Demolishing Discouragement - Lesson 4

By Deep Creek Baptist Church

Laying the Foundation

Tonight, we look at some of the problems that arose during the building project and how Nehemiah handled them.  The opposition from conflict with those outside the will of God; this shouldn’t surprise you, but it should not discourage you either.  Tonight, we’ll see the evil ones, schemes to discourage, distract and destroy-Hope!

Demolishing Discouragement________________________________

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews
 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria, and said, "What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?" 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite, who was beside him, said, "Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they are building, he would break down their stone wall!" 4 Listen, our God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from Your sight, because they have provoked the builders. 6 So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working.  [Nehemiah 4:1-6]

Biblical Foundation_________________________________________________
If we only read the first three chapters of Nehemiah, we might get the impression that once everyone had been carefully and wisely assigned a particular section of the wall, everything else is smooth sailing…Not so!  From the moment the reconstruction began, Nehemiah and the Jews faced incredible opposition from their enemies.  God’s work never goes forward without opposition.  Satan sees to that, and Nehemiah’s experience in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem certainly illustrates this point graphically and dramatically.

Principles to Live By_______________________________________________
Discouragement is one of Satan’s most common methods for hindering God’s work in our lives.  When our morale is low, we are vulnerable to his lies, his slander, and his temptations.  For years before Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem, the Jews in and around the capital city had led a discouraged and demoralized existence.  God used Nehemiah to help them rise above their negative circumstances and get a positive path.  His leadership formula can work for us today as well.


Principle 1
We must Focus: First
At first Sanballat ignored Nehemiah as just an annoyance.  Soon he realized Nehemiah had succeeded in elevating the Jewish morale and organized an effective building campaign.  He was now viewed as a threat in Samaria.  Threatened people usually act in one of three ways:  (1) extremely fearful and retreat; (2) angry and aggressive; (3) or blend fear and anger.  The latter is Sanballat.  He first hesitated due to fear then became angry and aggressive.  Initially he tried psychological attacks (v2-3).  Nehemiah continued to seek God earnestly, speaking about Him and persevered with the wall until it reached ½ its proposed height.(v6)

Do not ever forget that God is interested in every detail of your life; including the hurts, discouragement and disappointments.  We all face times of trial like Nehemiah, it is during these times, and we need to pray for encouragement rather than removal or withdraw.  Just turn to Philippians 4:6 when troubled!


Principle 2
Pray Focused on God’s Will
In this chapter we see Nehemiah praying for God to give the enemy their own medicine.  4:4-5. He prayed God would punish the tormentors harshly for their sins.  These enemies had rejected God’s grace.

Conversely Jesus taught us to love our enemies and to pray for them.  The apostle Paul forbade us to seek revenge against our enemies.  Instead, he urged Israel, “Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good”. Romans 12:21.  We should follow the rule God set for His bride today.  We should not follow Nehemiah’s prayer but learn from his determination to pray in accordance with the will of God.-KEY!


Principle 3
Feet to Our Prayers
Some people pray and wait, but not Nehemiah!  He prayed, and at the same time continued to build (carrying out the will of God).  He put feet to his prayers or made the rubber meet the road.  He faced the attacks with both spiritual and natural resources.  He asked the Lord to handle the problem, meanwhile asking his foreman for another brick.  It was Nehemiah’s spirit of diligence, perseverance, determination and enthusiasm which encouraged the Jews.  Since their spirits and attitudes were positive, this enabled Nehemiah also to remain positive.

Constructing a Vision of Hope Week 3

• Laying the Foundation

  
  

  Tonight, we look at how Nehemiah organized the people of Jerusalem and Judah to rebuild rapidly the walls and gates of Jerusalem.
  
  Workers of Jerusalem Unite ______________________________________
  
  Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests began rebuilding the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and installed its doors. After building the wall to the Tower of the Hundred and the Tower of Hananel, they dedicated it. 2 The men of Jericho built next to Eliashib, and next to them Zaccur son of Imri built. 3 The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 4 Next to them Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs. Beside them Meshullam son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel, made repairs. Next to them Zadok son of Baana made repairs. 5 Beside them the Tekoites made repairs, but their nobles did not lift a finger to help their supervisors. 6 Joiada son of Paseah and Meshullam son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate. They built it with beams and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 7 Next to them the repairs were done by Melatiah the Gibeonite, Jadon the Meronothite, and the men of Gibeon and Mizpah, who were under the authority of the governor of the region west of the Euphrates River. 8 After him Uzziel son of Harhaiah, the goldsmith, made repairs, and next to him Hananiah son of the perfumer made repairs. They restored Jerusalem as far as the Broad Wall. 9 Next to them Rephaiah son of Hur, ruler over half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs. 10 After them Jedaiah son of Harumaph made repairs across from his house. Next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah made repairs. 11 Malchijah son of Harim and Hasshub son of Pahath-moab made repairs to another section, as well as to the Tower of the Ovens. 12 Beside him Shallum son of Hallohesh, ruler over half the district of Jerusalem, made repairs-- he and his daughters. 13 Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate. They rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars, and repaired 500 yards of the wall to the Dung Gate. 14 Malchijah son of Rechab, ruler over the district of Beth-haccherem, repaired the Dung Gate. He rebuilt it and installed its doors, bolts, and bars. 15 Shallun son of Col-hozeh, ruler over the district of Mizpah, repaired the Fountain Gate. He rebuilt it and roofed it. Then he installed its doors, bolts, and bars. He also made repairs to the wall of the Pool of Shelah near the king's garden, as far as the stairs that descend from the city of David. 16 After him Nehemiah son of Azbuk, ruler over half the district of Beth-zur, made repairs up to a point opposite the tombs of David, as far as the artificial pool and the House of the Warriors. 17 Next to him the Levites made repairs under Rehum son of Bani. Beside him Hashabiah, ruler over half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district. 18 After him their fellow Levites made repairs under Binnui son of Henadad, ruler over half the district of Keilah. 19 Next to him Ezer son of Jeshua, ruler over Mizpah, made repairs to another section opposite the ascent to the armory at the Angle. 20 After him Baruch son of Zabbai diligently repaired another section, from the Angle to the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest. 21 Beside him Meremoth son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz, made repairs to another section, from the door of Eliashib's house to the end of his house. 22 And next to him the priests from the surrounding area made repairs. 23 After them Benjamin and Hasshub made repairs opposite their house. Beside them Azariah son of Maaseiah, son of Ananiah, made repairs beside his house. 24 After him Binnui son of Henadad made repairs to another section, from the house of Azariah to the Angle and the corner. 25 Palal son of Uzai made repairs opposite the Angle and tower that juts out from the upper palace of the king, by the courtyard of the guard. Beside him Pedaiah son of Parosh,
   26 and the temple servants living on Ophel made repairs opposite the Water Gate toward the east and the tower that juts out. 27 Next to him the Tekoites made repairs to another section from a point opposite the great tower that juts out, as far as the wall of Ophel. 28 Each of the priests made repairs above the Horse Gate, each opposite his own house. 29 After them Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house. And beside him Shemaiah son of Shecaniah, guard of the East Gate, made repairs. 30 Next to him Hananiah son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph made repairs to another section. After them Meshullam son of Berechiah made repairs opposite his room. 31 Next to him Malchijah, one of the goldsmiths, made repairs to the house of the temple servants and the merchants, opposite the Inspection Gate, and as far as the upper room of the corner. 32 The goldsmiths and merchants made repairs between the upper room of the corner and the Sheep Gate. [Nehemiah 3:1-32]
  Biblical Foundation_________________________________________________
  Like a lot of Old Testament passages, Nehemiah 3 is packed with names that are hard to pronounce, information that seems unusually redundant, and chronology that appears meaningless to us today.  It was very relevant to the people of Jerusalem.  What we see in this chapter is job assignments that resulted from Nehemiah’s nighttime survey of the walls.  It is a reflection upon an ingenious plan which sprang up from his leadership skills.
  
  To understand this chapter, it is helpful to look at a map of 5th century Jerusalem.
  
  Locate the sheep gate just north of the Temple area, and follow the wall from gate to gate in a counterclockwise direction as you read about where various people built.  It is likely that much of the southwest part of the city that Hezekiah had annexed was left outside because of a greatly reduced population.  The list of workers for the southwestern portion of the wall suggests a greatly reduced circuit.
  
  
  Principles to Live By_______________________________________________
  Let’s take a look at three more of the key principles which made Nehemiah such a great leader and an outstanding role model for today’s churches, business’, government and even school systems.
  
  
  Principle 1
  The Principle of Coordination
  Nehemiah had a phenomenal ability to coordinate everyone and get everyone involved.  This didn’t just happen, it never just happens.  What appears to be a smooth running operation takes a lot of behind the scenes planning!  Neither was the distribution of laborers around the walls of Jerusalem a spontaneous movement of God.  Rather, Nehemiah spent hours doing careful research, analyzing the data and putting it all together.
  
  Remember too that once people were in their assigned places, they needed supervision.  They also needed adequate resources.  All of these things were thought through by Nehemiah ahead of time.  Effective planning is essential, no matter what our vocation in life.  You cannot just fly by the seat of your pants and hope for the best.  Every task that is done requires careful thought.  Good planning begins on paper, but it must not remain there.  It’s one thing to write our goals and another thing to achieve them.  We must never forget to balance our efforts with prayer and faith in God!
  
  
  Principle 2
  The Principle of Cooperation
  Perhaps his greatest achievement was getting the cooperative efforts of a large, diverse building force over the entire life of the project.  He assigned most of the workers from Jerusalem to sections of the wall near their residences.  Theses builders were motivated to do a good job to protect their families and property.  Some workers (priests) built near their employment.  Workers from neighboring communities worked on the walls away from the homes of Jerusalem.
  
  Nehemiah employed various political leaders as overseers of segments of the wall.  These men were established leaders with the respect of their communities.  All these leaders cooperated whole-heartedly.  In the church today, God expects us to cooperate.  He compares the church to a Body, a spiritual house, and His household.  Every member must contribute his efforts for the well-being of the group.  God’s plan is clear.  He wants every Christian to participate in building the church.  He needs everyone to get involved.
  
  
  Principle 3
  The Principle of Commendation
  Nehemiah was also an encourager.  In chapter 3 he mentions 75 workers by name and in many instances recognized their accomplishments.  He also mentioned 15 groups of people.  He identified a number of groups and people from other towns and cities.  Everyone likes an atta-boy or a pat on the back!  Nehemiah was a people person:  not only did he know them by name, but he knew where they worked on the wall and their accomplishments.  Of course this pays rich dividends when you are talking about motivating people to work together and follow your lead!

Building Up Your Crew - week #2

By Doc Ben Lahay

Laying the Foundation

Nehemiah seized a critical opportunity to advance his dream of rebuilding the defensive walls and gates of Jerusalem.

 During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, 2 so the king said to me, "Why are you sad, when you aren't sick? This is nothing but depression." I was overwhelmed with fear 3 and replied to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?" 4 Then the king asked me, "What is your request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven 5 and answered the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it." 6 The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you return?" So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me. 7 I also said to the king: "If it pleases the king, let me have letters written to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me safe passage until I reach Judah. 8 And let me have a letter written to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple's fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live." The king granted my requests, for I was graciously strengthened by my God. (Nehemiah 2:1-8 CSB)

Biblical Foundation_________________________________________________

Nehemiah was on an incredible journey.  He had asked and was given.  In addition to letters, he was sent off with a full military escort.  Nehemiah knew what laid before him, 150 years of trying to restore Jerusalem.  Nehemiah was confident that God brought him now, to do great work!

God’s Strength through Nehemiah’s Strength __________________________

9 I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.

 10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased. 11 After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days,

 12 I got up at night and took a few men with me. I didn't tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. 13 I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent's Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. 14 I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. 15 So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work. 17 So I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace." 18 I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, "Let's start rebuilding," and they were encouraged to do this good work. 19 When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard about this, they mocked and despised us, and said, "What is this you're doing? Are you rebelling against the king?" 20 I gave them this reply, "The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem."

 [Nehemiah2:9-20]

  

Principles to Live By_______________________________________________

There is a saying that there are three different kinds of people in the world—those who watch what’s happening, those who know what’s happening, and those who make things happen.  When Nehemiah made things happen, it wasn’t because of his ingenuity and hard work.  His success was dependent upon God.

Principle 1

We must continue striving to maintain proper balance between relying on God and exerting human effort.

Nehemiah had prepared himself for the encounter with the king.  As he provided his well-though out answers, he was quietly praying.  Again the same thing happened in Jerusalem.  He knew he needed to be prepared if he was going to convince them to build.  Not just his plan, but God would help them build.  We are responsible to take the initiative when the Lord God has shown His hand in our favor.

 Principle 2

We must be proactive to maintain unity in the Body and to motivate each other to work together in achieving our common goals.

Nehemiah faced more than 150 years of decay, he also face a decayed spirit.  It took him 2 months from Susa to Jerusalem, but the news of his arrival reached there much sooner.  “another hotshot, to put us through another cycle of hope and frustration”.  Negative thinking and negative thinkers!  Yuk!  Not only did he need to motivate the Jews, he also had to think about the plan and motives of his opponents and stay a step ahead of them as well.  For us today, God has taken the initiative by sending His son to die for our, thereby uniting us a One in the Body of Christ, the responsibility is ours to apply and live by that truth.  Visible and practical living in the Body will only occur when we accept that responsibility.  We must do what it takes to love one another, forgive one another, and bear one another's burdens.