10,000 BRICKS: FIRM AGAINST THE FALSE
Nehemiah 6:1-19
#10000bricks
INTRODUCTION… christianpost.com (January 2026)
I am going to start this morning by making you depressed, angry, fed-up, and perhaps disillusioned. I am going to read some headlines from the Christian Post from January 2026 from the “church and ministries” section. Just one news site. Just one month from the churches and ministry section. I will not read all that I found. It is my hope and prayer that I bring it all around eventually to hope.
“Ohio women sue UMC entities, claim they failed to properly respond to grooming, sexual abuse”
“Shawn Bolz and false prophets: 4 ways data harvesting has been used”
“Bethel Church admits failures after Mike Winger's exposé reveals prophetic deception”
“Pastor Landon Schott says God has forgiven Gateway founder Robert Morris, looking to Easter release”
“Conservative denomination excommunicates pastor for supporting white supremacy”
“Pastor Chris Reed accused of addiction to kratom by former church members”
“Fount Church NYC pastors under fire over remote leadership, allegations of excessive spending”
“Pastor Rick Olmstead resigns after past incident of taking unsolicited photos of young women at Trader Joe's resurfaces”
“Pastor Sam Collier restored to ministry after allegations of extortion by trans-identified male prostitute”
“After months of confusion, Northern Seminary and first black president agree to part ways”
“Philip Yancey admits extramarital affair, will step away from ministry work to focus on marriage”
Those are a limited number of headlines from the United States from January 2026 from one news source. I read over those headlines and read some of the attached articles and I shake my head in judgment. I also then wonder how far off I am from such things for temptation and sin wind their way into every heart. I feel like there are a whole lot of false prophets and false teachers running around out there. I feel like there are a whole lot of people who are in Christian ministry who should NOT be. That sentiment relates to our passage today in Nehemiah 6.
SUMMARY
We are making our way through the Book of Nehemiah in the Old Testament. Nehemiah is rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, but it is not an effort that everyone appreciates. There is opposition. Chapter 4 was about opposition from outside forces. Chapter 5 was about sin that was hurting the work of God within God’s people of Israel. Chapter 6, where we are now, is a combination of the two. The opposition to the work continues as Nehemiah deals with threats. We are going to split Nehemiah 6 into two messages.
Before we read Nehemiah 6, I want to preview it with you with one major thought that I think we will find: Not every voice that sounds spiritual speaks for God. Scripture repeatedly warns us that false prophets don’t usually show up smelling like death waving red flags with skull and bones on it, but they often come sounding reasonable, religious, and even concerned for our safety. They are “wolves in sheep’s clothing” as Jesus teaches in Matthew 7:15. Other phrases and words just like Jesus’ word picture: “snake in the grass,” “smiling villain,” “sleeper agent,” “charlatan,” imposter,” “phony” or “trickster.”
In Nehemiah 6, Jerusalem’s wall is almost finished. The people have been focused and working hard. The work is going well. In the past couple of chapters, Sanballat, Tobiah, and the surrounding peoples have failed to stop the rebuilding through ridicule, threats, and violence. They failed so they pivoted their efforts. Instead of attacking Nehemiah openly, they attempt to be sneaky with deception, fear, and false prophecy.
Nehemiah 6 shows us a masterclass in spiritual discernment.
Our time together in God’s word this morning is about: spiritual discernment.
Our time together in God’s word this morning is about: being firm against the false.
This chapter shows us how false teachers operate.
This chapter shows us how we should respond.
TRANSITION
Let’s read from Nehemiah 6. We won’t read it all at once today, but we will read a little bit at a time making our way through the chapter.
DISTRACTION FROM GOD’S CALL (verses 1-4)
READ NEHEMIAH 6:1-4 (ESV)
Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.
In the events described in chapter 6, there were folks trying to get Nehemiah’s attention for harmful reasons. They were not trying to get him to do evil exactly, but to be distracted from the work that God had given him to do. The first couple of verses say that they were trying to get him to leave Jerusalem to go to one of the surrounding villages because they “intended to do me harm” (verse 2).
Nehemiah had a job to do from the Lord all the while opposition to the work was happening. His response is powerful and simple in verse 3. He tells them he is focusing on the work. I cannot help but notice that a false teacher or false prophet may be someone who distracts us from the will of God in our lives. The opposers of the work wanted to distract Nehemiah and do him harm.
ILLUSTRATION… tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/InterrupterAttack
I don’t know why this occurred to me, but believe it or not, Spider-man likes to do this. One of Spider-Man's go-to attacks is to web an enemy in the face to blind them. He generally does this when an enemy is attacking so the enemy's attack gets interrupted as they try to get the webbing off their face. This is such a well-known move of his that as time went on, several members of his Rogues Gallery took steps to counter it, such as Doctor Octopus sometimes treating his eyewear with a special chemical that causes the webbing to simply slide off.
If it pulls you “down from the wall,” it’s not from God. It is a distraction.
If it pulls you away from God’s call on your life, it’s not from God. It is a distraction.
FEAR AS A WEAPON (verses 5-9)
READ NEHEMIAH 6:5-9 (ESV)
In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” 8 Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” 9 For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
A huge part of this chapter is the fear and intimidation that comes to Nehemiah. Sanballat spreads rumors. The opponents of the work try to make Nehemiah afraid that the king will not trust him and bring his army. They are using unverified reports, half-truths, and emotional manipulation to try and bend Nehemiah to their will. I love verse 9:
RE-READ NEHEMIAH 6:9 (ESV)
For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.
Nehemiah seeks to move through the fear with prayer. Nehemiah doesn’t panic. He doesn’t let the fear overtake him, but he prays. As I was thinking about this, I realized that I can tell you that fear-driven teaching is a red flag, but you may not know what that sounds like. I can tell you that if a message constantly threatens, pressures, or terrifies you into obedience, be cautious, but you may not know what that sounds like. You may not know what spiritual manipulation sounds like. So, here are some examples:
“If you leave this church, you are putting your family in spiritual danger.”
“God showed me something bad will happen to you if you don’t listen to me.”
“You’re not safe spiritually unless you stay under my covering.”
“People who leave this ministry usually suffer tragedy.”
“If you question me, you are questioning God.”
“Disagreeing with our leadership is rebellion against God.”
“If you don’t obey this instruction, God will remove His blessing.”
“God told me you must do this or you are in disobedience.”
“You need to decide this right now because delay is disobedience.”
“Don’t talk to other pastors or Christians about this because they won’t understand.”
“This is a private spiritual matter. Keep this between us.
“If you don’t do what I say, people will assume you’re in sin.”
“I can’t protect your reputation if you go against this.”
“You don’t want the whole church to hear about this situation.”
“God gave me a special word just for you.”
“I hear God clearer than most people.”
“You need me to interpret what God is doing in your life.”
“God is changing your calling and I’m the one revealing it to you.”
“You’re being prideful by staying where God put you.”
“I sense a dark spirit around you.”
“You are under spiritual attack because you’re resisting this.”
“There is a curse operating if you don’t align with this ministry.”
“God is withdrawing from you right now.”
Any or all of those are phrases and attempts to get people to stop thinking and lean into panic, to replace loyalty to God with loyalty to the leader, force emotional decisions, and use shame as a weapon. Fear is a weapon of a false prophet. Nehemiah was dealing with the same kinds of things as he attempted to build the wall around Jerusalem.
ILLUSTRATION… Spiritual Fire Alarms
Imagine if a school had an issue with students pulling the fire alarm as a prank. At first, every time the alarm went off, everyone would respond exactly how they should. Teachers rushed students outside. Staff checked rooms. The fire department showed up ready to save lives because alarms are supposed to mean the danger is real. After a few times of the alarm being pulled, students started asking: “Is this even real?” “Do we really have to go outside again?” “It’s probably just someone messing around.” The administration realized something terrifying: If a real fire happened, people might hesitate because they had been trained by false alarms.
False teachers and spiritual manipulators pull emotional fire alarms and make us fatigued at hearing the voice of God. They say: “Danger is coming if you leave.” “Judgment is coming if you question.” “God is pulling away if you don’t comply.” “Disaster is coming if you don’t submit.”
Over time, we stop knowing the difference between the real conviction from the Holy Spirit and manufactured manipulation. Here is the truth:
Repentance over panic
Clarity over confusion
Freedom in Christ over dependence on a person
Toward Jesus over away from God
TRANSITION
Nehemiah chapter 6 shows us that Nehemiah was tempted by distractions. It shows us that the people around him were threatening him. We also see that as they interacted with him in person and in writing, that they claimed to be from God, but it was a lie. This is the hardest part of being firm against the false because we do not always know what or who is false!
AUTHORITY WITHOUT TRUTH (verses 10-13)
READ NEHEMIAH 6:10-13 (ESV)
Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” 11 But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” 12 And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me.
I did some digging into this part of the passage because it did not make sense to me. Shemaiah who lives in Jerusalem presents himself as a prophet or a priest. He himself is hiding in his home. The informed thought on this was that Shemaiah is hiding to make it appear that he too is in danger like Nehemiah. He appears to be in danger like Nehemiah is in danger. He tells Nehemiah to hide in the temple because his life is in danger. He claims this message is from God.
Nehemiah discerns something is wrong. Verse 12 says very clearly that Nehemiah “saw that God had not sent him.” How did he know? How could he discern this? He could tell because what this person was telling him to do was opposite of what God’s Word already said.
In Exodus 21:13, among other passages, God sets aside a place for people to flee for protection.
In 1 Kings 1, among other passages, we see this place is set up:
READ 1 KINGS 1:49-51 (ESV)
“Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way. 50 And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”
Nehemiah tested the prophecy. It contradicted God’s Word. Nehemiah was not permitted to enter the temple to live there or hide out there. It was a place of worship. A true word from God to someone will never violate God’s revealed written Word. God already set up what people were to do if they were afraid for their lives.
Nehemiah’s enemies tried to get him to be afraid and not faithful.
There were many around him who wanted him to be discredited.
Nehemiah’s enemies tried to get him to advance their agenda and not God’s.
TRANSITION
The ending of the chapter tells us how all of this worked out for Nehemiah.
Again, Nehemiah 6 shows us a masterclass in spiritual discernment.
Our time together in God’s word this morning is about: spiritual discernment.
Our time together in God’s word this morning is about: being firm against the false
This chapter shows us how false teachers operate.
This chapter shows us how we should respond.
What do we find as the passage ends?
THE WORK OF GOD (verses 15-16)
READ NEHEMIAH 6:14-19 (ESV)
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. 15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. 17 Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. 18 For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. 19 Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid.
The end of this passage tells us that the wall is completed in 52 days. That seems like a very large task in a short amount of time. Despite lies, intimidation, and false prophecy, Nehemiah finishes what God tells him to start. The end result was that God was praised. Nehemiah says that all the people around them could see that God was with them. Nehemiah told us in the first few chapters that the strong hand of God was with him. We see that here in chapter 6 played out.
I cannot help but think of 1 John 4 which commands us to follow in Nehemiah’s footsteps:
READ 1 JOHN 4:1-6 (ESV)
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. 4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
TRANSITION
I want to be helpful for you as we apply this and so I want to load up some thoughts and fire them off as we apply everything we have talked about today.
APPLICATION
Not every spiritual voice is trustworthy because spiritual is not the same as Truth.
Experiences must bow to the Word of God.
Discernment grows through prayer, obedience, and practice.
Nehemiah knew God’s voice because he was already walking closely with Him.
False teachers try to make God’s people afraid.
Agreement with Scripture is always always always always always always the final test.
As we think about those statements, we can follow them up with these three questions:
Does this pull me away from what God clearly called me to?
Does this produce fear instead of faithfulness?
Does this contradict God’s Word?
CONCLUSION
This morning, I started by reading headlines. Headlines that make us tired, angry, question, and wonder who we can trust. If we are honest…some of us don’t just feel disappointed, but feel wounded, disillusioned, and wonder if the noise of Satan is louder than the Truth of God.
I want to encourage you this morning to stand firm against what is false.
Stand. Firm. Against. What. Is. False.
PRAYER
INVITATION
Earlier I read from 1 John 4. One of the phrases from 1 John 4 was
RE-READ 1 JOHN 4:4b
“He Who is in you is greater than he who is in the world”
I do not know what you are facing today, but God is greater than any issue we face. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all wrong. The Spirit of God strengthens us to meet every challenge. That is all true if Jesus is your Lord and Savior. I will not manipulate you or try and scare you, but Jesus’ offer is on the table this morning if you would like to accept Him as Lord and Savior. The choice, as always, is yours.
