Nehemiah

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Nehemiah

• 486-464 BCE Ahasuerus was King of Persia
• Greek name was Xerxes, husband of Esther
• Esther would be stepmother to Artaxerxes I
• Perhaps influential in helping Nehemiah become
  cupbearer to the King
• Nehemiah is named as a book, was a cupbearer,
  Governor, and leader
• What kind of man would he have been?

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Nehemiah

• Part 1, The Man

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What Kind of Man was Nehemiah

• He was a trustworthy worker

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1 Timothy 38

• 8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not
  double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not
  greedy for dishonest gain

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What makes a trustworthy worker?

• Not double tongued

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Psalms 151, 4

• O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall
  dwell on your holy hill?4 in whose eyes a vile
  person is despised, But who honors those who hear
  the Lord who swears to his own hurt and does not
  change

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Colossians 323-24

• Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord
  and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord
  you will receive the inheritance as your reward.
  You are serving the Lord Christ.

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What makes a trustworthy worker?

• Not double tongued
• Does his work heartily

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Philippians 214-15

• Do all things without grumbling or questioning,
  15 that you may be blameless and innocent,
  children of God without blemish in the midst of a
  crooked and twisted generation, among whom you
  shine as lights in the world,

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What makes a trustworthy worker?

• Not double tongued
• Does his work heartily
• Works without grumbling

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Nehemiah 21-2

• In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of
  King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took
  up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had
  not been sad in his presence. 2 And the king said
  to me, Why is your face sad, seeing you are not
  sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.
  Then I was very much afraid.

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What makes a trustworthy worker?

• Not double tongued
• Does his work heartily
• Works without grumbling
• Presents a good attitude

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Matthew 712

• So whatever you wish that others would do to you,
  do also to them, for this is the Law and the
  Prophets.

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What makes a trustworthy worker?

• Not double tongued
• Does his work heartily
• Works without grumbling
• Presents a good attitude
• Treats others well

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What Kind of Man was Nehemiah

• He was a trustworthy worker
• He was prayerful

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Nehemiah 14-11

•  As soon as I heard these words I sat down and
  wept and mourned for days, and I continued
  fasting and praying before the God of heaven. I
  now pray before you day and night for the people
  of Israel your servants, . 11 O Lord, let your
  ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant,
  and to the prayer of your servants who delight to
  fear your name, and give success to your servant
  today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this
  man.

1st response
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Nehemiah 24

• Then the king said to me, What are you
  requesting? So I prayed to the God of heaven.

Immediate response
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Nehemiah 219-20

• But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the
  Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it,
  they jeered at us and despised us and said, What
  is this thing that you are doing? Are you
  rebelling against the king? 20 Then I replied to
  them, The God of heaven will make us prosper,
  and we his servants will arise and build, but you
  have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

Response to mocking
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Nehemiah 44-5

• Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back
  their taunt on their own heads and give them up
  to be plundered in a land where they are
  captives. 5 Do not cover their guilt, and let not
  their sin be blotted out from your sight, for
  they have provoked you to anger in the presence
  of the builders.

Response to dispute
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Nehemiah 48-9

• And they all plotted together to come and fight
  against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.
  9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a
  protection against them day and night.

In need of protection
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Nehemiah 518-19

• 18 Now what was prepared at my expense for each
  day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds,
  and every ten days all kinds of wine in
  abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the
  food allowance of the governor, because the
  service was too heavy on this people. 19 Remember
  for my good, O my God, all that I have done for
  this people.

For mercy
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Nehemiah 614

• Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God,
  according to these things that they did, and also
  the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the
  prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

Even for vengence
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1 Thessalonians 517

• pray without ceasing,

Pray
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1 Peter 312

• For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
  and his ears are open to their prayer. But the
  face of the Lord is against those who do evil.

God Hears
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Matthew 77-8

• Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you
  will find knock, and it will be opened to you.
  8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who
  seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be
  opened.

God Answers
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What Kind of Man was Nehemiah

• He was a trustworthy worker
• He was prayerful
• He was loyal to his brethren

70 years after the captivity, Nehemiah had
neither seen Judah nor Jerusalem, yet wept for
them.
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Nehemiah 24-5

•  Then the king said to me, What are you
  requesting? So I prayed to the God of heaven.
  5 And I said to the king, If it pleases the
  king, and if your servant has found favor in your
  sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of
  my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.

Left security for danger, a good job for trouble
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Nehemiah 510

• 10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants
  are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon
  this exacting of interest.

Assisted brethren without usery
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Nehemiah 514-15, 18

•  Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to
  be their governor in the land of Judah, from the
  twentieth year to the thirty-second year of
  Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor
  my brothers ate the food allowance of the
  governor. 15 The former governors who were before
  me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from
  them for their daily rationfor all this I did
  not demand the food allowance of the governor,
  because the service was too heavy on this people.

Refused his own pay, to ease the burden
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Nehemiah 516

•  I also persevered in the work on this wall, and
  we acquired no land, and all my servants were
  gathered there for the work.

Put himself and his servants into helping the work
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1 Peter 49

• 9 Show hospitality to one another without
  grumbling.

Sharing with one another
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Galatians 610

• So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good
  to everyone, and especially to those who are of
  the household of faith.

Doing good, especially to the household of faith
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1 Peter 122

• Having purified your souls by your obedience to
  the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one
  another earnestly from a pure heart,

We came to love, now carry it out
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Traits of Great Leadership

• He was a trustworthy worker
• He was prayerful
• He was loyal to his brethren

More to consider but where are YOU?