4.18.16 Youth Sermon

Which wall will you build?

Nehemiah 6:15 – 16: So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

Nehemiah looked upon the broken city of Jerusalem and grieved, not because it had lost its former glory and splendor, not because it lost its ability to defend against foreign invasions, but because it had lost the presence of God. That's why he focused on building the inner wall protecting the temple before any of the residential or commercial areas - he wanted Jerusalem to be a place where God's presence dwelled. Moreover, Nehemiah desired this despite the threat of foreign armies, internal division, and personal struggles.

He asks us today: will you seek the presence of God before anything else? Will you make God your top priority amidst the busy-ness, stress, and worries of your day? Before fixing all your gates, may your heart be a place where the Holy Spirit dwells by placing your trust in Jesus Christ.