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Sermon Notes

The Enemies of the Christian, and How to Respond

Sunday 13 May 2018 Pastor Craig Ledbetter Nehemiah 4
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I. Introduction (James 1:2-4)

A. No one Lives Free From Opposition or Trials (James 1:2-4)

  1. We imagine, wrongly…

    • That when we decide to do right, that the devil will leave us alone - but he won’t. THAT is when he will turn up the heat!
    • That God will supernaturally protect us from attack - and God won’t
    • That doing the will of God will just get easier and easier - and it doesn’t

  2. Why do we EXPECT OPPOSITION when we try and kick a ball into a net?

  3. Why are we NOT upset when a bunch of opposing team members attempt to steal the ball?

  4. Well, 2 Timothy 3:12 promises…

Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

  1. So, Enemies and opposition are part of the perfect will of God for every believer! No one is changed for the better without trials. And no amount of effort can stop enemies from attacking. Here is a great truth about your enemies: they will remain until God thinks you no longer need them!

B. We Are Building our Homes and Lives in the Midst of an Enemy (Neh 4:7,8)

  1. This is the sobering part of the book of Nehemiah

    • Chapter 1 has Nehemiah hearing of how bad things were in Jerusalem
    • Chapter 2 Nehemiah gets his chance to appeal to king Artexerxes
    • Chapter 3 describes each of the sections of the walls being built
    • Chapter 4 opens with opposition - serious, dangerous, deadly opposition

  2. These Builders were not in a safe place - they were in constant danger

  3. All the ruins were claimed by ancient gang-members known as:

    • Sanballat - the leader
    • Tobiah - his side-kick
    • The Arabians
    • The Ammonites
    • And the Ashdodites

  4. All of this wall rebuilding was out in the open, for anyone to see, and mock and knock down

  5. It is the same with every Bible believing Church today

    • It is by the grace of God that churches have such freedoms
    • There are NO “Christian” countries
    • Just some countries that are friendly to Christians
    • And even those won’t be for long - times are a changing!

  6. So be it! Christians just keep building, just like these Jews did (Neh 4:6)!

C. The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. - Ephesians 6:12

  1. Take note of how all this in Nehemiah mimics things in the kingdom of God:

    • Sanballat and Tobiah were like demons/devils
    • Nehemiah is like Jesus - who calls God’s people out of the rubble
    • The Jews were like believers - feeble, but believing God
    • The walls and gates were what was broken in their lives

  2. Remember John 10:10…

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.

  1. Here is the most important key: All the battles that we wrestle in don’t get rid of the opposition - all our efforts just keep our enemy at bay so we can build and repair and restore what sin has ruined! The goal is to stay STANDING (Eph 6:13)

D. So Let’s read Nehemiah 4:1-12, and learn how to respond to direct opposition!

II. Message - The Enemies of the Christian, and How to Respond

A. Expect Opposition (Neh 2:9,10; 4:1-3)

  1. Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem was a threat to Sanballat and his associates

    • Sanballat was a Samaritan ruler who ran the entire territory like a gang leader
    • Nehemiah’s very presence caused Sanballat to become furious!

  2. It was the same every time Jesus arrived into a town or city - there was always some sort of an uproar!

B. Five Truths about Trials and Opposition:

  1. You experience troubles, obstacles, enemies, opposition IN the will of God - or at least in the direction of the will of God!

    • If you never get friction or opposition
    • If everyone thinks you are great, then you are not moving into the will of God!

  2. Opposition is an evidence that God is blessing, not cursing you - if you are loved by everybody, then you are surrounded by the wrong crowd (Luke 6:26)

  3. Opposition will come at you from every direction:

    • Opposition from the world around you
    • Opposition from your own family (Mark 6:4)
    • And opposition from your own self - your own weaknesses, thinking and fears

  4. It is vital to the Christian life (2 Cor 4:7-11)

  5. Opposition, trouble, conflict, resistance, obstacles, and yes, even enemies are all part of the perfect will of God for the believer!

C. Know What the Enemy Wants (Nehemiah 4:2,3)

  1. To keep the Jews weak and dependent upon them for everything

  2. To keep the city in ruin

  3. To continue to rob God’s people of every bit of worth

  4. To bring great dishonour to God (Neh 4:4)

  5. To remain in power - devils do not just give up control

  6. Does any of that describe YOU?

    • Weak and dependent upon drink, drugs, the government?
    • Living in ruin?
    • Robbed every time you set out to build something?
    • Under the power and dominion of the devil?

  7. THAT is NOT what Christ died for! He died to break you free of all that!

D. Weapons and Tactics of the Enemy (2 Corinthians 2:11)

1. Bullying / Ridicule (4:1-6)

  • It seems such a weak weapon, but it works!
  • No matter how strong people think they are, one criticism can often crumble most people
  • Satan is an accuser, a mocker, a scorner
  • He pushes people around - with fear and intimidation

2. Outnumbering (2:9,10; 2:19; 4:1-3,7)

  • Started off with just Sanballat and Tobiah
  • Then it grew - Sanballat, Tobiah, AND Geshem
  • Then they went and got some more - the army of Samaria, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites

3. Focusing on all the wrong things

Past Failures:

  • The people of Jerusalem HAD failed
  • And the devil LOVES reminding God’s people of their failures!
  • God doesn’t!
  • All those constant memories of your past sins did not come from GOD!

All the rubbish everywhere:

  • The rubbish DID need to be removed
  • But just focusing on the ruin will never free you
  • You need to see yourself free - like Christ said you are!

Focusing on weaknesses of the people:

  • The people WERE weak
  • But God uses the weak things to confound the mighty!

III. Application

  1. Expect opposition when you try to do right
  2. Recognize that trials are evidence God is working
  3. Know your enemy’s tactics so you won’t be deceived
  4. Keep building, even in the midst of the battle
  5. Stay focused on what God is doing, not on the rubble
  6. Remember: your enemies will remain until God thinks you no longer need them!

The goal is not to eliminate opposition - the goal is to stay STANDING while you rebuild what sin has destroyed.

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