Nehemiah 4:1-23

One time there has been some movements back to Israel.

About 90 years now they've been back in the land.

And Nehemiah finds out from his brother that the wall has yet to be rebuilt around the city.

In fact, the king that he serves issued an edict 13 years prior to stop the building of said wall.

As the inhabitants of the area, more than likely, Sambalat and Tobiah, that we're going to talk a bit about today,

let him know what was happening in the land.

And he saw it as an affront to his kingship.

And so he put a stop to the wall.

But the fact that this wall had yet to be built really grieved Nehemiah.

Because the glory of God was being belittled in this way.

The people of God's condition was the visible way in which God was praised in this day.

And the fact that they were still living in a ruined city meant that Nehemiah's God didn't appear so great.

And notice my careful wording.

He didn't appear so great.

And so Nehemiah was grieved by this and he prayed.

We saw that in chapter 1.

I introduced the Latin phrase to you sine qua non, without which nothing.

He knew that if this work was going to get done, it had to be a movement of God.

That he could not accomplish it on his own.

And so he prayed.

But even though he recognized that God's providence must come into play,

God must be in control of what was going to happen, he planned.

So we saw that as well, that he set forth a plan that he could present to the king.

And we saw then in the middle of verse 8 of chapter 2,

And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

We see God bringing about this great work of bringing back together the people,

using Nehemiah to go back to lead them.

And so we talked last week about the actual work.

We looked at chapter 3, and I apologize to you for breaking a little bit from the flow of what's happening here.

But we talked through chapter 3 of this great list of these men and women who worked hard to rebuild the wall.

And we talked about how it was that they did in fact work,

and that they worked without regard to their positions, to their gender, their zip code.

Some of them were from outlying cities.

They did their fair share.

You remember some of them did more than just a section of the wall.

My favorite being a perfumer who built two sections of the wall.

Or their skill sets.

These weren't masons.

They carried out various tasks.

Rulers and priests that worked on this wall.

So we're going to look today at the very end of chapter 2, which we bounced over before, verse 19 and 20.

And then chapter 4.

We're going to look at the way they worked in the face of opposition.

It would be nice if we came to this point in the story.

They get to work.

They get this mind for it.

They see that the good hand of God is with Nehemiah and the work before them.

And they strengthen their hands.

And then the rest of the story we read,

And they built a magnificent wall.

And it was wonderful.

And that's the end of the story.

It would be a nice way to read it.

That would be an encouragement to me in my own life.

I have a work that's been set before me.

I'd kind of like the story to play out that way.

Because that would mean that things are just going to go good.

I've strengthened my hands.

I'm ready to do the work God's putting for me.

And it's just going to go really well.

The story's going to go great in that way.

But that's not what we see happening here.

They end up having to work in the face of great opposition.

Remembering that they were motivated by providence.

Chapter 2, verse 18.

Nehemiah reports the hand of my God that had been upon me for good.

You remember that when God's people attempt to do God's work in His way,

there will always be opposition.

This world hates the ways of God.

So when God's people attempt to do God's work in His way,

notice the careful wording there.

Things can go real well for you sometimes if you're not doing things in God's way.

But when God's people attempt to do God's work in His way,

there will always be opposition.

My mind was drawn to 2 Timothy 3.12 where Paul wrote,

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

You remember as we're looking at this story, it's certainly a historical account.

It's not an allegory.

But we in some ways can take it allegorically for our own living.

We are now being built up into a temple, a holy habitation for God.

And so the work before us is not to build a wall, to build buildings.

The work before us is to build up the church.

To be holy and to bring about holiness in the lives of others.

To be disciple-making disciples.

And so 2 Timothy 3.12 comes together for us then.

Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

Will face opposition.

So let's read together.

I'm going to help us skip around just a little bit.

Beginning in chapter 2, verse 19.

But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it,

they jeered at us and despised us and said,

What is this thing that you are doing?

Are you rebelling against the king?

Then I replied to them,

The God of heaven will make us prosper,

and we his servants will arise and build.

But you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

Now let's just pause there before we go to chapter 4.

Firstly, I love the names of our antagonists in the story.

Sanballat and Tobiah.

I'm glad I get to say them over and over again this morning.

We see some other antagonists.

They're the primary ones, but we also see Geshem here.

Later in chapter 4, we see the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites

all rise up against the work that's happening in Israel.

But pay a close attention before we move on to chapter 4

at the response, which I just love.

Then I replied to them,

The God of heaven will make us prosper.

By his providential hand, he will make us proper.

And we his servants will arise and build.

Flying in the face of their objection to the building.

The God of heaven will make us prosper.

We will arise and build.

And he says to them,

But you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

Now it's likely that there were rulers in Jerusalem

that were bowing to Sanballat and Tobiah.

More than likely, the Techoites that we saw in chapter 3

that would not stoop to serve their Lord

had a pact, had an agreement with Sanballat,

and therefore they wouldn't serve the work of God.

Nehemiah is very careful to say to them,

But you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.

Get out of the way.

God and his people are rebuilding the wall.

Chapter 4.

Bear with me.

Now, when Sanballat heard that they were building the wall,

he was angry and greatly enraged,

and he jeered at the Jews.

And he said in the presence of his brothers

and of the army of Samaria,

What are these feeble Jews doing?

Will they restore it for themselves?

Will they sacrifice?

Will they finish up in a day?

Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish

and burned ones at that?

Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him,

and he said,

Yes, what are they building?

If a fox goes up on it,

he will break down their stone wall.

Hear, O our God,

for we are despised.

Turn back their taunt on their own heads

and give them up to be plundered in a land

where they are captives.

Do not cover their guilt,

and let not their sin be blotted out from your sight,

for they have provoked you to anger

in the presence of the builders.

So we built the wall,

and all the wall was joined together

to half its height,

for the people had a mind to work.

But when Sambalat and Tobiah

and the Arabs and the Ammonites

and the Ashdodites heard

that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem

was going forward

and that the breaches were beginning to be closed,

the gaps were being closed,

they were very angry.

And they all plotted together

to come and fight against Jerusalem

and to cause confusion in it.

And we prayed to our God

and set a guard as a protection against them

day and night.

In Judah it was said,

The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing.

There is too much rubble.

By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.

And our enemies said,

They will not know or see

till we come among them

and kill them and stop the work.

At that time the Jews who lived near them

came from all directions

and said to us ten times,

You must return to us.

So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall

in open places,

I stationed the people by their clans

with their swords,

their spears,

and their bows.

And I looked and arose

and said to the nobles

and to the officials

and to the rest of the people,

Do not be afraid of them.

Remember the Lord

who is great and awesome

and fight for your brothers,

your sons,

your daughters,

your wives,

and your homes.

When our enemies heard

that it was known to us

that God had frustrated their plan,

we all returned to the wall.

Each to his work.

From that day on,

half of my servants

worked on construction

and half held the spears,

shields,

bows,

and coats of mail.

And the leaders stood behind

the whole house of Judah

who were building on the wall.

Those who carried burdens

were loaded in such a way

that each labored on the work

with one hand

and held his weapon

with the other.

And each of the builders

had a sword strapped at his side

while he built.

The man who sounded the trumpet

was beside me.

And I said to the nobles

and to the officials

and to the rest of the people,

The work is great

and widely spread

and we are separated

on the wall

far from one another.

In the place where you hear

the sound of the trumpet,

rally to us there.

Our God will fight for us.

So we labored at the work

and half of them

held the spears

from the break of dawn

until the stars came out.

I also said to the people

at that time,

that every man and his servant

pass the night within Jerusalem

that they may be a guard

for us by night

and may labor by day.

So neither I nor my brothers

nor my servants

nor the men of the guard

who followed me,

none of us took off our clothes.

Each kept his weapon

at his right hand.

Now in chapter 5,

we see a little interjection

and Kyle actually will be telling you

a bit more about the work

that's happening

even as the work on the wall

is taking place.

But then in chapter 6,

we see some oppression

that's brought against Nehemiah himself.

Originally, I planned to go this far,

but I chopped it this morning

because it was just way too much.

But turn your attention

to chapter 6, verses 15 and 16.

So the wall was finished

on the 25th day of the month.

It lulled in 52 days.

And when all our enemies heard of it,

all the nations around us

were afraid and fell greatly

in their own esteem.

For they perceived

that this work had been accomplished

with the help of our God.

Join me in prayer.

Father God, we thank you

for your inspired word.

This is a record of an event

that happened many thousands

of years ago.

But it was written

for our encouragement today.

I believe that you have brought

all of us together today.

And that you intend to speak

to all of our hearts.

And so I just ask

that you will.

That you will show us

how it is

that the work before us,

even in the face of opposition,

can and will be completed.

We praise you

for your words to us.

That we have

a glimpse,

a window in

to the mind of the Almighty.

And we pray this in Christ's name.

Amen.

So there are two types

of opposition

that took place here.

And I want to kind of

bring those to you.

Firstly,

physical opposition.

We see chapter 4,

verse 7 and 8.

We see Sambalat and Tobiah,

the Arabs,

the Ammonites,

and the Ashdodites.

They hear that the progression

is still happening.

Even though there's been

some jeering,

some making fun of,

they are still beginning

to build the wall.

In fact,

they're starting to close

in the gaps of the wall.

It's been completed

to half of its height.

And they become angry.

And they plot together

to come and fight

against Jerusalem.

There's this physical opposition

that's presented before them.

What is their response to this?

What is their response?

They enter into,

this is what we read

through chapter 4,

into a state of perpetual readiness.

They got prepared.

They got ready

for the fight that may come.

In fact,

in case you didn't catch it,

we turn from the end

of verse 14 to 15,

they actually stood

in the low gaps

behind the wall,

all of them ready to fight.

They hear rumor

that a fight is coming

and they armed themselves

and they got ready.

They ceased building

on the wall

to stop

and to fight.

But in verse 15,

when they heard

that their enemies

had heard

that the plan

had been confounded,

that they had stood guard,

that they knew

they were coming,

they go back

to the work.

And they go back

to the work

in some very interesting ways.

Nehemiah comes up

with some brilliant plans

for how they're going to work.

Half of his servants

stand guard

while the other half

are working.

Those that are working

carry loads

in such a way

that they can carry

a weapon in one hand

and a load,

and remember a load

in this case

is probably heavy stones

and mortar

and things to fill in,

the gaps on the wall.

In the other hand,

he has people

standing by

with all of the armaments

they would need,

the coat of mail,

the things they wouldn't wear

while they were working.

They stood by

holding on to those things

so that if they needed them,

they could drop

what they were doing,

put on the armor,

and fight

for the sake of the city.

He set up a plan

for how they would

rally together.

They're spread out

amongst this wall,

this great parameter

of the city Jerusalem.

So he comes up

with a plan

to blow a trumpet

and everybody

to gather

at that place.

You even see record

of the fact

that he had everybody

stay inside the city,

not return to their homes

outside of the city,

but rest and stay inside

in case they needed

to fight at night.

And that he even records

in verse 23

that they didn't

take off their clothes,

which was not

for the sake of grossness,

but just to let us know

that they were always ready.

They never disrobed to sleep.

They always kept ready

to fight and to work.

For 52 days,

they did this type of thing.

So they got ready

in the state

of perpetual readiness.

But before that,

before they ever did that,

what do we see them

stopping to do?

They prayed.

Right?

Sine qua non.

Without which nothing.

Chapter 4, verse 9.

And we prayed to our God

and set a guard

as a protection.

And set that word there,

the little phrase

that sits in between there,

means nevertheless.

We prayed to our God

knowing full well

that God's good hand

was upon this work.

His providence

was draped over

the work that was

happening here.

But nevertheless,

we set a guard.

We did our part.

We did the planning.

The things that needed

to be done.

It's a bit of a tension.

And I think that most of us

here feel this tension.

We've seen the sovereignty

of God in scriptures

and we've seen the

responsibility of man.

I feel like I've talked

about it at length.

But recognize that this

tension is everywhere

in the scriptures.

It doesn't just exist here.

Seeing the people of God

praying, kneeling,

asking God to work,

knowing that without him

doing the work,

it's not going to get

accomplished at all.

You see even here

that we see in verse 20

as Nehemiah's encouraging

the people,

talking about the rallying

of the people.

He's basically saying to

them,

in the place where you

hear the sound of the

trumpet,

come fight.

And his sixth sentence

is,

our God will fight for us.

This full recognition

that God was going to

have to accomplish it.

And yet,

we also see that they

knew that they were

the means by which God

would accomplish it.

They were the means

to the end.

This tension is found

all throughout the

scriptures.

Begin to read the Bible

with this in mind

and notice all of the

places that happens,

particularly in Paul's

language.

He always wants to be

so careful as he

presents the mightiness

of our God that he

doesn't leave out the

fact that we're

responsible.

And as he presents to

us the fact that we're

responsible and we have

a part to play,

he never ever leaves it

hanging without wrapping

it up with the

sovereignty of God.

One example,

1 Corinthians 15,

1 Corinthians 15:10

verse 10.

He says,

By the grace of God,

I am what I am.

And his grace toward me

was not in vain.

On the contrary,

I worked harder than

any of them,

though it was not I,

but the grace of God

that is with me.

It talks about the

grace of God,

the sovereignty of God

and him being who he

is.

But then he presents

that he worked very

hard at being who he

is.

But just so that we're

not unclear,

he wraps it back up

to say,

but it was not I,

it was the grace of

God that is with me.

This tension,

if it feels that way

for you,

it does for me,

it makes my mind

want to split open

sometimes,

exists all throughout

the scriptures.

God uses his people

to accomplish his will,

but it is indeed

God who works.

So in face of this

physical opposition,

the possibility that

the wall would be

stopped by an attack,

they pray,

they make a plan,

they prepare,

they stand at the ready

perpetually

so that they can

complete the wall.

But there's a

greater danger,

a greater opposition

that face them here,

and that is a

spiritual opposition.

Presented to you

before that the

problems we have

as people are

going to be one

of two types of

problems.

They're either going

to be physical or

they're going to be

spiritual.

Ultimately,

the way we think

is affected by our

spirit.

You see here,

there's some things

happening with them.

You see discouragement

taking place.

And you see fear.

Discouragement,

chapter 4,

verse 10.

In Judah it was said,

the strength of those

who bear the burdens

!

The burdens is failing!

There is too much

rubble!

By ourselves we will

not be able to

rebuild the wall!

See that discouragement

beginning to set in

on them.

They're being taunted

by the outsiders.

My mind goes to

Noah building his

boat and all his

friends coming and

making fun of him

for building a boat

in the middle of

the desert.

Yet he built on

all the same.

Here you see them

being taunted,

verses 1-3,

by Sambalat.

He jeers at the

Jews.

And he said in the

presence of his

brothers in the

army of Samaria,

what are these

feeble Jews doing?

Will they restore

it for themselves?

These are rhetorical

questions.

Will they sacrifice?

Meaning,

will they get it

set up in a way

in which they can

then turn to

temple service?

Will they finish

up in a day?

Will they revive

the stones out of

the heaps of

rubbish and

burned ones at

that?

Mox the work

that they're about

to be doing.

And then his

buddy Tobiah

pipes in and

says, yes, what

are they building?

If a fox goes up

on it, he will

break down their

stone wall,

meaning it doesn't

have structure.

It's a horribly

built wall.

And even if a

fox were to run

up on it, it

would just collapse.

They're being

taunted in this

way, and

discouragement has

begun to set in.

How is it that

they bear up under

that type of

discouragement?

You may have

experienced this in

your work for the

Lord.

Remember the way

that Nehemiah's

prayer begins in

chapter 1,

verse 5.

He says,

O Lord,

God of heaven.

And I presented

to you that this

Hebrew phrase,

was a Hebrew

phrase that had

become especially

important to the

Israelites as they

were in Babylonian

captivity, as they

had spent all of

this time abroad.

And it meant

simply that their

God was a God

that ruled over

everything.

Remember chapter 2,

verse 20,

Nehemiah's response

to Sambalot,

Tobiah,

and Geshem,

the God of heaven,

same language,

will make us

prosper.

They got through

this discouragement

by trusting in

the sovereign

goodness of God.

They would have

been familiar with

Psalm 135,

5 and 6,

For I know that

the Lord is great,

and that our Lord

is above all gods.

Whatever the Lord

pleases,

He does,

in heaven and on

earth,

in the seas,

and all the

deeps.

They knew

that the good

hand of God

had been upon

Nehemiah for

the good work.

This is the

language we're

seeing up until

this point.

They knew that

God intended

to complete the

wall with

them,

and therefore,

they knew it

would get

done.

Let me read to

you a little bit

from Spurgeon

on the topic of

God's sovereignty.

That's what we're

talking about here.

There is no

attribute more

comforting to

His children than

that of God's

sovereignty.

Under the most

adverse circumstances,

in the most

severe trials,

they believe that

sovereignty has

ordained their

afflictions, that

sovereignty overrules

them, and that

sovereignty will

sanctify them all.

There is nothing

for which the

children ought more

earnestly to

contend than the

doctrine of their

master over all

creation.

The kingship of

God over all

the works of

His own hands,

the throne of

God and His

right to sit

upon that

throne.

On the other

hand, there is

no doctrine more

hated by

worldings, no

truth of which

they have made

such a football

as the great,

stupendous, but

yet most certain

doctrine of the

sovereignty of

the infinite

Jehovah.

Men will allow

God to be

everywhere except

on His throne.

They will allow

Him to be in

His workshop to

fashion worlds

and make stars.

They will allow

Him to be in

His almanry to

dispense His

alms and bestow

His bounties.

They will allow

Him to sustain

the earth and

bear up the

pillars thereof,

or light the

lamps of heaven,

or rule the

waves of the

ever-moving

ocean.

But when God

ascends His

throne, His

creatures then

gnash their

teeth.

But we

proclaim and

enthrone God,

and His right

to do as He

wills with His

own, to dispose of

His creatures as

He thinks well,

without consulting

them in the

matter, then it

is that we are

hissed and

execrated, and

then it is that

men turn a deaf

ear to us.

For God on His

throne is not

the God they

love, but it

is the God upon

the throne that

we love.

It is God upon

His throne whom

we trust.

That is the

great encouragement

judgment, when

we are feeling

discouraged, that

our God reigns

over the

work.

We talked

about how

Nehemiah's

prayer in

chapter 1 was

saturated in

the Word of

God.

He knew what

God attempted

to accomplish

with His

people, and

therefore he

could confidently

lay hold of

those promises.

Beloved, we

must study God's

Word and know

His promises.

If we know

them, we can

know that

they are

sure.

The second

condition I see

here in

chapter 4 is

fear.

Spiritual

opposition to

them is this

fear, right?

There's a great

force, a mighty

force.

The armies of

Samaria are

going to come

against them and

stop the building

of the wall.

Chapter 4, 11,

and 12 says,

And our enemy

said they will

not know or

see till we

come among

them and kill

them and stop

the work.

Then you see in

verse 12,

at that time

the Jews who

lived near

them came

from all

directions and

said to us

ten times,

you must

return to

us.

What's happening

is the people

who are living

in the perimeter

who aren't

coming and

building the

wall are

coming to

the city

and they're

saying,

listen, we

are hearing

news that

they are going

to come and

kill you.

They're forming

armies to

come and kill

you and stop

the building

of the wall.

Please come

back to the

suburbs.

Come on

back out to

the houses

and live.

Let's tend

our sheep.

Let's look

after our

gardens and

stop the

building of the

ten times.

There's an

urgency here

to get them

to return.

So how do

they stand

up?

How do they

work in

light of

that type

of opposition?

You see in

verse 6 of

chapter 4

this record

that the

people had

a mind

to work.

The Hebrew

word there

means so much

more than

just mind.

It means that

they had

hearts to

work.

It means that

their very

being was set

to the work.

In chapter

2 we saw

that they

strengthened

their hands

and had

that same

feeling to

it.

That they

made

themselves

resolute

for the

work that

was ahead

of them.

And then

you see

Nehemiah's

response in

verse 14.

Do not

be afraid

of them.

Remember

what?

The

Lord.

Who is

great

and

awesome.

We saw

that same

language in

his prayer

in chapter

1.

Who is

great and

awesome.

Who rules

over everything

his greatness.

Who stands

above,

who has

power over

everything

and is

awesome.

Strikes

fear in

the hearts

of his

enemies.

This is

what we are

to remember

when we're

afraid.

Remember the

Lord who is

great and

awesome.

Psalm 28,

7 and 8

says,

The Lord is

my strength

and my

shield.

In him

my heart

trusts and

I am

helped.

My heart

exults and

with song I

give thanks

to him.

The Lord

is the

strength of

his people.

He is

the saving

refuge of

his

anointed.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 32:40

32,

verse 40,

I will

make with

them an

everlasting

covenant that

I will not

turn away

from doing

good to

them.

You

notice so

far as

our study

in Nehemiah

keep drawing

us back

to scripture

that they

would have

had.

I want you

to see that

these people

knew scriptures

of God.

They had

been given

to them.

They had

proper

motivation

by which

to do

this work

because they

trusted in

their sovereign

Lord.

So we saw

that the

wall was

completed.

That's why

I jumped

to chapter

6.

So in

spite of

this

opposition,

both the

physical

and the

spiritual

opposition,

the work

continued.

And the

wall was

finished in

52 days.

And when

all the

enemies

heard of

it,

verse 16,

all the

nations

around us

were afraid

and fell

greatly in

their own

esteem.

They said,

we are not

rulers of

this world.

We ought

not think

so highly

of ourselves

for they

perceived

that this

work had

been accomplished

with the

help of

our God.

So how

is it

then that

we should

work in

the face

of opposition?

We take

this narrative

and we

apply it

to our

very own

living.

Firstly,

we should

trust in

the sovereign

goodness of

God.

We should

trust in

the sovereign

goodness of

God as

His people.

As He is

redeeming the

church for

Himself,

we should

trust in

the sovereign

goodness of

our God.

Turn with

me to the

book of

Ephesians,

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

You can

leave Nehemiah

behind.

You don't

have to

mark it

with your

hand.

The very

greatest

expression to

us of

God's sovereign

goodness is

the person

and the

work of

Jesus Christ.

Christ

crucified and

resurrected on

our behalf.

Ephesians,

Ephesians 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2,

beginning in

verse 17.

He, being

Christ, came

and preached

peace to you

who are far

off and

peace to

those who

were near.

For through

Him we

both have

access in

one spirit

to the

Father.

So then you

are no longer

strangers and

aliens, but

you are fellow

citizens with

the saints and

members of

the household

of God,

built on the

foundation of

the apostles

and prophets,

Christ Jesus

Himself being

the cornerstone,

in whom the

whole structure

being joined

together grows

into a holy

temple in

the Lord.

In Him you

also are being

built together

into a dwelling

place for God

by the Spirit.

Catch all that

language.

Again, I've been

drawing you to

1 Peter, but

here we see in

Ephesians Paul

using the same

type of language

about us being

built up into

a structure,

calls it here a

holy temple in

the Lord, a

dwelling place for

God by the

Spirit with

Jesus Christ

Himself being

the cornerstone.

Cornerstone was

significant.

It set all

things right.

It was the

measure by which

everything else

was taken.

It's how the

building came

together properly.

You can't miss

that.

The language of

cornerstone doesn't

make a lot of

sense to us.

Probably not even

to modern day

builders, but for

most of us we

don't build

buildings.

We don't know

what that would

even look like.

This was incredibly

significant language

to them.

It means that

without Christ,

and Christ

crucified and

resurrected, none

of this holds

together.

All of our

great efforts at

church and being

religious and

trying to build

something for God

is totally failed

apart from

Christ.

Remember that it's

through Him we

have access in

one Spirit to

the Father.

We're no longer

strangers and

aliens.

We are now part

of the household

of God, and

this is God's

sovereign goodness

to us.

we'll look

beyond and

go further

into some

of that reality

of God's

sovereign goodness

here momentarily.

Look on down

in the book of

Ephesians, or

over, depending

on your media

that you're using,

to chapter 6.

Paul begins to

conclude his letter

in this way,

verse 10,

looking at the

work that's ahead

of us, finally be

strong in the Lord

and in the strength

of His might.

Put on the whole

armor of God

that you may be

able to stand

against the schemes

of the devil.

For we do not

wrestle against

flesh and blood,

but against the

rulers, against

the authorities,

against the

cosmic powers

over this

present darkness,

against the

spiritual forces

of evil in

the heavenly

places.

There's our

challenge, there's

our opposition

to us.

Verse 13,

therefore take

up the whole

armor of God

that you may be

able to withstand

in the evil

day, and having

done all to

stand firm,

stand therefore

having fastened

on the belt of

truth, and having

put on the

breastplate of

righteousness, and

as shoes for

your feet,

having put on

the readiness

given by the

gospel of

peace.

In all

circumstances, take

up the shield

of faith with

which you can

extinguish all

the flaming

darts of the

evil one, and

take the helmet

of salvation and

the sword of the

spirit, which is

the word of God,

praying at all

times in the

spirit with all

prayer and

supplication, or

petitioning in

that way.

can you kind of

you can't

can you kind of

get the picture

I do of the

workers of the

wall in

Nehemiah's day

with a load on

one arm and

the sword in the

other hand or

the spear in the

other hand, they

got themselves ready

for this work that

was ahead of us, and

here we see that

we're to be strong in

the Lord and the

strength of his

might, and how do

we do that?

Right?

We put on these

things here called

the armor of God,

and notice what

they are, they're

truth, righteousness,

readiness, faith,

salvation, the

word of God, and

prayer.

Now I wish we had

time to expound

this in its

entirety.

Someday we will

go through the

book of Ephesians

and we will do

that very thing.

There's so much

that all of this

means, but simply

we can simply

boil these things

down, probably in

an over simple

way, to say that

we need to know

the truth of God,

who we are in

Christ, the gospel,

right?

And we need to

pray.

The word of God

being the bread of

life, the prayer

being the breath of

life.

Remember those two

things.

The word of God

is the bread of

life.

It's our sustenance.

And prayer is the

breath of life.

I'll give you an

example from my

week.

I was feeling

rather discouraged

this week and it

wasn't something I

really realized was

happening until

later.

It worked its way

kind of up out of

my heart and to

my head until I

kind of stopped and

assessed what was

going on with me.

But I had allowed

the father of lies

to tell me a lie and

I began to believe it.

I just began to be

discouraged.

Totally unwarranted.

Completely unwarranted.

But discouraged about

the work that's

happening here at

Christ Family Church.

Saying that we're

never going to

accomplish some of

the goals that are

set out before us.

That I feel so alone

in the work I'm

doing.

I'm inadequate for

the work I'm

doing.

And these lies began

to work around in

me.

And again, not up

here but down in

here.

And I just found

myself feeling really

unmotivated at the

beginning of this

week.

Just kind of open up

to read and reading

Nehemiah and reading

just the narrative on

the surface.

I'm just going,

okay, they built the

wall.

They set a guard.

What are we going to

talk about this Sunday?

How does this apply

to our lives?

I just don't know.

So I'd close it and

I'd move on to

something else.

And just lacking this

real motivation.

It finally bubbled

up enough that I

realized I was acting

in this way.

Why am I feeling so

unmotivated this week?

Why can I not sit down

and focus and get the

work done that's in

front of me?

And I realized that I

was being discouraged.

I was believing all of

these lies that were

being told to me.

And this is when God

really began to

minister to me with

the lives of these

people.

I had really forgotten

the gospel.

Forgotten who I was

in Christ.

And that's a complete

work of Him.

He has accomplished

it.

He's done all of that.

Certainly God works

through faithful people,

but it is God who works.

I take great hope and

encouragement in my time

of discouragement in

knowing that God has a

plan.

And it will, in fact,

come to fruition.

salvation.

No doubt about that.

We believe highly in the

sovereignty of God here,

not because it's our

particular thing, it's our

flavor, we want to pick it

up, but because the

scriptures tell us that

God is sovereign.

It's all over in here.

We believe in the

doctrines of grace, as

they're commonly called.

Some of you may wrestle

with some of these.

I still do.

The famous tulip,

right?

Total depravity, who we

are.

Before Christ.

No good at all.

Sin has totally spoiled

us.

My righteousness prior to

Christ was as filthy

rags.

Nothing I can do that's

good on my own.

It ends in the beautiful

doctrine of the

perseverance of the

saints.

The last one, the end

cap on this, is that

once we are gods, we

are gods forever.

There's no undoing that.

Once we're in his hand,

nothing can take us out

of his hand, even

ourselves.

Right?

Can't remove myself from

God's hand.

And you see the work of

the Trinity in those

middle three, which are

unconditional election.

God has made a plan

before the foundation of

the world.

Limited atonement, which

many people like to call

particular redemption,

but I don't think TUPIP is a

very good acronym here in

this case.

Limited atonement, right?

The work of Christ for us

on the cross.

God made the plan.

Christ accomplished the

work.

It is finished.

Right?

And then irresistible

grace.

Some people say the

effectual calling of the

Spirit.

So God made the plan.

Christ accomplished the

work.

And the Spirit is bringing

that work into fruition.

Right?

He has called us, and now

He is working in us to

make us perfect.

Right?

Beloved, these doctrines

are meant to be a pillow

for us to lay our heads

on.

They're not meant to be a

rock for us to crash

headlong into.

And they're certainly not

meant to be a rock into

which to beat somebody

else over the head with.

Every time we see this

taught throughout the

Scriptures, it is meant

to be a comfort to the

people of God.

God is sovereign, and He

is good to His people.

That's what we're meant

to grab hold of and

take.

As Spurgeon was arguing

that the sovereignty of

God, that doctrine should be

fought for more than any

other doctrine for the

people of God.

Because that is where our

surety comes from.

Right?

That's what gives us the

encouragement to continue

to work.

If all of this depended

on me, I'd be done

already.

Because I'm a failure at

leading a church.

I would just quit.

I'd say, there's not a

chance I'm getting this

done.

It would be fruitless

effort if it all depended

on me.

But because it depends on

God, the call, whatever

that particular vision for

our church is, I don't

really even know.

It will be completed.

Right?

God will do exactly what

He intends to do with us.

Right?

Remember that.

These doctrines are meant

to be a pillow for us to

rest our heads on.

The light yoke that we

take upon us.

John 16.33, Jesus says,

I have said these things

to you that in me you may

have peace.

In the world you will have

tribulation.

But take heart.

I have overcome the world.

Christ crucified.

He has overcome the world.

Paul had confidence in this

as he was talking to others

about others and their

progression in faith.

Philippians 1.6, he says,

And I'm sure of this, that

he who began a good work in

you will bring it to

completion at the day of

Jesus Christ.

Christ, it is in God's

sovereign control.

It doesn't negate our part

in it.

But God is in control.

As we are given the great

commission by Christ to go

and make disciples of all

the world, baptizing them in

the name of the Father and

the Son and the Holy Spirit,

teaching Him to walk in His

ways.

As we're given that commission,

we're given an even greater

promise.

Matthew 28.20,

And behold, I am with you

always to the end of the age.

If we're going to set about

the work in the face of

opposition, we must believe

these things.

The sovereign goodness of our

God.

Secondly, simply know that

opposition is part of the

work.

It is part of the work.

It doesn't just stand in the

way of the work, but it is

in fact part of the work of

us being built into a holy

temple, a dwelling place for

God, as the people of God.

It's part of the work.

James 1.2-4 says,

Counter all joy, my brothers,

when you meet trials of

various kinds.

For you know that the testing

of your faith produces

steadfastness.

And let steadfastness have its

full effect, that you may be

perfect and complete,

lacking in nothing.

What did I say to you?

That the work that's before us

is to be holy and to bring

about holiness in the lives of

others.

This is a major way in which

that happens.

As we work in the face of

opposition, that is in fact

part of the work.

Right?

Relying on God.

The testing of our faith.

God does this to me constantly.

He says to me, do you really

trust me?

Do you really think you can do

nothing apart from me?

And so often I go, yeah, but I

forgot.

You're right.

I can do nothing apart from you.

Everything good that happens in

me and through me is a work of

God.

It's this testing of my faith and

it produces steadfastness.

In what?

Steadfastness in faith.

In our dependence on God.

And that is the process by which

we're made perfect.

That our faith will be made

complete.

So let me conclude this morning

by just asking you two questions.

I just want you to ponder these.

Has opposition caused you to

cease working?

And are there any endeavors that

you need to renew your

commitment to?

Let's pray together.