SF1016 - RESOLVE INTERNAL PROBLEMS -5 OF 6 OVERCOMING OBSTACLES TO VICTORY (Neh 5 1-13)
Nehemiah 5:1-13
Introduction
Overcoming Obstacles to Victory…
Identify the Task (Nehemiah 1:1-2:8)
Prepare for Victory (Nehemiah 2:11-20)
Organize for Effectiveness (Nehemiah 3:1-5)
Overcome Opposition (Nehemiah 4:1-23)
Resolve Internal Problems (Nehemiah 5:1-13)
Review about opposition and how Satan tries to stop a work:
Whenever God’s people have a mind to work, Satan will have a mind to wreck!
In chapter 2 they attached with derision.
The second tactic they tried was discouragement.
The next tactic that came along was danger.
Today we are going to look at how they tried to use division and discord.
Ø In chapter 4 the opposition was from the outside. In chapter 5 the opposition comes from the inside.
Ø Satan tries to divide them. He uses money. Is that not typical? More conflicts are caused by finances than anything else.
Ø Satan would rather cause division in churches than anything else.
Mark 3:25 "And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
If you do not deal with conflict then it is going to stop the work of the Lord in your life.
Verses 1-5 sets forth the causes of conflict; and verses 6-13 lays out the cure for conflict.
1A. THE CAUSES OF CONFLICT
1B. Basic needs were unmet (5:1-3)
Resources and goods were in short supply.
Ø There were more mouths to feed than they had food. Inflation and high prices. Food shortages.
Ø They are doing the work of God, yet God allowed a famine. Why?
Ø Doing God's will does not exempt you from the common problems of life.
Ø Just because you are doing the right thing does not mean your car is not going to break down or have some major health problem or otherwise.
They were were in financial bondage. (5:3-5)
Ø They were using the equity from their homes and farms to feed their families.
Ø They had to borrow money just to pay taxes. They are deep in debt.
Ø They were selling their children as slaves to pay their debts. (5:5)
Ø Circle "mortgaging,” “borrowed”, and "slaves," I think those three words go together.
2B. They were selfish and self-centered (5:1)
They were exploiting each other.
Ø Rather than helping and giving to the poor they're charging high interest and repossessing their homes, taking their children as slaves -- total disregard for the misfortunes of other people, only thinking of themselves.
This was clearly against God's law.
Exodus 22:25 " If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him interest.
The root cause of internal conflict and discord is always selfishness.
Ø Whether you have conflict in your family, with your boyfriend, in church, in your office, at school -- the bottom line in conflict is always selfishness. Always!
James 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?
2A. THE CURE FOR CONFLICT
1B. Step One – The proper reaction, get angry. (5:6)
Nehemiah did not ignore the problem, he took it seriously.
Ø Sometimes anger is very appropriate. Sometimes it is the right thing to do. This verse says Nehemiah was very angry. Anger is commanded by God.
Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”
Ø It is possible to be angry and not sin. If it was not possible then God has sinned.
Nehemiah's anger was not a personal reaction.
Ø Nobody was hurting him. He was not getting angry and striking back because somebody bruised his ego. That is the wrong kind of anger.
Ø He was not striking back in revenge. That is the wrong kind of anger. But what he had was justifiable indignation.
We need to be angry at sin.
When you see something that is destroying the harmony in your family, your church, your nation, your business the first thing you should do is get upset. Nothing should upset us more than division in our homes or our church.
2B. Step Two – Reflection, think before you speak. (5:7a)
Nehemiah got alone with God,
Ø He prayed about it, thought about it to get the perspective right.
Ø He planned it out and said, "God, what do You want me to say?"
James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Ø This is the antidote. It is not a contradiction. It is clarifying what Ephesians said, "Be angry and sin not."
There is a difference between man's anger and God's anger.
Ø Man's anger is when we act in revenge.
Ø God's anger is when we act in righteousness. There is no personal vendetta involved:
3B. Step Three – Rebuke, privately confront the offending party. (5:7b)
If someone has offended you and you go to someone else you have already sinned.
Matthew 18:15-17 Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
Involve only those who must be involved in order to bring reconciliation.
Ø First, go see the person. Try to resolve it one on one.
Ø If that does not work, take two other believers along.
Ø If that does not work then you involve a larger group and bring the church in on it.
But he does not say, first go tell the whole church and then the person. If you go to someone else first, you have sinned.
Notice Nehemiah 5:7,circle "rebuked." Nehemiah is not making a polite social visit here. He is angry and he is not glossing over the fact that these guys were ripping off other people. He is not watering it down. He is confronting them.
You must confront the offending party.
Ø No one likes confrontation.
Ø Confrontation is necessary for healthy relationships.
Christians must have the courage to confront.
Titus 3:10-11 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.
4B. Step Four – Resolution, publicly deal with public divisions. (5:7c)
You deal with things publicly to the degree that they are known.
Nehemiah publicly repeats what he told them in private. (5:9)
Ø He is appealing to their conscious.
Ø Discord is always a poor testimony (5:10-11)
Ø The result was they repented. (5:12)
Nehemiah, gives an object lesson, a dramatic presentation. (5:13)
He takes his apron, shakes it, and says this is a symbol of what God is going to do to you if you do not keep this oath that you have taken.
5B. Step Five – Reinforcement, set an example of unselfishness. (5:13-19)
The foundation of all of Nehemiah's leadership is he led by example. (5:13-14)
Ø As the appointed governor there was a certain amount of food, he could receive from people and he never took it.
Ø Nehemiah never asked anyone to do what he himself was not willing to do or was not already doing.
Paul was this kind of a Christian.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Paul was not being arrogant. He was saying, "At least I'm making the attempt. At least I'm making the effort."
We should only ask others to do what we are already doing.
Application
Peace is God’s mandate:
Ephesians 4:3 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace."
We are love one another.
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.".
Are you working hard to preserve and maintain the unity of our Church?
Preparing for Next Sunday
Read and study Nehemiah 6:1-18
Nehemiah 5:1-13
Introduction
Overcoming Obstacles to Victory…
Identify the Task (Nehemiah 1:1-2:8)
Prepare for Victory (Nehemiah 2:11-20)
Organize for Effectiveness (Nehemiah 3:1-5)
Overcome Opposition (Nehemiah 4:1-23)
Resolve Internal Problems (Nehemiah 5:1-13)
1A. THE ___________________________________ OF CONFLICT
1B. Basic needs were unmet (5:1-3)
Resources and goods were in short supply.
They were were in financial bondage. (5:3-5)
2B. They were ___________________________ and self-centered (5:1)
They were exploiting each other.
This was clearly against God's law. (Exodus 22:25)
The root cause of internal conflict and discord is always selfishness. (James 4:1)
2A. THE ____________________________________ FOR CONFLICT
1B. Step One – The proper reaction, get _____________________________. (5:6)
Nehemiah did not ignore the problem, he took it seriously.
Ephesians 4:26 “Be angry, and do not sin”
Nehemiah's anger was not a personal reaction.
We need to be angry at sin.
2B. Step Two – ________________________, think before you speak. (5:7a)
Nehemiah got alone with God,
James 1:19-20 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
There is a difference between man's anger and God's anger.
3B. Step Three – _________________, privately confront the offending party. (5:7b)
If someone has offended you and you go to someone else you have already sinned. (Matthew 18:15-17)
Only involve the people to the limit you have to involve others.
You must confront the offending party.
Titus 3:10-11 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.
4B. Step Four – ___________________, publicly deal with public divisions. (5:7c)
Nehemiah publicly repeats what he told them in private. (5:9)
5B. Step Five – ____________________, set an example of unselfishness. (5:14-19)
The foundation of all of Nehemiah's leadership is he led by example. (5:13-14)
Paul was this kind of a Christian.
1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.
Application
Peace is God’s mandate:
Ephesians 4:3 "Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace."
We are love one another.
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.".
Are you working hard to preserve and maintain the unity of our Church?
Preparing for Next Sunday
Read and study Nehemiah 6:1-18