THE LIFE OF GREAT MEN: NEHEMIAH & MARTIN LUTHER KING, JNR

1. He defined the reality of the situation

2. He named a vision

3 He prayed about his vision… knew he needed divine help/assistance (Neh 1:4-11)

3. He then engaged the people to accomplish it

4. Utilized Power of Evaluation (Nehemiah 2 : 13)… when you need to rebuild, you must look
into the roots and see why things went wrong, from different realistic angles; analyze possible
solutions and procedures

5. Expressed faith in the face of hate & mockery (Neh 2:19-20)

6. Guard your vision… Exercise caution in our daily living (Nehemiah 2: 12)… When he embarked
on his journey, he told no one what God had laid in his heart to do. We must plan and conquer
silently and men will eventually give glory to God when He perfects His desires for us. Do not be
so eager to share your visions.

Neh 2:16 And the rulers knew not whither I went, or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to
the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest that did the
work.

7. Sell your vision

Neh 2:17 Then said I unto them, Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste,
and the gates thereof are burned with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that
we be no more a reproach.

Neh 2:18 Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me; as also the king's
words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they
strengthened their hands for this good work.
8. Teamwork works (Neh 2:18b) - Let us rise up and build (Chapter 3 was a full team work in
repair of the gates)

9. Use the power of synergy… Neh 2:18c …So they strengthened their hands for this good
work.

8. Watch out for opposition… Nehemiah 2 : 10… sometimes… you do not have to offend to
earn their hate.

9. Stay Prophetic (Neh 2:20)

Neh 2:20 Then answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper us;
therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial,
in Jerusalem.

8. Embrace Grace… (Nehemiah 2: 8) “because the gracious hand of God was upon me,he
granted my requests” It is important to understand that we achieve not by our strength or
strong networks but by grace!

9. Pray always… Nehemiah 2 : 4 Then the king said unto me, For what dost thou make request?
So I prayed to the God of heaven. For counsel, wisdom, and grace

10. Don’t be at ease in Zion… don’t rest on your oars… even in the King’s palace, seek God

11. He did not think self, he thought others… (Neh 1:2) That Hanani, one of my brethren,
came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews that had escaped,
which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

12. Great men take responsibility (Neh 1:6) Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes
open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and
night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which
we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned.

Neh 1:7 We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor
the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.

13. Don’t be distracted from the vision

Neh 6:3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot
come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Act_26:19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision:
13. Don’t be discouraged by the opposition,…

Neh 6:9 - 12 For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work,
that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

13. Great men think others, not about themselves! See Martin Luther King Jnr

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Best known as the leader of the civil rights movement

Paved the way for equality for men and women of color

Born in Atlanta, Georgia

Started as a Baptist minister

Spent his life fighting against segregation and discrimination, spreading a message of hope and
acceptance for all, regardless of skin tone

Championed the power of nonviolent protests, Dr. King fought for equal rights for African
Americans throughout the nation

MLK Day - a federal holiday- third Monday of every January (15 Jan 2024)

1. Broke Barriers With The Birmingham Campaign

During the 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the most racially segregated cities in the
nation, with black residents facing horrendous treatment and discrimination. At the start of
1963, King began what would later become known as the Birmingham Campaign, where
citizens stood together to fight this maltreatment. When adult volunteers ran low, teens and
children joined, which would become the catalyst for a horrific event that would change
history. Eugene Connor, of the Birmingham Police Department, became known nationwide
when he used police dogs and high-powered water jets to attack the children joining the
campaign. The result was Connor losing his job and the municipal government changing the
city’s discrimination and segregation laws.
2. Gave A Speech That Altered The Course Of History

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is arguably best known for his historic “I Have A Dream” speech
which changed hearts and minds forever. Given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in
Washington, DC, in front of over 25,000 people, it is the most famous ad-libbed dialogue ever
spoken. When a member of the audience, Mahalia Jackson, yelled, “tell them about the dream
Martin!” King began speaking of a future that pulled on every heartstring in attendance. The
dream speech is considered the catalyst of the civil rights movement, propelling it forward and
lighting the fire for racial equality across the country.

3. Was The Youngest Person Ever To Receive The Nobel Peace Prize

Thanks to his monumental work in leading non-violent resistance against racial segregation,
King became the youngest recipient ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on October 14th,
1964. Although only thirty-five at the time, his activism work gained popularity due to his
emphasis on peaceful protests and nonviolent social change, proving that love and acceptance
could truly change the world. Dr. King valiantly brought African Americans and white people
together, breaking barriers and showing that humanity is much more than skin deep.

4. Was The Leader Of The Montgomery Bus Boycott

December 1st, 1955, is a day that would mark the beginning of the end of segregation in public
spaces. Rosa Parks famously refused to leave her seat on a city bus for a white person, an act of
civil disobedience that would see her jailed on the grounds of the state’s racial segregation
laws. This event prompted E.D. Nixon to plan a boycott, which Martin Luther King Jr. would
lead. Lasting for an astonishing 385 days, King faced virtually constant persecution, with his
home being bombed, receiving countless threats, and serving jail time. On December 20th,
1956, under intense political and social pressure, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on
public buses was an unconstitutional act, changing the face of public transit forever.

5. Founded the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference)

The Montgomery Bus Boycott not only led to a life-changing U.S. Supreme Court ruling, but it
also inspired Dr. King to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference or SCLC. King
began the conference in 1957 as a way to help coordinate peaceful protests and make them
more impactful. The SCLC played a huge role in the American civil rights movement, aiding in
the organization of demonstrators and coordinating sit-ins, and uniting civil rights activists and
civil rights leaders, all while promoting nonviolence.

6. Led A Great March On Washington

As the representative and founder of the SCLC, King was the leading member of what is known
as the “Big Six” civil rights organizations that were a part of the March on Washington for Jobs
and Freedom on August 28th, 1963. The event was a monumental success, with over 250,000
participants taking to the streets of the Capital in what would historically become the nation’s
largest political rally for human rights. This groundbreaking march is hailed as a catalyst for the
passage of the world-changing Civil Rights Act of 1964.

7. Changed The World Through Peaceful Protest

As the pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, Dr. King was no stranger to preaching love and
nonviolence. Pairing his faith with the inspiration of Mahatma Gandhi’s success through
peaceful activism, Dr. King traveled to India, where he would find clarity on how to lead his
future non-violent civil rights movement. Using acts like civil disobedience, King found great
success, proving to the world that revolutions don’t have to be violent to change history.

Martin Luther King Jr. faced constant backlash for his views on equality, often from white
people who had no problem meeting his nonviolence with violence. He was imprisoned many
times, being forced from his wife, Coretta Scott King, and their children. During his time in jail,
King did not sit idly; he used it to continue his work, even penning the infamous “Letter from
Birmingham Jail,” which highlighted his dedication to the cause. Dr. King also faced backlash
from African American organizations like the NAACP, which condemned him for linking the civil
rights movement to opposition to the Vietnam war. Throughout it all, however, his continued
dedication to equal rights earned the love and support of millions of Americans, earning King
the title of “Man of the Year” in Time Magazine in 1964.

Death

On April 4th, 1968, while standing on a balcony outside the Lorraine Motel in Memphis,
Tennessee, a forty-year-old white man named James Earl Ray shot and Killed Dr. King in an
attempt to put an end to the growing civil rights movement. But even in death, Martin Luther
King Jr’s message had the power to unite, leading to an outpouring of African Americans
fighting for equality and prompting the passing of the Equal Housing Bill and the Voting Rights
Act, which would become a huge civil rights achievement and put a nail in the coffin of racial
segregation. America is forever changed because one man had the bravery to stand against
hate and bring equality through nonviolence, peace, love, and determination.

National Day of Service

MLK Day is also known as a National Day of Service, encouraging volunteerism and
philanthropic activities. People use this day to give back to their communities and remember
Dr. King’s mission to create a world where love and acceptance were the driving force of
everything we do.