1 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,880 Near my Chapter 6, we are looking at all of the chapter 2 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:14,640 tonight, picking up where we left off last week in Chapter 5. 3 00:00:14,640 --> 00:00:17,400 And the title of tonight's message is dealing with 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,800 distractions. Dealing with distractions so 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:25,240 that we're finishing strong in God's work, that which he has 6 00:00:25,240 --> 00:00:26,720 called us to. I don't know if you've ever 7 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:31,120 started and probably with a new year upon us, you have maybe a 8 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:34,880 project with enthusiasm where that's maybe a home renovation, 9 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,000 perhaps a New Year's resolution, certainly at this time some kind 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,280 of a fitness goal or more of a spiritual discipline. 11 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:45,560 You know, 2026, this year I want to get into God's Word more. 12 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,120 I want to be more more devoted to understanding what God's Word 13 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,920 is saying and then only to find that you can get sidetracked by 14 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:58,080 distractions, that things will pop up and it's very easy to 15 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:01,440 begin strong, isn't it? It's more difficult to finish 16 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,519 with grit and purpose and and finishing in such way, a way 17 00:01:05,519 --> 00:01:09,680 requires a determined focus and commitment to that which you 18 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,280 know you've been called to. Because interruptions can come 19 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:16,000 from every angle and many times they're well meaning. 20 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:22,080 Many times they can at surface level look and appear good. 21 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,720 But what we as believers need to consider is not necessarily is 22 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,720 this a good thing for my life, but is this a God thing for my 23 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:32,840 life? And will it distract from that 24 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,360 which God has called me? You. 25 00:01:35,400 --> 00:01:38,760 Us too. I remember reading about a 26 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:43,920 concert violinist who revealed her secret to mastering this 27 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:45,720 instrument. And if any of you have had a 28 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,800 child go through such lessons, you know, it's. 29 00:01:49,120 --> 00:01:51,360 Yeah, it's difficult, isn't it? It's putting it kindly. 30 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,880 And she said this. I deliberately planned to 31 00:01:54,880 --> 00:01:59,000 neglect everything else until my practise was complete. 32 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,360 So in other words, what she said was there was this planned 33 00:02:02,440 --> 00:02:06,240 neglect of of everything else and and saw it as a distraction 34 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:09,800 almost until she had done that which was a priority for her and 35 00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,640 focused in on that practising the the essential amid all of 36 00:02:13,640 --> 00:02:16,320 the noise and mayhem, the busyness of life. 37 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:20,760 All of that to say, in Nehemiah chapter 6 here, the walls of 38 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:24,480 Jerusalem and and near completion, we find this and 39 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,160 there's been some 52 days of intense labour going on. 40 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:30,880 If you've been following the story, there's been heavy 41 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,920 opposition from the outside. These fellows, Sam Ballot, 42 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:40,680 Tobiah Ghesham and others, it seems they won't quit with their 43 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:44,120 antagonism and opposition against Nehemiah and the people 44 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,720 of Jerusalem as they're endeavouring to build what is 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,680 ultimately God's work. You see, the war was very 46 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:53,640 important in a spiritual sense for the people of Israel. 47 00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:58,360 And so now Sam, Bella and Tobiah and this geisha, they kind of 48 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,640 shift tactics somewhat in chapter 6. 49 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:03,360 They've they've tried out and out opposition. 50 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:05,200 We'll get a little bit of that in this chapter. 51 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:09,200 But now they're trying to distract Nehemiah personally, 52 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:15,120 aiming to again, same goal, halt God's restorative work at place 53 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:20,840 here in Jerusalem. There's intrigue, some stories, 54 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,040 some fabrications going on, there's innuendo as they seek to 55 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:29,720 attack the character of Nehemiah and out and out intimidation and 56 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,000 Satan's schemes through these fellows. 57 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:36,800 And, and they're the strategy is to try and divert Nehemiah, to 58 00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:40,440 try and disgrace Nehemiah, to try and deceive Nehemiah and the 59 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,600 people, causing a cessation to the work that they put their 60 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,040 hands to. It's the same goal and it's the 61 00:03:46,040 --> 00:03:48,440 same today. Those strategies, the way that 62 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:52,920 the enemy Satan works against US and against God's work in US and 63 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:58,800 through us to try and divert us, to disgrace us, to distract us, 64 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,760 to deceive us. And yet Nehemiah, what we'll 65 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,480 see, he'll stay focused, committed to it. 66 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:07,800 He discerns the traps and he presses on despite them. 67 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,960 So the main idea here for us tonight is this. 68 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:12,520 And this will be up on the screen. 69 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,960 And if you're the note taking type, you can quickly jot it 70 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:16,399 down. And that is this, that if you 71 00:04:16,399 --> 00:04:20,760 forget anything else tonight, when distractions threaten to 72 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:26,040 derail God's work in our lives, we must discern the enemy 73 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:31,360 schemes, deny their power through prayer and persistence, 74 00:04:32,240 --> 00:04:36,400 and dedicate ourselves fully to the great task God has given to 75 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,280 us. So this chapter isn't just 76 00:04:39,280 --> 00:04:42,720 history for us again, it's not just a, oh, that's a, a neat 77 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,440 little story with some conflict and here's how they dealt with 78 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,640 it. But it's a battle plan for us. 79 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,440 And I hope that we can recognise it because it's very applicable. 80 00:04:50,960 --> 00:04:54,920 We too face distractions in our lives, in our faith, in our 81 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:59,920 families, in this church, in the ministries that God has called 82 00:04:59,920 --> 00:05:02,240 us to. So we're going to walk through 83 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:04,680 this chapter, chapter 6, expositionally going through the 84 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:07,840 verses, and we'll see three key movements. 85 00:05:07,840 --> 00:05:10,120 Again, if you're taking note, they'll be up on the screen in 86 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,080 the 1st 4 verses. The diversion of intrigue. 87 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:16,360 This is how these fellows now come upon Nehemiah and the 88 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:19,400 people at work in Jerusalem. And secondly, we'll see the 89 00:05:19,400 --> 00:05:21,800 disgrace of innuendo. Seeing that that doesn't work. 90 00:05:21,800 --> 00:05:27,320 OK, let's, let's put out a smear campaign against Nehemiah, see 91 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,880 how his character goes against that. 92 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,560 And then going back to the good old fisticuffs of intimidation. 93 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,280 And there's a bit of politicking at the end as well, the 94 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:39,040 deception of intimidation, verses 10 through to 19. 95 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,040 So again, if you haven't opened our Bibles to Nehemiah 6, let's 96 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,440 see how God equips you and I tonight to finish strong in that 97 00:05:46,440 --> 00:05:50,000 which he has called us to considering the first, the 98 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:56,640 diversion of intrigue here the enemy attempts to cause Nehemiah 99 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,160 to get distracted by focusing on something else other than that 100 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,920 which God has called him to verse one. 101 00:06:02,520 --> 00:06:04,600 Now it happened. I'm reading from the new King 102 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:10,640 James when Sam Bellot, Tobaya, Gisham, the Arab and the rest of 103 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:12,320 our enemies. So there's, there's more to it 104 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:14,680 than just these three fellows. There's all of their minions, 105 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:19,320 shall we say, heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that there 106 00:06:19,320 --> 00:06:22,160 were no breaks left in it, though at that time I had not 107 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:25,880 hung the doors in the gate. So man, some impressive progress 108 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,840 and what we'll see is in the space of 52 days, this building 109 00:06:30,840 --> 00:06:34,640 project will be complete. The wall now at this point in 110 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:38,280 verse one is structurally complete, but only the gates 111 00:06:38,280 --> 00:06:42,000 remain. So this is a a pretty high 112 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:43,520 stakes moment when you think about it. 113 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:48,280 It's the the tension of almost there but not yet finished 114 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:50,760 enough. There's times when you're 115 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:53,640 committed to a project around the house and you've been 116 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:55,800 working and labouring and, and you reach that point of 117 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,640 exhaustion and you're near the end and you can kind of see the 118 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,360 finish line insight and you've just got to push through that 119 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:05,600 last barrier. It's akin to in the Olympics, 120 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:08,200 the marathon and you've been running out in the suburbs and 121 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,560 now you arrive in the stadium and, and the crowd is cheering 122 00:07:11,560 --> 00:07:14,160 and, and the finish line is there, but you've got 3 or 4 123 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:16,360 laps of the stadium to finish. Still. 124 00:07:16,840 --> 00:07:18,320 This is where they're at here in near mine. 125 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:21,200 It's more than just the fact that well that the gates aren't 126 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:22,560 on. The gates were the most 127 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:26,120 vulnerable points in the world. That is where the the place 128 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:28,360 would now most likely come under attack. 129 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,880 So it's pretty important that Nehemiah not be distracted from 130 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,640 the task of finishing the work that they've put their hands to 131 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,360 that they've progressed so far to achieve to this point where 132 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,720 the walls are at their height. But man, we've just got the 133 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,920 gates left to hang on. We can't stop now. 134 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:47,400 We're we're almost done, but not yet. 135 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:48,880 Let's push through to completion. 136 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:50,440 So important to finish right here. 137 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:56,080 So verse 2, Sam Ballot and Gisham verse 2, sent to me 138 00:07:56,080 --> 00:08:01,160 saying, come, let us meet together among the villagers in 139 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:05,080 the plain of Oh, no. And you can kind of say it like 140 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:06,840 that. Oh, no, don't do it, Nehemiah. 141 00:08:09,560 --> 00:08:12,640 We'll stop there for a minute. Suddenly these foes who had 142 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:16,560 mocked Nehemiah for so long, you know, everything that had come 143 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,480 out of their mouth up until this point was very antagonistic. 144 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:24,760 Now it's like, hey, buddy, hey, Nehemiah, old power mate. 145 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:29,320 And Nehemiah's automatically going, hang on a minute, this is 146 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:30,760 something different going on here. 147 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:35,520 And they proposed this friendly summit to this place called Ono, 148 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,039 which was a neutral kind of scenic spot about 40 kilometres 149 00:08:40,039 --> 00:08:43,919 northwest of Jerusalem. But the point is that it's far 150 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:47,800 away from Nehemiah's armed support that he's got around him 151 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:51,040 at this point in time. And verse 2 reveals their 152 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,480 intent. At the end of it, says they were 153 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:57,240 scheming to harm me. That's really this goal isn't as 154 00:08:57,240 --> 00:09:00,240 friendly as their invitation might have sounded, and as as 155 00:09:00,240 --> 00:09:03,920 good as it might have sounded, this wasn't diplomacy. 156 00:09:03,920 --> 00:09:07,480 It was a trap that they were setting, perhaps some kind of an 157 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:11,680 ambush or an assassination plot. The Hebrew here in the language 158 00:09:11,680 --> 00:09:14,760 for scheming implies this malicious plotting. 159 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,840 So at some point in time they've gone back into their, their, you 160 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,960 know, their dungeons, their bedrooms, their, their, wherever 161 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,760 that was that they met. And so how can we, how can we 162 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,720 distract Nehemiah? How can we get this project 163 00:09:27,720 --> 00:09:29,120 halted and stopped? I know. 164 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,960 And in this way it's very much echoing Satan's tactics, where 165 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,600 sometimes he comes as a roaring lion, but other times he comes 166 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,560 what clothed as an Angel of light, to deceive and to 167 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:44,360 manipulate. Here he's trying to isolate 168 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,720 Nehemiah out, to ultimately devour and to destroy. 169 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:51,680 What's Nehemiah going to do? How will he respond? 170 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:56,360 Will he be alert to their schemes and their Wiles? 171 00:09:56,680 --> 00:10:04,520 Verse 3 So I went to them. So I went to Ono. 172 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:07,000 No, it doesn't say that, it says. 173 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:11,120 So I sent messages to them saying, and here's their 174 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:16,160 message, I'm doing a great work so that I cannot come down. 175 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:21,080 Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you? 176 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,200 Nehemiah's response is firm, isn't it? 177 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,600 He doesn't, as I kind of hinted at in my reading of it, he 178 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:32,080 doesn't debate with them or negotiate with them. 179 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:38,200 He prioritises what is his focus and what God has called him to. 180 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:43,120 He calls it a great work. He doesn't even have a response 181 00:10:43,120 --> 00:10:45,880 himself to them. He sends off his messages. 182 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:49,400 So that's how committed to the task he is that God has called 183 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,680 him is I will. I will craft a message in 184 00:10:51,680 --> 00:10:53,400 response. But the messengers are going to 185 00:10:53,400 --> 00:10:57,080 do it because I can't waste my time even dialoguing with them 186 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:01,160 right now about this. As one commentator notes, he 187 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:06,280 says distractions often come disguised as opportunities, even 188 00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:08,720 seemingly good ones like peace talks. 189 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:12,920 Which is really what? You're not going to come, We 190 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,000 just want to talk peace. Nehemiah. 191 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:19,400 But Nehemiah discerns here that meeting now would halt the work 192 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,800 and the gates haven't been put on and thus exposing the people 193 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:25,840 they're vulnerable. Verse 4. 194 00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:34,480 But they sent me this message 4 times and I answered them in the 195 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:39,240 same manner. Persistence on their part meets 196 00:11:39,240 --> 00:11:42,280 persistence on Nehemiah's part. Come on out. 197 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,120 Nehemiah, come to Ono. Let's meet. 198 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:46,720 Let's talk Peace. No, I'm busy. 199 00:11:47,000 --> 00:11:49,120 It's a great work that God has called me to. 200 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:52,320 Come on, Nehemiah, come on out to Ono, Let's meet. 201 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,280 We want to talk peace. No, I'm busy. 202 00:11:55,840 --> 00:11:58,560 God has called me to a great work four times. 203 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,640 They go through this. The enemy presses, but Nehemiah 204 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:04,240 refuses. I don't know if you can feel the 205 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:08,040 tension in this, the situation that Nehemiah's in. 206 00:12:08,280 --> 00:12:11,360 It's kind of like a relentless telemarketer phoning. 207 00:12:12,760 --> 00:12:14,680 And you know, you can feel it at once. 208 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:17,200 The second time you get irritated, but a third time it's 209 00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:19,680 like, look, I've already told you that's how we're responding, 210 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:22,560 isn't it? Great offer. 211 00:12:24,160 --> 00:12:27,680 Or maybe you have a Co worker repeatingly urging you to join 212 00:12:27,680 --> 00:12:30,720 in with the office gossip or something like that. 213 00:12:30,720 --> 00:12:33,200 Come on, just this once, it won't hurt wearing down your 214 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:35,880 resolve to just try and tempt you to give in. 215 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,000 We've all been there. It's it's like the Dieter facing 216 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:43,080 the 4th doughnut push from friends and just have another 217 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:47,840 doughnut with us. Or the parents holidays fielding 218 00:12:47,840 --> 00:12:51,800 endless pleas from the kids for just five more minutes on the 219 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:56,200 screens. Spiritually, this is Satan 220 00:12:56,200 --> 00:13:00,400 whispering that lie over and over and over and over again. 221 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:02,440 You know, skip your devotions today. 222 00:13:02,520 --> 00:13:03,720 I mean, you're too, you're too busy. 223 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:08,040 You got so much on your plate and it's holidays after all. 224 00:13:08,040 --> 00:13:11,680 And you know, don't bother with church today and hoping that the 225 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:16,960 4th time or or the 104th time that you'll cave in and 226 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:19,520 surrender and and crack your commitment in this way. 227 00:13:19,520 --> 00:13:22,680 But Nehemiah's steadfast no here to them. 228 00:13:23,080 --> 00:13:26,000 I think it tugs at our hearts because it's a battle that we're 229 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,480 very familiar with in our lives against compromise. 230 00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:34,160 And it reminds us of of how important it is to stay true to 231 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,920 that which God has called us, particularly near the finish 232 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:40,120 line when you've covered so much ground and territory and made 233 00:13:40,120 --> 00:13:43,840 such progress that to now compromise would be to 234 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:48,200 disqualify. Now I remember as a kid watching 235 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:50,760 and Speaking of Olympics, I'm just thinking off the top of my 236 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,360 head here, I think it was a, an Australian Olympian called Kerry 237 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:56,520 Saxby who did the walk. Remember that? 238 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:00,320 Man, I used to do little athletics as a kid and I hated 239 00:14:00,320 --> 00:14:02,880 the walk. It was my worst event because I 240 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:04,320 could never get the technique right. 241 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,840 And I'd always look to try and get disqualified as quickly as I 242 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:09,760 could because then I wouldn't have to complete the race and 243 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:12,920 focus on the next ones. But I remember she, she's made 244 00:14:13,080 --> 00:14:14,640 all this progress. You know, they, they do 245 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:17,800 kilometres out in the suburbs of, of where the, the city 246 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:19,640 that's hosting it. And they come into the stadium. 247 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:23,120 And then just as she was entering the stadium, she gets A 248 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:28,040 and it was the final quality disqualified disqualification 249 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:32,120 for a technique and the absolute devastation on her face of 250 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:36,040 having come so far but not being able to finish through being 251 00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,960 disqualified. And and I think of that now in 252 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,520 connecting this to our point in in what Nehemiah think of it, he 253 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:46,520 has committed so much energy, so much effort to the task that God 254 00:14:46,520 --> 00:14:50,200 has called him and the people of Israel to to rebuild the walls 255 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:53,840 to re establish the worship of God in Jerusalem. 256 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:56,680 To come so far to this point would be akin to that 257 00:14:56,680 --> 00:15:02,160 disqualified application coming up at the very end, and such a 258 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:05,960 waste it would be. And yet I think this ought to 259 00:15:05,960 --> 00:15:10,320 inspire us because God calls each of us to a great work, a 260 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:13,520 great project that we're privileged to be a part of in, 261 00:15:13,520 --> 00:15:17,560 in the Great Commission that Jesus started and his has 262 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:19,640 extended to us. To equip people through his 263 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,160 Word, to exalt him in worship as we've done tonight. 264 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,880 To entreat in prayer as we do regularly here in this place and 265 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:29,080 in our homes. To encourage one another in the 266 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,800 things of the Lord, to evangelise with the gospel of 267 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:34,040 Jesus and to seek and to save the lost. 268 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,360 And so practically, as we consider these 4 verses at the 269 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,880 very beginning of this chapter, maybe this week, we need to 270 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:47,120 discern certain distractions that the enemy would send out 271 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,280 when an Oh no invitation comes something pulling you from 272 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:58,720 priorities that God has placed upon you to be focused and, and 273 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,920 on and considering. And does this advance God's work 274 00:16:02,400 --> 00:16:06,640 or halt it? And it could sound like a good 275 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,840 thing, couldn't it? It could even be a good thing 276 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:14,320 that, you know, someone's inviting you out to often get 277 00:16:14,320 --> 00:16:18,520 invitations from people from other churches in the area for a 278 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:21,440 catch up frequently. And let's do this and let's 279 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:24,400 focus on that and people from others, you know, wanting 280 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:28,080 counselling or some other things or, or to, you know, say, here's 281 00:16:28,080 --> 00:16:30,760 a good idea for the church. But no, I'm committed to what 282 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:35,520 God has called me to here to be about the study and priority of 283 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:39,080 focusing on God's word so that I'm able to teach and to prepare 284 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:41,280 the the ministries and the service of things here. 285 00:16:41,280 --> 00:16:45,560 And they're good ideas out there, but there are no 286 00:16:45,560 --> 00:16:48,720 invitations for me that would distract from that which God has 287 00:16:48,720 --> 00:16:51,600 called me to, to prioritise and to focus on. 288 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,240 It's been a difficult thing for me to learn to say no to good 289 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,440 things. And sometimes we can get 290 00:16:59,440 --> 00:17:02,960 ourselves saying yes to a lot of stuff that at the surface sounds 291 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,599 good, but it distracts us from the priority of what God has for 292 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:08,520 us to focus in on and to press into. 293 00:17:09,040 --> 00:17:11,640 If it's not aligned with the great work that God has called 294 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,480 us to, guess what? As good as it sounds, hey, it's 295 00:17:14,480 --> 00:17:17,119 a peace talk, Nehemiah. It's a distraction. 296 00:17:17,839 --> 00:17:21,280 It's a distraction. And so like Nehemiah, I think we 297 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:25,440 need to plan neglect of lesser things to finish strong. 298 00:17:25,440 --> 00:17:29,240 He says, no, I can't come. God has called me to a great 299 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:32,640 work and I must be busy with that and prioritise that which 300 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:37,400 God has called me to focus on. So seeing that that doesn't work 301 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:41,160 for Nehemiah versus 5 to 9, there's this innuendo now and 302 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:44,000 the disgrace that they try to do in attacking Nehemiah's 303 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:46,880 character and it escalates. Verse 5. 304 00:17:47,040 --> 00:17:51,240 Then Sam Bellot sent his servant to me as before the 5th time 305 00:17:51,720 --> 00:17:58,040 with an open letter in his hand. So after 4 rejections, they send 306 00:17:58,040 --> 00:18:01,080 out an open letter, now unsealed. 307 00:18:01,080 --> 00:18:04,760 So normally there would be the scrolls sealed and the person 308 00:18:04,760 --> 00:18:07,720 who would write it would stamp their seal on, and the person 309 00:18:07,720 --> 00:18:10,960 who would receive it would know that it hadn't been tampered 310 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:13,920 with, that that message was private and for them as they 311 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:17,000 broke open the seal for the first time in reading that. 312 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:22,680 But now, now it's akin to in today's language that that these 313 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:25,080 guys, they've they've figured the invitations not work. 314 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:26,000 So here's what we're going to do. 315 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:27,440 We're going to post it on a public forum. 316 00:18:28,680 --> 00:18:31,040 We're going to it's like that person that you work with that 317 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:34,200 bulk emails everybody in, they CCS the boss in. 318 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:36,080 Ever work with somebody like that? 319 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:39,680 You know, it's like you've been having private correspondence 320 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:41,760 with someone via email. Then all of a sudden you see, 321 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,600 hang on a minute, they've CC Ed the boss in what's going on now 322 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:47,800 this is what these guys are doing. 323 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,720 It's like the the public comment on a church Facebook page or an 324 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,520 Instagram page. So everyone knows now what they 325 00:18:55,520 --> 00:19:00,600 are on about. Verse 6, it's the classic smear 326 00:19:00,600 --> 00:19:05,880 campaign in it was written. It is reported among the nations 327 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:11,440 and Geesham says, quoting a reliable source that you and the 328 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:15,840 Jews plan to rebel. Therefore, according to these 329 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,560 rumours, there you are. They call it right, you are 330 00:19:19,560 --> 00:19:23,280 rebuilding the wall that you may be their king. 331 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:28,280 Now, I don't know how much you know about history, but 332 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,720 Ardixerxes is the king in Persia at this point in time. 333 00:19:32,920 --> 00:19:36,760 And so using this smear campaign, they effectively 334 00:19:36,760 --> 00:19:39,920 accused Nehemiah of treason against King Ardixerxes. 335 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,760 Now Ardixerxes had come to power through the very same thing, 336 00:19:43,920 --> 00:19:47,280 treason against his father and having killed his brother and 337 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,120 others had tried to commit treason against Artaxerxes. 338 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:53,840 So though a lie here that they fabricated, it's very believable 339 00:19:54,000 --> 00:19:57,520 and a legitimate concern of King Artaxerxes in Persia. 340 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:02,320 And Gisham says it's true, adding this false credibility. 341 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,840 It's kind of like the the modern gossip who reliable sources say 342 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:14,200 everybody's saying, let me ask a question that I think 343 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,440 rhetorically you can answer. You know the answer. 344 00:20:16,920 --> 00:20:22,440 Who is the father of lies? This is where it's coming from, 345 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,640 isn't it? This is lies and schemes from 346 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:29,000 the very pit of hell. Satan is behind this, sowing 347 00:20:29,000 --> 00:20:32,240 doubt here to demoralise Nehemiah and the work that has 348 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:35,720 taken place. The goal is to disgrace 349 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,840 Nehemiah's reputation, to erode trust that the people have in 350 00:20:39,840 --> 00:20:44,240 him, and to stop the work. They know that as soon as those 351 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:48,080 gates are on, these walls that are now built, they're as good 352 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,760 as secure. Verse 7. 353 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:56,400 And you have also appointed prophets to proclaim concerning 354 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,840 you at Jerusalem, saying there is a king in Judah. 355 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,000 Now these matters will be reported to the king. 356 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:05,160 So come therefore and let us consult together. 357 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:10,200 It's like you feel like saying to Sam Ballot, the author of 358 00:21:10,200 --> 00:21:11,640 this letter. What are you, 2? 359 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:13,200 Are you back in primary school now? 360 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,280 This is the I'm telling type thing here, isn't it? 361 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:21,120 I'm going to go and tell the king and boy look out Nehemiah 362 00:21:21,120 --> 00:21:28,000 when he finds out the threat will tell Ardixerxes, implying 363 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:32,520 some kind of royal investigation or ultimately they're hoping for 364 00:21:32,520 --> 00:21:36,240 execution of Nehemiah because that's that's what an accusation 365 00:21:36,240 --> 00:21:39,520 if found guilty would end up with Nehemiah his head being 366 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:42,800 separated from his body, but Nehemiah sees through it. 367 00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:49,200 Verse 8 Then I sent to him saying no such things as you say 368 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:52,040 are being done, but you invent them in your own heart. 369 00:21:54,400 --> 00:21:56,720 Can I be blunt? In other words, Nehemiah saying 370 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,400 you're an idiot, you're making up lies. 371 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:07,640 It's a flat denial. There's no elaborate defence 372 00:22:07,640 --> 00:22:09,320 here. These are liars, they've been 373 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:11,760 invented. And in other words, Nehemiah 374 00:22:11,760 --> 00:22:18,280 saying, you can innuendo all you want, and here he's trusting God 375 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,880 with his reputation. He's not going out. 376 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,640 Well, I've got to, I've got to look at these words that they've 377 00:22:23,640 --> 00:22:25,720 written. I mean, I, I can't believe that. 378 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,640 And he's not underlined or highlighted or, or figured out, 379 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,120 you know, with his lawyers in cahoots, how are we going to 380 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:34,720 handle this? He just says, no, it's wrong, 381 00:22:34,760 --> 00:22:37,840 it's a lie. And now he's trusting God to 382 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:43,720 take care of his reputation. Verse 9 indicates that for they 383 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:46,920 were all trying to make us afraid, saying their hands will 384 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:49,320 be weakened in the work and it will not be done. 385 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,160 Nehemiah sees the real goal in this unsealed this open letter 386 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,880 in this rumour campaign that you know the whispers have been 387 00:22:58,880 --> 00:23:01,320 going on throughout the area and surrounds. 388 00:23:01,840 --> 00:23:05,160 It's not just to ruin Nehemiah's name, but to try and paralyse 389 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:08,080 the entire project that they've been working so hard on. 390 00:23:09,000 --> 00:23:12,000 The Hebrew phrase their hands will get too weak literally 391 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,360 means their hands will drop. So picture this body language. 392 00:23:15,360 --> 00:23:19,040 That's the hopes of this letter, that they would slack off, that 393 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:20,640 they would drop, that they would give up. 394 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:22,160 They would be like defeated people. 395 00:23:22,160 --> 00:23:25,360 And so it's a vivid picture here in the hopes that the letter 396 00:23:25,360 --> 00:23:28,560 would sow discouragement among the people that like a virus, 397 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:32,160 would cause the builders to simply stop the work, give up 398 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:35,160 and go. What's the point be all defeated 399 00:23:35,160 --> 00:23:38,040 in such a way? It's, it's really psychological 400 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,200 warfare, trying to attack the credibility of the leader, to 401 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,560 make him look shady, to make the people doubt him and his 402 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:48,160 leadership. And then the work collapses from 403 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:50,680 within as there's this bickering and fighting going on. 404 00:23:50,680 --> 00:23:55,880 And we know exactly what Nehemiah is feeling here, don't 405 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:58,320 we? Because many of us have lived 406 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,320 versions of this experience for Nehemiah. 407 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:05,280 Think of the time someone spread 1/2 truth about you at work. 408 00:24:06,160 --> 00:24:10,440 I heard he's only in it for the promotion and suddenly 409 00:24:10,840 --> 00:24:13,760 colleagues give you that funny look in meetings and you you're 410 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:17,200 sort of second guessing yourself and decisions, your confidence 411 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:18,920 wobbles. You, you know, you want to try 412 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,720 and spend the whole day proving them wrong. 413 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:25,360 Well, picture the, the church member quietly whispering and 414 00:24:25,360 --> 00:24:28,600 telling others, you know, I, I don't think the pastor really 415 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,640 cares about such and such. And so, and so, and I mean, look 416 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:34,160 how much time they're spending on this when I think they should 417 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:36,840 be spending it on that. And, and, you know, if it's not 418 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:39,160 his idea, then they're not really interested in it. 419 00:24:39,160 --> 00:24:41,320 And I thought we were supposed to be the church. 420 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:43,520 And, and so there's this sort of stuff that goes on. 421 00:24:43,520 --> 00:24:46,400 And so, you know, there's fewer smiles and then there's these 422 00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:49,600 nagging voices and, and, well, maybe they're right after all. 423 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:55,160 Or closer to home, family member or, or close friend repeats A 424 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:58,400 distorted version of something that you said years ago. 425 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,960 See, you know, she, she always puts herself first. 426 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:03,960 She's just always just thinking about herself. 427 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,560 Or he always does that. And then, you know, suddenly the 428 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:08,960 holiday gathering feels pretty intense again. 429 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:15,120 Conversations become guarded. And you lie awake wondering, how 430 00:25:15,120 --> 00:25:17,080 am I going to clear my name in this? 431 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:22,320 The sting that Nehemiah is feeling here is real, just as it 432 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,160 is for you and I in similar circumstances. 433 00:25:26,840 --> 00:25:28,720 A reputation. It matters, doesn't it, because 434 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:33,800 it affects trust. And if you're a part of any 435 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,680 group, trust is so important in the efficacy of that group and 436 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:41,640 the commitment to the mission. And Nehemiah, again, he could 437 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,600 have launched into a full PR campaign and defend himself and 438 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,160 his character and and rally supporters and and seek letters 439 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:52,360 from people in Persia and from the government to try and, you 440 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:56,080 know, just endorse his credibility and so on to counter 441 00:25:56,080 --> 00:25:58,840 every whisper here or to confront the room among us 442 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:02,680 publicly. But he doesn't do any of that. 443 00:26:03,840 --> 00:26:07,920 He turns straight to God with one of the shortest, most 444 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,520 powerful prayers in Scripture at the end of verse 9. 445 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,880 We haven't read it yet, but he says this now. 446 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:19,440 Therefore, oh God, strengthen my hands. 447 00:26:21,520 --> 00:26:25,360 We've seen Nehemiah pray some quick prayers in the past. 448 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,200 We've seen Nehemiah labour for months in prayer as well. 449 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:33,520 But here in, in this instant, it's a, you know, there's no 450 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,080 long explanation, no, no demanding of vindication. 451 00:26:37,080 --> 00:26:42,680 It's just a raw, urgent plea for fresh strength from God to keep 452 00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:44,640 on working despite the opposition. 453 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:46,600 It's effectively a prayer like this. 454 00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:54,120 God help me, God help me. And I've prayed some of those 455 00:26:54,120 --> 00:26:56,800 prayers and I think you have too. 456 00:26:57,760 --> 00:27:02,040 God, strengthen my hand, give me wisdom right now. 457 00:27:02,800 --> 00:27:05,120 Help me. I pray you know the situation, 458 00:27:05,120 --> 00:27:07,240 you know the circumstance, you know what they've said. 459 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,240 You know what's been done. Just God, will you help right 460 00:27:11,240 --> 00:27:13,200 now, please? I committed to you. 461 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:19,280 That's that's all wrapped up. And so when lies fly and, and 462 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,120 hands grow heavy and, and people whisper and, and look funny and 463 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:29,000 you know what to do, Pray. Because pray in this way, it 464 00:27:29,000 --> 00:27:33,280 energises you to to lift that next stone, to be faithful to 465 00:27:33,280 --> 00:27:36,800 that which God has called. Do you feel that the relief in 466 00:27:36,800 --> 00:27:42,880 the simplicity of that God doesn't need us to win every 467 00:27:42,880 --> 00:27:44,440 argument. You know, sometimes we can be 468 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,720 like that, but they're wrong. Yeah. 469 00:27:47,160 --> 00:27:53,320 We know God here has called you and I to stay on task. 470 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,480 And Nehemiah has been called to stay on task. 471 00:27:58,440 --> 00:28:04,920 So this week, maybe innuendo. Innuendo or slander might hit. 472 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:10,840 We're at work, or online or in the family conversation and 473 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:13,920 chat. Maybe even in church circles. 474 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,880 Resist the urge to defend or to retaliate. 475 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:23,800 Instead, echo Nehemiah's prayer out loud. 476 00:28:24,520 --> 00:28:27,920 God help. God, strengthen my hand, or if 477 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:30,080 you're in the journaling type, you know, write it down. 478 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:36,040 God, help me now, strengthen my hands and then get back to the 479 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,640 work that God has called you to. Don't be distracted in this way. 480 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:46,920 Love your spouse, disciple your kids, serve in your ministry, 481 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:53,800 lead the church, share the gospel, and let God defend your 482 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:58,080 character while you are busy about the mission. 483 00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,960 Lastly, verses 10 through to 19, we'll kind of progress through 484 00:29:04,120 --> 00:29:06,840 fairly quickly. The deception now that comes 485 00:29:06,840 --> 00:29:11,480 through intimidation. Verse 10, afterward I came to 486 00:29:11,480 --> 00:29:16,000 the House of Shamaya, the son of Delia, the son of Hetabel, who 487 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:21,120 was a secret informer, and he said, let us meet together in 488 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:23,960 the House of God within the temple, and let us close the 489 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:26,440 doors of the temple, for they are coming to kill you. 490 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:29,400 Indeed, at night they will come to kill you. 491 00:29:30,840 --> 00:29:34,800 Shamaya, he's this supposed prophet, and he urges hiding in 492 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:38,600 the temple's holy place, a sanctuary. 493 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,560 Nehemiah, they're coming for you, and they're coming at night 494 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:42,320 time. You need to hide and come with 495 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:43,480 me. Let's go to the temple. 496 00:29:43,480 --> 00:29:48,880 That'll be the safest space. And I said verse 11, should such 497 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:54,040 a man as I flee and who is there such as I who would go into the 498 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:57,080 temple to save his life? I will not go in. 499 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,840 Now we need to understand something here is it sounds like 500 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,280 a good idea. And no doubt there were people 501 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,760 probably out to kill Nehemiah. And it sounds like Nehemiah you 502 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:10,880 need to hide. But The thing is, is in the 503 00:30:10,880 --> 00:30:16,360 Bible, in the Book of Numbers, the only people who were allowed 504 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,360 in the sanctuary in the holy place of the Temple were who? 505 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,680 The priests. Nehemiah was not a priest. 506 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,840 He was not able to go into there. 507 00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:30,600 There was no biblical sanctuary for him to enter into this 508 00:30:30,600 --> 00:30:33,120 place, even as a fugitive in this way. 509 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:38,280 And it turns out in verse 12 that this guy Shamaya knew this 510 00:30:38,560 --> 00:30:43,880 because he was hired to conjure up this story to see if Nehemiah 511 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:45,800 would come out in this way. It was a trap. 512 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:50,920 Then I perceived verse 12 that God had not sent him at all, but 513 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,280 that he pronounced this prophecy against me because Tobiah and 514 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:59,160 Sam Bella had hired him for this reason. 515 00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:02,880 He was hired that I should be afraid and act that way. 516 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:05,040 And Nehemiah knew it rightly. Sin. 517 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:11,040 Nehemiah knew Numbers chapter 18 verse 7 where it indicates that 518 00:31:11,040 --> 00:31:14,720 it's a sin for anybody else but the priesthood to enter into the 519 00:31:14,720 --> 00:31:16,600 place that they were trying to get him to go to. 520 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,960 And thus they were trying to discredit again Nehemiah and his 521 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,720 leadership by sinning so that the smear campaign would have 522 00:31:25,720 --> 00:31:30,960 some legitimacy to hang hold of and spread destroying the 523 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:34,080 character of Nehemiah verse fourteen. 524 00:31:35,680 --> 00:31:41,560 My God, a prayer again. Remember Tobiah and Sam Bella 525 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:47,960 according to these their works and the prophetess Noah Dyer and 526 00:31:47,960 --> 00:31:50,000 the rest of the prophets who would have made me afraid. 527 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:56,400 So there's there's a whole group that have come together tried to 528 00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:01,520 smear Nehemiah in such a way. This prayer of Nehemiah here in 529 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:07,080 verse 14 is effectively saying, God, I don't need to tell you 530 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:09,640 the details. You know it all. 531 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:14,120 You know who they are. You know what they've said, you 532 00:32:14,120 --> 00:32:17,720 know what they've done. Nehemiah now is just going, God 533 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:22,520 remember them. I commit them to you. 534 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:26,640 Have you ever prayed those prayers? 535 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:30,720 God, you've said in your word, vengeance is mine, I will repay, 536 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:36,080 says the Lord. And that might be one way that 537 00:32:36,080 --> 00:32:39,160 God does deal with them. But you know another way that 538 00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:42,520 God might deal with them is God in his grace might change and 539 00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,720 transform their lives. There will be a radical 540 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:48,520 repentance at work in them to 'cause this. 541 00:32:49,160 --> 00:32:53,160 And here's what Nehemiah does. Nehemiah leaves the result, the 542 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,160 method up to God. You just praise God. 543 00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:58,520 You know their names, remember them. 544 00:33:00,520 --> 00:33:03,120 What a great prayer, What a great prayer. 545 00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:06,920 And So what happens verse 15? So the war was finished on the 546 00:33:06,920 --> 00:33:13,680 25th day of LL in 52 days. And it happened verse 16 when 547 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:16,960 all our enemies heard of it and all the nations around us saw 548 00:33:17,080 --> 00:33:20,720 these things that they were very disheartened in their own eyes 549 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:25,520 for they perceived that this work was done by our God and 550 00:33:25,520 --> 00:33:28,200 victory has been won. That's what happens when you 551 00:33:28,200 --> 00:33:31,680 give it to God. The enemies are disheartened. 552 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:34,880 God is glorified. Wow, the God of, of the people 553 00:33:34,880 --> 00:33:36,640 of Israel. And look what's happened in 554 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:38,560 Jerusalem. And did you hear how long it 555 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:41,440 took them to rebuild the wall? And it must be God. 556 00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:47,040 Now, I'd like to say that's where the chapter ends, but it 557 00:33:47,040 --> 00:33:48,920 doesn't. We read on, and it's not the 558 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:52,080 triumph of of those verses that we've just read of the wall 559 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:54,840 being complete. Instead, Nehemiah closes with 560 00:33:54,840 --> 00:33:58,880 this kind of sobering postscript now that even after the wall 561 00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:01,560 stands strong, there's opposition in their midst. 562 00:34:01,960 --> 00:34:04,760 It hasn't vanished. It says verse 17. 563 00:34:04,760 --> 00:34:07,640 Also in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters to 564 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:10,719 Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came to them. 565 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:14,719 For many in Judah were pledged to him because he was the son in 566 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:19,520 law of Shekinah, the son of Arah, and his son Jehonan had 567 00:34:19,520 --> 00:34:22,320 married the daughter of Meshalam, the son of Barakaya. 568 00:34:22,880 --> 00:34:26,159 Also verse 19 they reported his good deeds before me. 569 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:30,159 Well, did you hear what Tobiah has done in Nehemiah and 570 00:34:30,159 --> 00:34:36,000 reported my words to him? Tobiah sent letters to frighten 571 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:39,520 me. It seems Tobiah had married into 572 00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:44,199 some prominent families there in, in Jerusalem, in, in Judah. 573 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:47,600 And so he, he wields a bit of influence and he he uses these 574 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:51,960 connections to politic and the nobles exchange letters with him 575 00:34:51,960 --> 00:34:56,600 and he's bound by marriage with some alliances and some oaths. 576 00:34:56,600 --> 00:35:00,560 And, and they're praising Tobiah publicly and in in Nehemiah's 577 00:35:00,560 --> 00:35:05,880 earshot whilst feeding Nehemiah's words back to Tobiah. 578 00:35:06,960 --> 00:35:11,560 This is the classic insider betrayal, influential people 579 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,320 playing both sides, kind of leaking information where it 580 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:18,320 suits here and there, name dropping and undermining trust 581 00:35:18,320 --> 00:35:21,600 and keeping the pressure on Nehemiah all through this. 582 00:35:22,680 --> 00:35:26,680 And again, I think we know what Nehemiah is going through 583 00:35:26,680 --> 00:35:29,120 because we've felt and experienced echoes of it. 584 00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,240 You know, it's like the, the walls up in our lives with 585 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:42,600 something, but the gates are not and the arrows keep coming in 586 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:46,040 this way, subtle, persistent and from people who should be on 587 00:35:46,040 --> 00:35:50,040 your side. You know, in a, in a church 588 00:35:50,040 --> 00:35:53,080 setting, it can be, you know, things where there's just been 589 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:58,320 a, a big time of heavy ministry and, and God's been moving and, 590 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:01,560 and some kind of a, a successful season maybe in the life of a 591 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:03,800 church and seems like the, the pressure's off. 592 00:36:03,800 --> 00:36:07,560 But then then criticism comes and, and words and, and these 593 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:11,760 things and, or in your marriage or in your family, you know, it 594 00:36:11,760 --> 00:36:14,320 finally feels like we've been working through a difficult time 595 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:17,640 and it feels stable right now. Only to learn that there's a 596 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,920 close relative maybe still stirring up old grievances 597 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,280 behind your back and sharing distorted sort of versions of 598 00:36:24,280 --> 00:36:27,080 things. Or at work, you know, there's 599 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:30,760 been public praise given, but then a colleague who is a part 600 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:33,560 of that that you trusted has been bad mouthing decisions that 601 00:36:33,560 --> 00:36:36,280 you made to your boss, trying to position themselves for the next 602 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,120 promotion. This is Nehemiah. 603 00:36:40,880 --> 00:36:42,600 There's a weariness in that, isn't there? 604 00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:50,040 52 days been building, labouring under such intense situations at 605 00:36:50,040 --> 00:36:53,400 times with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other and 606 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,480 the likelihood of attack coming and all of these letters and all 607 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:01,440 of this persistence and, you know, the completion and the 608 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:04,040 enemies humiliated. But now he's dealing with 609 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:07,840 disloyal nobles in his midst, whispered reports and 610 00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:11,600 intimidating letters. And that's exhausting. 611 00:37:12,640 --> 00:37:16,840 That's lonely work and contempt, the bitterness in the heart. 612 00:37:18,000 --> 00:37:22,880 But again, notice what he does. There's no retaliation. 613 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:27,360 He doesn't launch a purge of the nobles. 614 00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:31,560 He doesn't even name them publicly in these verses. 615 00:37:31,960 --> 00:37:34,280 There's some names mentioned, but none of those that were 616 00:37:34,520 --> 00:37:38,200 involved in this. He simply records the facts and 617 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,440 trust again the situation to God. 618 00:37:40,920 --> 00:37:44,680 Just a scene in his earlier prayers and he is keeping his 619 00:37:44,680 --> 00:37:52,240 focus on finishing the work. The V1 already stands and he's 620 00:37:52,240 --> 00:37:54,800 letting the wounds linger in the enemy. 621 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,200 So this week maybe a Tobiah letter arrives. 622 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:11,040 Lingering criticism inside elites post victory sabotage. 623 00:38:12,080 --> 00:38:15,760 Don't let that steal the joy of the Lord. 624 00:38:16,720 --> 00:38:18,520 Let the joy of the Lord be your strength. 625 00:38:19,280 --> 00:38:23,680 Don't let it derail the calling that God has placed upon you. 626 00:38:26,440 --> 00:38:29,280 We don't dismiss the hurt. Don't get me wrong. 627 00:38:29,280 --> 00:38:32,040 Acknowledge that and it's real. But don't let it. 628 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,440 Here's here's the difference. Don't let it define you. 629 00:38:36,560 --> 00:38:39,320 Prayers Nehemiah did all throughout this chapter and the 630 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:43,200 book as we've seen. Remember, Oh God, God, you know 631 00:38:43,240 --> 00:38:45,040 their names, you know what they've said, you know what 632 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:47,800 they've done. And then you keep busy building 633 00:38:49,400 --> 00:38:52,120 and strengthen relationships where you can and set wise 634 00:38:52,120 --> 00:38:55,640 boundaries where needed. But stay faithful to the task 635 00:38:55,640 --> 00:39:01,080 that God has given. Finishing strong often means 636 00:39:01,080 --> 00:39:05,520 enduring the last quiet attacks with grace, knowing that the 637 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:10,200 wall stands because God helped. So Nehemiah shows some 638 00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:12,680 distractions for us tonight in this chapter. 639 00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:16,840 The diversion through intrigue. We've looked at the disgrace via 640 00:39:16,840 --> 00:39:21,120 the innuendo, the deception and intimidation, but the 641 00:39:21,120 --> 00:39:27,280 discernment that God gave Nehemiah, his ability to take 642 00:39:27,560 --> 00:39:30,440 that which was fuel from the enemy and give it to God in 643 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:34,960 prayer, it leads to completion of the task and the glory of 644 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:39,080 God. And again, what I've done with 645 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:42,520 each chapter is Nehemiah. It's, it's, it's a pretty great 646 00:39:42,520 --> 00:39:45,480 character and a good story. And the temptation is for us to 647 00:39:45,480 --> 00:39:47,240 look at him as the hero of the story. 648 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:52,760 But Nehemiah is just a a picture that points ultimately to Jesus 649 00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:59,720 Christ, the ultimate finisher. We could say, think and consider 650 00:39:59,760 --> 00:40:01,800 Jesus. He faced distractions, many 651 00:40:01,800 --> 00:40:05,000 didn't. He temptation in the wilderness 652 00:40:05,480 --> 00:40:09,280 40 days. And the enemy came with all that 653 00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:15,600 he could consider the betrayal of Judas, the denial of Peter, 654 00:40:16,680 --> 00:40:22,600 the mockery at the cross. And yet Jesus prayed not my 655 00:40:22,600 --> 00:40:27,080 will, but yours be done. And endure the cross to be able 656 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:32,480 to say, to tell us that it is finished, the work is done. 657 00:40:33,400 --> 00:40:37,680 And therefore it's his resurrection power that now 658 00:40:38,000 --> 00:40:42,880 pulses through our veins to help us to endure in similar 659 00:40:42,880 --> 00:40:47,960 situations and circumstances. I pray that this chapter has 660 00:40:47,960 --> 00:40:51,640 been an encouragement to you to be to be wise to distractions, 661 00:40:53,000 --> 00:41:00,280 maybe social media, different fears, false friends, and in 662 00:41:00,280 --> 00:41:03,640 light of this text this week, maybe recommit to the great 663 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:06,160 work, the great project that God has called you to. 664 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:08,360 God has called me to a great work. 665 00:41:08,360 --> 00:41:11,560 I cannot come down. I can't be distracted. 666 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:15,160 This God, help me, strengthen me now strengthen my hands. 667 00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:17,760 God, remember them. You know them. 668 00:41:17,920 --> 00:41:19,360 You know what they've said, what they've done. 669 00:41:19,360 --> 00:41:21,920 Help me now in this to be faithful to that which you've 670 00:41:21,920 --> 00:41:25,080 called me to be busy about. Let's pray. 671 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:30,960 Lord God, I thank you for each person gathered here tonight for 672 00:41:30,960 --> 00:41:35,000 the call that collectively we have all been given. 673 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:38,960 And then individually, specifically that which is a 674 00:41:38,960 --> 00:41:42,000 godly focus for us as we've been reading your word and and 675 00:41:42,000 --> 00:41:45,960 hearing and listening from you as to what it is that we need to 676 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:48,440 be busy about. As a great work of you in our 677 00:41:48,440 --> 00:41:50,160 lives. Whether it be in our homes, in 678 00:41:50,160 --> 00:41:54,200 our families, in our marriages, in our relationships here in 679 00:41:54,200 --> 00:41:57,040 this church, in our ministries, in, in whatever it is that 680 00:41:57,040 --> 00:42:03,520 you've called us to help us to learn from the examples set in 681 00:42:03,520 --> 00:42:08,280 this passage tonight of Nehemiah to trust in you, to commit to 682 00:42:08,280 --> 00:42:13,040 prayer our ways and to allow you to work in and through us. 683 00:42:14,200 --> 00:42:17,200 And ultimately, Jesus, we need your strength in our lives. 684 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:19,000 We need your help. We need your assistance. 685 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:21,560 So this is our prayer tonight. And we pray in your mighty, 686 00:42:21,560 --> 00:42:24,440 powerful name, God's people said, Amen.