Building Together - "Discernment is Key" - Nehemiah 6 - Mike Maglish

LifeSpring Christian Church Sermons

Discernment is Key
Nehemiah 6
Mike Maglish

Part of Building TogetherA Study in Nehemiah

August 4, 2024

Book: Tyranny of the Urgent by Charles E. Hummel

Now when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it (although up to that time I had not set up the doors in the gates), 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent to me, saying, “Come and let us meet together at Hakkephirim in the plain of Ono.” But they intended to do me harm. 3 And I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and come down to you?” 4 And they sent to me four times in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. —The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ne 6:1–4). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

Prioritize the IMPORTANT and IGNORE the URGENT

The Urgent Will
Demand your time
Pretend to have your best interest in mind
Be CLOSE to the truth
Arouse fear

5 In the same way Sanballat for the fifth time sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. 6 In it was written, “It is reported among the nations, and Geshem also says it, that you and the Jews intend to rebel; that is why you are building the wall. And according to these reports you wish to become their king. 7 And you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem, ‘There is a king in Judah.’ And now the king will hear of these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together.” —The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ne 6:5–7). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

Do not give a PLATFORM for LIES and GOSSIP

(Ne 6:6–9). (2016)

The Urgent Will
Create Fear
Focus on Self-Preservation
Sound Pressing
Lie

(Ne 6:10–13).

Then Uzziah was angry. Now he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in the presence of the priests in the house of the Lord, by the altar of incense. —The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (2 Ch 26:19). (2016). Crossway Bibles.21 And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper lived in a separate house, for he was excluded from the house of the Lord. —The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (2 Ch 26:21). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

KNOW people can be BOUGHT

The Urgent Will
Get you to break rules
Try to “pay you off”
Use religion against you

15 So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. —The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Ne 6:15–16). (2016). Crossway Bibles.

(Ne 6:17–19).

Recognize we can be BLINDED by RELATIONSHIPS

The Urgent Will:
Use friendships against the vision
Demand you scratch backs
Line your friends pockets at the expense of your best interest

(Heb 5:12–14).

(1 Co 12:10).

What God’s people could not do in 100 years, Nehemiah did in 52 days. Why? He ignored the urgent letters, gossip, lies, false accusations, fear tactics, religious manipulation, bad advice, and he recognized the gain others would receive if he didn’t fulfill the mission.

Takeaway: Discernment is KEY to FORWARD PROGRESS