A Season of Rebuilding and Loss

Sandals Church, it is an honor to finally be back with all of you today. As many of you know, a number of weeks ago my mom went home to be with Jesus, and during that time you afforded me an incredible gift—Pastor Matt, Sammy, our leadership team, our staff, and you as a church allowed me to not have to be a pastor in that moment, but to just be a son, to grieve his mom and to bury his mom. I'm deeply grateful for that, forever grateful.

For all of you who called me, sent me a text, sent us food, called the church to tell stories about my mom, or wrote us notes—thank you. I can't begin to describe the kind of comfort a pastor feels when they are pastored by their own church.

Because of all that, we as a family are in our own season of rebuilding, looking to see how God creates a new life for us. But that also comes with challenges. Just last week my dad suffered a stroke. Thankfully, he is stable and okay; he's now in a rehab center looking to get back some of the mobility he has lost pretty severely.

So currently, I find myself walking into another hospital, walking through another hospital hallway, sitting in another waiting room, having more conversations with doctors, with the beeping of machines and monitors acting as the soundtrack I hear every day.

The Inner Critic

In my journey from the hospital to home, I've noticed a few things. First, my clothes smell like the hospital—this season comes with a new scent. But secondly, there's an inner voice, an inner critic starting to ask questions: Can I do this again? How much more can a family take? Fredo, aren't you tired of this? Are you sure God is still with you?

Maybe some of you, through your own seasons of life, are familiar with those kinds of voices too. Maybe there's that inner critic saying, "Yeah, but nothing's going to change for you." Because maybe you've noticed this truth about the Christian life: anytime you try to do something right, life only gets harder afterward.

As you try to rebuild, as you try to follow God, you're met with opposition, discouragement, that inner critic on your way home after a long day. For some of you, you tried to choose forgiveness, and old wounds open back up. For our youth, you've returned from summer camp full of zeal, but you have friends waiting to mock you, slander you, question you.

I'm not sharing my story so you'd feel sorry for me. I'm sharing because I suspect I'm not the only one who walked in today knowing what it's like to have both external and internal voices creating opposition, making it more difficult to rebuild, to follow God.

So I want to ask you: whose voice have you heard a lot lately? What's the inner critic been saying? What's someone been saying externally to you? Because every single one of us right now is being formed by the voices we choose to listen to.

Reading Nehemiah 4

God has a word for us today out of Nehemiah 4 about what it's like to face opposition—both external and internal voices—and to learn to still rebuild. We desperately need this word today, church.

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, saying, "What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble, burned as they are?" Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, "What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their walls of stones."

Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in the land of captivity. Do not cover their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.

So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart. But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem's wall had gone ahead and the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.

But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat. Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, "The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall." Also, our enemies said, "Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work."

Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us." Therefore, I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families with their swords, spears, and bows. 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, your daughters, your wives, and your homes."

And when our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot, and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work. From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows, and armor... Then I said to the nobles, the officials, and the rest of the people, "The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us."

So we continued the work with half the men holding spears from the first light of dawn till the stars came out... Neither I, nor my brothers, nor my men, nor the guards with me took off our clothes. Each had his weapon, even when we went for water.

This is God's word. Let's pray together. Father, in this moment that we have gathered here together, we acknowledge that you are here too. We ask now that you would speak to us from your word, that as Jesus said, you would give us eyes to see and ears to hear, so that we might become all that you desire us to be in him. We pray these things in Christ's name. Amen.

Setting the Scene

What a chapter. To bring us up to speed, keep in mind that the events Nehemiah records happen about 450 years before Jesus arrives. Nehemiah is currently living in Persia; his home city Jerusalem is sacked—completely overthrown. Think about that. The school you went to high school at, gone. Your favorite pizza joint, gone. Your barber shop, gone. You have nothing left.

He's living in captivity under King Artaxerxes, serving as the king's cupbearer—the one who tests both food and drink before the king consumes them. With Nehemiah, you never had to ask if he had a good day at work. If he came home alive, he had a good day at work.

His family brings him news that his city is still in shambles. At that news he laments, grieves, cries out to God, and then takes action. Through the divine favor of God and the king, he's granted time, resources, and people to go home and begin rebuilding the wall. Last week we saw the beautiful image of ordinary people—not contractors—beginning to work together. But now we're met with something true about all of life:

Rebuilding my life will bring opposition and discouragement. Anytime you attempt to do a good work, you will be met with opposition and discouragement. Not the most uplifting point, but it's true.

The Progression of External Opposition

Let's look at verses 1-2. "When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed." He ridiculed the Jews in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria.

We don't know explicitly from the text, but it's implied through history that Sanballat was a man of wealth, influence, and power. He had it going on as a result of everyone being in captivity. If the wall gets rebuilt, he stands to lose everything. The way the people are following God is a threat to his existence. That's why he's angry.

Notice the questions: "What are those feeble Jews doing?"—that's attacking identity. Who are you to do this great work? "Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifice? Will they finish in a day?" No one said they'd finish in a day—but isn't that how voices tend to work? Twisting, exaggerating, attacking our identity and our ability.

The opposition grows—from Sanballat to Tobiah to the surrounding nations. This reminds us of Jesus' own words: "If the world hated you, remember, they hated me first." Opposition to following Jesus is inevitable. But it's not eternal.

Negativity is contagious. One cynical co-worker throws off the whole office vibe. One bitter family member ruins dinner. One comment online ruins your day. An old friend teases you about your faith right after camp, and now you start questioning everything.

Who Is the Real Enemy?

In all this mockery and slander, don't miss the real enemy. It's not just Sanballat or Tobiah—it's the same enemy who has been actively opposing the people of God since the beginning of Scripture.

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world. — Ephesians 6

His name, according to Jesus, is Satan—a title meaning adversary. The word