Rebuilding the walls of our lives

Salt Church - Bolton

In late autumn, in the month of Kislev, in the
twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was at the
fortress of Susa. Hanani, one of my brothers, came to
visit me with some other men who had just arrived
from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had
returned there from captivity and about how things
were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, “Things are
not going well for those who returned to the province
of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The
wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates
have been destroyed by fire.” When I heard this, I sat
down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted,
and prayed to the God of heaven.

Nehemiah 1.1-4 (NLT)

 Walls
Boundaries of
Separation
Separation a safe zone

Protection Ownership and

from outside Responsibility
What is the meaning
of “broken walls” in
our lives today?
 Separation
"Therefore come out from them
      and be separate, says the Lord.
   Touch no unclean thing,
      and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you,
      and you will be my sons and daughters, says the
Lord Almighty."

2 Corinthians 6.17-18 (NIV)

 Boundaries of a
safe zone
For the grace of God that brings salvation has
appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to
ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live
self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present
age
Titus 2.11-13 (NIV)
 Walls
Boundaries of
Separation
Separation a safe zone

Protection Ownership and

from outside Responsibility
 How he overcame

He was honest about how bad the situation was and didn’t try
to blame someone else

I confess that we have sinned against you. Yes, even

my own family and I have sinned! We have sinned
terribly by not obeying the commands, decrees, and
regulations that you gave us through your servant
Moses.

Nehemiah 1.6-7 (NLT)

 How he overcame

He trusted that God would do what he said and believed

what everyone else thought would be impossible

“Please remember what you told your servant Moses:

‘If you are unfaithful to me, I will scatter you among
the nations. But if you return to me and obey my
commands and live by them, then even if you are
exiled to the ends of the earth, I will bring you back to
the place I have chosen for my name to be honoured.’

Nehemiah 1.8-9 (NLT)

 How he overcame

He acknowledged he needed help, and went for it – from God

and from people

O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers

of those of us who delight in honouring you. Please
grant me success today by making the king favourable
to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.”

Nehemiah 1.11 (NLT)

 How he overcame

He had a plan – a clear goal, the times and resources needed

The king asked, “Well, how can I help you?”

 With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied, “If it
please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your
servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where
my ancestors are buried.”
 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked,
“How long will you be gone? When will you return?”
After I told him how long I would be gone, the king
agreed to my request.
 I also said to the king, “If it please the king, let me have letters
addressed to the governors of the province west of the
Euphrates River, instructing them to let me travel safely through
their territories on my way to Judah. And please give me a letter
addressed to Asaph, the manager of the king’s forest, instructing
him to give me timber. I will need it to make beams for the gates
of the Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for a house for
myself.” And the king granted these requests, because the
gracious hand of God was on me.
Nehemiah 1.11 (NLT)
 How he overcame

Not just walls, but also gates

Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to
rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors,
building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they
dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. People from the town of
Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son
of Imri.  The Fish Gate was built by the sons of Hassenaah. They
laid the beams, set up its doors, and installed its bolts and bars.

Nehemiah 3.1-3(NLT)
 How he overcame

He never gave up

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son
of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us
meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the
temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they
are coming to kill you."
But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like
me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!"

Nehemiah 6.10-11 (NLT)

So on October 2nd the wall was finished—just fifty-two days after
we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations
heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They
realized this work had been done with the help of our God.
Nehemiah 6.15-16 (NLT)
 Obstacles

Fear

●
When he went to the king
●
When he was threatened

Opposition

●
From people moved by envy or personal interests

The Rubble
 The Rubble

Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the

labourers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we
cannot rebuild the wall."
Nehemiah 4.10 (NLT)