BEWARE

Have you ever been involved in something that you thought was really great? You knew that this was something you were supposed to do and it would benefit many people. Oddly enough, there seemed to be people against what you were doing.

I suppose there are various reasons that people would not want to see something good happen…

• They didn’t think of it
• They don’t trust the person doing the good thing
• They’re doing something they feel is important and don’t want the spotlight on their project to diminish

Regardless of that, we must keep doing what we believe is right, what we believe God wants us to do. Look at this situation recorded in Ezra when the people were rebuilding the Temple…

Ezra 4:1 - 5 (NLT) ¹The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the LORD, the God of Israel. ²So they approached Zerubbabel and the other leaders and said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God just as you do. We have sacrificed to him ever since King Esarhaddon of Assyria brought us here.” ³But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other leaders of Israel replied, “You may have no part in this work. We alone will build the Temple for the LORD, the God of Israel, just as King Cyrus of Persia commanded us.” ⁴Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work. ⁵They bribed agents to work against them and to frustrate their plans. This went on during the entire reign of King Cyrus of Persia and lasted until King Darius of Persia took the throne.

1. ‘Enemies’ will try to worm their way inside.

I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. ³⁰Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. Acts 20:29 - 30 (NLT)

2. Those same ‘enemies’, when not allowed to be part of the good work will try to destroy it.

Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. Matthew 26:59 (NASB)

So what do we do? We keep going, trusting God for the outcome.

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Joshua 1:7 (NLT)

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD