Sermon Tone Analysis

– Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) 2 That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.

But they thought to do me mischief.

3 And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

I seem to be stuck in this story and period in the lives of the Israelites.

But I believe that someone out there is in a place where God has given you an assignment, but because of the opposition you’re getting, you’re beginning to doubt that it was God; you’re beginning to think you must have heard wrong; you’re beginning to feel you’re going in the wrong direction and you’re about to come down off the wall…I’m here to encourage you this morning, say these words, “I Can’t Come Down”.

The title of today’s message is, “I Can’t Come Down”.

This morning while we have our focal verses, for you to get the whole story we have to go back to the beginning.

(Don’t worry I’m going to give you the cliff notes version).

In chapter one of Nehemiah we have Nehemiah who was one of the Israelites.

While he was never called a prophet nor was his work placed with the prophetic writings, he declares to the people what God has revealed to him and then intercedes on their behalf.

Stop waiting for a title and position to do what God has called you to do.

It’s not the title or position that makes you who God told you to be or allows you to do what He told you to do.

In chapter one, Nehemiah, (whose name means, “Yahweh comforts”) is hanging out at the fortress of Susa.

Susa was the winter residence of the king of Persia.

In other words, Nehemiah was at the palace.

This is important.

He’s hanging at the palace when his brother comes for a visit and he asks him how things were going in Jerusalem.

You see the exiles have now returned home and Nehemiah wanted to know how it was going.

To which his brother replies they are distress referring to their social and economic situation and reproach, referring to their spiritual condition.

The walls of the city had been torn down and the gates destroyed by fire.

When Nehemiah heard this he sat down and cried.

Have you ever just sat down and cried for the condition of someone else? That’s a missionary’s heart, they weep for the conditions of others, disregarding their own comfort and conveniences and long to help.

Not only do they long to help, they go.

3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

I seem to be stuck in this story and period in the lives of the Israelites.

But I believe that someone out there is in a place where God has given you an assignment, but because of the opposition you’re getting, you’re beginning to doubt that it was God; you’re beginning to think you must have heard wrong; you’re beginning to feel you’re going in the wrong direction and you’re about to come down off the wall…I’m here to encourage you this morning, say these words, “I Can’t Come Down”.

Nehemiah didn’t just cry, he mourned, he fasted and he prayed.

In the first chapter, beginning at the fifth verse you’ll find Nehemiah’s prayer.

He beseeched, he begged God to listen to him, he confessed they had sinned and he included himself and his family in that sin confession.

Too often people want to elevate themselves when they’re interceding for others when in fact, we’ve all sinned and we all have issues, so when we pray and ask for forgiveness, we must include ourselves too.

Nehemiah’s prayer finishes out the first chapter and he ends by stating his position, “In those days I was the king’s cupbearer.”

His job was to taste the king’s food and drink before the king to make sure it wasn’t poisoned.

It’s now four months later and the Israelite’s condition was still weighing heavy on Nehemiah.

You see he didn’t just pray and forget about them and now the weight was so heavy it was written all over his face, he didn’t have to say a word.

The king saw his distress and asked him why he so sad and now he goes from being sad to being afraid.

You see when you were in the service of the king whatever your job was, you were supposed to be cheerful about it, so you didn’t bring down the mood of the king and if you couldn’t do that he could fire you, throw you in jail or even have you killed.

Can you imagine having to go to work with a good attitude every day or risk being killed?

So Nehemiah was scared, but he braved up and told the king why he was so sad, that’s in chapter two.

And in a turn of events in verse four of chapter two, the king says, “Well, how can I help you?”

In for a penny in for a pound.

Nehemiah let’s go with exactly what he needs and wants, and the king then asks how long will you be gone, when will you return?

Could this be happening?

Nehemiah is actually having a conversation with king Artaxerxes, his boss, the man who could speak and have people killed, who could send troops to war and Nehemiah is talking to him about his people, the Jews, and how he was wanting to help them.

And he doesn’t stop there, he goes on to ask the king for letters for safe passage through the regions he was going to have to travel through to get where he was going and for timber to build the gates.

And the king gave him what he ask for not because of who he was, not because the king was concerned about Nehemiah’s people, but in verse eight, Nehemiah declares “And the king granted these requests, because the gracious hand of God was on me.”

When you’re following what God tells you to do, and he tells you to go to someone for help and ask them for something, don’t put them on a pedestal and elevate them to a place they shouldn’t be in your life and don’t let them make you feel indebted to them, because if God told you to ask them and if they do it, it’s not because of you or them, it’s because the hand of God is on you.

4 Then I prayed,

The title of today’s message is, “I Can’t Come Down”.

And when the hand of God is on you, you will be blessed, but there will also be opposition, and Nehemiah’s opposition shows up in the second chapter and tenth verse… “But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of my arrival, they were very displeased that someone had come to help the people of Israel.”

It doesn’t matter that you’ve come for a noble purpose, it doesn’t matter that you were sent by God, there will always be someone who won’t be happy to see you.

Be ready and remember, I can’t come down.

Despite your opposition, stay on task and do what God has called you to do.

Nehemiah went about doing what he was sent to do and what he told the king, his boss, he was going to do.

He had to take a look and see where they were in the process.

When you come into a situation, even though you know God sent you, even though you know what your assignment is, you still have to assess the situation, you can’t always just come and jump right in without knowing exactly what needs to be done.

So Nehemiah goes out, at night, with just a few people and he hadn’t revealed his reason for being there to the people that were with him.

You can’t always tell others what your assignment is right away either, even if they are eventually going to be a part of the plan and key leaders to help you complete the assignment.

Nehemiah hadn’t told the city officials, the Jewish leaders, the priests, the nobles, the officials or anyone else in the administration about what he was doing and his inspection before he did it.

You don’t always need to announce your plan.

But when the time had come for him to speak, oh my did he, look at chapter two verse seventeen, Nehemiah says speaking to the Jews, “You know very well what trouble we are in.

Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.

Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!”

18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king.

They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!”

So they began the good work.”

When God gives you a vision and an assignment, He will touch the hearts of the people who matter, those who have a part, who have influence in what it is you are to accomplish.

Notice I said God will touch the hearts of the people who matter.

This morning while we have our focal verses, for you to get the whole story we have to go back to the beginning.

(Don’t worry I’m going to give you the cliff notes version).

In chapter one of Nehemiah we have Nehemiah who was one of the Israelites.

While he was never called a prophet nor was his work placed with the prophetic writings, he declares to the people what God has revealed to him and then intercedes on their behalf.

• There will be those who will oppose you, they don’t matter

• There will be those who will try to stop you, they don’t matter

• There will be those who will try to discourage you, they don’t matter

• There will be those who will try to threaten you, they don’t matter

Do the work God gave you to do, with the people He gave you to do it with.

Say, “I can’t come down”.

The leaders replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!”

And Sanballat, Tobiah and there’s another one with them this time, Geshem, when they heard about the plan they scoffed contemptuously, ‘What are you doing?

Are you rebelling against the king?”

Nehemiah was one of the Israelites who was in captivity and he was now working as a cupbearer for the king.

While he was never called a prophet nor was his work placed with the prophetic writings, he declares to the people what God has revealed to him and then intercedes on their behalf.

These men were governors in the region so they had a little power, but they were also under the authority of King Artaxerxes, the same king Nehemiah was the cupbearer for, the same king who had given him letters for safe passage, soldiers to travel with him for protection, letters for timber to build the gate and oh yes his blessing to go do it.

These men were under the same authority and were now trying to stir up trouble and so they hurled insults, mocked and ridiculed the Jews’ efforts.

They even went so far as to question the legitimacy of the project, saying the Jews were mounting a rebellion against the king.

Know this, those who will come to oppose you, will sometimes try to throw their dirt on you, they may try to put their guilt off on you by accusing you of the very thing they themselves are doing.

Such is the case with these three men, they knew full well Nehemiah had the permission of the king to do what he was doing, this knowledge made them the ones guilty of treason against King Artaxerxes.

Know from whom you have your authority, even though Nehemiah knew he had letters from the very king they had accused him of rebelling against, Nehemiah responds, “The God of heaven will help us succeed.

We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.

But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”

When you began an assignment from God there are some things you’d better be sure of

• Who God is

• Who you are

• What your rights are

Stop waiting for a title and position to do what God has called you to do.

It’s not the title or position that makes you who God told you to be or do what He told you to do.

• And that you will succeed

Chapter three tells you who’s rebuilding which portion of the wall and you will see there were many people working on the wall at the same time.

They had a plan, they had the desire and drive to do it, they had the materials and they had the people.

Many hands make light work.