Every session has a point—what each participant should walk away from the discussion knowing, feeling, and doing.

• We can experience the power of unity as God’s people when everyone fully participates in serving alongside one another.
• To know everyone can play a part in serving with God’s people.
• To feel inspired to serve alongside God’s people.
• To grow in unity with God’s people by fully participating in service with one another.

When have you noticed the energy at a large sporting event, concert, or worship service? What was the event, and how did it make you feel?

Large gatherings aren’t for everyone, but there is something powerful about a mass of people engaging in the same activity while in close proximity to one another. In this session, Eric will share how the whole community of Israelites in Jerusalem came together in unity to rebuild the city walls. This monumental task required each person to participate in the construction project. We’ll see how Nehemiah 3 displays the power of unity that God wants all his people to experience.

Read Nehemiah 3:1–32. 

Watch Session 3: Nehemiah 3 (12 minutes).

Nehemiah 3 shows us how much God’s people can accomplish when they come together and work under a unified purpose. Each person had a valuable role and responsibility to repair the broken wall.

The chapter starts with the repair of the Sheep Gate in verse 1. By verse 32, the Israelites had worked their way counterclockwise around the city walls to end where they started—at the Sheep Gate. The author intentionally references the gate twice to show the extent of the damage. The destruction impacted the entire city. What difference does it make to your reading of this chapter to know how extensive the rebuilding effort was?

As Eric mentioned, the author repeats the word “repair” or “rebuilt” all throughout the passage to emphasize the unified effort to rebuild the wall. Israel had to work together. What stands out to you about the unity of the Israelites in this chapter, and why?

When have you seen people work in a unified way like Israel? How did their unity impact what they were working on?

Israel in this chapter gives us an example of what unity as God’s people can look like. Eric pointed out that coming together as the church is a daunting task today not only because we represent Christ, who is perfect, but also because people have been drawn away from gathering for various reasons. In what ways is it difficult for the church to be unified? What do you think could help us come together?

A key element of unity is leadership. When people need to come together, the leaders set the tone. This passage gives us two contrasting examples of leadership: Eliashib in verse 1 and the nobles of Tekoa in verse 5. One promoted unity, the other division. In what ways have you seen a leader impact the unity of a group or team?

Eliashib was Israel’s top leader as the high priest, yet his position did not prevent him from getting his hands dirty. He humbled himself and led by example. What leadership characteristics do you admire the most from good leaders in your life? How can you implement what you have learned from them in your interactions with others?

Eliashib showed his level of commitment to the people by helping with construction. But, according to verse 5, the nobles of Tekoa refused to help. We are not told why they would not help, but because they were affluent leaders, they might have thought the work was beneath them. Eric said, “Some people think they are too high and mighty for the work.” Undoubtedly, a pompous attitude would have threatened unity among God’s people. How have you seen pride cause divisiveness in a group of people?

What are some ways you can prevent pride within yourself from creating division?

With the threat of disunity looming among leaders in the community, the people came together and each played their part in the rebuilding project.

There were many different types of people represented in the rebuilding of the wall. Here is a breakdown of some of the diversity represented in the project:

• People from different towns (v. 7)
• Various professions (v. 8)
• Government leaders (v. 9)
• Families (v. 12)
• Faith leaders (v. 21)

The workers’ different backgrounds show us that everyone who helped had their own unique skills, but they were all unified in the same task of restoring the wall. How would you describe the attitude of the people that helped repair the wall?

This passage points to how some instances require us to step in and help whether or not the task is something we want to do or feel gifted to do. Why do you think we sometimes avoid stepping in and helping where we see a need? What could it look like to meet needs even if we don’t feel like it or don’t feel gifted to help?

Eric mentioned that there are some things we can’t do as God’s people unless everyone pitches in and helps. We need each other. What are some areas where we need to lean on one another as God’s people? What do we miss out on when we don’t work together?

We see in this passage that the whole group of Israelites was made up of individuals all playing their part. We’re also individual members of a group—the church. We each have value to contribute to the Body of Christ. Do you feel like you have a valuable role to play among God’s people? Why, or why not?

We might not have a reconstruction project to unify us, but Eric said we are “positionally unified” through Christ’s work on the cross. We are one family. In what ways do you see the church today acting like a unified family? In what ways does the church not act like a family?

Eric shared that the mission to rebuild the wall provided an opportunity for the unity Israel shared internally as God’s people to be experienced externally. When have you felt most unified with other Christians? Why do you think you felt closer to them?

The work of restoration was vast and required each person to fully participate, so the Israelites repaired the portions of the wall closest to their own homes. They each jumped in and met a need in close proximity to them. Much like the Israelites in this passage, sometimes achieving unity requires us to meet needs right in front of us. What needs do you see in your church, community, or neighborhood that you could meet? How might your group seek to meet a need in your church or community?

God calls his people to be unified. As we saw in this session, a great way to pursue unity is through serving alongside one another. How might serving alongside one another unify your group? In what ways can you help promote unity in your community, church, or home this week?

Last Word

Nehemiah 3 gives us a hopeful picture of what can happen when we come together. Our unity can sometimes be challenged by our pride, lack of willingness to serve, or by not knowing how we can contribute. But we know God has already unified us through Jesus, and he provides opportunities for us as the church to rally around meeting needs and serving together. We can experience unity as God’s people—but we have to be willing to do our part.

This week, consider the unity—or lack of unity—in your small group or church. How could you help promote unity? How could you serve? Pray for unity and see what God has in store for you!