A Courageous Soul / Mocking & Fear / Nehemiah 4
Turn to Nehemiah chapter four. We are going to cover a whole chapter in our time together. Don’t be scared; we’re going to be alright. It is good to be here with you. I’m really excited about tonight because, in many ways, as we shape this text, I can feel God stirring.
I couldn’t help but think about this while watching a football game the other day. A lot of divine inspiration comes while you watch football; I believe it’s God’s will for your life to watch some good football. I was watching the commercials—which I know is old school, since everyone else DVRs and fast-forwards now—but I was watching a commercial for one of those miracle drugs. Have you noticed they all have these miracle drugs they’re trying to promote? It’s like, “Hey, if you take this pill, it’s going to reduce your cholesterol.” I don’t even care at this point, but apparently, it will do it. It’ll lower your blood pressure, cure diabetes, reverse baldness, make you younger, and guarantee weight loss. In fact, some of them claim things as audacious as creating peace in the Middle East, disarming Iran and North Korea, and coming up with a healthcare plan that actually works. All of that from one simple pill!
They promise the moon, but there is always fine print. Have you noticed that? It’s like, “Oh, but if you take it, possible side effects could be blindness, diarrhea (which is very unpleasant), paralysis, loss of consciousness, violent mood swings, intense cramping, vomiting of blood, and total insanity.” Some studies even suggested that if you take said miraculous pill, you may even become an Oakland Raiders fan, which is the worst of all those symptoms. I couldn’t help but wonder if the fine print didn’t scare some people off.
The Framework of Holy Discontent
We’ve been talking a lot about “holy discontent”—the idea that God begins to plant a seed in us that He waters and germinates. Jared did a great job a couple of weeks ago creating parameters for this. To remind you, a holy discontent always comes from God, it displaces us in some fashion, it causes us to seek the welfare of others, and it drives us to personal commitment.
In previous weeks, we said the first thing that happens when you pray for a holy discontent is that God dislocates your heart. He rends your heart to the things that rend His. You begin to care about what He cares about. It moves to a broken spirit where you are so moved that you have to pray. It leads to a radical faith where you eventually have to step out of the shadows and go public. It takes a strategic plan, like we saw with Nehemiah incubating his plan for four months. Finally, it requires personal commitment and then, corporately, it rallies a crowd.
If you stop the tape right there, it sounds like a ton of fun. It’s a miracle! God gives you a holy discontent, it ignites your faith, and you get excited for the things of God. You have a moral imperative in your life. If I asked how many of you want to be used by God in that way, most of you would raise your hands. But you need to know there is fine print. There is another side to this. There is a cost.
If we just launched you out like naive teenagers and said, “This is great, the world is at your fingertips,” without talking about the fine print, you’d get hit and give up. It’s like the guy in the locker room saying, “Let’s play this one for Jimmy!” Everyone is crying because they love Jimmy, but then they get out on the field and some guy hits them right in the mouth. Suddenly, they don’t even know who Jimmy is anymore. If we don’t give you the fine print, you won’t know what to do when the first sign of opposition pops you in the mouth.
The Promise of Persecution
Ultimately, Paul told Timothy that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. So, be encouraged! If you’ve placed your faith in Christ, persecution is coming. It’s part of the deal.
2 Timothy 3:12 (NASB)
Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.
Paul also said in Romans that we are heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him.
Romans 8:17 (NASB)
and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with [Him] so that we may also be glorified with [Him].
If you’ve bought into a gospel of prosperity where everything is always great, you’ve bought into the wrong gospel. The reality is we are promised peace with God, forgiveness from sin, and eternal life—along with suffering, pain, and persecution right here and now. That is the fine print nobody talks about. Is it any wonder we have soft Christians filling churches who have never counted the cost? All they were told is they wouldn’t go to hell. I don’t want to go either, but they weren’t told they might live “hell on earth” for a season or have to endure. When the first sign of persecution comes, they fold their tent and go home because nobody read them the fine print.
Dealing with the Mockers
In chapter four, a guy named Sanballat comes along. We’ve seen this joker before, and we’ll see him again. That’s the thing with haters: they just won’t go away. You wish you could just tell them to go home, but they keep showing up. The first point of the fine print is this: as soon as you go public with a holy discontent, you are going to get mocked. You will be ridiculed and made fun of because no one will understand your holy discontent like you do. No one will be as fired up as you are because it’s your calling, not theirs.
Nehemiah 4:1 (NASB)
Now it came about that when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious and very angry and mocked the Jews.
Sanballat hears the wall is being rebuilt and he is angry and greatly enraged. He jeers at the Jews. He’s talking smack and calling them names. Opposition usually starts with one person—one hater with way too much time on his hands who considers it his goal to be an Eeyore to your passion. He walks around with buckets of water waiting to put out your fire, probably because he has a story of a time things went bad in his own life, so he takes it out on everyone else.
But bullies seldom stay solo. Notice that Sanballat says these things in the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria. He’s drawing a crowd. Think back to the most god-awful warfare place in history: the junior high campus. You show up wearing the wrong clothes once, and you get hazed all year. This passage is just like junior high. Sanballat gathers all these knuckle-draggers and says, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Do they think they can restore this themselves?” And his buddies are going, “Yeah, that’s right! Tell ’em!”
Nehemiah 4:2 (NASB)
He spoke in the presence of his brothers and the wealthy [men] of Samaria and said, ‘What are these feeble Jews doing? Are they going to restore [it] for themselves? Can they offer sacrifices? Can they finish in a day? Can they revive the stones from the dusty rubble even the burned ones?’
Then comes the sidekick, Tobiah. He posts up and says, “That’s right! Even if they build it, if a fox jumps on it, it’ll fall down!” And they’re all slapping five, totally mocking the work.
Nehemiah 4:3 (NASB)
Now Tobiah the Ammonite [was] near him and he said, ‘Even what they are building– if a fox should jump on [it], he would break their stone wall down!’
That’s the fine print. People will show up to throw water on your fire, steal your joy, and discourage the work. Trust me, I know. I started a church. In the planning phase, I was naive. I thought, “This is going to be great! People will come to Christ and everyone will love it!” We had about ten people at our first meeting, and I thought we had such great unity—well, it’s easy to have unity with ten people!
It didn’t take long to get hit in the face. I received an unsigned letter once. I paid the “dump tax” and read it, but never again. It was a Sanballat ripping me and the church, saying it wouldn’t last and that I didn’t care about people. Who was this person? I didn’t know. When people are anonymous, you don’t know what to do with the information. If a friend says it, that’s accountability. If it’s unsigned, it’s just a shot from the dark. The rumor mill starts. People said, “That church is all goatees and candles; it must be an emergent church.” We are so not that! Others said, “It’s a cult.” Apparently, we’re a cult because we love Jesus and teach the Bible. I was called a cult leader and all kinds of names.
I realized that’s just what happens when God gives you a holy discontent. It’s why you must remember who caused it in the first place. I had to remember that starting this church wasn’t my idea. I had a great job with health insurance and a pregnant wife; quitting was a “dumb” move unless God called me. So when the shots came, I could say, “You need to argue with God about this, because He started it, not me.” That is so refreshing. You don’t have time to debate; you have work to do.
The Strategy: Pray and Work
How do you handle the people who say your idea is stupid? You do what Nehemiah did in verse four. You pray and seek God regarding them.
Nehemiah 4:4-5 (NASB)
Hear, O our God, how we are despised! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.
If God called you, He has your back. If God is for you, who can be against you? It’s not my job to figure out if the church lives or dies; it’s my job to be faithful right here, right now. Romans 12 says never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God.
Romans 12:19 (NASB)
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath [of God], for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord.
Fight the temptation to justify yourself. Don’t go running around saying, “No, let me explain what I meant!” My dad used to tell me, “Never get in a peeing contest with a skunk.” It never ends in your favor. If you lead just to make everyone happy, you may as well go insane now and save yourself the trouble. You cannot lead to please people.
Nehemiah stayed the course, and look what happened. The wall was joined together because the people had a mind to work.
Nehemiah 4:6 (NASB)
So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its [height], for the people had a mind to work.
When a leader doesn’t get distracted by the “boo birds” but stays focused on the calling, the people respond. When a leader plows through the chop like a freighter on the sea, it rallies the crowd. If God has given you a holy discontent, do not stop. Do not turn to the left or the right. Keep the hammer down. Winston Churchill had a famous slogan: “Keep calm and carry on.” That’s it. Even in the dark hours, carry on.
Facing Fear and Confusion
As the story continues, the opposition mounts and turns toward violence. Sanballat and Tobiah recruit the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites. They are angry because they are losing their opportunity to attack a vulnerable city. They plot together to cause confusion.
Nehemiah 4:7-8 (NASB)
Now when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repair of the walls of Jerusalem went on, [and] that the breaches began to be closed, they were very angry. All of them conspired together to come [and] fight against Jerusalem and to cause a disturbance in it.
That’s what opposition does: it whispers in your ear to get you off point. It makes you think other people’s opinions are more important than your calling. Notice Nehemiah’s response.
Nehemiah 4:9 (NASB)
But we prayed to our God, and because of them we set up a guard against them day and night.
This is one of my favorite things in the book. They prayed, but they also set a guard. It’s the spiritual side and the practical side. He isn’t leaning on a shovel praying for a hole! He prays for protection, then he gets a sword and stations the people. He puts them in the lowest parts of the wall by their clans and families. He tells them to fight for their sons, daughters, wives, and homes. That will make even a pacifist swing a sword!
However, the people weren’t impervious to discouragement. The rumor mill started swirling, and they began to say the work was too hard and there was too much rubble.
Nehemiah 4:10 (NASB)
Thus in Judah it was said, ‘The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable To rebuild the wall.’
Was the rubble the real issue? No. Verse 11 reveals the deeper motivator: fear. They heard the enemies were planning a sneak attack to kill them and stop the work.
Nehemiah 4:11 (NASB)
Our enemies said, ‘They will not know or see until we come among them, kill them and put a stop to the work.’
Many of the workers lived in the suburbs and commuted in. Ten times, people came from the outside saying, “They’re coming for you!” After the first few times, you’d say “thanks for the info,” but by the tenth time, it’s getting in your head.
Nehemiah 4:12 (NASB)
When the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times, ‘They will come up against us from every place where you may turn,’
Nehemiah addresses this by stationing the people with their bows, spears, and swords.
Nehemiah 4:13 (NASB)
then I stationed [men] in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, the exposed places, and I stationed the people in families with their swords, spears and bows.
Remember the Lord
Then Nehemiah steps up. Proverbs 24:10 says if you are slack in the day of distress, your strength is limited.
Proverbs 24:10 (NASB)
If you are slack in the day of distress, Your strength is limited.
When things are hardest, that’s when leaders must step up. Nehemiah stands before the nobles and the officials and tells them not to be afraid. Why? Not because Nehemiah is a ninja with a sword, but because of who God is.
Nehemiah 4:14 (NASB)
When I saw [their fear], I rose and spoke to the nobles, the officials and 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 houses.’
He says, “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.” Gentlemen, time out! Who called us to do this? God did. So why are you worried about Sanballat and his sidekick? Who are they compared to God? Remember Him! He is the one who fights for us.
From that point on, they changed their strategy. Half the people worked while half stood guard. They carried loads with one hand and held a weapon in the other. Nehemiah kept a trumpeter by his side so that if the alarm sounded, everyone would rally together.
Nehemiah 4:20 (NASB)
‘At whatever place you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there. Our God will fight for us.’
They labored from dawn until the stars came out. They didn’t even take off their clothes; they kept their weapons at the ready.
Nehemiah 4:23 (NASB)
So neither I, my brothers, my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us removed our clothes, each [took] his weapon [even to] the water.
Instead of stopping the work, the opposition actually galvanized their resolve. It fueled their passion. That’s what happens when you’ve read the fine print—you aren’t surprised when the battle starts.
The Ultimate Holy Discontent
As we wrap up, I have to ask: are you experiencing opposition? If you are, where is it coming from? If it’s from people you trust who love God, you should listen. But if it’s from the periphery—people who don’t know you or love you—shake the haters and let it go.
I’m 37, so I’m in that “tweener” phase of life. I’ve seen a lot of opposition. When I went to seminary, people thought I was crazy. When we started the church, the “over-under” was six months, and most of the money was on the “under.” But I never experienced more opposition than when I first placed my faith in Christ.
When I told people I wanted to know Jesus, they said, “Jesus? That’s funny. Let’s go to the bar. Just have a shot and you’ll feel better.” When I put my faith in Him, they called me a “Bible thumper,” even though I didn’t even own a Bible yet! They told me I was committing “intellectual suicide” because “intellectual people” don’t need a religious crutch. Well, if Jesus is a crutch, I’ll take Him and give me another, because He is enough for me.
If you have never placed your faith in Christ, and God is stirring that holy discontent in you, that is the one you have to get right. Pursue Him. Invite Him into your life. He is the finished work. None of your good works will earn favor with God; only the work of Jesus. If you settle that holy discontent, the others will naturally follow.
Let’s pray.
Father, we want to make sure we don’t put the cart before the horse. We need to pursue Jesus first. If You have given us new life, we are forgiven and at peace with You. As You break our hearts for what breaks Yours, help us to focus on You regardless of the explosions around us. If You have called us, help us simply to be obedient one day at a time. We thank You in Christ’s name, Amen.