Fighting Fear with Fear - Nehemiah 6

“Becoming Everyday Disciples who make disciples together.”

Q1- You have taken some steps in your own journey as an Everyday Disciple. Share what that looks like. (Charles then Bill)

Q2- How has this encouraged or stretched your own faith walk with Christ? (Bill then Charles)

Q3- How would you encourage the everyday disciple at New Hope to find their next place in God’s Mission. (Charles)

Introduction: - Former Boxer Jim Corbett encourages us with a poem that reads like a pep talk for life.

Fight one more round. When your feet are so tired that you have to shuffle back to the center of the ring, fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round — remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped. - Jim Corbett. Christian the question is not whether there is another round that you must fight, but the question is…… How do we fight one more round when we are weary, when we run into distractions and attacks that come our way, when we are tempted to fear the possible consequences of living a life surrendered to God and His mission?

Read Text: Nehemiah 6:1-19

Outline the Problem (RT) :Opponents of God’s work are often relentless, targeting God’s people, particularly those helping lead the way in God’s mission. Using tactics to cause fear and the threat of ruining one’s reputation. Yet, just as in Nehemiah 6, God’s people are called to persevere in His mission. Through steadfast faith and a greater fear of God than man, opposition becomes part of God’s redemptive plan—strengthening His people, advancing His work, and demonstrating that nothing can thwart the mission of making everyday disciples in Christ.

Textual Idea: In chapter 6, Nehemiah faced attacks from enemies but pressed on, faithful to God’s mission for him.

Sermon Idea: Today was are going to look at three tactics God’s enemies use to try to deter God’s people from God’s mission — and how persevering faith and the fear of God overcome fear of man.

This morning I want you to know that…..Because God is glorious, you don’t have to fear people. Fix your eyes on Jesus — His glory frees you from fear and empowers you to be faithful to His mission.

Distraction(verse 1-4)

Explanation:

v1-2 Tactic of the enemy- repeatedly calling for a meaningless meetings, plotting to do him destruction or evil.

v4 They sent to him four times and he answered in the same manner. Repeated, persistent, communication. To see if stubbornness will move him.

v3 Response- Sent messengers. “I am doing a great work.”- a work of great magnitude, out of ordinary. “and I cannot come down” - “descending to the plain of Ono suggests a demotion of purpose.” The great work is God’s work, not his own. Started with God.

Nehemiah was unwilling to be distracted from God’s mission (His purpose) by repeated attempts to come down from the work.

Illustration: In my own life the question is focus. I struggled so much as a kid sitting and listening. Good is the enemy of great. Learning to say no to good things in order to say yes to living out the mission personally, with your family, and with your church family. “Becoming everyday disciples who make disciples together.”

Application: In this divided world we need a vision for the mission of God.

2 Corinthians 5:15 “and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

George Hunsberger says… “Churches are called to be bodies of people sent on a mission rather than the storefronts for vendors of religious services and goods. . . . We must surrender the self-conception of the church as a voluntary association of individuals and live by the recognition that we are a communal body of Christ’s followers, mutually committed and responsible to one another and to the mission Jesus set us upon at his resurrection.”

Argument: Parents we say along with Joshua Joshua 24:15 “…. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.””

1- Best advice I can give for parents. Get on the mission and bring your kids along on the mission. Mission trips, service opportunities in the church. That is what sticks. Building core memories around the LORD and his work. That is the good stuff. When you are gone. That is what they will remember.

Don’t be distracted from living according to why you were created.

Accusation (verses 5-9)

Explanation:

Tactic of the enemy- baseless accusation. Seeking to ruin his reputation. Threat. Continual seeking to wear the believer down.

v5- “Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand.”

v6-7 the public letter is that the Jews plan to rebel, Nehemiah wants to be king and even has set up prophets to call him the king of Judah and the way it reads it that the writers will make sure King Artaxerxes will hear the charges. Trying to do whatever they can to stop the work. The Jewish people at full power was an apparent threat to these small surrounding countries.

Response- reliance on truth, shrewdness, and reliance on the LORD in prayer.

v8 Nehemiah responds with the simple truth. v9 they wanted to frighten God’s people so they will stop the work (last ditch effort) and Nehemiah prays. “O God, strengthen my hands.”

These hands are God’s hands. I use them to serve the LORD. God strengthen these hands. (PRAY)

Illustration: Pop accused of playing favorites. Right after the game. Opportune time.

Argument:

3 kinds of people who fight the work of God through accusation….. 1- Power People. 2- Bitter/unforgiving People. 3- People overcome with Habitual Sin

Accused- Cheer up it’s worse than you think. But God’s grace is greater than you can imagine.

When you sin, repent, turn God’s way and and trust the LORD. The real question is the motive of your heart. Is your heart set on Christ and his ways.

Application:

Repent, believe and forgive.

Deception (verses 9-19)

Explanation:

Tactic- Recruited a partner for deception. (enemies accused Nehemiah of these things) Sowed seeds to create fear and to sin by going into the temple. (religious deception) Going after his reputation and hoping to cause great fear for his life.

v10 - Shemaiah- meet in the temple. which would be against God’s law for a non-priest.

Response- verse 11- do you think Nehemiah was tempted, had a moment of fear. Doesn’t tell us if he experienced fear but this is the story of his temptation. Nehemiah’s fear of God trumps his fear of man, or even death. v12- He had discernment to see what was going on. v13- Shemaiah was hired to bring fear and sin to Nehemiah.

Prayer- verse 14

v15- the wall is finished but the enemies are not. The real work was building a people that would ultimately bring forth Jesus the messiah. v16-19- Family and relational connections can be utilized to wear down the focus

Illustration: Andy Mac- Mac and Quacks Pest Control. Bats in old houses. The pests would find an opening. Once they find it you are in trouble. The strategy was to close the openings all but a few and then build a trap door where they could get out and not back in. Nehemiah closed off the access of his heart to enemies by fearing God more than man.

Christ as example and means forward.

Jesus facing distraction, accusation and deception. -Temptation of Jesus. - Crowds and family pulling Him away (Mark 1:35–38). - Peter urging Him to avoid the cross (Matt. 16:22–23). - Satan quotes Scripture in the wilderness (Matt. 4:6). Religious leaders misuse the Law to trap Him (Matt. 12; John 8). Mocked with Scripture at the cross (Matt. 27:40). Jesus set his face on Jerusalem. To save sinners like us. That we might repent, turning from our own way to his way, and live a life no longer for ourselves but for him who died for us.

Argument: John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Next Steps:

Becoming disciples who make disciples together. (Learners, servants, neighbors)

As for me and my church we will serve the LORD.