The Sword and the Shovel
We live on a battleground, not a playground.
Last week – Pastor Dave explained how warfare was actually a gift from the Lord to teach us to draw near to him, to resist the Devil, learn dependence on God.
Nehemiah has rallied the people of Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. The enemy (an unholy trinity of Sanballat, Tobiah and Gershon) non-Jewish governors and leaders in the area have come against Nehemiah and tried to stop the building.
Nehemiah 4:10 (ESV)
10 In Judah it was said, “The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.”
Task overwhelming, we can’t do it, Our strength is failing
Nehemiah 4:11-12
11 And our enemies said, “They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work.” 12 At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, “You must return to us.”
Terror – Won’t see them coming – anyone could die
fear is the weapon of the enemy –
Antidote – is perfect love – casts out fear
Judah is scared – and so 10x they said “you must return to us.”
HOW DOES NEHEMIAH RESPOND TO THE TERROR?
Nehemiah 4:13
13 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
WARFARE! Battle ready, stationed in the open places
APPLICATION – Where are the open places in your spiritual walls? Where are you letting your guard down? (movies? Doom scrolling? Social Media? Covetous thoughts? Vengeful thoughts? Why are you letting it down? )
Nehemiah 4:14
And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.”
Nehemiah (great leaders) – remind the people of the vision – why are they building? Who are they building it for?
Fight for your family! For your homes!
Why do you go to church?
Learn something? Feel good? ‘cause you are supposed to?
NO because if you don’t you’ll die! (must stay connected to the Body of Christ)
Pride makes me think I can do things on my own;
Nehemiah 4:15-16
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. 16 From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.
Return to work – but half speed, but in battle
Half are laboring; half are protecting (battling)
The labor – unskilled, but helpful
The battle – unskilled but called
THE WALL ITSELF A DEFENSE AGAINST THE ENEMY!
Nehemiah 4:16-18
16…And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, 17 who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. 18 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.
Leaders stood behind – idea we don’t stand alone – leaders stand behind, intercede and pray
Everyone had a weapon – v. 17
Nehemiah 4:17-18
“…Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.”
Charles Spurgeon
The Sword and the Trowel
A Record OF Combat with Sin & Labor for The Lord
Edited by C. H. Spurgeon
BEGAN in 1865
Are you equipped with a sword and a shovel/trowel?
- Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
Proverbs 30:5 (ESV)
5 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Meditating on the Word
Memorizing the Word
Minding the Word (Rom 12:2 renewing the mind, living it out)
Jesus Temptation in the wilderness – fought the devil with the Word of God – every answer was from the Word.
ARE YOU EQUIPPED IN THE WORD? How sharp is your sword?
REVEAL BIBLE INSTITUTE – start again in the fall – Systematic Theology – a replacement of the Sword Training class
WEDNESDAY NIGHTS – Through the Bible
2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
Lay Counselor Training course – learning how to apply the Word of God and offer Biblical counsel to help people change. (application, not everyone is ready for it).
VISION OF REVEAL FELLOWSHIP:
raising up an army of light to displace darkness and rescue saints who are spiritually stuck by calling them back to a first love flame with the Savior.
Hospital – Family – Army
De-churched, un-churched. Find healing
Become part of a family, community, support network
Raised up and equipping the saints for the work of the ministry to become an Army of Light displacing darkness!
Are you equipped with a sword and a trowel/shovel?
- Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17)
- Shovel/Trowel – building the wall, building up the people of God, building God’s kingdom, building God’s house
Ephesians 4:29 (ESV)
29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Are you building God’s house or your house?
Mission 4-14 – so close!
We need to come together to finish the project.
Inside – basically done!
Outside – landscaping needed to get the CO (certificate of occupancy)
$ needed ($190,000 to complete the landscaping and the paving 2nd lift)
FINISH THE WALL!
The main thing left is shovel and money.
Nehemiah 4:18-20
18 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 And I said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, “The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. 20 In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
Nehemiah sets up a communication plan in case of attack – “The man who sounded the trumpet was beside me!” – LOVE IT.
1 Thessalonians 4:16–18 (CSB)
16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the archangel’s voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are still alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.
In Nehemiah’s day the trumpeter gave clear vision of the mission and where the need is today.
TODAY – the hope of the trumpet is a reminder - Heaven is our home, We are coming to the end.
Headlines – “SEEM” to be lining up with prophecy.
NOT YET – instead these are the Braxton Hicks – false labor pains prior to the real thing.
IRAN – threat neutralized.
Ezekiel 38:8-11 (dwell securely in the land)
SKIP
Ezekiel 38:8 (NKJV)
8 After many days you will be visited. In the latter years you will come into the land of those brought back from the sword and gathered from many people on the mountains of Israel, which had long been desolate; they were brought out of the nations, and now all of them dwell safely.
Ezekiel 38:10–11 (NKJV)
10 ‘Thus says the Lord God: “On that day it shall come to pass that thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan: 11 You will say, ‘I will go up against a land of unwalled villages; I will go to a peaceful people, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates’—
1 Thessalonians 5:3 (NKJV)
3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.
ISRAEL and Trump trying to draw other Middle East nations into the 2020 Abraham Accord. Some believe this may be setting up the future peace treaty Daniel 9:27 (make covenant with many for one week – 7 year period)
“make” – confirm, make strong, enforce
Ultimate deal of the century will be the building of the 3rd temple on the temple mount
Nehemiah 4:21-22
21 So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out. 22 I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.”
Worked from morning until night – held the spears
Are you holding the spear? Are you holding others up in prayer?
Guard night and day – can’t let up.
Nehemiah 4:23 (CSB)
23 And I, my brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.
No time for pajamas, no time for a bath, no time for anything unnecessary
APPLICATION
What are you building? Your own kingdom? Or The Lord’s Kingdom?
Are you trying to build a monument to yourself? Guys – easy to get caught up trying to “prove ourselves” or build something to show for ourselves, but is that really going to matter 100 years from now?
Do you know the name of your Great, Great, Great Grandfather? (for me that would go back to someone born in the early 1800’s) ???
Building a wall to protect Jerusalem was a spiritual activity
Building God’s house – Mission 4-14 building – is spiritual activity
In our application, it is the Sword and the Shovel
Yesterday a team of about 20 planted 18 trees and 70 shrubs and bushes
Need to do an even bigger planting project – many more bushes and shrubs on the front berm on Lake Worth Road 400 feet of trees and shrubs
An opportunity for the sword and the shovel!
Saturday, July 12
Jerusalem walls during Nehemiah’s day – probably similar to the walls today (2.5 miles in circumference and 8 feet thick, 16 -50 feet tall (today they average 40 feet tall, but built by Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century)
Population during Nehemiah’s day may have been between 2500-4000