Chico Alliance Church
"Walled In"
REVIEW
I. REBUILDING THE WALLS 1-7
A. Recognizing the needs through inquiry
B. Responding to needs through intense intercession
C. Resolving needs through planning and perseverance
D. Resisting opposition through prayer and perseverance
1. Resisting devaluation of authority and heritage
a) Declare your position in Christ
b) Deny participation of the enemy
2. Resisting Ridicule
a) Pray in the will of god
b) Press on in the work of God
3. Resisting Intimidation 7-9
a) Pray to God
b) Post a guard
4. Resisting Threats and fear 10-20
a) Develop family fighting skills vs 13
b) Deal with fear by encouragement vs 14
(1) We have an awesome God
(2) We have an awesome responsibility
c) Determine to carry on the great work vs 15
d) Discover the balance between battling and building 16-18
e) Devise a spiritual "911" system 19-20
5. Resisting Internal Strife 5:1-19
a) Consider our emotions
b) Consult with oneself
c) Confront the wrong
d) Call for specific commitment 10b-12
(1) Cease the offense
(2) Compensate the exploitation
e) Concentrate on accountability to God vs 13
f) Continue a good example 14-19
INTRODUCTION
Many of us remember certain milestones of achievement in our life.
High School graduation
College graduation
Seminary graduation
Marriage
First child
First job
Room painted
All of us have worked hard at projects where we wondered if we would ever finish. We fought obstacles, failed, restarted and often fretted but when we finally finished the venture, we experienced for a moment great joy and sense of achievement. Nehemiah has withstood opposition to the rebuilding project all along the way and now comes to the final stretch. He is about to complete a very difficult project in an amazingly short period of time; a project that some would not have even dared to attempt in the first place. Yet there still remains more opposition to weather as Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshem continue their varied assaults. There seems to be several key points throughout a project where we come under greater opposition.
At the beginning
Half way through
Just before completion
Just after completion
All the wall is now finished, only the gates and doors remain. Stage one of Nehemiah's project is near completion and Sanballat throws three more fast balls in an attempt to strike out Nehemiah.
6. Resisting Persistent distraction 6:1-4
a) The Problem
Whereas before Sanballat attacked the people, now he focuses on the leadership itself -- Nehemiah in particular.
Sanballat tries to distract Nehemiah from the wall by calling him away to meet them about 25 miles Northwest of Jerusalem in a kind of no-man's land. This was not an effort on Sanballat's part to make peace. Nehemiah knew and it became know later that they were seeking to do harm. What was there to talk about? The fact had already been made clear that these enemies would be allowed to have no part in this work. The design was to deceive and draw Nehemiah away from his prime directive from the Lord. Sanballat was persistent. Four different times Sanballat tried to get Nehemiah distracted from his priority. Often times we do well until the temptation goes on and on.
b) The Principle
Proper priorities prevent persistent distraction
"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?"
We need to learn to say, "NO!" Yes we need to be available to the distress of people but we need to be more attentive to the direction of God. WE need to be sensitive to the problems of people but we need to be more subject to the priorities of God. Satan tries to block the best by getting us engrossed in the good. There are many good things in this life but we can't do them all. We must learn to operate our life by priorities given us by God.
We must learn to resist Satan's attempts to get us to meet him in the desert for a distracting chat.
All of us operate around a set of priorities which are a reflection of what we value or feel is most important in life.
These may or may not be conscious or verbalized in our mind but we have them. These priorities will determine where we will expend our limited energy and resources. If my ultimate priority is to be happy, I will expend the greater portion of my time an energy seeking happiness. If my priority is family, it will be reflected in the kind of time I spend with my family. We will find time and energy for whatever we see as valuable. If self-comfort is my priority, then I will spend my energy getting comfortable. If we were to spend significant time with a particular person, we would soon be able to discern their priorities where they invested their God given resources.
Arrange your top five priorities in life on a scale from 1-10. On a second scale, arrange things apportion most of my time and energy. Now how do the two scales compare? There are priorities on many different levels of my life and priorities that will vary according to gifting and calling and personality. But there are some priorities given by God that must be arranged on everyone's scale.
What are God's priorities?
1--Love God fervently
Know Him--Time with Him and His word
Obey Him--Keep His commandments
Serve Him--Work for His kingdom
2--Touch people effectively
Birthing
Building
Family
Church family
Neighbors
Associates
World around us
Where does self fit on the scale according to God's design? Consider others more important than self! Nehemiah steadfastly defied distraction because God's commission was a high priority. Organizing and verbalizing my priorities simplifies decision making. The need is to be sure that my priorities are God's priorities. A particular activity may be more comfortable, and more self satisfying to me but the issue must always focus on what pleases God as my highest priority. Satan forever offers compromise that seems good at the outset but is destructive in the end. He continually tries to rearrange our priorities so that all of our resources are eaten up and never spread down to the important. The urgent most often dictates our life rather than the important.
7. Resisting False Accusation 5-9
a) The Problem 5-7
The threat to Nehemiah goes something like this: "If you don't cooperate with us, we will send a report to King Arty concerning your rebellion."
Nehemiah's motives are called into question and he is threatened. The intent is to bring about fear of the king and incite subjection to Sanballat's demands. The result of fear is discouragement. We become afraid as we focus on the limitations of our own resources and then discouragement sets in.
Peter on the water is a prime example.
Hebrews 11:6 makes it very plain that without faith it is impossible to please God and Romans further declares that whatever is not of faith is sin. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe. Proverbs 29:25
Satan is an accuser of the brethren. He continually assaults our motivations and intentions before us and God.
What should be our response?
b) Principle
(1) Speak the truth
Nehemiah did not argue. Nehemiah simply stated the bare facts.
I sent him this reply: "Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head." Nehemiah 6:8
(2) Pray for strength
This is the method by which we overcome fear. Pray! Philippians says don't be anxious for anything but pray about everything. The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
Teach me your way, O Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors. Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me, breathing out violence. I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalms 27:1, 11-14
8. Resisting False Direction 10-14
a) The Problem vs 10
Sanballat had gotten to the prophets of the time, the spiritual advisors. Here Shemaiah tries to persuade Nehemiah to lay low till the storm passes by. The intent was to again, cause Nehemiah to act out of fear of men rather than faith in the direction of God. Never doubt in the darkness what God has revealed in the light. There is no safer place than in the will of God. Satan continually tries to get us to make decisions and change directions on the basis of the slippery dictates of fear rather than the solid facts of faith. He is ever ready to suggest what might happen if we do such and such.
ILLUS: "Don't talk to that person, they will probably get angry and hurt you."
"If you tell the truth you will go broke."
"If you don't cheat you will fail."
How did Nehemiah respond?
b) The Principle
(1) Reflection on position
Nehemiah reflected on who he was.
"Should a man like me flee?"
"Could one such as I go into the temple to save his life?"
(2) Decision based on position "I will not go in!"
(3) Insight
As soon as Nehemiah made the decision, God provided insight into what was going on.
I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Nehemiah 6:12
We must always examine counsel by the clear teaching of the word. Nehemiah knew who he was and what he was called to do. Nehemiah again made a right decision based on right priorities. Then he was given insight into the real source. The intent was to get Nehemiah to make decisions out of fear rather than truth. There are really only three sources for behavior or decisions.
1--Truth (what has God said or directed)
2--Fear (how can I survive and protect myself)
3--Pride (what will make me look good)
Why do I choose to not go visit?
Why do I not take a Sunday School class?
Why do I decide not to take that class?
Why do I refuse to talk about a subject?
1--We must be confident in who we are in Christ!
We are fully accepted and loved deeply.
We are important and significant in Him.
2--We must then make decisions based on truth.
(4) Prayer
Nehemiah leaves the discipline up to God. He refused to take vengeance for himself.
E. Nehemiah Restores the walls and gates 15-19
In these last few verses, Nehemiah records in his journal the realization of his dream, the completion of phase one.
1. Chronology
The entire wall restoration project was complete in 52 days.
Factors:
1 Good leadership
2 A heart for the work
3 Cooperation and coordination
4 Alertness to the enemy
2. Consequence
When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:16
3. Continued conflict 17-19
Sanballat was put in his place and hindered by the construction of the walls and gates but Tobiah had infiltrated by marriage. Many had become bound to protect him by oath. Because of those oaths people were blind to his true intents and character and even spoke good of him to Nehemiah when behind the scenes Tobiah was seeking to continue fear and intimidation. He had succeeded in acquiring a place of influence within the city and eventually a special place in the temple itself.
When Satan runs into walls, he seeks other ways to continue his efforts to destroy and great fear.
CONCLUSION
We must be continually alert to the schemes of the enemy.
1--When he attacks by persistent distraction, keep to God's priorities. Learn to say,"NO!"
Don't let the good become the enemy of the best. Properly arrange priorities to persistently prevent diversion.
2--When Satan seeks to bring fear by false accusation and condemnation.
Remember that there is NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
State the truth.
Submit to God.
Resist the devil.
Draw near to God
Combat false accusation with truth and prayer.
3--When Satan seeks to deceive by false direction and distraction
Remember and rehearse who you are in Christ.
Commit to keep pressing on in what you know to be true.
Make decisions based on
our postion in Christ rather than our fear of pain.
Obedience to the Word of God builds walls of protection. Satan will do everything possible to prevent those walls.
As a church we too will find protection as we learn to walk by the Spirit and experience the life He promise to live through us. Remember too that even when walls are built, there will continually be fiery darts and intimidation to get us to waver and fall. Together, we can effectively march against the fortresses and gates of hell as a mighty army effectively equipped and totally trained by the Captain of the Lord's host at whose name every knee shall bow and every tongue confess His Lordship to the glory of the Father.
