“DEALING WITH OPPOSITION” Neh. 4-5
FBCF – 6/28/20
Jon Daniels
INTRO – The movie, “Jaws,” was released on my birthday – June 20 – back in 1975. Was a blockbuster movie. Some folks who went to see it actually stopped going to the beach for a while.
But things got back to normal until 1978. That’s when “Jaws 2” was released w/ the tagline, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water…”
This rings true in our lives in many ways right now.
- Just when we thought our economy was hitting on all cylinders, the coronavirus shuts the whole world down.
- Just when we thought everything was OK on Easter Sunday, a tornado ravaged south MS, especially Jones County, killing 14 people.
- Just when we thought we were about to turn the corner on the coronavirus, George Floyd was killed on May 25, setting off a massive nationwide time of protests, unrest, violence, & rioting.
- Throw into the conversation the news that we were supposed to be hit by an asteroid, that murder hornets are supposed to overtake us, along w/ controversy over a state flag & that college football may not happen this year, & most everyone is calling ready to hit the reset button on this year! We’ve all been hit by the dumpster fire that this year has brought to us.
While this is true on a large-scale level that affects all of us, this “just when you thought it was safe” thing can impact any of us at any time in a multitude of ways. Unexpected things can & do invade our lives all the time.
- Vicki & I traveling through the Byram area, passing house after house, talking about all the crises that families that we know who live in those houses have experienced.
And Nehemiah experienced a “just when you thought it was safe” moment in the rebuilding project in Jerusalem.
EXPLANATION – Open Bibles to Neh. 4:1-6.
This is our 4th message in our “Rebuild – Restore – Revive” series out of the book of Neh.
- “It Starts with Prayer”
- “The Hand of God Upon Me”
- “Let’s Get to Work”
So far, so good, right? That’s what Neh thought. Everything running smoothly.
- God has answered his prayers
- The king had blessed his venture & provided supplies
- People had rallied behind his leadership
- Work had begun energetically & progressed nicely
- Then his version of “Jaws 2” happened. Just when he thought everything was going to work out just fine, opposition rears its ugly head.
Sanballat & Tobiah appear. These 2 men are most like government leaders of some of the enemy nations. They show up & begin to mock the people, partly out of personal pleasure, but also to try to discourage the people in the building process (v. 2-3). Neh’s response gives us some great insight into how to deal w/ opposition.
APPLICATION – Opposition is part of the Christian life, so we need to learn to deal w/ it.
EXPECT IT –
Sometimes the opposition is external & obvious – 4:1-9
Sometimes it’s internal & hidden – 5:1-13 – Famine had hit. The people were desperate & needy.
- Dealing w/a famine
- Weary from the rebuilding project
- Had to pay heavy tax
- Away from families working on wall. Wives & kids at home by themselves
- LOOK HOW VULNERABLE TO TEMPTATION!
o Don’t get too HUNGRY, ANGRY, LONELY, & TIRED).
Same enemy who is active today was active among God’s people then.
Any time God is at work, you can expect opposition – and that’s a good thing!
- I want to have a reputation in hell
- I want Satan & his demons to know who I am, who FBCF is, & who we are working for.
Tony Dungy – “Today, we are a divided country [& I would add, a divided state]…& Satan is laughing at us b/c that is exactly what he wants. Dysfunction, mistrust, & hatred help his kingdom flourish. We have to realize we are not fighting against other people. We are fighting against Satan & his kingdom of spiritual darkness.”
ADDRESS IT
Pray – Neh’s response to his opposition was to immediately pray fervently – 4:4-5. Prayer was his priority!
- It was a heartfelt prayer – “we are despised” – insulted & mocked
- It was an honest prayer – He just poured it out honestly, intensely, emotionally.
- It was a painful prayer – Showed how deep his pain was for himself & for the people.
o Prayers & laments in the Psalms
o Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane
This is how we should pray, too! Not necessarily praying for our enemies to suffer, but just pouring out our hearts to the Lord.
Defend – The opposition sometimes grows as it did w/ Neh.
- V. 7-8 – Sanballat & Tobiah & other enemies grew angrier & began plotting together.
- V. 11 – Opposition grew more dangerous w/ actual death threats.
Neh put specific plans in place to defend the people.
- V. 9 – Prayed & set up guards
- V. 15-23
Confront – “Spiders & Snakes” – dreamed about snakes 2 night ago. Dreamed about spiders last night.
None of us like confrontation, but sometimes it’s necessary. Sometimes, we have to identify who is causing the problems that are hindering God’s work & deal w/ them in a biblical, Godly way.
4 steps in confrontation:
1. Think about the person you are confronting
a. Do they know Jesus? “You’ve got to let lost people act like lost people.” Be prayerful & patient w/ the other person.
2. Go to the offender first.
a. Matt. 18:15 – “If your brother sins against you, go & tell him his fault, between you & him alone.” Not someone else, but the offender.
b. Goal is reconciliation & restoration.
c. Stay off social media!
3. Take others w/ you.
a. If offender is a Christian brother or sister, the reputation of Christ is at stake.
b. When one-on-one fails, need to take it up a notch.
i. Matt. 18:16-17
c. Not trying to intimidate or draw up sides, but, of all places, the Church is where we ought to be able to work things out.
4. Remember that, at all times, you display Jesus.
a. Even if the confrontation fails to produce the desired reconciliation.
b. The world is watching.
c. Jesus still loved those who hated & opposed Him. We are called to do the same.
PRESS ON – Don’t let opposition deter you from doing what God has for you to do. Remember that our struggle is not against flesh & blood, but against Satan who is hard at work right now!
- Distracting
- Deterring
- Deceiving
- Dividing
God’s people don’t fight each other over nonessential issues. That’s exactly what Satan wants us to do!
No! God’s people join together to rise up & fight against a very real enemy who wants to steal, kill, & destroy, & wants to take as many people to hell as he possibly can!
We want take as many people as we can to heaven, so let's press on!
