Facing Opposition
Nehemiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 3 viewsMeaningful missions will always face opposition. In this sermon, we will look at the nature of opposition and the Christian Response.
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1 Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.
2 He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy men of Samaria and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore it for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?”
3 Now Tobiah the Ammonite was near him and he said, “Even what they are building—if a fox should jump on it, he would break their stone wall down!”
4 Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity.
5 Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
6 So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.
7 Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, and that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry.
8 All of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.
9 But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
10 Thus in Judah it was said,
“The strength of the burden bearers is failing,
Yet there is much rubbish;
And we ourselves are unable
To rebuild the wall.”
11 Our enemies said, “They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.”
12 When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, “They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,”
13 then I stationed men in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows.
14 When I saw their fear, I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and 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 houses.”
15 When our enemies heard that it was known to us, and that God had frustrated their plan, then all of us returned to the wall, each one to his work.
16 From that day on, half of my servants carried on the work while half of them held the spears, the shields, the bows and the breastplates; and the captains were behind the whole house of Judah.
17 Those who were rebuilding the wall and those who carried burdens took their load with one hand doing the work and the other holding a weapon.
18 As for the builders, each wore his sword girded at his side as he built, while the trumpeter stood near me.
19 I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is great and extensive, and we are separated on the wall far from one another.
20 “At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.”
21 So we carried on the work with half of them holding spears from dawn until the stars appeared.
22 At that time I also said to the people, “Let each man with his servant spend the night within Jerusalem so that they may be a guard for us by night and a laborer by day.”
23 So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each took his weapon even to the water.
INTRO: Do you have enemies? People who are against you?
We have been trained in some ways to assume that to have enemies is a bad thing and something we should try to avoid. Certainly, we ought not to make enemies over minor disagreements and we should recognize that there are those who are not with us who are not enemies to be fought, but our mission field.
Yet, as Christians, we must acknowledge that we will have enemies. Jesus had enemies… enemies that called for his crucifixion on earth, and enemies of the gospel.
18 For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ,
Of course, you also probably know that Jesus taught that we are to love our enemies (Matt. 5:44)
For some, this can be a difficult concept if we don’t have a good definition of love. However, if you were here as we studied the Epistles of John last Fall, you may remember that to love means “to sacrificially seek God’s best for another.”
So, as we think about enemies and facing opposition, we need to know that loving our enemies does not require us to concede to their agenda. I can seek God’s best for the person who’s goal is to kill Christians, but I’m not willing to believe the lie that to love them is to agree with them.
So today, as we examine Nehemiah 4, I hope to help us think about how to form a Christian response to the opposition we face. I believe this is absolutely critical as we move forward on God’s mission.
Now, maybe you are thinking, “I don’t have enemies.” And maybe you expect that I would say in response, “That’s great!” but instead if that’s you I want you to listen especially well this morning, for you may be in a dangerous spot.
So, let’s jump into our study. The sermon is titled “Facing Opposition.” If you picked up a bulletin, you’ll notice the sermon guide on the inside flap. I’ve divided this message into two main parts; The Nature of Opposition and The Christian Response.
Of course, each of those parts has three subpoints… so I’m not sure if you will count this as a 2 point sermon or a 6 point sermon… Either way, I pray that you will be built up in the Lord as we study together.
First, let us look at
The Nature of Opposition:
The Nature of Opposition:
I want to point out 3 observations that will help us better understand the opposition we face.
Opposition Exposes Motives
Opposition Exposes Motives
Disclaimer: Let me first say that not all opposition is of the enemy. Some opposition is an act of grace- Consider King David who was opposed by the prophet Nathan in his sin.
The opposition I am referring to is opposition to God’s will and our obedience thereof.
Nehemiah had no problem knowing who his enemies were. The opposition that came from Sanballat and Tobiah and the rest allowed Nehemiah to recognize them for what they were.
But why were these governors against Nehemiah? Let me suggest 3 possible motives.
Insecurity - When a person or group feels threatened by what you are doing, they will oppose you. The logic here is it is either their way or no way. For Nehemiah, the governors around Jerusalem were threatened because if Israel restored the city and worshiped the one true God, then their sin would be brought to light.
They acted as if Nehemiah’s wall project was the problem, but the reality is that their sinfulness was the problem.
Jealousy - When a person feels like someone might be seen as stronger or wiser or a better leader, they likely will oppose them. If Nehemiah is successful, the governors around Jerusalem would see a city gain a standing that they could not. Their cities were all the same- idol worship, the Persian King is above all the idols. But Yahweh is a God above all kings.
Different Agenda - Ultimately, these governors surrounding Jerusalem wanted something different. The Jews, however were a people set apart. With the restoration of Jerusalem, they would no longer be influenced by the other governors. What they are saying in their opposition is something like, “You can have freedom, as long as you do what we say.”
Those who oppose God’s Mission and God’s people do so because they have an exalted view of their own opinion. Their opposition exposes their motives.
Opposition Arises When We Are Being Effective.
Opposition Arises When We Are Being Effective.
The Jews in Jerusalem faced opposition ONLY when they were attempting to restore the city. When they were just there, defeated and ineffective, there was nothing to oppose.
Think about it: If you are not a threat, there is no need for your enemy to oppose you.
ILL: Why do you think that the early church was persecuted so much? It was because they were seen as a threat the current way of life! When the Gospel is proclaimed and lives are changed, the culture around is threatened and we see the opposition arise.
The success of the gospel exasperates its enemies.
Matthew Henry
Let’s look at the pressure points for Israel’s enemies here in the text. They begin in Chapter 2.
2:10 - Sanballat and Tobiah opposed Nehemiah for seeking the welfare of Israel.
2:19 - They opposed him for beginning the wall project.
4:1-3 - They are shown opposing the ongoing work.
4:8, 11 - They oppose them as the work shows promise.
The enemies only cared because they saw that the Israelites might possibly make an impact. Church, we when we are effective for Christ, we will see opposition. If we don’t face opposition, it’s likely we are not being effective in our work. Finally,
Opposition Escalates As Perceived Threat Grows
Opposition Escalates As Perceived Threat Grows
Let’s look back at those pressure points we discussed a moment ago. Do you notice that the more work that is done, the attacks become more severe?
2:10 -It’s just anger - maybe some unkind words, sneers, etc. (General comments, vaguely threatening language)
2:19: the anger turns to conspiracy -opposition is expressed in the attempt to cast doubt or fear. He tries to twist what they are doing to make it seem like they are committing a crime. (Straw man arguments meant to dissuade. i.e. That’s hate speech; You hate gays or you are trying to erase us)
4:1-3 - the conspiracy turns to harassment - opposition takes the form of taunts and ridicule. They sought to discourage the Israelites and break their will. (protesting, verbal abuse/ social pressure, hate mail, etc.)
4:8, 11 - harassment turns to violence. The opposition is now a physical threat. They are planning violent attacks.
We might like to live without enemies and opposition, but if we hope to make a kingdom impact, we can expect that opposition will escalate with our effectiveness. These are the tools of Satan.
Folks, we may not yet see our enemies at LRBC, but as we are faithful we will. And this should in many ways encourage us because it means we are doing something worthwhile. Let us now look to:
The Christian Response to Opposition
The Christian Response to Opposition
Nehemiah gives us a good formula here. The first thing we must do in response to opposition is
PRAY (4:4-5, 9a, 14a, 20b)
PRAY (4:4-5, 9a, 14a, 20b)
We know from previous weeks that Nehemiah was a man of prayer. He prioritized prayer in decision-making and we see that here as well. So, we pray to draw close to God and to know His will. Let’s take a few notes on how Nehemiah prayed:
He prayed honestly (READ 4-5)
Actually, this prayer is not only honest, but maybe a bit aggressive. We see that he is praying for God to return their intentions back on them. Though we can see how Nehemiah thinks God should handle it, God is just and he entrusts the situation to God.
We sometimes forget that God knows our heart. When we face opposition, we need to be open before God and acknowledge things like our despair or our discouragement. We need not pretend that we have it all figured out!
He prayed trustingly (14a, 20b)
Prayer is our greatest weapon… “Remember the Lord who is great and awesome!” Nothing is difficult for God.
And look at v. 20 - God will fight for us. Israel would have remembered how God brought victory for Moses and Joshua and David…
5 Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is infinite.
When we face opposition, our priority must be to PRAY.
Our second response to opposition is:
PROTECT (9b, 13, 14b, 16b)
PROTECT (9b, 13, 14b, 16b)
Let me point you to v.9 (READ)
They prayed (together) and set up a guard.
God uses people! They prayed, and made themselves available to God to protect the work. Why? Because this was God’s mission.
Nehemiah knew that God was for them. And though the battle belonged to the Lord, they were in the fight.
So, they set up a guard in the most vulnerable areas. (13) And then Nehemiah reminded them what they were protecting. This was not just about some rocks and gates, this was about the people of God- the generations here and in the future!
Look at v. 14b - Remember… and fight! (READ)
Folks, when opposition comes, we must be sure to protect our values and our vulnerable.
As a church, we must protect the Gospel message- we are not going to dilute it or omit parts of God’s Word for the sake of appeasing those who might be offended. We must not lose sight of who we are - a people set apart by God for the purposes of God.
And we must be mindful of the most vulnerable areas of our family- the children, new believers; those who are being challenged by the culture in ways that many of us are not.
Look at v. 20a - Hey, when we know there are attacks upon the weak or vulnerable, we must rally to their aid!
Let us set up a guard for the sake of future generations! For some of you, that means that you fight for your children by ensuring they are learning God’s Word. It means that you are standing guard over the sanctity of human life, of marriage, and of sexual purity.
When we face opposition, we pray and we protect. Now, a defensive stance is good, but as you folks who will be watching the Super Bowl this evening know, the team that puts the most points on the board ultimately will claim victory. Thus, we look to the final lesson for today.
When opposition arises, we must
PERSEVERE (6, 15b, 21-23)
PERSEVERE (6, 15b, 21-23)
The enemies of Nehemiah and the Israelites desired to halt their progress and stop the efforts to rebuild the city. If they had just taken a defensive posture only, the enemy would have achieved his purpose.
Right? Look, Satan wants to render the church ineffective. If we are busy guarding and not going, has he not accomplished this? Guarding is necessary, but it’s not enough. We must press on toward the goal.
14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
We must have resolve and determination that we will be about the mission of God!
Nehemiah’s group was discouraged-(READ v.10)
You can hear their groans… it’d be easier to just give up. It’d be more comfortable the way it was… What are we even doing here?
BUT, they carried on. (21) They organized so that they could accomplish both the protection of the city and continue the progression of the wall.
It called for courage - look, they faced a genuine threat here. Credible sources had warned them of an impending attack, but the people heeded the words of Nehemiah who said “Do not be afraid of them!” (14) If this is of the Lord, no man can stop it.
But to persevere is to sacrifice - look every builder also wore a sword. (18) Sometimes you gotta do both! Some of them even neglected to bathe so they could be ready to fight. Trumpeters were ready, but the work went on.
The Israelites were determined to do the work of the Lord.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, even to the end.
Church, we have a clear calling and mission. As we take steps to bring our neighbors and nations to follow Jesus, there will be opposition.
This morning, I am asking you stand with me as we face that opposition. God is on our side!
[PRAY]
Discuss: What opposition does the modern church face?
Discuss: What does Nehemiah’s prayer teach us?
Discuss: What vulnerabilities do we need to protect? How do we do this?