STAY WITH THE WORK!
September Theme: STEADFASTNESS
Theme Scripture — 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV)
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
Sermon Text — Nehemiah 6:1–4 (KJV)
“Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)
That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief.
And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.”
INTRODUCTION — DON'T COME DOWN!
There are some things in life that are easy to start but difficult to finish.
It's easy to start a diet on Monday. The challenge comes when somebody puts fried chicken and macaroni and cheese in front of you on Sunday!
It's easy to make a New Year's resolution in January. The question is whether you'll still be doing it in March.
It's easy to get excited when you first receive an assignment. But what happens when the excitement wears off?
Anybody can start.
Steadfast people finish.
Paul says:
“Be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.”
Paul is telling the church:
Don't quit.
Don't back up.
Don't give up.
Don't allow circumstances to move you.
Stay with the work!
There will always be something trying to pull you away from what God has called you to do.
Sometimes it will be discouragement.
Sometimes it will be criticism.
Sometimes it will be people.
Sometimes it will be weariness.
Sometimes it will even be an opportunity that looks good but isn't God's assignment for you.
The enemy doesn't always have to destroy you.
Sometimes all he needs to do is distract you.
Because if he can keep you occupied with things that don't matter, you'll stop doing the thing that does matter.
Nehemiah understood something every believer needs to understand:
“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.”
In other words:
I've got too much work to do to spend my time fighting every battle, answering every critic, chasing every rumor, responding to every accusation, and explaining myself to everybody who doesn't understand my assignment.
Tell somebody:
“STAY WITH THE WORK!”
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
The story begins before Nehemiah ever picked up a tool.
Jerusalem had experienced terrible destruction.
In 586 B.C., the Babylonian army under King Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple and carried many of the people into captivity.
Years later, God allowed groups of Jewish exiles to return.
Zerubbabel helped lead the rebuilding of the Temple.
Ezra helped restore spiritual worship and teach God's Law.
Then came Nehemiah.
Nehemiah was serving as cupbearer to King Artaxerxes of Persia when he received troubling news about Jerusalem.
Nehemiah 1:3 (KJV)
“The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.”
When Nehemiah heard it, he didn't just complain about it.
He wept.
He fasted.
He prayed.
And then he went to work.
The king eventually gave Nehemiah permission to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls.
But almost immediately, opposition arose.
Sanballat opposed him.
Tobiah opposed him.
Geshem opposed him.
They mocked him.
They criticized him.
They threatened him.
They tried to frighten him.
And when none of that stopped him, they tried something different:
They invited him to a meeting.
“Come down and talk with us.”
But Nehemiah discerned:
“They thought to do me mischief.”
And Nehemiah sent back one of the greatest responses to distraction in Scripture:
“I AM DOING A GREAT WORK, SO THAT I CANNOT COME DOWN!”
That is steadfastness.
KEY 1 — KNOW THAT YOUR WORK IS GREAT
Nehemiah 6:3
“I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.”
Notice Nehemiah didn't say:
“I am a great man.”
He said:
“I am doing a great work.”
There is a difference.
The greatness wasn't in Nehemiah.
The greatness was in the assignment God had given him.
Never underestimate what God has called you to do.
Teaching children is a great work.
Praying for your family is a great work.
Serving the church is a great work.
Feeding hungry people is a great work.
Encouraging somebody who's discouraged is a great work.
Preaching the Gospel is a great work.
Raising children to know Jesus is a great work.
Cleaning God's house is a great work.
Serving behind the scenes where nobody applauds you is still a great work.
SHORT STORY — THE THREE BRICKLAYERS
A man saw three workers laying bricks.
He asked the first man:
“What are you doing?”
He answered:
“I'm laying bricks.”
He asked the second:
“What are you doing?”
He said:
“I'm building a wall.”
He asked the third:
“What are you doing?”
The third worker said:
“I'm building a cathedral.”
Same bricks.
Same mortar.
Same job.
Different vision.
Sometimes your work becomes difficult because you've forgotten why you're doing it.
Don't just see the bricks.
See the cathedral.
Don't just see today's struggle.
See what God is building through your faithfulness.
Stay with the work!
KEY 2 — EXPECT OPPOSITION
Nehemiah 4:1
“But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth…”
Nehemiah was doing God's work, yet he still had enemies.
We sometimes make the mistake of thinking:
“If God told me to do it, everything should go smoothly.”
Not necessarily.
Sometimes opposition is evidence that what you're doing matters.
Sanballat mocked.
Tobiah criticized.
Geshem joined the opposition.
But Nehemiah kept building.
ILLUSTRATION — THE KITE
Think about a kite.
What makes a kite rise?
Resistance.
The wind pushes against it, but instead of forcing the kite down, properly positioned resistance helps the kite climb higher.
Sometimes the wind you're complaining about is the very thing God is using to strengthen you.
Don't ask:
“Why is everybody against me?”
Ask:
“God, what are You developing in me through this?”
Opposition doesn't mean stop.
Sometimes opposition means:
Keep building.
KEY 3 — DON'T ALLOW DISTRACTIONS TO PULL YOU DOWN
Sanballat and Geshem said:
Nehemiah 6:2
“Come, let us meet together…”
Notice the strategy changed.
First they criticized Nehemiah.
Now they wanted to have a conversation with him.
Everything that asks for your attention doesn't deserve your attention.
Every invitation doesn't require acceptance.
Every argument doesn't require your participation.
Every accusation doesn't require an answer.
Every phone call doesn't require an immediate response.
Every social-media comment doesn't require a reply.
Some things are designed simply to get you off the wall.
SHORT STORY — THE FARMER'S DOG
Imagine a farmer working his field while dogs are barking from behind a fence.
If the farmer stops working every time a dog barks, he'll never finish plowing the field.
Sometimes you've got to let the dogs bark and keep plowing.
People will talk.
Keep working.
People will criticize.
Keep working.
People will misunderstand.
Keep working.
People may even lie on you.
Keep working.
DON'T COME DOWN!
KEY 4 — LEARN TO SAY “NO”
Nehemiah's enemies asked him to come down.
His response was essentially:
NO.
Nehemiah 6:3
“Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?”
Some believers cannot remain steadfast because they cannot say no.
No to unnecessary drama.
No to distractions.
No to relationships pulling them away from God.
No to things consuming time God intended for their assignment.
No isn't always negative.
Sometimes “no” protects your “yes” to God.
ILLUSTRATION — THE MAGNIFYING GLASS
Sunlight is everywhere.
But when a magnifying glass focuses that light into one spot, the concentrated energy can generate tremendous heat.
The problem isn't always that we don't have enough ability.
Sometimes we're simply too scatte
