V.14
Refuse Gate
A) Even lower
than the Valley gate was the Refuse or Dung gate
B) Lowest
point in the city See in those days they didnt have a sewer system like we
have today { Raw waste & trash would run out this gate
C) It would be
taken out of the Refuse gate and deposited in the Valley of Gehena outside the
city walls - It was smelly dirty place
D) Imagine being the guys who got assigned to work
on this gate
1) Every day must have been a Challenge just dealing
with the smell
E) I wonder if they were the first ones to finish
their gate just to get away from that place ?
Sometimes in the Valley the refuse / the Dung comes out of
our lives
Causing one of two reactions
A) You can immediately deal
with the Dung Lord help forgive cleanse
Or You just get used to it !! Learn
to live with it !
B) In Kenya there in Africa there was a Refuse
spot place where the waste from the houses & apartments ran down into
pond
1) It was
DISGUSTING
D) Everyday on
our way to the Church we would drive over this bridge over this area Smell
was Putrid { Sickening
This is what amazed me there were people who lived by that
place
A) There were
people who worked by that place people who daily walked right by
B) In fact
there was an outdoor entertainment place Club , right above that place
Friday nights packed
1) How could this be OBVIOUS They had grown immune
to the smell immune to the waste Used to it
C) It had to be unhealthy for them to be breathing
those fumes
1) Many in that area are very sick Disease is
rampant
Listen friends we need to watch that when the refuse is
revealed in our lives that we dont get used to it dont get immune
A) We need to
deal with it quickly affectively Repent
B) We need to
be careful as the world around us becomes more and more of a REFUSE PILE more and more corrupt ungodly
C) That we dont grow used to the smell - - that we
dont get used to the stink If we do we are going to be Unhealthy
1) Sick and weak Church
D) May the
Lord burn within our hearts a Conviction for righteousness