The Cause For Which We Fight

Nehemiah 4

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day that has been set aside to honor those who have died in the service of the American military.

Any time we focus on the brave and heroic actions of our soldiers, we are stricken by the generosity of a man laying down his life for a cause greater than himself.

Many have asked the question, "What would motivate a man to fight and die in battle?"

It may seem that soldiers have given their lives for the idea of American principles.

It may seem that they believe so firmly in the American ideal that they are fighting bravely to defend it.

While this may have had some bearing on their enlistment, it is not why they fight so fiercely on the battlefield, nor why they sacrifice their lives.

Others have posited that soldiers fight so that they might receive a paycheck and are thereby out for their own profit.

Certainly, if this were the case, they would flee at the first sign of danger, but they don't.

They advance, and they work, and they fight, and they sacrifice regardless of the fact that their paycheck is minimal at best.

What is it that keeps them fighting in the midst of the battle?

Numerous studies have been done.

Many books have been written.

Hundreds of interviews have been taken, all with the same answer:

The soldier in the field fights for his fellow soldiers in the field.

They may have entered the forces with motivations of patriotism.

They may have entered the military with the idea that they would get ahead financially, but when the bullets are flying and the bombs are exploding there is only one thing that keeps them from turning around and running.

It is the preservation of the buddies beside them.

This morning I want to challenge you to change the way you think about church.

I want to challenge the way you think about Christianity.

The Word of God frames the definition of the church as a military unit in a spiritual warfare.

We must grow out of the idea that we are going to church to listen to a man preach.

If that is the case, and your sole motivation, you will not think twice about catching the sermon on the internet or staying home and watching some TV preacher instead.

We must remember that our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ are there, and they need us beside them.

The battle is raging and I cannot leave my comrades alone.

I will sacrifice my own personal feelings to stand beside my fellow soldiers and encourage them and strengthen them, and together we will march home in victory.

Our text this morning comes from a story in the Old Testament of God's people building the walls of Jerusalem.

It is similar in principle to the task that we have as Christians to win the lost and build the church.

I would direct your special attention to the motive that is given to the people who are building the walls in the face of attack.

READ TEXT

Nehemiah 4:1 ¶ 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.

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.

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 ¶ But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

8 And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.

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

10 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

11 And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

12 And it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they will be upon you.

13 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.

15 And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

16 ¶ And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

17 They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.

18 For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19 And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

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

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.

PRAY

Every Christian Must Fight for Their Brothers and Sisters in Christ. V14

Because of those who mock what Christians do. V 1-3

By Praying for Deliverance. V 4-5

II Thessalonians 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:

2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.

Because of the concentrated efforts to undermine Christian work. V 7,8

By Watching out for each other constantly. V 9

I Peter 5:8 ¶ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Because of the danger of fear and despair. V 10-12

By Joining each other in the work. V 13-15

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)

24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

If you are here today and you do not know what it is like to be a part of a church, let me let you in on a little secret.

We are just like you.

We have the same trials, the same burdens, the same struggles as you.

But we have each other.

It is not that we have found our salvation in each other, but rather that we have found our salvation in the same Saviour.

This is what unites us.

We have all reached a point in our lives where we recognized the Bible to be true when it said:

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

We looked with despair upon the penalty of sin:

"The wages of sin is death."

"Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire."

Then we all saw the same great Saviour whose gift of eternal life we have accepted.

When we were without strength Christ died for the ungodly.

Now we are family.

We meet together, pray together, weep together, rejoice together and we stand beside each other in the spiritual warfare of this life.

We would be pleased of you would join us.