Nehemiah Part 11: We Need to Continue to Make People Mad
As soon as the enemies of God saw something, they were alert. The enemies of God had payed no attention to Dove World Outreach Center, no attention! Nehemiah had been the cupbearer for many, many years, or nobody knew him. Or they knew him as the good ole’ guy, the friendly church in Mile Run, knew him as the cup bearer, but now all of a sudden they don’t like him any more.
Nehemiah hasn’t changed. I have experienced that in 30 years of ministry. This week you can be really good and super, and the next week you are the devil, but you didn’t really change. You are basically the same today as what you were 30 years ago. 30 years ago you were OK, and today you are the devil. Nehemiah, Dove World Outreach Center was OK for 20 years. Now we are not OK, because we are doing something.
Now all of a sudden Nehemiah is making people mad. If you are doing something for God, people are going to get mad. They are going to not like it.
When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about it, it was very displeasing to them that someone had come to seek the welfare of the sons of Israel. Nehemiah 2:10
It is very displeasing to the lukewarm church that somebody stands up and preaches the Gospel. They become very uncomfortable. Nehemiah has done nothing wrong. He has bothered no one. Nehemiah has found supernatural favor. Nehemiah has not even done anything yet. They had just heard about him. Nehemiah has not built anything. He had not hurt anyone. But already they do not like him because he is trying to help. He is preaching the Gospel. He is saying there is only one way. It is not Mohammad, it is not the Koran, it is not Islam, it is not your way, it is not my way. It is God’s way.
There is only one way and that is Jesus Christ. Also in your life it is not what you want, what you feel, what you would like to have, what you think. What does God think? What does God want? What does God have? Preach that and people will get mad. They got mad at Nehemiah and Nehemiah had done nothing wrong. We need to continue to make people mad, in a good, positive way, standing for the truth, for the Word of God.
