When Enemies Try To Stop The Work, Nehemiah 4

Old Testament tells us that God chose a people the Covenant descendants of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and he didn't choose those people because he wanted to exclude the whole world God chose that people because he wanted through them to reach the whole world and so he had a special work that he was going to do in and through the people of Israel he brought them out of Egypt he brought him into the promised land they lived for some four hundred years without any centralized government but under a succession of judges then came the first king of Israel a man named Saul then came the second King David Saul was kind of a train wreck David was in many ways Israel's greatest King and then after David came David's son Solomon and after Solomon the twelve tribes of Israel divided into two separate kingdoms a northern kingdom known as Israel and the southern kingdom known as Judah the southern kingdom existed as a political Kingdom much longer than the northern King about 135 years after but the northern kingdom was eventually conquered by the Assyrians and the southern kingdom was eventually conquered by the Babylonians and let me tell you why they were conquered because they were so disobedient against God God made a solemn covenant with Israel and told them if you will obey me if you will keep the Covenant then I will bless you and defend you and protect you but if you will not you'll be conquered that's exactly what happened under the Babylonians God not only allowed you could say that God purposely led the Babylonians as his instrument of judgment against the kingdom of Judah against his covenant people but he did not do that to destroy them he did it to discipline them he did it to correct them and in many ways they were corrected because under the Babylonians the people God went out into exile the Babylonian exile and I tell you one thing that the Babylonian exile did for the Jewish people was it pretty much now I know you could debate this in some ways but just give me a little bit slack here it pretty much cured them of idolatry they didn't go after bail they didn't go after Astra they didn't go after the Babylonian gods they didn't go after any of those Molokini that after the Babylonian captivity God did a cleansing a purifying work in them through the Babylonian captivity and His mercy and love was so great to them that he was always focused on restoration how can I bring them back in the land how can they rebuild and that's exactly what we've been seeing through the book of Nehemiah how God used a man named Nehemiah to serve and to build among the people who had come back from the Babylonian captivity Nehemiah was not the man who led them back that was a previous man named Ezra but Nehemiah was a man divinely ordained by God to bring security to bring peace to bring blessing to the city of Jerusalem into the whole region of Judea in the rebuilding after the Babylonian captivity but there is an old saying that whenever God gets busy and works the devil gets busy and works it's just true isn't it wherever you see the Lord moving then there's going to be some kind of opposition and so much of the story of Nehemiah is the story of how God works through opposition that comes up how God will defeat opposition and that's what we see here in Nehemiah chapter 4 let's begin now at verse 1 the work of rebuilding the walls has begun what we've seen in chapters 1 2 & 3 leading up to it the work has begun it's continuing on in earnest now we read in chapter 4 verse 1 but it so happened when sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall that he was furious and very indignant and mocked the Jews and he spoke before his brethren and the army of Cimmerian said what are these feeble Jews doing will they fortify themselves would they offer sacrifices will they completed in a day will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish stones that are burned now tobiah the ammonite was beside him and he said whatever they build even if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall nehemiah was absolutely committed to this project of rebuilding the walls of jerusalem and let's just remind ourselves this isn't the kind of wall you would put in your garden for decoration these were walls that were essential for the security and the blessing of the city and on walled city in ancient times had no security whatsoever nothing of value nothing precious could ever be there because it could be taken away just like that and when they started this work these enemies Sanballat and Tobiah did you see their reaction verse one says when sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall that he was furious and very indignant now it's one thing to see that Nehemiah chapter 2 we meet Sanballat and Tobiah and it says that they were deeply disturbed but now they've gone past being deeply disturbed at the work that's happening and now they're trying to oppose it through intimidation and through mocking it shows us that whenever God does a work there will be some kind of opposition to it and here notice the opposition that mainly came was verse 1 they mocked the Jews they hoped that by mocking the people of God in doing what they were doing that they could make the people of God feel so embarrassed so ashamed so discouraged that they say ah what's the use brother says you see this is exactly what goes on in the world today that we've got a world that in many ways I'm not gonna say in every way but in many ways is hostile to the truth of God's Word into the message of Jesus Christ and so often what do they choose to use against us mocking they throw out these weird characters that I gotta admit often times are funny but they're meant to make people laugh ad all right I know I'm gonna date myself it's an old thing from late night television from years ago but many of you remember the church lady all right on the one hand hilarious but you get the point these Christians are a bunch of fools that's the whole idea and when that gets spread about the culture in a thousand different ways I'll tell you what it's calculated it's calculated making thing hi what's the use I don't want to be laughed at I don't want to be mocked it just gives us the essential need to have more and more of just well how about some backbone how about some spine I love what Charles Spurgeon said about people who laughed at him he said this and I wish I could have more of the same art he said you know what there's so much sorrow in the world today that if I can make anybody laugh just by me being a Christian it's a good thing this is a nice attitude to have but listen what he wouldn't let it do is he wouldn't let discourage him and neither would the Jews ultimately let this discourage them but they tried the best they could verse one says they mocked them verse two says they called them these feeble Jews and then they said will they will they will they and then verse three that the little capstone from Tobiah he said even if a fox goes up and it'll break down their stone wall you can't even have an alley cat walk on the top of that wall without knocking the whole thing down what they're doing is ridiculous it's weak it's stupid they can't do it anyway they should just give up now let me tell you what made this mockery this deliberate attempt to stop the work the discouragement let me tell you what made it so difficult was it was partly true listen this wasn't a super sophisticated building operation this was doing the best we can with what we got and they were aware of it but they were feeble the Jews at that time they didn't have all the resources they wanted they have all the expertise they wanted and there was no way that they could complete it in a day there was just enough Ruth in these mocking accusations to make them sting just a little bit but I'll tell you what was wrong none that they told the truth about some things but that they missed the far greater truth and the far greater truth was this God was doing an amazing work with nehemiah and the Israelites rebuilding the wall and that's what we can never lose sight of you know when discouragement gets the best of us it's usually not because we're seeing things the way they said we we see the discouraging things but when I find when I get discouraged it's not because now I see discouraging me it's because I've suddenly become blind to all the good things God is doing look I can be real about the things that are genuinely discouraging in my life I could give you a list right now I know these things that are difficult and weakness no that's I get it all but what I can't forget is that God is greater than all that and despite all of these things that might give some cause for discouragement or weakness God is and will do a great work I got to keep my eyes on the whole picture and not shut my eyes to the good things and only focus on the discouraging things well they were verse one furious very indignant they mocked the Jews now it is true that the Jewish people at this time they had the legal protection of the king of Persia what I want you to sense this there was nothing legally or materially that Sanballat and Tobiah could do to stop the work sonar the only thing they could do is try to stop the work through discouragement brother and sisters I'm just here to tell you that discouragement is oftentimes the sharpest knife in Satan's drawer you know I had this at home in your kitchen you got a drawer full of knives right and most of them are terrible most of them won't cut anything but you got one or two knives that man they're good they can cut right discouragement is the devil's sharp knife and he knows when to good he knows when to go to that knife he knows when to go to that tool what we have to do is realize discouragement is a normal part of the Christian life and realize one of the reasons why Satan is so powerful and effective and bringing discouragement against us is because beyond that he's got nothing he's just like Sanballat and Tobiah he can't defeat us all he can do is discourage us into giving up and that's exactly what's a mountain Tobiah we're trying to do let's move on here verse 4 I love this interspersed in the account is a prayer from Nehemiah it's as if all right forget about what they said let me cry out to God verses 4 & 5 here o our God for we are despised turn their reproach on their own heads and give them as plunder to the land of captivity do not cover their iniquity and do not let their sin be blotted out before you for they have provoked you to anger before the builders the you gotta admit that's pretty tough prayer isn't it it is he not praying Lord send them to hell Lord do not forgive their sins do not let their iniquity Blob be blotted out on and on now before you go have a fainting fit o Nehemiah I thought you were godly man how could you pray such a mean prayer may I recommend to you such mean prayers let me tell you something prayers like this are a thousand times better than cursing out the person that you're having a problem with when you're really discouraged and in conflict with the person instead of reading them the riot act instead of going at them with anger and profanity why don't you pour out your heart to God and leave the matter with him you know I prayed some pretty rough prayers against people in my day but it's a beautiful way it's a beautiful way of committing it to God and then letting him work on my heart and a few days later where I meant well Lord I'm kind of you didn't answer that prayer and God in heaven goes I know I know David but it was good for you to get it out before me so it's on it's wonderful what Nehemiah does here Lord I'm giving it to you you take care of these guys he entrusted them to him so look at the result here verse 6 so we built the wall and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height for the people had a mind to work God answered the prayer by giving them a mind to work I think this is absolutely interesting here if you want to make a correlation between the prayer of verses 4 and 5 and the result of verse 6 check it out Nehemiah prayers God get our enemies smite them smack him around God and then what does God do God listens to that prayer and then he works in his people I found God to work that way in my life so many times I'll pray that kind of angry prayer you know Oh Lord just get them get them Lord Lord take care of them get them and then you know I'm kind of fixated on that yeah get him God and what does it do into this strange way because I've really committed it to the Lord it opens up a door for the Lord to do what to get me and to do his work in my life and that's what he was doing verse 6 doesn't tell us about any evident change in Sanballat and Tobiah but what it tells us is notice the people had a mind to work that was the immediate answer the immediate answer to the prayer made no difference to the enemies but it was answered in the people of God so much so look at this it's wonderful news in verse 6 the entire wall was joined together up to half its height the work was half finished and let me tell you half finished is an exciting time and it's a dangerous time it's an exciting time because whoa we're half finished it's a dangerous time because we're only half finished it's a very difficult place to be in but that's where they were at the end of verse six now verse seven now it happened with sandal it to buy the Arabs the ammonites and the ash tonight's heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and that gaps were beginning to be closed that they became very angry and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion the wall was only half as high as it would ultimately be but it was almost continuous now therefore the enemies of the Lord became very angry by the way we cannot be afraid to her the enemy of our souls i I've met some Christians in my day whose strategy in spiritual warfare is if I surrender then the devil will back off I'll tell you that's a wrong way to approach spiritual warfare you need to understand when you stand strong from the Lord there's gonna be some opposition you're going to excite the opposition of the devil and his agents but that's ok you're making the right people mad that's good you don't need to be afraid you can be at rest in the Lord because greater is He Who is in you then he who is in the world even though look at verse 8 all of them conspired together to come and attack what's fascinating about verses 7 and 8 is it doesn't tell us that they did attack it said that they got together and had a meeting about attacking they just acted what they hoped was that the threat of attack would be enough to make them give up brother and sisters I'm here to tell you that so much I'm not gonna say all of Satan's attack against the believer but so much of it it's just bluster it's just posturing it's just trying to discourage you we're out to get you oh we're gonna get you all we're gonna do and all he can do to get in to get you so discouraged that you give up before the battles fought because let me tell you something whatever extent that people are afraid of the devil and his agents have you ever stopped to consider that the devil is afraid of the spirit-filled believer who's walking abiding in Jesus Christ that terrifies the devil he realizes here's a man here's a woman in whom is the Word of God and the Spirit of God they they have the wisdom to live their life in such a way that will not bring reproach upon the case of Jesus Christ they will see God's work done in and through them now again they may conspire together for the attack but ultimately it cannot happen though they will attempt I love that phrase at the end of verse 8 and create confusion but look at the response here in verse 8 excuse me verse 9 nevertheless we made our prayer to God and because of them we set a watch against them day and night brother sisters I love the practicality of God's Word what did they do it says there in verse 9 we made our prayer to God their meeting together on how they can attack us not just sound out to Baia but a bunch of other groups as well they're gonna get us that their meeting together to plan the attack what are we gonna do first we're gonna pray praise the Lord that they saw the Lord in prayer that's exactly what they should do but then don't you love the Y's practicality of God's Word they said and set a watch well why do you have to do that I thought we were praying yes pray but set a watch brother and sisters seeking the Lord praying leaving it in his hands does not exclude our practical participation it empowers our practical participation God doesn't say pray about it but then don't do anything he says pray and then work I love the many examples in the scriptures of this principle I love that when David fought Goliath and he calls out Goliath then he says I'm gonna strike you down in the name of the Lord God's gonna smite you you uncircumcised Philistine and when Calliope comes enraged and begins to run at David what does David do David does not drop to his knees who says okay now Lord send that lightening bolt from heaven he said no I prayed God's gonna answer that prayer and he's gonna answer that prayer through my sling in my stone or I love when Moses was there at the Red Sea and he's there with the people of Israel there on one side to see in front of them and on the other side the army of Egypt coming on them very strong and what is most Moses begins to pray Oh Lord God of heaven at this moment would you please come down and what does God say to Moses he said stop praying and get those people across the Red Sea see what I'm gonna do listen again I'm not trying to say the prayer is so important it's again we we see this in verse eight you can underline it if you want to in verse nine nevertheless we made our prayer to God but don't forget the second part of the verse and because of them we set a watch against them day and night our prayers do not replace action they make our actions effective for God's work and so they did it and they did it day and night what a beautiful and powerful thing now verse 10 here we see another example of discouragement that comes against the work then Judah said the strength of the laborers is failing and there is much rubbish that we are not able to build there's so much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall well before the attacks were coming from the outside Sanballat and Tobiah dibala Sanballat and Tobiah were the two guys on the outside leading the attack now we have an attack coming from the inside and what's the inside attack well the inside attack isn't even perceived to be an attack not by the people making it do you think the people of jutsu right here in verse 10 are saying let's attack the work of God no their attitudes look we're just being real and what it being real about we're being real about the fact number one in verse ten the strength of the laborers is failing which is probably true there is so much rubbish that we're not able to build the wall probably true and they said look we see these things the work of God can't go forward now I find this to be so true of discouragement that comes from the inside of God's work again it's not that what the people of Judah saw was wrong it was just incomplete was it true that the strength of the laborers was failing yes but it was even more true that God was a never-ending source of strength and that God would empower them if they would only look to them was it true that as it says in the second part of verse 10 there was so much rubbish that they couldn't build no doubt it was true there was wreckage and rubble everywhere and it had to be cleared away but they could clear it away if they put their mind to it look when you don't want to do a work you can always think of a reason why not - and it seems like that's what the people of Judah are focusing on right now instead they should put their focus on the work that God is doing but isn't it fascinating that this seems to come we're at that critical half-way point and they're discouraged they're discouraged by the fact that there was so much rubbish you know the work of rebuilding the walls was not only construction but it was also clearing away and dealing with the rubbish from the previous ruins over the many decades that those walls were knocked down they collected a lot of junk and it had to be hauled away I know about you but I see an analogy to this in my spiritual life don't you does Jesus Christ want to do a work of building in my life absolutely you know Jesus is a builder do you ever think about that of all the professions that the Son of God could have chosen when he came and took on humanity and added to his deity and came to this earth of all the professions he could have been a doctor he would have been a pretty good doctor don't you think I think geez would have had a very effective practice he could have been a counselor best counselor he ever would have seen could have been a politician I suppose it could have been this could have been that fisherman no doubt would have done great all on and on and on but she said no I'm gonna be a builder I think there's something beautiful about that Jesus does a building work not only in the life of each individual person but also among the people of God as a community and so often both in the individual life and in the community the building work is not just the fun work of building it's also the tedious and discouraging work of clearing away the bad stuff we don't always start with a blank slate we often have a lot of rubble to remove and that was exactly what was discouraging to them so they were into this difficult place they had to move forward how were they going to do what here before they were going to go forward with it look at it here verse 11 and our adversaries said they will neither know nor see anything till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease you know this is a pretty low place don't you think halfway done which means you still got all the work that you've done up to that point to replicate to finish the job the people are discouraged you've got all these attacks on the outside the tribe that was the biggest and the strongest tribe that tried of Judah they are failing in their you know excitement for the work and then finally now the adversaries go now's the time now's the time to strike the death blow to this work they will neither know nor see anything we're going make a sneak attack and destroy them we're going to look at that in verse 11 we're gonna kill them and cause the work to cease I don't doubt that these guys really planned it and really had a plot in order they were gonna do it like assassins sneak into the work and take out all the top guys and do such an effective work that the work would be absolutely crushed and there they are in their fiendish glee believing that they'll have the upper hand until what happens look at this in verse 12 so it was when the Jews who dwelt near them came that they told us 10 times from whatever place you turn they will be upon us the enemies sanballat Tobiah and their whole gang they didn't count on the fact that there were Jews overhearing their plotting they said we'll do it secretly nobody will know anything we're gonna sneak in there and it'll be a completely surprise attack and God said no it won't be because I've got my own informants right there around you they're gonna hear what you say and they're gonna go and tell Nehemiah and that's exactly what God did God sent those Jews here now I want you to see the attitude the disposition of these Jews who reported it it says right there in verse 12 when the Jews who dwelt near them came they told us 10 times they're so excited they're so stressed out there so they're gonna come and kill you that they're gonna come and kill you that did did we tell you they're gonna come and kill you it's all gonna be a secret operation and Nehemiah is going they told us 10 times look once would have been enough we believe you but then second notice this second aspect it says from whatever place you turn they will be upon us in other words in other words we can't beat these guys now God used this report that came to these panicky informants who ran to Nehemiah but let me tell you brothers and sisters the blessing in this is that Nehemiah did not panic look at when Nehemiah did verse 13 is one of the greatest sections in all the book of Nehemiah I love this verses 13 and 14 he says therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall at all the openings and I set the people accord in their families with their swords their spears and their bows and I looked and arose and said to the nobles to the leaders and to the rest of the people do not be afraid of them remember the Lord great and awesome and fight for your brethren your sons your daughters your wives and your houses in the moment of crisis Nehemiah did what he came and he took leadership he did exactly what he should do let me say before we took a look at what Nehemiah did let's consider just for a moment what Nehemiah did not do what he could have done instead of what he did he could have at least theoretically he could have done nothing the report of the imminent attack comes to him and Nehemiah just says well brother you know thanks for that report but we've been praying about this and so we prayed and you know whatever the Lord's will is it's just gonna happen one way or another he could have done nothing Nehemiah could have panicked he could have started thinking oh he was what I'm gonna do it's my job alone to defend the people how am I gonna do this I can't do this or he could have done it another way that would have caused great fear among the people but instead what he did is he wisely and calmly trusted God in the midst of the storm he said I tell you what we're gonna do we're gonna stand I'm gonna appeal to the noble men the people who are leaders among now is your time you stand up let's get organized let's get every weapon we have anything that has a sharp edge to it you put it in your hand go around those walls especially at the gaps and remember what you're fighting for did you see those what wonderful words there in verse 14 remember the Lord great and awesome and fight for your brethren your sons your daughters your wives and your houses he sounded the alarm and told the fellow Jews there in Jerusalem everything is on the line here at this moment let's stand together if you imagine what a 10 night that was every man on tiptoe every watchman staring out into the darkness the little children even I I picked her a little thirteen-year-old boy he's not much more than a boy but he's holding a knife right next there it was father they're waiting for what might come over the ridge everything is tense throughout the until night they're exhausted just in the tension what's gonna happen I'll tell you what's gonna happen look at verse 15 and it happened when our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had brought their plot to nothing but all of us returned to the wall everyone to his work in that beautiful what do they do they said all right the enemy is not going to attack their plan got exposed even though they tried to keep it secret God blew it open now what do we do let's get back to work I want you understand something the work was not standing around defending the walls the work was building the walls they had to stand around and defend the walls at times so that they could do the work but our God is a builder and the work was actually to build the walls so everybody returned to his work now look at verses 16 17 and 18 did I say that those were my favorite verses 13 14 maybe I lied maybe his first is 16 17 and 18 look at this so it was from that time on that half of my servants worked the construction well the other half held the spears the shields the bows and were armored and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah those who built on the wall and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked a construction and with the other hand held a weapon every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built and the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me in that a beautiful picture first of all he says okay guys we're going to divide ever been to groups we're gonna have the builders and then we're gonna have the guys who are the guards okay but even all of you builders I want you to this I want you to hold a sword in one hand and a trowel for building in the other one now I say the sword and the trowel even though it doesn't describe the building intimates but that was the magazine that charles spurgeon started as an outgrowth of his ministry there in london he started a magazine called the sword and the trowel taken from this image from nehemiah chapter 4 verse 17 where the simple idea is this is the cause of the work the people of God the people of God have a commission to fight the Lord's battles but then to build for God's kingdom and we dare not let go of either one we're to do both you fight the Lord's battle we hold on to the sword by the way if only there was a spiritual picture of what the sword represents for us right aren't we not told in the scriptures that this is sharper than any two-edged sword that this is itself the Word of God this is the sword we hold this in one hand and we hold a trowel for building in the other because we delight to see the work of God go for it and we dare not let down either one but we let go of the sword we're defenseless you know sadly there's some churches that do that when we want to do a work for God in the world we want to do a blessing in the world we really want to meet needs but what do they do they let go of the sword they let go of the word of God and so what are they after a while it's just all about a social gospel and they've forgotten about Jesus entirely why because they let go of the sword I'd say there's other folks though well they hold on to the sword oh man they got the sword they can spear you with the sword but really what good are they in the world what are they doing to love other people in the name of Jesus what are they building for the kingdom of God they've let go of the trowel listen one of the things I love about our congregation here at Calvary Chapel of Santa Barbara is brothers sisters this is a church that believes in the sword and the trowel and God helping us we're not gonna let go of either one our only prayer is Lord make our sword sharper make our trial a little bigger and continue to give us the skill and the desire to use both expertly that's our desire Lord it was just a beautiful picture there so here's the plans going forward verse 19 then I said to the nobles the rulers and the rest of the people the work is great and extensive and we are separated far from one another on the wall wherever you see the sound of the trumpet rally to us there our God will fight for us so we laboured in the work and half the men held the Spears from daybreak until the Stars appeared that's a long day and at the same time I also said to the people let each man and a servant stay at night in Jerusalem so that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day so neither I my brethren my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me took off our clothes except that everyone took them off for washing because cleanliness is next to godliness right there it's in the book they were ready at the defense and ready to work all the time there's something so powerful in this chapter for this idea that there they are at the halfway point it's a dangerous time for the work and not only do they need to pray more than ever not only need to seek God more than ever but they need to put their shoulder to the work more than ever and Nehemiah said I will be the example I will go forward and see what God can do in the midst of this and that's exactly what Nehemiah did to the blessing of God's people and at the end of chapter 4 we're like wow they're committed what's going to happen next are they going to go forward and finish it is it really going to get built are the enemies of God going to come back harder and and and sharper than ever the walls not finished yet how is this all going to shake out come back next week because we continue on in the book of Nehemiah chapter 5 but but before I leave here the scene we've got to consider one other thing listen anytime we read the Bible and especially the Old Testament it's wonderful to stop and think where's Jesus in the midst of all of this where's Jesus well I'm sure we could think about a lot of different places where Jesus is in Nehemiah chapter 4 let me tell you two that come to mind immediately first of all in the big picture why was it important to God that Jerusalem have a wall that the people of God be secure in the land that God had restored them to after the terrible Babylonian exile why was that important it was important because God was determined that the Jewish people survived that that Jewish nation exists and that they stayed together as a coherent people that they not be wiped off the face of the earth that they not be assimilated into the other nations but that people had to remain together at the very least until God brought forth the Messiah for all the nations that he promised to bring forth from them and so this is all part of God's unfolding plan of redemption to say I'm gonna bless these people I'm gonna protect these people I'm gonna invest in these people because they have a plan they have a role in my unfolding plan of the ages until the Messiah comes forth from them Jesus of Nazareth our Blessed Messiah until the Messiah comes forth from them nobody nobody can wipe them off the face of the earth now what I find fascinating about that is the Bible tells us God is not yet finished with the Jewish people not by a longshot and that they will have a pivotal work a pivotal role in God's plan in the very last days so even as it was true that God had to keep them alive as a coherent people to bring the Messiah so God must continue to keep the Jewish people alive until until the end of the age when then all things will be fulfilled it's a wonderful glorious thing to see God saying we need walls around Jerusalem because even that has a place in my unfolding plan of the ages that's number one number two and this one's a little more personal I gave it away before but I'll come back to it again what was Jesus's profession he was a builder now we usually say carpenter but from my understanding the ancient Greek word that we translate carpenter which all right I didn't prepare any of this by notes it's all spontaneous so this probably has about eight seventy percent chance of being wrong if it's wrong just cut me some slack but the word that comes to my mind that the angel is teknon Jesus was a tec-9 we kind of get the word technical from it and a teknon was not strictly a carpenter who dealt with wood he was a builder who dealt with all kinds of materials Jesus was a builder and as I told you before isn't it fascinating that of all the professions that God the Son could have chosen when he came to this earth and added humanity to his deity he said I am going to be a builder you know why because God is doing a building work in your life we look at Nehemiah and we say Jesus please lead the building work in my life Lord there's some rubble in my life is there not Lord I have enemies that seek to discourage me and attack me Lord I need to be there as well building right beside you but because Jesus isn't a builder so that you don't have to build he's a builder so that you can join with him in his building work and so you can hold the sword and the trowel so that Jesus our King our leader our Nehemiah can come alongside us and say I have been doing a building work in your life now the reason why I bring this up is just simply this sometimes I feel they God's building work on my life is perpetually fixed at half-finished I look at my I cannot deny God's done a lot of building work in my life praise the Lord he's done it glory goes to God but then again I cannot deny that there's a lot more that needs to be done and I don't know maybe that's just the way it is in the Christian life I don't know if I'm strange and that regard but it just seems I'm stuck at halfway done but you know what Jesus is there to lead even in that and I'm fine with that Lord I just want to let you be the nehemiah in my life and do your wonderful work of building do it innocent among us Lord we pray father that's our prayer it's our prayer Lord for us as individuals the Lord it's also our prayer for us as a congregation lord help us help us to have that sword sharper than ever and skillfully used and help us also to do a building work Lord in this facility in this community among ourselves among our individual groups for those who don't yet know you Lord we want to be used of you to build something thrilling for your kingdom so do it norm it's Lord and we thank you for your kindness and your love for us and all those who agree said amen [Music] you [Music]

Channel: David Guzik

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Keywords: nehemiah 4, god's faithfulness, enemies, david guzik, guzik, enduring word

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Length: 44min 1sec (2641 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 01 2019