NEHEMIAH-PART 6
Distracted from Doing the Best
March, 30 2025

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What has God called you to build?

Nehemiah 2:20 - I answered them by saying, “The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding

o What is at stake is the WORSHIP of God and the CITY for the future.

The problem is that once something is built or being built, Satan, demons, sin, and sinners work against everything that you’re trying to build.

2 Corinthians 2:11 - in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.

Big Idea: The scheme is to get us off track from worshipping God, building better families, and building a city for the future:

1. He tried DISTRACTING them so they would stop building the wall.

Nehemiah 6:1-4 - 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— ² Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” 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?” ⁴ Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.

Philippians 3:13 - Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,

2. He tried SLANDERING them so they would stop building the wall.

Nehemiah 6:5-8 - 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 ⁷ and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.” ⁸ I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”

3. He tried to fill them with FEAR so they would stop building the wall.

Nehemiah 6:9 - They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.” [But I prayed,] “Now strengthen my hands.” …He 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 — by night they are coming to kill you.”

Isaiah 41:10 - So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

2 Timothy 1:7 - For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. AMP

What’s the difference between concern and worry?

A. Concern focuses on challenges and moves you to ACTION

B. Worry focuses on what’s beyond our control and results in INACTION.

Matthew 6:27 - “Can any one of you by worrying “add a single hour to your life?”

4. He tried to DECEIVE them so they would stop building the wall.

Nehemiah 6:12 - I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

1 John 4:1 - Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 - For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

1 John 2:20 - But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

Nehemiah 6:15-16- 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.