Protect the House

Welcome

Celebration Church…we are back!!!! I am so thankful to that we are able to gather together. No matter where you are joining us from, we are so glad that you are here. If you are joining us from home, welcome. We are back! It is so good to see everyone today Be sure to register as space is limited. We are making sure the environment is clean and safe and socially distanced with masks. Can’t wait to see you. We are in a new venue, but it’s the same God.

Heart for the House

I think it is very fitting that today, our first day back with live worship, we find ourselves entering our Heart for the House season. It’s the season where we gather together to reflect and celebrate what God has done through this community, share what we believe is next and pray about the part we play in advancing the kingdom.

Recap/Context

We have been looking at Nehemiah and his heart was stirred for his people. Remember, when something stirs your heart, it should activate your hands. Week 1 we discussed how Nehemiah had a heart to restore and build. Nehemiah is prescriptive, not descriptive.

Last week, Mike preached a great message entitled, Just getting started and stressed the importance of building our temples, building our boundaries, and building the place God has called us to occupy.

Scripture

Nehemiah 4:1–3 CSB

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria and said, “What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?” Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, “Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!”

Today, I want to talk about opposition and how we are to respond to it. I have entitled todays message, Protect the House

Prayer

Lord, we thank you for your presence. We thank you that you are always with us, even when we face opposition and challenges. Encourage us today. Give us open eyes, open ears, and open hearts to receive all that you have for us today. In the name of Jesus, amen

Illustration

What is the extent that you go through to protect what is yours? We have face recognition on our phones. Pin numbers for our bank accounts. We have doorbell cameras that notify us when someone is at the door. In a neighborhood just down the street from us, a man was carjacked in his drive way. They were able to catch the perpetrators because he had cameras outside of his home. We put these things in place to protect us, our family, our possessions. When we moved into our home, the first thing we got was a state of the art alarm system. We even put the sign in the yard as a deterrent. Wanted to send a message that this house is protected. It makes me wonder, when the enemy strolls by our house, is it clear that we are protected? Can he see that we are covered?

Transition

John 10:10 CSB

10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.

Job 2:2 CSB

2 The Lord asked Satan, “Where have you come from?” “From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered him, “and walking around on it.”

1 Peter 5:8 CSB

8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

There is a real enemy that strategically does everything he can to move you from your mission, to ransack your purpose, to violate your calling, family, finances, faith, etc. One of his strategies is normalize brokenness until we don’t pursue wholeness. In fact, people will get frustrated when we challenge them to be more.

Opposition

This is why I love Nehemiah so much, he refused to allow the broken condition of the city to stay normal. When something stirs your heart, it should activate your hands. However, WHENEVER, you start to really move the needle. When you are really at risk of bringing wholeness, you WILL experience opposition.

CS Lewis wrote a brilliant book called the Screwtape Letters. It is supposed to give us incite into how the enemy sees us and his strategy for us. He says in the book as he personifies the enemy, “If you can once get him to the point of thinking that ‘religion is all very well up to a point,’ you can feel quite happy about his soul. A moderated religion is as good for us as no religion at all- and more amusing.” Partial freedom is total bondage. The enemy of your soul isn’t really upset that you occasionally come to church, he gets concerned when you start bringing the church to your home!

Perhaps you are feeling a bit of opposition, you are in good company. On November 14, 1960, was the first day of school for a young girl named Ruby Bridges. She arrived and it was anything but normal. The 6 year old girl was the first African American to attend an all white school and she faced opposition from adults, teachers, students. She had to be escorted by federal marshals. Why would she go through such opposition and hatred, because her parents knew it was going to break a barrier. It was going to make a difference. It was bigger than their comfort. MLK faced resistance. Moses faced resistance. John the Baptist faced resistance. Jesus faced resistance. As long as their is hope, healing, restoration, breakthrough, wholeness…there will be resistance. I have grown to be concerned when there is no opposition.

Observations/Points

I suppose this is why I find myself flipping through the pages of Nehemiah several times a year because his narrative reflects a man on a mission from God. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t popular. He had more opposition then he had support.

The text tells us about Sanballat, the ringleader. Sanballats name literally means sin that gives life. It is the type of resistance that takes on a life of its own. His primary strategy was mocking, criticism, bringing confusion, intimidation and threats, attacks on character and people. Listen to me, stay at home mom, people will criticize. Student. Career choice and/or change.

There are 3 ways that Nehemiah responded to opposition that I think will help each of us.

Make up your mind

Nehemiah 4:6 CSB

6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.

I am thoroughly convinced, that a person with a made up mind is the most impactful person on the planet. We live in a world of group think, consensus, social media, etc. We have to upgrade our software. Rom 12:2 says we need to renew our mind.

Ephesians 4:14 CSB

14 Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit.

James 1:8 CSB

8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

Do you see the picture here? Imagine the energy we waste constantly re-deciding what we have already decided. Marriage, job, church. It puts us in a posture to be impressed instead of leaving an impression. The children of Israel wandered for 40 years because they couldn’t make up their minds. Everyday was compared to when they were in Egypt. We can cheat on the future because we romanticize the past. I made up my mind a long time ago, divorce is not an option and now I steward that choice. Make up your mind instead of letting your feelings make you…

Guard what’s yours

Nehemiah 4:14–17 CSB

14 After I made an inspection, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, and fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.” 15 When our enemies heard that we knew their scheme and that God had frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall. 16 From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah, 17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other.

They were being attacked on every side. It’s like, home is under attack, work, school, finances, health…everything you have a care for, the enemy has his hands on. We have to have a plan to guard what’s yours. If we wait for a crisis, we may lose sight of where Christ is. Nehemiah put a plan in place. If we wait for a crisis, we may lose it. When we were moving, Maegan lost her ring. I asked the movers if they had seen it? I didn’t like the way they responded. I told them to look up and pointed at the camera and told them to smile. I said I am going to review the footage and we will see what happened to the ring. Wouldn’t you know, it was a miracle. They found the ring under the sink. If we didn’t have a plan in place it would have been a loss. However, we had an eye in the sky that was keeping watch.

Nehemiah had watchmen on the wall…eye in the sky. Soldiers protecting the builders. Builders having a brick in one hand and sword in another. They were ready in the event it jumped off. My favorite is Nehemiah had a dude with a trumpet with him everywhere he went. If there was an attack, he would blow the trumpet and everyone, that was already equipped would know how and where to respond. The trumpet was the battle playlist. What is your battle playlist? What do you do when the enemy shows up? If you don’t have a plan, it could be a loss. I have a battle playlist:

Passage: No weapon (Isa 54:17); I will never leave you (Deut 31:6, Hebrews 13:5) I am your shield (Gen 15:1) Lord is my shepherd (Ps 23)

People: Family and friends that are for YOU!!! (Mom)

Praise: Fred Hammond - No Weapon, Yolanda Adams, The battle is not yours, Maverick City - Fill the Room, Hillsong - Oceans, Bethel - You Make me Brave, Elevation - The Blessing

Stay where you are

Nehemiah 6:3 CSB

3 So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?”

Sanballat did everything he could to get Nehemiah to forfeit the promises of God. His last effort was to even God. Nehemiah talked with a prophet named Shemaiah who told him he needed to stop the work and hide in the temple. Turns out Sanballat hired this man of God, this prophet to speak those words. We have to use discernment. Just because they quote scriptures doesn’t mean it is truth.

1 John 4:1 CSB

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

A false prophet is a person who speaks the Word but wasn’t sent by God. Remember, Satan can quote scriptures too. I have seen people go from church to church looking for a person to validate their sin. We go from person to person until we find the right endorsement. I met with a person that told me they met with a pastor who told them to explore cheating on their spouse to see if the love is gone. I need you to hear me, stay where God has called you to be. Don’t let opposition, confusion, wilderness seasons cause you to miss the promises of God. Stay planted in your marriage, see it through. He who has begun a work in you will complete it. In due season you will reap if you faint not. Stay where you are. Don’t abandon your calling.

Closing

One of my favorite aspects of this entire narrative is the fact that God provided. Nehemiah’s heart was stirred, his hands were activated and God provided. God provided people. God provided resources. If God is stirring your heart, and activating your hands, He will provide. I want to ask you to take some time and pray this week and sincerely ask God what He is stirring your heart to give for Heart for the House next week.

The Nehemiah story is meant to give you a glimpse of who we are as a church. You can have a heart for this house because this house has a heart for you! We want to come alongside and rebuild what the enemy tried to ruin. We want to equip you so that you can be the church at home, at work, at school…wherever God has you.

Altar

Nehemiah makes mention of bridging the gaps. When I say that, I am thinking of 2 people. Those of us that we have a gap in some area in our life. There is a noticeable discrepancy. I want to pray for you.

Additionally, there’s a group among us that are away from God. I want to pray for you...