Misc. Sermons
I Cannot Come Down
Neh. 6:2-3
(Advance Slide #1)
Introduction
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Are you doing a great work?
- Maybe the case is that you were doing a great work.
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- Have you come down from your “wall”?
- I believe that there is a great work taking place here at Una.
- There are precious souls that need to be protected, that need to be saved.
- The work MUST continue…we must keep building!
It must upset the devil to no end when his efforts against us fail.
- We face so many different types of opposition to quit building.
- Opposition will build…it will thrive…it will come but we must keep building.
Servants of God will face opposition, but we need to recognize it for what it is.
- It is the devil trying to stop things.
- Upset him by keeping the work.
(Advance Slide #4)
Text
2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” Neh. 6:2-3
Nehemiah is in the process of rebuilding the wall.
(Advance Slide #5)
- Chapter 4 - Neh. faced opposition, but was able to start back the work.
- Chapter 5 - The poor were being oppressed, this slowed things down but Neh. was able to help them.
- Chapter 6 - Now there is a conspiracy against Neh.
- A meting was scheduled by his conspirators at the plain of Ono
- There was no real business agenda for this meeting.
- Neh. was suspicious that they might want to harm him.
- Neh. needed to be on the wall, this meeting was not an excuse enough for him to come down.
The work had to continue, and they needed Neh.
- They tried 4 more times to stop the work of Neh. and Israel.
- 6:15 we read that the work was finished!
Lesson
(Advance Slide #6)
Our work is difficult…it is trying!
- If we want the enemy out and the safety of Christ within we need, no we MUST, keep going.
(Advance Slide #7)
Walls have two purposes:
- To keep the enemy out
- To keep those inside safe
(Advance Slide #8)
Are the materials that we use are important?
If a wall is going to withstand the enemy then it needs to be built of materials that the enemy cannot break through.
- We too need to build our walls with materials that will withstand the enemy.
- We need materials that have been covered in the blood of Jesus!
- Our faith, our hope, the work that we do, EVERYTHING about us needs to be beaded on His work at Calvary.
- Isa. 26:1 “We have a strong city; He (God) sets up salvation as walls and bulwarks.”
Israel didn’t use pebbles did they?
- There was a reason that they used rock….BIG ROCKS!
- The big strong rocks would keep the enemy out.
- What are you going to do to keep the enemy out of your life?
- Will you study? Will you pray?
- EX - Had all of the 3 Little Pigs built their homes out of brick it would have saved them future troubles!
(Advance Slide #10)
Why do we fail?
Do you ever wonder what we fail? Why do we walk away form the work so easily?
- We call it a lot of different things:
- They fell away, they quit attending, they are backsliding…well…why?
- The reason is that there is a hole in our walls.
- It could also be because the mortar that we are using is weak.
- Peter tells us how to strengthen our mortar.
- "5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:5-11
- In the song, The Battle Belongs to the Lord” there is this line, “no weapon thats fashioned against will stand”
(Advance Slide #12)
When do we need the wall?
The fact of the matter is that we need to resist the devil, not later but NOW!
(Advance Slide #13)
- 1 Peter 5:8 refers to the devil as a "roaring lion”
- While we work we must the ready and watchful!
The power that we need comes only through Jesus’ blood.
- “There is power, power, wonder working power, in the blood…”
- This requires a relationship with Him.
- However, this takes more than a occasional trip to church.
- It takes more than an occasional glance at the Bible.
- This sill weaken ones mortar and will create holes in our "walls.”
If we desire to keep the enemy out it takes a lot of work.
- It takes faith, it takes prayer.
- We must also keep busy with the Master’s work
- We MUST have a working faith in God!
Conclusion
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Neh. knew that he was engaged in a “great work”!
- God’s work was THE MOST important thing for him.
- Neh.’s opposition is not real different then the opposition we face today.
- Can we learn from his words?
I believe we can.
- When the devil temps us…when he distracts us…we must keep working!
- “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down."
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