Trouble Comes With The Package

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"After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”" Nehemiah 4:14

Main Readings: 1 Peter 4 & Nehemiah 4

Supporting Readings: Nehemiah 5 & Matthew 5

It’s been said before: the only certainties in life are death and taxes. Benjamin Franklin spoke that not-too-inspiring observation.For the Christian though, it’s not two certainties in life but three. And that’s because trouble is an inevitability also.

Jesus told his disciples, as a way of preparing them, ‘In this world you will have trouble.’ Not you might have. You will have. Which is not exactly pleasant news I know.

No one likes trouble, do they? But it is honest news from Jesus. And it’s a maxim for the Christian life – that is to say, it always holds true. Trouble is to Christianity as smoke is to fire.

‘If they persecuted me, Jesus said, ‘they will persecute you.’ In other words, following Jesus always brings opposition.

Now, if we’re honest, Christianity would seem far more attractive, wouldn’t it, if it didn’t come bundled with hardship? If following Jesus meant smooth sailing, no pushback, no tears - who wouldn’t sign up?

But Jesus never promised that. He told us plainly: trouble comes with the package.

‘Does that mobile package come with unlimited data and minutes?’

‘Does the Christian package come without trouble?’ The answer is ‘no’.

Now, there’s a reason why Jesus and trouble always go together.

And it’s mainly because Jesus is the embodiment of truth. And truth has a way of exposing us.

His truth shows people what they’re really like for example, and that’s not pleasant for anyone to see. We’re all sinners. And Jesus exposes that about us. But it’s actually worse than that because his truth says, ‘You can’t fix yourself. You need me to do that for you.’

His truth draws a line then between those fit for heaven and those fit for hell. And it makes that line faith in Jesus not yourself. Not your best efforts. Not your charitable giving. Not anything. Just him!His truth reveals both the anger of God and the mercy of God.

And that kind of truth collides head-on with a world built on self-reliance and on conscience-soothing false hope. On nothing much more than a thin moral veneer.

So, what happens at that intersection - where Jesus meets the world? Well, resistance and pushback. Opposition to the gospel.

And because we are identified with Jesus - because we belong to Him - we can expect to run into that same resistance. We should not be surprised when we find ourselves at loggerheads with everything opposed to Christ and to His work. It is just a natural consequence of who we are and who we belong to.

Well, if that’s not bad enough, just to make things worse, opposition doesn’t only come from people.

Behind it all, Satan himself is at work. Scripture says he masquerades as an angel of light.

He’s clever, and subtle. And he’s relentless - trying to block the advance of Jesus’ kingdom at every turn.

How does he do it? Well, he stirs up the world against Christ’s church. He whispers doubt and fear into the hearts of God’s people. And he entices believers into sin, knowing full well that sin is one of the greatest hindrances to the progress of the gospel.

So here we are, contending not just with human resistance but with Satan’s schemes - pressure from the world, temptation to sin, and seeds of doubt planted by the enemy of souls.

Now, I appreciate, all of that sounds pretty bleak!Until, that is, we remember what else Jesus said. Namely this beautiful encouragement: “Take heart!’ He said, ‘I have overcome the world.”

That, little flock, changes everything! As dire as the situation may look - as much as we face the enemy and his schemes day after day - we should not despair. Why? Because Jesus has already overcome. Satan will not prevail!

You see the cross doesn’t only bring us forgiveness of sins. It also strikes a fatal blow right at the heart of Satan’s power.

And Satan knows that. He knows his time is short. He knows the day is coming when the kingdom of this world will finally fall limply under the dominion of Jesus Christ.

Because - Christ’s death, His resurrection, His ascension - all of it guarantees that every last enemy will be put under Jesus’ feet.

And here’s the good news for us: because we belong to Him, our enemies will be put under our feet also.

That’s why Jesus says, again and again: ‘Take heart. Be of good courage’.

Chapters four and five of Nehemiah, then, drop us right into the thick of opposition, the likes of which we’re talking about right now. And that shouldn’t take us by surprise.

Wherever God’s people are, and whenever they set themselves to advance His cause, opposition is sure to follow.

In fact, for two whole chapters there’s hardly any talk here about the wall project at all. That tells us something. It tells us opposition has a way of slowing - even stalling - the work of God’s kingdom.

And that’s exactly what Satan is after. He loves to scupper, and obstruct, and distract God’s people wherever he can.

So, as we look at his methods here in Nehemiah - and we’ll see plenty of them - the point is not just to nod along. The point is to learn how to spot them in our own lives, so we don’t blunder straight into his traps.

But as we do that, let’s not forget this precious and mighty promise of Jesus: ‘Take heart! I have overcome the world.’ Satan doesn’t get the last word. Jesus does. And Jesus will win out, no matter what!

All He asks of us is this: be alert to the enemy’s devices, stand firm, and use the means God Himself has given you to overcome. And Nehemiah shows us those means right here in these chapters too.

So, in these two chapters, I see four main ways Satan tries to troubleGod’s people and hinder the advance of Christ’s cause.

First, opposition from the world.Second, opposition through discouragement. Third, opposition through community sin.And finally, opposition through faulty leadership.

Now, I’m not saying that’s an exhaustive list. There are other ways the enemy works. But these four are significant. And if you spot more as we go, you can share them with me afterwards.

Let’s start, then, with the first kind of opposition. In chapter 4, verses 1 to 3, we catch up with this character Sanballat again. As per usual he’s furious about the rebuilding project. And this time his anger shows up initially in mockery and then physical threat.

“What are those feeble Jews doing?”“Will they restore the wall?”“Will they offer sacrifices?”“Will they finish in a day?”“Can they really bring stones back to life from these heaps of rubble?”

And then his sidekick, Tobiah, chimes in as well: ‘Why, even a fox could climb on top of what they’re building and knock it down!’

Now that might not sound too bad. Sticks and stones and all that. But these weren’t just passing comments. These were insults thrown right in the faces of the builders. And as we see in verse 8, the mockery soon escalates into a plot to fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble.

And it’s that kind of opposition that is very intimidating to people. It carries the real threat of violence. And moreover, it’s deeply demoralising. Nehemiah even says, his people felt ‘despised’.

This is how ridicule works. It starts to raise doubts in the minds of those committed to the cause. We begin to wonder: ‘Hey, maybe these guys have a point! Maybe this really is just all a pipe dream. Maybe Nehemiah has led us into a pointless, fruitless task here’.

And once those questions start to creep in, the whole project can begin to unravel.

And let’s be honest, it’s humiliating too. Nobody likes to be laughed at. Nobody likes to be called foolish, or to have their efforts dismissed. Deep down, we all want people to cheer us on, not tear us down.

So, when opposition like this comes, it cuts deep. It really discourages the Lord’s people.

But here’s the other thing: when the opposition is right in front of us — when we can see it; hear it; even feel it - it makes us feel exposed and vulnerable.

Fear takes hold quickly when we’re faced with bold, confident, formidable resistance.

And when you put all that together - the fear, the doubt, the humiliation - that’s a powerful impulse to pack the project in and walk away.

Consider Adoniram Judson with me for a minute – he was a missionary to Burma in the early 1800s.

For six long years, he laboured without one single convert. He buried more than one of his own children in that time. And he went on to bury his own wife, Ann as well. He was imprisoned, chained, and mocked.

And the despair became so heavy at one point that he even contemplated ending his own life. He dug his own grave in preparation.

But he wrote in his diary:

“I am left alone in the wide world. My own dear family I have buried: one in Rangoon, and two in Amherst. What remains for me, but to hold myself in readiness to follow the dear departed to that blessed world where my best friends, my kindred dwell, where God, my Saviour, reigns.”

Those are raw words from the missionary. But notice the faith coming through. Even in the depths of sorrow, Judson clung to God’s promises. He pressed on because he trusted the Lord who reigns.

Maybe we’re not so familiar with opposition like that. Our democracy is far more tolerant than 1800s Burma I dare say — thanks be to God for that!

But here’s a question we need to ask ourselves (me included): is our cause for Christ as visible to the world as Adoniram’s was? Or indeed, as Nehemiah’s was? Jesus said, ‘Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds.’

If people are convinced by what they see, they give glory to God. If they’re not, we risk being put in a cage of shame - seen, but ultimately rejected. Nehemiah didn’t count that risk. And neither did Adoniram.

So, what do we do in the face of all this opposition? Nehemiah shows us the way.

At the heart of his response is this truth: God is a faithful, covenant-keeping God. He does not leave His people. He does not abandon them.He upholds us. And he fights for us.

Nehemiah tells the people: whenever you hear the trumpet, join us here, because ‘our God will fight for us.’

And Romans 8 echoes the same truth: ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?’ The answer is simple: no one! There is no one greater than our God.

Remembering that He is for us isn’t just part of the battle. It is the battle.

Remembering that no matter what comes against us in the cause of Christ, God is on our side. God is for us in Christ. He will never leave us. He will never forsake us!

If we die, we die in the Lord — and we still have the victory!If we live, we are already more than conquerors, because Christ died for us! That’s the kind of truth that girds us up in the face of opposition.

Now we’ve seen Nehemiah turning to prayer so much in this series already. And here he goes again. Verse 4 very much shows us the prayer of an old covenant saint in the face of opposition. But it’s not quite the same as the New Covenant ethic Jesus calls us to. Which is to pray for our enemies and to remember that our reward in heaven will be great.

So, our prayers in the face of opposition – content wise – today, should look a bit different to Nehemiah’s.

The goal is the same: we still ask God to deal with the opposition. As he sees fit. But we’re not praying for their demise. Rather we pray that God would convict our opponents, that He would turn their insults into guilty consciences.

Why? So, they might see their need of Jesus and come to repentance and faith in Him.

And so, inherit eternal life!

If that’s not our prayer for our enemies, then we’ve lost sight of the love, Jesus has called us to for all people!

Now notice this: after declaring God’s faithfulness and praying, Nehemiah didn’t sit back. He redoubled his efforts in fact.

He posted guards to meet the threat (v. 9). Workers carried weapons as they rebuilt (v. 17). And they didn’t let their guard down for a single minute (v. 23).

Nehemiah didn’t sidestep the opposition by quitting. No, he put wise, carefully considered measures in place to counter the threat.

And God calls us to do the same. Hebrews reminds us, for example: ‘Don’t give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing.’ 

Gathering together is one way we are strengthened against opposition.

Ephesians reminds us, for example, that the word of God is the sword of the spirit. So, we’re encouraged to take that up and wear it every day. Our weapons are spiritual weapons Paul says.

So, when the world mocks your faith or threatens your witness; or when your vision for Christ faces opposition, remember this: God is your faithful defender.

Incidentally, Adoniram Judson didn’t die in vain. He left behind a thriving Burmese church; and even completed a translation of the Bible into Burmese.

At the end of the first six years - and in light of how barren they had been - he told the mission board this amazing thing:

“The prospects are as bright as the promise of God.”

Even in the hardest seasons, he trusted God’s promises. And because of that trust, the work of the gospel not only survived, it flourished.

The next type of opposition Nehemiah faced was discouragement within the hearts of the people themselves. And this discouragement didn’t appear out of nowhere, it was closely tied to the external opposition we just looked at.

Verse 11 shows how the enemies told the people that ‘Before long, we’ll be amongst you, and we’ll kill you and end this work.’ Verse 12 highlights the relentless nature of their opposition — ten times over, the threat of attack!

But that wasn’t the only reason the people were growing weary. Their physical strength was starting to give out as well. And there was still, at this point, enormous piles of rubble to sort out.

So, putting it all together, you can sense the weariness creeping in.

The opposition intensifying, energy levels dropping, and discouragement beginning to take hold.

Often, visions for Christ and His kingdom start strong. Enthusiasm and excitement carry the work forward at the beginning.

But then setbacks come. Opposition creeps in. Hands grow limp, and knees start to buckle.

And the natural response is: ‘We’ve no energy left for this vision. The task is just too great.’

It’s a bit like when you start clearing out a loft or a garage. At the beginning you’re motivated, you can see what you want it to look like. But halfway through, all you can see is this huge pile of junk you’ve dragged out, and suddenly the mess looks far bigger than your capacity.

Well, multiply that idea a couple of hundred times and that’s how the builders must have felt staring at the heaps of rubble still towering over them.

But notice, Nehemiah didn’t respond by saying, ‘Let’s pause the vision. Let’s lay down our tools. Maybe our enemies will get bored and leave. Besides maybe we should take some rest.’

No. Nehemiah went to God.

If God was the defender in the first type of opposition, He is the power in this second type — the opposition of discouragement.

Verse 14: ‘Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome.’

When we forget that the great and awesome God is on our side, discouragement is absolutely inevitable. Energy falters when we forget.

But when we remember - when that truth roars like a fire in our hearts - we are strengthened.

Nehemiah rallied the people to fight for their families and their homes. And in our New Covenant context, that means we fight the fight of faith for Christ’s church - for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

We fight for the lost we are trying to reach. We fight for the perseverance and joy of every single believer. We don’t lay down the weapons of faith. We take them up. And we don’t let doubt and discouragement win. We look to him who has won!

We let our great and awesome God, who is always with us, win the day for us.

Hebrews puts it this way: “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

The third type of opposition Nehemiah faced was internal not external. It was community sin, internal opposition coming from within God’s own people group.

And we see this in chapter 5, verses 1–13. Because here, the powerful Jews were exploiting the weak ones.

Large families needed lots of grain to survive, but a famine had hit, and grain was now scarce. Poorer Jews had to mortgage their fields and homes just to buy food. On top of that, there was the king’s tax levy to pay. And some Jews were even forced to sell their daughters into slavery to Persia all over again - with the expectation looming that they might have to sell their sons too!

It was a tragic, hideous situation. It completely undermined what God had created Israel for in the first place. God had redeemed His people from slavery, and now some of them were content to see their brothers and sisters fall back into slavery - even when they had the power to prevent it. That’s the issue here.

The law was clear: they could not charge interest, nor could they take people’s fields as collateral for grain loans. Instead, they should lend to their fellow Jews at no interest and thereby prevent families from being forced into slavery. If they had truly feared God and valued His honour, they never would have allowed this to happen.

So, Nehemiah confronts them directly. He doesn’t mince words. ‘Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies?’

He tells them: ‘Give back their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses and also the interest you have been charging.’

And they actually obey! They say, ‘We will give it back. We will not demand anything more.’

And Nehemiah strikes home on the back of this, sealing it with an oath. He says, may God shake out of your houses and possessions anyone who breaks this promise. And the whole assembly responded saying, ‘Amen!’ and they praised the Lord!

You see, sin within God’s covenant community can seriously hinder the goals and work of Christ’s kingdom.

In Nehemiah’s day, the work on the wall was opposed by Jews exploiting other Jews. But that should never happen in the church!

This kind of sin damages unity. It dishonours God. And it distracts from the community’s shared goal: which is to serve God together.

It’s the same in a family, right? If parents and children are constantly fighting, or if siblings refuse to share, the home stops functioning as it should. Instead of pulling together, everyone pulls apart. And when that happens, the outside world can see it.

It’s no different for God’s people - internal division undermines the very witness we’re meant to bear.

Remember, the church is not a business with goals and metrics. It’s a family, and families bite and devour each other at their own peril.

If we take advantage of one another, forgetting that Christ shed the same blood to redeem others as He did to redeem me, we’ve lost all perspective.

We are all undeserving sinners in the hands of a gracious and loving God.

This is what should shape how we treat each other.

1 John 3:17 asks: ‘If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother in need but has no pity…how can the love of God be in that person?’

God loved us enough to rescue us. Let us love His people because He first loved us.

And when we do this, we won’t sin against one another.

Opposition to the advancement of God’s kingdom, then, should never come from within His people group, yet so often it does.

And when that happens, it can feel like we, the church, have done Satan’s work for him!

Instead, let God’s honour compel us to treat our brothers and sisters in love, so that nothing will hinder their sincere devotion to Him.

The final type of opposition we see here isn’t from the outside, or even explicitly from within. It’s the kind that can come from leadership failure.

Nehemiah avoided it because of his integrity before God. But had he not been the man of God he was, he could have fallen into the very trap we see in these verses.

Look at verses 14 and onward. Nehemiah was appointed governor of the region by the king.

A position that came with a food allowance - a legitimate provision, well within his rights.

Yet for the 12 years he held the office, Nehemiah did not take advantage of it. He and his family did not acquire land either, even though they could have.

The position itself, you see, was ripe for abuse. Previous governors had exploited it - taking food, taking silver, and lording it over the people.

But Nehemiah’s example shows us the power of integrity in leadership - the way a leader’s character can prevent opposition from arising internally.

Nehemiah didn’t abuse his position. He didn’t even take what was rightfully his.

Instead, he shared his own food generously with the other Jews.

And he explains why: he understood the heavy demands on the people.

His example reminds us that godly leadership isn’t about personal gain, it’s about serving those under your care.

Instead of fattening himself on his quota, Nehemiah worked alongside the people on the wall.

Verse 16 says: ‘I devoted myself to the work on this wall. And all my men were assembled there for the work.’

Out of reverence for God, Nehemiah set a clear example of devoted work, love for God and love for His people.

He didn’t use his entitlement while the people couldn’t even afford basic necessities like grain.

And this principle of godly leadership is crucial for the life of God’s church. Leaders who serve faithfully and sacrificially help furtherChrist’s cause and mobilise God’s people to work together.

It wasn’t that Nehemiah could build better than anyone else. It wasn’t that he could build more than anyone else.

The key was his example - an example that people could follow.

Seeing their leader devoted, working alongside them, and not lining his own pockets - the people were emboldened. They were encouraged to follow his lead on the project.

And the church needs leaders like this - who are self-sacrificial, dedicated, loving, and strong.

Men who, out of love, correct errors - like we saw in the first half of chapter 5 - and who genuinely care for God’s people. Never exploiting or abusing them.

Leaders who are not greedy, but generous and self-giving. Fully rounded leaders who love God and His church.

These are the men who regard the ultimate reward as this: standing before God and hearing him say, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share in your master’s happiness.’ Not material prosperity!

Leaders who shepherd Christ’s church eagerly and not for shameful gain, as Peter puts it. They inspire others to serve faithfully in their own roles: Sunday school teachers, small group leaders, mature disciple-makers, and indeed, every member of the body as they serve one another.

This kind of leadership strengthens the church and, in turn, strengthens the vision and work of Christ’s kingdom.

The enemy of Christ’s kingdom, then, uses many strategies to oppose the vision and work of God’s people:

·       Opposition from without

·       Discouragement from within

·       Community sin

·       And wayward leadership.

To mention a few we’ve seen here.

But the antidote to all of this is always the same: God Himself. Nehemiah has shown us that.

God alone is our great defender. God alone is our source of all strength.God alone gives us direction, so that we can honour Him. God himself is our motivation to endure. And He is the ultimate reward for every faithful leader.

Brothers and sisters, when you feel mocked.When you feel weary. When you feel hurt by a brother or sister. When you’re tempted to abuse your position.

Remember this: the great and awesome God is your very great reward. His covenant-love is the anchor that holds you firm.

With Him beside us, we can keep building. We can keep moving forward with the vision he has placed on our hearts.

Until that day comes. Until the work is complete. Until we stand before Him and hear: ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into your master’s happiness!’

Apart from the name of Jesus - which will be the sweetest thing - those words will be the sweetest words we have heard in our lives!