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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH 3
HAVING A MIND TO BUILD TOGETHER–GATES 1-4
LESSON #6
MEMORY VERSE: PHILIPPIANS 4:13
NOTICE NEH 3:1-32
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:
ALL SCRIPTURE IS IMPORTANT AND INSPIRED BY GOD, EVEN THE LISTS OF NAMES TO WHICH WE HAVEDIFFICULTY RELATING. WE CAN LEARN SOME INTERESTING THINGS FROM THESE NAMES.
WHEN WE SEE LISTS OF NAMES IN SCRIPTURE, IT POINTS OUT TO US THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL ISIMPORTANT AND HAS A UNIQUE VALUE TO GOD. HE KNOWS YOUR NAME, AND IF YOU BELONGTO HIM, HE WRITES YOUR NAME IN THE LAMB’S BOOK OF LIFE. REV 21:27 IN THISCHAPTER WE SEE THE BUILDING OF THE WALLS OF THE CITY EVERYWHERE AT THE SAME TIME. THEPEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK. THE PEOPLE AGREED TO WORK TOGETHER.
TO BUILD UP THE WALLS OF OUR HUMAN PERSONALITY WE NEED EACH OTHER. HEB 10:24,25
USUALLY WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM IN OUR LIVES, WHAT IS THE FIRST THING WE DO? WE ISOLATEOURSELVES FROM OTHER BELIEVERS. THE BUILDING OF OUR OWN CHRISTIAN LIVES AS WELL AS THEBUILDING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST DEPENDS ON FELLOWSHIP. WHEN YOU ISOLATE YOURSELF, YOU CAUSEA BREACH IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS. THERE’S A BREACH IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR OWNPERSONAL LIFE AND THERE’S A BREACH IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE CHURCH.ROM 14:7
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT SATAN WANTS! ISOLATION IS GIVING IN TO THE PLAN OFSATAN.
RESTORING THE WALLS OF OUR HUMAN PERSONALITY CANNOT TAKE PLACE SIMPLY BY THE HOLY SPIRITWORKING WITHIN YOU IN ISOLATION. IT REQUIRES THE MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKINGTHROUGH OTHERS TO YOU WHO SHARE WITH YOU IN THE RECONSTRUCTION PROCESS. GAL 6:1-2
WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON ISOLATING HIMSELF:
1. YOU KNOW THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THAT PERSON’S LIFE.
2. YOU KNOW SATAN IS AT WORK IN HIS LIFE AS WELL AS IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH.
3. YOU KNOW THAT ISOLATION MEANS WEAK FAITH AND A WEAK CHURCH.
**MAKE THE CHOICE NOT TO BE ISOLATED BUT TO BE INVOLVED WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.
NOTICE THAT THEY HAD A PLAN FOR BUILDING THE WALLS. IT WAS WELL ORGANIZED. GOD HAS A PLANTO BUILD YOUR PERSONALITY. IT’S UP TO YOU TO DISCOVER IT.
THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO DID NOT WORK. NEH 3:5
THOSE WHO DID NOT WORK HAD A SPIRIT OF PRIDE; A FEELING OF SELF IMPORTANCE. THIS WAS THE ONLY GROUP THAT FAILED.
1. THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE TOO GOOD TO WORK.
2. THEY BECAME IMPATIENT WITH WEAKER BROTHERS.
THE PHRASE, “AND NEXT TO THEM…” IS MENTIONED 25 TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER. (NEH3:5)
THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES IT SO WE CAN FUNCTION ON A HORIZONTAL LEVEL WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS. IT IS VERY MUCH LIKE SMALL ROCKS IN A STREAM. THE ROCKS ARE SMOOTH WITH NOROUGH EDGES. HOWEVER, THE ROCKS ON THE SHORE ARE ROUGH AND JAGGED. WHY ARE THEY DIFFERENT?IT IS THE WATER (A SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT) THAT TUMBLES THE ROCKS TOGETHER. THETUMBLING ACTION RUBS ONE ROCK AGAINST ANOTHER AND EVENTUALLY SMOOTHS OUT THE EDGES. IT ISTHE JAGGED PERSONALITIES OF OTHERS RUBBING AGAINST US THAT SMOOTH OUT OUR JAGGED PARTS. IF YOU DON’T GET IN THE STREAM, YOU NEVER BECOME SMOOTH. NOTICE THATEVEN THE WOMEN DID THE HARD, ROUGH WORK OF BUILDING THE WALLS. (3:12)
NO ONE SAID, “OH, WOMEN ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO THAT KIND OF WORK.” IF GOD CALLSWOMEN TO DO SPECIFIC KINDS OF JOBS IN THE BODY OF CHRIST, WE SHOULD BE OPEN TO LETTINGTHEM DO IT. (ACT 10:34 GAL 3:28)
NOTICE THAT SOME DID MORE THAN THEIR SHARE: MORE THAN WAS EXPECTED (3:13,15)
NOTICE THAT EVEN THE PRIESTS WORKED (3:17)
IN SOME CHURCHES THE CLERGY CONSIDERS THEMSELVES ABOVE AND MORE IMPORTANT THAN COMMONPEOPLE. IN GOD’S KINGDOM ALL ARE EQUAL AND SHOULD EQUALLY SHARE THE BURDEN.
THEN THERE ARE CHURCHES WHERE THE PEOPLE DO NOTHING AND EXPECT THE PASTOR TO DO ALL THEWORK.
BOTH EXTREMES ARE FOREIGN TO THE BIBLICAL CONCEPT OF GOD’S KINGDOM AND HIS PEOPLE.
NOTICE THAT SOME PEOPLE BUILT OPPOSITE THEIR OWN HOUSE. (NEH 3:29)
THEY BUILT THE WALL NEAR THEIR OWN HOUSE BECAUSE IT’S NATURAL TO WANT TO PROTECT WHATBELONGS TO YOU. THEY INVESTED THEIR TIME AND EFFORT IN PROTECTING THEIR FAMILY BY BUILDINGTHE WALL. THIS WAS THE PLACE WITH WHICH THEY WERE THE MOST FAMILIAR. GETINVOLVED IN THE REBUILDING PROCESS RIGHT WHERE YOU LIVE (FAMILY, WORK, CHURCH), HELPINGOTHERS TO REBUILD AND ALLOWING THEM TO HELP YOU REBUILD. 1CO 8:9-12
THE 10 GATES OF NEHEMIAH PRO 8:34 PRO 14:19
ALL THE GATES ARE MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER. REMEMBER THAT EVERY FUNCTION OF A CITY(BUSINESS, CIVIC, AND MILITARY) OCCURRED AT THE GATES OF A CITY. EACH GATE HAS A SPECIALSIGNIFICANCE TO OUR THEME OF REBUILDING THE WALLS OF OUR HUMAN PERSONALITY. THE GATESREPRESENT GOALS BASED ON CHOICES WE MAKE:
THE GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO BECOME MORE LIKE CHRIST. (1JOH 3:2) THAT GOAL ISREACHED BY THE DECISIONS WE MAKE IN LIFE.
(1) THE SHEEP GATE (3:1)
THIS GATE IS NEAR THE REBUILT TEMPLE. ALL THE ANIMALS TO BE USED FOR ANIMAL SACRIFICE WEREASSEMBLED HERE.
REMEMBER THAT THE NEW TEMPLE REPRESENTS OUR NEW SPIRIT THAT WE RECEIVED WHEN WE WERE BORNAGAIN. WE NOW HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO WORSHIP GOD IN SPIRIT AND IN TRUTH (JOH 1:29 JOH4:23) BECAUSE JESUS IS OUR LAMB SACRIFICE.
MANY TIMES WE DON’T FEEL LIKE COMING TO CHURCH TO WORSHIP GOD. WHEN WE DONTGO TO CHURCH, IT IS A CHOICE WE MAKE GIVING IN TO OUR OLD NATURE.
**MAKE THE CHOICE TO LET JESUS BE YOUR SHEPHERD LEADING YOU TO WORSHIP HIM.
1CO 12:1 SAYS TO PRESENT YOUR BODY AS A LIVING SACRIFICE. THAT MEANS YOU BRING YOURBODY TO CHURCH AND PUT IT IN A POSITION TO WORSHIP GOD.
(2) THE FISH GATE (3:3)
AT THIS GATE WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FISH MARKET. AFTER ACCEPTING CHRIST AS OURSAVIOR, WE ARE TO BECOME FISHERS OF MEN SPREADING THE GOSPEL OF GOD’S GRACE. (MAT 4:19)
**MAKE THE CHOICE TO SHARE THE GOSPEL.
HOW WILL THAT HELP YOU TO BUILD UP THE WALLS OF YOUR OWN PERSONALITY?
AS YOU SHARE GOD’S GRACE, GOD MULTIPLIES HIS GRACE TO YOU. (MAT 6:26 LUK 6:38)
(3) THE OLD GATE (3:6)
THIS WAS ONE OF THE FIRST CITY GATES MAKING IT ONE OF THE OLDEST. IT WAS A CIVIC CENTER. AS A BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE A NEW SPIRIT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR “OLDMAN” TO CONTEND WITH. READ ROM 6:4-10
EVERY DAY WE MAKE CHOICES BETWEEN THE NEW SPIRIT OF CHRIST WITHIN US AND THE”OLD” SINFUL NATURE. PAUL TELLS US TO “PUT OFF THE OLD MAN AND PUT ON THENEW”.
READ EPH 4:22-24
IT’S A CHOICE WE MAKE! BUT HOW DO WE DO THAT? WE CONSIDER THAT THE OLD MAN IS DEAD,BURIED WITH CHRIST. (ROM 6:4) BEFORE WE BECAME CHRISTIANS WE HAD NO CHOICE. WE HADTO SERVE SATAN BECAUSE WE WERE IN BONDAGE TO SIN. NOW WE HAVE A CHOICE. WE CAN CHOOSE TOLIVE FOR GOD, OR WE CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE FOR OURSELVES. IT’S A DAILY CHOICE WE CONSTANTLYMAKE.
**MAKE CHOICES DAILY FOR THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST WITHIN YOU INSTEAD OF FOR THE OLD MAN.
(4) THE VALLEY GATE
THIS GATE WAS THE ENTRANCE TO THE WEST VALLEY. YOU COULD LOOK OUT ON THE GARBAGE DUMP OFTHE CITY FROM HERE. AT THIS GATE WAS A CIVIC CENTER. REMEMBER THAT THE GARBAGE OF THE CITYWAS DUMPED ON THE SOUTHWEST SIDE OF THE CITY. BECAUSE WE ARE BORN AGAIN, WECAN LOOK BACK AT THE GARBAGE OF OUR PAST LIFE AND KNOW THAT WE HAVE VICTORY OVER ITBECAUSE IT IS UNDER THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. (2CO 5:17) UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF US GO OUTOF THE VALLEY GATE TO THE GARBAGE DUMP AND DIG UP THE PAST THAT IS BURIED THERE. SATANUSES THIS TO DEFEAT US. REMEMBER THAT THE DRAGON’S WELL WAS ALSO ON THIS SIDEOF THE CITY OUTSIDE THIS GATE. SOMETIMES WE ALLOW SATAN TO DIG UP THE PAST SINS ANDFAILURES WITH WHICH TO TAUNT AND DEFEAT US. (REV 12:10)
**MAKE THE CHOICE NOT TO DIG UP THE PAST GARBAGE OF YOUR LIFE (OR YOUR CHRISTIANBROTHER’S) THAT IS ALREADY FORGIVEN BY GOD. INSTEAD, BE ASSURED THAT IT IS NOT ONLYFORGIVEN BUT THAT GOD REMOVES IT FROM US AS FAR AS THE EAST IS FROM THE WEST. (PSA 103:12)
HOMEWORK FOR NEHEMIAH 3 –continuedTHIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SENDHOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FOR CORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF NEH 3
LOOK AT THE MARK IN THE MARGIN OF YOUR LESSON NOTES.
WHICH OF THE CHOICES IN OUR STUDY DO YOU NEED TO MAKE A PRIORITY THIS WEEK?
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DO THAT?
PREPARATION FOR NEH 3 — continued
REVIEW THE FOLLOWING GATES AND SCRIPTURES:
(5) DUNG GATE READ 1JOHN 1:9
(6) FOUNTAIN GATE READ JOHN 7:37-39
KING’S POOL READ 1TIMOTHY 6:14-15 AND EPHESIANS 5:18b
(7) WATER GATE READ EPH 5:26
MEMORY VERSE: PSA 51:6
