Nehemiah 4:1-8

“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!” 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.” 6 At last the wall was completed to half its height around the entire city, for the people had worked with enthusiasm. 7 But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard that the work was going ahead and that the gaps in the wall of Jerusalem were being repaired, they were furious. 8 They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion.

It’s here in Nehemiah chapter 4 that the people are confronted with overwhelming opposition that comes both from outside as well as within and is designed to create doubt and discouragement. Discouragement can be deadly because it causes us to spend our energy on worrying instead of working. Instead of focusing on the purpose and building the people started focusing on the problems and got bogged down. Worry not only takes our focus away from building the wall but also from the One we worship. The devil wants to distract and discourage, but it’s here in how Nehemiah deals with the difficulty that we discover how to defeat doubt and discouragement in our lives. So that instead of getting bogged down in the problems we learn how to build in the battle. Chapter 4 reveals more than just a problem but a plague, the disease of doubt and discouragement. This is an epidemic that is destroying the church and there are several things that make it such a potent problem. First it’s universal, none of us are immune to doubt and discouragement. Second, it’s recurring. Being discouraged or dealing with doubt once doesn’t give you immunity to the disease. You can be discouraged and you can doubt over and over again. In fact, you can even be discouraged by the fact that you are discouraged a lot. Third, it’s highly contagious. Discouragement and doubt spread through something as simple as casual contact. People can become disheartened because you are discouraged. You can be having a great day and someone comes along who is discouraged and it’s not long before too are also down. Now what I love about the Word of God is that it doesn’t pretend that everything is perfect or try to paint a picture of a problem fee life. That’s what prosperity preachers are trying to paint, come to Jesus and you will have a problem free, pain-free life. That’s pagan theology, not proper theology because it’s not based on the bible, it’s based on our wants, not the word. We all want a problem free, pain-free life, but remember Nehemiah was “Building in the battle” not being “blessed in a bubble.” Now while the passage starts with the problem, it reveals both the cause and cure for doubt and discouragement. When it comes to the cause we discover that there are both external and internal causes:

• External Causes

The wall workers were initially excited. They began the work with great anticipation and joy. It says of them in verse 6 that the “people worked with all their heart.” the people had worked with enthusiasm. Things were going well, the people were excited, and the wall was going up. Then something happened. Getting the work started on the wall was a major achievement, but keeping the workers working proved to be a much tougher assignment why? Where God is at work, the enemy is also at work. There is external opposition; we have an enemy who wants to:

1. Ridicule vs 1-2

In verses 1 and 2 we see the enemy trying to use the tactic of ridicule to reduce God’s people. This is the third time in the book of Nehemiah that Sanballat has crossed paths with Nehemiah, in fact, he was his stiffest opposition. Every time we read about him he is standing in opposition against the work of God, rejecting and ridiculing everything that Nehemiah is trying to accomplish. It’s the same tactic that the giant Goliath used to cause the Israelite army to react with fear. He also ridiculed David but instead of retreating, David ran toward him with only a sling and a stone (1 Samuel 17:41-47). Jesus was also mocked and ridiculed by the soldiers during his trial. This is not the first time Sanballat and his cronies had tried to belittle and bully God’s people. Back in chapter 2, they began to ridicule the workers even before the work had started. Now he belittles them before the Samaria army, calling them feeble. One thing you need to understand about bullies, they will always belittle people when they feel backed up by others. They are not real men but cowards who try to make everyone else afraid when really it’s just a cover for their own insecurities. Look it’s easy to be the big man when you have an army behind you, but real men don’t bully others they build them up. Bullies are not big men they are babies who hide behind hate so that they can feel good about themselves. The goal of belittling is to undermine their efforts and he ridicules their work by asking four taunting questions:

“Will they restore their wall?” undermine their ambitions and destroy their hope and dreams.

“Will they offer sacrifices?” undermine their belief – do they think that they can pray that wall up?

“Will they finish in a day?” undermine their enthusiasm

“Can they bring these stones back to life?” Undermined their Confidence

Ridicule lined the road to the cross and it will always revolve around the work of God. Don’t let ridicule run you over, expect it, face it and don’t stop working. When ridicule didn’t seem to work second they turned to:

2. Repression vs 7-8

When God’s people refuse to back down to the bullies, the bullies move from threats of harassment to threats of harm. It says that they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem. It amazes me how Christians struggle to come together and work together but how the world doesn’t have any difficulty working together to come against the church. Now I want you to notice that the reference to each of the enemies in verse 7 is more than just information about their names. These actually reference points that point to all four points of the compass. Sanballat and the Samaritans on the north, Ashdod on the west, Tobiah and the Ammonites on the east, and Geshem and the Arabs to the south. The workers were surrounded and lived in constant fear of being ambushed. It’s easy to deal with discouragement when it’s at a distance, but when it completely surrounds us it can feel crushing. But it’s here that we see God’s people putting their energy into working instead of into worry. Maybe right now you are surrounded on all sides by trouble, don’t give in to fear continue to walk by faith and follow God. He didn’t save you so that you could waste your life on worry but so that you could live your life as a warrior. Instead of being caught up in the problems start let God consumed you in His power and provision. What fears are you facing right now, give them to God and choose worship over the worry?

1 Thessalonians 3:1-9

Finally, when we could stand it no longer, we decided to stay alone in Athens, 2 and we sent Timothy to visit you. He is our brother and God’s co-worker in proclaiming the Good News of Christ. We sent him to strengthen you, to encourage you in your faith, 3 and to keep you from being shaken by the troubles you were going through. But you know that we are destined for such troubles. 4 Even while we were with you, we warned you that troubles would soon come—and they did, as you well know. 5 That is why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent Timothy to find out whether your faith was still strong. I was afraid that the tempter had gotten the best of you and that our work had been useless. 6 But now Timothy has just returned, bringing us good news about your faith and love. He reports that you always remember our visit with joy and that you want to see us as much as we want to see you. 7 So we have been greatly encouraged in the midst of our troubles and suffering, dear brothers and sisters, because you have remained strong in your faith. 8 It gives us new life to know that you are standing firm in the Lord. 9 How we thank God for you! Because of you we have great joy as we enter God’s presence.

When it comes to trials Paul now reminds us that trials and trouble can cause us to:

5. Surrender to temptation.

Paul cared about their faith with regards to temptation. Temptation can cause us to surrender to Satan and sin.  Satan loves to hinder God’s work and wound God’s people. In 1 Thessalonians 2:18 Paul pointed to this when he said: “We wanted very much to come to you, and I, Paul, tried again and again, but Satan prevented us.” While Satan will try to make the road impassible, with God it is not impossible. Now the name that Paul uses here in 1 Thessalonians 3:5 for Satan means tempter because that is what he does. In the beginning, he tried to tempt Eve in the garden and later Jesus in the wilderness. You see a time of trial and testing has its own special issues of temptation. As you think about when the devil came to tempt Jesus to turn stones to bread, you will recall that he did it at the end of the 40 days of fasting, when Jesus was hungry. When did the devil tempt Judas to betray Jesus? He did it when all their hopes and plans seemed to be falling apart. Satan is not just an opportunist, he is a strategist. He has a short term plan for your destruction and he has a long term plan. But he looks for those moments when he can step in with his lies and suggestions. Those times when you are tired or discouraged, those times when you have taken hit after hit and he looks for an opportunity to deliver the knockout punch. That’s what Paul was worried about concerning these believers. One of Satan’s biggest tools is to “tempt” us to bail on God. We are tempted to:

1. Doubt God’s goodness. The tempter whispers in our ear that God has forgotten us, that He doesn’t care, and that He isn’t good.
2. To retaliate against others with anger and resentment.
3. To give in to despair and discouragement. Maybe you’re sick and you feel as if you’ll never get better again. Perhaps you feel rejected and alone. Maybe you’ve lost a job and feel that you’re not qualified to do anything.

Trials can cause causalities even for the most courageous of Christians. We need to remember that Satan is a powerful foe who will do everything in his power to prevent the spread of the Gospel. He influences people to prevent believers from sharing their faith.  He kept Paul from returning to the Thessalonians to encourage them. He tempts believers to fall away and give up on their faith. In John 10:10 we are reminded of his goal: “the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” His plan is not just to maim you but to murder you and take you out. What is Satan stealing and trying to destroy? Whatever he can, your joy, your hope, your faith, your love. He wants to rob you of your riches and leave you destitute and in rags. Don’t give into his schemes, but instead listen to James 4:7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” You don’t have to listen to and live in his lies. Instead of submitting to his lies submit to the Lord. It’s here that Paul reminds us that even in the tough times we can

6. Succeed and have success vs 6

Here in verse 6 is the only time Paul ever used the term “good news” outside of its regular meaning of preaching the good news of the gospel. The message about their spiritual status was so pleasing to Paul’s ears that it was like listening to the Gospel all over again. In verse 6 Paul reminds us that we overcome our trials by faith.

Faith in God’s Person Character—that He is good and makes no mistakes

Faith in God’s Word—that it is true no matter what happens to us

Faith in God’s Purpose—that He is conforming us to the image of Jesus Christ

Faith in God’s Promise—that He will never give us more than we can bear

Faith in God’s Presence—that He will never leave us.

Faith in God’s Power—that He can deliver us

There are benefits and blessings to trials and one great result of trials is that it increases our faith, 1 Peter 1:6-7, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” He is perfecting, establishing, and preparing you for glory. Never lose sight of where it all ends. The Bible continually points us to the eternal purposes of God. American religion is focused on what I can get right now. There is certainly a supply of God’s grace and goodness for the here and now, but if that is all you can see then I am afraid you will be vulnerable in your journey. When you take the prospect of eternity out of Christianity and simply make it a philosophy for successful living you will have moment by moment disappointment. Persecutions and trials can stir up greater boldness, zeal, and determination. They can stir up compassion for others who suffer in the same way and enable us to comfort them. Paul sent Timothy to encourage the believers and is himself encouraged in the process. He rejoiced even in the midst of continued persecution because knowing that they were standing firm in their faith even in the face of great testing was the greatest encouragement he could have received. In essence, Paul was saying: “I can face my trials because I see how well you are facing yours.” Someone is watching you right now, the trials you are facing are revealing your faith, what is really in you. Is how you are handling hardship encouraging or discouraging those around you? What do others really see in you? Because how you handle adversity reveals who or what you are really trusting in.