Don Breland

Grace Bible Church

“Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things”

Nehemiah 3:1-32

In Nehemiah 3, God demonstrates how He uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary plan.

Nehemiah 3

• Background

– Captivity

– Return from Captivity

– Nehemiah’s Return

Why Was the Wall Important?

• Starts God’s Prophetic Time Clock

• Confirms God’s Faithfulness

• Provides Protection & Freedom to Worship

• Re-establishes the Jewish Nation

• Separates from the Surrounding Heathen Peoples

First Wall

David, Solomon

Second Wall

Uzziah, Jotham, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Nehemiah

Third Wall

Herod Agrippa

Fourth Wall

Minimalist View:

Wall = 2 miles

Area = 90 Acres

Maximalist View

Wall = 2.5 Miles

Area = 220 Acres

Overview

The Plan

Promote the Vision

Recruit the People

Assign the Tasks

Provide Oversight

The People

Why All the Names?

People God Uses

A Job For Everyone

Differing Gifts & Abilities

Nehemiah 3

The Leadership

• Nehemiah’s Qualifications

• Nehemiah’s Insightful Choices

• Nehemiah’s Leadership Characteristics

Nehemiah’s Leadership

• He had a sense of mission

• He was willing to get involved

• He rearranged his priorities in order to accomplish his goal

• He patiently waited for God's timing

• He showed respect to his superior

• He prayed at crucial times

• He made his request with tact and graciousness

• He was well prepared and thought of his needs in advance

• He went through proper channels

• He took time (three days) to rest, pray, and plan

• He investigated the situation firsthand

• He informed others only after he knew the size of the problem

• He identified himself as one with the people

• He set before them a reasonable and attainable goal

• He assured them God was in the project

• He displayed self-confidence in facing obstacles

• He displayed God's confidence in facing obstacles

• He did not argue with opponents

• He was not discouraged by opposition

• He courageously used the authority of his position."36

Nehemiah 3

Application for us:

Power Through Unity

• A Negative Example

• The Purpose of Ministry

• Unity is Indispensable

• It’s Unity; Not Uniformity

Conclusion

• Key Question: “Where are we (individually and corporately) working on God’s wall today?”

• Know the vision, Own the vision, Accomplish the vision!

GBC vision

1. Evangelize the lost

2. Disciple believers

3. Equip leaders

4. Multiply churches