SO THE WALL
WAS FINISHED
DATE: 9/23/2012 FBBC Ridgeway, NY
TEXT: Nehemiah 6:11-15; v. 15 together
INTRODUCTION:
Years ago someone had a vision to see this church started
And you are now in your _____ year,
And before you know it _____ years will have gone by
As a Pastor, I’ll be ever indebted to this church
Why? Because it was this church that started our
church
Churches like this one are the life blood of civilization
Without them, the Gospel would not be preached
Souls would not be saved
And people would go off into a Christ-less eternity
I’d like to talk to you today about some Walls
The Bible has a lot to say about Walls
The Children of Israel in the midst of the Red Sea
In Exodus 14:22 – “And the children of Israel went
into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and
So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand,
and on their left”
The 12 Spies report on their return from the Promise
Land
Numbers 13:28 – “Nevertheless the people be strong
that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and
very great: and moreover we saw the children of
Anak there”
Balaam’s encounter with the talking Donkey
Numbers 22:24 – “But the angel of the LORD stood in
a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and
a wall on that side”
Rahab’s House was upon a Wall
Joshua 2:15 – “Then she let them down by a cord
through the window: for her house was upon the
town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall”
We have read about the Walls of Jericho tumbling down
Hebrews 11:30 – “By faith the walls of Jericho fell
down, after they were compassed about seven days”
How about the Walled Cities called the Cities of
Refuge?
I could go on …
The Walls I want to look at today are the Fallen Walls of
the City of Jerusalem
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
The Fallen Walls during the Time of Nehemiah and Ezra
And How those Fallen Walls were rebuilt
And How that relates to us today
CONTEXT:
Now the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah are the first of the
post-captivity books
These books record the return of Israel to Palestine under
Zerubbabel by decree of Cyrus
This Jewish remnant laid again the Temple foundation in
536 B.C.
Later in 458 B.C. Ezra followed, and restored the Law and
ritual
Unfortunately, many choose to remain behind in Babylon
were they were prospering
The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah deal with a small group
of feeble folks …
(Not much different then you & I)
… these alone had a heart for God
14 years after the return of Ezra to Jerusalem,
Nehemiah led up a company in 444 B.C. and restored the
walls and civil authority
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
The Books Haggai and Zechariah are also records of this
same time period
These men though^ - were the notable Preachers of the
Day
God raised them up to inspire the people to rebuild the
Walls and Temple
The Man that led that rebuilding was Nehemiah
Nehemiah was not a prophet of preacher
(A Man’s Man)
We too like Nehemiah must be in the Wall Building Business!
 We must start (today) to rebuild the walls that have
been torn down and eroded
So – “What are today’s Walls that we need to be concerned
with?”
 Decency
 Morality
 Standards
Old Time Religion
 Our old time fundamental views, values and position
Now you ask – “How can we do this?”
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
There are 6 statements found in the Book of Nehemiah
that will encourage us do this
Let’s look into The Word of God and let The Spirit of God
show these wonderful Truths!
Let’s pray and then think on this thought
“So the Wall was Finished”
~~~Prayer~~~
I. THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK – 4:6
“So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined
together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind
to work”
Every person did their part
 By rank and file
 By the steady, quiet plodding of ordinary people
 By Men and Women whose names are not mentioned
here, who were never recognized?
 By the monotonously dull, routine duties, day in and
day out
As Nehemiah called the people of his day to their
appointed tasks
God is calling everyone today to their appointed tasks –
 Fathers – We must have “a mind to work”
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
 Mothers – We must have “a mind to work”
 Young people – We must have “a mind to work”
“…for the people had a mind to work”
THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK
II. THE BUILDERS HAD THEIR WEAPONS READY - 4: 17, 18
“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”
“For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his
side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet
was by me”
I want to suggest three weapons the people had A. A Trowel – 4:17
To lay the Foundation With
“every one with one of his hands wrought in the
work, and with the other hand held a weapon”
Right about now, you’re saying that a “Trowel” is not a
weapon!
I say it is! when it is used in the work of the Lord
I’ll go one step further and say that it may be the most
important
You ask – Why?
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
You see, it’s with the Trowel, that we lay the
Foundation
What is the Foundation?
I Corinthians 3:11 – “For other foundation can no
man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Ephesians 2:20 – “And are built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself
being the chief corner stone;”
Psalm 11:3 – “If the foundations be destroyed, what
can the righteous do?”
We can’t let the Foundation be destroyed
We must have a Mind to work (for our Children sake)
The Trowel of Education, Education in the Word
Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from
it”
 The Trowel will build the Foundation / Wall
To Keep the Enemies out
To Keep our Children in
The Foundation of God’s Word built by teaching and
study
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
I Thessalonians 4:11 – “And that ye study to be quiet,
and to do your own business, and to work with your
own hands, as we commanded you;”
II Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved
unto God, a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”
Not just rote memorization
Some would say we shelter our children and that they
won’t be able to function in the world
The truth is we don’t want our children “of the World”
I hope you want your children to serve God?
Jesus said in John 17:15 – “I pray not that thou
shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou
shouldest keep them from the evil”
Some build and don’t protect and some protect and
don’t build!
Ill. A little dog inside a fence and a BIG dog outside the fence
Question, Where is the little dog’s freedom / in or out?
The truth is that the same people who say we are
sheltering our children
Are the same people who are, themselves, enslaved!
 To dope
 Alcohol
 Immorality
 Gambling
 Leisure
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
A Trowel
B. A Sword – v.17b, 18a
“and with the other hand held a weapon”
“For the builders, every one had his sword girded by
his side…”
To Protect with
The Bible is our Sword
Ephesians 6:17 – “… the sword of the Spirit, which is
the Word of God:”
1. Only Offensive part of the armor
2. “… sword of the Spirit”
Hebrews 4:12 - “For the Word of God is quick, and
powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and
spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart”
C. A Trumpet – v.18
To Warn With
A Trowel, A Sword and A Trumpet
THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK
THE BUILDERS HAD THEIR WEAPONS READY
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
III. THEY PRAYED TO GOD AND SET A WATCH – 4:9
“Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set
a watch against them day and night, because of them.”
A Watch To  Keep Evil Out
 For a Place of Safety
Mom’s, Dad’s, Gramma’s, Grampa’s – All must keep watch!
They were vigilant – (Watch out for the creeps)
We should say to Old Slew-foot - “If you’re going to try for
our kids, then you’re in for the fight of your life”
I Corinthians 16:13 – “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith,
quit you like men, be strong”
Ephesians 6:18 – “Praying always with all prayer and
supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with
all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”
Colossians 4:2 – “Continue in prayer, and watch in the
same with thanksgiving;”
I Thessalonians 5:6 – “Therefore let us not sleep, as do
others; but let us watch and be sober”
II Timothy 4:5a – “But watch thou in all things,…”
All of us need to be watchful!
THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
THE BUILDERS HAD THEIR WEAPONS READY
THEY PRAYED TO GOD AND SET A WATCH
IV. “I’M DOING A GREAT WORK” – 6:3 (1 & 2)
“And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a
great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the
work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”
They tried to get Nehemiah distracted!
They tried to get Nehemiah to Quit!
I won’t join the Modernist movement, Right to Life, Moral
Majority etc.
The greatest work on God’s Green earth is for churches
like ours to protect the next generation!
THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK
THE BUILDERS HAD THEIR WEAPONS READY
THEY PRAYED TO GOD AND SET A WATCH
“I’M DOING A GREAT WORK”
V. “SHOULD SUCH A MAN AS I FLEE?” - 6:10, 11
“Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son
of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and
he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within
the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for
they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they
come to slay thee.”
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
“And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is
there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to
save his life? I will not go in”
God as called me to my pulpit
God has called you to this Church
Fathers, God as called you to your homes etc.
We’re commissioned by the King of Kings
If our Saviour has promise never to leave us or forsake us
who can then be against us
Hebrews 13:5b – “for He hath said, I will never leave
thee, nor forsake thee”
Romans 8:31 – “What shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?”
I’m a Shepherd, not a hireling
You’re a Christian not a hypocrite
THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK
THE BUILDERS HAD THEIR WEAPONS READY
THEY PRAYED TO GOD AND SET A WATCH
I’M DOING A GREAT WORK
SHOULD SUCH A MAN AS I FLEE?
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
VI. “SO THE WALL WAS FINISHED” – 6:15
“So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of
the month Elul, in fifty and two days”
Our Children don’t have to go bad!
If they want to go to college, they don’t have to go to a
heathen college
Why can’t they go to a college that teaches what we teach?
How about just learning a trade?
How about a Bible Institute?
CONCLUSION
Young people don’t have to go bad
Mom & Dad we can build a wall to protect our children…
Our Families…
Our Churches
Our selves…
Have a mind to work
Use the right equipment …
The Church, the Bible, prayer etc
Watch and pray
Don’t quit
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So The Wall Was Finished – Nehemiah 6:11-15
Be the man or woman God as called you to be
It only took Nehemiah and that small group of people
about 7 weeks to finish the Walls
It will take us a life time to build and maintain these Walls
INVITATION
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