Not Today Satan

This morning we are going to be in Nehemiah 6, so go ahead and turn in your bibles there… while I pray.

PRAYER

Nehemiah 6 NIV

1 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; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer. 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 king 7 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 meet 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.” 10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, 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 someone 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, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. 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. 17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

So Three weeks ago we looked at a passage from Nehemiah 4 and I preached called The Voices of Opposition about the battle that we will face when put our hands to do the good work that God has called us to do. In it I talked about how our enemy is not just flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world. Against the mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

And as I read this passage for this week I kept fighting it. Lord really, I just preached about opposition and here we have this passage in Nehemiah 6 all about the opposition and the enemy again. And I didn’t want to preach again about the enemy but the longer I fought it this week the more of a necessity I understood it to be.

So lets catch back up with the story.

2 Weeks ago the work came to a screetching halt when Nehemiah had to deal with some internal conflict and injustice. Last week, we looked at 4 marks of a true leader, that they are surrendered, servant, sacrificial and sincere and now we are back to attack?

And I finally asked myself a question that allowed the Lord to break through with this weeks message.

Man doesn’t the enemy ever stop? Don’t we ever just get a break?

And that’s when the Lord’s voice broke through to me this week.

No Joe, the enemy does not slumber.

In fact it was Thomas Kempis who wrote

"The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead; therefore, you must never cease your preparation for battle, because on the right and the left are enemies who never rest."

1 Peter 5:8 NIV

8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

And so church, we need not be surprised when we find ourselves again fighting against the enemies schemes. And this week, though similar to the attack that the enemy came against Israel with in chapter 4, there are some significant differences and another message for us.

See in Chapter 4, the enemy was coming against not just Nehemiah, but everyone, all of Isreal, trying to discourage them. And if you cannot discourage them, threaten to assult them, and if you cannot get them to fear the threat of assult, then cause a commotion in their own house. Cause division within, which worked for a breif moment until the Lord allowed them to come together and seek Him, repent of their wrong doing and make things right again, and so the work began again.

And as soon as the work was underway again, the enemy began plotting again. If we cannot defeat them this way, then lets try and go after their leader.

Distraction

Nehemiah 6:1–4 NIV

1 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; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

The enemy came at Nehemiah with a distraction. Hey, Nehemiah, come, let’s get together and have a meeting.

Bleh…that just sounds like a strategy of the devil. I understand that some meetings are necessary but there are a lot of meetings that can be just a giant waste of time and could have been handled with a simple email or phone call.

And man I don’t know about you, but this has to be one of the MOST EFFECTIVE strategies that the enemy deploys against me.

Corrie Ten Boom, author of the Hiding Place and survior of the Ravensbruck concentration camp during WW2 once said,

“If the devil cannot make us bad, he will make us busy.”

But Nehemiah didn’t fall for their schemes. Sanballat and Geshem were scheming to harm him, and to distract him but he knew better. Whether or not it was a divine message from God…Nehemiah never told us but he knew and therefore he sent a messenger with a reply...

O No, i will not meet you in Ono. Why should the work stop while i leave...

If you know what your supposed to be doing but never get it done because your too distracted, maybe it’s time to send a message to the distraction and say…

No. The work God has called me to is too important for me to stop.

This could mean you’re saying No to some very good things at times. But we must learn to say “no” to good things so we can say yes to the best things.

There is one thing I want to clarify…the difference between interruptions and distractions. Interruptions are everywhere, and if you were here last Sunday night I talked about living with margin in our lives and one of the ways to let us know if we are living without margin is whether or not interruptions are seen as frustrations or opportunities. Interruptions can be distractions or they could be opportunities. But distractions are always from the enemy. They distract you from what God has called you to do. And sometimes these distractions can seem like a good thing, but their purpose is to take our focus off of the best things, the things God has called us to do and place them on other things.

Decker: Illustration: In the first half of the 20th century, there was a missionary in China who did a great job as a linguist and a diplomat in his work for the Lord. His abilities were so outstanding that one of the American companies in China tried to hire him. They offered him an attractive job with a salary to match, but he turned them down. He told them that God had sent him to China as a missionary and that was what he was going to do. He thought that would end the matter, but instead they came back with a better offer and an increase in salary. He turned that down too, but again they came back, doubling the salary that had originally been proposed. Finally he said to them, “It is not your salary that is too little. It’s the job that’s too small!”

Seemingly innocent invitation sent 4 times.  Would take Nehemiah away from Jerusalem where he’d be vulnerable to attack

But Nehemiah STOOD FIRM.He was a man of prayer & discernment, and he knew that they wished to harm him.  He would not allow anything to distract him from the task God had given him. “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” (6:3)

Nehemiah would not allow anything to distract him from the task God had given him to complete. 

When we are facing tough times, we need to stand firm, and not allow ourselves to be distracted, from what God has called us to.

Accusations & Slander

Nehemiah 6:5–9 NIV

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 king 7 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 meet 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.”

Ok, so the distraction didn’t work on him. Let us now accuse him and slander him.

“42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. 43 Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

When he lies he speaks his native language. The devil is a liar.

Devil means “deceiver”

Satan means “slanderer”

The devils tactic is to slander us and accuse us of wrongdoing. To get us to fall into fear.

Nehemiah captures this tactic when he writes in verse 9, They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, ‘their hands will get to weak for the work and it will not be completed.”

Nehemiah instead simply dismisses the claim “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.” (6:8)

Gossip and rumours can be very damaging. Which is why before we say or write something we should always THINK:

T--Is it true?

H--Is it helpful?

I--Is it inspiring?

N--Is it necessary?

K--Is it kind?

Nehemiah realised there strategy was to make him afraid.  But he refused to give into fear.

Many people live paralyzed by fear. Fear of what others are saying about them, or what they might say about them.  Or fear about the future.

Worried and fearful hands shake under accusation, they tremble at fear and are unable to do what God has called them to do.

Nehemiah refused to allow his actions to be dictated by fear of what others thought or said.

Nehemiah knew that God was in charge of the situation, so why give in to fear.  Instead his response was to turn to God in prayer, asking God to “Strengthen my hands”.

If you are facing a difficult situation, and feeling fearful and anxious, it is worth remembering these words from Isaiah 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand

Phrase ‘Do Not Fear’ is repeated 365 times in the Bible – one for each day of the year.

Intimidation

Nehemiah 6:10–14 NIV

10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, 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 someone 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, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me.

Nehemiah went to house of Shemaiah – who warned Nehemiah that men were coming to kill Nehemiah, and to hide in the Temple.

Sounds reasonable, but Nehemiah sees through plot. 

To run into the Temple would have not only undermined his authority as a leader, but it would have been in violation of God's Law – only priests allowed in temple. Although Shemaiah uses religious talk, Nehemiah sees through it.  Shemaiah is a false prophet, on Sanballat’s payroll. 

Nehemiah’s response was to say “Should a man like me run away? Or should someone like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!”

Despite the threats, and intimidation Nehemiah chose to TRUST God, and turned the situation over to God in prayer. 

Trusting God can transform our lives. 

But what does it mean to Trust God?

Trusting God is simply believing that He loves you, He’s good, He has the power to help you, He wants to help you, and He will help you.

Proverbs 3:5,6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Victory

Nehemiah 6:15–19 NIV

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. 17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shekaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.

Nehemiah’s victory was found in that he kept his hands to the work of God, standing firm against distractions, trusting in God.

The wall was completed in just 52 days.

From the beginning of the calling to the end of the building the project was completed in roughly 6 months.

But let me be vulerable for a few minutes...

SHARE ABOUT ERIE AND BYRDEN

Trust in the Lord AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATH.

God is good. And even though the enemy of our souls will try and distract us, even though satan will slander and accuse us, even though the devil will try and intimiate us, Jesus has made a way.

And the way to defeat the enemy of our souls is to trust in Him. To trust in his salvation and to celebrate the victory that Jesus has already one.

There is a popular song out there on Christian radio and I heard it again this week while i was driving back from dropping our car off again, because that is a distraction…but as I heard the song this week it brought me to tears...

I'm fighting a battle That you've already won No matter what comes my way I will overcome I don't know what You're doing But I know what You've done I'm fighting a battle that You've already won

The victory is His and therefore the Victory is Ours.

1 Corinthians 15:49–58 NIV

49 And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man. 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

So we join together and say, “Not today Satan.”