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Note: This recording was made outdoors during our annual “Casual Sunday” and Church Family Picnic.
Nehemiah 3:1-14
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. I found this outline and thought it was right on, because it speaks to the “extreme” dedication required to serve our Lord! In most any endeavor progress is the result of focus and function on the work assigned to us. In Nehemiah’s case each volunteer did the work in front of them and, as Paul would say, “worked as unto the Lord.” One of the major reasons the Jews were able to rebuild these walls was because Nehemiah showed them how to eat an elephant! This task was so enormous and daunting that it had to be broken down into “edible” portions! Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the apparent enormity of a task in front of you! Of course, we all have at some point. Nehemiah gives us some guidelines to help us get through such times.
- THE SHEEP GATE = Extreme Difficulty (1-3). No one, including the priests, was exempt from the work of the Lord. We live in a culture where the higher up the food chain one is, the less real work they seem to do. The excuse is often “I’m paid for what I know, not what I do.” Often what they actually know about the work is path-etically little! In this case the work of the priests was very exclusive- ministry and worship. When the people saw even the priests get their hands dirty (servant leadership) they were willing to follow. One of the first qualifications for leaders in Christ’s Body is to be a servant, and the title is irrelevant!
- THE FISH GATE = Extreme Dependence on God (3-5). The point here is all these people worked together in harmony to build their part. It is not recorded that anyone tried to build the gate or wall their own way. They saw the bigger picture that the walls and gates needed to be up and working to protect the city. Notice that there were, and always be, some who are not willing to get their hands dirty! Their bad attitude causes them to miss the blessings.
- THE OLD VALLEY GATE = Extreme Cooperation (6-12). The issue here is that the goldsmiths and perfumers were people with a skill that was delicate and very specialized. Usually their work was very precise and ornate. Their specialized work did not prevent them from doing the hard work of rebuilding the wall. There will always be those who think they are too special to help anyone do anything. They always have an excuse for why they can’t help! Do you?
- THE VALLEY GATE = Extreme Dedication (13). Notice how much these people built. One thousand cubits is about 500 yards or .3 mile. In those days without our machinery that would have taken a serious stick-to-it attitude. Sometimes we get so over-whelmed by the size of the task we give up or never start! We forget the God Who called us to the task is extremely more able than we!
- THE DUNG GATE = Extreme Commitment (14). This little verse is a huge memorial to those willing to do the less desirable, but more gruesome tasks. Would you be as willing to work on the dung gate as on the Glory Gate? Sometimes we Christians think because we are “royal priests” we are exempt from all work that isn’t royal! In God’s eyes royalty is not identified by a crown on a head, but by the commitment in a heart. If we can help you with answers to your spiritual questions call us at (574) 643-9419.
