Key Passages: Zechariah 1:12-21 and Nehemiah 4
Zach 1
vs 14,16 – Spiritual powers come against God’s people to scatter them (out of relationship with one another) and oppress them (so no man could lift up their heads).
Bad news - Feel held down, bad!
Good news - God is jealous over His house. He will return and build.
Zion - Local church.
vs 18 – ‘4 horns’ = spiritual powers, which push against you, stop you getting a breakthrough.
vs 20 – For every power which breaks down, God has a carpenter, workman, builder.
· The apostle is a pioneer/builder.
· Speaking the Word of God deals with demonic powers.
· There is anointing to break the ‘4 horns’.
· We are building (co-labourers) together. We either build or tear down.
· Jesus was a builder.
· Paul was a masterbuilder. He laid foundations, got people into relationship
2 stages:
a) Clean up site first or ‘gut’. Cast out devils!
b) Build ie, discipleship.
How the enemy will operate – Neh 4
1. vs 1-3 – despise the efforts we make to build something for God, implying our people are ‘feeble’, ‘weak’, ‘rubbish’. No-one comes to Christ a ‘whole’ person. They need to be loved, helped back to wholeness.
2. vs 8 – tries to divert us off track. We need to know how to lay hold of God. “To hinder it” – cause a miscarriage, go astray, go off course.
3. vs 10 – discouraged them, attack other leaders with physical tiredness and sense of hopelessness.
Nehemiah’s strategy: - vs 14
1. Do not be afraid.
2. Get your eyes on the Lord.
3. Pray to the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers.
· He stirred them out of their ‘comfort zone’.
· Reach out, get a fighting spirit.
· Believing prayer which contends for the souls of men!
1. Have you noticed that when you make an effort to:
a) Attend cell group meeting, Sunday services, prayer meetings
b) Reach out to talk to someone about the Lord, or invite them to church
many things come your way to frustrate or hinder you?
· Give examples.
· Does it effect you physically, emotionally or contrary circumstances?
2. Have you been exposed to situations, gossip, misrepresentation, over-reactions which have put you out of sorts with other Christian friends or leaders?
3. Have you recognised both the above scenarios as spiritual oppression or attack? It may not seem like it at the time. Zech 1:12-21
4. What strategies did the enemy use against the people building the house of God in Nehemiah 4:1-10.
5. What was Nehemiah’s strategy? Neh 4:14
6. Does anyone have a testimony of how they have learnt to overcome the enemies tactics to:
a) Stop us building with God/fellowshipping with God’s people.
b) Maintain good relationships with God’s people.