Rebuilding The Walls, Just What Will It Take

Rebuilding The Walls, Just What Will It Take?
Part 5 - Our Lessons Learned
Neh. 6:15

INTRO.: Four weeks ago I started a series of message called Rebuilding The Walls, Just What Will It Take? This series has dealt with the some of the problems at Jerusalem that happened because of the captivity of the Children of Israel in Babylon, and parallels it to our lives. We all have walls that we need to rebuild in our lives today.

Before I begin, I want to share with you what I have been sharing every week as seven items that are indications of broken walls in your life. They are:

If you have lost your Time of Prayer
If you are no longer Hungry for God's Word
If there is no Joy of Worship
If you have no great Desire for Fellowship with Believers
If you have quit Seeking His Guidance
If you have lost your Disdain for Sin

These are obvious signs of broken "walls" in our lives. Are your walls intact? Are some of them cracked, tumbled down? These are the things that should concern us when we find them in our own lives and see them in our church.

What does it take for the weaknesses to be repaired, to be rebuilt? As a church, what do we need to see done in order to have our walls repaired to the place that there is strength there? Instead of crumbled down walls, weakness, disappointment and damaging sin in our lives, we can have godly strength, excitement and godly Pride in our lives and our church.

Today I want to continue in Nehemiah. I have entitled today's message, Rebuilding The Walls, Just What Will It Take? Part 5 - Our Lessons Learned. Today, I want to spend some time slightly recapping the messages and closing our look at Rebuilding Our Walls. Let us look…

The first week I dealt with sin in our lives,
I want to examine quickly what sin does in our lives…
Sin brings captivity to our lives
Sin distances us from our creator - the Lord
Sin cripples our testimony to those around us

The next week I dealt with your leadership - specifically myself
I want you to know, we as a church needs…
Caring leadership
Concerned leadership
Consecrated leadership

The third week I dealt with our need to repair our own walls, we need…
Recognize our need
Reaffirm our desire for closeness to the Lord
Reliably show up to do the job

Last week I dealt with staying focused for the job at hand. We need…
Share in God's plan
Start the work
Stand firm even in hardships

Today, I want to close this series by looking at what happened after the wall was built.
If we as His people trust in the Lord and continue for Him…

The walls will be rebuilt - 6:15

^{15So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.}

His name will be raised up and increased - vs. 16

^{16And 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}

More of His people will reach out to Him more - 8:1-3

^{1And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel. ²And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month. ³And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.}

His people will return to His ways - 8:13-18

^{13And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law. ¹⁴And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month: ¹⁵And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.
^{16So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. ¹⁸Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.}}

Gary Marcum - East 38th Street Free Will Baptist - 090901am