Lessons from Nehemiah: The Power of Collective Commitment!

Strengthening Our Walls: The Power of Collective Commitment

Bible Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-6

Introduction

On my job, we have what we call crew leaders. And crew leaders are basically just another name for supervisors. But in my 8 years of being with the company I’ve had 3 crew leaders on my crew. At the beginning of every shift is what we call shift turnover. It’s where we come in and go over how we did the previous shift, and how the shift that is getting ready to leave performed on their shift; whether they had any problems that we can expect to look out for on our shift, etc. At the conclusion of every shift turnover, my current crew leader always closes with a statement, that regardless of what it is that we will encounter throughout the shift, it is important that we “Work together and stay positive!” And we’re going to see how in spite of an onslaught of words, how the people were able to stay positive and work together!

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther I. Introduction: Stick and Stones

We have all probably heard (and perhaps even invoked) that ageless childhood rhyme, that says, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Wrong! It’s because words do hurt! Words have such a profound effect that we devise defenses against them. If words truly did not matter, we wouldn’t bother denying their power. But words are so powerful, they can carry destruction or security, words can convey trust or suspicion. Words can exonerate or condemn, they can bring hope or despair, truth or deceit, hatred or kindness, clarity or confusion. Words can cut into our spirits like no other weapon and leave scars for a lifetime; there are folks today that aren’t fulfilling their purpose in life, because somebody once told them they’ll never make it, once told them that they’ll never amount to anything. they can also linger through the years, offering inspiration and confidence.

When Nehemiah and the Jews were working on the wall around Jerusalem, Sanballat and Tobiah launched a war of words. They hurled insults, ridicule, taunts, and threats in the hope that these words would demoralize the people. Rumors of attack were more unsettling to the Jews than the actuality might have been. Guards were posted on the wall, but the gossip and derision assaulted the minds of the people.

Nehemiah, however, kept the people focused on the work before them. More importantly, he encouraged the people by reminding them of God: “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome” (

And brothers and sisters, I want to encourage you, that when you find yourself faced with opposition, you ought to “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome!” For God is greater than any giant! He’s bigger than an bully! He’s more exceptional than any enemy! More forceful than any foe! More potent than any opposer! More adequate than any adversary! Whatever the opposition, it is no match for our God!

Summary: Nehemiah 4:1-6 exposes the fierce opposition the Jewish people encounter as they endeavor to restore Jerusalem's walls. Faced with mockery from their enemies, Nehemiah rallies the builders, showcasing their unwavering dedication and prayerful response to adversity. The narrative highlights the importance of community solidarity and faith in surmounting obstacles, revealing the profound impact of a unified effort in the face of external challenges.

Application: We are encouraged to actively work together in efforts that align with God's purposes, understanding that collaboration strengthens our resolve. Meaning we are stronger together! The text teaches us to view opposition as an opportunity for growth, for and opportunity for God to work in us, and for His glory to be revealed in our lives! And so therefore we out to encourage and support our fellow church members to overcome challenges together.

1. Facing Fierce Resistance

Nehemiah 4:1–2 “But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?””

Here is the resistance the Israelites are facing, Sanballat and Tobiah are mocking their work and questioning their abilities to get it done. Before, they tried to discourage them from beginning the work, but now that they work has been started, they’re trying to discourage them from completing the work. The Bible says that Sanballat is furious and very indignant, and he mocked the Jews saying, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish and stones that are burned?

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther A. Derision (4:1–3)

With it becoming increasingly evident that the Jews intended to restore the walls of Jerusalem, Sanballat’s emotions grew more intense. He moved from being “very much disturbed” or unsettled in the beginning(

As long as folks have a sense or a feeling that they are doing better than you are, there’s no issue! But the minute God begins to work in your life and elevate you to another level, now you better watch out! Because now the hate comes! You remember that co-worker who was cool with you when you was on their level or when they felt like they had one up on you, but when you got that promotion now they talking bout you! And don’t you think that same hate won’t roll over when you’re working for the Lord! Because let me tell you, folks will hate you because God is elevating you! And it’s not really that they hate you, but that’s their way of dealing with their own insecurities and their own weaknesses, because they feel their just as good as you are and they can’t figure out why it’s you and not them! Baby I don’t know either, it’s just God’s favor! And you got to be ready that when God is doing a work in you for that kind of ridicule and opposition to come, because if you’re not careful you’ll let other people’s words, and opinions about you stop you from doing what it is God has called you to do! You’ll begin to believe what other folks are saying! That’s how the enemy works!

 Because, like most attacks of discouragement, you got to understand, there is usually a trace of truth in the words of the enemy. As builders, the Jews were feeble. They would not complete it in a day. They didn’t have the best materials to work with. A lying, discouraging attack will often have some truth in it, but it will neglect the great truth: and the great truth is that despite their insufficiencies, they had an all sufficient God who was with them and has promised to see them through.

And you got to know that whatever God has called you to, He’ll see you through! If you’re not strong enough for it, He’ll give you the strength to get it done! If you’re not wise enough, He’ll give you the wisdom to navigate it! If you don’t have the resources, He’ll supply whatever is necessary! Whatever you need, God will equip you for the task. God doesn’t always called the equipped, but He always equips those whom He has called! All you got to do is be obedient to what God has called you to and trust and believe in His power at work in you!

Furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews: Because Nehemiah and the workers did in fact have legal protection from the king (proven by the letters mentioned in Nehemiah 2:7), Sanballat and Tobiah had no authority to actually stop the work. All they could do was to discourage the Jews from continuing the work. The exact same attack comes into the life of the believer who is legally set free by his King. Yet they can be discouraged from completing the work God gave them to do.

Because the enemy has no authority to stop God from working in you, he’ll try to discourage you, from allowing God to work in you! And discouragement is such a powerful weapon because it comes close to the opposite of faith. Where faith believes God and His love and promises, discouragement looks for and believes the worst – and tends to almost forget about who God is and what He has promised to do.

And that’s important to understand because if we’re going to keep it real, we work differently when we believe than when we are discouraged. We pray differently under faith than we do under discouragement. We read and hear the word differently under faith than we do under discouragement. And it’s no wonder that Satan works so hard to keep us from faith and keep us in discouragement, because discouragement is the only place where He can stop us from doing what God has called us to do. There’s fear in discouragement, and God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind! And so I don’t live in discouragement and fear, but I live in faith. The Bible says the just shall live by faith! You got to be so strong in your faith in God, that when the enemy comes and tries to tell you what you can’t do, you say maybe I can’t, but I believe that God can, and as long as I got God on the inside of me, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! And so when faced with fierce resistance, remember the Lord, who is great and awesome!

2. Praying for Protection

Nehemiah 4:3–5 “Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders.”

Instead of engaging in a war of words or any retaliatory actions, Nehemiah prayed and then went to work! His response to the enemy’s assaults is to turn to God! And his response was a great example for us even today. He didn’t debate, he didn’t form a committee, he didn’t even deal with the two enemies directly. Instead, he took it to God in prayer. Sometimes you got to learn how to deal with people by not dealing with people, but taking it to the Lord in prayer and let the Lord deal with people! Romans 12:19 “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.”

Prayer is an important weapon in the arsenal of a Christian! And God’s people should always regard prayer not as a last resort but as our primary weapon against opposition!

And this wasn’t a prayer that said forgive them for they know not what they do, naw Nehemiah said turn their reproach on their own heads! God don’t cover their guilt, don’t blot out their sins from your sight, because God they have insulted you in the face of the builders!

Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther (1) Opposition by Ridicule (4:1–6)

The prayer for God not to cover their enemies’ guilt was not a prayer against their salvation but for divine justice. (2) It was a prayer for God to act, not for permission to take personal vengeance (cf.

And what folks don’t understand is that when God has called you to a work, and equipped you for the work, when they ridicule you and tell you that you can’t do, without realizing it, what they’re saying is that God can’t do it in you! And so when they are ridiculing you for working for God, they are really ridiculing God for working in you!

And so what Nehemiah is doing, is he is praying to God, that God would deal with those who are insulting His name and trying to stop His work! Many years earlier, there was someone else who insulted the name of God, called Goliath. David also believed that God should destroy Goliath for reproaching God’s name. 1 Samuel 17:26 “Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” The enemies of man can mock the work of believers and get away with it, but when they provoke and defy God, he will hold them accountable for their open insults. Nehemiah is praying that God would protect the work and the people by dealing with those who are trying to tear down what God is trying to build up!

All Nehemiah is doing is saying God, let them reap what it is that they are sowing! In any account, what’s important to take away from the text is that Nehemiah responded to opposition with prayer! And before we allow opposition to frustrate us into retaliation, or discourage us into giving up, we should pray to God to protect that which He has placed inside of us to accomplish His work.

The enemy comes but to steal, kill, and destroy! And if he can kill all aspirations you have for working for God, then he can stop you from doing what God has purposed for you to do! And so therefore I’ve learned how to call on the name of Jesus, and say Lord protect my mind! Lord protect my heart!

3. Perseverance with Purpose

Nehemiah 4:6 “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”

So we built the wall: God answered the prayer by giving them all a mind to work. A mind to work is a gift from God, and no significant job will ever be accomplished until people come together with a mind to work. This is exactly what Satan wants to destroy with his attacks – is the mind to work. He wants to make us feel defeated, or passive, or self-focused, or discouraged. Understand that the immediate answer to the prayer did not change their enemies. The prayer was answered by the people of God doing the work. Nehemiah’s prayer asked God to take care of his enemies, and God answered by taking care of His people. Is there anybody that can testify, that God will come to your rescue!

And so when the enemy tried to give them a mind of defeat, God gave them a mind to work!

And so if God is going to take us to the next level, Morning Star, we got to have a mind to work! Regardless of what the enemy says we can’t do! Regardless of the opposition and the obstacles that may come our way! Know that we serve a God, who is able, to do exceeding abundantly, above all, that we can ask, or think, according to, the power, that worketh in us!

Genesis 18:14 asked, is there anything too hard for God? Jeremiah 32:17 “‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.”

And I just came to tell somebody, that when you trust in God, He won’t let you down! I heard somebody say, He’s never, failed me yet! I heard somebody else say, God is able to do, just what He said, He will do! And He’s going to fulfill, every promise to you! Don’t give up on God, for He won’t give up on you! Anybody know He’s ABLE!

You ought to encourage your neighbor, and say neighbor, stay on the battlefield! Say neighbor, keep on working, for the Lord! Neighbor, keep your hand, in God’s unchanging hand! Don’t stop working! Don’t stop praying! Don’t stop praising! Don’t stop preaching! Don’t stop loving! Don’t stop serving! Cause serving the Lord, sure gone pay off, afterwhile! Somebody said, put your time in, payday is coming, afterwhile!

I know it get hard sometimes, and you might can’t do it on your own! But the God we serve, He’s got all power! And whatever you need, my God’s got it! And He’s waiting, to give it you!

Conclusion

How this passage could point to Christ: Jesus embodies the profound unity and determination depicted in Nehemiah's story. He called His followers to work together toward the greater mission of spreading the Gospel, often facing ridicule and hardship, yet encouraging them to remain steadfast in their faith and mission, reflecting the hope that comes through collective efforts in Him.

Big Idea: Together, we can overcome any opposition through committed prayer and the strength of community, transforming challenges into opportunities for achieving God's purpose.