Ezra-Nehemiah
Sermon Summary
On Sunday, Pastor Lance Terry continued through the book of Nehemiah by covering chapters 3 and 7 and asking one central question: "What does it take to build?" Pastor Lance opened with the story of the Galveston seawall — how after the devastating 1900 hurricane, different groups came together to plan, fund, and construct a massive seawall while raising much of the city by fifteen feet, completing much of the work in just two years. He then connected that engineering feat to the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls, walking the congregation through a visual reconstruction of the wall section by section, gate by gate, noting that more than forty sections were rebuilt by leaders from different backgrounds and professions — priests, goldsmiths, perfumers, officials, and homeowners. Pastor Lance drew out three things the people needed to recognize in order to build. First, they had to recognize it was not just a brick and mortar project — the high priest Eliashib consecrated the wall at the very start, setting it apart as belonging to God and dedicated to His glory, not their own comfort or fame. Second, they had to recognize where they were vulnerable by strengthening the gates, since gates determined what came in and out of the city and represented their most exposed points. Pastor Lance applied this personally, sharing his family's decision about cell phones for his children and his experience with Re:gen's repentance planning process. Third, they had to recognize it was a group effort, highlighting the repeated phrase "next to him" throughout chapter 3, which painted a picture of everyone working shoulder to shoulder in the same direction. He noted that people of different professions stepped outside their normal work to build, and that most sections were built by the people who lived nearest to them. Pastor Lance concluded by connecting the sermon to a church work day the previous Saturday, where people who were "overqualified to spread mulch" joyfully showed up to serve, and challenged the congregation: "Don't sit back and watch while other people build. Jump in with us. Get to work. Let's keep building."
Discussion Questions
- Pastor Lance opened with the story of Galveston rebuilding after the 1900 hurricane — different groups coming together to construct a seawall and raise the city by fifteen feet. What's the most impressive team effort you've ever been part of or witnessed, where a group of people came together to build or accomplish something that none of them could have done alone?
- Read Nehemiah 3:1 together. Pastor Lance pointed out that the high priest Eliashib consecrated the wall at the very start of the project, recognizing that "the wall is not for their own comfort or glory or fame. It's a thing that belongs to God and serves to glorify His name." He shared that he prays nearly every morning to be "more interested in being about Him and less interested in being about myself." When you serve — at church, at work, or at home — how often does the desire for recognition or credit creep in? What would it look like to consecrate your work this week?
- Read Nehemiah 3:3, 6, and 13 together. Pastor Lance highlighted that every time a gate was rebuilt, there was specific attention to hanging doors with "bolts and bars" — strengthening the entry points where the city was most vulnerable. He said that "a lot of our sin struggles won't go away because the gates to our minds and our hearts are just wide open." What gate in your life — what you watch, how you spend your time, what influences you allow in — needs bolts and bars right now?
- Read Nehemiah 3:8 and 3:12. Pastor Lance noted that goldsmiths, perfumers, and even an official's daughters stepped outside their normal professions to do the physical work of rebuilding. He said "you should always be operating in your specific gifting and calling, but then there are also times when everyone needs to jump in and work together." When have you been asked to serve in a way that was outside your comfort zone or skill set, and what did you learn from it?
- Read Nehemiah 3:2, 8, 12, and 20. The phrase "next to him" appears repeatedly throughout chapter 3, connecting each builder to the one beside them. Pastor Lance said this paints a picture where "the guy next to me's work ends is where my work begins." Yet verse 5 also records that the Tekoite nobles "did not support the work of their masters." What makes the difference between someone who jumps in shoulder to shoulder and someone who stands back and watches? Which tendency do you see more of in yourself?
- Pastor Lance observed that most of the sections were built by the people who lived nearest to them, and challenged the assumption that everything the church builds happens inside the church building: "If we're really going to build generations of Jesus followers it's going to take each one of you taking ownership of the street you live on, the office you work in, the people that you spend time with." What does your specific "section of wall" look like — the people and places God has positioned you nearest to — and what would it look like to start building there this week?
- Read Nehemiah 7:1-3. After the wall was complete, the first thing Nehemiah did was appoint gatekeepers and order them not to open the gates until the sun was hot and to shut and bolt the doors while guards were still standing watch. Pastor Lance connected this to the importance of ongoing vigilance — not just building something good, but protecting it. Think about something good that God has built in your life — a marriage, a friendship, a spiritual discipline, a recovery. What is one specific step you can take this week to strengthen the gate around it rather than leaving it unguarded?
Extra Credit
Look up 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 1 Corinthians 12:12-18, Psalm 127:1, and Colossians 3:23-24. What do these passages teach about the relationship between God's ownership of the work, the diversity of the workers, and the motivation behind the labor? How do they reinforce Pastor Lance's three recognitions — that the work belongs to God, that we must guard our vulnerabilities, and that building requires everyone?
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