The Strength to Keep Going | Nehemiah 4:1-23
“The Strength To Keep Going”
Today we’re continuing our teaching series on a book of the bible called Nehemiah, and we’re calling this series Rise and Build. It’s a series about God bringing restoration from the rubble, because God uses Nehemiah to restore the broken walls in Jerusalem that were reduced to rubble. The text we’re studying today is about finding the strength to keep going. It’s about finding the strength to keep going despite the obstacles we face in life. Everybody faces obstacles in life, and everybody faces obstacles so big— it drains us. It causes us to lose sleep, to lose strength, to realize we can’t overcome them with our own strength. The question isn't if you’ll face obstacles in life that are greater than your strength can handle. It’s what will you rely on for strength when that happens?...What will you rely on for strength, when your strength runs out?...In today’s text, we’ll learn Nehemiah and the people face their biggest obstacle yet. As they’re rebuilding the walls, they face an obstacle that puts their lives and their family’s lives at risk. But we’ll also learn how they handle this obstacle, and where to find the strength to keep going. Let’s turn to Nehemiah 4 and get into it. You’ll find Nehemiah in the front half of the bible, and we’ll be in Nehemiah Ch. 4:1-23. Title of the message is The Strength To Keep Going, and the big idea of the message is we keep going not by relying on our strength, but by relying on God’s strength...We keep going not by relying on our strength, but by relying on God’s strength...
Here’s your context. The book of Nehemiah was written around 445 BC, and it’s a historical record of a time when God brings restoration to his people and the walls in Jerusalem, which were reduced to rubble. The Jews kept living in persistent sin, so God allowed them to live in Babylonian exile for roughly 70 years. But then the Persians defeated the Babylonians, and a year later they allowed the Jews to return home. In ch.’s 1-3 Nehemiah hears about the broken walls, he starts praying, and God gives him a plan to restore the broken walls and the broken lives of the people. He prays, he plans, and now his plan is progressing. They’re rebuilding the broken walls, but it isn’t without obstacles. In ch. 4 they’re about to face their biggest obstacle yet. Let’s check it out.
Nehemiah 4:1-23 states, “When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became furious. He mocked the Jews 2 before his colleagues and the powerful men of Samaria. He said, ‘What are these pathetic Jews doing? Can they restore it by themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they ever finish it? Can they bring these burnt stones back to life from the mounds of rubble?’ 3 Then Tobiah the Ammonite said, ‘Indeed, even if a fox climbed up what they’re building, he’d break down their stone wall!’” We learned about Sanballat and Tobiah a few weeks ago in ch. 2. Sanballat’s the governing official over Samaria and Tobiah’s the governing official over Ammon. They formed a regional coalition against Nehemiah, because they thought rebuilding the walls threatened their regional power. So they became a constant obstacle, a constant threat to Nehemiah and the building process. In these verses they’re trying to discourage Nehemiah and the people by mocking them. Sanballat’s like, “Hey Nehemiah, what are you building these walls with? Yo mama’s trash? Yo mama’s rubble!” Then Tobiah jumps, “Hey Nehemiah, I bet the walls you’re building are so soft, a fox could knock it over. #NerfwallNehemiah #NerdyNehemiah.” Their first weapon of choice isn’t a physical sword; it’s a mental sword. They’re cutting up Nehemiah and the people with their words to discourage them mentally, before fighting them physically. It’s classic mental warfare. They’re trying to pump themselves up while tearing Nehemiah and the people down. In combat sports you’ll sometimes see fighters losing their fight before even stepping into the cage. It’s because they lose the mental fight, the mental warfare. But that doesn’t happen to Nehemiah. He wins the mental warfare, and how does he do it? By praying.
Vs. 4, “Listen God, for we are despised. Make their insults return on their own heads, and let them be taken as plunder to a land of captivity. 5 Don’t cover their guilt or let their sin be erased from your sight, because they have angered the builders.” Notice Nehemiah responds to their mocking with prayer. When he prays, “Don’t let their sin be erased from your sight,” he’s praying God wouldn’t overlook the sinful things they’re doing. He’s praying for God’s justice to be done. Some people think this contradicts what Jesus teaches in Matthew 5, which is to pray for our enemies. But when Jesus teaches us to pray for our enemies, that doesn’t mean we should love their sins or pray for God’s justice to be overlooked and ignored. So what Nehemiah’s praying here is perfectly fine. He’s praying for God’s justice to be done against their sins. But the main thing I want you to notice is Nehemiah prays when facing obstacles. He prays and finds strength in the Lord. It’s the 1st of 3 things we can do to find the strength to keep going. We can...
#1 Find the strength to keep going by praying. – We can find the strength to keep going by praying; by seeking God for guidance and strength. We’re only 4 chapters in, and we’ve seen Nehemiah praying when he finds out about the broken walls. He’s praying when he’s planning for 4 months. He’s praying when he’s in the presence of the Persian King. He’s praying here when he’s facing mocking from Sanballat and Tobiah. Nehemiah was constantly praying because he knew he constantly needed God’s strength. The lesson we’re learning here is when you’re being mocked, criticized, facing obstacles, start praying before responding. Start praying and talking to God, then get back to building. Start praying and talking to God, then move on with your day like Nehemiah did. You can’t control the outcome of the obstacles you’re facing, but you can control your response to those obstacles. You can pray and find strength in the Lord like Nehemiah did.
Vs. 6, “So we rebuilt the wall until the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had the will to keep working. 7 When Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdodites heard the repair to the walls was progressing, and the gaps were being closed, they became furious. 8 They plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw it into confusion. 9 So we prayed to our God and stationed a guard because of them day and night. 10 In Judah, it was said: ‘The strength of the laborer is failing, since there is so much rubble. We’ll never be able to rebuild the wall.’ 11 Our enemies said, ‘They won’t realize it until we’re among them. We can kill them and stop the work.’” Notice their enemies are now shifting from mental warfare to physical warfare, and the people are starting to lose the strength to keep going. The text says the strength of the laborer is failing. What’s happening is the obstacles they’re facing are becoming too big to overcome by their own strength. Their enemies started recruiting other regions to join the fight, and they’re literally being surrounded. Sanballat and the Samaritans are coming from the North. The Arabs are coming from the South. Tobiah and the Ammonites are coming from the East. The Ashdodites are coming from the West. They’re literally being surrounded by enemies! Vs. 12 says they’re being attacked from every direction, and that’s what life’s been feeling like for some of you. It feels like you’re being attacked with obstacles from every direction! It’s another problem at home, another issue at work, another task at school, another unexpected bill, another issue with the car, another injury or illness. You have problems coming at you from every direction! The worst part is you’ve even prayed about these problems, but the problems keep coming, and you’re losing the strength to keep going. That’s what’s happening with the people here. They prayed, but the problems keep coming, and they’re losing the strength to keep going. The text says the strength of the laborer is failing. When that happens, you can either give up or keep looking up...You can either give up knowing the obstacles are greater than you, or keep looking up knowing the obstacles aren’t greater than God. The people are realizing they can’t win this fight by their own strength, and Nehemiah’s about to remind them to keep looking up to God.
Vs. 12, “When the Jews who lived nearby arrived, they said, ‘Everywhere you turn, they attack us.’ 13 So I stationed people behind the lowest sections of the wall at the vulnerable areas. I stationed them by their families with swords, spears, and bows. 14 I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord. Fight for your countrymen, your sons and daughters, your wives and homes.’” The people were losing their strength, but Nehemiah’s firing them up by reminding them to keep looking up! He’s reminding them to keep looking up at the great and awe-inspiring Lord. He’s also reminding them of who they’re fighting for. It’s their countrymen, their sons and daughters, their wives and homes. But the most important thing is to keep looking up at the Lord, because they’ll lose this battle without the Lord. They need to keep looking up at the size of their God, who’s greater than the size of their obstacles. What we’re learning here from Nehemiah is we can...
#2 Find the strength to keep going by remembering God is greater. – We can find the strength to keep going 1st by praying, and 2nd by remembering God is greater than our greatest obstacles. The people started losing the strength to keep going because they forgot this. They forgot God is greater than the obstacles they’re facing. This sometimes happens to us. Sometimes we focus so much on the size of our obstacles, that we forget God is greater than our obstacles. Sometimes we focus so much on the size of our obstacles, that we stop seeing the good in life, maybe even the good in God. We forget about the blessings and open doors he’s given us in the past, which causes us to lose hope for blessings and open doors in the future. When all you’re focused on is the obstacles, you’ll lose hope and lose the strength to keep going like the people in the text. They’re focusing so much on the size of the obstacles in front of them, that they’ve forgotten about the size of the God who’s beside them. Is that happening to you?...Are you focusing more on the obstacles in front of you or the God who’s beside you?...Are you focusing more on the size of your obstacles or the size of your God?...The more you focus on the obstacles, the more you’ll lose strength. But the more you focus on the Lord, the more you’ll find strength. Nehemiah doesn’t tell the people to remember how great and strong they are, because it’s their strength that’s failing! He tells them to remember how great and strong God is, because it’s God’s strength that won’t ever fail. He tells them to remember the great and awe-inspiring Lord, which is what you need to do. You need to remember the God beside you is greater than the obstacles in front of you.
Vs. 15, “When our enemies heard we knew their scheme and that God frustrated it, every one of us returned to his own work on the wall.” So God intervened. He frustrated the plans of their enemies. But Nehemiah and the people aren’t foolish. They keep watching while working.
Vs. 16, “From that day on, half of my men did the work while the other half held spears, shields, bows, and armor. The officers supported all the people of Judah 17 who were rebuilding the wall. The laborers who carried the loads worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. 18 Each of the builders had his sword strapped around his waist while building, and the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me. 19 Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, ‘The work is enormous and spread out. We’re separated far from one another. 20 Wherever you hear the trumpet rally to us there. Our God will fight for us!’ 21 So we continued the work, while half the men were holding spears from daybreak until the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, ‘Let everyone and his servant spend the night inside Jerusalem, so they can stand guard by night and work by day.’ 23 My brothers, my servants, and the men of the guard with me, never took off our clothes. Each carried his weapon, even when washing.” Notice Nehemiah doesn’t tell them to pray, remember the Lord, and then sit back to see if God works. He tells them to pray, remember the Lord, and then take action. He tells them to work with one hand and hold a weapon with the other. He says our God will fight for us, but he also tells them to take action on the things God has given them control over. So what we’re learning here is we can...
#3 Find the strength to keep going by taking action. – We can find the strength to keep going 1st by praying, 2nd by remembering God is greater, and 3rd by taking action. Nehemiah wasn’t just a prayer warrior; he was also a physical warrior. He was ready to take action as needed. Prayer isn’t an excuse for passivity. We need to take action on the things God has given us control over, and trust him with the things we have no control over. It’s like Reinhold Niebuhr’s famous prayer called The Serenity Prayer: “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to tell the difference.” That’s what Nehemiah’s doing. He’s praying, but also taking action on the things God has given him control over, and we need to do the same. We need to pray, but also take action on the things God has given us control over. Some of us are more prayer-driven than action-driven. Some of us are more action-driven than prayer-driven. But prayer and action are teammates, not competitors. We’re to pray, but also take action on the things God has given us control over. What have you been doing more recently? Have you been praying without taking action, or taking action without praying?...What about with the obstacles you’re facing? Are you praying without taking action, or taking action without praying?...In Nehemiah ch. 4 we’re learning God wants us to treat prayer and action as teammates, not competitors. Like Nehemiah and the people, God wants us to find the strength to keep going by praying, remembering he’s greater, and taking action over the things he’s given us control over.
The big idea of the message is we keep going not by relying on our strength, but by relying on God’s strength...We keep going not by relying on our strength, but by praying, remembering God is greater, and taking action over the things he’s given us control over...Like I said before, the question isn't if you’ll face obstacles in life that are greater than your strength can handle. It’s what will you rely on for strength when that happens?...What will you rely on for strength, when your strength runs out?...The good news of the gospel is Jesus invites us to rely on him not just for eternal salvation, but also for daily strengthening. He died on the cross for our sins, then rose again on the 3rd day, proving he’s greater than our greatest obstacles of sin and death. If he can carry us through the obstacles of sin and death, then he can carry us through any obstacles we face in life.
My primary role as a pastor is to keep pointing you back to him for strength. It’s to keep pointing you back to who he is and what he’s done for you on the cross. It’s to keep pointing you back to relying on him as your Savior. My primary role is to do what Nehemiah did, which is to keep pointing you back to remembering the great and awe-inspiring Lord Jesus. Both skeptics and believers can find the strength we need to keep going in life through faith in Jesus. Don’t focus so much on your obstacles in life, that you can’t see the good in life and the good in Jesus. If he made a way for your eternal salvation on the cross, then he can make a way for your daily strengthening in life. If he can make a way for your eternal salvation, then he can make a way for your daily strengthening. He did it for Nehemiah and the people, and he can do it again for you...