June 28, 2025 • 44 mins
Today's episode of Sunday Service by Pray.com features Kenny Luck
One of the greatest coaches of all time, Vince Lombardi, said, “Individual commitment to a group effort—that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” Nehemiah 3 records the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls by individuals committed to this group effort. Here we can learn several practical and spiritual principles.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid
down his life for us, and we ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren. First John three sixteen. Lord,
help me comprehend the kind of love that is willing
to lay its life down for another. I know your
death on the cross paid the price for my sins,
(00:23):
but the reality of that sacrifice is unimaginable. I feel
like a selfish child when I get upset things don't
work out the way I want them to. I am
concerned more about being the center of attention than honoring
and making others a success in your kingdom. Jealousy rises
(00:44):
in my heart when others are exalted and I see
how limited my love is. Show me how to lay
down my life for others. Help me recognize your kingdom
rewards humility and loving kindness. Amen. Thank you for listening
to today's daily prayer for more inspiration and an incredible
(01:07):
message from our feature pastor. Stay tuned to pray dot
COM's Sunday service.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Welcome to Cavalry Church with Skip Heitzig. We're so glad
you joined us today. As believers, we mourn the darkness
and decay around us, knowing that a city in shambles
reveals more than broken walls, it mirrors the more spiritual
condition of its people. In the book of nee Meier,
(01:42):
we find a template for taking ground and responding in
faith and obedience rather than fear or despair. This message
with pastor skip will help you transform your grief for
a broken world into a stepping stone to repentance, prayer,
and action.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Turning your Bibles, please to the Book of.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Nehemiah.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You know, I just heard of dawned on me today
that that is a weird sounding name. If you're not
familiar with the Bible. I know this church is. But
if you even told the average Christian the Book of Nehemiah,
they might look at you like, what is that? Because
it's an Old Testament book. He is rather an obscure
individual in most of believers' minds. And yet we are
(02:41):
studying this book because of valuable lessons about I think,
the city we live in, the country we live in,
the times we live in, and in many cases, even
the situations that we find ourselves in. So while we
are in Nehemiah chapter three, and it is a lengthy
(03:03):
kind of a chapter, there's a lot of names in it,
and places in it, but we're going to try to
make some sense of it. I want to begin with
something that I found that somebody wrote.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
He said, yes, I'm tired.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
For several years, I've been blaming it on middle age, iron,
poor blood, lack of vitamins, air pollution, water pollution, obesity, dieting, underarm, odor,
and a dozen other maladies that make you wonder if
life is really worth living. But now I find it
(03:41):
isn't that I'm tired because I'm overworked. The population of
this country is over two hundred million. Eighty four million
are retired. That leaves one hundred and sixteen million to
do the work. There are seventy five million in school
(04:05):
that leaves forty one million to do the work. Of
this total, there are twenty two million employed by the
federal government. That leaves probably less now that leaves nineteen
million to do the work. Four million are in armed forces,
(04:26):
which means there are now fifteen million to do the work.
Take from that total fourteen million, eight hundred thousand people
who work for city and state governments. That leaves two
hundred thousand to do the work. There are one hundred
and eighty eight thousand in hospital so.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That leaves twelve thousand to do the work.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Now there are eleven thousand, nine hundred and ninety eight
people in prisons.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
That leaves just two people to do the work, you
and me.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
And you're sitting there reading this, so no wonder I'm
so tired.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Neamiah. Chapter three is.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
The work of building the city of Jerusalem. The work begins,
the building begins. It's not one person doing the work.
It is a team of if I read it correctly.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Hundreds of people.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
In chapter three, Jerusalem gets a makeover.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
It had been in ruins.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
It gets a total I would call an extreme makeover.
You know, for eleven seasons now, ABC has been doing
that show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Chapter three is Extreme
Makeover City Edition.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
The whole city.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Gets a facelift because of Nehemiah. The word built appears
in this chapter eight times, as the workers form a
two mile unbroken circle of unity atop the walls of Jerusalem.
(06:19):
What chapter three amounts to is a building journal, what
they call in the construction business a whip report, a
work in progress report, a construction record, a list of
workers and locations and activities on the building site of
(06:39):
the ancient city of Jerusalem. Now we're not going to
read all of the chapter, and you'll see why in
a minute.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
We are going to read and.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Notice several verses. I'll extract principles out of it, but
let's get a flavor for it. In verse one of
chapter three, then Elias Shibb, the high Priest, rose up
with his brethren, the pre and built the sheep Gate.
They consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as
far as the Tower of the Hundred and consecrated it.
(07:11):
Then as far as the Tower of Hanna Niel next
to Eliah Ship the men of Jericho built, and next
to them Zakor, the.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Son of im rebuilt.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
And so it goes on and on and on through
the entire chapter down to verse thirty two. Reminds me
of that old saying, how do you eat an elephant
one bite at a time? How do you build a
city one stone at a time, one gate at a time,
one section at a time. And that's what chapter three presents.
(07:44):
But I think you should also know the chapter three
is the outworking of a commitment they made in chapter two.
I just want to drive your attention back to verse eighteen,
where the people of the city said, let us rise
up and build. Then they set their hands to do
this good work.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
If you remember.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Last week, we talked about how to fix a problem,
and I said, first of all, go the distance, Second,
assess the need, and third get a group. And we
saw that Nehemiah had a very small group, then a
larger group of leaders. Now any even larger group with
him is building the city.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
What I want to show.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You are some applicational principles for working together. Applicational principles
for working together. That's what I'm calling this message, working together.
These principles are true of any church. They're true of
any organization, any business, or any project that requires a team.
(08:53):
These are principles that are universally understood. We even have
slogans for such things like many hands make light work,
or team work makes the dream work, or unity is
strength or strong together. All of these little axioms bear
out the same truth.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Of working together.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Michael Jordan said, Talent wins games, team work wins championships. I, however,
am specifically interested in God's work in this church and
in this city, hence the title city in shambles. Let
(09:35):
me give you the first principle and we'll put it
up on the screen. God's work should be orderly. So
first thing I noticed as I read through chapter three
is the order and the organization that is employed in
all of these verses. There is a logical, organized flow
they follow in the description of this chapter, the walls
(09:59):
of Jeri Jusalem from the northwest and they go counterclockwise
from the what would be to us the upper right corner,
and they move to the left and then down, going
counterclockwise all the way to the tip and then back
the east side of the city, from gate to gate,
stone to stone, place to place, beginning at the sheep
(10:22):
gate with eliyah shib north west, south and east. In
chapter three, and again we're not going to read them all,
there are thirty eight different names mentioned. There are forty
two different teams or groups that are working together. There
is a phrase that I do want you to notice.
(10:44):
It's the phrase next to them, next to them, next
to them. We read that a lot or after them.
It's repeated twenty eight times. So let's look at verse two,
next to Eliyash the men of Jericho built verse four,
next to them Merimath, the son of Eurijah, verse seven,
(11:09):
next to them, verse eight, next to him, and so
it goes throughout the entire chapter. The principle for this
is also.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Found in the New Testament.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
In One Corinthians fourteen, verse forty, though Paul is speaking
about church worship, he said, let.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
All things be done decently and in order.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
We have that presented here. Let all things be done
decently and in order. In seven verses earlier in that chapter,
in First Corinthians, it says, for God is not the
author of confusion. A better translation for God is not
a god of disorder, but a God of peace. I'm
(11:57):
not ashamed to admit that my life, my early life
growing up, was pretty chaotic.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
It was hard for me to focus.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
My wife thinks sometimes it still is hard for me
to focus. I made impulsive decisions when I was young.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
I was chaotic.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
My mom would keep saying, man, I'm just hoping you
come to a place of stability and rest in your life.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
I want you to settle down. I have found that
God is a.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
God of order, and when God gets a hold of
a life, no matter who you are or your background,
God employs that order in your life. He's a God
of order, not of chaos. Think of creation. When God
created the heavens and the earth. When he brought the
world into existence, he brought order out of chaos, and
(12:43):
he created everything in Genesis one and two in a
very orderly sequence in six days a six day span.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
He set the world into motion.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
He made the sun, the moon, the stars to regulate
time and sees with precision and predictability.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Order.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Another good example of order is your own human body.
Your heart pumps blood to all the organs that are
able to receive it, to bring oxygen to them. Your
brain fires thousands of messages per second to regulate pain, temperature, respiration,
thought processes. Same brain controls six hundred muscles, tells them
(13:29):
when to contract, when to relax, ligaments organs. It is
an example of organized teamwork. It is teamwork making the
dream work your body. Think of the order. If you
are just at a backyard barbecue. You are there, they're
(13:51):
cooking burgers. Your brain receives a message from your stomach
that says I'm hungry. Then the brain sends a message
to your legs to walk toward the barbecue.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
As you do, your eyes spot the meat grilling.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Your nose smells the onions that are also grilling. Your
brain sends a message to your hands. Your hand reaches
out and grabs the whole ensemble, and you stuff it
in your mouth. It is a symphony of organization just
to have a meal. I think God's work should reflect
(14:33):
his character.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
It should be orderly.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Now, the Church is both an organism, but it's also
an organization. It's a living entity, but the entity the
organism must be organized. If the organism is not organized,
we have a name for that.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
It's called a blob.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
But when the organism is organized, then function can happen.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
And the Bible says.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
That Jesus is the head of the.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Body of Christ, the Church.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
He sends impulses to all the different parts. I see
the Holy Spirit more or less as the nervous system,
conveying the wishes of the head to all the different parts.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
So we work together in.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Symphony in an orderly manner. God's work should be orderly.
Here's the second applicational principle. There's a place for everyone.
There is a place for everyone. One thing you notice
about the third chapter of Nehemiah is that it is
not a one man show. In fact, the name Namiah
(15:44):
doesn't appear in the chapter. This Nhamiyah Now there is
another guy named Niamiah. If you've read the chapter, go
that's not true. But it's a different Nahemaiyah. But this Naamiyah,
the son of Hakalaiyah, the author of the book and
the super of this project, is not mentioned, but several
others are mentioned. In verse one. We have priests that
(16:09):
are mentioned in verse two, the men of Jericho. In
verse five, the Takohites. These are people who lived in Takoa.
In verse seven, the men of gibbeon a town nearby.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Verse eight.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Goldsmiths are building, Perfumers are building. They're mentioned in verse eight,
and all the way down in verse thirty two merchants
are mentioned. Look at verse eight of chapter three. Next
to him Uziel, the son of are Haya, one of
(16:44):
the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hannanaya, one of
the perfumers, made repairs and fortified Jerusalem as far as
the broad wall. Now, I'm just going to make a
guess that goldsmith's and probably have more delicate hands. They're
not used to that kind of hard work. I'm guessing
(17:04):
the next day they're muscles ached like the other guys didn't. Maybe,
or and perhaps they use the goldsmiths to do the
intricate work on the locks for the doors for the gates.
But they were all involved. But I suppose if anyone
could say it's not my job, it would be goldsmith's,
(17:30):
perfumeers and priests. Yet they're all working on the wall
doing the labor. By the way, just a little note,
if you ever come with us to Jerusalem, it does
mention the broad wall. Here in verse eight, they have
uncovered a whole section of Nehemiah's broad wall, twenty three
(17:52):
feet thick wall in the ruins of Jerusalem. It can
be pointed out today look at something else. Twelve Next
to him was Shalom, the son of hallahsh the leader
of half the district of Jerusalem, so he's a big wig.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Noticed this. He and his daughters made repair.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I just find it interesting that's mentioned. Probably he had
no sons, or perhaps he had no sons in the
very least, this was a dad and daughter date they're
going to build together on the wall. But I pointed out,
because you probably know this, but the Bible isn't just
full of great men. It's also full of great women
(18:42):
that God used powerfully. Deborah, one of the great judges
who delivered the children of Israel at a very crucial moment.
Astor the Queen of Persia, who delivered the entire Jewish
race in Persia. Ruth, the great grandmother of Jesus Christ
marrying Boaz in the lineage the great grandmother of David,
(19:05):
but in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Somebody once said,
when God wants.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
To do a great work, he chooses a man.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
When he wants to do an extraordinary work, he chooses
a woman. The point is, I'm not going to debate
that all that husbands and wife elbow each other all
the way home. The point is there there's a place
for everyone in God's work. And given the list of
(19:35):
the different types of people that worked on.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
This wall, God loves variety. You know.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
One of the things you ought to do in church
more often is look around at the people in church
and look at how different many of us are, and
yet we are here over what really matters, we have
that in common. First Corinthians, chapter twelve.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
All writes this. I'm going to put it on the screen.
There are different kinds.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Of spiritual gifts, but it's the same Holy Spirit who
is the source of them.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
All.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
There are different kinds of service in the Church, but
it is the same Lord.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
That we are serving.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
There are different ways God works in our lives, but
it is the same God who does the work through
all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each
of us as a means of helping the entire church.
Years ago, I read this crazy little story about this
is kind of a legend that all of the tools
(20:39):
in jesus carpentry shop in Nazareth were having a meeting
together and it was presided over by the Hammer. So
brother Hammer begins the meeting, and as he's beginning the meeting,
somebody shouts out and says, you know you have to go.
You have to leave because you're just too noisy. And
a brother Hammer said, well, if I have to go,
(21:00):
then brother Screw also has to go, because you got to.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Twist him to get him to do anything. And then
he said.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Well, brother Screw said if I have to go, then
brother Plane also has to go, because all of his
work is surface work.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
He's not a very deep individual.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
And the Plane said, well, if I have to go,
then brother Rule also has to go because he always
is measuring everyone by himself. And then brother Rule piped
up and said, well, if I have to go, brother
Sandpaper also has to leave because he's rough and he
rubs people the wrong way. Just then Jesus walked in
(21:43):
to build something, and he picked up the hammer and
the screw and the plane, and the rule and the sandpaper,
and they all work together to build what he wanted
to build. Every one of us is an instrument for
God to use. We have a part now, I said, Niamiah,
(22:04):
organize this. His name is not mentioned, but there's a
principle even in that one person, no matter how gifted,
can do the work of ministry alone. Niamiah knew that.
That's why he got a group. He began small, got
a few leaders after that. Now he has conceivably hundreds
of people doing it. One person, no matter how gifted,
(22:27):
can do the work of ministry alone. One Corinthians twelve.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
I just read the body is not one member. But many.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Moses learned that lesson when he was in the wilderness.
You remember the story when Jethrow, his father in law,
watched him presiding over the people, and he's there from
morning until night, listening to everybody's complaints, counseling them, doing everything,
and his father in law that evening said, I am
not impressed.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
What you are doing is not good.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
You're gonna worry yourself out and you're gonna wear people out. Frankly,
you need to get other people to shoulder different responsibilities
to get the job done. Back in nineteen eighty one,
how many were alive in nineteen eighty one. Nineteen eighty one,
President Ronald Reagan was shot. It was an attempted assassination
(23:22):
by John Hinckley Junior.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
The President of.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
The United States was hospitalized.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
For several weeks.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
What's interesting about this The country didn't shut down. Its
executive leader was laid up for weeks in the hospital.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
The country did not shut down.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
In fact, it had little impact on the nation's activity.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
The government function. Hold that thought.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
A few weeks ago in Birmingham, England, the garbage collectors
went on strike.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
The city was a literal mess. In fact, it was.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
A health hazard. It's stunk to high heavens question the
city almost shut down. Who's more important the leader of
a nation or the garbage collectors in a city. Now,
(24:22):
before you answer that sort of a trick question, because
the real answer is both are necessary for the society
to function. All of these were necessary for the wall
to get built. So God's work should be orderly. Second,
there's a place for everyone. Let me give you a
(24:44):
third principle. Your service should fit you. Your service should
fit you. Now I want you to notice where people worked.
Go back to verse one. Elias Shibb, the high priest
rose up with his breath. The priests and built the
what gate, the sheep Gate. They consecrated it, They hung
(25:08):
its doors. They built as far as the Tower of
the Hundred, consecrated it as far as the Tower of
hann and Eel. The sheep Gate, as we pointed out
on the map, is on the northwest corner of the
ancient city of Jerusalem. It is next to the sheep market,
hence the name Sheepgate. These were sheep that were brought
(25:30):
into the temple for sacrifice. This would be an area
that the priests would have special interest in because they
would receive the sheep given by the people bought the
market for the sacrifices. So they're building on a section
of the wall that fit their personality and their calling.
(25:52):
Something else to make a note of, Look at verse ten.
Next to them, Jediah, the son of Harumah, made repairs
in front of his house. Now go down to verse
twenty three. After him, Benjamin and Hashu made repairs opposite
(26:14):
their house. After them, Azariah the son of Messiah, the
son of Ananaya, made repairs by his house.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Go to verse twenty nine.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
After them, Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in
front of his own house.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Also verse twenty eight, beyond the horse gate.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
The priest made repairs each in front of his own house,
and that is also mentioned in verse thirty.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Why did they do that?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Pretty easy answer, right to make sure they did a
good job. They're looking at it, you know, the old saying,
I think I did a good job. I can't see
it from my house. They could see it from their house.
That's a whole point. You want them to build right
in front of their house because they're going to be
looking at that baby every single day. So it fit them. Also,
(27:11):
look back at verse twenty six. Moreover, the nephanem these
are that's a Hebrew word for the servants. I'll tell
you about them in a minute. The Methanim who dwelt
in Afel, this little bulge in the ancient city, a
mound made repairs as far as the place in front
(27:33):
of the watergate toward the east and on the projecting tower. Now,
the Nephanem were Gibbea knights. You who are Bible students
may remember way back in the Book of Joshua, Gibbia
knights tricked Joshua into making him think that they came
from far distance, but they were just right around the block.
(27:55):
And when Joshua found out that these were Canaan, they
didn't exterminate them, but they made them servants, woodcutters and
water carriers for the children of Visuals.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
So it would make.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Sense that their responsibility is the water gate close to
the water source, the Gehone spring of Jerusalem. And so this,
you might say, is the first watergate crisis, is way
before nineteen seventy two. Oh and by the way, if
you ever are planning to go with us to Israel,
I can show you a portion of the wall that
(28:34):
was built by the Nethanem and the Tacohites. They have
discovered that as well.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
So here's the point.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Neemiah takes advantage of the natural conditions and the layout
of the city and the people who live in various places.
The principle is you, guys, build where you are. Build
where you are. You might say, bloom where you're planted.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Build where you are.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
He didn't have the people commute from one part of
the city to the other part of the city. That
would waste time, that would reduce efficiency. He ensured that
each person put in their best effort because they have
to look at that wall in front of the house.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Here's the principle.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Your service for the Lord should be according to your
gifting from the Lord.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
You should serve where you are fit.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
John Maxwell, who's written many books on leadership, talks about
putting people in their comfort zone and in their gifting zone.
Find their comfort zone, find their gifting zone, and he
notices that often spiritual gifts and natural aptitudes will match.
By the way, speaking of being at home, some of
you are doing some of God's best work by raising
(29:57):
the kids that you raise in your home. That is
an important task to build the walls of the Kingdom
of God. You are infusing into those children his principles.
It is not a light thing, so God's work should
be orderly. There's a place for everyone. Your service should
fit you. Here's a fourth principle. Some work harder than others.
(30:22):
I know you know this, but I want you to
compare a couple.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
Of verses with me. To see it.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Here in the scripture, go to verse twenty after him,
Baruk the son of Zabi, diligently repaired or carefully repaired
the other section from the buttress to the door.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
Of the house of Eliashib, the high priest.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
That word diligently or carefully, depending on what translation you
might have, is a word that means to burn or
to glow. We would say, this guy's fired up about
his job. He's fired up, he's ready to do it.
He puts his whole heart into it. But I want
you to compare that with verse five of chapter three,
(31:13):
next to them that to Cohites made repairs, but their
nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of
their lord.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Interesting. Now, a word about Takoa.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Tacoa is a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem.
If you went to Bethlehem and just sort of kept
going when a little left, you're into CoA. I'm guessing
that some of these Tacoa ies were relocated to Jerusalem.
Maybe they're a little bent out of shape because they
had to.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Move to Jerusalem. I don't know, but.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Maybe the nobles just thought this work is beneath me.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
I'm a noble.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Nobles don't build even though everybody else is building. They
showed up, but they didn't step up to.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Do the work.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
All of that to say, we just need to realize
that some people won't do anything. She's got to get
used to that fact. Some people won't do anything. Others
will do more than some will do less, etc. That's
just the way it is. But laziness is never exonerated.
(32:29):
In the scripture, go to the ant, you sluggard, write Solomon,
consider her ways and be wise, he instructs. One comedian said,
I love work. It fascinates me. I can sit and
stare at it for hours. That's what these nobles were doing.
They were just looking, but not putting their shoulders to
(32:50):
the work.
Speaker 4 (32:51):
This is true in every.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Office, in every business, in every organization, in every school,
in every govern institution, in every church. It's even true
on every church staff. I'm not going to tell you
who's doing what. But for some people, church is nothing
(33:18):
more than a spectator sport. They dress up, they come,
they sit, they watch, they listen, they leave.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
But never serve.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
I've always loved how one coach described his definition of football.
He said, it's twenty two men running around on a
field who desperately need rest and fifty thousand people in
the stands who desperately need exercise.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
That's football. That's the church.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Sometimes there's a lot of people doing, a few people
doing a lot, and a lot of people not doing much,
but watching everybody run around doing stuff.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Ecclesiastes nine to ten.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all
your might. Let me follow that up with one of
my favorite Charles Spurgeon quotes. He said, if you plan
to be lazy, there are plenty of avocations in which
you will not be wanted. But above all, you are
not wanted in the Christian ministry. The man who finds
(34:23):
the ministry an easy life will also find.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
That it brings a hard death.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
They're building the walls of Jerusalem, sum are building harder
some or not. Let me give you the fifth and
final principle. Work should be tied to purpose. Work should
be tied to purpose. Why are you working? Why are
you building? What's the point of this? Is it just
(34:52):
to have a nice city with nice gates, and just
to protect.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
From the enemy.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
What is is that the purpose? Or is there and
even greater purpose in this case, there is a greater purpose.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Now for this, I'd like to.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Take you back to chapter two, back in verse seventeen.
I want you to notice the wording by Nehemiah. I,
that is, Neemiah.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
I said to them chapter two, verse seventeen.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
I said to them, you see the distress that we
are in, how Jerusalem lies in.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Waste, its gates are burned with fire.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem that
we may no longer be a reproach.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
It's a key phrase, also a key phrase. Verse eighteen.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I told them of the hand of my God which
had been good upon me, and also of the King's words.
And then I'm even going to take you down to
verse twenty. I answered them, those are the enemies Sanballat
Tobayan Gisham, I answered them, and I said, the God
of Heaven himself will prosper us.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Stop there. Just with that.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Language, pretty easy to see that Nehemiah is convinced that
this is God's city. This is not like Shushan, not
like Susa in Persia or any other town in the world.
This is God's city, and this is God's work that
we are doing, and we want God's glory. We're a reproach.
(36:30):
God's people are a reproach. We want to do this
for the glory of God. Let me give you a
couple of scriptures that will just sort of tie in.
I think one Issaw eighty seven or the Psama says,
the Lord loves the gates of Zion. That's Jerusalem more
than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
Then in second Chronicles.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Twelve, Jerusalem the city which the Lord had chosen out
of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there.
This is God's city right there. This is for God's glory.
This isn't just for our protection. This is for the
glory of God. What's my principle. It didn't matter what
(37:13):
you do in terms of a vocation. You could be
a cleric of businessmen, a medical technologists, construction workers, scientists,
clergy member. When you do your job with integrity and
skill and dependability, and especially if you share the Gospel
(37:35):
at opportune times, you are living for the glory of God.
You are serving and working for the glory of God.
That's an important truth that elevates work, that elevates whatever
project you're working on to the highest possible level. First
Corinthians ten thirty one. If you eat or drink, or
(37:57):
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Even a meal, eating or drinking the hamburger in the
backyard barbecue. Do it for the glory of God. Thank
you Jesus. Colossians three twenty three. Work hard and cheerfully
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at whatever you do, as though you were working for
the Lord rather than for people. Some of you are
familiar with the Westminster Catechism, in particular of the Westminster
Shorter Catechism. It's several questions followed by answers. First question
and first answer is this, what is the chief end
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of man? What is the chief end of man? Answer?
The chief end of man is to glorify God and
to enjoy Him forever. That's a sermon right there. Glorify
God and enjoy Him forever. That happens to be the
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very purpose and the ultimate goal of human existence itself,
and for your pleasure. They were created, we are told
in Revelation. This is the reason we serve our church,
This is the reason we serve our city.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
This is the reason.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
We have Love Day to demonstrate that, and followed by
Freedom celebration. We want to make the name of Jesus
as famous as possible.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
So work should be tied to purpose.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
There's one final quote I'm going to throw up on
the screen and I want to look at it together.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
It's by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
I have a little book that he wrote, and I
think it's a hidden gem.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
It's called Life Together. It's about fellowship.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
But he said something that just blew my mind.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
He said, the.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Person who loves their dream of community.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Watch the wording.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
The person who loves their dream of com unity will
destroy community, but the person who loves those around them.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
Will create community.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Now, just keep that up for a minute, just just
just let that sink in. Some people dream of the
perfect community to live in. It's gonna be like this,
I'm gonna it's a there's a utopia out there. I'm
gonna I'm leaving here, the neighboring state, I'm gonna go there.
That's what they dream of. Others make the place they
(40:35):
live in utopia and serve the people around them, and
that creates community. And that little statement just hit me
between the eyes yesterday afternoon beautiful. The person who loves
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their dream of community will destroy community, but the person
who loves those around them will create communities. So we
have five principles working together, all of them found in
Nehemiah three. In this whip report by Nihemiah. God's work
should be orderly. There's a place for everyone. Your service
should fit you. Some work harder than others, but work
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should always be tied to the purpose of God's glory.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Let's pray, Lord.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
What a lofty goal that is, to glorify you, to
make you more famous by what we say, how we live,
what we do in our church, in our city, in
our state, in our country, in the world. Lord, this
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is the section of the wall that we are looking at,
this city, our neighborhood, where we live. I pray, Lord,
it would be the best possible You would infuse us
with the same kind of tenacity that Baruch had to
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work diligently, carefully fired up, the same kind of enthusiasm.
The clergy here, the priests, even the high priest, the perfumers,
the goldsmiths, the men, the daughters, working together to bless
one another, this unbroken chain of unity, to bring glory
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to God.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
And so Father.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
As we conclude, we just simply place our bodies before
you as a living sacrifice Romans twelve to one. We
dedicate ourselves to you for your purpose, for your glory
in Jesus name.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Thank you so much for joining us for this message
from Cavalry Church with skip Heisig. We would love to
know how this teaching impacted you. Share your story with us.
Email my story at Calvary NM dot church, and if
you'd like to support this Bible teaching ministry with a
financial gift, visit Cavalry NM dot church slash gift.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
You will be like God human unity if God was
severed and through it all, God's promise remain true.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Follow me, April and I will make you great.
Speaker 3 (43:49):
This is the Chosen People.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Listen to the Chosen People at the Chosen People dot com.
At the Chosen People dot com
Speaker 1 (44:11):
MHM
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid
down his life for us, and we ought to lay
down our lives for the brethren. First John three sixteen. Lord,
help me comprehend the kind of love that is willing
to lay its life down for another. I know your
death on the cross paid the price for my sins,
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but the reality of that sacrifice is unimaginable. I feel
like a selfish child when I get upset things don't
work out the way I want them to. I am
concerned more about being the center of attention than honoring
and making others a success in your kingdom. Jealousy rises
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in my heart when others are exalted and I see
how limited my love is. Show me how to lay
down my life for others. Help me recognize your kingdom
rewards humility and loving kindness. Amen. Thank you for listening
to today's daily prayer for more inspiration and an incredible
(01:07):
message from our feature pastor. Stay tuned to pray dot
COM's Sunday service.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
Welcome to Cavalry Church with Skip Heitzig. We're so glad
you joined us today. As believers, we mourn the darkness
and decay around us, knowing that a city in shambles
reveals more than broken walls, it mirrors the more spiritual
condition of its people. In the book of nee Meier,
(01:42):
we find a template for taking ground and responding in
faith and obedience rather than fear or despair. This message
with pastor skip will help you transform your grief for
a broken world into a stepping stone to repentance, prayer,
and action.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
Turning your Bibles, please to the Book of.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Nehemiah.
Speaker 3 (02:16):
You know, I just heard of dawned on me today
that that is a weird sounding name. If you're not
familiar with the Bible. I know this church is. But
if you even told the average Christian the Book of Nehemiah,
they might look at you like, what is that? Because
it's an Old Testament book. He is rather an obscure
individual in most of believers' minds. And yet we are
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studying this book because of valuable lessons about I think,
the city we live in, the country we live in,
the times we live in, and in many cases, even
the situations that we find ourselves in. So while we
are in Nehemiah chapter three, and it is a lengthy
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kind of a chapter, there's a lot of names in it,
and places in it, but we're going to try to
make some sense of it. I want to begin with
something that I found that somebody wrote.
Speaker 4 (03:13):
He said, yes, I'm tired.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
For several years, I've been blaming it on middle age, iron,
poor blood, lack of vitamins, air pollution, water pollution, obesity, dieting, underarm, odor,
and a dozen other maladies that make you wonder if
life is really worth living. But now I find it
(03:41):
isn't that I'm tired because I'm overworked. The population of
this country is over two hundred million. Eighty four million
are retired. That leaves one hundred and sixteen million to
do the work. There are seventy five million in school
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that leaves forty one million to do the work. Of
this total, there are twenty two million employed by the
federal government. That leaves probably less now that leaves nineteen
million to do the work. Four million are in armed forces,
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which means there are now fifteen million to do the work.
Take from that total fourteen million, eight hundred thousand people
who work for city and state governments. That leaves two
hundred thousand to do the work. There are one hundred
and eighty eight thousand in hospital so.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
That leaves twelve thousand to do the work.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
Now there are eleven thousand, nine hundred and ninety eight
people in prisons.
Speaker 4 (04:57):
That leaves just two people to do the work, you
and me.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
And you're sitting there reading this, so no wonder I'm
so tired.
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Neamiah. Chapter three is.
Speaker 3 (05:17):
The work of building the city of Jerusalem. The work begins,
the building begins. It's not one person doing the work.
It is a team of if I read it correctly.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
Hundreds of people.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
In chapter three, Jerusalem gets a makeover.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
It had been in ruins.
Speaker 3 (05:40):
It gets a total I would call an extreme makeover.
You know, for eleven seasons now, ABC has been doing
that show, Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Chapter three is Extreme
Makeover City Edition.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
The whole city.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Gets a facelift because of Nehemiah. The word built appears
in this chapter eight times, as the workers form a
two mile unbroken circle of unity atop the walls of Jerusalem.
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What chapter three amounts to is a building journal, what
they call in the construction business a whip report, a
work in progress report, a construction record, a list of
workers and locations and activities on the building site of
(06:39):
the ancient city of Jerusalem. Now we're not going to
read all of the chapter, and you'll see why in
a minute.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
We are going to read and.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Notice several verses. I'll extract principles out of it, but
let's get a flavor for it. In verse one of
chapter three, then Elias Shibb, the high Priest, rose up
with his brethren, the pre and built the sheep Gate.
They consecrated it and hung its doors. They built as
far as the Tower of the Hundred and consecrated it.
(07:11):
Then as far as the Tower of Hanna Niel next
to Eliah Ship the men of Jericho built, and next
to them Zakor, the.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Son of im rebuilt.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
And so it goes on and on and on through
the entire chapter down to verse thirty two. Reminds me
of that old saying, how do you eat an elephant
one bite at a time? How do you build a
city one stone at a time, one gate at a time,
one section at a time. And that's what chapter three presents.
(07:44):
But I think you should also know the chapter three
is the outworking of a commitment they made in chapter two.
I just want to drive your attention back to verse eighteen,
where the people of the city said, let us rise
up and build. Then they set their hands to do
this good work.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
If you remember.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Last week, we talked about how to fix a problem,
and I said, first of all, go the distance, Second,
assess the need, and third get a group. And we
saw that Nehemiah had a very small group, then a
larger group of leaders. Now any even larger group with
him is building the city.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
What I want to show.
Speaker 3 (08:28):
You are some applicational principles for working together. Applicational principles
for working together. That's what I'm calling this message, working together.
These principles are true of any church. They're true of
any organization, any business, or any project that requires a team.
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These are principles that are universally understood. We even have
slogans for such things like many hands make light work,
or team work makes the dream work, or unity is
strength or strong together. All of these little axioms bear
out the same truth.
Speaker 4 (09:14):
Of working together.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Michael Jordan said, Talent wins games, team work wins championships. I, however,
am specifically interested in God's work in this church and
in this city, hence the title city in shambles. Let
(09:35):
me give you the first principle and we'll put it
up on the screen. God's work should be orderly. So
first thing I noticed as I read through chapter three
is the order and the organization that is employed in
all of these verses. There is a logical, organized flow
they follow in the description of this chapter, the walls
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of Jeri Jusalem from the northwest and they go counterclockwise
from the what would be to us the upper right corner,
and they move to the left and then down, going
counterclockwise all the way to the tip and then back
the east side of the city, from gate to gate,
stone to stone, place to place, beginning at the sheep
(10:22):
gate with eliyah shib north west, south and east. In
chapter three, and again we're not going to read them all,
there are thirty eight different names mentioned. There are forty
two different teams or groups that are working together. There
is a phrase that I do want you to notice.
(10:44):
It's the phrase next to them, next to them, next
to them. We read that a lot or after them.
It's repeated twenty eight times. So let's look at verse two,
next to Eliyash the men of Jericho built verse four,
next to them Merimath, the son of Eurijah, verse seven,
(11:09):
next to them, verse eight, next to him, and so
it goes throughout the entire chapter. The principle for this
is also.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Found in the New Testament.
Speaker 3 (11:24):
In One Corinthians fourteen, verse forty, though Paul is speaking
about church worship, he said, let.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
All things be done decently and in order.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
We have that presented here. Let all things be done
decently and in order. In seven verses earlier in that chapter,
in First Corinthians, it says, for God is not the
author of confusion. A better translation for God is not
a god of disorder, but a God of peace. I'm
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not ashamed to admit that my life, my early life
growing up, was pretty chaotic.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
It was hard for me to focus.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
My wife thinks sometimes it still is hard for me
to focus. I made impulsive decisions when I was young.
Speaker 4 (12:11):
I was chaotic.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
My mom would keep saying, man, I'm just hoping you
come to a place of stability and rest in your life.
Speaker 4 (12:17):
I want you to settle down. I have found that
God is a.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
God of order, and when God gets a hold of
a life, no matter who you are or your background,
God employs that order in your life. He's a God
of order, not of chaos. Think of creation. When God
created the heavens and the earth. When he brought the
world into existence, he brought order out of chaos, and
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he created everything in Genesis one and two in a
very orderly sequence in six days a six day span.
Speaker 4 (12:53):
He set the world into motion.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
He made the sun, the moon, the stars to regulate
time and sees with precision and predictability.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Order.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Another good example of order is your own human body.
Your heart pumps blood to all the organs that are
able to receive it, to bring oxygen to them. Your
brain fires thousands of messages per second to regulate pain, temperature, respiration,
thought processes. Same brain controls six hundred muscles, tells them
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when to contract, when to relax, ligaments organs. It is
an example of organized teamwork. It is teamwork making the
dream work your body. Think of the order. If you
are just at a backyard barbecue. You are there, they're
(13:51):
cooking burgers. Your brain receives a message from your stomach
that says I'm hungry. Then the brain sends a message
to your legs to walk toward the barbecue.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
As you do, your eyes spot the meat grilling.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
Your nose smells the onions that are also grilling. Your
brain sends a message to your hands. Your hand reaches
out and grabs the whole ensemble, and you stuff it
in your mouth. It is a symphony of organization just
to have a meal. I think God's work should reflect
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his character.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
It should be orderly.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Now, the Church is both an organism, but it's also
an organization. It's a living entity, but the entity the
organism must be organized. If the organism is not organized,
we have a name for that.
Speaker 4 (14:53):
It's called a blob.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
But when the organism is organized, then function can happen.
Speaker 4 (15:00):
And the Bible says.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
That Jesus is the head of the.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Body of Christ, the Church.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
He sends impulses to all the different parts. I see
the Holy Spirit more or less as the nervous system,
conveying the wishes of the head to all the different parts.
Speaker 4 (15:18):
So we work together in.
Speaker 3 (15:20):
Symphony in an orderly manner. God's work should be orderly.
Here's the second applicational principle. There's a place for everyone.
There is a place for everyone. One thing you notice
about the third chapter of Nehemiah is that it is
not a one man show. In fact, the name Namiah
(15:44):
doesn't appear in the chapter. This Nhamiyah Now there is
another guy named Niamiah. If you've read the chapter, go
that's not true. But it's a different Nahemaiyah. But this Naamiyah,
the son of Hakalaiyah, the author of the book and
the super of this project, is not mentioned, but several
others are mentioned. In verse one. We have priests that
(16:09):
are mentioned in verse two, the men of Jericho. In
verse five, the Takohites. These are people who lived in Takoa.
In verse seven, the men of gibbeon a town nearby.
Speaker 4 (16:23):
Verse eight.
Speaker 3 (16:24):
Goldsmiths are building, Perfumers are building. They're mentioned in verse eight,
and all the way down in verse thirty two merchants
are mentioned. Look at verse eight of chapter three. Next
to him Uziel, the son of are Haya, one of
(16:44):
the goldsmiths, made repairs. Next to him, Hannanaya, one of
the perfumers, made repairs and fortified Jerusalem as far as
the broad wall. Now, I'm just going to make a
guess that goldsmith's and probably have more delicate hands. They're
not used to that kind of hard work. I'm guessing
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the next day they're muscles ached like the other guys didn't. Maybe,
or and perhaps they use the goldsmiths to do the
intricate work on the locks for the doors for the gates.
But they were all involved. But I suppose if anyone
could say it's not my job, it would be goldsmith's,
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perfumeers and priests. Yet they're all working on the wall
doing the labor. By the way, just a little note,
if you ever come with us to Jerusalem, it does
mention the broad wall. Here in verse eight, they have
uncovered a whole section of Nehemiah's broad wall, twenty three
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feet thick wall in the ruins of Jerusalem. It can
be pointed out today look at something else. Twelve Next
to him was Shalom, the son of hallahsh the leader
of half the district of Jerusalem, so he's a big wig.
Speaker 4 (18:13):
Noticed this. He and his daughters made repair.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I just find it interesting that's mentioned. Probably he had
no sons, or perhaps he had no sons in the
very least, this was a dad and daughter date they're
going to build together on the wall. But I pointed out,
because you probably know this, but the Bible isn't just
full of great men. It's also full of great women
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that God used powerfully. Deborah, one of the great judges
who delivered the children of Israel at a very crucial moment.
Astor the Queen of Persia, who delivered the entire Jewish
race in Persia. Ruth, the great grandmother of Jesus Christ
marrying Boaz in the lineage the great grandmother of David,
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but in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Somebody once said,
when God wants.
Speaker 4 (19:10):
To do a great work, he chooses a man.
Speaker 3 (19:14):
When he wants to do an extraordinary work, he chooses
a woman. The point is, I'm not going to debate
that all that husbands and wife elbow each other all
the way home. The point is there there's a place
for everyone in God's work. And given the list of
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the different types of people that worked on.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
This wall, God loves variety. You know.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
One of the things you ought to do in church
more often is look around at the people in church
and look at how different many of us are, and
yet we are here over what really matters, we have
that in common. First Corinthians, chapter twelve.
Speaker 4 (20:00):
All writes this. I'm going to put it on the screen.
There are different kinds.
Speaker 3 (20:04):
Of spiritual gifts, but it's the same Holy Spirit who
is the source of them.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
All.
Speaker 3 (20:09):
There are different kinds of service in the Church, but
it is the same Lord.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
That we are serving.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
There are different ways God works in our lives, but
it is the same God who does the work through
all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each
of us as a means of helping the entire church.
Years ago, I read this crazy little story about this
is kind of a legend that all of the tools
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in jesus carpentry shop in Nazareth were having a meeting
together and it was presided over by the Hammer. So
brother Hammer begins the meeting, and as he's beginning the meeting,
somebody shouts out and says, you know you have to go.
You have to leave because you're just too noisy. And
a brother Hammer said, well, if I have to go,
(21:00):
then brother Screw also has to go, because you got to.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
Twist him to get him to do anything. And then
he said.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
Well, brother Screw said if I have to go, then
brother Plane also has to go, because all of his
work is surface work.
Speaker 4 (21:15):
He's not a very deep individual.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
And the Plane said, well, if I have to go,
then brother Rule also has to go because he always
is measuring everyone by himself. And then brother Rule piped
up and said, well, if I have to go, brother
Sandpaper also has to leave because he's rough and he
rubs people the wrong way. Just then Jesus walked in
(21:43):
to build something, and he picked up the hammer and
the screw and the plane, and the rule and the sandpaper,
and they all work together to build what he wanted
to build. Every one of us is an instrument for
God to use. We have a part now, I said, Niamiah,
(22:04):
organize this. His name is not mentioned, but there's a
principle even in that one person, no matter how gifted,
can do the work of ministry alone. Niamiah knew that.
That's why he got a group. He began small, got
a few leaders after that. Now he has conceivably hundreds
of people doing it. One person, no matter how gifted,
(22:27):
can do the work of ministry alone. One Corinthians twelve.
Speaker 4 (22:31):
I just read the body is not one member. But many.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Moses learned that lesson when he was in the wilderness.
You remember the story when Jethrow, his father in law,
watched him presiding over the people, and he's there from
morning until night, listening to everybody's complaints, counseling them, doing everything,
and his father in law that evening said, I am
not impressed.
Speaker 4 (22:57):
What you are doing is not good.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
You're gonna worry yourself out and you're gonna wear people out. Frankly,
you need to get other people to shoulder different responsibilities
to get the job done. Back in nineteen eighty one,
how many were alive in nineteen eighty one. Nineteen eighty one,
President Ronald Reagan was shot. It was an attempted assassination
(23:22):
by John Hinckley Junior.
Speaker 4 (23:24):
The President of.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
The United States was hospitalized.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
For several weeks.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
What's interesting about this The country didn't shut down. Its
executive leader was laid up for weeks in the hospital.
Speaker 4 (23:37):
The country did not shut down.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
In fact, it had little impact on the nation's activity.
Speaker 4 (23:43):
The government function. Hold that thought.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
A few weeks ago in Birmingham, England, the garbage collectors
went on strike.
Speaker 4 (23:59):
The city was a literal mess. In fact, it was.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
A health hazard. It's stunk to high heavens question the
city almost shut down. Who's more important the leader of
a nation or the garbage collectors in a city. Now,
(24:22):
before you answer that sort of a trick question, because
the real answer is both are necessary for the society
to function. All of these were necessary for the wall
to get built. So God's work should be orderly. Second,
there's a place for everyone. Let me give you a
(24:44):
third principle. Your service should fit you. Your service should
fit you. Now I want you to notice where people worked.
Go back to verse one. Elias Shibb, the high priest
rose up with his breath. The priests and built the
what gate, the sheep Gate. They consecrated it, They hung
(25:08):
its doors. They built as far as the Tower of
the Hundred, consecrated it as far as the Tower of
hann and Eel. The sheep Gate, as we pointed out
on the map, is on the northwest corner of the
ancient city of Jerusalem. It is next to the sheep market,
hence the name Sheepgate. These were sheep that were brought
(25:30):
into the temple for sacrifice. This would be an area
that the priests would have special interest in because they
would receive the sheep given by the people bought the
market for the sacrifices. So they're building on a section
of the wall that fit their personality and their calling.
(25:52):
Something else to make a note of, Look at verse ten.
Next to them, Jediah, the son of Harumah, made repairs
in front of his house. Now go down to verse
twenty three. After him, Benjamin and Hashu made repairs opposite
(26:14):
their house. After them, Azariah the son of Messiah, the
son of Ananaya, made repairs by his house.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Go to verse twenty nine.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
After them, Zadok the son of Immer made repairs in
front of his own house.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Also verse twenty eight, beyond the horse gate.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
The priest made repairs each in front of his own house,
and that is also mentioned in verse thirty.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
Why did they do that?
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Pretty easy answer, right to make sure they did a
good job. They're looking at it, you know, the old saying,
I think I did a good job. I can't see
it from my house. They could see it from their house.
That's a whole point. You want them to build right
in front of their house because they're going to be
looking at that baby every single day. So it fit them. Also,
(27:11):
look back at verse twenty six. Moreover, the nephanem these
are that's a Hebrew word for the servants. I'll tell
you about them in a minute. The Methanim who dwelt
in Afel, this little bulge in the ancient city, a
mound made repairs as far as the place in front
(27:33):
of the watergate toward the east and on the projecting tower. Now,
the Nephanem were Gibbea knights. You who are Bible students
may remember way back in the Book of Joshua, Gibbia
knights tricked Joshua into making him think that they came
from far distance, but they were just right around the block.
(27:55):
And when Joshua found out that these were Canaan, they
didn't exterminate them, but they made them servants, woodcutters and
water carriers for the children of Visuals.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
So it would make.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Sense that their responsibility is the water gate close to
the water source, the Gehone spring of Jerusalem. And so this,
you might say, is the first watergate crisis, is way
before nineteen seventy two. Oh and by the way, if
you ever are planning to go with us to Israel,
I can show you a portion of the wall that
(28:34):
was built by the Nethanem and the Tacohites. They have
discovered that as well.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
So here's the point.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Neemiah takes advantage of the natural conditions and the layout
of the city and the people who live in various places.
The principle is you, guys, build where you are. Build
where you are. You might say, bloom where you're planted.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Build where you are.
Speaker 3 (29:05):
He didn't have the people commute from one part of
the city to the other part of the city. That
would waste time, that would reduce efficiency. He ensured that
each person put in their best effort because they have
to look at that wall in front of the house.
Speaker 4 (29:21):
Here's the principle.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Your service for the Lord should be according to your
gifting from the Lord.
Speaker 4 (29:31):
You should serve where you are fit.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
John Maxwell, who's written many books on leadership, talks about
putting people in their comfort zone and in their gifting zone.
Find their comfort zone, find their gifting zone, and he
notices that often spiritual gifts and natural aptitudes will match.
By the way, speaking of being at home, some of
you are doing some of God's best work by raising
(29:57):
the kids that you raise in your home. That is
an important task to build the walls of the Kingdom
of God. You are infusing into those children his principles.
It is not a light thing, so God's work should
be orderly. There's a place for everyone. Your service should
fit you. Here's a fourth principle. Some work harder than others.
(30:22):
I know you know this, but I want you to
compare a couple.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
Of verses with me. To see it.
Speaker 3 (30:26):
Here in the scripture, go to verse twenty after him,
Baruk the son of Zabi, diligently repaired or carefully repaired
the other section from the buttress to the door.
Speaker 4 (30:44):
Of the house of Eliashib, the high priest.
Speaker 3 (30:49):
That word diligently or carefully, depending on what translation you
might have, is a word that means to burn or
to glow. We would say, this guy's fired up about
his job. He's fired up, he's ready to do it.
He puts his whole heart into it. But I want
you to compare that with verse five of chapter three,
(31:13):
next to them that to Cohites made repairs, but their
nobles did not put their shoulders to the work of
their lord.
Speaker 4 (31:24):
Interesting. Now, a word about Takoa.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
Tacoa is a village about ten miles south of Jerusalem.
If you went to Bethlehem and just sort of kept
going when a little left, you're into CoA. I'm guessing
that some of these Tacoa ies were relocated to Jerusalem.
Maybe they're a little bent out of shape because they
had to.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Move to Jerusalem. I don't know, but.
Speaker 3 (31:50):
Maybe the nobles just thought this work is beneath me.
Speaker 4 (31:54):
I'm a noble.
Speaker 3 (31:56):
Nobles don't build even though everybody else is building. They
showed up, but they didn't step up to.
Speaker 4 (32:05):
Do the work.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
All of that to say, we just need to realize
that some people won't do anything. She's got to get
used to that fact. Some people won't do anything. Others
will do more than some will do less, etc. That's
just the way it is. But laziness is never exonerated.
(32:29):
In the scripture, go to the ant, you sluggard, write Solomon,
consider her ways and be wise, he instructs. One comedian said,
I love work. It fascinates me. I can sit and
stare at it for hours. That's what these nobles were doing.
They were just looking, but not putting their shoulders to
(32:50):
the work.
Speaker 4 (32:51):
This is true in every.
Speaker 3 (32:53):
Office, in every business, in every organization, in every school,
in every govern institution, in every church. It's even true
on every church staff. I'm not going to tell you
who's doing what. But for some people, church is nothing
(33:18):
more than a spectator sport. They dress up, they come,
they sit, they watch, they listen, they leave.
Speaker 4 (33:28):
But never serve.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
I've always loved how one coach described his definition of football.
He said, it's twenty two men running around on a
field who desperately need rest and fifty thousand people in
the stands who desperately need exercise.
Speaker 4 (33:46):
That's football. That's the church.
Speaker 3 (33:49):
Sometimes there's a lot of people doing, a few people
doing a lot, and a lot of people not doing much,
but watching everybody run around doing stuff.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Ecclesiastes nine to ten.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all
your might. Let me follow that up with one of
my favorite Charles Spurgeon quotes. He said, if you plan
to be lazy, there are plenty of avocations in which
you will not be wanted. But above all, you are
not wanted in the Christian ministry. The man who finds
(34:23):
the ministry an easy life will also find.
Speaker 4 (34:26):
That it brings a hard death.
Speaker 3 (34:31):
They're building the walls of Jerusalem, sum are building harder
some or not. Let me give you the fifth and
final principle. Work should be tied to purpose. Work should
be tied to purpose. Why are you working? Why are
you building? What's the point of this? Is it just
(34:52):
to have a nice city with nice gates, and just
to protect.
Speaker 4 (34:55):
From the enemy.
Speaker 3 (34:56):
What is is that the purpose? Or is there and
even greater purpose in this case, there is a greater purpose.
Speaker 4 (35:04):
Now for this, I'd like to.
Speaker 3 (35:06):
Take you back to chapter two, back in verse seventeen.
I want you to notice the wording by Nehemiah. I,
that is, Neemiah.
Speaker 4 (35:14):
I said to them chapter two, verse seventeen.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
I said to them, you see the distress that we
are in, how Jerusalem lies in.
Speaker 4 (35:24):
Waste, its gates are burned with fire.
Speaker 3 (35:28):
Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem that
we may no longer be a reproach.
Speaker 4 (35:37):
It's a key phrase, also a key phrase. Verse eighteen.
Speaker 3 (35:42):
I told them of the hand of my God which
had been good upon me, and also of the King's words.
And then I'm even going to take you down to
verse twenty. I answered them, those are the enemies Sanballat
Tobayan Gisham, I answered them, and I said, the God
of Heaven himself will prosper us.
Speaker 4 (36:05):
Stop there. Just with that.
Speaker 3 (36:08):
Language, pretty easy to see that Nehemiah is convinced that
this is God's city. This is not like Shushan, not
like Susa in Persia or any other town in the world.
This is God's city, and this is God's work that
we are doing, and we want God's glory. We're a reproach.
(36:30):
God's people are a reproach. We want to do this
for the glory of God. Let me give you a
couple of scriptures that will just sort of tie in.
I think one Issaw eighty seven or the Psama says,
the Lord loves the gates of Zion. That's Jerusalem more
than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Speaker 4 (36:48):
Then in second Chronicles.
Speaker 3 (36:50):
Twelve, Jerusalem the city which the Lord had chosen out
of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there.
This is God's city right there. This is for God's glory.
This isn't just for our protection. This is for the
glory of God. What's my principle. It didn't matter what
(37:13):
you do in terms of a vocation. You could be
a cleric of businessmen, a medical technologists, construction workers, scientists,
clergy member. When you do your job with integrity and
skill and dependability, and especially if you share the Gospel
(37:35):
at opportune times, you are living for the glory of God.
You are serving and working for the glory of God.
That's an important truth that elevates work, that elevates whatever
project you're working on to the highest possible level. First
Corinthians ten thirty one. If you eat or drink, or
(37:57):
whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Even a meal, eating or drinking the hamburger in the
backyard barbecue. Do it for the glory of God. Thank
you Jesus. Colossians three twenty three. Work hard and cheerfully
(38:18):
at whatever you do, as though you were working for
the Lord rather than for people. Some of you are
familiar with the Westminster Catechism, in particular of the Westminster
Shorter Catechism. It's several questions followed by answers. First question
and first answer is this, what is the chief end
(38:41):
of man? What is the chief end of man? Answer?
The chief end of man is to glorify God and
to enjoy Him forever. That's a sermon right there. Glorify
God and enjoy Him forever. That happens to be the
(39:01):
very purpose and the ultimate goal of human existence itself,
and for your pleasure. They were created, we are told
in Revelation. This is the reason we serve our church,
This is the reason we serve our city.
Speaker 4 (39:18):
This is the reason.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
We have Love Day to demonstrate that, and followed by
Freedom celebration. We want to make the name of Jesus
as famous as possible.
Speaker 4 (39:30):
So work should be tied to purpose.
Speaker 3 (39:35):
There's one final quote I'm going to throw up on
the screen and I want to look at it together.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
It's by Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
Speaker 3 (39:42):
I have a little book that he wrote, and I
think it's a hidden gem.
Speaker 4 (39:45):
It's called Life Together. It's about fellowship.
Speaker 3 (39:48):
But he said something that just blew my mind.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
He said, the.
Speaker 3 (39:52):
Person who loves their dream of community.
Speaker 4 (39:56):
Watch the wording.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
The person who loves their dream of com unity will
destroy community, but the person who loves those around them.
Speaker 4 (40:08):
Will create community.
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Now, just keep that up for a minute, just just
just let that sink in. Some people dream of the
perfect community to live in. It's gonna be like this,
I'm gonna it's a there's a utopia out there. I'm
gonna I'm leaving here, the neighboring state, I'm gonna go there.
That's what they dream of. Others make the place they
(40:35):
live in utopia and serve the people around them, and
that creates community. And that little statement just hit me
between the eyes yesterday afternoon beautiful. The person who loves
(40:58):
their dream of community will destroy community, but the person
who loves those around them will create communities. So we
have five principles working together, all of them found in
Nehemiah three. In this whip report by Nihemiah. God's work
should be orderly. There's a place for everyone. Your service
should fit you. Some work harder than others, but work
(41:22):
should always be tied to the purpose of God's glory.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
Let's pray, Lord.
Speaker 3 (41:29):
What a lofty goal that is, to glorify you, to
make you more famous by what we say, how we live,
what we do in our church, in our city, in
our state, in our country, in the world. Lord, this
(41:54):
is the section of the wall that we are looking at,
this city, our neighborhood, where we live. I pray, Lord,
it would be the best possible You would infuse us
with the same kind of tenacity that Baruch had to
(42:17):
work diligently, carefully fired up, the same kind of enthusiasm.
The clergy here, the priests, even the high priest, the perfumers,
the goldsmiths, the men, the daughters, working together to bless
one another, this unbroken chain of unity, to bring glory
(42:38):
to God.
Speaker 4 (42:41):
And so Father.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
As we conclude, we just simply place our bodies before
you as a living sacrifice Romans twelve to one. We
dedicate ourselves to you for your purpose, for your glory
in Jesus name.
Speaker 4 (42:57):
Amen.
Speaker 2 (42:58):
Thank you so much for joining us for this message
from Cavalry Church with skip Heisig. We would love to
know how this teaching impacted you. Share your story with us.
Email my story at Calvary NM dot church, and if
you'd like to support this Bible teaching ministry with a
financial gift, visit Cavalry NM dot church slash gift.
Speaker 4 (43:33):
You will be like God human unity if God was
severed and through it all, God's promise remain true.
Speaker 1 (43:44):
Follow me, April and I will make you great.
Speaker 3 (43:49):
This is the Chosen People.
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Listen to the Chosen People at the Chosen People dot com.
At the Chosen People dot com
Speaker 1 (44:11):
MHM
Host
Matthew Potter
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