They Said It Couldn’t Be Done
                                       Nehemiah 6:14-19 (#11)

In the early 1980s, a young missionary in Brazil decided to take a stab at writing. After several months of late-night toil, he sent his fledgling manuscript to a publisher under the title, “On the Anvil: Thoughts on Being Shaped into God’s image.”

In a couple of weeks, he received a letter from the publisher. The opening line began something like this, “We are sorry to inform you…”  Yes, it was a rejection slip.

He sent his work to another publisher, then another…always the same:
”Thank you, but no thank you.”

After 14 rejection slips, he got a note from a publisher that said, “We will accept your manuscript” but there was a condition: That he not submit any further material.

So, on the 15th attempt, his book was published.

Would you venture a guess, who that young Brazilian missionary is? 

 Writer and pastor Max Lucado, one of the most prolific writers of our time.

Persistence won the day.

There was another young pastor, just out of seminary in the mid 1960s, who accepted a call to a church in New England.  It was not a ministry made in heaven.  There was criticism, conflict; After several years of drudgery and a mediocre pulpit ministry, he was wondering if he was cut out for this preaching thing at all.

To complicate the situation: He later disclosed that behind closed doors, he and his wife were having marital problems.

One day, there came a phone call from a search committee in another part of the country.  One of his old seminary profs had given his name to a church in California.

They decided to give it a try. Good thing they did; otherwise, the world might have missed out on the ministry of Charles R. Swindoll.

Persistence.

President Calvin Coolidge is immortalized in this flash of insight:

        “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not;
         nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius
         will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the
         world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone
         are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve
         the problems of the human race.” 

”By persistence,” Mr. Spurgeon noted, “the snail made it into the ark.”

The great American philosopher, Yoggi Berra, weighed in on the topic, when he said, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

The power and prospect of persistence is marvelously illustrated in the building and completion of the wall at Jerusalem.  After…

…repeated opposition and devilish plots,
…ingenious traps laid from within and without
…in an atmosphere of bitter hatred and antagonism

Nehemiah writes,

     “So the wall was finished on the twenty-ninth day of Elul (September), in
      fifty-two days.”

We are proned to look for miracles at dramatic places like…

…the Red Sea,
…the fiery furnace or
…the Elijah’s ascension into heaven,

but friends, this is one of the most towering, remarkable miracles in the annals of human history. For a century and a half, those stones, charred by fire, lay strewn across the landscape of what had once been the Holy City.

And now, they spring to life—a testimony that there is a God in heaven.

Don’t you hold close to your heart those times, events and open doors that cause you to stand back and say with tears of wonder,

    “This is God. This isn’t luck. This isn’t just about being at the at the right
      place at the right time; this can only be Him. God is up to something.”

Sometimes it’s in retrospect—months or even years later—that you slap yourself on the cheek and say with Jacob, “Surely the LORD is in this place.” It might be after a mammoth failure; or being mowed down by a  disappointment or adversity.

I have never shared this.   I dated a godly young lady in my last year of high school and into college. 

…We attended the same church;
…enjoyed the same things;
…we were compatible with a capital “C.”
…I worked for her dad in the summers;

We had talked about how the future might unfold for us.

She was three years younger than me.  The idea was for her to graduate from high school, start to college, and by that time, I would be near to finishing college.

While I attended college locally—in Beckley and then in Huntington—things were fine. When I left, almost on the spur of the moment, for bible college 400 miles away, she was okay with that. As far as I was concerned, that changed nothing.  

But in a few months, I began to sense that something was different; tone of her letters was different; the phone were, well, different. One day, out of the blue, I got a letter; she broke up with me.

Someone says, “Larry, that’s not that unusual—two kids, one still in high school, the other in college.”  I know. But with my temperament and personality, it hit me like a ton of bricks dropped from a thousand feet.
In my hurt and confusion, I just kept committing and recommitting myself and my future to the Lord.One day, about 5 months later, my roommate and I were walking across campus, when at a four-way traffic stop, I looked up, and—walking like the city was on fire (if you can believe that)—was a GIRL with long, flowing blond hair. One day, about 5 months later, my roommate and I were walking across campus, when at a four-way traffic stop, I looked up, and—walking like the city was on fire (if you can believe that)—was a GIRL with long, flowing blond hair. My roommate, who hadn’t had a date in his life, stopped hear and started shouting, “You’ve won! You’ve won!”  This young lady, from a race track background in Philadelphia, got really excited.  She was sure that through some twist of luck, God was providing her school bill!One day, about 5 months later, my roommate and I were walking across campus, when at a four-way traffic stop, I looked up, and—walking like the city was on fire (if you can believe that)—was a GIRL with long, flowing blond hair. My roommate, who hadn’t had a date in his life, stopped hear and started shouting, “You’ve won! You’ve won!”  This young lady, from a race track background in Philadelphia, got really excited.  She was sure that through some twist of luck, God was providing her school bill!And for 35 years now, with a heart overflowing with gratitude, I have said, “God, you were (and are) in this place.”

One day, about 5 months later, my roommate and I were walking across campus, when at a four-way traffic stop, I looked up, and—walking like the city was on fire (if you can believe that)—was a GIRL with long, flowing blond hair. My roommate, who hadn’t had a date in his life, stopped hear and started shouting, “You’ve won! You’ve won!”  This young lady, from a race track background in Philadelphia, got really excited.  She was sure that through some twist of luck, God was providing her school bill!And for 35 years now, with a heart overflowing with gratitude, I have said, “God, you were (and are) in this place.”This 52-day miracle is so fantastic, that the Jewish historian Josephus couldn’t accept it.  Writing in the closing decades of the first century, he says it took two-and-a-half-years to build the wall!

It was so painfully obvious that it was a God thing, that even the enemies had to admit—it had His fingerprints were all over it! 

The Message renders the last line of verse 16,

       “When all the enemies heard the news and all the surrounding nations
        saw it, our enemies totally lost their nerve. They knew that God was
        behind this work.”

They cry ‘uncle’; and conclude that the completion of the wall could only be accounted for by the intervention of the God of Israel!

Isn’t that what it’s all about? If people can continue to think that the Gospel isn’t true, or that “God” is some ethereal “Higher Power” existing out there somewhere in the universe, they can remain comfortable in their sin, their unbelief, their indifference. But when they see Him at work in you…

…your priorities
…your convictions
…you lifestyle,

they are forced to acknowledge—at least in their minds and hearts—that  “God exists; He is real!”

This is happening in our community.  People routinely approach me wherever I go asking about the new Worship Center: “Faith is building a new facility.” “Yes.” And when I share with them…

…our hope by God’s grace, of completing it debt free,
…and that a little group of less than 250 people have met in a gymnasium for
   11 and a half years, and have given sacrificially over $1.3 million—

They are blown away.  The comment is something like, “That’s something!” They recognize that “God is in this place.”

Given what the enemies knew, now that the wall is complete, wouldn’t you expect them to take a hike! To let it go! Why would they want to keep punishing themselves! 

There was a bruised, bleeding boxer who stumbled to his corner after a very bad round.  His trainer splashed cold water in his face, and said,

       “Rocky, you’re doing great!  He hasn’t laid a glove on you.”

Half-dazed, his fighter looked up at him and said:

        “Well, if he hasn’t laid a glove on me, you’d better keep an eye on that
         referee because somebody out there is beating the daylights out of me.”

Despite the beatings, Tobiah the Terrible keeps up his relents attacks; But why Tobiah? Where are the other two Musketeers? Why does he take the lead?

You may remember, when we met the trash-talking trio in chapter two, I pointed out that Tobiah a Jew!  Ironically, his name means, “Yahweh is good.”

When adversity and problems strike, you prefer the variety that you can..

…deal with once for all
…wrap in a neat package with a pretty bow on top,
…and drop in the garbage can! 
…or mark “completed” on your PDA

The most difficult challenges are those “nagging tooth ache” types that you know you deal with again, and again, and again, and all signs point to the fact that, apart from a miracle, you will deal with until you go home to heaven!

Tobiah is the devil’s gift that keeps on giving… Nehemiah contends with him all the way to the last chapter, where, in his absence, some knuckle head gives Tobiah a room in the temple!

It’s a “now what?” moment. The devil is a master chameleon! He changes tactics—again—He launches three subtle, aggressive, long-term attacks.  It’s the Evil one’s finest hour.

1. Verse 17—He builds relationships with disloyal nobles in the ranks

2. He establishes a financial partnership with them—V18a

    The word translated “pledge” in verse 18, means a business or financial
    alliance.

3. He and his son marry into prominent Jewish families—V18b
      
    Paw and Maw sat on the porch of their mountain cabin in the head of the
    hollow watching their boy, Junior, coming up the road in his pulp wood
    truck. Junior, age 40, had never married, never worked much, and was still
    living at home

    “Paw,” Maw said, “Junior’s a mess, ain’t he.”  “Yep, sure is,” Paw
        allowed, “but he’s airn.”

    Money talks, but in Jewish families blood screams!

4. Tobiah is marketing genius—V19

    He instigates a public relations campaign: Tobiah’s generosity and
    philanthropy are rubbed in Nehemiah face in glowing terms.

         “Sure, Tobiah has faults, but who doesn’t? Why are you so negative?       
          You need to watch Joel Olsten; Why don’t you recognize his good
           points; you give him any credit; you should be embracing him.
           Nehemiah, we’re praying for you!”

And every move and unguarded word is reported to Tobiah. The enemy’s object is unvarnished, crystal clear: “Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.”  Five times he talks about “fear,” “afraid,”  Satan is the master of fear.

We live in a world that evokes fear.  Since 9/11, we have lived in a national culture of fear unprecedented in modern times.   I recently read about this fear identified by psychologists:  Triskaidekaphobia.  Any idea what it is the fear of? The fear of the number 13.

If that’s your greatest fear, you’re going to be okay!

A lady named Wanda Badger tells about taking her grandson to Sea World in Orlando:

     “At Sea World, our grandson refused to see the show featuring Shamu the
      killer whale, but he wouldn’t tell us why.  No amount of discussion could
      get him to change his mind.  Later, when we got home, we discovered the
      reason for his reluctance.  And aunt had told him how exciting the should
      would be because (quote) ‘they choose children from the audience to
      feed Shamu.”

There’s nothing funny about fear.  One of our ladies gave me this quote by Chuck Swindoll:

     “The lens of fear magnifies the size of the uncertainty.”

What is your greatest fear? What is it in your life that when you let yourself play a “what if…” game, leaves you emotionally numb? 

The Evil One’s goal was to imprison Nehemiah inside the very thing wall he had built. He did not success!

Satan’s goal is to paralyze your faith, and steal your joy. 

Let’s draw Four Personal Principles From This Scene:

1. Persistence Is The Key To Conquering Stubborn Obstacles—V15

    Ben Franklin said, “Little strokes fell great oaks.”

2. When Leaders And Followers Commit Themselves To God And To
    Each Other, Miraculous Things Happen—V15

    Look at this picture. 

    …On the left is a chicken and some eggs
    …On the right, a pig and ham.

Do you see a difference? The difference is, when you are eating ham and eggs, the chicken that laid the eggs made a contribution, while the pig that     gave the ham made a commitment.

3. When You Trust And Obey God, Nothing Or No One Can Thwart
    God’s (Good) Plan For Your Life—V15It is very important that you have a biblical view of Satan.  There are denominations and churches that give him unwarranted attention and power.
They live in fear of the very one who is the author of fear.It is very important that you have a biblical view of Satan.  There are denominations and churches that give him unwarranted attention and power.They live in fear of the very one who is the author of fear.…I heard recently about a sincere Christian lady who shared that during a
    particular time of trial, she stopped reading her Bible and praying, because
    she didn’t want to risk becoming the object of Satan’s greater attention.It is very important that you have a biblical view of Satan.  There are denominations and churches that give him unwarranted attention and power.They live in fear of the very one who is the author of fear.…I heard recently about a sincere Christian lady who shared that during a    particular time of trial, she stopped reading her Bible and praying, because    she didn’t want to risk becoming the object of Satan’s greater attention.…I asked a friend, of the same denomination, how her business was going.
   She said, “Not good,” she said.  “I’m going to have to ask God to tell the
   devil to get out of my finances.”

It is very important that you have a biblical view of Satan.  There are denominations and churches that give him unwarranted attention and power.They live in fear of the very one who is the author of fear.…I heard recently about a sincere Christian lady who shared that during a    particular time of trial, she stopped reading her Bible and praying, because    she didn’t want to risk becoming the object of Satan’s greater attention.…I asked a friend, of the same denomination, how her business was going.   She said, “Not good,” she said.  “I’m going to have to ask God to tell the   devil to get out of my finances.”…One of our ladies ask an acquaintance about a particular problem she was
    going through.  She refused to talk about it, saying that if she verbalized it,
    Satan would hear it, and be enabled to use this information to make the
    situation much worse.

…Back in my Southern Gospel Music upbringing, I attended a service in
    which the pastor directed the congregation to draw back and hit the devil.

…Warren Wiersbe talks about a lady who called him to say that Satan had
    caused her to shrink seven and a half inches.  He writes,

       “While I have great respect for the wiles and powers of the devil, I still
        feel we must get our information about him from the Bible and not from
        our own experiences.”

What does the bible say?

A. Satan is a created, fallen-angel; He is not sovereign, he does not
    share power with God.

    At times through Christian history, the idea has reared its head that there is
    a dualism between God and Satan, that they share equal power.  
    Therefore, they are at war for dominion of the world and the souls of men.

    By definition, only one person can be sovereign, meaning unlimited power
    and authority.  Satan ain’t him!

    Satan’s power is granted to him by God for a specific time, to fulfill God’s
    purposes.

    In the book of Job, Satan worked havoc in Job’s life, but it’s clear: God kept
    Him on a well-defined, permissive leash.

    John Piper said it his way:  “Job and Paul…when struck by Satan, felt the
           hand of God.”

B. The Believer’s Focus Must Be The Worship of God, Witness In The
    World (In The Power of the Spirit) and Living For Jesus.    C. S. Lewis warned about two dangers in one’s attitude about Satan:
   
     1. To live as though he doesn’t exist. (or)
     2. To become preoccupied with him.
   
     The counsel of Scripture is (to use Wiersbe’s term): Respect Him.     C. S. Lewis warned about two dangers in one’s attitude about Satan:        1. To live as though he doesn’t exist. (or)     2. To become preoccupied with him.        The counsel of Scripture is (to use Wiersbe’s term): Respect Him.       Another writer picks up on that word: “To defeat the devil we must
      first be alert to his presence…respect him—not fear or reverence him, but
      respect him, like an electrician respects the killing power of electricity.”       C. S. Lewis warned about two dangers in one’s attitude about Satan:        1. To live as though he doesn’t exist. (or)     2. To become preoccupied with him.        The counsel of Scripture is (to use Wiersbe’s term): Respect Him.       Another writer picks up on that word: “To defeat the devil we must      first be alert to his presence…respect him—not fear or reverence him, but      respect him, like an electrician respects the killing power of electricity.”    C.  Satan Was Defeated On The Cross And Knows That His Time Is
       Short.

      God plan for Satan is clearly spelled out.  As Steve Brown says,

    C. S. Lewis warned about two dangers in one’s attitude about Satan:        1. To live as though he doesn’t exist. (or)     2. To become preoccupied with him.        The counsel of Scripture is (to use Wiersbe’s term): Respect Him.       Another writer picks up on that word: “To defeat the devil we must      first be alert to his presence…respect him—not fear or reverence him, but      respect him, like an electrician respects the killing power of electricity.”          God plan for Satan is clearly spelled out.  As Steve Brown says,       “The Serpent has been dealt a deadly blow; but his tail still switches.”

4. Nagging Problems Keep You On Your Face, Dependent Upon God’s
    Grace And Power—V14From The get-go, Nehemiah as been a man of prayer.  There are seven    recorded prayers.   Chapter 13…The end of the story…

…Look at verse 7— Years later, Nehemiah leaves the city for a while to  
    report in at Sushan.  He returns and old “Tobiah the terrible,” that royal    
    pain in the neck, is still at it.From The get-go, Nehemiah as been a man of prayer.  There are seven    recorded prayers.   …Look at — Years later, Nehemiah leaves the city for a while to      report in at Sushan.  He returns and old “Tobiah the terrible,” that royal        pain in the neck, is still at it.    …I would have done called Rambo in! “Come in Raven…!”
    …I would have had some of Chuck Holton’s Rangers buddies knocking on
            his door.From The get-go, Nehemiah as been a man of prayer.  There are seven    recorded prayers.   …Look at — Years later, Nehemiah leaves the city for a while to      report in at Sushan.  He returns and old “Tobiah the terrible,” that royal        pain in the neck, is still at it.    …I would have done called Rambo in! “Come in Raven…!”    …I would have had some of Chuck Holton’s Rangers buddies knocking on            his door.This is so good…And all the way to end, here is Nehemiah…

From The get-go, Nehemiah as been a man of prayer.  There are seven    recorded prayers.   …Look at — Years later, Nehemiah leaves the city for a while to      report in at Sushan.  He returns and old “Tobiah the terrible,” that royal        pain in the neck, is still at it.    …I would have done called Rambo in! “Come in Raven…!”    …I would have had some of Chuck Holton’s Rangers buddies knocking on            his door.…And all the way to end, here is Nehemiah……Read verse 14
…Verse 22
…Verse 29
…And The last verse, no—The last line of the book—Read verse 31!

I am going to put a biblical statement on the screen. I want you to know I resist it!  I have repelled by it:

       Tobiah Made Nehemiah The Humble, Usable, God-Glorifying Man He
        Was.

Everybody needs a Tobiah; You do…I do…!  I want you to turn to someone near you, smile and say, “You need a Tobiah.”

It’s true. Paul was transformed his Tobiah… AKA, “A thorn in the flesh.”

I’m confident of this…

…The 14 rejections…have served Max Lucado well!
…Chuck Swindoll has talked often about the blessing of brokenness
         in a church where it wasn’t happening, and his marriage was
         shaking beneath him.

How do you handle Tobiahs?  By faith—a faith-choice—You receive them as a love-gift from the Father’s hand… 

Don’t give Satan credit for Tobiahs…They belong to God and God alone! His permission; His eternal plan!

The Lord Jesus had a Tobiah…A cruel, humiliating Roman Cross.  Not only did He live with humiliation and rejection, He lived from childhood with under the shadow of that Cross. 

But he embraced it… And in embracing it, by faith, he transformed the wood of that cruel cross into a bridge to Glory!

Aren’t you glad he surrendered to it.  The devil was there until the end, you hear in the jeering crowd, “If you are the Son of God, come down.”  Escape! Run away! 

He could have quoted the words of Nehemiah, “I’m doing a great work and I can’t come down.”

Aren’t you glad Jesus did not come down?
Aren’t you glad he stayed on that cross and did the great work of salvation,
           and he stayed there until in victory was won?

And like Nehemiah, he prayed in the presence of his Tobiah.  At last on the cross he shouted, “It is finished!”  And the miracle of salvation was made available to every lost sinner.

Friend, Jesus has finished the work. He has paid it all.  All you have to do now is by repentance and faith to receive what Jesus has done.