Nehemiah 4:20 (12/6/23)

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Nehemiah 4:20 (12/6/23)

Choosing Your Battle

December 6, 2023 • Benham Brothers • Nehemiah 4:17–20

* When it comes to the Christian life, we have two responsibilities:

* BUILD & BATTLE.

* We are to hold a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other.

* We do our work and engage in warfare.

* A battle-ready mindset prepares us for the attacks of the enemy.

* Backstory - Nehemiah was leading the Jews in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem.

* Enemies had come and tried to stop the work.

* So Nehemiah stationed the people strategically to build the wall AND protect themselves at the same time.

* vs 17 - “…Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other…”

* We’re not to hold one or the other - we’re to hold both a sword and a trowel at all times.

* A wall represents security - our core human need.

* To maintain security, you need to build and battle.

* vs 18 - “...and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.”

* The leader is responsible to sound the alarm.

* Spiritual leaders should sound the alarm against spiritual attacks.

* vs 19 - “Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.”

* Boundaries are important in relationships.

* Space is necessary to keep people thriving and not fighting.

* Everyone should do their own work.

* Take care of your spot on the wall.

* vs 20 - “Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”

* When Nehemiah blew the trumpet, it was time to lay down the trowel and pick up the sword.

* They never chose the place of battle nor the enemy they were fighting.

* It wasn't something they could say, "I'm not called to fight that battle."

* We believe we get to choose our battles today, but nothing could be further from the truth.

* We need to go to wherever the battles are the hottest and show up there.

* Just as Jesus told "the church" to show up to the gates of hell - those places where Satan has erected a stronghold and told the people of God to stay out.

* We don't get to choose our battle, we get to fight in the battles God chooses for us.

* All we have to do is show up and then watch Him take over.

Nehemiah 1-2 (8/12/21)

August 12, 2021 • Benham Brothers • Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah 2

Nehemiah 1-2 - Nehemiah, Entrepreneur * Two things I want to accomplish: * Redefine the word “entrepreneur.” * Give you five traits of a kingdom entrepreneur. * Defining the Entrepreneur * Normal definition - An entrepreneur is a “risk-taking go-getter who generates income by meeting the needs of others.” * Marks of an entrepreneur: * They’re fiercely independent (don’t want to work for others). * They are self-starters (highly motivated). * They don’t need to be managed. * They think creatively (w/a bent toward adventure). * They embrace risk, they don’t avoid it. * They see opportunities when others see obstacles. * Defining the Kingdom Entrepreneur * “Entre” means “go between” / “Prende” means “to undertake.” * An entrepreneur goes between people with problems to bring solutions. * An entrepreneur’s identity is that of an intercessor (Ezekiel 22). * Kingdom Entrepreneur - “a risk-taking go-getter who generates income by meeting needs so that he can be a bridge that connects people to God.” * A kingdom entrepreneur: * Knows he’s a minister right where he is. * Is fueled by a sense of mission for God. * Understands that his work is worship. * Sees himself as an intercessor for others. * Example - Jesus from 18-22 years old. * Example - Nehemiah! * He saw a niche of people with a problem and he slides in between with a solution. * He was not a “vocational minister.” He was a government leader who knew how to run a business. * Notice these five traits of Nehemiah: * 1) He was a PRAYER (vs 1:1-4). * 2) He was a PURSUER (vs 2:1-5). * 3) He was a PLANNER (vs 2:11-13). * 4) He was a PRODUCER (vs 2:17-18). * Vs 19 - Enemies showed up once he started producing. * The next several chaps has them building and battling (sword and trowel)! * 5) He was a PURIFIER (chap 13 - the final chap - is all about purification). * He used his platform to purify the nation. * It wasn’t enough for them to have a wall - they needed the presence of God, and this couldn’t happen apart from purity. * He kicked Tobiah, the Ammonite, out of the Temple (he was given a room by a corrupt priest) - Nehemiah 13:1-9. * He re-allocated finances so the Levites could come back and serve in the Temple (they hadn’t been paid so they had to leave and work) - Nehemiah 13:10-13. * He reinstituted the Sabbath and setup protocols so people wouldn’t break it - Nehemiah 13:15-22. * He dealt with their impure marriages to foreign women (he physically assaulted these guys) - Nehemiah 13:23-31. *

Nehemiah 1:3-4 (7/16/17)

July 16, 2017 • Benham Brothers

•Review 5 core human needs - Security, Identity, Belonging, Purpose, Competence. •Testimony of Competence - God told us to do something we didn’t know we were good at. •We trusted God (Security) and then discovered: We're Ministers (Identity), We're on Mission (Purpose), Our work is worship (Competence). •DEFINITIONS: •Worship - our attempt to make God smile (Trae doing lawn). •Our primary way to worship God is through our WORK. •Work - “anything you gotta do” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 - competence). •3 truths about making your work worship to God (3 R's): •1) The Requirement of work is faithfulness. •* Our MOTIVE is to make God smile. •Nehemiah 1:3-4 - his work was born out of his worship. •What, Where, When no longer matter. Why, How, and Who is what fuels you. •Action precedes motivation - just start acting like your work is worship and it will become. •* Our ATTITUDE is surrender. •John Quincy Adams - "Duty is mine. Results are God's." •Acts 20:22 - Replace yourself in this verse: •“And now I am on my way to mow that lawn, even though I’m broke and have mouths to feed.” •“And now I’m going to tell the truth, not knowing if it’s going to cost my job.” •“And now I’m going to teach my kids homeschool, not knowing if they’ll ever learn to read!” •STORY - Tori teaching homeschool. •** When your work is worship you’re blessed with ENERGY to continue doing it. If it's not then you are cursed with LETHARGY! •2) The Result of work is rest. •In the OT work and rest were separate (Sabbath). •In the NT work and rest go hand-in-hand (Jesus is our Sabbath, now honor the Sabbath). •Matthew 11:28-30 - When you enter God’s work you enter God’s rest. •STORY - Apologizing to kids / Flight back from Dallas. •3) The Result of work is that God gets glory. •John 17:4 - I have brought you glory by finishing the work….. •What does it mean to bring God glory? •Matthew 5:16 - Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good “works”……. •** KEY ** - Our work isn't complete until we've given God credit for the job we did. •The moon shines only because it properly reflects the light of the sun. •CLOSE - when your work is worship: •Nehemiah 2:7-9 - AUTHORITY & ASSETS of the king. •When we make our work worship God gives us His authority & assets to do the job. •Nehemiah wasn't a builder or governor - he was a cupbearer. •If the walls are broken down, we have the authority to rebuild them. •What is broken down in your own realm? •1) Personal life - spirit, soul, body. •2) Family - spouse, kids, extended family. •3) Community - church body, workplace, neighborhood, gym. •4) City & Nation.

Nehemiah 1:3-4 (7/16/15)

July 16, 2015 • Benham Brothers

When Nehemiah heard there was a problem how did he respond first? 1) Fasted - he denied himself something in the physical to gain something in the spiritual. 2) Prayed - he recognized God's sovereignty and gave the problem to the Lord. America has spiritual problems that are manifesting themselves physically. We need to start by doing the same thing Nehemiah did - Fast & Pray. This will lead you to do what Nehemiah did in Neh 13.