Faith Walk

Trey Graham: You know where he's coming back to? The Mount of Olives. And you know what he's going to do then? He's going to enter the city of Jerusalem through the eastern gate. And I don't care if it's closed or not.

Guest (Male): Welcome to Faith Walk with Trey Graham. Does your life feel like it needs to be rebuilt? What spiritual lessons can be found in a construction project? What's the power of teamwork? Today, Pastor Trey Graham continues a message series called Return to Me, an insightful study of the book of Nehemiah. Please email radio@firstmelissa.com to let us know how these Bible teachings have been an encouragement to you. And as our faithful listeners, please visit firstmelissa.com today and click on the gift tab to partner with our radio ministry financially. Don't forget to subscribe to the Faith Walk with Trey Graham podcast.

It's on Spotify. We pray that today's message will deepen your knowledge of God's word and encourage you as a follower of the Savior. Now, let's study the Bible with our teacher, Pastor Trey Graham.

Trey Graham: Thus in Judah, it was said the strength of the burden bearers is failing. Yet there is much rubbish. And we ourselves are unable to build the wall. They were psychologically exhausted. That's what Nehemiah's troops or builders were facing. Physical exhaustion. This is just a huge, big, hard project. And psychological exhaustion. We can't do this. We'll never finish. The enemy's going to stop us. We're going to run out of building materials. Our people are going to fail. They're going to give up. They're psychologically exhausted. This is what he's facing. And it says he prayed and he set up a guard against them.

Verse 11, our enemies said they will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work. Do you see where we've gotten to? At first, they were just yelling and mocking them, calling them names. Now, we're going to kill you? How seriously do you oppose this project? First, you were just ridiculing us, cursing at us. Now, you're threatening to kill us. That's how much you hate this work. The enemies of God's holy work constantly strive to interfere with and derail God's people living faithful lives. The extreme result of this opposition is the willingness to kill believers.

Guess where we are in America today? I think in America today, we're at the place where the enemies of God look at the people of God and they're still at the mocking, screaming, cursing phase. But I hope you know there are fellow followers of Jesus around the world who are facing a circumstance that's well beyond the cursing and mocking stage. They're at the facing death stage. How badly do you hate what God is doing when you threaten to kill people who are honoring the Lord? Verse 12, when the Jews who lived near them came and told us 10 times, these are the people in the suburbs, they will come up against us from every place where you may turn, then I stationed the men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears, and bows.

This is a leadership lesson of you got to constantly be tweaking the plan. In the military lingo, you get more intel. So you got to come up with a new course of action. He's getting reports. The people are hearing the enemy talk. So they bring the report, the intel to Nehemiah, and he tweaks his plan. Now, watch this verse. And if you're a person in your own Bible that underlines and highlights stuff, this might be the one for you today. Nehemiah 4:14, when I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people.

Do not be afraid of them. The enemies, the mockers. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. And we made a little chart for you. Number one priority, God. Remember the Lord. Number two priority, brothers, sons, daughters, wives. That's your family. Number three priority is your own house, your possessions, your stuff. It's okay to fight for your own stuff. Just don't prioritize your stuff is number one in your life. Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight.

Don't give up. Don't back down. Fight for your family and even for your possessions. So what I think Nehemiah's done right now is he's just called a timeout. Everybody's getting discouraged. Everybody's hearing all the noise. Everybody sees how big the project is. I think Nehemiah calls a timeout. Now, why do you do that? Again, if you're a sports fan, if you're a coach, you understand this. Why do you call a timeout spiritually? Sometimes you need to rest. You need to reflect. How's this going? How's it working? You need to pray. God, we need your help.

God, we trust you. God, we need you. Confirm you're on the right spiritual path. Okay, in sports, you may change what plays you're running, what defense you're running. In a business arrangement, you might say, you know what? We need to try this instead of that. Spiritually, God, I've been going down this path and I need you to show me if this is the right one cuz I'm willing to change paths as long as you show me, Lord. Encourage others. Come on, guys. We can do this. It is hard. Uh let's don't pretend. This is hard.

But we can do this if we do it together. And then you reassign people to more urgent tasks. Again, in sports, you say, no, no, no. You're you're covering him now. No, I am putting you in in the game now. I'm taking you out. I'm putting you in. You reassign people to more urgent tasks. That's what Nehemiah was doing. This is what you do in a timeout and that's what Nehemiah is doing. And you keep focus on that verse, Nehemiah 4:14. Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome. Don't ignore the noise and the opponents and the trash talking and the difficulty of the project and the size of the work.

Don't ignore any of that. Just focus most of all on the Lord who is great and awesome. Verse 15, when our enemies heard it, when they heard that it was known to us that we knew what their attack strategy was, when our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. See, no one in his time to pray and wait for God and no one in his time to get to work for God. There's a time to call timeout and to stop and to think and to rest and to reevaluate and then there's a time to get to work.

Because you can pray all you want. But if God told you to build the wall, you got to go build the wall. No one it is time to pray and wait for God and no one it is time to get to work. Here's a beautiful quote. I like smart people. Look at this. Do you realize that Nehemiah could have had a burdened heart, prayed all day long, built a team, acted courageously, and even had a strategy to rebuild the walls? But ultimately, these would have come to nothing if they were not followed by real and tangible action.

Sometimes you got to get to work on the tasks God has given you. To meet the needs of the people around you. To implement spiritual disciplines like prayer and and scripture and and worship in your own life. Sometimes you have to get to work. So here's the new strategy for 16, Nehemiah 4. From that day on, half of my servants See, Nehemiah was the governor basically by this point. So he had a personal staff. Carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows, and the breastplates. And the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.

Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens That's the brick and the mortar. Took their load with one hand doing the work and the other hand holding a weapon. And so if you look in artwork over the centuries, you come up with things like this. This becomes the symbol of Nehemiah's project. You got a trowel or a shovel in one hand and a weapon in the other hand. Meaning you got to do the work of God and you got to fight a spiritual battle. And often you have to do them at the same time.

Now, this isn't easy. This is not minor league obedience to God. This is the big leagues. I know the enemies around here. And I got to be ready. So my sword stays with me. It's in my hand. But I also have to build this wall. So I got my shovel in the other hand. And I'm rebuilding the wall. Verse 18, as for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built while the trumpeter That was the guy who would sound the alarms if there was an attack. While the trumpeter stood near me, Nehemiah says, if I give you the command to blow the trumpet, people will know what to do, where to go, what response to make.

I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, the work is great and extensive and we are separated on the wall far from one another. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us. There our God will fight for us. So you've got the work crew on their section of the wall all the way around. And then you've got like the leaders, the foremen over a section and they're kind of overseeing these guys working on the wall. And then you got Nehemiah and his trumpeter, the alarm. And he's walking around the whole thing.

But if he sees the enemy attack or gets word that the enemy attacks, he runs to the place of the attack, tells the trumpeter to blow the trumpet, and everybody who's assigned in the defense force run to the spot of the sound of the trumpet cuz that's where you know the attack will be. So see, you have to have a strategy to do the work of the wall, but you have to have a strategy to do the work of defending the people at the same time.

Guest (Male): Are you looking for a church family that cares about helping people meet Jesus? Do you want to grow and serve with other believers who love God's word? If Pastor Trey's Bible lessons on Faith Walk are a blessing to you, you can experience his teaching in person along with powerful praise and worship music when you attend First Melissa Church on Sunday morning. You're invited to worship with us at 9:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. each Sunday. Go to firstmelissa.com to plan your visit. We'd love to have you join our church family this Sunday at First Melissa.

Trey Graham: Now, oh by the way, it's an interesting study people have done comparing the struggles that Nehemiah faced with earlier struggles in the Bible. Nehemiah 4:14, we've already read that verse. Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord who is great and awesome and fight. Exodus 14 says, stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which he will accomplish for you today. Then it says, the Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. What Nehemiah was doing is he's teaching them Bible or reminding them of Bible. Here's another example. In verse 15, he said, we returned to the wall each one to his work even though the enemies realized we now know their plan.

Exodus 15, same thing. Terror and dread fall upon them, the enemy. By the greatness of your arm, they are motionless as stone until your people pass over. Oh Lord, until the people pass over whom you have purchased. One more example. Nehemiah 4:20, it's a verse we haven't read yet. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet rally to us there Actually, we just read that one. Our God will fight for us. This same thing happened with Gideon in his army, Judges chapter six. He blew a trumpet and the people gathered there to go and fight.

Okay, so now we're at Nehemiah 4:21. The chapter's almost over. And then I got something bonus feature for you today. Nehemiah 4:21, so we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared, which means it's dark. At that time, I also said to the people that each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day. So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes.

Each took his weapon even to the water. So he says we can't give up. We don't have any time off right now. No vacations will be approved in this phase right now. Everybody's got to work the whole time. And you keep your sword with you, your weapon with you even when you got to go take the bath or go take the latrine. You keep your sword with you at all times cuz you never know what's going to happen. This is the struggle Nehemiah is facing as he's leading the people to rebuild the walls. Now, I promised you something cool.

Look at this. This is that same map. All the dots aren't there, but see, that's the map of the city of Jerusalem. Again, it's sort of a square. And the arrow is pointing to one of the spots on the wall that Nehemiah led them to rebuild is called the eastern gate. Surprisingly because it's on the east side of the city. Okay? Now, this is a painting of what it looked like in the days of the Bible after it's been rebuilt. It's a tall gate. You see at the bottom of the painting, they're actually taking a goat.

This is Yom Kippur. It's called the goat of Azazel, the one that's taken as a sacrifice. That's what this is about. But this is the ancient painting of what the eastern gate looked like after Nehemiah rebuilt it. Now, let me show you. This is a modern photograph. Two of them. One's kind of zoomed out, one's kind of zoomed in of that same gate today, the eastern gate. Some call it the Mercy Gate. Some call it the Golden Gate. But if you've been to Jerusalem with us, you've seen this very clearly. Zoomed in to show you on the right.

Now, look at this photograph. Again, when you visit the land will tell you older is always lower, right? Cuz new stuff gets built on top. So the left photograph on this screen is today's modern photograph of the eastern gate. But today's eastern gate is not exactly the same gate as Nehemiah's gate because Nehemiah's gate was destroyed when the wall was destroyed centuries after he built it and a new one was built on top. So the drawing on the right of the screen, see the white upper section and the brown lower section. The brown lower section is underground today.

It's in the dirt. And the upper section in the white coloring is the gate you see on the left that you see with your eyes today. Does that make sense? The older gate was there. Eventually over the centuries destroyed, knocked down, new gate built on top. So what you see today is in the same location as Nehemiah's eastern gate is just higher up, right? It's on on the top of it. Okay, watch. Ezekiel chapter 44. Ezekiel has a vision and an angel carries him. And Ezekiel, when he has a vision of the future temple, the third temple that's we're waiting for it to be rebuilt.

Then he brought me back by the way of the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces the east. This one. And it was shut. And the Lord said to me, this gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened and no one shall enter by it for the Lord God of Israel has entered by it. Therefore, it shall be shut. Now, understand. Ezekiel has a vision in about 590 BC of a gate. And the Lord said in his vision, this gate's going to be shut. And go back one slide, please. And you see what it is.

It is shut. Now, go forward back to that verse and see the text at the bottom. The eastern gate was ultimately sealed off as it is now in the year 1541 AD. But it was first closed in 810 AD and then reopened in 1102. And then it was closed again in 1500 AD. So 2,000 years after Ezekiel got the vision that the gate was going to be closed, guess what? It was forever until now closed. Why? Because the Muslim leader who controlled Jerusalem in 1541 AD named Sultan Suleiman knew that the Jews were told Messiah was going to enter the gate.

So we're just going to close the gate. That'll keep him out. But God already promised 2,000 years earlier it was going to be closed. Now, watch. See at the bottom of the screen where the arrow is pointing on this painting? On the This is East Gate, Mercy Gate. Another name for this same gate is the Shushan gate or the Susa gate. You know why? Because Nehemiah came to Jerusalem from the city of Shushan, Susa. So that gate is where Nehemiah entered the city of Jerusalem. You say, cool. That's an important gate. Yeah, but let me show you why it's an important gate.

Zechariah We've already read Ezekiel. This is Zechariah's prophecy. Says, in that day What day? When Messiah comes. In that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives which is in front of Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley. So half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half will move toward the south. There's going to be a mountain called the Mount of Olives split in two. Say, how does that happen? Earthquake. I've told you before, guess what?

They want to build a new hotel on the top of the Mount of Olives. But the insurance company won't let them build it cuz they know it's on a fault line and they're waiting cuz they know an earthquake is coming. The insurance company believes Zechariah 14 verse four. In that day, his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. And then guess where he's going to enter the city through the eastern gate. Because Acts chapter one tells us it's underlined, he will come in the same way he has left. You know where Jesus ascended from?

The Mount of Olives. You know where he's coming back to? The Mount of Olives. And you know what he's going to do then? He's going to enter the city of Jerusalem through the eastern gate. And I don't care if it's closed or not. He's coming in. Watch. First Thessalonians four says, the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And so we shall always be with the Lord. See, Jesus is going to return. And so we need to get ready for his return and he's going to return and enter Jerusalem through the eastern gate. And we need to be ready for his return. So how do we get ready for his return? Well, remember the name of the series, Return to Me. It's all over your Bible. In this case, it's Joel chapter two. Yet even now declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart with fasting, weeping, and mourning and rend your heart and not your garments.

Now, return to the Lord your God for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in loving kindness, and relenting of evil. Some people need to return to the Lord before Jesus returns to the earth. And God says, do it now. Return to me. And guess where our rendezvous point is with Messiah? The Shushan gate. Nehemiah's gate. Let's pray about it. God, we worship you. We thank you for the chance to study your book. And we also believe that Jesus came to earth the first time and that he's coming the second time. So Father, as we study, as we pray together, as we look forward to the return of Messiah Jesus, help us to be ready for the fight, to fight for good, to fight for righteousness, to do the work you've called us to do even if there's mockers and cursers around.

God, please help us to be faithful to your work. Help us to return to you. And this we pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Guest (Male): Thanks for joining us for today's edition of Faith Walk with Trey Graham. It is our privilege to study God's word together. We invite you to worship Jesus with Pastor Trey and the First Melissa Church family. Join us this Sunday in person at 9:00 a.m. or 10:15 a.m. for one of our powerful Sunday services. We invite you to be our special guest at First Melissa this Sunday. To learn more about the ministries of this exciting congregation, please visit firstmelissa.com. If Pastor Trey's Bible studies are a blessing to you, you can listen to more teachings including today's program when you subscribe to the Faith Walk with Trey Graham podcast on Spotify or Apple podcast.

To contact our ministry, please email radio@firstmelissa.com or call 972-838-2277. Don't forget to subscribe on Spotify to both Faith Walk with Trey Graham and Smart Talk with Trey Graham podcast. God is the giver of all good gifts including our financial blessings. Faithful gifts from our listeners keep this teaching ministry on the air. We thank our wonderful Faith Walk listeners for serving as our ministry partners. Please visit firstmelissa.com now and click on the gift tab at the top of the page to make your donation easily and securely today.

Guest (Male): Please join us again next time as Trey continues the teaching series called Return to Me right here on Faith Walk with Trey Graham.