REBUILDING FAITH
Seven Steps to Experiencing a Renewal of Faith
by Rev. Michael R. Hodge
Session Four: “Staying the Course” (United Focus)
Scripture Focus: Nehemiah 6:1-4, 10-16
Source: One of the resources in this week’s session is a message by Pastor Brian Bill of Pontiac Bible Church in Illinois. His message “Dealing with Distractions” helped to give structure to several of these points.
Notes for the Leader: In this session our study will turn towards the positive steps we can take in rebuilding faith. Building upon last week’s session of “Believing God’s Faithfulness”, now we are moving forward with this week’s material based on Step Four – United Focus. I pray that this session will open the eyes of your group to the need for a real resolve in seeking God on a daily basis. Real growth in faith will only come as we “Stay the Course” in our walk with Christ.
Session Introduction
Pass by a golf course on any sunny afternoon and you will see faithful players walking or riding through the course. Golf is a great game to enjoy with friends on a beautiful day. But it’s also a test of endurance. It’s not a game that passes in just a few minutes. It is typically a game that lasts several hours. And as you struggle through one hole, you have to gather your resolve and improve on the next hole. In other words, it’s all about keeping your focus no matter how distracted you may become!
In this fourth session, we are going to be talking about what we’re calling a “United Focus”. Just as a successful golfer keeps his focus even when distractions come from every direction, so we need that resolve in our faith if we are to continue in this Rebuilding Faith journey. As we study Nehemiah 6 together, we are going to see these truths lived out in a very real way!
The Scenario
As we have moved through these sessions, this material has been all about Rebuilding Faith. It may very well be that you (as a group member) are not in a place of broken faith. In fact, you may be at a place of real encouragement and growth in faith. But imagine for a moment that this wasn’t the case.
For example, let’s imagine that you are at a place of real crisis in your faith. You’ve been out of fellowship with God. You haven’t prayed, sought Him, or worshipped Him for quite some time. And now you find yourself at a crossroad. Well what this journey THUS FAR has taught us is that…
1. STEP ONE is to recognize where you’ve missed the mark. That first step may not be a long process, but you need to look at your life and see where you’re off course.
2. STEP TWO is to examine your brokenness. Not just “Are you off course”…but what led you off course? What caused you to stray away from faith?
3. STEP THREE is that point where you need to make a decision. Are you going to trust and believe in God’s faithfulness? Because if you ARE, then now you have reason to press ahead in this journey.
And so that’s where we find ourselves in this journey of REBUILDING FAITH.
As we are willing to build upon the foundational truth that God is faithful…at this point in our journey we are now setting our focus FORWARD! We’re moving from broken walls to truly rebuilding a nation!
Step Diagram
Encourage the group members to once again refer to the diagram that is guiding this study. This week’s step is entitled “United in Focus”. In a very basic definition, this step is all about eliminating the distractions that hinder personal spiritual growth.
Opening Discussion
To get the group involved early in the discussion, you may want to take a moment to discuss the varied responses encountered with speaking publicly. Talk about how some direct their attention at their feet, others will direct their attention at the number of bulbs out in the chandeliers, and some even direct their attention on the back side of their eyelids!
The point is this - ALL are directing their attention on SOMETHING. The question that we want to address in this session is, “Are we uniting our focus on the RIGHT things?”
I. Focus on His Direction. - Nehemiah 6:1-7
Murder Mysteries: Often local theaters will offer a production surrounding a murder mystery theme. The characters will move in and out of the story with just enough suspicious clues to make you believe that they are indeed the guilty party. If the play is written well, the audience is held in suspense all the way to the closing curtain when the guilty party is revealed!
In the same way, here in chapter 6, we have the makings of a murder mystery. There’s a very clear reason why Sanballat and Tobiah are wanting to meet with Nehemiah. They want to KILL HIM!
Establishing the Context
The events surrounding our story this week in chapter 6 set the stage for this all out attack by Sanballat and Tobiah. The work on the wall had reached a crucial stage and was almost complete. As the naysayers stood by watching, they realized that they had failed in every previous attempt to halt the work. So now Sanballat and his allies determined that the final solution would be to murder Nehemiah, either outside the city (6:1–9) or inside the temple (6:10–14).
Yet as all of this drama is unfolding, what we are able to see once again is the focus of Nehemiah on the direction of God! He was a man committed to the task!
a. Nehemiah was united in focus on GOD’S direction alone.
Notice the response of Nehemiah when the leaders were trying to pull him off of the task. He said in response to their invitation, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?” Key: Nehemiah had a singular focus!
In the New Testament…in the Sermon on the Mount…Jesus talked about this united focus.
In the Beatitudes he said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”
In other words, purity of heart (a heart not distracted by hosts of other things)…the guarantee is that this singular focus/united focus will lead us to an encounter with God.
Group Discussion: How many of you here would say you have a “one track mind”? You can only do ONE thing at a time! On the other hand, maybe you’re like some that can talk on the phone, cook, and wash dishes all without losing your train of thought!
Purpose of Discussion: We could say that Nehemiah was a “one track mind” kind of servant…not willing to turn to the side and be distracted from the task.
Back to the Text Question: As we look at the response of Nehemiah there in vs. 3, how does he describe what he was doing? Answer: He calls it “a great work”.
Comments to the Leader: Doing what you love to do is a wonderful thing. As a pastor, I once read a comment that said, “Be grateful that you get to do what you love to do, and they even pay you to do it!”
There are likely a variety of gifts/skill sets in your group. What they would love to do, you would despise doing! But God uniquely gifts each of us for the tasks that He calls us to!
Key Point: The key point is this - Nehemiah was doing everything that his heart desired! Remember, he mourned/prayed/fasted over the situation in Judah and so to be busy rebuilding the wall…it’s clear that Nehemiah was doing what he LONGED to do!
And so what kept Nehemiah focused on the task was that he was doing the ONE thing that God had called him to!
Group Discussion: Ask your group to discuss what the driving purpose ought to be for your local church. What do they perceive as the purposes/purpose of the church?
After a few moments of discussion, point the attention of your group members to Matthew 22:35-40 – “Which is the greatest commandment…”
35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
So we could say that God’s call on us as a church is to love God, and love others. And if we were to focus on JUST THOSE TWO KEYS…I think we could be “guilty” as charged for living with a united focus.
Key Point: Nehemiah was focused on God’s direction alone!
b. Satan was united in focus to distract the work. Neh. 6:4
Sanballat kept on sending the message over and over. He wanted to make sure he got the right message to the right person.
Wrong Number: Have you ever had someone call you on the phone…and it’s clearly a wrong number…and they argue with you on the phone over what number they dialed. And then to top it off…they dial it right back again even though you just told them it was wrong!
Well just like someone dialing your wrong number…and then dialing it back again a few minutes later…Sanballat kept on sending the message to Nehemiah.
New Friends: As we look at these first few verses, it’s like Nehemiah suddenly has some new friends. They say to him, “Come…let us meet together…”
In other words, the enemies suddenly become Nehemiah’s friends and invite him to a conference down on the plain of Ono. And as we look at these first four verses…it’s almost like Nehemiah’s opponents are trying to broker a deal with him. It’s as if they want to meet with Nehemiah and cut their losses . And the place they called him to was Ono. Historians tell us that Ono was located on the seacoast near the Gaza strip. It was a beautiful resort area. But Nehemiah senses danger: “they were scheming to harm me.” So Nehemiah said, “Oh, no!” to Ono. And the reason that this particular Plain of Ono was so important was because (as some commentators suggest), they were trying to trick him into leaving Jerusalem, where he had armed support, to come to a conference where they could ambush him. Nehemiah evidently senses this…and so he firmly declines. But this isn’t a ONE TIME REFUSAL!
Nehemiah Keeps on Refusing
Notice what we read in vs. 4. It says there that they tried 4 more times to get Nehemiah to give into their scheme! And the answer of Nehemiah is great – he just answers them directly! You see, Nehemiah knows that if he were to give them an inch, it would have come at a great cost!
So while Nehemiah was focused on God’s direction…Satan was focused on distraction. Time after time he came at Nehemiah trying to undermine the plan of God. But Nehemiah’s response turned their plan on its head.
Group Application Opportunity
Using just those words of Nehemiah, “I am doing a great work”, take this opportunity to discuss with your group how that kind of resolve would affect our response to temptation and/or opportunities for obedience.
Connecting to the New Testament
What Nehemiah demonstrated was a willingness to stop sin and temptation in its tracks. Because he was willing to remain committed to that resolve of staying to the great work God had called him to, the work continued! In fact, that’s what we discovered in our study of the book of James. Listen to that progression of sin and temptation as James described it…
James 1:12-16
Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. 16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.
Satan set our 4 different times to distract Nehemiah from the work, and 4 different times he replied with the exact same response… “I’m all about God’s work, no time to stop”.
And the reason he would not turn aside is because he believe it was truly a GREAT WORK!
Violin Player Illustration: In her 1951 book, “A Practical Guide to Prayer,” Dorothy Haskins tells about a noted concert violinist who was asked the secret of her mastery of the instrument. This is what she said, “There are many things that used to demand my time. When I went to my room after breakfast, I made my bed, straightened the room, dusted, and did whatever seemed necessary. When I finished my work, I turned to my violin practice. That system prevented me from accomplishing what I should on the violin. So I reversed things. I deliberately planned to neglect everything else until my practice period was complete. And that program of planned neglect is the secret to my success.” In the same way that a violin player put things in order, so we’ve been called to a great task one that we have to prioritize or we’ll be distracted from it. If we don’t practice some “planned neglect” of other things, even good things, we’ll be distracted from God’s best. That’s what Nehemiah does. He’s involved in a great work, and he’s not going to forsake it for anything less.
c. Nehemiah was united in focus on God’s view and not others. Read vs. 5-7
Questions for Observation: What was the supposed purpose for the first invitation by Sanballat and Tobiah? It was for peace. But as that didn’t work…the invitation in vss. 5-7 is turned to a threat!
And in the same way, when Satan can’t accomplish his purpose by offering peace, he switches back to his original scheme of sinister threats. He moves from political softball to political hardball.
Key Observation: Nehemiah was united in focus on God’s view and not the wrong views of others.
Quick Review
What we have seen in this first section is the UNITED FOCUS of Nehemiah…and every distraction that tried to pull him off of it. And as we apply this to our journey of “Rebuilding Faith”…it means that if today we choose to pursue the Lord as never before…to honor Him in new ways through our obedience to His calling on our lives…we can be assured that Satan will do everything he can to stop us!
But our reply can simply be, “I’m busy doing a great work for God…I can’t turn to the left or the right…I’m keeping focused on God!”
II. Focused on His Strength - Read Nehemiah 6:8-9
Working in the Yard: As spring turns the gloomy days of winter into beautiful days of sunshine, work also begins. And as we get out into the yard to bring to life forgotten flower beds, we also can discover forgotten muscles! Months of inactivity in the yard can be a wearying reminder when we set ourselves to the task of yard work!
Point: Well Nehemiah and the people have arrived at this point – they were tempted to be weary!
And as we look at all that has happened up to this point…a peace meeting didn’t pull Nehemiah off the work…and now lies won’t pull him off the work.
To the Leader: As you take your group this point, use this as an opportunity to compare Nehemiah’s resolve to the resolve of group members to stay committed to the task of discipleship and growth in faith. Rather than grow weary in the journey, challenge members to commit their hearts to this ongoing journey!
a. Fear of failure can keep us from the journey.
One of the first reasons that Nehemiah mentioned for their failing strength was fear. His enemies were trying to intimidate them into fear…so that it would stop the work.
You see, Nehemiah recognized the psychological warfare of the enemies. The same verb translated “frighten” in v. 9 is repeated again in vv. 13, 14, 19, where it is translated “intimidate” (lit., “to make afraid”). The different forms of opposition in this chapter were all intended to instill fear in Nehemiah and his helpers so they would not continue the work.
“Fear of failure” can keep us from those Next Steps in our journey of faith as well. We say, “Well I hate to commit to a new Bible study, prayer time, whatever it is….because we fear we might not make it through to the end! We fear we’ll waiver in our dedication and so we never start!
And we convince ourselves we’re not up to the challenge before we even take a step.
Relation to Nehemiah: That’s exactly what Nehemiah’s enemies wanted to do here in ch. 6. They were hoping to intimidate them psychologically so that they would give up before God had a chance to prove Himself faithful! You see, that’s what we’re building upon this week – BELIEVING GOD’S FAITHFULNESS.
b. Fear of diligent work can keep us from the journey.
Our text says, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done”.
Studies continue to demonstrate the great benefits of group interaction and personal Bible study. When those elements are combined in a study, group meetings like these can have a real impact on faith. But leaders and students both realize that this involves work!
It takes time! You can’t sit down for 5 minutes in the Bible and expect to walk away with deep insights. Instead, you have to sit there – read it – and spend time praying through the message.
So regardless of the discipleship materials or format our groups use, it’s hard work! And fear of diligent work can keep us from the journey!
Nehemiah was leading a team of folks that were willing to keep their hand to the task to the end – and we’re going to see the amazing result of that commitment!
c. Fear can fade as we focus on the Lord’s strength.
Nehemiah did what Nehemiah has ALWAYS done as he has faced a challenge in this story.
Q: What do we find Nehemiah doing at the end of vs. 9?
Answer: He is in prayer. At every crucial turn of this book, Nehemiah has paused in prayer.
And so for every fear that could have stopped the work, God empowered them to press ahead.
Key: They were FOCUSED ON HIS STRENGTH.
III. Focused on His Victory - Read Nehemiah 6:15-19
Sports: One of the real challenges of any sport (whether it’s football, basketball, baseball) is to keep the momentum all season long when you’re winning. And the reason is because what it took to win the last game isn’t what it will take to win the next one. There will be new challenges, new mistakes, and it’s a whole new game. But you can be assured that WINS lead to WINS. You see, the team that keeps losing eventually starts believing that they’re just a losing team. But as wins start coming…confidence starts building!
Point: In the same way, just as a team faces challenges, it’s a challenge at times for us to “remember the victories” that God has brought about in our lives – and we get bogged down in our everyday trials. But as we REMEMBER THE VICTORIES…it gives us confidence for the next challenge!
a. God can accomplish anything through a workforce fully committed to Him.
In our story, there was a real turning point back in chapter 2. You see, that’s when Nehemiah started believing through God’s eyes and not his own. It’s then that he sounded the call, “Let us rise and build!”
Key: Nehemiah realized that God could accomplish anything through a workforce fully committed to Him.
And as we apply that to our own church…I don’t believe God is going to do a great work IN SPITE OF US…I believe God will do a great work THROUGH us!
The Bible says in 2 Chronicles 16:9…
“For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (NIV)
Observation: We have to conclude that God LONGS to bless His own church. Why would He not want to see blessing, excitement, joy within His own church? Well, of course He does. But there are times when He withholds that blessing in order to get our attention. We see that in Revelation as He dealt with each of the churches. Some He poured out blessing on…others He did not.
But the point is this – God is looking for a group of people just SOLD OUT to Him that He can bless!
You see, we think we can stay in cruise control mode and God is just going to sweep through our lives with a Holy Spirit fire – but God doesn’t work in SPITE OF US! He works THROUGH us!
Point: And so that means we have to rise to the challenge of daily obedience in prayer and faithfulness to God!
The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 15:58 these words…
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
Group Discussion Opportunity
I want you to think of a time when you did something for the Lord…and you KNEW you had received as much a blessing as the ones you worked with OR whatever the situation was. Does someone have an example of a time when you served the Lord and it is still to this day a real encouraging time in your own faith?
Point of Discussion: Nehemiah and the people with him had a determination to fully obey the Lord. They were able to experience that “abounding in the work of the Lord” promise!
They knew what God had done for them in the past; they understood that if God be for us who could be against us. They knew greater is He that is in us then he that is in the world. So they took in one hand a sword and with the other hand they continued to work building the wall. They were determined to do what the Lord had declared, regardless of the cost. If it would have cost them their lives they were willing to do what exactly what the Lord had called them to.
Timing of the Project: And because of their determination to stay committed to the task of the Lord…in 52 days the walls were rebuilt. To this day people are astonished about how quick the wall was built. Modern day architects and engineers say that it would take at least a year even with today’s advanced technology to build the wall, but because they chose OBEDIENCE, God blessed them to the amazement of a watching world!
Repeat of Point: God can accomplish anything through a workforce fully committed to Him.
So as we look at all that has happened up to this point in the story of Nehemiah…what could have discouraged them in the work…
• They faced false accusation (that they were building for war) but they were determined.
• They had people threaten their lives, but they were determined.
• Nehemiah left a comfortable position in the palace, but he was determined.
• They faced economic hardship as a rebuilding people, but they were determined.
• They were determined to do what God had purposed for them to do.
Group Discussion Opportunity: Think about that for a moment…who are some others that were determined to do what God had called them to do…and God blessed their determination. Who comes to mind from the Bible?
Possible Answers: Noah, Abraham, David, Jeremiah (weeping prophet), and of course Jesus.
Point: In each of those examples, God was able to do EVERYTHING that He had promised because each individual was willing to fully obey and commit their lives to the Lord.
b. Our enemies can accomplish nothing when our hearts are fully committed to Him.
Vs. 16 says, “when all our enemies heard of it…they were very disheartened in their own eyes…”
The word disheartened here literally means, “they fell in their own eyes”. In other words, they thought they were much – but in comparison to God…they were little!
The Bible offers this promise in 1 Cor. 10:13…
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Point: What’s the promise there? The promise is that God is GREATER than any of our trials/temptations!
Relation to Week’s Theme: And so as I have a UNITED FOCUS on God alone…He’s greater than any trial I’ll face, greater than any attack of Satan.
c. God will receive all the glory through lives fully committed to Him.
Look again at vs. 16… “…they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.”
God got all the glory as they chose to serve Him with a UNITED FOCUS!
Closing Group Challenge
This session has been all about gaining a United Focus. That means that we need to have a resolve for the “great work” that God has called us to. It means we eliminate any distractions that Satan might throw our way to pull us off task. But it also means that we simply embrace the victory that is available in Christ!
One Sentence Summary
In order to help the group members pull all of this information together into ONE cohesive statement, this can capture our journey:
Following God calls for a UNITED FOCUS…a passionate desire to serve the Lord each day!
That’s what we have seen in the example of Nehemiah and the people of God. And the result was that God did through them what they never imagined possible! In these 4 chapters they have gone from discouraged and defeated workers…to individuals experiencing the VICTORY of what only God could do!
