Don't Give Up - III

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God, to find out how to know God personally go to know God.org KNOW know God.org he would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear if you were serving the Lord, whatever that might be you are doing great work for God. You may not be in the limelight work may not get much notice at all. Pastor Greg Laurie remember your serving. Serve him well. It's all about fullness what God is called you to do. That's why everything counts every lap counts every moment Johnson doing all the glory on far fewer famous master grabbed him and who made you wish.

Antonio struck a very violent live was never heard. Today is a new beginning. Greg Laurie points out whether we play an instrument, or just listen to we could all be in the hand of God and willing to serve God with a passion. We are in the book of Nehemiah.

Let's turn to Nehemiah doctors said Nehemiah chapter 6 the title of my messages don't give. Don't give up before we dig in.

Why don't we prayed together now.

Father, I know that there are people here today.

People that are listening that maybe are discouraged their downhearted their overwhelmed Lord I pray that they'll be encouraged today and that they will realize that they can finish what you call them to begin because you are the author and the finisher of our faith.

So rescue your blessing though as we open your word and look at the book of Nehemiah. We believe all Scripture is given from you. It's breeze from heaven it's inspired by God will speak to us through your inspired word, we would ask now in Jesus name, amen. Over looking at the book of Nehemiah in this series were calling the rebuild life. I was looking at how the people of Israel return from their captivity in Babylon and built up the walls of Jerusalem. There were lying in shard rubble and it's been done in 50 today. How did he do it. Simple answer. He kept his eye on the ball. That brings me to my first point before we read point number one of your taking notes don't get sidetracked.

Stay focused again, don't get sidetracked.

Stay focused.

Nehemiah 6 verse one sunblock to buy a guess of the Arab and the rest of the enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and remain though we had not yet set up the doors and the gates of sun blotting guestrooms send a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono, but I realize they were plotting the harmony stop there.

So the jobs almost, not quite the doors of not yet been point number two Satan hits hardest at the beginning and the end. Let me say that again Satan hits us hardest. At the beginning and the yen, so there was great opposition when they started to build the wall another's great opposition when the wall is finished and they're getting ready to hang the doors and it's true in our life off of the double get this part is at the beginning and end when you first come to Christ all you became a Christian he wants to pull you back down. Remember the parable of the sower. Jesus talked about the sower that through the seed out.

I went on the road side, the birds ate it done quickly so like when you go to McDonald's and then offered or wherever, in the birds are just waiting. Waiting. Waiting. And sometimes a way for the food to get the ground. Sometimes they'll take it if you look away. This happens I get very aggressive. These little birds and that's the idea that it Jesus said these are they that hear the word of God but Satan comes immediately to snatch away what was in their heart. You remember what it was like when he first became a Christian. Some of you are new Christians in your free canal is the thing you want to get tempted all the time wise is all this crazy stuff coming at me while my old friends calling me up wanting the party why why why is this other thing happening what's going on. The devil trying to pull you down because you just started the most amazing journey you'll ever be on online following Christ then fast forward now becoming maybe toward the end of your journey.

Maybe getting a bit older and the devil says I want to get you now because I get you now I can discredit you for all those years you did good for God's glory so you don't want that to happen.

You hit you at the beginning and the end he's persistently good. Verse four. Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply. I am engaged in a great work so I can't come.

Why should I stop working to come and meet with you. Point number three you're taking notes. Take care of your character and God will take care of your reputation.

Take care of your character. Your personal integrity and God will take care of your reputation now sunblock challenges the personal motives of Nehemiah verse five, the fifth time some blood servant came with an open letter in his hand and this is what it said there's a rumor among the surrounding nations and Justin tells me it's true that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that's why you're building the wall.

According to the reports you plan to be their king. He also reports you've appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you look there is a king in Judah. You can be very sure this report will get back to the king, will I suggest you come and talk it over with me when there to testing another trick in the version to get Nehemiah off the wall so they could attack in this time it's slander and here's the interesting thing. Don't miss this they were accusing Nehemiah of the very thing they were guilty of Nehemiah wasn't trying to be the king. He was serving the king to the point Nehemiah had been underwritten in this project by the king. He was a close friend and confidant of the King and the King even said a bodyguard to protect them. So he was good with the king with their sin. Ono you want to be the king. This is all about you. You're on some kind of an ego trip. They were in effect projecting their sin on Nehemiah.

This is exactly what Jesus was talking about when he spoke of the suspect and the beam in the sermon on the Mount in Matthew seven he says. Why do you look at the speck in your brother's but not consider the beam of the plank in your own eyes how can you say to your brother older, we remove the speck from your eye and look there's a plank in your own let me update that how can you get this sawdust out of your brother's eye.

When you have a telephone pole in your that's what Jesus is saying all this is really interesting because the word that he uses for spec and for being more for plank are of the same substance, meaning that Jesus is saying the reason some people are so adapted finding fault in others is because there are so familiar with that themselves. The very thing they were accusing Nehemiah of doing. They were personally guilty of Esther, Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here. I wanted tell you about a great way to hear God's word and worship with fellow believers, not only around the nation. But around the world. It's called Harvest at Home. Billions are turning in from all over the planet and tens of thousands of make decisions for Jesus Christ. When I joined, and she just go to our website harvest.more.

We have our weekend services there. Of course, but we also have great industry. There every single day. Sometimes it's visiting the message from a harvest Crusade another time. It's a Q&A session were doing. Maybe it's something my wife is doing for the ladies, and we even feature Christian films researchers lost boy's life story McQueen American icon and hope are hurting hearts with Jeremy can Nick voyage all that and a lot more harvest.org human resource for family enrichment and spiritual growth. So join us for Harvest at Home each week, harvest.org Pastor Greg is presenting a message from Nehemiah 6 today called don't give up. And if you like a permanent copy of the full presentation go online to harvest.org number four when you come under attack.

You need to pray when you come under attack. You need to pray look at Nehemiah's response, verse six, I sent them this reply. Nothing like what you're saying is happening here just making it up out of your head.

I love that is new living translation is a good one. Here's a update. This is fake news guys, you're making it up and you know it I'm not going to dignified even for a moment, I'll just say it's not true. You made it up but I will work to do. That's why I said if you take care of your character, God will take care of your reputation.

So we prayed and he says in verse nine, the Lord strengthen my hands know the story takes an interesting twist and a creepy character enters our narrative. He appears to be more spiritual, but he's just as wicked as the others.

His name is Sean Maia and he actually was a pretty because he was a priest. He invited Nehemiah to come visit him in the MI out of respect did pay him a visit and it's in verse 10. Later I came to visit Sean Maia, son of the Leah and grandson of Beth about three was confined to his home and he said let's meet together in the temple of God and pull the door shut your enemies are coming to kill you tonight was a very clever strategy is this guy is supposedly a man of God, and even a prophet, and he's telling Nehemiah they come to the temple will bolt the doors there's are people that are out to kill you there assassin out hunting for you right now but come here in the temple and you'll be safe when in reality the real shop was if Nehemiah went they would have killed him right there in the temple yeah sure Maia was a prophet. All right, a false prophet and Nehemiah was not only hard-working. He also was very discerning and he understood what this guy was up to.

First of all, he knew he shouldn't go into the temple.

Another way to translated this holy of holies interchangeable word here.

So basically surmising coming to the holy of holies Nehemiah is like a man on the priest, I don't belong in the holy of holies. That's what the Bible says so whatever you're selling here. I'm not buying it because you're not properly representing God so he would not do it. I love his response verse 11. Should someone of my position run from danger. Should someone of my position. Enter the temple to save his life.

No, I won't do it loose paraphrase.

You want me to cut and run, forget about it jump in the lake. I'm not doing it bring me to my last point point number five. We need to finish the work God has called us to do. We need to finish the work God has called us to do verse three, so I sent messengers to them saying I'm doing a great work and I cannot come down, so why should the work cease will leave it go down to you. I'm not coming down from the wall.

God's call me to build this wall.

I'm staying on this while I'm not going down.oh no, I'm not going to the temple. I'm not going anywhere because I'm doing a great work for God.

Listen to this. If you are serving the Lord, whatever that might be you are doing a great work God. The people that help you find a parking spot today at church are doing a great work for God's truth.

The answers that help you find his seat to sit in today. They're doing a great work for God.

The people that stand on this platform and lead us in worship there doing a great work for God. The Sunday school teachers that lovingly and patiently minister to your children while you're down here are doing a great work for God. These people are trying to work properly for paid to do this is is in the job. This is there ministry there doing this is under the Lord serving you there doing a great work for God. The security team that watches over us here to keep us safe. There doing a great work for God. Every one of the folks that are in the back except Christ in the share with them what it means to be a Christian. There doing a great work for God. It's all a great work.

I sent on this stage I'm doing a great word for God. Don't let me say something about that. I'm not doing a greater work for God than someone else. I'm doing my great work for God so you going to do your great work for God is not about better words greater lesser it's all about faithfulness, faithfulness, faithfulness to what God is called you to do all be judged according to what the Lord called me to do.

You be judge for the same. So here's my word of encouragement to you today on your place in this church so you can start doing your great work for God.

There's a place for you to serve MIP know you're clapping you better go sign up for something. So I mentioned a few things. Maybe one of those things is near. You can help him. We have so many things we do here in this church each and every day for you to serve for you to get involved so we can all do our great work for God. But here's the thing you don't know and I don't know we don't know how long the race is going to go so I just take each day I treated as though it were my last day is able great that's good for you. You know you're getting a little older now, so you should be thinking about that yeah okay that I'm young and I've got my whole life in front of me and this doesn't apply to me really, it doesn't. What is your life good and well long time. For now, how do you know that you don't you see, you know where you are in the race. You may think you're at the beginning, when in reality you may be toward the end.

You may think that you're toward the middle and actually you're more toward the beginning you a lot longer to go.

That's why every day counts. Every lap counts every moment counts do it all for the glory of God making speaking you know my son, Christopher, age 33 went to be with the Lord almost 10 years ago now where he's buried. We have a plaque and it says his name Christopher David Lori son, brother, husband, father, and then it says that the second Timothy two fought the good fight, I kept the faith. I finish the course.

Who would've ever known that his course would end so soon, but it did and now there's that reward for him in heaven and it waits for all of us as we faithfully finish it. Make sure you're ready for that day. Let me say one last thing about the story will close today and that is that Nehemiah was asked to come down from the wall in the wooden do it but actually God came down from heaven for us 2000 years ago you could look down from evidence that you know are the earth. This is your problem you sorted out. But God came down from heaven, and that the age of 33. He laid his life down and willingly died on the cross, when he was hanging on the cross he said come down from the cross. If you're really the son of God proven fact is, if he came down from that cross.

He could never save them. So the reason he stayed on the cross was so he could die for their sins.

Let me personalize it so he could die for your sins and guess what a lot of sin a lot more than you may even realize and so to why we all do, but Christ died for those sin. He paid the price for those sins and then he rose again from the dead and now he's alive and he's ready to come in any life, any heart he stands at the Dorney Knox and he says if you hear his voice and open the door will come in. Would you like Jesus to come in your life today.

Would you like to know that you go to heaven when you die, you can know this for sure.hope and not think it know it, you'll come and live inside of you, but you must say Lord I open that door, you know, I talked about keeping doors shut door to your mind dirty her mouth. Here's a dory need to open up why the door of your life of your heart say Jesus I want you here.

I want you to be my Lord, I want you to be my God, I want you to be my Savior. I want you to be my friend. I want you to be my counselor. I want you to do the work of my life that you want to do. I invite you with it. If you will ask him to come and he will and he will change your life today for time and eternity. So were going to close in prayer and I'm in a give you an opportunity to ask Christ to come into your life. If you haven't done this yet. Please do this now. You will not regret it. That's all our heads everybody praying father think you for loving us so much that you sent Jesus to this earth to be born in a manger to Diana cross to pay for our sins and the rise again from the dead know Lord Jesus we pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince every person here every person wherever they are, of their need for you and help them to come to you and believe in Jesus name I pray, amen. Pastor Greg Laurie pointing out the need to come to the Lord to find forgiveness for our sins and the hope of heaven, and if you'd like to follow through and make a change in your relationship with God today. Pastor Greg will help you do that in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes now for a permanent copy of today's full presentation, contact us and mentioned the title of the message. It's don't give up. We can help you with your order shall call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 or just go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg nobody saw Kovic 19 coming you know you you go back some months ago and it just wasn't on anyone's radar just about everybody had jobs in the economy was really great.

People were watching sports on TV and playing sports done at the Parkin and then it just seems like life unraveled just a matter of days.

What is it tell us about swimming tomorrow is always going to be as good as it is today.

Yeah. While none of us know none of us are even guaranteed a tomorrow but I'll tell you so many things of change will tell you one thing be the dumbest thing I ever purchased was a 2020 planner is of much value right now will you talk about a blank schedule and I'm very busy actually but a lot of my busyness sometimes is travel and things like that. I'm not doing any of those things but I'm doing a lot at home but never did I imagine in my wildest dreams that I would go to a bank teller with a mask on asking for money to get out so the other day I went with my wife and we I want to get a little malt. This place has a thing called a DJ can know that sounds weird but it's a little shake made with dates and you put a little nutmeg on top. It's quite nice that I had this the scarf on that I'm wearing right now is a matter of fact. And so I pulled above my face you know when I'm out interacting with people so put it on the what did in the first thing I said was this is not a holdup. I just want to date shake right so that's what crazy times were living in, but the good news is I haven't been late for anything for three weeks so but anyway yeah you know we never are promised a tomorrow. But here's the good news. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever.

He's been sufficient for us in our past still be sufficient for us in each day and always will be there for us and our future and I think we need to remember that God is in control of our lives if we put our faith in Jesus Christ. As I've often said the word lupus is not in God's vocabulary. So we don't need to panic.

We need to pray, we don't need to worry, we need to worship. We need a biblical perspective and I've written a brand-new book called bringing Christ into your crisis and it deals with topics like how to handle your fear, how to deal with your anxiety. How do us the Lord to help you how to trust in the Lord in these difficult times were all phasing together and a whole lot more. I want to send you this book for get ready for it could really use echo. I want to send you this book for 333 yes that's right no charge. You can have it is my gift to you. But if you would be able to support us right now. Financially, I'd really appreciate that because there are incredible doors open for us to reach more people than we have ever reached before you know that this radio program is of some value.

I hope to you or members of your family and would you like to see other people curate where they're living well when you invest in our ministry. You help us to look at new opportunities to bring the gospel to the world you know Jesus said to the church of Philadelphia which I believe is a really the church of the last days. Jesus said to her, and I believe us, in effect, I've said before you an open door, and no man can shut it. We want to walk through this open door of opportunity and if you will pray with us if you will support us.

We can do a lot more than we can do without it. So, prayerfully consider what you can do to help us as we reach out to our nation, and indeed our world these days of the coronavirus and I would love to rush you a copy of my brand-new book bringing Christ into your crisis. Yeah, that's right.

And listen, if you consider investing on a regular basis. Ask about becoming a harvest partner, we can pass along all the details and again Pastor Greg new book is titled bringing Christ into your crisis. You can write us at a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org pastor Greg getting back to the way you closed your message. No doubt their people listening who know that they do need to make the relationship right with God. They know they have sin in their life and they know that they need the forgiveness that Jesus offers. Yeah. How can they take advantage of this offer of forgiveness will you have just identified the first step you need to know that you need that she knows a lot of people don't realize what they neither like a drowning person who would think that he could save himself. You need to call out to God for help. In fact, the Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord. He will be safe and I would like to give you an opportunity to call out to the Lord right now and find the salvation that he offers. It's as simple as prayer. I'm in lead you in a prayer at this very moment.

And if you would like to come to Christ if you would like him to forgive you of your sin and fill the void in your life and give you the hope that when you die you will go to heaven. Pray this prayer with me right now. God, I admit to you today that I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now.

I think you for sending Jesus Christ your son to die on the cross and the shed his blood for me.Jesus come into my heart and life be my Savior, my Lord, my God, my friend fill me with your spirit and help me to love your word and to do what you tell me to do. I want to be your disciple. Thank you for forgiving me in Jesus name I pray, amen man listen. If you have just prayed that prayer and you've meant it from your heart. God has forgiven you of your sin and we want to welcome you and the family of God, and we have something we like to send your way. That'll help you get started as a Christian we call that are new believers growth packet would be glad to send it to you if you made a first time commitment to the Lord today. Just ask for the new believers] as you write a new beginning. Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or you can call us at 1-800-821-3300. Again, 1-800-821-3300 or go to harvest.org and click the words know God when next time as pastor.

Greg continues are serious and challenging book of Nehemiah will check up on ourselves and see if it's time for personal spiritual revival important insights next time beginning and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email, devotions@harvest.org