10,000 Bricks: Firm Against The False Series

10,000 BRICKS: FIRM AGAINST THE FALSE

Nehemiah 6:1-19

#10000bricks

INTRODUCTION… christianpost.com (January 2026)

I am going to start this morning by making you depressed, angry, fed-up, and perhaps disillusioned. I am going to read some headlines from the Christian Post from January 2026 from the “church and ministries” section. Just one news site. Just one month from the churches and ministry section. I will not read all that I found. It is my hope and prayer that I bring it all around eventually to hope.

“Ohio women sue UMC entities, claim they failed to properly respond to grooming, sexual abuse”

“Shawn Bolz and false prophets: 4 ways data harvesting has been used”

“Bethel Church admits failures after Mike Winger's exposé reveals prophetic deception”

“Pastor Landon Schott says God has forgiven Gateway founder Robert Morris, looking to Easter release”

“Conservative denomination excommunicates pastor for supporting white supremacy”

“Pastor Chris Reed accused of addiction to kratom by former church members”

“Fount Church NYC pastors under fire over remote leadership, allegations of excessive spending”

“Pastor Rick Olmstead resigns after past incident of taking unsolicited photos of young women at Trader Joe's resurfaces”

“Pastor Sam Collier restored to ministry after allegations of extortion by trans-identified male prostitute”

“After months of confusion, Northern Seminary and first black president agree to part ways”

“Philip Yancey admits extramarital affair, will step away from ministry work to focus on marriage”

Those are a limited number of headlines from the United States from January 2026 from one news source. I read over those headlines and read some of the attached articles and I shake my head in judgment. I also then wonder how far off I am from such things for temptation and sin wind their way into every heart. I feel like there are a whole lot of false prophets and false teachers running around out there. I feel like there are a whole lot of people who are in Christian ministry who should NOT be. That sentiment relates to our passage today in Nehemiah 6.

SUMMARY

We are making our way through the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Nehemiah is rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, but it is not an effort that everyone appreciates. There is opposition. Chapter 4 was about opposition from outside forces. Chapter 5 was about sin that was hurting the work of God within God’s people of Israel. Chapter 6, where we are now, is a combination of the two. The opposition to the work continues as Nehemiah deals with threats. We are going to split Nehemiah 6 into two messages.

Before we read Nehemiah 6, I want to preview it with you with one major thought that I think we will find: Not every voice that sounds spiritual speaks for God. Scripture repeatedly warns us that false prophets don’t usually show up smelling like death waving red flags with skull and bones on it, but they often come sounding reasonable, religious, and even concerned for our safety. They are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” as Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:15. Other phrases and words just like Jesus’ word picture: “snake in the grass,” “smiling villain,” “sleeper agent,” “charlatan,” imposter,” “phony” or “trickster.”

In Nehemiah 6, Jerusalem’s wall is almost finished. The people have been focused and working hard. The work is going well. In the past couple of chapters, Sanballat, Tobiah, and the surrounding peoples have failed to stop the rebuilding through ridicule, threats, and violence. They failed so they pivoted their efforts. Instead of attacking Nehemiah openly, they attempt to be sneaky with deception, fear, and false prophecy.

Nehemiah 6 shows us a masterclass in spiritual discernment.

Our time together in God’s word this morning is about: spiritual discernment.

Our time together in God’s word this morning is about: being firm against the false.

This chapter shows us how false teachers operate.

This chapter shows us how we should respond.

TRANSITION

Let’s read from Nehemiah 6. We won’t read it all at once today, but we will read a little bit at a time making our way through the chapter.

DISTRACTION FROM GOD’S CALL (verses 1-4)

READ NEHEMIAH 6:1-4 (ESV)

Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.