FIGHT

 Sermons, List 3

Text: Nehemiah 4:9. Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

Introduction

Is there anyone here who believes any pastor (or shepherd, if you will) is alone responsible for building and maintaining his congregation? In case you hadn’t noticed, there are differences between shepherds and sheep. The most noteworthy differences concern how sheep reproduce. The shepherd’s job consists of caring for his sheep in order to keep them healthy and productive. The growth of the flock rests with the sheep themselves.

In other words, sheep produce sheep. So if you sheep want to see additional sheep in your flock you must get busy about the tasks that produce them. That includes witnessing to your relatives, your neighbors, your friends and your co-workers – with the intention of leading them to saving faith in Jesus Christ. When you do that, successfully, some of those new sheep will likely follow you to your church. It has been known to happen.

Prior sermon (from Esther 9:1-5)

Some time ago I spoke from the Book of Esther, using her story to illustrate the fact that God's people have enemies who must be resisted. Although Eph. 6:12 indicates our opposition is primarily spiritual, you may discover the need to resist people in one-way or another. In Esther's case, the survival of her countrymen was at stake.  They would have perished if they had not fought their enemy.  Since we face a similar crisis in our Nation, listen up.

There should be no doubting the facts. God intended for those Jews to fight; He arranged it. He wanted them to both   defend them selves and kill their enemies. I want to stress that idea here.  Satan, the undeniable enemy of our souls, never gives up trying to defeat us. We must learn to combat him effectively as we serve our Lord. Like the people of Esther's day, we must be prepared to fight Satan’s people to defend our values and our lives. In case you didn’t know, self-preservation is a God given instinct for which we need never apologize.

Today’s sermon (from Nehemiah 4 - 7).

This time I'll use Nehemiah's story, beginning with his service as cupbearer to King Artaxeres - in the Palace at Shushan where Esther's husband once ruled. Many Jews remained in Babylonia after their seventy-year captivity ended. Relatively few of them returned to Jerusalem.  Ezra says Zerubbabel led the first group. They managed only to build and dedicate the Temple.

Nehemiah

Nehemiah lived in the 5th Century B.C.; about a hundred years after King Cyrus sent the first contingent of Jews back to Jerusalem. One day, as cupbearer to the King, Nehemiah overheard a visitor describe conditions in Jerusalem. For one thing, the city walls were still broken down and in need of repair. For another, the Jews were living in shame, oppressed by heathen neighbors who despised them, with little hope for any kind of a decent future. Nehemiah was heart broken. The King noticed his sad face and demanded an explanation. After hearing about his concern, the King sent Nehemiah to rebuild Jerusalem’s walls.

The city

When he finally arrived in Jerusalem, Nehemiah toured the area secretly at night and found things even worse than he had anticipated. The walls had been destroyed and burned. Lots of rubble needed to be removed before they could even begin the repairs, and they faced stiff opposition to the task. Israel's enemies were determined to keep them from restoring the walls. The threat may have intimidated a lesser man but Nehemiah was determined too. He started immediately.   

Project assignments

Since Nehemiah was concerned with both convenience and security, he organized the workers, assigning definite portions of job to families who lived nearby their work sites. Each crew took its assignment seriously. Chapter 4, verse 6 says: “So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.”

That's when the opposition began in earnest. Verses 7 & 8 say this: “Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arab, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion.”

Nevertheless

Again, Nehemiah refused to be intimidated.  Verse 9 says, “Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” The remainder of Chapter four indicates the workers did not relax their vigilance at any time. Half of the people worked on construction while the other half stood guard. Each man was armed, alert, and prepared to use his weapons.  Those who lived outside the city stopped going home at night, remaining to help maintain security. Although their days were long and hard, they were ready at a moments notice to defend against attack on any part of the wall. Please note: The watching was as effective as the work and just as necessary. In fact, the Jew’s willingness to fight made fight unnecessary.

Vigilance

Vigilance is required of free people who want to remain free. Patriots in the USA have always recognized vigilance as a necessary price of their freedom. Only fools shut their eyes to things that might eventually enslave them. We cannot afford to go to sleep mentally any more than the Jews could.

Although I do not plan to discuss the problem in detail, our Country has formidable enemies inside and out. If we don’t stop them we will soon succumb to one or the other. If you have been paying attention, you surely know about the ACLU. It has a single objective, to eliminate Godly influence in the USA. Their success would end our society.

Militant Islamism poses threats to our culture and our lives. While they design terrorist attacks against us they also use our political system to gain control over us. Saudi Arabia is financing a media campaign to make them look like patriotic citizens and avoid rejection of their bids to obtain political offices. It is working in Houston, TX.

Of course, Christians must not become so involved in any thing as to lose their perspective. Life is short. It is best used in preparation for eternity. Thank God if you are ready to meet your Lord, but be sure your friends and relatives are impacted positively by your testimony and your life-style so they will become ready too.

Wake up

       The Christians in this country have been asleep for much too long. It’s way past time for us to rouse ourselves. We must take part in politics at every level. Pay attention to the trends that are developing around you. Ungodliness is becoming more and more acceptable, being touted not only in the media but also in the schoolroom.

If you aren’t aware that activist judges are eroding your freedoms and your moral values, with very little opposition from legislators, wake up before it is too late. Get involved where you can to help resist the downward trends rather than encourage them. You might actually be able to help curtail some of that foolishness.  You certainly should not support politicians and merchants who hate your God and oppose your moral standards. Vote for people who share your values, and help support them with your money.

Alert

The Jews in Jerusalem were vigilant. They had experienced extended bondage to one enemy and they weren’t ready to submit to another. Since they were alert to possible enemy activity, and prepared to defend themselves, their foes backed off long enough for them to complete the walls. Those patriots were just about ready to hang the city gates before Sanballat and his cohorts intervened again.

Sin?

Chapter 5 leaves the account of Nehemiah’s mission to describe a sin in Israel. Greedy lenders mistreated borrowers. God wanted the practice stopped. Poor people were forced into slavery by excessive interest rates. Nehemiah rebuked greedy lenders; they promised both to stop and to restore ill-gotten gains. God allowed the defense project to resume only after that sin was confessed and forsaken.

Good laws make good citizens when the laws are obeyed. If you want to live in a law-abiding community, you must obey the laws yourself. God’s laws are especially important to Christians. When we ignore them we cannot expect Him to endorse our plans, no matter how good they may be. We cannot expect His blessings when we disobey Him. In fact, sinful Christians might pray earnestly for years without getting the answers they want. The Psalmist David put it like this,  "If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord God will not hear." (Psalm 66:18).

When you have problems with your enemies seek God earnestly before blaming them. Nothing can happen to you that He does not allow. He might generate problems for your good. Examine your heart. Be sure nothing hinders your ability to hear from Him or your willingness to obey.

Back to work

Chapter 6 picks up the rebuilding story again.  Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and others of Israel's enemies were still trying to intimidate Nehemiah. They wanted him to visit them for a ‘conference’ but actually planned to kill him if he showed up. Nehemiah was suspicious. He escaped the trap by refusing to capitulate. He said, “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.  Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” (Nehemiah 3:3)

It’s great that Nehemiah knew what God expected of him, that he considered it "a great work," and that he was busy about his tasks. If he had been sitting around wondering what to do next, the enemy might have defeated him. But he was so determined to finish the job that he stayed with it. Fortunately, Nehemiah managed to inspire his helpers to persevere too; perhaps partly because of the persecution they faced from their enemies.

Job well done

Verse 15 says the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, only fifty-two days after they started. It was a remarkable performance. Those broken down walls had remained useless for nearly 200 years. A determined man with a God-given vision repaired them in less than two months.

Persecution

Never underestimate the potential worth of persecution to the persecuted.  History has proved it valuable to the church of Jesus Christ over the years. I doubt seriously that any Christian ever welcomed persecution but it has often accomplished what peace and prosperity could not.

Persecution separates the men from the boys. Sincere Christians become stronger, others simply disappear. Consider China. Despite many years of persecution by Godless communists, the Chinese church has grown to many times its original size and is still growing. There are no fake Christians there. Those who only play church usually quit for fear of their lives. The ones who prosper are more anxious about their souls than their lives. The Christian influence on the population at large is great, attracting converts from people who understand the risk and consider it worthwhile.

Us

Now let's consider us as church members. God wants us (each member of each congregation) to help convert people in our communities. Of course there are other churches that preach the gospel in your area. But people who won’t attend them might find Jesus in yours - if you invite them. Satan wouldn't like it. He would sponsor opposition among his people, and there may be some of them in your congregation. He isn’t concerned about church growth; he does oppose spiritual growth among Christians. And he will use anyone he can to interfere.

Ineffective workers

Evidently Satan has done a thorough job in lots of churches. Their foundations and walls are in sad repair, spiritually speaking. He often uses God's people to destroy God’s works. Some kick bricks out of foundations; others import worldly practices, destroying any possibility of real worship.

Many congregations need to rediscover our mission. We are not called to build kingdoms of spectator Christians. We are called to equip saints who will serve.  (Ephesians 4:11-12). Some church members are not even saved, and may never be until they realize salvation is not dispensed automatically with church membership.

Become effective

If you think your church is worth rebuilding, seek God for direction on how you can help. And don't give up asking until He answers you. He can give visions for rebuilding to those who ask, provided they intend to work as He leads. So ask, and be prepared to do what He tells you.

The Jews of Nehemiah's time were prepared. They prayed, posted a guard, and went to work, cleaning bricks, hauling away rubble, mixing mortar, and whatever else was necessary. You can work by praying for the rest of your congregation, by winning converts yourself and taking them to your church, and by supporting legitimate financial needs.

Prepare for the fights you will face, with Satan and with people who oppose you.  Start by examining your own life. Be sure your motives are correct and then follow God's leading.

The Jews were successful because of prayer and vigilance.    Nehemiah 4:9 says, "Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them (the enemy) we set a watch against them day and night.” In our case, the enemy is anything that hinders us from building God's kingdom in our part of our community. Ask Him for discernment but here is a free hint. If someone outside your group interferes with the work the enemy is him.  If I am a hindrance the enemy is me.  If you are a hindrance the enemy is you. That's why we need to examine our hearts and our motives periodically; to be sure we are obeying God rather than serving self.

The rest of the story

If you were to read the rest of Nehemiah's story you would discover he did not relax after the walls were rebuilt and the gates were hung. Chapter 7, verses 1-3, says he appointed gate‑keepers, put two faithful men in charge of the city, and told them: "3. ... Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot; and while they stand guard, let them shut the doors and bar them; and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house."

As you should have recognized by now, building a congregation, and keeping it functional, is not a job any pastor can do alone. He must have help from likeminded people. It requires teamwork, and it doesn’t succeed before a dedicated team gets serious, prays about it sincerely, and works at it diligently.

I invite you to pray about it.  Ask God if He wants you to be a team member where you are and, if so, how He wants to use you. The opposition is formidable. As in my case, I imagine any pastor would be pleased to receive all of the God directed, constructive help any born-again Christian is willing to give.

Pastors: Be sure your volunteers are born-again with no ulterior motives. Satan is an equal opportunity employer. He uses anyone he can, and he enjoys giving pastors a bad time. One thing more: Remember the state of our Nation and do what you can to improve things there, not only through prayer but also by fighting Satan’s plans as God leads you.

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David E. Beneze, Salida, CO, 81201, 10 December 1993 Last update 22 March 2007 in Canon City, CO.    (This is 2 of 2.  Esther 9:1-5 is 1 of 2).