| Facing Fear and Rebuilding Jerusalem |
Pastor Steve Holt
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Mountain Springs Church
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| 04/22/07 |
Facing Fear and Rebuilding Jerusalem
Nehemiah 2-3
Introduction:
- Last week we looked at Nehemiah, a cupbearer of King Artaxerxes, and heard about the destroyed walls around Jerusalem.
- It broke his heart and he prayed and fasted about what to do about it.
- We will realize in chapter 2 and 3 that God has now spoken to Nehemiah.
- The book of Nehemiah is not just a true story of the rebuilding of the literal city of Jerusalem, but it is a metaphor of how God wants to build the city of Jerusalem in our hearts.
- There are two cities, spoken most eloquently by St. Augustine in one of the great classics of literature, City of God.
- In our hearts we are building one of two cities:
- There is the city of man, the City of Babylon, we build within ourselves by loving and cherishing this world and this world’s values and ways.
- But there is another city, the City of Jerusalem, which is the city of the kingdom of God. As believers we are citizens of this kingdom and we build this city in our hearts through our love for God and His values and ways.
- St. Augustine would say that which city we are building is determined by which we love the most:
“These (two cities) are two loves, the one which is holy, the other, unholy; one social, the other individualistic; one takes heed of the common utility because of the heavenly society, the other reduces even the commonwealth to its own ends because of a proud lust of domination; the one is subject to God, the other sets itself up as a rival to God; the one is serene, the other tempestuous; the one is peaceful, the other quarrelsome; the one prefers truthfulness to deceitful praises, the other is utterly avid of praise; the one is friendly, the other jealous; the one desires for its neighbor what it would for itself, the other is desirous of lording it over its neighbor; the one directs its effort to the neighbor’s good, the other to its own…These two loves have created the distinction between the two cities; the one of the just and the other of the wicked.” (City of God15.1)
- Nehemiah is a study of the rebuilding of Jerusalem both literally and figuratively
Chapter 2:1-2
- Nisan is four months since chapter 1…so Nehemiah has been praying, thinking, seeking counsel about what to do for 4 months.
- Nehemiah is a cupbearer of the king and it is his responsibility to check the wine before the king drinks.
- In ancient times a servant of the king would never show any kind of sadness to a king.
- Sadness was punishable with death! The king wanted all of his subjects to reflect the well being brought about by his administrative prowess.
- So this was risky for Nehemiah.
- But Nehemiah had obviously built a trustful relationship with the king.
- Nehemiah is still very fearful! He is literally risking his life.
- Either his countenance will bother the king
- Or his request and explanation would anger the king
- But Nehemiah faced his fear for a greater purpose!
1) Face your Fears with Faith
· Fear will enslave you! Most of us live “fear based” lives.
· Fear is a motivation…a negative emotion and a negative purpose.
· Fear will make you sick! Fear will ruin your health, your immune system; I believe most headaches, depression, and sickness come from fears in our lives.
· Face fear with faith! “Perfect love casts out fear.”
· Quit building the city of Babylon and begin building the walls of Jerusalem.
· The walls of Babylon are built by Fear! The walls of Jerusalem are built by Faith!
Vs. 3
- Nehemiah tells him exactly what has happened to Jerusalem… not messing around, straightforward and honest.
- A tomb was a place of respect for dead community members who birthed and passed on spiritual values to the next living generation.
- Gates were emblematic of the life of the city, it was a place of judicial decisions and a place of community as people came and went.
2) Be Honest about the Problem
· The Babylonians had destroyed the city of Jerusalem, and Satan has tried to destroy your life too.
· Be honest…God already knows! Your spouse already knows.
· Face fear with faith and be honest about the broken walls of your life.
Vs. 4-5
- The king rightly interprets Nehemiah’s attitude that he wants to take action and do something about the problem.
- Nehemiah prays for favor!
3) Pray for Favor and Blessing
· Ask God for favor; ask God for blessing.
· If you know that God is calling you to do something or fix an issue that involves others, seek the Lord for favor and blessing.
Vs. 6-10
- Official letters were a way of transferring the authority of the king to Nehemiah.
- In order to pass through the King’s woods, he would need authority from the king.
- Timber was a very precious commodity…we have evidence of this from one ancient city in Mesopotamia in which a man was taken to court for cutting down one tree. Forests were carefully guarded and only such a letter would get you in.
- This was a 3-4 month journey that was very dangerous and ridden with bandits and enemies…Nehemiah really needed the king’s authorization through such letters.
- Protocol with the other officials was very important. Any misstep by Nehemiah would cost him life with these other governors.
- Note that Nehemiah really has this thought through! He has a clear plan.
- But there is opposition! This is our first introduction to two men who will continue to fight against Nehemiah throughout his rebuilding.
- These are probably the men who were behind the stoppage of the rebuilding of the temple in Ezra 4.
- Sanballat was the governor of Samaria.
4) Make a Plan and Expect Opposition
· When you decide to get serious about changes in your life, you will need a plan!
· How, when, and where are you going to change you life?
· The definition of “insanity” - doing the same thing but expecting different results!
· To rebuild the walls of Jerusalem in our heart we must have a plan.
· But Satan, through people, will oppose you all the way!!
· Satan is a deceiver, liar, and “roaring lion” that wants to intimidate you to stay right where you are in your life! He says, “You can’t change! You will always struggle with that.”
· Ex. I have seen certain weaknesses in my life and I have had to make a plan of how I would react if certain circumstances happened again…
Vs. 11-18
- It appears that none of the nobles or governors of the area come out to greet Nehemiah.
- He has only a “few men” with him.
- I have wondered if the opposition of what he had come to do was so great, even among the Jewish leaders, that this is why Nehemiah went out at night.
- He tells no one because he trusts hardly anyone.
- He is checking the old foundations to see if they have enough integrity to be built upon.
- A good leader cannot propose a new work unless he understands the ruins of the old work.
- You see what he’s checking? The gates! These gates are the access points into the city…soft spots, vulnerable access points.
- I want you to notice that Nehemiah takes along a “few good men”.
Vs. 17-18
- Nehemiah motivates the people to action! They begin to work together.
5) Build a Band of Brothers/Sisters to Help
· We all need each other! We need brothers and sisters in Christ who will help and guide us.
· We need people who can speak into our lives and support and love us.
Look at chapter 3 with me…they begin rebuilding the walls together.
· This is the body of Christ at work! The words “repair” and “build” are used 34x in just Chapter 3
· Hundreds are involved in Chapter 3.
· Not everyone will help (Vs. 5), but most will. People will help you if you will call out for help
· Ex. I remember recently asking a bunch of men to come out to my home to pray for me…
· Ex. So many people have helped us in our parenting…I love that there are so many of you who love and mentor my kids.
Vs. 19-20
- Nehemiah is not intimidated by opposition!
6) Speak to the Enemy with Boldness
· There are demonic powers that want to keep you down and intimidated!
Jesus said:
Matthew 18:18
“Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
· Bind demons in prayer! Bind that spirit of depression, envy, jealousy, lust…
1 John 2:13-14
…Because you have overcome the wicked one.
…I have written to you, young men,
Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you,
And you have overcome the wicked one.
1 John 4:4
…He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 5:4
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.
· We are overcomers in Christ! Our faith makes us overcomers.
· Face your Fears with Faith! You are an overcomer!
This sermon was produced at Mountain Springs Church in Colorado Springs, with Senior Pastor Steve Holt. www.mountainsprings.org
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