God’s People in a Day of Crisis I - Part 1 of 3

Will he fly, and shall share Brenda Junior welcoming you to one of the broadcast of the Baptist Bible.

Our encouraging of the day when the man called me and said that he listen to this program every day and when I was finding out where he lived a short lived in upper state New York. Let's be interesting. We don't have any stations up there. Well I go to the website of one of the stations that cares the program and am able to hear the program on a daily basis, so I'm thankful for many times the program is getting out in ways that we were not even aware that there were people in that part of the country able to listen. I hope that you will pray for this effort that the Lord will bless us to continue and supply the needs that we can stay on all the stations are address is the Baptist Bible. Our box 17 old, 37, Cincinnati, OH 45217 and I think most of us would agree without any controversy that in many respects, we can say we are living in the day of crisis when we look at the conditions that prevailed in our country we can see some dramatic changes that have taken place. Some of the things that are commonplace today could never have been imagined. Some years ago the language. This used the violence, the immorality, the fair that comes over TV on a regular basis. The spiritual coldness and indifference that's displayed even by many who profess to believe in God. All of these things tend to point to it being a dark day a day of crisis. That's not my purpose this morning to attempt to take the role of the news commentator. I'm sure you've probably heard more news than you wanted to hear during the past week. If you read the newspaper and all you listen to the news on television, radio, you know that bad news depressing circumstances are perpetually out before us. Not only do we see a crisis as far as the conditions prevail in a general way within our nation and around the world for that matter that ultimately comes down to the crisis that individuals are struggling with in their own life in the families are encountering oldie pain and heartache that is witnessed on every hand when we see the lives that are disrupted by alcohol by drugs by sexual immorality through divorce, marriage is falling apart.

Parents ignoring their responsibilities toward their children to discipline them. Give them the kind of love and care they ought to be given even as we look at God's people across the land. I don't think anybody could daresay that this is a day of spiritual awakening and revival old. There may be little evidences here and there when the Lord is stirring the minds and hearts of some of his people and special blessings being poured out member in the lifetime of Elder Wilson Thompson, who was a pioneer preacher laboring in this part of the country. He was passing the church at Lebanon, Ohio at the time heard there was a Great Revival Taking Pl. in Cincinnati and he was hopeful that indeed there might be evidence of God's work and he came here and said he was so terribly disappointed when he saw how shallow this religious exercise was that had been called revival. How weak the messages were how lacking they were in preaching the truth of God's greatness and power and his sovereignty and salvation by his mercy, and so while there are places today where people will point and say God is doing something special. Christianity today another religious publications have talked about the Toronto Blessing and the supposedly has been a mighty moving in Canada for a number of years and thousands of people from the United States have gone there and they're experiencing what they call the laughing revival and people break out into laughter and they consider this to be a spiritual blessing. We talk about other movements which, when closely examined in the light of the word of God. You see, to be lacking something.

As far as adherence to the truth and to his word so many ways we can say that it's a crisis.

As far as the day is concerned with respect to true religion.

The question we want to ponder today is how God's people should respond how they should react in the day of crisis.

I know of no better portion to the word of God to go then to the book of Nehemiah. This is a book. As you will recall, we did some studies in a few years ago but looking at it in those series of messages certainly didn't wear it out. It's a wonderful portion of Scripture and some tremendous lessons in it that need to be continually force prospecting on the subject God's people in a day of crisis as the book of Nehemiah begins with fine Nehemiah himself is the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes being a cupbearer was a prominent position. An important one. Just as there have always been political conspiracies. There certainly were in that day and there were people who wanted to destroy the king. One way was to put something in his food or in what he was drinking. So the king had a cupbearer and before he drank anything he let the cupbearer to accept first so if Eve survives it all right. He says now take a drink now man like that's gotta be trustworthy.

You got a lot better. My confidence anything that you soon on your side and that he's doing everything right and Nehemiah course was a Jew and was here at a distance from Jerusalem, the city that he love, but he respected civil authority and was able to function within this government in a godly way without compromising his testimony and so he had risen to a place of prominence in the king reliant on them heavily, but his heart was in Jerusalem he was thinking about the captives that were going back to the homeland, trying to reestablish the city wanting once more to see it beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth and the inquires of some of his brethren who had just returned from making a trip there first three of Nehemiah chapter 1 says they said unto me, the remnant that are left of the captivity. There, in the province are in great affliction and would prove the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down and the gates thereof are burned with fire. It will begin to see the description of the crisis. The people were in great affliction, what affliction indicates being crass, being in a tight place pressure trouble trial coming how many here today can relate to that. You know what it is to feel the pressures of life to have burdens and troubles that are difficult to bear problems that seem to be without a solution.

They were afflicted. They were in reproach. They were ridiculed, their enemies made fun of the wall of the city was broken down the wall of the city and that day was tremendously important that I was at work buying airplanes when they invaded the came on horses and chariots and if there was a strong wall about the city and there were men on the wall the sound the alarm and there were soldiers there that might hurl their spears and darts of those that would invade it was certainly a great means of protection. Fortification, but the walls were broken down in the gates thereof are burned with fire.

Things were very much in a low state, the city was devastated. It was a desolate place at this time.

Furthermore, they were without leadership to make any positive moves to change the situation. People were cast down. Imagine how depressing it was when they thought about what a wonderful beautiful city Jerusalem had been.

They loved it.

It spoke to them of being the very place where the Lord did abide in a special way was the place of the temple. It was the place of the true order of worship and that day, but the city is in desolation. They look at it. They grieve over the situation, but nobody seems to have an answer. No one seems to be able to take the role of leadership in move them toward resolving their difficulties, their spiritual low. I just don't see any hope. But here's Nehemiah at a distance from the situation and what he hears a word. It's a different matter when he gets the report about the conditions of that date.

He's very much. Word came to pass that when I heard these words that I sat down and wept and mourned certain day. I really believe before.

There's ever going to be positive movement toward resolving any crisis whether it's your own personal crisis or crisis within your family, or in the church or in the nation would have to mourn over the situation. They would have to be grieved by have to be unhappy with the status quo. He set out and went and mourned certain day. Well, as we get the initial picture of what the crisis is in this portion of Scripture, I really can we relink that to our day is it not a dramatic change when you think of how many schoolchildren have to pass through a metal detector to get into the school building today from what school was like in the years gone by, did not a significant difference when the corruption the sexual references the crude and ungodly inappropriate language that is used in so many of the TV programs as there is just an accepted thing today. Not only is it fair for the world to absorb it, but many professed Christian become so influenced by that they say there's no harm. As far as they're concerned Dave participate in it influences their thinking and you say that to God's own people are so easily influenced by the world is not the warming of the things that are in the world to be conformed to the world were to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

You think about this. You may assume that the world is having no influence on you. But if you spend a significant amount of your time and from the television set and you're reading the daily newspaper in your reading magazines in your reading the books that are popular today. You're listening to what people say in the workplace you're being bombarded with thinking that for the most part is contrary to biblical truth. And if that's your daily diet. You're not strong enough not of us are to stand up against that. In another sense evil communications corrupt good manners you constantly wall with people who are talking and thinking like the world you will ultimately be influence that before we concluded we talk about how to combat that had to overcome it all.

How many say I've committed my life to Jesus Christ. I've represented my death to see into the flames to the world through baptism and I have come forth to walk in newness of life, but they continually drift more and more toward the work they want what the world has about the world's approval want to be accepted to the world won't fit in with the world. And yet God said the one that will be the friend of the world becomes his enemy.

Others know what you can get around what you can say I got my own little unique plan here.

I know how I can hold hands with God and the world at the same time, God's as you can. Not doing whose on the Lord side, Joshua said. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord its commitment that we made. My mind is made up as the spiritual leader my household by making that decision for all those in my household. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. I realize in an experience of grace is a personal and individual thing.

But I'm talking about the leadership that the father is to maintain his responsibility and obligation before God to make that commitment and to see that appropriate discipline is maintained in the household so that those under his direction are following in that court. How sad. Today the sea so many young people going astray. How sad to see those that have been brought up in the church under the influence of the truth soon as they reach an agent there out of their own there a goal, how great is that responsibility that God has given to parents to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. If there is not consistent teaching in the home and if that teaching is not being backed up by the example as to the way the parents live in the attitude that they maintain consequences become evident or will how serious is the matter and then you find many people who just plain discouraged, they become somewhat cynical and been disappointed in politicians of been disappointed and preachers have been disappointed and friends have been disappointed in relatives and frankly they're disappointed in themselves and they just at the point the site in their own life. The walls are broken down the gates are burned with fire, etc. just what it is and what's wrong.

I'd like to be lifted up, I'd like to rejoice. I like to feel the presence of the Lord.

I feel cold I feel barren I feel empty I feel pressured. I got so much to do whatever I'm doing. I think of other things ought to be doing to can ever get called up and I know I come to church and you're going to make me feel guilty preacher go you don't get up the Pope and you don't tell many to pray more and I know that them out to read the Bible more and I know that and Frank is just will be some days it will come here that I don't have to feel guilty about my and so the condition remains in the status quo.

Things will get any better keep getting worse say that's crisis that's crisis. Sometimes people identified as such but but it's a spiritual crisis, then there may be those that have a particular crisis in their own household and their own life. Tension within the marriage. There's a rebellious spirit on the part of teenagers this conflict between the things that are being demanded by the school system and what you really want to do when you finally get tired of fighting the battle so well and oh whatever.

Just throw up your hands. That's kind crisis. We read about here in the days of Nehemiah. What was the call. Things get in the shape, how can it be that of people who were chosen of God favored by God blessed by God's foot been promised that when they came in the land that be blessed above all the peoples of the earth. God had cared for them, delivered them from Egyptian bondage them and given them water to drink although the wilderness wanderings parted the waters of Jordan.

So they came into the land down the walls of Jericho drove nations before they were they would move forward by faith trusting God and said I would mesh the lane you go to be prospered in every category they finally reach this day. Crisis. I did find the happened that the enemies overrode them not down the walls left the city in such a desolate state well after Nehemiah had wept and mourned and fasted and prayed. We begin to see a confession was made Bessie some people once they see the plight they take the first step and quit. They we may mourn. They will do anything else and there's a place for weeping and mourning, but there's a place to stop weeping and do something about the situation. He wafted more than fasted, but he prayed, he prayed before the God of heaven and sad, I beseech the old Lord God of heaven. The great and terrible God that keep with covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments left behind here now be attending the nine eyes open, that thou may us hear the prayer of my servant which I pray before the now day and night phrases of itself. No doubt would condemn most of us who we really pray day and night when they look at the situations I like to see a change here. I like to see an improvement from Eisai from time to time I like to see a revival in the church. I don't want to be satisfied just with the thought of surviving. I'd like to see a revival. I like to see a spiritual awakening. I like to see the Lord blessing and maybe be gathered and yet even as you might start to pray such a prayer. You say you know maybe you better not break to earnestly about that because of the Lord sent a revival. I'm too busy to get involved.

I would never fit one in my schedule. This would be convenient for me at all and so we don't really earnestly pray day and night. I was concerned enough about the situation.

He was more attorneys to anyone living nor anyone to spend the rest of his days just weeping and mourning about he was going to call upon God and he said let thine ear be attentive and is open to hear the prayer, my servant, and for the children of Israel by servants and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against the both my and my father's house have seen in the get to this desolate state they had sin. Nehemiah confesses his own seen in the confess of the sins of his people I see in my people of sin.

We have failed. We have not honored the we have not respected thy word which sin, we have dealt very corruptly against Lee and have not kept the commandments nor the statutes nor the judgments which thou commanders thy servant Moses immediately address the problem.

He knew what the issue really was.

When this place not because God is weak, not because God was unable to protect the city and unable to defend us, not because God is unable to restore it because we have seen in now somebody might say there goes its way. Preachers always are a got this simplistic view that they think the CN is at the heart of every problem in the think just talk about something more positive.

It is positive when we deal with things in an honest way and CN is at the heart of all her problems but the wonderful news of the gospel is there is a solution far it went sinister, as there is forgiveness. When sinners acknowledge there is grace supplied that we can overcome it and live righteously, and godly in this present evil world when owners were talking about God's people in a day of crisis. I don't think anybody would dispute the fact that we are indeed in a day of crisis, not only from the cold with 19 virus, but with the general attitude of uprisings in this country where many would like to tear down the America that we have known that destroying the religious liberty that we treasure Shirley we need to be much in prayer that God will preserve us for his sake, I hope you take time to write us at the Baptist Bible power box 17/37, Cincinnati, OH 45217 two.

We greet you next time.

This it was Sherry Bradley Junior bidding you goodbye and may God bless you see is all in and all is nice and all the will and all