The sermon 'Deaf-Mute Workers' by Jason Dohm discusses Nehemiah 4:1-6, focusing on the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls despite opposition from figures like Sanballat and Tobiah. The sermon underscores the importance of trusting in God rather than physical walls, highlighting that God is the ultimate protector. The speaker examines the patterns of increasing hostility from Nehemiah's adversaries, noting their mockery and disbelief. Nehemiah's response is not retaliation but prayer, calling on God to handle judgment, which reflects both Old and New Testament teachings on justice. The sermon emphasizes the importance of having a heart to work for God's glory, noting that while salvation is not achieved through works, good works glorify God. It encourages believers to remain undeterred by opposition and to focus on laboring for the kingdom.

The sermon text this morning is Nehemiah chapter 4 verses 1 through 6. But it so happened when Sam Ballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, what are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices?

Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish, stones that are burned? Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall. Here, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their reproach on their own heads and give them as plunder to a land of captivity.

Do not cover their iniquity and do not let their sin be blotted out from before you, for they have provoked you to anger before the builders. So we built the wall and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height for the people had a mind to work." So the title of the sermon this morning is Death Mute Workers And it's a strange title and I'll explain it later. We're headed there. Last week the title of the sermon was, Unless the Lord Guards the City. And chapter 3 was a summary of the people working to rebuild and repair the walls of Jerusalem.

But the point isn't that the people of God can trust walls. The point is that God is our wall. And so there are some things that we should do in our duty before God like build walls. We should never trust walls. We should always trust God.

And so Psalm 127 has this phrase, unless the Lord guards the city, they who guard it labor in vain. And so you don't want to build a wall and think that you're done. Absolutely not. God is the wall around His people. And if you lose sight of that, it doesn't matter what else you do.

In chapter 3, we have all this minutiae. We have tiny little details. And they're a blessing in that they help us to understand that it's real history. No mythology reads like that. We have all these names and all these places And it just speaks so clearly that this is real history happening to real people with real names at a real place in time.

But you don't want to get caught up in the minutiae so that all you do is finding yourself staring at the tiny little details. And so the big picture when you pull up and you look at what the painting is that are formed by all these tiny little details, you find this, that we should trust in God with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding. In all our ways we should acknowledge him and he will direct our steps. Jesus is the restorer and the protector of his people. And physical people building a physical wall is just a picture that God protects and restores his people.

So now as we go to this week's text, Let's go to the Lord in prayer. God, I thank you for the great privilege of being able to join with you in Kingdom work. As you say in Psalm 50, if you were hungry you wouldn't tell us we have Nothing that you need Certainly don't need our labors and yet you give us this Unbelievable privilege of working with you laboring fruitfully in your kingdom and you've designed this to bring glory to yourself. So I pray in this God that it would be nothing that would slow us down but that we would have a single minded focus to bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ in this world. Cause us to love him so much that we want to labor for his glory.

Pray that you would use this text for this great purpose in Jesus name. Amen. So I'd like to divide this week's text into three different sections beginning with verses one through three. So let's again look at one through three, read them, and then consider them in detail. In chapter 4 verse 1, but it so happened when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall that He was furious and very indignant and mocked the Jews.

And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria and said, what are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish, stones that are burned?

Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him and said, whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall. Here in verses 1 through 3, we have the angry mocking of enemies. If you're filling in the blank on the handout it's angry mocking. The angry mocking of enemies. Now listen to the progression.

So we've been introduced to Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite before already. So back in chapter 2, look at verses 9 and 10. Nehemiah chapter 2, verse 9, Then I went to the governors of the region beyond the river and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite And Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it.

They were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel. So this is our introduction to Sanballat and Tobiah. They hear the report that Nehemiah has returned from Babylon with others to repair and rebuild the walls of the city and the gates which have been burned. And they're deeply disturbed that somebody has come to help the Jews. Now we see them again in verse 19, same chapter, Nehemiah 2 verse 19, but when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshum the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us and said, What is this thing that you are doing?

Will you rebel against the king? So in chapter 2 verse 19 they are laughing at the Lord's people and despising the Lord's people and now we encounter them again in chapter 4, verse 1, 2, and 3. There are three patterns to notice in this sequence. Here's the first pattern. Sanballat is always named first.

He is in chapter 2 verse 10, he is in chapter 2 verse 19, he is in chapter 4 verse 1. Sanballat is the main instigator. He is the one who is stirring up trouble though there are others who are happy to join in, aren't there always? And this is true whenever you find a group of grumblers, a group of disgruntled people, you almost always find somebody who heads the list somebody who's stirring the pot and Making it worse and leading the way in it. So this is the pattern that we see Sam Bellad is always first number two Each time they're mentioned, it's because they've heard a report.

It's that way in chapter 2 verse 10, when they heard of it. It's that way in chapter 2 verse 19, when they heard of it. It's that way in chapter 4 verse 1, our text, when Sam Ballat heard. So they're responding, they're hearing reports, they obviously have great sources of intel, they have sources of information, and they're getting the reports of what is happening, and then they're reacting poorly every time they get a report. So that's the second pattern.

They're responding to reports, information that's coming into them. Number three, notice the intensification. Things are heating up. In chapter 2 verse 10, they're deeply disturbed. Chapter 2 verse 19 they laughed at the Jews and they despised the Jews but now in chapter 4 verse 1, Sambalat is furious and very indignant.

He's burning with anger. That's a literal rendering of what we have here. He's burning with anger at the report that he's got. So things are ratcheting up. The problem is only getting worse with every report that they receive.

Every bit of information that comes in, their reaction is a little bit stronger. So now that now Sam Ballat is furious and very indignant. And it's going to continue. In next week's text, They're going to be ready for armed action against the Jews. So it's only getting worse, but we're seeing this progression in the text, a pattern of intensification.

One other point, this is not historically unusual, not at all. We have an empire, 127 provinces under the King of Persia. So you have all these governors, and you can believe there are rivalries among these governors. There are certain governors who don't like certain other governors. You see it in politics today for sure.

One commentator mentions two governors who are under the king of Persia who don't like each other during this time frame. They're names I can't pronounce and that you won't remember anyway. But There's commentators who are pointing out governors who have rivalries other than Nehemiah and Sanbalab. We don't even need to go outside of Scripture. A hundred years earlier, under Nebuchadnezzar, under Darius at this point, in Daniel chapter 6, There's 120 satraps under three governors.

Daniel's one of the governors. He distinguishes himself on what happens. They plot against him and that's where the whole lions den account comes from. Comes from a conspiracy by some governors who have a rivalry with a godly governor. It's just the same old thing happening here in Nehemiah 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Who is the audience? Verse 2 says, it's his brethren, whether these are really his blood relatives or just other leaders in Samaria, we don't know, doesn't matter. The army of Samaria, this shows Sambalat's position. He's actually addressing the army. We know that historically later he will be the governor of Samaria.

He might be during this time. We don't know for sure. But in any case, he's in such a position that he's able to address the army of Samaria. So that shows his position. And then in verse three, we see that Tobiah is beside him.

Tobiah is standing right at his side as he's making these comments. What did he say? Verse 1 says that he mocked them, so there are going to be specific things that he says. But the framework is mockery, is a taunting of the Jews, is a jeering at the Jews. And these taunts take the form of five questions, rapid fire questions that are designed to mock the Lord's people.

So these five questions are all designed to communicate San Bilat's disbelief and contempt. That's what we have in these five questions. Disbelief, I don't believe you can do it. I don't believe you're capable of rebuilding and repairing these walls and contempt. You're too stupid and weak to do it.

So five questions all designed to communicate disbelief and contempt. Question number one, what are these feeble Jews doing? The malice is built into the question. These feeble Jews, these pathetic, weak people. What is this pathetic, weak people up to?

Just loaded with contempt. Question two, will they fortify themselves? He's incredulous that they would even try. He can't believe that they have anywhere near the capability of repairing and rebuilding a two mile wall that's been broken down for a hundred years. This is no small project and he, Sanballat, doesn't think the Jews are up to it.

Question number three, will they offer sacrifices? The meaning of this is somewhat unclear. It could mean a couple of different things. Here's what I think it means. In 2 Chronicles 7, it's the end of a massive building project, the temple, Solomon's temple, the first temple.

And when the work's done they dedicate it to God they consecrate it by sacrificing. It's a huge sacrifice at the completion of the work. And We see the same thing again in Ezra chapter 6. In Ezra chapter 6, the temple is rebuilt. Solomon's temple had been torn down in 586 BC by Nebuchadnezzar.

Then it's rebuilt by Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the first wave of captives that have gone back. And the work is completed in Ezra chapter 6. What do they do? The exact same thing. They dedicate the temple.

They consecrate it to God through a sacrifice. So I think this is what's in view when Sambalat asks, will they offer sacrifices? In other words, will they bring it to completion? Will they bring it to the point where they are ready to dedicate it to God because it's done and they are consecrating it to God through sacrifices? Question number four, will they complete it in a day?

The implication is, if they can't do this right away, immediately We'll put a stop to it. If they leave us a crack of daylight to come in and stop their labors, then we'll do it. Do they think they can just get it? Do they think they can finish this before we're even organized to stop them? Question number five, will they revive burned stones from the heaps of rubbish?

The wall's been torn down, and it's left these piles of rubbish, burned materials. And the walls are primarily made of limestone. Limestone subjected to intense heat cracks. It becomes crumbly. You cannot reuse limestone that's been subjected to intense heat.

And we know from the reports, the very beginning of Nehemiah, a report came to him that the walls were broken down and the gates burned. We know from the accounts in Second Kings and Second Chronicles when Nebuchadnezzar takes Jerusalem, puts the city to the sword taking captives that the city was burned at that time. So they're looking at this limestone that's been ruined by the heat and saying they are going to rebuild from this rubbish heap of unusable limestone. Here is what Matthew Henry says. I think Matthew Henry really gets what All these questions put together are intended to communicate.

Matthew Henry says this, They had hitherto pleased themselves with the thought that while Jerusalem was unwalled, they could swallow it up and make themselves masters of it whenever they pleased But if it be walled It will not only be fenced against them, but by degrees become formidable to them The strength and safety of the church are the grief and vexation of its enemies. That's it The strength and safety of the church are the grief and vexation of its enemies. That's it. The strength and safety of the Lord's people are the grief and vexation of its enemies. That's why they're vexed because the Lord's people are being strengthened and while the walls were broken down they can impose their will on it at any time they wanted.

They've been comforting themselves with this thought. They've been pleased with the knowledge that if if ever the Jews were to get out of hand and try to get from under their thumb that their condition in an unwalled city would allow them to impose their will on it whenever they wanted. God's people stand for what they hate, righteousness. And now when their strength is standing for righteousness, they are becoming very uncomfortable with the changing situation. I've been to Johannesburg, South Africa, twice over the last three years.

And it's that way there. When the oppressed are no longer under the thumb of the oppressor, it becomes a very, very different place for the oppressor. This is how it is in Johannesburg. You have this whole population that has been oppressed for 200 years in South Africa. And when that changed and these people are no longer under the thumbs of the elite, it becomes a very, very different place to live for the former elites.

And it's not a very safe place there anymore for those who were formerly the oppressors. So Sanballat and Tobiah and Gesham the Arab are seeing this thing happen and seeing their influence evaporate with the extension and the closure of these walls. Verse 3, now Tobiah chimes in. It's been Sambalat, now it's Tobiah. And his message is don't worry.

There's nothing to worry about here. They'll do their work and the first fox that jumps up on that wall will bring it down. Have you ever seen a fox walk? There's a reason the dance is called a fox trot, really, because do foxes even walk? They really trot.

They sort of skim over the surface of the ground. They're these little animals, these light little animals. They don't weigh very much, and they're very nimble, and it looks like they're just skimming over the surface because they're so light-footed and they're trot. And so this is the idea, even a solitary fox skims over the top of this wall, it'll come down again. Here's the point for us.

What does this have to do with us? We'll be left alone as long as we're impotent. You want peace of the world? Just be impotent. Just have no power.

Just don't stand for righteousness. They'll leave you alone. You want to be left alone, there's a recipe for that. Nehemiah is not interested in the recipe for that. Nehemiah is interested in the strength of the Lord's people to stand for righteousness and to be a city on a hill and a light in the world.

And this is always a threat to darkness. This is what it has to do with us. We'll be left alone as long as we're impotent, as long as we have no power, that Jesus has different ideas for his people. In Matthew 16 verse 18, he says that he's building his church on a rock and that the gates of hell will not prevail against his church. In other words, his people are not to be a defensive people.

They are to assault the gates of hell. They are to go into enemy territory and batter down the gates. This is not an impotent people. This is a powerful people walking in the power of the Lord, filled with the power of the Spirit. And this is always a threat to darkness.

That's what's happening in this text. That's what's happening in our world. That's what's happening in Youngsville. That's what's happening in your neighborhood. You want all your neighbors to think well of you, just be impotent.

Verses four and five. Back to Nehemiah four. Verses verses 4 and 5. Back to Nehemiah 4. Verses 4 and 5.

Turn their reproach on their own heads and give them as plunder to a land of captivity. Do not cover their iniquity and do not let their sin be blotted out from before you, for they have provoked you to anger before the builders." This is Nehemiah's imprecatory prayer, if you're filling in blanks on the outline. Imprecatory, the K sound is a C. Everything else is how it sounds. Imprecatory prayer.

An imprecatory prayer is a prayer that calls down the judgment of God on an enemy. Get them God. An imprecatory prayer is a prayer that calls down the judgment of God on an enemy. Now notice what has happened. Sanballat and Tobiah have mocked the Lord's people.

Nehemiah prays. Nehemiah is not responding back to them. Nehemiah is praying to God. And then everyone gets to work. If you respond according to the inclinations of your flesh, that's not the progression.

The progression is The representatives of the world mock, you shoot back, and on it goes. We shoot at each other endlessly, and it's not very productive. This is a better trajectory the representatives of the world mock Heaps corn communicate all their contempt and disbelief We pray Then we work. Okay. This is this is the right progression There's no one in this text getting caught up in an unproductive back and forth with the world.

Amen. Turn to Psalm 38. Here's what's really happening. Psalm 38 is really happening in our text. And thus the strange title, Death Mute Workers.

I'm taking that from Psalm 38. Psalm 38 is a Psalm of David Who knew a lot about being reproached by the representatives of the world. Look at verses 12 through 15. Psalm 38 verse 12. Those also who seek my life lay snares for me.

Those who seek my hurt speak of destruction and planned deception all the day long." This is exactly where we're headed in the book of Nehemiah, all that. Verse 13, but I, like a deaf man, do not hear. And I am like a mute who does not open his mouth. Thus I am like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no response. For in you, O Lord, I hope you will hear, O Lord my God.

I don't even hear the reproaches of the representatives of the world. I'm like a deaf man. I'm not responding to them. I'm praying to you. I trust you, O God.

I don't have time to get caught up in an unproductive back and forth with people who hate God. Nehemiah is like David. He's a deaf man. He tunes out the reproaches of the representatives of the world. And he's like a mute man, he does not respond back to them.

He prays to God. He trusts in God. Nehemiah calls on God to hear what they're saying. He says, hear, O God. Why?

Because pouring out contempt on God's people is pouring out contempt on God. That's why we should be very, very, very careful when we're speaking about the Lord's people. Even the ones we have big disagreements with. If they're the Lord's people, you better be very careful about pouring out contempt on them. God has a very dim view of that.

He identifies with His people. In Sambalat and Tobiah, when they are pouring out contempt on the Lord's people, it's landing on God. God doesn't sit still for that. In Acts chapter 9, Saul is headed to Damascus to persecute the Lord's people. And Jesus speaks out of a blinding light and says, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?

Me. God identifies so closely with his people that when his people are persecuted, it's landing on him. Then Nehemiah calls on God to cause them to reap what they have sown. Look at the second half of verse 4 again. Nehemiah 4, second half of verse 4.

Turn their reproach on their own heads and give them as plunder to a land of captivity. Let all the things that they've wished about us come upon them. That's the gist. Consider Proverbs 3 verse 34. Surely he, God, scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble.

This is how it works. God scorns the scornful. Sanballat and Tobiah are scorning the Lord's people so God is going to scorn them. Nehemiah is praying according to what God has said in Proverbs 3, 34. Surely God scorns the scornful but gives grace to the humble.

Nehemiah is a humble man. He wants to do the Lord's work. He knows God will defend him against scorners. Sanballat and Tobiah have been exploiting God's judgment on His people. In other words, the reason they are in this condition, the reason that there are waves coming back from captivity is God sent them into captivity.

The reason that the walls are broken down and the gates are burned is because God caused the walls to be broken down and the gates to be burned. It was judgment on His people. But now outsiders are exploiting what God is dealing with His people. So rather than to see God dealing with His people and fearing God, they're exploiting it for their own gain. This is very wicked.

Nehemiah says to God, let them be on the receiving end. You've dealt with us, your people, because of our sins. We deserved it. But now there are outsiders exploiting your dealings with us. Let them be on the receiving end.

Let them taste of the captivity that they're exploiting. Let them taste of the reproach that they're exploiting. Then Nehemiah prays in verse 5 that God would not forgive them and would not cover their iniquities. That sort of makes me a little uncomfortable. Like What is this?

Praying that God wouldn't forgive them wouldn't be a softer, more Jesus-like thing to do, be to pray that God would grant them repentance. That's not what Nehemiah is doing. You sort of have to come to verse 5 and deal with our discomfort about what Nehemiah is praying. It's very consistent with the imprecatory Psalms. There's a whole group of Psalms in the book of Psalms that's just like this, or Even the language is more inflammatory than this.

Psalm 55, Psalm 59, Psalm 69, Psalm 79, Psalm 109, Psalm 137. Those are six Psalms. Four of those David wrote. David would call down God's judgment on his enemies. Absolutely he would.

One of those is by Asaph. One of those has an unnamed author. But anyway, the language in verse 5 is a lot like the imprecatory Psalms. Calling down the judgment of God on the enemies of the Lord's people. Sounds almost exactly like what Jeremiah prays in Jeremiah 18.23.

If you compare Jeremiah 18.23 with our text, verse 5, you might think that he's quoting Jeremiah. Some of the commentators think that just because they say something really similar doesn't mean necessarily that. But it could be. So It's consistent with Jeremiah how he prays. It's consistent with the imprecatory Psalms calling down the judgment of God on the enemies of the Lord's people.

But it seems very inconsistent with the New Testament, doesn't it? Listen to Matthew 5, 43-48. Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you.

Do good to those who hate you. And pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?

And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect just as your Father in heaven is perfect." Or what about Luke 24 verse 34? Jesus is being nailed to a cross and he says, Father forgive them for they do not know what they do. Jesus even at the point of being nailed to the cross, prays for those who are nailing him to the cross, asking the Lord to forgive them because they're ignorant.

Or what about Acts 7 verse 60 Stephen is being stoned to death he's becoming the first martyr of the church actually that's probably not true I think James is the first he's becoming an early martyr in the church and he's being stoned and his last recorded words are this Lord do not charge them with this sin. These things seem to be much more consistent with the New Testament pattern So there it is in Precatory prayers are so Old Testament. Not so fast. Not so fast. What about Matthew 11, 23 and 24?

In Matthew 11, 23 and 24, Jesus condemns Capernaum. He condemns a whole city. He says, you will be brought down to Hades. You will be dragged into hell. If the mighty works that were done in Sodom were done in you, they would have repented in sackcloth and ashes.

I've come here, I've done these mighty works, you're so cold hearted your whole city will be dragged down to hell. What about Galatians 1 verses 8 and 9 where Paul is speaking of teachers of a false gospel and he says, let him be accursed. And then he says it a second time, let him be accursed. Let him be cursed by God if he brings a false gospel. What about 2 Timothy 4 verse 14?

2 Timothy 4 verse 14, Paul names a guy by name Alexander the coppersmith and he says he's done a lot of harm and then he says this, may the Lord repay him according to his works. Sounds just like Nehemiah. Let him be on the receiving end of some of his shenanigans. What about 1 John 5 verses 16 and 17? In 1 John 5 verses 16 and 17, John says that we should pray for those who are sinning a sin that doesn't lead to death.

Then he says, but I'm not saying you should pray for people who are sinning a sin that doesn't lead to death. Then he says, but I'm not saying you should pray for people who are sinning a sin that leads to death. Now what is that? That's not the purpose of the sermon. Go check a really good commentator.

The point is that sounds a lot like the Old Testament things we're uncomfortable with. All these things are pulled forward. Or even what about Revelation chapter 6 verse 10. Revelation chapter 6 verse 10 has the martyrs who are beneath the altar and they say this to the Lord, how long O Lord, holy and true until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth, calling for justice on those who have shed the blood of the Lord's people. How do we make sense of this?

Well, this is the best I can do. I think Romans 12 verse 19 helps us make sense of this. First of all we say that's not so Old Testament. It's in the Old Testament, it's in the New Testament. Romans 12 verse 19, Paul says, Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.

We make place, make room for the wrath of God. We don't have to avenge these things. We don't have to lift a finger. God takes care of His own accounts. So we leave room When the Lord's people are harmed and wronged, then we leave room for God to do what it is His place to do.

To take vengeance according to His own wisdom. We leave place for wrath, the wrath of God. This is what Nehemiah is doing. He doesn't lift a finger, he doesn't mobilize the armies against those in Samaria to fight them over what they've said or the harm they've done to the Lord's people. He leaves place for the wrath of God.

He knows vengeance is the Lord's. It's good to pray for your enemies. We should do that. This is Matthew 5. Pray for those who despitefully use you.

It's good to pray for your enemies. We should do that. This is Matthew 5. Pray for those who despitefully use you. It's good to pray for your enemies.

It's very biblical to pray for your enemies. But when having the mercy of God in view, do not forget about the justice of God. God is merciful. He is a God of compassion and He is a God of justice at the same time. And we can never lose sight that the day is coming where he settles all accounts.

God hates sin. God hates the words of Sambalat and he hates the words of Tobiah and he hates those who harm his people. And he'll be merciful to some of them. And it's all true. So when should we pray like that?

I'm not confident that I know the answer. I think we should be very slow and very hesitant to ever pray those prayers. I don't know how to draw those lines this morning anyway. But I do know this, whenever we pray, your kingdom come, your will be done, we're praying for the justice of God on earth. Do you know that?

You are sort of praying a little like that when you pray for the will of God to be done on earth as it is in heaven. There is not going to be people harming the Lord's people in heaven. When God makes that right on this earth, his enemies are going to pay the price for it. It will be God doing it. So I think we should come to this prayer and it's a good time to consider the gospel.

It means that God hates sin. Nehemiah chapter 4 verse 5 means that God hates sin. And we should think about the day when all accounts will be settled. There's a time coming where there's no more time to repent. There's no more time to trust in Christ and to seize hold of the mercies of God.

Time's up. He's coming again. He's going to settle every account. This should terrify us. This should drive us to the cross for mercy.

Guilty people should run to the cross for mercy because God hates sin. He hates your sin. What are you going to do about your sin? Your sin can be put on Jesus so that the wrath of God that is so evident in the cross would be turned away from you and placed upon him. God's anger towards sin.

If you've never seen the anger of God, look at the cross. It says anger about your sins. But it's an anger turned away, crushing His Son so that you can be cleansed and free from the penalty of it. If you have not run to the cross, run to the cross today, plead for the mercy of God today, lay hold of the provision of the blood of Jesus Christ today. Why would you wait another day?

If you wake up in a morning Assuming that Jesus isn't coming back today, you're a fool. No one knows. And so many people will wake up that day and it'll be a normal day to them but it's not a normal day. The time will be up. Back to Nehemiah.

Nehemiah chapter 4 verse 6. So we built the wall and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. If you're filling in blanks, it's a mind to work, of course. Literally, a heart. A heart to work.

Hearts burning to work. They're undeterrable. They're scorned, mocked, doubted by the representatives of the world, but they are undeterred. They cannot be stopped. They cannot be delayed.

They cannot be turned aside for even a minute. They have a heart to work. Same thing happens in the book of Ezra. They lay the foundation of the temple in Ezra chapter three and then the foundation sits there. First because they encounter opposition.

Second because their hearts grow cold. They lose the heart to work. And sixteen years go by and the foundation is sitting there. And then God raises up Haggai and Zechariah to rebuke the people for their laziness for saying, today is not the day. They build their own houses, but they don't build the Lord's house.

And so God raises up Haggai to say that. But he doesn't stop with rebuke then he encourages them and Ezra chapter 6, 14 says that they prospered through the prophesying of Haggai and Zechariah And the people have a heart to work again and in four years the temple is finished. Sixteen years have gone by and nothing has happened but then in four years the temple is completed. Solomon's temple took eleven years and he had so many more resources. The people had a heart to work in Ezra chapter 6.

So this is just like that. Turn your Bibles to Ephesians chapter 2. If you go to Ephesians chapter 2, so often, if you get tired of it, something is wrong with you. Ephesians 2 is wonderful. Basque in Ephesians 2.

Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 10 is the best place I know of to help us understand the value of the Lord's people having a heart to work and then not misunderstanding it. Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 through 10, Paul writes, For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works Lest anyone should boast For we are his workmanship Created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Salvation is not of works. Could it be stated any more clearly than in Ephesians chapter 2. Salvation is not of works, not of works, a thousand times not of works.

You cannot work your way to be saved. You'll be lost if you're working for salvation. But we are saved unto works for God's glory. Once you are saved by grace, then you work so your Savior will be glorified. You're His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works that you walk in them.

Why? So you can get to heaven? No, we already said it's not for that. We're not saved by works. We're saved unto good works for His glory so that the world can see there's a Redeemer who's glorious.

That's why the good works, not to be saved but to glorify a glorious Redeemer. We need a robust doctrine of works that is born out of the worthiness of Jesus. Are you with me? We need a robust, a strong doctrine of works that is born out of the worthiness of Jesus Christ. Not for salvation, but because Jesus is worthy to be highly exalted because He is a great Redeemer.

Don't despise works. The broader church, some are despising works now. We should make sure that it's not attached in any way, shape or form to salvation. We shouldn't despise works. We should be working so that Jesus would be highly exalted and known as a great redeemer who transforms his people and makes them love the things that he loves.

Listen to Revelation chapter 19 verses 7 and 8. 19 verses 7 and 8. Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright.

For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." Not self-righteous acts, Righteous acts, really righteous acts, born out of the Spirit of God, cleansed by the blood of the Son of God. Righteous acts that the Spirit brings us into. We were created in Christ Jesus to do these good works. The Spirit instigates them. He prompts us into them.

And they are cleansed by the blood of Christ so they are not mixed like everything we do is mixed. But these are cleansed by Jesus' blood. So they're clean and bright. For more on this, attend a wedding next Friday. I'll be speaking about this.

Applications, I have three. Very simple, very straightforward, right out of the text. What should we do from Nehemiah chapter 4 verses 1 through 6? Number one, don't be slowed down for one second by what the enemies of God say. Not one second.

The representatives of the world are always going to be joying at the people of God, heaping contempt and reproach on them, communicating disbelief and hatred in any way they can. Don't be slowed down for one second by what the enemies of God say. They heap contempt on us, we pray to God, we get to work. That's the progression. What a beautiful progression.

How freeing not to have to back and forth and back and forth and back and forth with the representatives of the world. Try to prove ourselves right. Freedom from that. They heap contempt on us, we pray, we get to work for the glory of God. Number two, consider the justice of God.

What if he comes today to settle all of his accounts? What will you do? What will you say? Are you in Christ? Those who are in Christ will be seen in Christ.

He loves his son and he'll love you because he loves his son and you're in his son. If he settles accounts this afternoon with all the world and times up, what would that mean for you? Consider the justice of God. Number three, have a heart to build for his glory. If you've ever been disgusted with how half-hearted you are, join your pastor.

I want a heart that burns to work for His glory. I want to be free from this half-heartedness and have a heart to work. Not to be saved, so that Jesus is highly exalted. God, I thank you for our text. What a sweet thing it is to be in any book of the Bible, but it's been so rich to be in Nehemiah.

I'm already looking forward to the coming chapters. I pray that you would help us to be a people who have a heart to work for your glory. Give us a heart to work for you God. Let us be poured out like the Apostle Paul. Let us spend and be spent like the Apostle Paul so that Jesus Christ would be known as great.

Pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.