Hinderances To The Work Of God

Introduction:What has happened prior to chapter 4?

a.Chapter 1 The Report-v.1-3 Nehemiah learns of the condition of Jerusalem.The city has been destroyed.

b.Chapter 2 The Request-v.1-5 The report causes Nehemiah to be sad and the king noticed this.Verse 5 he requests leave to go back and build.

c.Chapter 3 The Repairs-The work is divided by the 10 gates with each gate having their own leader.Here we see God’s people at work together with a common cause.

Now we come to chapter 4 where the trouble begins.Do we think the Devil is going to sit back and watch us do a work for God without trying to hinder us? My text verse is verse 8,notice the word hinder.It means to stop or interupt, prevent from moving forward.2Cor.2:11 Paul said we are not ignorant concerning Satan’s devices.There are things he will use against us to hinder the work of God.It is not the drunk on the street or the drug addict that the church is being hindered by , it is our own selves.We have seen the enemy and it is us. What is the Devil using in these days to hinder the church of Jesus Christ?

#1.Lack of prayer-look at verse 9 these people were praying.We want souls to be saved,our churches to grow ,our children to live for God but we do not pray.

a.1Sam.12:23 sin not to pray.

b.1Tim.2:1-3 pray for everyone.

c.Luke 18:1 Jesus said men ought always to pray and not to faint.The word faint means to lose heart,sink in dejection,and to lose courage or spirit.

d.Ephesians 6:18-praying always

e.Matthew 26:41-watch and pray

Do we really have a prayer life?

#2. Listening to the adversaries Neh.4:1-6 The enemies of God began to ridicule. Shakesphere said that ridicule is the paper bullets of the brain. How were they ridiculed?

a. workers were ridiculed-v.2 they were called feeble Jews. The word feeble means withered or miserable.

b. the work was ridiculed- four questions were asked in verse 2 beginning with the words "will they". People

may hurt us with their words but they can’t harm us. What they were saying in verse 2 is that it is going to take more than prayer and worship to build this city

back. Get back to work, don’t listen to the adversary.

#3. Leader is not trusted- Nehemiah was a great leader

and was well trusted by the people. How many churches

are not willing to trust their pastor as he leads them

in building a work for God. The enemy tried to use fear

against God’s people. It is strange how God’s people have a hard time working together, but the world can unite against God, as evidenced here. From the north,

Sanballat and the Samaratians, from the east Tobiah and the Ammonites,the south Geshom and the Arabs, the west Ashdodites who were the Philistines. They were surrounded by the enemy. Now is the time to look to their leader, and they did! In verse 14 Nehemiah said,

be not afraid of them, remember the Lord. Thank God for

a leader like that, one worthy to be trusted. Under his

leadership the walls of Jerusalem were finished in 52

days.

#4. Loyalty is not present-chap.6:17-18 Some of the leaders of the noble tribe of Judah had sided with Tobiah and the Bible says they were sworn to him, which means they were friends and allies. In chapter 6:1 Nehemiah calls Tobiah the enemy. The reason why these leaders were friends of Tobiah was because he and his son had married daughters of Israel. This brought Nehemiah much grief and discouragement. We

should be loyal to our Saviour. IICorinthians 6:14-18

tells us we are to be separate in our lives, which means we are to be different. We are told by Jesus to

be a shining light, like a lighthouse that never blows

its horn but just shines.

Conclusion: The greatest work on this earth is the work of the Lord. Let’s make sure we do everything to

promote it and nothing to hinder it!