Chico Alliance Church
Dual Duty: Battle & Build
REVIEW
I. REBUILDING THE WALLS
A. Recognizing the needs through inquiry
B. Responding to needs through passion and prayer
C. Resolving needs through perseverance
D. Resisting opposition through perseverance
1. Scheme #1 Devalue Authority
Declare your position in Christ
Deny participation by the enemy
2. Scheme #2 Interference by ridicule
Pray in the will of God
Press on in the work of God
Look at some principles that must be applied if we are to experience genuine growth.
1--Be alert to the needs of others
2--Develp a passion to bear the burden of others
3--Wait upon God with intense intercession
4--Remain Faithful in the present while waiting upon God to move mightily in the future
5--Enlist full participation of the body around the wall
6--Maintain a heart for the work
7--Pray and press on through opposition
Because the people had a heart to work, there was full participation all along the wall and the wall was completed to half its height all the way around. There were no breaches.
INTRODUCTION
Some of you this morning have given up pressing on because every time you reach for the stars you get slapped. Every time you get close to God something happens that causes pain. It is much easier to live out a life mediocrity. Why is it that whenever a church seems to just get to growing and things begin to happen that something happens to tear it all apart? Why can't we keep consistent in our walk with God? Is there anything that we can do to press on through the intimidation of the enemy to experience the inspiration to keep on building our spiritual walls. Nehemiah has been providing some practical insight for how to deal with Satan's attacks on our life. We will discover some addition insight here that is also just as relevant today.
3. Scheme #3 Interference by conspiracy
a) Problem 4:7--8
Because Nehemiah and God's people had a heart to work they were not dissuaded by Sanballat's tactics and continued to and repair the breaches. The gaps were being closed to outside persecution and pollution.
You have not gone up to the breaks in the wall to repair it for the house of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord. Ezekiel 13:5
Was protect, purity and unity those within. Walls are the principles of Scripture. When we walk in obedience to the ways of God we experience the security of strong walls. As we violate His word and ignore His clear precepts, our walls of protection crumble and we become subject to invasion and capture by the enemy. Psalm 1 pictures the principle in a graphic word picture. The people have seen the seriousness of their unguarded position and have a heart to work until the walls and gates are restored. Sanballat, the enemy of the Jews however is not a happy camper.
(1) Extreme Anger
The anger experienced by Sanballat is due to his core selfish motivation. He desires and is about to be denied and thus is angry. His perceived rights to persecute and pollute are being thwarted and he is not happy. Most all sinful anger is due the blocking of a selfish goal or denied selfish expectation.
(2) Conspiracy
Sanballat conspires to fight against the Jews. Usually when someone is angry they with you they must find some support system to help them. Satan has his fellow conspirators to plot against us and cause fear. They conspire here to "come fight against Jerusalem and cause a disturbance in it." If direct conflict fails there is always causing a disturbance. What didn't work directly in chapter four almost worked indirectly in chapter five.
We often have a harder time dealing with anticipated conflict than the actual encounter. It is much more devastating because we can imagine so many more things than could actually come about in real life.
b) Principle
(1) Pray to God
Of course Nehemiah's initial response to trouble is to pray. In Psalm 64 David rushed into prayer in light of conspiracy against him.
(2) Post a guard
There are many picture in Scripture denoting protection from outside influence. Tend the garden, watch the flock, guard the house, keep the gate, put watchmen on the wall.
Again and again we are warned to be alert to spiritual danger.
Proverbs 4:23 Matthew 26:41 1Peter 1:13 1Peter 5:8 Ephesians 6:18 Philippians 2:25-26
Nehemiah not only sent up prayers but he set up guards.
4. Scheme #4 Interference by intimidation and threats 10-23
a) Problem
As we are in the middle of hard work and intense battle, there is a tremendous tendency toward discouragement coupled with fear. The Jews began to buckle.
(1) Discouragement
First, discouragement sets in. Negative attitudes and defeating thoughts discourages the workers and threaten the work.
Welch poetic translation of verse 10
The strength of the workers is failing
Yet there seems so much rubbish remaining.
And we by ourselves unable
To make our walls strong and stable.
Discouragement is a killer.
1--Discouragement drains energy.
It seems that we develop a greater tendency toward discouragement half-way through a project.
2--Discouragement dims the vision.
All we can see is what is left to accomplish and the task seem so impossible. We shift our sights from God to the circumstances.
3--Discouragment deteriorates our confidence
There is no way I can do this all alone. Why doesn't someone help me? Where is God in all this? This is too much. I don't have the skill or wisdom.
(2) Fear
Once discouragement sets in, fear permeates our soul. Fear of failure, rejection, ridicule, pain, loss. These are fears that come as a result of taking our eyes off of the author and perfecter of our faith. They are the result of depending upon our own limited resources rather than drawing upon the unlimited resources of a God who loves me and has given me the dream in the first place. Satan loves to bring discouragement and fear.
He seeks to diminishes our strength by running on battery power.
He seeks to dim our vision by causing us to focus inward.
He deteriorates our confidence by lying about our relationship with God. How do we battle these direct attacks? Observe how Nehemiah responded.
b) Principle
(1) Develop Family Fighting Skills vs 13
There is something about crisis that draws a family together. When an attack comes upon a family by an outside force, the little squabbles and insignificant issues seem to fade away and we rally together around a common cause. Nehemiah understood the importance of family unity. He encouraged them to fight together for the common cause.
As individual families, we should be praying and fighting for one another. As a church family we need to realize that Satan is a threat and rally together to take a stand against his attacks especially in the "lowest parts" and the "exposed places."
It is important to note that sometimes we must delay the work in order to battle the enemy. We must take a stand. Ephesians is clear that we must take a confident stand against the threats of the enemy and let him know that he has no place.
(2) Deal with fear by encouragement vs 14
FIRST -- Remember the power of our Lord a GREAT & AWESOME GOD!
SECOND-- Remember you are fighting four your family.
(3) Determine to carry on the work vs 15
Having renewed perception, we have renewed courage to continue the cause. Once a stand is made and the line are drawn and we confront the enemy, we are to return to the work we were called to do. Never lose sight of the goal ahead because of the battle behind.
(4) Discover the balance between battling and building 16-18
We have a tendency to operate at the extreme end of an issue. Christians either ignore that there is a battle or concentrate so much on battling that we forget to build. We must discover the balance of how to continue to build while being alert to the danger of an enemy. There will be times where the building must pause in order to stand against an onslaught of the enemy. It is like the initial cleaning and repair of a house before you move in. You intention is to live there not clean forever but for a time there must be a concentration of fixing. Then there is periodic maintenance and cleaning as necessary.
Failure to continue to battle results in bondage and defeat.
Failure to continue to build results in a structure that either falls short or falls down. We must learn to balance both aspects of the walk here if we are to come to maturity.
(5) Devise a spiritual 911 system 19-20
When one looks at the kind of things that go into the operation of a church, you realize "the work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall from one another." We need a communication network that will rally us together as needed in the various areas of ministry. Too often people do not share the fact that they are under extreme pressure and attack from the enemy. We need to learn to alert the trumpet to sound the rally call so that we may learn to work together in this "great and extensive work" we have been called to do.
c) Progress 21-23
The work was carried on; half as watchmen, half as workman.
CONCLUSION
As a local group of believers we must take a stand in our world for the convictions that we believe in. We may not be popular, but we must stand for what is right and then continue the work with an alertness to the subtlety of the enemy who goes about as a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. We must continually work on strengthening our walls of protection by prayer and the word, the word and prayer. WE must not be afraid of the enemy; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and FIGHT for your brother, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses." Remember through the oppositions, that greater is He that is IN US than he that is in the world!
