Unity & Purity

Nehemiah 2:11-1011 I went to Jerusalem, and after

staying there three days12 I set out during the night with a few

others. 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.

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;

15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

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

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Rebuilding

Relationship

Berlin Wall

Great Wall

Tortoise Formation

The Jews under Persian Rule

CYRUS Cambyses Darius I XERXES I ARTAXERXES I

559-530 530-522 522-486 486-465 464-423

The return from exile

Not mentioned The temple rebuilt

The king who made Esther his queen and Mordecai his grand vizier

The king who sponsored the return of Ezra and of Nehemiah. Jerusalem rebuilding the wall.

Persian Kings

Reference: Alexander, David and Pat, The Lion Handbook to

the Bible, Oxford: England, 1999

The word of Nehemiah, son of Hacaliah:

In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came to Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 1:1-2

KISLEV- December

In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artexerxes, when wine was brought to him, and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, “Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.”

I was very much afraid,Nehemiah 2:1-2

NISAN- April

I. The Investigationa)SECRECY11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there

three days12 I set out during the night with a few others. 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.

Nehemiah 2:11-12

b) SURVEYING THE DAMAGE

13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.

14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through;

15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate.

Nehemiah 2:13-15

16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Nehemiah 2:16

II. The Instructiona)PRECISEThen I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.

Nehemiah 2:17a

b) PASSIONATECome, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

Nehemiah 2:17b

c) PROMISINGI also told them about the

gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me.

Nehemiah 2:18a

d) PERSUASIVEThey replied, “Let us start

rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

Nehemiah 2:18b

III. The Determinationa)THE MOCKERSBut when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us.

Nehemiah 2:19a

Sanballat the HoronitePagan Worshipper/ God Horon

Tobiah the Ammonite Descendant of Lot, Nephew of Abraham

Geshem the Arab Descendant of Ishmael, son of Abraham from Hagar

b) THE DISCOURAGEMENT

“What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

Nehemiah 2:19b

c) THEIR SOURCEI answered them by saying,

“The God of heaven will give us success.

Nehemiah 2:20a

d) CALL TO COMMITMENTWe his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Nehemiah 2:20b

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.

Nehemiah 2:17a

In Reality Problems in a Ministry/Churc

h

Lack of

Initiative

Lack of

Lack of

Motives

leaders

FEELING OF BEING

IMBALANCES

For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:12 NASB

But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as He wanted to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts but one body.

1 Corinthians 12:18-20

If one part suffers, every parts suffer with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

1 Corinthians 12:26

My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and understanding.

Colossians 2:2-3

ChallengesBe SELFLESS Carry each other’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2

Be ONE in CHRIST In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His spirit.

Ephesians 2:21-22

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

Proverbs 16:3