Can courage truly thrive amidst relentless opposition and deceit? Join us as we explore Nehemiah's incredible journey in chapter 6, where he faces unyielding adversaries like Samballot, Tobiah, and Gershom who use every trick in the book to stop him from rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. This episode sheds light on Nehemiah's unbreakable spirit and steadfast resolve, illustrating how he confronts fear head-on and emerges victorious. We'll draw parallels to our own lives, underscoring the importance of perseverance and integrity when facing daunting challenges.
Shifting gears, we delve into the significance of the gifts of the Spirit and the necessity of biblical discernment. As your pastor, I emphasize that these spiritual gifts are tools provided by the Holy Spirit to uplift one another, not possessions to be claimed. We'll discuss the critical need to guard against false prophets who contradict Scripture, and the dire importance of upholding God's word with integrity. Our discussion ends with a heartfelt prayer for strength, courage, and guidance, inspired by Nehemiah 8:10, reminding us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Don’t miss this enriching episode as we prepare to journey into Nehemiah, chapter 7.
Can courage truly thrive amidst relentless opposition and deceit? Join us as we explore Nehemiah's incredible journey in chapter 6, where he faces unyielding adversaries like Samballot, Tobiah, and Gershom who use every trick in the book to stop him from rebuilding Jerusalem's walls. This episode sheds light on Nehemiah's unbreakable spirit and steadfast resolve, illustrating how he confronts fear head-on and emerges victorious. We'll draw parallels to our own lives, underscoring the importance of perseverance and integrity when facing daunting challenges.
Shifting gears, we delve into the significance of the gifts of the Spirit and the necessity of biblical discernment. As your pastor, I emphasize that these spiritual gifts are tools provided by the Holy Spirit to uplift one another, not possessions to be claimed. We'll discuss the critical need to guard against false prophets who contradict Scripture, and the dire importance of upholding God's word with integrity. Our discussion ends with a heartfelt prayer for strength, courage, and guidance, inspired by Nehemiah 8:10, reminding us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Don’t miss this enriching episode as we prepare to journey into Nehemiah, chapter 7.
Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. Nehemiah, chapter 6, and today's title is Courage in the Face of Fear. Courage in the Face of Fear. One of the greatest definitions I've ever heard of courage is to feel fear and move forward. Anyway, I don't think you can have courage without having fear. If you don't have any fear, well then you don't have to have courage, you just move forward. So it takes fear, takes the reality of danger, before courage even comes into play, and we're going to see some definite continued opposition to the rebuilding of the wall today in Nehemiah 6. But before we get into that, make sure you like, share, subscribe to YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you're leaving us comments, questions, angry outbursts. We want to hear all of it. Make sure you're also subscribing to the YouTube channel. We are on the road to 2000 now. Can't wait to get there together, got all kinds of ideas and it's going to be because of you. Thank you in advance for helping us with this and we all gather together at the Bible breakdown discussion on Facebook, because I'm going to tell you something the more we dig, the more we find, and they do an amazing job over there, just digging into God's word, digging into all the different things, and it is an honor and a privilege to be able to see what they're doing over there and it's just growing, as we are just developing this community of people that is just surrounded by God's word. So, speaking of that, if you have your Bible, I want to open up with me to Numbers. Excuse me, what in the world? Nehemiah, chapter six we haven't been in Numbers in a long time.
Speaker 1:
Nehemiah, chapter six remember the overall kind of building that's happening out of this, one piece after another. Chapter one of Nehemiah was all about he noticed or heard, that the walls of Jerusalem had just been in disarray, so he took responsibility. I'm going to take that next step. Chapter two was he went and he created a compelling vision. He cast a vision for what could be. Chapter three they got to work and it was hard, it was difficult, but they were doing it together.
Speaker 1:
Chapter four was all about expecting opposition and they got some. They had enemies from without and enemies from within. And then chapter five was all about hey, let's make sure that our words are matching our integrity, and our integrity is the honesty that we have and that we're treating one another fairly, because, man, we don't want to get to the end of this journey and maybe we accomplish a goal, but there's dead bodies all around us. You know what I mean? Because we haven't honored one another. And now today, we're seeing how there's continual, continual opposition. And that's the way life is. So many times you take care of one thing there's a problem over there. It doesn't always mean things are wrong, it just means that's life, that's the way things go. Nothing stays the way it is by itself, except the goodness of God. So we're always moving and growing and developing. Well, samballot, tobiah and Gershom are not done creating problems. And so, if you're ready, nehemiah, chapter 6, we're going to see what happens, we're going to see what courage in the face of fear looks like. You ready, nehemiah? Chapter 6, verse 1 says this Samballot, tobiah and Gershom, the Arab and the rest of our enemies, found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall, with that no gaps remained, and though we had not yet set up the doors in the gate.
Speaker 1:
So Sembalad and Geshem sent the message asking me to meet at one of the villages in the plains of Ono. But I realized that they were plotting to harm me. So I replied with this message and said to them I am engaged in a great work so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you? So they're asking him to come meet at a place called Ohno. And he writes them and says oh no, that was your dad joke for the day, but he's like, I'm doing a great work, I can't come down and waste my time with all this nonsense.
Speaker 1:
Verse 4. Four times they sent messages and each time I gave the same reply. The fifth time, some ballot servant came with an open letter in his hand and this is what it said there is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me that it is true that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you're building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. Also, that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you and to say look, there is the king of Judah. You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king. So I suggest you come and talk it over with me.
Speaker 1:
So what they're doing is they're trying to make him afraid. Make him afraid that they're going to modern phrase cancel him and create all kinds of lies and blackmail him essentially. And so look what happens, verse eight I replied there is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing. They were just trying to intimidate us, imagining that they could discourage us to stop the work. So I continued the work with even greater determination.
Speaker 1:
Later I went to visit Shemaiah, son of Delilah, and the grandson of Metabal, who was confined to his home. He said let us meet together inside the temple of God and bolt the door shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight. But I replied should someone in my position run from danger? Should someone in my position enter the temple to save his life? No, I won't do it. I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Samballot had hired him. They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. Remember, o God, all the evil things that Tobiah and Samballot have done, and remember Noadia the prophet, and all the prophets who are like her, who have tried to intimidate me.
Speaker 1:
So on October 2nd, the wall was finished, just 52 days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized that this work had been done with the help of our God. During those 52 days, many letters went back and forth between Tobiah and the nobles of Judah, for many in Judah had sworn allegiance to him because his father-in-law was Shekiniah, son of Erah, the son of Jehonan, who married the daughter of Meshulam, the son of Erah, the son of Jehonan, who married the daughter of Meshulam, the son of Berechiah. They kept telling me about Tobiah's good deeds and that they told him everything I said, and Tobiah kept sending threatening letters to intimidate me.
Speaker 1:
Wow, nehemiah is just continually just being barraged by all these people who are trying to come and just stop him from doing what God's called him to do. They even tried to manipulate him with false prophecies. That's what fear does. Fear wants to stop you with a whole bunch of nothing, with a whole bunch of words, a whole bunch of complaints, a whole bunch of just things. Anything to stop you from doing the work of God. But what did Nehemiah do? He didn't stop. He didn't stop moving.
Speaker 1:
Can I tell you there's been times in my life when I've grappled with something that I had a big idea from God. I feel like I knew what God called me to do, but I had so many people telling me to not do it, so many people telling me to go to the left, go to the right, instead of go forward. I've even had people give me quote unquote words from God, telling me something that was completely different than what I really thought God had called me to do, and it created great confusion in my life, and so one of the things that I did was I would go to the wisdom of friends and say what do I do with this? And what they would tell me is okay, wait a minute. Where did you get this original vision from me? Is okay, wait a minute. Where did you get this original vision from?
Speaker 1:
Well, there was an issue, there was a challenge. I read in God's word and I felt like God's word spoke to me. I need to move forward. Okay, so you're telling me you got this word from God, from God's word, yes, okay, well then, if God told you to do this, then he's not going to change his mind, he's not going to tell you the exact opposite of this.
Speaker 1:
So whatever you hear, that is contrary to God's word. It's not true. Obey God's word, not men. And I would say but this person said that it was a prophecy from God. And they go and Okay, great, if it contradicts God's word, throw it away, it's okay, it's fine, and then mark them as a false prophet. But stick with God's Word.
Speaker 1:
And I learned that lesson the hard way. And so I want to tell you something when you decide to obey God, there will be controversy, there will be people who will stand against you. Sometimes there'll be well-meaning people and sometimes bad actors who will try to give you a word from God. Can I tell you any word from God that is not backed up by the word of God, by scripture, throw it away. Don't just throw it away, but mark those people as false prophets.
Speaker 1:
And I know that's hard and that's harsh, but you got to be so very careful when it comes to declaring that you speak for God. I've told people before that I've, and I've had to tell them and be very kind about it when I say this. But I say you know I'm very, very particular when someone wants to give me a word from God, that you have to understand that I'm going to scrutinize that word by God's word, and if it does not back up from God's word, not only am I not going to believe you, but I'm never going to trust you, ever again. So be very careful, because I take that very seriously. If you're telling me you're speaking for God, you better be speaking for God, and I'll be honest with you. Because of that, people don't give me a lot of words anymore, and I'm okay with that, because God's word is my word. That's what I need and that's what Nehemiah is having to realize. He said no, no, no. God has given me what he wants me to do, and God hasn't changed his mind.
Speaker 1:
And so I want to encourage you today. If you're experiencing difficulty, that might be a time for you to stop and go. Wait a minute. Am I going in the right direction? But if you know God has given you his word, god has given you this direction and you've taken responsibility, and then you have cast a vision and you've worked hard and you've experienced opposition, and then your integrity matches your word and now you're experiencing again. Don't stop moving forward and trust God. Don't let anybody stop you from trusting in what God is doing in your life. But that also means you better know that. You know that. You know that what you are doing is backed up by God's word.
Speaker 1:
And once again, I want to make sure to make this very clear, because so many of you listen to this every day and you give me the honor of pastoring you through reading this. So I want to tell you, as your pastor, I believe in all the gifts of the Spirit. I absolutely do, but I do not believe that God will ever contradict himself. I also believe that none of us own any of the gifts of the Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit himself that uses us in the gifts to edify one another. And so if someone ever comes to you and they ever want to give you a word from God, that uses us in the gifts to edify one another. And so if someone ever comes to you and they ever want to give you a word from God and it does not line up with what God has already said in his word, do two things Don't listen and mark them as a false prophet, because they should take that much more seriously, and that's the price they pay for trying to throw that around. I know that's a hard word, but God's word is worth it.
Speaker 1:
Let's pray together, god, thank you so much for today. Thank you, god, for your goodness and your mercy and your kindness. Thank you, god, that you see us, that your joy is our strength and that, god, you lead us and you are for us in all ways. Help us, lord, to not ever give up, but to have courage in the face of opposition, and to realize, god, that you always make a way. In Jesus' name, we pray, amen. Amen, god's word says in Nehemiah 8, verse 10, don't be distracted, don't be dejected or sad. The joy of the Lord is your strength. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. For Nehemiah, chapter 7.
