Pastor Dave Martin ~ Cross Creek Community Church ~ Jan 26, 2014
“Building and Battling”
PerseveranceNeh 4-6, Part 3
- God works out His perfect plans… Involving His children, Neh 1
- God calls Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the task of rebuilding, Neh 2
- Nehemiah assembles God’s “Dream Team” & begins working, Neh 3
Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl; The one was wise, and a cheery soul.
The other one took a gloomy view And bade his friend a sad farewell.
Said the other frog with a merry grin, “I can’t get out, but I won’t give in;
I’ll swim around till my strength is spent, Then I will die the more content.”
And as he swam, though ever it seemed, His struggling began to churn the cream
Until on top of pure butter he stopped, And out of the bowl he quickly hopped.
The moral, you ask? Oh, it’s easily found! If you can’t get out, keep swimming around.
Our Daily Bread, November 29
Perseverance – Steady persistence in adhering to a course of action; a call to faithfulness to Christ in spite of the circumstances… What does it take for you to quit?
Automobile genius Henry Ford once came up with a revolutionary plan for a new kind of engine which we know today as the V-8. Ford was eager to get his great new idea into production. He had some men draw up the plans, and presented them to the engineers. As the engineers studied the drawings, one by one they came to the same conclusion. Their visionary boss just didn’t know much about the fundamental principles of engineering. He’d have to be told gently—his dream was impossible. Ford said, “Produce it anyway.” They replied, “But it’s impossible.” “Go ahead,” Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.”
For six months they struggled with drawing after drawing, design after design. Nothing. Another six months. Nothing. At the end of the year Ford checked with his engineers and they once again told him that what he wanted was impossible. Ford told them to keep going. They did. And finally, they discovered how to build a V-8 engine. Napolean Hill, Think and Grow Rich, 1960
- Henry Ford demonstrated persistence... And as you will see, so did Nehemiah – Building & Battling
1. God Works, Opposition alwaysFollows…Seen in chapters 4-5-6 (Problem – Prayer – Praise as God worked)
- Battling From Without... Outside forces (God haters) mounted against Nehemiah doing God’s Work…
By MockeryNehemiah 4:1-3 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble--burned as they are?" 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building--if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!"
- Someone despises you, making fun of you, ridiculing you… You stupid idiot… Expect it
- When you build & battle expect someone to mock you… Those who openly hate you… Take it to God in prayer… Vs 4-6 “Hear us, O our God for we are despised”
By ConspiracyNehemiah 4:7-9a7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it. 9 But we prayed to our God…
- When you build & battle expect someone to conspire against you… Little murmuring, comments, Facebook posts… Take it to God in prayer… Vs 9 “But we prayed to our God…”
By CompromiseNehemiah 6:1-21 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it--though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates-- 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono." But they were scheming to harm me;
- When you build & battle expect someone to try to entrap you…Attempting to lure you into sin or compromising position… Prayerful God connection with discernment…Vs3-4 “I sent message 4x”
By SlanderNehemiah 6:5-9 5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: "It is reported among the nations--and Geshem says it is true--that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king7 and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: 'There is a king in Judah!' Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together." 8 I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head." 9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, "Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed." But I prayed, "Now strengthen my hands."
- When you build & battle expect someone to slander you… Propagate lies, trying to destroy you and what God has called you to do… V9 “But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
By TreacheryNehemiah 6:10-14 10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah… who was shut in at his home. He said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you--by night they are coming to kill you." 11 But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. 14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.(Shemaiah was a false prophet, who contradicted God’s Word)
- When you build & battle expect someone to deceive, trick, and entrap you… “prophets of God”, religious… Get Neh to break God’s Law and hide out in the temple… V14 “Remember O my God”
- Battling From Within…Inside situations, battling with God’s people… workers, attitudes, struggles, fears
By WeaknessNehemiah 4:10aMeanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out… we cannot rebuild the wall."
- We’ve all experienced flops, failures and fumbles, why? We’re weak earthen vessels who get tired & weary, becoming discouraged, as doubt and fear floods our minds… Battling physical weakness
By RubbleNehemiah 4:10b“… and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall."
- Whenever Christ is not first place in your life, it begins to fill with rubble. How you spend your time & money speak volumes of your priorities... rubble can overwhelm us to quitting the battle…
By AttitudesNehemiah 4:11-12 11 Also our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work." 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."
- The people became discouraged, fearful…10x consumed... Neh encouraged them – don’t be afraid, trust God, get thinking right… Attitudes make or break us... Keep the right thinking attitude
By IsolationNehemiah 4:19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall.
- Isolating ourselves will stifle building progress becoming self-limiting & defeated… I need you, you need me & we need each other… In a church, don’t start zoning & drifting out, away from fellowship, spotty attendance, critical spirit... Becoming easy prey for the enemy - who picks us off
By PressuresNehemiah 5:1 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers.
- The landowners were forced to mortgage their properties, a famine was going on, couldn’t pay their taxes… No income because of building… Smothered in pressure… Some here are battling pressures... feel like you’re in a pressure cooker ready to explode.
Over and over again… In Building & Battling, here’s the order: Problem – Prayer – Praise as God works…
Jesus, the perfect Son of God battled too… He was called a gluttonMt 11:19; a drunkardLu 7:34; He was criticized for associating with sinners Mt 9:11; He even was accused of being demon possessed Jn 8:48
2 Tim. 3:12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
- Rest assured you will undergo hostility, criticism, slander... why? Because you are engaged in battle...
- Battling the Unseen World…
1 Peter 5:8-9 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
- We see this invisible cosmic battle throughout scripture… Know it or not, you are in it…
- Wars, terrorists, ideology of Dem & Rep, struggles in marriages, families… Man’s sin nature
Cross Creek Journey… Story #1 Night of Spiritual Warfare in prayer”… Story #2 First time preaching here, a demonic woman’s outburst… Her name was Rose Mary (as in Rose Mary’s Baby”)… Many many stories…
Ephesians 6:10-12 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
(Problem – Prayer – Praise as God worked)
Let me give you four truths as we wrap this together…
Building & Battling…
Battling through trials matures our faith… God works in ALL His children… Becoming more Christ-like…
Nehemiah 4:6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Battling requires utilization of all ourResources…Put action upon your prayers… daily time, LIFEgroup…
Neh. 4:9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Nehemiah 4:17-18 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
Battling problemshumblesus to God Dependence… Prayer is depending upon God to work/build/to do
Nehemiah 4:4-5 4 Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
2 Chronicles 32:7-8 7 "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. 8 With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people gained confidence from what Hezekiah the king of Judah said.2 Chronicles 31:21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
Battling with Perseverance bringsSuccessfrom the Lord… God works as we persevere in obedience
Nehemiah 4:20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"… 1 Samuel 17:47 “… for the battle is the Lord's…”
Nehemiah 6:15-16 15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
- Nehemiah had a can do spirit, great faith in a great God… He was God’s man, carrying out God’s plan…
- He confronted problem after problem with prayer…Experiencing success as the walls were rebuilt
- God used Nehemiah to affect change throughout the nation of Israel and her people… God is using Cross Creek to make a difference in lives presently and throughout eternity…
- Many battles fought… Many lives changed… WHY? Because we have persevered… God brings victory
- Solid truth lessons we can apply to each of our situations… Building & Battling
Let’s Pray