CrossLife Church

Starting something is always easy; finishing what you started is the challenge. Especially when there is unrelenting opposition. We may expect some difficulty and challenges along the way, but at what point does the cost get too high?

At first, the enemies of Nehemiah and Judah mocked their goal of rebuilding. Next, they made threats and even planned sneak attacks. Nehemiah responded by setting up 24/7 defenses and armed the builders with swords. In Nehemiah 5, the unity of the Jews was unraveling as the wealthy were taking advantage of and profiting from those who were poor. Nehemiah confronted the sin and called them to share and serve one another, rather than exploiting their most vulnerable brothers. Now, as the opportunity to defeat Nehemiah's rebuilding effort was almost over. All that remained was to set up the doors for the gates, and the walls would be complete.

Left with no other options, the enemies of Nehemiah plotted to take him down directly. The only way to restore their power and keep the Jewish people living in defeat was to take down their leader.

How do you keep going when the opposition continues, and the personal danger increases?

Since arriving in Jerusalem, Nehemiah has focused all his attention on the greatest problem facing the people of God; this was not the only problem. There were many problems facing the people of Judah. There was great poverty, and many families had to resort to indentured servitude to support their families, pay taxes, and pay off their debts.

The great task of rebuilding the wall had united the people and focused their resources because of the urgency of the task. As the walls were completed, the injustices and desperate state of the people came back into focus—only to be in a worse state than before the walls were rebuilt. 

In Nehemiah 5, we see the difficulty of living out a Kingdom Ethic. How are we to act when the laws of the land make it legal to do things that God calls immoral and evil? We also see the remarkable leadership of Nehemiah, as he not only leads by confronting injustices and requiring the people to live rightly, but also leads by example and at a great cost. 

We learn there can be a cost to living rightly and a cost to living wrongly. The question is, who are you living for, and to whom do you look for your reward? 

There are times when you are building and working on something great and worthy, and opposition arises. Often, if you just press on and ignore the "haters," they will go away. However, there are times when the opposition spreads into a level of serious resistance. In these times, ignoring the problem will no longer work. 

In Nehemiah 4, we find the walls progressing, but the resistance is growing increasingly dangerous. They have moved from mocking God's people to threatening them. Additionally, the momentum and excitment has worn down, and the people are growing tired and depleted. 

There is a great deal to learn from Nehemiah's response. Nehemiah prays and plans. How do you respond to resistance? What can we glean from Nehemiah's strategy in facing resistance? 

One of the greatest truisms in life is the saying, “no pain, no gain.” This can relate to learning a skill or musical talent, training for a sport, furthering your education, or your efforts to climb the corporate ladder. No accomplishment of any significance will come without a cost. If you want to do something great, you are going to have to pay a price and prepare for opposition. 

This is what Nehemiah experienced in Jerusalem while rebuilding the wall. In chapter 2, he assessed the broken-down wall and shared his vision with the people. In chapter 3, Nehemiah organizes the workers and families of Jews to spread out and each work on a different section of the wall. 

As they begin to see progress, their enemies start to challenge and mock their work (Neh 4:1-6). Their goal was to discourage the people so they would abandon their mission to rebuild the wall. 

How would you handle the difficult task of rebuilding something while being mocked and discouraged by your neighbors? Are you ready to do hard things in the face of hostility?

Have you ever pitched an idea to a group of decision makers? Maybe it was a class project, a business idea, or a sales presentation. It can take a lot of courage and preparation to research an idea and then have the guts to present it with confidence. Then, after working up to that moment, the decision is made, and your proposal is granted. This can be exhilarating until reality hits, and you realize now you have to put the plan into action. 

In Nehemiah 1, we see him respond in fasting and prayer, leading him to a time of repentance for the sins of his nation, family, and self. As he prayed, God stirred a burden in his heart that he had to do something to finish rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. As Nehemiah 2 begins, he had been waiting upon God for 4 months and was sensing the time to make his "ask" to the King was now, and the King approved Nehemiah's request to go to Jerusalem.  

Nehemiah's journey was just beginning. He travels to Jerusalem and now has to find out what is really going on. He knows the gates and walls are broken, but how to go about fixing them will be no small task for a King's Cupbearer. How will Nehemiah rally the people and deal with opposition? Getting permission to come to Jerusalem was just the beginning; now, Nehemiah has to come up with a plan and act.  

We can all identify big issues and challenges facing our lives and our world. It is easy to talk about them and deliberate over causes and solutions, or who is to be blamed. This cheap talk, worry, and obsession thrives on social media platforms and is often a distraction from engaging in a life of meaning and purpose. What are the problems that God has placed before you in this moment of time and in your current context that he wants you to be burdened about? 

Nehemiah heard that the city of Jerusalem was still indefensible, and the gates and walls were still in disrepair. The city where the God of Nehemiah was to be worshiped continued in shame. In Nehemiah 1, we see him respond in fasting and prayer, leading him to a time of repentance for the sins of his nation, family, and self. As he prayed, God stirred a burden in his heart that he had to do something to finish rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. As Nehemiah 2 begins, he had been waiting upon God for 4 months and was sensing the time to act was now. 

Nehemiah was an ordinary man whom God used for an extraordinary purpose. He joined the ranks of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, David, and Esther. Martin Luther said, “Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace. …It is so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times.” Nehemiah had a comfortable life with a position of prominence and was willing to risk it all because a problem was placed before him that he knew God was calling him to be a part of the solution. As Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” Have you ever trusted God for something big?

There is a lot to be concerned about. It is easy to be overly concerned about things that don’t matter. It is also easy to grow indifferent about things that should concern us. George Bernard Shaw has a line in his play, The Devil’s Disciple, that said, “The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them: that’s the essence of inhumanity.” 

Have you ever felt like no one cares? More importantly, “what do you care about, or what moves you? Is there anything that has moved you to a level of concern, compassion, or care that resulted in your personal involvement, not just acknowledgement? Where does renewal begin? 

This Sunday, we are beginning a new series through the Book of Nehemiah. In this book, Nehemiah learns Hebrew people who had returned to Jerusalem and Judah after the exile were living in great danger. The walls and gates surrounding Jerusalem were broken and burnt. The people had no way to protect themselves or the Temple that had recently been rebuilt. Nehemiah was serving the King of Persia in Susa, at least a 2-week journey away. What could he do, and what was his responsibility? Nehemiah gathered the right information, he began to intercede, and he considered his intention. 

Ticketed events seem to be increasingly complicated today. To get into many major events, like a football game or other large ticketed gatherings, one has to follow the rules. Besides having a ticket, you may have to walk through a scanner to check for weapons, you may not be allowed to bring in a bag, or if you do, it may need to be clear. There may be other rules, but it is uncommon to walk into a major event without some level of security and expectations on who gets in.

Who is allowed to enter as a citizen of heaven? What are the conditions for entrance, and what kind of people qualify? That is the question presented in Psalm 15.

"O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? 

Who shall dwell on your holy hill?" - Psalm 15:1

You would think there would be a list of ritual requirements, but that is not what we find here. To gain admittance in this holy and sacred place, a person is unable to earn their entry through a list of rules or a checklist. The requirement is a clean and clear conscience before God. Not just the appearance of external obedience or of superficial goodness, but clean hands and a pure heart.

In Psalm 15, we learn the ways of the citizens of the Kingdom of God. 

I find it difficult to wait. It is hard to battle impatience when we are waiting on something we know is good, like a birthday present, an event, or exciting news. What is most difficult is when we find ourselves in the midst of a storm in life, and we are waiting for the clouds to break.

If you have ever found yourself in a time of tribulation or suffering, you have likely cried out to the Lord in prayer, asking, "How Long?" In Psalm 13, King David asks four times in two verses, "How Long, Oh Lord?" 

"How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? 

How long will you hide your face from me? 

How long must I take counsel in my soul 

and have sorrow in my heart all the day?  

How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? 

This is not a momentary tribulation but a prolonged season of suffering and attack from enemies. It appears that the trend is favoring David’s enemies as they seem to prevail while he is wrestles though deeper levels of despair. David is searching for deliverance, and God does not appear to be providing any practical help. 

As David looks to the Lord in prayer, his desperate tone shifts from despair to a hopeful delight. Martin Luther said, “hope itself despairs and despair nevertheless begins to hope.” We see David’s confidence in the Lord, that He has heard his plea and that in the end God’s goodness can be trusted. If you have ever cried out to the Lord, "How Long?" you will want to consider Psalm 13 with us this Sunday.

Many have described our age as the Information Age. Never has information been so readily available and easily accessible. Since the Enlightenment, we are at a time where discernment is at a minimum, and all definitions are considered open to personal interpretation. Our culture lacks a consistent worldview and framework, and information is freely used as propaganda, rather than any clear pursuit of truth. For these reasons, a more accurate description of our Age is one of Misinformation. 

In Psalm 12, we find a timely prayer and guide for times such as these. “And when you witness the arrogance of the crowd and increasing evil, so much so that nothing is considered holy among men, flee to the Lord and cry out Psalm 12” (Athanasius, Letter to Marcellinus).

Paul exhorts believers to “put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another” (Ephesians 4:25). The words of man can hurt, but the words of God and the words of the godly heal.