A Total Team Effort

If you’re a sports fan, you’ve seen teams struggle to put all the pieces together. Some teams have a high powered, high octane offense but their defense can’t stop a soul. Other squads possess a shutdown D but struggle to put anything other than goose eggs on the scoreboard. Maybe special teams are a joke. Coaches dream of those times when it all comes together. They call it a total team effort. That’s when every player is enthusiastically carrying out their specific duty and encouraging those around them. The offense is clicking. The defense is shutting them down. Special teams are flawless. In Nehemiah 3, we see a classic description of on of those amazing moments when everybody is excited, on board, and doing their job. Nehemiah oversees the rebuilding of the wall around Jerusalem. For the first time in a very long time, every Israelite living in Judah is pulling in their weight. This is a total team effort.

It’s 445 BC. The once proud city of Jerusalem looks like Detroit. Back in 586 BC, King Nebuchadnezzar’s army absolutely obliterates Jerusalem. They wreck the walls. They burn the gates. They steal everything out of the temple. And if that’s not bad enough, they kidnap most of the Jewish people and haul them back to Babylon to serve as slaves. All that’s left behind is a smoldering pile of bricks and the poorest of the poor. You might make the mistake that God has forgotten all about His once glorious city on a hill. Not so fast, my friend. Through a series of pagan kings, God orchestrates a series of resettlements and rebuilding projects through men like Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. 

When Nehemiah hits town, Jerusalem is still in crisis mode. The walls that protect the city look like swiss cheese. Knowing that God has a firm grip on his mission, Nehemiah encourages the people to rebuild the walls. We know from Nehemiah 6:15 that work gets started on the Fourth of Ab (that’s right about July/August on our calendar). It will only take 52 days to take care of business. And people say there are no miracles in this book. Please. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Grab a hard hat and let’s check out the worksite. What follows in Nehemiah 3 is a detailed account of that project.

Nehemiah walks us around the wall project in a counterclockwise direction. Don’t make the mistake of thinking the people worked on walls one section at a time. Everybody is working at the same time. There’s no way they could finish in 52 days if they weren’t. Our tour begins at the Sheep Gate (v1). This is the northern wall nearest the temple. It’s probably the most vulnerable area. We see the high priest Eliashib leading a team made up of his brother priests hard at work. This is a great example of leading by example. People look to leaders like the priests to show the way. And that’s exactly what they do. They call this the Sheep Gate because this is where they bring in the sheep used in the temple sacrifice. They not only build the gate and the wall but they also consecrate it. In doing so, they recognize it’s special purpose in protecting the house of God. Yes, this is Eliashib, the grandson of Jeshua, the high priest under Zerubbabel (Neh 12:10). But something seems a little fishy about Eliashib but you can’t put your finger on it. We’ll find out just a little later that Tobiah has his hooks in Eliashib and his family (Neh 13:4, 7-8). Tobiah is one of the three thugs opposing the project (Neh 2:10, 19).

We walk out the Sheep Gate and make a left down the wall. As we go, we see that 42 specific sections and gates are mentioned in this chapter. And we’ll also see that this project is all hands on deck. Just check out all the different people on the job site. We’ve already met the high priest and his priest brothers (v1). There’s men from various neighboring towns who’ve come to work  (v2, 5, 7, 13, 16, 17). Men from various families are mentioned all throughout the chapter. Goldsmiths (v8, 31, 32). Perfumers (v8). Various big wigs and rulers (v9, 14, 16, 17, 19). Look over there, a group of ladies is hard at work (v12). Priests (v22, 28). Temple servants (v26). Local businessmen (v32). Are these men trained construction workers? Absolutely not. But this is a great example that there are going to be times we need to do things outside our training, our gifts, and our passions. I’m sure the perfumers aren’t exactly skilled at swinging a hammer. But they saw the need. And they got to work.

All sorts of folks are pulling their weight and hard at work. There’s just one exception. Apparently the rulers of the Tekoites won’t get off their blessed assurance to help. Tekoa is a city just south of Jerusalem. Nehemiah tells us that “their nobles refused to stoop to serve their Lord” (v5). The Hebrew language here could either mean that they resent Nehemiah’s leadership or that they fail to submit to God. When it comes to this project, the people properly serve God by following Nehemiah’s leadership. In this case, it’s one and the same. This is all about submitting to godly authority. Even Nehemiah is under authority. He answers to both King Artaxerxes as well as the King of Kings. We’re ALL under authority. We ALL live in submission. Unless our leaders are asking us to sin, we need to do what they tell us. Being a follower of Jesus is being a good follower of human leadership. So what’s the deal with these slacker nobles from Tekoa? There’s a chance that they some of the leaders who are on the take from that bully Tobiah (Neh 6:17-19).

Nehemiah prefers to have people would work on the wall near their own home (v10, 23, 28, 29, 30). Let’s face it, you’re clearly going to bust your butt when you know the safety of your family and property are at stake. That’s smart leadership right there. We also see dudes willing to work on more than one section. Men like Meremoth (v4, 21). And check out the Tekoites. Despite bad example of their deadbeat nobles, they happily work at a second part of the project (v5, 27). Nehemiah mentions several teams that “repaired another section” (v11, 19-21, 24, 27, 30). The only way the rebuilding of the walls and gates is going to get done is if some folks pull double duty. There are going to be times when each one of us needs to step up and do more. It’s not everyday. It’s not all the time. But keep your eyes open for opportunities to go above and beyond when it presents itself.

This is a total team effort. It’s a picture of Jesus’ church, with each one of us using the gifts and talents that His Spirit has graciously given us. Others need to step up and serve temporarily in areas that may not be in their sweet spot. The church is the Body of Christ. We serve as the hands and feet of Jesus when we’re all working together. Everybody rolling up their sleeves. Everybody doing their part. It takes a total team effort. 

Get in Position

“Keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life” (v21).

In football, coaches come up with defensive strategies to put their players in the right spots to stop the opposition. Their goal is to devise a blitz or a coverage that will allow their team to make a play. When everything goes as planned, their players will be exactly where they need to be in order to make the tackle, get the sack, or pick off the pass. They’re putting them in a position to make a play. Jude tells his readers what they need to do and where they need to be to experience God’s love. And when we do, we’d better get ready because it’s going to be amazing.

Don’t forget the entire reason that Jesus’ kid brother is writing this little letter. A crew of spiritual con artists are infiltrating local churches and twisting the Gospel of Jesus into a pretzel (Jude 4). They don’t give a rat’s rear end about God’s people but are looking to bilk a few bucks out of them. He compares them to three of the nastiest characters in the Old Testament. Cain the first killer, Balaam the profitable prophet, and Korah the leader of the revolution (Jude 11). After giving an extensive ABP on the false teachers, Jude preps Jesus’ followers for their arrival. Build yourselves up. Pray in God’s Spirit. Expect our Savior’s return. That will lock you into position to receive His love.

The author gives us what seems to be a very strange command. “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (v21). But what just a New York minute! I thought there was absolutely nothing that can stop God’s love for us (Rom 8:35-39). So that can’t be what he’s talking about. Jude commands us to “keep” (v21). This is the Greek verb tereo. Check out the deeper meanings of this term. To observe, obey, pay attention to, attend carefully, take care of, guard, hold, and maintain. We can’t lose God’s love because we didn’t earn God’s love (Rom 5:8; 1Jn 4:19).

Jesus’ little brother encourages us to be in position to fully experience God’s love. Do everything you can to stay under the waterfall of God’s love and grace. Do everything possible to enjoy the blessings of His loving relationship with you. This is what Paul and Barnabas told new believers on their first road trip. After the apostle’s legendary sermon to the people of Pisidia in Asia Minor, he and Barney “urged them to continue in the grace of God” (Acts 13:43). Jesus Himself told His posse to do everything possible to stay connected to Him. He told them to picture the way a branches stay connected to the life-giving nourishment of the grapevine (Jn 15:1-11). 

Explore and take full advantage of the salvation that Jesus has give you. Or as the Apostle Paul would say, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil 2:12). Despite what I believed for years, I don’t have to keep myself saved after Jesus has saved me. That lie I nearly crippled me for decades. I thought that once Christ got me into God’s kingdom, it was up to me to stay there. It wasn’t long that I was working my tail off to stay saved. Sunday school. Bible school. Youth choir. I was a miserable failure. It was religion. But Jesus wants a relationship. Years later, He opened my eyes to His amazing friendship. While I still struggle WAY too often, I’m continually doing whatever I can to keep myself in God’s love. I do what I can to put myself in a position to receive and experience His love.

In verses 20 and 21, Jude gives us a series of commands. Build yourselves up. Pray in the Holy Spirit. Stay in the love of God. Wait for Jesus’ mercy. So what’s the priority? Which should I do first? Glad you asked. The main verb here is “keep.” The other commands simply modify it. Think of it this way, the others give us important ways to put ourselves in position to be on the receiving end of His love. “Keep” is modified by “building up,” “praying,” and “waiting.” Build each other up in this trusting relationship through God’s Word. Pray to God using the amazing power of God’s Spirit. Wait with expectancy for Jesus’ amazing comeback. Build up. Pray. Wait. These are three critical activities we can do to put ourselves in the position to stay on the receiving end of God’s love. 

Whatever you do, don’t forget that Jesus is coming back. He’s returning for the greatest encore the universe will ever see. When He does, Christ will judge evil once and for all. He’ll drench everyone who trusts in Him with unbelievable blessings. We’ll be on the receiving end of His grace and mercy. A huge part of that is the full reality of eternal life. Don’t let the false teachers fool you. Jesus will return. Hang in there. And when He does…look out! It’s gonna be AWESOME!!! Talk about delayed gratification! 

In the meantime, put yourself in position to receive and experience the full blessing of God’s love.