Rebuilding Our Broken Walls (Part 6)

Compromise and looting of the truth become common in many churches. As part of a misguided desire to grow the numbers to gain recognition by the world, and welcome to leading the way with Dr. Michael you sent today. Look at compromise and how one man.

Nehemiah refused to buckle under pressure is life will encourage you to stand firm were broken they getting out with a powerful example of the destruction that comes out of compromise years Dr. Michael you say guard post magazine republished whole story really a legend and it went something like this. American Indians, Native Americans had a custom, by which they take their borders through the right of passage into manhood, and the particular right of passage is to around the time of 15 or 16, they send those boards out to the forests or mountains or to be all alone in solitude and then they come down and ceremony to make them be men in the legend goes something like this one particular young man hiked all the way to the top of a high mountain when he got all the way to the top. He was able to see almost like forever the Vesta's view for miles and as he was standing there looking at the view he heard some rustling of the leaves at his feet and to his amazement it was a rattlesnake and to his great amazement that's rattlesnake began to talk to him. The rattlesnake said to the young man. It's called up here and I'm freezing put me on the shirt so I can stay warm and then cutting me down to the Valley where I belong, knows that the young man I know your kind. You are rattlesnake the moment.

I'll pick you up you going to bite me. That is not so said the rattlesnake.

I won't harm you at all.

In fact, I will be eternally grateful for saving my life.

The young man insisted and persisted in saying no to the rattlesnake but the rattlesnake kept on persisting in asking again and again and again because of the rattlesnake's persuasion.

He picked rattlesnake and placed it inside his shirt and he carried her all the way down to the Valley. As soon as he took that rattlesnake out of his shirt and placed it on the ground. The snake turned around and struck him bid him releasing large amount of venom into his body. The young man cried out in pain and fear. Why did you do that, I saved your life, you promise that they wouldn't bite me.

The rattlesnake said you knew what I am.

When you pick me up as it slithered down the grass in the bushes. I don't think the story really needs explanation for many of us have one way or another. No, the bite of Satan after Win NT entices us compromising our biblical convictions in our biblical principles that some people when they get bitten by the snake as a result of their compromise. They immediately cry foul.

This is not fair that I don't snake did not play by the rules.

It's not my fault but none of that works for if you give in to the rattlesnake's of compromising biblical truth and biblical conviction, allowing sin in your life. You and I most assuredly will be bitten.

You may not be bitten. The first day of the first week of the first months, maybe even the first year, but you and I most assuredly will be bitten now.

The snake is no other than Satan. That is why the apostle Paul tells the Corinthians 2nd Corinthians 11 three. Is it I'm afraid the just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's coming your mind somehow were led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ now. Hope you got Nehemiah chapter 6 open in front of you there you find Nehemiah was not just facing one rattlesnake he was facing three rattlesnakes three symbolic Tobiah – and those three rattlesnakes were out to destroy him and just in case just in case you did not already know.

Let me assure you that compromise is extremely, extremely, extremely subjective. Satan will always hold out the shiny one sparkling shimmering you want to get ahead in life you want to climb up the corporate ladder faster. Do you want to be popular. Do you want to avoid rejection.

Do you want the easy way out. You want to get rich quick and on and on and on in the moment you say yeah that's intriguing idea. The snake inside your shirt hasn't been. But get ready. Look at Nehemiah right at the time when the rebuilding of the wall is about finished right at that conclusion. These three miserable rattlesnakes if they could not destroy the work of God.

They will try to corrupt and destroy the man of God and the women of God. Now they getting ready for the ribbon cutting ceremony and these miserable three rattlesnakes went for enticement to see at this moment of history.

The walls are rebuilt. The gates almost ready. They have been hung yet so there's always open. Let me tell you right away. Satan loves open doors.

He loves ajar doors in your life and mine. He loves those in the doors were still open some bath and company sent Nehemiah a message. In fact for messages. Look at verse four.

They ride there. Let's get together let's negotiate. Let's have a dialogue.

Let's meet on the plains of Ono and Nehemiah. Here's a weird Ono and he said oh no owner to come to them and explain to you why one of these rattlesnakes doing they are changing their tactics and beginning to say Nehemiah, my friend.

Let's just bet the bygones be bygones. We don't need to fight one another.

Let's be friends. Let me tell you about the choice of Ono and why Willow is about 20 miles north of Jerusalem so is going to get out over protected walls and go 20 miles north and Ono The Valley of owner is beautiful. I mean, it's a beautiful place. It is on par with any beautiful resort that you can think about today. I'm making it as a first-class spa and relaxation everywhere. And what could be better for a man who had been working so hard and exhausted with bricks and stones or with mortar. What can be better for him than to get time mountain rest and relax is nothing wrong with relaxation. Just be patient with me okay is because it is more Ono was halfway between Jerusalem and Samaria, Samaria is about 40 miles north of Jerusalem on August 20 miles to exactly halfway point between Samaria were symbolic of all those miserable people come from and where Nehemiah was one is some bullet saying here is saying Nehemiah. Let's meet halfway.

We come halfway and you come halfway will meet in the middle somewhere. Nehemiah heard who know and he said what all know all know but before some of you get angry with me than say what's wrong with compromise while there are times where compromise is necessary. Sometimes a compromise is good and important in politics and resolving conflicts in relationships and negotiating contracts in making agreements between nations. Each one was given a little in the somehow come to an agreement and that's fine is not what I'm talking about compromising in these things are talked about is one thing but compromising with sin, compromising with some balance of this world compromising your biblical principles compromising biblical truth. These are all radical snakes that will always bite you big time. What we need today, more than any other time in my lifetime is men and women Boys and Girls Club God who have discernment and wisdom so they can discern the truth from falsehood, especially these days when we are seeing individuals who have sat under the word of God, other individuals who have preached the word of God for years now that heard the call of the rattlesnake come down and unlike Nehemiah they came down and compromising their convictions listen. Nehemiah was not for a moment suggesting that this was great work because he was doing it. No, when you are obedient to God's purpose in your life. Any work that God assigns to you is an important Warwick. It doesn't matter whether Sunday school teaching or small group meeting. Whether you're ushering or serving the Lord's table, whatever it may be all of God's work done or being admitted to God is a great work now to say something to moms because every now and again.

Sometimes I hear mom was is ROM just a housewife I'm just a mom this is a method you can absolutely confidently say I'm an executive director of the future leaders of this country. I am the executive producer of the future generation of heroes in this country. Don't let others define you. Don't let other people to tell you from your great work the greatest of work that I can think off. Don't let other people run you down, but he is often what happens when you refuse to compromise with sin in your biblical truth when you stand firm when you say no once twice 100 times the enemy is gonna go for sweet talking, he will go for sweet talking, in order to intimidate you unknown these days of public opinion polls and the Facebook and twitter and focus groups and everyone has an opinion about everything. Sadly, very few have conviction. Some of the irascible Michael is there a difference between an opening in the conviction. I'm glad you asked.

Listen to me an opinion is a belief that we hold.

But the conviction is a belief that holds us a conviction text grasp of our hearts and our minds and never let go.

I know you know that we live in a time that demands for men and women Boys and Girls Club of conviction to stand up and be counted to stand up for the truth. Here is a warning to the faithful after you say no once and twice and three times in 100 times the enemy if you cannot sweettalk you if you could not discourage you is going to try to intimidate you and harass you to get to Nehemiah look at it first discouragement then ridicule mockery.

None of that work.

So they tried enticement manipulation wheedling sweettalk and cajoling and when neither bullying nor beguiling worked. They tried intimidation. They sent them an open letter and they published it in the Jerusalem times versus six and seven and you can tell that there was so exasperated. There was so frustrated that private attempts have failed again and again and again. So now they resort to public intimidation.

They threaten him to tell the king of Persia, that Nehemiah is building his own kingdom.

You see, when all else fails, the resort to blackmail advice they knew if the king really believed there lies if the king of Persia even got a hint that what they're saying is true, he would have turned on Nehemiah, he would've captured him, he would've tortured him, and he would've executed him as a rebel in order to set an example is how they did it. Not only that but the king probably would've send another Army and really destroyed the walls question with the king of Persia have believed the lies probably not can you Nehemiah to well to work for him as his chief of staff and you him and you his heart probably would not have believed it, but it doesn't matter. See symbolic constructed a deceptive and yet plausible scenario very sound Samaria to stop Nehemiah.

He concocted this false accusation that went something like this Nehemiah urine egomaniac. Nehemiah your info glory for yourself. Nehemiah you want to be a dictator. Nehemiah urine autocrat Nehemiah you want. All personal power grab and the opposite is true.

We been seeing throughout the series of the opposite is true. Nehemiah left behind in the palace in Susa. The comfort and the power he left behind luck shortly in the palace and he came to Jerusalem where he probably was sleeping in a Haitian made sleeping bag living under constant threat doing the work of a bricklayer getting his fingernails dirty in his hands, callous heroes denying himself what is encouraging others.

What's happening here. Listen carefully.

Please Nehemiah become a victim of gossip and he shows us here how godly should respond to opposition, intimidation, threats and blackmail verses eight and 9C because his conscience was clear because he lived his life is an open book because he knew their wicked nature. He basically said to them at this is the use of translation identified in your Bible. Take your best shot and so did work.

I think from time to time many of us face false accusations and those false accusations can spread so fast before you get a chance to refute them. These false accusations sap your physical energy they sap your emotional energy cost you sleep. It causes ignoring people to turn on you. It can destroy your reputation. When that happens, remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 511 and 12 Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil things against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Well, when all else fails, the only got one thing left only one thing left assassinated as a last resort. Look at versus 10 all the way to 14 the child an assassination attempt, and for that they employed a false prophet by the name of Sean Meyer help them in their miserable deed. There's nothing worse listen to me. There's nothing worse than someone who knows a little bit of the Scripture and they know exactly how to twisted have to tortured and how to abuse it and falsify it to intimidate you all.

Doesn't the Bible say that you shouldn't judge anyone of you are going does the Bible say that Christianity is inclusive. Doesn't the Bible say that you should love everybody regardless of what they're doing God's will on and on and on and on. We hear it all at the UC when the false prophet, told Nehemiah that the assassins are on their way.

What is he trying to do. He trying to flush Nehemiah out as he is a strong fleshy mouth so that they can get a clear shot at McGill and this trick brought about the opposite effect for Nehemiah in here. Nehemiah uses one of my favorite phrase in the entire book of Nehemiah verse 11 is my favorite phrase sure that a man like me flee or should a man like me run away. You see, Nehemiah knew that Sean Meyer was a false prophet and a traitor has sold his soul to the devil. Simple, why, how can that be I want to explain to but trying to get them into the sanctuary.

The trying to get him not only get a clear shot at him, but probably would be killed by his own people so but why when Nehemiah was a layman it was not a priest, and only the priests were allowed to get into the sanctuary of God, not the laypeople. As a matter of fact it is a crime in the law of God in the book of Numbers chapter 151 in the book of Numbers 310 in the book of numbers 18 seven it's a crime punishable by death. Please, please, please test the spirits always test the spirits know speaking the truth and who's not in God honored Nehemiah's faithfulness and his refusal to break the law of God. Verses 15 to 19 and 52 days 52 days. The wall was built what was impossible appears now to be possible because of God's power working and because God's people united together. God began to do the impossible. Listen to me as I'm concluding here. Don't ever forget that we do serve the God of the impossible.

I know in the midst of trouble. Sometimes we forget that. And if and when every member of this church discover and uses their spiritual gift in this church. Whenever the leadership of this church would considered prayer meeting on Wednesday night. Priority one. I can tell you up on the authority of the word of God.

God is going to do some great and mighty things in this post-Christian era. God is not looking for people warmers.

God is not looking for sunshine Christians.

God is not looking for those who want to be entertained.

God is not looking for compromises in this day and age. God is looking for faithful, courageous, uncompromising men and women. God is looking for those poor sold out to the gospel of Jesus Christ. God is looking for fearless people.

God is looking for people who hold onto his word when everybody else is putting it down when everybody else is undermining it when everybody else is watering it down. God is looking for men and women, boys and girls who refuse to be different snakes, will you commit to be faithful, courageous and uncompromising in your service to God's kingdom challenging words on today's leading the way with Dr. Michael you sent it. He'd like to share how Jesus is change your life. If you'd like to learn how he can change your life. Reach out to one of our team members where LTW.org/Jesus meant when she heard compromise has an incredibly negative impact on life and living and sadly many churches and church leaders have been misled to think that they can make the gospel look more attractive by making these seemingly small adjustments interest act is compromise truth destroys truth explored this challenge to our culture. When you read Dr. Michael you set's new book called saving Christianity order it today, but I do think there are dimensions of our faith after 2000 years that we need to go back and look at and say there seems to be a problem with my question who believes there are many more pads other than Christianity, freethinking Christian, the church will continue to be even more relevant when it quotes letters from 2000 years ago was their best defense in his newest book, saving Christianity Dr. Michael Yousif exposes the false teachings that are infiltrating churches today shares think she's to seeing the revival of true Christianity in our day. Receive your own copy today for a gift of any amount. Don't fall for falsely don't settle for less. The truth order your copy of saving Christianity today is the most important book of our time. You can call right or visit us online@ltw.org LTW.org if you'd like to speak with someone about ordering saving Christianity, ministry representative, 866-626-4356 866-626-4356 and that website again. LTW.org. This program is furnished by leading the way with Dr. Michael passionately proclaiming uncompromising