This is about so much more than a protective wall around the Church. This is so much more than about serving in the ministry of prayer. The wall is the physical benefit of the work, but the rewards are other than that. Let's talk about what happens when there's a wall of prayer around your church family.
The first reward (and what might be my favorite reward) is this - outsiders recognize God's hand on us. Nehemiah 6:16 talks about what transpired after the work to rebuild was done, and it says, "when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and feel greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God." I mean, come on! Could there be any greater reward for our role in the ministry of the church than for the reputation of God to be made known and for all those who oppose Him or His church, even those who criticize "organized religion" to have to admit that God still loves His Church, God still rewards those who are committed to Him in His Church, and forsaking the assembly is still against the best interest of every Christ Follower?
Second, the work on the wall resulted in great unity. Nehemiah 8:1 tell us "all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate." As ONE Man - they were unified! The people had taken on a massive project, worked together, fought for one another, and in the end they had the same mind, the same heart and the same re-ignited love for the Lord. Praise God!
What unified them was more than the work behind them though - it was the rallying around God Himself and His Word and His Ways. O hear me on this - all the work in the world, every late night and long fight will mean nothing if it doesn't make us love Jesus more. The reward of the work was unity, but it was a unity of love for the Word of God. Nehemiah 8:5 reads, "Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood." Their reverence for the Word of God was renewed. They had not only heard His voice, but it made them hungry to hear from Him more.
They loved the word, and they worshipped God like never before. The passage continues, "Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen,' lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground." Folks, it's starting to sound like a revival, isn't it!?! The Word is exalted and the people are worshiping and humbled because God used them to build His city. And the word was anointed!! Verse 8 tells us "The read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading." There was revelation to the scripture - they understood it!
The next reward is that they experienced the JOY of obeying! Serving wasn't a drudge - it was joyful! They loved to obey the voice of the Lord. O Lord, let it ever be in Your house that we love to serve!
I'm getting carried away! That's a LOT of Exclamation points! But do you realize how many more rewards there are to serving God, and we too often approach asking people to get involved like it's such an inconvenience to their life? NO - it's a joy to serve in the House!
The next reward is that the sound of rejoicing went far and wide. Look at Nehemiah 12:43 - "the JOY of Jerusalem was heard far away." People everywhere will hear the celebration of what God does through people fully devoted to serving Him. What a reputation! What a witness to the greatness of God! What a TON of exclamation points, and I don't even care!!
Finally, we've talked about the reward of serving God in House and doing battle over the church family in prayer. Now, I ask you... what will your legacy be? How do you want the House of God to remember you? Have you ever considered that? I am now.
Nehemiah led a great building project that changed the scenery of the city and the region. It changed the citizens of Jerusalem and of it's surrounding area. And he was a man whose vocation was poison control - a cupbearer for the King. He wasn't a priest or minister or prophet. He didn't go to seminary, nor was he anointed by anyone other than God Himself to do the work. He was humble and he only asked God for three things:
1) Remember me for building the wall and restoring the gates of the city. (13:14)
2) Remember me for the revival that broke out as a result of the work. (13:22)
3) Remember me with favor. (13:30)
What more could anyone hope for? For a servant of God like you and me, wouldn't we want the same things, that same legacy? Lord, remember me for the work that people could see; remember me for results only You could see; remember me in Your grace and favor. I'm just a servant - a servant who loves You and loves Your Church. May it be so of each of us.