Sermon Tone Analysis

Nehemiah 6:1-15; key 15

Introduction

Today we are looking at what we must do in order to press on to victory.

I want to start by first looking at verse 15 which is kind of the punch line.

What is the secret of this?

How was he able to build the wall in 52 days?

Do not quit!

He kept at it until he finished.

There had been major opposition to the rebuilding of the wall.

Sanballat, Tobiah and Geshum had tried various methods, division, discouragement, discord, derision, and dread.

Now they are becoming desperate.

The wall is almost finished.

The only thing that was left to be done was to hang the doors.

In this passage, the devil’s crowd tries three more tricks to stop the wall from being built.

If you want to press on to victory, you have to do three things:

1A.

Keep Working in Spite of Distractions.

1B.

Satan is a deceiver.

(6:1-4)

At first, they tried to sidetrack Nehemiah.

They said, Nehemiah, let us have a peace conference.

Let us get together and discuss our similarities.

They mentioned the plain of Ono, twenty miles north of Jerusalem.

What could be wrong with that?

Nehemiah said, I am carrying on a great project and I cannot go down.

Why should I stop the work on the wall and go down to you?

He is saying, I am not coming down.

He would not be distracted until the wall was finished.

The time for discussion is past.

It is time for work.

Have you known people that want to talk more than they want to work?

That is what is happening here.

Many churches never accomplish anything because everything they do, they assign to a committee, and then they table it.

2B.

Seek God for discernment.

Seek God for discernment to understand what is really going on.

More than this, they were endangering his life.

Notice he says, /"They were scheming to harm me."  /He was discerning.

They could assassinate him.

They could kidnap him.

He saw the harmful intent behind their request.

More than that, it would delay the project.

"Why should I stop and come down to you when the work has not been finished?"

You do not want to discuss, or debate.

You have a hidden agenda and want to delay the thing.

You want to keep it from being built."

Seek God for discernment to keep the main thing the main thing.

Biblical principle: The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.

The reason why Nehemiah finished it he would not let anything distract him.

He kept his eyes on his goal.

They came to him four times.

He said no each time.

2A.

Keep Working in Spite of Defamation.

(6:5-9)

1B.

Satan is a slanderer.

Satan will question your motives.

(6:5-6)

They accused Nehemiah of treason.

They what you are really doing is rebelling against the king.

They tried to slander Nehemiah.

You are just trying to build an empire.

We know what you are doing.

They said, you are going to try to rebel against Artaxerxes.

They said, You are setting yourself up as king and you are hiring prophets to promote yourself.

They sent this letter unsealed.

It was like a letter to the editor.

They wanted everybody to read it.

It was meant to stir up rumors.

Anybody that sets big goals is going to be criticized and slandered by people who set no goals.

Failure hates success.

Who is the most falsely accused man in history?

Jesus.

Jesus said,

Matthew 5:11-12 (NASB) 11“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

First they tried to sidetrack Nehemiah and then they tried to slander him.

The word Satan means slanderer.

When you slander somebody, you are doing the work of the devil.

That is his job.

The Bible says that Satan is the accuser of the brethren.

They guys said, We know what you are doing, Nehemiah.

You are building your own little empire and you will set yourself up as king.

We are going to tell the real king, king Artaxerxes on you.

They were accusing him, trying to upset him.

Satan will question your methods.

(6:7)

 

2B.

Seek God for strength.

(6:8-9)

Nehemiah discerns their motive.

I know what you guys are doing, you are trying to make me upset so I will stop working and start defending myself.

Have you ever had to stop work on something because somebody was criticizing you and start defending yourself?

Nehemiah said I am not going to be caught in that trap.

I am not going to start responding to rumors and innuendoes.

I am not going to be discouraged and quit.

Seek God for strength to deny the false accusations.

(6:8)

Probably the most difficult thing to do as a Christian is to handle false accusations.

You want to give up!  Nehemiah said I am not going to do that.

He denied the accusation (6:9a).

He said, I am not going to get involved in an argument.

What you guys are saying is not true and I am not coming down.

No matter what you say.

The wall is not finished.