NO TURNING BACK: OVERCOMING OPPOSITION AND DISCOURAGEMENT

Transcription

1 NO TURNING BACK: OVERCOMING OPPOSITION AND DISCOURAGEMENT Texts: Neh.4: 1-21 (6, 17); Lk.9: 62 Sermon Outline Introduction Opposition and discouragement: Realities in our daily Christian walk Accompaniments of opposition and discouragement Nehemiah s 7 Step Model for overcoming opposition and discouragement Conclusion Introduction It is not common to come across very successful people who did not pass through refining acid-tests in form of opposition and / or discouragement. There hardly can be crown without the cross, there hardly can be pleasure without pain, and there hardly can be benefits without burden. Karen Smyers had a successful career in the sport of triathlon. She won the World Championship titles in 1990, 1995, and Besides, Karen also won the Professional National Champion title for six successive years, a gold medal at the 1995 Pan Am Games, the Triathlon Pro Tour in 1993 and 1994, the World Cup Series in 1991, and a stunning victory over 7-time champion Paula Newby-Fraser in the Hawaiian Ironman World Championships in Her victory at the short course World Championship just 5 weeks later earned her the distinction of being the only woman ever to win triathlon s two most prestigious races in the same year. Let me quickly warn you that life is not a bed of roses! Karen s successes in later years did not come without serious health challenges and discouragement capable of making the strongest sportsman lose hope and become overwhelmed with despair. While preparing for the 1997 season, Karen experienced an accident with a storm window. A shard of glass sliced through her hamstring and she was laid SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 1

2 up for the season. Not one to miss an opportunity, she and her husband Michael executed Plan B and Karen was delivered of a baby girl in May While training for the Ironman in a bid to launch a comeback for the end of the 1998 season, tragedy struck again: she was hit by an 18-wheel truck With no permanent injuries, Karen remained undaunted and kept her focus on returning to Ironman in 1999 and on becoming eligible for the U.S. Olympic Trials which would determine the team to be sent to triathlon s debut at the Olympics in She began the 1999 season with a bang by winning the season opening Pan Am Game s qualifier at the St. Anthony s Triathlon in Florida and the St. Croix International the following weekend. By the end of the season, she had worked her way back to the podium on the World Cup circuit and was rewarded as the U.S. Olympic Committee s Triathlete of the Year. She became the flag bearer to lead the entire US delegation of 704 into Winnipeg Stadium, but that was not the end. Just 3 weeks after her Ironman finish was under her belt, she caught the brunt of a competitor s fluke mechanical failure during the last race of the season. The resulting flip off her bike broke her collarbone and prevented her from finishing a race for the first time in her seventeen-year career. A few days afterwards, a biopsy revealed she had thyroid cancer. Karen s thyroid was removed in a surgery that lasted six-hour at the close of After a gallant but unsuccessful bid to make the Olympic Team in 2000, she had to undergo another surgery to remove cancerous lymph nodes in her neck. She however returned to the racecourse in 2001 winning five races including her seventh National Champion title. The 40-year-old mum s comeback was complete when she returned to the 2001 Hawaiian Ironman to take 5th place finishing ahead of not only all the females over 40 but the males, too. After a second maternity leave, she returned to the 2005 Hawaiian Ironman and even at 44 years of age, she stunned onlookers with yet another Top 10 outstanding. Karen was honoured in 2009 to have been inducted into USA Triathlon s Hall of Fame in its inaugural year. In the face of discouragement and in the heat of opposition, do we lose heart? The issue at stake is not whether opposition and/or discouragement will arise or not, but when and if they do rear up their ugly heads, how do we deal with them and still overcome? Solomon says: For a righteous man falls seven times, but rises again (Prov.24: 16). SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 2

3 Opposition and discouragement: Realities in our daily Christian walk The fact that either opposition or discouragement or even both will rise up to deter us from achieving our spiritual goal is a reality. The Jews opposed Jesus for healing a lame man on the Sabbath day, how ridiculous! The only allegation against Him which in their opinion is worthy of death penalty is that: He called Himself the Son of God- how unimaginable! Opposition and discouragement may either come from within or without. Judas did not physically oppose Jesus like Sanballat and Tobias did, but he went as far as betraying Him. Paul states: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith; 9 but they will progress no further, for their folly will be manifest to all, as theirs also was. 10 But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, 11 persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra--what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. 12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them (II Tim ). Simply put, the advice of Paul is simple: Turn away from those who oppose the truth and discourage you from pleasing God, but ensure you continue in the hope of eternal life! It is clearly important that as we strive to overcome opposition and discouragement, ensuring they don t prevent us from reaching our spiritual goal, we ourselves should not become sources of opposition and discouragement. We should be careful not to oppose the truth and not to discourage the brethren as they strive constantly to please God. SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 3

4 Accompaniments of Opposition and Discouragement Just as in the days of Nehemiah, there are several elements that are directly associated with the twin evil of opposition and discouragement. From the passages below, these can be summarised as anger/fury, hostility, mockery, intimidation, negativism, weariness and deception. but when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?" (Neh.2: 10, 19). But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish--stones that are burned?" Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall (Neh.4: 1-3). Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion (Neh.4: 7+8). And our adversaries said, "They will neither know nor see anything, till we come into their midst and kill them and cause the work to cease (Neh.4: 11) For the purpose of emphasis, it is important to highlight the elements of opposition and discouragement mentioned in the book of Nehemiah: fury, indignation, mockery, anger, conspiracy, attack, confusion, kill (murder). The scriptures tell us about the work of the flesh: Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 4

5 that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God (Gal.5: 19-21). Nehemiah s 7 Step Model for overcoming opposition and discouragement The use of models and frameworks is very popular among management and strategy experts in dealing with modern day business management and leadership issues. Nehemiah s approach can be viewed as a seven step model that is effectively applicable, not only in dealing with opposition and discouragement, but also in overcoming these twin evil and achieving the preset goals. Nehemiah s model comprises the following: Establishing the source(s) of opposition and discouragement; The strategy of praying Imbibing courage and infusing courage in those around him; Focus on goal/objective; Being mindful of our unfailing source of strength and help; Being mindful of the brotherhood; and Taking immediate action Strategy implementation Let us now briefly consider the 7 steps taken by Nehemiah in his model. Establishing the source(s) of opposition and discouragement Nehemiah established the source of the opposition and discouragement. He was well aware of where these evil came from. 12 So it was, when the Jews who dwelt near them came, that they told us ten times, "From whatever place you turn, they will be upon us 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles In I Sam.17: 22-30, David ensured he fully established the source of threat and opposition to the sovereignty of Israel. Little wonder, he turned away from his Eliab when he opposed him. David knew that Eliab was SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 5

6 not the real source of opposition. He was a mere discouragement, but he saw the greatest discouraging element and opposition to Israel as Goliath and he tackled him successfully using the name of God. The real source of opposition to Christians is Satan and we should be aware of his antics. He however uses people around and sometimes within us to discourage us! The apostle Peter says: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith.. (I Pet.5: 8,9). The strategy of praying The entire book of Nehemiah portrays him as one who believed so much in the efficacy of prayer. He never forgot to pray. Right from the outset, even before commencing the project of rebuilding the broken walls of Jerusalem, he prayed: 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; (Neh.4: 4); 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said: "I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You b and observe Your c commandments, 6 please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. 11 O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer. (Neh.1: 4-6). When opposition arose, Nehemiah prayed: 4 Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads, and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! 5 Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 6

7 very angry, 8 and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. 9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God. (Neh.4: 4-9). Our Lord Jesus Christ was a perfect example of prayer. We are encouraged to pray without ceasing (I Thess.5: 17). Prayer constitutes one of the most essential elements of the whole armour of God described in Eph.6. It is therefore a veritable tool to deal with opposition and discouragement. A man that kneels before God will stand up before any man! Nehemiah also reminded the people around him about God: Remember the Lord, great and awesome! (Neh.4: 14). In a state of despair, in moments of opposition and discouragement, do we remember God? Paul says: Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving (Col.4: 2) Imbibing courage and infusing courage in those around him One of Nehemiah s strategies is being courageous and also infusing courage into the people around him. This is an important characteristic of effective leadership. Courage is needed to overcome opposition and discouragement. 14 And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Joshua was repeatedly told to be strong and of good courage. David says: Wait on the Lord and be of good courage (Ps.27: 14). Peter s epistle suggests that Christians must be courageous, otherwise it will be difficult to resist the devil! Walking on the narrow way entails a lot of perseverance and courage. Jesus indeed says: 13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because a narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matt.7: 13-14). Focus on the goal/objective Opposition and discouragement are part of the devil s strategies to distract God s children. We need to be aware that this two-edged sword is used by the devil to ensure we stop focusing on our goal, but on the problem on hand. 16 So it was, from that time on, that half of my servants worked at construction, SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 7

8 while the other half held the spears, the shields, the bows, and wore armour; and the leaders were behind all the house of Judah. 17 Those who built on the wall, and those who carried burdens, loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction, and with the other held a weapon. 18 Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the rulers, and the rest of the people, "The work is great and extensive. (Neh.4: 16-19a). Nehemiah and his team never allowed their immediate challenges to prevent them from continuing the work of rebuilding the wall. Paul rightly asks: Who shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus? (Rom.8: 35). I reckon that opposition and discouragement should not even be able to separate us from God s love. The writer of Hebrew enjoins us to keep looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Heb.12: 2). Paul never kept his eyes off the crown of righteousness until the very end. He kept talking about it with every amount of excitement. Christ admonished us not to let our minds be troubled for He has gone to prepare a place for us. How beautiful heaven must be! Being mindful of our unfailing source of strength and help Nehemiah was very mindful of the sole source of His strength and help. He also instructed his team to remember the Lord, great and awesome! This suggests ensuring they do not forget the awesome God of Israel who at various times and on different occasions delivered their fathers from adversities. The sons of Korah in the Psalms say: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge (Ps.46: 1-11). Again, the Psalmist says: I will lift up my eyes to the hills- from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.. (Ps.121: 1-8). This confidence moved David to write:.yea, though I walk in through the valley of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me. (Psalms 23: 4). We should never forget that we have a God SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 8

9 who never fails. The writer of Hebrews says:.for He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. (Heb.13: 5-6). When the flesh became weak and Christ was in deep agony, just before going to the cross, he went to the garden to pray! He simply went to draw strength and help! Being mindful of the brotherhood Again, in Neh.4: 14, Nehemiah told his team: fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses. It is important to note the preposition used here. He did not ask them to fight against their brethren, but for them. This suggests that the opposition we are faced with is external and our fight against the source of discouragement must be a collective one. Many a times, we leave the object of our contest which is the devil, and engage in several in-fightings. The Lord says: It should not be so among us! We are to be mindful of one another. We must be our brothers keepers. 12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-- and have all been made to drink into c one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many (I Cor.12: 12-14). Paul took mindfulness of his brethren to an absolutely excellent dimension when he declares: therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble (I Cor.8: 13). Taking immediate action Strategy implementation The seventh step in Nehemiah s framework for overcoming opposition and discouragement has to do with taking immediate action. This connotes the execution of the strategy formulated. Nehemiah did not just fold his arms, watching. He wasn t complacent, but robustly proactive. Having prayed and having devised his strategy, he sprang into action and reinforced this by reminding the people what was important to do. Therefore I positioned men behind the lower parts of the wall, at the openings; and I set the people SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 9

10 according to their families, with their swords, their spears, and their bows (Neh.4: 13). At the same time I also said to the people, "Let each man and his servant stay at night in Jerusalem, that they may be our guard by night and a working party by day (Neh.4: 22). David heard the threats from the Philistine giant who opposed and despised the army of God s children, but he didn t stop at that! A lot of matured and well trained soldiers were there but became faint in heart and grew weary because of the imposing and intimidating disposition of Goliath. However, prayerful, courageous and God-trusting David acted immediately and God gave him victory. Complacency is a killer! Laziness surely attracts defeat. Some Christians will be defeated by Satan not because they don t know what to do, but because of failure to do what is to be done and of course, at the right time. Act now and stop procrastinating! Conclusion So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work (Neh.4: 6): the people did not allow opposition and discouragement to prevent them from achieving their goal. Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things (Phil.4: 8) In the words of our precious Saviour: "No one, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Lk.9: 62). God s children must be insulated from discouragement. We must deploy the whole armour of God that constitutes our arsenal in ensuring that we combat opposition and overcome it. Beloved brothers and sisters, please ensure you never turn back. Do stay focused, stay blessed, and stay in Christ! GOD SAID IT, THAT SETTLES IT, I BELIEVE IT, THE BIBLE IS RIGHT! SOLA_ADEOSUN_GREATBARR_COC_ Page 10