A Place of Refuge: Building the Walls
| It is the dream of a church (re)connecting people to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the dream of people being reconciled to God and each other. Is the dream of a church that lives to serve the community representing the kingdom of God on earth by bringing the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to bear upon our community, our county, our state, our nation and our world. It is the unshakeable belief in a God who uses the small things, the seemingly insignificant to bring glory to Jesus Christ. |
We can be a part of that dream. We can build a place of refuge for the broken, the disillusioned, the hurting and the lost. In order to see dreams comes true we must begin with prayer. I believe we have the ear of the King and it’s time to begin building. These are the next steps in building a place of refuge.
An honest assessment must be made.
-In Nehemiah chapter 2, Nehemiah examines the damage in great detail.
-If we have seen a decrease in attendance and have only seen 1 person
baptized in the last two years, we understand that we are not fruitful and we are in
danger of being bypassed by the Holy Spirit.
-There were large gaps in the wall.
-God is looking for people who will stand in the gap to prevent destruction. Ezekiel
22:30 "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand
before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I
found none"
.
Plans must be made.
-Nehemiah laid out the plan. Nehemiah 2:17-18
-Unless God is with us we cannot succeed.
-When the plan was laid out they began the good work.
-As soon as work began opposition arose.
Everyone has a part. Nehemiah 3
-People from every walk of life helped to rebuild the wall.
-Each person did as much as they could.
-They all worked toward a common goal.
There will be opposition.
-While people may oppose us it is a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:17
-The enemy has many strategies.
Ridicule
Fear
Gossip
Rumor
Well intentioned believers.
We have weapons in the fight.
-The enemy’s greatest success comes through surprise.
-We have spiritual weapons 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
-If we will endure we will win. 2 Corinthians 6:4-10
God will give us the victory. Nehemiah 4:12
Distractions will abound. Nehemiah 6:1-4
-Seemingly innocent opportunities. Nehemiah 6:1-4
-Slander, gossip and innuendo. Nehemiah 6:5-9
-Other Christians Nehemiah 6:-14
Rejoice when the work is complete. Nehemiah 8:10
-There is a time for mourning and repenting.
-There is a time to rejoice.
-The joy of the Lord is our strength.
Guard against complacency.
-No place must be given for things of this world.
-The tithe and the offering must not be neglected.
-We must not compromise. 2 Corinthians 6:14
Psalm 127:1-2
by: Cliff Sanders