Standing up for the Underdog October 24-25, 2020 Matthew 25:35-40

I must fully understand the needs of the underdog.

Nehemiah 2:13, 17 (NIV) By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. ...Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, Love, No Matter What the Race and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of February 22-23, 2020 Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

I must expect resistance from those who don’t understand. Standing Up For the Underdog October 24-25, 2020 Nehemiah 2:19-20 (NIV) Matthew 25:35-40 (MSG) But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” I me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We came to me.’ “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn I must inspire others with my passion and focus. truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NIV) Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in Underdogs in Nehemiah: ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them  The nation of Israel! about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to  Nehemiah himself! me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good  God’s glory! work.

Standing for the Underdog means: Nehemiah 4:6 (NIV) So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people I must be willing to make personal sacrifices. worked with all their heart.

Nehemiah 1:11 – 2:5 (NLT/NIV) I must continually rely on God’s strength, it can get O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who difficult. delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those Nehemiah 4:19-20 (NIV) days I was the king’s cup-bearer. Early the following spring, in the Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the presence. So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my Nehemiah 4:14a (NIV) face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I Lord, who is great and awesome…” answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my I must refuse to quit until the work is done. ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.”

Nehemiah 6:1-4 (NIV) When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it— though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

Nehemiah 6:15-16 (NIV) So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of 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.

I must give God all the glory, honor and praise.

Nehemiah 7:5a (NLT) So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration.

Nehemiah 4:15 (NLT) When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.

Nehemiah 9:5b-6 (NIV) Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

I must ______the needs of the underdog.

Nehemiah 2:13, 17 (NIV) By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. ...Then I Love, No Matter What the Race said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, February 22-23, 2020 and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”

Standing Up For the Underdog I must expect ______from those who October 24-25, 2020 don’t understand.

Matthew 25:35-40 (MSG) Nehemiah 2:19-20 (NIV) I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” I came to me.’ “Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.” prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or I must ______with my ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ passion and focus.

Underdogs in Nehemiah: Nehemiah 2:17-18 (NIV)  The nation of Israel! Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in  Nehemiah himself! ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the  God’s glory! wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to Standing for the Underdog means: me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good

I must be willing to make work. ______. Nehemiah 4:6 (NIV) Nehemiah 1:11 – 2:5 (NLT/NIV) So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people O Lord, please hear my prayer! Listen to the prayers of those of us who worked with all their heart. delight in honoring you. Please grant me success today by making the king favorable to me. Put it into his heart to be kind to me.” In those I must continually ______on days I was the king’s cup-bearer. Early the following spring, in the ______, it can get difficult. month of Nisan, during the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes’ reign, I was serving the king his wine. I had never before appeared sad in his Nehemiah 4:19-20 (NIV) presence. So the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad? You Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from don’t look sick to me. You must be deeply troubled.” I was very much afraid, but I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should my each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the face not look sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!” ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” The king said to me, “What is it you want?” Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I Nehemiah 4:14a (NIV) answered the king, “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the ancestors are buried so that I can rebuild it.” Lord, who is great and awesome…”

I must refuse ______until the work is done.

I must give God ______, honor and praise.

Nehemiah 7:5a (NLT) So my God gave me the idea to call together all the nobles and leaders of the city, along with the ordinary citizens, for registration.

Nehemiah 4:15 (NLT) When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall.