| Introduction Sometimes God calls people to do very hard things. Things that in and of themselves are very difficult. Then, in the performance of these hard and difficult tasks, they find tremendous opposition. Nehemiah is one of those people who were called to do very difficult things. He had to do the virtually impossible while facing the most difficult opposition. We may not be called to build a great wall or to lead a multitude of his people. But every one of us is called to serve Christ and we will face a lot of attacks from enemies as we serve him. We can learn from Nehemiah. I. The Enemy Is Real and the Attacks Are Relentless, 1. A. The overt opposition to the Jews' and Nehemiah's work was relentless. B. Even though it seemed like there was no point in opposing the construction of the wall because it was virtually finished, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem kept on devising strategies to derail and destroy the work of God's people. C. This is a common way that Satan opposes the work of God through his people. D. We see that even in the end of time itself, when Jesus will have returned and will be visibly on earth and his people will be with him, that Satan will still be plotting ways to derail and destroy the work of God. Rev. 20:7-10 – Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number isas the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. E. APPLICATION # 1 – We cannot let our guard down, thinking that we are almost there because the enemy will not give up till the end. 1 Pt. 4:7 – But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. 1 Pt. 5:8-11 – Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. II. The Enemy Uses Many Strategies, 2-9a. A. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem switched strategy from the threat of war in chpt. 4 to an ambush. 1. It is not currently possible to determine where the plain of Ono is. 2. Therefore, it is not possible to figure out why they chose that location to ambush Nehemiah 3. Nehemiah knew that his enemies were cunning and not above lying, so he turns their repeated invitation and stays focused on the work of the Lord. B. APPLICATION # 2 – The enemy will lie and cheat in order to take our eyes from "the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14). 1. Satan is a deceiver, the chief of all deceivers and nothing is beneath him. 2. The Fall itself in Gen. 3 shows us that. a. He is the father of all lies. Jn. 8:42-44 – Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources,for he is a liar and the father of it. b. He portrays himself as good. 2 Cor. 11:14 – And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. c. His primary strategy is to try to get you to doubt the goodness of God revealed in his Word. 1) "Has God really said?" 2) He lies to us, trying to get us to believe that a life apart from God is best. 3) He tries to convince us that what God has for us is not good. C. When the ambush strategy did not work, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem switched to public shaming. 1. It was an open letter that was read in this midst of the public square for all to hear. 2. The beginning of the letter in v. 6 is the good old "people are saying." 3. The people listening to the reading of the letter knew that if even a hint of rebellion got back to the Persian court, the king would drop the hammer on them. 4. The accusation was that the Jews were building the wall in preparation to set up Nehemiah as their king and declare independence from Persia. 5. Nehemiah saw through their gimmick (v. 9) and responded by simply saying, "Nope, not true," 8. 6. APPLICATION # 3 – the enemy will appeal to the fear of man that is so attractive to us. Pro. 29:25 – The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord shall be safe. a. What will people think of you if you continue doing what God has called you to do? b. The fear of man is a trap (snare). Mt. 10:28 – And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 7. APPLICATION # 4 – A clear conscience works as a shield against Satan's accusations. a. He will throw all kinds of lies and all kinds of truths against you, all aimed at our losing focus on Jesus. b. Nehemiah was able to answer the accusation but simply saying that it wasn't true. 1 Tim. 5-7, 18-20 – Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, froma good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm…. This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. c. Satan also hurls true accusations against us. 1) YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH! 2) That is totally true, but Jesus is and we stand before God united to Christ who defeated Satan. Rev. 12:10-12 – Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. Therefore rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and the sea! For the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has a short time." Rom. 8:1 – There istherefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus…. D. The second part of Nehemiah's response was a prayer, 9b. 1. He knew what the enemy was trying to accomplish, and he asked God to sustain him. 2. He did not seek revenge or vindication (see v. 14). 3. He trusted that God would do that for him. 4. APPLICATION # 5 – The grace of God received through prayer will enable us to resist the attacks of the enemy (prayer is the means through which we put on the whole armor). Eph. 6:11-12, 18-20 – Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hostsof wickedness in the heavenly places…. praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. Mt. 6:13 – And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. III. The Enemy Is Also Inside, 10-14, 17-19. A. Nehemiah realized that the enemies of the work of God were not only outside, but inside of the people of God. 1. Shemaiah was a secret informant for Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem who tried to discredit Nehemiah before the people by convincing him to hide in the temple. 2. In the history of Israel, when rulers hid in the temple was an admission of guilt and a plea for mercy. 3. Prophets who were supposed to be messengers from God were being paid to oppose the work of God (see v. 14). 4. Not only some of the prophets were working against Nehemiah, but so were some of the leaders, 17-19. 5. There was a constant campaign to undermine Nehemiah and to elevate Tobiah. B. APPLICATION # 6 – opposition to the work of God will also come from within the ranks of the church. Acts 20:28-31 – Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. Mt. 13:24-30 – Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?' He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather them up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'" IV. The Enemy Will Not Win, 15-16. A. Despite all this opposition, despite the odds being against them, the Jews were able to accomplish a feat virtually unheard of in the ANE. B. They rebuilt the wall around Jerusalem in 52 days! C. The gates were not quite there yet, but they went up shortly after that, 7:1. D. The completion of the wall discouraged the enemies of Jerusalem because they realized that a work of this magnitude, with this much opposition could only be accomplished if God was the one doing it. E. APPLICATION # 7 – the best way to discourage the work of the enemy is by plowing ahead with the work of God. Phil. 3-12-14 – Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. F. Satan cannot stop the Church! 1. Jesus Christ is building his Church and it will be built. 2. The nations will be disciple by Jesus. Mt. 16:13-19 – When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" So they said, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 3. So, take up your cross and follow Christ. Mt. 16:24-27 – Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."
To those of you who believe in Jesus Christ for your salvation, I say fight on! The battle is not yours, but it is God's. To those of you who are pretending to believe in Jesus, stop pretending and truly believe in Jesus. Do not meet Jesus as a pretender who is a worker of Satan. To those of you who have never believed, now is the time to leave the kingdom of darkness and enter the kingdom of the Son of God who he loves and join the fight in building the Church of Christ.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2018/02/enemies-everywhere-nehemiah-6.html
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