As you read through the final chapters in the book of Nehemiah you find that even though the work of rebuilding the city was complete, there was still more work to be done. There was the registry of the people, the reading of the law, the repopulating the city, and so on. When it comes to rebuilding our lives and rebuilding the church, we must understand that the work is never fully completed. There is always things to work on. God is never done with us as long as we are on this earth. There is always much work to be done for His glory. As we consider the continuation of the work, let us consider what the scripture says in 1 Corinthians 15:51-58.

The next thing on God’s prophetic calendar is the rapture of the church. There is coming a day when the trumpet of God will sound and we will be called home to forever be with the Lord. However, as we wait for that day, what are we to do? Are we to just sit around and do nothing? Of course not! We are to serve Him while we are waiting. In verse 58 we have very clear instructions concerning what we are to do as wait for the soon return of Christ.

Be steadfast. To be steadfast is to be unfaltering or unwavering. It is to be faithful in all things. To be steadfast is to be focused. It is to be faithful in the basic things of the Christian life. There are several things that we as believers must be steadfast in. (1) We must be steadfast in daily Bible study and prayer. It is imperative that we spend time in the Word of God and in prayer everyday of our lives. Just hearing a sermon on Sunday morning or going to Sunday School is not enough. We need to feed on God’s Word each and every day. Without it we will starve spiritually. Without it we will not have the power and strength to face the difficulties of this life. Without it we will not have what it takes to survive in these last days. Along with our daily Bible study, we must live a life of prayer. Constant and continual communication with God is necessary in order to be close to God. Prayer is the lifeblood of the believer. We must be steadfast in prayer and in daily Bible study. (2) We must be steadfast in our church involvement. The scripture tells us to ‘not forsake the assembling of ourselves together….but even more so as we see the day approaching.’ As Christians, we need each other. You cannot grow as a Christian without regular fellowship with other believers. The closer we get to the return of Christ, the more we need each other. (3) We must be steadfast in living holy. Look at Ephesians 5:1-17. If we are going to claim to be followers of Christ, then we must live like it. There are many people today who claim to be Christian, yet they live just like the rest of the world. The world should see a difference in us. They should see how the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has changed our lives. I really believe that we are living in a day of sifting. In other words, there is a sifting out of those who have been just playing games. We are living in both the best of times and the worst of times in America today. America is morally bankrupt. We are going down a very slippery slope of sin and depravity. However, we are living in a time when true believers are easily identified. We are living in a time when there is a distinct difference between true believers and the world. As a Christian today, we will face persecution. When we live a holy life today we will stick out like a sore thumb. Those who have been playing games and claiming to be Christians but yet are lost as lost can be will continue to be sucked into the ways of the world. However, true Christians are becoming more and more noticeably different from the rest of the world. As believers, we must not falter or waver. We must stay true to what we believe and not just talk the talk but also walk the walk.

Be unmoveable. To be unmoveable is to be uncompromising. There are some things that we can compromise on. We can compromise on the style of music we use in church or the Bible translation that we use. We can compromise on methods and personal preferences. However, there are some things that we can never compromise on. (1) The inspired Word of God. God has given us a book called the Bible. It is through this book that God has revealed His will and plan for our lives. This book comes from the very breath of God. It has absolutely no error. It is true in every way. Its truths are relevant for every age of time. Therefore, we must be people of the book. We may not like all that God’s Word says, but if God says it that settles it. (2) Creation. The Bible is very clear that God created the world and He did so in six literal days. This is a truth that we cannot compromise on. It does not matter what some scientist tells you, God’s Word is the final authority. Should we study science? Absolutely! However, we must view everything through the lenses of scripture. God’s Word is the final authority in everything. If we compromise on the six literal days of creation, then we must compromise on a lot of other things as well. Therefore, we must be unmoveable when it comes to the fact that God created the world in six days. (3) The virgin birth. The virgin birth is an essential doctrine of our faith. If Jesus was not virgin born, then He would have inherited a sin nature and thus, would not have been the perfect sacrifice for our sin. I believe that you cannot be saved unless you believe in the virgin birth. (4) The reality of heaven and hell. The Bible is very clear that heaven is a real literal place and so is hell. Both of these places are eternal. Heaven is a place that is prepared for everyone. It is God’s desire that all experience the wonders of heaven. Hell is a place reserved for Satan and his demons. It is not designed for human habitation. However, because God is holy and cannot have anything to do with sin, those who fail to trust in Jesus as their Savior will spend eternity in hell. This is a Gospel truth that we must never compromise on. (5) The Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only way. He is our only hope. You cannot escape hell apart from a relationship with Jesus. We must be firm in our belief that Jesus is the only way. There are many other uncompromising truths. However, these are the basics. The bottom line is that as Christians living in these days we must be unmoveable. We must stand strong on what we believe.

Always abounding in the work of the Lord. Nehemiah realized that the work never ceased. There will always be something to do. As the church, there are two basic areas that we are to abound in. (1) Reaching the lost for Christ. God has divinely elected the church to be the means through which the Gospel is declared throughout the whole world. Our primary responsibility is to be salt and light on this earth. We are to make a difference by shining the light of the Gospel to all the world. The saving of lost souls is imperative. (2) Christian discipleship. In addition to reaching the lost for Christ, we are also to abound in the work of helping each other to grow in our walk with God. The church must be a place where believers can learn more of Jesus and also be equipped and trained for the work of the ministry. The church cannot grow without a focus on discipleship.

The work of rebuilding never ceases. There will never come a time on this earth when our work is done. Therefore, we must stay faithful, never compromise, and always abound in the work of the Lord.