Introduction: As you are turning to The Book of Nehemiah, let me say that this is one of my favorite Books in all the Bible. After the walls of Jerusalem “laid in waste” for a hundred years, and the “Gates thereof were burned with fire,” Nehemiah shows us how one man can make a difference in the work of God. I want you to understand some things about Nehemiah:
- Nehemiah was one of the exiled Jews;
- He was not a prophet;
- He was not a priest;
- He was not an Engineer;
- He was not a Mason.
- He was simply the King’s Cupbearer.
But, Nehemiah was a man of conviction and determination and he was able to accomplish in 52 days what the children of Israel were not able to accomplish in 100 years. Nehemiah, after hearing how the walls laid in waste, mourned in his heart and prayed to God that He would forgive him and his family for their sins. He then went to the King and asked him to allow him to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls.
In chapter 2, verses 17 and 18, Nehemiah takes his petition before the people and says:
“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.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.”
In Chapter Three, God gives us a recorded record of those that were a part of this great work of rebuilding the walls. You see folks, I believe everything you do for God – God takes notice of! Then we come to Chapter four, and stand with me as we read Nehemiah 4:1-6. Let’s Pray and I will share the message People With a Mind to Work!
The people of God, realizing that Nehemiah meant business Got behind him and he was able to get them to do what they hadn’t done for nearly 100 years. He was determined to build the walls of Jerusalem – but understand me – his determination to rebuild the walls didn’t come without opposition. And you can rest assured church, whenever we determine in our hearts to do something for God – you can rest assured it will not come without opposition either!
And listen folks – it will not take long for that opposition to come either. In Nehemiah chapter 2:19, the Bible says, “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?”
Chapter 4:1, says, “ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.”
As soon as they HEARD it they began to mock the people of God. When they heard what Nehemiah was going to do, they got made – but when it actually looked like he was going to accomplish the work – they got VERY ANGRY.
Satan doesn’t wait around for a great work to be accomplished before he begins his attack – he starts at the beginning in order to do maximum damage.
Do you know that one of Satan’s greatest tools is? Scorn – contempt and ridicule. That is because these don’t require proof for an attack. To mock the work of God doesn’t require FACTS.
The sad thing is though, evil is never content alone – it always has to seek others to take with it! In Verse 2, Sanballat spread his brand of wickedness to as many as he could, as many as would hear him. He started gathering up his supporters behind the scenes.
Nehemiah faced opposition from Outside the Camp, but he also faced opposition inside the camp.
What I want you to realize today is that I believe Rally Point Biker Church is doing a Great Work for God – am I’m telling you now, it has not come without opposition from outside and inside.
I even think we are going to do an even greater work. But we need to understand right up front, the greater our success, the greater opposition we are going to face.
- The more you do for God – the more opposition you’re going to face;
- The greater the work you do – the more harassed you’ll be by the enemies of God’s work.
As a church, we are going to face our fair share of Sanballat’s that will say:
- You’re not educated enough;
- You’re not strong enough;
- You’re not experienced enough;
- You’re not rich enough;
- No one is behind you.
But understand with me this morning Rally Point Biker Church – Sometimes our greatest difficulties can become our greatest Blessing!
And the way we get to those blessings is by doing what the people of God did – we have to develop a MIND TO WORK! That term “mind to work” actually means in the Hebrew “Heart to work.” Nehemiah and the people of God “Had a heart for the work.”
Folks, having a “mind to work” will UNITE us as a church – not DIVIDE us! And because they had a “Mind to Work,” I want you to notice:
- THEY BUILT THE WALL (V6). “So built we the wall”
Too often what we find in the churches of today is that when opposition comes, Many say “So, we quit.” But not a person that has a “mind to work!” Their athem is “So, built we the wall.”
- In spite of the opposition outside;
- In spite of the opposition inside;
- In spite of the anger of others;
- In spite of the ridicule from others;
- In spite of the mockings.
The people of God kept their hand to the plow and just kept working. They did not let anything deter them from the work of God. The best way to defeat the enemy is to continue in the work.
- THEY BUILT THE WALL BY PRAYER (V.4-6, 9).
Over and over again we find that Nehemiah was a praying man – He prayed about everything. But in Chapter 4, Nehemiah’s prayer is not a prayer we typically hear someone pray. I know the New Testament says that we are to “pray those that despitefully use you,” and we are to “love those that hate us.” However, sometimes folks, we have a pray a prayer like Nehemiah. Notice what Nehemiah prayed in these verses:
- Turn their reproach upon their head;
- Give them for a prey in the land of captivity;
- Cover not their iniquity;
- Let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee;
- For they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
- THEY BUILT THE WALL TOGETHER (V6). “So built WE the wall”
Have you ever heard the term “strength in numbers?” That simply means that you and I can do more together than we can do alone. Brother Dennis and I were talking a few days ago and I heard him say “There ain’t no “I” in team.” And that is a fact. The building of God’s work is not about a single person here – it is about the Lord. And you and I will accomplish more together than we will ever accomplish alone. The people “Joined TOGETHER the wall.” CHURCH – if we don’t do the work God has given us individually, there will be gaps in the wall.
- THEY BUILT THE WALL WITH A WILLINGNESS TO DO WHATEVER THEY HAD TO (V9, 16-18).
You see, they knew that the enemy of the work of God was “Very Angry,” Yet in verse 9 Nehemaih says something at the beginning of the verse that everyone of us should say when adversity comes – NEVERTHELESS.
Nehemiah prayed “Unto our God,” Then he “Set a watch.” The people of God then set about doing the work of God. They had a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other. Half the people would work and the other half would stand guard.
Folks, there are some times in your Christian life that you are going to half to fight. It is not going to all be a “flowery bed of ease.”
You are going to be tried;
You are going to be tested;
Folks, we need to put on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD and be prepared to do battle for the LORD. We need to “earnestly contend for the faith.”
- THEY BUILT THE WALL BY TRUSTING GOD (V.20)
In verse 14, Nehemiah reminds the people, “Be not afraid of them – REMEMBER the Lord.” In Verse 20, he says, “Our God shall fight for us.”
Fear is a potent weapon of the enemy – but folks, I remind you today “If God before us – WHO CAN BE AGAINST US! Church, we are on the winning side!
CONCLUSION: I am afraid that we have created a mentality of welfare in our society today. We have taught people that they don’t need to do anything – just simply rely on the government. And so, we are now a nation in debt – because we have taught to NOT have “a mind to work.”
Unfortunately, to often that mentality trickles over into the church. We expect the preacher or staff to do everything. But I want you to understand this morning, if Rally Point Biker Church is going to do a great work for God, it will be because we as a people had a “MIND OT WORK.”
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Fighting for My Pea Patch 