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Advent Productions

Benjamin Ng

A Mind to Work

Father in heaven, thank you for this time that we can come and study your Word.

Thank you for this blessed Sabbath morning.

Lord, any time that we have an opportunity to open your Word, I consider it a wonderful privilege because Lord, we don't know when that freedom is going to be taken away from us.

But Lord, whilst we have this freedom, help us to treasure it.

Help us to earnestly seek for that blessing, the blessing of your spirit, to speak to each and every 1 of us.

Help us to rise higher as we study your word this day.

So 2 weeks ago, I studied Nehemiah chapter 1 and chapter 2 with all of you.

And it was where we ended with Nehemiah encouraging the people that were in Jerusalem to rise up and build the walls of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah had had clear indication from God as he in chapter 1 prayed and confessed his sins.

God began to work on his behalf and he saw the clear providence of God.

And even though he arrived in Jerusalem and the work had been halted and the people were discouraged and even though he went around and surveyed the the city and the the state of the city and the walls and everything he was not discouraged because he saw how God had been answering his prayers how the king had given him unlimited resources, how he gave the gods to him to guide his safe passage, and how God had allowed, well, it was, yes, King Artaxerxes had allowed Nehemiah, but of course it was by the hand of God to go back and personally build the walls of Jerusalem.

And so Nehemiah came back with great faith.

He came back with great assurance that God was with him.

And so we pick it up now in Nehemiah chapter 3 starting in verse 1.

The Bible says this, even unto the tower of Mea.

They sanctified it unto the tower of Hananiel.

And next unto him builded the men of Jericho.

And next to them builded Zechariah the son of Imri.

But the fish gate did the sons of Hesana build, who also laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof, and the bars thereof.

Then next unto them repaired Meromoth, the son of Uriah, the son of Chaz.

And next unto them repaired Meshulam, the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabiel and next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Banna.

You know to everyone there was a work assigned When you read through this whole chapter, chapter 3, and we're not going to do it because it really is, you know, we've read the first 4 verses there and it is just listing of names of people and what they did and what their responsibilities are.

But when you read through this chapter, you will realize 1 thing.

Everyone knew their role and everyone, when they were appointed to do it, they did it.

They rose up and they worked together and builded the house of the Lord and the walls and the city.

Everyone was inspired by the faith of Nehemiah and they were ready to fulfill the work that God had assigned to each and every 1 of them.

Friends, even from the outset, we here, onset here, we see and we learn a very important lesson.

And I want us to look at this quote here, Christian Service, page 10, paragraph 4.

We're told this, to everyone, work has been allotted and no 1 can be a substitute for another.

Everybody has a responsibility, we're told here.

No 1 can come in and say, okay, you don't do it, I'll take on the extra burden.

Each 1 has a mission of wonderful importance, which he cannot neglect or ignore, as the fulfillment of it involves the will of some soul and the neglect of it the woe of 1 for whom Christ died.

Friends what I want you to realize here this morning is that everyone has a place in God's work.

We're all connected just like the builders on the walls of Jerusalem there.

Everyone realized their work and the question that I have for you here this morning even as we're just beginning, Do you realize the work that God has for you?

Do you know the place that you have in God's work?

We're going to pick it up here in chapter 4 starting in verse 1 And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, What do these feeble Jews?

Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned.

You know, when they began to build the wall of Jerusalem, then Sanballat, he was against them.

And, you know, friends, that's a really important lesson we've got to learn.

When you do God's work, don't expect that the way will just be made smooth for you just because God called you.

Don't ask for a lighter burden, but ask for a stronger back.

You know, you have to expect opposition, and The work of God has always had its doubters and its mockers, and don't be surprised when it happens to you.

Actually, it's better for you to expect that it happens, so that when it doesn't happen, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

They had hardly started when Sanballat appeared and started to mock them.

And you know friends, we got to remember this in 1 Peter 4, verse 12.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you?

You know, many of us, we are taken aback when these sort of things happen because we expect God just to come in and help us and do all the work for us, not Realizing that God and his workers have always had his doubters and his persecutors throughout all history I mean just take the case of Moses when he when he was called by God To go and lead the children of Israel out from Egypt.

You would have thought that all God said I will be with you, right?

But it took 10 plagues for Pharaoh to finally give up and say, okay let everyone go with you.

He didn't listen in the first or the second or the third or the fourth, it took 10 plagues and many threats.

He gave out to Moses and said, if I see you here again, I'm going to kill you.

So don't think that the work will be made smooth just because God calls you, just because you're able to perform miracles, you'll still have your doubters and your mockers and your persecutors.

Even 1st John 3 verse 13 tells us, do not be surprised brethren.

If the world hates you, you got to expect these things to happen.

This is what happens when you separate from the world.

So built we the wall and all the wall was joined together unto half thereof for the people had a mind to work.

You know in spite of all the opposition and all the mocking and all the threats and whatever sand ballot threw at them, they pushed through with the work and they were able to build half of the wall.

They all came with the understanding that there was a work to be done and so they put all their hearts to the work.

They all had a purpose and they were helping each other and not waiting to be helped or to be served.

You know the people, they had a burden for the work, friends.

They weren't working for recognition or position.

They weren't working for any ulterior motive.

They weren't working for anything except to build the wall and the city for the Lord.

But it came to pass that when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Asterdites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and hinder it.

So now they hear that the work is successful and they're coming now even to fight against it.

They're not just throwing insults and mocking at them anymore, they are ready to come and fight literally, physically in the flesh.

You know, friends, the work does not get easier.

You don't get to this point where you experience all the trials that you could experience and go, okay, I'm not going to be surprised by anything anymore.

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A Mind to Work

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