Don't Listen, Don't Quit

Can’t Do It

It’s fun having a 3-year old in the house discovering and learning what goes on and what she can and can’t do.

She’s “helped” bring firewood in before and build the fire in the wood stove.

So, now, every time we do it she wants to help again.

I was watching the other day and Jason was doing all this and Edris wanted to help. So, he let her.

He’s stacking the wood in the cubby and she’s got her hands on it but he’s carrying the bulk of the weight.

She wants to do it by herself. So, he lets go.

She’s done it before and it didn’t work, but this time, surely it will.

No. She dropped the log. Too heavy. So, she resigned to just watch her daddy finish the job.

At first she’s gung-ho, even though last time it didn’t work, she’s got a do-over, this time maybe, but then she quit.

Couldn’t do it.

Even as adults, when we get a do-over, we can react the same way.

Another chance. A new opportunity. A 2nd chance in marriage, w/ a child, in a ministry.

We start out just like we did before, it gets hard, we listen to the voices around us and inside our own head, then we quit.

Here’s the message today:

When God gives you a do-over, don’t quit.

He will provide whatever you need to finish what He led you to start.

Don’t listen to the voices. We have an enemy who will lie to you, exaggerate and try to overwhelm you. Sometimes it comes in voices from around you. Sometimes it comes for the voice inside you.

Don’t listen.

Those voices will say,

You’re not worth it.

You don’t deserve it.

You can’t do it.

So, just quit.

There is always a little truth mixed in w/ the big lies of our enemy.

No you don’t deserve it.

You messed up. You’re guilty. Convicted.

What are you worth? You are worth what someone will pay for you.

Who paid what for you?

Jesus graciously gives us do-overs.

Can’t? True, you can’t. But God will provide whatever you need to finish what He leads you to start.

In , Israel is in the middle of their great big do-over back in the PL. They built the altar first. Now, they are building the temple around it.

Inevitably, opposition arrises. It gets hard. What did they do?

Infiltrate & Harass

Ezra 4:1–5 NIV

When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and to the heads of the families and said, “Let us help you build because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to him since the time of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.” But Zerubbabel, Joshua and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel answered, “You have no part with us in building a temple to our God. We alone will build it for the Lord, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia, commanded us.” Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They bribed officials to work against them and frustrate their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.

Infiltrate

At first, their enemies tried to infiltrate.

Sabotage from the inside.

One of the things the Assyrians did when they destroyed the northern kingdom like the Babylonians did when they finished the destruction of the southern kingdom was to dilute and pollute the religious and political influence in the region.

They killed and exiled all the strong leaders. They left the homeless and indigent Jews in Jerusalem. Then, forced strong leaders from surrounding nations to relocate into Jerusalem.

So, their religion and politics were meshed together w/ the Pagans of the region.

It would have been easier to repopulate an unpopulated area than it would have been an area heavily populated but culturally diluted.

So, the Judahites, Jews, were coming back to a heavily populated area but culturally diverse.

And, God had commanded that they be holy, separate, pure.

So, you see a problem. The enemies are right there. And, they are offering to help. The Jews could use help so they would be tempted to accept the help.

It’s expensive, time-consuming, hard work.

But, they know God had commanded that they do this on their own.

Well, He would be their provision. But, on their own.

So, they turned them down.

Their enemy’s strategy was obvious. Get involved in the work and sabotage it. The Jew didn’t fall for it.

This didn’t stop their enemies. They just changed strategies.

Harassment

They got in their faces and harassed them.

You see some of that going on w/ our politicians today.

Harass them. And, it can be scary when the families are threatened.

Harass them. And, it can be scary when the families are threatened.

The emotional and mental drain now piled on the physical strain of the construction project.

They had to get permits like we do. Import tariffs. Taxes. Gov’t red tape.

So, the gov’t officials who took payments and gave permission were bribed and made it almost impossible to continue the work.

They wanted the Jews to appear on the wrong side of the King’s law.

They hired professionals, like PR people, to mount a propaganda campaign against them. Public opinion was weighing heavily on them.

Their supply lines were long and exposed, vulnerable to attack and easily interrupted.

It was physically hard and now hard for so many other reasons.

For 16 years they stayed strong. Though the work slowed down because of their enemies, but they kept working.

Finally, they wore down. They caved to the pressure and stopped building in 520 bc.

The entire project lasted thru 4 Persian kings; Cyrus, Xerxes, Artaxerxes, and Darius.

God had instructed them to complete the temple. Trust Him for all they lacked and feared.

But, finally they gave into their fear and lack of faith hoping their lives would improve when the harassment ended.

Haggia, the prophet and preacher warned them. Their ives were tough b/c they weren’t obeying God.

Their struggles were not b/c they were opponents were making their lives difficult.

They didn’t listen.

Would they really improve?

Not building anything so their bodies won’t ache.

Not spending any money on the project.

Their critics are quieting.

Haggia, the prophet and preacher warned them. Their ives were tough b/c they weren’t obeying God.

Their struggles were not b/c they were opponents were making their lives difficult.

But, their not obeying God either. So, will their lives really improve?

The did not underestimate their enemies. But, they drastically underestimated God.

The opposition was intense and lasted a long time.

The entire project lasted thru 4 Persian kings; Cyrus, Xerxes, Artaxerxes, and Darius.

The strategies their enemies employed were effective and overwhelming.

Not all these kings responded as their enemies had hoped. But, eventually, they earned an ear and ally in Artexerxes.

The strategies their enemies employed were effective and overwhelming.

Effective Strategies

Xerxes

Ezra 4:6 NIV

At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, they lodged an accusation against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.

After Cyrus came Xerxes.486-465 BC

He’s the king Esther was forced to marry.

You know the story of Esther.

But, he didn’t respond the way the Jews’ enemies had hoped.

But, the king who followed him did.

Artaxerxes did exactly what their enemies had hoped. But, he left the door open that eventually Nehemiah walked thru later.

Artaxerxes

Ezra 4:20–21 NIV

Jerusalem has had powerful kings ruling over the whole of Trans-Euphrates, and taxes, tribute and duty were paid to them. Now issue an order to these men to stop work, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.

Ezra 4:

He was king from 464-423 BC

They kept writing letters, hoping he would do as they asked.

They encouraged him to check the archives to see how powerful and rebellious Jerusalem had been before the Assyrians and Babylonians had destroyed them.

Finally, Artaxerxes responded to them and ordered the work stopped.

But, there was a loophole. A door that Nehemiah would walk thru later.

Artaxerxes is the king who Nehemiah appeals to so that he can return to rebuild the wall and the city.

We know this happens later, but for now, all the construction is ordered stopped.

The strategies their enemies used were finally effective.

So, what did they do that was so effective? They used some of the same strategies our enemy uses today to get us to quit on God.

Effective strategies

Ezra 4:9–10 NIV

Rehum the commanding officer and Shimshai the secretary, together with the rest of their associates—the judges, officials and administrators over the people from Persia, Uruk and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa, and the other people whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the city of Samaria and elsewhere in Trans-Euphrates.

Overwhelm and intimidate.

“A lot of people out there agree w/ us.”

Give the impression more are involved than really are.

Ezra 4:13–16 NIV

Furthermore, the king should know that if this city is built and its walls are restored, no more taxes, tribute or duty will be paid, and eventually the royal revenues will suffer. Now since we are under obligation to the palace and it is not proper for us to see the king dishonored, we are sending this message to inform the king, so that a search may be made in the archives of your predecessors. In these records you will find that this city is a rebellious city, troublesome to kings and provinces, a place with a long history of sedition. That is why this city was destroyed. We inform the king that if this city is built and its walls are restored, you will be left with nothing in Trans-Euphrates.

Assumptions: The king will lose money

Exaggerations: The Jews will pay no money

The king would be left w/ nothing, no allies, no tax revenue, no military support, nada if this is allowed to continue.

False flattery: We’re just doing our patriotic duty.

They’d stab him in the back if it suited their pleasure.

But, for now they need him alive and issuing a decree.

They were successful. He did. The work was ordered to stop. And it stood still until king Darius.

Darius

Ezra 4:24 NIV

Thus the work on the house of God in Jerusalem came to a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

The work stopped for 18 years

For 18 years it came to a stop.

The Jews listened to the voices and they quit.

Eventually, it would get completed. But, for now. The work stopped.

They’d been given and do-over but they listened to the wrong voices and in their fear and lack of faith they failed.

We face the same struggles today. We make mistakes. We’re guilty. We feel the conviction.

If we’re guilty and convicted how can we ever successfully take advantage of any do-over we ever get?

No Condemnation

Romans 8:1–2 NIV

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.

When a house is condemned, red-tagged, what’s it good for?

Nothing. The only thing that can happen is it gets torn down.

It will never get a do-over w/ a family. It will never be a home again.

We’re guilty. We’re convicted. And, we’re sentenced.

But, Jesus served our sentence for us.

We are not condemned. We are not useless. We are capable of so much more that just being torn down.

Mistakes have consequences. We can constantly beat ourselves up over those mistakes.

We’ll hear voices reminding us over and over of our mistakes.

Guilty. Conviction. Undeserving of a do-over.

There’s always a little truth mixed in with the lies.

Yes, we’re guilty, convicted, and undeserving.

But, Jesus gives us opportunities for do-overs all the time.

Don’t listen to the voices and quit.

God will provide whatever you need to complete whatever He directs you to start.

Applications

Listen to the right voice

Our God is alive and speaks to us. But He whispers.

The other voices in our head tend to yell.

W

Get quiet. Read your bible. Listen to the Spirit.

Whatever God calls you to start He will enable you to finish.

It may be hard, but hard is good.

The gym is hard.

Studying is hard.

Forgiving is hard.

And they are all good for us.

Don’t let the loud voices talk you out of doing the hard things God has empowered you to do.

Don’t believe the lies

There’s always a little truth in every lie. We have an enemy who is brilliant at overwhelming, exaggerating, flattering, and lying.

Don’t believe anything He says.

God will be lovingly and painfully honest with you.

He will lead you.

Truth: you are not condemned. Jesus served your sentence and paid for you w/ his life.

Believe the truth that you are worth being treated well by others and capable of doing great things for God.

That is, even if you messed it up the last time you tried.

When God gives you a do-over, don’t quit.

He will provide whatever you need to finish what He led you to start.

Don’t listen to the voices. We have an enemy who will lie to you, exaggerate and try to overwhelm you. Sometimes it comes in voices from around you. Sometimes it comes for the voice inside you.

Don’t listen.

Those voices will say,

You’re not worth it.

You don’t deserve it.

You can’t do it.

So, just quit.

There is always a little truth mixed in w/ the big lies of our enemy.

No you don’t deserve it.

You messed up. You’re guilty. Convicted.

What are you worth? You are worth what someone will pay for you.

Who paid what for you?

Jesus graciously gives us do-overs.

Can’t? True, you can’t. But God will provide whatever you need to finish what He leads you to start.