Resisting Satan's Traps

Amen.

Hillbilly Day's coming.

Now we can't miss Hillbilly Day, folks.

That's going to be exciting.

Dave's doing a great job there.

And I just praise the Lord and keep praying for a building.

We're excited.

I'll be meeting with some folks this week looking at our floor that we'll be putting down.

We're going to be putting down the rubber floor, kind of like the one in the community center.

Has anybody been to the community center?

Yeah.

So we love the community center.

That's where we play a lot of pickleball, a lot of basketball and volleyball.

And so we're excited about getting into that new build.

And it looks like hopefully, maybe, and I keep saying maybe, the first of the year.

We'll see.

But we're excited about that.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Nehemiah chapter six.

You know, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Nehemiah chapter eight.

And I can't wait to get there in a few weeks.

But today we're looking at chapter six.

And next week we'll be looking at chapter seven.

And the title of the message next week's going to be Counting for God.

Counting for God.

You and I have about 70 to maybe 80 years is the average of life now, between 70 and 80.

Somebody probably knows.

But uh you know I used to think 70 and 80 was old.

But you know what?

I'm about to turn 67 in December.

70 and 80s, not old.

Very young.

I thought thank goodness.

But I used to, you know, when I was in my 30s and when I was in my 40s, I used to think, man, you know, 70 and 80s old.

And I'm three years away now from being 70, and bless God, it's not old at all.

In fact, I feel like I'm just really beginning to understand a little bit about life.

I really am.

And why things happen the way they happen.

You ever been there?

Well, you're there now.

See, I'm there now.

But one thing I've learned after 40 plus years of living for the Lord, Christian ministry, is that Satan never gives up attacking.

You know, there's one denomination that I wish their theology was right.

Because here's what they say.

You come to Christ, you come to the altar, and you pray through.

And once you pray through, it's over.

You got victory.

No more, hey, worries, no more trials, no more temptations.

Now, folks, I wish that was true.

Because bless God, we'd all be up here right now praying.

So we could pray through.

Amen.

But it doesn't happen that way.

In fact, Paul gives us a tremendous exhortation in Ephesians chapter 6, verses 10 and 11.

Ephesians 6:10

He says, Finally, my brethren, just hang on, I'll quote it for you.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might.

And then verse 11 is the key.

Then he turns around and he says, and then put on the whole, and that word there means put on the full armor of God so that ye may be able to stand firm.

Now watch.

Against the wiles, that's the King James Virgin.

Wiles of the devil.

Now the word wiles literally means schemes.

It means traps.

It means setups.

That's what it means.

In other words, are you telling me, Pastor Danny, that Satan tries to trap me every day?

Every day.

Are you trying to tell me, Brother Danny, that he literally, literally schemes against me?

Are you ready?

Every day.

And most people don't even think that way.

Most Christians don't think that way.

But he is get, hey, he is getting ready every day a trap for you when you walk out the door.

And that again is why it's so, should I say, not just under, it's so important that we understand it, but we understand how to deal with it.

And that's what we're going to be looking at.

Because our enemy has used deception, trickery, and schemes to destroy us, or at least, if he can't destroy you or your testimony, you know what he tries to do, secondly?

Neutralize you.

He doesn't want you to walk out of this building this week and everywhere you go be a rated example for Christ.

He doesn't want you to be that shining light set on the hill.

He doesn't want you to exalt Christ because he says in John 12, 32, if I be exalted, I'll draw men unto myself.

And the purpose of us, you remember from the very beginning of this series, is to bring glory and honor to God, and we do that through allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into his likeness and character.

So Satan's going to do everything he can to stop that.

So how does he do it?

Well, we saw in chapter 4 Nehemiah had to stand up against violent threats of the enemy.

And then last week in chapter 5, we saw the internal conflicts between the wealthy and the poor Jews, inward conflict in the church.

And now he's almost done.

The breaches in the walls have been repaired, and the wall is complete except for the doors or the gates to be hung.

But the enemy has not given up.

And we see right here in chapter 6, he hits again with four, I call it traps or four schemes.

That's what the word whiles mean.

First scheme we're going to be looking at today is what we call the intrigue scheme.

What does that mean?

It literally means to intrigue in this context, literally means he's setting a trap.

To cause you to stumble, to cause you to mess up your testimony, cause you to fall into some kind of sin.

That's what the word means right there.

And we see this in verses 1 through 4, and let's read what it says.

Sambalat, and he says, Now it happened when Sambalat, Tobiah, and Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there were no breaks left in it, though at the time I had not hung the doors in the gates.

That Sambalat and Geshem sent to me saying, Come let us meet together among the villages in the plain of Onoh.

But they thought to do me harm.

Now, their purpose is to take Nehemiah out.

Okay?

But they're not definitely telegraphing that at all.

They're trying to say, let's get together.

Let's have a powwow.

Let's talk things over.

Let's see how we can work together.

Sound familiar?

Well, not in today.

If you don't do it their way, it's over.

But notice what he says.

And by the way, that was the same meaning here.

Tobias and sandball it and them wanted it their way.

And they didn't want the Jews rebuilding the city or the walls, and they definitely didn't want them to come back into power because they were controlling the whole Judea region.

So then notice what happens.

So I sent messengers to them saying, I am doing a great work, not just the work, folks.

And let me say something right here.

We're not just doing a work for God here.

We're doing a great work here for God.

Can I get an amen?

A great work.

And so he says, We're doing a great work so that I cannot come down.

Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?

But they sent me the message four times.

Notice what he said.

Four times.

Four times they sent the message.

And I answered them in the same manner.

I'm not coming down.

I'm going to finish the work.

So here's the introduction.

I put this statement for you on your outline.

By the way, does everybody have an outline?

Okay, good.

But notice what I said.

To complete, here it is, here's the main theme of this whole chapter.

To complete God's work, to complete the work God has given to us to do, we must, here it is, discern and resist Satan's schemes or Satan's traps.

That's it.

So scheme number one, intrigue, which means to set an evil plot.

Nehemiah's response, now watch this.

Out of these four schemes, we have three times Satan setting the trap and Nehemiah responding.

On the fourth intrigue, well, excuse me, the fourth scheme, we see that Nehemiah has completed the work, okay?

Except for hanging the doors.

Everything's been built.

And now, since, hey, Satan hadn't been able to stop him in these three, should I say, previous schemes, he tries the last scheme in this chapter, and that is infiltration.

So he brings in the enemy to dwell within.

So it's pretty interesting.

This whole chapter is.

But the first scheme, hey, is to set a trap.

And notice how Nehemiah responds.

Here it is.

Firm, number one, firm in his priorities.

He stands firm in his priorities.

Can I tell you something?

The greatest thing I learned early in my Christian life is priorities.

You've got to set priorities.

In other words, you've got to make up your mind.

Hey, my priority is I'm not going to do anything as Daniel says in Daniel.

He says, I have what?

Committed myself not to do anything to hurt my testimony.

Nothing.

That's my number one priority.

My number one priority is whether I eat or drink or whatsoever I do, I do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10, 31.

That's gotta be your ultimate priority.

You want to please God.

You want to fulfill what God's called you to do, which brings glory to God.

Can I get an amen?

Now that's gotta be your number one priority.

You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people that is set forth to show praises of God who's called you into his marvelous family and light.

Amen?

So you gotta have a priority.

You know, the news today is so unbelievable.

The New York Times, the Washington Post.

So I was thinking, what would they write about this situation?

Would you like to see what I think they would write about this situation?

Headlines for the New York Times and the Washington Post today.

Here it is.

Nehemiah says, ready?

No to Ono.

Samaritan officials have disclosed that Nehemiah, governor of Judah, has again turned down the offer of the governor Sambalat and of Samaria to meet at one of the villages in Ono.

On the Judea-Samaria border, the proposed conference would include the Big Four.

The Big Four, which includes Geshel, leader of the Arabs, the governor, Tobiah, the governor, the leader of the Ammonites, and Sambalat and Nehemiah.

Sambalat issues a statement today in which he simply criticized Nehemiah for his repeated refusals to cooperate.

He reports that the purpose of such a meeting would be to work out a formula for lasting peace in the region.

The Samaritan leader said with evident frustration, this is the fourth time Nehemiah has turned down my invitation to meet and discuss our mutual concerns.

His concerns.

Not Nehemiah's concerns.

Remember that now.

These repeated refusals means that the responsibility for increasing tension and any violence that may result rests solely upon Nehemiah and upon Jerusalem.

Sounds like today's news to me.

But that's exactly what's taking place in this whole chapter.

They're setting him up, they're lying about him.

They're deceitful about him.

They're trying to trick him into coming down off the wall.

So, with that said, look at this intrigued scheme.

Two things.

One, Satan especially targets leaders with his schemes to intrigue.

He wants the leader to fall because when the leader falls, he brings major, major destruction to the body.

That's his purpose.

That's exactly what he's trying to do.

Every Christian leader has a big target on his back.

Guaranteed.

We see it every day.

Christian leaders falling.

So Satan, right here, uses subtle deception and plausible sounding appeals, but his intent is to destroy us.

Look at verse 2.

Come let us meet together.

That sounds innocent, doesn't it?

I can even say and see Satan say, uh, don't you want to try to iron out our differences?

What's wrong with you?

You don't care.

You won't even talk to me.

You won't even meet with me.

You're a bigot.

Sound familiar?

That's exactly what he's saying.

Oh, here's another one.

Aren't you in favor of peace?

Man, that'll get your attention.

See how it's just making Nehemiah look worse and worse.

Don't you, and I like this one.

Don't you want good relationships with your neighbors?

We just want to foster mutual understanding.

We just want to get along together.

But Nehemiah, rightly, right here, perceived that their intent was to ambush him.

And so he went on with what God had called him to do.

Satan still uses all sorts of innocent-sounding appeals, hey, to lure believers into traps.

Okay, he's playing games.

He wants to devour you.

Do you know that?

Say this with me.

Satan wants to devour me.

Satan wants to devour me.

1 Peter 5.8.

Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, now watch, as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour.

That's what he wants to do, folks.

And he uses schemes and traps to do that for you and me constantly.

For example, one of his greatest schemes I saw when I was at Liberty all these years, and youth pastors see it, was he will send, usually, a very beautiful lady or either a good-looking guy.

They seem nice.

He doesn't see, hey, let me tell you who he doesn't send.

He doesn't send bums, drunks, and druggies to try to lure you into deception.

He'll get the best looking.

He'll get the best gift with the best talented.

And next thing you know, this lady, this dynamic Christian lady at Liberty University in my class, I had a class of a thousand.

You know, she's vibrant.

She's vigilant about witnessing and standing up for Christ, talking about the word of God, or vice versa.

The guy, here's this good-looking guy.

He's a preacher boy, and that's who I dealt with.

Man, he loved God on fire, going out with soul winning every week, couldn't get enough of the word, couldn't get enough for church, couldn't, and then all of a sudden they start dating the opposite sex.

That's beautiful, but their hearts not the same.

Next thing you know, they start skipping church.

Next thing you know, they're instead of a big smile and say, hey, let me tell you what Jesus is doing.

Let me tell you who I just witnessed to.

Let me tell you who I just lived to the Lord.

Next thing you don't hear him saying anything.

They're just there.

Next thing you know, guess what?

They're involved in sin.

Sexual relationships outside of marriage.

And I could go on and on.

And now the fire of God's totally out.

Now that's how it works.

And then the justification comes from the lady or from the guy.

Well, you know, Pastor, and I used to, especially the preacher boys, I'd call them in and start dealing, and I'd say, don't you understand what Satan's doing?

He set a trap for you.

Same way with the girls.

I'd say, don't you understand?

That guy, hey, until he meets Jesus and there's evidence that he's a changed guy, you don't need to be around him.

Yes, but Pastor, I'm trying to win them to Christ, or I'm trying to change them.

I said, You first of all, you can't change them.

The only thing changes is the power of the Holy Spirit of God.

But they'll change you.

Satan will come in and change you.

He'll use the oppression from him to change you.

It happens.

And it happens in adults' relationships, same way.

You marry, when you get saved, and I see this, I've seen this for 30 years or 40 years.

The couple's, both of them's lost.

One of them gets saved, the other one's still lost.

There's friction there.

But praise God, you pray, you fast, you do everything you can, you live, you live for Christ as much as you can and let God deal with him.

And I do believe God will do that.

Because 1 Peter 5 says a wife can win their husband.

I mean, 1 Peter 2 by living godly in front of them.

I believe that.

I've seen that happen.

But this is the deception that I'm talking about right here.

Or even with pastors, sometimes he'll get them to compromise their theology because they're trying to come together as one to accomplish something.

And by the way, the Sadducees, you know, Paul had to announce them.

They believed that Jesus was the Messiah.

They believed that he was God's Son.

The only problem was that they believed salvation, hey, was not only by the blood of Christ, only through faith.

Well, they believed that, but then also you had to be circumcised.

So they brought in a work salvation.

And you don't want to hear what Paul said about that.

Well, I'll tell you.

He said, let them be damned.

Galatians 1, 8, and 9.

But secondly, Satan is relentlessly persistent in the scheme.

Look at what he said in verse 3.

Well, first of all, he says four times.

Hey, four times.

But notice the fourth time he sent back the same answer, Nehemiah did.

Four times.

Four times.

He didn't let up.

And then the fourth time he says, I'm doing a great work.

Can I come down?

Why should the work stop?

Why I leave it and come down to you.

What part of the no don't you understand?

No! Don't you wish you could overcome one temptation that you're weak in and say, No to Satan, no to Satan, and he'd go away.

Huh?

I know a couple areas of my life, and I've asked the Lord, why can't I get rid of him from attempting me in that area?

And you know what the Holy Spirit told me?

Why can't you, through the power of the Holy Spirit, overcome it every time he attacks?

I didn't like that answer.

There hath no, I hate this verse in a couple areas of my life, there hath no temptation taken you.

But such as is coming a man, but God is faithful and just, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you're able, but with the temptation make a way to escape.

And then he goes on to Peter, uh, 1 Peter 2, and he says, The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptation and to reserve the wicked for judgment.

Duh.

So I can't win with the Lord when I want my way.

I can win with the Lord when I submit to his Holy Spirit and be obedient.

Somebody say, Oh me, amen.

Is that not true?

Every much, every bit so.

So, watch right here.

Well, this is good now.

Oh, by the way, let me give you another couple of verses.

Submit yourselves to the Lord.

Resist the Satan and submit yourselves to the Lord.

James 4, 7 and 8.

Draw nigh to God, he'll draw nigh to you.

Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, your double minded.

In other words, he says all you got to do is just get closer to me.

The more he tempts you get closer to me.

Amen?

Is that not good?

So we see, and here's the other part of the fill-in in your blank.

Nehemiah resisted Satan's intrigues by standing firm in his priorities.

Look at verse 6.

I am doing a great work and cannot come down.

Woo! I like what Paul said in 2 Timothy 2.4.

No soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life that he may please Christ who's enlisted him.

In other words, folks, listen, you can't have it both ways.

You can't have one foot in the church and one foot in the world.

It won't work.

I've tried that.

That makes you miserable.

Amen?

And let me tell you who sees through that real quickly: your children, your teenagers.

You're either all in or you're not.

You gotta be all in.

If you're gonna be victorious, or Satan's gonna take you out.

Right here.

He'll take you out.

As believers, our chief priority is to glorify God by knowing Jesus Christ and by being conform to his character, beginning in our heart.

And anything that pulls us away from this priority, even including ministry, is wrong.

Ministry?

Yes.

If ministry is taking priority of first place in your life, that's wrong.

Jesus has got to be foremost in your life.

Let the ministry flow out of it.

Amen.

If you're spirit filled, you'll be ministering everywhere you go.

You won't have to worry about ministry.

Hey, you'll just be spewing out over everybody.

You'll be loving everybody, helping everybody, blessing everybody.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God, Matthew 6.33.

So, and let me give you one other verse here that I love.

And it's also the one I'll close with today.

But Acts 20, 24, listen to what Paul said.

None of these things move me.

What?

Nothing.

Ministry, athletics, whatever, if hunting, sports, anything, none of these things move me.

In other words, move me that does not take me away from my relationship with God.

And because of that, he says, nothing moves me, so that I can finish the ministry that God has given me with joy, which is preaching the gospel of the grace of God.

That's a powerful verse.

Acts 20, 24.

As a pastor teacher, I must devote myself to prayer and to the ministry of the Word of God.

Acts 6, 4.

Nothing every week is going to keep me from spending 15, 20 hours of study.

Because right now it's what I'm called to do.

Right now, it's part of my calling to feed you.

And I want to give you the meat of the word, not just the whipped cream of the word.

I want us to dig out those nuggets.

And then secondly, I'm to shepherd you, love you, know about what's going on in your life.

When you're not here, I'm gonna come get you.

Ask Amanda, I'll go get on the boat and come get you.

No, I love you.

I care about you.

I want to know what's going on in your life.

And when you're not here, it concerns me.

Not because I want a seat filled up, no, not because I'm interested in numbers.

No, I'm interested in you.

I want to know.

I I just asked either about her parents and how they're doing.

I mean, I pray for you all the time.

When I'm riding and we're visiting, I if I'm not knocking on a door, I'm on a phone.

Ask Rick.

I'll say, all right, who who give me my list, who we need to call.

And you appreciate that.

But that's what I'm given to do.

I know that.

And I'm not gonna let Satan interrupt that.

Can I get an amen?

No, he's not gonna do that.

I'm not gonna let him.

My priorities are set.

I've got a schedule.

I know when I have to start an outline.

Every once in a while, Steve, I get a little late on the outline.

But mostly by Tuesday night, I'm through with the app basic outline.

Then I keep putting the meat and adding and taking, and so I can just get it down to right what you need.

Number two, Satan's scheme number two was innuendo.

Woo! What is an innuendo?

But notice Nehemiah's response.

Forthright rebuttal coupled with prayer.

He rebutted it with the truth and prayer.

That's what he did.

He rebutted it with truth and prayer.

And innuendo was something that's hurtful.

He was throwing out something that would hurt Nehemiah.

Innuendo is a statement made about you that's not true, really.

Or it better not be true.

Or if it is true, you better deal with it.

Amen.

But it it's it's almost throwing out.

Oh, did you hear about Nehemiah?

In fact, let me tell you what he did.

I'll show you how he did it.

Hey, hey guys.

You know Nehemiah is trying, you know what?

You know why he's working so hard?

You know why he's building this wall so quick and almost finished it all?

You know what, hey, you know why?

No.

Why?

He wants to be king.

He wants to be king of Israel.

He wants to undermine our Xerxes.

You think?

Oh yeah.

And then all of a sudden, doesn't that make sense?

Why do you think he's working so hard?

Why would he be doing this if he didn't have an ulterior motive?

And you know what's so sad about that?

Most of us have ulterior motives.

If you read the text, that's what he says.

He says, oh, in fact, he goes on and hires prophets and prophecies to go start the rumor.

Hey, that's why, and then guess what?

Here's the naive folks sitting out here that don't think for themselves.

Well, you know, that would make sense, wouldn't it?

Where's the facts?

Don't listen to the innuendos.

Get the facts.

That's exactly what takes place.

Look at verses five through nine.

Then Sambalat sent his servant to me as before, the fifth time, with an open letter in his hand.

Uh-oh, now he's got a letter.

And it was written, it is reported among the nations.

And Geshem says that you and the Jews plan to rebel.

Therefore, according to these rumors, you are rebuilding the walls that you may be their king.

Hello.

And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning you at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah.

Now these matters will be reported to the king, so come, therefore, and let us consult together.

In other words, he says, if you don't come down and talk to me, I'm going to tell all of Xerxes that you're going to overthrow him.

You're trying to, you're doing all this to overthrow him.

You see it?

Isn't that amazing?

Does this sound familiar in America today?

You remember what I told you a few weeks ago?

This is not, this whole thing that's going on is right against wrong.

Evil against righteousness.

And who's the evil culprit?

Satan.

He's doing what I'm showing you right here.

He's using intrigue, he's using innuendos.

Exactly what's going on right now.

Notice Satan speaks right here.

Slanderous false rumors against godly leaders.

There he goes.

At open door.

At open door.

They they used to say that I was building a cult.

I was a cult leader.

Back then, Jim Jones.

Remember the Jim Jones thing?

Well, some of most of you too young to remember that.

They said, you better watch it.

He'll be bringing the Kool-Aid out next.

I'm serious.

Susan, am I not serious?

Well, that was the other rumor.

Said that, you know, because we grew so fast, we were winning so many people to Christ, we were going debt-free just like we do here and everything.

And they said, and we were money was coming in like it does here.

And you know what they said?

You know how you get so much money?

He locks the doors and you can't get out until you give.

That was a big rumor.

I'd go visit people that said, Can I ask you something, preacher?

Sure.

You lock the doors until people give and then unlock them.

I said, no, but that's a good idea.

And they'd laugh and I'd laugh.

I'd say, how ridiculous.

And you say that, but that's exactly what Satan does, folks.

There it is.

So watch.

Satan, hey, Nehemiah resists Satan's innuendos with the truth and with prayer.

That's what he did.

In fact, pastors should let such rumors like those and I did die a natural death.

Some lies, though, have a peculiar smell which portrays their rottenness, rottenness, rottenness to every honest person.

You know, you can't fool somebody if they think for themselves.

You can't fool me.

And if you tell me something, you think I'm gonna believe it?

Not until I check it out.

Especially if it's a little shady.

Especially when it comes to the word.

Now I know the word.

So if you want to, let's talk about a word, bring it on.

I can tell you real quick between a true prophet and a false prophet.

Very easy to determine.

You know how?

Hey, two questions.

Ask a prophet and see if he's real.

One, who does he believe Jesus is?

If he doesn't believe Jesus is God, you better run.

Number two, what do you believe about the word of God?

Who wrote it?

The Bible, who wrote it?

If you didn't believe God wrote it, you better run.

So don't tell me it's you can be swayed by a proud father.

Just those two questions is all you need.

And if they hick up on either one, say, God bless you, I'm gone.

Amen?

How many Jehovah's Witnesses I've witnessed to with that?

So, watch this.

Let's go to number three.

Notice how he said, though.

He said in verse 8, hey, such things, notice, oh, I so I told you he answered with the truth and with prayer.

Let me show you the verse.

Such things as you are saying have not been done, verse 8, but you are inventing them in your own mind.

I love it.

Then he shot up another uh answer of his sentence prayers in verse 9.

But now, oh God, strengthen my hands.

He answered them with the truth, and then he went to God, saying, God, take care of this situation.

Strengthen me.

Give me the courage to stand on what's right, and give me the courage to keep building this wall to withdraw.

Is that not good?

Is that not good?

Jesus said, men ought to always pray and not to quit.

Luke 18, 1.

So the enemy checked Nehemiah with his schemes of intrigue and innuendo.

Now, Nehemiah resisted them by standing firm in his priorities and by what?

Stating the truth and prayer.

That brings me to number three, the third scheme: intimidation.

Look at verses 10 through 14.

Afterwards, I came to the house of Shemiah, the son of Delilah, the son of Mahathael.

I think that's right.

That's a tough one.

Who was a secret informer?

And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God.

Now the secret informer has come to Nehemiah.

Let us meet in the house of God.

We're in the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you.

Indeed, at night they will come to kill you.

Now, first of all, he says, Whoo, whoo, whoo, I'm a I'm a informer from God.

I'm a prophet from God.

Don't get tricked here.

But notice what he said.

And I said, and boy, this is so good, such a man as I flee.

And who is there such as I who would go into the temple to save his life?

I will not go in.

He said, What kind of testimony would that be to my people if the leader decides he's scared and goes and hides?

Then I perceived, uh-oh, that God had not sent him at all, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sandalad had hired him.

There's a snake in the bunch.

Look at there.

For this reason he was hired, that I should be afraid and act the way and sin, so that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

My God remembered Tobiah and Sambalad according to these their words and the prophecies, Nodiah, and the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid.

In other words, he says it's a big scheme.

They're plotting against me.

They're gonna try to take me out.

They're gonna take me out.

Now watch.

This is good.

Really is.

Two things.

If he had a hit, first of all, he would have gone against God going into the temple because only the priest could go in the temple, so it would have gone against the word of God.

Secondly, he would have been a bad example of fear, letting fear control him.

And I wrote this to myself.

Be careful when someone claiming to be a Christian invites you to do something that you know is wrong.

Hello.

Be careful.

You know why he didn't fool Nehemiah?

Nehemiah knew the word of God.

He knew it was wrong for him to go into the temple as a priest.

He knew that.

And he knew God had not given him the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.

And the righteous are bold as a lion's Proverbs 28.1.

He knew that.

And he knew that if God be for him, who could be against him?

So he didn't waver.

But look at all this plotting against him.

How it happened.

Oh.

Satan used scared tactics all the time to get you and me to go along with whatever it is.

And you know what he says?

If you don't want to do it, well, why not?

Everyone else is doing it.

Folks, if everyone goes and jumps off the cliff, are you going to jump off too?

But sometimes we act like that.

Amen?

We do.

We let people that aren't godly control what we think and what we do.

And ladies and gentlemen, we cannot allow that to happen.

I need a better louder, amen, than that.

I believe in you.

I believe in you.

You're smart.

We're smart.

But let me tell you, can I tell you the answer to this whole thing?

This is gonna bless your heart.

It's very simple.

Know the word of God.

That's it.

The answer, every answer is right there.

About right and wrong.

Every answer.

What do you think?

I don't have to think.

I know.

Well, what don't you think?

No, I don't have to think.

I know.

You say, well, you're an arrogant, smart Ellie.

No.

I just know.

I know the book.

I know the B-I-B-L-E.

That's the book for me.

Folks, living the Word of God, knowing the Word of God, I'll change your life.

Those words that I've spoken unto you in me, they are life.

And joy, these things have written unto you and believe in me that you may know that you have eternal life.

And these things have spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you, that your joy might be full.

Amen.

B-I-B-L.

That's the book for me.

You shall know the truth and what?

Ah, we're gonna do better than that.

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall what?

And then verse 37 in John 8, that was 32, said, and if you know the truth, the truth shall what?

You shall be free indeed.

I'm not gonna let the news media control me and tell me what to believe.

Ain't gonna do it.

Nehemiah resisted Satan's intimidation, watch this, with fearless obedience and prayer.

That's what he did.

Should a man like me flee, and could one such as I go into the temple to save his life, I will not go in.

The book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that's written therein.

Watch.

Then will I make thy way prosperous.

Did you hear that?

Then will I make thy way successful?

Woo! Young people, look at me.

You want to be successful.

You want to be happy.

You take the word of God, love the word of God, read the word of God, be obedient to the word of God, give him all the glory, and you are in for the ride of your life.

Promise.

He'll take a nobody and turn it into somebody.

He'll take a poor little country boy from Sylvester, Georgia, who was voted the most likely to be locked up and not succeed.

And turn him into an instrument for his glory.

I've done more, seen more than anybody in my whole family.

First one to graduate from college, been all over the world.

Two red lights.

Number four.

Nehemiah stand the course.

I like verse fifteen.

So the law was completed in fifty-two days.

Woo! Hallelujah! Hallelujah.

Fifty-two days.

Now watch.

Nehemiah's persistent resistance gained the victory for the Lord.

Let me repeat that.

Nehemiah's persistent resistance gained the victory for the Lord.

When the enemies and the surrounding nations, watch, saw that the wall was completed, they lost their confidence.

Watch this, folks.

Oh, wait till you see this.

Look, now that he didn't fall into those schemes, verse 16, it happened when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very dishearted in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

That's what we want our church to be.

When everybody stands back and sees, regardless of what's going on, what we're going through, then they look back and they see us victorious, they see us spirit-filled, they see us with the joy of the Lord, they see us responding like we're supposed to be responding with love, but firmly, not compromising.

They say, wow, it's not them, it's not us.

They didn't say it was Nehemiah the workers, they said it was, you know what they said?

Hey, top of the headlines, God's on their side.

Wow.

Wow.

God's on their side.

And then he says, and also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to Tobi, and the letters of Tobi came to them.

And for many in Judah, and I'm going to tell you a little bit, I'm still reading the rest of it, I'll tell you what all that meant.

But here's what happens: they lost their confidence.

All of the enemies that Sambalat had drawn into his plots against the Jews only widened the circle of God's glory when the wall was finished.

Wow.

They knew that it was from God.

And that should be a model for us.

Trusting, in fact, he says in Psalms 127:4, except the Lord build the house and the guards and hey, and the guards and guards the city, we labor in vain.

Psalms 127:4

The walls.

God does it.

We want even God's enemies to glorify him.

Can I get an amen?

Write this verse down.

God gave me this yesterday morning in my quiet time.

1 Peter 2 12.

Honor your conduct.

He says, have your conduct honorable among the Gentiles.

That when they speak evil against you, they will see your good works and glorify God.

In other words, when people speak evil against us, but we're walking with God like Nehemiah was.

We're not listening to the schemes, to the tricks, to the deception.

Watch this.

He said that they will then glorify God.

That's exactly what happened with Nehemiah.

Is that not good?

Somebody say that's good.

Man, that's good, folks.

So let's close this thing with three practical suggestions, lessons.

Satan lost the battle, but he didn't give up.

Now, you would think Satan, right now, we ought to have at the story ends that the Jews in Nehemiah lived happily ever after.

Sorry.

He's still in the business and he's going to be there.

So guess what?

Satan then comes, ready.

Here it is.

Number four.

Nehemiah's victory.

He finished the walls, but here's Satan's scheme.

Infiltration.

Verses 15 through 19.

Tobi and the governors and Ammonites.

By the way, Tobiath the governor of the Ammonites was a half-Jew.

His name was Jewish, Yah, which means good.

And furthermore, he was related by marriage to at least two influential Jewish nobles, verse 17.

And he had business contracts bound by oath, verse 18, with these men.

They were not only in frequent contact by mail, but they often told Nehemiah about Tobias' good deeds.

And they reported to Tobiah things that Nehemiah said in their presence.

But Tobias showed his true colors by writing threatening letters to Nehemiah.

Espanage.

In other words, basically, they had set him up, people within, saying, Tobias is a good man.

He's part of our family.

We've got people that he works with right here.

So he ought to be okay.

In fact, let me tell you what happens.

They allow him, when Nehemiah goes back to Jerusalem, you know what happens?

They allow him to come inside the walls and take up residence.

So now you got the enemy indwelling inwardly.

Okay?

That's what happens.

But now when we get to chapter 13, here's what happens: Nehemiah throws him out.

Because he gets the letters of him threatening him.

He comes in, cleans house, and we've already talked about that and throws him out.

So, with that, number one, do not expect perfection in Christian work.

I don't care how hard we work, what we do, none of us are perfect.

Can I get an amen?

We're gonna fail, we got back up.

We fall down, we get back up.

Can I get an amen?

Now that's a lesson we got to learn.

Satan wants you to think that once you get saved, you're not gonna sin, you're gonna be perfect till you die.

That ain't true.

Your flesh till we go to be with Jesus ain't gonna happen.

Number two, we must never put confidence in our work, only in God's work.

2 Corinthians 3.5.

We're not sufficient in ourselves, but our sufficiency is in God.

I can do all things through Christ which strengthened me.

Philippians 4.13.

And then number three.

When God's people compromise with the world, it hinders God's work.

Tobiah had convinced the people to convince, try to convince Nehemiah that he was a good guy, verse 19.

But as I told you in chapter 13, verse 4 and 9, he comes back and he removes Tobiah.

Do not love the world, neither the things that are in the world.

If any man loves the world, the love of the Father's not in him.

Wow.

Can't have it both ways, church.

Either we're all in for God or we're not.

I'm so excited.

You know, I was getting a little depressed about all that's going on in America.

It's depressing.

But after studying the book of Nehemiah and seeing how God has laid out exactly what's going on right now in America.

Let me help you.

I'm gonna let some of you be able to go to bed tonight.

You've been worried so much.

Satan is causing everything that's going on right now.

He really is.

We're not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities.

That's verse 12 in Ephesians 6.

Okay?

And he now you know how he's doing it.

Was that not a picture of what's going on if you watch the news right now?

Verbatim.

Verbatim.

I even gave you the newspaper ad.

I got good news.

Chapter 8's coming.

And there's a revival that breaks out, folks, like you've never seen before.

It's the greatest revival recording in the Old Testament.

Could we be headed to that?

Think about that.

Could we be headed to that?

Oh, God grant it.

Oh, I beg God for it.

Think about it.

I get cold chills.

Cold chills just went all the way up my head and down my back.

Could we be headed for that?

Pray, fast.

God grant it.

God bring it.

They desired the word.

They were dedicated to the word.

Which brought, are you ready, a demonstration of the word all over the land.

All over the land.

Father, we thank you this morning.