Transcription downloaded from https://yetanothersermon.host/_/church4u/sermons/87363/nehemiahs-blueprint-rise-and-build-in-a-broken-world-powerful-sermon-on-faith-unity-and-revival/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] I know I was talking to Julie here and she asked, what are you preaching on? And I said, Nehemiah. Oh, not again.

[0:13] I know. It's okay to have a repetition, as it were. It's a totally new sermon, but it's the theme is a repeated theme because it's a glorious biblical theme, isn't it? Rise and build. Think of it. We're talking about Nehemiah's blueprint, if you like. We live in a broken world, don't we? Desperate for hope, brokenness. It's all around us, everywhere. Broken relationships, broken health, broken homes, broken fellowship.

[0:42] The devil loves to break things, doesn't he? He loves to break things, to wreck things. But God builds stuff. And so should we. So that's the theme about building. Can I exhort you, be a builder. I don't know if your name's Bob, but Bob the Builder. Yeah, be a builder. Whatever your name is, the builder. That's Nehemiah's message, all right? And we see that there in Nehemiah 2, verse 20. It says, The God of heaven, he will prosper us. Therefore, we, his servants, will arise and build. Here's Nehemiah's building method, his building program. Here's how to build amid brokenness. And the context, of course, it's Jerusalem.

[1:28] The walls are shattered. The walls are shattered. It's people broken. And Nehemiah's far away as the king's cupbearer. And he hears the news, the report. And it's there in chapter 1, verse 3 of Nehemiah.

[1:41] And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire.

[1:56] Now, in the context, of course, the city walls was its protection. Think of the nation, of the community being unsafe now. The wall's broken. And notice it tells us great affliction.

[2:10] What does Nehemiah do? He doesn't just weep. He acts. And Nehemiah's project now was a broken wall. Nehemiah gives us a blueprint for building.

[2:24] Our world is fractured. Let's face it. Relationships are strained. Communities are divided. Hearts are gripped by loneliness, addiction.

[2:36] It's a miserable place sometimes. I know as we were door-knocking Saturday, one woman came up with the classic question, Why do bad things happen to good people?

[2:49] I said, look it up on the internet. There's lots of answers to that one. No, of course, the Bible gives us the answers. As much as sometimes there are no answers.

[3:02] But I suppose the ultimate answer is, the world's broken, isn't it? The world's broken, and the devil's done it. Don't blame God for the suffering. He's not the author of it.

[3:15] But our project, too, is a broken world. People are broken. It's everywhere. It ought to make us reach out to God, who's the ultimate one who fixes things.

[3:29] And think of it, brother, sister, we are called to rise up and build. To be that builder of a biblical church, of a vibrant Christian life, God helping us to.

[3:45] Of course, every one of us are tested in our faith and walk. Look back at Nehemiah now. The Jews are back from a Babylonian exile, but their city, Jerusalem, is in ruins.

[4:00] And the city is open to attack. What does Nehemiah do? He sets about rebuilding the walls and restoring the hope of a broken people.

[4:11] It speaks of an overcoming faith. In our context, there's a lot of brokenness in our own world.

[4:22] People live broken lives all around us. There's so much spiritual brokenness in our community. People are lost. They don't know the Saviour. There's a crying need.

[4:34] And there's loneliness. There's people struggling with life-threatening addictions that control them. Will we take action like Nehemiah? That's my challenge to you, to be a builder.

[4:46] Let's see Nehemiah's blueprint. It starts with burden. Burden. Nehemiah hears about the broken down walls of his beloved Jerusalem.

[4:57] And he gets stirred up on the inside of him. It tells how he weeps, fasts, and prays. Not for a moment, but for days.

[5:09] Here's the formula. Pray first. Act next. See the brokenness. Get the burden. Pray first.

[5:20] Then act. It's been said, pray as if it depends on God. Work as if it depends upon you. Before the building comes a broken heart. A burdened heart.

[5:31] And the burden drives Nehemiah to earnest prayer. We see this stage by stage. He sees the need. He prays. And he takes action.

[5:42] Verse 4 it reads, Nehemiah goes to prayer and fasting.

[6:03] Before we rush into fixing problems, let's pray. Pray first, brother. Pray first, sister. Amen. Let's pray for God's wisdom and his strength. Before we rush into being Mr Fixer.

[6:18] The work of restoration, it starts with a burdened heart anchored in prayer. See the brokenness all around you. Go to God about it. Maybe it's brokenness in your own life and family situations.

[6:33] Nehemiah, it tells us he confesses sins and he claims God's promises. And he seeks God's favour. And God moves when we seek him first. Amen. When we seek him first.

[6:44] That's the truth. To rebuild what's broken, we need the Lord to guide and help us. The reality for us is that today, brokenness and pain surrounds us.

[6:56] When you walk the streets, when you knock doors, when you talk to people, we've got a hurting community, don't we? Marriages crumbling, mental health crises, a lot of spiritual apathy in our churches across the board.

[7:11] Do we say, do we care? Are we stirred like Nehemiah? Notice the needs around you. Look out for people. Where's the brokenness?

[7:21] Could it be a struggling neighbour? A hurting friend? Sometimes we're so self-consumed, aren't we? Rather than seeing the need outside of our own echo chamber.

[7:33] Pray first. Ask God for wisdom and strength and open doors. Nehemiah was a humble, heartfelt prayer. Notice verse 11, chapter 1, verse 11.

[7:45] O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name, and prosper, I pray thee, thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.

[8:03] Notice Nehemiah prayed, but it wasn't just Nehemiah. It was multiple people praying. Amen? That's good. That's why we have prayer times, isn't it? That's why we pray. Nehemiah, he seeks God's direction first.

[8:14] Let's also seek God's will. Trust him. Let's put prayer before the planning, before the action. Nehemiah then boldly risks his own life. He goes to the king and asks for resources.

[8:27] We pick it up there, as it tells us in Nehemiah 2. And the point is the boldness of Nehemiah. He boldly risks his life to go to the king.

[8:39] That was not something you would ordinarily do, that you would go to the king and seek his help. Nehemiah steps out in faith.

[8:51] We see Nehemiah as the cupbearer. He had much comfort, but he stepped out of the comfort zone and went to the king to appeal. Now, we don't ordinarily, as a church, go to the government for help, you know, as it were.

[9:06] Mind you, there has been an occasion where the government's imposing something now on churches, on community halls, where you've got to have a defibrillator. So we've got to go and buy one.

[9:17] And it's like some nearly $2,000. But there's a grant where we've been able to, and we've been approved for it, to get $1,000 towards that. So there wasn't any compromise in getting a grant.

[9:29] In this circumstance. Of course, we're very guarded about going to the government, asking for things, because then they want something in return. But in times past, we have had help where the government's helped us in one form or other of government have helped us, for example, to buy a church bus or partly purchase it, which has been a help to us.

[9:50] But I suppose the point is, in Nehemiah's case here, he does go to the king, and he appeals for some support. Support. And he steps out in faith. He chooses courage over comfort to go out of his comfort zone.

[10:03] And then next up, he rallies the people with this clear vision. And here it says, Nehemiah 2.17, what Nehemiah said unto them, You see the distress that we're in.

[10:13] How Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burnt with fire. Come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach. You see the distress, the waste, the wreckage, the gates burnt.

[10:28] It's a reproach. And he says, Then I told them of the hand of my God, which was good upon me, as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me, because the king did show favour and did grant support.

[10:41] And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work. Notice that the community said, Let us rise up and build. Hey, let's get together and do this.

[10:52] There was a motivation that was across the community. Nehemiah's courage ignites hope in others too.

[11:04] And we need boldness, don't we, as well. A boldness to share the burden. When God burdens our heart, he puts souls on our heart. We get a burden for people.

[11:15] We get moved. We get emboldened. And boldly step out in faith, to speak faith. That's what Nehemiah does. He speaks faith. He takes action despite fear and despite opposition.

[11:30] And this concept of building, we're a part of that too. As you think of the context of here and now, you and me, we're building a biblical church. God helping, he's building a biblical church through our own endeavours, through our own harnessing our own strengths and gifts and abilities to see a church built and glorifying God and to build a faithful Christian life too.

[11:54] It's on the individual side too, isn't it? One by one of us. God's building us up on the inside. Build up one another. And so when we do building, we can expect opposition. But God calls us to be bold, to stand.

[12:09] We all face our personal doubts. We all feel inadequate. There's cultural pressure. There's apathy from many quarters, even direct opposition. We have need of boldness people.

[12:20] Amen? To be a bold people. Notice Nehemiah then, it tells how he did a survey in chapter 2, verses 11 through 16. He went out and he surveyed the situation.

[12:32] Maybe we can think, hey, can I take a spiritual inventory? How's my life? Can I check myself? Have I got needs? What's broken in my sphere? Maybe in the circumstances of my life, the people I have contact with in my influence.

[12:48] Is the brokenness around me, what opportunities are there? Maybe even in your own family. We're called to parent with purpose, to serve in ministry, to speak truth in love.

[13:00] Hey, if there's a gap, let's jump in and fill it. When God opens a door, a conversation, a chance to serve, walk through it boldly.

[13:11] Take action. God will bless as you step forward in faith. There's a boldness there. Another big theme is our need to build together.

[13:22] In the book of Nehemiah, there's a lot of togetherness. They stand together. They build together. They just keep on laying bricks. Amen? That's the church, isn't it?

[13:33] Notice in chapter 3 of Nehemiah, of course I'm not referring to every verse, it tells how, in chapter 3, that every one of the people had a section of the wall.

[13:49] Nehemiah records the priests, the merchants, the families working alongside each other, side by side, each one repairing their own section of the wall. Hey, we can't do it all.

[14:00] You can't do the whole wall yourself, but you can do your little bit. You can do your bit. Find your section of the wall. In other words, station yourself, fill the gap that you can fill, and contribute faithfully.

[14:14] Nehemiah's project was a collective effort, a united effort, and unity was there. That was the key. We must stand united. Now, we're builders, but the devil is against us.

[14:27] The devil wants to wreck everything of God. The devil wants to wreck what God wants to build. He loves to cause discord and divide. The church thrives, though, when every one of us does our little bit, our section.

[14:43] Every builder counts. Every brick matters. Think of it. If you weren't at your station, that part of the wall is not going to get built. All right? It's important that we discover our place in God's work.

[14:57] And engage in fellowship. Take part. No one builds alone. Work alongside each other. The point is build together. Valuing everyone's different gifts and callings, contributions.

[15:10] It's unique. Your gift is unique. Your ability. So collaborate with one another, with purpose, perseverance, as a joint collaborative effort here. And there's different groups.

[15:21] Hey, there was all kinds of people in Nehemiah 3. Check it out. The list of people, all kinds of walks of life. The point was they all got together and did their section.

[15:32] And there's a wonderful blessing that comes when we get together and do our bit. Here's how a biblical church thrives. Hey, not that one is doing more than the other, or that some are doing nothing, but everyone is contributing their little bit.

[15:52] Each one of us can man our station. Everyone has a role. And we've all got different gifts and ways to contribute. Let's do it together. That's the unity. Every person, every gift, every role matters.

[16:05] That's a biblical church. And it's our collective effort that gets things done. The people, notice that says that the people had a mind to work.

[16:16] It says, so built we, again, the collective effort, we, we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof, because for the people had a mind to work.

[16:28] It was a joint effort. Hey, we've got our bit to do. We're going to get on and do it. Nehemiah teaches us through the book to stay united, keep going. It's about building together. Amen. To be that builder.

[16:39] You can build. Everyone here, that trust God, you are a part of this process of building, this program, this project. It's about building together and supporting one another too.

[16:51] Maybe someone might not be able to carry so much of the weight of a brick or a bag of bricks. You can help, help one another, support one another to achieve that common goal, see things built.

[17:04] It's also true that this building site was also a battlefield. And we've got to keep building even when opposition comes.

[17:16] When Sanballat and Tobiah mock, they were enemies of God. And it tells of these ones and others, Sanballat and Tobiah, they mock and threaten.

[17:27] What does Nehemiah do? He prays. He posts guards. He just keeps on building. Pass me another brick. Critics will mock, won't they? When you do something for God.

[17:39] It's life. It's life. Do something for God and someone's going to pick on you and attack you. Distractions. They're going to come. Internal strivings.

[17:51] Our mission is always under threat. But keep on laying the bricks, brother. Sister. Keep on laying the bricks. And when we build together, let's hang in there. Through the opposition.

[18:03] Through facing opposition, division, burnout. Keep pressing forward. You've got a mission. You've got a wall to build, brother. Sister. Keep at it. Keep pressing on.

[18:15] Through the pressure, persevere. And here's some applications we could make, perhaps about this picture of this people building a wall. What's your section, if you like?

[18:27] What are you good at? What can you do? What is it that is your thing? Can you share the gospel? Can you teach children?

[18:38] Visit the sick. Be a blessing. And start small too. Start small. But start. Start. All right.

[18:49] Sometimes you think, well, kind of thinking about joining the soul winning team and going door knocking, but I'll get around to it. One day I'll get to it. Start.

[19:03] Start. It's that simple. And stick at it. Work as a team. Build relationships in your church. Value the contributions of others.

[19:14] Every one of us has a part to play. That particular ministry might not be your section. It could be something else for you. All right. I'm not wanting to put you into like a square peg in a round hole.

[19:30] Find where you fit. And start where you are. And serve. Minister to people in your family, your workplace, your neighbourhood. Find ways. Hey, that's my section.

[19:41] Yeah, I get that. I'm good at music. That's my section. I'm good at jabbering on to people. Hey, I'll join some of the social get-togethers. I'll come Thursday night.

[19:52] You know, find me a section. Hey, I'm good at that. I'm going to get in there. Boots and all. Jump in. Serve. Find something you can do. And get started. Get started.

[20:03] It's like with an orchestra, isn't it? Every instrument matters for harmony. If one instrument's not playing, hey, it doesn't sound so good.

[20:14] It doesn't sound as good as it could sound. How can we be like that? As an orchestra. As a symphony. Building relationships. Let's build that unity. Foster it in how we serve.

[20:25] Work together. That's the point. And there's a sense where, with ministry, we're personally invested in it. It's my section. Hey, that's my section. That's what I'm going to do for God.

[20:37] And I'm going to do it to the glory of God. The best way that I know how to. I'm personally invested in my section. What I do. And make a contribution in your own way.

[20:50] Giving, serving, strengthening the community that is the church. You're going to face resistance along the way. You need to press on. Don't let that turn you off. Press through the trial, the test.

[21:03] Sanballat and Tobiah, they mocked Nehemiah's vision. They laughed and they made fun of him. They called it impossible. That this was just a hopeless endeavour.

[21:13] In Nehemiah 2 verse 19, when Sanballat, the Horonite, and Tobiah, the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem, the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said, what is this thing that you do?

[21:29] Will you rebel against the king? They thought it was a big joke. Come on, you're not going to build that wall. You're not able. You're going to rebel against the king.

[21:40] They despised them, laughed us to scorn and chapter 4 tells, but it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we veilded the wall, he was wroth and took great indignation and mocked the Jews.

[21:53] He was spitting chips. What? Great indignation. Verse 2, and he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, what do these feeble Jews?

[22:04] Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? What are they doing? They're weaklings. They're feeble. Are they going to fortify themselves?

[22:15] They're building a fortress. Will they make an end in a day? There's no way they're going to achieve this. Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which I burned? And hey, there was much rubbish.

[22:26] It was just a rubbish dump. And verse 3, So pathetic, so weak is this wall that a fox is going to knock it down.

[22:42] In chapter 4, verse 8, it says, they conspired to fight, to hinder. Brother, sister, expect opposition. Should that stop you? If it's the work of God, it shouldn't stop you.

[22:53] It should make you more determined. Mockers and threats will come. Brother, sister, people are going to pick on you when you try to do something for God. Hey, hang in there. That's normal.

[23:05] Hang in there. And Nehemiah stood firm in his faith. He trusted God's plan. It says, he told them, the God of heaven, he will prosper us. Therefore, we, his servants, will arise and build.

[23:18] And he's talking to the opponents. He says, but you have no portion, nor riot, nor memorial in Jerusalem. Hey, the enemy's going to miss out.

[23:29] But we're going to be blessed by the God of heaven. It's the same for us. You're going to get knockers. Expect setback. God calls us to courage. So stay the course.

[23:40] Stand firm, brother. If you've got a ministry, a place of serving, serve well. Keep serving. Stay focused. Stay faithful. And keep going. Keep on going. Don't stop.

[23:51] We can expect mockery when we're doing God's work. Keep focused. We have a work to do. All of us. Again, the people had a mind to work. Making that mind, isn't it?

[24:03] Hey, that's what I'm, that's my section. Hey, I'm going to keep on working. That's my mind. I'm going to be determined to do it. It's the same for us.

[24:14] We can expect pushback and criticism. We need to ignore negativity that can derail our mission. Brother, sister, God's got something for you to do.

[24:25] You've got a section. You've got something you're good at. God will make you good at it. Even if you think, well, I think that's my section, but I'm not, I don't know whether I'm good at it. Look, just keep on.

[24:37] God will make you good at it. He'll help you to keep on with your mission despite the critics and keep your focus. And as the work goes forward, the enemy's plot attacks. What does Nehemiah do?

[24:48] Says he prayed. He set a watch and he prayed. It said he set a watch day and night. He goes again to prayer. Hey, when you get something that's against you, pray it through.

[25:04] Pray through, brother, sister, amen. Pray through. The opposition should drive us to pray, to pray more. And he arms the workers too.

[25:15] Brother, sister, we've got need of diligence in the work and vigilance. What are we to do? Are we going to be like Nehemiah? Can we take a page out of Nehemiah's book? You know, I don't want to wreck my Bible, but take a page out of Nehemiah's book.

[25:30] Amen. Keep going. You can expect mockery. Keep going. We've got a work to do. And as the work goes forward, the enemy's plot attacks. We have need of diligence in the work and vigilance too.

[25:44] Says they set a watch. Hey, keep on the lookout. Yeah. Keep alert. Keep looking. And hold a trowel in one hand.

[25:57] I've got to have my props. Hold a trowel in one hand, all right? And a sword. I should have, I could have brought a sword in the other. That's what I should have done.

[26:08] Would have made it more effective. If you can imagine, yeah, here's the sword. Okay. A trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. Amen. Amen. Oh, amen.

[26:19] All the people said. Amen. A trowel in one hand, a sword in the other. In other words, pray and build.

[26:31] And ignore the noise. When life gets tough, when critics scoff, focus on God's call. Brother, sister, don't stop. Don't stop your work.

[26:43] And they tried to get Nehemiah to stop in Nehemiah 6, verse 3. No. I've got a work to do. I've got a job here. I've got a section. And the church isn't built by superstars.

[26:54] It wasn't built by Nehemiah. We made our prayer. We did it. By God's grace. We. Not Nehemiah on his own.

[27:05] And it's the same with the church, isn't it? It's not built by, hey, Pastor Andrew's church. No. We. We. We the church. The church is built by ordinary believers.

[27:16] Of course, God is the builder. Christ is the builder. But it's we. We who show up. Who stick together and stick at it. Don't let up. Keep praying. Keep believing. Keep alert spiritually.

[27:28] Guard against discouragement. Hey, happens on the inside of all of us, including me. Discouragement. Distractions. Divisions. We've got to be like a marathon runner. Running. Staying the course.

[27:40] Ignoring the shortcuts. Hey, keeping looking unto Jesus. There's always going to be distractions that will threaten to detour us from God's mission. I've got my section.

[27:50] I've got to be faithful. Pursuing God's call. It starts with a burden. A boldness and then a building together. And then we see there's a blessing too. It was a spiritual revival.

[28:01] Hey, this work, this wall, it wasn't so much about the bricks and mortar. It wasn't so much about the bricks and mortar. It was a spiritual thing. It was a heart and a covenant. It wasn't a physical restoration.

[28:13] That was the point. It was a spiritual revival. That was the point. And revival came through God's word. When the word got declared in chapter 8, Ezra read the word of God. And we see what happened.

[28:25] It tells us, I've got little extracts here in chapter 8. It says, all the people gathered. Yeah, it's church. Let's get together. As one man, they spake unto Ezra, the scribe, bring the book, the book of the law.

[28:38] And it says, the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. So we see that they read God's word, they wept, they repented, they rejoiced, received the word, they recommitted.

[28:50] Our foundation is God's word. We're building a church. God helping us that we want to be a spiritual church, we'll see a spiritual revival. It's as they read the book, as they read the book, there was blessing.

[29:03] And every effort of our church, God helping us, pray that I'll make sensible decisions through the committee as a sounding board that will be wisely led, that will be led by the Lord, by his word, it will guide us, it will help us, lead us.

[29:18] We'll see revival, we'll see God grow, we'll see that aliveness, that Christ is. It's in us too. We'll be alive, a living people, a living body. And let's keep vigilant as Nehemiah pictures there, God will send revival.

[29:34] Think of it, of your world. Our world is broken, isn't it? Isn't it? All around us. Only God's truth is going to bring real hope. This is the answer.

[29:45] It's as we read the law of God, as we heed the word, a biblical church, as we stand on it, stand firm, squarely on it. And there's practical things that we can do as builders.

[29:57] Let me exhort you today, I've got to do something a bit stupid so you remember the sermon. Okay, let's be a builder. Amen? Be a builder. Are you going to join the building crew?

[30:10] Are you wanting to join? Think of it. Read your Bible. Get the word. Let it convict. Let it find joy in your heart. And examine your life.

[30:21] Do that stock take. Do that spiritual inventory. Hey, maybe there's some commitments I can renew. Oh, I was going to put it all on social media now. I've got to, I'm going to make it look really good.

[30:33] There's some practical things we can do. Brother, sister, think of it. There's a wall to build and God gave the glory. Notice God gave the glory. And God is faithful, isn't he?

[30:45] It's as we're faithful to, we'll give him praise. God brings revival. That's the last chapters of the book talks about God bringing revival. Think of it for yourself, the spiritual disciplines.

[30:57] Maybe, hey, maybe there's some reviving of the spiritual disciplines I can do for my own life. God's word revives. This is the blueprint really, isn't it? And Nehemiah attends not only to building the wall, but also the house of God.

[31:11] There's another emphasis in the book of Nehemiah that it talks about not just the wall, but the house of God. The house of God is mentioned 10 times in the book.

[31:23] And Nehemiah challenges the realist here, why is the house of God forsaken? The house of God, by implication, it's the worship, isn't it? Neglected.

[31:34] How's our worship? Can we examine ourselves, our commitment? Nehemiah roots out the compromise. He says, hey, there's a compromise here. Why is the house of God forsaken? Other areas of compromise in my life.

[31:48] The wall was completed 52 days despite opposition. It was a miracle. And the people joined together. There was a joyful dedication Nehemiah 12, 27. At the dedication of the wall, it says that they had thanksgivings and gladness and singing, cymbals and psalteries and harps.

[32:08] Hey, we've got a few instruments we need to add to the orchestra there. It's interesting, isn't it? The dedication, there was joy, there was gladness, there was jubilation.

[32:19] And it's interesting in the book, singers and singing are mentioned 17 times in the book of Nehemiah. Hey, that's your bit, isn't it? All of us can sing, can't we?

[32:31] We may not sing that well, but we can sing. I'm talking about myself. Yeah, when I'm song leading, I've got to remember to go like that. I know, sorry everybody. The book is full of worship, isn't it?

[32:43] The book of Nehemiah is full of worship and they restored the worship. Nehemiah 8, verse 6, and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God and all the people answered. What did they answer?

[32:55] Amen, amen. With lifting up their hands, they bowed their heads, they bowed their heads, they lifted up their hands, they bowed their heads and they worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

[33:06] There's a whole lot of worship in the book. And Nehemiah 9, it goes on, and they stood up in their place and read in the book of the law of the Lord. It says they read the book one fourth part of the day, another fourth part they confessed and they worshipped the Lord their God.

[33:20] They worshipped the Lord their God and cried with a loud voice unto the Lord their God. Hey, don't be afraid to lift up your voice. And verse 5, and it says, they said, stand up and bless the Lord your God forever and ever and blessed be thy glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

[33:40] Thou, even thou art Lord alone. Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their hosts, the earth and all things that are therein, the seas and all that is therein and thou preservest them all and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

[33:56] They praised God for his faithfulness. Hey, the walls built 52 days, it was a miracle. Hey, we've got some praise to do. We've got some praise to give. We've got some praising to do for God's faithfulness to us.

[34:08] Thanksgiving is another theme that's mentioned eight times in the book of Nehemiah. They didn't neglect to say, thank you Lord, thank you Lord. It's God's grace, isn't it, that builds and the word together or togetherness themes of that is a repeated theme in the book.

[34:25] Together, a repeated theme. Praise is mentioned four times and all the congregation said, Amen and praised the Lord.

[34:38] And we can get a bit radical and say Amen a bit. Wouldn't that be good? Maybe that's your section. It can be the Amen section. Amen. We need to unite in praise, don't we? Praise the Lord together.

[34:48] Give Him thanks. It's His work, isn't it? And so the wall was finished. It was a glorious miracle of God, the provision of God, 52 days. And Cate to Pastor and all our enemies heard thereof and all the heathen that were about us saw these things.

[35:01] They were much cast down in their eyes for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God. And when you do something for God, it's going to be evident it's wrought of God.

[35:12] God's done this. It's by God's grace and help, isn't it? His strength. So when you do something for God, hey, just do your little bit, your section. God's going to give you the strength to do it, to keep on doing it, not give up, finish strong, see the need, pray first, ask God's wisdom, expect and overcome opposition, be bold, have courage, press on, trust God's provision.

[35:36] everyone has a role. That's the point. Everyone. Don't think, oh, the preacher's talking to everybody else today.

[35:47] No, you've got your section. You've got your bit. Find it. God help you. God will show you. He'll reveal what he wants to put on your heart.

[35:57] He'll give you a burden for something. And just run with the burden. Amen. And recommit to God's will. They have to keep reviewing, reviving, refreshing through the book.

[36:11] Can you find a wall to rebuild? Could it be a godly habit? Hey, yeah, that wall's not looking too good. That godly habit, it's not looking too good. It's looked a bit broken down.

[36:22] Maybe I need to do something. A relationship. Build it. Rebuild it. And brother, sister, start with prayer. Trust God that he will do it.

[36:34] Notice, brother, sister, there's a joy here. It's the joy of the Lord. That's your strength. It's not you. I know some of you like to go to the gym now and again, but hey, that's not your strength.

[36:45] It's not your strength. Some of you are really a lot fitter than I am. You've got some strength. But actually, that's not your strength. Your biceps and your triceps.

[36:56] It's the Lord. It's the joy of the Lord. That's your strength. You might be as weak as me. And God can be your strength. Amen. God can be your strength. It tells how as they were fueled in their mission by God's joy, the rallying cry here.

[37:14] They offered great sacrifices and rejoiced. For God had made them rejoice with great joy. It says, the wives also and the children rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

[37:28] The joy of the Lord is your strength. Notice a couple of things here. They offered great sacrifices. They rejoiced with great joy. Sometimes, hey, maybe we're missing the sacrifice part.

[37:40] But, we've got to have that great joy. God will help you to make sacrifices in your life. Will we join Nehemiah's band? What kind of character did these fellas have?

[37:51] And the women. It says, of these ones, their character, they clave to their brethren. They were stuck together like glue. They willingly offered themselves. There was a willingness.

[38:03] This wasn't forced. It wasn't the pastor putting them on a guilt trip. They offered themselves. Willingly offered. It says, they were valiant men, mighty men of valour. Hey, can we be that one?

[38:16] And they purified themselves. They got things right if there was something needing sorting. Brother, sister, think of it, really, and I don't mean to look silly here, but sometimes looking silly helps you remember it.

[38:30] Every one of us are builders. Every one. Every one of you are a builder here. Every brick that we lay in God's name matters. May we be willing to get a burden to pray, to invest ourselves, find our section, act for God's kingdom, and rise and build your family, your community.

[38:47] Find your mission and fulfil it. Nehemiah 2, verse 20, it says, the God of heaven, he will prosper us, therefore we, his servants, will, hey, we, mutual, collaboration, combined effort, unity, we, we will arise and build.

[39:07] We're God's servants. And Nehemiah's blueprint, just to recap, we see, it was a burden. See the need, it's all around you, it's all in the streets around you.

[39:18] There's people in your influence, hey, let's get a burden and pray. We see that Nehemiah had a boldness to approach the king, a boldness to confront opposition.

[39:29] We see a building together, there was great unity, hey, let's get together, encourage one another. We're in this together. And then there was a blessing, revival. It wasn't so much, well, the wall was one tangible evidence, but what mattered most was God's blessing came.

[39:46] As they praised, as they worshipped, as they gave thanks, as they gave God glory, the God of heaven will enable you, whatever your mission is, as you trust him and work with others, work your part on the wall.

[40:01] Our world is broken. It's been broken since Genesis. Why do bad things happen? Hey, get used to it. That's life.

[40:12] But it doesn't stop you from loving God, that he's above all of the circumstances. Our ultimate brokenness is man's relationship with God. Broken.

[40:24] It's fractured. The devil broke it. Adam broke it in the garden. Brokenness. It happened from the garden. And our deepest brokenness is sin.

[40:35] It separates us from God. But Christ is the ultimate restorer, isn't he? He's the ultimate restorer. He's the repairer of the breach between humanity and God.

[40:47] Isaiah 58, 12. You can know reconciliation with God. It's the ultimate reconciliation. What is your wall today? Could it be a strained relationship, a stagnant faith, hurting ones and your influence, people that you know?

[41:06] Get a burden. Start with prayer. Step out. Encourage. Build with others and stay grounded and get the word.

[41:17] It's going to feed you, help you grow. That truth of the house of the Lord, hey, get together when you can as we can come as a unified people together to get the word.

[41:28] And the God of heaven is going to prosper you. Think of it. Identify one broken area. Well, yeah, I could think of something that is broken in me, in my life.

[41:41] Maybe I've slackened with those spiritual disciplines that, hey, yeah, I could lift my game a bit. I could pick up the ball again that I've dropped.

[41:54] Get a burden. Identify that broken area. Maybe it's relational too. Well, I know a broken relationship with this one or that one. Maybe I can do my bit to sort that.

[42:07] What is it that you need to work on? Take that spiritual inventory. Pray about it and ask God to help you. Forgive someone. Serve in your church. Share your faith.

[42:19] Find your place. Hey, that's my section. Yeah! Why didn't I see that before? That's my section. Hey, I better get and do it. Get in my section.

[42:30] Yeah? My part of the wall. And do it. Just get on with it. And pray, act, build, repeat. There's a sense where, hey, pray, get the burden, act, do something, then repeat.

[42:46] Hey, do it again. Again, pray. Get another burden, another burden, another action, another action. Our world is broken, isn't it? Rise and build.

[42:58] Rise and build. May we get a heart like Nehemiah. Yeah! The stuff that Nehemiah did, he got burdened, he got bold, he was faithful. God can give me the same courage.

[43:09] It's the same God, isn't it? The God of heaven. Isn't he your God too? The God of heaven. Isn't he your God? All the people said? Amen. God give you the courage.

[43:21] Amen. To be a builder. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you that it's your grace in all of this, dear God, the brokenness of our world. Lord, people that are hurting all around, may we be a blessing.

[43:34] Lord, burden our hearts, Lord. Help us to pray, to pray through, to be bold, whatever circumstance we're in. Help us to find our section, Lord, that which you've called us to do, that mission, that you burden our heart with.

[43:50] We pray here this morning for any that, maybe they've yet to have their ultimate healing of brokenness, which is Christ. Lord, that is the reconciliation between God and man.

[44:02] Lord, that you are the reconciler, the restorer of the breach. We know sin is the devil's ploy, that brokenness since Adam. Lord, we know that only you can fix that.

[44:14] Lord, we pray that we'll put our trust in you. For those that have yet to trust you, even this very moment might be that moment they say, Jesus, save me. Heal the brokenness of my heart.

[44:25] Help me, Lord, to be reconciled together with you, that I can be a son, a daughter of the living God, and know you, whom to know is life eternal.

[44:39] And Lord, as such a safe people, give us the gumption, the get up and go, Lord, to find that spot that we need to jump into, that gap, and give us the grace to fulfil that mission that you've put on our heart to do.

[44:57] And Lord, to keep on at it, to pray, act, repeat. Lord, to keep building until we see your face.

[45:08] And for the meantime, we can give you thanks and glory. Pray for our church, for a spiritual revival. Lord, for these truths to be a reviving of the spiritual things that sometimes we've missed.

[45:24] Lord, that we'll get back on track, if that's our situation. Lord, help us. And end it all, we know your grace, because we know we cannot do anything without you. In Jesus' name we pray.

[45:36]  Amen. Amen. Amen.