Fight for Your Family
City Without Walls
In the 1980 there was
a lot of talk about the “Greenhouse Effect”
Many Christians were
pulling away from social structures
And focusing on
communities
Families were moving
to locations
Where they could be a
self-sufficient community
Isolation seemed to
be the answer for protecting the family
Although we are to
protect our children
We are to prepare
them to go out into the world and make disciples
Because God so loved the world He gave His only
Son
God is calling us to
do the same
To send our children
out as strong mature followers of God’s Son
In Zechariah 2:3-5 we
read
"Run, tell that young man,
'Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and
livestock in it. And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,'
declares the LORD, 'and I will be its
glory within.'
tell that young man, 'Jerusalem will
be a city without walls
The City of God is open to “all people”
Not for the people to
change the city, but the City of God to change the people
City Without Walls
In the 1980 there was a lot of
talk about the “Greenhouse Effect”.
Many Christians were pulling away from
social structures and focusing on communities.
Families were moving to locations where
they could be a self-sufficient community.
Many churches were adopting
the word “Community” in their
church name and in practice.
Families were taking their children out of
the public schools to be homeschooled.
Isolation seemed to be the
answer for protecting the family.
We also seen a shift in focus from the
mature and elderly to a focus on youth.
In some ways this movement has lowered
the respect of our youth for the mature.
It even has resulted in children taking
their parents to court to remove
their authority in their lives.
Nehemiah in the end realized no wall,
no shielded
“Greenhouse”
could protect the family.
The last chapter of Nehemiah reveals
the House of the Lord being neglected.
Businesses were taking the place of worship
and intermarriage was making it difficult
to communicate as the children were
growing up learning another language.
Three times Nehemiah says…
“Remember me with Favor,
O my God”
“Show mercy to me”.
He ends the book with those words.
Why? Maybe it was his disappointment
to see he was not able to accomplish his
goal of a wall that would protect the city and
bring the people into a place of worship.
If we fast forward to the New Testament,
we see Jesus broke
down walls.
Jesus came to break down the
wall that divides Jews and Gentiles…
For he is our peace,
who hath made both one,
and hath broken down
the middle
wall of partition
between us
Ephesians 2:14
KJV
Christ has given a baptism into His Spirit that
makes one body both Jews and Greeks or Gentiles.
1 Corinthians
12:13
God has intended for you and your family
to be in the world, but not of the world.
The early church was growing
fast and a tight community.
But God’s commission
was to…
“Go into all the world
and
make disciple of all
nations.”
Our children, our families, are to be
equipped to go into the world and
make a difference for Christ.
The question is…
Will our children
become like
the world or the world like Christ?
Psalms 127:3-5 tells
us…
Sons are a heritage
from the LORD,
children a reward from
him.
Like arrows in the
hands of a warrior
are sons born in one's
youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put
to shame when they
contend with their
enemies in the gate.
God so loved the world
that He
gave His only begotten
Son.
God wants us as parents to do the same.
Raise our children, our family, to shoot them
out into the world to make a difference.
The Kingdom of God is the only
answer for radical division,
gender identity and freedom,
the political division of left and right.
God has always been about unity.
There is only one hope of unity and peace.
It comes through the
Creator of us who said…
“Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth”
with family.
In Zechariah 2:3-5 we read…
…another angel came to
meet him and said to him:
"Run, tell that
young man,
'Jerusalem will be a
city without walls
because of the great
number of men and livestock in it.
And I myself will be a
wall of fire around it,' declares the LORD,
'and I will be its
glory within.'
tell that young man, 'Jerusalem
will be a city without walls
The City of God is open to “all people”.
Not for the people to change the city,
but the City of God
to change the people.
The only wall we need is Christ.
Our responsibility is to lead our children
to Christ, show them of His love.
Nehemiah had the Law of the Lord read.
The Law of the Lord is
perfect…
But it is not if we
do not know the Law Giver;
knowing the law will
do us little good.
As parents be careful you don’t
over protect your children.
Prepare your children to go confidently
into the world and share Christ and
the wonderful Kingdom He rules over.
Scripture Reading
Nehemiah 13:14 NIV
14 Remember me for this, O my God,
and do not blot out what
I have so faithfully done
for the house of my God and its services.
Nehemiah 13:22 NIV
Remember me for this also, O my God,
and show mercy to me according to your great love.
Nehemiah 13:30-31 NIV
30 So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything
foreign, and assigned them duties, each to his own task. 31 I also made
provision for contributions of wood at designated times, and for the firstfruits.
Remember me with favor, O my God.
