Off The Wall

OFF THE WALL

Nehemiah 6:1-16

by Dr. Larry A. Bergeron

Red Bay COG,June 3, 2001 (PM)

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS

Tonight we are going to have a time of testimonies.

OPENING REMARKS

Turn in your Bibles to the Book of Nehemiah (after Ezra, before Esther)

In a few moments we are going to be reading from CHAPTER SIX

How many of you believe Satan’s desire is to destroy the church?

Do you know how he plans to do that ?

The Word says we are not ignorant of His devises,

One of the ways in which Satan likes to destroy the church is keeping it distracted from doing its work.

Please stand as we read God’s word, Nehemiah 6:1-16

1When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates—2Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”

But they were scheming to harm me; 3so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

5Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6in which was written:

“It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king 7and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.”

8I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

9They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”

But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”

10One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”

11But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.

14Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.

15So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

PRAYER

SERMON

Satan wants to keep you OFF THE WALL

The Story of Nehemiah trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem

Nehemiah 2:17-20

17Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” 18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.

They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work.

19But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?”

20I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it.”

Let us start rebuilding . . . so they began this good work

Sanballat, Tobiah, & Geshem mocked and ridiculed

and even offered to help a little . . .

Nehemiah’s response: