What Keeps Us Going?
May-27-2018-AM-What-Keeps-us-Going.docxPosted by: craigaledbetter <craigaledbetter@...>
Why Do Christians Go the Extra Mile?
(Nehemiah 6:1-16)
May 27, 2018 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Matthew 5:38-42)
A. Jesus taught us to keep going
1. In the Garden of Gethsemane, He kept going
2. When rejected and abandoned and then crucified, He kept going
B. You and I need SOMETHING to keep us going…
1. To get us to stay in our marriages
2. To keep US teaching our children the right way to live, instead of turning just about everything over to the State, and to the schools, and to the TV of all stupid things!!!
3. To stay on the narrow and strait path, when it gets next to impossible
4. To keep following Jesus when it seems more and more out of step with the rest of the world (John 6:67)
C. Because our enemy the devil, is set on hindering, slowing, halting, and collapsing us and our efforts to follow the Lord Jesus (1Thes 2:18) and live like He wants us to!
II. Background (Nehemiah 6)
A. It is about 440 years before the birth of Christ
B. Nehemiah has returned to the land of Israel, and gotten a small group of people busy rebuilding the city walls of ancient Jerusalem
1. They were not professional mason or architects or brick-layers
2. These builders were simple people and their families, struggling to quickly rebuild protective walls and gates so that they could get back to raising their families and enjoy living as the people of God
C. They were not welcome there – they were surrounded – under constant threat by the army of the Samaritans (4:7,8) – the Samaritans were people who had no respect for the things of God, and no love for the people of God. They were pagans who had run the lives of the people in Jerusalem for the past 160 years and were not wanting to just let them go!
D. Scared, discouraged, and distracted, the Jewish people were losing heart (4:10)
E. Nehemiah, the leader, the man with the burden and vision, had to do something
F. Last week, we learned that he did a lot of things…
G. One important thing he did was…
1. ARM the people! (4:13,17,18)
2. He placed a weapon in every hand to deter the Samaritans from attacking
3. And that restored their purpose and joy in building those walls! Without fear!
H. I'll say it again, Spiritual Warfare is real for the believer… "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:11,12
1. Take note of how all this in the book of Nehemiah mimics things in the kingdom of God… an invisible kingdom just as real as the chair you are sitting upon!
a. Nehemiah is not just a history lesson
b. It is a description of the kind of battles all believers face
c. And the instructions on HOW to face our enemy down instead of being defeated
d. The war is real
e. And the consequences are eternal
2. Remember John 10:10… "The thief [the devil] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy" – THAT IS HIS GOAL FOR YOUR LIFE!
I. What are Christians like today?
1. Demoralised and discouraged
2. Not winning many battles
3. Watching the world take away their children and grandchildren and turning them into monsters
4. Wondering if it is really all going to work out
J. How do we just keep going?
K. Let's read Nehemiah 6:1-16, and…
1. Resolve to STAY
2. To never quit
3. To do right – vote right – live right – to actually BE right
4. And to stay building and working and loving and serving even though we are surrounded and taunted, and constantly threatened by our enemy, the devil!
III. Message – What Keeps Us Going? (Nehemiah 6)
A. The Greatness of Our Work Keeps Us Going (Neh 6:1-3)
1. The work that Nehemiah and the few hundred people were doing was GREAT as in MASSIVE – huge - daunting – gigantic
a. There was a lot of work to do
1) Clearing away 160 years of rubbish
2) Stacking and cementing massive stones back together, fashioning walls and doorways and gates
3) Over 5km of 30 foot high walls and gates around the city of Jerusalem
b. There was just barely enough workers
c. Too much to do to quit
2. But the work they were doing was great in its other meaning… Great as in awesome, marvellous, impressive, important, grand, noble!
a. Rebuilding these walls was something they LOVED doing because those new walls were something great! Rebuilding their lives and futures was marvellous!
b. They knew of the promises of God in Jeremiah about rebuilding these walls…
c. Jer 31:3,4 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel...
d. And in Isa 60:18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
3. Do you have anything like that?
a. Something so different, so grandiose, so marvellous?
b. Jesus and His disciples did – it was called YOU! Christianity! (Heb 12:2)
c. All the people of faith in the Bible did (Heb 11:8-10; 11:13,14,16)
4. What keeps us as bible believing Christians going on?
5. The stark reality of our culture is that:
a. 2/3 of the population of Ireland know NOTHING about God, much less about the Jesus of the Bible! Not even vaguely religious anymore!
b. They hate God and they hate life!
c. They are drunkards, and porn addicts and wicked in their lifestyles
d. They reject the designs of marriage, and reject integrity, and have no interest in honesty
e. They are lost and in need of the Gospel!
f. THOSE FACTS MOVE ME AND MOTIVATE ME to keep preaching and keep trying to win their hearts and minds to faith in Christ!
g. We have so much to do to reach them and turn them to God
h. Sanballat wanted Nehemiah and all his people to stop being so fanatical, and so different – to instead just live like everyone else lived – in ruins!
6. And by the way, it is awesome serving the Lord - "I am doing a GREAT work…"
a. Preaching this blessed old Book
b. Calling men and women to prayer
c. Challenging young and old to live godly and soberly in these last days
d. Teaching children what is right and wrong from an absolute source
e. Going out into the highways and hedges and preaching the good news that Jesus saves
f. Training the next generation of young people to pastor and preach and lead the next generation after them!
g. Nothing else compares to the greatness of THIS work, right here, today! And I have done a lot of different things…
1) Sat in universities under some of the most intelligent professors, studying astrophysics and astronomy
2) Worked on the very backbone fibre-optic technology that runs the entire world-wide telephone and mobile phone network
3) Dug trenches and foundations; broke down old walls and helped build roofs
4) Married the most amazing woman alive
5) Had 5 gorgeous children
6) Have so far SIX even MORE gorgeous GRAND-children
7) And all have been amazing
h. But this work, this labour, this effort, rebuilding people and families, and lives is the greatest!
i. So don't count on ME quitting! The WORK is GREAT!
B. The Honour of our Work Keeps Us Going (Neh 6:2,3) "I cannot come DOWN"
1. What Nehemiah, and all the people were busy doing was not just great, but was honourable – nothing to be ashamed of
a. Evidently Nehemiah was NOT sitting high up in a lofty palace looking down on the work from his pillows
b. But was way up IN the midst of a load of work, repairing and rebuilding broken things
2. Sanballat wanted Nehemiah to be embarrassed of doing such menial work
a. They were implying that Leaders should not get their hands dirty
b. Should not be seen amongst the common people
c. Should be working on compromises and getting along with everyone
3. Sanballat wanted Nehemiah to stop what he was doing and come down and step down to their level – compromise
a. Not be so stand-offish
b. Not be so separate
c. But to invite all the Samaritans along to become part of their city and congregation
d. As if it was inferior without them
4. No. Nehemiah thought highly of what he was doing
a. That they did not need Sanballat's help
b. That Sanballat would only soil the work and bring shame on everyone doing the work
c. We do things different
1) Without money
2) Without armies
3) Without politics
4) Without entertainment
5) And most of all, without compromise
6) The Christian LIFE is the high life!
5. The Apostle Paul was the same! The apostle Paul was often mocked for all the things he did for Christ, but he LOVED and HONOURED everything he attempted (Rom 11:13; Acts 20:23,24)
a. Never was ashamed of constantly being in trouble and imprisoned for doing the will of God for his life
b. Never was ashamed of the simplicity and offensiveness of the Gospel message
c. Asked Timothy to check his own heart and never be ashamed of Paul. 2Ti_1:8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God
d. Paul's only worry was about being ashamed before Christ at the judgment seat of Christ one day… Php_1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
e. And because the work Paul was doing preaching and discipling and baptising and praying and starting churches was honourable, he would NOT quit, or faint (2Cor 4:1)
f. He couldn't get over the fact that GOD had put him into the ministry (1Tim 1:12)
g. And that the ministry is a good and honourable work (1Tim 3:1)
1) If anything that I as your pastor ask you to do is BENEATH you, then I will not be surprised when you one day quit on God and quit reading your Bible and quit coming to church and quit tithing
2) Oh yeah boy! Picky people are usually Quitters!
C. The People of our Work Keep us Going (Neh 6:3)
1. The very people Nehemiah was trying to help, would stop working if he quit
2. Do you ever imagine what would happen if YOU just quit on God?
a. Does ANYONE look up to YOU and try to be like YOU?
b. I bet you there are a few who do
c. And THOSE people, those souls, who watch you at work, and mock you at school, and listen to you from a distance, NEED YOU to stay faithful!
3. The work we do is the people
a. Jesus called them His "flock" of sheep
b. His friends
c. God's people!
4. THEY keep us going!
a. Yes, they wear us out.
b. Yes, they come and go
c. Yes they argue and knit-pick and fight and squabble and gossip
5. But THEY are our reason for being a church, and going out and getting some more in to hear the Gospel!
6. Because every great sinner, can become a GREAT Christian – by the grace of God!
7. You don't get Christians any other way!
D. The Consistency of our Work Keeps us Going (Neh 6:3-4)
1. What do I mean by that?
2. Everything constantly changes
a. Times change
b. Cultures change
c. People get more and more complex and difficult
3. But the work is the same
4. And that makes it easy
5. I just keep doing what I started doing 37 years ago as a 17 year old brand new baby Christian…
a. Started going out door to door soul-winning right away
b. Started helping my preacher do whatever he needed done around the church
c. Started faithfully coming out to Sunday evening church and then Wednesday evening Bible Study and prayer meeting
d. Started reading my Bible from cover to cover
e. Started singing in the choir, learning how to be a Tenor, and learning to sing the songs of heaven
6. Do you realise that
a. I don't have to go looking for something to preach – it is all right in here! God gave us everything we need to have life right in this one BOOK
b. I don't have to find some new way to convince people that Jesus is the only answer for the world today!
c. I don't have to expect a new bible translation to come out every two years just to keep up with the gutter language of modern people today!
d. I just keep doing what MY pastor, Jack Humbert was doing 37 years ago when I got saved – which, by the way, was exactly what HIS Baptist pastor, Charles Billington was doing almost 50 years ago – which by the way was what HIS Baptist pastor had been doing for nearly 60 years before that!
7. Do you know what we need here in Ireland?
a. Some people… a load of people who want to be consistent
1) Who don't care if almost every other church has a drum set and worship team with swinging girls leading praise!!!
2) Who don't care if all the other teenagers are out drinking and fornicating
3) Who don't care was the popular thing to do is
b. We need to just keep giving the same answer over and over again
1) A relationship with the living Lord Jesus, and the Bible, and the fear of God is the answer to all this world's problem
2) AND by the way, they are the answer to ALL YOUR problems too
3) We have a lot of consistent work to do
4) So we ain't quitting
8. The fact that the devil won't leave us alone, encourages me that I need to keep going
a. Our answers are the same TODAY as they were 2,000 years ago in Antioch, and Jerusalem and Rome
b. Yes, I'm tired. Yes, discouraged often. But the field is not finished yet
c. We MUST keep going, until every person hears about Jesus
d. Until there is a Bible believing church in every town
e. Until Ireland humbles herself before God before it is too late!
E. The Desperate Dependency upon Our God (Neh 6:4-9,14)
1. This is probably THE most important ingredient to staying at it as a Christian
2. Sanballat approaches with an open letter in his hand
a. Four times, Sanballat and his men tried to talk Nehemiah down – to stop being so fanatical, and so different
b. Four times, he consistently refused – just stayed working
c. The fifth time Sanballat approaches, he has the upper hand
1) There were some serious accusations made against Nehemiah
2) An Open letter means, it was being copied and posted up so that everyone could see the accusations being made about Nehemiah – like people do in the newspapers today (print any accusation), etc.
3) He seems to have some well known witnesses (Gashmu)
3. Sanballat makes some outrageous accusations that would ruin any normal leader
a. That Nehemiah was actually secretly leading the Jews to rebel against the king of Persia – treason
b. That Nehemiah was planning on setting himself up as king of Jerusalem – sedition
c. And that Nehemiah had set up a religion full of paid priests and prophets that would say Nehemiah is God's choice for king instead of Artaxerxes
4. And then Sanballat says, "We can work this out" IF you work with ME!
Coercion, manipulation, intimidation, bullying, strong-arm tactic – normal politics!
5. Notice 6:9… Nehemiah and all the people were gutted – they were terrified of the effect of the false accusations
a. Just like YOU and I would be
1) If someone accused you of stealing from your boss
2) If someone accused you of stepping out on your wife or husband
3) If someone accused you of sexual misconduct
b. It could ruin your life for years and years as you try to clear your name
6. So what did Nehemiah and all the people get busy doing?
a. They turned their weakness and fears over to their God
b. They had no one else to turn to – they were on their own, 800km from any army back in Shushan the palace that would protect them
c. They fell back on their already strong prayer-life
d. They held to the promises of God that they had memorised, and believed with all their hearts
e. They leaned on their relationship with the God who loved them
f. Religious duty, and ceremonies and traditions give no joy
g. But an hour in the presence of Jesus will carry you through the longest days and darkest nights!
7. Let me be very clear…
a. You WILL quit if you do not have a consistent walk with the Lord Jesus!
b. You will NOT stay on fire for God, on the strait and narrow, or stay excited and delighted serving God, and staying faithful, without a serious dependency upon Jesus
c. No prayer-time – quickly becomes dead efforts (John 15:5)
d. No love for Jesus will quickly become empty duties and dead ends
e. No time spent reading page after page of this Book will result in your heart and soul drying up like a prune
8. I pity those of you who have already quit reading your Bible and quit obeying God's word, because YOU will be the next to fall away
9. Unless it concerns you and you fear it and repent of thinking you can live without absolute dependence upon the grace and help of God every day!
F. The Exposure of Our Enemies Keeps us Going (Nehemiah 6:10-14)
1. Now this is exciting
2. I love it when our enemies are exposed for what and who they really are!
3. Nehemiah makes two great promises in this chapter
a. "I will not come down" (6:3)
b. "And I will not hide" (6:11)
c. His conscience was clear
d. He knew that whatever his enemies were planning, it would all be exposed
e. And you and I can count on that too!
4. Nehemiah saw right through all the niceness of Sanballat, and even Shemaiah
a. Here was Shemaiah in a chamber in the temple, evidently shut inside and meditating, fasting, and praying
b. He seemed really spiritual
c. And his invite was to Nehemiah to join with him and be safe
d. Whoever this guy was, he was a person Nehemiah had a good opinion of, and that Nehemiah would normally have trusted
5. Thankfully, everything Sanballat was saying and doing was being recorded, and was being exposed by God
a. Shemaiah was a fraud – a trap had been set to harm or kill Nehemiah once he left the view of all the outside workers
b. Every effort to stop and hinder Nehemiah was always exposed
6. THAT encouraged Nehemiah and all the workers on those walls!
a. When you see the opposing team stumble and fall trying to bring you down
b. When you see them get caught out lying and deceiving
c. It makes you laugh, and enjoy the fight!
7. Ladies and gentlemen,
a. We know our enemies tactics
b. 2Ti_3:13 But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.
c. And one day, every dark thing will be exposed
d. And that encourages us
e. We must be doing something right if Satan is working so hard to try and stop us
G. Lastly, Keeping Our Goal is in Sight Keeps Us Working (Nehemiah 6:15,16)
1. Nehemiah knew there was an end to the work
a. He had the goal in sight
b. Not a football goal, or a rugby goal, but a REAL Goal – of actually doing something that will last!
c. He could see all those massive walls all being finished
d. And then being able to REST! Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
2. THAT kept HIM and all those worn out, tired, discouraged, fearful co-labourers and workers and builders… that kept them working until it was finished!
3. It is the same with Christians today!
a. This church is proof people can be rebuilt
b. That lives can be saved
c. That in the midst of such wicked, filthy, sinful generations, teenagers CAN remain pure, and CAN wait for marriage and CAN love God and CAN do right!
d. This church is proof that God is still interested in Europe and Africa and Asia and all the dark places where Satan's kingdom has a grip!
IV. Conclusion
A. What are Christians like today?
1. Demoralised and discouraged
2. Not winning many battles
3. Watching the world take away their children and grandchildren and turning them into monsters
4. Wondering if it is really all going to work out
B. Jesus taught us to keep going
C. But you and I need SOMETHING to keep us going…
1. To get us to stay in our marriages
2. To keep US teaching our children the right way to live, instead of turning just about everything over to the State, and to the schools, and to the TV of all stupid things!!!
3. To stay on the narrow and strait path, when it gets next to impossible
4. To keep following Jesus when it seems more and more out of step with the rest of the world (John 6:67)
D. Because our enemy the devil, is set on hindering, slowing, halting, and collapsing us and our efforts to follow the Lord Jesus (1Thes 2:18) and live like He wants us to!
E. How do we just keep going?
1. The Greatness of Our Work Keeps Us Going
2. The Honour of our Work Keeps Us Going
3. The People of our Work Keep us Going
4. The Consistency of our Work Keeps us Going
5. The Desperate Dependency upon Our God
6. Lastly, Keeping Our Goal is in Sight Keeps Us Working
F. Folks, we have a lot of work to do as Christians
1. Building this church group
2. Building the next generation of Christians
3. Starting more churches
4. Turning hearts and minds to God's transcendent truth and reality
5. Saving souls from the bondage and damnation of sin
G. But you cannot even begin to work until you have been born again by the Spirit of God.
1. Are you only religious, or are you converted?
2. Is your faith in the church, or in your own goodness, or in yourself
3. Or is it completely resting on Jesus?
4. I invite you to admit you are lost and without hope and without God
5. And then cry out to God with all your heart, and receive the gift of eternal life that Jesus purchased just for you!
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