January
7, 2009
Audio
sermon
Find Out How the
People Against Us Will Operate to Try to Get Us To Stop!
|
Nehemiah
1-6
This subject from Nehemiah is one of
my favorite 'practical applications' to teach / preach! Now
we can look at the lessons from Nehemiah from the words of the Risen Christ
- through Paul, of course.
-
From Nehemiah's desire to rebuild
the wall, we can learn exactly:
-
1. How those that are against
us will work to try to get us to stop growing as a Christian!
-
Acts 19:20
- So mightily grew the word of God and
prevailed.
-
Acts 26:18,20
- To open their eyes, and to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God ...
-
Ephesians 3:4
- Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand
my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)
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Paul's prayers towards us
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Philippians
1:6: Being confident of this very thing,
that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day
of Jesus Christ:
-
Ephesians 5:11
- And have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
-
II Timothy
2:26 - And that they may recover themselves
out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
-
Ephesians 4:12
- For the perfecting of the saints, for
the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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II Timothy
3:14 - But continue thou in the things
which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou
hast learned them;
-
II Timothy
3:17 - That the man of God may be perfect,
throughly furnished unto all good works.
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Titus 2:12-15
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I Timothy 2:8-12
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II Thessalonians
3:14 - And if any man obey not our word
by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may
be ashamed.
-
II Thessalonians
3:2 - And that we may be delivered from
unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.
-
I Thessalonians
3:10 - Night and day praying exceedingly
that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in
your faith?
-
I Thessalonians
1:9,10 - For they themselves shew
of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to
God from idols to serve the living and true God; And to wait for his Son
from heaven, ...
-
Colossians
2:8 - Beware lest any man spoil you through
philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments
of the world, and not after Christ.
-
Colossians
3:5 - Mortify therefore your members which
are upon the earth ...
-
Colossians
3:8 - But now ye also put off all these;
anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
-
Colossians
3:9,10 - Lie not one to another ... And
have put on the new man,
-
Philippians
4:9 - Those things, which ye have both
learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace
shall be with you.
-
Philippians
3:13-14 - Brethren, I count not myself
to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which
are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
-
Philippians
1:9,10 - And this I pray, that your love
may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye
may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without
offence till the day of Christ;
-
etc. etc. and
more etc...
-
2. That our 'friends & family'
will act exactly like Sanballat & Tobiah, as if they were the enemy
to us!
-
Mark 6:4:
But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own
country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.
-
II Corinthians
12:15: And I will very gladly spend and
be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be
loved.
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3. That others will act these
ways because they look at us as if we are their enemy!
-
Galatians 4:16:
Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?
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4. That we may even act these
ways ourselves towards each other as well as others!
Realize there is a problem!
-
1:3 - And
they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in
the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem
also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.
-
We know of the damage today:
-
godliness (Christianity)
-
church
-
local
-
universal
-
preaching
-
teaching
-
profane and vain babblings instead of
rightly dividing
-
Christians
-
Bibles
-
children and grandchildren
-
the country
-
freedoms
-
economy
-
global attraction
-
our personal lives
Nehemiah's Response
-
1:4 - And
it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and
mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
Nehemiah's Prayer
-
1:5-11
-
OT fear of God, physical kingdom
-
He asked for the mercy we have today!
Nehemiah's Testimony
-
2:1 - ... Now
I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.
Permission Granted to do what must
be done to repair the wall!
Here They
Come
-
2:10 - When
Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of
it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare
of the children of Israel.
-
Sanballat, the Horonite & Tobiah
the Ammonite (a servant)
-
I. They
were exceedingly grieved.
Nehemiah surveyed
the situation
Nehemiah Recruits
-
2:17-18
-
Hand of my God - the KJV RD'd Bible
today!
-
People chose to follow
-
They strengthened their hands for this
good work!
-
They prepared themselves for the work
to come!
Word
got out right away to Sanballat:
-
II. THEIR
response:
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2:19 - But
when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and
Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us,
and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the
king?
-
Talked about
them to others and got them involved now...
-
Laughed them
to scorn
-
Despised them
-
Accused them
of going against what is 'right.'
Nehemiah's Response:
-
2:20 - Then
answered I them, and said unto them, The God of heaven, he will prosper
us; therefore we his servants will arise and build: but ye have no portion,
nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
-
Trust and faith towards what God said
to him!
-
Told them there is nothing in it for
them - "It really is just none of your business!"
Chapter
three talks about the specific gates.
Chapter
four, we continue with Nehemiah and his enemies!
Sanballat
heard that the work had begun...
-
4:1 - But
it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he
was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.
-
III He
was wroth!
-
He took great
indignation!
-
He mocked the
Jews!
-
He expressed
his doubt!
-
'feeble'
-
will they fortify themselves?
-
will they sacrifice?
-
will they make an end in a day?
-
will they revive stones out of the burned
rubbish?
-
a fox will be able to break it down!
-
he doubted...
-
how strong they really were!
-
how serious they really were!
-
that they had what it would take!
-
that they were capable!
-
their ability!
Nehemiah's Response:
-
4:4-5 - Hear,
O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own
head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity. And cover
not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee:
for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.
-
He turns it back on them by asking God
to make them pay, as they are really mocking God, not Nehemiah.
Getting the
work done!
-
4:6 - So
built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof:
for the people had a mind to work.
-
They were getting the job done as they
really had a mind to work - in spite of the challenges from others!
They Conspired
More Together - IV
-
4:7-8 - But
it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and
the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were
made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very
wroth, And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against
Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
-
They heard that Nehemiah's people were
getting the job done!
-
walls were made up
-
breaches began to be stopped
-
Added to the
troops!
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Sanballat /
Tobiah / Arabians / Ammonites / Ashdodites
-
All wroth
-
Conspired to
fight against them
-
Tried to hinder
them
Nehemiah's Response:
-
4:9 - Nevertheless
we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night,
because of them.
-
Stayed close to God
-
Set a watch, day and night!
They recognized that they were getting
weaker!
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4:10 - And
Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there
is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.
-
Rubbish!
Sanballat saw
this as an opportunity to come in the midst of them! V.
-
4:11 - And
our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in
the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.
-
They continually
'talked' to Nehemiah's people...
-
they won't
know until it is too late
-
they won't
see until it is too late
-
then we can
slay them
-
then we can
get the 'work' to cease
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4:12 - And
it came to pass, that when the Jews which dwelt by them came, they said
unto us ten times, From all places whence ye shall return unto us they
will be upon you.
-
would that wear them down - after awhile,
many must have just given in...?
-
ten times...
-
and how many don't even know they have
given in...
-
subtle changes - the "frog in boiling
water" concept...
Nehemiah's Response:
-
4:13
- Therefore set I in the lower places behind the
wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families
with their swords, their spears, and their bows.
-
Nehemiah set in the lower places - closer!
-
Taught families how to deal with it
all in the high places!
-
4:14 - And
I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and
to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord,
which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and
your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
-
Challenged the families and leaders
to fight!
-
verses 14-23
-
worked in one hand and had their weapon
in the other - vs 17
-
were never caught off guard - vs
23
The wives began to express concerns...
-
5:1-5
-
It was ruining their families - being
brought under bondage to keep it all going - and had lost their land and
possessions, etc.
Nehemiah's Response:
-
5:6-8 - And
I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words. Then I consulted
with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them,
Ye exact usury, every one of his brother. And I set a great assembly
against them. And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed
our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even
sell your brethren? or shall they be sold unto us? Then held
they their peace, and found nothing to answer.
-
angry when he heard their cry
-
consulted with himself
-
rebuked the leaders
-
they had no answer - they held their
peace
-
they gave the enemy a bad testimony
of God and the truth! vs 9
-
Also I said,
It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God
because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies?
-
they responded as directed by Nehemiah
- vs 12-13
-
People said, "Amen!" vs
13
Nehemiah mentioned that he was doing
this all without any 'government involvement.'
Almost done
- the word got to the 'enemy' - VI.COMPROMISE
OFFER
-
6:1-2 - Now
it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and
the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there
was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors
upon the gates;) That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come,
let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
But they thought to do me mischief.
-
They made it
appear that they were offering compromise, but in all reality, they wanted
to do him mischief.
Nehemiah's Response:
-
6:3,4 - And
I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I
cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come
down to you? Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered
them after the same manner.
Sanballat's
response: VI. False Accusations
-
6:5-7 -
-
Tried a fifth
time with a accusatory letter
-
Boy, they just don't give up, do they!
-
Accuses Nehemiah
of personal gain and wanting power.
Nehemiah's Response:
-
6:8,9
-
Returned a personal letter of denial
-
Prayed unto God - he knew what they
had always been trying to do!
A Traitor tries
to get Nehemiah VII
-
6:10 - Afterward
I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel,
who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God,
within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will
come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
-
Hired by Sanballat
Nehemiah's Response:
-
6:11-13 - And
I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being
as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go
in. And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced
this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Therefore
was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they
might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.
-
He would not go in!
-
He knew this guy was going to try to
make him do something that would destroy his testimony.
-
Prayed to God to give Sanballat and
Tobiah according to their works.
-
And on the prophetess Noadiah and the
rest of the prophets...
Finished
-
6:15,16 - So
the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in
fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard
thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they
were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work
was wrought of our God.
-
The enemy was cast down in their own
eyes.
-
The enemy saw that it was all of God!
They still
didn't give up! VII.
-
6:17-19
-
There were
still people in the ranks of Nehemiah that were still close to Tobiah.
-
Did you ever
wonder how Sanballat always knew the status of the wall building?
-
It was because
of the folks within Nehemiah's congregation that kept them all up to date!
-
They also still
tried to show Nehemiah that Tobiah wasn't that bad of a man even AFTER
Tobiah proved himself as the enemy!
-
Tobiah sent
letters to Nehemiah to put him in fear!
-
Hey - why not?
He had people 'on his side' within the congregation!
-
Those people gave
him strength to continue - EVEN AFTER THE WALL WAS FINISHED!
-
Is that typical
church folks today or what!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sermon
notes from King James Bible Church of Touchet, WA
Pastor
- Mike Paulson
www.scatteredchristians.org
The
entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO
us!
We
learn from the "For" and we try to apply the 'TO!"