Their Part, Our Part, Everyone's Part
December 1, 2013 Series: Nehemiah
Passage: Nehemiah 3:1–32
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THEIR PART, OUT PART, EVERYONE’S PART NEHEMIAH 3:1-32
Lessons from Nehemiah 1-2
- Nehemiah cares about what God cares about.
- Nehemiah waits and prays patiently (Neh 1), before God gave him and opportunity to present his request for permission and protection before the king (Neh 2)
- God was with the people, and they needed to respond in obedience and boldness to build.
Nehemiah 3 records for us the people's response to the call.
Every leader lead by example
- The leaders of the people, such as the priests (v1) and the officials (v12-19) participated in the building efforts. They did not delegate the work because they had power, but participated too.
- Contrast this with the nobles of the Tekoites (v5) who "would not stoop to serve their Lord".
- In 1 Pet 5:1-3, Peter reminds us that the leaders of the church are to lead by example as they shepherd the flock, following in the example of the Shepherd.
Every individual participates
- Neh 3 is a long list of participants in the rebuilding, and various individuals of different occupations and backgrounds (priests (v1), goldsmiths (v8), rulers) all worked together to accomplish this task.
- In the same way, the church consists of different individuals with different gifts (1 Cor 12:7). How are we using these God-given gifts "for the common good"?
Everyone be responsible
- It was a mammoth task, but this was accomplished because everyone took the responsibility of a small section around or outside their house (v21-23).
Today, what will we, as individuals and as a community, do with what God has given us?
More in Nehemiah
March 16, 2014
Staying Spiritually StrongMarch 9, 2014
Real People, Real Revival & Real ResultsMarch 2, 2014
Revive Us, Oh Lord!