Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Civil Defense Siren: Did you know that the siren which blasts at 12pm in Bartlett is not called a Tornado siren.

It is referred to many in that way because that is its most frequent use in our area.

Its actually called a CIVIL DEFENSE SIREN because it purpose is to alert the population in the area of a threat.

Its a warning system that, according to Wikipedia alerts the public to the following

weather emergencies such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and ice storms

geological disasters such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis

industrial disasters such as the release of toxic gas or contamination of river water

radiological disasters such as a nuclear plant disaster

medical emergencies such as an outbreak of a fast-moving infectious disease

warfare or acts of terrorism

Let’s camp on that last one for a moment because the terrifying thought of those sirens erupting because of a wartime invasion can really get those goosebumps going or those neck hairs standing.

Sadly, those sirens were not installed at Pearl Harbor until after the attack on our military fleet.

Interestingly, those sirens have been recently reinstated on the Islands of Hawaii in 2017 in an effort to prepare for the threats from North Korea (International Business Times https://www.ibtimes.com/hawaii-reinstates-pearl-harbor-air-raid-siren-amid-north-korea-threats-2619783).

The purpose of the sirens are to warn of war.

They exist because war is a possibility which creates awareness but they create an ear-piercing noise in order to warn that the threat is real.

God has warned his people that spiritual war is imminent and all around us.

He has used the mouth of the prophets and apostles to inform his kingdom that alertness is necessary and war is upon us.

eph 6:10-12

1 peter 5:8

Both of these passages from Paul and Peter give us clear understanding that war time is spiritual battle on this earthly terrain and that wartime is now!

This battle comes from an interior battle , as God’s people wrestle with a temptation with sin, and an exterior battle, whereby Satan leads an army of people who are slaves to their own lusts and self-glorification against the walls of God’s church and his people.

The worst thing that we can do as God’s people, is to ignore or deny that this threat exists.

Jesus warned of the end times when the Son of Man would return and all the judgments that would come upon the earth to culminate this spiritual battle with victory in the Son.

He warns of the wickedness that will be prevalent, the persecutions of the church and the impending doom of those who reject his name.

In luke 21 at the end of his warnings, he says,

Luke 21:34-36 “34 “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap.

35 For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

36 But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.””

Jesus is warning us that the cares of this life can entrap us so that we do ignore the spiritual battles that are raging all around us.

We can become paralyzed by pleasure that we forget to trust in the protection of the Lord in the midst of real war.

Charles Spurgeon comments,

1 Peter (Exposition)

When we think we have no occasion for our sword, we begin to unbuckle it from our side.

We strip off our armor piece by piece, and then it is that we become most exposed to the attack of our enemies.-

Spurgeon

For the next few weeks, we will look at Nehemiah 4-6 and we will focus our attention with an atypical Christmas message.

Its not a message about the cute little baby born in Bethlehem, surrounded by loving parents and a host of angels.

Instead, it will be a Christmas message about who that child is and why he came.

He came to be the conquering warrior king in the battle for lost souls.

He came to save us by winning a spiritual war by giving his life upon the cross so that victory can be attained for those who believe in him.

His victory was over sin and death and Satan and therefore, Jesus is the victor and we are to victoriously in this life until we returns.

That victorious life includes being alert to the war around us and fighting the fight of faith valiantly, with courage and hope in our Savior.

If I could sum up these chapters 4-6 of Nehemiah, it would be found in Nehemiah 4:14

Nehemiah 4:14 (ESV)

14 And I looked and arose and said to the nobles and to the officials and to 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 homes.”

Therefore, we acknowledge that our hope is in the Lord and as we love him, we trust that he will see us through.

He has given us His word to guide us to an understanding of this spiritual battle and therefore let it teach us this afternoon how we might be prepared.

This week, I want to focus on the importance of knowing the ways of the enemy and the ways of the faithful.

We are going to spend time in two chapter mainly as my sermon text.

We will look at chapter 4 and the beginning of chapter 6.

I am including both of these texts because both give evidence of the tactics of the enemy in spiritual war and the ways God’s people might respond faithfully.

Knowing the enemy

We will start off by looking back to chapter 2 when we first encounter the enemies of Nehemiah and the Jewish people.

Sanballat: He is called Sanballat the Horonite in 2:10, which most likely means that he was from the area of Beth-horon, which is northwest of Jerusalem.

Edward Yamuchi gives Sanballat the title, “the chief political opponent of Nehemiah” since archeology has provided evidence that Sanballat was governor of Samaria.

As a political adversary, Sanballat did not want the Jews to regain prominence in that region and therefore he will do whatever it takes to sabotage the work the Jews are doing.

Another character mentioned as the enemy of God’s people is Tobiah the Ammonite.

His name means, “YHWH is good” and therefore his ethnic heritage must be Jewish descent, most likely the Ammonites, who descended from lot but later became enemies of Israel and Judah during its history.

During Nehemiah’s day, like the Samaritans, the Ammonites were neighboring nations who did not want to see Judah rebuild and regain prominence over them.

It is believed that Tobiah, called an official, was the appointed governor by the ruling Persia of an area of the Transjordan.

Finally, we are introduced to another neighboring threat to the Jews’ efforts, the Arabians.

In 2:19, a name Gesham is mentioned as the one leading the opposition from his people and who united in protest against the Jews rebuilding.

All three of these mentioned represent an earthly contingent of people who do not want to see the Jews regain prominence but they represent something greater.

They represent the spiritual evil and demonic opposition to God’s work in this world that has been present since sin came through Adam and Eve.

These raging nations remind us once again that the kingdom of God will not exist in any form on this earth without some form of conflict against it led by Satan himself.

The church has to remain vigilant in our awareness that Satan wants nothing more than to see the efforts of the gospel proclamation, Christ’s glorification, and the church’s multiplication to be thwarted.

Nehemiah documents for us the ways of his enemies and therefore the church today can learn our opponents ways that we might know how to be alert to their advancement in battle!

Way of the enemy: Mocking/Discouragement vs. 4:1

The way in which the people of God are attacked by our enemies with with mocking and discouragement.

Looking back to Neh 2:19

The actions of his enemies “Jeering at us” means to mock or deride them with discouraging words.

You can hear the mocking attitude in v 2-3

Nehemiah 4:2-3 “2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing?

Will they restore it for themselves?

Will they sacrifice?

Will they finish up in a day?

Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!””

This is the way of Satan to discourage us with false words, or hurtful words so that we forget God’s power or his plan and we focus on our own strength.

If you have lived with a discouraging person or you have been around one, you know that everything is negative on a personal level.

Discouraging words in a marriage are never about God’s power and plan for a husband and wife lives, but instead it is about the failures of that husband or wife that the other one brings up verbally.

Discouragement can shape our identity about ourselves so that we get down on ourselves with a barrage of discourgament but in reality, that shame or hopelessness often is grounded not in our identity in Christ, but instead in the lies we are believing or the failures we are spending too much time focusing on.

Remember that Christ was also mocked and discouraged.

This was one way the enemy attacked him.

Is 53:2-3 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Remember that at one time, Jesus the man from Nazareth was discouraged about coming from such an obscure town.

Remember that his own family thought he was insane.

Remember the Roman soldiers mocking his kingship by placing the crown of thorns on him, piercing his head.

They mocked and jeered at Jesus and they will do so to those who follow him.

If you are a critical or discouraging person as a follower of Jesus, then you are doing the work of the enemy and not of the Lord.

The Lord has given us his Holy Spirit who empowers us to speak words of love, admonition.

We are called to bear others burdens and not become burdens for others.

Let me challenge you this afternoon to repent of your critical and discouraging spirit and instead give people hope in the Jesus that you and believe in!

The Way of the Faithful: Trust God’s Power and Give Hope

Look how in 4:10-13 how the discouragement from the enemies began to take root in the people of God.

They mention how their strength is failing and the work seems like it cannot be accomplished.

(10) Also they are now at such a low point that they are quoting their enemies in verse 11 and living in the fear of death by their swords.

Nehemiah chooses not to stand for such fear and trepidation.

He shows us that as GOd’s people, we must trust in the power of God and as leaders, give the comforting hope that we find in the Lord.