Some of you might have noted that the door entering the Northeast side of the Family Life Center has been replaced. The project has been in the works for a long time, but now it is fixed, replaced and operational. None of this is remarkable in itself, but (as things go in church and life) nothing is as simple as it looks from a distance. The replacement of the doors was a tedious and difficult effort. The opening isn't exactly square. The hardware (according to Tim, Bill and Jason) was manufactured in one country, assembled in another, the instructions were written in another, and then it was sent to little Abbeville, Alabama. As you might guess, there was something lost in the process (and translation) along the way. But that is how things go now. Nothing is simple, easy or predictable. And this story of the doors can be played out in small projects (cleaning the steps, moving items to their proper storage location) and larger projects (doors, the restoration of carillons, the building of the youth facility). Nothing is simple anymore!
But, that has been the case for all of history I think. For Nehemiah, he prayed, got permissions, made plans and assigned the work (spelled-out in Chapter 3 of Nehemiah). And now that the work is beginning (yep, you guessed it) he receives opposition.
1. Sanballat the Horonite rose up in opposition to the rebuilding of the walls. His name means "bramble bush" and he was a thorn in the side of Nehemiah. Sanballat lived in Samaria and was upset that the welfare of the Jews would be under the blessing of the king. He and his confederates challenged Nehemiah at every turn. When we do something meaningful for God we are opposed from outside our camp.
2. Tobiah the Ammonite conspired with Sanballat to oppose the rebuilding of the wall. He is known for poking fun at Nehemiah's efforts, saying, "a fox climbing over the wall would break it down." When we work for God, some will ridicule and demean us. It comes with the territory.
3. Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs and the Ammonites gathered troops to physically confront the Jews, so Nehemiah had to post a guard. The work became so dangerous the men slept with their clothes on and with their weapons. Half worked while the other half guarded the workers. Some opposition will take physical form and will make working for God dangerous.
4. The people complained that the work was difficult and dangerous. Some said, "we are tired and worn out!" Others said, "wherever we turn they (the opposition) are trying to kill us." When you work for the Lord or lead workers for the Lord, people get disheartened and down.
Preachers hear some of these complaints. So here are some of the answers I would like for you to consider:
1. "We have enemies outside of our camp!" Remember David who said, "You come to me with sword, spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies." God knows our plight.
2. "They are making fun of us and ridiculing us." Remember Jesus on the cross, who said, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." God shares our persecution.
3. "They are hurting us and placing their hands on us." Remember Paul and Silas in prison. They, in the face of opposition and imprisonment, prayed and sang hymns to God. And their chains fell off! God opens our prisons.
4. "We are too tired! Our people are worn out!" Remember Nehemiah's crew. In 52 days, they rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem, in spite of all forms of opposition. God powers our people.
We are singing a song called The Blessing as our closing song this month. The bridge of the song says, "May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you, and around you, and within you, He is with you, He is with you." This is truth. In a world that opposes and punishes good things, do you believe that our God can bless us in the midst of opposing forces? Do you believe Jesus when He said, "I have overcome the world (past tense)?" Do you believe that those who wait upon the Lord will mount up with wings like eagles? I do! For His word is true and His promises are sure! Randy
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