Revival Ready: Nehemiah - Faith, Opposition & the Fight for God's Work

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh ♪ ♪ There's a king and a kingdom full of grace and love ♪ ♪ Or it's here and it's now and it is to come ♪ ♪ There's a name that is power has authority ♪ ♪ And the road in these voice makes the darkness be ♪ ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ ♪ Singing holy, holy ♪ ♪ As the Lord almighty ♪ ♪ Oh, praise the light of children ♪ ♪ Praise the land and the same ♪ ♪ Lift up the arpeggio ♪ ♪ To the angels of things I've got ♪ ♪ Here it is, here it is now and it's forever ♪ ♪ Oh, praise the king of hell ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ There's a tomb that is empty ♪ ♪ So the world can see ♪ ♪ How I think it was coming with you ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ There's a place for going ♪ ♪ Well, look, read no more ♪ ♪ Join the saints and the angels ♪ ♪ Sing forever my head ♪ ♪ Have some praise and love of children ♪ ♪ Praise the land and the same ♪ ♪ Lift up the arpeggio ♪ ♪ To the angels of things I've got ♪ ♪ Here it is, here it is now and forever ♪ ♪ Oh, praise the king of hell ♪ ♪ Oh ♪

♪ The king of hell ♪ ♪ Oh praise to the king ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Singing holy, holy ♪ ♪ Is the Lord almighty ♪ ♪ Singing worthy worthy ♪ ♪ Is the king of courage ♪ ♪ Singing holy holy ♪ ♪ Is the Lord almighty ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ Singing worthy worthy ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Is the king of courage ♪ ♪ Oh praise the light of Judah ♪ ♪ Praise the land and the same ♪ ♪ Lift up the hallelujah ♪ ♪ To the angels of things I've got ♪ ♪ Here it is, here it is now and forever ♪ ♪ Oh praise the king of heaven ♪ ♪ Oh praise the light of Judah ♪ ♪ Praise the land and the same ♪ ♪ Lift up the hallelujah ♪ ♪ To the angels of things I've got ♪ ♪ Here it is, here it is now and forever ♪ ♪ Singing holy praise ♪ ♪ Singing holy praise ♪ ♪ Singing holy praise ♪ ♪ Singing holy praise ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the king ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the king ♪

♪ The king of heaven ♪ ♪ The king of heaven ♪ ♪ Hallelujah to the king ♪ [Music] ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪ I've been known, I am convinced ♪ ♪ That your presence is right here in darkness ♪ ♪ As you move, change everything ♪ ♪ Only sweet, you're welcome in this place ♪ ♪ Right in on the wings of a man over me ♪ (dramatic music) ♪ We say, oh ♪ ♪ How do you rise? ♪ ♪ How do you ♪ ♪ We say, oh ♪ ♪ How do you ♪ ♪ I believe ♪ ♪ I'm the hero ♪ ♪ I am coming to you ♪ ♪ That your presence is right here in your hands ♪ ♪ And as you move ♪ ♪ Change everything ♪ ♪ Your Holy Spirit ♪ ♪ Your weapon in this place ♪ ♪ Oh ♪

♪ Riding on the winds of the land of ♪ ♪ Oh Lord ♪ ♪ Riding on the land of the song trees ♪ ♪ We say, oh ♪ ♪ Holy ♪ ♪ Are you black ♪ ♪ Star ♪ ♪ King ♪ ♪ Holy ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Holy ♪ ♪ Are you black ♪ ♪ Power ♪ ♪ King ♪ ♪ You're so new as one ♪ ♪ Holy God please rise ♪ ♪ All your hurdles sit through the blood ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Come on up on your side of poison ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪

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♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ ♪ Never know how old the gas is ♪ (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Well, good morning, cross-case family. Talkin' to your feet. So we get started this morning. Let's just enter the Lord's throne room,

remembering who He is. And we believe there's a breakthrough happening in the presence of God. So let's sing this out in faith and in confidence. Give it glory. ♪ I give you glory ♪ ♪ For all you brought me through ♪ ♪ And now I'm ready for whatever you wanna do ♪ ♪ I'm moving forward to follow after you ♪ ♪ And now I'm ready for whatever you wanna do ♪ Sing out to presence. ♪ Your presence is an open door ♪ ♪ We want you Lord like me ♪ ♪ Oh Lord like never before ♪ ♪ Your presence is an open door ♪ ♪ So come now Lord like never before ♪ ♪ In every season ♪ ♪ Your grace has been enough ♪ ♪ And I'm believing that the best is yet to come ♪ ♪ The cross before me ♪ ♪ My hope all things above ♪ ♪ And in you Jesus the best is yet to come ♪ ♪ Your presence is an open door ♪ ♪ We want you Lord like never before ♪ ♪ Your presence is an open door ♪ ♪ So come now Lord like never before ♪ ♪ But we have faith in our Lord and Savior this morning ♪ ♪ We get to cry out to Him and confidence ♪ ♪ Let's sing this out that a breakthrough is coming ♪ ♪ And we're believing for that here in cross grace ♪

♪ Let's sing this out ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know breakthrough is coming ♪ ♪ My faith I see you miracle ♪ ♪ My God made me a promise that He won't stop now ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know breakthrough is coming ♪ ♪ My faith I see you miracle ♪ ♪ My God made me a promise that He won't stop now ♪ ♪ I know breakthrough is coming ♪ ♪ My faith I see you miracle ♪ ♪ My God made me a promise that He won't stop now ♪ ♪ 'Cause I know breakthrough is coming ♪ ♪ My faith I see you miracle ♪ ♪ My God made me a promise that He won't stop now ♪ ♪ My God made me a promise that He won't stop now ♪ - Yes. Hello everyone. Oh, you are there. I knew, I thought I saw you out there. Welcome to church. Anybody glad to be here this morning? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. Anybody here today ready for a breakthrough? Are you ready? Are you ready? So let's step in, all right? Maybe you've already stepped in, maybe you've been hesitant today, maybe you're here for the first time, you're like, I don't know what you're talking about. We'll put your seat belt on, all right? We'll tell you, all right? But we know that our God is able. And if we'll do what we're supposed to do, he will be faithful for sure.

Hey, if you're a first-time guest, we are so glad that you are here. If you will take a connect card, and let's see back in front of you, fill that out with some information to let us know you were here today. We're not gonna bug you, but we do wanna let you know that we love you, we care about you, and we care about your walk with the Savior. We care about your walk with Jesus. We wanna help you in that. So also, if you've got a prayer request on the other side of that connect card is a place to put that. Fill that out, place the card in the red bucket at the end of the service. We will pray for those prayer requests on Tuesday, and then also you can use the tap tag, phone tag, that little white circle on the seat back in front of you. Whatever that thing is called, you can use that to do the same thing. So we are glad everyone is here today. Thank you for coming. Also, first-fruits-givers, thank you so much for being faithful in your giving. If that's something you've not done before, but you're wondering, "Hey, is that my next right step?" You can do that by using the offering on loops at the seat back in front of you.

You can do that online or use the church center app. But there was any questions that you have about, "Hey, what do I do next?" We have a thing right out there in the foyer called the Next Step Center, and the people there will be glad to talk with you and answer any questions that you have. Will you pray with me as we continue and worship? Father God, we don't wanna stop. We're gonna praise, we're gonna worship, even if we don't feel like it. And Father, today there are people here that don't feel like it. But Father, today I pray that they would stand and they would give you what you're worthy of. Because no matter the circumstances, you are worthy of our worship, Lord. We were created to do that. So Father, as we praise and we worship and we respond to you, Father, have your way, you are welcome here. Holy Spirit, move and breathe and speak. And it's in Jesus' name we pray, amen. (gentle music) (gentle music) ♪ I've sung so many songs ♪ ♪ Cried out at the top of my lungs ♪ ♪ My heart's still reaching for ♪ ♪ Something deeper, something more ♪ ♪ So give me old, or give me new ♪

♪ I just wanna see the truth ♪ ♪ Here in these praises ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ ♪ And isn't he wonderful ♪ ♪ Isn't he glorious ♪ ♪ Isn't he powerful ♪ ♪ Isn't he good to us ♪ ♪ He's brighter than any star ♪ ♪ Greater than any star ♪ ♪ Faithful forevermore ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ ♪ You walk through the open door ♪ ♪ That leads to where you are ♪ ♪ Angels cry holy now ♪ ♪ All hell and power in town ♪ ♪ And at the center ♪ ♪ One soul only one name belongs ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit lead us ♪ ♪ That we would see Jesus ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit lead us ♪ ♪ We worship Jesus ♪ ♪ Isn't he wonderful ♪ ♪ Isn't he glorious ♪ ♪ Isn't he powerful ♪ ♪ Isn't he good to us ♪ ♪ He's brighter than any star ♪ ♪ Greater than any star ♪ ♪ Faithful forevermore ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ (upbeat music)

♪ You walk through ♪ ♪ Heaven's procession ♪ ♪ It's all for you ♪ ♪ The song of creation ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ It's all for you ♪ ♪ It's all for you ♪ ♪ The heart's your vision ♪ ♪ It's over you Jesus ♪ ♪ Heaven's perfection ♪ ♪ It's over you ♪ ♪ It's over creation ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ You are worthy of it all ♪ ♪ And is it he wonderful ♪ ♪ Is it he glorious ♪ ♪ Is it he powerful ♪ ♪ Is it he good to us ♪ ♪ He's brighter than any sun ♪ ♪ Greater than any sun ♪ ♪ He's faithful forever Lord ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ ♪ He's a wonderful ♪ ♪ Is it he glorious ♪ ♪ Is it he powerful ♪

♪ He's so powerful ♪ ♪ Is it he good to us ♪ ♪ And he's brighter than any sun ♪ ♪ Greater than any sun ♪ ♪ He's faithful forever Lord ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ ♪ Let me see Jesus ♪ - That's our prayer this morning. Jesus, we wanna just see you in this place. (soft music) ♪ Would you make yourself known ♪ ♪ Spirit come ♪ ♪ Fill our worship ♪ ♪ I'm gonna sing ♪ ♪ 'Til my heart starts changing ♪ ♪ Oh, I'm gonna worship ♪ ♪ 'Til I mean every word ♪ ♪ 'Cause the way I feel ♪ ♪ And the fear I'm facing ♪ ♪ Doesn't change who you are ♪ ♪ Or would you deserve ♪ ♪ I give you my worship ♪ ♪ You still deserve ♪ ♪ As you were me ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were the only of my song ♪ ♪ I pour out your praises ♪ ♪ In blessing and breaking ♪ ♪ You were the ♪

♪ You were the ♪ ♪ You were the only of my song ♪ ♪ You were the only of my song ♪ - Come on, let's sing this out. ♪ And I'm gonna live ♪ ♪ Oh, the night my king is risen ♪ ♪ I'm gonna reach to my soul ♪ ♪ Let you go anymore ♪ ♪ And even though I can't see you ♪ ♪ I'm gonna keep him leaving ♪ ♪ Right every promise you made ♪ ♪ Is as good as time ♪ ♪ I give you my worship ♪ ♪ If you still deserve that ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were me of my song ♪ ♪ I pour out your praises ♪ ♪ In blessing and breaking ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ Jesus, you were me of my song ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ Jesus, you were me of my song ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ Jesus, you were me of my song ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ ♪ You were me ♪

♪ Jesus, you were me of my song ♪ ♪ You were me ♪ When I said, "By that hospital bed, you were worthy." She could barely lift her head, you were worthy, come on. And after all those tears were shared, you were worthy. I'll never stop seeing your praise. I'll never stop singing your praise. And in the blessing and the pain, you are worthy. Whether you say, "Yes, you'll know, oh, hey, you are worthy." And the will all I choose to say, "You are worthy." Oh, I'll never stop singing your praise. I'll never stop singing your praise. Yes, you'll know, oh, you'll never stop singing your praise. I'll never stop singing your praise. And in the blessing and the will all I choose to say, "I'll never stop singing your praise." And in the blessing and the will all I choose to say, "You are worthy." Oh, I'll never stop singing your praise. I'll never stop singing your praise. Oh, I'll never stop singing your praise. I'll never stop singing your praise. Come on, now, come on. See, now, come on. I can't deal with my word or share. She's still disturbing. As you were worthy, you were worthy. Jesus, you were worthy of my soul. I'll never stop singing your praise. I'll never stop singing your praise. You are worthy, you were worthy. Jesus, you were worthy of my soul.

I'll give you my word or share. Jesus, you were worthy, you were worthy. You were worthy of my soul. I'll pour out your praises. In the blessing and the will all you were worthy, you were worthy, you were worthy of my soul. You are worthy of my soul. This is my story. This is my soul. Praising my Savior. You were worthy of it all. Yes. You were worthy of it all. For from you are all peace, and till you are all peace, you deserve the glory. Yes. You were worthy of it all. You were worthy of it all. For from you are all peace, and till you are all peace, you deserve the glory. Jesus, you were worthy of it all. For from you are all peace, and till you are all peace, you deserve the glory. Jesus, you deserve the glory. So Lord, we even now turn our face toward you, say worthy R.E., worthy R.E. to be worshipped, adored, lived for, exalted, magnified, glorified, so you are worthy of our affection, you are for sure worthy of our attention right now. So what I ask is by the power of your spirit, would you so focus us on your beautiful face, That you would win the war in this room right now, Lord. I'm gonna ask for a miracle. I pray that not one person would walk out of this room the same because your word would move in such authority, God, that we would see the ways of the kingdom of God. And I just pray that the enemy would lose in every life.

Every lie, every deception, discouragement, any heaviness, any distortions, any way the enemy is afflicted, accused. God, I just pray, Lord, let the authority of your word. Rule and reign in this room. And I pray it in Jesus' mighty name. Amen, come on, let's give him praise one more time. (congregation applauds) Amen. Man, I, today's special. And I hope you'll see that by the end of service in faith. I'm gonna say it's gonna be special for every one of us here today. Man, people have been coming to know cross this morning. People have been set free this morning. Lives are being touched and impacted. I'm gonna say it again. People have been saved this morning. People have been set free this morning. That's not just a statement. I've been watching it happen. Ministry started before services started today. People showed up just needing help, needing hope. So, I anticipate that for you as well. I would encourage you, don't listen just to get through. Listen to receive something from the Lord this morning. If you got a Bible, turn to Nehemiah chapter four. As you do, man, lots to celebrate. Man, we were celebrating in the first service. Keris retreat went on this weekend.

So many lice were touched through that. We had a kingdom retreat that was out. Many of our guys are back. I would just say to you, if you ever get invited to any of those things, you need to go. You need to go. If you give God a weekend, just watch out. 'Cause you have no idea what God can do in just a few moments. You give him a few days set apart. God can speak in such a way to clarify what God has for you, what he has for his work in the world. Now, I wanna give us a little context. Nehemiah chapter four, where we'll be today. It will send me verses that I get through. But last week we came out of a powerful chapter where you see Nehemiah was writing in this journal entry. We got it as a book, but it's really a journal entry that is sharing how God worked in this specific moment in the rebuilding and the renewal that lend itself to a national revival. And in Nehemiah chapter three, it was this moment where in genealogies really, they were sharing with us who was beside each other in the work of God. So you had this family and next to them was that family and next to them was that family. And God was warning us to make sure that we knew that when God sees a city, when God sees a church,

when God sees a work that he sovereignly weaves people together to be a part of something that will matter a million years from now. And God doesn't have merely special forces in the kingdom, always God's sons and daughters. And that every person and every family has a strategic part in the advancement of God's kingdom right now, that was true in the Amise Day and that is true today. Matter of fact, I'm gonna celebrate real quick. We had 65 adults that signed up and was at foundations this very morning, come on out of that. So I think it ended up being 50 something or so if some couldn't make it. But when we add kids to that, no telling how many. But what that is is not merely another moment to bolster your membership. It's another moment for individuals to say, "I wanna be a part of the work of God." And so I'm signing up to be next to you. I'm signing up to pray my part. I'm signing up to play my part. Sign up to bring my portion and that God weaves it together so that He unleashes an army into a community to advance His kingdom to bring the gospel of Jesus and the love of cross in a powerful and a profound way that doesn't merely propagate a religion but sees real change. That God is moving His kingdom through His kids. And that we get to be a part of that, it's crazy. Like, man, make up your mind for sake, everything else.

Give your whole life to that. And then you pick up in chapter four and we're gonna learn something that every one of us experience. I get the privilege of studying through the week and man just pouring over the scriptures, studying commentaries, listening to other people around these types of scripture. And I found out something pretty interesting in the book of Nehemiah. You know how many verses of scripture in the book of Nehemiah talks about prayer? Ten, I don't know why I asked you that. If you knew that, awesome. But 10 verses, 10 verses, and they're sort of spread throughout. You'll see a couple of them today. They talk about the power of prayer and the moment of revival and renewal. You know how many passages of scripture talks about the plans? Like, how do you plan to position yourself? There's a few moments that sections of scripture that show you incredible leadership passages, man. Like if you're gonna lead through a revival, lead through a renewal, you can learn a lot right here from this guy and how he vision casted it, put it all out there, but there's just a few passages of scripture. You know what's a predominant theme

in the midst of the book of Nehemiah? There are four chapters on opposition. Four chapters on opposition. Four whole chapters that are declaring to us right now in 2026, September the 20th, in this room, that if you make up your mind to fully follow Christ, if you make up your mind to try by the power of the spirit and born of the word of God, like looking at the scriptures to be a godly husband or to be a godly wife, to raise a godly family, if you make up your mind, to make a difference in your workplace, to represent the kingdom of God. If you make up your mind to be the kind of neighbor that is salt, that is a lot, that you bring, you make things better, you make things brighter when you show up. If you do that, you are promised opposition. That moving toward the Lord is moving toward the war. And what we see in this moment is clarity of how that plays out oftentimes, and we can learn from Nehemiah and what they went through, what some of you in this room are feeling right now. Pick up verse one, Nehemiah 4. Now when Sam Ballot heard that they were building the wall, I love that, he heard that they were not merely talking about building, they were actually building. Let me tell you what, the enemy doesn't care about, he doesn't care about our creed. He doesn't care about what we decree.

Meaning he didn't care what we say, he actually cares if what we say is what we end up doing. Samini, it's one thing to carry the name of Christ as a Christian, it's another thing to live by the power of Christ. It's one thing to say something, there's another thing to do something. And when Sam Ballot heard that they were not merely talking about God's stuff, but they were doing God's work, it made him, was it say, he was angry and greatly enraged. It's like a double whammy, right? When you're angry and greatly enraged, it's like that dude was mad. And that mad came bowling out of him in rage. Like he was completely furious at the notion that they were actually trying to see rebuilding happen in their nation. He was furious at the notion that men and families were aligning at the wall to actually go to work. Anybody ever had a moment where you made up your mind to have a sincere surrender? And you're like, you know what I'm really going to by God's grace because the gospel is so good and Jesus is that I'm gonna live for Christ. Or maybe you made up your mind that I'm gonna strive to be a better husband and it seems like all hell broke loose. You know what I'm talking about? Come on, they'll look at me holy light. Man, I wanna make a difference in my workplace

but the moment that you tried to live differently or distinctly, it was met by opposition, you felt the temperature change, come on, right? Anybody ever had that moment where you're like, man, I'm gonna be faithful in my first fruits. You know, and I'm gonna try to surrender my resources to the Lord and bring the first. And we love the stories, I love the stories. I got the stories where, you know, I gave faithfully this amount and then out of nowhere, I just went to the mailbox and there was a check for the same amount for the first time. That's awesome because those were true stories. But somebody in the room gave the tithe the first time and your transmission went out the next day, right? And you know, I broke, I hit that story. Because why, we live in a broken world and we live in a big time war. And so the moment you commit yourself to the things of the kingdom of God, you're running right into the face of opposition. Here's what I'll make a statement that you gotta believe for you. The enemy literally hates God's work in you and he hates God's work for you. He's not indifferent. He hates it. He hates the thought of you cooperating with God's work in you. He hates the thought of you cooperating with God's work through you.

Can I tell you three ways that resistance comes at you? You know this cause of the Bible. It comes at you through the world. That we are living in a world that is counter to the kingdom. And at the moment you and I, you do today, like a fresh surrender, like, "Lord, I really wanna live for you in my school. "I wanna live for you in my family. "That's crazy town, USA. "I wanna live for you in my workplace. "God, I wanna live for you personally. "I wanna be sanctified by you. "I wanna be changed by you. "You're swimming upstream." you're going to bump into resistance. You're going to feel the flow of this world. You're going to feel that this is not ground easily given. And then if that ain't enough, guess what? You got an enemy in me. You got the flesh and you dog. I'm going to say something to you. There's a part of you that hates God's work in you. There's a part of you that hates the thought of God working through you because you and I have a flesh that desires to gratify itself. There's a part of me that wants what this world has to offer. There's a part of me that wants what the devil might tempt me with. There's a part of me that wants to give way. There's a part of me that wants comfort more than kingdom. There's a part of me that wants selfishness outside of usefulness. Do you feel it? Do you not feel that war within? I want to gratify and I want it and I want it now. So you get the world that you're swimming upstream. You got this war on the inside of you and there's no way to pretty this up. And then you have a real foe. His name is Satan. And he hates your literal existence. Like the enemy hates that you have breath in your lungs. The enemy hates that you have purpose. The enemy hates that you've been, if you're a follow cross, that you've been saved by cross. I want to tell you

two primary ways that the enemy is working in this room right now. The enemy wants to keep the unbeliever in this room blinded from the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He's distracting you. He's saying that guy's too loud. That's funny. Was that redneck? No, right. That he's trying to move your mind toward other things. Listen to me. They tried to just get through it. That he's trying to tempt you with other passions to fulfill pleasures. He's trying to keep you from eternal life. That war's happening all over Rankin County. It's happening in every family represented in this room. It's happening all over the nation. The enemy's like, "I will do whatever it takes to keep them from seeing the glory of the gospel of Christ." But when we do, he loses that war. At the moment, 19 years old, born again, eternal life, he can't ever come after that again. Somebody say, "Amen." So he flips the script. He can't have my eternity. He wants my every day. If he can't have my eternal life, he wants my abundant life. So the enemy is opposing you. I don't want them to know their purpose. I don't want them to know their significance. I don't want them to live the freedom that is theirs in Christ. I don't want them to know intimacy with God. I don't want them to know effectiveness for God. And the enemy's after you, because he hates you. He hates the thought of this family flourishing for the glory of God. So how does he attack us? Well, let's learn from San Ballad, who's a representation, even when he's using him. And he jeered at the Jews. And he said in the presence of his brothers and the army of Samaria, that's an intimidation factor. So he's not just one, there's others, there's a whole army that is opposing. By the way, there's demonic forces, principalities of darkness that are opposing the work of the kingdom of God. You ain't got to believe it for it to be real. It's real. And then he says some things. Man, I'm telling you, the enemy loves to use words. He's real good at him. He knows where to place the law right in the mind. What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they restore it for themselves? Will they sacrifice? Will they finish up in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish, the burn ones at that? Then to buy, the ammonite was beside him and said, "Yeah, man, what they are building, if a fox goes up on it, will break down their stone wall." We don't use the word jeered. Let me give you another one to be ridiculed. That can look out a lot of different ways. That can look a lot of different ways. On the other side of your sincere surrender, I want you to think about this. The enemy didn't give a rip about the Jews when they were sitting in ruin. But the moment they rise to rebuild,

then the words come. If you're not being opposed, you might need to really evaluate. moment, they've made up their mind to get to work on the rebuilding protection of God, presence of God, power of God, being displayed in their midst, and then the enemy says, "What are you going to do? Are you going to restore?" It's just been broke too long. Anybody ever heard that lie? Was you going to revive it? All of a sudden, you're going to have God's life in you? I wonder how many discouraged followers of Jesus in the room, your eternity is secure, man, but you ain't living in the abundant life, because at some season, like all of us do, you bought the lie. The enemy said, "That might work for some, it'll never work for you." Maybe you showed up at work, and you tried to live differently. If we're honest, hey, you'd made some bad decisions before, but now you walk in, you try to stand, and somebody's like, "Oh, you the Jesus guy now?" Maybe you grab your wife's hand and the kids, and there's been seasons that have really broken even darkness in your home, but you're trying to do it different. You say, "Hey, let's pray together," and your whole family looks at you like you're an alien. So is this what we do now? Maybe the enemy comes on the other side of you making a bad decision and giving away to temptation again and says, "See, I told you, you could never live free." In every season of your life, spiritually, I promise you, the enemy has a strategy to how to discourage you, how to disorient you, how to get you to a place that you won't rightly believe that God still wants to restore, that God still wants to revive. I'm going to give you two illustrations of that from my life, personally. I've told you some of my testimony. There's a lot of it I'll never do, because it's under the blood of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. But 19 years old, put it this way, dumpster fire is what my life was.

Every bad decision you can make by then, almost 20 years old, every bad decision, I'd made it in spades and kept making them until I ran headlong in the Jesus Christ. Come on. It was born of the spirit made alive. Jet was there, saw it, man, I mean, I'm alive in Christ, and because of that, I was totally disoriented in this world. I was like, I don't know where I can go, but it ain't where I was. So I leaned into the church, leaned into the few relationships I had, and I had to separate myself from a community of people. If I'm honest, I had created that I had created because I was not a follower. I was the leader of the pack, but I had separated man. God is purging me, he's cleansing me, he's purifies, changing me. And there's a lot to change. I make up my mind when I hear that all my former buddies were hanging out at somebody's house, and I had seen them. And so I go early and I'm going to go by and just say, hey, I'm actually going to something else with some friends from church, but I wanted to say I had seen them. These are people I've ran with for years, and I'll never forget, I'm telling you, I'll never forget this moment. You ever walked into a room, you've seen it on a movie when somebody walks in a room and everything stops? I months removed from being dead in my trespasses to sin and made alive in Christ. And when I walked back into the party scene, the whole room changes, stops, turn and look in a voice, it's the enemies, through a person, as loud as possible says, we knew it. We knew you'd come back. We knew it wouldn't last. And I'm telling you, the spirit of God rose up in me like whoa, whoa, whoa, I ain't back. Y'all could come with me, I'm never coming back to this. That was a moment when the enemy came alive, like, come on back, see, you can't be free. You're going to always come back to this.

Well, that was in the early seasons of my walk with God. I don't hear that voice as much. That's not the way the enemy gets me too, how he gets at me now, sitting right there last week, about to come up here and preach, knee on my three, and honestly, I felt like God had really given me a word for the church. I mean, clarity all week long, I wake up Sunday morning in a fog. You ever been in one? I got the funk on me and it is loud and it... And this is the law. I didn't know how to identify it in the moment. I'd spent a season of seeking the Lord praying for revival. We called our many of our leaders came 40 days praying for revival. We'd finished that. And I want to say this by God's grace, me and my spiritual friends and father and your not, I've had one of the best seasons we've got ever had. I mean, like me and the Lord. Whoo! Some prayer times for the work of the kingdom that I thought at some point I might see him. And then I came in here on Sunday morning and he tell you the thought came to my mind. You really think you're going to ever see revival? A lot of other people thought that thought too, Kyle. I'm telling you, like a lot of other people thought that. You really think you're going to see a move of God that changes the generation, the nation. A lot of people thought that, Kyle. And I'm telling you, here's what it was in my spirit.

Why don't you just settle for good enough? And I just had it on me, man. I stood up and preached by the power of spirit, still preaching the truth, but I ain't feeling it. I'm a struggle bussing. I go Sunday afternoon, sitting in my garage, a little workout I've done, and Katie comes and sits out there with me. She goes, "How are you doing?" I'm saying, "I'm not great." I just got the funk all over me for some reason. She's like, "Why?" Why everything? I know I didn't say you had it, I got it. She was encouraging me, building me up. Like, that ain't true, that ain't true. But I had it on me, wearing it like a bad suit 'til I came in here Monday. That's why you get in the word every day. Red my One Year Bible reading R.A. that morning. And then I got in the knee of my four to start study for the day. And I went, "That line serpent sucker." And I was like, "Perfect clarity." He was like, "Go away, he's doing it to me." And I realized, you know what? That enemy's trying to, well, you think you're gonna see restoration? You think you're gonna see revival? You think you're gonna see the move of God?

And I'm like, "Yes, I am, I totally am." And this law, this heaviness actually helps me know you're a liar. That's why I feel the opposition 'cause we're moving the right direction. And then I'm telling you, I got in here, holy goes anger. They came over me when I read it. Will they sacrifice? Don't you see that in that verse of scripture? Will they? This is when God gets mad. San Ballot says, "What y'all gonna do? Y'all gonna worship?" That's what he's saying. "What y'all gonna do worship?" Y'all gonna sacrifice some animals? Y'all gonna pray some prayers? Y'all gonna sing some praise? And then all of a sudden, the wall is gonna be built. And this is in my spirit to remember. Hey, you know what? This war ain't ultimately against me. It's against God. This war even playing out in my life ain't against me. It's an affront to the kingdom of God, to the gospel of Christ getting out there and advancing. So what do we learn from Nehemiah? So what does Nehemiah do? Does he debate San Ballot?

Does he say, "Let's have a town hall. "You share yours. "I'll share mine. "We'll see where we land." Verse four, "Nehemiah hears all this ridicule, "all this jeering, all this accusations." And he says, "Hear, O our God." He ain't going horizontal. "I'm going to hire courts, San Ballot." "Hear, O our God, for we are despised. "Turn their tone on their heads "and give them up to be plundered in the land "where they are captives. "Do not cover their guilt. "Let not their sin be blotted out from your sight. "For they have provoked you to anger "in the presence of the builders. "Instead of Nehemiah responding horizontally "to the things that he's hearing in his head, "to the things that he's filling in his heart, "to the people that are standing in front of him. "Instead of waging it on a flesh and blood and mere words, "he takes it to the court of the Lord." Hallelujah. He says, "Hey, God, you hear it? "And this is what I love." Nehemiah had, he didn't know about Jesus' prayer to pray for those that persecute you yet. (laughing) Which there's something to learn here.

He said, "Hey, God, get 'em, God." (laughing) Hallelujah. I just thought you were prayer. Hey, God! this is about the enemy, this is about darkness, this is about the advancement of the kingdom. Get 'em, God! I'm telling you, supernatural moment that happens when you bring the Lord into the war through prayer. When you bring the Lord into the war through prayer, so I want to ask you something, 'cause I ain't preaching at you 'cause everybody in this room's experiencing this somehow, some way. What thing is in your head, what discouragement over you? I call up, try it a thousand times, but I just keep falling. I've wanted a belief that renewal in me, or that renewal in my family, or that work out here in the community. I've wanted a belief for change in our workplace, God, or change in my family line, but the enemy just keeps telling me it's never going to happen. What do I do with what I feel? What do I do with what I'm thinking? You take it vertical. You take it to the only one that can change the situation. I love what John Piper says about prayer. I'm going to read a long quote to you. It says, "The main reason prayer malfunctions in the mouth of God's people is because they are a wall, and they are trying to turn a wartime walkie-talkie into a domestic intercom to call up the butler for another pillow, instead of to call the general for fire cover while they go to the city. If all prayer is for you, is to buzz the intercom for a few more comforts." So you might get help with the tummy ache, or that you need an aspirin. It'll malfunction. It malfunctions in your life. If you stop doing it except a minute or two a day, because really what's the point? It's no big deal. I can get along, frankly. I got doctors, I have insurance policies, I've got grocery stores, I've got a car, I've got everything I need, thank you. So what then is the point of prayer? It's just an unnecessary atom. The reason it's an unnecessary atom is that we don't know that life is war and what prayer is for. If you want to mobilize your prayer life, you've got to know that life is war and that prayer is a wartime walkie-talkie. It's not a domestic intercom to ring up the heavenly butler to bring you another comfort that we're already too secure in. No, the picture is this, is that when you are

saved by Christ, you are recruited. He recruits us from unbelievers to make us sons and daughters for war. If you're saved, you're a soldier or you're a wall, but he recruits us and then he gives us a walkie-talkie called prayer and then he says to us, there's a frequency to this walkie-talkie, but it's only got one on the other end. It's wired to the general, the general who has perfect oversight, who has the lay of the battlefield, who has a place for you in the fight, and he knows it's dangerous. The wartime walkie-talkie is to help you locate yourself in the fight. It's to help you have the resources and the strength and the courage to be there. It's the call for wisdom when you need words. It's to say that you need help and firepower when danger comes. It's when you get wounded to say, "I need help. I need healing to keep on fighting," not so that you can be comfortable. If you try to change it to an FM station so that you can merely listen to your favorite disjockey and your favorite teen while you go over and sit with your legs cross under a palm tree, prayer will never work for you. But if prayer is war, pick up the walkie-talkie. That's what prayer is. We teach the truth. Every opposition is an opportunity to pray. Every opposition is an opportunity when you're downcast, when you're discouraged, when you're dismayed, when you might be disoriented to say, "God, can you hear these accusations? Can you hear and sense this that I'm feeling? I can't quite break through. I'm swimming upstream here." I love what they did. They prayed, and then we're going to end here. Verse 6, "So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to have its height for the people, had a mind to work." Ms. Lorien, go ahead and come. They went to work Let me tell you what didn't happen. They didn't pray. He didn't say, "Hear, O God." And all of a sudden, they disappeared. He didn't pray one prayer, and all of a sudden, Sam Ballad said, "You know what? "After your prayer," which was awesome, by the way, Nehemiah. We've decided to not oppose you. Matter of fact, how can we help? That didn't happen.

At the moment, he prayed, listen to me, in the presence of your enemy, they went to work because they had a mind to. Let me tell you why the enemy messes with our mind 'cause he wants us to believe that we could never be used. Let me tell you why the enemy tries to take courage out of us so that it will never be courageous. Let me tell you why the enemy tries to disorient us or distract us so that we'll never live in light of what will matter, to live on path, to move toward things that actually make a difference. This morning, the Lord is reminding us of how to respond to the fray into the fight. I love what Hudson Taylor says, a missionary that God used to change the world that was just an everyday dude. He said, "I've seen many men work without praying, "though I've never seen any good come out of it, "but I have never seen a man pray without working." Oh, yeah. 'Cause what God knows is this, you ready? That a follower of Jesus in the midst of the fray and the fight for your own personal holiness, for you, the enemy in you to finally get that breakthrough. To finally have the renewing of your mind, it's gonna take you praying, but it's also gonna take you working. For you and I'd ever see systematic change comes the things that's broken in society.

It's gonna mean we're gonna have to pray like we've never prayed and work like we've never worked. That we follow our prayers and faith with feet that move toward the fight. A principle of the kingdom is this, is that prayer and hard work is how the kingdom is advanced. And you move from the prayer closet to the front lines of the battlefield and back to the prayer closet, to the front lines of the battlefield and listen to me. And you pray while you work and you work while you pray. 'Cause it is work to pray and it is faith to work. And that we keep doing it a bit at a time, a step at a time, a season at a time and just see what happens when faithfulness meets supernatural power. And we don't give up before the breakthrough comes. Cross gates. There's a lot to be renewed, it's a lot to be revived. And some of you sat here last week and thought, "Call, I believe all that's true, "but I just don't think I'm the guy or the gal. "I don't think we're the kind of family "that God can use in this kind of work." And the only problem with that is every page of this book. (gentle piano music) And every part of who Jesus is in you. So somebody, if you come into this room, limp in this room, and if we're honest, if I had it over a cup of coffee with every one of you,

you say, "Call, I come to the worship gathering "because I know it's the right thing to do, "but I don't think that God could use me as a witness. "I don't think I could ever live free "from these struggles with sin I have personally. "That you have bought a law, "that you're discouraged in some aspect. "And what God is doing through his word right now "is lifting you up and say, "Do not listen to sin ballad or to buy you anymore. "Lift your head. "Cry out your hero so God. "I need help. "I need freedom. "I need a breakthrough. "I'm gonna tell you the enemy is robbed way too many "of us of faith." 'Cause you know, our faith's not in faith. Our faith is in the God who has always moved mildly on our behalf. I'm gonna skip some verses. Those are running the PowerPoint. If you can help me out, I want you to jump down to verse 14 for me. There's so many different, I know I didn't. I left way too much meat on the bone. This afternoon, have you some fun in the of my four. (gentle music) They get discouraged and they're tired a little bit.

Anybody who have been tired in the work, they look up and they're tired, there's too much left and there's too few of them. and there's too many people serving and the enemies come and he's got a strategy against them in verse 14 He says and I looked and I rose and I said to the nobles and the officials and the rest of the people do not be afraid of them Well, how how that's like Counseling 101 when somebody says they're afraid so we don't be afraid He said now listen don't be afraid of them remember the Lord Remember the Lord who is great and awesome fight for your brothers your sons your daughters your wives and your home Remember the Lord. I heard a pastor say recently You know God's name in the Bible is never I was is I am Hallelujah, right I am delivered today is what God would say. I am rescuer today. I am provider Today, I am your help today. I am your refuge today I'm your rock because what the lord is saying to you he's not saying that's what I was like in one past era or epic and Redemptive history because no that's who I am So remember the lord today when the enemy comes and says but he's not that to you you say that's who he has all he could ever be And so I'm going to trust God's word over the enemy's whisper Remember and then fought Fight for that truth applied to your life we're going to sing an old school song this morning a little shout to the lord And I have to tell you why because in my spirit sometimes I just need to say I hear all this I'm going to raise a shout That's louder than what's going on in my head or in my heart and for some of you here today You need a day of deliverance You need the lord to break you through whatever's going on break you through You need a breakthrough and what could happen we could sing this song some prayer blessing over you and you go home and nothing changed But right now the lord's warning of victory to be applied Would you let us pray with you? Maybe you want to come to the altar Hey, some of you here today eyes for a second And all this doesn't pertain to you yet because the greatest war has never been won for you You've never put faith In the finished work across saw some people come to know Jesus last service. I'm sure there's some in the room

Right now that you need to put your faith on what he's done for you. Just bow your head for a moment What's God saying to us this one? Hey with nobody else looking around if you're here and you know you need Jesus to make you a part of his Forever family to save you now. I'm going to embarrass you, but you got just a moment here If you want Jesus to make you new on the inside Why don't you do something right now? We got to be bold I want you to look at me. Just raise your hand say call. I need that. I need that You got to do it though be bold say call. I need that I need Jesus To save me make me new. I'll wait for you got it Awesome hallelujah Others in the room All right, here's the truth you put your hand down. It's not raising your hand. It's not looking to me It's by faith looking to the finished work of Jesus Christ Asking him to save you if you meant it say this to them Lord here I come All my sin my brokenness I confess it Yet I do believe Jesus that you are the savior of the world Save me I want to follow you If I was you this morning, nobody else looking around I just want you to look back at me if you prayed that prayer in your heart in a minute Just look at me for a second a few minutes Way to go Welcome to the kingdom of god Now you got to take next steps because your family wants to know We want to know how we can help you keep moving So when this service is over with if you'll walk out of here to the next step center We got this gift for you But nobody can make you go by there

Spirit of gods wanting to help prompt you to go by there and just say to somebody all you got to say Say I need a box If you'll say that we'll take the conversation from there in just a few minutes to help solidify what God's doing in you Be bold today Be bold take that next right step I'm gonna pray for us and we're gonna stand and we're seeing it's not the time to leave we're almost done If you're here, you just need somebody to pray with you on behalf of you to get some help or maybe you want to come Something about movement Break me through this season that the enemy has long been lying to me. He'll hear you." So Father, thank you for this morning. Thank you for these words. I pray that you administer to people now as we sing to you in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's stand together. Some of our prayer leaders are here. If you give us a privilege, we would love to pray with you about anything. Jesus, my Savior, Lord, there is nothing like you, all of my days. I want to praise the wonders of your mighty love. My convert, my shelter, tower of refuge and strength, let every breath, all that I will never cease to worship you, come to the Lord for the earth let us see. Now we're in majesty's grace to the king, mountains bow down in the seas. We'll roll at the sound of your day. I sing for joy at the work of your head, forever on the field, forever on stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have, oh, shout to the Lord for all the earth let us see. Oh, now we're in majesty's grace to the king, mountains bow down in the seas. We'll roll at the sound of your day. I sing for joy at the work of your head, forever on the field, forever on stand. Nothing compares to the promise I have, oh, I sing for joy at the work of your head, forever

on the field, forever on stand, nothing compares to the promise I have, oh, I sing for joy I sing for joy at the work of your head, forever on stand. Cross Gaze family, I invite you to extend your hands to receive this blessing. Father we know we will face opposition that is not a flesh and blood from powers of darkness. Therefore I bless your sons and daughters with the protection from the whole armor of God and especially from the shield of faith to extinguish the fiery darts of the evil one. May we stand firm in our faith knowing that Jesus has won the victory on our behalf. Jesus said this in Matthew 4 verse 44, "You have heard that it was said you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemies, but I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you. I bless you with a heart of prayer for our enemies that they may turn from darkness in their wicked ways and see the light. Finally I bless you with a deep desire for the work that God has called you to. May you be empowered by the Holy Spirit to continue your work on the wall with passion and zeal as God establishes his eternal kingdom. Thank you for worshiping with us today. Have a blessed Sunday. [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC] [MUSIC]