Nehemiah 2:17-2017 Then Nehemiah said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

20 I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

From Trouble to TriumphNehemiah 1-13

OrganizationsFrustrating when there is no leadership

Nehemiah heard about a problem: The wall

Rather than thinking it was someone else should do something

He asked God what he could do

Lessons from Nehemiah:1. When you see a problem, ask God

what you can do2. There will always be opposition --

don’t let it detour you.3. Everyone needs to do their part.4. When we trust God, we can

overcome troubles and triumph and be renewed

What’s the big deal about a wall?In

Out Through

The wall provided security for the city of Jerusalem and the temple

Without the wall, they were at risk. Without gates, travel and trade halted

Nehemiah used his influence to do something

Went to King Artexerxes He was given permission and authority

to go to Jerusalem with royal lettersEveryone knew who was in charge as he

organized the workers

Chapter 217 Then Nehemiah said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

Starting was only part of the processProblems arose

There’s always oppositionIf you let problems and opposition

detour you…You will never accomplish anything

Sometimes problems come from the outside

Chapter 219 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

Sometimes problems come from the inside

Chapter 5•They were letting some people go hungry•Taking advantage of poor brothers by charging interest on home and land mortgages, and even enslaving the children •Nehemiah tells them it is not right. Stop!

Successful people and organizations press on inspite of repeated

opposition and distractionChapter 4

Opposition from outside againMore threats…some workers build,

others are ready to defend Think of a football offensive team

Leaders deal with the problemsNehemiah came up with a plan,

and offered encouragement“Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the

Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons and your

daughters, your wives and your homes.” (4:14)

Nehemiah enlisted the help of all the people

Didn’t assign jobs randomly Gave people tasks that were near to

them, important to them!!When working on a big project,

everyone needs to see its importance and have a meaningful part

1 Corinthians 12:12-27 The Body of Christ

18…God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

Because everyone worked together, and the process was bathed in prayer, the wall was

rebuilt in 52 daysThey gave God the glory

What then?

It wasn’t just about the wallThe wall meant the Jews could rebuild

their lives and triumphBuild their own homes

Many families returned to JerusalemLearn the word of the Lord

Worship and confessionThe wall enabled renewal

Putting it all togetherWhen we see a problem, we should

do more than complain!Ask: “Is there something I can do?”We should pray for guidance and

direction in our plans

Putting it all togetherOpposition and distractions are

just a part of lifeDon’t let them derail your

dreams and plansPress on

Putting it all togetherUnderstand that we all have a

place in the family of GodWe need to help each person find

their place within the churchDraw upon special interests

and unique gifts

Putting it all togetherOur ultimate goal is to help people

draw nearer to GodOur projects and activities aren’t

just about the tasks We see how God is with us…trust Even physical projects can provide opportunities for spiritual growth

We are the Church

We are the Federated Church.

Our Mission is to…

Seek Christ, Serve Christ and Share

Christ.