Wall Builders - I

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 it would you do me a favor sure this message was someone who needs to hear Roy know God is looking for people looking for a man looking for a woman is universal and say all work through all these would you be a better person you maybe Josh the person God is looking coming up today. Pastor Greg Laurie invite you to say yes to God's plan for your life God chooses to work through people. Would you be willing to stop the Lord, you can use me freshly swept sidewalk. We may be greeted by the bulletin ushered away. Dorsey. They were let in worship and were taught from God's word. A lot of people made themselves available for all that happened today on Pastor Greg Laurie wonders what you're willing to do someone else is bridging message to how we can say yes service for God were in Nehemiah the title of my messages wall builders pick up when we last left off and then will talk about chapter 3 cures the narrative, Israel continued to worship false gods and idols. Lord warn them for the prophets to stop or they were going to captivity. God was very specific about what would happen to them. But still, they ignored it. So one day the Lord allowed the people of Israel to be divided after the death of King Solomon and then a group of them were taken as captives in the Babylon, which interestingly was like idols, central gods everywhere, the Lord said you won't false gods. Here you go enjoy like putting a kid in a candy shop and after a little bit again the you feel sick to your stomach. So there they were in this land of idols, and they cried out to God to be delivered after 70 years, the Lord answered their prayer.

Nebuchadnezzar the ruler of Babylon gusset onto his grandson, Bill Salazar was conquered by the Medo Persian forces that came in Cyrus, the leader of the Medo Persian Empire.

Let the first wave of Jews returned to Jerusalem and led by the priest as read. They rebuilt the temple, but some time elapsed on the walls were still lying in rubble and ruin enter the man for the hour. Nehemiah wasn't God will do his work in his way and his timing but God chooses to work through people so the Lord was searching for the right person for the job there's always a right man or a right woman for the job in the Bible tells us in second Chronicles 69 the eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. Listen to this right now. God is looking for people to work through God's looking for a man, God's looking for a woman is looking for someone that he can say all work through all be strong on behalf of, would you be that person. Would you be willing to step forward and say Lord you can use me. I don't bring a lot to the table but I'll give you what I have. I mean trust me when I tell you I had very little to offer to the Lord when he called me to serve him. So anything that has come out of this ministry has certainly been from Jim enter Nehemiah that he has a killer job. He's the cupbearer of the King which meant he was able to eat the best food in all of the world see whatever the king ain't. He took a bite. First, whatever the king drank.

He took a sip. First a good job unless someone put poison in it, then it's over okay good while it lasted at least what he was living literally on the lab of luxury. He had a wonderful position there in close proximity to the king. He was more than just someone who tasted the king's foodie gave the king advise he was a friend of the king. Some even believe he was the second most powerful man in the world because he would have some say-so over who had access to the king, he would influence the king so this is not a job you would want to jeopardize but yet the Lord calls them and here's how it happened. Some friends came and visited from out of town and just like you do when you get together with friends. How are things how's everyone back in the old hometown and and there's a man it's bad Nehemiah places and ruin. The walls are crumbling, there's weeds growing over the walls are burned out there charge fits in embarrassment and Nehemiah was hard was deeply moved and he decided to take action, and he began to weep. Listen after his weeping came working after his despair came determination, but he care you're looking to do anything for anybody.

If you don't care about them so you need to first break for compassion. Lord help me see this person as you see them far too often we see nonbelievers as the enemy and they are not the enemy. They do things that nonbelievers do they are profane and in their selfish and their self absorbed in and they hurt us or insult us a people's nonbelievers for getting used to be one third of the enemy there under the control of the enemy. The Bible says that the God of this world. I would be the devil is blind in the eyes of those that do not believe so.

You need to care about them and remember it wasn't that long ago you used to be one of them. Nehemiah care. He cared enough to take action now he could to set up a go fund me page.

I suppose what he decided to go to the king and request the money. So basically, as I said before he went to the king, and said I would build a wall and you are paying for it, but he prayed first. He prayed that the king would go along with this crazy plan that would cost a lot of money but he also had a plan in one of the things I love about Nehemiah is the practical and the spiritual go hand in hand. The guy who prayed about things, but always had a plan in his back pocket to get the king says yes arty know where to get the lumber. I know where to go to get this other thing I have it all set up but I'm in a praying and he went to the king and requested it in. Amazingly, the king granted his request and even said an armed escort, so Nehemiah leaves Babylon. He arrives in Jerusalem it's probably worse than the imagine the walls truly are in rubble. He checks it out and that he rallies the people who been there for some time now.

People who really not done their job to be honest he says guys Lord is calling us to rebuild the walls. Let's do this together. They all agree bringing us to the point I left off with in our last message when you're doing God's work, you will face opposition when you're doing God's work you'll face opposition Nehemiah to verse 19 when sunblock Tobiah just from the Arab part of our plan. They scoffed contemptuously saying what are you doing listen whenever God's people say let's rise and build the devil and his forces will say let's rise and oppose whenever you're pursuing a divine opportunity.

There will be satanic opposition. Paul says in first Corinthians 69 a huge door of opportunity for good work is opened up here, but there is also mushrooming opposition jetted great opportunity mushrooming opposition if that now I know when I'm doing something God wants me to do. I will face criticism. I will face opposition people second guess said I expected affected by don't see that I say maybe this is not a good idea because that's almost a way of being a confirmed to me member years ago we had this idea to go to dodger Stadium to do a crusade people set are you you can do. Dodger Stadium you could do that down there at Angel Stadium, but they LAs a whole different planet. Someone even said to me.

Dodger Stadium is the graveyard of evangelists because everyone that's gone there and try to do an evangelistic event has failed. It doesn't work in LA forget about.

I like to tell you something someone said something to me like that.

It's a little bit like the red cape in front of the bowl.

They say it can't be that I think will canted or can it maybe this is more of an issue is it won't be done but can it be done with God all things are possible. So we pray we plan we did everything to make that event a success and we filled dodger Stadium and so many people came forward at the invitation. The fire marshal had the lock the doors.

Remembering that happened before the field was filled with people coming to Christ. The same is true for AT&T Stadium in Dallas Texas that was big.

I have to admit to you I was I was overwhelmed by that one. I didn't realize how much pressure I was under before that event until after the event ended and the pressure was relieved that the men I been living under this pressure for so long. I tell you this much in improve my prayer life because it seats 100,000 people, one of the biggest stadiums in America but you know I was subsided before the event even started when someone said it's building were turning people away. See, here's what it comes down to if you want to do something for God. There's potential for failure and there's also potential for success. There's no success without risk, there is no success without opposition.

Because Satan hates what we do.

He hates gospel preaching that we reach out to homeless folks and distribute clothing or food or or help them get on their feet.

The world will politely applauded, say that's a good thing helping the homeless, and we do all those things but it we save now let's go do a gospel presentation and faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to God were not going to get polite applause, working to get opposition because the devil hates the gospel and that's for you to keep preaching the gospel and keep it at the forefront of everything that we do. Read more will have the second half of his message just a moment, emails, letters and phone calls from listeners are so encouraging to us and they let us know the effectiveness of the studies Prof. Greg I listen to almost daily. Your words have strengthened my faith and help me in my everyday life.

Your true blessing to me. When we hear from you.

It's also a blessing to us, and it confirms that the program is touching lives here in this community and if you have a comment or story to share, send it to Pastor Greg's email address is greg@harvest.org that's great@harvest.org.

What were studying the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls today.

In the book of Nehemiah. As Pastor Gray continues his message now called wall builders here now is Nehemiah gymnast battle plan together. We see three vital principles in play here. If you're taking notes here. They are investigation cooperation and determination investigation. First he checked out the problem. Okay, here's how big the city is, here's what it's going to take. Here's how many people, need to get the job done. Okay, I've investigated it now cooperation. Let's put the team together.

Let's get the right people in the right places and tell them what their job is finally determination were not going to be deterred. Defeat is not an option.

That brings me to my next point we need to find our place in the work that God is doing. We need to find our place in the work that God is going up before I read Nehemiah 3 I want to the no it has the potential to be boring because it's a lot of names if you read the book of Nehemiah.

How many of your bread.

The whole book of me in my reading in a very good how many of you have not read the whole book of Nehemiah yet. Okay, it's okay.

Just read it readable for next Sunday. Read it. But here's the skinny happen. Nehemiah 1 also great Nehemiah to this is also Nehemiah 31 lot to name lots and things and what they did but remember all Scripture is given by inspiration of God even lists and even genealogies right there all there for a reason. As we will see in a moment, let's read a few verses Nehemiah 3 this is a little bit like the credits at the end of the film, you know, unless you were in the film you don't care but the rolling in these matter to God. They should matter to us first one then Elias shipped the high priest and the other pre-started to rebuild the sheep gate. They dedicated it set up its doors building the wall as far as the Tower of the hundred which they dedicated the tower of Hunter now two people from the town of Jericho worked next to them and be on the most sucker son of Emre.

The fish gate was built by the sons of Vanessa and then delete the been set up its doors installed, its bolts and bars in Miramonte, son of Uriah and grandson of how because repair the next section of wall beside them were Ms. Shula, son of Beare Kia and grandson of Mischa because Isabel and exotic of Bohne.

Okay, really, really, really, there's a lot here. The phrase next to him and after him are mentioned 28 times in the chapter.

What is that mean they work together. These are different kinds of people.

These are not builders see me think these are construction people, by the way, I'm very impressed with anyone who's good at construction.

Anyone who's good at building things you know I when I go to a hardware store. I get all excited look at all this cool stuff I would build something, but I have no skills whatsoever think there's a missing Jean and me or something I can do it.

I make things worse and what I need someone who can repair a car or are you to put wiring in here or throw this wall up or put up the drywall.

It all is so impressive to me. These are not construction people to the point Nehemiah was a cupbearer. He was then an architect rebuilder and so some of these people were priests in some of these people were goldsmiths Nehemiah 38. Some were perfumers. Nehemiah 38 merchants, 332 there were rulers workers groups are different towns in different classes you have men and women, young and old.

Everyone needed to participate for this job to be done. The same is true of the church, BC Forbes, the founder of Forbes magazine once said, here's how you spell success. You probably think you spell success SU CES as that's not how you spell success. Here's how you spell success. You spell it TEAMWORK we want to get something done. We do it together practical insight today from our study of Nehemiah's rebuilding campaign and pastor Greg Laurie has more to come in this message. Called wall builders including a closing comment from today's portion of the study in just a moment now for a permanent copy of today's insight you can go online to harvest.org you can download an MP3 or order a CD that's at harvest.org or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 and again the title of today's study is wall builders and other such a privilege to have authors Catherine and Jay Wolf with us today. They written a new book called suffer strong. It chronicles the journey they been on since Catherine sudden brain stem stroke back in 2008. She almost died. She survived but everything changed.

Pastor Catherine that you write in your book a decade ago, I wrestled with the deepest despair of my life wondering why God would've left me on this earth after my stroke I was broken in body, brain, and spirit.

Unable to do anything or be anything other than the source of pain for everyone. I love it seemed everyone would eventually stop being so set off I wasn't here anymore wow so this brought a sense of deep despondency to you didn't totally totally frog.

From the moment waking up in the coma like state I was in after 2 1/2 months. I just began to rest.

That was why am I even here anymore. My body doesn't work and I'm caught between life and death. I could need food for the first 11 mines and not eating now blocking not being able to speak, they all equaled a file no longer belonging on earth and I wasn't yet able to recognize how God had an extremely unique assignment for me on the earth, and that is actually a colleague and I believe that God chose me for that and that it was indeed on special calling as it says in Ephesians 41 that I was to live a life where the than it really just transformed how I felt about my situation. I felt very selective head, which is the most bizarre feeling and moments of terrible pain that it transformed to my understanding of everything which is honestly what that not book is about Deborah's dog is about redefining how we see everything in it is game changing. Of course, because we know it isn't about what happens to us that really matters. It's about how we think about how we remember and how we wake up to my God is doing in the story. He's writing in our lives, beautifully said Catherine if you just tuned in your listening to Catherine Wolf right next to her wonderful husband Jay.

They written a new book called suffer strong subtitled how to survive anything by redefining everything were offering this to our listeners this month for your gift of any size so we can continue to come your way with the teaching of the word of God and the proclamation of the gospel and arthritis.

The kind of encouragement. We each need. When were facing one of life seemingly insurmountable trials.

So many of face that in recent weeks have maybe you face that kind of challenge. This is practical how to encouragement about how you cannot only survive the trial but thrive in spite of it, and would like to send you suffer strong to thank you for your investment in this daily study opportunity that investment will be used to encourage you and someone else here in your community effect.

We recently read this comment on social media pastor Greg I listen to your podcast anytime I'm awake. I always hear encouragement and a dose of the gospel and I remember to pray for you and your family.

You know what your investments help us continue to bring this encouragement your way and to so many others who tuned in here in this area. When you give ask for suffer strong.

Our address is 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 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.

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There every single day. Sometimes it's visiting the message from a harvest Crusade another time.

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Alright. And I need the whole story need I need some amendments to second in right there I stood next to the one we did worship in the tents. What are you coming up as well. I want this really cool kid with blonde hair, that cool kid coming up your buddy everybody here. Come on up to. What is your name.

I like that with turning Judy come on over here.

I stood next to you during worship hour you notice yourself okay myself to you, come and appear pulse in the middle. Not these are all very different people there different ages. Men and women large and small avail of a role to play in the church. Every one of them has a part of the wall that they built these people are just like you. We all have a part to play for all bipartisan matter no menace to see if it one part of the wall breaks down see maybe if Michael kind of that is a little bit of a slacker that we doubt he would be and he doesn't keep this part of the wall built up. That's an opening that could be broken into.

But Landon and his part is fortified. No one's getting through Landon's bar. Pastor Paul is like sleeping okay that's a problem, and so we have to wake Paul up and say we need your part of the wall built up because if any part of the wall is broken down.

It's something the work so were all in this together. Let's think these folks are coming up.

Thank you God bless you every one of us is a part way possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor grades free daily email devotions and harvest.org