The church has been tasked with reaching the next generation with the gospel and with reaching the nations with the gospel. Both of these aspects of the church’s mission have eternal implications, and both can feel overwhelming. In this message from Nehemiah 2 by David Platt, we’ll see that the great work God has called us to is possible, but only with the good hand of our God working in and through us. As we seek his face and rely on his power, we are strengthened and sustained in the great work of making disciples of all nations.
(For more resources from David Platt and Radical, visit radical.net)
The church has been tasked with reaching the next generation with the gospel and with reaching the nations with the gospel. Both of these aspects of the church’s mission have eternal implications, and both can feel overwhelming. In this message from Nehemiah 2 by David Platt, we’ll see that the great work God has called us to is possible, but only with the good hand of our God working in and through us. As we seek his face and rely on his power, we are strengthened and sustained in the great work of making disciples of all nations.
(For more resources from David Platt and Radical, visit radical.net)
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platt. If you have a Bible or somebody around you does that you can look on with. Let me invite you to open me to Nehemiah chapter 2. Feel free to use table of contents if you need to Nehemiah chapter 2. And as you're turning, I want to welcome those of you and other locations around Metro DC, as well as those of you online, who are physically unable to be with us today. It's good to be together around God's word, and especially if you're visiting with us.
Speaker 1:My name is David Platt. I'm one of the pastors here and we are really glad that you are here, and I am thrilled about this journey that we're taking through the book of Nehemiah in the Bible and specifically what I get to show you today in Nehemiah chapter 2. So I've titled this sermon I'm going to go ahead and put it up on the screen the great work God has called us to and the good hand of God to help us do it. And yes, that's an almost 20-word title, and I don't presume you actually hear about sermon titles Honestly, I don't either but the reason I'm telling you this one is because I want to connect the dots today with where Mike started us in this series. A couple of weeks ago, mike led us to ask what could God do in our church, in our lives, in our day, to reach a new generation with the gospel and to gather Christians together, not because we all look like each other or think like each other or have the same preferences or positions on everything, but what would it look like to gather just around Jesus and to gather to reach the city for Jesus, one of the most significant, influential cities in the world, and from here to impact people among the nations for Jesus through our lives? And he said that's what we're going for, and I believe this is great work that God is calling us to, and by great so I'm just going to kind of unpack the title for a second here by great I mean both awesome great and hard great, which means we need the good end of God to help us do it. So just think about it just reaching the next generation with the gospel of Jesus, which, as a side note so those of you who are visiting with us, this word gospel means good news. That's the greatest news in the world that God has made each of us for eternal life in a relationship with him.
Speaker 1:The problem is, each of us have sinned against God. We've turned aside from God and His ways to ourselves or own ways, and our sin has separated us from God. It's why we see all the sin and evil and suffering we experience this world because we're separated from God. And if we die in this state of separation from God, we'll spend eternity separated from God and judgment to our sin. But the good news is that God loves us so much that he has not left us alone here.
Speaker 1:God has come to us in the person of Jesus, who's lived a life of no sin and then, even though he had no sin for which to die, he chose to die on a cross to pay the price for sinners. Then he rose from the dead three days later so that anyone, anywhere, no matter who you are, what you have done, you will put your trust in Jesus to save you from your sin. This is the Lord of your life. Turn from your sin, trust in Him. God will forgive you of all your sin and restore you to relationship with Him forever. If you have never put your trust in Jesus, we invite, we urge you to do that today Believe, receive this good news in your life and then, when you do, and for all who have, so, as a church, our mission, together we exist to spread this gospel right around us, amidst what Mike has described as increasing secularization and diversity and polarization in our culture, in addition to a next generation that is increasingly distanced from the church.
Speaker 1:You look at the stats from every angle and the church is hemorrhaging young people. I read an article this week. The title was the Next Generation is Leaving the Church Earlier Than you Thinked. Even those who are in the church, when they graduate high school, 70% of them will disengage from the church. Surely we're not content with that, but 70% of our kids turning away from Jesus in college 7 out of 10?. And I so love what Mike has shared about students seeing NBC as their church, not their parents' church or their grandparents' church, but their church. A place they want their friends to come and see what God is doing, a place where they find the fireworks of their faith fueled, not just a couple of times a year in a camp setting, but every single Sunday when we gather together.
Speaker 1:That's great work. That's awesome hard work, and not just to reach the next generation, but to reach the nations, starting right here in our city. I've been traveling a good bit the last couple of weeks, which has meant a variety of Uber rides to and from the airport, and in just the last two weeks I've been able to share the gospel, invite people to our church, with two people from Pakistan, two from Afghanistan, one from Turkey, one from South Sudan. Those are people that God brought to my house the last two weeks, from the nations. I always have so many opportunities to reach the world for Jesus from right here in the city and then far from here. So I'll put this map on the screen that I hope is familiar to us the red zones representing approximately 3.2 billion people who right now don't have a Christian or a church around them who can share the gospel with them. And every week we send each other out with the reminder that Jesus has told us to go and make disciples of all of them, starting right where we live. Here we have opportunities to share the gospel with the nations here and the nations far from here. That's awesome hard work that God has called us to, but here's the problem. So follow this. The problem is if you are not careful.
Speaker 1:You can hear about this great work. Reach the next generation, reach people in our city and around the world. You can hear about this work and be so overwhelmed by it that you don't do anything about it. Let's just realize how possible, if not probable, this is For so many people to think. I've got so much going on in my life. What can I really do about the next generation in this city and 3.2 billion people among the nations? And you can subtly, almost unknowingly, buy into the lie from the pit of hell that says, since I can't do everything, I can't do anything.
Speaker 1:But this is what I love about the book of Nehemiah, because it's a story about one guy who looked in the face of massive need, broken walls around Jerusalem and the great work it was going to take to rebuild them. And he said I'm not going to ignore this work, I'm not going to excuse myself from this work, I'm going to do something about it. And as we've seen, don't miss it. Nehemiah was not a preacher. He's not a preacher. He wasn't a prophet. He wasn't a pastor. He wasn't a pay church staff member. Nehemiah was just a guy in the marketplace who decided I have a part to play in the great work God wants to do in my day.
Speaker 1:And that is my prayer for every single Christian within the sound of my voice right now, for every single member of this church, from the teenager to the retiree, to the consultant, to the stay at home parent that you would realize, you like, right where you are sitting right now, not just the person beside you, in front of you, behind you, like you have a part to play in this great work. God is called us too, all together, like. Sure, none of us can do this work alone, but God hasn't called us to do this work alone. He's called us to do this great work together, and he has promised his good hand to anyone who does it. I want to challenge you, by the power of the spirit of God in you, to play your part. And I know I should add, I know that some of you are carrying heavy burdens in your heart and your life right now, bringing into this gathering. You're walking through a variety of things and I'll just say I'm with you. But here's the deal by God's grace, we're carrying those burdens with the gospel in our lives, with the hope of Jesus in our hearts, and we're talking about a generation and a city full of people who don't have that hope amidst what they're walking through. We're talking about three billion people who've never even heard of this hope. So, by God's grace, let's press into this gospel hope with all our hearts and let's spread this gospel hope in a world full of people with hurts that can only be healed by Jesus. So let me show you this.
Speaker 1:In Nehemiah, chapter two, nehemiah chapter one, he heard about the need for the walls to be rebuilt around Jerusalem. But he was hundreds of miles away in the Persian palace working as the king's cup beer. So he started praying and fasting and then so watch what happens. We're just going to read the whole chapter and then think about our lives and the word God has called us to in light of it.
Speaker 1:Nehemiah chapter two, verse one in the month of Nisan, in the 20th year of King Artisirksis, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence and the king said to me why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick. This is nothing but sadness of the heart. Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king. Let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad when the city, the place of my father's graves, lies and ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?
Speaker 1:Then the king said to me what are you requesting? So I prayed to the god of heaven and I said to the king if it pleases the king, if your servant is found favor in your site they use, send me to Judah, to the city of my father's graves, that I may rebuild it. And the king said to me the queen sitting beside him, how long will you be gone and when will you return? So it pleased 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 to me, given me to the governors of the province beyond the river that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the kefir of the king's force, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates, 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 what I asked for. The good hand of my god was upon me. Then I came to the governors, the province beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters.
Speaker 1:Now the king had sent me with officers of the army and horsemen, but when sandball at the horonite and Tobiah the ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. So I went to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose the night. I had a few men with me and I told no one what God by God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me but the one on which I rode.
Speaker 1:I went out by night by the valley gate, the dragon spring, into the dung gate and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down in its gates, that had been destroyed by fire. Then I went on to the fountain gate, into the king's pool, but there was no room for the animal that was under me to pass. Then I went up in the night by the valley and inspected the wall and I turned back and entered by the valley gate and so returned and the officials did not wonder where I had gone or what I was doing, and I not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials and the rest who were to do the work. Then I said to them you see the trouble we're in, how Jerusalem lies and ruins, with its gates burned. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer suffer derision. And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good and also of the words that the King had spoken to me, and they said Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work. But when Sandballot the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite served and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said what is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the King? Then I replied to them the God of Heaven will make us prosper and we, his servants, will arise and build, but you have in no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.
Speaker 1:Yes, so okay, I want to show you seven steps that Nehemiah took to accomplish this great word God was calling him to. So we're just going to observe these, we're going to fly through them. You might write them down. The first two we'll cover together Number one, pray, and number two, fast. So that's what Nehemiah one is all about. We're not going to recover how. You remember the way Mike put it last week, how the most productive people are the most prayerful people? What a great line. The most productive people are the most prayerful people. So here's the deal.
Speaker 1:Nehemiah, chapter one, verse one, started in the month of Kislev. That's when Nehemiah heard about the need in Jerusalem. It was broken over it, so he started to pray and fast. And then Nehemiah, chapter two, verse one. What we just read takes place in the month of Nisan, and from Kislev to Nisan was four months. So for four months Nehemiah prayed and fasted. That doesn't mean he didn't eat or drink that whole four months, but he was continually praying and fasting for four months before he did anything.
Speaker 1:You know what's interesting? Right before this book of the Bible, ezra did the exact same thing. Before he led God's people back to Jerusalem, he declared a fast to pray for protection. And then, right after this, the next book of the Bible, esther does the same thing. Before she goes into the king to try to save God's people, she calls everybody to pray and fast for three days. So here are three stories back to back to back in the Bible of people who attempted to do great work, and they all started with praying and fasting. They were not about to try this great, awesome hard work without first falling on their faces, setting aside food and praying for God's help. So that then leads to a third step.
Speaker 1:Nehemiah takes he plans. At some point during his fasting and praying he realizes I can do something about this problem. Have you ever prayed for something? And God says I'm going to answer that prayer through you. And you wonder wait, wait, I was just praying. He said I know you are the answer to that prayer.
Speaker 1:So Nehemiah starts planning. He knows he has an audience with the Persian king, but he also knows he can't just outright say King, I'd like for you to give me a really, really, really really long vacation to go and restore a city that, by the way, you at one point decreed should not even have a temple in the middle of it. How does that sound? So Nehemiah had to come up with a plan first, just to get the king to initiate a conversation with him. He was a cop-bearer, not conversation maker, with the king, and Nehemiah knew it was forbidden for the cop-bearer to be sad in the king's presence, which means it would be risking his job and potentially his life to do so. But Nehemiah didn't know another way. That was plan A and there was no plan B.
Speaker 1:Then you think about later in the chapter when we see Nehemiah planning again. Once he gets to Jerusalem he rests for a couple of days and he takes a journey around the walls to scope out the situation. Come up with a plan. Now, to be clear, I want to be careful here it's just observing what Nehemiah did. This is not the Bible saying never talk to anybody about your plans. The Bible actually encourages seeking wise counsel. The point is to see the intentionality in Nehemiah's praying and fasting and planning. He's wisely thinking through what part is God calling me to play? How could I play it? Now? Obviously, nehemiah doesn't stop there. A plan without action accomplishes nothing. At some point Nehemiah needs to take a step, or better, put a leap of faith which leads to the fourth step.
Speaker 1:Nehemiah takes risk. I love the way he tells the story. He points out how he had never been sad in the king's presence until one day he decides to take the risk. He comes in downcast and the king asks why is your face sad? And this is the moment where Nehemiah could lose his job or his life. Nehemiah tells us I was very much afraid. And then he goes for it. He tells the king about the walls and Jerusalem, while he starts by buttering the king up Let the king live forever, it's always a good way to start. And then he gives this line that he must have rehearsed a hundred times just to make sure to get it right. And the king says in verse 4, what are you asking for? And this is where the risk goes to a whole new level, because Nehemiah is about to ask the king for permission to leave his job in the palace and rebuild a city among people foreign to the king. And again, I love the way Nehemiah tells the story.
Speaker 1:At the end of verse 4, he says I prayed to the God of heaven. Anyone who has ever taken a step or a leap of faith knows what this moment feels like. God help me. Here goes. And he asks permission to leave and then waits for that response. And you can just imagine that forever, long pause as Nehemiah looks at the king with the queen sitting beside him, and finally the king asks how long will you be gone and when will you return, in essence saying yes, you can go.
Speaker 1:Now Nehemiah is feeling really bold. He's like, hey, since you and your wife seem like you're in a pretty good mood today, can you send me with some letters that will help me get safe passage and support for the walls and maybe even my house that we're trying to rebuild? And the king says you got it and more. The king ends up sending army officials with him for his protection that he didn't ask for in that way. So Nehemiah prayed, fasted, planned. He took the risk and did it, and God moved in ways beyond what he could have imagined, which leads to the fifth step we see Nehemiah take.
Speaker 1:We'll just call this one work, because those first steps may have been hard and risky, but they just introduced a lot more steps to come, because now Nehemiah had to get everything ready to go and traveled to Jerusalem with all kinds of challenges on the way there, only to get there and start the hard work of bringing together leaders and workers who would spend day after day and night after night rebuilding these walls. That was a lot of work. None of it would be easy and most of it would be mundane. Long gone were the days when Nehemiah was living it up in the Persian palace. Now he was in Jerusalem trying to pull together discouraged people, motivate them to do the hard work of rebuilding a massive wall, and that work would be complicated by opposition. We're going to talk about this more when we get to Nehemiah four, five and six. But Nehemiah two introduces us to three people Sandballot, tobiah and Geshem, and we're going to see these guys multiple times working against Nehemiah and against God's people in this work which leads to step number six and Nehemiah two persevere.
Speaker 1:From the moment Nehemiah approaches Jerusalem, people are actively working to oppose him. By verse 19 they are here. It is. By verse 19, sandball it, tobiah and Gessham are jeering at Nehemiah and others, despising them, making accusations against them of rebellion against the king. Never mind that there were no foundations to these accusations. After all, nehemiah had letters of support from the king. But this is what people do when they can't find anything against you, they resort to slander and name-calling or anything else they can do to turn others against you and the work you're trying to do.
Speaker 1:Yet Nehemiah perseveres. Did you notice the phrase that's repeated a couple of times here in verse 18? Nehemiah says let us rise up and build, which leads to them starting to work around these walls. Then sandball and Tobiah and Gessham try to bring him down. And Nehemiah says the exact same thing in verse 20. He says the God of heaven will make us prosperous. We, his servants, will arise and Build. We're gonna do this great work God has called us to do, knowing there will be opposition in this world from all sides, inside and outside. So don't be surprised when it comes. Just rise up and build. Pray fast, plan, risk, work, persevere and, in it all, trust God.
Speaker 1:I Love the way Nehemiah, at every point, shows us he's trusting in God and not himself. We've already seen how he prayed to God right before he spoke to the king. Then, once the king granted what he asked, nehemiah said in verse 8 the king granted me when I asked why, for the good end of my God was upon me. Not because I was an awesome cup bearer, because I gave a really good speech. No, it was because the good end of my God was on me. Then, verse 12 he's makes sure to note how God is the one who had put in his heart to do this for Jerusalem. Then again, in verse 18, when he's rallying people together, he's not pointing to his leadership abilities. Instead he points to God. I told them of the hand of my God that have been upon me for good. And then verse 20 when that opposition comes, nehemiah says the God of heaven will make us prosper. Do you see it all?
Speaker 1:Throughout this chapter, at every point, nehemiah is trusting God's good hand for this great work. So now let's think about this work God has called us to do in our lives, as God's people in our day, and this generation in this city and Light of this state of the world around us. Brothers and sisters, we must pray and fast. We must start here. We must remember it's the whole title of this series. We are not asking what we can do with all our creativity and ingenuity and wealth and resources To reach the next generation in our city, in the nations with the gospel. We're asking what can God do among us, in ways that cannot be explained by us, to reach the next generation in our city, people on the nations with the gospel. That's a very different question to ask not what can we do, but what can God do. So, church, let's follow the leads of Ezra and Nehemiah and Esther.
Speaker 1:What we saw in the book of Acts a few weeks ago, let's fall on our faces, set aside food and let's pray for God to move in Power in our lives and our families, and our church and our city and among the nations, believing that when we pray and fast, god will answer and move. Brothers, sisters, this Friday night we have a prayer gathering for hours dedicated to this purpose, to praying together. So I would encourage you, if possible, to fast on Friday and then let's come together from across all our locations here at Tyson's Friday night and let's fast and pray for this great work that God has called us to. We would be fools in Our lives, our families in the church, in this world to do anything apart from praying and fasting like this. So let's start here. Let's not stop there. Even I'd stop with it. Okay, a prayer gathering on Friday now at all of our locations and our church groups. That are homes. Let's pray and fast and then let's plan.
Speaker 1:So what's it gonna take to reach the next generation, people in our city of people in the nations with the gospel? None of that's gonna happen accidentally. That's only gonna happen intentionally. I think about Leo and Lisa and our church family. I've shared with them about them before they sat down and started strategizing how are we gonna reach our neighborhood with the gospel? And they prayed and they planned and they took risks. They started seeing neighbors come to Christ and be baptized here. None of that happened accidentally. They weren't just sitting around and people sort of coming to their homes saying we'd like to follow Jesus and be baptized, like maybe God will answer prayers that way, but it's usually gonna happen when people start planning to lead people to Jesus. We've planned out so many things in our lives. You plan your schedule for the week, meal plans for the week, whatever kinds of plans.
Speaker 1:Why are we not planning how to spread the gospel to people around us, to the next generation in our city, among the nations? Surely we should be planning, asking God how are you calling me to reach people with the gospel and start strategizing? So how is God calling you Right where you're sitting? How's God calling you to reach the next generation with the gospel? What part is God calling you to play? Is it serving in next generation ministry in our church? Is it reaching out to next-gen ministry leaders? Just ask it how can I serve? What can I do? Who can I mentor? How can we host people? How can we host teenagers in our home for evangelistic Bible studies. Just picture all kinds of families doing that across the DMV. How can you coach a kid's sports league to reach the next generation with the gospel? What else creative can you do? What part is God calling you to play in reaching the next generation with the gospel? And turning those statistics around, we've all got a part to play. And then, what part is God calling you to play in reaching people in this city with the gospel?
Speaker 1:Just think about where you live, where you work, where you play Students. Think about your school, your campus. What can you do to reach other students around you with the good news of God's love in Jesus? Start planning, be intentional. I remember getting out of my yearbook just praying over every single person I saw for opportunities to share the gospel with this person. That person Remember carrying my Bible around with me. I don't know what your plan will be, but students rise up.
Speaker 1:You are neomia on that campus and adults think about your workplace. Just like Neal, I had put him in his job. God has put you in your job. It's no accident that you have that job right now. So who can you share the gospel with through it? I was meeting a couple of weeks ago in Silicon Valley with a group of investors. One day then a group of employees at a well-known tech corporation there, and both these groups believers, intentionally working to share the gospel through their vocations.
Speaker 1:Oh, see your workplace as a mission field that opens doors for people to come to know Jesus who would never darken the doors of a church building but who sit in that office next to you or cross that screen from you or work on that job site with you. It's none of that's by accident, all of that's by appointment. Then connect the dots for many people, god may open doors for you to do the same thing through your work in other places, as you travel domestically or internationally. Do you see how God has arranged for your company to pay for you to spread the gospel across our country and around the world? Now, they don't know that's what they're paying you for, but that's kind of the point, because this is who you are Before you are this or that position, vocation. You're a follower of Jesus and God loves that person on that plane so much he's putting you next to them to be able to share a gospel all up with him. God loves that person in that board meeting room, so much that he's putting you next to them to be able to share that.
Speaker 1:This is not wasted time. 40, 50, 60 hours a week. This is an opportunity to glorify God in really good work and to spread the gospel through that work. Like yes, and then to think about the opportunities you have. Like God has arranged, will some of you be able to get jobs from here in the red? I just got an email last week from one of our members who just took a job in the heart of the Middle East, the heart of the red. His family just moved there for the spread of the gospel through a job opportunity that came up and he took. Last week I had a conversation with a military veteran who had moved his family of eight six kids to a red zone where he's just. He was retiring and coming from Uncle Sam to fuel the spread of the gospel among unreached people.
Speaker 1:So how might God lead you to go to the red or, if not, to steward resources we have here to get the gospel to the red as we reach our neighbors right here, like there is no shortage of people who need the gospel here and you have unique parts to play. So how is God calling you to plan to play your part, to reach people with the gospel, knowing that it will involve risk, knowing that spreading the gospel could cost some of you your job, yeah or your reputation or some relationships, and it will cost you your time and it will cost money? Spread the gospel in our city and among the nations. This is where I wonder if we really want to see revival in the next generation or in our city or among the nations, because if that happens it will mess up our schedules, freeze. How much do we really want To see people come to know Jesus enough to rearrange our pretty casual, comfortable coast through this world?
Speaker 1:Christian lives. We are made by God for bold, sacrificial risk, taking faith. This is what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Let us arise and build. Let's take the risks and do the work, knowing it won't be easy. There is nothing God calls us to. With the gospel, there will be easy in this world, we know this. The work of singleness for the gospel, marriage for the gospel, parenting for the gospel, fostering, adopting, caring for the poor, working for justice, walking in holiness, making disciples in your school, at your workplace All of these things are challenging and there will be opposition at every turn, because there is an adversary who does not want any of that work to happen. So don't be surprised when opposition comes, when it gets harder, not easier, in your life as a result of pressing into this work.
Speaker 1:Persevere, why? Because you are trusting the good hand of your God, because your eyes are fixed on Him and the great work he's called you to do in this world, because your eyes picture it are fixed on Jesus, on the one who saw a world full of sin, and he fell on his face and prayed Not my will, but yours be done. He rose to his feet and he walked to a cross where he risked it all. He did the work, he persevered and paid the price for sinners with his life, for you and me with his life, and he trusted the good hand of his father to raise his body from the grave so that you and I could live lives that matter. Count for what matters most in eternity.
Speaker 1:So, brothers and sisters, in whom the spirit of God dwells, the same God who Nehemiah was praying to is your God, is the God who's put you in your job. You put Nehemiah here, put you there, put you in the circumstances you're walking through right now, and the same spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living inside of you. His spirit is not inside of you to sit you on the sidelines and the great work God is doing in the world. His spirit is inside of you to play a part. And so I would encourage you, by the spirit of God and you, based on the word of God, to us arise and build and play your part, and as you do that and you do that and you do that and I do that, then together let's see what the good hand of our God will do in and through us for his glory in this world.
Speaker 1:So I want to pause at this point and I want to give you a couple minutes to begin to prayerfully answer this question what specific steps is God calling you to take to reach the next generation and the nations with the gospel, starting right here in our city where you live, work and play? I want to give you a couple moments to sit with this question. I'm going to do the same, but I did this at nine o'clock. Well, I just we could have stayed for a long time. The Lord was really just bringing things to my own mind and heart.
Speaker 1:So I hope, though, that this will lead into more praying and fasting and planning in the days ahead, not just on your own, but with others your church group, other brothers and sisters in Christ saying, okay, what risk is God calling us to take? Work is God calling us to do it? And we're going to persevere and trust God through it. So spend a couple moments now with God, just prayerfully, considering this question, and then I or one of our location pastors will lead us in prayer, as you're hearing from God, maybe writing things down. Don't let me interrupt you at all, just keep going.
Speaker 1:And then, the same time, I do want to lead the rest of us in prayer, just bow our heads, and to close our eyes, and to ask every person in this room and watching online well, first and foremost, are you in relationship with God through Jesus? Have you put your trust in Jesus as the Savior and Lord of your life? Have you believed and received this gospel? If the answer to that question is not a resounding yes in your heart, then I want to invite you, just right now, to pray and say yes to God, to say God, I know I've sinned against you. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. He rose from the dead to give me life. So today I repent, I turn for my sin and myself and trust in you. Save me from my sin to be Lord of my life. I believe I received this good news. You pray that to God. That is a prayer God in delights to answer, to forgive you your sin and restore you to relationship with Him.
Speaker 1:Right now, in this holy moment, and when you do, and for all who have, we just pray, oh God. We need this gospel every day, this good news every day, this hope every day, amidst all kinds of things we're walking through in our lives Families. I think about one sister we prayed for in between gatherings today walking through stage four cancer and just saw your gospel hope all over her. We pray for her to gather as a church family. You would have hauled her with your right to stride ahead, overwhelmed her with your hope, your joy, your strength, your peace on a daily basis. You gotta we pray that for everybody, every one of us who's walking through hard things.
Speaker 1:We press into the gospel hope we have in you and we pray help us to spread this gospel hope to others who don't have it in you, god, we pray. We want to see the next generation reached with the good news of your grace and your love. We pray for a mighty move of your spirit among students, among us. Through us, god, please may it be so. We pray for coworkers and neighbors and friends and family members all across our city to come to know you, god. We pray for spiritual awakening in our city.
Speaker 1:We pray from boldness in each of our homes and workplaces and neighborhoods where we go Now, just in our city, but as you lead us into other places and we want to play whatever part you want us to play and seeing the gospel spread to people who've never heard it. So help us, god. Help us to hear from you, help us to plan, to strategize wisely as we fast and pray. And, god, we pray for boldness, to take rest, to step out of casual, comfortable coasting through this world of Christianity. God, help us to live, for that was just going to matter forever, no matter what it costs. Here, I pray that you would do in and through us by your good hand, immeasurably more than all we can ask or imagine for your glory and for others. Good and for our joy. God, we ask this, knowing you desire this for us in Jesus' name, but all God's people said Amen, amen. We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of Radical with David Platt. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit radicalnet.