JEHEMIAH 6 : 1 - 3

THE DANGER OF COMING DOWN

OUR TEXT THIS MORNING TAKES PLACE IN THAT GREAT AND MAJESTIC

CITY OF JERUSALEM. AND WE NEED TO NOTE HERE THAT ONE OF THE

REASONS, JERUSALEM WAS THE GREAT CITY THAT IT WAS, WAS BECAUSE

IT WAS SURROUNDED BY A WALL. AND THIS WALL PROTECTED THE CITY

FROM ATTACKS BY IT'S ENEMIES. THE WALL WAS THERE TO SHIELD AND

PROTECT THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM. AND BECAUSE THIS WALL WAS
THERE,

ENEMIES COULDN'T JUST WALK INTO THE CITY. THE ONLY WAY TO GET

IN WAS BY WAY OF THE GATES OF THE CITY AND IN ORDER TO GET

THROUGH THE GATES, ONE HAD TO MEET THE APPROVAL OF THOSE WHO

WERE THE AUTHORITIES IN THE CITY.

WATCHMEN WERE POSTED AND SITUATED ALONG THE TOP OF THE

WALL AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO WATCH DAY AND NIGHT, AND

TO ANNOUNCE TO THE CITY ANY APPROACHING ENEMIES, AND WHEN

THE ENEMIES WERE SITED, THE WATCHMEN WOULD SOUND THE

TRUMPET WHICH LET THOSE IN THE CITY KNOW THAT THEY WERE

UNDER ATTACK. AND THAT'S ONE REASON MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

IT IS IMPORTANT TO LIFT UP YOUR PASTOR. THAT'S WHY IT'S NO SMALL

MATTER, WHEN THE BIBLE SAYS THAT YOU OUGHT TO TAKE CARE OF

YOUR PASTOR. BECAUSE YOUR PASTOR, IS THE WATCHMAN, HE IS THE

ONE STANDING POST ON THE WALL, WATCHING FOR ENEMIES AND EVIL

THAT WILL TRY TO OVERTAKE YOU. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE PASTOR

IS KEEPING WATCH OVER YOUR VERY SOUL. DON'T EVER BE AFRAID TO

BE NICE TO YOUR PASTOR, DON'T EVER FEEL THAT HIS WORK IS NOT

IMPORTANT ENOUGH. A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE CONCLUDED THAT ALL

THE PASTOR IS GOOD FOR, IS VISITING THE SICK, GOING HERE AND GOING

THERE, BUT THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB OF THE PASTOR, IS KEEPING

WATCH OVER YOUR SOULS. PREACHING IS VITALLY IMPORTANT, BUT

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A PASTOR TO PREACH. THE PASTOR IS SO IN

TUNE WITH THE SOULS OF HIS PEOPLE, THAT HE CAN SPIRITUALLY

DISCERN WHEN SATAN IS ABOUT TO ATTACK THEM.

SO, JERUSALEM PUT A LOT OF FAITH IN THEIR WALL. THEY PUT A

LOT OF TRUST IN THEIR WALL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, THEIR SOLE

SECURITY WAS IN KNOWING THAT THEY WERE SHIELDED FROM DANGER

BY THE WALL. AND I THINK YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT ANYTIME YOU

PUT YOUR TRUST, AND YOUR FAITH, AND YOUR CONFIDENCE IN

SOMETHING OR SOMEONE ASIDE FROM GOD, YOU ARE PLACING

YOURSELF IN A DANGEROUS POSITION.

SOME PUT THEIR TRUST IN LAND, AND HOUSES, SOME PUT THEIR

TRUST IN EDUCATION AND DEGREES, SOME PEOPLE PUT ALL OF THEIR

TRUST IN MONEY. THEY FEEL THAT AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THESE

THINGS, EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT. BUT I THINK I HAVE SOME WITNESSES

HERE, WHO WILL TELL YOU, THAT MATERIAL WALLS ARE SUBJECT TO

FAIL. BUT JERUSALEM PUT ALL OF IT'S TRUST IN THE WALLS, BUT THE

BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE BABYLONIANS, CAME AND TORE THROUGH

THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM. THIS WALL THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE

IMPREGNABLE AND INVINCIBLE. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT THE ENEMY

TOOK EVERYTHING. MANY LOST THEIR LIVES, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

MANY WERE TAKEN INTO SLAVERY IN BABYLON. AND THE ONCE GREAT

CITY OF JERUSALEM LAY IN RUIN AND WRECKAGE. THE HOLY TEMPLE

WAS TORN DOWN.

NOW UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF EZRA, THE PRIEST, SOME OF THE

JEWISH PEOPLE WERE SET FREE. MANY OF THEM RETURNED TO

JERUSALEM, THEY WENT BACK AND BEGAN TO WORK ON REBUILDING

THEIR CITY. BUT EVERY TIME THEY TRIED TO WORK ON THE WALL,

ENEMIES WOULD ATTACK THEM, NEVER ALLOWING THEM TO COMPLETE

THE WORK ON THE WALL. PAUL SAID, WHEN I WOULD DO GOOD, EVIL IS

ALWAYS PRESENT. EVERY TIME I TRY TO DO GOOD, THERE IS ALWAYS

SOMETHING THAT TRIES TO HINDER ME. IT SEEMS THAT EVIL DOESN'T

BOTHER YOU UNTIL YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO DO GOOD. AS LONG

AS YOU ARE LOW DOWN AND DIRTY, AS LONG AS YOU ARE FILTHY AND

VILE, YOU ARE NOT A THREAT TO EVIL. AS A MATTER OF FACT, EVIL

WILL WAVE POM-POMS AND CHEER YOU ON AS LONG AS YOU ARE DOING

EVIL. BUT WHEN YOU MAKE UP YOUR MIND TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT, YOU

CAN REST ASSURED THAT EVIL WILL SHOW UP ON THE SCENE. SO

EVERYTIME THEY WOULD ATTEMPT TO BUILD THE WALL, THE ENEMY

WOULD ATTACK.

BUT SOMEBODY REMEMBERED THAT THEY HAD A FRIEND IN THE KINGS

HOUSE BY THE NAME OF NEHEMIAH. THE RIGHT HAND MAN TO THE

KING. NEHEMIAH WAS WORKING IN THE KINGS HOUSE AS THE CUP

BEARER. THEY TALKED TO NEHEMIAH AND TOLD HIM THE SITUATION

BACK HOME, AND NEHEMIAH TALKED TO THE KING, " HE ASKED FOR A

LEAVE OF ABSENCE, HE ASKED FOR A TEMPORARY DISCHARGE

WELL YOU KNOW THE STORY, THE KING GAVE NEHEMIAH HIS

PERMISSION TO GO BACK TO JERUSALEM, BUT NOT ONLY THAT, HE TOLD

HIM TO GET WHATEVER MATERIALS HE NEEDED TO REBUILD THE TORN

DOWN WALL. AND SO NEHEMIAH PACKED UP AND WENT BACK TO

JERUSALEM TO REBUILD THE TORN DOWN WALLS. AND MY BROTHERS

AND SISTERS THAT'S THE JOB OF THE CHURCH. WE SHOULD BE STRIVING

TO REBUILD TORN DOWN WALLS. TORN DOWN WALLS OF LOVE, TORN

DOWN WALLS OF FAITH, TORN DOWN WALLS OF TOGETHERNESS.

BUT ONE THING THEY LEARNED, IS THAT THE WALLS COULDN'T BE

REBUILT BY NEHEMIAH ALL BY HIMSELF, BUT THEY HAD TO GET ON ONE

ACCORD, TO REBUILD THE WALLS. SOME WERE MIXING MORTAR, SOME

WERE LAYING BRICKS, SOME WERE CUTTING TIMBER, TO MAKE

SCAFFOLDS. WOMEN WERE CARRYING WATER AND COOKING FOOD TO

FEED THE HUNGRY MEN WHO WERE WORKING. CHILDREN WERE BUSY

SENDING UP ONE THING AND BRINGING DOWN ANOTHER. EVERYBODY

WAS OBSESSED WITH ONE COMMON GOAL AND THAT WAS TO REBUILD

THAT WHICH THE ENEMY HAD TORN DOWN. AND MOUNT OLIVE, THAT'S

HOW YOU SHOULD BE. YOU NEED TO REALIZE, FIRST OF ALL WHO YOUR

ENEMY IS. AND THEN YOU NEED TO BAND TOGETHER AND TEAR HIS

KINGDOM DOWN. MEN AND WOMEN ARE DYING IN SIN, AND WE HAVE

WHAT IT TAKES TO REBUILD THEIR BROKEN LIVES. THE CHURCH HAS

WHAT IT TAKES TO BRING HEALING TO THEIR WEARY SOULS. BUT IN

ORDER FOR US TO DO IT EFFECTIVELY WE MUST COME TOGETHER. SO

THEY STARTED WORKING, AND THE WALL STARTED GOING UP. BUT WE

FIND HERE THAT THERE WERE THOSE WHO DID NOT WANT TO SEE GOOD

THINGS BEING DONE. DON'T LET ANYBODY FOOL YOU, THERE IS ALWAYS

SOMEBODY WHO RESENTS GOOD THINGS BEING DONE. THEY ARE NOT

ALL IN THE PEWS, SOMETIMES A FEW OF THEM ARE IN THE PULPIT. THEY

ARE NOT ALL IN THE CHOIR, YOU'LL FIND SOME ON THE USHER BOARD.

THEY ARE EVERYWHERE, PEOPLE WHO DON'T WANT TO SEE GOD'S

PROGRAM GO FORWARD. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO IS AGAINST YOU

AS LONG AS GOD IS FOR YOU.

YES, SANBALLAT, AND TOBIAH, AND GESHEM WERE THE THREE

WHO RESENTED THE WORK. THEY WERE THE THREE WHO DIDN'T WANT

PROGRESS TO BE MADE. THEY CALLED A SECRET MEETING WITH ONE

ANOTHER, YOU KNOW IT'S HARD TO GET A BUNCH OF PEOPLE TO MEET

ON SOMETHING THAT IS WORTHWHILE, BUT YOU CAN GET THEM TO

MEET ON SOMETHING THAT IS OF NO GOOD. I CAN HEAR THEM NOW,

BROTHERS WE'VE GOT TO STOP THE REBUILDING OF THIS WALL, IF THEY

GET THIS WALL BACK UP, THAT WILL END OUR RAIDING THE CITY.

IF THEY GET THIS WALL BACK UP, THEY WILL HAVE TOO MUCH POWER.

WE'VE GOT TO PUT AN END TO THIS WORK THAT NEHEMIAH IS DOING.

AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL WHEN

YOU STAND IN NEHEMIAHS SHOES. THAT'S WHY YOU OUGHT TO ALWAYS

FIND TIME TO PRAY FOR YOUR PASTOR. HE'S IN NEHEMIAHS SHOES.

WHEN YOU START TRYING TO REBUILD AND REPAIR, REPLACE AND

RECONSTRUCT, BE CAREFUL. THERE IS ALWAYS A SANBALLAT, A TOBIAH

OR A GESHAM WHO WILL TAKE POT SHOTS AT YOU TO TRY TO BRING

YOU DOWN. THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THEY TALKED WITH ONE ANOTHER

AND SAID: WELL WE'VE MESSED UP NOW, IF WE WERE GOING TO STOP

HIM WE SHOULD HAVE DONE IT BEFORE NOW. THEY HAVE BEEN

BUILDING AND THE WALL HAS BEEN RISING AND NOW NEHEMIAH IS WAY

UP ON THE WALL. HE IS WAY UP ON THE WALL NOW AND OUT OF OUR

REACH. WE HAVE BEEN LYING ON HIM, BUT HE'S SO HIGH HE DOESN'T

PAY LIES ANY MIND. THE MORE WE LIE, THE MORE HE KEEPS WORKING,

THE MORE WE GOSSIP THE MORE HE KEEPS WORKING, THE MORE WE

CRITICIZE, THE HARDER HE WORKS, THE MORE WE SCANDALIZE THE

MORE HE WORKS; PASTOR WALKER, SOONER OR LATER IF THEY HAVEN'T

YET, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO LIE ON YOU. SOONER OR LATER IF THEY

HAVEN'T YET, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO SCANDALIZE YOU. BUT THE

MORE THEY LIE, THE HARDER GOD WANTS YOU TO WORK.

YES THEY SAID " WE CAN'T PHASE HIM. NOTHING WE DO SEEMS TO

AGGREVATE HIM. NO LIE WE TELL SEEMS TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN,

NOTHING SEEMS TO MOVE HIM, HE JUST KEEPS ON WORKING. WELL

SINCE WE CAN'T GET TO HIM, MAYBE WE CAN PERSUADE HIM TO COME

DOWN TO US. IF WE CAN'T REACH HIM, SINCE HE IS WAY UP THERE,

WE'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING TO BRING HIM DOWN TO OUR LEVEL. HE'S

UP THERE AND WE'RE DOWN HERE AND WE CAN'T BOTHER HIM UNTIL HE

COMES DOWN TO OUR LEVEL.

SO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THAT TELLS ME THAT THE DEVIL

CAN'T BOTHER YOU UNTIL YOU COME DOWN TO HIS LEVEL. THE PERSON

WHO CUSSES YOU OUT WANTS YOU TO CUSS HIM OUT. THE PERSON WHO

THROWS A ROCK AT YOU WANTS YOU TO THROW A ROCK AT THEM,

BRINGING YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT

I'M NOT COMING DOWN. I'M GOING TO DO LIKE DAVID. I WILL LOOK TO

THE HILLS FROM WHENCE COMETH MY HELP, MY HELP COMETH FROM

THE LORD.

BECAUSE THE DEVIL IS SAYING, IF I CAN GET YOU DOWN TO MY LEVEL,

HE KNOWS HOW TO KEEP YOU DOWN. HE'LL SAY GO AHEAD AND TRY

THE CRACK, ONE LITTLE SMOKE WON'T HURT YOU. GO AHEAD AND

STEAL THAT MONEY, NO ONE WILL SEE YOU. GO AHEAD AND COMMIT

THAT ACT OF ADULTERY, NO ONE WILL FIND OUT. BUT MY BROTHERS

AND SISTERS, IF THE DEVIL GETS YOU DOWN, HE HAS NO INTENTION OF

LETTING YOU BACK UP AGAIN. SO WHAT AM I SAYING, I'M SAYING IT IS

DANGEROUS TO COME DOWN. WHO WILL LOST MEN AND WOMEN HAVE

TO LOOK UP TO IF THOSE OF US WHO KNOW JESUS COME DOWN?

SOMEBODY HAS FAITH IN YOU, SOMEBODY HAS TRUST IN YOU,

SOMEBODY HAS CONFIDENCE IN YOU. THEY WILL BE DESTROYED AND

NEVER BE ABLE TO TRUST ANYBODY ELSE AGAIN IF YOU COME DOWN.

SOMEBODY MAY JUST BE ABOUT TO DECIDE TO COME TO CHRIST, BUT

THEY MAY BE DISCOURAGED AND TURN AROUND IF YOU COME DOWN.

SOMEBODY THAT YOU'VE BEEN WITNESSING TO, SOMEBODY THAT

YOU'VE BEEN SHARING CHRIST WITH, MAY JUST HAVE DECIDED TO COME

TO CHURCH WITH YOU ON NEXT SUNDAY, BUT IF YOU GET ON THE JOB,

OR AT SCHOOL AND GET LOW DOWN AND DIRTY, THEY MAY NEVER GO

TO CHURCH AGAIN. IT IS DANGEROUS WHEN WE COME DOWN.

NOW THEY SENT MESSENGERS UP TO NEHEMIAH SAYING;

NEHEMIAH COME DOWN, COME DOWN TO US AND MEET WITH US IN

SOME ONE OF THE VILLAGES IN THE PLAINS OF O-NO. BUT YOU KNOW

WHEN YOU REALLY KNOW THE LORD, HE WILL LET YOU KNOW WHO

YOUR REAL FRIENDS ARE. HE WILL LET YOU KNOW THOSE WHO ARE

REALLY FOR YOU, AND THOSE THAT ARE FIGHTING AGAINST YOU. SO

THE RECORD TELLS US THAT THE LORD SPOKE TO NEHEMIAH AND

NEHEMIAH REALIZED THAT THEY DID NOT MEAN HIM ANY GOOD.

NEHEMIAH SAID, " THEY DESIRED TO DO ME MISCHIEF, THEY DESIRED TO

DO ME HARM. SO NEHEMIAH TOLD THE MESSENGERS, YOU'VE TOLD ME

WHAT SANBALLAT, TOBIAH, AND GESHAM SAID, BUT NOW I WANT TO

TELL YOU WHAT TO GO BACK AND TELL THEM FOR ME. TELL THEM

THAT I AM DOING A GREAT WORK. NOT ANY KIND OF WORK. NOT A

MEDIOCRE WORK, NOT A BOTCHED UP WORKED, BUT TELL THEM THAT I

AM DOING A GREAT WORK. AND I HAVE FOUND OUT THAT WHATEVER

YOU DO FOR THE LORD IS A GREAT WORK. IF YOU'RE CUTTING GRASS,

AND YOU ARE SINCERELY DOING IT FOR THE LORD, THAT IS A GREAT

WORK. SO HE SAYS I AM DOING A GREAT WORK, AND WHY SHOULD I

LEAVE IT AND COME DOWN TO YOU.