Rebuilding the Walls (Part 2, Facing the Challenge)
Teacher’s Guide Page
A. Brief Review of Nehemiah Chapter 1
1. The book of Nehemiah gives us tremendous insight into the Biblical principles of re-building that which is broken down. Nehemiah is a book of history. God's people had just spent 70 years in Babylon as slaves. 50 thousand had returned to Jerusalem to begin life there again. They met with great opposition as they began to build the Temple again. They laid the foundation, then they stopped and began to settle into their own homes and they forgot about what God wanted built. (Haggai 1:1-8)
B. Recognizing the Need
Like Nehemiah, we must recognize the need before we can rise to action. If we are going to be successful in building or rebuilding our spiritual walls, we must follow the same basic steps that Nehemiah followed when rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem.
1. Explain the walls represent strength and protection and just as a physical wall was needed to protect the city against the attacks of the enemy, our lives need a Spiritual wall to protect us against the attacks of Satan. (1 Peter 5:8 and Ephesians 6:12 )
We are the temple of God, we must have walls around the temple to stay strong so that we will not be oppressed by the enemy. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
We must never take action before seeking the Counsel of God on the matter. (Proverbs 19:21)
C. We must be willing to invest some time and sacrifice
Spending time Seeking God through Reading His word, Prayer, and Fasting.
Nehemiah understood that only through prayer and seeking God, could this immense need be met. He understood that he could not rebuild these walls alone. If God didn’t do it, then it would not be done! (Nehemiah 1:3-4)
1. Point out that Nehemiah spent four months seeking God about building the walls in Jerusalem.After Nehemiah spent time humbling himself before God, then God began to open the doors needed to begin the task of rebuilding the walls. (Nehemiah 2:1-6)
What God does for one, He does for all. Just like Nehemiah, when we humble ourselves before God through prayer and fasting, He will begin to open the doors that we need to build up that which has been broken down! (Galatians 6:9; Jeremiah 29:13; Matthew 7:7)