REBUILDING THE GATES

Nehemiah 2:17 – “Then I said to them, ‘You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.’”

Nehemiah 2:18 – “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So, they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work.”

The Holy Spirit has come with the promise of the King:

Joel 2:25a – “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten.”

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

“January 2021, 50% of Americans were Bible users, the highest number in four years.” – American Bible Society

“Self-ratings on mental health declined in every demographic except one: weekly church attenders.” – Gallop poll on mental health

1. REBUILD THE GATE OF PRAISE

Isaiah 60:18 – “Violence shall no longer be heard in your land, neither wasting nor destruction within your borders; but you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.”

Praise – Tehillah – sing songs of praise, spontaneous singing in the Spirit

Psalm 100:4a – “Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise.”

Thanksgiving – Towdah – a sacrifice of praise, to thank God by faith for things not yet manifest

Isaiah 61:3a – “To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.”

Psalm 150:6 – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”

Psalm 34:1 – “I will bless the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”

2. REBUILD THE GATE OF HOSPITALITY

Romans 12:13 – “Distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”

1 Peter 4:9 – “Be hospitable to one another, without grumbling.”

Hospitality – Philoxenos – friendly to strangers or guests

Hospitality welcomes people with warmth and belonging.

Welcoming, accepting, belonging, hospitable, caring

Hospitality – the experience of being enfolded into a family

“That was awesome! There was love there.” – Grant

Ephesians 2:19 – “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

Matthew 25:35 (ESV) – “For I was hungry, and you gave Me food, I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me.”

3. REBUILD THE GATE OF MINISTRY

Ephesians 2:13 – “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

Ephesians 2:14 – “For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation.”

There is a place of service for every believer in the Body of Christ.

Mark 9:35 – “And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, ‘If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.’”

Mark 10:43 – “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.”

Mark 10:45 – “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Discussion Questions:

1. Is there something you have lost during this pandemic, that God is wanting to restore?

2. Do you sometimes feel awkward or self-conscious praising the Lord out loud? Why or why not?

3. Have you experienced a breakthrough in your life through the power of praise? If yes, could you share that?

4. Do you find it difficult to welcome newcomers to Joy Church? Why or why not?

5. Why is hospitality so important in the Body of Christ, especially now?

6. Have you found a place of service in the Body of Christ? Are you serving with joy?