PRINCIPLES FOR REBUILDING

PRINCIPLES FOR REBUILDING

Nehemiah 1:1-3

It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”

1. Pray

Nehemiah 1:4

4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

• Moses Red Sea
• Joshua Sun and Moon
• Elijah fire down on Sacrifice
• Abraham Child 100/90
• Hannah Prayed Samuel

2. Asses the Situation

Nehemiah 2:11-15

So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days…And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. 14 Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. 15 So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.  

3. Go after needed resources

Nehemiah 2:7-8

7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, 8 and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.” And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.

4. Gather and encourage the team

Nehemiah 2:17-18

17 Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work.

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” - Niccolo Machiavelli

“There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves. – President Lyndon Johnson

5. Get Organized (Plan)

Nehemiah 3:1-4

Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren…and built the Sheep Gate… Next to Eliashib the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built. Also the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate…And next to them Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz, made repairs.

• Look back and take inventory
• Rate current situation
• Determine things you want to Improve
• Envision the future
• Determine your first step and succeeding steps
• Develop Specifics (Steps, Dates, Places, People)
• Work your Plan

6. Resist Distractions

• Mocking and Insults Neh. 4:1-2
• Discouragement and Emotional Fatigue. Neh 4:10
• Lies and Slander Neh 6:6-8
• Team Members Defecting. Neh 6:10-14 (Shemiah Prophet Turned)

“And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish so that we are not able to build the wall.” (Nehemiah. 4:10)

7. Get Er Done
Nehemiah 6:15-16
15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.