Message Notes & Questions
Message Title: Overcoming Opposition Part 2
Speaker: Aaron Sanders
Date: Nehemiah 6:1-16
Primary Scripture: November 24, 2019
When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the city gates— 2Sanballat and Geshem sent me a message: “Come, let’s meet together in the villages of the Ono Valley.” They were planning to harm me.
—Nehemiah 6:1-2 (CSB)
and a
Our greatest fear should not be of failure, but of succeeding at something that doesn’t really matter.
—D.L. Moody
3So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing important work and cannot come down. Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?” 4Four times they sent me the same proposal, and I gave them the same reply.
5Sanballat sent me this same message a fifth time by his aide, who had an open letter in his hand. 6In it was written:
It is reported among the nations—and Geshem agrees—that you and the Jews plan to rebel. This is the reason you are building the wall. According to these reports, you are to become their king 7and have even set up the prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim on your behalf: “There is a king in Judah.” These rumors will be heard by the king. So come, let’s confer together.
8Then I replied to him, “There is nothing to these rumors you are spreading; you are inventing them in your own mind.” 9For they were all trying to intimidate us, saying, “They will drop their hands from the work, and it will never be finished.” But now, my God, strengthen my hands.
—Nehemiah 6:3-9 (CSB)
The only way to defeat a rumor is to
11Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. 12Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.
—1 Peter 2:11-12 (CSB)
10I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, son of Mehetabel, who was restricted to his house. He said:
Let’s meet at the house of God, inside the temple. Let’s shut the temple doors because they’re coming to kill you. They’re coming to kill you tonight! 11But I said, “Should a man like me run away? How can someone like me enter the temple and live? I will not go.” 12I realized that God had not sent him, because of the prophecy he spoke against me. Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13He was hired, so that I would be intimidated, do as he suggested, sin, and get a bad reputation, in order that they could discredit me.14My God, remember Tobiah and Sanballat for what they have done, and also the prophetess Noadiah and the other prophets who wanted to intimidate me.
—Nehemiah 6:10-14 (CSB)
15The wall was completed in fifty-two days, on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul. 16When all our enemies heard this, all the surrounding nations were intimidated and lost their confidence, for they realized that this task had been accomplished by our God.
—Nehemiah 6:15-16 (CSB)
ICE BREAKERS
Introduce yourself and answer the ice breaker questions below:
• What is your favorite Thanksgiving dish?
• What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
• How do you tell the difference between an on-mission opportunity and a distraction?
• What distracts you from focusing on the call God has placed on your life? How can you prevent yourself from being distracted?
• Read Nehemiah 6:3. How would your life be different if you lived with Nehemiah’s determination?
• Nehemiah was the victim of a false accusation. How did he respond? Make a list of other Biblical characters who were also falsely accused. How did they respond?
• Have you ever been the victim of an unfair rumor? How did it make you feel? How did you respond?
• Scripture memory plays an important role in fighting temptation. Research what the Bible has to say about gossip and pick a verse for the group to memorize together.
• Has fear ever held you back from obeying God’s call?
PRAYER REQUESTS
Share prayer requests with the group. Spend some time praying specifically for the persecuted church.