Nehemiah 4 Discouragement
I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a young youth pastor, in my late 20s. I had been a part-time youth pastor at that church for about a year. I was beginning a new study called Prayer Life. By the way, if you eat a study to help you with your prayer life, I highly recommend the one. It’s good stuff.
So, I was starting a new study, and one thing they tell you to do is to get someone outside your study group to be a prayer partner with you during the time you’re going through the study. So, I asked Charlie D. MclCintock, an older member of the church if he would be my prayer partner during the time of the study. He agreed, so once a week he was to come over to my house and we would pray together.
The first week we met, shortly after he walked into the house, and before we had even started praying, he said, “You know, not every in the church likes you.” Isn’t that special? Wouldn’t you like someone that you’ve invited to come and pray with you, in your home, to begin your time together like that?
It’s one thing to face opposition from without. It’s one thing to face opposition or criticism from the world. We expect that. My word, we’re invading the Devil’s kingdom, and trying to rescue captives he’s held forever. We’re trying to stand on the word of God, against a world that has turned its back on God. We’re trying to say that there is a right and a wrong, in a world where people don’t want anyone to tell them that something they want to do is wrong. So, you’re going to have opposition. Jesus Himself said in.
> John 16:33 I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world.”
We expect it from the world, but it’s a little different when the opposition comes from inside the church family, or inside your own family. What do you do when you find yourself discouraged? What do you do when you find opposition not only from without, but also from within, from some of those closest to you?
Open your Bibles this morning and turn with me please to the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah chapter 4 . . . as we see this morning, how to deal with discouragement.
- Read Nehemiah 4:1-23
I. RIDICULE
1. From outside
- Read vvs 1-3
Ridicule. Oh, the sting and power of ridicule. Mocking & scoffing, sneering and jeering, constitute some of our foes strongest weapons, for such tactics always hurt.
Sticks and stones and all of that stuff. . . Words can’t really hurt. Really? You may try to sell that bunk to your children, but you’ll not sell it to me. Words hurt. It’s much easier to fix a broken bone, than it is to repair a broken heart, or to rebuild a broken spirit. It’s much easier to bandage a wound than it is to bandage a woman or a child who’s been told they’re no good, or they can’t do anything right. It’s much easier to fix a broken leg, than it is to fix a man whose wife has repeatedly told him he doesn’t measure up, or he can’t provide well enough. Ridicule hurts.
Sanballat knew this, and so did his shadow Tobiah, always standing by his side and speaking as a faint echo saying, “Even if a little fox walked on it, it would fall apart.
Discouragement from outside. Its hurts, but we expect it. The Bible tells us,
> 1 Peter 5:8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.”
Opposition is out there. We expect it from out there, but not in here.
Opposition, ridicule from the outside. But then, opposition, from the inside.
2. From outside
- Read vs 10
Did you notice who this was from? This was Judah. Do you remember in Genesis 49, when Jacob gathered his 12 sons around him to bless them before he died?
He spoke a blessing, or a description of the future for all of his 12 sons. Of Judah he said,
> Genesis 49:8-10 Judah, your brothers will praise you. Your hand will be on the necks of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the kill. He crouches; he lies down like a lion or a lioness—who dares to rouse him? The scepter will not depart from Judah or the staff from between his feet until he whose right it is comes.
Judah is supposed to be the strong tribe. The royal tribe, the tribe the others look up to. But here in verse 10 they say,
- Read Nehemiah 4:10
Yes, we’ve rebuilt 1/2 the wall, but we can’t go on. Some people are like that. That’s a great suggestion but . . . If someone says that to you, ignore everything they say before the But. Their true response follows the but.
What was the problem? There were several.
a. There was a loss of strength. - v10
The strength of the laborer fails. Anyone who has been to the middle east, know that these walls weren’t built with the little bricks we have around d here that you can pick up at Lowes or Rinker Concrete. Those walls were built with massive stones.
The strength of the labor fails. These folks have been working for a while.
Look there if you will at verse 6.
- Read vs 6
The wall was built 1/2 way. You know, 1/2 way done is a dangerous place. The initial excitement has passed. The initial momentum has passed. You drive by some people’s houses and you will see a dozen projects, all 1/2 way done. How long is that truck with its hood up, gonna stay in the yard?
For years there was the iron girder frame work of a multistory building, sitting oi a vacant lot on Maple and 3rd street in Sanford. Finally it disappeared. We found out later someone had come and stolen it.
You start on a hike. You get 1/2 way to your goal, and turn and go back.
Some of you are 1/2 way through life. You’re not where you thought you would be. You’ve not accomplished what you thought you would have accomplished, so you want to quit and coast on in to the finish line.
Gallagher, the comedian, said it always amazed him why people were so amazed by the pyramids. He said, all they are is buildings built by people with diminishing goals. There’s not a one of them that’s as broad at the top, as it’s foundation is on the bottom.
1/2 way is a difficult place to be on a project. You’re 1/2 way through redecorating your living room, and you are tired. The newness has worn off.
When we’re setting up Christmas in the Country, we’re excited in the beginning. Another year. We have some new lights. But catch us a couple of months down the road, when our bodies are weary, and the September sun is still beating down, and there’s no breeze blowing in the maze, and it’s easy to get discouraged. I don’t think I can do this another year.
We’re getting tired Nehemiah. The strength of those who have been working is weakening. A loss of strength.
b. A loss of vision - Read v10
Since there is so much rubble. What were they looking at? Were they looking at what had been accomplished? Where they looking at what had been built? No. They were looking at the difficulties that still lay ahead.
The young mother, after changing what seems to be her 50th diaper that day, looses vision and says, there’s too much rubble.
The man at work surrounded b y difficult people. Takes his eyes off the work and says, “There’s too much rubble.”
Rubble and discouragement are siamese twins. One leads to the other.
Meth house, providing trailers for. Have hauled multiple trailers out of there, and you can’t tell that a dent has been made.
You get tired, and you start looking at how much still needs to be done, and you lose sight of what you are doing and why you are doing it.
Yes, you’re weary from work, but you still play with your children at night because you have a vision of how you want them to turn out. . . .
c. A loss of confidence
AS devastating as those others are, probably the greatest cause of discouragement is a loss of confidence.
- Read v 10.
We will never be able to rebuild the wall.
When you lose your strength, and lose your vision, then you lose confidence and discouragement is lurking just around the corner. Oh, and with that loss of confidence comes that empty feeling that you will never be able to get ahead, you will never be victorious, you will never be abv le to accomplish what you had planned.
A loss of strength, a loss of vision, a loss of confidence, and finally a loss of security.
d. A loss of security - Read v 11
There are many things we hold on to for security. One area is our jobs. If you lose your job, that sense of security is gone.
Family, friends, and familiar setting. Your company wants to move you . . .
II. HOW DO WE DEAL WITH DISCOURAGEMENT?
- Focus on the truth.
*** Marc and them sing. Voice of truth. Video at Lake Monroe.
1. Prayed - v4
He prayed. My friend, you have not done all you can do until you have prayed. Praying helps us focus on Who and what is really true.
Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. The Devil will send discouragement. He will tell you lies. Focus on the Lord.
a. What He has said. What did He call you to do? What did He tell you to do?
We started 4H 15 years ago. When we started . . .
When Drew graduated from High School and would no longer be in 4-H Gladys and I contemplated closing down the club, but we prayed about it and didn’t fell that we could at the time.
I told you how we got frustrated a while back and wanted to shut the whole thing down and then people just started joining. Well, we’ve had more people call this week wanting to join.
Let me tell you how the Lord has worked this week.
At the beginning of this 4-H year I asked Daniel to help with the hog portion of the club. Now mind you, he didn’t know a hog from a hedgehog, but he agreed, and I’m grateful for that. Last week Jerry asked if we did livestock and then he told me they used to show hogs and sheep all over the country.
Been wanting to build a new chicken pen. This week we got a bunk of cdx plywood, most of it undamaged in any way, for 60% off.
Finally figured out where we’re going to put the tank for our aquaponics project. We have to tear down the pigeon life and clean up that area. - borrow a trailer.
Friday, I had a man call who I’ve done a lot of work with for the past several years. A contractor. Friday he called and told me he’s taking Fridays off and his wife told him to come and help us build a new chicken house.
Yesterday I went to Harvest Foods to get some out of date bred for the chickens. I walk in the door and there’s a new girl working behind the counter there. I didn’t recognize her, but she used to be in our 4-H club, but they had to quit because of time and distance. “I love what ya’ll do out there with the 4-H and Christmas in the Country.
As I was working on this message, the Lord pointed out how Bob & Roxie, and Rick can help, projects they can head up with the kids. BTW, don’t let me find out that you have a skill or talent you aren’t using. I guarantee you, you too will find your way into a sermon.
My friends, you’re discouraged. You’re overwhelmed. Pray, maybe the Lord will replace the Daniel in your life.
Well, Landon’s still here, but I’m still praying.
2. Get away from the nay-sayers
- Read vvs 11-12
The Jews who lived nearby.
They were around the people threatening. You hang around negative people all the time, some of that is going to rub off on you.
3. Get with the family
- Read vs 13
Your family is supposed to be your fortress. Your group of encouragers. . . .
If that’s not what you have at home, then get with your church family.
> Hebrews 10:19-24 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have boldness to enter the sanctuary through the blood of Jesus— he has inaugurated[e] for us a new and living way through the curtain (that is, through his flesh)— and since we have a great high priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
Did you hear that last part?
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
We gather even more as we see the day approaching, as we are discouraged by what we see happening in the world. . . .
> Ecclesasties 4:9-12 Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.
Discouragement will come into every life, but we don’t have to let it stay and we don’t have to let it stop us.
Theodore Roosevelt, in a speech before the Hamilton Club, in Chicago in 1899 said, “It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; ;who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually try to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.
Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
My friend, don’t let the devil get you discouraged. Don’t let Him get you down. In Romans 8 we are told, What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything? 33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. 34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. 35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
Because of you?we are being put to death all day long;?we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.[m] 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
