Be On Guard
Griffith Baptist Church – 9/28/08
P.M. Service
Text: Nehemiah 4:7-9
Key verse: Nehemiah 4:9 - Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
The Introduction
Waiting to be interviewed for a job as a wireless operator, a group of applicants paid little attention to the sound of the dots and dashes which began coming over a loudspeaker. Suddenly one of them rushed into the employer’s office. Soon he returned smiling. "I got it!" he exclaimed. "How did you get ahead of us?" they asked. "You might have been considered if you hadn’t been so busy talking that you didn’t hear the manager’s coded message," he replied. "It said, ‘The man I need must always be on the alert. The first one who interprets this and comes directly into my private office will be hired.’"
Being alert has its advantages and no disadvantages
We should always be people who care to look around us and keep the watch against the enemy
Here, we have Sanballat back again
• This guy has anger management issues
• Here again, the forces of evil convene against those doing God’s work
• God’s work is never without it’s detractors
• Their attack was three-fold:
o Conspire – scheming together
o Attack – physical, spiritual and verbal
o Hinder - do everything to keep from succeeding
Sounds a lot like the enemy today.
Nehemiah and the workers determined to finish the job and keep going
To do this, they had to keep alert, to stay guarded
It is no different today for us.
Transition Statement: First, what are we to guard?
Body
1. What Are We To Guard?
A. Our Heart
i. Proverbs 4:23 – Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
a. It is where your true motivations and loyalties lie
b. It eventually comes to the surface in actions and attitudes (Matt. 12:34-35)
ii. We are not as strong as we think we are - Mark 14:38 – Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.
iii. It is all downhill when the heart goes astray - James 1:14-15 - 14But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 16Do not err, my beloved brethren.
B. Our Conscience
i. One comic strip character said of his conscience: “Every time I listen to that thing, I end up ruinin’ my relaxin’!”
ii. This is the part of our spirit that speaks to us over right and wrong
a. It gives the green light when all is safe
b. It gives the red light when there is danger
c. It gives the yellow light to proceed with caution
d. It is the indispensable tool that God uses to speak to us when we sin (guilt, shame, etc)
iii. 1 Peter 3:16, 21 – 16Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. 18For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 21The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:
iv. Your conscience can be corrupted and unresponsive (1 Tim. 4:2; Titus 1:15)
C. Our Testimony
i. Satan would love nothing better than to have us ruin our testimony before others
a. Cause us to sin openly
b. Reacting in the flesh instead of the spirit
c. Thinking carnally instead of spiritually
ii. Psalms 51:10-13 - 10Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
iii. There is nothing more precious to you before the world than a clear testimony
iv. A clear testimony is this:
a. A consistent walk with God
b. An open relationship with God that the world can see
c. Actions, attitudes and reactions that are God honoring
d. When sin does occur, that it is made right with God, and when appropriate, with others (there is nothing wrong with admitting and forsaking your sin and everything wrong with ignoring it)
Transition Statement: Second, we have to be careful about letting down our guard, because it is very easy to do.
2. Letting Down Our Guard
A. Compromise
i. Boat Compromise" My friend wanted a boat more than anything. His wife kept refusing, but he bought one anyway. "I’ll tell you what," he told her, "In the spirit of compromise, why don’t you name the boat?" Being a good sport, she accepted. When her husband went to the dock for his maiden voyage, this is the name he saw painted on the side: "For Sale." Copied from: http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
ii. Matthew 6:24 – No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
iii. We have to be careful that we are not trying to please the flesh and the Lord, because that cannot happen
iv. God wants us focused and 100% loyal
v. We cannot be found cooperating with the enemy and doing God’s work
B. Comfortable
i. I heard about a man whose family sent him to the doctor because he constantly complained of being too sick to work. The doctor examined his patient, then told him to get dressed and meet him in his office. When the man came into the office and sat down, he said, “Give it to me straight, doc. Don’t use any complicated, fancy sounding medical terms. My family wants the truth in plain English. What’s wrong with me? “All right,” the doctor said. “I’ll make it as plain as I can. There isn’t a thing wrong with you. You’re just lazy.” The man sat silent for a moment, then said, “I see. Now will you give me a complicated, fancy sounding medical term I can tell my family?”
ii. Proverbs 6:10-11 – 10Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 11So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.
iii. This is a nice way of saying, don’t be lazy, lax,
C. Carelessness
i. Matthew 7:26-27 - 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
ii. We should never become half-hearted in our work for the Lord
iii. We can let down our guard in this area by:
a. Doing a halfway job
b. Not being concerned with how it will affect others around us
c. Not considering the effect on the future, not planning ahead
Transition Statement: Last, what four things do we need to do to keep up our guard?
3. Keeping Up Our Guard
A. Communicate with the Father
i. 1 Peter 4:7 – But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
ii. Prayer is the vital link to the commander in chief of our souls
a. Titus 2:12 - Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
b. Living soberly “suggests the exercise of that self-restraint that governs all passions and desires, enabling the believer to be conformed to the mind of Christ.” (Vines)
c. We have to bring ourselves into discipline
d. The enemy is everywhere and is tricky
B. Expect anything at all times
i. 1 Peter 5:8 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
ii. Satan will throw things at us that are designed to consume us.
iii. We should never for a moment think that Satan is resting. He works harder than we do to defeat us.
iv. Satan works through:
a. People
b. Circumstances
c. Attitudes
d. False doctrine
C. Don’t get distracted by the small stuff
i. Proverbs 3:5-6 – 5Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
ii. Most of our distractions in life don’t come from big things, but an accumulation of small things that build up
iii. With God, there are no big problems.
D. Keep working
i. John 9:4 – I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
ii. Don’t stop work for God just because of a little rough spot here and there.
iii. Our principles of work are these:
a. Work is lighter when it is done as a team (no lone ranger)
b. Always keep your eyes pointed to the cross
c. Follow instructions exactly as they are given
d. Be satisfied only when the work is completed correctly
My Soul, Be On Thy Guard - My soul, be on thy guard; Ten thousand foes arise; The hosts of sin are pressing hard To draw thee from the skies. O watch, and fight, and pray; The battle ne’er give o’er; Renew it boldly every day, And help divine implore. Never think the victory won, Nor lay thine armor down; The work of faith will not be done, Till thou obtain the crown.
Conclusion:
Are you keeping alert?
Have you let your guard down?
Has the enemy sneaked in and discouraged you?
Are you stopped or slowed down in your work?
