R1307 The Power of Intentional Preperation

We can all use some encouragement and will find it today in the Bible-based preaching of Dr. Don Wilton today Dr. Don Wilton well-known author evangelist former seminary professor and now pastor for over 25 years has insight to bring to life from our study in God's word of Nehemiah were we talking about the power of intentional preparation. How intentional are you and I and our daily Bible study our daily devotional that's helping us understand God's plan for life wonderful resources to date Encouraging Word Bible God absolutely free physical copy. You can call us right now at 866899 word that's 866-899-9673. Sign up online@theencouragingword.org. First let's study God's word together and let this be our next two years.gone is going to speak to you. I have no doubt about that whatsoever. God is going to speak to you but you must open your heart, you must let God speak to you I will promise you that. Not because of Don but because he loves you because he cares about you and I'm absolutely convinced today that the Lord has got something very very special to say to your heart today. It's about the power of one, I want you to open your Bibles to Nehemiah chapter 2 and I want to speak to you very briefly today on the power of intentional preparation. That's somewhat along hitting. I know, but you gonna get it in a minute.

Nehemiah chapter 2 the power of intentional preparation. These are just the facts. This is Nehemiah, but I believe that there again to be so many of us that again to see ourselves right here. This is the power of one, it has to begin somewhere in the presence of the Lord Jesus. Today I'm going to call upon you.

Make this your day, and it must begin with the power of intentional preparation. Nehemiah chapter 2 in the month of Nissan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him. I took up the wine and gave it to the king not I had not been said in his presence, and the king said to me, why is your face said, seeing that you are not sick. This is nothing but sadness of the heart. Then I was very much afraid, and I said to the king, let the king live forever. Why should not my face be said, when the city, the place where my father's graves lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire, and the king said to me what you requesting so I prayed to the God of heaven and then I said to the king, if it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight that you would send me to Judah or to the city of my father's graves that I might reboot and the king said to me with the Queen sitting beside him.

How long will you be gone and when will you return and so would please the king to send me when I had given him a time and I said to the king, if it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the provinces beyond the river that they might let me parse through until I come to Judah and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he might give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple and for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall occupy and the king granted me walked on August for the good hand of my God was upon me. Then I came to the governors of the province beyond the River and gave in the king's Lakers. Now the king had also sank with me offices of the Army and horsemen. But when San about the horror night and towed by the human mind servant hood. This it displeases them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel and I'm all asking the Lord by his spirit to write this word on your heart and on mind today. God loves you very much. I don't know what wolves in your life are broken down. Sometimes we do and sometimes we don't write. I don't know which of your gates have been destroyed by fire, and yet sometimes we do and sometimes we don't. But God does. Nehemiah understood some things he knew what was going on and in fact we very quickly came to discover that this was not about whether or not Nehemiah was going to go and carry out and do what God told him to do. Even though he had no idea he hadn't even been.

He hadn't even had an opportunity to actually inspect broken wolves in the burn down gates. He had not hadn't had an opportunity to go back to Judah.

He was still cup paraffin King Artaxerxes. He hadn't taken one step forward, so to speak, but something within me of my the power of God within him because Nehemiah to take some very intentional steps of preparation. I'm going to submit to you that it is very important to know what to do before you do what you know you have to do it's very important that you know what you have to do before you do what you know you have to do. You don't have to keep living like this.

You don't have to continue like this.

So what I want to do today in a very rudimentary and somewhat elementary. Why is I will just simply ask myself this question. What was it that Nehemiah did intentionally before anything actually happened that was going to happen. So what did Nehemiah do just to give it to someone. He consulted the king, he consulted the king. That's what verses one through four tell us he was the cupbearer of the king. He knew that the king was the man who could make it happen, humanly speaking, he was in the employ of the king, so to speak. He also understood that the king had the residential authority he had the means to be able to provide for him. For some reason whatever it was, he consulted the king he went to King Artaxerxes I think that's very very important number two. He admitted his fear to an amazing thing. But the Bible tells us Nehemiah was unapologetic about the fact that he was fearful.

Fear is a very real thing and from Nehemiah. He understood that he had to take a journey and Audrey was journey full with all kinds of dangers.

I can't even imagine the journey that he would've had to have taken from the court of King Artaxerxes I can't imagine who would've been lying in wait for him. I can't imagine the fear that gripped his heart that the very sort and prospect of going back to Trenton reboot broken wolves will send it been broken for decades.

I can't imagine all the things that would gripping his heart.

This man was the cup era and he was overwhelmed in many ways by fear.

Fear is a very real thing. He didn't hide it you didn't try to pretend it wasn't very but there was 1/3 thing that he did.

He understood his sadness. The king looked at him and said to him, you need to get a grip board why you looking so sad. Cheer up now to want to try and read something into this text, but you not know what the king was trying to say to him I guess he was saying you need to remember that you have a public image and besides that you walk along next to me you the want to make sure that I never get poisoned by an enemy, and the people that work around me the least.

I expect abuse that you have a permanent smile on your face. He understood his sadness, he immediately looked at the king and he told him he said let me tell you why I'm so sad broken wolves produce and inevitable sadness.

You know it's not easy to be jolly happy when you wolves are broken down. I've come to understand as I know we all have that every time you and I meet that there is a broken heart on a repute. One of the most difficult things for us to understand.

As believers, is that we know that when we die we go to heaven to be with the Lord Jesus, but we also know how sad it makes us feel when not understand or not understand the sadness of that broken wall of that burn down gates within the context of who God is and that's there in that I begin to understand and see something far greater than myself far greater than my sadness, he consulted the king in the admitted he's fear and he understood the sadness and I love the fourth thing that Nehemiah did. He prayed before he owns it. By the way, did you notice that just look at verse full with me. Then the king said to me, what is it exactly young man that you are requesting and the next statement is so I prayed to the God of heaven.

Amazing that he was in the most presence of the most powerful person. This person that he was consulting never brought anything to question about that, about his role he was being respectful he was doing what was right. He was doing the proper preparation he was putting all the pieces of the puzzle together, but not before he prayed to the God of heaven. It's almost like Nehemiah understood that he had to have a word from God in order to have a word for man, but there's 1/5 thing that I noticed that Nehemiah did.

He made an honest request.

He made an honest request verse five tells us about it and I said to the king, if it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor please send me to Judah to the city of my father's graves that I may reboot it. I just love the pure, open honesty with which he came. I just love that you know I just ate something about this that Nehemiah in response to the king didn't try and slide this one under the type he just might not honest request, but then I want you to notice number six that he analyze the details.

Verse six tells us that the king began to have this kind of apartheid. Paul with him now. It's not without any misunderstanding that the queen was sitting next to the king, and I'm convinced that's where the details came from.

You know my wife is absolutely convinced, and I can't argue with her that the reason why Moses and the children of Israel wandered around the wilderness for years. Couldn't find a way is because that silly man wouldn't stop just off for directions. I didn't say that my wife said you know this just something so wonderful about this. Can you imagine the king here. I mean all this honesty and Nehemiah's tender human. The walls are broken down, he's getting the soul out. The king says now let's see now how many miles did you say that one and what is this going to have the and when exactly are you going to be back and how long is this going to take and what does this involve and what do you need and how can we do this let's see.

Do you need five mules to carry your equipment or do you need this and how all the little details of it. Sometimes folks it's the details that really matter in God's economy.

You see it's something as small as site you know what I'm going to sit on the prize.

The reason why many wide receivers dropped the bowl before they catch up and run is because they actually look away in the director and in which they going to run before they concentrate on the bullets coming toward them long before the touchdown. The school he analyze the details. Number seven, he rallied support the power of one of its biggest in verse seven through nine.

The Bible tells us about all of this. Not only did he go to the king, but he mustered all that the king had to offer and wanted to do. He ended up with a company around him. But there's one more thing here that he did in his intentional preparation. He anticipated the opposition. Nothing came easy for him.

You know he hadn't even began to leave when certain people began to murmur anticipated the opposition he knew about it. He used that there are people.

It doesn't matter which way you gonna strike us. They don't want any wool to be removed. I don't dates to be fixed. I don't want anybody else to get the credit and and sometimes they are not particularly concerned about anything else than by just against. He anticipated the opposition now want you to get a hold of this. Remember this. It's very important to know what to do before you do what you know you have to do. How does that apply. What is Nehemiah say to you and me yes what Nehemiah is saying to you and me.

Now I don't know what to broken wall is all might be odd. I don't know what to burn down dated so maybe I do. That's not the point.

Your marriage relationships your business, your physical well-being challenge that you're facing the hurt might be the wreck that you are in the circumstances.

The plane I don't know but you wall is broken down orts crumble, orts cracked. I don't know you know that God knows that in his Nehemiah long before he took one step intentional preparation so this is what it tells me you and I need number one.

Consult with wisdom just go consult with wisdom. Go to the people that are around you that you know know pay very close attention to what your doctor has to say to go to that life group leader listen to your mother and father.

You know, I'm convinced that's why God's word says that honor your father and mother, that's a reason you are you at the end of the road your families crumbling. You just cannot get out of this hole that you are in consult wisdom. Number two. Just admit you fear admit you fear.

I want you before the Lord today.

Just say I'm scared. Just admit you fear don't run away from it. There is such strength in the you got every right to be afraid to be fearful. Number three. Understand your sadness. Understand your sadness. You prototyped your own life your own circumstance. Who is it that died in your family. What gap is that lifting your life, what is that loaning the student how did you get to where you are what you find yourself longing for every day what you just wish you could change what hurts so badly. What did that person do to you when you were a child. What a day duty, who was at that bleed you like it think it's irrelevant who was was that teacher was that classmate was that boy next door who who was understand your sadness. See folks what we do and I think we would all understand this.

What we do is we we get trained in our world to façade to push everything else I just phenomenal. Just pertain don't pertain don't don't pretend it's not the you not more of a man because you pucker up and say nothing's going to touch me. Just let go.

Just let it go. Understand your sadness. Pray before you proceed. You are knocking on so that that's a tough one. It it's very hard not to want to go in onset and do something before you prayed about it, you know there's great wisdom in those who cite to us. You know, think before you speak. Yes, that's a discipline we all need to just think, but it's more than that.

Pray before you think before you speak. Because our heavenly father knows Nehemiah did that pray before you proceed. Yes, another one be be honest about.

You will need. Be honest if if it's to do with money. For example, if you can't pay your boots.

Be honest about just be honest what you looking at as as the doctor told you that something's going on in your body and right now you living with this. Just trapped inside and it you just shutting it down you like just just be honest about you need. That's not weakness it's not weakness to do the honest about talk to the person people that you love a bubble talk to the will be honest about that. Be honest about okay number six. No details. God loves details that spared no details yet. I've always loved the feeding of the 5000.

Haven't you.you love that story about the feeding of the 5000. Yes, all these people starving to death and the disciples come along and they say everybody starving today. I like that pastors rank honesty not we got a bunch of people out you and you know something we don't want to talk about the hunger pangs because if you tell people that you're hungry and the greatest preacher that ever lived is about to preach. You gonna question the sincerity of their fight and then you begin to see what what how many people will they 5000 more water. We need more, let's get these fish and loaves. Let's get Bosco to all the details unpack the details.

By the way, something you might find very helpful is to sit down, go to, not to get yourself get with a loved one sitdown get out of pain and write these things down.

Say to yourself, okay, this is the this is what I'm dealing with about this health issue, or our marriage is in trouble.

You know a good thing for married couples to do who are having differences sit down and do two things. Number one, each of you sit down and write out a list of things that you absolutely, totally and completely love about the other person. Now this is in the midst of all your problems. It's a very interesting exercise. You gonna discover that your mind is going to be taken back to when you first met and when you fell in love and all the right things going to say you know I love this about you and I love this about you.

I love this about you. It's not about the length of your list. Just can't do that and then get out another list and write down all the things you really are unhappy about our course that's going to be 10 pages but write it down spared. Don't hide don't hide away spared no details, just get it out just put it out the when you do that as a married couple. For example, you will be amazed the one that you saying this to will get such a shock site. I never knew you didn't like my hair like that. I had no idea.

I didn't know that I aggravated you so much when all I did was this when you get these things out.

It's like a volcano you getting all the fire out. Getting it out to start breathing again it's it's this is before you start doing anything about number seven rally support love the way Nehemiah Winton got all these people and he was surrounded by everybody from horsemen to chariots to the king to letters of reference, plus all the people that he ended up taking with him. I haven't talked to what happened when he got because we gonna discover some remarkable things about his leadership style.

That's what I meant to be on next week.

Some amazing things that he didn't didn't do when he got that web update. Yet this is just intentional preparation didn't start. In fact, the last thing in these minders to think that he can even get there. How are you supposed to get from the court of King Artaxerxes all the way to Judah how you got to make that journey you and I just crank it up. We put it in gear and we drive. He bit of a different problem plus old entourage.

What about all the building materials get letters of reference that got lost people if they chop down the forest rally support get people harness them get around it. It's amazing. It's just a beautiful picture and then the lost one that I did is anticipate obstacles just anticipate obstacles, what kind of obstacles do you suppose they all well number one, we've never been able to talk to each other. That's an obstacle will number two back there in 2003 when I did what I did. I don't think he/she will ever get over that. That's an obstacle what's that obstacle latte.

I'll never do business with that bank again after they came in foreclose on my house as obstacle you go to put it all down. What anticipate your obstacles put it down, and it's amazing what God did amazing what God will so this is the power of intentional preparation before anything else happens. This is starting for the finish. This is the power of starting for the finish. This is on your mark is not even get set and it's not even go it's just on your mark.

You just on your mark. You just you just getting down. I mean, maybe you not even down on the starting or you just you just walking around you just, lumbering up a little but you know you getting yourself loose you you not even anywhere near might used to walking into the building. Maybe you haven't even put on your truck loads yet.

I mean this is so far behind, but it's essential for many of us. The greatest challenge in our spiritual walk is doing what we need to do before we do what we know we need to do, and I'll ask you today to do and I'm going to invite you to respond.

Just do make that commitment. This is a choice. You and I have to make. This is where God says to us. This is not gotten an assignment for you to do all yes it's impossible all yes they too many obstacles.

Oh yes, there's not enough people around. I hope all yes you failed many times folks watch me let me tell you one of the things the devil will do to you and will do to you the moment you say yes to the Lord.

He will convince you. You cannot do it. He's going to convention is going to throw it up at you Dennis I will look how many times you've tried and how all you don't have the strength and you don't. How can you not know what he wants you. You and that you will never be acceptable, unpopular you all.

I mean you messed up back there in 1992, and I don't ever forget that that that first marriage of yours, man. You were just the right time you think the second marriage is going to workmen arming God just going to get it all.

He's got this and God's gonna look at each one of those things is going to cite you I can do all things God can do for us what we cannot do for us soon, but would not blogs God gives to each one of the ability to rise up and meet that challenge. In the name of the Lord Jesus, and I'm proud of you for your intentional preparation. It's time