TEEN WINTER RETREAT
NEXT SUNDAY 9AM- 300 TEENS ACROSS STATE
• THEY WILL WORSHIP THEN LEAVE AFTER 9
• IF YOU ARRIVE AT 10:30 SERVICE-LOTS OF CARS
BAPTISM SERVICE
• SUNDAY JANUARY 25TH- ONE SERVICE
• 10AM- CELEBRATION
• EVERYONE TOGETHER
REBULDING
• SECOND WEEK SERIES ON NEHEMIAH
• LAST WEEK INTRODUCTION ON WHO HE WAS
TIMELINE
• FAR LEFT CREATION- THEN THE FALL
• GARDEN – NO PAIN/SORROW/TEARS/WEEDS
• FAR RIGHT- NOW
• MOSES- 1000 YEARS AFTER CREATION
• DAVID- 400 YEARS BEFORE JESUS
• JESUS 2000 YEARS AGO
• NEHEMIAH- REGULAR NORMAL MAN
• LAST NARRATIVE IN SCRIPTURE BEFORE 400 YEARS
• EXILE – JEWS ARE TAKE CAPTIVE BY NEBACHENAZER- DISPLACED MANY
• DESTROYED JERUSALEM-CITY WALLS RUIN 140 YRS
• NEHEMIAH IS BORN IN CAPTIVITY-445 BC
• 2.5 MILLION JEWS
• PERSIAN EMPIRE BABYLONIAN (NEBACHANZER)
• KING CYRUS SAYS LET JEWS RETURN JERUSALEM
• WORKING FOR THE NEW KING-ARTEXERSES
• CUPBEARER
• NEHEMIAH IS 1000 MILES FROM JERUSALEM
• HE ASKS HIS BROTHER HOW THINGS ARE?
• NEHEMIAH IS BROKEN-WEEPS/PRAYS
• NOT A CRYBABY JESUS WEPT- DAVID WEPT-PETER
• CHAP 13- BEATS MEN UP/PULLS OUT THEIR HAIR
• ASKS ARTEXES- CAN I GO HELP MY PEOPLE
• WILL YOU FUND MY TRIP-LETTERS SAFE PASSAGE?
NEHEMIAH IS PRAYERFUL
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:6
6. “THEN THE KING, WITH THE QUEEN SITTING BESIDE HIM, ASKED ME, “HOW LONG WILL OUR JOURNEY TAKE, AND WHEN WILL YOU GET BACK?” IT PLEASED THE KING TO SEND ME; SO I SET A TIME.”
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:9
9. “SO I WENT TO THE GOVERNORS OF TRANS-EUPHRATES AND GAVE THEM THE KINGS LETTERS. THE KING HAD ALSO SENT ARMY OFFICERS AND CAVALRY WITH ME.
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:10
10. WHEN SANBALLAT THE HORONITE AND TOBIAH THE AMMONITE OFFICIAL HEARD ABOUT THIS, THEY WERE VERY MUCH DISTURBED THAT SOMEONE HAD COME TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE ISRAELITES.”
SANBALLET TOBIAH GESHAM
THESE THREE MEN REPRESENT OUTSIDE OPPOSITION
OPPOSITION
• EXTERNAL OPPOSITION- AKA “HATERS”
• NEHEMIAH LEARNS NOBLES INSIDE- ALIGNED
DOESN’T REPRIMAND THEM FOR WHAT HAPPENED
SCRIPTURE NEHMIAH 2:17
17. “THEN I SAID TO THEM, YOU SEE THE TROUBLE WE ARE IN: JERUSALEM LIES IN RUINS, AND ITS GATES HAVE BEEN BURNED WITH FIRE. COME, LET US REBUILD THE WALL OF JERUSALEM, AND WE WILL NO LONGER BE IN DISGRACE.”
MAP OF THE CITY
• ORDER OF THE REPAIRS
NEHEMIAH IS PURPOSEFUL
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:18
18. I ALSO TOLD THEM ABOUT THE GRACIOUS HAND OF MY GOD ON ME AND WHAT THE KING HAD SAID TO ME. THEY REPLIED, “LET US START BUILDING. “SO THEY BEGAN THIS GOOD WORK.
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 2:19
19. BUT WHEN SANBALLAT THE HORONITE, TOBIAH THE AMMONITE OFFICIAL AND GESHAM THE ARAB HEARD ABOUT IT, THEY MOCKED AND RIDICULED US. “WHAT IS THIS YOU ARE DOING?” THEY ASKED, “ARE YOU REBELLING AGAINST THE KING?
CHAPTER 3
3 Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set its doors in place, building as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 The men of Jericho built the adjoining section, and Zakkur son of Imri built next to them.
• of the goldsmiths-perfume-makers-
• Shallum son of Hallohesh AND HIS DAUHTERS
• 22 The repairs next to him were made by the priests
• 28 Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs,
• Sheep Gate-goldsmiths and merchants made repairs
22 TIMES- BEYOND HIM/NEXT TO THEM
OF COURSE THERE IS A LEADER- BUT THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES A LEADER DOESN’T SHOULDER ALL RESPOBSIBILITY AND THE PEOPLE OF GOD COME TOGETHER AND GOD EMPOWERS THEM TO DO THE WORK
NEHEMIAHS NAME ISN’T MENTIONED HERE
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 6:1
1. WHEN WORD CAME TO SANBALLAT, TOBIAH, GESHAM THE ARAB AND THE REST OF OUR ENEMIES THAT I HAD REBUILT THE WALL AND NOT A GAP WAS LEFT IN IT-THOUGH UP TO THAT TIME I HAD NOT SET THE DOORS IJ THE GATES.
OPPOSITION
• SOMETIMES REBUILDING TAKES A LONG TIME
• WALLS BEEN IN RUIN FOR DECADES
• NEHEMIAH GETS INFO- PRAYS 4 MONTHS
• TILL HE GETS TO JERUSALEM- 4 MORE MONTHS
ZOOTOPIA VIDEO
• I AM THAT BUNNY
• LETS GO- RIGHT NOW
• WAIT 8 MONTHS BEFORE WE LIFT A BRICK?
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 6:2
2. SANBALLAT AND GESHEM SENT ME THIS MESSAGE:
“COME LET US MEET TOGETHER IN ONE OF THE VILLAGES ON THE PLAIN OF ONO. “BUT THEY WERE SCHEMING TO HARM ME;
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 6:3
3. SO I SENT MESSENGERS TO THEM WITH THIS REPLY:
I AM CARRYING ON A GREAT PROJECT AND CANNOT GO DOWN. WHY SHOULD THE WORK STOP WHILE I LEAVE IT AND GO DOWN TO YOU?”
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 6:4
4. FOUR TIMES THEY SENT ME THE SAME MESSAGE, AND EACH TIME I GAVE THEM THE SAME ANSWER.
THINK THE ENEMY GONNA JUST COME ONCE OR TWICE?
THEY DIDN’T EVEN CHANGE THE MESSAGE- 4 TIMES
AFTER THIS HE TRIES AGAIN WITH DIFF METHOD
NAME MEANS ADVERSARY.
• Satan comes from Hebrew means “adversary,” “accuser,” or “obstructor,”
• describing someone who opposes or plots against another
DEVIL MEANS- THE SLANDERER/ACCUSER
• REAL ENEMY IS THE SAME AS HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN
• INSIDE OR OUTSIDE- OFTEN INSIDE IS WORSE
• EVEN IF ITS IN YOUR OWN MIND
• DON’T BE CONFUSED ABOUT WHO YOUR ENEMY IS
• IT ISN’T SANBALLAT/TOBIAH/GESHEM
• IN EVERY GENERATION THROUGH TODAY-THE ENEMY IS ACTIVELY OPPOSING THE PEOPLE OF GOD WHO ARE WORKING FOR THE GLORY OF GOD
HOOVER DAM PICTURE
• JOHN SAVAGE- STARTED 1931-FINISHED 1936
• GRAVITY ARCH DAM- 726 FEET TALL
• 660 FEET TALL AT THE BASE
• 21,000 PEOPLE WORKED-100 LOST THEIR LIVES
• REMOVE WEATHER ROCKS ON EITHER SIDE
• POURED CONCRETE INTO SIDE WALLS-THICK BASE
• ENOUGH CONRETE 2 LANE SF TO NYC-
• GENERATES ELECTICITY IRRIGATES 1 MIL ACRES
• LARGEST LAND MADE LAKE-
• FLOOD CONTROL AND STORES WATER
OPPOSITION- EXTERNAL- OPPOSITION INTERNALLY
• Harry Chandler/ Harrison Gray Otis (Los Angeles Times)
• WILLIAM HUNT/Benjamin Moeur-GOVERNORS AZONA
• DISCRIMINATION- NATIVE AMERICAN/HISPANIC
• VERY FEW BLACKS
• COULDN’T LIVE IN CITY IN BOULDER CITY
NEHEMIAH IS PRAYERFUL- HE IS PURPOSEFUL
HE IS PRACTICAL
NEHEMIAH 4
4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”
SCRIPTURE NEHEMIAH 4:10
10. “MEANWHILE, THE PEOPLE IN JUDAH SAID, “THE STRENGTH OF THE LABORERS IS GIVING OUT, AND THERE IS SO MUCH RUBBLE, THAT WE CANNOT REBUILD THE WALL” (RUBBLE IS A WALL THAT ONCE STOOD-THE PAST)
NEHEMIAH IS PRAYERFUL
NEHEMIAH IS PURPOSEFUL
NEHEMIAH IS PRACTICAL-
• Just because people are against you, doesn’t mean that God is.
• Sometimes, obedience requires a fight.
• Very few things God is directing will come easily.