Distraction & Fear Is The Enemy Of Progress

Intro: We have seen the opposition to the people of God from with out, Tobias, Sanballat and their allies.

We have also seen opposition from within from the Jewish nobles taking advantage of the poor Jewish families charging them interest, having them mortgage their properties, even leading some to sell their children in slavery.

In Nehemiah 6 we see the shift from opposition against the people. To opposition against Nehemiah himself.

Their thinking is if we can use distraction and fear tactics against Nehemiah, then maybe we can stop the people form working on the wall.

Now think about your life, how many times have distraction and fear kept you from doing something God wants you to do?

Has distraction and fear kept you from sharing the Gospel with someone?

Has distraction and fear kept you from coming to church? Or being part of a D-group?

Has distraction and fear kept you from making a stand for the Lord?

What can we do when we are faced with distraction and fear?

Let’s see what we can learn from Nehemiah.

I. Distractions From The Enemy

Nehemiah 6:1–4 (ESV)

Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner.

A. The Wall is Complete

Nehemiah and the people of God completed the building of the wall. All that was left were the gates. Nehemiah’s enemies have been watching and know that they are almost complete.

Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem devise a plan of distraction. They invite Nehemiah to a meeting at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono. Now for Nehemiah to take this trip would have costed him 3 days. One day to travel, one day to meet and another day to travel back.

Nehemiah’s enemies want a meeting in the plain of Ono, Nehemiah says “Ono there is no way I meeting with them. They want to harm me!” Nehemiah turns them down. Why?

The mission is more important than the distraction.

Nehemiah’s purpose in coming back to Jerusalem, was to reconstruct the wall. He gave the king of Persia a plan of action of how and when he would complete the wall, this was Nehemiah’s focus. The mission to rebuild the wall is more important than the distractions from Sanballat & Tobias.

Is this true in your life? Are the purposes of God for your life more important than the distractions that come up?

Is your relationship with God more important than the distractions that come up throughout the day? Just think of the past week, how much of your time was dominated by distractions or things that were not that important? How much of your time was devoted to strengthening your relationship with the Lord?

Is living as someone sent into the world to share the Gospel with others, more important than the distractions that may come up?

We need the focus and resolve of Nehemiah and ask ourselves “Why should the work stop?”

The mission is more important than the distractions.

III. Lies from The Enemy

Nehemiah 6:5–9 (ESV)

In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

A. Sanballat Doesn’t Give Up

Sanballat makes up lies and gossips about Nehemiah. People are saying you guys are going to rebel. people are saying you will be king. People are saying you will lift up your own prophets. Let’s meet and see how we can help you Nehemiah? It sounds like Sanballat spent a lot of time on Facebook because he knew so much about what the people where saying, in reality Sanballat himself was lying about Nehemiah so he and the people would be distracted and filled with fear. But Sanballat also offers a solution...

B. Nehemiah is invited to trust the enemy to help his situation.

Sanballat says let me help you? Let’s get together and work things out. Why does Sanballat do this? Some of the Jewish people were compromising and working with Sanballat and Tobias. Sanballat was hoping he could get Nehemiah to be like the other Jewish people, who compromised to work with the enemy.

Nehemiah was aware of the lies and the purpose behind them to cause fear in him and the people. Neh 6:8-9

Nehemiah 6:8–9 ESV

Then I sent to him, saying, “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands.

What lies do you believe and what compromises do you make that distract you from the purposes of God for your life?

Sneaking a peak at this porn site wont hurt.... Pursuing a relationship with some who isn’t a believer is ok.... It doesn’t matter how I live my life, God will forgive me anyway...

The Christian has three enemies in this life

The world - This is the world system which makes sin look so attractive, convenient and accessible to us. John tells us “Do not love the world” in 1 John 2. Go home and read it this week.

The flesh - this is Paul’s way of describing our own sinful hearts. Our hearts can lead us astray from the purposes of God if we are not careful. Paul lets us know what the desires of the flesh are in Galatians 5, go home and read that this week also.

The devil - The devil is so sly and cunning, he and his minions know how to tempt you to fall in sin. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us

1 Peter 5:8 ESV

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

The question to ask now is what compromises do we make with the world, the flesh and ultimately the devil to get out of tough situations in life?

Do we enter into a relationship, we know shouldn’t because the person makes you feel good, or you do not want to be alone?

Do we over work ourselves to attain a certain lifestyle?

Do we take on more than we can bear because we want a nicer car, the latest phones, a better home....

Nehemiah was lied about and was invited to the table with Sanballat, so Sanballat can help him come up with a solution. Nehemiah was invited to believe the lies and compromise. But...

c. Nehemiah trusted in God and prayed for strength.

“O God, strengthen my hands”

Many times when we are faced with distractions, lies and fears instead of entertaining them, we need to pray for God’s strength to keep on living on mission, trust in him and keep on living for the Lord.

III. Fear From The Enemy

Nehemiah 6:10–14 (ESV)

Now when I went into the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home, he said, “Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple. Let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night.” But I said, “Should such a man as I run away? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in.” And I understood and saw that God had not sent him, but he had pronounced the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. For this purpose he was hired, that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, according to these things that they did, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid.

A. When all else fails try fear.

This is what Sanballat and his allies do. When all else fails they tried to scare Nehemiah. They hired a prophet for hire to convince Nehemiah that they were coming to kill him. The prophet advised them to run to the temple and hide in there.

This is interesting, and there is a clue in here that shows this prophet is a false prophet.

Who was allowed in the temple, the most holy place? The High Priest.

Was Nehemiah even a priest?

Now the pagans around Israel, it was normal practice for them to run to the temple, in order to save their lives. In Israel, they had what was known as sanctuary cities, where people would run and stay. Nehemiah knew this and could discern the prophet was lying.

Sanballat and Tobias was hoping that Nehemiah would be afraid and sin, which would discredit him or worse kill him for going into the Temple of God.

B. Acting on unhealthy fear leads to chaos, faith leads to trusting in the Lord for the outcomes, good or bad.

What would have happen if Nehemiah gave into fear? Discredited leadership, possibly death. The wall would probably be destroyed again and the people would perish.

Nehemiah’s faith was in the Lord “strengthen my hands”, I am trusting in you Lord, whatever the out come because I know you have sent me here for this purpose and for this mission.

I am sure we have all acted out of our fears at one time or another. i am sure we can all tell stories of how acting out of fear led to chaos. Yet so often, when we are afraid, we act on it instead of trusting in the Lord for the outcome.

When we act on Unhealthy fear, we are telling God, I can’t trust you in this area of my life, so I am taking charge of this area of my life. But when we trust God, even when things are hard, he is faithful to be with us, no matter the outcome.

Nehemiah was not going to allow the distractions, lies and fears from the enemy stop the progress of the wall, he was going to stay with the people and continue to work, stay on mission. What happened because of Nehemiah’s faithfulness and resolve to trust in the Lord for his help?

Nehemiah 6:15–7:4 ESV

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobiah, and Tobiah’s letters came to them. For many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because he was the son-in-law of Shecaniah the son of Arah: and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah as his wife. Also they spoke of his good deeds in my presence and reported my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to make me afraid. Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.” The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

The wall was completed in 52 days, less than 2 months, Nehemiah and the people of Israel completed the wall. Which is amazing! But the Bible also tells us that the nations that surrounded them perceived that work was accomplished with the help of God. This is also amazing.

With the help of God, Nehemiah was able to commit to the mission at hand and as a result the mission was completed and the world knew God was with Nehemiah and the people of God.

What about us?

We need to become people who are not distracted, who refuse to believe the lies of the enemy and people who are not afraid to take the Gospel forward no matter how it impacts me personally. We need to become a people who are dependent on the Gospel of Grace, not to just for salvation to get us to heaven, but so we can live as sent people of God, who live for his glory and proclaim his excellencies here on earth.

We are only able to live as sent people of God when we are dependent on God’s grace and help and have a focus and a resolve to complete the mission.

In the rest of chapter 7 we see Nehemiah’s observations and decisions on what is next. The walls are built, I will put leaders in place who fear God and are obedient to him. Now what...

What we see in the rest of chapter 7 is the moving in building up of the community of the people of God. Fellowship Espanol, with God’s word and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as our foundation, with leaders in place who fear God, it is time to build the community. We must lay aside the distraction and fears , so that we can become a people who live as the sent people of God, dependent on him to work in and through us, to live on mission until Jesus comes back or until we breathe our last breath.