H HIGHLIGHT Isaiah 43:19 NLT For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Nehemiah 2:9-10; 4:1-3, 6-10 9 When I came to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River, I delivered the king s letters to them. The king, I should add, had sent along army officers and horsemen to protect me. 10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel 4 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap and charred ones at that? 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it! 6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. 9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. 10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves. Page " 1 of " 5
Nehemiah 4:12-14; 6:1-3, 13 12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, They will come from all directions and attack us! 13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. 14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, Don t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes! 6 Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied by sending this message to them: I am engaged in a great work, so I can t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you? 11 But I replied, Should someone in my position run from danger? E EXPLAIN Like it or not, the newness God wants to bring to us (and through us) is often a difficult process. We trudge it out for a while, but when the trouble keeps standing up between us and the laughter, running takes on a friendly smile. Paul Scherer reminds us that all great living begins in some quiet estimate we have of ourselves that will not let us play the coward s role. Nehemiah is a good man to get acquainted with when the going gets tough whether it s marriage and family, our walk with the Lord, our witness at work or school, parasitic sins that suck the want to out of us, or the church s commitment to touching this area of Georgia for the sake of Christ. Running was out of the question for Nehemiah: Should such a man as I run away? (6:11 ESV). Nehemiah 2 and 4 2:9-10 4:1-3, 6-10 Page " 2 of " 5
Nehemiah 4 and 6 4:12-14 6:1-3, 11 A APPLY 1. What stuck out to you or challenged you in what you heard in the sermon or read in the text? 2. What fears (the idea of losing something you have) or lusts (the desire for something else/ more) might keep you from applying this Scripture? 3. Hardly anything is more discouraging than setting out in faith to do something good (like Nehemiah), only to run into problems (Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem). Think of a time when your efforts to do something right seemed to face one road block after another. Maybe you were trying to solve a problem, only to see it get worse right before your eyes. How did you deal with the discouragement? In what way(s) were you like Nehemiah who took stock of himself and God, and refused to run (Neh. 6:3, 11; 4:14)? Page " 3 of " 5
In what way(s) did you give up in despair before the job was finished (Neh. 4:6-8, 10)? 4. How does Nehemiah s project relate to you and City Station? Completion of the construction is only half the job. The ministry that takes place in and around the building is the completion. What are some things you can do to make sure the wall is completed (Neh. 7:1)? R RESPOND 1. We don t know if Nehemiah was prepared for the opposition to repairing the walls of Jerusalem. Maybe there is a broken wall in your life that needs repair (marriage, addictions, loss of job, conflict in your family or with an acquaintance). You may see it as being too risky to continue (Neh. 4:11), or as a pile of useless rubble (4:2, 10). Even if you are still on track with rebuilding this wall, there are some things that you should latch to: You have a God who is great and glorious. Don t be afraid. Fight for what is right and noble and good. How is God great and Glorious? Call on God for His help and His victory (Neh. 4:14-15). And however you may have failed to carry out the task at hand, God is ready to take you by the hand and lead you along the pathway through the wilderness (Isaiah 43:19). We know that the "something new" that Isaiah refers to is the Gospel. Specifically, God was referring to the sending of His Son, Jesus into the world to atone for sin. How does the Gospel give you hope in the midst of varying circumstances? Page " 4 of " 5
Find a friend to walk with you and help you restore your vision (Neh. 4:13). We all need someone to stand by our side in the demanding times of our lives Friend s name 2. Pray for the leaders of our children s and student ministries especially Keith and Tucker. They are facing tremendous challenges as they prepare young men and women to touch this world for Christ. Put the spiritual cloak of Nehemiah around them every day. Be ready to help any way you can. Page " 5 of " 5