BE ALERT! Saying ‘YES’ to God invites opposition from the enemy
READ TEXT: Nehemiah 4 & Ephesians 6:10-18
Sunday was the 6th sermon in our “{RE}BUILD, The Story of Nehemiah” series. Over these weeks the Lord has called the Anchor Church family to “rise up and build” the Kingdom of Jesus.
Sunday, from Nehemiah 4 we observed the enemies of God rising up to oppose the people of God when they began to {RE}BUILD. Our BIG IDEA Sunday was: “BE ALERT! Because saying ‘YES’ to God’s mission invites opposition from an angry enemy.” From verses 1-3 we see Sanballat, Tobiah, and the armies of Samaria come to mock Nehemiah and the builders in an effort to divide and demoralize God’s people and put an end to the work.
In our context this same sort of opposition comes from Satan himself. 1 Peter 5:8-9 says: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”
Satan is the father of lies and division. He often uses people to sow lies and stir division among God’s people. He whispers lies in our minds and hearts, uses people from outside of the church to sow division, and sometimes even from within. In scripture God calls us to resist and stand firm against THE enemy (Satan), but to “love our enemies (people) and pray for those who despitefully use us.” This is an impossible task without the power of the Holy Spirit and wisdom of God at work within us!
The question comes then, how do we resist THE enemy? From Nehemiah 4 we learn that we must:
Reject the enemies’ lies [vs. 1-3] by holding to the truth, clinging to God’s promises, and putting on the full armor of God.
Remain rooted in prayer [vs. 4 & 9] by crying out to God for help, praying against the enemy, and asking God for wisdom and power.
Promote clarity and focus [vs. 8] by pointing one another back to the way, truth, and life of King Jesus..
Encourage one another [vs. 14] by reminding one another not “to fear, but to remember the Lord Who is great and awesome.”
Maintain a warring posture [vs. 16-23] by organizing for mission, watching in prayer, taking up the armor of God, never letting our guard down, and looking out for one another.
QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER
What fears rise up in you when you’re considering wholehearted commitment to God’s mission?
What do you think is your next step into wholehearted devotion to Christ and His mission? What is holding you back? Who might the Lord want you to talk about it with this week?
How might a healthy fear of the Lord work to alleviate your fears of building the kingdom?
Which of the parts of the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-18) do you struggle to put on and utilize?
PRAYER FOCUS
Take time to meditate on Nehemiah 4:14b. Ask the Lord to remove all fear of following Him and building His kingdom. Ask the Lord to give you a fresh vision of His greatness… the sort that dispels all fear and leads to bold obedience.
SCRIPTURE MEMORY — Nehemiah 4:14
