Roadblocks When Serving God
By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© May 15, 2016
Obstacles and roadblocks are essential elements for growth in every part of life.
· The first obstacle in the life of a baby bird is to break out of its home in the egg shell, which has protected and allowed incubation from its inception, but which will suffocate its growing life if it is not broken away.
· A caterpillar spins its cocoon then must exercise its embryonic muscles to break out of that same cocoon when its body has been transformed into a butterfly.
· The increasing intensity of white-hot fire purifies gold to its greatest value while temporal materials such as wood, hay and stubble are consumed, sometimes by the initiation of a single spark.
There is just something about adversity that causes a healthy transformation for good to those who love the Lord.
In fact, any Child of God who is truly seeking to live his or her life for God will always encounter roadblocks, which can be painful obstacles blocking an easy way for the believer in Christ, sometimes causing distress, harm, fear, wounds, and trial…but always allowing for spiritual growth.
The Scripture is very clear about “roadblocks” and “trials” rising up in the life of the Believer in Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:6-7
6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
James 1:2-4, 12
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
John 12:24
24 Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
Philippians 1:29
29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him…
Roadblocks can come through many avenues of life:
· Opposition to good things you are doing
· People not liking the fact that you are now seeking to follow Jesus Christ
· Struggles in Spiritual domains
Ephesians 6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
· Physical sickness and trials you may be suffering
· Emotional and mental battles
· Opposition to sharing your faith with others
· Interpersonal battles with family, friends, or neighbors…
· etc., etc.
· Sometimes you or I may even become a roadblock to others – because we are human and can be carnal too!
We will see through our review of the book of Nehemiah, that even though Nehemiah was doing a good work – a difficult work to be sure, and definitely a good work for God’s people… it was never minimized and simply overlooked by the enemies of God. The naysayers and deceivers were up front and center to cause difficulty, problems, deception, and intimidation …even penetrating the leadership around Nehemiah for the purpose of fear and confusion to those sincerely doing a work for God.
2 Timothy 3:12
12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…
When God called Nehemiah to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem he faced problems with people, plots, poverty, and a whole lot more.
Roadblocks and Responses in Rebuilding Jerusalem’s Walls
Nehemiah 4–7
Public Enemies
4 When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “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?”
3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
Nehemiah’s Prayer to God: The Source of All Support
4 Hear us, O our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. 5 Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of the builders.
Progress – “with all their heart,” and Continued Plots
6 So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
7 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the men of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. 8 They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
Practical Responses to Threats: Again, Prayer, with 24-hr. Guards
9 But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
The Problem of Weariness – moving rubble that was over 141 years old (since Jerusalem’s destruction)!
10 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.”
(Sometimes rebuilding means we must wearily remove rubble that has been entrenched by sins of family members years before us. Removing this is not easy.)
More Personal Threats: Fears from Threats
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.”
Additional Diligent and Practical Responses to Threats Initiated:
Patient Endurance, Armed Watching and Hard Working
13 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.”
15 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.
2 Corinthians 10:4 ESV
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.
“In-house” Problems of Poverty and Usury
5 Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. 2 Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.”
3 Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards. 5 Although we are of the same flesh and blood as our countrymen and though our sons are as good as theirs, yet we have to subject our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we are powerless, because our fields and our vineyards belong to others.”
6 When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. 7 I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials. I told them, “You are exacting usury from your own countrymen!” So I called together a large meeting to deal with them 8 and said: “As far as possible, we have bought back our Jewish brothers who were sold to the Gentiles. Now you are selling your brothers, only for them to be sold back to us!” They kept quiet, because they could find nothing to say.
9 So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our Gentile enemies? 10 I and my brothers and my men are also lending the people money and grain. But let the exacting of usury stop! 11 Give back to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves and houses, and also the usury you are charging them—the hundredth part of the money, grain, new wine and oil.”
12 “We will give it back,” they said. “And we will not demand anything more from them. We will do as you say.”
Then I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials take an oath to do what they had promised. 13 I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “In this way may God shake out of his house and possessions every man who does not keep this promise. So may such a man be shaken out and emptied!”
At this the whole assembly said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Moreover, from the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until his thirty-second year—twelve years—neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor. 15 But the earlier governors—those preceding me—placed a heavy burden on the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to food and wine. Their assistants also lorded it over the people. But out of reverence for God I did not act like that. 16 Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Furthermore, a hundred and fifty Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. 18 Each day one ox, six choice sheep and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people.
19 Remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people.
Scheming Opposition to harm Nehemiah – Cheap Insinuations to cause Fearful Reactions: Have Prayer instead
6 When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it—though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates— 2 Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.”
But they were scheming to harm me; 3 so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 4 Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
5 Then, the fifth time, Sanballat sent his aide to me with the same message, and in his hand was an unsealed letter 6 in which was written:
“It is reported among the nations and Geshem says it is true - that you and the Jews are plotting to revolt, and therefore you are building the wall. Moreover, according to these reports you are about to become their kng and have even appointed prophets to make this proclamation about you in Jerusalem: ‘There is a king in Judah!’ Now this report will get back to the king; so come, let us confer together.”
8 I sent him this reply: “Nothing like what you are saying is happening; you are just making it up out of your head.”
9 They were all trying to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will get too weak for the work, and it will not be completed.”
But I prayed, “Now strengthen my hands.”
Internal Conspiracy with the Enemy
10 One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you.”
11 But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” 12 I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. 13 He had been hired 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.
14 Remember Tobiah and Sanballat, O my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who have been trying to intimidate me.
The Completion of the Wall: The End Result – God is Glorified!
15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. 16 When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.
17 Also, in those days the nobles of Judah were sending many letters to Tobiah, and replies from Tobiah kept coming to them. 18 For many in Judah were under oath to him, since he was son-in-law to Shecaniah son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshullam son of Berekiah. 19 Moreover, they kept reporting to me his good deeds and then telling him what I said. And Tobiah sent letters to intimidate me.
7 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. 2 I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do. 3 I said to them, “The gates of Jerusalem are not to be opened until the sun is hot. While the gatekeepers are still on duty, have them shut the doors and bar them. Also appoint residents of Jerusalem as guards, some at their posts and some near their own houses.”
The List of the Exiles Who Returned to Jerusalem (Neh. 7:7-73)
4 Now the city was large and spacious, but there were few people in it, and the houses had not yet been rebuilt. 5 So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families. I found the genealogical record of those who had been the first to return. This is what I found written there….
Conclusion
Roadblocks can come through many avenues of life:
· Opposition to good things you are doing
· People not liking the fact that you are now seeking to follow Jesus Christ
· Struggles in Spiritual domains
Ephesians 6:12
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
· Physical sickness and trials you may be suffering
· Emotional and mental battles
· Opposition to sharing your faith with others
· Interpersonal battles with family, friends, or neighbors…
· etc., etc.
· Sometimes you or I may even become a roadblock to others – because we are human and can be carnal too!
Nehemiah and the workers faithfully rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls experienced many difficult trials, plots, famine, and intimidations, as they labored to finish the responsibility that God had given them.
We too, will experience trials and testings if we are living honorably before the Lord, wanting to accomplish His purposes for our lives.
• Remember that God uses trials to refine us and purify faith in His Children.
• If you are going through trials today please realize that you have not been alone for millennia!
• All of God’s People, through the ages, have faced Roadblocks in life.
• Give your fears, burdens, and anxieties to the Lord in Prayer.
• Have Patient Endurance and Wait on the Lord for His Deliverance.
• Continue to accomplish the work to which God has called you.
• God uses adversity for His Glory and Purposes in the building up of our faith, and the establishment of His Eternal Kingdom!
• Wait for the Final Victory! Jesus is Coming Again!
“So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence, because they realized
that this work had been done
with the help of our God.”
Nehemiah 6:15-16
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial
when it comes upon you to test you,
as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings,
that you may also rejoice
and be glad when His glory is revealed.”
1 Peter 4:12-13