This Is Not a Drill - III

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by some special friends of this ministry pastor Greg wanted to see a special word of thanks to the harvest partners who make this ministry possible next time your online check out Pastor Greg's personal blog@blog.greglaurie.com young people come to Christ with great excitement. Then they drifted away the excitement and commitment Wayne Pastor Greg, Maureen, it's great to have a great start with your greatest start horrible finish. Doesn't matter if you felt the first place position for 9/10 labs if you don't finish the race.

You don't rise in the same is true of the Christian life is not going back to the make the commitment on a Monday and they're all in Tuesday. There they are, Wednesday, Thursday, a little late Friday and by the following Wednesday they want their money.

Some people come to Christ is all they have a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie pointed out, it's not how you start, how you finish is our final study of Nehemiah finish well for a moment what it would be like saving your big vacation to Hawaii your plane lands the warm balmy breezes of the islands rollover you would you check into your hotel in the next morning you get up bright and early and going out for a cup of coffee and suddenly you get a buzz on your smart phone and you read this message that's on the screen emergency alert ballistic missile threat down to Hawaii seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill. Of course this happened as you all know to all residents of Hawaii and the visitors as well and for 37 minutes. People waited. I read some articles about it. Some people running through the streets screaming. Some parents were putting their children into little storm drains because there is no emergency shelter, and a wife.

There are no places for people to go if a nuclear weapon were detonated. That is not the kind of news you want to wake up to in the morning. Thankfully it was a false alarm.

Well were back in the book of Nehemiah for a final message and I Nehemiah at this stage. Historically has gone back to Babylon.

Remember that Troy was originally serving as the king's cupbearer when he heard the news that the walls of Jerusalem were lying in burn chart out rubble. So Nehemiah made the journey to Jerusalem funded by the king, even within our best gardening brawling.

The people and did the impossible.

They rebuild the walls of the city, they prayed they dedicated themselves of the Lord.

They confess their sins and a great revival broke out, but now is given a message that things are going well back in Jerusalem and he needed to return reminding us that just because you have a good beginning. It does not guarantee you will have a good finish what the foundation was laid in Jerusalem the walls rebuilt the temple was there but they were not keeping it there were not doing well at all started well but they were not fishing well listen. It's great to have a great start and a great finish but you can even have mediocre start or even a bad start and have a great finish. But here's what's not good the greatest of starts in a horrible finish.

If you're running in a race and you don't finish the race. It doesn't matter if you've held the first place position for 9/10 labs if you don't finish the race.

You don't win the prize and the same is true of the Christian life.

So let's backtrack a little bit then will come to get to the conclusion but let's pick up chronologically where we left off last time you remember Nehemiah returns. They rebuild the walls address brought out of mothballs. He led the first wave of Jews returning to Babylon. He helped to rebuild the temple. He had been largely inactive to bring about again. He read Scripture to the people for three hours.

Then they confess their sins to God for three hours and there's this great revival that breaks out and know the people make a series of very significant commitments to the Lord and that's where we picked up were in Nehemiah 10 then the rest of the people, the Pres, the Levites, the gatekeepers, singers and temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the pagan people of the land in order to obey the law of God, together with their wives, sons and daughters that all who are old enough to understand. They swore an oath, they bound themselves with an old and they swore occurs in themselves. If they failed to obey the law of God is issued by his servant Moses, they solemnly promised to carefully follow all the commands, regulations and decrees of the Lord our God. There so back to me in my his return to Babylon. Mission accomplished some so glad I obeyed the Lord the walls of Jerusalem Marie Billiton everything is wonderful. There was a revival in some of those amen things are going well back in Jerusalem. First of all the people are giving the fact that so bad that the Levites of gone home.

The priest there there not been supported and other people are intermarrying all these weird pagan people and their worshiping their false gods like their kids don't even know the language of visual the learning these other languages and everything is falling apart in their sin. There and so you gotta go back and do some as Yogi Berra said it was like d�j� vu all over again. So Nehemiah's is all right a return so he goes back and he finds a situation just as they describe, maybe even a little bit worse and basically the temple wasn't functioning any longer. Imagine for a moment what the world would look like if the church were gone. Think about how our city would be if there was no harvest that there was no any other church or you know we been here well over 40 years helping people ministering to people and even the people don't come to church as often as they like the no churches there right they know there's a service Sunday they know there's midweek studies. They know there's help.

They know if they're having a problem in their marriage they can go on in a pastor will meet with them and help them and by the way, we have helped literally thousands of people with their marriages over the years we been here we've seen them saved by God's grace. It's true that we don't charge for it.

Some churches do you have to pay to get County. We don't charge when you give here that goes toward providing this service for people. A lot of times are leading people to Christ. That's the first thing they need get resolved to have a better marriage. I talked a guy after first service and he was in gangs and was having a lot of trouble with his wife and he came in he says it save my marriage. Pastor. So you see that's just one of many many stories so you don't think about what the world would look like if the church were not here. You know when it's time to get married were here to offer free premarital counseling which we offered you so you can have a strong marriage because it's not just about the wedding. It's about marriage and we wanted to last.

If your problems were there for you as well. If you are problems with your teenagers or any age. You know, we have youth ministry here. You know that a youth pastor will take the time to minister to them and help them. You know that when a loved one dies, you can come to the church and will be here to comfort you and encourage you and help you with the service. One of the church was gone. Think about what the world would look like thank God for the church. Thank God for this church in the light we been able to be in this community for God you that are a part of this church volunteering your time serving here so faithfully giving of your finances God bless you, thank you. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. While these folks the Israelites there just like us were just like them. They went back on their promises and disorders show how bad it is gotten. They look to buy back in member to buy learned about him earlier in Nehemiah Tobias sunblock. This guy was a total creep. Okay member that Tobiah long was some a lot tried to stop the rebuilding of the wall 12 years earlier. First, it was a potential military attack against Israel. Then he got involved in a plot to take Nehemiah out personally, those efforts failed. He did everything he could to discredit Nehemiah and slander. Jim Tobiah was trouble with a capital T so Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and what is he finds he finds a given him a guesthouse to the buyer in the temple Tobias in the temple guys crazy what you doing here at the Fox was in the henhouse. Nehemiah was seriously and righteously angry, and he took immediate action. Go over that me and my 13 were safe. I became very upset and through all of Tobiah's belongings out of the room and then I demanded all the rooms we purified and I brought back the articles for God's temple. The grain offerings in the frankincense love that out with the old and with the new when something is dirty. You need to clean it and minimizes to mitigate the place it still smells like to buy Pastor Greg will have the second half of in just a moment were so grateful to hear of changed lives through a new beginning in whatever you send us a letter, email or post a comment on social media. We read every word Greg, I married a Christian man that was not being a Christian why God wanted me to meet is unkind and selfish in the fall of 2012 got got a hold of me and I realized what kind of life I become asked for forgiveness happily ever after.

Right now it's a match. Soon after, has been decided he didn't have many more, and my life and marriage went into a downward spiral.

Having heard your program. Many times I remember sitting there wondering if you had a message on marriage problems. She was the same week you are doing a message on marriage, divorce and adultery. Chandan it was like God used you to talk directly to me.

I listened and we listen to this message just help me get through.

I prayed and asked God to take control that Saturday night my husband came home and said he wanted to work on our marriage ticket. Nonsense and counseling for my pastor and his wife saved our marriage pastor Greg. I think the Lord for your message right when I needed at when I was losing hope. Happy ending.

Now we have two amazing little boys are so much in love with each other. Thank you for letting me share what an encouraging story of God working in this woman's marriage, and for you have a story to tell pastor Greg would love to hear from you. Just email him at greg@harvest.org again, that's great that harvest.org will pastor Greg is presenting a message today called this is not a drill. We just learned how to Nehemiah essentially cleaned house, including evicting a certain man named Tobiah Tobiah was trouble with a capital T give a talk by it in your life you know someone that just always get you going the wrong direction might be a guy are growing in a romantic relationship of sorts, or someone else and just bring you down. You get a separate from this and this reminds us of when Jesus went into the temple and cleansed that memory overturned the tables by the way, did you know he did that twice is an amazing so first he goes into the temple and the outer court of the Gentiles the set up all these tables with these jacked up prices ripping people off so people come in they bring the little lamb for the offering and one of the guys at the tables with Dale that's that's never going to pass muster. You can offer that lamb but will so you this other lamina higher price and this is horrible instead of praying for the people they were praying on the people.

So Jesus came in literally turn the tables over drove about even use the whip, which I love. You know, Raiders of the lost Ark banter that you know but then a little bit of time passes and someone sets up the first table, then the second then the third. Next thing you know it's happening again in the us to drive about a second time you going to stay on top of things because it's very easy to take one step forward and two steps back. This might be a good time for me to admit a serious addiction. I've struggled with for a great part of my life I've never shared this before publicly, but on his shirt. Now my addiction. I bite my fingernails. It's the worst habit effort is anybody else by their fingernails. Hold up your pathetic little hand it's it's so bad. Usually when I'm under stress. And when you bite your fingernails. You're very limited. Like if you drop a dime on the floor.

Forget about you can get it.

No nails here you little knobs are to be like this. I'll take a piece of paper cited in the dime you you learn little trick, we'll go to scratch us of just a good move.

You no nails and leave the mailman nails are good so I have victory.

Right now my meals have grown out for now, I'm not making any promises. There's always tomorrow I get under a little stress to her. You know, that's life.

Isn't it fun and well my life everything together all my ducks in a row will get a good and there's tomorrow might be a little problem in a little problem turn into a bigger problem than one thing will lead to another. That's what happened here but God gave them a chance to repent and they did is in the great that God gives second chances to give you a second chance today of coronas who come to the end of this message back to that ominous warning about ballistic missiles headed to Hawaii looking to begin to imagine you get your phone ballistic missile threat in down the Hawaii seek immediate shelter.

This is not a drill I read some articles about what was happening.

Artie told you before, panicking, freaking out, but not everybody that we have a friend her name is Shelley. She has a second home over in Hawaii on the North Shore of Oahu and so she texted my wife Kathy. After they gave the all clear over the 37 minutes later she said I had a neighbor come over to my house. Panicking, saying, what do we do Shelley said the first thing we do is we pray. Then she prayed with her neighbor and then she said now we need to make sure that we know what were going when we leave this earth. Everybody needs a neighbor like this, you need to be a neighbor like this, you know silicate is that amen I'm freaking out enough time to deal with your drama know she took time for her to help her just like Nehemiah left the comfort of the palace in Babylon to go help his people and we need to do that seem to be that neighbor let me be that neighbor for you right now.

One day a real threat will come your way in life to be a nuclear threat.

More likely it will be a personal one. That unexpected heart attack car accident. One thing is certain.

No one gets out of here alive and that is where faith and reason commit.

Sometimes people say Christians are idiots or fools really okay so when the missiles common who you going to go to know who's going to help you.

Your computer is not going to help you your new iPhone is going to help you. Your favorite band isn't going to help you.

Even your friends can help you what you need God. I think you know you need God.

And that's why you want to make sure you're right with God you thought before. If I was there and I knew I had X amount of minutes for some like this would happen. I would want to share the gospel and I thought can I share the gospel in under three minutes, what if you're on a plane and all the engines right you're going down could you share the gospel and three minutes is able great. Can you take a stab at it.

Okay, here's what I would see the people if I had this much time. That's a first of all want to tell you that God loves you and you're separated from God by your sin. But here's the good news.

God sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you.

2000 years ago. If you turn from your sin and believe in Jesus. He will forgive you of all of it right now and you can go to heaven.

Would you like to pray with me. Pray this prayer that I would leave them in a prayer let's cut to the chase, no opening illustration. No jokes, just straight gospel infusion. You can do that you give me that neighbor for someone else. Let me ask you what, if you got that message. As you left church today and I wasn't a mistake. It wasn't a drill. It was real.

Do you know where you're going, earn about inscription on a tombstone.

These words are written on it.

Pause now stranger as you pass by as you are now so once was. I is I am now so you will be so prepare for death and follow me some in reading that tombstone was overheard to say to follow you is not my intent until I know which way you went so it's way will you go. You have two options when you die and you will list the Lord comes before that and he could but if you die when you die you will either go straight to heaven. Are you will go ultimately to help.

I don't see that with any pleasure. I just say that because it's gospel truth, and the last thing God wants is for you to go to hell. That's why he sent Jesus to desert his one and only beloved son and poured his judgment upon his son, you know, we deserve the judgment.

We rebelled against God. We defy God we broken the laws of God and yet God took his only son to put that judgment on Jesus.

So we didn't have to face it meant that's love and forgive you of anything you've ever committed you mistake God forgive me this can happen for you right now or if you're one of those people I talked about earlier that you know you kind of veered off the path you say you're a Christian, but you're doing things a Christian should not do. You can come back to Jesus. Let's get that resolved right here right now. Let's all bow our heads in prayer. Everyone praying father I pray now that you will speak to the heart of every person that's here every person that's listening and watching were ever they are. If they don't know you yet. Lord, help them to come to you now.

We pray, amen Greg Laurie important prayer for those who want to make a change in the relationship with the Lord. And if you like to do that today. Pastor Greg will help you in just a moment before today's addition of a new beginning.

Concludes before we go any further. If you'd like a CD of today's full presentation get in touch and mention the title of the study. This is not a drill. It's our final study in the book of Nehemiah order online@harvest.org or call 1-800-821-3300.

That's 1-800-821-3300 Prof. Greg. I know Chuck Swindoll is a friend of yours and that one of his quotes that I really like a lot. Is this one. He says we are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations and many people are seeing this time as a series of impossible situations when I know you're seeing the great opportunities that this time presents checks that I guess you could call it making lemons into lemonade to use a clich� but but really it is and I you know disappointment can be God's appointment and so were not saying God is sent cope with 19 but certainly God is aware of it and God allowed it, and God is using it in a way working despite it.

Another way to say it because basically it's been a national wake-up call and people are turning to the Lord like no other time I've seen in over 45 years of ministry. Let me illustrate in a four-week period with people watching our online service, harvested home we saw 31,000 professions of faith to think Greg get that number wrong. It's 3100 know folks. It's 31,000 because when I that's not just the number of people that are tuned in. That's the number of people who responded know there's around a million plus people tuned in, can these are people from all around the world. These are older people.

These are younger people. These are men. These are women. And guess what a large percentage of them are millennial's about 30% of the people responding our millennial's, and I'm wondering is this a way that will get to see the next spiritual awakening in America through screens. Here's a generation.

Certainly, the millennial's 100% generation Z that have never known anything but screens in their life they connect with each other through screens and member reading the step that said, many millennial's and Jen's the people would rather text and talk so so here's a generation that connects to the screen that we can criticize that and we can deplore that but here's the truth they're connecting through the screen and there hearing the gospel maybe in ways that they wouldn't connect as well and alive service. Please understand I'm not suggesting we not to live services on when I say live I mean in person with congregations and so forth. But what I am saying is, God is at work. So let's find this light in the midst of a dark time and give God the glory.

And I've written a book that really I think will help people get up biblical perspective on what were facing together and it's called bringing Christ into your crisis.

This is a brand-new book. It deals with how to handle your fear, how to deal with your anxiety how to put the Lord first and all things out to look for the good despite the bad that you might be facing in your home or in other areas of your life and I want to send this to you right now for free. Really, I just want to the habit. But if you can support us financially in this time would really appreciate it because the Lord is opening up doors for us here at a new beginning that we've never seen open before to reach people we've never been able to reach before this is truly a significant moment in not just American history.

But in global history. This is an opening for the gospel. Let's go to the store together so I appreciate your support for us financially. I really appreciate your prayers for us and I want to send this book as a way of saying thank you. It's called bringing Christ into your crisis. That's right.

And we have a copy waiting for you. Thank you so much for your investment in this important work of evangelism at this critical time in our nation's history. But no matter what amount you can invest right now.

Please do contact us and ask about bringing Christ into your crisis. You can write a set a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us at 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and then the just before I pass along the address again if you'd like to make a change in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to help you with that right now. Listen if you would like Jesus Christ to come in your life right now. If you would like your sin forgiven if you would like a new start in life. I like to lead you in a prayer when you would ask for God's forgiveness. Someone ask you to just stop what you're doing right now and bow your head and pray this prayer with me if you want to make a commitment or recommitment to Jesus Christ. Let's pray together, Lord Jesus, come in the my life.

I know that I'm a sinner and I think you for dying on the cross for my sin and paying the price for it and rising again from the dead.

I turn from that sin. Now I make a choice to follow you as my Savior and Lord, thank you for calling me and for giving me and receiving me and loving me in Jesus name I pray, amen man listen.

If you have just prayed with Pastor Greg and it meant those words from your heart.

First of all, welcome to the family of God and second would like to offer some help as you get started as a Christian would like to send you our new believers, growth factors, just get in touch and ask for will send it free of charge to those making a first time commitment to the Lord today. Again, you can write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 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 and around the world. It's called Harvest at Home. Millions are turning in from all over the planet and tens of thousands of make decisions for Jesus Christ when I join us.

You just go to our website harvest.org 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, we even feature Christian films researchers lost boy's life story McQueen American icon and hope are hurting hearts with Jeremy can Nick avoid 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 will next time some practical insights for all of us who are encountering the difficulties of this uncertain time. Pastor Greg offers a message called what to do when you don't know what to do join us here on a new beginning and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor great free daily email devotions and harvest.org