How I Can Persevere

Welcome to this edition of PowerPoint with gently later in the program will tell you how you moments first, here's the message. How can I the fourth chapter of the book of Nehemiah we find ourselves in a very exciting time. Nehemiah the gifted leader and organize the children of Israel to rebuild the broken down walls around Jerusalem, but as could be expected.

Opposition quickly arose about halfway into the project and organize campaign to halt the work came into force and disappointment and potentially discouragement set in with the children of Israel. The dictionary defines discouragement as to deprive of courage to deter to hinder to dishearten to lose hard to lose courage. There are three New Testament words that describe discouragement. One is dishearten another is dispirited. Another is the fate or to grow weary. For example, the apostle Paul reminds us that we have a ministry of mercy from God.

And yet we grow tired and weary, not all the work, but sometimes in the work. The apostle spoke of being depressed that every hand and being taken down, but not taken out and then he goes on to describe the inward life being renewed. He said though the outward person is parish, the inner person is being renewed every day and so he said therefore we do not lose heart. When Jesus spoke in Luke chapter 18 he said, pray, and do not lose heart. And so we are challenged in this passage of Scripture to stay, encourage, rather than to be discouraged even when times and pressures are difficult. Beginning in verse one of chapter 4 now when Sun Valley heard that they were building the wall.

He was angry and greatly enraged, and he jeered at the Jews and he said in the presence of his brothers, and of the Army of Samaria. What are these feeble Jews doing will they restore it for themselves. Will they sacrifice will they finish it up in a day will they revive the stones of the heaps of rubbish and burn ones at that.

To buy the Emma Ammonite was beside him and he said yes one of a building of a fox goes up on the wall. He will break down their stone wall so Nehemiah responds in verse four here. Oh, our God, for we are despised, turned back there pond on their heads and give them up to the plundered in a land where they are. Do not cover their guilt and let not there. Cindy blotted out from your site, for they have provoked into anger and in the presence of your bill and after this passionate prayer verse six tells us so we built the wall and all the wall was joined together to half its height, for the people had a mind to work right in the middle of the project. The wall is nearly halfway up along came the critics the opponents the saboteur's and discouragement begins to set it. I want to say that discouragement should be expected. You should expect discouragement to show up because every great work of God, grimly great opportunity is followed by opposition. Did you know that someone said when God opens the windows of heaven, the blessedness Satan opens the doors of hell to blast us at any time you attempt to do something great for God to advance his kingdom. You will meet with opposition because Satan doesn't take it lightly that his own dark kingdom is being invaded and that the church of the Lord Jesus is advancing were told that Satan has numerous strategies and tactics and techniques in order to attack us that he lives that he murders that he steals that he accuses and we therefore are not to be ignorant or unaware of these tactics of the strategies knowing that Satan is on the prowl, ready to exploit its writing to Pontus ready to test because we need to be forewarned that we may be for all. Now the tactics as you expect. These are are numerous and we could mention many, but in this case king criticism and ridicule taunting and threatening. They were doing a little bit of trash talking here if up. Fox climbs up on this wall is going to fall down sometimes we can even be taunted and laughed out of our commitment to Christ rather than standing for Christ in our schools are even in our offices we are afraid of the leaders in the jeers of those who don't know Christ and their criticisms and therefore we don't stand after criticism came skepticism. They said this is never going to be done due to these feeble Jews in the words feeble. There means weary and worthless to do these worthless feeble Jews think they are. You notice when you attempt something great in your life. If you have a great great plane that comes from God.

If you have an idea that you want to pursue. If you have a passion in your heart. There will always be some who come along and say it can't be done you wrong. You can't do this for this is the wrong thing to do and many people fall like a cheap accordion when they face criticism and skepticism. Not only this, but there was rumor later on they falsely accuse the Jews and said we are going to attack you were going to kill you were going to destroy you and the Scripture says they repeated this again and again and again 10 times I repeated, and you know if you hear a rumor long enough you start to believe. Rumor is so contagious. Why criticism is contagious and skepticism is contagious and I'm simply pointing out to you that there will always be some who say you can have a great marriage or your kids are not going to turn out the right way or your finances are never going to come together, or you're never going to live for Jesus Christ. The way you claim there will always be some to arise and oppose the work of Christ. And when it happens. Just remember who's behind it that Satan is at work and he has colleagues in this college of criticism that will always be there to try to stop what God doing in your life.

Discouragement expected. But secondly, discouragement you should detect it. In other words, you need to see it for what it really is and in the case of the Israelites so long ago and in our case even today, there are various ways that discouragement can hurt us. One is physical fatigue look down in chapter 4 and verse 10 in your text.

It says in June it was said the strength of those who bear the burdens is failing and there is too much trouble by ourselves. We will not be able to rebuild the walls.

What is happening here.

The children of Israel had been working now for over a month, night and day, and they are physically tired physically exhausted.

Fatigue is setting in.

And if you notice when you get tired when you get physically tired you are then prone to disappointment and discouragement, when the work is getting especially difficult. You start running on empty feeling like you're on the few and life can be depleting. It can be draining and when you are tired. I'm talking about physically tired you are vulnerable to an attack on discouragement.

There is a physical limitation to every one of us, and there is a powerful spiritual connection between the mind and the body and if you exceed your physical limits and you don't take time to rest. If you don't get the proper exercise. You don't eat the proper diet and other words if you don't take care of your body, it will belong to you will not have a body to work and this is exactly what is happening here.

Jesus once said come apart and rest a while Jesus knew the importance of taking time out to rest physically and so because they were physically fatigued and tired.

They began to be discouragement. So we you pacing yourself in life is essential if you're going to win. But not only was there physical fatigue, but there was mental frustration. We see that again in verse 10, they said were never going to get this job done. We never going to finish the task you see what is happening. Because there physically fatigued and now getting mentally fatigued and frustrated. The vision of what they were doing is fading. The buzzword of our day is burnout. Burnout is typically not working too hard but is working with no sense of accomplishment best to set up for discouragement, working hard and feeling like you're not doing the right thing. Burnout is when we work and work and work at the wrong thing rather than the right thing without purpose.

And if we work without purpose. Therefore, we work without passion. But if you have a sense of mission and what you're doing calling in your career commitment in your marriage. Whatever the goal if you have a sense of purpose and that you will have energy to get up every day and do it. You will not burnout but you will burn on set godly goals for your life and pursue them and continue to pursue them family goals and career goals set them that are doable and measurable and then do it for the glory of God. You see what happens when we get discouraged is we get physically tired and then we get mentally frustrated and then here's what happens next. There is spiritual you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham in the message. Can I persevere when you set aside daily time to connect with God to give you the ability to live a godly life and fulfill his plans for you in the coming year and we'd like to help me walk even more closely with the Lord in your head by sending you pastor grams 180 day devotional moments in the word. It's our way to thank you for your gift today to help proclaim the gospel to more people around the world to PowerPoint. Succumb now to get your copy of moments in the word. When you get: 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text the word PowerPoint to 313-1316 PowerPoint to 313131. And don't forget to visit RAM.org shop E store online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email our website again is Jack Graham.for now let's get back to today's message. How can I persevere, what happens when we get this raised is we get physically tired and then we get mentally frustrated and then here's what happens next.

There is spiritual failure. Look again at verse 10 is too much trouble, and by ourselves were not able to build a wall in verse 11 says in our enemy said they will not know or see to we come along and kill them and stop the work. Now they are considering failure there going negative just so much rubbish and and were too tired and we can't do it. And this is a recipe for discouragement. I'm too tired. I'm too sick I'm too sick and tired. I'm too sick and tired of being sick and tired negativity is contagious and by now.

This negativity is spreading throughout the camp of Israel. But let me remind you that everyone in life faces fatigue. Everyone faces failure. Everyone faces the potential of frustration. But what makes the difference in those who wed and those who lose those who succeed and those who fail is how we handle the tough time we can wallow in self defeat and pity. We can quit and give up or we can go on and find strength to go. I challenge you when discouragement sets then to detect it for what it is to identify and then move forward so that brings me to the final point of this message and that is discouragement rejected. So how can I reject it when when I detect discouragement creeping up into my soul into my heart into my life. How can I get up when I am down limits in several ways that come right out of this passage of Scripture how Nehemiah led the children of Israel to get up when they were down, I would be like Nehemiah to you today I want to help you up if you're down number one look up now that's simple, that's what that's what Nehemiah did in verse four.

Look at again descend here all Lord our God for weirdest by and then he began to pray this passionate prayer saying God.

These folks are after us, but I'm turning them over to you there, taunting us that threatening us, but I'm telling you all about them eating go deal with them. He didn't get in their face.

He got in God's face and he talked to God very passionately. He didn't panic he pray he said Lord God, and later on down verse 14 he said do not be afraid of them talking about these adversaries remember the Lord who is great and awesome fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.

Remember the Lord. Remember the Lord cry out to God because when you do when you spend time thinking about his greatness, contemplating his goodness, remembering his promises and his provision is like considering his great love we remember we have seen his power in our lives. Amen we have experienced what God can do, and I live and those discouraging times are times to remember who God isn't what God can do it up the opposite of fear and discouragement is not courage, his faith is trust in Almighty God in Romans chapter 8, the apostle Paul says when we are afraid we no longer live in this spirit of bondage under fear, but now we are to cry out to our Abba father. Daddy. Father, we run into the arms of our God. So look up, but not only look up but show up in verse six we discover that the people had a mind to work.

They had a heart to work. They kept on working at Nehemiah's instruction and inspiration. They refuse to give up and spite of the criticism and the complaints and the threats of the taunts they would not give up and neither should we.

Why we so often ready to quit. People quit their jobs. They change their careers. They leave their church. They walk out on their marriages. All because they face the inevitable times of disappointment and discouragement that we all face.

We all face times of discouragement, but that is the time to keep showing up. Not to give up, but to show up and do what God has called us to do.

Quitting is not an option for the Christian later on. There was a group of conspirators that came against Nehemiah and the Israelites and they tried to get Nehemiah the common negotiate a settlement on this thing. They said well let's have a meeting down on the plains of all know an unusual name all know the planes alone. No I said I said at Nehemiah come down here and talk with us. Leave your job, leave your work. Leave the children of Israel come and talk with us in the course. This was just another plot. This was just another set up to what did Nehemiah say he said no, oh no that's what he said these that I'm doing a great work here and I'm not going to come down. You just keep doing the work that God has called you to do and don't come down. Don't lower yourself to the taunts the threats the evil that is around you are right. Here's another thing team up. That's what the children of Israel did in verses 13 and 14. Look at this when our enemies heard about it that it was known to us in God and frustrated their plan. We all return to the wall, each to his own work, and from that day on half of my service worked on constructions and have held the spears shield bows and coats of mail and the leader stood behind the whole house of Judah see what's happening here there teaming up getting back together and there were those who worked in construction. There were those who held a sword and guarded the construction there now a band of brothers and sisters are saying I got your back. I got you covered in Nehemiah was wise enough to fan out the workers on the wall and he later expanded this and many of these were carrying a sword in one hand and a trial in the other hand, he was both practical and positive. They were one in faith and one in the fight sometimes we were tempted to be discouraged.

We need to remember that what we're doing is bigger than just ourselves and our own fight in our own battles that were all in this together. God has given us his church and the church of the Lord Jesus Christ will prevail beside the gates of hell will not prevail against my church. The point is we ought to hang around people who are positive people who have faith. You know what discouraged people often do they get around other discouraged people as the worst thing you can do get around the encourager and then fill up you want to get up, fill with God's Word and God's spirit. Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is also the great you know so sometimes when I feel myself getting bluer.

Getting down or getting discouraged. You know what I do I want to advise you to do the same thing I did, and that is to run, do not walk run as fast as you can to the word of God, and remember the Lord and the promises of God so look up and show up and team up and fill up with God's Word and God's spirit and finally lift up see what is happening here with the children of Israel. They are banding together once again. I love the end of verse 14 it says who is great and awesome and fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters and your wives in your home. Fight for your families are husbands or wives or children are at stake, and we must fight for our family and lift them up when we're discouraged when we think were defeated – the time to get up on our feet.

Once again, in the power of Jesus Christ and start giving and lifting others. You never know what a tender smile and a warm embrace with a firm handshake. What a loving look will do in a person's life. I want to challenge you this week. Whoever you are discouraged or encouraged today to make it your project this week to find someone who's failed to find someone who's fallen find someone who's is in need of Jesus and lift them up. Let's stop walking past hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of people each week you need the touch of a loving Christian. Let's start getting so Endo ourselves unless get in the lives of others.

Let's get over ourselves and in the power of Jesus Christ lift up the phone and care for people who guess was that I happening in your life you're going to find that old discouragement and that is just vanishing because someone said you're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Tran in the message. How can I persevere.

Looking ahead to a new year can fill you with expectation.

They can also fill you with desperation. What if things get worse.

But if the world gets crazier.

But if you don't have the strength to face what comes your way is through spending daily time in God's word that we find the strength, peace and hope. We need and we want to help you do that by sending you pastor Graham's 180 day devotional moments in the word moments and the word is our special thanks for your gift this month so called request your copy today: 800-795-4627 that's 1-800-795-4627. You can also text with PowerPoint 23131316 PowerPoint 313131. And don't forget to visit Jack RAM.org shop RV store online or sign up for Dr. Graham's free daily email, our website began is Jack Graham.Ward pastor.

What is your PowerPoint get up down, look up when you're down to look up is a simple thing really, but that's exactly what Nehemiah did when there was opposition to the rebuilding in the reconstruction of the wall around Jerusalem.

Listen to his prayers, a powerful prayer in Nehemiah 44 here, O our God, for we are despised, turned back there taught on their own heads and give them up to be plundered in the land where they are captives. Well, that's quite a prayer is in it. Nehemiah didn't waste time or divert from the task at hand dealing with all the criticism he was receiving from those who were opposing the rebuilding of the wall instead of trying to handle all this on his own.

You know what Nehemiah did. He went straight to God. Nehemiah recognize that God could do a better job of dealing with his enemies that he could so he just gave it all to God. So the next time you're down. The next time you're discouraged the next time you are opposed or criticized.

Let me give you the best piece of advice that you could ever hear run straight to God cried out to him now.

How simple is that how basic is that and yet helps prove it is so often we try to figure out everything on our own. We try to fix things ourselves and then we come to the end and say well I guess it's come down to this. I guess a little praying the house.

Well, don't make prayer your last chance. Make it your very first choice. Somebody said if you look behind you, you will be defeated if you look ahead of you. You will be distressed if you look around you, you'll be discouraged. But if you look above you, you will be determined. Hebrews 12 1 to 3 tells us this let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted so when problems come problems with people with pressures with what ever take it to the top.

Go to the Lord.

Tell them all about it. Look to him. Look up and overcome the disappointments that you face in life and that is today's PowerPoint. Remember when you give a gift to PowerPoint will send you Graham 180 day moments were call 1800-7956 271-7957 also text the word PowerPoint 31 text PowerPoint join us again next time. Dr. Graham brings a message about what it takes to win the spiritual and personal your life is next time on PowerPoint with Jeff PowerPoint with Jack RAM is sponsored by PowerPoint ministries