Brother Hammer was appointed to preside over the
Master Tool Convention. Brother Screwdriver objected, saying “Brother Hammer,
you’re too noisy to preside over this meeting. You’re always driving home your point,
always nailing people. I call for your resignation immediately.
Brother Hammer responded “Well,
what about you, Brother Screwdriver? All you ever do is spin around in
circles.”
“That
may be true, said Brother Screwdriver, but al least I’m not like Brother
Plane. His work is so surfacy, so shallow. What right does he have to even be
here?”
“If
you’re going to kick me out, protested Brother Plane, what about Brother Ruler?
He thinks he’s always right, measuring everyone else by his standards”
“Well, if you’re going to come down on me, argued
Brother Ruler, what about Brother Plier? He needs to get a grip!”
“At least I don’t rub people the wrong
way, said Brother Plier,who was staring
at Brother Sandpaper.
Just then the Master Craftsman walked in. And, as He
used each tool at the perfect time, He created an object of great beauty.
Often times the
Church can resemble the tools in the tool shop in that story.
A)But the Bible clearly teaches us that we are all
part of a body and Christ is the head – we all have a place
A function a purpose { He
uses as He sees fit!
B)This
Chapter at first glance just looks like a lot of names – but it is much more
than that
C)This is a
great chapter about cooperation.
1)How things get done when God’s pp are working
together and following a Plan
In this Chapter we learn that to accomplish God’s purpose, 3 things
must take place!
#1 we need a common vision, #2 dedicated leaders and #3
willing workers. Break down
#1
To accomplish God’s purpose we need a common vision for the task.
A)You can’t
work together if everyone has a different vision of what you’re trying to
accomplish
B)Here in Neh.
the task at hand was to build a wall – for the security and protection of the city.
1)Wall wasn’t
meant to be pretty just functional and durable.
C)It was going
to be made of stone blocks… before it.
Now what if some of the pp wanted to construct decorative
fence.
A)One group is
quickly trying to get as many stones in place as possible – don’t care about
looks – not pt
B)Other group
is taking their time carefully positioning each rock – painting / planting
1)Result would
be CHOAS & TENSION
C)What if some
of the pp felt like the primary goal was to build an under water well –
1)Result would
have been Division –
D)It was going
to take a collective effort to get this done.
1)They had to
have a clear vision and plan
E)Same thing
is true of Any task – any ministry { Clear vision
Clear Vision of CCV
1.Glorify God.
2.Build up the
saints here at CCV to use their lives and God given gifts to impact their world
for Christ
So the task at
hand for Nehemiah and the gang was to Rebuild the wall.
To accomplish
God’s purpose they needed #2 dedicated leaders are needed who can help everyone work
toward the common vision.
A)8
leaders are mentioned in the Chapter and the work at 4 of the 10 gates was
being spear headed by them.
B)Including 2 individuals
who each controlled half of the city.
1)V.9 Rephaiah
2)V.12 Shallum
The
Purpose of the leaders was 3 fold.
1.Set the example – doing
the work!
2. Help delegate.
3. Help motivate.
Motivation
is a key to Productivity!
A)How many projects are
sitting undone at home/or on your computer
/or at the office .. lack of motivation
B)The difficult thing about
trying to motivate a group of pp is what motivates some might turn someone else
off.
C)V.5 We read of the nobles
from Tekoa who refused to participate.
Sticks in the mud!
D)Here is what is great – Nehemiah doesn’t expend any energy trying to
convince the nobles from Tekoa to participate
He
is not trying to persuade them to join the Job
He
is not trying to talk them into being involved
A)Nehemiah knows that they are
embarking in A GREAT WORK! –
B)Their lack of
participation simply meant that they were going to miss out on the blessing
C) Here is what is also
interesting: Although their leaders weren’t into it – the rest of the Tekoites
were
1)they actually built 2
sections of the wall
27 After them
the Tekoites repaired another
section, next to the great projecting tower, and as far as the wall of
Ophel.
Notice
what Nehemiah did to motivate the people.
A)1st Nehemiah
placed some of the people on a section of the wall that would interest them.
B)Example: The priest worked
at the sheep gate
1)The gate where the sheep
were brought to go to the temple to be sacrificed.
C)It was essential for their
calling - - So the sheep gate was of
interest to them.
2nd
Others worked close to their homes:
10 Next to them
Jedaiah…. made repairs in front of his house .
23 After him
Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house . After them ….made
repairs by his house .
28 Beyond the
Horse Gate the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house . 29 After
them Zadok made repairs in front of his own house .
V.30 After him
Meshullam…. made repairs in front of his dwelling.
It is true that
pp need to be willing at times to serve in areas that don’t interest them –
but it is also
true the Lord gets the most productivity out of us from the areas we are the
most interested in.
That
is why the Lord often strategically seeks to place us in areas where we are
going to thrive.
A)I am learning Key to leadership–
trying to get pp into areas where they are gifted in let them go for it.
B) We can often make the
mistake of trying to fit a person into a box they weren’t made to fit into.
1)Experience, age, maturity
-
C)Different gifts – let them
go for it with their gifts
I
love the things that happen around here pp using their gifts & passions
A)Tom Mangonie – Every
Halloween
B)Linda Barret – Jail
ministry Julie – 45 women
Amazing
C)Jamie Williams – 30 pp
working on a Play
D)College students – 43 pp
at first meeting
Jim Westby - 2nd
mission trip
Matt Scott – Guatamela
The Hills –
Geoff – Movie nights
Saturday nights
Ole – Skateboard
So
the Project had a clear vision –
Dedicated
leaders
#3 Willing
workers
The
People were willing to work! Ch.2 v.18 The pp heard Nehemiah’s vision and
responded – Let us rise up and build.
A)What is really interesting
is there was a whole group of pp who came from outside the city
B)The wall would be of
little benefit to them since they lived on the outlining areas outside of the
city
C)They came to work for the
overall cause so that the Lord’s name would be glorified.
D)It
is great to see pp serve in the areas where they have a vested interest.
1)But it is amazing to see
pp serve in areas where there is no vested interest.
E)The
Noakes – 20plus yrs Kindergarten –
Kids are all grown {Love the
Lord / His kids
1)School board guys – Kids
all grown – Love the teachers – love the kids – value Christian Ed.
It
was important that the workers were willing and it was also important that they
cooperated together.
A)Everyone couldn’t do the
same job – Some worked on gates others worked on the wall.
B)1 Corinthians 12 The body
is not one member but many each having different functions
1)Hands function is
different from the foot – but both are important
C)Some of the workers were
willing to work outside their areas of strength.
1)The Priest built on the
sheep gate – I guarantee you they didn’t learn that in seminary
2) Politicians v.9,12 rolled
up their sleeves
C)V.8 goldsmiths and perfume
makers – who were not used to this rugged labor
D)My Pt God blessed their
willingness to serve
Rd in
Here
is the amazing thing – some of the workers were willing to do the less than
glamorous jobs
A)In V. 14 we read of
Malchijah who made repairs at the refuse gate – the Dung gate
B)The Dung gate was the
place where all the garbage and human waste was burned – it led to the
C)Type of Hell – Always
burning – horrible stench
Someone had to do it
1)Probably a lot more
volunteers at the fountain gate
What
is amazing is that Malchijah was a ruler who controlled ˝ of the city – Big wig
A)Drives a
B)V.31 tells us he was a
goldsmith by trade { Humble
This Chapter teaches us that God’s work gets done in a
powerful way when willing people make themselves available to carry out God’s
prescribed vision
C))A Body that is
functioning together following a set goal and vision is Powerful!
Now
there is one more thing I want you to see tonight before we dismiss – this
Chapter illustrates for us a wonderful picture of the journey of the Christian
life
A)Seen in the gates { Looked
at last time in depth
We spent 2 weeks on this.
SHEEP GATE = SALVATION
A) Jesus
declared in
B)Sheep gate
was the place the sheep were brought thru for sacrifice – Speaks of Christ
sacrifice
1)The Lamb of
God who takes away the sin of the world.
After the
sheep gate V.3 the FISH GATE
A)Once saved
you naturally want to tell others what Jesus has done for you.
B)Christ calls
us to be fishers of men.
After the fish gate – V. 6 the OLD GATE
A)The old gate
speaks of the timeless truths of the word of God.
B)Often
follows witnessing – pp ask you questions you don’t know how to answer – time
to dig
1)Time to find
out what you believe and why
D)
The old gate speaks of our need to be grounded in the word of God !!!
1)Lives built
on the foundation of the word.
After the old gate V. 13 VALLEY GATE
A)The Valley
gate speaks of trials
B)Times of testing / times of
temptations / times of difficulties
1)Times where you wonder –
what is going on –
C) but those
times of trial are necessary – They Produce Muscle development
1)Faith
becomes purified.
After the Valley gate comes the V.13 Refuse Gate
A)Refuse Gate –
waste that which stinks – the stuff that needs to be destroyed
B) This is
fitting – because the valleys reveal what we are really made of. –
1)When times
get tough – the refuse / the dung comes out of us.
After the refuse gate comes v.15 The fountain gate
A)We see the
refuse and we realize that we need cleansing.
Fountain for Cleansing
B)And We need empowering
John7:38 Jesus "If
anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.38 He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers [ fountains] of living
water."
After the Fountain Gate we
come to Richard Nixon’s favorite Gate V.26
THE WATER
GATE = Refreshment from the Word
One
of the things that often happens in the life of a Believer after they have been
filled with the Spirit – greater thirst for the Word
A) Where the Old Gate spoke
of the Doctrinal side of the Word of the God –
B) The
Water Gate speaks of the Devotional side of the Word
1)
The need that we all have to sit and allow the Word to touch us in the deepest
parts of our hearts
C)
It is one thing to study the WORD to become
equipped – that is important
1)
But it is an entirely different thing to have the Lord’s word speak to and Refresh
your heart
Psalm 119:25 My soul clings to
the dust; Revive me according to Your word.
D)The Old gate speaks to us
of the Worth of the Word the water Gate speaks
to us of the Word that works
1)It refreshes us – it
sustains us – it is that treasure that keeps us moving in the Lord
After the Water Gate came the HORSE GATE V28 also known as
the eastern Gate The Horse Gate speaks to us of the Rapture of the Church and
the 2nd coming of Christ----
51 Behold, I
tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed --52 in
a moment, in the twinkling of an
eye, at the last
trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible,
and we shall be
changed. 53 For this
corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
The Book of Revelation tells us that
AFTER we have been taken up by Jesus into heaven, having spent seven years with
Jesus in a honeymoon
A) During that time the
earth is going to be going thru 7 yrs of intense tribulation – like the world
has never seen
B)
Everyone who didn’t believe in Jesus – wasn’t walking with Jesus is going to be
left behind –
1) Endure this horrific time –
If not shortened no flesh would survive
C) After which we are told
in
1)
We are going to be coming back with Him also riding on white Horses
D) Jesus is going to restore the earth – to it
original beauty – we are going to rule and reign with Christ
1)
This life the Prelude : the story before the story 1,000 yrs
Now
when Jesus returns we are told something radical in
“And in that
day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces
And the
From east to
west, Making a very large valley;
Half of the
mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it
toward the south.”
A) Then, according to
1) Which is why This is the next gate mentioned.
THE EAST GATE V.29
B) Upon His return, Jesus will enter the EAST GATE with His glory, and with
authority.
1) When the Turks had heard this, around the year 1100 AD said: “If that is the gate that the Messiah of
C) But in so doing, they fulfilled the very prophecy of
1) If you go there today, you can see that gate
sealed up with brick.
D) But Jesus will return , the gate will be opened,
He will rule the earth for 1,000 years, and we will be with Him.
What
happens after this : V.31The GATE OF MIPHKAD
Miphkad
= Judgment or inspection
A)
B) JUDGMENT
SEAT is the Greek word “Bema”. It was the place where awards were given in
athletic events.
1) It was NOT a judicial place where sentences were
handed down. It was a place of rewards.
C) So we who are in the Lord
are going to be judged for our work here on the earth – MOTIVES – gold silver
stone –that endures
1) Wrong MOTIVES - Wood hay
stubble burned up
Now
for those who don’t know the Lord they have a different Judgment that they are
going to face {
A)
B) They are going to be
judged on the basis of rejecting His Son
C)
Simple: Test is there name written in the Lambs book of life
1) Not in that book – they
are going to be thrown into the
2nd
Death – Experience eternity – living in place of
torment
D)
Outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth
1)
This is what we commonly call – HELL
E) But I didn’t know someone
might Protest – Well
1) Play back of your life –
every rotten thing – AND every time you had the opportunity to receive Christ
and didn’t
F) As the books are opened
it will be revealed why your name is not written in the lamb’s book of life !!!
Obvious
question is how to I make sure that my name is written in the book of Life
- BACK TO THE SHEEP GATE
A) Full circle – Jesus is
the Alpha and the Omega the Beginning and the end – the first & the Last
Author & finisher of our Salvation
B) Starting point – the Door
– the sheep gate – the shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep
C) The shepherd who leaves
the 99 to go and find the one lost
Living for Now –
Or the bigger picture – Eternity