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TogetherWeCanBuildAsOne!”Nehemiah2:11-20

MessagebyMichaelJ.Barnard September4,2016TeachingAim:TostudyNehemiah’sleadershipstyleashepreparestoleadtheJewisheffortsinrebuildingthewallsofJerusalem.ToseehowmeticulousNehemiahisindoinghisresearchbeforehefinallyspeaksouttotheJewishpeople.TorealizeNehemiahwouldnotallowoppositionfromtheenemytodistractordiverthimfromthecallGodhadplacedonhislife.ToapplytheprinciplesofleadershipdemonstratedbyNehemiahinourownlives!

DIGGING DEEPER INTO GOD’S WORD (BIBLE STUDY) PartI:NehemiaharrivesinJerusalemandviewsthewalls(Neh.2:11-16)1. Accordingtoverses9and10,howdidtwoofthepagangovernorsofTrans-EuphratesreactwhentheyheardNehemiahwascomingtoJerusalemasthenewlyappointedgovernor?Whydoyouthinktheyreactedthisway?

2.ThejourneyfromShushan(orSusa)toJerusalemwasalmost1,000milesandwouldhavetakenafewmonthstocomplete.WhatisthefirstthingNehemiahandhispartydiduponarrivingatJerusalem(vs.11)?HowlongdidEzraandhispartyrestwhentheyarrived?(SeeEzra8:32)Whyisitimportantforeachofustomaketimesofrest?DoyouthinkNehemiahwasjustrestingduringthosethreedays,orwashealreadyobservingJerusalemandbeginningtoresearch?

3. Accordingtoverse12,whatdidNehemiahdointhemiddleofthenight?Whydoyouthinkheconductedthissurveyatnight?WhatmighthavehappenediftheenemiesoftheJewsknewaheadoftimewhatNehemiahhadinmind?WhowerethemenNehemiahtookwithhim?Whydoyouthinkhetookthesemen?

4. Agoodleaderwilltaketimetogatherhisorherfactsfirsthandbeforemakingspeakingout,justlikeNehemiahdid!Whyisitimportantforleaderstoensuretheyhavetherightinformation?Whydoyouthinkpeopletodayaresoquicktomakejudgmentsusingsecondhandinformation?Whataresomewayssocialmediaandthemodernnewsmediaarebeingusedtospreadfalseinformationtoday?Shouldwebelieveeverythingwehearonthenewsorreadonfacebook?

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5.Accordingtoverses13-15,Nehemiahtooktimetosurveythewallsinthesouthernportionofthecity.Whydoyouthinkhedidn’tusethisjourneytosurveytheothersectionsofthecitywallaswell?Whatcanwelearnabouttheconditionofthesouthernwallfromverse14?Accordingto2Kings25:1-10,howbadwasthedestruction?

6.WhatfamouspoolintheNewTestamentisbelievedtobethesameastheKing’sPool(vs.14)?(SeeJohn9:7)WhatmiracledidJesusperformatthispool?

7. Accordingtoverse16,NehemiahhadnotalertedtheJewishpeopletohisplanyet?WhydoyouthinkNehemiahkeptthisinformationsecret?

PartII:NehemiahrevealshisvisionandplanstotheJews(Neh.2:17-18)1. WhatdidNehemiahdoafterhehadgatheredalltheinformationheneeded(vs.17)?WhywasitimportantforNehemiahtohavehisfactsstraight?WhyisitimportantforeveryChristiantotakethetimeandmakesuretheyhavethefactsstraightbeforespeaking?(See2Cor.5:20-21)

2.WhatleadershipskillswereusedbyNehemiahinrallyingthediscouragedJewstoriseupandstartrebuildingthewallsagain?Whatisthedefinitionoftheword“reproach”?(SeeDictionary)WhataresomewaystheJewishpeoplebeendisgracedbytheirpaganneighborsfortheprevious141years?Tograsphowlongofaperiodoftimethiswas,whatwashappening141yearsagoinourowncountry?

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3. WhatspecialchallengedidNehemiahpresenttotheJewishpeopleinverse17b?HowdidNehemiahwordthischallengesothateveryJewtookownershipoftheeffortinsteadofjusthim?

4. Whataresomeareasofministryinourchurchthatneedimprovement?Areyouwillingtobepartofthesolution,orwillyoujustbeanothercomplainer?Whatcanyoudotohelpfillthosecracksinthewall?WhatareyoucurrentlydoinginministrytouseyourspiritualgiftsfortheLord?

5. Accordingtoverse18,whatdoesNehemiahdoashebeginstospeak?Whensomethinggood

happenstoyou,doyouimmediatelygivetheglorytoGod?Whyorwhynot?WhatdidNehemiahdoonlyafterfirstgivingGodtheglory?WhodidNehemiahbelieveultimatelytouchedtheking’sheart?(SeeProverbs16:33)

6. Accordingtoverse18b,howdidtheJewsrespondtoNehemiah’sfactfindingtourandchallenge?Haveyoueverwatchedsuccessfulleadersinministryrecruitingotherstoserve?Whatmadethemsuccessful?Whatkindofrecruitingmethodsdidtheyuse?WhatdidNehemiahdotorecruitpeopletohiscause?

7. After141yearsofdisgrace,theJewsinJerusalemhadbecomeusedtofailure?Areyouafanofaparticularsportsteamthatseemstohaveagraycloudovertheirhead,theyjustcan’tseemtowinthebigone?Whatkindofmindsetmakesagoodteambecomelikethat?Whatwillittaketoturntheteamaroundtobecomewinners?Whyisgoodleadershipneeded,notonlyforsportsteams,butalsointheministryofthelocalchurch?

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8. WhataresomewaysthatNehemiah’sleadershipmadeadifferencetotheJewslivinginJerusalem(vs.18b)?EachofusarecalledtoserveinministryoncewehavecommittedourlivestoChrist.Inwhatareaofministryareyoucurrentlyserving?Whatareaofministrywouldyouliketoserveinifonlyyoucould?Whatiskeepingyoufromtrying?

PartIII:NehemiahandtheJewsimmediatelyrunintoopposition(Neh.2:19-20)

1. WhathappenedoncethepaganneighborsoftheJewsbecomeawareofNehemiah’splans(vs.19)?Hadthismethodworkedforthembefore?(SeeEzra4:12-13,18-21)WhoaresomeofthefamouspeopleintheBiblethatweremockedbyunbelievers?(SeeIsa.53:3;Acts2:11b-13;26:24)HaveyoueverbeenmockedbyfamilymembersorfriendsbecauseofyourfaithinChrist?Howdidyourespondtotheirmocking?Howshouldyouhaveresponded?

2. WhoarethethreeenemiesoftheJewsmentionedinverse19?WhyistheidentificationofthesethreeindividualssoimportanttounderstandingthedangertheJewswerein?

3. WhenlookingatamapoftheMiddleEast,howcloseareSamaria,JordanandArabiatotheJerusalem?(Hint:Googleit!)AretheJewsinmoredangertodayfromtheirenemies,orinlessdanger?WhydoyouthinksomanyJewsinIsraelfeelliketheyarelivingontheedge?

4.ItappearsthatSanballat,TobiahandGeshemhadaninsidesourceinJerusalem(vs.19).WhatmightcausesomeoftheJewishpeopletomakeanalliancewithenemiesoftheirnation?Arepeoplestillcompromisingtheirintegrityformoneytoday?Ifso,why?

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5. HowdidNehemiahasthegovernoroftheJewishpeoplerespondtotheverbalattacksfromSanballat,TobiahandGeshem(vs.20)?WhattacticsdidSanballat,TobiahandGeshemuse?ItisimportanttonoteNehemiah’sconfidencewasinhisGod.HowshouldthetruthofRom.8:31affecteverybelievertoday?Whatmajorchallengesareyoufacinginyourlifetoday?HowcanthetruthofRom.8:31helpyou?

6.Name5practicalapplicationsyoucanapplytoyourlifefromNeh.2:11-20.1.2.3.4.5.

MINER’SCORNER~Mannatoliveby!Nehemiahwasoneofthegreatestleadersofalltime!AsDonaldK.CampbellresearchedNehemiah’slife,hefoundseveralprinciplesofleadershipdemonstratedbyNehemiahthathesharedinhisbook“Nehemiah:ManinCharge”,p.23.Howshouldeachoftheseprinciplesapplytoourlivestoday?

● Heestablishedareasonableandattainablegoal.● Hehadasenseofmission.●Hewaswillingtogetinvolved.●Herearrangedhisprioritiesinordertoaccomplishhisgoal.●HepatientlywaitedforGod’stiming.●Heshowedrespecttohissuperior.●Heprayedatcrucialtimes.●Hemadehisrequestwithtactandgraciousness.●Hewaswellpreparedandthoughtofhisneedsinadvance.●Hewentthroughtheproperchannels.●Hetooktime(threedays)torest,pray,andplan.●Heinvestigatedthesituationfirsthand.●Heinformedothersonlyafterheknewthesizeoftheproblem.●Heidentifiedhimselfasonewiththepeople.●Hesetbeforethemareasonableandattainablegoal.●HeassuredthemGodwasintheproject.●Hedisplayedself-confidenceinfacingobstacles.●HedisplayedconfidenceinGodashefacedthoseobstacles.●Hedidnotarguewithhisopponents.●Hewasnotdiscouragedbyopposition.●Hecourageouslyusedtheauthorityofhisposition.

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