Introduction

We all know the phrase, “When it rains, it pours.” And we don’t just know it, we’ve experienced it. We could tell stories for hours about the day or the week or the month when you got hammered with one wave after the other of disappointment, pain, pressure, and temptation.

It’s exhausting, and Satan tempts you with all sorts of ungodly thoughts. “I hate my life.” “I hate the people in my life.” “Where is God?” “It’s not worth it anymore.” “It will never stop.” Maybe you are there right now. Last week was a train wreck. You’re angry at God, bitter at your family, or ready to quit.

I’m so glad you’re here because Jesus understands, he cares, he is good, and his grace is sufficient. And this morning you’re going to hear an inspired testimony from someone who was also bombarded with waves of problems. But God sustained him, and he will sustain you. In fact, he didn’t just make it, he achieved a remarkable victory. God is faithful, God is good, and his grace is more than enough.

Of course, I’m talking about Nehemiah. Remember that God called him to rebuild Jerusalem after 140 years of ruin and shame. It was an awesome responsibility. But Satan was furious, and throughout the entire construction process he pummeled Nehemiah with wave after wave of attacks.

He had to be exhausted, but finally in Nehemiah 6, he finishes the wall! It’s an amazing victory 140 years in the making. But Nehemiah had no time to celebrate because the waves wouldn’t stop. He will be hit by 3 more in this chapter.

So, the biggest story of this chapter is not the completion of the wall; it is Nehemiah’s perseverance in his God-given mission. What do you do Satan will not let up? Do you quit God’s work? Do you compromise his will? Do you abandon his people? God urges you to stay on mission. Don’t let anything stop you. Stay on your God-given mission and trust God to take care of the rest. That said, this story consists of 3 devilish schemes and one divine victory. Verses 1–9 describe the…

I.  The Scheme to Assassinate (vv. 1–9)

Remember that Satan has been working hard to shut down this project. He’s tried intimidation, the threat of invasion, and economic crisis. None of it has worked. Now he is getting desperate because the wall is finished, and Nehemiah only needs to hang the doors on the gates. Once those gates are up, Sanballat and Tobiah cannot attack because victory would demand a long siege. That was not an option because King Artaxerxes would hear about it, and the consequences would be very severe.

But Satan and his minions refuse to quit, so they decided to assassinate Nehemiah. Specifically, they planned to lure Nehemiah out from the safety of Jerusalem so that he could have an “accident” that would end his life.

Can you imagine someone scheming to kill you? Sometimes I feel like the world is against me, but as far as I know, no one has ever planned to kill me, and I hope that never happens to you. This was an evil scheme.

To lure Nehemiah out, they invite him to a supposed diplomatic meeting “in the plain of Ono.” I don’t know about you, but I would never agree to a meeting on the plain of “Oh no.” But they hoped Nehemiah’s ego would blind him. “Wow, these guys are finally seeing how important I am. This is my chance to get away from building and be a big important diplomat.” Plenty of fools have fallen for lesser schemes.

But Nehemiah is no fool. He immediately saw their intentions, and I love his reply in v. 3. Nehemiah challenges you that when life is hard, and Satan is on the offensive…

Stay focused (vv. 1–3). Not only does Nehemiah see the threat; he sees that he has more important things to do. He’s doing a “great work.” Remember, that this is not just any building project. Nehemiah is restoring Jerusalem, the “joy of the whole earth” (Ps 48:2) and the place where Jesus will die and one day return in glory. Nehemiah is doing something vital to God’s redemptive plan. He is making a huge difference.

But Satan is a master of using trials to blind us to the significance of ministry. There have been many times when the ministry has hurt badly that he has whispered in my ear, “Maybe you should go back to the farm, drive tractors, and raise cattle.” You’ve probably felt the same way when parenting is exhausting or boring. “It’d be so fun to get away and do what I want.”

The truth is that church ministry, evangelism, discipleship, marriage, parenting, grandparenting, or any other God-given ministry, is often not romantic. It’s hard, it’s boring, it’s exhausting, and it’s heart-wrenching.

But it’s always “a great work.” Don’t forget that. That person who bit you is a brother in Christ, and he needs you to lift him up. Your jerk neighbor is headed to hell, and he needs the gospel. That squirrely kid in your SS class may grow up to be a pastor and impact many people. And your child is your child. He or she is the greatest stewardship God could ever entrust to you.

I know your ministry is hard and painful. But stay encouraged. What you are doing matters. It matters for all eternity. So, respond just like Nehemiah. “I don’t have time for distraction. There’s no time to waste.” Stay focused. Stay on mission even when it hurts and you don’t feel like you can go on. Fulfill your ministry because it matters.

Well, Nehemiah once again stood with conviction, but his enemies refused to quit. They sent him 3 more letters trying to lure him out, but he ignored each one. So, finally, they sent an open letter meaning that it was addressed to Nehemiah, but they read publicly before handing it off (vv. 6–7). These guys don’t let up. They wanted to “frighten” the Jews and get them to pressure Nehemiah to attend this meeting in Ono to make peace.

I’m sure they frightened some of the people. “We’re going to die! Nehemiah, you must go.” But Nehemiah’s response challenges us that no how intimidating Satan’s threats may be, continue to…

Trust the Lord (vv. 4–9). Poor Nehemiah. Powerful men were scheming to kill him, and he knows it. But some of the people are panicking, and they want him to go anyway. How would that make you feel? But Nehemiah doesn’t panic. He knows their accusations are absurd, and he can see exactly what they were trying to do.

Instead, Nehemiah did what he always did. He prayed (v. 9b). I’ve lost track of how many times he’s prayed like this. Nehemiah truly believed in God’s power, he habitually leaned on God’s power, and he refused to be intimidated.

Some of you are carrying heavy, heavy burdens. It’s hard, and I feel for you. But sadly, you’ve become anxious, angry, disillusioned, or distracted. It’s affecting your focus on God’s great work God for you.

You’ve done everything to solve your burden except relying on God. You need to pray. And you need to truly rest in him. Trust the Lord to the point that you believe he knows better than you do what is best. Cast your burden on the Lord.

Then stay on mission. Keep doing the great work God has given you. That’s what Nehemiah did. He stood firm, he rallied the people, and the scheme failed. Seek first the kingdom of God, and he will take care of the rest. Well, Nehemiah dodged the assassination bullet, so to speak. But that doesn’t mean Satan will quit. Next, he tries a…

II.  Scheme to Discredit (vv. 10–14)

Sanballat and Tobiah are getting desperate. They couldn’t kill Nehemiah, so they try to discredit his leadership. To do this, they hired of one of their minions living in Jerusalem. Shemaiah claimed to be a prophet, and it’s very possible, based on 1 Chronicles 24:18, that he was also a priest.

He had godly credentials, but he was not God’s servant. Instead, he invited Nehemiah to his home. Nehemiah is a godly man. Of course, he’ll visit a prophet. And Shemaiah claims to have a warning from God. “God told me to tell you that Sanballat and Tobiah plan to assassinate you in your sleep. This is serious. So, God wants you to hide with me in the temple because that’s where you will be safe.”

This is another tricky scheme. It sounds realistic. If the enemies can’t lure Nehemiah out to the assassin, then maybe they can send the assassin to him. Nehemiah knows they have friends in the city. And this is coming from a prophet. In fact, v. 14 says it came from several prophets. It’s also terrifying. Who can I trust, and who is out to kill me? How would you sleep after a prophet told you that someone planned to murder you in your sleep? I wouldn’t sleep, not unless I had somewhere safe to go.

And wouldn’t you know it, Shemaiah said God told him where Nehemiah should hide—inside the sanctuary of the temple. It sounded great. The temple was secure, and only a handful of people could enter the sanctuary. Nehemiah’s enemies wouldn’t find him, and he’d be near to God. What a great prophecy! But Nehemiah immediately recognized two big problems, that pave the way for two important applications.

Don’t run. The first big problem Nehemiah sees with this prophecy is that Shemaiah wanted Nehemiah hide. Sure, you’d want to hide too.

But imagine how a missing Nehemiah would have gone over with his team. They had been working for several weeks under the constant threat of death with their swords strapped to their sides. They didn’t flee; they bravely persevered because they believed in God and in Nehemiah. If you were them, how would you feel if Nehemiah suddenly went into hiding? I can’t imagine much that would crush morale and discredit Nehemiah more than that.

So, notice Nehemiah’s reply in v. 11. Nehemiah knew that he had to lead from the front. If he died, he died. But he could not ask his team to risk their lives while he hid in the basement. He had to be strong. He had to be brave.

Unfortunately, I’ve watched many Christians fall short of Nehemiah’s example and fall for Shemaiah’s scheme. Satan begins to apply pressure. They panic and begin to run or just slow down. They never consider the consequences of their actions for those around them. Not only does Satan succeed in putting the brakes on this person; he dampens the whole team’s spirit.

I want to be very clear. Sometimes, you get overcommitted. Sometimes circumstances change, and you must reprioritize. It is not always wrong (sometimes it is right) to take a step back. If you feel burnt out or used by our church, I really want to talk with you.

But sometimes you are falling for a Satanic scheme that will devastate the entire team. Strong leaders like Nehemiah lead from the front. They say with Paul, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” We’re going to finish this project, or I’m going to die trying.

Husbands, fathers, and mothers, lead your family from the front. Attack problems; don’t run from them. Be that person at work. Don’t be the guy who always does the least. Set the pace for others. Teens, do the same at school or on your team. Be the hardest work. Embrace the hardest job. And let’s all attack whatever Great Commission ministry God has given you with the spirit of Nehemiah. Pull people up; don’t drag them down. Run toward challenges, not away from them. God has given us a great work. Do not run away.

Don’t compromise. The 2^nd part of Shemaiah’s appeal is to hide in the temple. Again, it seemed like a great place to hide. But Nehemiah was no idiot. I think he knew Shemaiah was a false prophet the moment he mentioned the temple. Afterall, the Law was very clear that only the priests could enter the sanctuary. And he put every doubt to rest when King Uzziah proudly entered the temple to burn incense. God immediately struck him with leprosy which plagued him until his death.

Nehemiah knew the story. He knew that it didn’t matter what credentials Shemaiah claimed, no true prophet would tell Nehemiah to disobey God. This is absurd. He says, “I will not go in.”

Sadly, Satan has ruined a lot of pastors, church leaders, and churches with the same stunt he tried on Nehemiah. He applies pressure, not with the goal of breaking us, but with the goal of getting us to compromise. “The world is offended by our convictions, so we’ll just soften a bit on biblical sexuality.” “We’re not reaching enough people, so we’ll compromise God’s methods just a little.” “I’m slipping into despair, and I need a distraction. So, I’ll just look at a little porn, get a little high, or a little drunk.”

Don’t fall for it. You must be right with God more than you need anything else in life. The best gift you can give your spouse, your kids, this church, and your company, is for you to be right with God. Nehemiah would have rather been killed in his sleep at home than disobey God. Always obey God’s will.

Well, Satan tried desperately to trick Nehemiah but both of his schemes failed. Finally, vv. 15–16 rejoice over Nehemiah’s…

III.  Victory (vv. 15–16)

This an incredible little report. Jerusalem’s walls had been in ruins for 140 years. but Nehemiah and his team finished the walls and the gates in just 52 days. And it wasn’t because the stars aligned and everything went perfectly easy. No, they finished in 52 days while carrying weapons in one hand and while resolving a poverty crisis. Nehemiah kept his team organized and on task while fending off an assassination plot and a character assassination plot. It really is remarkable. All of it should inspire you to believe…

God will be faithful. When God wants to make something happen, it’s going to happen. Nothing can stand in the way of his sovereign will.

I’ve said multiple times that the closest modern parallel to Nehemiah’s project is the Great Commission work of the church. God will save the lost. God will grow disciples. God will keep his children and bring them to glory. God will build his church. It’s money in the bank.

So, don’t be intimidated by the world’s hostility. Don’t be discouraged when progress is slow or grasp for quick but compromised fixes. Don’t be afraid of the temptations that surround those you love. Sure, the path will not be easy, and it may take some difficult twists, but God will keep his promise. We are on the winning side. So minister, give, love, and serve like you expect victory. God will be faithful. Not only that…

God will show his power. I love the response of Israel’s enemies in v. 16, “They lost confidence…” It was obvious that God was behind what had happened. There’s no other way they could have done this in 52 days. So, they lost heart. We tried everything, and God was greater than all our schemes.

God continues to show his power every time the gospel transforms a life. The ongoing health and faithfulness of the church despite many efforts to eradicate it declares the power of God. Your endurance through an overwhelming trial shouts of God’s power. And someday, Jesus will really show his power when he returns in glory. The kingdom of Christ will come, and God’s will shall be done on earth just as it is done in heaven.

We are on the winning side. Keep sharing the gospel. Keep investing in your kids. Keep teaching your Sunday School class and counseling that project. Keep giving the work of the ministry. Christ will be faithful, and he will show his power.

Well, returning to Nehemiah 6, you may expect that the chapter will end with this climactic victory. But surprisingly the story of Nehemiah 6 instead concludes with a…

IV.  Scheme to Divide (vv. 17–19)

I like neat and clean organization. So, when I started forming my sermon outline, my initial impulse was to lump this scheme with the other two because Nehemiah says these letters started during the construction.

But as I thought about, I saw that Nehemiah put this scheme here for a reason. He wanted us to know that just because the walls were done did not mean the challenges vanished. Rather, God wants you to…

Expect Satan’s ongoing schemes. This is a very important lesson. We all know it, but we forget so easily. Specifically, like Nehemiah, we are up against some great challenge. It’s so hard, but we tell ourselves that it will all be better when this is done. Nothing hard will ever happen again. Satan will leave me alone. Life will be heaven on earth.

We get over the hurdle, and we get lazy. That’s why divorce rates are very high among empty nesters. Pastors resign on Mondays. On and on it goes.

So, Nehemiah finished the wall, and he had to feel great relief. Satan thought that maybe he’d let his guard down. Finally, I can sneak a victory.

This time, he works through several significant relationships among the Jews to Tobiah. Tobiah was probably a Jew though he was not faithful to God. But he was well connected. Shecaniah was probably one of the priests, so it’s a big deal that Tobiah had married his daughter. And his son had married Meshullam’s daughter. Chapter 3 says Meshullam was an important citizen who built two sections of the wall.

So, Tobiah had friends in high places, and he tried to use those friendships, probably, to push for compromise. “Hey Nehemiah, my father-in-law Tobiah is really not that bad. He mostly serves the Lord, and he’s rich and powerful. You should make peace.” Of course, these rich friends don’t just voice their opinions to Nehemiah, they undermine his commitment to holiness with everyone else.

Just because the wall is done doesn’t mean the problems evaporate. I doubt Nehemiah had many quiet times during his entire 12 years as governor.

I hate to break it to you, but don’t expect Satan to let up on you either. The only hurdle that will put you in the clear is death, and you don’t need to be rushing that way. No, the Christian life is a marathon filled with traps and potholes. So, don’t live your life waiting for things to get easy. Expect Satan’s ongoing attacks. Stay on guard. Through it all…

Stay encouraged. God sustained Nehemiah through some terribly difficulty, and he will sustain you. Trust God his grace will be enough. Embrace the sanctifying effect of pressure. And look forward to the glory of Christ that the Spirit will form in you through it all.

I know some of you came today with heavy hearts. Others are numb and calloused because Satan is beating hard. You want to quit. You want to stop caring. You want to run to safe place like the temple. But God has given us all a great work, and he gives great grace. So, do not be distracted. Stay on mission.