How to Keep Going When You'd Rather Quit: Part 1a

Pat McFall

The Good Work • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Even though Nehemiah has the king’s blessing and the people are eager to rebuild the walls, opposition from others seeks to dishearten the people from accomplishing the work of God. As followers of Jesus, we will encounter opposition from spiritual forces that scheme against us. We can overcome our adversaries by praying, being watchful, guarding the places where we are most vulnerable, and fighting for one another.

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Philippians 1:6 NLT

6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

But that Good Work doesn’t come without struggle — that struggle might even make you want to quit

Introduction: Patrick, I Think you Quit!

Mr. Sakamoto pushing me to keep going — I wanted to be an olympian and Sakamoto knew what it would take

The Problem: Sometimes we want the PROMISE w/out the PROCESS

What would it take to make you quit?

Is it requiring too much patience?

Is it requiring too much death to self? — Jesus: You want to gain a life, you’ve got to lose it

Is it taking too long according to my timeline? —

It’s not fair!

The Solution: Don’t quit on the PROCESS and you’ll get the PROMISE

God’s Good Work doesn’t come without CHANGE, without a PROCESS and for sure comes with OPPOSITION and , depending on the battle we are facing, sometimes we just want to quit —

Big Idea: The difference between my response to my past and present battles will be my pursuit of God’s presence.

The decision to either quit or keep going towards his PROMISE will be largely determined by my willingness to commit to His PROCESS

We have to be aware that whatever Good Work God may be doing in us right now, there is a real enemy that is opposing that work right now.

Someone said, “if you’re going to build, get ready to battle.”

Some of those battles you and I are going to want to quit but if we are going to participate in the Good Work of Re-Building our life on God’s best, we can’t quit.

The Good News is that if we just don’t quit, WE WIN!

In Part 1: We are going to look at the battles that we face from the outside

In Part 2: We are going to look at the battles that we face from the inside

How does the enemy try to get me to Quit?

1. He mocks my weakness

Nehemiah 4:1–3 NLT

1 Sanballat was very angry when he learned that we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews, 2 saying in front of his friends and the Samarian army officers, “What does this bunch of poor, feeble Jews think they’re doing? Do they think they can build the wall in a single day by just offering a few sacrifices? Do they actually think they can make something of stones from a rubbish heap—and charred ones at that?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was standing beside him, remarked, “That stone wall would collapse if even a fox walked along the top of it!”

Sanballat: Governor of Samaria — threatened b/c now Nehemiah has the authority of the King

“…feeble...” — denotes a withering plant — it’s used to describe a people with no hope

Tobiah: known as ‘the Ammonite servant’ — he had some title — Governor also?

The enemy might move on to where...

2. He questions my Commitment and Progress

“...Will they sacrifice?” Nehemiah 4:2

“…will they finish up (the wall) in a day?...”

“…even a fox would make it collapse...”

He mocks their motives, their worship and their progress — “Who do you think you are?” — “How can you be a Christian?” — “You’ll never...

Even when opposition shows up through a circumstance or even a person, we have to remind ourselves that the real battle is spiritual.

Ephesians 6:12 NLT

12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

1 Peter 5:8 NLT

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

STORY: My Own Process Over Time

I said ‘yes’ to Jesus but He was still working things out in me — Hungover at church

Made fun of in high school — So what you’re a Christian now, carrying around your little Bible?”

Struggled with pornography — You think you can have a good marriage now?

I lost my job right before Jaden was born — Look at how you failed, some provider

Do you really think you can do this job? — Starting at New Hope Hawaii Kai at 30 years old

What’s Nehemiah’s Response?

Nehemiah 4:4–5 NLT

4 Then I prayed, “Hear us, our God, for we are being mocked. May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land! 5 Do not ignore their guilt. Do not blot out their sins, for they have provoked you to anger here in front of the builders.”

So How to I keep going when I’d rather quit?

APPLY — Get Honest in Prayer

So what else did Nehemiah do?

Nehemiah 4:6 NIV

6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.

APPLY — Keep Moving Forward

The people worked with ‘zeal’ — One stone after another —

Marriage — Faith — Purity — Integrity — Financial Stewardship — Character

Now the enemy loves to hit us, especially when we are making progress...

Sometimes he hits back even harder — What about the Easy-Gospel life?

Sometimes things get worse before they get better —

Is the PROMISE of HEALING worth the PROCESS of healing — YES!

3. He Attacks my Faith with Fear

Nehemiah 4:11–12 NLT

11 Meanwhile, our enemies were saying, “Before they know what’s happening, we will swoop down on them and kill them and end their work.” 12 The Jews who lived near the enemy came and told us again and again, “They will come from all directions and attack us!”

They go from mockery to physical threat

Nehemiah 4:10 NLT

10 Then the people of Judah began to complain, “The workers are getting tired, and there is so much rubble to be moved. We will never be able to build the wall by ourselves.”

...by vs. 10 people are freaking out b/c the enemy threats are getting worse and even their people are telling them to stop (4:11-12)...

Opposition to the Good Work of God will often come in the form of mockery, intimidation and distraction. Our job will be to keep our eyes focused on our assignment.

People who don’t want to see things change will always resist

People who are comfortable in their un-health will always doubt the sincerity of your attempts to get healthy

What’s Nehemiah’s Response?

Nehemiah 4:9 NLT

9 But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves.

Apply: Pray with other People

Prayer isn’t a one-time action — We have to be diligent in prayer

Get our eyes back on Jesus — Our heart’s centered on Him

Don’t do it by ourselves!

Out of the place of prayer he moves into action...

Nehemiah 4:13–14 NLT

13 So I placed armed guards behind the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed areas. I stationed the people to stand guard by families, armed with swords, spears, and bows. 14 Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, “Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!”

He places people around the lower parts of the walls in small groups — strengthens weak areas

He Encourages them in the Lord — God fights for you

He could have said, “look at me!” or “Remember the King of Persia is backing us!”

He sets up a communication system (vs.20) w/ a trumpet call for help

He set watches and shifts — everyone had a sword in one hand and a shovel in the other — they didn’t even take off their clothes

Apply: Get Encouraged in small groups

He makes it safe to ask for help

Conclusion: Use Bubby’s Blocks

The difference between the response to my past and present battles will be my pursuit of God’s presence

One of the last things that Sanballat says, as he mocks is...

‘…Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” -Nehemiah 4:2 ESV

The only material that Nehemiah brought with him was the timber (wood)

He fully intended to use the stones that were already around to rebuild the Wall

He would Recover, Retool, Repurpose, Refashion, Reclaim, and RESTORE the wall from the very material that was already there.

God doesn’t spend time resurrecting things that are alive, he LOVES resurrecting things that are dead though.

ILLUSTRATION: Bubby’s Blocks

He’ll take your original design for self-less love and connection, distracted by selfish pursuits & restore it

But I’ve been so selfish — it’s ruined my relationships

He’ll take your original design for compassion, silenced by pain & apathy, & restore it

I used to be soft but now my heart has been hardened by my pain

He’ll take your original design for purity, marred by sexual brokenness and abuse, and restore it

But how many people I’ve been with —what they did to me —

He’ll take your original design for safety and intimacy, dirtied by shame and restore it

But I’m a failure — my family is so messed up —

He’ll take your original design for Hope, weakened by disappointment and restore it

But it hasn’t happened for me yet — I was so close — my health — my loss

He’ll take your original design to be full of FAITH, emptied b/c of fear and restore it

Salvation Prayer and Close

Text ‘faith’ to this number

Click ‘I commit my life to Jesus’ in the chat

Small Group Discussion:

What is one thing that stood out to you from this week’s message?

In what ways are you currently facing opposition and spiritual warfare?

How do we concentrate on wrestling against spiritual powers rather than fighting against “flesh and blood”?

What is an area of your life that is vulnerable to spiritual attacks from the devil?

How can we fight for one another and be there for each other?

Who are specific people that I can ask for help/prayer from? These are people I feel safe enough to talk to about anything?