If you have ever played “whack a mole;” and you are a ministry leader, you will be able to understand how ministry in God’s church is very similar to this child’s game at the arcade! Whack a mole is a game in which players use a mallet to hit toy moles which pop up randomly from a box. The player whacks them for points before the pesky moles dive back into their holes. It’s great fun until it becomes frustrating as the moles pop up faster than you can whack them!

So, it is with ministry, we might think at first, when frustrated by the games people play within the church Body. But ministry is not a game to be played but a life to be lived by the command of Jesus with the “soul” purpose to “go and make disciples” pointing all people to Jesus who redeems us for eternity!  I repeat, for those in the back, real ministry is not a game.  It is a matter of life or death! 

In fact, a growing, thriving church is just the kind of church that will be battled most often by the enemy who fears God but hates God and His people!  God’s number one enemy will scheme, plot, to distract leaders trying to do their best to settle the dust that has arisen through gossip created from false interpretations and misunderstandings because of mixed messages presented to their minds by the evil one.  The Enemy of God is the enemy of the Body of Christ.

As pastors and ministry leaders, at the beginning and ending of each day, our trust must be in God alone for all things concerning His plan and purpose as his called and anointed. We have read and experienced that leaders are judged more critically, slandered most often when we speak truth, especially when it comes from a heart of love that longs for others to turn from sin and death to God and Life. 

Evil prompts unsuspecting new believers to put leaders on a pedestal which is just as dangerous as it leads to idol worship of their leaders.  Evil is crafty but limited in power. Leaders who fall for standing on the pedestal soon fall from the stones others throw to knock them off so they can be the leaders—another game called “king of the hill.”  Games people play to gain attention and power is something to watch for and avoid at all costs for they are prompted by evil who preys on our egos.  Evil prompts the Body start gossip campaigns with efforts to stop the progress of God’s work being done in and through us. 

Just ask Nehemiah!  Read, notice, and jot down the character traits we see arise from this Godly leader as we study how the work succeeded, the moles whacked, as God was in control. The plan of God to build a wall of protection and restore God’s people did not fail!

Nehemiah 6

Further Opposition to the Rebuilding

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 king ⁷ 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 meet 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.”

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 someone 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, my God, because of what they have done; remember also the prophet Noadiah and how she and the rest of the prophets have been trying to intimidate me. ¹⁵ So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of Elul, in fifty-two days.

Opposition to the Completed Wall

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 Shekaniah 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.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Yes, problems arise among the parts of the Body of Christ called church. And, more often than not—random acts of evil pop up when the work is being accomplished in miraculous ways, in the Name of Jesus, by the power of God!  Frustrated leaders cannot help but wonder, “how is this happening when great things of God are being done?” But Godly leaders also know and soon remember the words of our Lord, “in this world you will have troubles,” but “I have overcome the world.” That includes of all the troublesome moles that pop up in ministry! 

We need help and God’s Word supplies what we need to know.  Inspired by God and written through Paul who pastored many churches after Jesus changed his life, penned God’s Truth we can all take to heart;

“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.” Ephesians 6:12

Our real war is not the mole-ish people who cause problems among us; but the evil spirit who is distracting, deceiving, deconstructing, with efforts to destroy our faith with the goal to frustrate God’s work. 

Our response?

Paul writes— “Put on the full armor of God!”  What is that?  Well, it’s not a mallet (or our Bibles) to whack people over the heads; but the Truth to know, cherish, and declare with a spirit of love! God is with us, helps us, and speaks through us, when we armor up His way;

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” Ephesians 6:13-18

Nehemiah, man of God, prayed.  When the moles became overwhelming with false reporting of God’s work along with schemes to kill him, Nehemiah responded; “But I prayed, Now strengthen my hands.” And God did—and He’ll do it again and again!  God doesn’t play games; He ends the games the devil plays among us.  Trust Him!

One of the greatest character traits of a Godly leader is demonstrated by Nehemiah.  An effective leader is called and equipped by God to know where the power to lead comes from.  Nehemiah is one who prays to God before doing anything in response to evil for he knows Who leads him with power, strength, and wisdom to overcome all the enemies of God!

Despite much opposition from Nehemiah’s whack a moles named Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, Nehemiah and the Israelites finished the wall of Jerusalem.  Satan tries to discourage us daily but God is for those who hearts are completely His and gives us His strength and wisdom to finish the work—His work!  Leaders called of God can and will survive setbacks if we stay focused, driven to fulfill God’s purposes for us.  And when you don’t know what to do—pray!  God fights the moles for us and teaches us His character in the battles!  I love that about God!  Don’t you?  I seen it with my own eyes!

God is for us; not against us!  When God is in it, working through us, HE never fails!  

Leaders, I thank God for you!

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:3-6

Lord,

Help us to tune our ears to hear your Voice above all other voices in this world. Refine our focus to see you clearly and concisely.  Renew our minds with Truth who is You.  May all we think, say, and do be pleasing to You and give you glory!  I offer my life to you again this morning. Make your desires be mine as I seek your will and purpose for today.  Guides with your strength, wisdom, truth, with power to stand against evil.

In Jesus Name, Amen