Rebuilding Our Broken Walls (Part 1)

Dennis is leading the way with Castor and Dr. Dr. Michael give Seth and obviously there's a whole lot of brokenness in the world today.

People are broken families are broken neighborhoods or broken cities and governments are broken can voice their displeasure on social media, or maybe to the ends you stepped up to take a risk or do something about it. Today Dr. Michael Dusek introduces you to Nehemiah's heart hurt for the brokenness of Jerusalem, Israel keep prayerfully answering God's call just to be a part of building brokenness becoming an example for how you can do the same thing in your life. Your world today on leading the way. Part one Dr. Michael sets new series called rebuilding our broken walls. Nehemiah chapter 1 is where today's teaching comes from. As we join Dr. Michael you set on today's leading the way.

Today we see many walls of our broken lives that are broken walls of homes that are broken walls of our culture is already broken walls of our education system is broken. There are so many walls are broken in churches is only one who can help us rebuild those broken walls, and his name is Jesus look around you look around you see, broken lives everywhere broken morals everywhere. The walls of morality has fallen down on the dates of fidelity in marriage are brought down the walls of sanctity of marriage is walls crumbling. The gates of burnt children become defenseless and vulnerable if there is a time for us to learn how to rebuild these walls before it's too late. It is now it is now time for us to restructure those burnt dates around our children. It is now under various is a person who can give us a role model. An example of how to rebuild it is Nehemiah that is why am commencing this series of messages rebuilding our broken walls from the book of Nehemiah.

Remember this Nehemiah was a Jew. He was born and raised in Persia under the Persian Emperor's room but when he heard about the broken walls of the burnt gates. He did something about it.

I know we call him the prophet Nehemiah, but he really is not a profit in the classical Old Testament since he really in reality was a businessman.

He was a professional. He was a man who the most trusted man in the palace by the Emperor, who at the time was the most powerful man in the world.

He was probably trusted by him. He was so close to the seat of power.

He could touch it and he did. But before I tell you of how Nehemiah went about this crisis about rebuilding the wall. There are couple things that I want you to know about Nehemiah the person because when you understand where he was and what he did. He will understand that he is probably was in a far better position than any of us in terms of worldly comfort in terms of worldly leisure. You see, he was geographically more than a thousand miles away, but culturally and in every other way. Economically, he was an million miles away from the trouble for himself was living in the lap of luxury. He was the most important man to the Emperor of Persia, but then he heard about the broken walls and the burnt gates of said like a lot of Christian people do when they hear about what's going on in our culture what's happening in our society. All is not too bad today and then maybe forwarded the email to all of their friends don't how bad it is. Let them read it here. The bad news hoping I guess somebody might do something about it. That's not really my problem. I'm so far away I'm all the way here and purge what can I do all is distance away. I wish I could help those people. But I just can't help them all. Don't get me wrong, I would like to help, but I don't want to jeopardize my security here in the palace. Don't get me wrong I do helpless people but I don't want to jeopardize my privileges in this palace. Why should I get involved in the problem with those folks so far away and on and on and on. He could've gone, but he didn't think God he identified with the suffering of God's people. Although he has never been to Jerusalem himself was born and raised in exile. His zeal for the Lord and for God's people move them to do something. Nehemiah understood the cry of Isaiah when he said, here I am, send me not here I am use man some advisory capacity or here I am send my sister she's more qualified, but what really wounded. Nehemiah's heart, not the wall per se and not the case per se. It's what they represented and what these broken walls and burnt gates represented is that the name of the Lord has been disgraced that the name of the Lord is been marked with the word of God is been ridiculed and the people of God would just run and so the first thing he did began to weep and fast and pray the sin of God's people broke his heart. The sin of the nation wounded him deeply. The condition of the vulnerability of the children being defenseless touched him directly.

This tragic condition drove Nehemiah firsters knees look at verse four when I heard these reports I said down and wept for days. Then he did three things. Listen carefully, he persevered in praising the name of God. He persisted in prayer and intercession. And thirdly, he prepared for God's plan for his life. First he persevered in praising the name of God. Look at verse 50 Lord God of heaven. The great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and obey his commands. Nehemiah stood in all none of the pigeon Emperor, but of God, the God of heaven. He stood in all of his Majesty he came with deep reverence and respect for the God of heaven and you know and I know that there are some people who think praise we just jumping up and down, let off some emotions, but the fact that Jesus taught us to call his father does not make us to turn him into a bellhop waiting at our beck and call to do whatever we want.

Scripture tells us so clearly that God resists the proud will you resist those who taken for granted and took all of his blessings for granted, but he gives grace to the humble name. I went in the presence of God is a man with a broken spirit is a man who confessed his own sinfulness before he interceded for the sinfulness of his people, a man who give praise and glory to God alone. A man who counted the incredible blessing of God's intervention in the past. He did not come to God questioning God why did you do this to you people you call them the apple of your eye.

How come you allow them to get on this miserable condition because in you jolly well water got into this miserable condition because he knew the prophet off the prophet out. The prophet came and pleaded with them turn turn turn and then when they didn't. God had enough send them to excel. The time is coming and may not be too many years from now when God says I've had enough about enough apostasy in the church. I have enough of those in the pulpits are turning to stage about enough of congregation become audience spectators about enough Nehemiah praise the name of God in tough times in praising God in tough times honors God lifting up the name of Jesus and puzzling times pleases the Lord thanking him for his salvation and for his past blessings endears us to the heart of God… Talk about singing praise is a far more than that because you can sing the words but your heart is better.

You can sing the words and your attitude is God. Why is this happening to me. So the first step of rebuilding the broken wall was not rushing in their working out a plan and strategy paper and white paper and get everybody on board and get a vote no. The first step of rebuilding the wall is to learn how to praise the name of God, and that's what Nehemiah did. Secondly, Nehemiah persisted in prayer the persevered in praising persisted in prayer. First Thessalonians 517 pray without ceasing. Not this kind of prayer that Nehemiah exemplified to see not just today but throughout the series was around November December of calendar and he prayed and he persisted in prayer all the way till around March April of the following year, four months of doing nothing but praying, why because he wanted to be sure that is not just speaking to God but is hearing from God. He wanted to hear from God. Nehemiah knew that the Bible was going to be one or loss on the needs of prayer. Nehemiah knew that he had to first win the battle in his own soul for any victory over our enemy and the enemy of our soul must be through persistence in prayer.

That's a key. Even if you don't see immediate response or answer to your prayer even if it takes a long time. Even if you cannot see any evidence that God even hearing you he is hearing you. I can tell you truthfully it breaks my heart to see people who totally misunderstand what prayer is all about. It really breaks my heart. It breaks my heart to see people who see prayer is only asking for something and then whether they get it or they don't get it. They take off, but the truth is this. Listen carefully. The spiritual live is a state of spiritual warfare you signed up for 20 said yes to Jesus. The Bible tells us there is an enemy who is out to destroy us out to discourage us out to the fetus. The spiritual life is a continuous state of spiritual warfare. No, Jesus defeated Satan on the cross but the skirmishes are going on there is a relentless enemy whose constantly warring against you, and against your family and against everything you touch with you in order not. And the sooner you know this the better off you are so you don't get surprised and are you ready for this. He has no cease-fire doesn't believe in the miserable correct above all, the one thing he wants to do is you want to cut your supply line. He really does any of you know anything about warfare, you know, having an open supply line can determine whether you win or lose what they have victory.

Will you defeated in the battle and that is why persistence in prayer keeps set supply line open window spiritual supply line is constantly open.

You will have victory every time, even though you might have some setbacks listen. I talked to enough people to know that many of them think that God is just reluctant to answer the prayers.

And they think that their persistence is in prayer is to try to counter twist.com to stop them from being reluctant to try to convince God why he should answer their prayer.

But listen to me. God is not reluctant God delights in forming his powerless God rejoices over Christmas singing in God choose to empower us through persistence in prayer. Listen to what Paul said to the Ephesians and 320 now to him who is able to do what far more abundantly than all we think, according to the power at work where within us.

When the supply line is continuously and persistently open and flowing, then the moment you get into an ambush. You're not gonna be easily discouraged or defeated. Why because the supply line is continuously coming in you immediately get reinforcement what is happening when the supply line constantly open and persistent prayer and that means you not just asking but listening is a that's what it means to have that supply line open you speaking on your listening and when you're praying by speaking and listening you will me about his business and where you are about God's business. You will do his will. And when you are delighted to do his will you get abundance of blessings and it goes on and on and on and on another line up on the persevered and praise not only he persisted in prayer, but his heart was prepared for God's plan for God's precept, his heart was prepared for whatever God has for him is the third point when you pray that God would give you his plan, and then he would help you obey it.

He will he will. I've seen it too many times to about it.

Look at verse 11 oh Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight the light of what delight in revering your name. Another way of putting this is saying answer the prayer of those who delight in obeying give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man is told about his boss, the Emperor who could log people's heads without batting an eye. You disapprove hard man but when God takes heart of his heart he can turn it around to do God's will. This I know how prayer sometimes can be used as an excuse for doing nothing so this type of prayer is reporting for duty is not just a pray nor pray a prayer only to confess to you, and those who reread the books you know this to be absolutely true in my life. In particular the examiner's praying about where God was going to guide me in terms of whereafter already knew that he leather my heart a consistent preaching ministry that is going to use whatever he puts me as a way to reach the world and I did not know what that meant but I knew God the saying that and saw prayed and I fasted and I prayed and God made it clear for me and when I heard a God to be saying plant a church in Atlanta Georgia. I went back to pray again. I really that I was using present excuse for not doing what God has asked me did I just don't think I've heard him right. I need to pray some more. I really need to pray some more until God sent me a most unlikely person. He said don't keep using present excuse interaction with obedience and when you pray for God to give you his plan so that you might obeying you must be ready, you must be ready to get off your blessed assurance and get on with it. Not a member from that time on one of my favorite verses always tugs at my heart is in second Samuel 2424 you so easily remember 2424 seconds them or direct presence of God for that I give you that which cost me nothing. Prayer is not giving God your wish list and just waiting for that to fall down from heaven this reporting for duty. Prayer is willingness to say here I am, send me Nehemiah heard about these broken walls and the burnt gates. He did not play as a lot of people pray all call do something for these people do not talk about.

He said, use me to serve your will and purpose.

Listen Nehemiah's prayer was willingness to leave his comfort zone.

It was a call to action.

It was stepping forward and saying to God. God amaretto. I know and you know that sometimes our obedience and stepping out in faith appears to us to be risk-taking from a human point of view limited to what can we do spend this he wanted to give of myself you would give this and you will redo the current, but that's risk all year. It is not risk if it is backed up with the King of the universe because of all, how can it be a risk we often pray all Lord send laborers into the field send laborers into the harvest and the Lord God loves to hear God loves to hear all Lord, send me into the field all Lord send me into the harvest old Mohammed send it to my neighborhood all Lord submitted to my workplace. Although it send it to my campus. Ultimately, my school send me whatever you want to send me and help me to do whatever you want me to do. I want you plan, not mine, and I thought as I conclude this message. I thought of the people who everyone of them who canceled Lord is use even me and God use the monthly Hudson Taylor. I think of John Wesley, I am absolutely convinced as I am here today that God honors the quiet, behind-the-scenes obedience. I am absolutely convinced that some obscure Sunday school teacher whose name most of you, which I never heard off a man whom God used mightily by his simple obedience to lead deal.

Moody to Christ. God was delighted when Ezra Kimball's after a moment of hesitation standing in front of the shoe store that he did for courage and went to the shoe store and he led the true salesman of the Christ, and God is just as delighted in Ezra Kimball obedience.

As with DL Moody is rocking to compliments for Christ. So obedience is looking for quiet obedience from behind-the-scenes obedience. Now I am absolutely convinced that those behind-the-scenes obedience servants. They are going to be the ones with the superstars in heaven. I'm convinced that those in the front and those of the big names they going to be in the very back back back his faithful people persevered and praise persisted in prayer prepared for God's plan and quiet obedience. All the ones I got to hear from the lips of Jesus loud and clear.

Well done good and faithful servant. I hope you made a note of those key points persevere in praise persisted in praying and prepare for his presentence. This is leading the way with Dr. Michael used to would you like to speak to someone about your spiritual journey. Maybe how to begin a relationship with Jesus, or to go deeper. You can start by visiting LTW.org/Jesus in my ear and LTW.org. I mean, you can consider getting a copy of directly assess brand-new book. It's called saving Christianity. This book will guide you to a deeper walk with Jesus you will answer some of the difficult questions of life intact. As we close out today's program. Dr. Yousef has joined us sharing his heart about his new book, saving Christianity the Dr. Yousef you speak often about truth.

So what is the number one truth that you hoping your readers will grasp when they read this book. The one thing that I want everyone that get hold of this book is to realize first of all I want to encourage you to stand strong the temptations are huge for us to just fudge a little bit even Christian businesses and now giving in the so-called sexual revolution giving in to this false teaching and Christian institutions literally going in wholesale departure, so I want to strengthen you. I want you to stand strong because I want everyone of you in heaven.

To be able to hear from the lips of Jesus. Well done good and faithful and in the book of Revelation is constantly says those who are faithful to the end though so faithful to them.

I want you to be faithful to the end and this book is going to equip you order your copy out saving Christianity today from leading the way we count 866626435686662643561 online, we would LTW.org LTW.org. This program is furnished by leading the way with Dr. Michael passionately proclaiming uncompromising trip around the world to channel Facebook, twitter and all of our social media networks