Unyielding Resolve
Restoration • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 9 viewsNehemiah responds to oppositions of mockery and physical threats.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro
Intro
My son thinks he’s smarter than me
Wants to get in the pool and will distract in order to get there.
When people don’t want us to restore or achieve something they will do what ever they need to in order to stop the work.
They will distract, divide, and destroy.
Exposition
Exposition
Exposition
Exposition
Expect mocking
Expect mocking
Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews. He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”
Nehemiah 4:
Sanballat and Tobiah have built their own little kingdoms at the expense of the sons of Israel
They don’t want the work to continue so they begin with mocking their work to see if they will quit.
They’re too weak and unskilled to build the wall.
They’re building the wall for their own selfish glory.
They’re unable and will need to bribe God to finish the work.
They will not have the patience and perseverance to finish it.
The wall is lost cause and they are foolish for trying.
What they have built is weak and could be torn down by a small animal.
Respond to mocking with prayer and perseverance
Respond to mocking with prayer and perseverance
Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
Nehemiah 4:4-
They have two responses
Nehemiah prays to God
Nehemiah calls for judgement for their unrepentant evil
Nehemiah lets God handle it and doesn’t respond with ya mamma jokes
They keep building and achieve a successful milestone
They worked together
Restoration requires everyone working as one
The Packers didn’t work together (6-9)
Expect plots to destroy and discourage
Expect plots to destroy and discourage
Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.
Nehemiah 4:
The opposing group (Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and Ashdodites) planned a secret attack to cause enough of a disturbance to stop the building of the wall.
Illustration
Ted Weitzel property in Miami
Respond to plots with prayer and unyielding resolve
Respond to plots with prayer and unyielding resolve
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
Thus in Judah it was said,
“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”
Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.” When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,” then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows. When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people: “Do not be afraid of them; remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives and your houses.”
When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work. From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah. Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon. As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me. I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another. At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared. At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.” So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
Nehemiah responds in two ways
Nehemiah 4:
Nehemiah responds in two ways
Nehemiah prays with the sons of Israel
Nehemiah demonstrates unyielding resolve to do what is right
Nehemiah forms the first Construction Battalion
Seabees are trained in construction and combat
In WWII at Iwo Jima the SeaBees stormed the beach with the Marines.
The Seabees began constructing barracks and airstrips under fire.
They would fight and build at the same time. They did such a good job that the Marines began to share the guard duty with the Seabees and even acknowledged that they could handle it on their own.
One soldiers recounts one Seabee who mounted his machine gun on a dump truck
Discouraged the workers (v.10)
The secret plot to ambush the workers (v.11)
Nehemiah stationed militia in the vulnerable parts of the wall (v.12-13)
Nehemiah encouraged his fearful construction battalion with a short speech (v.14) (Hananiah the perfumer)
Pep talk
When the initial threat was subverted they began working again but with a guard and a weapon. (v.15-18)
Bringing a pocket knife on the plane
Nehemiah had a plan for defense of one another (v.19-23)
Trumpet sound where the attack occurs
Night and day guard
Always on guard, even to get water
Illustration
Illustration
Ted Weitzel property in Miami
Conclusion
Conclusion
When faced with opposition
Pray
Work at the task and prove to the opposition that you will not give up.
Have unyielding resolve to continue your task. If you die, get fired, or lose influence you did it fighting for what was noble and the glory of God.
Illustration
Illustration
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Conclusion
Conclusion