Ten Hindrances to Building the Wall

Nehemiah 6:15

INTRODUCTION: All of us have something that God wants us to do. Yet, there are a number of obstacles standing between us and the completion of that work. Any one of these things could keep you from doing the will of God for your life and receiving the fulness of His rewards.

I. THE COMFORT IN SHUSHAN (Nehemiah 1:1-11)

A. Enjoying Comfort (Nehemiah 1:1, 11)

B. Free from the Struggle (Nehemiah 1:3)

C. Able to Pray without Doing (Nehemiah 1:4-11)

II. THE FEAR OF THE KING (Nehemiah 2:1-8)

A. Nehemiah’s Usual Composure (Nehemiah 2:1)

B. The King’s Recognition (Nehemiah 2:2)

C. Nehemiah’s Request (Nehemiah 2:3-8)

III. THE INITIAL COMPLEXITY (Nehemiah 2:11-18)

A. The Lack of Help (Nehemiah 2:11-12)

B. The Abundance of Destruction (Nehemiah 2:13-15)

C. The Need to Communicate the Burden (Nehemiah 2:16-18)

IV. THE MOCKERY OF THE TASK (Nehemiah 2:19-20)

A. The Words of the Opposition (Nehemiah 2:19)

1. They laughed.
2. They despised the people of God.
3. They questioned.

B. The Defense of the Call (Nehemiah 2:20)

V. THE UNWILLING ONLOOKERS (Nehemiah 3:5)

A. The Masses Worked

B. The Minority Refused to Do So

1. Their identity—nobles
2. Their refusal—“put not their necks to the work of their Lord”

VI. THE ABUNDANCE OF THREATS (Nehemiah 4:1-15)

A. The Threat of Words (Nehemiah 4:1-6)

B. The Threat of War (Nehemiah 4:7-15)

VII. THE OVERWHELMING OF WORKERS (Nehemiah 4:16-23)

A. The Multiplication of Tasks (Nehemiah 4:16-18)

B. The Separation of the People (Nehemiah 4:19-20)

C. The Extended Shifts (Nehemiah 4:21-23)

VIII. THE STRUGGLES WITHIN (Nehemiah 5:1-13)

A. The Cry of the People (Nehemiah 5:1-5)

B. The Intervention of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 5:6-13)

IX. THE SACRIFICES REQUIRED (Nehemiah 5:14-19)

A. The Sacrifice of Food (Nehemiah 5:14-15)

B. The Sacrifice of Land (Nehemiah 5:16)

C. The Sacrifice of What Was Due (Nehemiah 5:17-19)

X. THE ARRIVAL OF DISTRACTIONS (Nehemiah 6:1-14)

A. The Call for a Meeting (Nehemiah 6:1-4)

B. The False Accusations (Nehemiah 6:5-9)

C. The Call for Retreat (Nehemiah 6:10-14)

CONCLUSION: From start to finish, any one of these obstacles could have kept Nehemiah from building the wall. Thankfully, Nehemiah pushed through them all. What will you push through in order to do the work of God in your life?