I. Introduction (Isaiah 61:4)
A. This month’s focus is on Rebuilding Broken Things and Battling Discouragement
B. We are working through the Books in the Old Testament called Nehemiah and Ezra
C. Listen again carefully to Isaiah 61:4
And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.
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The Key words are:
- Build
- Raise up
- Repair
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Those are not words like:
- Destroy
- And trash
- And tear down
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But GOOD words - words of hope, and encouragement
D. We live in an age when it is NOT usual that we repair, patch, or rebuild things
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Yes, things constantly get old, and break, and fall apart
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The question is, what do you do with something that breaks?
- Like cars - Often, people decide to just get rid of an older car, and replace it with something newer
- Like Mobile Phones - disposed of in less than 3-4 years
- Like TV’s - last only 4 or 5 years, and then are sold off
- Like Clothes - rarely do you find people wearing clothes that are more than 2 or 3 years old
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MY generation ACTUALLY CARED about the environment like many could not imagine!
- We drank from reusable glass MILK JARS
- We patched our clothes
- We drove cars for 20 years and more
- We had almost nothing made of plastic - everything was made of metal, or wood!
- And things LASTED for decades!
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Yet, most everything we purchase today is quickly wasted and thrown away
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Including even Bibles!
- The NEW International version
- The NEW revised Standard version
- The NEW Jerusalem bible
- The NEW King James Version
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And especially FOOD - the UK wastes an estimated £20 billion worth of food a year
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So, MOST of the things that we own, we will just simply throw away in just a few months or years
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Yet, when our grandparents had something break, they actually fixed it!
E. What’s the Difference?
- We have so much - too much I think
- We only consume (James 4:1-3) - our culture only lives to just eat, and wear, and have
- We live in ruin - nothing like what God had designed for us to live like
- We are complacent living this way
F. How do we get over that?
- Maybe there are some things that CAN be thrown away and SHOULD BE
- But I KNOW that there are some things that SHOULD be repaired, no matter the cost, and no matter the effort that it will take!
- That’s why we are studying THESE two great books - because they are all about repairing broken things!
II. Background
A. The Current Situation
Jerusalem had been destroyed. The walls were broken down. The gates were burned with fire. Everything lay in ruins.
B. Nehemiah’s Heart
When Nehemiah heard about the condition of Jerusalem, he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed. He had a heart for rebuilding what had been destroyed.
C. The Call to Action (Nehemiah 2:17-18)
Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach.
III. The Principles of Rebuilding
A. See the Need
You cannot fix what you refuse to acknowledge is broken. Nehemiah saw the distress and the disgrace.
B. Take Ownership
Nehemiah said “we” - he included himself in the problem and the solution.
C. Cast a Vision
He painted a picture of what could be - no longer a reproach, but a restored city.
D. Start Where You Are
In chapter 3, everyone built the section of wall nearest to their own house. Start with what is closest to you.
IV. Application
- What in your life needs rebuilding?
- What relationships need repair?
- What habits need restoration?
- Are you willing to do the hard work of rebuilding?
God specializes in restoration. He can take the ruins of your life and rebuild something beautiful. But you must be willing to start.