Rebuilding Broken LivesRebuilding Broken LivesPart 8

Nehemiah 4Page 406 in Pew Bibles

Nehemiah Nehemiah 4:11-234:11-23

11. And our enemies said, "They won't know or see anything until we're among them and can kill them and stop the work."

12. When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said to us time and again, "Everywhere you turn, they attack us."

13. So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.

14. After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "Don't be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes."

15. When our enemies realized that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall.

16. From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah,

17. who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

18. Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building, and the trumpeter was beside me.

19. Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people: "The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall.

20. Wherever you hear the trumpet sound, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!"

21. So we continued the work, while half of the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out.

22. At that time, I also said to the people, "Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so that they can stand guard by night and work by day."

23. And I, my brothers, my men, and the guards with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.

Rebuilding Broken LivesRebuilding Broken Lives

Nehemiah 4

Challenges You Will Face Challenges You Will Face When You Work for When You Work for

GodGodFive Challenges And

How to Meet Them

Five ChallengesFive Challenges

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1. Ridicule

2. Rage

3. Resistance

4. Rubble (mid-project crisis)

5. Rumors• It is not God’s will that we do His

work the easy way. God’s plan is for us to become overcomers… and overcoming means obstacles.

1. Stay on Your Knees1. Stay on Your Knees

• Vs. 4-5 “Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked the builders.”

• Authoritative intercession• Warfare prayer

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““Imprecatory Prayers”Imprecatory Prayers”

• Imprecatory: “Get ‘em Lord” Prayers

• Not about personal enemies

• Not about personal revenge

• Are about God’s cause and reputation

• Are about unrepentant people

• Are not prayed by terrorists who take matters into their own hands

• These prayers trust God to administer justice in His own time and power

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2. Stay on Task2. Stay on Task

• Vs. 6 “So we rebuilt the wall…”– “Is that right? Ralph, hand me

another brick, will ya?”• Vs. 6 “…until the entire wall was

joined together up to half its height, for the people had the willfor the people had the will to keep to keep workingworking.”

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3. Stay Prepared3. Stay Prepared

• Have a Plan to Reinforce Your Have a Plan to Reinforce Your Vulnerable AreasVulnerable Areas

– Vs. 13 “So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall, at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.”

– Your vulnerable areas are where certain dreams become a temptation, where attractions become compulsions, where ordinary worries take on extraordinary powers (To paraphrase John Johnson)>

3. Stay Prepared3. Stay Prepared

• Organize for Maximum Organize for Maximum EffectivenessEffectiveness

– Vs. 13 “I stationed them by families with their swords, spears, and bows.”

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3. Stay Prepared3. Stay Prepared

• Have Good CommunicationsHave Good Communications• Vs. 19-20 “Then I said to the nobles,

the officials, and the rest of the people: ‘The work is enormous and spread out, and we are separated far from one another along the wall. wherever you hear the trumpet wherever you hear the trumpet soundsound, rally to us there.”

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4. Stay Vigilant4. Stay Vigilant

• Vs. 15-16 “When our enemies realized that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. From that day onFrom that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor”

– Stood down from full battle deployment – Went from DEFCON 2 to DEFCON 3– Remain at a very high level of alert

• Vs. 17 “The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.”>

4. Stay Vigilant4. Stay Vigilant

• Vs. 18 “Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while he was building”

• Vs. 18 “The trumpeter was beside me” • Vs. 23 “And I, my brothers, my men,

and the guards with me never took off our clothes.”

• Vs. 23 “Each carried his weapon, even when washing.”

• 1st Peter 5:8 “Be sober! Be on the alert! Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”. >

5. Stay Focused5. Stay Focused

• Vs. 14 “After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.’”

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5. Stay Focused5. Stay Focused

• Stay Focused on the LordStay Focused on the Lord• Vs. 14 “I… said to the nobles, the

officials, and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord’”great and awe-inspiring Lord’”

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• Charles Swindoll: “Nehemiah said to his people, ‘You’ve got your eyes on the rubbish, the debris, your own individual project. Get your eyes on the Lord.’ People who are discouraged are primarily thinking about one thing, themselves.”

5. Stay Focused5. Stay Focused

• Stay Focused on What You’re Stay Focused on What You’re Fighting ForFighting For

• Vs. 14 “I… said… ‘fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.’”

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5. Stay Focused5. Stay Focused

• Staying Focus will Result in Staying Focus will Result in Staying ConfidentStaying Confident

• Vs. 20 “Our God will fight for us!”

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