Resist The Opps

WOTY 2025: Forward

The goal is to challenge us to take intentional steps toward God's plan for our lives.

Philippians 3:13-14 NLT “No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

In Matthew Jesus

is baptized , anointed for ministry and send out in desert to pray and fast for 40 days.

towards the end of the 40 days the devil shows up and try’s to tempt to worship him.

The devil wasn’t interested in his worship, he was interested in his witness, testimony, his position, He wanted to knock him off his coarse

Satan tempts him 3 times with wealth , status and position

jesus responds 3 times the the truth of God

The Question : What should we do when we sense God calling us to follow His direction, but we encounter opposition along the way?

Personal Story Moving Forward

i stopped getting invited to the hangouts and the parties

I didn’t have any real friends in my life pursing Jesus like i was.

The beginning of my faith journey was really met with a lot of tension from the friend group i was apart of.

Transitional Point :

Sometimes Our Desire to move forward is hindered because of opposition

sometimes the opposition is people, sometimes its situations or events but its always the enemy

He partners with anything that can get you to get off coarse

They don’t want you to move forward

They benifit off your brokeness

You feel guilty because of it

either it sabotages your progress.

Some of us its hard to even think about of moving forward In Confience , in passion and vigor ,because that signafys that i might leave behind.

because going for you might mean loss.

everything we lose for the sake of the kingdom

Often times we need a reminder that The goal that has been set before you is so worth it, its worth the sacrifice, the time, tears even in the face oppostion

the challenge then lies is in for us is transitioning from mentally adknowing it, to believing in our hearts that what God has placed in my heart to do is worth it.

Context For Before Nehemiah 6:1-9

Isreal Is In Excile

God Starts to move on the hearts of kings

3 waves of people back to Israel

Zarubabel builds the temple

Ezra Builds community and Torah 

Nehemiah is a cup bearer who get permission to go rebuild the walls of jeruselum

Nehemiahs Job is to now rebuild the wall around

but he experinces oppossion from the people who are in the neihboring cites and the poloticans in the area who are most likley benifiting from isreals destruction

He facees oppostion out of the city and in the city

to the point that as he is contructioning the city he has armed

Illustration : Its just Walls

Imagine your phone gets stolen because you never set up a passcode or Face ID. Now, the thief is out there posting embarrassing selfies on your social media, texting your mom weird messages, and draining your bank account on fast food delivery.

That’s what Jerusalem without walls was like—completely unprotected, open to attack, and just embarrassing. Nehemiah knew that without walls, the city was like an unlocked phone in the wrong hands—vulnerable, at risk, and an easy target. Rebuilding the walls was like finally putting on that passcode—restoring security, dignity, and keeping the enemy out!

but he is successful in what he is doing , and his enemies realize that they are not going to be able to stop him.

Transitional Point :We pick up here Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab

Nehemiah Completes the wall

they still have some work to do

(Summarize)“Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them:

“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?”

1 Corinthians 15:58

"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."

Point A: The Work You Are Doing Is Too Important For You To Get Distracted

Distractions came in the form of conflict

he realizes they planning to harm him ,weather they were going to take his life or do him enough harm were wouldn’t be able , the reality was they were trying to hinder his progress in some fashion.

He didn’t have time to waste on this distraction

alot of things in life arnt bad they just delay your progression

distraction isnt nessarly the worst thing in the world, it becomes a problem when you have a pattern

Transitional Point: What are some of the same distractions that pop up whenever you pursue Gods Plan? or "What are you allowing to steal your focus from God's calling?"

( Summarize )Nehemiah 6:4-8 (NLT)

"Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. The fifth time, Sanballat’s servant came with an open letter in his hand, and this is what it said: 'There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, "Look! There is a king in Judah!" You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me.' I replied, 'There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing.'”the unsealed letter ( gossip )when kings would send letters they would be sealed

the other tactics haven’t works so they use gossip and slander

this was a way for gossip to spread

Point B : Focus Fuels Clarity and Purpose

Proverbs 4:25-27 (NIV)

"Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil."

When you stay focused, you gain clarity on what truly matters.

It helps you prioritize the right things and make decisions that keep you moving toward your God-given goal.

Distractions will always come, but a clear focus keeps you on the path God has set before you.

when you have clear prioties most of your decsions are already made

resist temptation

protect your witness

Are Your prioties clear?

For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, ‘Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.’ Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands." (Nehemiah 6:9, NKJV)

This is a powerful prayer Nehemiah prayed in the face of opposition, asking God to give him the

God would you strengthen my hands

Point C :

They were right eventually the people would get tired

eventually might have given up on their own

but they had God with them

Pray for strength Here in the momement