Nehemiah Part 3/ Not Distracted by Opposition
Nehemiah 2:19 (ESV) 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, “What is this thing that you are doing?
Jeer | Definitions from Oxford Languages: make rude and mocking remarks, typically in a loud voice.
Despise | Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary: to regard as negligible, worthless, or distasteful
Nehemiah 4:1–3 (ESV) 1 Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews. 2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?” 3 Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Yes, what they are building—if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!”
Winston S. Churchill- You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.
Ikechukwu Joseph- Focus, focus, consolidated focus. Beware of distraction.
Key #3 Don’t Be Distracted
Penned Truth: Important Note To Self! Distractions are not always blatant or obvious.
CARNAL | Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Anything related to the fleshly or worldly appetites and desires rather than to the godly and spiritual desires.
Distraction #1- The carnal things of this world
Penned Truth: Carnal things are the primary distractions by far the church faces.
Romans 12:2 (NLT) 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
1 John 2:15–17 (ESV) 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Penned Truth: Some absolute craziness can sometimes go on in our heads.
James 1:14 (NLT) 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.
Philippians 4:8–9 (NLT). 8 And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Final Statement: When the Church (You and I) are called to rebuild the Spiritual Walls of the Nation, we collectively don’t have time to allow distractions to remove us from the rebuilding. Suppose we take our responsibility to rebuild seriously. In that case, we must learn to remain undistracted, to wholeheartedly focus our Attention on the call that matters most in the season and time we are living in now.
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