Dealing with Criticism - II

The following message from Pastor Greg Laurie is made possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God.

If you would like to know how you can become a harvest partner, just go to harvest.org that's harvest.org. We need to finish what God is called us to do what we must do so with passion and persistence of the Christian life is been described as a long obedience in the same direction. Pastor Greg Laurie urges to stay focused going – two favorite words are give, so don't give building to do so with enthusiasm and you do so without soliciting the critic only wins if you quit in to attend perdition records his entire speech is just 17 words young man never give up never give up never give up, never, never, never, never, never, never, historians point out the words were slightly different in the speech notably longer but it's still good advice today on a new beginning. Pastor Greg Laurie points out that same kind of resilience for the book of Nehemiah were looking at this book of rebuilding the wall. Nehemiah was called by God to go rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. And when you get down to it, everyone is either building the wall or in a way where tearing down the wall so I close with a series of questions last time.

Are you a participator or are you a spectator are US servants, or are you a slacker.

Are you a worker or are you was shorter. Let me put it another way, are you a wall builder are you will wall breaker. Are you a faith builder or are you of faith, breaker did really comes down to one of the two somewhere doing the work of God. Others are standing on the sidelines and critiquing those that are doing the work of God. So let's see what happened now in Nehemiah chapter 4 and I'm to read verses 1 to 3. By the way I'm reading from the new living translation. Son ballade was very angry when he learned we were rebuilding the wall. He flew into a rage and mocked the Jews saying in front of his friends and the Samaritan army officers. What does this bunch of poor people Jews think they're doing they think they can build the wall in a single day by offering just a few sacrifices that they actually think they can make something of stone from a rubbish heap and charred ones at that. To by the arm and I was standing beside him remarked that Stonewall would collapse if even a fox walked over the top of it. So let's see how they handled it. Nehemiah prayed about the criticism and he persisted in the rebuilding of the wall. What I love about Nehemiah is he never stop building the wall ever. Not even a coffee break.

He just kept building and building will get me in my four verse four. And I pray heroes so our God were being mocked.

May their scoffing fall back on their own heads, and may they themselves become captives in a foreign land to not ignore their guilt, don't blot out their sins, for they are provoked to the anger in front of the builders and at last the wall was completed, the half its height around the city for the people that work with enthusiasm.

So what are you doing your critique what you do when you're attacked you to get to the Lord in prayer. Yes, Nehemiah was praying, but he was also practical. Look at verse nine of chapter 4, we prayed to our God and we guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves to Nehemiah.

Among other things, we see how the practical and the spiritual go hand-in-hand.

We learn to Nehemiah how to plan our work and then how to work our plan. It's very important because sometimes people in the name of spirituality are not spiritual at all, let me illustrate, let's say you don't have a job and I don't have a job and I'm just praying the Lord will give me a job. Do what you do yesterday just dated home and pray in my lazy boy and you're lazy. I slept a little too.

I have to admit that I pray I pray it would. You did the day before that I I laid in my lazy boy and I I prayed grade for job lords in the job. Yeah you know what wanted to get up your big fat lazy boy and fill out a resume and submit it to as many places as possible and pray over everyone see there's a place for this spiritual there's a place for the project loneliness that sometimes there's a good illustration of David and Goliath.

David was on his Aaron for his dad delivering food to his brothers, effectively a pizza delivery because he took bread and cheese to his brothers. What is bread and cheese. I call that pizza okay.

It's always taken pizza there was pro and he hears this massive hold of a man 9'6" of solid muscle covered in body armor bellowing from the Valley of the law for someone to confide in. He's choosing an entire nation off his names. Goliath uses hey send your champion. Let him find me. If I win you guys serve us. If I lose will serve you. No one would go find Goliath. David looking at the big and all men I've taken up Lisa's biggest him before giving my sling and my rocks and I love how he walked out there and he looked at Goliath and he said this, the battle is the Lord and he will give you in the my hand. That's good, very spiritual, the battle is the Lord's, and then he prayed for one hour close decide no no you didn't know, he prayed yeah the battles the Lord not want to kill you. So he put those stone in the sling and started swinging it around and hit the giant on the forehead.

Goliath collapses to the ground. David runs over and pulls out Goliath's massive sword cuts is that I probably had the sawed off.

It was so bad. I'm density and on as the gate holds up the severed head of the giant Goliath and all the Philistines freak out.

That was spiritual say that it's a boat now don't get me wrong I'm not advocating decapitation or violence of any kind and just simply saying he prayed and he took action.

Okay.

And the people on the wall.

They prayed what they were practical as well. Verse 13 we had armed guards find the lowest parts of the wall in the exposed area I station the people to stand guard by their families arm with swords and spears in both weight should they trust the Lord. Yeah, trust the Lord and protect yourself. There's another example of the practical and the spurred soil of the story because it's the miracle working a light chop. This guy had the gift to call fire down from heaven an excellent person to invite over to your barbecue magic you know you little more fire alive just like no problems there.

It is, that's good. Well done good and faithful servant is an unelected so here's Elijah. He has the big standoff with the profit the bill amount Carmel you've heard of the rumble in the jungle you've heard of the thrilling in Manila.

This is the battle of the gods in Elijah one, and fire came from heaven, and right after that Queen Jezebel, a wicked woman said that guy is a dead man walking.

She effectively put a contract on in his life and Elijah ran for cover.

He hid in a cave. He was depressed and despondent.

In fact, he even said to God, I would just like to die right now and an angel of the Lord appears to him. What is the angel of the Lord do the angel of the Lord says you need to taken up in any way except the angel of the Lord gives them food, you know, so here's my point to make everything so spiritual in feeling so depressed and down spiritually and maybe you just need a nap in a sandwich. I don't know servicing mechanical, maybe any like a day off, maybe you need to take a vacation. Then you recharge a battery.

Even Jesus took his disciples aside for a time so they could go back and do the work he had called them to do with the spiritual and the practical go hand-in-hand. You know some people get so tied up in theological pretzels over the teaching of free will and predestination order those terms.

We will predestination means that God knows everything God decides everything in God chooses us before we choose him predestined and that Jesus even said you've not chosen me, but I've chosen you and you would go for and bring forth much fruit and there's free will all those verses in the Bible that appealed or will John 316.

Whosoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life of Revelation 22. Whosoever will let them come and drink of the water of life freely price themselves think, to me, all ye that labor and are heavy late and I will give you rest so we could confuse what weight do we choose or does God predestined us in the teaching of Calvinism, which is usually called total depravity.

I mean think you're so depraved and dead in your sin, you don't even have the ability to choose at all. You have to be awakened by the spirit. If you've been chosen by God and you better just hope you have not been predestined to hell because they believe some believe that your predestined to hell and others are predestined to heaven. I reject that completely. God is not predestined anyone for help because the Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and some will to get so far is that safe while I don't you want to preach the gospel because I might give false assurance to the non-elect are you serious you been commanded by Jesus to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

It's all sorted out by God. I don't worry about it, like the words of the evangelist deal Moody you said, Lord save me elapsed and then Alexa Moore CH Spurgeon was once asked if he can reconcile election and free will is that I don't even try. I never reconcile friends but the truth of the matter is, is predestination and free will are in the Bible sometimes the right next to each other. My job is to proclaim the gospel.

My job is to call people to Christ. Our job is to get the message out to as many people as possible.

How do you know if your chosen by God believe in Jesus Christ do you just confirm you been chosen by God but God gives you a choice in the matter.

So they took those practical steps and they held their course.

Nehemiah sets up a system is a 24 hour guard in place and if anything happens there is any problem there to sound the trumpet Nehemiah 418 blow a trumpet, and if you hear the trumpet go fly but be reminded our God will fight for us. Mr. Greg Laurie will have the second half of this message 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 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 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.

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Each week, harvest.org will Pastor Greg is presenting a message and Nehemiah chapter 4 today called dealing with criticism. It's available@harvest.org last point we need to finish of God is called us to do. We need to do it with passion and persistence. Let me see it again. We need to finish what God has called us to do.

We must do so with passion and persistence. Look at verse six. The wall was completed up to habits high around the entire city for the people and work with enthusiasm. Listen to this. The most dangerous part of the work is when it's have to when it's have to the halfway point. There is a single moment we work so hard. We still love another helpful ball to Bill but then again at how much you've accomplished so you just continue on and you do so with enthusiasm need you so with passion.

Listen, the critic only wins if you quit the devil's two favorite words are give, so don't give up keep building. Don't give up on your marriage.

Don't give up on your family.

Don't give up on your life and your spiritual growth is a verse article that I want to come back to it.

In closing, first tenant Nehemiah for the people of Judah began to complain. The workers are getting tired.

There's so much trouble to be removed will never be able to build the wall by ourselves have ever felt that way all men. I'm trying to get my life sorted out for what a mess.

All the rubble all the trash yeah sometimes you gonna move out the old jug to make room for the new guy.

I don't know why but I have some kind of weird fixation with them. Converse shoes.

John talking about a level worm over time in my whites as you would too many peers of converse you. She says if you get a new pair To get rid of the old, but I want to get rid of it (like the logo that really worn it know if you get one. Love to get rid of an old pair why I don't get rid of any of them and have a lot of them now even when they're falling apart.

I just glued back together they keep wearing them.

There's a principal there. You know you want the new and get rid of the old so you know you like. Maybe you been struggling in your life you struggled with alcohol.

It's your downfall. Every time so you said, Lord, help me and you been able to be free from it for a month or six months and it's great okay now take the practical steps you have any blues left anywhere else. Amen.

Poured down the toilet. That's a practical step for Senate. Or maybe you have a problem with pornography and you keep going back to your computer looking up Warner you look at it on your phone and in his. I just can't overcome it. What you can get these little Internet filters but maybe they don't always work as well is a revolutionary thought if it was necessary get rid of your stinking phone you think you can exist without it. By the way, you can get phones that aren't smart phones that you just dial make phone calls. You can go online and all that other stuff with them. Jesus said of your eye offend you pluck it out. If your arm offends you take it off. That was not literal.

Obviously he saying whatever it takes to be free from that sin might be dragging you down, take action, and if that meant literally removing an electronic device from your life.

Do it.

If you have old friends that are dragging you down, get some new friends and take their place. Stop hanging around the godless people start hanging around godly people see there's the practical and there's a spiritual take action for out the rubble clear at all. How now rebuild the wall. A brick at a time to start right where you are in notes overwhelming. But I want you to consider an oak tree for a moment and consider the fact that an oak tree comes from this. It's called an acorn holding acorn planted in the ground takes a while to break ground but it can turn into an oak tree, but a sort of a picture is in it of life the care we are and were planning that little see and were hoping it will ground is something that will stand the test of time. So here's the good news. Next time you see an oak tree. Remember it started with an acorn that held on look at that acorn and just be reminded of what a nut can do is start where you are but you need God's help the people called out to God.

Lord help us and you need to call out to God. Only he can help you to do what he wants you to do.

Because of this one last thought how they were to blow the trumpet and of the trumpet blue. That meant they were all the rest of that spot because there was a breach in the wall.

The Bible tells us to listen for a trumpet to first Thessalonians 4, it says the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds and so shall we ever be with the Lord. The Lord is coming back again. Sometimes this is called the wrap your comes from the root word Park Plaza which is used many times in the New Testament means to be moved suddenly to be moved quickly. I believe there is a generation that will not see death, but they will be caught up in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye and hurtled into God's presence reunited with loved ones who have died in faith, and of gone before us, we could be that generation to grade get over it Helen if you been preaching this over 40 years. Yes, as a matter fact I have and you know what I still believe it is much as I've always believed it and were closer to the date of the coming of the Lord than we've ever been in human history. I don't think it takes kids find this to see this. Lines of the times all around us, the terrorism, the instability, the violence trouble with nations that fear in the air. All signs of the times. The Bible told us these things would happen.

But the Bible also says Jesus speaking when you see these things begin to happen. Look up for your redemption is drawing near.

So let me ask you a question. If the trumpet were to blast, would you go to heaven.

What if this were the day Christ would come back and call us to heaven.

Would you be one of the ones who would be taken into his presence. Would you be one of the one to the left on this earth does that will happen. For many, probably for most, but all who believe in Jesus will go to heaven and look, I know I get may have and if I get there via rapture or death.

When we are another Gartner I've God's word on it because Christ died for me on the cross and paid the price for all of my sin I believed in him and you can to close now in prayer and I'm going to extend an invitation for some of you to believe in Jesus so you can know your sin is forgiven. So you can know that Christ is living in you. Maybe you tried to picture like you thought meant I did get I came here today. The church that gets an alibi. I figure I need a little religion a little religion would do me some good friend. You don't need a little religion. You need a lot of Jesus. That's the only answer no come of your life and forgive you of everything you've ever committed in the changing but you must call out to him. The people in our story had the frame and as for God's help and you must do the same work and pray in a moment, and I'm in no extend an invitation for you to ask Christ to come in your life.

That's all of our heads for prayer. If you would please father referred your word and we know one day that trumpet will sound, and people will be called in your presence. Lord I pray for any here listening wherever they are. If they do not know you yet.

I pray that your Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of their need for you and I pray that they will come to you now and believe in Jesus name I pray for Greg Laurie important were the prayer and if you like to make that kind of change today in your relationship with the Lord. Pastor Greg would like to help you with that will do so before today's addition of a new beginning. Concludes but listen if you like a permanent copy of the full study. Pastor Greg has brought us in the last two programs get in touch and mention the title dealing with criticism. Just call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and they were so pleased to have authors Catherine and Jay Wolf with us today. They were in the inspiring book called suffer strong since Katherine's near fatal brain stem stroke in 2008, life is changed radically for both of them, but the powerful lessons they've learned have brought them closer to the Lord and can do the same for us. I guess her and have people quoted Romans 828 two you yeah all things work together for good thoughts about that. First, Romans 828 is totally true and it does not say things that are totally true because God's love is not attached to anything in our physical world and Isaiah 45, three says I will give you hidden tractor in the darkness, which is stored in secret places so that you may know that I am not the God of Israel, the goddess Avenue my name and then "not in our nightmares and in the darkness is that there is trash. There now when you have to guide the darkness we get to be treasure bearers for the rest of our lives, then back in the extremely cold comfort when you have a child diary.

You have a massive stroke or in any of our horrific nightmares, but the thought of God selecting nice and giving us a treasure is a comfort.

First, your yeah I'm I would say I went on a journey, probably eight years ago to understand the goodness of God and reconcile some of that junk that I've always believed in light of my happen to know that actions a jacket a negative way. Just things that people would say to me that are putting Jesus Band-Aids on bullet wounds and things that really can only be classified as like a Christian cliché that was almost meaningless and very painful and that and what I have found is that the word guide is totally defined wrongly and our world that true gladness, says Sir Richard Baker, a theologian from 1600 that true goodness can never be withheld from Psalm 8411 is true because the truly good things of God are not things that all the truly good that things are peace of conscience. Joy in the Holy Spirit. There fruition of his presence in the life and the assurance of his face in the next and those things are not things the world can't hatch matter what's going on in our broken lives the untouchable things inside of us are the truly good lines that cannot be without. If you just tuned in your listening to Catherine Wolf talk about what she is learned in light of a life altering event that took place for her when she suffered a near fatal brain stem stroke at the age of 26 and I'm interviewing her and her husband Jay and one thing that Jay said earlier that I really liked was the looks like the end of your story when it actually is a new beginning and I think right now I might be talking to somebody that feels like they'd come to the end of their story. Some horrible news. Some traumatic event. They think that's it, but were offering the book right now, written by Catherine and Jay titled suffer strong. I love the subtitle how to survive anything by redefining everything and it's the way you look at things as you guys have shared and we want to offer this amazing new book to anyone for your gift of any size so we can continue on to teach God's word in the future. Guests like Catherine and Jay and also to proclaim the gospel which is really the only hope because here's the bottom line whatever suffering were going through today I hundred years from now will go tomorrow. Thought will all be dead. But if we put our trust in Christ will be in heaven and what it's really all said and done, are you ready for eternity and that is why we do what we do and and I know that really motivates Catherine in Jay as well so I think this book suffer strong is really going to be a great message of hope and encouragement, and will also help you to redefine what you're going through this right and we have a copy waiting for you. We can send it your way.

For just a short time longer to thank you for your partnership with us in bringing these daily studies each day. We have no other way of making Pastor Greg insights available other than listener support. So thank you for standing with us as we offer this encouragement and by the way, if you can partner with us on a regular basis.

Ask about becoming a harvest partner ask for the book suffer strong as you write 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 spoke today about having a relationship with the Lord.

Yeah, someone can enter into that kind of relationship with God right now.

Kathy yeah they really can. That's the amazing thing. I think people are surprised that it doesn't take years to become a Christian. It doesn't take months. It doesn't take weeks. It doesn't take days, it doesn't even take ours you can believe on the spot and I would like to lead you in a prayer where you can ask for his forgiveness. A prayer where you can receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Savior and Lord. So if you want Christ to come in your life if you want him to forgive you of your sin if you want a second chance in life.

If you want to go to heaven when you die, stop what you're doing and pray after me these words Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I'm sorry for my sin and I turn from it now and I choose to follow you from this moment forward as Savior and Lord is God and friend. Thank you for loving me and calling me ever giving me in Jesus name I pray, amen, amen.

Listen if you have just read those words with pastor Greg. The Lord has heard you and forgiven you of your sin. The Bible tells us Jesus is faithful and just to forgive us of our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness and would like to send you some materials to help you begin to live this new life we call that our new believers] just ask for it and will send it to your free of charge if you prayed for the first time today with pastor Greg write a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call 1-800-821-3300. That's 1-800-821-3300 or you can go online to harvest.org and click the words no God but next time pastor Greg and his wife Kathy invite a couple of special guests on the program. They travel the rough road of trial and challenge, and they are eager to share the hard learned lessons God taught them along the way. Join us next time. Beginning and possible by harvest partners, helping people everywhere know God sign up for pastor greats free daily email devotions and harvest.org