Wise Building

Have you ever taken on a task that you were so excited to get started on that you could hardly wait to just get busy? Have you ever gone to start the task and suddenly realized that this was going to be a bit harder than you had anticipated? Have you ever wished you would have never started the task you are in the middle of because it is going to be so difficult to complete?

In the spring of 2009, I was hired by a man to go clean all the trash out of a house that he used to rent out. We talked about the job in his office and at that point in life I was willing to take on any job that would help to pay the bills. I quickly agreed to the task and he handed over the keys to the house with a slip of paper with the address.

I drove to the house with excitement building in my soul. I love hard work, I love to make things look better. I cannot wait to start this project. In my silly brain that quickly gets overly excited about mundane tasks this was going to be the best job ever.

I pulled up to the house and quickly skipped from my car to the front door. I put the key in the door with a huge smile on my face. I slowly turned the key and opened the door. Suddenly my brain began screaming, “What have you gotten yourself into?”

There were mounds of trash throughout the entire house. There were stains of grossness all over the walls. There was a stench that poured out of the room.

I began working on the project by taking shovel after shovel of trash and putting it in garbage bags. It took the majority of the week. And often I felt like quitting.

It was just too hard! I finished up that project and determined that from that moment on I would never take on a task without first examining what was involved.

So many times in life it can be easy to take on a challenge only to be overwhelmed by the reality of the task that lies in front of you. How can we be wise in our efforts?

This year we as a church are in the process of taking on some building projects that we believe God has called us to do. For this reason we have selected “Being Careful How We Build” as the theme for our sermons this year.

We are currently three weeks in our series called “Becoming a Godly Leader” which is a study of the Bible book of Nehemiah.

Today we will be studying Nehemiah 2:11-20. Let me encourage you to turn to Nehemiah 2:11-20 on Page ______.

Before Nehemiah, Jerusalem was destroyed as an act of judgment by God.

• The people wanted to worship other fake gods (personal independence, pleasure, money, and power)… and they did not love the true God who created them…
• so God destroyed the city, and the walls, and sent the people of Israel to a land full of fake gods as punishment.
• God wanted them to see these things they valued (their power and influence, their possessions and personal pleasure) are powerless and cannot save them or comfort them.
• But God kept his promise to not abandon his people and to comfort them after their time of discipline.
• So God brought the people of Israel back to the land of Israel and even allowed them to rebuild Jerusalem.
• Nehemiah hopes that the walls will guard against the forces outside for the purpose that the people of Israel would love their God and God’s presence would bless them as they show what God is like to the nations.
• In Nehemiah’s time, God’s plan for his people includes a physical wall and city to fulfill God’s promised plan of protecting and comforting his people with his presence, but for Christians today, God’s relationship with us through Jesus Christ in the new covenant is the greater fulfillment of this plan.
• So as Christians today, we are not focused on building a physical wall or city. Jesus’s building project is his people, his church. So our building project is to make faithful disciples, faithful followers of God.

In the book of Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem are being rebuilt, and God is using a man by the name of Nehemiah to rebuild the city that was destroyed by God’s act of discipline.

So from Nehemiah 2:11-20, we will see,

2 foundational principles to learn from Nehemiah to be effective disciples in our time.

Follow along with me as I read Nehemiah 2:11-20.

I. Wise Disciples Inspect

Nehemiah has been granted permission by the king to go to Jerusalem and to rebuild the walls of the city. As we pick up our text today we are told that Nehemiah had been there for 3 days. He is outside the city, he is in position, he is making a plan to be able to fulfill the calling God has given to him.

And during the night of the third day he was there he decided it was time to inspect the task that lay in front of him.

Nehemiah selects a few men to go with him to inspect the city. Why would the text put emphasis on the selection of a few of the men who were with him?

A. Consider carefully the friends you surround yourself with because they impact the effectiveness of your work.

Nehemiah chooses only a few trusted men to go with him to inspect the work that needs to be done to rebuild the walls.

These are men he trusts will support the work that God put on his heart.

v.12a “And I arose in the night, I and a few men with me.”

The friends Nehemiah surrounds himself with are not opposed to God’s work, rather they are supportive.

Later in the book of Nehemiah the people of Israel join in marriage with other nations that are opposed to the values and the goals of God. These relationships don’t want Israel to love and serve their God.

The closest and most intimate relationships (marriage) are with people against God.

God tells Israel to protect themselves from the negative relationship influences that would impact their love and devotion to God. One negative influence was intermarriage.

Exodus 34:14-16

“14 For you must not worship any other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God. 15 Be careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, and someone invites you, you will eat from his sacrifice; 16 and you then take his daughters for your sons, and when his daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will make your sons prostitute themselves to their gods as well. 17 You must not make yourselves molten gods.”

God’s challenge to the Israelites was to be very cautious about those who are allowed to influence their beliefs and commitment to God. They were especially warned of marrying those who are not committed to God. These relationships would serve to distract them from following what God says. These relationships would lead to compromise and soon to worship other gods.

Godly relationships…Friendships that encourage us to do God’s will… are one of the protections that God places in our life to be effective followers and workers for God.

Nehemiah will rebuild the walls, but the walls don’t solve the real problem with Israel. Even when Jerusalem was a great city with mighty walls, this did not protect and change the people. The people did not love God. The evil and anti-God values surrounded them, but part of the problem was the people of Israel themselves. The Israelites wanted relationships with people who encouraged them to sin and worship others gods. The people of Israel wanted to intermarry with other religions and worship their gods.

We see this is when later in Nehemiah the people say,

Nehemiah 11:30 "We promise not to give our daughters in marriage to the peoples around us or take their daughters for our sons.” (NIV)

Nehemiah 13:23 “In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.”

So as soon as the walls are built and reestablished, Israel continues their old friendships and old ways of sin.

They want the pleasures of sin more than the pleasure of God. They want to be like everyone else…They want to be used for the world’s purposes against God, more than they wanted to be set apart from world to be used for God’s purposes.

Let’s take a minute to examine a few questions about the relationships we allow to have influence in our lives.

Q: What do your closest friendships and relationships show about your loyalty to God?

Q: Do you find the Christian community and accountability burdensome rather than a blessing to help you live wisely for Jesus Christ?

It is important to surround yourself with those who will build you up in your walk with the Lord. It is important to make sure that the relationships that have influence in your life are ones that are focused on helping you fulfill your purpose to be a visible representation of an invisible God.

Students are your friendships built on finding people that you enjoy or more on finding people who are living a life that is pleasing to God?

Parents are the friendships you model for your children ones that demonstrate the importance of building relationships that will strengthen your walk with God? Christian are the relationships you enjoy consistent with the teaching of the Word of God?

In my own life I thank God for friends who are there to keep my focused on growing in the Lord. Friends who when I may begin to show signs of distraction in life can lovingly point me back to my purpose of glorifying God with every thing that I do. Friends who will look at me and say pointedly, is that what God would want you do.

True quite often I wish they would be quiet in the moment. True quite often I think how dare you question me. True quite often I might think why are you my friend again?

However, I am thankful when I get past my sinful thought process and get back on the path God has laid out. However, I thank God for their boldness to encourage me think biblically.

Praise God for friends that encourage us to faithfully follow God’s purposes!

Action Step: Take Introduction to Faith (Local Church Membership), Join an ABF, (Smaller groups of fellow believers), Get involved with Men of Faith or Mom to Mom (Focused Discipleship) these are God’s gift to you to help encourage you in your love for God and to build wise friendships.

Transition: Nehemiah considered the men he would take with him to inspect the city, let us consider our relationships as we seek to effectively live for Jesus Christ in our time.

God also wants us to inspect our current times and….

B. Understand that some situations require shrewd actions to be effective workers.

Nehemiah shows wisdom. He knows the times when he should speak about God’s plan and purposes. He knows the times when he shouldn’t speak, but remain silent, because it could impact the effectiveness of his work for God. Nehemiah says in verse 12,

v.12b “I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.”

Then in verse 16, Nehemiah says

v.16 “ The officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; nor had I as yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials or the rest who did the work.”

Nehemiah knows there will be haters, opposition, and critics of the work that God is doing, so he is very shrewd to speak when appropriate.

This type of wisdom comes from God. Nehemiah’s controlled speech is evidence of his submission and trust in God. God is going to work out the plan according to his timing.

As Christians, only by being united and one with Jesus Christ by faith and living daily by faith upon God’s word, through the Holy Spirit are we able to make such wise and shrewd decisions.

As followers of Christ it is expected and commanded of us to grow in this wisdom through dependence on God.

God provides us with many unique gospel opportunities in the city and times God has placed.

God has allowed for our church to be located in one of the thriving economies in the Midwest.

God has allowed us to be in a town with a large university that attracts many international students (it’s almost like the mission field comes to our town on a yearly basis).

God has allowed us to be in a city that desires to partner with a church to help bring social services and opportunities to our city.

God has worked it out that through caring for our city we can proclaim the Gospel to many who need it.

We pray for God to give us the wisdom to be shrewd with the ministry opportunities He gives us. Remember Jesus’s words,

Matthew 10:16-20 ¹⁶ “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ But when they hand you over, do not worry about how or what you are to say; for it will be given you in that hour what you are to say. ²⁰ For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”

Transition: We are wise and effective workers for Christ when we consider our relationships and understand the need to be shrewd in certain situations, but God also wants us to inspect and…

C. Evaluate the current condition and potential cost before you start working.

• Evaluate the Need
  • World’s Entertainment versus God’s Standard of What is Best.
  • Priority of the gospel/church versus convenience of life.
  • Serving others versus serving yourself.
• Evaluate the Cost

Nehemiah tells us the condition after his inspection of Jerusalem. This inspection helps him see the amount of work needed to be done and the urgency of the task, Look at verse 13,

v.13 “So I went out at night by the Valley Gate in the direction of the Dragon’s Well and on to the Refuse Gate, inspecting the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were consumed by fire.”

v. 15 “So I went up at night by the ravine and inspected the wall.”

v.17 “Then I said to them, “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach.”

Nehemiah sees the condition of the walls and immediately recognizes the enormity of the task that lies in front of him. He has evaluated the need and is now motivated to get to work

As we inspect and evaluate the condition of our world, our country, our city, and our personal lives, it should move our hearts to be gripped by the need to share the hope of the Gospel with those who are hopeless.

Is our greatest concern the spreading of the glory of God in Jesus Christ? Or have we become so hardened to the spiritual needs around us that we have lost the sense of urgency to represent the love of Christ to those in darkness without Jesus Christ and the dangers that await them?

Condition of the World:

Our world is becoming more urban:

In 1800, 2% of the world’s population was urban

In 1912, 10%

In 1950, 30%

In 2011, 52%

In 2016, 54.5%

According to some statistics around 5.5 million people per month are moving into cities.

While the urbanization of the world is not necessarily a problem. People move to cities for work, community, and many other good reasons.

The problem is that worldwide growth of the church in reaching the urban parts of our world have not grown at the same rate. There are so many densely populated regions around the world with no consistent Gospel ministry reaching them.

For the most part churches have fled from the urban to go to the suburban. In many instances churches have ignored the center of the greatest areas of population growth. This is a problem for the church around the world.

There is a need to reach the lost with the Gospel of Christ around the world. What are we going to do with the need to take the Gospel to the world?

Condition of our Country:

One does not need to look to long to see all kinds of problems even with in our own country.

A movement to remove God from society.

A movement to turn from the sufficiency of Scripture for life.

Distrust for foreigners, and hatred toward different cultures, and racial tension

Frustration with appointed authorities like government, schools, the church, parents etc.

Our relationships toward others are not defined by God. Instead we view our relationships with others through the lens of our own humanistic approaches.

The only hope for our country is not found in another piece of legislation. The only hope for our country is found in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

There is a need to share the Gospel with those in our country. What are we going to do to spread the good news of Christ with our country?

Condition of the City:

The needs of the city are well documented.

Why did we choose as a Church to partner with others in the Northend of downtown Lafayette?

Why would we as a church seek to work with other social services in our town?

Social services without the Gospel will never meet all the needs of the city.

The need for the Gospel is the greatest thing that could ever be shared with those who are looking for help, and God has given our church the opportunity to be in the hub of social services brightly shining the Gospel for all to see.

Will this taking the Gospel to parts of the city that have been ignored bring discomfort and room for us to be stretched outside of our comfort zones? Absolutely!

But let me remind you, if the Gospel is true, and it is, then we should have every motivation to share it with as many folks as possible in our city, our country and around the world.

Oh and one more reminder, if the Gospel is true, and it is, than there is nothing I need to fear, because my eternity is secure.

Condition of Your Life:

While we are inspecting things, let’s take some inventory of our own lives. Our deepest passions are shown in conflict. So when 2 things compete for our attention our real desire is revealed by the thing we choose to follow.

So when God’s Word differs from your opinion what usually wins in that battle?

So when God’s Word differs from your opinion what usually wins in that battle?

So when God’s Word differs from your opinion what usually wins in that battle?

Transition: Once we evaluate the needs like Nehemiah we must also…

Nehemiah is not even building yet, he’s just inspecting and assessing the work needed, but already faces opposition and haters before he even starts.

v.19 “But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard it, they mocked us and despised us and said, “What is this thing you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?”

Not only is the cost of being mocked and threat of punishment for rebellion, but the cost of time and work, and the discouragement that comes with possible failure. The physical work and cost of time may seem impossible from a human perspective.

But they persevered confident that the Lord would make them succeed and would help them overcome these costs.

There is great cost in this world for us as Christians to faithfully follow Christ.

• It will cost us money,
• it will cost us relationships,
• it will cost us time,
• it will cost us to give up old pleasures and lifestyles if it hinders our love for Jesus.
• It will cost us certain rights.
• It will cost us to give up hoping in our strength, and depending on our performance and privileges and efforts.
• Times when risks were taken, times when the task seemed too hard, and times when there was opposition lined up against the church… GOD WAS FAITHFUL!

Nehemiah is prepared to face the cost to do God’s will, Jesus tells us to consider these costs as well before we follow him.

Jesus says,

Luke 14:25-33

“²⁵ Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, ²⁶ “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. ²⁷ Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. ²⁸ For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

³¹ Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? ³² Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. ³³ So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.”

And as we even think about the opposition with Faith West, we faced mockers and critics, and we will with the Northend, and as we as a church family strive to do what we believe God calls us to do, we will always be opposed from those within our community and outside our community.

Transition: You might be thinking, Wow, that doesn’t sound very easy. Wow, that sounds like it is going to be tough. Wow, how can I even do this?

Where will the strength come from to consider these incredible needs and costs and still faithfully follow God, to evaluate the desperate condition of our world and not give up loving our world like Jesus Christ….The inspection should lead us to remember our God.

II. Wise Disciples ­Trust in the Lord

A. Remember God’s past faithfulness to build his people.

Nehemiah recognizes the cost of the task that lies before him. He sees the overwhelming amount of work that faces him. However, instead of being discouraged Nehemiah is strengthened as he remembers the faithfulness of God. Look at verse 18,

v. 18 “I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work.”

God heard Nehemiah’s prayer and answer his prayer for God’s glory. God was with Nehemiah and God would help Nehemiah to do God’s will.

1:11 “Your servants who delight to revere Your name, and make Your servant successful today and grant him compassion before this man.” Now I was the cupbearer to the king.”

2:8 “And the king granted them to me because the good hand of my God was on me.”

Just like Nehemiah, we must first remember and trust the faithfulness of our God who went first, to strengthen us for the good works that God has for us.

Nehemiah is only able to help rebuild a physical city. Nehemiah is unable to make God’s presence live forever with his people. Nehemiah is unable to change the hearts of Israel and protect and guard their hearts from the pollution of the world. Nehemiah is unable to make Israel the proper representatives of God to the nations.

Only Jesus Christ, God himself, the greatest Builder could accomplish this building project of saving and changing sinners. Jesus evaluated our need for relationship with God and counted the cost of our sin. Yet, Jesus did not quit but persevered and followed the will of God the Father to his own death.

And only Jesus’s sacrifice in our place satisfied the cost of our sin. God raised Jesus Christ from the dead to prove to us that only Jesus can give us new life and only Jesus has the power to change hearts and give us his Spirit so God’s presence is with us.

Nehemiah depends on the faithfulness and strength of God, and we must depend on the faithfulness and strength of God in Jesus Christ by faith.

Jesus is our greatest example of God’s faithfulness, but our God is so good to constantly help his people to remember his works, to remember his character, and to remember his faithfulness in fulfilling his promises.

It is good to remember at several different points in our own church’s history we have seen the faithfulness of God.

Let’s think about the application of remembering God’s past faithfulness to our personal lives as well.

You might be thinking right now, I have a hard enough time overcoming sin in my own life or living by faith in my personal walk with the Lord!

1 Corinthians 10:13

“No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Whatever it is that you are facing in your life remember the ways that God has been faithful in the past.

Never forget this truth, “The strength to face the trials that are in front of you comes from remembering the faithfulness of God in the past.”

Let me encourage you to remember the faithfulness of God in your life. Keep a journal of the ways you have seen God be faithful each week or constantly make it a part of your time with God in prayer or reading the Bible. And when you face trials that seem to be overwhelming look back at His faithfulness and be encouraged.

Transition: Not only does remembering God’s past faithfulness encourage us to build wisely, but also remembering God’s promises to be with us to complete God’s work.

B. Remember God’s promises to complete his work through us.

v.20 “So I answered them and said to them, “The God of heaven will give us success; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no portion, right or memorial in Jerusalem.”

Nehemiah and the servants of God find not only motivation and strength in remembering God’s past faithfulness, but also in the future promise that God will rebuild the city as promised.

As Christians, remembering the promises that Jesus gives for the future also, encourage us to arise together and continue the great building work of making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20

18 “And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Philippians 1:6

6 “ For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Brothers and sisters, have you done a thorough inspection and do you see areas that need strengthening in your walk to live effectively for Christ.

So the task in front of you may seem to be hard. The task may seem to be overwhelming. God has not given you a task too great for Him. Choose your relationships well that you may be encouraged. Be shrewd in your approach. Evaluate the need well. Ultimately, trust in the faithfulness of God and rely on His promises!

Let’s pray.