God Did It!
Nehemiah 6:16
Intro: After yesterday’s Leadership Orientation and the emphasis on Teamwork, I had to go to Nehemiah.
At the end of the day, if anything gets accomplished, it will be because GOD DID IT!
I started to name this message A Summary of Sovereign Success.
But you can’t improve on this simple thought – God Did It!
This story is one of the most inspiring stories in the entire Bible.
God did an amazing work with the most unassuming man in some of the most challenging circumstances.
I’d like to draw a comparison from this story to our efforts in 2024 to do a work for God.
We could summarize this entire story with just a few key points.
I. The Misery that was Publicized – 1:1-3The people of God had been in captivity.
Some of them escaped back to Jerusalem.
They were a small remnant.
They were living in great affliction and reproach.
II. The Man that was Praying – 1:4-11; 2:4
None of this book would have transpired if one man hadn’t spent many hours on his knees.
Nehemiah fasted and prayed and repented and begged God for mercy for months.
No great work of God can be undertaken without somebody getting ahold of God!
· The burden to address the problem only came after praying.
· The boldness to approach the king only came after praying.
· The belief in God to administer the resources only came after praying.
III. The Mess that was Painful – 2:13, 14
· 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me; neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem: neither was there any beast with me, save the beast that I rode upon.
· 13 And I went out by night by the gate of the valley, even before the dragon well, and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.
· 14 Then I went on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king’s pool: but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.
The mess was overwhelming.
· The walls of the city were broken down.
· The gates of the city were burned with fire.
Lying everywhere were monuments of their great failure as a people.
Nehemiah’s beast could not even walk for the amount of debris.
This signifies our inability to move forward and progress until this mess is cleaned up!
IV. The Motivation that was Provoking – 2:17
· 17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
Nehemiah’s motivation was simple – to remove the reproach of God’s people.
He didn’t set out to be a great leader.
He wasn’t lobbying for a position on the king’s staff.
He wanted to rid the people of God of the shame and reproach that was on them.
The problem today is that many of God’s people are contributing to the reproach rather than trying to get rid of it.
V. The Manpower that was Passionate – 2:18
· 18 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. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work.
I love this verse.
We have no indication that these men were professional wall builders.
We have no evidence that these men were experienced gate fabricators.
But look at their response when the vision of Nehemiah was laid out in front of them.
They didn’t need a week of special conferences or a week-long set of seminars and PowerPoints.
They didn’t ask to see the blueprints.
They didn’t ask Nehemiah for his college diploma in engineering and architecture.
They said, “Let us arise and build.”
And then they strengthened their hands for this good work.
What a blessing it is when God’s people see the need, hear the vision, and jump in with both feet!!
VI. The Mocking that was Persistent – 2:19
· 19 But 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 ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
Immediately after God’s man and God’s people embarked on this effort, opposition arose.
When they heard it, they laughed us to scorn.
NOTE: They had already been laughing at God’s people for the walls being broken down.
Now they are laughing at them for trying to fix it.
The devils crowd will laugh at the people of God, regardless. So just ignore it!!
The bottom line to why they hate the work of God so much is found in 2:10.
· Nehemiah 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
The more of the walls that God’s people build, the more indignant the enemy becomes. (4:1)
They are the ones that tore down the walls, and they don’t want them put back up!
The church of the Living God can expect full opposition when they start building back walls and gates!!
VII. The Mindset that was Prevailing – 4:6
· 6 So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.
No doubt there were days that they thought about quitting.
No doubt there were days that they wondered if it was worth it.
No doubt there were days that they didn’t feel up to the overwhelming task.
But one thing is clear – their mind to work was the prevailing mindset.
If they ever felt discouraged it, their mind to work prevailed.
If they ever felt like quitting, their mind to work prevailed.
If they ever felt afraid and intimidated by the opposition, their mind to work prevailed.
We need a solid core of Christians today that will stop looking at the challenges and just work!
We need people to stop listening to the laughter and mocking of the heathen, and just work!
We need a group of believers today that will stop lollygagging and have A MIND TO WORK!
VIII. The Mission that was Performed – 6:15
What an amazing accomplishment!
So the wall was finished!!
The fact that the wall was finished is miracle enough, but notice the time it took.
They did it in less than two months!
IX. The Miracle that was Perceived – 6:16
What a testimony we find recorded in verse 16!
· Nehemiah 6:16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
This announcement was from their enemies!!
This testimony was from the heathen!!
It’s hard to imagine how much crow they had to eat!!
They didn’t even believe in the God of the Jews.
They worshipped gods of stone and wood.
But God had manifested Himself in such a way that they had no choice but to recognize the hand of God.
They were much cast down in their own eyes.
What shame! What embarrassment!
Nothing they did was successful in stopping what God was doing!
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