The Sword And The Trowel

THE SWORD AND THE TROWEL

NEH. 4:1-17 NKJV

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. Barbara Honig from California was helplessly lost in a small town in upstate New York. She flagged down a passing police officer. It turned out the address she was looking for was in the opposite direction.

2. “Is it ok if I make a Uturn?” she asked the officer. “If I don’t see you,” he said, walking back to his car. She quickly did a uturn and got about a block before the police car came up behind her and pulled her over. Ambling over, the officer said, “I saw you.” [Reader’s Digest] Sounds like our Pete Smith!

B. TEXT

1 But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. 2 He spoke before...the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing?...Will they revive the stones...that are burned [with fire]?” 3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite...said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” 7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, [& other enemies] heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, they became very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem....11 And our adversaries said, “They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease.” 13 Therefore I positioned...the people according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows. 14 And I said, “Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses.” 15 All of us returned to the wall, everyone to his work....17 Those who built on the wall...[worked] so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. Neh. 4:1-17

C. THESIS

1. Today’s message is about spiritual warfare. God told the Israelites to “arise and build” (2:20). The GOAL FOR GOD’S PEOPLE was is TO REBUILD GOD’S KINGDOM. The Hebrew word for “rebuild” is also used for the healing of a wound.

2. But when we begin to rebuild, the enemy will raise up opposition. So IF we build, we WILL have to fight; so we might as well plan on fighting from the beginning. The title of today’s message is “The Sword & the Trowel.”

I. THERE WILL BE OPPOSITION TO GOD’S WORK

A. DEVIL DERIDES THE WEAKNESS OF THE CHURCH

1. Sanballat Derided; He "mocked the Jews" (ver. 1).

2. Sanballat Under-estimated; "These feeble Jews" (ver. 2).

3. Tobiah Misrepresented; "If a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall" (ver. 3).

4. "And all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion." (ver. 8).

B. CONDUCTED PSYCHOLOGICAL WARFARE

1. The enemies of Israel used psychological warfare to discourage the Jews from building – to break their morale.

2. Some of the workers did became discouraged and wanted to quit. Many were fearful for their lives and families. They began to question whether it was worth it.

3. If the devil’s telling you there’s no hope, then you know there IS hope – right around the corner. If the devil tells you you’re not worthy, then be assured, you are! If the enemy tells you that you’ll never be free, or whole, or healed, or happy -- then you can take it to the bank that the reverse it true and that there’s a rainstorm of God’s blessings about to fall on you! Hallelujah!

C. WHAT DO YOU NEED TO STRENGTHEN?

1. WHAT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE ARE WEAK/BROKEN DOWN?

a. KIDS: Do you have strained relationships?

b. FINANCIAL STRESS: Is this a weight on you?

c. HEALTH PROBLEMS: Is this a worry?

d. Suffering from MARITAL PROBLEMS?

e. Battling LONELINESS or DEPRESSION?

f. Are you being TEMPTED – pornography, alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, cursing, unforgiveness, bad thoughts, sex outside marriage, etc.

2. YOU MUST NOT GIVE UP THE BATTLE! It’s easy to think your situation will never change. “I just can’t do it, Pastor!” Praise God, we don’t have to face our strongholds alone. WE HAVE A CHAMPION, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is living inside of us! “Greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world!”

3. Jesus has never lost a battle! He overcame death, Hell, and the grave. Jesus said, “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Lk. 10:19).

II. NEHEMIAH COUNTERED THE ENEMY

A. WITH PRAYER & FAITH