On Preaching and Pastoring, Volume 3

After being allowed to return to Jerusalem from exile, the people of Israel found the city run-down and its wall in ruins. When Nehemiah, then cupbearer to the king in Persian court at Susa, heard this news, God moved him to travel to the city. There he led a rebuilding effort that would see not only the walls reconstructed but also the right worship of God reinstituted and the people rededicated to obedience to God’s law.

In this third On Preaching and Pastoring series, Alistair Begg considers the lessons pastors have to learn from Nehemiah’s example of leadership. In establishing a vision for the rebuilding efforts, encouraging participation, confronting opposition, and addressing the people’s disobedience, Nehemiah prayerfully depended on God, knowing that He is the only one who makes any work—including the work of God’s people today—prosper.