With the Help of God
Griffith Baptist Church – 11/2/08
P.M. Service
Text: Nehemiah 6:15-19
Key verse: Nehemiah 6:16 - And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
Premise: With God helping us we will get the job done that He requires and fulfill His will in and for our lives.
The Introduction
A family asked a priest to help ‘straighten out’ a rambunctious young boy and his sister. After he agreed to speak to them separately, the older child, a girl of 8, went in to the office. She found the priest sitting solemnly behind a big desk. Silence - then the priest asked "Where is God?" More silence; the question was repeated. This happened three times, at which point the child burst out of the priest’s office and ran for home, straight upstairs to her room. ‘Boy, are we in trouble,’ she reported to her anxious younger brother. ‘Why? What happened?’ ‘God’s missing and they’re blaming us!’
Well, good news; God is not missing, He’s right here with us.
He was there with Nehemiah as well. (Discuss text)
God needs to be in the center of everything in our lives and church, if we are to do His work.
Let’s look at three realities that Nehemiah teaches us when God helps us.
Body
1. With the Help of God The Work Will Get Finished – 6:15
A. One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the evil that was going on. He decided to send an angel down to Earth to check it out. So he called one of His best angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time. When the angel returned she told God, yes it is bad on Earth, 95% is bad and 5% is good. Well, God thought for a moment and said "Maybe I had better send down a second angel, to get another point of view." So God called another angel and sent her to Earth for a time too. When the angel returned she went to God and told Him yes, the Earth was in decline, 95% was bad and 5% was good. God said this was not good. So He decided to E-mail the 5% that were good. He wanted to encourage them..............give them a little something to help them keep going. Do you know what that E-mail said? * * * * * * * * * You didn’t get one either, huh? From Christianstories.com We need God’s help in everything, and in our context, we need His help to do and complete the work of ministry He has for us.
B. John 15:5 – I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
i. If God is not in the work, than the work will not prosper
ii. What you do for God is God’s work
iii. It took three traits to make it work for Nehemiah and it will work the same everywhere.
C. It takes teamwork
i. Nehemiah 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.
ii. In an old Peanuts cartoon, Lucy demanded that her brother Linus change TV channels and then threatened him with her fist if he didn’t. "What makes you think you can walk right in here and take over?" asked Linus. "These five fingers," said Lucy. "Individually they are nothing, but when I curl them together like this into a single unit, they form a weapon that is terrible to behold." Linus replied "What channel do you want?"
D. It takes prayer
i. Nehemiah was a man of fervent prayer and got results
a. Nehemiah 1:4 – he prayed before the God of heaven,
b. Nehemiah 2:4 – So I prayed to the God of heaven.
c. Nehemiah 4:9 – Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God
ii. We need to be dedicated prayer warriors if we want to see great things happen - James 5:16 - The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
E. It takes dedication
i. Some just don’t have a stomach for the fight
ii. Nehemiah and his work crew stood together against overwhelming odds.
iii. Dedication means approaching every task for God with confidence in God - 1 Corinthians 16:13 - Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
iv. Reward comes with staying with the stuff - Galatians 6:9 - And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
2. With the Help of God The Enemy Will Be Frustrated – 6:16
A. A small storeowner was being pressured to sell his store to the owners of a large department store who had bought every building on the block, except his. Frustrated by the man’s refusal to sell, they eventually opened their huge store on either side of the small one, with a big banner running from one side to the other, proclaiming in huge letters "GRAND OPENING." Feeling equally frustrated, the small storeowner did finally outsmart the large department store. Below the grand opening sign, across the front of his small store, the man put up a small banner over his door: "MAIN ENTRANCE." There are ways to frustrate the enemy.
B. Matthew 19:26 - But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Jer. 32:27)
i. They can’t quite figure out what makes us tick
ii. This is why man tries everything except the Word of God to solve their problems and fails miserably.
iii. Example: The Pharisees could not stop the disciples - Acts 5:38-39 - 38And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought: 39But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
C. God desires victory for His children, not defeat:
i. We are called “overcomes” in the book of Revelation
ii. When we make advances into the darkness, it upsets the myopic (intolerant) and narrow world of the enemy.
D. What do we have victory over that frustrates the devil so much?
i. Death – 1 Corinthians 15:54-57 - 54So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
ii. The World – 1 John 5:4-5 - 4For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
iii. The Devil – Ephesians 6:11 – Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. and James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
3. With the Help of God Souls Will Get Saved and Disciples Made
A. A Muslim in Africa became a Christian and some of his friends asked him, “Why have you done such a thing?” He answered, “Well, its like this: Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions. You didn’t know which way to go; and there at the fork were two men—one dead, and one alive—which one would you ask to show you the way?” (from a sermon by Bruce Howell, The Gospel Vs. Religion.) We are the living ones to show those who are lost the way.
B. The city began to be repopulated with God’s chosen people – Nehemiah 7
i. God has children ready to populate his heavenly Jerusalem one day, but they need to be redeemed.
ii. It is our work to go and tell of the finished work of God
C. The greatest work we have in this world is to bring others to Christ:
i. This is God’s announcement - Isaiah 45:22 - Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
ii. This is God’s desire – 1 Timothy 2:4 – Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. and 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
iii. We are given the power to share the gospel - Acts 1:8 - But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (2nd Cor. 5:18-19)
iv. The more we tell the more His house will be full - Luke 14:21-23 – 21So that servant came, and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Conclusion:
Are you trusting in God for your help or are you trying to go it alone?
We cannot do the work unless God is in it with us and empowering us.
