"Will They...?"
Neh. 4:1-9
INTRO: Nehemiah was living in Captivity, serving in the Shushan palace.
One day he met some friends coming from Jerusalem; he inquired
of them how things were back home. We read their response in
Neh. 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." This was probably the worst news Nehemiah
could have heard! His beloved Jerusalem, the place of his birth,
was in ruin and its people a reproach among the nations!
Nehemiah had asked the men about the condition down in
Jerusalem, now he wished he had asked, after learning of the ter
rible condition the city was in! The news was so shocking to him
that he couldn't seem to shake it or hide the sadness he was
feeling. Verse 4 tells us, "And it came to pass, when the heard
those words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days,
and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven."
As he served the King his wine he was so sad. We read in
Nehemiah 2:2-5 the conversation that took place, "Wherefore the
King said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art
not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very
sore afraid, and said unto the King, Let the King live for ever:
why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place
of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are
consumed with fire? Then the King said unto me, For what dost
thou make request? so I prayed the God of heaven. And I said
unto the King, If it please the King, and if thy servant have found
favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest sent me unto Judah, unto
the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it."
The King not only granted him PERMISSION, he supplied PRO-
VISION so Nehemiah could go back and rebuild the walls and gates
of Jerusalem. This is the very thing that the KING OF KINGS, our
LORD Jesus, has done for us. He has given us PERMISSION to
rebuild what the enemy has destroyed and He has supplied the
PROVISIONS that we need to do the job. But we can not please the
LORD without having to face some oppositions from the enemy.
(1) The Opposition
Neh. 4:3—“Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said,
even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break
down their stone wall"
*He accused the builders of not knowing how to do their jobs. He said
that even a little fox could cause the wall to fall again.
ILLUS: It was not a coincidence that he chose a fox. The Fox is such
a light-footed animal that he has been known for barely
leaving tracks.
*He chose to use the fox so as the impose the strongest insult he
could.
ILLUS: Whoever started the old saying, "Sticks and stones may break
my bones, but words will never hurt me," didn't know what he
was talking about.
*Tobiah's insult was painful. The devil knows exactly what to say to
hurt us.
*We can rest assured, the devil's crowd will always be around to say
every insulting thing they can think of to say.
*They Faced Opposition by:
a)Discouraging Words (vv. 1-3)
b)Deliberate Action (vv. 8-9)
c)Discouraged Brethren (vv. 10-23)
*When folks have a burden for the Work of God, they do not allow
anything to keep them from accomplishing what God wants them to
accomplish!
(2) The Overcomers
Neh. 4:2--"And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What do these feeble Jews? Will they fortify themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they make an end in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?"
*Sanballat wanted to know what these Jews thought they were doing?
It is a good question to ask ourselves-WHAT ARE WE DOING? In other
words, what are we trying to accomplish as a Church? Did you know
that average Christians have no idea what God placed the Church here
to accomplish?
*The Purpose of the Church is THAT WE MAY KNOW HIM and REVEAL
HIM TO A LOST WORLD.
Matt. 28:19-20
*Sanballat asked the question concerning the rebuilding of the walls,
WHAT ARE THESE JEWS DOING HERE? They knew exactly what they
were doing, they were there to rebuild the walls. And I hope that, as a
Church, we know what we are supposed to be doing!
*Sanballat asked four questions in verse 2,
a) "Will They Fortify Themselves?" That is, Will they join hands and
work together?
ILLUS: The game "Red Rover."
*Did you know anytime you find trouble in a Church you can rest
assured that the devil will fin the person who is the weakest,
spiritually. He knows he does not stand a chance of "breaking"
those who are strong spiritually, but he can get into a Church
through those who are weak.
ILLUS: You can take one single thread and break it without much
trouble, but did you know if you take one single thread and
add more to it and soon you will have a cord so strong it
cannot be broken.
Phils. 1:27b
*Satan knows one Christian cannot get the job done, but when
many Christians come together and learn to operate as the Body Of
Christ, then Satan does not stand a Chance and he knows it.
b) "Will They Sacrifice?"
*Every Success story is wrapped up in the word SACRIFICE!
*If a Church is going to be successful the people will have to be
willing to SACRIFICE!
*SACRIFICING IS something many Christians know little about!
Roms 12:1-2
c) "Will They make an end in a day?"
*Or, Will they stick to what they are doing?
Gals. 6:9
ILLUS: A pastor was doing fantastic work for the LORD. The
Church had property and buildings that were worth
millions. The finances and the attendance were growing
astronomically. Then in a time of weakness one day he
became friendly with a young lady and from that time on
his relationship with his wife and the LORD deteriorated.
He was caught cheating on his wife and the news spread
through the Church like wild fire! He left his wife and
married the young lady. His whole ministry was destroyed!
Now the Church, that God used him to build is deeply in
debt and only a small number of people attend. Everything
he did for the LORD, he turned around and undid!
*When we Christians keep serving the LORD faithfully year after
year, what we do for Him keeps building and building. The devil
knows this and so he tries to get us to quit (Hebs. 6:10)! WHEN A
CHURCH STICKS TO GOD'S PLAN, they will get the job done!
d)"Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are
burned?"
*Will they get their hands dirty? Remember the gates had been
burned. You talk about a filthy job. They had their work cut out
for them! Sanballat asked, "WILL THEY…be willing to do something
that others will not?"
*There has to be those in the Church who are willing to get their
hands dirty and get the job done!
1 Cors. 10:31b
*How Did They Overcome?:
1)Prayer (vv. 4,9)
2)Work (v. 6)
CLOSING:Sanballat asked FOUR times-WILL THEY? And the answer each time was, “YES!” And that is why they got the job done!
The Church that is filled with people who love God and love His
Church will come together and work together to get the job
done. This kind of Church upsets Satan.