Resistance and Return

Resistance

This morning, we return to Nehemiah and his work in rebuilding the wall around Jerusalem, seeking to build up the people of the city, give them hope, and restore their safety. Already we’ve seen that even the Lord’s plans, meet resistance and opposition.

Sanballat and Tobiah, opposed Nehemiah. They have tried everything they could do to stop the work on the walls and the gates. They tried mockery, they tried armed resistance, and now they were making up lies about Nehemiah and his plans.

They were trying to get the people to believe that everything Nehemiah was doing was to serve himself, that he was setting himself up to be king of Israel. “It is reported among the nations—and Geshem says it is true—that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt...” That line, “And Geshem says it is true” is a typical tactic. When people are working against God, they will come up with all kinds of lies, they will say things like, “Lots of people are, or so and so also says…, or I’ve heard ti, it’s true.” They accused Nehemiah of rebellion and revolt—Ironically, the very things they were guilty of doing.

But nothing could be farther from the truth. Nehemiah was only seeking to serve the Lord. His whole purpose was to restore Jerusalem, to rebuild, restore, renew the walls and the gates so that the people could be safe, they could know that God is with them and that he has a plan for them.

Sanballat and Tobiah were not seeking the Lord and his will. If they had, then they would have supported Nehemiah and his work. But they were actually seeking their own wills, their own desires. All their efforts had been thwarted so far. And Nehemiah valiantly stood up to them again, not only by resisting five summonses, but also by seeing through Shemaiah’s deceitful plan. He realised he was nothing more than Sanballat’s hired man.

But it can be hard to discern these things, can’t it? We get to read about Nehemiah’s actions, the things he did. We do have some of his prayers, and they offer insight into what Nehemiah faced. Imagine, for a minute, Nehemiah’s life. He was born in exile. He was likely born in exile, though it is possible that he might have been taken to Suza to serve the king at an early age. It was common for ruling foreigners to seek out and acquire the services of brilliant people.

Whether born abroad or not, Nehemiah felt a strong, strong attachment to the Promised Land and Jerusalem in particular. As soon as his friends and family visited him, he wanted to know what was going on, what life in Jerusalem was like.

He likely felt the same pull that many immigrants and their children feel for their homeland. Even though I was born in Canada, I still feel a strong affinity for the Netherlands. I’ve had the fortune to visit twice, and I hope to be able to go again.

Many of us then, can understand how he felt. But maybe he wondered, what can I do? I’m cupbearer to the king. I have an important job here. How can I ask the king to let me go to Jerusalem? He prayed, he believed God was calling him to go and restore the walls and the gates, and he asked to go.

Then, full of the Lord’s plan, he set out, almost immediately he faced opposition. While a majority welcomed him and approved his plan, some very prominent people opposed him. He trusted the Lord to lead and to guide, and he sought discernment from the Lord. But how hard was it? Did he wonder, “How do I ask the king, he might kill me? How do I keep resisting Sanballat and Tobiah? How much opposition do I have to face? Why does this task seem so hard? Why can’t everyone be on board with the Lord’s will in this? Why do people have to resist and keep putting themselves and their preferences before the Lord’s?”

Does your experience with the Lord track with Nehemiah’s? Have you had an experience where you give your life to the Lord, you surrender to Jesus’ lordship, only to face opposition? Look what happened to Jesus when he surrendered himself to his father in baptism? He was anointed by the Holy Spirit and immediately thrown into the wilderness where he faced temptation for 40 days.

You see, when we turn ourselves to the Lord, when we surrender to him and seek to do his will with all our heart, we must be prepared to face opposition. The evil one, Satan, isn’t omniscient, but he is aware of what God’s people are doing. He will step up his game, and seek to do anything he can to distract you, and take you down from the Lord’s plan for your life.

Now, we must constantly remind ourselves that God is sovereign. Ultimately, Satan can’t stop God’s plans. He’ll do all he can to make our lives as miserable as possible. He’ll try to distract us from God. He’ll try to bring things into our lives that take our eyes off of Jesus. He’ll use circumstances, the death of loved ones, the pain we experience, the difficulties of life, the experience of conflict and frustration to kill our passion, to encourage us to give up on God’s plan.

But at the very moments we’re weakest, God is nearest. The moment you feel the strongest temptations, the strongest attacks, God is closest. God doesn’t turn his back on you when you sin, he patiently waits for you to confess and turn to him. God is awesome that way. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, because Christ took that upon himself. That’s the gospel. Jesus took our sins upon himself, in order to set us free, in order to give us everlasting life. The very worst things of this life won’t even be a memory, and the very best things in this life we seem like the dullest, most mundane things in the life to come.

So whatever you are facing. If it is doubt, if it is social pressure, if it is the searing pain of loss, if it is the letdown after being on a spiritual high, if it seems like your life is just a bit of a slog, and you can’t see anything meaningful in it, then consider this.

Nehemiah was just an ordinary guy, surrounded by ordinary people. I didn’t read chapter 7 because it is a list of names that are hard to pronounce. Nehemiah read the genealogical record of the exiles who had been the first to return. Why? Why record all these names? Because they are important. God’s work isn’t done by leaders, it is done by everyone. teaches us that God calls us the Body of Christ, each of us are members of it. Each of those exiles played a part. Each of us here plays a part in serving God, in serving the body. What is God calling you to do?

God is calling you to prayer, he is calling you to action. He says, “Whatever you are doing, whatever your job is, your retirement, your home life, your school life, young, old, female, male, wherever you are, that’s where I’ve placed you. I have a plan for you. You are part of my plan to tell the good news about me. Yes, you can go to far away nations, but I have placed you here, so serve me, share me with others.”

The great commission is our one task. We are, we confess we are Jesus’ disciples. Jesus told his disciples, Jesus tells us, “Wherever you are going, going to work, going to school, going to the living room, going to McDonalds for coffee, going to the cemetery, going to lunch, wherever you are, you are Christ’s ambassador, you are able to share something about me.”

“But, wait, Pastor, I don’t know how to share my faith! I don’t know what to say? I need training.”

You know what? I used to think the same thing. But over the last few weeks and months, Jesus has been telling me something different. We all, from oldest to youngest already have everything we need to witness Christ. We have the Holy Spirit.

So how do we do it? Pray. Pray everyday, this simple prayer. “Lord, you’ve called me to be your servant, to be your ambassador. You are willing and able to work through me. Please give me an opportunity today to serve you, to share something about Jesus with someone else. Help me to see and to recognise the opportunity when it happens.

How? It’s dead simple. Pray. Pray everyday, this simple prayer. “Lord, you’ve called me to be your servant, to be your ambassador. You are willing and able to work through me. Please give me an opportunity today to serve you, to share something about Jesus with someone else. Help me to see and to recognise the opportunity when it happens.

It took the people of Jerusalem 52 days to rebuild the walls. 52 days from today is June 28. I commit to praying that prayer every day for the next 52 days. I commit to asking the Lord to give me opportunities to share my faith. I commit to inviting people to our church.

Will you join me in this? Will you join me in daily prayer for opportunities to tell people about Jesus? Will you trust, along with me, that the Holy Spirit will give us the words to say, when we need to say them?

Let’s pray:

Amen.