Sunday Evening March 29, 2015 at the Heritage Addition church of Christ located in Booneville, AR.

1. The city large & great, but the people were few
therein
Heritage Addition church of Christ
By Jim Bradshaw Sunday PM March 29, 2015

2. A few cities have shrunk
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
•Location of the
Manhattan Project
•Population swelled to
75,000 during WWII
•Today’s population is
approximately 28,000.

3. Read Nehemiah 7:1-4

4. When the Wall was Built
Neh 7:1 NKJV Then it was, when the wall was built and I
had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers,
and the Levites had been appointed,
The wall was re-built at a tremendous cost, however, the
work was not finished just because the wall was
complete.

5. Parallels with the church
Matthew 16:16-19 NASB Simon Peter answered, "You are
the Christ, the Son of the living God." (17) And Jesus said to
him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and
blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in
heaven. (18) "I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon
this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will
not overpower it. (19) "I will give you the keys of the
kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall
have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on
earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

6. Parallels with the church
Eph 2:19-22 NKJV Now, therefore, you are no longer
strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints
and members of the household of God, (20) having been
built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, (21) in whom
the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy
temple in the Lord, (22) in whom you also are being built
together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

7. City Large but the People are Few
Neh 7:4 NKJV Now the
city was large and
spacious, but the people
in it were few, and the
houses were not rebuilt.
The walled city of
Jerusalem was large.
Only about 50,000 were
present.

8. City Large but the People are Few
Mat 7:13-14 NKJV "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the
gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and
there are many who go in by it. (14) Because narrow is the
gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are
few who find it.

9. The World is Large
Act 1:15 NKJV And in those days Peter stood up in the midst
of the disciples (altogether the number of names was about
a hundred and twenty), and said,
Col 1:23 NKJV if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded
and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the
gospel which you heard, which was preached to every
creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

10. We must preach the Gospel
Mar 16:15-16 NKJV And He said to them, "Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature. (16) He who
believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned.
Mat 9:36-38 NKJV But when He saw the multitudes, He was
moved with compassion for them, because they were weary
and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. (37) Then He
said to His disciples, "The harvest truly is plentiful, but the
laborers are few. (38) Therefore pray the Lord of the
harvest to send out laborers into His harvest."

11. How Do we Reach the World?
Read Nehemiah 8:1-8

12. Standing up for the Word
Rom 1:16 NKJV For I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone
who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Rom 10:17 NKJV So then faith comes by hearing, and
hearing by the word of God.
2Ti 2:15 NKJV Be diligent to present yourself approved to
God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth.

13. Standing up for the Word
2Ti 3:15-17 NKJV and that from childhood you have known
the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (16) All
Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, (17) that the man of God may be complete,
thoroughly equipped for every good work.
2Th 2:14-15 NKJV to which He called you by our gospel, for
the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (15)
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which
you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.