Distractions to be Avoided

Nehemiah 2:11-6:19

Everyone can keep focus by becoming aware of distractions and learning how to avoid them.

Introduction:

Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev used to tell of a time when there was a wave of petty theft in the Soviet Union. To curtail this the authorities put up guards around the factories. At one timberworks in Leningrad, the guard knew the workers in the factory very well. The first evening, out came Pyotr Petrovich with a wheelbarrow and, on the wheelbarrow, a great bulky sack with a suspicious-looking object inside. "All right, Petrovich," said the guard, "what have you got there?" "Oh, just sawdust and shavings," Petrovich replied. "Come on," the guard said, "I wasn't born yesterday. Tip it out." And out came nothing but sawdust and shavings. So he was allowed to put it all back again and go home. When the same thing happened every night of the week the guard became frustrated. Finally, his curiosity overcame his frustration. "Petrovich," he said, "I know you. Tell me what you're smuggling out of here, and I'll let you go." "Wheelbarrows, my friend,” said Petrovich, "wheelbarrows."

Quoted in The Devil's Gauntlet.

As Nehemiah is working at building the wall around Jerusalem, he is faced with enemies who want the work stopped. Nehemiah is a wise man and does not allow these tactics to keep him from his work.

Distraction I. Size

A. After Nehemiah arrives in Jerusalem, he decides that he will inspect the ruins. As he is inspecting he finds at least one place where he cannot pass. There is so much stuff in the way that he is not able to get through. There is a lot of stuff that needs to be moved out of the way. There is a lot of destruction. It is probably pretty unlikely that Nehemiah has any skilled builders working for him. When you consider all of these obstacles and then think of the fact that Nehemiah is rebuilding the walls around a city. This is not just a wall around your garden, or the wall in your house. This is the wall around a city. When Nehemiah investigates the situation he finds a huge project.

B. Nehemiah could have been so overwhelmed by the size of the project that he was not able to get it done. This would have been a distraction. He wanted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. As he prays in this way God opens the door and allows this to become a reality. God had caused Nehemiah to be found favorably before the king and the king had provided Nehemiah to opportunity to do this. Rather than getting stuck on the size of the project he instead focuses on the job he came to do.

C. When we began to get involved in the Angel Food Ministry we really had no idea of how big this might get. It was a little frightening, and it still is, that it might grow so big that we are not able to handle everything that goes with it. Rather than getting hung up on how big it might get we have chosen to focus instead on God’s grace to carry us through. As this ministry grows a little each month we try to learn and do things to make it continually work smoothly. We did not allow the size to keep us from getting involved in the ministry.

D. I suspect that there are people here who have a ministry or an effort that God has placed on their heart, but they have not done anything with it because of the size of it. The size of the ministry should not keep you from doing what God wants you to do. If God placed this passion on your heart, he will give you the resources to get it done.

Distraction II. Critical people

A. As Nehemiah sets to work rebuilding the wall, he finds two of the neighborhood fellows who are not so excited about the project. Their names are Sanballat, Gesham and Tobiah. They begin their criticism of Nehemiah and the project in 2:19 and they continue through chapter 6. They seem to be constantly lurking in the shadows, ready to make trouble. In chapter 2 their criticism starts out as mocking and ridicule. They even accuse Nehemiah of rebelling against the king. Each of these individuals seems to want to give the appearance of being loyal to the kings. Perhaps they were just looking out for themselves. We don’t know why, but we do know they were opposed to the work Nehemiah was doing.

B. Once these men see that the wall is being rebuilt, and there is nothing they can do about it, they choose to fight against those who are rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah deals with this situation by having the workers wear weapons at all times. He has half of the workers serve as sentries watching for any potential attack. He has a trumpet player staying with him, so if there is an attack he can summon all of the workers to one location. The attack never comes, but Nehemiah makes sure his people are ready if it does. I can imagine Nehemiah saying, I never signed on for anything like this. He was there to build the wall and rebuild the city. He did not go to Jerusalem to fight a battle. He overcame that distraction. He was able to stay focused on his job.

C. I believe that the only time people really like change is when it is their idea. In this passage Nehemiah moves into the neighborhood and starts to do some rebuilding, and Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham are all thinking they liked things the way they were. So, they try to stop Nehemiah from doing any more improvement.

D. Critical people are not ever going to go away. They will always be with us. So we can learn to function despite their attempts to stop progress. When God has given us a passion to see something happen then we need to follow through with it. We need to realize that he will not leave us without the things we need. He will give us the resources we need to accomplish that which he has given us a passion about.

Distraction III. Financial Woes (5:1-4)

A. In 5:1-4 the people who are working on the wall begin to complain to Nehemiah. They are experiencing problems of a personal nature. They are having financial hardships. They are not able to pay their bills and they are finding it necessary to mortgage their homes, they are borrowing money and they are selling their children into slavery. It is not a good time for the people of Jerusalem. One thing at the center of this problem was the taxes that were being charged to the residents. Clearly Nehemiah thought this was a time of hardship, and so he asks the leadership of Jerusalem to cease from their practices. Since it was clear to the leaders that Nehemiah was right they did not argue with him.

B. A man I went to college with is pastoring an urban church. He decided that the church needed to build a youth center for kids after they get out of school. The problem is they did not have the money and the people of the church did not have the money to build the center either. He has gone about raising funds through other means. He has contacted other churches and businesses. He has a passion and does not want to take a risk of missing God’s blessing, so he does whatever he can to get the money to build the center. Money has not stopped him.

C. Money just like all of the other distractions will always be there. They are things we can count on. Probably for most Christians the money is not going to be available. It might be in the area of getting things done, or it might be in the area of the people who are helping out. Nehemiah recognized the problem and dealt with it. The financial troubles can be a hindrance to accomplishing a goal, or they can be a hurdle that we overcome. Rather than allowing them to be a barrier, we need to seek ways to get around them.

Distraction IV. Threats (6:1-3)

A. By the time we reach chapter 6 it is evident that Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gesham were more than just critical. They were enemies who wanted Nehemiah stopped along with the building of the wall around Jerusalem. They were even willing to kill Nehemiah if that is what it took to stop this effort. I am not sure that Nehemiah knew this at this point, but it was part of their plan. One thing is sure, they were trying to distract Nehemiah, and he knew he needed to keep at his appointed task. Honestly it sounds very innocent. These guys want to meet with Nehemiah away from where the rebuilding is taking place. It could have been an innocent meeting. I would guess that Nehemiah realizes that these guys have threatened action in the past and it is likely not an innocent get together. So rather than giving in to their scheme he rejects their invitation.

B. They go even further by drawing a priest into their plot. He tries to lure Nehemiah into breaking the law. They wanted Nehemiah to use the Temple as a place of refuge. In this situation Nehemiah could see through their scheme, so he refused to do what they wanted. It was a trap intended to make Nehemiah feel threatened. Even though Sanballat, Tobiah and Gesham were a threat to Nehemiah he was not willing to give into their persuasion. Nehemiah recognized this as nothing more than another way to keep him from accomplishing his work.

C. There does not have to be violence connected with a threat. We can be threatened by someone’s words or actions. Right now my parents are in a battle with the township they live in. The township wants to turn the area where they live into city and hook up city sewer. My parents could simply say, if you do that we will sell our house. They are threatening to take action that would change how they function in things.

D. People in churches often play these kinds of games. When I was the associate pastor at another church, a new pastor was appointed by the conference. Many people had stated that they did not want this new pastor. The conference sent him anyway. The result was those who voices went unheard found other ways to make their opinion known. The building fund grew during that time, while the general fund shrank. Eventually I left since the church could no longer meet their financial obligations. People can make threats in other ways besides saying they will be violent. If God has given you a vision or a dream, you should not be deterred or tricked by people who are trying to distract you or threaten you.

Conclusion:

Distractions will be a part of your life. I believe that we can become consumed with the distractions to the point that we lose sight of the passions and dreams God has given to us. Seek the passions that God has given to you. Seek the things he wants you to do. When distractions come your way, be prepared to deal with them.