Swing Wide the Gates, pt. 2

Nehemiah 3

The work has already started.  There, I said a dirty, four letter word.  I like work.  I can sit and watch it for hours!

But these people on the wall worked and worked hard.  And the key to success today is still hard work.  Success is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

Musk and DOGE are removing people who don’t want to work.  They are a waste.  They don’t want to ever leave their home.

The founder of Holiday Inn, a Christian, said his father told him to be a success you just have to work half a day.  Does that sound right?  His dad went on to say, it can be the first 12 hours or the last!

Nehemiah 4:6
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.

We have seen the symbolism and rich meaning behind the first 3 gates of Jerusalem's 12 gates.  The sheep gate reminded us of Jesus, the Lamb of God.  The fish gate speaks of soul winning, being fishers of men.  The old gate led to the new quarter and in irony we remember that the old message never changes, though methods may change. 

4.     The valley gate.

v. 13        It opened to a low place, the valley of Hinnom.  Every believer needs this gate, which speaks of humility. 

1 Peter 5:5-6
⁵ Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

God resists us or pushes us away when we live in pride, but when we walk in humility His grace comes rushing into our lives.  God hates pride.  It is a most deceitful sin, well hidden to the person who lives in it. 

Pride is an attitude of independence from God / self sufficiency.  Here's 6 symptoms of pride.  Take this quiz.  Should you be diagnosed w/ pride based on these symptoms?

• Becoming irritated when corrected.  This person is defensive and cannot accept that they could be wrong or that someone else could know something that they don't.

ill.--2 preachers stood on a road holding signs that said, “The End is Near!”  A driver screeched to a stop and angrily said, "You religious fanatics, why don't you get a life!"  A few minutes later the man came walking back in the other direction, soaking wet.  He didn't even look their way.  After he had passed one preacher said to the other, "You think we should change our signs to "Bridge Out Ahead"?

Know anyone who just can't take advice?  It's a symptom of pride.  Go thru the valley gate.

• Taking credit for things you don't control.  For example, do you have a high IQ?  If so, you were born with that and shouldn't look down your nose at others.  Have talents or good looks?  There's no cause to be proud of that, you had nothing to do with it.

ill.--a woman asked the pastor for counseling.  She said it was her besetting sin, that she has noticed she is the most beautiful woman in the church, and can't help but notice that no other ladies can even hold a candle to her beauty.  "What can I do about this sin?"  He replied, "Oh dear lady, that's not a sin...just a mistake!"

Spurgeon said, "Be not proud of race, face, place, or grace."  It's ok to be thankful for advantages you have, but not prideful.

• Making excuses.  This person always has a reason or explanation why it really isn't true or isn't their fault.
• Not seeking counsel.  To not ask advice is a symptom of pride.

ill.--in the 50s an airplane flew over Alaska with 6 on board.  They were in a fierce snowstorm.  The navigator thought they might be off course and contacted an airbase.  The radio controller said indeed they were hundreds of miles off course.  They gave the navigator the correct coordinates to fly by.  He said, there's no way we're off by that much, and went by his gut.  He was wrong.  They eventually ran out of fuel.  They parachuted but landed in conditions of 50 degrees below zero and all died, their bodies found 3 days later.

Proverbs 12:15
¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

• Victim's mentality.  Bitterness over something God hasn't given you, or feeling you got a raw deal is a symptom of pride.  If you feel something is owed to you that is a self centered symptom of pride.  Life isn't fair, and we have no real rights.  The entitlement mindset permeates America today.  Let's remember that if we got what we deserved we would be in hell right now!  Anything short of that is only by the grace of God.

• Unhealthy sense of competition.  Some people have more stuff than they can afford because of pride.  They want to feel like they are in a class they are not in.

ill.--one salesman made hundreds of sales by saying, "Let me show you something your neighbors say you can't afford."

Proverbs 16:5
⁵ Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

If there was no pride there would be no devil.  Lucifer exercised pride in wanting to be like God.  It was pride that plunged the human race into sin.  Pride was the bait on the hook for Eve.  She wouldn't have done that just for a bite of juicy fruit. [not gum]  Satan said to her, take it, you'll be like God!  This means that all sin in the world was caused by pride.  Every rape, murder, theft, etc.  Pride caused it all!  We need a valley gate in our lives.  We will fight this problem all of our lives until heaven.  Pride is not dead until YOU are!

ill.--in 1958 the most famous bullfighter in Spain was named Jose, and was 21 years old.  He was the most successful, well known matador of his day.  He died on a day when he struck the bull w/ his sword, and thinking it was dead he turned his back on the bull to receive his applause.  But in an instant the bull rose and gored him thru the back, puncturing his heart. 

    The lesson?  Never turn your back on pride because as soon as you think you've got it whipped it will rise up and stab you in the back!  Another sign of pride is if you could diagnose someone else with pride as you heard the symptoms but you can’t see it in yourself.

According to these symptoms, can you be diagnosed w/ pride?  Is there anyone who cannot?

5. The Dung Gate.

v. 14    This was where the garbage was carried out.  It led to the dump.  It may not have a nice name but it provided a very valuable service.  This reminds us of repentance.  It is important to take out the trash in our lives.

2 Corinthians 7:1
¹ Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

What is the garbage in our lives? Galatians 5 gives us a list of the works of the flesh which we are to dispose of.

Galatians 5:19-21
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like:

I'm always amazed at how much literal garbage we make at our house.  Every week we carry in 5 sacks of groceries and carry out 10 sacks of garbage!  And if not careful, the devil will cause our lives to stack up w/ a bunch of trash!  It's hoarding of the worst kind!

Gal. 5 gives us a list of 17 works of the flesh, a catalog of corruption.  This is the garbage God wants out, and the only exit is the dung gate. 

The first 4 are sexual sins.  Adultery is sex outside of marriage.  Fornication is premarital sex.  Uncleanness is a dirty thought life, porn, movie channels, etc.  Lasciviousness means no sense of shame, no sense of disgrace.  Much of TV today falls in the Jerry Springer category and we can't look away...everyone likes to watch a train wreck but it doesn't deserve our attention. 

What do we say to these sexual sins?  Today most say, well, everyone's doing it, but the Bible says 'follow not a multitude to do evil.'  Even Christians justify pumping the movie channels into their homes, claiming they can control it, but the Bible says not to make any provision for the flesh.

Idolatry is anything you put before God.  Witchcraft [farmacia] is the idea of drugs.  V. 20 continues w/ all kinds of internal sins and unhealthy emotional feelings and false beliefs.  Notice that drunkenness is mentioned as a sin, not a disease.  Revellings is the party scene.

God says to take out the garbage!

6. The fountain gate.

v. 15  It was located near the Gihon spring.  This fed the water system of the entire city.  Water for drinking is symbolic of the Holy Spirit.

John 7:37-39
³⁷ ...Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
³⁸ He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
³⁹ (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Notice the progression.  The valley gate stood for humility.  The dung gate is repentance.  Now the fountain gate, which is Spirit fullness.  We must humble ourselves, repent and be emptied, and then we can be filled w/ the Spirit!  You can't fill something that's already full of something else.

ill.--you can't force a baby to eat.  If they are full you can't get the spoon past those iron lips.  You can't sneak it in, they'll turn at the last second and get it in the ear.  And the Holy Spirit of God won't force Himself on baby Christians.  Only those who are hungry for it will ever experience it.

    The Bible says open your mouth and I will fill it.  I want to be like a little bird in the nest w/ mouth open wide for my Heavenly Father.

[review and preview slide -- last 4 gates next time!]