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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NEHEMIAH 4 — finale
DEALING WITH DISCOURAGEMENT &
HANDLING OPPOSITION
LESSON #11
MEMORY VERSE: GAL 5:1
PUTTING SPIRITUAL WARFARE INTO DAILY PRACTICE
1. LOINS GIRDED WITH TRUTH = ENABLED A WARRIOR TO RUN EASILY. A GROWING KNOWLEDGE OFTRUTH THAT KEEPS US FROM FALLING INTO FALSE DOCTRINE AND SATAN’S DECEPTIONS
2. BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS = BREASTPLATE IS OVER THE HEART. THE CONDITION OFRIGHTEOUSNESS GOD FIRST INTENDED IS NOW PROVIDED BY CHRIST AND ACQUIRED BY FAITH SO SATANCAN’T ACCUSE US.
3. FEET SHOD WITH PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE.
PREPARATION = FOUNDATION
GOSPEL OF PEACE = GOOD NEWS OF PEACE IN RELATIONSHIPS. NO MATTER WHERE WE WALK WE MAINTAINPEACE SO SATAN CAN’T USE RELATIONSHIPS TO DEFEAT US.
4. SHIELD OF FAITH = CONFIDENCE IN GOD THAT NO TEMPTATION OR WEAPON FORMED AGAINST US WILLSUCCEED. IT’S A MOVABLE PIECE OF ARMOR OPERATED BY FAITH AGAINST SATAN’S LIES ANDDECEPTIONS.
5. HELMET OF SALVATION = PROTECTS THE INTELLECT THROUGH THE DAY; EVERY THOUGHT GUARDED SOSATAN WON’T DECEIVE US IN OUR MIND.
6. SWORD OF THE SPIRIT = THE MOUTH WEAPON OF DEFENSE THAT SPEAKS THE WORD OF GOD. REV 1:16
WEAPONS ARE PUT ON IN PRAYER. THERE’S NO WEAPON FOR THE BACK, AS WE’RE NOT TO RUN AWAY.
READ NEHEMIAH 4:4-12 NEHEMIAH’S RESPONSE AND SANBALLAT’S CONFLICT, SATAN’S TACTIC:
A. REMEMBER THAT SATAN’S TACTIC WAS MOCKERY AND RIDICULE.
B. SATAN ALSO THREATENS UNITY.
OUTWARD THREAT:
VS. 8, 11 SANBALLAT’S THREAT TO INVADE
NOW THE CITY WAS SURROUNDED BY ENEMIES TO THE NORTH:
SANBALLAT AND THE SAMARITANS TO THE EAST:
TOBIAH AND THE AMMONITES TO THE SOUTH:
GESHEM AND THE ARABS TO THE WEST:
THE ASHDODITES AND PHILISTINES INWARD THREAT:
VS. 10 JUDAH’S DISCOURAGEMENT
“STRENGTH OF THE BEARERS” = WE’RE GETTING TIRED
TEMPTATION IS A LONG TERM WEARING AWAY PROCESS
DISCOURAGEMENT IS ESPECIALLY EFFECTIVE IN OUR DEFEAT WHEN WE TAKE OUR EYES OFF OF JESUSBECAUSE THEN WE SEE ONLY THE PROBLEMS AND OUR OWN WEAKNESS.
NOTICE THAT DISCOURAGEMENT BEGAN IN THE TRIBE OF JUDAH (NEH 6:17-19) BECAUSE THEY BEGAN TOSECRETLY COOPERATE WITH THE ENEMY.
PEOPLE WHO ARE DISCOURAGERS DO NOT HAVE A STRONG CHRISTIAN WALK WITH THE LORD.
1. THEY LACK FAITH.
2. THEY ARE WILLING TO COMPROMISE THEIR FAITH.
3. THEY USUALLY HAVE THEIR OWN PLAN THAT THEY THINK IS BETTER THAN GOD’S PLAN.
SOME OF THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO BUILD (VS. 6)
SOME OF THE PEOPLE WERE DISCOURAGED (VS. 10)
**WHAT CAUSES DISCOURAGEMENT?
LOSS OF STRENGTH
LOSS OF VISION (PERSPECTIVE)
LOSS OF CONFIDENCE
LOSS OF SECURITY
VS. 11 INFILTRATION – THE COMBINATION OF MARRIAGE AND MONEY DIVIDED THEIR LOYALTIES.
VS. 12 FEAR – SOME OF THE PEOPLE WERE FEARFUL.
KEEPING FOCUS ON THE LORD AND NOT THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE ENEMY IS THE ONLY WAY TO BUILD.
FEAR PARALYZES AND IS CONTAGIOUS.
READ NEHEMIAH 4:13-18 THE DEFENSE
VS. 13 THE HOLY SPIRIT GUARDS THE AREAS NOT YET COMPLETE WHILE WE ARE TO GUARD THE AREASALREADY COMPLETED
GAL 5:1 EPH 4:27
VS. 14 NEHEMIAH’S ENCOURAGEMENT
NEHEMIAH EVIDENTLY KNEW THE PLAN OF SANBALLAT TO INFILTRATE THE CITY WITH SAMARITANS (15)
VS. 16 NEHEMIAH’S SERVANTS – THE ANGELS WHO ARE MINISTERING SPIRITS AID IN THE REBUILDINGPROCESS
VS. 16 EVERYONE WHO BUILT ALSO DID BATTLE BUILDING THE PERSONALITY AND SPIRITUAL WARFAREGO TOGETHER.
**DON’T LET SATAN DESTROY THE AREAS YOU HAVE ALREADY BUILT UP BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO BEALERT TO THE ENEMY.
READ NEHEMIAH 4:19-23 READINESS AND UNITY OF SPIRIT
VS. 20 RALLYING TRUMPET
VS. 21 HALF WORKED WHILE HALF GUARDED
VS. 22 LODGING WITHIN THE CITY – NO MORE VACILLATING IN AND OUT
VS. 23 WATCHFULNESS AND READINESS TO FIGHT
SUMMARY OF SATAN’S TACTICS:
EXTERNAL WORDS
INTERNAL WORDS
EXTERNAL OPPOSITION
INTERNAL OPPOSITION
SUMMARY OF OUR DEFENSE:
NEH 3:3,6,13-15 TELLS US THAT WHEN THEY BUILT THE GATES, THE GATES HAD LOCKS AND BARS FORSECURITY. THESE LOCKS AND BARS REPRESENT OUR SPIRITUAL WARFARE DEFENSES THAT GUARD OURDAILY DECISIONS.
PRAYER AND FASTING:
USING THE BLOOD OF THE CROSS
THE WORD OF GOD
SPIRITUAL WARFARE
OUR AUTHORITY – ANGELS PSA 91:11 – THE HOLY SPIRIT
PRAYING IN TONGUES
PERSEVERANCE AND PATIENCE LUK 21:19
THE REASON FOR VICTORY:
THE PEOPLE HAD A MIND TO WORK (6)
THE PEOPLE HAD A HEART TO PRAY (9)
THE PEOPLE HAD AN EYE TO WATCH (9)
THE PEOPLE HAD AN EAR TO HEAR (20)
PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP
HOW SHOULD A GOOD LEADER HANDLE OPPOSITION AND CRITICISM?
[11] GOES TO GOD IN PRAYER AT EACH POINT OF OPPOSITION (4:4,9)
[12] SEEKS UNITY AND COOPERATION IN THE WORK (4:6)
KEEP THEM ALL BUSY
[13] WORKS RIGHT ALONGSIDE THOSE WHO FOLLOW (4:13)
[14] KNOWS WHO ARE THE DISCOURAGED, AND ENCOURAGES THEM (4:14)
[15] USES EVERYONE, AND USES EVERYONE’S TALENTS (4:16)
[16] TAUGHT EVERYONE WARFARE (4:17)
[17] MAINTAINS A CLOSE WATCHFUL FELLOWSHIP (4:22)
PROVIDED A RALLYING POINT (4:15,16,20)
HOMEWORK FOR NEHEMIAH 5
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.
APPLICATION OF NEHEMIAH 4
READ GALATIANS 6:9 AND HEBREWS 10:36
HOW DO THESE VERSES APPLY TO NEHEMIAH 4?
HOW DO THESE VERSES APPLY TO THE AREAS YOU ARE WORKING ON?
USING THE DEFENSE WEAPONS WE DISCUSSED IN NEHEMIAH 4, WRITE A PRAYER OF DEFENSE FOR THOSEAREAS OF YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION
IN WHAT AREAS DO YOU FIND YOURSELF WEAKEST? ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO GUARD THOSE AREAS FORYOU
PREPARATION FOR NEHEMIAH 5
READ NEHEMIAH 5
IN YOUR OWN WORDS, SUMMARIZE THE PROBLEM IN VERSES 1-5.
WHAT WERE NEHEMIAH’S RESPONSES TO THIS NEW PROBLEM?
SUMMARIZE NEHEMIAH’S EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP IN VERSES 14-19.
MEMORY VERSE: 1CO 15:58
