A Sermon Outline of Pastor Luke A. Lepago International Bible Baptist Church Bangkok, Thailand 152 Intharaphithak Road Soi 1, Bangyeerua, Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand, 10600

1. Nehemiah 6:15-16
15 So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth
day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days.
16 And it came to pass, that when all our enemies
heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about
us saw these things, they were much cast down in
their own eyes: for they perceived that this work
was wrought of our God.

2. A Good Attitude
Produces Success

3. The 10 Northern tribes were initially
ruled by Jeroboam, and
The Southern tribe (Judah and
Benjamin) were ruled by Rehoboam.

4. The first group returned to Judah under the
leadership of Zerubbabel.
A number of years later a second group of
Jews returned, led by Ezra.
14 years after Ezra’s return to Jerusalem,
Nehemiah also returned and God used him to
guide Judah in rebuilding the city’s walls and in
reordering the people’s social and economic
lives.

5. I. A mind to work with other
believers

6. Nehemiah 4:6
So built we the wall; and all the
wall was joined together unto the
half thereof: for the people had a
mind to work.

7. Because the people worked so
diligently and enthusiastically,
they were able to complete half
the job in a surprisingly short
period of time.

8. a. The value of commitment
Nehemiah Chapter 3

9. Assignments were made near people’s houses.
1. People who were assigned to sections of the
wall near their homes would be more personally
involved and consequently more highly motivated.
2. They would not have to travel to another part of
the city to the job, wasting valuable time.
3. In case of attack they would not be tempted to
leave their posts, but would stay and protect their
families.

10. 4. The whole task would be a family effort,
utilizing all available talent.
5. Men whose homes were outside of
Jerusalem (Jericho, Tekoa, Gibeon, Mizpah)
were assigned to sections of the wall where
there were few homes.

11. Team work gets the dream work.

12. II. A mind to Pray with other
Believers

13. 1. Sanballat’s psychological warfare

14. Nehemiah 4:1-3
But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we
builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great
indignation, and mocked the Jews. 2 And he spake before
his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do
these feeble Jews? will they fortify themselves? will they
sacrifice? will they make an end in a day? will they revive
the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are
burned? 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and
he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he
shall even break down their stone wall.

15. 2. Nehemiah’s Spiritual Response

16. Nehemiah 4:4-5
4 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and
turn their reproach upon their own head, and
give them for a prey in the land of captivity:
5 And cover not their iniquity, and let not their
sin be blotted out from before thee: for they
have provoked thee to anger before the
builders.

17. He faced Sanballat’s opposition with
both prayer and hard work. Once he
committed the problem to the Lord, he
trusted God to help them achieve their
goal.

18. 3. The Product of Prayer of Faith

19. a. Watchfulness
Nehemiah 4:9
Nevertheless we made our prayer
unto our God, and set a watch
against them day and night, because
of them.

20. b. Courage
Vs. 13-14 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the
wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people
after their families with their swords, their spears, and
their bows. 14 And I looked, and rose up, and said unto
the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the
people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the LORD,
which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren,
your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your
houses.

21. c. Reliance to God
Vs. 20, In what place therefore ye hear
the sound of the trumpet, resort ye
thither unto us: our God shall fight for
us.

22. d. Seriousness/ Sincerity
Vs. 21-23 21 So we laboured in the work: and half of
them held the spears from the rising of the morning till
the stars appeared. 22 Likewise at the same time said I
unto the people, Let every one with his servant lodge
within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard
to us, and labour on the day. 23 So neither I, nor my
brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard
which followed me, none of us put off our clothes,
saving that every one put them off for washing.

23. III. A Mind to Walk In The Fear
Of God

24. Nehemiah 5:1
And there was a great cry of the
people and of their wives against
their brethren the Jews.

25. A. The problems

26. The first group of people and their
wives complaining were the landless
poor, who depend on their
husband’s work as day labourer for
their daily food.

27. Nehemiah 5: 2
For there were that said, We, our
sons, and our daughters, are many:
therefore we take up corn for them,
that we may eat, and live.

28. The Second group consisted of
those who were forced to
mortgage their property in order
to survive.

29. Nehemiah 5:3
Some also there were that said, We
have mortgaged our lands,
vineyards, and houses, that we
might buy corn, because of the
dearth.

30. The third group, not wanting to
mortgage their property, had to
borrow money from their Jewish
brothers to pay property taxes to
King Artaxerxes.

31. Nehemiah 5:4
There were also that said, We have
borrowed money for the king's
tribute, and that upon our lands and
vineyards.

32. The fourth, to repay their creditors
they had to sell their children into
slavery. This of course left them in a
hopeless state.

33. Nehemiah 5:5
Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our
brethren, our children as their children: and,
lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our
daughters to be servants, and some of our
daughters are brought unto bondage already:
neither is it in our power to redeem them; for
other men have our lands and vineyards

34. Not only were their enemies a
constant threat to their security and
state of well-being, but now many
Jews were actually taking advantage
of other Jews.

35. B. Nehemiah’s Good Attitude
/His Action

36. Nehemiah 5:7-11
7 Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the
nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact
usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great
assembly against them. 8 And I said unto them, We after
our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which
were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your
brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held they
their peace, and found nothing to answer.

37. 9 Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to
walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of
the heathen our enemies? 10 I likewise, and my
brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money
and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury.
11 Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands,
their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also
the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the
wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.

38. Nehemiah asked those guilty of
exploitation to return what they had
taken from others.
Mortgage fields, vineyards, Olive groves,
and houses were to be returned, charging
interest was to stop, and the interest
received from loans was to be returned.

39. 1. To Walk In The Fear Of God Is A
Great Vehicle To Spiritual Maturity

40. Nehemiah 5:12-13
12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require
nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I
called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they
should do according to this promise. 13 Also I shook my
lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his
house, and from his labour, that performeth not this
promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied.
And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised
the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

41. 2. To Walk In the Fear Of God Is An
Excellent Step To Christ-likeness.

42. Nehemiah 5:15
But the former governors that had been
before me were chargeable unto the people,
and had taken of them bread and wine, beside
forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants
bare rule over the people: but so did not I,
because of the fear of God.

43. Nehemiah did not take advantage of
what was rightfully his. In providing food
for many Jews and in entertaining
dignitaries from other nations, he served
food and wine out of his personal
resources.

44. IV. A mind to discern
Spiritual Things

45. The first scheme.
Assassination plot - Nehemiah 6:1-4

46. The second scheme.
Slander – Nehemiah 6:5-9

47. The third scheme.
Treachery – Nehemiah 6:10-14

48. A. Nehemiah’s Spiritual Perception

49. Nehemiah 6:12
And, lo, I perceived that God had not
sent him; but that he pronounced
this prophecy against me: for Tobiah
and Sanballat had hired him.

50. First, God would hardly ask Nehemiah to
run when the project on the walls was
nearing completion.
Second, No true prophet would ask
someone to violate God’s Law. Only
priests were allowed in the sanctuary.

51. Nehemiah 6:13
Therefore was he hired, that I should
be afraid, and do so, and sin, and
that they might have matter for an
evil report, that they might reproach
me.

52. B. Nehemiah’s Completion Of The
Project.

53. Nehemiah 6:15-16
So the wall was finished in the twenty and
fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two
days. 16 And it came to pass, that when all
our enemies heard thereof, and all the
heathen that were about us saw these things,
they were much cast down in their own eyes:
for they perceived that this work was wrought
of our God.

54. The enemies’ self-confidence wasted
as they saw that the work was done
with God’s help. They realize that
opposing Him, they were fighting a
losing battle.