Speak Back!
Implementing Visions
Recurrent Thought
When God calls and gives you a vision, such as building or restoring, you must know how to answer your enemies without losing your spiritual focus.
Whenever God lifts a person to rebuild, restore, or renew something for His glory, opposition rises. Nehemiah was confronted by various enemies when he pursued his dreams. Actually, you will come to realize that the project time was punctuated with time of temptation, intimation, threats by the people who did not want him to build. In this message we scan on Ch. 2 but our emphasis is on the confrontation Nehemiah has with persons who shall become his worst enemies.
Historical Back Ground
Seeing the Chapter in three Major Ways
- Chapter 2: 1-7 is an Invocation of Favor.
- Chapter 2: 9-18 Exercise of Leadership Skills
- Chapter 2:19-20 “How to rebuild in spite of Opposition
As you formulate visions there will various power bases that will speak against you. Some will speak against your being: identity, skills, qualifications. Some will speak against the way you process our conclusions. Some voices will come from your obvious enemies. Some voices will come from your subconscious. Vision clarification demands that you speak back to voices that are contrary. Engage and counter. As you counter make your position and how you will overcome. When Your enemies threaten and intimidate you, speak back. Sometimes the enemy is in your thoughts 2 Cor. 10:3-5
Here are three ways to Speak Back
- Declare Who God Is! (Neh. 2:20)
- Confess and affirm God’s Sovereignty.
- Recognize and Declare God’s Power to Prosper the Work
- Confess God’s Faithfulness to His Covenant People
- Speak Back and Affirm Who You Are in God
- Identify Yourself as God’s Servant
- Affirm Your Commitment: “We Will Arise”
- Affirm Your Mission: which declares “We rise and Build”
- Speak Back and Show What Your Enemies Lack
- The enemy has no Portion in God’s Work
- They Have No Right in God’s City
Conclusion
Opposition is not a sign of divine absence. It is the battlefield where faith becomes visible. Nehemiah teaches us how to speak back:
- Declare who your God is.
- Affirm who you are.
- Announce what the enemy lacks.