Oct. 11, 2020

Standing Guard

 Primary Text:  Nehemiah 4:7-9                                                       October 10 & 11, 2020

 Last Week’s Teaching:   Pure in Heart

 1)  A True Heart

 Acts 13:22:  After removing Saul, he made David their king.  He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'  [see also 1 Samuel 13:14]

DQ 1) If King David was a man after God’s heart, how could he have strayed so far into sin with Bathsheeba and all the wickedness that surrounded that affair?

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 2)  Purify Your Hearts

 James 4:8-10:  Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded….   Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

DQ 2) What responsibility does God delegate to Christians in purifying our hearts?
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 3)  Purified

 Acts 15:9:  He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

DQ 3) Why is a pure heart important in God’s eyes?

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 4)  May Your Face Shine

 Matthew 5:8:  Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

DQ 4) Do you long to see the face of God…to see His glory?  Why?

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 This Week’s Teaching:

 1)  A City in Ruins

 Nehemiah 1:1-4:  The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem.  They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace.  The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire."  When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. or some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.

DQ 1) What was Nehemiah’s job in the palace of the Persian king?  Why was his job important to the people of Israel?

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 2)  On Guard

 Nehemiah 4:7-9:  But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry.  They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.  But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.

Isaiah 62:6:  I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night.

DQ 2) Why must Christians constantly be on guard against spiritual attacks?

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 3)  For Our Flesh & Blood

 Nehemiah 4:13-15:  Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows.   After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "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."  When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to his own work.

DQ 3) What about our bond with family necessitates that we sacrifice for them?

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 4)  Battle Ready

 Nehemiah 4:16-23:  From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor….  Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked….   So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out.  At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day."  Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

DQ 4) What types of spiritual enemies lurk around today that require constant vigilance on our part?

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