Loving God! Loving People! Loving Life! Message Notes Change Your World In 52 Days Part Four Life Church Smyrna September 28, 2016 7:00pm Pastor Dyke Verkerk When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates. Nehemiah 6:1 THE CLOSER YOU GET TO DOING WHAT GOD WANTS DONE, THE HARDER YOUR ENEMY WILL FIGHT TO STOP YOU. YOUR ENEMY S STRATEGY 1) YOUR ENEMY WILL TRY TO DISTRACT YOU. Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono..." Nehemiah 6:2 I M NOT COMING DOWN. But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" Neh. 6:2-3 2) YOUR ENEMY WILL TRY TO DISCREDIT YOU. BY SPREADING RUMORS. Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: "It is reported among the nations and Geshem says it is true that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together." Nehemiah 6:5-6, 7b BY TEMPTING YOU TO COMPROMISE. (Shemaiah) said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you." 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Nehemiah 6:10, 12-13 I M NOT GIVING UP. But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" Nehemiah 6:11 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:15-16 The big idea: You can change your world with God s help!
part four How to remain focused and finish strong in the midst of distractions. 1
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When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates. Nehemiah 6:1 THE CLOSER YOU GET TO DOING WHAT GOD WANTS DONE, THE HARDER YOUR ENEMY WILL FIGHT TO STOP YOU. 3
YOU DON'T FACE OPPOSITION FOR DOING SOMETHING WRONG, YOU FACE SPIRITUAL OPPOSITION WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING RIGHT. 1. YOUR ENEMY WILL TRY TO DISTRACT YOU. 4
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono..." Nehemiah 6:2 WHEN YOU START MOVING FORWARD AND DOING WHAT GOD CALLS YOU TO DO, YOUR ENEMY WILL TRY TO DISTRACT YOU. 5
I M NOT COMING DOWN. But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: "I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" Nehemiah 6:2-3 6
JUST BECAUSE YOU COULD DO SOMETHING DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD DO SOMETHING. 2. YOUR ENEMY WILL TRY TO DISCREDIT YOU. 7
BY SPREADING RUMORS. Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written: "It is reported among the nations and Geshem says it is true that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. cont d 8
Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their king Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together." Nehemiah 6:5-6, 7b YOU DON'T FACE OPPOSITION FOR DOING SOMETHING WRONG, YOU FACE IT FOR DOING SOMETHING RIGHT. 9
BY TEMPTING YOU TO COMPROMISE. (Shemaiah) said, "Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you." cont d 10
12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me. Nehemiah 6:10, 12-13 AS YOU RISE IN EFFECTIVENESS, YOUR SPIRITUAL ENEMY WILL TRY TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU ARE MORE THAN WHAT YOU REALLY ARE. 11
THE CLOSER YOU GET TO DOING WHAT GOD WANTS DONE, THE HARDER YOUR ENEMY WILL FIGHT TO DISTRACT YOU. I M NOT GIVING UP! 12
But I said, "Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!" Nehemiah 6:11 1. God loves to use ordinary people and gives them extraordinary callings. 13
1. God loves to use ordinary people and gives them extraordinary callings. 2. You define the vision clearly. 1. God loves to use ordinary people and gives them extraordinary callings. 2. You define the vision clearly. 3. You inspire people passionately. 14
1. God loves to use ordinary people and gives them extraordinary callings. 2. You define the vision clearly. 3. You inspire people passionately. 4. When you feel discouraged remember your God who is great and awesome. 1. God loves to use ordinary people and gives them extraordinary callings. 2. You define the vision clearly. 3. You inspire people passionately. 4. When you feel discouraged remember your God who is great and awesome. 5. When you are distracted, you say, I m doing a great work, I m not coming down. 15
So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 6:15 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. Nehemiah 6:16 16
Do not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time you will reap a harvest if you do not give up.' (Galatians 6:9) the big idea You can change your world with God s help! 17
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