R319 What Kind of Enemy

Today's message on The Encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton is called what kind of enemy.

Are you facing an enemy for life as we open God's word together know they were open to pray with him right now in 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or online a DEW online.org with Dr. Don Wilton and with me book of Nehemiah chapter 4 book of Nehemiah chapter 4 I remarkable study about a remarkable people involved in a remarkable way with a remarkable God experiencing a remarkable journey that resulted in remarkable joy.

There is one thing that is very true in our society today and I'm here this morning to make an announcement to you if you would please give me your attention. Satan is alive and he is on the attack but he has been defeated once and for all.

All because of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As we begin to try and draw some of the deep meaning of what God would have us to understand in the life of Nehemiah. We began to look at the God of the Bible and the people of God, and tried to understand the joy that is ours because the God of the Bible brings together with himself. The people of God, and he blesses them.

Then we all ask the question what kind of man.

Nehemiah we began to discover and I'm going to submit to you that we will continue to discover that he was an ordinary person like you and me, and yet God had his hand upon his servant, the wonderful truth about that is that God has his hand upon each one of us and that if we are willing to allow God to do with us what Nehemiah was willing to allow God to do with him then I'm going to suggest to you that we are in for a wonderful time of blessing. Then of course the Christian what kind of God. If Nehemiah was able to accomplish what he did what was and who was, does God that enabled Nehemiah to do what he did see behind every man and woman in God's service. There is God he is behind them. He is under them.

He is over them. He instructs them he loves them. He rebukes them. He rewards them.

God is actively engaged in active service and so we tried to understand some walk in a general sense who this God of the Bible is this God of Nehemiah beloved friends as we come to study this morning.

Question is simply this, what kind of enemy. What kind of enemy. I don't believe there's anyone here today who would contradict the statement that the enemy is on the marching United States. We see him actively engaged in government is actively engaged in politics is actively engaged in education is actively engaged in our families and in our family systems is actively engaged in morality is actively engaged in our thought processes is actively engaged in the direct sum in which we move is actively engaged in our young people's lives is actively engaged in the lives of children and teenagers. Satan is on the move. The Bible says he is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. One of the most remarkable things about what took place here in the life of Nehemiah and of these people was not that they did not encounter the enemy. It was raw, the dead in the presence of the enemy. They came to understand the tremendous victory that is made available to all of us because of who we are in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Needless to say I have no doubt in my mind that there are so many go today that all being confronted by Satanic attack. It's everywhere. It's on our television sets. Every time you flip the switch there's evidence of the presence of Satan, evil is everywhere.

He's on the moon and he is accomplishing great things for himself and for his cohorts.

I'd like us this morning to read one passage of Scripture going to continue just to do an overview and for this Sunday and from next Sunday we going to be considering the question of the enemy from a biblical perspective. Next Sunday we going to be focusing particularly on what God would have us to do in a practical way in which we all ourselves and prepare ourselves. It's all very well to see what Satan does.

But what does that mean to me and the practicality of my daily living. What can I do about is this something that God's word teaches me. Was there something specific that Nehemiah do in response to God is that in April.

Both he and the people to be able to overcome and build the walls of Jerusalem. Well let's read together just one passage of Scripture. Nehemiah chapter 4 and I'm going to stop every now and again which I'm accustomed to do when San ballot and began to hear the names of these people many times when San ballot heard that we were rebuilding the wall. Are you ready for this or shall we skip over the next process. Maybe we should just get to the good part and not have to deal with this just just look what happened here when San ballot heard that we were rebuilding the wool. He became angry and was greatly incensed. A rough translation as he was mad as I had now that's in the original text. But it's been translated. He was greatly incensed. I look what he did. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates. We haven't noticed something very interesting folks are going to just say this to you. When Satan gets hold of people, one of the first things. Those people will do will go and collect other people to join them and what they are trying to do. It's almost it's it's classic. The Bible is filled with if someone's going to be for a gripe about the church. One of the first things they will lose gun seek support from other people that watch what happens. Yet it's an interesting development. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the Army of Samaria. He said one of those people, Jews doing will they restore they wall notice. This is just so filled with sarcasm. I'm afraid every stripe will they offer sacrifices will they finish in the day can they bring the stones back to life, from those heaps of rubble burned as they all see this was one of those men who understood history. He knew how impossible it was. He understood what it happened to Jerusalem he understood about Babel and he understood about the Assyrians. He understood about the Babylonian captivity.

He understood how desperate things were and so he invoked historical purpose. He brought his education to bear upon this predicament and very soon in verse three.

One of these major cohorts and lieutenants by the name of toe by the aim and not jump to the occasion. Another thing you'll notice about when opposition starts those who are inclined to oppose will very quickly jump to the central central spokesman. Watch what happens.

Verse three taught by the aim in life. Who was Eddie side said what are they building even the flocks.

Even if a fox climbed on it. He would break down the rules of stone which Nehemiah says in verse four hero so God, for we are despised turn their insults back on their own heads give them over is plundering the land of captivity do not cover-up the guilt or blocked out their sins from your sides, for they had thrown insults in the face of the Buddha so we reboot the wool talk all of it reached half of its high for the people with with all of their heart. What a tremendous picture but then verse seven.

All of a sudden we dropped again. Great is the big drop zero but when San ballot told via the Arabs, the Lamanites, and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's walls it gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed. Jared's again.

They were very angry. They all plotted together to come against and defiance against Jerusalem, and to stir up trouble against it, but we prayed to God and posted a God day and night to meet the strict may the Lord write upon our hearts his word this morning.

What kind of enemy. What kind of enemy did Nehemiah face. What kind of enemy do we facing our world today. Bible tells us that God has defeated Satan, but that God is involved in a proverbial tug-of-war with Satan all the time. Satan always wants to drag people down to know the good news. The good news is that God is always there to pull people up.

He tells us. I will never leave nor will I forsake. So the question that we go to ask ourselves is this what you suppose it is that makes Satan happy drawing up a list now. We talk a lot about what makes God happy.

What pleases God. But what pleases Satan, what makes Satan happy. The Bible says that he is a hater. He is a record.

He is a destroyer he will do anything to destroy God's work and God's people, and he will stop at nothing, he will manipulate people. He will cause people to do these work for him, he will stop at nothing to destroy God's work and God's people. What makes Satan happy wanted you sometime this next week. Sit down with your family get your children sit down with your family get out of notebook and ask your children what you suppose would make Satan happy and hope you be surprised what children will tell you you not makes them happy. Satan happy to see mom and dad arguing with each other makes Satan happy you don't make Satan happy to see people talking ugly to one another to see divisions, the sea divorce course loom on the horizon to see bickering and fussing and fighting, imputing and backslapping you not makes Satan happy. Pride makes Satan very happy selfishness, don't you think makes Satan happy.

We could go on and on, both in our private lives and in our corporate lives. What would really make Satan happy in the United States. I tell you what. He's pretty happy at the moment folks we slaughtering millions of babies every year in the United States of America and we doing nothing about you go to any any abortion clinic today go to Greenville to some about abortion clinics and stand there and tell me if you see any lady coming out of that abortion clinic with a smile on her face, but then got out of the hospital here with us and watch a lady just having given birth to a precious gift from God, I'll guarantee you see the biggest smile you've ever seen. You know why because that's God's purpose for life and you know it's making Satan happy folks it's making and happy that all of the United States. We are just sitting here watching the slaughter of literally thousands upon thousands of baby every single day you not make Satan happy. The fact that we remove God from our schools. What makes Satan happy.

My friends is that they allow all the smart to appear on television. What makes Satan happy is that we elevate the wicked that we involve ourselves in the moral we side ourselves with impractical and with the ungodly. What makes Satan Bible says he is a record you know it would make him happy in this church, what would make him so happy as if he could split the stretch wide open.

He's not going to do it, but what would that make him happen or what will it make him happy just to see God's church pulled apart. You know what would make you happy. What would make you happy.

My friend is to see people getting up all bent out of shape what would make him happy as he pleased, serving the Lord what would make them happy is if we quit being mission minded what would make them happy if we weren't prayer warriors. What would make them happy is if we never kept the main thing the main thing.

What would make him happy. As if I took that Bible and threw it out and said from now on, all I'm going to do is preach a sermon. It's about social gospel and all you have to do saving your money to some social organization and everything is going to be okay although that would make Satan so happy. It would make him so happy.

What would make Satan happy beloved friends as if we said never again in this church would we ever preach the mandate that if any man will come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. What would make Satan happy my friend if we eliminated the scandal of the cross. What would make Satan happy is a pleader to preach about the fact that God is not a God of compromise art is a God of condition and God is a God of absolutes and God is righteous and God is holy and daughter's the righteous judge, and God is the God of salvation. Although Satan would be so happy and so what about Nehemiah please forgive the eruption will be back with the rest of today's message from Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment, but there has been so much by so much excitement about the brand-new book Saturdays with Billy with Dr. Don Wilton if you haven't heard about it. Here's Dr. Don to tell you more my book Saturdays with is about an extraordinary relationship with a precious man impacted lives across the world.

You don't want to miss this opportunity to be inspired by his life to the number to call to get your copy is 866898668999673 email us at online@tewonline.org G.

Now back to today's message with Dr. Don Wilton. What about Nehemiah teenagers what you think makes Satan happy.

It all makes Satan happy. Whatever it was that you did loss. Not that your parents know nothing about. But you know who's out there in that park motorcar. It was at that movie.

It was at that party. It was the way you spoke to your friends. It's the way you treat your parents.

That's what makes Satan happy. What was Satan doing Gary Nehemiah's time. He used three general devices I want to share them with you very very general devices number one use psychological warfare got hold of their minds. Number two. He used physical threats not going to say wait a minute without costing you mean Nehemiah was actually scraping physically. Yes sir, you don't think Satan's going to stop short of that.

He threatened them physically he meant bodily harm to them and the way in which he threatened them was through personal discouragement.

Discouragement is the window of opportunity for depression. You show me a discouraged person and I'll show you a prime candidate for depression do not depression leads to depression leads to the most unbelievable acts of vengeance that people put upon themselves.

That's what happens when a person is depressed and it is anything that Satan wants to do.

He wants to get you personally discover and when you personally discourage leases there.

I am, and he goes running right through that door and the next minute you're depressed you down your Alcan Satan's got you and he can walk all over you.

He can chew you up one side and to you down the other and this what you got to where he wanted you to be to begin psychological warfare, physical threats, personal discouragement, how did Satan do this here in the book of Nehemiah.

They were full approaches that we going to find in general that Satan utilized.

I want to share them with because we going to discover this and there is much to be learned, not only from his life, but from our lives.

There were four approaches that Satan zeroed in on Gary Nehemiah. These are general making summary statements. The first thing he did was he used accusation chapter 5 alternator chapter 5 in verse one, used accusation. What the Bible says. Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers, you can go on we going to come back to that when I begin to read preach systematically through Nehemiah. You can read the nature of the accusation that Satan labeled against the servants through people. Now God always uses people folks, at least Satan always uses people to do his dirty work for him.

It is absolutely guaranteed and in this case we going to find San Ballack and Tobiah we going to find all these people all the time popping up just when things seem to be going will here they come here they come, and the first method that Satan used was just plain good old-fashioned accusation. He accused them of doing things you not accusation is accusation is Satan's effort to try and incriminate people incrimination. That's what accusation is it's an effort to accused the cost out something just throw it out there and open and bring discredit upon a group of people.

That's exactly what he did here as they tried to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem accusation number two. Use deceitful strategies that turn with me to chapter 6 turnover the chapter 6 I want to just read to you the first two verses. It's quite remarkable when we try and understand. You see what accusation my friend what he was doing as he was sowing seeds of doubt.

That's what he was doing he was going around and he was trying to get people to come up against the Jews and the rebuilding he was trying to he was accusing them of things but deceitful strategy speaks of Croft penis are being freed of clockwork. What happened in chapter 6, verse one and two. Now, in word cayenne years to San Ballack's probiotic dish from the Arab and the rest of our enemies. I was grateful for that little phrase they by the welcome back. Next week, that I had read multiple and that not a gap was left in it though. After that time I did not set the doors in the gates. That's kind of a little assigned in English you know is having this little dramatic monologue here. That's what he's doing and he says you know this was at a time when we rebuilt the walls and I mean it. Okay, okay, I hadn't put the gates and yet I just want you to know that the gates went in there as I know, San Ballack and the boys again try and use it against us, but I'm willing to accept that. He says when word came to San Ballack and turbine dish from the Arab and the rest of our enemies. The Dodd rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it though.

Up to that time I did not set the goals and the gates. Listen, what happened, San Ballack and Dishman sent me this message, let us meet together in one of the villagers on the plain of Ono, but they were scheming to harm me. You see beloved friends what was going on here was the ultimate good to me. Deceitful strategizing. These men were willing to come with in all of launching one hand and a sword behind their other they were willing to come and say, come on RITZ-CARLTON meet.

I want you to know we love the church. All we just love the church help us to understand what's going on. We just love the church we just do this for the cause of Christ.

But as soon as they meet outcomes.

The soul you see there was deceitful strategy that was involved in what they were doing but I want you to note in the third-place modern accusation and deceitful strategy, but 1/3 approach was rumor room and now we all know about rumor. The chapter 6 and verse 89 chapter 6 and verse eight. Nine. Remarkable. I seem to make this reply not.

We misunderstand this is Nehemiah responding to the rumors that had been about. Listen to what he says. I sent him this reply. Nothing like what you are saying is happening. You are just making it up in your head. What's it called folks.

That's room for me tell you the world is filled with room every organization, every school, every church it's all over the place. Rumor room among his listen to what happened. Verse nine. They were all trying to frighten us, thinking their hands would get to week for the work and it will not be completed.

Rumor you know we all have room is my my favorite rumor in Spartanburg. I'm just going to tell you this, listen, there are some people who made your own rumor 101.

The college I mean it's the most important thing and do not rumor mongers do they go out and find somebody they get on the telephone.

They talk did you did you get this and wouldn't know what you know what they did this he did that she did that she bought the site and I don't adjust.

You know how destructive rooms offer rumors have assassinated characters rumors have destroyed lives. Rumors have split churches rumors had spent have split marriages apart. Well what happened.

Gary Nehemiah accusation deceitful strategy. Rumor. But then there was a full thing that he did intimidation, intimidation chapter 6 and verse 10 of this is the part I don't like to read Ms. a lot of big names yeah but it's what they talk about one day I went to the house. Verse 10 of chapter 6 of Samira, son of the liar, the Son of Man, hittable who was shot enemies home and he said let us meet in the house of God inside the temple and let us close the temple doors were because men are coming to kill you, but I'm not.

They are coming to kill you. That's just an absolutely incredible statement.

Look at verse 13. Go down to verse 13 he had go back to verse 12.

Please, verse 12, I realized that God had not seem to but that he had prophesied against me because told by an San Ballack had hired him. He had been hired to do what to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me that amazing intimidation direct intimidation. Well there is accusation of deceitful strategy and rumor and intimidation what it Nehemiah do about next week we got a look at what we can do about it.

In light of what Nehemiah did about what is what it Nehemiah do. He did three things I want to give them to the Nehemiah did counteract what Satan is doing. Number one he held to his strong fight we going to discover that Nehemiah was a real man of God.

Second thing he did was he exercise God-given wisdom, then there's 1/3 thing that he did. He continued his good will. But today is the day we must say Lord Jesus, we turn our lives to you could be turned her eyes away from Jesus, oh Jesus, we turn our eyes to you. I pray that is you been moved. As I have by the teaching of Dr. Wilton from Nehemiah today is now open your heart to what Dr. Don Wilton shares. He comes in the studio from his heart.

Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now. Dear God, I know that on this and I know that Jesus is God today. I repainted my sin and by faith I receive you into my Jesus nine, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is citing you welcome the family got I believe some of you prayed along with the pastor give your life to Jesus only dedicate your life.

If so, we welcome you to the family of God and would love to encourage you to free resources.once you have if you call us at 866899 word number again is 866-899-9673 email us at online@tewonline.org G. There son of the daily Encouraging Word email from Dr. God. It's all online@tewonline.org for the end of this phone number 866-899-WORD 9673