Dear Birmingham: Don't Back Down...

Here are the message notes from this past Sunday's message. I really felt passionate about delivering this message. It's about incessant criticism and opposition when in pursuit of a dream.

There are loads of people who will never be CRITICIZED for ANYTHING, because they don’t DO ANYTHING! Opposition isn’t necessary to keep them out of the game, because they’ve never gotten IN the game to begin with… But you can bank on this… If you’re passionate about pursuing the DREAM and VISION God has placed in your heart, somebody is going to OPPOSE you… Somebody is going to send you a nasty email… Somebody is going to write you anonymous letter… Somebody is going to SAY or DO something…

So, with that intro, here are the notes from Sunday's message. Don't forget, you can always check out the podcast by going here or typing a2 Church into the Search Engine on iTunes.

Dear Birmingham: Don't Back Down
DEAR BIRMINGHAM – Part 5
August 16, 2009 • Chris Goins


Overcoming Opposition:

1. Every great dream will be tested with opposition.


What are some of the motives that drive critics / opposition? 1

• Some critics are threatened by the success of another person or organization.

• Some critics are just jealous of the callings, gifts, talents, abilities, appearance, etc. of other people.

• Some critics have an agenda that is in conflict with the mission of God and God’s people.

• Some critics are traditionalists who hate change.

• Some critics just want to settle a score.

• Some critics are demonically inspired to oppose God, God’s people and God’s work.


Nehemiah 4:1-2 (ESV), Now when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews.2 And he said in the presence of his brothers and of the army of Samaria, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?"


2. Ridicule and trash talk are two of the critic’s best friends.

• What do these feeble Jews think they are doing?

In other words, "The builders are inferior..."

• Will they restore it for themselves?

“Do they really think they can rebuild a wall that’s 15-20 feet tall, 3-4 feet wide and somewhere between 1 – 2.5 miles in circumference? Don’t they realize this wall has been in shambles for 141 years?”

• Will they sacrifice?

“Do these fanatics or religious nut cases think they can build the wall just by PRAYING really, really hard? It’s going to take a whole lot more than prayer, fasting and worship to get the job done…”

• Will they finish it in a single day?

“Don’t they realize the size and scope of this job? Do they realize how tough it’s going to get this job done?”

• Will they revive the stone out of the heaps of rubbish, and burned ones at that?

“Look at what they’ve got to work with… Look at where they found it… They got their material out of the city dump? Do they really think they can build a city with that?”

Nehemiah 4:3 (ESV), Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, "Yes, what they are building--if a fox goes up on it he will break down their stone wall!"


3. Prayer is always the believer’s initial response to critics.

Nehemiah 4:4-5 (NAS), Hear, O our God, how we are despised ! Return their reproach on their own heads and give them up for plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not forgive their iniquity and let not their sin be blotted out before You, for they have demoralized the builders.

Nehemiah 4:6 (ESV), So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.


4. Every breakthrough brings with it a new level of opposition.

Nehemiah 4:7-8 (ESV), But when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabs and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem was going forward and that the breaches were beginning to be closed, they were very angry. 8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it.


5. When critics ramp up the opposition, it’s crucial that believers ramp up the prayer support and security precautions.

Nehemiah 4:9 (NIV), But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.


6. Dreams are in danger of being abandoned at the half way point in any project.

Nehemiah 4:6 (ESV), So we built the wall. And all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Nehemiah 4:10-12 (NIV), 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." 11 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." 12 Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, "Wherever you turn, they will attack us."


A Few Dream Killers:

• Fatigue or Exhaustion – “…the strength of the laborers is giving out…”

• Loss of Vision – “…there is so much rubble that we can’t rebuild the wall…”

• Relentless Criticism and Intimidation – “…Before they know it or see us, we’ll be right there among them and kill them and put an end to the work.” [And even] the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they’ll attack us…”


7. Before you give up on your dream and “tap out “on your destiny, remember everything that’s at stake.

Nehemiah 4:13-14 (NIV), 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. 14 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 brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes."


8. A great dream requires more than hard work, it demands a fierce resolve. There is no progress without pain. Don’t back down!

Nehemiah 4:15-23 (NIV), 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 his own work. 16 From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah 17 who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, 18 and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
19 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. 20 Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!"
21 So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. 22 At that time I also said to the people, "Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and workmen by day." 23 Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.


Footnotes:

1. Special thanks to James Montgomery Boice and his excellent commentary on Nehemiah, along with Mark Driscoll's podcast on Nehemiah 4 for the exceptional insights into some of the things that motivate critics.