The Good Work: Standing Strong in the Face of Opposition
August 20, 2023

IMG_3757.png

The Good Work:
Standing Strong in the Face of Opposition

Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.” I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. —Nehemiah 2:17-18 NIV

  1. The

    Gate: The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

  2. The

    Gate: Evangelism.

  3. The

    Gate: The old Truths and path to God.

  4. The

    Gate: Humbleness during trials.

  5. The

    Gate: Cleaning up the flesh.

  6. The

    Gate: The Holy Spirit.

  7. The

    Gate: The Word of God.

  8. The

    Gate: Spiritual warfare.

  9. The

    Gate: The Second Coming.

  10. The

    Gate: Examined by God

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” —Nehemiah 4:1-3 NIV

But I will stay on at Ephesus until Pentecost, because a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me. —1 Corinthians 16:9 KJV

Don’t be surprised when you face .

invites opposition.

The devil doesn’t bother those who are not a .

I’m not going to be by praise or criticism!

I’m not going to let get into my head or get into my heart!

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders. So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. —Nehemiah 4:4-6 NIV

Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.” —Nehemiah 4:10 NIV

Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.” Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.” —Nehemiah 4:11-12 NIV

The opposition will only be as loud as my insecurities allow them to be.

After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome …” —Nehemiah 4:14 NIV

The greater the , the greater the for our God to fight for you.

… “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.” —Nehemiah 4:14 NIV

If I’m not ready to face opposition for my to God,
I’m not ready to be used by God!