WE CAN DO THIS
Nehemiah 2:9-20
S: Courage
Th: Brave Hearts
Pr: WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD.
?: What? What keeps us from moving forward?
KW: Barriers
TS: We will find in our study of Nehemiah 2:9-20, three barriers that keep us from moving forward.
The _____ barrier is that keeps us from moving forward is…
I. COMFORT (9-10)
II. CONTENT (11-18)
III. CONFLICT (19-20)
Version: ESV
RMBC 26 Jan 03 AM
INTRODUCTION:
ILL Notebook: Obstruction (skin in the way)
As part of combat training, a group of soldiers were made to crawl on their backs under barbed wire while rounds were being fired above them. The training instructor continually screamed at them to “get down!” Near the end of the exercise, the training instructor shouted to one soldier, “Why aren’t you crawling lower?”
“Because,” the trainee said, “my skin keeps getting in the way!”
Does stuff get in your way?
ILL Personal
In the Fall of 1980, there was a beautiful young lady that had recaptured my attention. I had been to visit her at college and we had gone to a Broadway show. As I prepared to leave on Sunday evening, I asked her once again to marry me, and she did answer me. . .with a “maybe.” You see this was real progress in our relationship (and also reinforces her weakness for Broadway).
Very late that night, I left to drive from Nyack, just north of New York City, to come back to western New York, where I was expected to be at work at 7:00 am in Leroy.
But at 5:00 AM, travelling through Mt. Morris, something got in my way. . .a policeman. He said I was driving erratically. As I told him my story and that I had been driving all night, he actually demonstrated sympathy for me and let me go. As a result, I did make it to work on time (and, by the way, I also got the girl!).
TRANSITION:
Two weeks ago, we began studying the book of Nehemiah, which are, in a sense, his diaries.
We see in Nehemiah a man of courage, who did not let stuff get in his way.
He was not deterred because (he)…
1. Nehemiah has a mission.
In chapter one, when his brother reported the condition of Jerusalem and its people, God used that news to break the heart of Nehemiah,
God spoke to his heart.
After spending months in prayer, God opened the door for Nehemiah to speak to the king.
This is significant, because it was the king, Artaxerxes, who was preventing Jerusalem from being rebuilt.
When Nehemiah speaks to the king, however, God uses this to pave the way for Nehemiah to be the man to make a difference in Jerusalem.
Artaxerxes grants Nehemiah’s requests to rebuild Jerusalem, but not only that…he agrees to finance it and provide protection for the trip.
As we finished our study last week, we come to the time to move on to Jerusalem.
It’s time to move.
This simple fact shows us that…
2. WE MUST HAVE THE COURAGE TO MOVE FORWARD.
As we already noted though, sometimes stuff gets in our way.
Knowing this, we want to discover what are some things that keep us from moving forward?
What are the potential obstacles?
Well…
3. We will find in our study of Nehemiah 2:9-20, three barriers that keep us from moving forward.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first barrier is that keeps us from moving forward is COMFORT (9-10).
Then I came to the governors of the province Beyond the River and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent with me officers of the army and horsemen. But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah, the Ammonite servant, heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.
It must have been quite the scene when Nehemiah came into Jerusalem.
It was probably a large and impressive entourage with a military escort.
It would have immediately been the talk of Jerusalem.
But for Nehemiah, this would have been a very long trip, likely to have been two months long.
And during this trip, you wonder if Nehemiah ever thought to himself, “I left home for this?”
You see…
1. When we move forward, we may wonder if leaving home was such a good idea.
Nehemiah has moved forward into the unknown.
And in the natural times of doubting, he may have wondered, “What have I gotten myself into?”
The long days spent with camels, lots of lonely wilderness, could be very depressing.
The initial excitement would wear off quickly.
And then when he arrived in Jerusalem, it was nothing like the home he had left.
He had left Susa, the most prominent and beautiful city of its time.
And he comes to Jerusalem, a pile of rubble and trouble.
Not only is the location lacking, he discovers early on that not everyone is thrilled about his arrival.
Showing us that…
2. When we move forward, not everybody is going to be happy.
Though only two individuals are mentioned here, another is added later.
They are Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem.
Sanballat was the governor of Samaria and Nehemiah would have had to show his credentials to him as he passed through.
Tobiah may have been the governor of Ammon, and was definitely in cahoots with Sanballat.
Geshem is an Arab that likely controlled a lucrative trade route surrounding Jerusalem.
So what we have here, simply, is a power struggle.
Sanballat to the north, Tobiah to the east and Geshem to the south…
And Nehemiah comes onto the scene to mess it all up.
Someone once defined a Christian as someone who is completely fearless, continually cheerful, and constantly in trouble.
The latter will certainly be true for Nehemiah for difficulties will abound for him…and in the process, these three are going to be at the center of much of it.
The comfort of home was looking better all the time…
II. The second barrier is that keeps us from moving forward is CONTENT (11-18).
When I speak of content, it is not content, as in satisfied.
But content, as in contents and composition.
Content as all that is contained therein.
As this applies to Nehemiah, he is going to discover that the content was a lot more than he may have bargained for.
So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. And I told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode. I went out by night by the Valley Gate to the Dragon Spring and to the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, and I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, and the rest who were to do the work.
Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision." And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me. And they said, "Let us rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
The first thing we find Nehemiah doing is nothing.
He is taking a few days rest to get in the right frame of mind.
After such a long trip, it was only natural for him to rest to get the mind and body refreshed.
Not only this, it was an opportunity to refocus, pray and get needed perspective and direction from God.
So this is what he does and then, by example, he shows us that…
1. When we move forward, it makes sense to investigate the situation.
Now that he was rested, it was time to do the homework.
It was time to inspect the city to see what the condition of the walls were.
It was also time for an inward inspection.
He needed to discover if his passion is still there.
You see…
2. When we move forward, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the size of the task.
Note Nehemiah’s tactics in this.
He goes out at night, and only a few know what he is doing.
He shows that it is a time for discretion.
There is no need to arouse a lot of unneeded talk.
What he discovers in his evening venture is that things are really bad.
The need is desperate need and the shame is unbearable.
There is ruin everywhere, and it is so bad, he can’t even get all the way around the southern part of the wall.
This is HUGE!
The task will be demanding and hazardous.
So Nehemiah returns back to his place of residence to spend more time alone.
I am sure he prayed and thought and listened, because this is what good leaders do.
This is what people of courage do.
Nehemiah studied the situation.
He was aware of the details, but we also know that he does not get overwhelmed by them or lost in them.
ILL Notebook: Vision (Reagan)
Some thought he was just a crazy old man, maybe a dreamer who mouthed platitudes but not really much of an intellect. Why, he fell asleep in meetings and let others do his work for him. But polls have borne out this truth in the last several years, among the greatest American presidents – Lincoln, Kennedy, Washington and FDR – Ronald Reagan ranks with them.
In the late summer of 1987, Reagan stood in front of the Brandenburg Gate of the Berlin Wall and dared to voice what others considered only a wild dream. He said to the president of the then Soviet Union, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” He concluded his speech by assuring Gorbachev and the world, “This wall will fall. For it cannot withstand faith. It cannot withstand truth. It cannot withstand freedom.”
A wild dream maybe, but I think otherwise. President Reagan cast a vision for the future of how things could be. No one listening to his words would have believed that less that two-and-a-half years later, the world would watch with astonishment as joyous East Germans and West Germans took sledge, pick axe, and hammer to that monstrosity of repression and tore it down.
Nehemiah is going to do the same thing.
He is going to paint a picture of the future.
He is going to create a vision of Jerusalem’s future possibilities.
But fulfilling the vision is something he cannot do alone.
Because…
3. When we move forward, it is good to promote teamwork.
In fact, we have to have teamwork.
I appreciate Nehemiah’s wisdom so much here.
He does not blame the inhabitants of Jerusalem at all.
It is not about them.
It is about us.
Nehemiah identified himself with the need.
He said, “This is our problem.”
They had to do this together.
One of the problems they faced though is that they had gotten used to the situation being the way it was.
ILL Notebook: Familiar (noise now familiar)
Once there was an airplane pilot who had a hard time getting along with the local aircraft mechanic. One day the pilot brought his plane to the hangar where the mechanic did repairs. He wrote the following complain in the shop log: “Unfamiliar noise in engine.”
The next day, the pilot was somewhat surprised to see the plane was already back in service. Curious as to what problem the mechanic had found, the pilot checked the logbook. The entry simply said: “Ran engine continuously for four hours. Noise now familiar.”
When we are confronted with change, it is easy to desire the way we have gotten used to living.
One hears, “It’s always been this way.”
Or, “We’ve tried that before and it didn’t work.”
Nehemiah certainly understands the potential of that thinking, so he continues to persuade by sharing his own personal testimony.
He testifies so clearly that the Lord’s good hand has been upon him.
I appreciate how he does it as well.
He does not bring credit to himself.
He does not say what a great gift he is to the mankind of Jerusalem.
No, he keeps his the focus on the Lord.
The response was phenomenal.
In spite of the fact that this work was going to be hard and sacrificial, they determined to do it.
III. The third barrier is that keeps us from moving forward is CONFLICT (19-20).
But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" Then I replied to them, "The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem."
1. When we move forward, we must expect opposition.
ILL Personal criticism
During my years of ministry, I have received my fair share of criticism.
I have been called: uncaring, greedy, self-serving, careless, power hungry, too serious, too funny and even a miniature Jerry Falwell. I have been accused of being involved too much and not being involved enough (often of the same situations).
I could go on with some further descriptions and situations, but let it suffice to say that some of my critics were right (because your pastor is not perfect). Some were well-meaning, but still very wrong in their assessment. Some critics’ intentions were more diabolical in nature.
Please realize this…
Whenever we do the Lord’s work, Satan will arise and oppose.
Sanballat and Tobiah reappear at this point, along with Gesham.
As they have got wind of the situation, they communicate clearly to Nehemiah and the people of Jerusalem just what they think.
They mock them.
They ridicule them.
They question their motives.
They accuse them of rebelling against the king.
You know, if this had happened to me, I know what I would have done.
I would have gotten out my credentials, and said, “See…the king sent me…Artaxerxes himself!”
But Nehemiah was different.
He faced their verbal abuse with bold ones of his own.
And it is here that we learn…
2. When we move forward, we must remember God’s will.
He in effect says, “You will not stop us.”
“We will not be distracted!”
“We are doing the will of God.”
Nehemiah lets them know that under no uncertain terms was he going to let their fictitious accounts distract them from doing what God had called them to do.
He says, “Our God is in control, that is the God of heaven.”
“He will prosper us, and not you.”
“We are His servants, and you are not.”
“We will accomplish His task, and you won’t stop us.”
“We can count on God and He can count on us.”
As far as Nehemiah is concerned, these three were outside of God’s will.
They had no rights to the land.
Nehemiah is not concerned about being politically correct.
He says that they can take a hike!
APPLICATION:
If we are to courageously and effectively move forward, we must follow the example of Nehemiah.
It was on his heart to fulfill God’s agenda, and so he shows us that…
1. When we possess a holy ambition to participate in God’s agenda, a strategy is required (that God may change along the way).
Nehemiah put his plan together, even though it was not going to be easy!
Remember what we said last week.
Dreamers dream about things being different.
People with vision (visioneers as Andy Stanley calls them) make a difference.
Are you willing to make a difference?
If the answer is “yes,” then it is time for silence, prayer, reading God’s Word and listening to Him.
When it is our desire to fulfill and accomplish God’s agenda…when we possess that kind of holy ambition…He will give us the direction we seek.
ILL
For example, you are not going to believe this, but ... came into my office yesterday about a new idea.
And she came in with a plan…a strategy.
It didn’t have all the details, but there was a definite direction.
(By the way, it is not the size of the Pilgrimage, so breathe easy…)
Do know this…
God supports the visions He gives.
But we don’t see it or understand it until we step out and we champion God’s agenda.
So note this…
2. If God is calling, it is worth doing, even if it is not predictable, safe or expected.
Yes, some may laugh and ridicule.
Some may resent the change in you.
Some may even question your motives because you are traversing on top of some “man-made sacred” traditions.
Do not stop.
Move forward with courage.
Make a difference.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Move forward…and don’t let the comfort of your present situation hold you back; instead embrace God’s agenda for you and for the world.
Move forward…and don’t be overwhelmed by the size of the task; because if it is bigger than you and it is on your heart, God is probably in it so you can do it together (remember that it is not too big for him).
Move forward…and don’t be delayed by the complaints; if you are doing God’s will, Satan’s minions will throw obstacles in the way; but do not fear, because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Now may the God of peace equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
