1
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?
2
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?
3
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?
4
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?
5
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.
6