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Sermon
of 04-05-03
PRAYING AND PREPARED
Scripture: Luke 12:35-40 (Taken from SDA Comm. and PK 653-660)
Luke 12:35-40; "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
V:36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.
V:37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
V:38 And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. V:39
And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through.
V:40 Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not."
Today we look at chapter 4 of Nehemiah. We've already looked at the 1st 3 chapters. We've seen that Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King. Nehemiah requested to travel to Jerusalem and expect the walls and gates around the city and to repair them.
Last week we discovered that the walls were rebuilt in only 52 days. We compared the walls and gates of Jerusalem to the broken down walls and gates in own lives. We saw that at times God may use each of us to help others rebuild their broken down life. To help each other during times of crisis. When nothing is going right. When we have suffered a major blow in life. This morning we continue looking at the walls and gates Nehemiah rebuilt and again compare them to our walls and gates.
Most of us have heard of or experience with what is called "Murphy's Law." This is the idea that if anything can go wrong, it will. There are many applications of it. For instance, if you try to fix something, Murphy's Law says it will take longer than you anticipated. Or it will cost more than you expected. It will break down before it is paid for. And the granddaddy of them all; someone is bound not to like it when it is done! Sound familiar?
Well that is exactly what we find happening in Nehemiah 4. In this chapter Nehemiah faces severe and violent hostility to his work of rebuilding the walls and gates around Jerusalem.
In the pervious chapters we have discovered that Nehemiah had a deep concern over the damaged ruins of this capital city. But in Chapter 4, we find that Nehemiah has an enemy who opposes him with craftiness and power.
Nehemiah's preparations for the rebuilding of the wall had been a cause of annoyance to Sanballat. Listen to the opening verses of Nehemiah 4:1-3; "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. V:2
And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?
V:3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall."
Sanballat was the Governor of Samaria. He had an entire army at his disposal according to verse 2. This governor was in a position to stop Nehemiah's plans. Perhaps, some of us, have experienced this same kind of attack. Probably most of us, if not all of us, have had someone ridicule or mock us sometime in our live.
Maybe you have had someone say to you; "Just who do you think you are anyhow?" Or maybe someone has said; "Do you think you are better than us?" But my all time favorite is; "You've made a good start but you won't last."
Whenever I watch the Super Bowl, I can't help but notice the people that yelled and cried out all sorts of ridicule and scorn at some of the football players. It doesn't matter that they are the world's greatest football players. If they are rooting for the other team, the best teams are nothing more than losers to them. But at the same time I also noticed that the football players still stood up with pride and played their best.
Nehemiah seems to be that kind of a man. He persisted against the mockery and scorn of his enemies anyway. Notice particularly what his response was is to his attack. It is a prayer. Listen to Nehemiah 4:4-5;
"Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
V:5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders."
Nehemiah regarded this attack as an insult against God. Notice now he doesn't argue with his enemies. Nor does he retaliate. He simply responds by praying. He gives the problem over to the God of Heaven. It sort of reminds me of what Peter said about Jesus in 1 Pet 2:23 from the NIV:
"When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate. When He suffered, He made no threats."
Did you take a close note to the fact Nehemiah is asking for these people be destroyed? What happened to forgiveness and love? This sounds like the prayer many are asking for the Iraqis soldiers right now. But there is something very important about this prayer you and I need to understand. None of us can forget that Jesus taught us to bless those who persecute us. We are to pray for our enemies and to do good to those that harm us. So how do we balance Nehemiah's prayer with what our Lord taught us? The answer of course is, we have to remember that Nehemiah is the Governor of Judea. He was praying about keeping peace in the land and asking God to handle the situation. Let's bring it home, down to our time.
Were you angry and deeply hurt for the people of Combine, Colorado when 2 teenager boys opened fired on their classmates? How did you feel when you heard of a man by the name of Jeffrey Dahmer, who sexually abused, murdered and ate 17 young men? Were you hurt, afraid and angry when terrorist crashed our jets into the Twin Towers? How do you feel about the suicide bombers over in Iraq that has killed several of our soldiers? They come out begging for mercy and carrying a white flag. But when our soldiers get close enough, they blow them self and our soldiers up. How about our POW'S that have been executed? Are you praying for the mercy or justice for the Iraq soldiers? Something to think about. Something to pray about too.
Ask yourself when you're praying for our enemies, "What would Jesus ask and pray for?"
After praying, verse 6 says Nehemiah and his volunteers returned to work. Listen; "So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work."
Ridicule and sarcasm did not destroy their confidence in God or each other. Without a second thought they went ahead with the work they had been assigned. But their enemy is not through. Verse 7 and 8 say they became even angrier and decided upon using force.
"But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
V:8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it."
But watch how Nehemiah reacts in verse 9; "Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them."
He again relies on God and prays. Now watch how Judah reacts in verses 10-12;
"And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall. V:11
And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. V:12
And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you."
Nehemiah wanted guards posted around them. But was that bad? I don't think so! In fact I believe there is lesson for us to learn there. It's called, "Prayer and Preparedness"! This is also the title of this morning topic. This blending is what will keep the devil from penetrating our wall.
Hopefully you remember from last week sermon, that wall is found in our heart! There was an enormous amount of debris and rubbish which needed to be cleared away before they could continue to build these walls of defense around Jerusalem. It's sad but true, there is an enormous amount of debris and rubbish which must be cleared away in our hearts before God can continue to build our wall of defense. The devil immediately takes advantage of each of us when our hearts are filled with clutter. And I feel it's time for wall rebuilding, for temple cleaning.
The Bible says in 1 Cor. 3:16-17; "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are."
Now Listen to Nehemiah's response found in verses 13-14; "Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, [and] on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
V:14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses."
Nehemiah evaluates the situation. He sees what is needed. He tells them not to be afraid of the enemy. Then in verse 15 he says; "And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work."
Their enemy couldn't achieve anything with their threats. Why? Because God's people trusted the Lord. And the lesson for us to learn is God can do the same for us today. God can and will confuse our enemies strategy to harm us. He can confuse our enemies to the point they have to leave us alone. Now watch how they continue to build the walls. Nehemiah 4:16-18; "And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
V:17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.
V:18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me."
The men worked with one hand and held a sword in the other ready for battle. They are ready for whatever might happen. Charles Spurgeon once said; "Christians should always be building the kingdom of God, but be ready for battle at any time." How true. My favorite author once wrote in Prophets and Kings pg. 659; "Not for one moment are they (God's workers) to relax their watchfulness..." Later she wrote: "We are to stand in preparedness before God." SPM pg.367
Verses 19-20 also illustrate the wonderful blending of faith and preparation. "And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.
V:20 In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us."
Verses 21-23 show the degree of self-sacrifice involved; "So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared. V:22
Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labour on the day. V:23
So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard which followed me, none of us put off our clothes, saving that every one put them off for washing."
I guess you realize there is an alertness, a watchfulness here that doesn't even allow for comfort. Paul said it this way in 2 Timothy 2:3;
"Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ." They are ready to endure hardship for the sake of the Lord. What about you? Are you willing, are you ready to endure hardship for the sake of the Lord?
Right now, men and women are over in Iraq enduring hardship for you and me to keep the freedom we have. Saddam Hussein has spent all the time, money and research in knowing how to bog our soldiers down. He and his head leaders are using ridicule and mocking America. From what I hear and see on the news, I'm afraid Saddam has even convinced other countries to mock America for fighting this war.
And our enemy, the devil, is spending all the time and research he needs to bog you and me down too. This war we battle against Satan is not some fairy tale. It's very real. Just like the battle our soldiers are fighting is very real.
The devil will send who he needs to, the ones he knows who will ridicule or mock you and me. He hopes by using ridicule and mockery, he can tear down our defense. He is an enemy who uses craftiness and power to achieve his goals. The Bible says in 1 Peter 5:6-8:
"Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"
James 4:7-8 adds; "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts..."
And finally, Luke 12:37 says; "Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them."
To close, I feel we, like Nehemiah, must learn the lesson of always praying and being prepared for any arrow or person the devil may send our way.
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