Revival Ready: Nehemiah - Staying in the Work

(upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) (upbeat music) - Good morning cross case family, let's stand together. It is a gift and a joy to be in the house of the Lord. So let's come before Him with desperation, crying out for Him to move to do what only He can do as we worship Him today. Let's sing this together. ♪ We have heard of all the stories ♪ ♪ Of how you healed the death and blind ♪ ♪ You did miracles and wonders ♪ ♪ Would you repeat them in our times ♪ ♪ Lift this song to Him today, Lord we thank you for your presence ♪ ♪ How you promised not to leave ♪ ♪ Come and close with your power ♪ ♪ Come and set the captives free ♪ ♪ Hear your people crying out ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, would you come ♪ ♪ Would you come ♪ ♪ Hear your people crying out ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, would you come ♪ ♪ Would you come ♪ ♪ Still believe that you are moving ♪ ♪ And you are with us here today ♪ ♪ And help us see what you are doing ♪ ♪ 'Cause we don't want to get in your way ♪ ♪ Hear your people crying out ♪

♪ Holy Spirit, would you come ♪ ♪ Oh need your hope ♪ ♪ Hear your people crying out ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, would you come ♪ ♪ Would you come ♪ ♪ How we need your hope ♪ ♪ We dance before ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit ♪ ♪ We prayed our prayers ♪ ♪ We've made our plans ♪ ♪ But if you're not in it ♪ ♪ We don't want it ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ And only you can heal our land ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, come and fill us ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ We prayed our prayers ♪ ♪ We've made our plans ♪ ♪ But if you're not in it ♪ ♪ We don't want it ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ And only you can heal our land ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit, come and fill us ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ We prayed our prayers ♪ ♪ We've made our plans ♪ ♪ But if you're not in it ♪ ♪ We don't want it ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ And only you can heal our land ♪

♪ Holy Spirit, come and fill us ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ Yes, Holy Spirit, come and fill us ♪ ♪ Oh God, would you move ♪ ♪ Hear your people crying out ♪ ♪ Holy Spirit ♪ (upbeat music) Hear your people crying out. Call the Spirit, oh, you come. When you come, we pray our prayers. We made our plans. But if you're not in it, we don't want it all. God would you move, and only you can heal our land. Holy Spirit, come and fill us all. God would you move, sing Holy Spirit, come and fill us all. God would you move, Holy Spirit, come and fill us all. God would you move. Oh, we need You, God. Amen. Hey, good morning, church. How we doing this morning? That was pretty petty, not going to lie. Well, I hope you guys are doing good. It's so great just to be in the house of the Lord today with all of you. If you don't mind, I'm going to go ahead and ask you to be seated for just a few moments, because we have a wonderful time of celebration and prayer that we're about to step into. But before we do that, just want to say really quickly that if you are a first-time guest here with us today,

we just want to say how honored we are that you're here. And if you have a second in the seat back in front of you, there's a blue connected with God form that we would just ask for you to fill out some basic information just so we can, first of all, personally say hello to you. But find out if you're looking for a church home on the faith journey that God has you on. So whatever it may be, just please put it down. And then at the end of the service at every single exit, there'll be someone with a red bucket that you can drop that card as you leave today. And so this morning is a special morning because we get to just stop and do what we do a few times a year, and that is parent child dedication. And by the grace of God, there are 25 families today taking part in parent child dedication. And listen, you know, it's all great to take pictures and celebrate with family about what today represents. But at the end of all of those wonderful things, today is about eternal promises and eternal covenants. And I just think about all these moms and dads that are walking before you right now, that they're here to declare that all of the days of their life, they are gonna raise their children to know Jesus and to set up generational lines of gospel and kingdom advancement. And that's what this morning is all about because I just see future believers. I see future ministers and missionaries and pastors

and businessmen and business women. And then mom and dad is raising them up to know Jesus. And so I'm gonna turn it over to Grace Star who is our preschool director. And she's gonna walk us through this celebratory moment. So Grace. - Good morning. As I name each family, a member from our wonderfully made team is going to come up and give each family a Jesus storybook Bible. And so these women have been partnering with these moms and prayer during their pregnancies for 10 years now. And so it's just super sweet for them to be able to pass this on to these moms that they have been praying for. So our first family is Andi Kate Jones and her parents are Peyton and Morgan Jones. Audrey Amelia Murray and her parents are Stuart and Sarah Murray. Bowen Arnold Piner and his parents are Colin and Brittany Piner. Next is Caroline June Hayes and Hardy Rogers Hayes. And their parents are Hardy and Amber Lee Hayes. Next is Hazel Louise King and her parents are Brian and Courtney King. Noah Thomas Sevelle and his parents are Jared and Camille Sevelle. (gentle music) Next is William Monroe Bates and his parents are John David and Hannah Bates. Riker James Komish

and his parents are Clark and Kaitlyn Komish. And last we have Walker Lawrence Barnett and his parents are Daniel and Bailey Barnes. if I could ask if y'all could go ahead and stand up and just right now why don't we just rat as a church our arms around these families and pray for a blessing for them just for a few moments and then I'll close this out we'll continue in worship so so begin to pray for these families so Heavenly Father I am so thankful that you are looking down and watching this moment how precious this must be in your eyes this morning and Heavenly Father I just pray the biggest blessing over all of these families that God I pray that just in a way that that mom and dad would just feel the weight of the joy and the task before them what an honor it is to to raise someone in the wisdom of salvation and so Heavenly Father I just pray God that through the great times and through the hard times and then in between times God may they never forget that you are with them so Lord I pray God that every mom and dad would just train their child to fix their eyes on Jesus the founder and perfecter of our faith that God that that every man that is standing in this line right here would understand what it means to be the spiritual man to be the godly man to live out the biblical truths that they profess with their mouth and Lord I pray the same thing for all of the moms that they would be the godly women of of their child's life that even when they grow up and they look back they're like I never met a godly man more godly than my dad and I never met a godly woman more godly than my mom and so Lord I just pray that as a whole new chapter starts God that you would just be their rod and their staff and Heavenly Father I pray that we would do our diligence as a church and rap

our arms around these families to equip them with everything good to follow you all the days of our lives and so in Jesus name God thank you for these wonderful little moments that have eternal impact and it's in your name that I pray amen amen as we step back into worship so we step back into worship I'm reminded of a promise and an invitation Jesus said come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest let's lean into that invitation this morning come on and for my waking breath for my daily breath oh I depend on you oh I depend on you oh I depend on you oh you're the way the truth and the life you're the world that never runs dry I'm the branch and you are the fine draw me close and teach me to bye Father we just want to rest in your presence in this place this morning and where the spirit leads as I'm following oh I depend on you oh I make this our declaration this morning ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ We surrender father ♪ ♪ Oh I depend on you ♪ ♪ You're the way the truth and the light ♪ ♪ You're the way all that never runs dry ♪ ♪ I'm the bridge and you are the vibe ♪ ♪ Drop me close and teach me to abide ♪ ♪ Be my strength, my song in the night ♪ ♪ Be my own, my pleasure, my price ♪ ♪ I am yours forever, your mind ♪ ♪ Drop me close and teach me to abide ♪ We thank you for this supporting father. ♪ When I pass through death ♪ ♪ As I enter death ♪

♪ Oh I depend on you ♪ ♪ Oh I depend on you ♪ ♪ For we turn our light ♪ ♪ To be raised with Christ ♪ ♪ Oh I depend on you ♪ ♪ Oh I depend on you ♪ ♪ You're the way the truth and the light ♪ ♪ You're the way all that never runs dry ♪ ♪ I'm the bridge and you are the vibe ♪ ♪ Drop me close and teach me to abide ♪ ♪ Be my strength, my song in the night ♪ ♪ Be my own, my treasure, my price ♪ ♪ I am yours forever, your mind ♪ ♪ Drop me close and teach me to abide ♪ ♪ Oh teach me to abide ♪ ♪ Drop me close and teach me to abide ♪ ♪ I could sing your name for all my life ♪ ♪ And still find more to love each time ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ever on my lips ♪ ♪ It's sweeter every time that I go on it ♪ ♪ And there's just something 'bout your name ♪ ♪ Well, there's just something 'bout your name ♪ ♪ Well, there's just something 'bout your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ Jesus, you're worthy ♪ ♪ And you have been a friend who never left ♪ ♪ I won't forget your faithfulness ♪

♪ Jesus, be the name ever on my lips ♪ ♪ It's sweeter every time that I call on it ♪ ♪ 'Cause there's just something 'bout your name ♪ ♪ There's just something 'bout your name ♪ ♪ Oh, there's just something 'bout your name ♪ ♪ That makes me cry holy ♪ ♪ There is no other name that I know ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ Jesus, you're worthy ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Jesus, we lift your name high ♪ ♪ We give you all the glory and grace ♪ ♪ And Jesus, your name is like the morning lights ♪ ♪ The one, the darkness, can't deny ♪ ♪ The resurrection and the life ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ Say it with me, church, Jesus, your name can save ♪ ♪ Your name can heal ♪ ♪ Your name can make the storm be still ♪ ♪ You've never failed and you never will ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus, the bread of life broken for us ♪ ♪ The wounded and the worthy one ♪ ♪ The first and last and soon to come ♪ ♪ Jesus, Jesus the King who overwhelmed the brave ♪ ♪ The Lord who will forever reign ♪ ♪ The name above all other names ♪ ♪ Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ♪

♪ Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ That gets all the glory to your name ♪ ♪ And Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ That gets all the glory ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ That gets all the glory ♪ ♪ And Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ There is no other name ♪ ♪ So Jesus be the name ♪ ♪ That gets all the glory ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus you sing His name Jesus ♪ ♪ Church say the name of Jesus ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus oh we declare there's no higher name than Jesus ♪ ♪ So we sing Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus Jesus ♪ ♪ There's just something about that name ♪ ♪ Oh He's master and Savior ♪ ♪ Oh Jesus like the fragrance after the rain ♪ ♪ We sing His name oh Jesus ♪ ♪ Jesus oh Jesus ♪ ♪ Let all heaven and earth proclaim ♪ ♪ Oh the kings and kingdoms ♪ ♪ Will all pass away ♪ ♪ But there's something about that name ♪ ♪ That name ♪ - Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. (audience applauding)

- There really is something about His name. That in His name is the salvation of the world. In His name is hope, in His name is help, in His name is healing. In His name is an invitation 'cause on the other side of that name, there's a real king who loves you and then looks to you today. So I don't know where you're at. I don't know what storm you might find yourself in, what kind of season this might be for you. You might have stumbled into the room. Maybe you find yourself sinking. And I just want you to know that Jesus stands with authority over the wind and the waves. And He looks to you this morning, maybe to your family, maybe to your situation. And He's beckoning you come to me. laden and I'll give you rest. I'll take literally your yoke, that heaviness that you're carrying, I'll get in it with you. I'll give you the strength to stand in the midst of this season, the situation. I'm just speaking on behalf of a king this morning that sees you, that loves you, that knows you, that cares about you. And he just wants you to know this morning's not an accident. That this morning is a moment in your spiritual life, that you might come and break out of the rut

and the rhythm, you might be lifted up from the myri clay, set upon a rock, that what you might think is for others can be for you, that victory, that abundant life that you've seen others live in the power of the resurrection, but you don't know if that's possible for you, it's possible for you and crossed. So today we reject laws, today we do, today we climb back on the wall, today we ask the God of heaven to strengthen our hands again, and we're gonna keep praying, we'll keep believing, we'll keep seeking, because there's a name, there's a name that has all power, all authority, all dominion. So in your name, Jesus, in your name, now we come aligning under the banner of your name, standing on the firm foundation, your name's a cornerstone, that you are a front and a rear guard, and so I pray personally, right now, every person in this room, that you would see the cross, beckon to you, come. And in your spirit that you would even say to him, "I'm coming, Lord, I'm coming." Maybe you need to come for a fresh start, just come, right now in your mind, come to him in your heart, say, "God, I'm coming this morning." I need you to pick me up, I need you to strengthen me, I need you to secure me maybe for some today, you need him to save you.

Save your future, save your family, save you from the midst of this, Lord be who you are, be only who you can be. King of kings, Lord of lords, I pray the enemy loses in every life today, every life today. So do that for the glory of your name. And I pray in Jesus' name, can we just take five seconds and pour out some praise on him? Come on, come on, come on. Whoo, come on, come on, come on. He's worthy of that, worthy of that, resurrection and the law, come on. Man, Lord, let your word come and literally break the cedars today. I think about your voice, Lord, it says in the Psalms, that it just a whisper from your mouth, puts everything in right alignment and destroys a lot of stuff. So I pray you would destroy some stuff that needs to be destroyed today and then you would build some things back that needs to be built back and I pray it in Jesus' name. Amen, come on, come on, man, amen. I will tell you something, I was in like starter blockover. I was so ready to come up here and pray. So you might want to put a seat belt on, all right? So if you got a Bible turned to Nehemiah chapter six, the Lord is here today for a lot of reasons

because he loves people. So if you're new to us here today, welcome. I would encourage you, like Ben said earlier in the service, if you'll just fill out that connect card right now, I'll give you permission, the information you're comfortable with, we just want to get to know you, help you take next steps. And we've got visitors that are here with families in a lot of parent child dedication. Man, love to get to know you. If you've got a prayer request, put it down. One announcement before we jump into Nehemiah chapter six, specifically to those in our faith family that you might work in the downtown Jackson area. I mean, we're partnering with what God wants to do in our city and we got a new time prayer revival once a month moment at the Jackson Leadership Foundation. If you go to our events page on our website, it's got the information. If you work downtown, here's my promise. I've got lunch for you on Wednesday from 12 to one. If you'll come and give your prayers to that moment. And I'm just saying, as the people of God, our responsibility is to bless the city, not curse it. And so I'm just asking for one hour once a month to come and we're just gonna pray heaven down. You say, "Cal, I don't know how to do that. Awesome come, we'll teach you how." It's awesome across the nominations, across the, I mean, it's an awesome moment to partner

with what God wants to do. Anybody believe that Jesus has got a great plan for Jackson? Right? So we should pray that way. So if you work downtown, I'm asking you Wednesday to be there, Jackson Leadership Foundation, info's on our website under events, you can do it. Or if you're an intercessor and you got passion for that, love for you to come join, be a part of that. Now we've been in a journey through the book If you miss any of those messages, they're always online for us this morning. We're going to see the enemy changes his strategy and attack. I want to say something to you. If you get serious about God's work in you, and if you get serious about God's work through you, the enemy's going to get serious about you. In the enemy, man, he is slithery, that he changes his strategy in a lot of maybe failed ways that it didn't work in the past, and we're going to see that in the text today. Verse 1, it says, "Now when sin, ballot, tabiah, and guess from the Arab," now they're flesh and blood people, "but on the other side of them," you've got to see more than flesh and blood. You've got to see Satan. You've got to see demonic forces, us as a new covenant people. You've got to see the strategy of the enemy to try to thwart the work of God. He says, "In the rest of their enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left in it, although up to that time I had not set up the doors and the gates." I want you to make no mistake this morning. The enemy is aware of God's work in you. I'll say it again. The enemy is aware of God's work in you. He's aware of when the spirit of God is moving in such a way to draw you to new places in

your relationship with Jesus Christ. The enemy becomes aware of God's work, maybe in your family, maybe you're trying to get serious about the faith, you get serious about following a cross, you want to be a family that is marked by the presence and the power of God. If you get serious about leaning into God's kingdom activity in your life, the enemy's going to become aware of that. By the way, the enemy is aware of the work of the church. If the enemy sees a Jesus exalting church getting serious about the mission of God in the world, he becomes aware of that. He sees the lot of God, he sees the activity of God, he sees the presence of God. The enemy is aware of God's work in a region. The enemy is aware of God's work in a nation, in newsflash, Jesus is working in our nation. I got the privilege of standing with 500 brothers in San Diego preaching the gospel last weekend, and guess what? Jesus has been glorified on the west coast, all right? Jesus is getting his name and his fame out there, and when the enemy sees that, he's infuriated by it. He's infuriated by God's work in you. He's infuriated by the power, the gospel in you, and he sees that there's moments like he's losing time. In this moment, in the demise, they got the wall up, but they're not quite finished yet. The gates are going in, and what the enemy knows is this, if they get the gates up, it's going to be hard for the enemy to get through the wall. So it's a now or never moment. I'm going to let you know something you might be real close to a breakthrough. God might be about to establish something in your family. God might be about to establish something in your faith. He's about to establish your effectiveness for the gospel, and the enemy's looking at it going, "Man, if I don't get a stronghold or a foothold or if I don't keep that door open, I could lose them."

And the enemy hates that idea, hates it. So he'll get desperate, he'll change the strategy. Look what he does here, verse 2, "Sam Ballot and Geshim sent to me saying, 'Come, let us meet together at that place.'" Somebody say it that place. That's how you do that, there you go. Just taught you something, right? I know how to say it, but I just don't want to act in all super scholarly right now, so in the plane of Ono, that's where Yoko's from. That's funny, but I'm in a good mood, but they intended to do me harm. Few things that we know is this. The enemy doesn't care how he stops the work, just as long as he can stop the work. New strategy, you know what the enemy tried, but at the beginning of Nehemiah, he jeered at him. Remember, he ridiculed him, he mocked him, saying, "What do you believe that God can actually rebuild this wall through your feeble efforts?" Remember, they mocked and said, "Man, if a fox runs across that, it's going to topple, now it ain't toppling, the wall is established." So the enemy doesn't come to ridicule, the enemy doesn't come in this moment to say, "You'll never be enough, you can never accomplish this." The enemy comes this time and says, "You know what? Let's just sit down and talk for a minute." I got an idea, Nehemiah, let's have us a meeting. Why don't you leave the work, why don't you take a little retreat and know you're tired, 50-some-odd days into this thing, why don't we get away and let's just talk. What the enemy offers this time, listen to me, is not hostility, the enemy offers friendship. I've got a promise for you. After the enemy gets done condemning you, after the enemy gets through mocking you, and why don't we cooperate? Why don't we make a subtle compromise?

They didn't want a meeting, they had planned a murder. They wanted to get Nehemiah away from the army to a specific place so that they could take him out physically. Now, I'm gonna go out, step out on the limb, and I hope there's not any plots to physically murder you. If they are, come talk to us, all right? I'd love to know about that. I'm gonna pray in the authority of Jesus' name and then we gonna call the police, all right? So, if that's going on in your life, then I really mean that, all right? So, let us know, but the enemy is still out to destroy you. It might not be physically taking your life, but it might be to take your purpose, to take your significance. The enemy of your soul is trying to lure you away to secluded places. Eyes for a second. The enemy's after your effectiveness. Let me tell you what the enemy might say to you today, and he's saying to me, and he's saying to me, "Hey, while listening to me, you're working real hard, "why don't you get away to secluded place, "takes some time for yourself. "How about this? "Find some soul that's in a screen somewhere." And just doomsday scroll, man, death scroll. Listen to me, maybe just get away by yourself long enough and just open this link, and before you know it, you're in bondage.

And then the enemy just lures you away a little bit. Maybe you lure it away through, and I'm just gonna put it out there through social media, and you see how everybody else's life is up into the right, and you covet some life that ain't real anyway. And he's just luring us away and saying, "Man, why don't you waste your life "looking at something that's a facade anyway?" They can only be bondage at best. Maybe he lures us away by tempting us to use our weekends like everybody else uses their weekends, and we can't regularly be at the house of God, I know I'm preaching to the choir 'cause you're here. We can't regularly serve the Lord of Jesus Christ because we're just too busy, just too busy, man. I got too much going on. I'm gonna let you hang on a secret if the enemy can't physically kill you, he will fill your schedule. Lure you away to distract you from a life that will matter a million years from now. And in this moment, I feel what Paul felt when he was riding through the church in Corinth for the church at Crossgate's similar kind of moment that Nehemiah had, Paul recognized in the church in Corinth, 2 Corinthians 11-3, but I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion across them. The enemy is trying to lure Nehemiah away,

the enemy's trying to lure you away, your thoughts away from a sincere devotion across to passion for Jesus, a passion for the work of his kingdom here and now, Warren Wiersby said this, Satan comes either as a serpent who deceives or a lion who devours, but make no mistake, he comes. If we had our spiritual antennas up, we could hear the hiss in the enemy every time he lures us away. Much like Nehemiah, that's why we need something, once you write this down, we need the Holy Spirit to help us discern the tactics of the enemy in every season of our life. We need the Holy Spirit, we need the Spirit of God. So let me tell you what the Spirit of God's gonna do, right now in the room, he's gonna start making us aware. Aware personally, he's gonna start making us aware for our families, he's gonna start making us aware in a lot of our businesses, how is the enemy trying to lure you away, lure your family away from a sincere, sincere, whole-hearted devotion to cross, where I'm a person that stands for the name and fame of Jesus, we're a family that's set apart for Jesus cross, we're part of a church in the work of the kingdom in the world. How's he trying to lure you away? You're gonna need unusual discernment, supernatural discernment.

What that looks like, continue on, sitting, I sent messengers to them, four times they come, they're gonna ask for this, I sent messengers to them saying, I am doing a great work, somebody say hallelujah, right? I am doing a great work, Nehemiah's response to them, hey, let's have this retreat, let's have this pow wow, I'm doing a great work and I cannot come down. Why should the work stop while I leave it? in this way, and I answered them in the same manner. Let me tell you what Nehemiah knew. Your meeting is too small. This work is too great. My calling is too clear to come down. This meeting is too small. This work is too great. My calling is too clear to come down. Let's bring it to our town. Let's bring it to our time. Business man, woman of God. You're in the workplace. Listen, this works too great to come down to cater on the integrity line. You say, well, Kyle, everybody cuts corners. Yeah, we ain't everybody. We're the people of God. We're sons and daughters of a king and a kingdom. So when they come down, we rise up. You say, Kyle, it's gonna cost me, let it cost you. 'Cause in that, listen to me, great is your reward.

You say, yeah, Kyle, not in the real world. I am talking about the real world. The kingdom of God is the real world. This right here is all gonna pass away, but there's something about that name. Something about his kingdom in the here and now. That's why the coach, man, when he realizes it in the midst of that work. I know that 'cause I was impacted by coach. You got this literally C and B with the coach that played the part in me coming to no cross. When the coach realizes, I'm just giving you illustrations, that it's more, it's about more than wins and losses. It's about raising a generation that I'm impacting future generations. I'm gonna give myself to that fully whole, hardly parents. That's not coming down to cater with to what all the other parents do. I don't care what all the other parents do. What does it mean for me to raise my children in a lot of the truth of the kingdom? And we don't come down. You say, well, the pressure is out there, and we look different. Hallelujah. We look distinct in this moment. We're not religious about it. We don't get rigid about it, but we hold the line. I don't care how many times you get asked. I don't wanna tell you how many times

the pressure gets turned out. We don't come down. This works too important. You know the thing about Nehemai's work, it wasn't bougie, man. They're putting blocks in place. It's mortar, it's a trowel, it's a sword, it's hard work every day. But something is being built. Something is being established. Hear me now. Hard work doesn't always seem worth it in the moment. But man, there's moments when you stand upon it. Hallelujah. There's moments where you see that God is building His kingdom through my family. God is building His kingdom through the city. God is building His kingdom through this church, man. That God is building His kingdom through the way that I work. God is building His kingdom in the way that I neighbor. God is building His kingdom in the way that I grandparent. God is building His kingdom in the way that I pray. God is building His kingdom through the way that I worship. And I'm not coming down. Wherever God has placed you, whatever kind of work that you do, whoever you do it with, impacts greatly the effectiveness and the advancement of God's kingdom. So don't come down now. Don't come down ever. But the truth is, we'll all have moments and opportunities

to come down. That's why here's something to write down. Every season we need to make a decision to keep doing kingdom work. Every season. Anybody else ever been discouraged? Hallelujah. Come on. Oh, look at me, holy, I ain't impressed, right? Anybody else ever else, anybody else ever been distracted? Word. Anybody else ever been distracted? Anybody else ever had a season where you, hey, were deceived? You know, the hardest part about being deceived? You don't know it. The worst part about the enemy's lies is they're very believable. They're very believable. I've never met a believer that didn't have a season where they were distracted. Never have it, I don't know a believer that didn't have a moment where they were discouraged in the work. I don't, I've never known a believer that didn't have a season where they didn't stop and go, I'm a little disoriented here. Like, I think I got off track. I think I lost sight of a greater mission. I think I lost sight of what it means to follow Jesus. he's like the great GPS, he gets you back on track. Y'all remember back in the day, recalculating. Come on, right? I'm telling you, I love cultivating my relationship with God, the Holy Spirit, 'cause I sense to him

a lot of times, he's like, come here. This way, where are you going? The lovingly will get you back on the wall. Some of you this morning, if you're honest spiritually, you've been off the wall for a long time. Let's be real about it. You've been out of the work for a long time, and you've been distracted, you've been confused, you've been disoriented, and you think you just showed up this Sunday morning, maybe for a child, a baby, a parent, child, dedication, whatever we call it. You may have just wandered in the room, this is the Sunday you came, and what God is looking you and saying is, no, I want to establish you again. I want you to be sure-footed like a deer. I want you to stand on the work of God. I want you to stand on the Word of God. I want you to know the purposes of God. I want you to waste your life on a work that will crumble one day. Wood, hey, stubble! Get a moment where you get back on the work 'cause it really matters. Everyone gets distracted at some point. Everyone gets discouraged. All of us are easily deceived. But maybe today's a fresh decision. In this next season, I want to cooperate God with your work. I want to cooperate with your work in my life and my family. I want to cooperate with your work in this city.

I want to cooperate with your work in this church. I want to cooperate in your work in this state. Four times they do it, and he shuts them down flat and goes to verse five. I'm not going to finish this sermon. I'm going to go into your right now. In the same way, Sam Ballot, for the fifth time, sent his servant to me with an open letter in his hand. It is written. It is reported among the nations. And Geshem also says that you and the Jews intend to rebel. That's why you're building the wall. And according to these reports, you wish to become their king, and you have also set up prophets to proclaim concerning you in Jerusalem. There's a king in Judah, and now the king will hear these reports. So now come and let us take counsel together. New strategy. Okay. Four times they send a letter personally addressed, sealed to Nehemiah just for him. Here, go Nehemiah. Deliver first class. Hey, dude, why don't you just come? You know, after a lot of thought, let's just get together. Let's talk it out.

Fifth letter, open letter, which meant it was read publicly, which meant it was open for anybody to see. So this is what we hear Nehemiah. This is all about you, Nehemiah. This is all about you becoming the king. This is all about you establishing a kingdom. You've actually done some evil things. You put some prophets out there to prophesy in such a way that it personally benefits you. Hey, many reports out there. Now, no sources, no sites. Just the law. Hey, the bigger you make the law, it doesn't mean that it's true. Spread it. See what they did in our day, they tweeted it. Toasted it, blogged it, pinned it. I don't know any of these things, but something like that. They put it out there for the whole world to see. Think, and Nehemiah will see this and he'll come running to us. They stop, stop, stop. You're ruining my reputation. You're ruining my name. Let me tell you what they thought. Being alluded to this last week. They thought he'll fear man more than he'll fear God. He'll come running to us. Wrong guy. You picked the wrong dude. They put it out there in the street and he couldn't care less.

So he responds to them powerfully. Before that, by the way, I'm going to give you something. I don't know where, I try to find where this quote comes from. Anybody you send to me, don't worry. It's somebody else's secretary. This is a great quote that somebody said somewhere and everybody's repeated it, but we don't know who. If we take care of our character, God will take care of our reputation. Bro, that's solid. If we take care of our character, God will take care of our reputation. See what Nehemiah knew, Nehemiah knew what was true. So he didn't give a rip what these evil men said. He knew what was true, so he was going to trust that God would take care of his reputation. Listen to what goes on in verse 8 says, "Then I sent to them saying no such thing as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind." That's awesome. It's like, dude, you're such a liar. And all your spewing is lied. Do you know that the enemy is the father of lies? He's the father of lies. Let me tell you what Nehemiah does in this moment. He doesn't get into a back and forth eyes for a second. Too many of us in this room are getting into too many back and forths with the enemy. Y'all hear me? Too many conversations with the evil one. Too many conversations, even with people at times, that might be ridiculing you. You're trying to thwart God's work in you. Listen to me, our war's not against flesh and blood.

When they try to go horizontal, we go vertical, baby. When they try to get us bogged down in this thing here, we simply rebuke them in the name of Jesus and go back to work. Here's a principle. A few words to the enemy and faithful work for the Lord is how we finish well. That's a lot said right there in one statement. A few words to the enemy. When the enemy comes and lies to you and says, listen to me, you'll never be the kind of guy. You'll never be that kind of woman. You'll never be that kind of mom. You'll never be that kind of dad. You'll never be that kind of business man. You got too much, you're too dirty. Got too much stuff in the closet, man. You got too many things. If they really knew, by the way, can I let you on the secret? Jesus already knows. Hence why he came and died. You will never surprise Jesus with your sinfulness. Somebody say amen, right? And yet die for us anyway. Set us apart in cross and this says, I only use broken people. Come on. The only kind of kids Jesus has got is broken ones. That's good news.

Loves us, I told somebody I was at preached last weekend in San Diego. I was preaching, loving protects God's woman and a lot of being a husband. I said a lot of times you think, man, I'm married crazy. The reason I'm in trouble is, hey college is just a secret. I'm married crazy, right? Like I didn't know that what I was getting into. And I said, you know, the only problem with thinking that way is the only one that could ever truly say that is Jesus. 'Cause we're the bridegroom, right? We're the bride, he's the bridegroom. Jesus stood at the altar and he married crazy. 'Cause he married us. That's funny right there. And still look, and still stands and says, I love you. Still stands and says, I'm in covenant with you. Still stands and says, let's build something together. A few words to the enemy in faithful work for the Lord is how we finish well. So Nehemiah's response, verse nine, for all they wanted, for all they wanted, for they all wanted to frighten us, thinking their hands will drop from the work and it will not be done. It's a spirit of fear. But now, oh God, strengthen my hands. To tell you what the enemy wants to do in this room, what he wants to do in this season,

he wants to make you afraid. The enemy wants to make you afraid of being a failure. The enemy's saying, listen, if you try again, you're just gonna fail. The enemy wants to make you afraid of what it might cost you. The enemy wants to make you afraid of what it might mean to be somebody that's sold out to the work of the kingdom. The enemy wants to make you afraid of standing on truth. The enemy wants to make you afraid of the transformation. That will come if you get serious. The enemy wants to make you afraid of God's work in you, God's work through you. And what God wants to do is actually give you the power to be a part. I love what he says. You should go back to the end of that verse. But now, oh God, strengthen my hands. Let me tell you what I sense the spirit of God wants to do in this room today. He wants to give us strength, the reapplier grip. To put your hand back to the work of God again. To cooperate with God's work in you again. To cooperate with God's work through you again. To cooperate with God's work in this church again. To cooperate with God's work in the city again. To cooperate with God's work through your workplace again. To cooperate with God's work in your family again. You say, but call my hands are tired.

I understand. I get weary in the fire in the fray too. But I know a God who is the source of strength. Is anybody willing to let out a cry? God's strengthening my hands again. God, give me strengthening these fingers again to lay ahold of the work of God. To believe again for the work of the kingdom of God. To confess your weariness and to come to the one that can give you strength. Here's the principle, keep praying for strength to keep going. Keep praying for strength to keep going. Keep praying for strength to keep going. One more season, one more step. One more moment. Now I want to at least give us this last section here. This is all right, you can go ahead and come. Now when I went into the house of Shamayah, the son of Delilah, the son of that guy, who was confined to his home, he said, let us meet together in the house of God within the temple, new strategy, new person. (congregation laughing) Let us close the doors of the temple for they are coming to kill you. They are coming to kill you by night. And I said, should a man, such a man as I run away, and what man such as I should go into the temple and live, I will not go in. And I understood and saw that God had not sent him,

but that he had pronounced the prophecy against me because it's to buy and sabbat, had hired him for this purpose. He was hired that I should be afraid and act in this way and sin, and so they could give me a bad name in order to taunt me. Remember to buy and sabbat, oh my God, according to these things that they did and the prophetess, Noah died and the rest of the prophets who wanted to make me afraid. I tell you what's going on in this moment right here. I bet you're in a secret in this moment right here. Now it's not some outsider, again, it's an insider. This guy's a priest, most likely was someone that could have even been a personal friend to Nehemiah. I ask for a second, imagine this. And Nehemiah does go to where he is 'cause he's hiding out. Most likely, Shemaiah at some point have been threatened because he had cooperated with work that was going on, and he's catered. Now he's in the pocket of San Bilett to buy and guess him. So now Nehemiah's used to be friend is this new enemy and comes to him and says, "Hey man, you know what? "Let's do something. "They're trying to kill you. "They're trying to kill me. "Let's go hide in the temple." Only problem with that, Nehemiah's not allowed in the temple.

There's rules around how you walk into the temple. Let me tell you what they knew. If we can get Nehemiah to go in, he'll break the law and we can stone him. We can kill him. The only thing that saved Nehemiah's life in this moment is he knew the word. Come on, he knew the word. And so when someone that could have been considered even a trusted friend came with something that was contrary to the word, he goes, "You're not from the Lord." God hasn't sent you 'cause God doesn't contradict his word. So if you're telling me something that's contrary to this, I'm going with this every time. I don't care who you are, prophet, priest, prophetess. If it's contrary to this, it's not my father. That's the hiss of the enemy. That's not the voice of the father. (gentle music) - Some of us are believing lies and even being lured away by things that are just contrary to God's word. Here's the truth, when you know the word, you'll have wisdom in the war. When you know this, guys, this ain't just merely Bible reading plan, okay? Y'all hear me? This is wartime strategy. I mean, there's no way, it's a lamp unto my feet.

It's a lot unto my path. There's no way to walk through this dark world, demonic forces around us. There's no way to win. There's no way to keep going in the kingdom work if you don't have this sword. You know, I have the Spirit of God showing you through the Word of God. - My kids listen to artists, Josiah, Queen, and it's cool music, ain't my jam, but it's cool, right? But one day I was listening to it with Abel and this quote was in it and I was like, shut your mouth, that's good right there. He said, we got dust on our Bibles and brand new iPhones and we wonder why we feel this way. The end made a really good point we were praying this morning. He said, you know, we got lost and found for Bibles. He said, we never have to worry about having to lost and found for iPhones. (gentle music) Yet there's only way forward. And some of us have come down. [coughs] And if you've never learned how to stand on it, we'd love to be a part of that. Love to. I want to do this, let's stand together. Our prayer leader's gonna come, wanna honor your time, make sure we make enough time

for people to come out, come in from the next service. But no, it's not the time to leave. The war gets real heavy in here. I'm gonna let you all in on a secret. The war gets real heavy in here because what the enemy wants to do is pluck this seed up. And I just stand against that in the authority of Jesus cross right now. So I want you to turn your face heavenward for a second. Would you turn your face heavenward? Maybe you wanna ask, maybe you wanna open your hands for sure open your hearts. Say, God, would you put me back on the wall again? Would you put me back on the work again? Maybe there's ways the enemy's deceived you and you need him to show you that. Hey, we're nobody else looking around here this morning. Nobody else looking around here. If your follow across, start doing business with God right there where you're at. If you're here today and you go call, I've never been established in Christ. I've never been sat on the cornerstone, which is Jesus. I've never been born again. I don't have God's life in me. I've never been saved by Jesus, but I sense God's work and activity in my life. This morning, I sense him here today. Nobody else looking around. But if you're here today and you need Jesus

to save you to make you a part of your forever family, I want you to do something real quick. I want you to lift your hand high and look at me. Say, "Call that to me. "I need Jesus to save me this morning." If you need that, it's okay. If you need Jesus to say, "I got you, got you." It's just for those who responded to the gospel. I find you Jesus to save me. Come on. Hey, for those of us in the room, that was you. Here's the simplicity of the gospel. Jesus right here, right now. Would you say this to him? Jesus, "I need you to make me alive. "I need you to do the work only you can do in me. "Save me. "I want to follow you." And best day right there. Some of you in the room, listen, if you just did that, I want you to keep looking at me. If you just gave your life to Jesus, this is it today. Look at me. Today, if you just gave your life to Jesus, when you walk out of this room, you got to be courageous now to cooperate. Go by the next step center, walk up to somebody and simply say, "I need a box." You do that. You do that.

And we're going to help you take next steps, okay? But you got to do that, people. I'm going to pray for us if you're here and you need God to do a fresh work and you need some encouragement. We'd love to pray with you, Father. Thank you for your presence here today. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Minister to your people, I pray in Jesus' name. Amen. One song, one moment here, if you need me, pray for it. Give us a chance to do that. ♪ I'm calling on the God of Jacob ♪ ♪ Whose love and joys through generations ♪ ♪ I know that you will keep your covenant ♪ ♪ I'm calling on the God of Moses ♪ ♪ The one who opened up the ocean ♪ ♪ I need you now to do the same thing for me ♪ ♪ Oh, we need you, Lord ♪ ♪ Oh, God, my God, I need you ♪ ♪ Oh, God, my God, I need you now ♪ ♪ How I need you now ♪ ♪ Oh, rock or rock or pages ♪ ♪ I'm standing on your faithfulness ♪ ♪ On your faithfulness ♪ ♪ Amen ♪ ♪ I'm calling on the God of Mary ♪ ♪ Whose favor rests upon the lonely ♪ ♪ I know with you all things are possible ♪ ♪ I'm calling on the God of David ♪

♪ Who made a shepherd boy courageous ♪ ♪ I may not face good life ♪ ♪ Oh, God, my God, I need you ♪ ♪ Oh, God, my God, I need you now ♪ ♪ How I need you now ♪ ♪ Oh, rock, rock, rock, the pages ♪ ♪ I'm standing on your faithfulness ♪ ♪ On your faithfulness ♪ ♪ I'm standing on your faithfulness ♪ ♪ You heard your children in ♪ ♪ You hear your children now ♪ ♪ You are the same God ♪ You are the same God. You answered prayers back then and you will answer now. You are the same God. You are the same God. You were providing that you are providing now. You are the same God. You are the same God. You moved in power then. God moved in power now. You are the same God. You are the same God. You were a healer then. You are a healer now. You are the same God. You are the same God. You are a Savior then. You are a Savior now. You are the same God. You are the same God. Oh God my God I need you. Oh God my God I need you now. How I need you now. O Rock, O Rock of Ages, I'm standing on your faithfulness on your faithfulness. Family of faith would you extend your hands and receive this blessing. Cross case family, I bless you today in knowing that wherever God has purposely placed us where to work diligently and to Him. Opposition will come but stand firm. Satan would like nothing more than destroy you, your family and the ministry of this church. I bless you today with discernment to see what the Lord and what the enemy is doing to focus on the things of God and not be distracted. Corinthians 15 and 58 therefore my dear brothers be steadfast and movable always abounding in the Lord's work because you know that your labor is not in vain. I bless you in knowing that who who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. May the Lord bless you as we work arm in arm. In Jesus name amen. [MUSIC PLAYING] (dramatic music)