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Swing Wide the Gates
Nehemiah 3
The walls of In chapter 3 the actual
construction begins. Thru
delegation Nehemiah practiced superior organization.
The workers were an example of splendid cooperation.
Everyone got involved and did their part.
Now here's the spiritual application...we'll call it Spiritual
Illumination. The wall had 12 gates
which were spaced around the city.
10 of them are mentioned in our text.
And their names have deep spiritual meaning.
We won't overly spiritualize here other than to look at the literal
truths that pop right off the page, placed there by God I believe.
1.
The sheep gate. v. 1
Thru this gate they would bring the sacrificial animals to be laid on
the altar in the temple. The
priests would use this gate. It
was the only gate that was 'sanctified.' This gate reminds us of
Jesus, the Lamb of God. It all
begins and ends with Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end,
the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world Who will bear His scars for
eternity future in heaven. Jesus was a special Lamb.
Without flaw or blemish.
We serve a sinless Savior. Jesus was a silent Lamb.
Is. 53 says he would open not His mouth in self defense.
Matthew 27:12-14 [Pilate] Why did it have to be this
way? Any of us would have
presented our defense.
Especially since they had it all wrong.
Jesus remained silent in order to FULLY bear our shame.
Jesus not only took the punishment of our sins, but also the shame
and reproach that goes with them.
If Jesus had defended Himself, His defense would have been so potent
no one could have stood against it.
And even if they had then killed Him out of hatred, He wouldn't have
suffered the shame and guilt as if He were guilty.
Was there guilt in Him?
Yes. Ours!
Even though He was sinless, He was willing to be counted as a sinner
before man so that we could be counted as righteous before God. No wonder that old rugged
cross is the emblem of suffering and shame!
He suffered our shame in silence. ill.--a Christian man who
worked in a slaughterhouse told of his experiences as the one who had to put
a bullet into the head of the cattle as they came to his station.
He said they came to him so noisily, mooing, snorting, and loudly
complaining about their captivity, and he never had a problem w/ his job of
silencing those brute, noisy beasts.
Then one day they brought in a truckload of lambs and asked him to
slaughter them. He said they
brought him the first one who stood there and looked at him with big eyes.
He was instructed to slit the throats of these lambs rather than
shoot them. It felt different
than before, but reluctantly he reached down and slit its throat, and it
just looked at him as it began to bleed to death.
It laid its head on his arm and began to lick the blood off of it.
He said, "I was done. I
laid down my knife and never went back."
He said it reminded him so eerily of that verse which said of Jesus,
"He stood silent before His accusers." It's no accident that
Jesus is compared to a lamb.
They did not drag Him to the cross, kicking and screaming, He willingly laid
down His life.
A special lamb, a silent lamb... Jesus was a slain Lamb.
ill.--a single man took in
an orphan boy and sought to adopt him.
One night the house caught fire and the boy was caught upstairs.
The man escaped outside, but heard the boys cries from above.
With no regard for himself, he climbed a burning hot downspout and
rescued him. The result was
that his hands were badly burned.
The adoption process continued, but the state took him to court
stating that as a single man he couldn't win their approval, and that a
couple should be found for the adoption.
DCFS made their arguments against him, and he just silently listened.
Now it was his turn to speak.
They asked him why he thought he should retain custody.
He said not a word, but just simply raised his hands for all to see.
Quiet gasps were heard from many, and the man sat down.
The judge awarded him the child. Even in His glorified body
Jesus retains His scars. The
disciples saw the nail prints after His resurrection, and we will see them
in heaven. But why retain the
scars? We won't have ours any
more. I believe those scars
will be an eternal reminder to us in heaven of just how we got there, and
how much we are loved. No wonder the sheep gate
is mentioned first. It's all
because of Jesus! Mary had the little Lamb, who lived before His birth; Mary had the little Lamb, obedient Son of God; Mary had the little Lamb — men placed Him in the
grave. Mary had the little Lamb — mystery to behold! Jesus came the first time
as a silent lamb to the slaughter, but He's coming back as the Lion of the
tribe of He came the first time for
a tree, but next time for a throne! He came the first time for
a cross, but next time for a crown! He came the first time as
a Redeemer, but next time as a ruler! Swing wide the gate!
2.
The fish gate. v. 3
It was located to the west of the sheep gate, and was one of the main
entrances to the city. Thru
this gate the fishermen would bring their catch from the Jesus said to follow Him
and He would make us fishers of men.
Do you know what that means?
We have no right to call ourselves His follower if we aren't fishing
for men! When is the last time you
walked thru the fish gate? When
did you last bring a soul into the boat which you went out and caught?
The Bible has a word for
those dying w/out Christ. It is
LOST. 2 Corinthians 4:3 What does it mean to die
lost? To die without God,
without hope, and to be cast forever into the lake of fire!
Charles Spurgeon, "...it is another and a
higher miracle to make us who were fish to become fishers—to make the saved
ones saviours—to make the convert into a converter—the receiver of the
gospel into an imparter of that same gospel to other people. I think I may
say to every person whom I am addressing—If you are saved yourself, the work
is but half done until you are employed to bring others to Christ. You are
as yet but half formed in the image of your Lord. You have not attained to
the full development of the Christ-life in you unless you have commenced in
some feeble way to tell to others of the grace of God: and I trust that you
will find no rest to the sole of your foot till you have been the means of
leading many to that blessed Savior who is your confidence and your hope. If
Christ has caught us, we must catch others. Let us ask him to give us grace
to go a-fishing, and so to cast our nets that we may take a great multitude
of fishes. Oh that the Holy Ghost may raise up from among us some
master-fishers, who shall sail their boats in many a sea, and surround great
shoals of fish! We need to walk out these
doors today like they were the fish gate, and beyond is a great sea of
people who need to get hooked on Jesus! ill.--China Missionary
great J. Hudson Taylor told of one of his converts whom he took on a voyage
to Are you using the fish
gate? Swing wide the gate!
[review and preview slide]
3.
The old gate. v. 6
There is a paradox associated with this gate.
It was located in the NW corner of the city, the section of the city
called the Mishnah, or new quarter.
So, the old gate led to
the new quarter. This reminds
us of our never changing message.
We may try new methods along the way, but our old message never
changes. We need to swing wide
the old gate. We need to swing wide the
old gate that man is born a sinner.
Many today reject this truth.
Call me sick, but not a sinner.
Call me behaviorally challenged, but not a sinner.
The humanist and evolutionist say, we're not sinners, just
underdeveloped. The geneticist
says, we're not sinful, we just have bad genes.
The sociologist says, we're not sinful, just products of our
environment. The educator says
we're not sinful, just ignorant.
We just need to learn.
So we give our prisoners college courses and now instead of petty theft they
know how to embezzle from their new company, because if you don't have a
heart change, nothing you do to the head matters. Our problem is sin.
The heart of the problem is the human heart.
And we can't change this message just because many today don't like
it. I'm glad that I was raised
in a church that didn't tell me how good I am but how bad I am, and that I
don't just need a boost from beneath but a birth from above! No one can visit Swing wide the old gate! How about this one?
Sinners deserve hell! March 25, 1991, Swing wide the gate! I don't like to talk about
hell anymore than the next guy, and I take no joy in thinking of people
going there...not even my worst enemy.
But I must talk about it because Jesus did! People say it is a cruel
doctrine to teach. They say we
need to be more about kindness than cruelty.
But is it cruel to tell a man the truth?
Is it cruel to arouse sleeping people if their house is on fire?
Is it cruel to jerk a blind man away from a rattlesnake?
Is it cruel to declare unto people the deadliness of their disease
and instruct them in what medicine to take?
I would rather be called cruel for being kind than to be called kind
for being cruel. Swing wide the
gate!
Man is born a sinner, and sinners deserve
hell... Here's one more:
Jesus is the answer!
Swing wide the gate! THE answer.
Not just AN answer. He
is the ONLY way! This is now
considered 'hate speech' in many places.
It is now politically incorrect to say Jesus is the only way to
heaven. The president says
there are many ways to heaven.
And we are intolerant if we believe otherwise. Jesus. It’s a little name.
A small word. Say this little name in
public, however, in a way other than an obscenity, and stand back and watch
the fireworks. This little name is like a
tiny detonator that triggers a nuclear warhead. You can say "God," and you
won’t get a squeak. You can say "Our
Father/Mother in Heaven," and few will flinch. You can say "Great
Spirit," and people will nod in approval. You can say "Allah" and
you will be deemed tolerant. But say "Jesus" and just
wait for the sonic boom. Articles will appear in
the paper. Reprimands will be posted from the home office. Suits will be
threatened by the civil liberties block. So don’t say Jesus. Jesus is divisive, and now
is a time for unity. Jesus is an extremist, and
that must mean right wing. Jesus is exclusive, so His
name amounts to hate speech. Keep His name to yourself.
Cloister it in your church. Lock it in your prayer closet. Close it between
the covers of your Bible. But for God’s sake, don’t voice it in the public
square! It’s immodest. It’s
immoral. It’s unloving. Only one problem. Jesus is
God. Only one problem. Jesus
alone brings salvation. Only one problem. All
other gods are nothing. So speak His name aloud. Shout it from the
mountain. Whisper it in the dark. Write it in the sky. That’s not hate, it’s
hope. Swing wide the gate!
Swing Wide the Gates, pt. 2
Nehemiah 3 The work has already
started. There, I said a dirty,
four letter word. I like work.
I can sit and watch it for hours! But these people on the
wall worked and worked hard.
And the key to success today is still hard work.
Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration. The founder of Holiday
Inn, a Christian, said his father told him to be a success you just have to
work half a day. Does that
sound right? His dad went on to
say, it can be the first 12 hours or the last! Nehemiah 4:6 We have seen the symbolism
and rich meaning behind the first 3 gates of
4.
The valley gate. v. 13
It opened to a low place, the 1 Peter 5:5-6 God resists us or pushes
us away when we live in pride, but when in humility His grace comes rushing
into our lives. God hates
pride. It is a most deceitful
sin, well hidden to the person who lives in it.
Pride is an attitude of
independence from God / self sufficiency.
Here's 6 symptoms of pride.
Take this quiz. Should
you be diagnosed w/ pride based on these symptoms?
·
Becoming
irritated when corrected. This
person is defensive and cannot accept that they could be wrong or that
someone else could know something that they don't. ill.--2 preachers stood on
a road holding signs that said, The End is Near!
A driver screeched to a stop and angrily said, "You religious
fanatics, why don't you get a life!"
A few minutes later the man came walking back in the other direction,
soaking wet. He didn't even
look their way. After he had
passed one preacher said to the other, "You think we should change our signs
to "Bridge Out Ahead"? Know anyone who just can't
take advice? It's a symptom of
pride. Go thru the valley gate.
·
Taking credit
for things you don't control.
For example, do you have a high IQ?
If so, you were born with that and shouldn't look down your nose at
morons. Have talents or good
looks? There's no cause to be
proud of that, you had nothing to do with it. ill.--a woman asked the
pastor for counseling. She said
it was her besetting sin, that she has noticed she is the most beautiful
woman in the church, and can't help but notice that no other ladies can even
hold a candle to her beauty.
"What can I do about this sin?"
He replied, "Oh dear lady, that's not a sin...just a mistake!" Spurgeon said, "Be not
proud of race, face, place, or grace."
It's ok to be thankful for advantages you have, but not prideful.
·
Making
excuses. This person always has
a reason or explanation why it really isn't true or isn't their fault.
·
Not seeking
counsel. To not ask advice is a
symptom of pride. ill.--in the 50s an
airplane flew over Proverbs 12:15
·
Victim's
mentality. Bitterness over
something God hasn't given you, or feeling you got a raw deal is a symptom
of pride. If you feel something
is owed to you is a self centered symptom of pride.
Life isn't fair, and we have no real rights.
The entitlement mindset permeates
·
Unhealthy
sense of competition. Some
people have more stuff than they can afford because of pride.
They want to feel like they are in a class they are not in. ill.--one salesman made
hundreds of sales by saying, "Let me show you something your neighbors say
you can't afford." Proverbs 16:5 If there was no pride
there would be no devil.
Lucifer exercised pride in wanting to be like God.
It was pride that plunged the human race into sin.
Pride was the bait on the hook for Eve.
She wouldn't have done that just for a bite of juicy fruit. [not gum]
Satan said to her, take it, you'll be like God!
This means that all sin in the world was caused by pride.
Every rape, murder, theft, etc.
Pride caused it all! We
need a valley gate in our lives.
We will fight this problem all of our lives until heaven.
Pride is not dead until YOU are! ill.--in 1958 the most
famous bullfighter in
The lesson?
Never turn your back on pride because as soon as you think you've got
it whipped it will rise up and stab you in the back! According to these
symptoms, can you be diagnosed w/ pride?
Is there anyone who cannot?
5. The
Dung Gate. v. 14
This was where the garbage was carried out.
It led to the dump. It
may not have a nice name but it provided a very valuable service.
This reminds us of repentance.
It is important to take out the trash in our lives. 2 Corinthians 7:1 What is the garbage in our
lives? Galatians 5 gives us a list of the works of the flesh which we are to
dispose of. Galatians 5:19-21 I'm always amazed at how
much literal garbage we make at our house.
Every week we carry in 5 sacks of groceries and carry out 10 sacks of
garbage! And if not careful,
the devil will cause our lives to stack up w/ a bunch of trash!
It's hoarding of the worst kind! Gal. 5 gives us a list of
17 works of the flesh, a catalog of corruption.
This is the garbage God wants out, and the only exit is the dung
gate. The first 4 are sexual
sins. Adultery is sex outside
of marriage. Fornication is
premarital sex. Uncleanness is
a dirty thought life, porn, movie channels, etc.
Lasciviousness means no sense of shame, no sense of disgrace.
Much of TV today falls in the Jerry Springer category and we can't
look away...everyone likes to watch a train wreck but it doesn't deserve our
attention. What do we say to these
sexual sins? Today most say,
well, everyone's doing it, but the Bible says 'follow not a multitude to do
evil.' Even Christians justify
pumping the movie channels into their homes, claiming they can control it,
but the Bible says not to make any provision for the flesh. Idolatry is anything you
put before God. Witchcraft
[farmacia] is the idea of drugs.
V. 20 continues w/ all kinds of internal sins and unhealthy emotional
feelings and false beliefs.
Notice that drunkenness is mentioned as a sin, not a disease.
Revellings is the party scene. God says to take out the
garbage!
6. The
fountain gate. v. 15
It was located near the Gihon spring.
This fed the water system of the entire city.
Water for drinking is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. John 7:37-39 Notice the progression.
The valley gate stood for humility.
The dung gate is repentance.
Now the fountain gate, which is Spirit fullness.
We must humble ourselves, repent, and then we can be filled w/ the
Spirit! You can't fill
something that's already full of something else. ill.--you can't force a
baby to eat. If they are full
you can't get the spoon past those iron lips.
You can't sneak it in, they'll turn at the last second and get it in
the ear. And the Holy Spirit of
God won't force Himself on baby Christians.
Only those who are hungry for it will ever experience it.
The Bible says open
your mouth and I will fill it.
I want to be like a little bird in the nest w/ mouth open wide for my
Heavenly Father. [review and preview slide
-- last 4 gates next time!]
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