Surprise! Not Everyone Is On You Side
Nehemiah 4:1-23
Rodeo Road Baptist Church
September 21, 2014
Disclaimer: Each sermon in this series on Nehemiah was written with both commentary help and referencing from time to time information from sermons and illustration found on Sermon Central. In most cases I tried to be faithful in giving credit to the author but I acknowledge that I was not consistent in that endeavor. So any similarity to other older posted sermons on this web site are due in part to the quality of their work and the timelessness of the truth they shared originally. There was no intentional intent to use without credit any material in these sermons that were first delivered by other pastors.
Introduction
In Rebuilding Your Broken World, Gordon MacDonald suggests twenty-six questions to help develop accountability and invite feedback. If we desire to grow, we should submit our selves to a spiritual mentor and answer these questions honestly.
1. How is your relationship with God right now?
2. What have you read in the Bible in the past week?
3. What has God said to you in this reading?
14. Are you sensing spiritual attacks from the enemy right now?
15. If Satan were to try to invalidate you as a person or as a servant of the Lord, how might he do it?
22. What would you say are your fears at this present time?
Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way, Navpress, 1989, pp. 171-172.
Why was the wall destroyed in the first place? Are there broken places in our lives that are the result of our sin and God’s judgment? That is not a very popular topic in our time. However, the walls of Jerusalem were destroyed when God allowed the armies of the Babylonians to take the city because the Jews had rebelled against God and disobey His laws and commands.
As a result the enemies of God and His people had gained a stronghold that they did not want to give up. That is exactly what happens in our lives as well. The stronghold may be certain addictions, immoral behavior, doctrinal compromise or simply indifference to the things of God. Satan himself gains footholds where there is the absence of holiness. The ground that is now under his control is something that he will not give up easily. The lessons from Chapter four is one that we need to be reminded of as we think about restoring broken places in our lives.
I. We must clearly identify those who are the enemies of the things of God and their tactics
Nehemiah 4:1-3 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?" Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!"
A. An enemy is anyone or anything that does not positively encourage your to carry out the work of God in your life.
James 4:4 You adulterers! Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.
Philippians 3:18-19 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
Matthew 16:21-23 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you." But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."
B. One of the schemes that the enemy uses is intimidation seeking to demoralize us into fear and retreat.
Nehemiah 4:10 In Judah it was said, "The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall."
C. Another one of the schemes that the enemy uses is threats to cause us to fear of even our physical safety.
Nehemiah 4:7-8, 11 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it... And our enemies said, "They will not know or see till we come among them and kill them and stop the work."
Nehemiah 4:12 At that time the Jews who lived near them came from all directions and said to us ten times, "You must return to us."
In his book Fuzzy Memories, Jack Handey writes: There used to be this bully who would demand my lunch money every day. Since I was smaller, I would give it to him. Then I decided to fight back. I started taking karate lessons. But then the karate lesson guy said I had to start paying him five dollars a lesson. So I just went back to paying the bully. Too many people feel it is easier just to pay the bully than it is to learn how to defeat him.
II. How did Nehemiah respond and give us an example to follow when it comes to our enemies
A. He prayed boldly
Nehemiah 4:4-5 Hear, O our God, for we are despised. Turn back their taunt on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in a land where they are captives. Do not cover their guilt, and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight, for they have provoked you to anger in the presence of the builders.
Psalm 11 To the choirmaster. Of David. In the LORD I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain, for behold, the wicked bend the bow; they have fitted their arrow to the string to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart; if the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD's throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man. The LORD tests the righteous, but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence. Let him rain coals on the wicked; fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous; he loves righteous deeds; the upright shall behold his face.
B. He planned strategically
Nehemiah 4:9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
C. He challenged courage based upon the promise of God
Nehemiah 4:13-14 So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
Philippians 4:9 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
Conclusion
-- "One step forward in obedience is worth years of study about it." -- Chambers in Our Daily Bread, March 4, 1993
