Steadfast in the Work: Overcoming Fear and Distraction

• The Devil's Tactics 00:06:50 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that the devil's job is to attack saints and the church, using lies and fear as his primary tools, often disguising himself as an 'angel of light' to distract believers from God's work.
• Nehemiah's Example 00:08:24 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts Nehemiah's dedication as a 'living sacrifice' with the modern tendency toward a 'mealy-mouthed' Christianity, highlighting Nehemiah's refusal to be distracted by enemies despite his comfortable position in Persia.
• Spiritual Warfare and Offense 00:13:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses a football analogy to argue that the church must embrace the 'offense of the cross' and speak truth, rather than avoiding offense to appease the culture, which he views as a form of infiltration by worldly ideas.
• Spiritual Distraction and Priorities 00:15:33 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts Nehemiah's refusal to stop building the wall with modern Christians who prioritize personal comfort, work, or leisure over church attendance and spiritual duties.
• Identity as Ambassadors of Christ 00:16:47 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor defines the believer's identity as children of God and ambassadors of Christ, emphasizing that this is a higher calling than any worldly position or pursuit.
• Purpose of Salvation 00:19:12 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that the primary purpose of salvation is not just to go to heaven, but to do God's will, be His witness, and be His light on earth.
• Spiritual Warfare and Fear 00:22:47 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor explains that the enemy uses fear and intimidation to stop the work of God, citing Nehemiah's experience with threats and lies.
• Discernment of False Prophets 00:24:56 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor warns against being deceived by those who prophesy for profit or use internet fame, urging believers to be discerning.
• The Priority of Evangelism 00:26:17 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that sharing the gospel is more important than military intervention in Iran, as conversion stops hatred.
• Overcoming the Fear of Death 00:28:00 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor teaches that fear of death is a bondage from which Christ delivers believers, enabling them to serve boldly.
• Perseverance in Ministry 00:33:16 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor encourages continuing the work of the Lord without looking back, despite attacks and deception.
• Divine Sovereignty in Ministry 00:41:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor argues that church growth and revival are works of God, not man, rejecting 'bait and switch' tactics like financial incentives or entertainment.
• Living Sacrifices 00:39:19 ▶️ 📄
  > Believers are called to be living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, rather than conforming to the world.
• Overcoming Fear 00:39:48 ▶️ 📄
  > Fear causes believers to lose sight of God; Jesus commands 'fear not' because in fear, we take our eyes off Him.
• Eternal Perspective 00:43:25 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor contrasts the temporary nature of earthly life with the eternal joy and peace found in heaven, urging believers to focus on eternity.
• Daniel's Example 00:47:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The story of Daniel is used to illustrate faithful prayer and public witness despite political pressure and persecution.
• Daniel's Faithfulness 00:47:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the biblical account of Daniel praying towards Jerusalem despite a royal decree forbidding it, illustrating steadfastness in faith under persecution.
• Civil Disobedience and Persecution 00:49:33 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor applies Daniel's story to modern contexts, urging believers to continue praying and preaching despite potential legal restrictions or social pressure.
• The Armor of God 00:51:20 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor lists the spiritual armor (helmet, shield, belt, breastplate, feet, sword) to explain how believers stand against spiritual attacks.
• Prayer and Revival 00:53:10 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor leads a prayer confessing inability to effect revival alone and asking God for mercy, humility, and healing.

• Sermon Illustration 00:06:21 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor shares an anecdote about a 93-year-old friend named Mr. Walton, who says that when the devil attacks, he is 'just doing his job,' illustrating the inevitability of spiritual opposition.
• Sermon Illustration 00:10:48 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses a hypothetical scenario of a preacher telling people 'God loves you' and 'you're wonderful just as you are' to illustrate how Satan transforms himself into an 'angel of light' to lull people to sleep with false comfort.
• Sermon Illustration 00:13:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor employs a football analogy, asking how many points a team would score if they only played defense and refused to put their 'offense' on the field, to argue that the church must actively preach offensive biblical truths rather than avoiding conflict.
• Sermon Illustration 00:13:32 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses a football analogy to explain that 'offense' (preaching difficult truths) is necessary for victory, just as an offense is needed to score points in a game.
• Sermon Illustration 00:16:24 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor describes the cycle of working for money to eat, which gives strength to work, comparing it to a gerbil on a wheel.
• Sermon Illustration 00:18:18 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references a stay-at-home mom's role in raising children as 'soldiers of the cross,' illustrating that all believers have a high calling in their respective corners.
• Sermon Illustration 00:24:03 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references the biblical account of Nehemiah refusing to hide in the temple from a false prophet Shimeiah, who was hired by Tobiah and Sanballat to cause him fear.
• Sermon Illustration 00:31:29 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses an analogy of a drowning Muslim to illustrate the urgency of sharing the gospel, stating that while the person may look mean or be perishing, the believer must offer the 'life preserver' of Christ despite the risk.
• Sermon Illustration 00:36:03 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to illustrate having joy and peace in the midst of a 'fiery furnace' or trials.
• Sermon Illustration 00:41:01 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses the analogy of a church offering $100 under seats to illustrate 'bait and switch' tactics, contrasting this with the true vision of revival that comes from God.
• Sermon Illustration 00:47:02 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor references Daniel praying towards Jerusalem in Babylon, facing a law against worship, to illustrate standing firm in faith against political pressure.
• Sermon Illustration 00:47:11 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor recounts the story of Daniel in Babylon, who prayed three times a day towards Jerusalem on his balcony despite a law forbidding prayer to any god but the king. When Daniel was thrown into the lion's den for this act of faith, God sent an angel to protect him, demonstrating that obedience to God's call brings deliverance.
• Sermon Illustration 00:49:33 ▶️ 📄
  > The pastor uses a hypothetical scenario where a new pandemic or city ordinance restricts public prayer or preaching, asking what the church will do in response to such legal pressures.

• Pastoral Charge 00:14:42 ▶️ 📄
  > Prioritize God's work and identify/avoid distractions.
• Pastoral Charge 00:15:06 ▶️ 📄
  > Maintain focus, consistency, and spiritual militancy in obedience.
• Pastoral Charge 00:19:02 ▶️ 📄
  > Pray for direction when feeling lost or uncertain.
• Pastoral Charge 00:25:31 ▶️ 📄
  > To live soberly, vigilantly, and wisely while prioritizing the work of God.
• Pastoral Charge 00:26:57 ▶️ 📄
  > To reject both excessive tolerance and hatred towards Muslims as distractions, and instead focus on prayer and evangelism.
• Pastoral Charge 00:27:14 ▶️ 📄
  > To remember their identity as God's ambassadors and stand firm against distractions and fear.
• Pastoral Charge 00:28:00 ▶️ 📄
  > To overcome the fear of death to serve God without hindrance.
• Pastoral Charge 00:28:40 ▶️ 📄
  > To adopt Nehemiah's attitude of refusing to be afraid and continuing God's work regardless of threats.
• Pastoral Charge 00:32:24 ▶️ 📄
  > To be watchful against the controlling influence of fear.
• Pastoral Charge 00:35:40 ▶️ 📄
  > Reject the pursuit of a pain-free life and instead accept God's power for joy and peace during trials.
• Pastoral Charge 00:37:00 ▶️ 📄
  > Use one's limited time wisely for the Lord's glory.
• Pastoral Charge 00:46:31 ▶️ 📄
  > Engage in spiritual warfare, do not shrink back from responsibility, and actively serve God and His kingdom.
• Pastoral Charge 00:50:48 ▶️ 📄
  > Bow the knee and commit one's life to Christ.

[00:00:02] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:02] If you would turn in your Bibles to Nehemiah chapter 6, we continue our study of the book of Nehemiah, which is really a study of revival. Welcome visitors here. We've been studying Nehemiah now for some time, and we recognize that Nehemiah is doing a great work for God.
[00:00:32] He returns back from Persia at the right hand of the king, King Artaxerxes. He comes all the way back because he has a great burden because Jerusalem's in a terrible state to rebuild the walls. And he comes back as a governor of Jerusalem as he tries to reestablish the walls
[00:00:50] of Jerusalem and make it once again a great city and a praise unto our triune God. There is much opposition. The people around don't want it to happen. There's all sorts of threats. There's open threats of military actions against them. They work together in the name of the Lord and
[00:01:08] God blesses their works, and the enemy is frustrated in his open attacks and plans to attack the people of God and their work.
[00:01:18] As we saw last week in chapter 5, when the enemy attacks the church from without and it doesn't work, he has another way to attack the church from within.
[00:01:30] And that's what happens in chapter 5, but thankfully that doesn't work either, and now the enemy is getting desperate.
[00:01:37] And so in chapter 6, there is one more great attack against the work of God in the church.
[00:01:43] We're going to take a look at that here in this chapter now.
[00:01:47] Nehemiah chapter 6, our sermon title, This work was wrought of our God.
[00:01:54] Nehemiah 6, let's read.
[00:01:57] Now it came to pass when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left therein, though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the
[00:02:13] gates, that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers
[00:02:26] unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you.
[00:02:35] Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort, and I answered them after the same manner.
[00:02:42] Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel,
[00:02:58] for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king according to these words and thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem saying there is a king in Judah
[00:03:10] and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words come now therefore and let us take counsel together then I said unto him saying there are no such things done as thou sayest
[00:03:23] but thou feignest them out of thine own heart for they all made us afraid saying, Their hand shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.
[00:03:33] Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
[00:03:38] Afterward I came unto the house of Shimeiah, the son of Deliah, and the son of Mehetabiel, who was shut up.
[00:03:46] And he said, Let us meet together in the house of God within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple, for they will come to slay thee.
[00:03:55] Yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.
[00:03:59] And I said, Should such a man as I flee?
[00:04:02] And who is there that being as I am would go into the temple to save his life?
[00:04:07] I will not go in.
[00:04:08] And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me, for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.
[00:04:18] Therefore was he hired that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report that they might reproach me.
[00:04:30] My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets that would have put me in fear.
[00:04:39] So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul in fifty and two days.
[00:04:47] And it came to pass that when all of our enemies heard thereof And all the heathen that were about us saw these things.
[00:04:58] They were much cast down in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
[00:05:10] Moreover, in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.
[00:05:17] For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shekiniah, the son of Arah, and his son, Johanan, had taken the daughter of Meshulam, the son of Berechiah.
[00:05:31] Also, they reported his good deeds before me and uttered my words unto him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for your holy word. Thank you for this wonderful history of Nehemiah, and even more, the history of what you did through Nehemiah
[00:05:53] for your kingdom and for your church and for your glory.
[00:05:57] Help us now, Lord, to have ears to hear.
[00:06:00] Help these feeble lips of clay to speak forth your truth.
[00:06:04] By the power of your Spirit, we pray, for the edification of these in your providence who you've gathered, and for your glory, honor and praise, and that your salvation might redound to the other ends of the earth.
[00:06:17] In Christ's name I pray, amen.
[00:06:21] Here in Nehemiah 6, we see once again the devil doesn't quit. Mr. Walton, our 93-year-old friend now, he just had a birthday, who comes and joins the men on Tuesday mornings for breakfast from another church,
[00:06:38] he has some good sayings, Mr. Walton. And one of them is, when we talk about what the devil's doing, he says, ah, well, he's just doing his job. And that's true.
[00:06:50] The devil's job is to continue to attack the saints and the church.
[00:06:56] Of course, he will continue to do so until the Lord returns and utterly and ultimately defeats him.
[00:07:02] And we need to be aware of that, because if we are truly the church, and if we're truly the people of God, we need to be, as Peter says in 1 Peter, sober and vigilant, because our adversary, as a roaring lion,
[00:07:14] roameth about seeking whom he may devour, whom we're called to resist steadfast in the faith.
[00:07:20] You see, unfortunately, I think most of the church doesn't really believe in a real devil.
[00:07:25] And then the rest of the church that does, ah, well, you know, he doesn't bother me too much.
[00:07:31] It's not a big deal.
[00:07:32] Well, guess what?
[00:07:32] If you're not standing for the Lord, if you're not doing anything special for him, if you're not right smack dab in the middle of what God has called you to do for his glory and for his kingdom,
[00:07:42] the devil probably won't bother you at all.
[00:07:45] He'll be very happy.
[00:07:47] Go out on the lake.
[00:07:49] Have another drink.
[00:07:50] Have five more.
[00:07:52] It's going to be hard to witness, stone drunk, isn't it?
[00:07:55] You see, the devil is perfectly happy for people to be inoculated with a mealy-mouthed, quote-unquote, Christianity.
[00:08:05] Just say you're a Christian.
[00:08:07] Go to church every once in a while.
[00:08:09] I hope you got wet in baptism.
[00:08:11] I hope your name is on a church roll.
[00:08:13] And, you know, hopefully when the Lord returns and you die, everything will be okay.
[00:08:17] Don't worry.
[00:08:18] In the meantime, go have fun.
[00:08:20] Go live your life for yourself.
[00:08:22] That's not what Nehemiah did.
[00:08:24] He was a living sacrifice for God.
[00:08:26] He had it made, really.
[00:08:28] Though he was a captive, he was at the right hand of the king of Persia, which was the king of the known world.
[00:08:35] And he basically was living the life.
[00:08:38] But when he heard that the kingdom of God was suffering, and that the gates, the walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and that the people of God were in a bad way, he was all tore up.
[00:08:51] And he was fasting, and he was praying, He was crying out to God, and God put a burden on him, and he was not afraid to ask the king to let him go and help.
[00:09:01] Not only did the king answer, but the king gave him protection and provision to do just what he did.
[00:09:07] And that's what we're called to do.
[00:09:09] But there is a great obstacle.
[00:09:12] It's called fear.
[00:09:14] And that's the devil's greatest tool, and we see the devil using that here in Nehemiah chapter 6 against Nehemiah, against the people of God.
[00:09:22] and the devil doesn't really have a lot of new tricks.
[00:09:26] He has pretty much the same old tricks, lies and fear.
[00:09:31] That's what he started out with, with Eve, right? Lies and fear.
[00:09:36] And he still uses the very same thing today.
[00:09:38] Let's take a look at the text and then we'll go through it by God's grace and see what he has for us as a church today.
[00:09:45] In the beginning of the chapter, we see that the enemies of God, Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem, the Arabian, Now, he wasn't a Muslim. This is a thousand years before Islam came.
[00:09:59] But he was an Arabian. And who knows? Could have been one of my ancestors.
[00:10:03] But God forbid. And the rest of our enemies, they heard that the wall was built.
[00:10:08] They're getting nervous. But the gates hadn't been set up yet.
[00:10:11] So they've got to come up with another plan. So they say, you know what?
[00:10:15] Let's see if we can distract Nehemiah. And let me let you know, as a Christian, one of the most difficult and dangerous and successful attacks of the enemy is not that open attack.
[00:10:27] You know, the devil doesn't usually come at you with a pitchfork and horns.
[00:10:31] If he does, you might run.
[00:10:34] But, you know, you know, right, that this is the devil.
[00:10:38] And here we go, right?
[00:10:39] No, no, he doesn't come like that.
[00:10:41] The Bible says that Satan, even Satan, can transform himself into an angel of light.
[00:10:48] God forbid, there'd be somebody in a pulpit somewhere saying, God loves you.
[00:10:55] You're wonderful just as you are.
[00:10:57] Don't change a thing.
[00:10:59] Have a wonderful life and go enjoy the beach and tell everybody that you meet that God loves them and they're going to heaven too.
[00:11:08] And have a nice day and be sure and put money in that plate on the way out.
[00:11:13] That could be Satan, right?
[00:11:16] Because we need to speak the truth.
[00:11:18] Satan loves to lull people to sleep.
[00:11:20] And so this picture of, hey, Nehemiah, you know, that thing about us attacking you before, just disregard that.
[00:11:28] We'd like to meet with you.
[00:11:31] Don't do it.
[00:11:32] Where do they want to meet?
[00:11:34] Let's meet in one of the towns of the plains of Ono.
[00:11:38] Well, you know what Nehemiah said to that.
[00:11:41] Oh, no.
[00:11:43] I don't know that he actually said that.
[00:11:45] He spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, you know.
[00:11:47] But nevertheless, right, this is a distraction.
[00:11:51] This is a distraction.
[00:11:52] And so the devil's main tool is not to debilitate you, to paralyze you in the sense of attack you.
[00:12:00] He can't take away your salvation if you're truly born again.
[00:12:03] He simply wants to distract you.
[00:12:05] If he can get you to do anything else except what God wants you to do, he's succeeded.
[00:12:09] Yeah, but don't you know that doing this work over here is a nice thing?
[00:12:13] Yes, but a good thing is a bad thing if it's not the thing God wants you to be doing.
[00:12:20] Amen?
[00:12:21] I don't get a whole bunch of help on that one.
[00:12:23] But if you're not doing exactly what God wants you to do, no matter how good it may seem to you or others, there's something inherently wrong with it, right?
[00:12:35] And so they're trying to pull him away.
[00:12:37] The point is they don't want the wall to be built.
[00:12:39] They don't want Jerusalem to be a city that they can no longer infiltrate with their worldly ideas and worldly ways and dilute it from being a powerful center of worship anymore, something that they have to deal with.
[00:12:53] And isn't that the way the world is today?
[00:12:56] How effective has the church been in the 21st century in America as salt and light to change the culture more to be Christian and more biblical?
[00:13:07] Isn't it just the opposite?
[00:13:09] Hasn't the culture sent their missionaries into the church to make the church as much like the world as possible?
[00:13:15] to where there doesn't seem to be any difference at all.
[00:13:19] In some churches, they refuse to teach certain things of the Scripture.
[00:13:24] Why? Because they know it will be offensive.
[00:13:29] Without offense, how can you get anywhere?
[00:13:32] How many wins would a football team win if they didn't put their offense on the field?
[00:13:38] We're not going to put our offense on the field this day.
[00:13:40] We're just going to do the defense.
[00:13:42] How many points would they score?
[00:13:45] Offense, we think, that's bad, it's offensive, I don't want to hit it.
[00:13:48] But offense is a good thing if it's for Christ.
[00:13:54] The offense of the cross.
[00:13:56] I know there's some churches who say, we're not going to put up a cross.
[00:13:59] It might make unbelievers feel offended.
[00:14:02] Lord have mercy.
[00:14:04] We cannot take away the offense of the cross because Christ bore it for us.
[00:14:09] And Nehemiah bore great offense and great attacks of the evil one.
[00:14:13] And so he refused to be distracted.
[00:14:16] I love what he says.
[00:14:17] I love what he says here when they say, come on.
[00:14:19] They keep asking, come on, come on and meet with us.
[00:14:21] Come on, Nehemiah, you know you should meet with us.
[00:14:23] Come on and meet with us.
[00:14:24] He'd have to stop the work where they were talking about going was like 40 miles away.
[00:14:28] You know, it doesn't even make sense.
[00:14:30] And so he sent messengers unto them saying, verse 3, I'm doing a great work so that I cannot come down.
[00:14:36] Why should the work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you?
[00:14:40] This is very important.
[00:14:42] We need to be doing the work of the Lord, and we need to be mindful of all the things that stop us.
[00:14:48] Have you ever been trying to pray and the phone rings?
[00:14:52] Have you ever been trying to pray, somebody knocks at the door?
[00:14:55] Have you ever been trying to pray and then all of a sudden you're thinking about what you're going to eat for lunch?
[00:15:01] Anytime you're trying to do what God wants you to do, here comes the distractions right away.
[00:15:06] And we need to stay focused, constancy of purpose, and we need to be militant and to continue to do what God wants us to do.
[00:15:14] And that's what's taking place.
[00:15:15] I'm going to continue working on this wall.
[00:15:17] Because what's their point?
[00:15:19] You see that their real point is to stop him from being able to build the wall.
[00:15:25] And he'll say that as much here in just a moment.
[00:15:27] And so he says, no, I cannot come, verse 3.
[00:15:30] I cannot come down.
[00:15:30] Why should the work cease while I leave it and come down to you?
[00:15:33] Unfortunately, this is just the opposite of what I hear most people who call themselves Christians today say.
[00:15:40] Are you going to come to church this Sunday?
[00:15:41] I'm sorry, I have to be in the mountains.
[00:15:44] Are you going to come to church next Sunday?
[00:15:45] I'm sorry, I have to be at the beach.
[00:15:47] Are you going to come to our special service here?
[00:15:50] Oh, you know, I have, I don't know, I have, make it up, football practice.
[00:15:55] Oh, are you going to, are you going to be able to join us for this?
[00:15:58] Well, you know, I have to go to work that day.
[00:16:01] I said, oh, well, are you going to be?
[00:16:04] It's just the opposite.
[00:16:06] I have my life, pastor, don't you understand?
[00:16:08] And I can't leave it to come in here for this thing.
[00:16:12] It's the absolute 180 degree opposite of what the Word of God says it should be.
[00:16:18] Why is it like that?
[00:16:20] Are we Christians or are we worldlings?
[00:16:22] What's most important?
[00:16:24] Well, I got to work, Pastor.
[00:16:26] Why?
[00:16:27] Well, I need money.
[00:16:28] Why?
[00:16:29] So I can eat.
[00:16:31] Why?
[00:16:32] So I can have strength to work.
[00:16:34] Why?
[00:16:35] So I can have money.
[00:16:36] Why?
[00:16:37] So I can eat.
[00:16:39] Sounds like a gerbil on a wheel to me.
[00:16:42] What's your life about after all?
[00:16:44] There's something higher that God calls us to.
[00:16:47] We are created in the image of God.
[00:16:49] We are the children of God.
[00:16:50] If we've been born again, we are his sons and his daughters.
[00:16:54] There is no higher calling.
[00:16:55] No higher president's office or king or castle or prime minister in the whole world.
[00:17:02] We're ambassadors of Christ.
[00:17:03] We're citizens of heaven.
[00:17:04] And we're called to shine forth the light.
[00:17:07] We're called to be exceptional, extraordinary.
[00:17:09] the whole of mooresville and all of the united states people are drowning every day they're going to hell without christ without hope they're shooting themselves in the head they're shooting up their veins all sorts of drugs they're doing they're getting drunk cbd is an epidemic marijuana
[00:17:26] in america is more important than anything else every i've said it before every billboard from states for the mooresville is about marijuana people are doing anything they can to escape life because they don't understand the purpose.
[00:17:39] They have no hope.
[00:17:40] They don't understand the power of God.
[00:17:42] They don't understand the image of God.
[00:17:43] They don't understand the hope of their calling because they hadn't been called.
[00:17:47] If you have been called, you've been called to a much higher life, an infinitely higher life, a life as sons and daughters of the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
[00:17:56] To do what?
[00:17:56] The work of the Lord.
[00:17:58] I said, well, I thought that's what we pay you and Pastor Annie to do.
[00:18:03] Well, I hope so.
[00:18:05] but you don't have to get paid to do it we should be doing it all the time wherever we are every day in our respective corner i'm just a house i'm a stay-at-home mom what do you expect you got the
[00:18:18] hardest job in the world and the best job in the world to prepare those children to be raised up and to be soldiers of the cross and your legacy will extend far longer than you if the lord
[00:18:31] Terry's. We all are called like Nehemiah to the work of the Lord, and Satan is constantly distracting us. Do not be fooled to sacrifice the best for the good. Christ is calling you to the best, which is to serve him with purpose, to serve him with power, to serve him with the
[00:18:53] presence of his Holy Spirit for his glory. Day by day, you wake up excited. I'm ready to go, as opposed to, well, I just don't know what I'm going to do today.
[00:19:02] Well, then get on your knees and start praying about it.
[00:19:05] Because the King of kings, the Lord of lords is ready to give an answer and give direction and to use you because that's why he saved us.
[00:19:12] Why did he save us?
[00:19:13] To go to heaven?
[00:19:14] Well, yeah, ultimately.
[00:19:16] But why didn't he just, as soon as we're born again, take us to heaven?
[00:19:20] Isn't that where we're going anyways?
[00:19:22] No, he's kept you here for a while.
[00:19:24] Why?
[00:19:25] To do his will, to be his witness, to be his light.
[00:19:28] How well are you doing?
[00:19:30] Well, if you're not born again, it's one thing.
[00:19:32] If you're truly saved, this is our purpose on earth.
[00:19:36] And how long is it?
[00:19:37] Well, I'd like to live a little bit longer, Pastor Joseph.
[00:19:41] Yeah, me too.
[00:19:42] But so what?
[00:19:43] What is it compared to eternity?
[00:19:44] Nothing.
[00:19:46] And so Nehemiah is not afraid.
[00:19:48] They try to make him afraid.
[00:19:49] Notice here in verse 6.
[00:19:52] So after four times of trying to get him to come, they say, this Nehemiah guy's got a death wish.
[00:19:57] He's nuts.
[00:19:58] He's not going to come.
[00:19:59] He's not afraid.
[00:20:00] so they figure out you know what we can do if we tell everybody in his church that he's nuts see nobody can do that with you because you know i'm nuts but but if we tell anybody in the church
[00:20:11] that he's nuts and that you're going to get hurt and people are going to come here and protest or attack us or whatever then maybe we can get them to talk sense into pastor joseph uh i don't say
[00:20:24] pastor and he doesn't need it he's his birthday the other day he's sharp young man but me i need so nehemiah they said we're going to get to nehemiah by the people so now he sends an open
[00:20:34] letter why an open letter so everybody can hear it we know what you're doing nehemiah they make it up you are doing this because you want to be king and you want to rebel against the king of persia
[00:20:45] and all this is about rebellion we heard you even got prophets in jerusalem saying oh nehemiah is going to be the king all of this is a complete lie doesn't but but he did it to put the people
[00:20:59] all, we're going to stop the work by going after the head. Well, the head's too strong. Okay, then let's go after the people. And if we can get the people afraid, then maybe he'll have to give
[00:21:10] up. And that's exactly what happens in verse 5. Then sent Sanballat, his servant, unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand, wherein was written, it is reported by the heathen, among the heathen, and Gashmu, the Arabian, they say, you think to rebel. Yeah.
[00:21:27] and verse 7, and you have appointed prophets to preach of the Jerusalem, that you're going to be the next king of Judah.
[00:21:35] Come on now, come and meet with us.
[00:21:37] Let's straight this thing out before we send a letter to the king and you get in trouble.
[00:21:42] Maybe I ought to stop.
[00:21:44] Maybe we can stop the work of the wall here for a little bit.
[00:21:48] No, you have to keep going, keep on.
[00:21:50] When the governor, who's now running for Senate in North Carolina, threatened us. You got to stop having church. We're not going to stop having church. Put me in jail.
[00:22:02] I'll have church there before we're going to stop having church. Now we followed the law. We had 10 in here and 10 in that room and 10 in that room and 10 in that room and five in that room. We
[00:22:13] followed the law the best we could, but we're not going to stop having church. Kill me, but we're not going to stop having church. And that's the only way that Nehemiah could do this because the
[00:22:24] next threat's going to come. Oh, they're going to kill you. They're going to kill you. Come on, we got to give this thing up. It's all about fear, right? Come on, meet with us. Something's
[00:22:32] going to happen. Fear. Oh, it's not working on Nehemiah. Let's tell the people something's going to happen. Maybe we can get them to be afraid. Didn't work. It doesn't work. Nehemiah says, hey, you're making all of this up. Verse 8, saying, there are no such things as you say,
[00:22:47] but you feign this. You've made them up out of your own heart. For they all, and here's the point, verse 9, for they all made us afraid. They sought to make us afraid, saying, their hands
[00:22:58] shall be weakened from the work that it be not done. You see the whole point? The whole point is to stop the kingdom of God. The devil doesn't really hate you as much as he hates God and his
[00:23:09] work. Anything he can do to you, to your life, to your marriage, in your whatever, to your health, to your business, anything the devil can do or the enemy can do to simply stop the work of God
[00:23:23] in your life for his glory is what he wants. And that's what's here. And fear is his biggest tool, if you will. And it says, now therefore, and so Nehemiah breathes out a quick prayer.
[00:23:36] They're doing this to make us afraid. I'm not going to stop. You've called me to build the wall. I'm going to build the wall now. Therefore, oh God, strengthen my hands. So as soon as they
[00:23:46] it past this challenge now from with this is from without now from within there's a supposed prophet shimeiah who's shut up in his house and won't come out and i guess nehemiah hears about nehemiah goes what's going on oh nehemiah come on they're going to kill you they're going to kill
[00:24:03] you come with me and i'll take you in the temple and we don't understand exactly but maybe i'll maybe i'm going to hide him in the holy place we can't go there that's a sin just to do that
[00:24:12] Come on, let's hide. I will shut the doors, and then they can't get you.
[00:24:15] This is simply a ploy to try to cause Nehemiah to sin or bring reproach on Nehemiah.
[00:24:21] If Nehemiah, the leader's afraid, the people are afraid, and the whole thing is simply to stop the work of God.
[00:24:29] And that's what he says here, and Nehemiah answers, Should such a man as I flee? Verse 11.
[00:24:35] And who is there that being as I am would go into the temple to save his life?
[00:24:39] I will not go in. And lo, I perceive that God had not sent him, but that against me, he had pronounced this prophecy, for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Ah, profit for hire.
[00:24:56] Who will give me the most money will affect my prophecy. God forbid anybody be like that as a preacher. Just because you see somebody on YouTube that quotes some Bible verses and has some acronyms before or after their name doesn't mean they're of God. You have to beware. You have to
[00:25:12] be discerning. You have to be wise as serpents, harmless as doves, because you're the apple of God's eye. Of course, the enemy has a hatred towards ultimately God, but us because of whose we are. And we need to be sober. We need to be vigilant. We need to be walking circumspectly,
[00:25:31] redeeming the time, because God has called us to do the most important work on the face of the Thank God for our military overseas.
[00:25:39] Thank God for the president and leaders of our country.
[00:25:43] But our work is more important.
[00:25:46] Because, for example, as we've been talking about Islam, I pray that the military, either Israel or America, whoever, I pray that the regime in Iran will fall.
[00:25:55] It's a wicked regime.
[00:25:56] And the fastest growing church in the world is in where?
[00:26:00] Iran.
[00:26:02] But listen, folks.
[00:26:03] if the American military completely defeats the Iranian government, if they're all gone, but if the gospel is not shared, what's going to happen?
[00:26:14] More Muslims will take over with the same ideology.
[00:26:17] So the most powerful weapon on the face of the earth, the most important work on the face of the earth, is to exalt Christ and share the gospel.
[00:26:25] Because the true answer to Islam is when a Muslim becomes a Christian, he stops hating and he starts loving.
[00:26:31] He stops hating Israel. He stops hating the Jews. He stops hating Christians. He stops hating Trump.
[00:26:37] He stops hating anyone. Truly born again people don't hate other people. They don't have TDS or anything else. I have TDS internet, but I don't have, you know, they don't hate Trump. They don't hate Biden. They don't hate Obama. They don't hate anybody. And if they're really someone they don't
[00:26:53] like, they pray for them. They pray for them to get saved. And that's what we should do for Muslims.
[00:26:57] That's our calling.
[00:26:59] But the devil wants to distract us with vanity fair, the things of the world, or with, well, maybe the Muslims won't go to hell after all.
[00:27:07] Let's just, you know, be nice to them.
[00:27:08] Or, I hate those Muslims, wish they all go to hell.
[00:27:11] No, all of that's distractions.
[00:27:13] That's all of the devil.
[00:27:14] We need to remember whose we are.
[00:27:17] We need to remember that we have the highest calling we could possibly have as sons and daughters of the creator of the heavens and the earth, and that we are his ambassadors, and that we are his living epistles,
[00:27:27] and that we are called to stand and not to be distracted, especially by the attack of the enemy through fear.
[00:27:34] And that's what we have before us.
[00:27:36] He refused to be afraid.
[00:27:38] He refused to go in.
[00:27:39] Yeah, but you might get killed.
[00:27:40] You got to get past that.
[00:27:43] You know, maybe I need to have some more security at my house or whatever.
[00:27:47] And that's a good thing.
[00:27:49] You know, there's good reasons to take precautions.
[00:27:53] Some people carry firearms.
[00:27:55] That may be a good thing.
[00:27:56] But ultimately, we have to get past the fear of death.
[00:28:00] As long as you have that fear of death in you, and you're not absolutely certain, there's always going to be that little bit of control that Satan can have over you.
[00:28:10] We have to get past that.
[00:28:12] Nehemiah was past that.
[00:28:13] And God enabled him and liberated him and freed him to do a great work.
[00:28:18] Because these guys weren't going to be able to kill him.
[00:28:20] Because he was doing the work of God.
[00:28:22] And they couldn't kill him.
[00:28:23] But he wasn't afraid.
[00:28:24] Nevertheless, I'm going to do the work of God.
[00:28:26] I came here for God.
[00:28:28] God is using me.
[00:28:29] God is empowering me.
[00:28:30] God has called me.
[00:28:31] And I know that when I die, I'm going to God.
[00:28:34] If I go a little bit quicker, so what?
[00:28:36] I'm going to continue God's work no matter what.
[00:28:40] That shouldn't just be Nehemiah.
[00:28:42] That should be every believer.
[00:28:44] Amen?
[00:28:45] Hebrews chapter 2, very quickly.
[00:28:48] One of my favorite passages in the New Testament.
[00:28:51] I guess I have a lot, but this is one of the maybe top five.
[00:28:56] Hebrews chapter 2.
[00:28:57] And I think I've preached a lot on this, but I have a feeling that we've heard it, we understand it, but have we really got past it yet?
[00:29:06] Hebrews chapter 2.
[00:29:07] Notice the purpose of Jesus' incarnation.
[00:29:12] There were many purposes.
[00:29:13] Ultimately, our salvation and the glory of God.
[00:29:15] But look at the purpose that's highlighted in Hebrews chapter 2, beginning in verse 14.
[00:29:20] For as much then as the children, that's us, are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself, who? Jesus. He also himself the second person of the Trinity, eternal God, likewise took part of the
[00:29:33] same, that's Christmas, that's the incarnation in the Virgin Mary, the miracle of that birth, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the devil. So Jesus had to be born, why? So he
[00:29:45] could die. Why? So he could destroy him that had the power of death, which is who? The devil. Now listen very carefully to the next verse verse 15 and deliver them through fear who through the fear of death were
[00:30:03] all their lifetime subject to bondage if you're afraid of death if you haven't got past that you're in bondage you're in bondage and satan can yank that chain whichever way he wants at certain times to get you to do things that normally you would never do like for example i'm not talking
[00:30:22] you. I'm talking to other people. Stop going to church. Right? Why? Because I'm afraid I'm going to get a disease. Well, praise God. If I get a disease for going to church and for honoring
[00:30:33] Jesus and die, I die as a martyr for Jesus Christ. Praise the Lord. We're going to die sooner or later anyway. Might as well die for serving the Lord instead of hiding in some cave
[00:30:44] somewhere. And so notice, Christ came, one of his key purposes, to deliver us from the fear of death, which us tough guys don't want to say we have it but it's always a challenge for all of us right
[00:30:58] tough guy or not but we're to be delivered from that because to stay in it is bondage Christ has redeemed us and delivered us he paid for us to be delivered from the fear of death
[00:31:11] why so that we might liberate be liberated and freed unto the truth so that now we go boldly Pastor Andy preached or prayed we shouldn't be afraid of Muslims. That's right. Because Muslims are about to drown. And we got the life preserver. I ain't giving it to him.
[00:31:29] He might get me. He's drowning. He may look mean. He may look all stated. I don't want to mess with him. He is perishing. He is going to hell. He'll be in flames forever, tormented. And I wonder sometimes if
[00:31:45] on Judgment Day some of these people are going to be in line. I don't know.
[00:31:49] but maybe and see us over here the sheep and there the goats and they say hey you why didn't you tell me about Jesus I wanted to know and you wouldn't tell me now of course God's going to save ultimately
[00:32:02] who he's going to save but he does use us God forbid that we go to heaven with any regrets I should have talked to grandma about Jesus before she died I should have talked to so and so and so
[00:32:12] and so what are we afraid of them getting mad sometimes they do I've made them mad I'd rather and make them mad and see them go to heaven and let them be happy and go to hell
[00:32:22] because they won't be happy long.
[00:32:24] And so we need to beware of how fear can easily control our lives.
[00:32:29] I don't have a problem with fear of passion.
[00:32:30] I'm past that.
[00:32:31] Well, guess what?
[00:32:33] You're not past it until you die because Satan's all, just like here.
[00:32:37] Let me try this way.
[00:32:38] Oh, he's good on that.
[00:32:39] Let me try that way.
[00:32:40] No, okay, let me try this way.
[00:32:42] And sometimes it comes from without.
[00:32:45] Sometimes it comes from within.
[00:32:46] And this guy is supposedly, according to Nehemiah, he was a prophet.
[00:32:52] If Pastor Andy or I come up and tell you something, you, our people, should hopefully be apt to believe it.
[00:32:59] But you should always check it with the Word of God.
[00:33:02] Well, this was a prophet.
[00:33:04] You see how...
[00:33:05] Remember, the devil used even Peter, right?
[00:33:11] No, Lord, you can't do this.
[00:33:13] Far be this from you.
[00:33:14] Get thou behind me, see.
[00:33:16] And so we need to continue to do the work of the Lord.
[00:33:19] We cannot look to the right or to the left.
[00:33:22] We're not even to look behind.
[00:33:23] Once you put the hand to the plow, don't look back because you're not worthy of me.
[00:33:28] And as we continue, look what God does.
[00:33:31] And so back here to verse, oh, we're in Hebrews, back in Nehemiah.
[00:33:35] Nehemiah chapter 6.
[00:33:37] Nehemiah chapter 6, he says, verse 14.
[00:33:44] by the way remember this prophet was paid to prophesy these things what kind of prophet is that verse 15 so the wall was finished in the 25th day of the month elu in the 50 and in 50
[00:34:00] and two days 52 days these weren't professional builders these were just the people of god god brought a revival all of them saw the need to work on building the church of god the kingdom of
[00:34:11] God, everyone did their part in their own sphere of influence and worked. And in 52 days, this whole wall was rebuilt. Amazing. They worked from sunup to sundown. They worked with a trowel in one hand
[00:34:24] and a sword in the other. They were sober. They were vigilant. They were being attacked. They were being deceived. They were being connived against. They were being schemed against. But the main thing they did was continue the work God called them to. They did not waver. And Nehemiah is
[00:34:39] praying constantly and asking god for his help we see in verse 9 for example for they all made us afraid say afraid saying their hands shall be weakened from the work that it be not done now
[00:34:52] therefore oh god strengthen my hands and we see that he prays again and again these little prayers because he recognizes that without god this work cannot be done because god's the one that called him to the work and this is the work is unto the glory of god and so the wall is finished
[00:35:12] what a glorious thing and we'll see later in the text how uh this was a tremendous celebration we'll see that later on in nehemiah but here the wall is finished and it's like he can't even take
[00:35:25] a breath because as the wall is finished they're still conspiring against him now when we got rid of that issue, oh, here comes 10 others. Well, you just need to understand, can I ever have peace?
[00:35:40] Yes, in heaven. Can you have peace on earth? Yes. God can give you supernatural peace in the midst of the trials. Stop trying to live a trial-free, pain-free life, copaceptic, where nothing ever bad happens. That's about fear. But accept the power of God that can give us
[00:36:03] joy and peace and power of the Holy Ghost right in the midst of the fiery furnace, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They're in the place that should literally incinerate them, and that is where you find Jesus Christ. There was a fourth man there, Nebuchadnezzar, and they had the form
[00:36:22] of the Son of God. Isn't that interesting? The closest we draw to Christ in this life is often when the devil and persecution, fiery flames are raging around us.
[00:36:34] But that's when we need the power the most.
[00:36:38] When we're out at the beach, just taking it easy.
[00:36:41] I like the beach, by the way.
[00:36:42] But, you know, when we're just, you know, just seeking to just, let me just live the rest of my retirement going to different beaches and collecting seashells.
[00:36:52] I think that sounds wonderful.
[00:36:54] But this has nothing to do, unless you're sharing Christ with everybody on the beach.
[00:37:00] You see, we are to redeem the time.
[00:37:02] We only have so much, and it's very precious, and it's to be for the Lord.
[00:37:05] And so that's why in 52 days, he had to do it quick, because you never know if you got tomorrow, amen?
[00:37:13] And yet, here is the wall.
[00:37:16] And notice, this is beautiful.
[00:37:18] The sermon title, and we find it in verse 16.
[00:37:21] And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard thereof, that we had built the wall and finished it in 52 days, And all the heathen that were round about us saw these things.
[00:37:34] They were much cast down in their own eyes.
[00:37:37] Why?
[00:37:38] For they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
[00:37:46] Now, if your Bible says was wrought with the help of God, it's simply wrong.
[00:37:51] That's just not what the Bible says.
[00:37:53] You can go back and look at the Hebrew.
[00:37:54] It doesn't say with the help of our God.
[00:37:56] It says, it was wrought by our God.
[00:38:01] Yes, God helped, but God was the one who did the real work.
[00:38:06] God did the heavy lifting.
[00:38:07] Without God, Nehemiah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and the whole world can't live to flee.
[00:38:14] They saw that the work was wrought by our God, of our God.
[00:38:21] Let me ask you a question.
[00:38:22] when God looks at your life does he say ah now that's a life that God is working there's no other explanation for this life but God, look everything they say, everything they do, how they spend their time
[00:38:37] how they raise their kids how they work, how they interact this is just a picture, they're just a reflection of God and even unbelievers can see this that's how evident it is is that the way that they
[00:38:51] think when they look at your life I got news for you most unbelievers are not reading the Bible but they are reading you and what do they read when they read you and your life
[00:39:06] what kind of witness are we for the glory of God and so we need to recognize that in our own personal life each one of our lives is a work of God if we're born again
[00:39:19] and we are to live unto His glory and to His holy unto Him holiness unto the Lord That's us. We're called in Romans 12.1 to be living sacrifices, right?
[00:39:30] Sacrifices for him, our whole life.
[00:39:33] Holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service.
[00:39:36] And we're not to be conformed to the, you got it, the world, right?
[00:39:42] And that's Satan's trick.
[00:39:44] Distract you, conform you, and we're not to be afraid, right?
[00:39:48] How many times does Jesus say, fear not, only believe?
[00:39:51] Why did he say that so much?
[00:39:53] because in fear, we take our eyes off of God.
[00:39:56] Just like Peter in the raging waves.
[00:39:59] He's doing good.
[00:40:00] He's walking on the water too.
[00:40:01] And he looks at the waves.
[00:40:03] He goes, I need to look to God.
[00:40:08] But with God, nothing is impossible.
[00:40:10] And that's what Nehemiah saw here.
[00:40:12] And these people recognized that this was the work of God.
[00:40:17] And so I ask again, when they look at your life, do they see that?
[00:40:22] When they look at your family, do they see that?
[00:40:24] and they look at how you are in business do they see that well let me ask another question when they look at this church do they see that you know pastor andy knows and i know we could probably
[00:40:36] have more people if pastor andy would get those skinny jeans and that haircut i keep telling about but or me right no but if we get the lasers you know if we get the smoke and i thought the choir
[00:40:50] you did a great job, okay? I like that. But some people may come in here looking for rock and roll that breaks your eardrums, and they're just not going to find it here. Yeah, you know, they have
[00:41:01] a much better choir over here, or they have professional singers over there, or there's great theatrics at this place. I heard of a church that you come to church today, and every one of you will get $100 or $20 under your seat. Isn't it wonderful? We get a lot of people. Why don't
[00:41:17] put that on the sign. That'd be bait and switch. We ain't going to do it. But you know, the point is, the point is, praise God for the churches that have thousands. If they only get 1% saved,
[00:41:32] praise God, it's worth it, okay? But our vision, it's on front of that bulletin, is revival, true revival. And true revival cannot be drummed up. It cannot be created by man. It must come from heaven itself and what we seek we believe in this church that jesus is enough that his word is
[00:41:52] enough that the sacrament is enough that god is all powerful and that if this church is ever going to grow numerically it's going to come from god it's going to come from his holy spirit working
[00:42:04] a mighty work in this pulpit yes and pastor and in myself in your hearts in others so that they would say, I don't know what it is, but I know it's of God. There's something of God working
[00:42:16] at Cornerstone. It's not because of their band. It's not because they don't have one. It's not because of their preaching, even though it's great. It's something about God over there.
[00:42:27] And then people start coming from the east and the west and north and the south. And people say, why are you going to that church? Isn't that the church that hates Muslims? You know, all kind of
[00:42:37] lies. We don't hate Muslims. We love, isn't that the church that was on the news and the Charlotte Disturber and a big bunch of meanies? No, we don't know anything about that. All we know is that God
[00:42:49] is there and he's doing a great and wondrous work. And that's what it's all about. That God gets the glory. That we don't, we don't depend on ourselves to drum it up. If it's not of God, all that I just
[00:43:03] shared with you is worthless. It's all should be from God, drenched and saturated in God and the blood of his son, Jesus Christ, to the glory of God. Because Pastor Andy just prayed and I was
[00:43:19] listening very carefully and appreciating the prayer. Eternity is a long time. You said it.
[00:43:25] Eternity is a terribly long time to be wrong. Eternity is a terribly long time to be wrong.
[00:43:36] But if we are right in Christ, all eternity stands before us in a place where there's no more attacks.
[00:43:45] There's no more possibility of fear or stress or anxiety or pains in the body or in the mind or in the spirit.
[00:43:56] But God has provided for us a place where there will be absolute joy and peace and bliss and the manifestation of his love and the glory of God that when we first see Him we'll be amazed,
[00:44:10] we'll be dumbfounded by the power and the manifestation of His majesty and grace.
[00:44:15] And you know what?
[00:44:16] That's one thing.
[00:44:17] You say, okay, well that's good.
[00:44:19] What else is up here in heaven?
[00:44:20] No!
[00:44:22] This is this supernatural thing that when you see the Lord that is the climax that causes mortal man to fall like a dead man.
[00:44:32] But we will be, when we see Christ, we who've been saved will be made like him, we will be given the capacity to receive this beatific vision, this glorious beautiful picture that is more than an image but we'll not just see
[00:44:46] but we'll feel and we'll be immersed in his presence and that climactic thought, that climactic experience will only continue to grow and will never abate. So I just can't imagine, The human frame can't take it.
[00:45:02] That's why we're going to be glorified.
[00:45:04] We will have a capacity to grow in our love and appreciation for who He is and how wonderful and how marvelous and how beautiful and how tremendous and what He's done for us on the cross through His Son, Jesus Christ,
[00:45:18] what He's provided for us with the lifeblood of the Son and His obedience when we couldn't be obedient and Him taking the wrath of God when we deserved it.
[00:45:26] all of the tapestry of all of human history dwindles down into just a point compared to what's set before us heaven death swallowed up in victory joy and love and peace full absolutely filled every particle of our being with the holy ghost every moment for all eternity oh
[00:45:48] i'm about to fall over because i can't imagine but that's what god has bought and paid for each and every one of us if we have bowed the knee and trusted in His Son.
[00:46:01] This is a great calling.
[00:46:03] This is a tremendous calling.
[00:46:05] This calling to be a child of God, to live for Him, to be a living sacrifice is higher than any calling you could even conceive of in your mind.
[00:46:19] But the message here before us is before we get there, we have to be here.
[00:46:25] and it's a little bit longer, I have to fight.
[00:46:31] Fight the good fight of faith.
[00:46:34] And don't be afraid.
[00:46:36] Don't shrink back.
[00:46:37] Don't just try to take care of your own.
[00:46:41] But get out there and lay yourself out for God and for Christ and for His kingdom and for His glory because that's where we see Him move in the most wondrous ways.
[00:46:51] I got a question for you.
[00:46:53] I have a lot more to preach, but we're about done.
[00:46:55] and so I think I'm going to change something here and end with this.
[00:47:02] You remember Daniel?
[00:47:04] He was in Iraq.
[00:47:06] Somehow all roads lead to Iraq.
[00:47:08] I don't understand.
[00:47:11] Iraq is very important in the Bible.
[00:47:13] I don't know.
[00:47:14] Daniel, he is, the Persians have taken over but he's still in Babylon which is in Iraq.
[00:47:22] I've been to Babylon.
[00:47:23] And he is in the habit of praying towards Jerusalem which is due west from Babylon.
[00:47:30] I believe that's the West, three times a day.
[00:47:34] Now, does he go into the temple like Shimeiah tried to get Nehemiah, say, ah, they won't like us.
[00:47:40] Don't wear your cross.
[00:47:41] Don't bring your Bible to work.
[00:47:42] You might offend somebody.
[00:47:44] No, no, no.
[00:47:45] He opens the doors, goes out on the balcony, and I'm sure he didn't do it just for this, but I think he did it also for this, so where everybody could see him bowing down to Jerusalem
[00:47:57] and doing his prayers as a good Jew would, biblically, three times a day. So guess what? The devil wants to get rid of him because Daniel is God's man in Persia, which at that time is the greatest kingdom of the whole earth, just like Nehemiah.
[00:48:12] And so they say, that terrible old Pastor Andy Ward, he does everything right. We'll never get him on anything. Oh, I know how we can get him. We'll make some kind of law against his religion
[00:48:24] and he won't give it up because he's just one of those hard-nosed like Pastor Joseph and we'll get him in. That's what they did with Daniel, didn't they? They said, let's get the king to make a law
[00:48:35] that you can only worship the king for the next month or so. Anyone who does anything else will be thrown in the lion's den. Yeah. And well, guess what? He goes right back out. They're sitting
[00:48:52] there waiting. Let's see if he's going to pray. Sure enough, he heard about it. He said, you know what? I can pray in my bedroom. It'll be fine. God will understand. Open the windows, open the
[00:49:05] doors, out on the balcony, pray. They put him in the lion's den. But guess what? He came out and he was okay because God sent his angel. Why? Because Daniel was doing exactly what God had
[00:49:25] called him to do, had placed him to do, had empowered him to do, and promised to bring him through, and he did.
[00:49:33] How about us? When the time comes, you can't meet this Sunday. There's a special new pandemic coming.
[00:49:43] You guys are, you can't talk about Islam. Don't put that on the sign. You're going to upset people.
[00:49:50] What are we going to do?
[00:49:53] Angelo, you can't do drive-thru prayer anymore because there could be a city ordinance against your sign out there.
[00:50:00] What are we going to do?
[00:50:01] We're going to keep praying.
[00:50:03] We're going to keep preaching.
[00:50:05] We're going to keep standing.
[00:50:07] And we're going to keep seeking with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength to do, to know what God wants each and every one of us to do as an individual, as a family, and as a church,
[00:50:18] and come hell or high water, no matter what the cost, we will do it unto death, if necessary.
[00:50:25] But it's in that mindset, and that mindset alone, that we find everlasting life.
[00:50:32] for he who seeks to save his life Jesus says we'll lose it but if you'll lose your life for my sake and the gospel you'll find it I'm inviting you to that very thing this very day
[00:50:48] if you haven't lived that way before now it's time to bow the knee and make that commitment the time is short the night is far spent the day is at hand I'm looking forward to Christ's return
[00:51:02] in the meantime as we sing, we sang last Sunday was communion the church is one foundation we look forward to the day in that song, the church militant will be the church at rest now we are the church
[00:51:20] militant and our weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the point of strongholds right, helmet of salvation against the fear of the enemy shield of faith against the attacks of the enemy
[00:51:35] the belt of truth so we know what's right and wrong the world doesn't I put boy equals boy girl equals boy on the sign everybody got mad at me not everybody we have people complaining
[00:51:46] about that sign boy equals boy girl equals girl Genesis 1.27 we made in the image of God but we know what's right and wrong because of the belt of truth right and our shield the breastplate of
[00:52:00] righteousness we know whose we are and we know who died for us.
[00:52:07] And our feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace.
[00:52:10] Very important.
[00:52:11] So we know how, where, and what direction to walk in his perfect will.
[00:52:18] But we don't go unarmed because we have the sword of the spirit which is the word of God which is praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit.
[00:52:32] The word of God and prayer.
[00:52:35] a double edged sword the very sword that sent Satan running from Christ is the very sword that he's placed in your hand it's time to go and fight the good fight of fate from victory to victory
[00:52:51] his army shall he lead till every foe is vanquished and Christ is Lord indeed Amen Let's pray Heavenly Father, thank you for the testimony of Nehemiah, the great revival you did then.
[00:53:10] We need your reviving work now.
[00:53:12] We confess our utter inability to effect revival of our own.
[00:53:18] Lord, we cry out for your mercy to visit us afresh.
[00:53:23] Come, Lord God, help us to pray and to seek your face.
[00:53:27] Yes, Lord, to humble ourselves, even if you must humble us first, for, Lord, it's hard.
[00:53:33] Humble us, Lord, that we might pray and seek your face, that we might turn from our wicked ways, that you might be pleased to hear from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land that so desperately needs it.
[00:53:47] For your glory, honor, and praise.
[00:53:49] In Christ's name, amen.
[00:53:52] Brother John, faith is the victory.
[00:53:57] We sang it September 11th.