WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:00.959 All right, 1130. 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:02.080 Good to see you. 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:05.519 Uh, hopefully you came today and brought your journals. 00:00:05.599 --> 00:00:06.879 If you did, show them to me. 00:00:06.959 --> 00:00:07.759 I want to see your journals. 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:10.400 That means you were here last week and David asked you to do. 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:11.519 So grateful that you did that. 00:00:11.599 --> 00:00:16.399 For those of you that either don't have a journal because you forgot it, or uh maybe you weren't here last week. 00:00:16.480 --> 00:00:21.920 We are in the middle of a sermon series called The Wall, and we are walking this through with all of our groups. 00:00:22.000 --> 00:00:25.280 So if you're here today and don't have a journal, I want to make sure you have one. 00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:32.640 So raise your hand up in the air, and we're gonna have some of our guys walk around and pass these out so you can make sure to get a hold of a copy of one. 00:00:32.719 --> 00:00:42.479 Uh just want to remind you uh of what we're gonna be doing over the course of the next five weeks now is we're gonna be walking through in our groups uh the book of Nehemiah. 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:50.640 So it's important that you take notes uh because that way when you go to a group, you're gonna be able to contribute and you're gonna be able to ask questions and give feedback. 00:00:50.799 --> 00:00:57.039 Uh again, I want to remind you if you're not in a group, this is a perfect opportunity for you to do just that. 00:00:57.280 --> 00:00:58.960 Perfect time for you to jump into a group. 00:00:59.039 --> 00:01:02.159 Uh our Wednesday night groups are launching back this coming Wednesday night. 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:04.879 Uh, we've got a bunch of home groups that meet on a continual basis. 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:08.640 We've also got groups that meet at all three hours on Sunday mornings. 00:01:08.719 --> 00:01:11.439 There are plenty of opportunities for you to jump into a group. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:12.400 So just keep your hands up. 00:01:12.480 --> 00:01:14.159 We will make sure to get those to you, don't worry. 00:01:14.239 --> 00:01:15.439 Uh, we'll eventually get there. 00:01:15.519 --> 00:01:17.519 Hey, just want to make another reminder to you. 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:25.200 I've mentioned this the last couple of weeks, but I've got an interest meeting taking place immediately after this service and would love for you to join me. 00:01:25.359 --> 00:01:31.920 Hillary and I are going to be leading a trip to uh Paul and his journeys in Greece next spring break. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:33.359 We're really excited about this. 00:01:33.439 --> 00:01:37.120 It's an incredible trip, really an amazing, amazing experience. 00:01:37.280 --> 00:01:45.120 Very different than Israel, but still an opportunity for you to see many of the biblical sites where the Apostle Paul went on some of his missionary journeys. 00:01:45.280 --> 00:01:51.359 You don't have to go to the interest meeting in order to actually go on the trip, but I would love for you to come if you are interested at all. 00:01:51.519 --> 00:01:54.319 We're gonna answer some questions and talk more about that. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:57.680 I want to apologize up front for my voice. 00:01:57.840 --> 00:02:02.319 I'm recovering from COVID, feeling good now, but uh had COVID earlier this week. 00:02:02.400 --> 00:02:07.040 And uh honestly, I debated at one point thinking, man, I don't know if I should be here and all that kind of stuff. 00:02:07.120 --> 00:02:09.439 But Noah, I'm I'm really into the Olympics. 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:10.719 I've been watching the Olympics. 00:02:10.960 --> 00:02:14.400 Noah Lyles won the bronze medal with COVID. 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:16.719 I can preach three services at United City. 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:17.439 It's fine, right? 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:18.719 Like it's no big deal. 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:22.560 So that's my inspiration today is Noah Lyles coming on here today. 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:25.840 Uh, but no, hopefully it's it we can we can work through it a little bit. 00:02:25.919 --> 00:02:27.599 Um, but it's just kind of that season. 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:28.560 But man, it's exciting. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:29.120 It's exciting. 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:33.360 There's a lot of stuff going on and a lot of great things happening, not only in the life of our church. 00:02:33.439 --> 00:02:42.319 You mentioned the baptisms earlier, uh, but also just the fact that God is school's back, and so there's just a lot of really cry neat things happening in our midst. 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:45.840 Grab your Bibles, open them up with me to Nehemiah chapter two. 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:53.120 Nehemiah chapter two, if you're one of our kindergartners, that is on page 667 in the Bible that we just gave you. 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:55.919 667 is where it's gonna be for you. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:02.400 I don't know where it is in your copy of God's word, but I encourage you to make sure to grab it and open it up to Nehemiah chapter two. 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:09.199 I want to welcome all of the men and all of the women in our correctional facilities and those that are joining us on the other side of the camera. 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:10.800 Let's give them a hand and celebrate. 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:12.800 You know, we do that every week. 00:03:14.319 --> 00:03:18.400 We do, you mean a lot to us, and we're grateful for the chance to bring this message to you. 00:03:18.560 --> 00:03:21.199 Um last month I drove to Colorado. 00:03:21.280 --> 00:03:23.919 It's something that we have basically been doing the last 20 years. 00:03:24.080 --> 00:03:31.199 My in-laws pretty much live there, and so because of that, we we go there and and we spend some time with them and just to kind of get out. 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:32.479 That's kind of our vacation spot. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:33.520 That's what we've always done. 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:43.280 I've done this drive now for so many times that I kind of know basically what three options are gonna be available to me whenever I go and make that that trek. 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:48.000 And I just kind of put in the GPS and just basically follow the lead and just kind of make enjoy the drive. 00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:50.080 I was trying to switch it up a little bit though. 00:03:50.159 --> 00:04:02.800 Uh, and so I had this thought that's kind of hit me, and I think the problem, the reason why it's probably come up in my mind is because I'm now teaching my third driver in the house, the parent-taught driver's ed. 00:04:03.280 --> 00:04:16.240 And I'm realizing that whenever you do the parent-taught driver's ed, it's really difficult to critique your kids' driving because they blame it on their instructor, right? 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:18.319 And that doesn't really work really well. 00:04:18.399 --> 00:04:28.720 And I'm realizing that I think I I think I told you differently, but I'm realizing that they probably tend to catch more than they necessarily are taught. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:34.079 They watch what I do, maybe more than I tell them what they're supposed to do. 00:04:34.160 --> 00:05:04.959 And so I thought to myself, this thought if I stay in the same lane the entire way up to Colorado, will I get there significantly slower than if I do what I normally do, which is to feel as though I am a race car driver who weaves in and out of traffic with the sole goal of arriving to the destination sooner than the GPS says that I will arrive. 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:07.600 Now, for those of you who are looking at me like, what's wrong with you? 00:05:07.680 --> 00:05:10.639 I would tell you one, I go legal safe limits of speed. 00:05:10.720 --> 00:05:29.519 I don't want you to think I'm I'm speeding, but what I've noticed along the way is that there are certain cars who do not share my enthusiasm to arrive at the destination with a little more urgency than it would be if you just stayed in the same lane. 00:05:29.680 --> 00:05:30.959 And so I literally had this thought. 00:05:31.120 --> 00:05:32.639 I wonder what would take place. 00:05:32.720 --> 00:05:41.600 Like, how much slower, if at all, would it take me to arrive if I just went in the lane and didn't change lanes? 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:43.759 I just rode along and went. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:46.079 Or if I do what I normally do. 00:05:46.240 --> 00:05:49.920 Now, I was really excited whenever I stopped and I actually looked it up online. 00:05:50.000 --> 00:05:52.319 I went, I wonder if anybody else has ever thought about this. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:06:03.839 And sure enough, the Mythbusters that that the group, the the show that they kind of do do myths and they test them out, they actually sought to answer this question. 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:10.160 Is it faster to weave in and out of traffic, or is it better just to stay in one lane of traffic? 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:17.040 Now, before I tell you the results of the Mythbusters experiment, I just kind of gotta get a gauge as to who we have in the room. 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:24.000 How many of you are like me and basically are gonna weave in and out of traffic and basically try to get there as quick as you possibly can, okay? 00:06:24.160 --> 00:06:27.279 All right, it's called leadership, is right there, is what that is. 00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:27.839 You know? 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:29.120 I mean, it just looks like it. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.040 You're loving this series because this is you. 00:06:31.120 --> 00:06:32.800 Like I'm just speaking to you, the leaders. 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:41.600 How many of you, alright, raise your hand really proud and tall, would say that you're just you're fine staying in one lane of traffic and just getting there whenever you get there. 00:06:41.680 --> 00:06:42.000 It's fine. 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:42.639 What's the big deal? 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:46.000 Raise your hand really tall, raise your hand, keep your hands up, okay? 00:06:46.319 --> 00:06:48.720 These people have lower blood pressure. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.399 These people are more enjoyable to be around. 00:06:53.360 --> 00:06:56.240 These people are probably better friends than the rest of us, okay? 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:59.680 There's just a there's just a good possibility that is the case. 00:07:00.319 --> 00:07:04.240 So Mythbusters did the experiment, and what they determined was this. 00:07:04.959 --> 00:07:07.839 That you do, in fact, arrive at your destination. 00:07:07.920 --> 00:07:10.399 They did a 46-mile trip. 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:13.279 46-mile trip, okay? 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:19.600 And so they had two different people, one weaved in and out of traffic, and one instead went in the same lane the whole time. 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:32.959 And what they discovered is the one that weaved in and out of traffic did in fact arrive at the destination three minutes earlier than the one who stayed in the same lane. 00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:34.000 Three minutes. 00:07:34.160 --> 00:07:34.720 That's it. 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:35.759 Just three minutes. 00:07:36.160 --> 00:07:50.319 What they also discovered was that in the midst of those three minutes saving some time, it also put themselves at a great danger, not only to themselves, but also to all other motorists. 00:07:51.279 --> 00:07:54.399 I don't know about you, but I'm pretty proud of my three minutes, all right? 00:07:54.480 --> 00:07:55.759 I'm just saying that, okay? 00:07:56.319 --> 00:08:01.759 In fact, I think I could probably get three and a half if I was given the opportunity to be able to do so, right? 00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.759 Uh but it's the constant idea of this. 00:08:06.319 --> 00:08:09.839 We hate to wait. 00:08:11.439 --> 00:08:18.720 How much of our lives is spent hurry up and wait? 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:25.120 I'm about to fly, really soon, I'm about to fly out uh whenever I go to the airport. 00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:50.639 I'm gonna get to the airport, try to be there as short as an amount of time as I possibly can, but I have to be there a certain amount early, and so I've I've I've got the pre-TSA pre-check, and if somehow I don't get approved for the TSA pre-check, like the life of the world is over because I gotta wait in this long line, and I I go there, and you know, people what they do when they check in at the airport, they're really hopeful that whenever you check in, you get one of the early boarding passes, one of the early boarding groups. 00:08:50.799 --> 00:09:01.279 In fact, you might even pay money for status or pay money for a credit card, which is gonna give you even more preferred group whenever you go and board the plane. 00:09:01.440 --> 00:09:06.639 And so what happens is you basically go and you all stand like startings in a line and you wait. 00:09:06.720 --> 00:09:14.080 And if you're group one, or if you're group two, or if you're group three, it's very exciting because you're gonna get to board the plane earlier than everybody else. 00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:14.960 And then what happens? 00:09:15.039 --> 00:09:16.480 You get on the plane, and what do you do? 00:09:16.639 --> 00:09:19.200 You wait for everybody else to board the plane. 00:09:19.679 --> 00:09:23.519 You're not going anywhere until everybody else gets on the plane. 00:09:23.679 --> 00:09:25.759 Hurry up and wait. 00:09:26.879 --> 00:09:27.200 Okay? 00:09:27.519 --> 00:09:30.000 Or what about the whole uh idea of a pilot? 00:09:30.159 --> 00:09:31.360 We got a lot of pilots in our church. 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:32.879 Praise God for pilots, all right? 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:38.000 And a pilot, the board, the boarding process goes fairly quickly and they get us on rather fast. 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:42.080 And what they do is they say that they're gonna try to push it to get us there a little bit early. 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:46.799 I don't even know what push it means, but I want to push it every time we ever go anywhere, right? 00:09:46.879 --> 00:10:04.799 And so what happens is they they come and they land on the ground, and you're really excited because you look down and you notice it's at least five, maybe ten, maybe even fifteen minutes early than what you are scheduled to arrive, only to discover they have no open gates because they weren't expecting you. 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:13.279 So you have to sit on the runway and wait for an open gate, to essentially wait for the time that you were supposed to arrive in order for them to be there. 00:10:13.360 --> 00:10:16.159 It's hurry up and wait. 00:10:16.799 --> 00:10:29.679 Let me ask you this: if you are in the right lane and you are coming up on a stoplight and you have to eventually turn right, and there is a car that is in front of you, but there is an open spot in the left lane, there is no car. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:49.919 Do you wait behind that car that's in front of you, knowing you're gonna eventually turn right, or do you do like the rest of us, and you go over to the left lane, and when the light turns green, you run as fast as you possibly can in order to get in front of that car just to go and make that right turn because you want to make sure that you don't have to wait. 00:10:51.120 --> 00:11:01.120 I just want to tell you up front, the message today is not one that is fun for any of us to hear, but it's so important for us to learn. 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:10.639 We're in the middle of a series in the book of Nehemiah, and our goal ultimately is to learn how do we build or how do we rebuild something. 00:11:11.440 --> 00:11:32.159 Our desire is that we would see God do something in us or in our circumstances or in our relationships or in our finances or in our jobs or in our whatever it is, and that we would see God put a put a desire in our hearts and that He would be able to do something with that and to bring about change, that we would see movement. 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:44.480 And the idea is that God has called all of us to be leaders who lead in the process of building or rebuilding something. 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:54.000 Last week we talked about a very key principle in this whole idea of rebuilding or building something, and that is this leaders lead from their needs. 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:57.919 Like you gotta start by saying, God, what do you want? 00:11:58.799 --> 00:12:04.559 I've got a I see a problem, and instead of me trying to figure out how to fix it, I want to go to you. 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:08.320 One, because I believe that you can, I'm gonna pray with urgency. 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:12.879 I'm also gonna be honest, God, here's kind of where I am part of the problem. 00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:18.559 Here's kind of where I am maybe a contributing factor in the problem that we're dealing with. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:25.279 But ultimately, I'm gonna pray with initiative, saying, God, I want to be used to be an answer to the print. 00:12:26.000 --> 00:12:36.960 This morning, the principle that we're gonna talk through, in fact, if I want you to open up your journals to page chapter, or page number nine, and I want you to please write this principle down in the bubble that is there. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:41.519 Leaders wait on God's timing. 00:12:43.759 --> 00:12:48.960 Leaders wait on God's timing. 00:12:50.480 --> 00:12:59.279 If you're serious about building something, if you're serious about rebuilding something, you just gotta get it in your mind. 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:00.879 Hurry up and wait. 00:13:02.480 --> 00:13:17.759 What you're gonna begin to discover is that every time you feel like you're all of a sudden maybe making progress, or it's time to make a move, or it's time to go forward, a lot of times you're gonna have to wait. 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:22.720 Nehemiah found himself in a situation where he was having to wait. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:30.399 He was in exile in foreign land, he was in the land of Babylon, he'd longed to be back in Jerusalem, his homeland, his with his people. 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:38.159 He longed to be a part of the rebuilding process because he'd heard that the walls were torn down, that the temple was torn down, that the sacrifices weren't happening. 00:13:38.240 --> 00:13:41.440 And so he had this longing and this ache in his heart. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:48.320 And we saw last week that he took that longing and that ache directly to the Lord and he began to pray. 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:50.720 Began to say, God, what do you want me to do with this? 00:13:50.960 --> 00:13:52.559 How do you want me to handle it? 00:13:52.799 --> 00:14:04.559 He found himself in a place where he longed to be, he was standing here, but he longed to be over there, and he didn't have the resources or the ability or the opportunity to go and do what God ultimately birthed in his heart to go and do. 00:14:04.799 --> 00:14:08.080 That's where we find him in Nehemiah chapter 2, beginning in verse 1. 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:09.200 Let's read. 00:14:09.759 --> 00:14:17.759 In the month of Nisan, in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.559 Now I had not been sad in his presence. 00:14:20.799 --> 00:14:24.480 And the king said to me, Why is your face sad seeing that you were not sick? 00:14:24.799 --> 00:14:27.120 This is nothing but sadness of the heart. 00:14:27.360 --> 00:14:29.120 And I was very much afraid. 00:14:29.360 --> 00:14:31.759 I said to the king, Let the king live forever. 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:39.200 Why should not my face be sad when the city, the place of my father's graves, lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire? 00:14:39.440 --> 00:14:41.840 And the king said to me, What are you requesting? 00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:44.240 So I prayed to the God of heaven. 00:14:44.480 --> 00:14:54.080 And I said to the king, If it pleases the king, and if it your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my father's graves, that I may rebuild it. 00:14:54.399 --> 00:14:57.919 And the king said to me, the queen sitting beside him, How long will you be gone? 00:14:58.080 --> 00:14:59.519 And when will you return? 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:03.919 So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:16.960 We miss it because we really don't understand the calendar here, but there's a big significant change that took place between chapter 1, verse 11, the end of the prayer, and chapter 2, verse 1. 00:15:17.120 --> 00:15:20.080 Go back with me to verse 11 of chapter 1. 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:26.639 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name. 00:15:26.879 --> 00:15:31.039 And give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.159 Now I was a cupbearer to the king. 00:15:34.720 --> 00:15:44.159 This is a bold, passionate prayer that Nehemiah is praying, and one where Nehemiah is expectant and hopeful that God is going to do something. 00:15:44.320 --> 00:15:46.159 He's got this desire in his heart. 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.679 He's praying and pleading to God, knowing God can do something. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:16:02.720 But what I want you to see is 1 verse 11 and 2 verse 1, it says there at the beginning, uh, in verse 1, in the month of Nisan in the 20th year of Artaxerxes, four months had passed. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:04.960 Four months. 00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:09.840 Now, four months doesn't seem maybe like that's long of a time, but four months is a long time. 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:23.600 Uh I've got a brand new baby niece, uh, and she is beautiful and all the things, and and four months from now I know that she is going to be at a place where she's gonna literally double in size. 00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:32.559 She's gonna start to show personality, she's gonna start to coo and make baby noises, she's gonna start doing some things, she's gonna start, we're gonna start seeing who she is. 00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:36.320 I can't wait for my little niece to be four months old. 00:16:36.559 --> 00:16:40.960 Can I tell you, four months for her mother is a very different description of time. 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:43.840 She's the one getting up with her all the time. 00:16:44.080 --> 00:16:48.399 She's the one walking through that four months, feels like forever from now. 00:16:49.440 --> 00:17:07.599 Four months may not feel like it's that long unless maybe you are waiting for an insurance claim to go through and they tell you that it's gonna take four months for them to approve it, even though you know what is wrong, you know what needs to be fixed, but it's gonna take four months because they're backed up, that's the longest 121 days of your life. 00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:13.519 You're just waiting, you're just wanting something to happen, and you just keep looking at it. 00:17:13.599 --> 00:17:25.920 Do you realize four months from now, if you do not have already at that point ordered what you need to order for Christmas, that it likely will be delayed and you will not be able to get it in time for Christmas Day delivery? 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:28.880 Four months from right now, how many of you are thinking about Christmas shopping right now? 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:30.319 Very few of you, probably, right? 00:17:30.960 --> 00:17:31.279 Right? 00:17:31.440 --> 00:17:35.279 Four months is not that long, but it's kind of a long time. 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:39.359 Four months is the length of a high school football season. 00:17:40.079 --> 00:17:46.079 Four months means an entire semester of school is over. 00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:48.079 How crazy is that? 00:17:48.400 --> 00:17:50.319 For Nehemiah, this was the case. 00:17:50.559 --> 00:17:57.759 He wanted the people to be restored, he wanted the people and the temple to be rebuilt, he wanted to see hope in his homeland. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:18:06.000 And so for him, four months' time when it seemed as though nothing was taking place felt like forever. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:12.079 I want you to know when you think about it from a leadership standpoint, we know that timing is everything, for instance. 00:18:12.160 --> 00:18:25.759 You know that there's some people that know there's certain times whenever you want to make good deals, there's certain times whenever you want to wait until the interest rates go back down, there's certain times whenever you want to wait until the election's over, or all the various business savvy things that maybe some of you do. 00:18:25.920 --> 00:18:31.680 And I want you to know what we're talking about here is not being business savvy or it's not being politically savvy. 00:18:31.759 --> 00:18:36.240 It's instead being spiritually obedient, which is to be waiting. 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:41.440 My experience personally in walking with the Lord has been this. 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:44.000 God is often slow. 00:18:44.880 --> 00:18:47.839 He is rarely, if ever, in a hurry. 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:50.720 But he's never one time been late. 00:18:53.519 --> 00:18:59.839 God is often slow, he is rarely, if ever, in a hurry. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:01.920 He's never one time. 00:19:04.960 --> 00:19:07.680 This means that we don't pray and then try to force it. 00:19:07.759 --> 00:19:09.519 That's exactly what I would do. 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:16.720 I would instead say, God, I'm gonna go to you first, but then I'm gonna take over because you're taking too long. 00:19:17.839 --> 00:19:23.599 Instead, what Nehemiah does is he goes to God first, and then he waits. 00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:29.839 As much as we may hate to hear this, the idea of waiting, it's found all over the Bible. 00:19:30.160 --> 00:19:36.480 Lamentations chapter 3, verse 25 the Lord is good to those who wait for him. 00:19:37.359 --> 00:19:38.960 To the soul who seeks him. 00:19:39.759 --> 00:19:44.640 God is not interested in doing things as quickly as we always want them to be accomplished. 00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:48.880 We want microwave prayers that are answered even faster than the microwave. 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:54.000 We want God to answer our prayers as we are saying them. 00:19:54.400 --> 00:19:57.039 He's like, oh, I know what you're talking about, and then just kind of go. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:59.440 Like we're not listening, we're not saying it all. 00:19:59.519 --> 00:20:00.880 He's just already kind of run with it. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:02.000 That's what we want. 00:20:02.079 --> 00:20:11.119 But spiritual leaders know that more can be accomplished by waiting on God than you could ever do faster on your own. 00:20:12.960 --> 00:20:15.519 Isaiah chapter 40, verse 28 through 31. 00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:19.119 It's the text of the song that we just sang, which was just amazing. 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:20.400 Have you not known? 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:22.240 Have you not heard? 00:20:23.279 --> 00:20:27.039 The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. 00:20:27.359 --> 00:20:31.200 He does not faint or grow weary, his understanding is uncertain. 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:36.880 He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increase his strength. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:42.000 Even youth shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted. 00:20:43.839 --> 00:20:47.119 But they who wait for the Lord. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:50.400 Shall renew their strength. 00:20:51.440 --> 00:20:53.440 They shall mount up with wings like evil. 00:20:54.720 --> 00:20:56.559 They shall run and not be weary. 00:20:57.519 --> 00:21:00.880 They shall walk and not faith. 00:21:01.759 --> 00:21:03.759 We love the first part of that verse. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:09.039 We love God's sovereignty and God's sufficiency, but what we don't love is the how. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:12.240 Which is gotta wait. 00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:14.880 Gotta be patient. 00:21:15.920 --> 00:21:18.400 Daniel chapter 2, verses 20 and 21. 00:21:18.480 --> 00:21:24.000 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. 00:21:24.319 --> 00:21:31.680 He changes times and seasons, he removes kings and sets up kings, he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:32.720 Why do I tell you that? 00:21:32.799 --> 00:21:33.920 Because I want you to know this. 00:21:34.079 --> 00:21:37.759 Whenever you are waiting, you may feel like you are wasting time. 00:21:38.960 --> 00:21:44.240 But what you need to understand is this is that we've got a God who changes times and seasons. 00:21:44.640 --> 00:21:47.200 We've got a God who puts kings into place. 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:56.000 So, what that means is this is that while you are waiting, you are not wasting time because God's working while you wait. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.279 God's doing stuff. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:05.119 In the background that affects what's going on out here. 00:22:06.240 --> 00:22:16.400 And while we think it's up to us to grab the reins and take over, if we're going to build something that's going to last, remember that's what the front of the journal says. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:19.599 We're not just trying to build something that we can say, hey, look, this is great. 00:22:19.680 --> 00:22:23.759 And then it gets taken down in a minute, but instead we're going to build something that will last. 00:22:23.920 --> 00:22:27.839 That means we're going to get on our knees before the Lord and we're going to wait. 00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.480 We're going to listen. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:35.839 And we're going to believe and we're going to trust that God can do something with it. 00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:43.920 Throughout the Bible, we see that God does something in the hearts of those who seek Him while they wait. 00:22:44.799 --> 00:22:46.880 Psalm 27, verse 13 and 14. 00:22:46.960 --> 00:22:50.160 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:52.480 That's one of the best verses you could possibly ever claim. 00:22:52.640 --> 00:22:55.680 One of the best verses that you put on a coffee cup or on a picture. 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:56.799 I mean, it's amazing. 00:22:56.960 --> 00:22:58.559 Look at what the next verse says. 00:22:58.799 --> 00:23:00.000 Wait for the Lord. 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:03.599 Be strong and let your heart take courage. 00:23:03.759 --> 00:23:04.559 Wait for the Lord. 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.480 It's like he says it twice because he knows we're going to need to be reminded of it. 00:23:10.799 --> 00:23:14.240 I want to see God move in my life, but I gotta wait. 00:23:15.680 --> 00:23:16.559 I gotta wait. 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:20.480 Psalm chapter 130, verses 5 through 8. 00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:21.920 I wait for the Lord. 00:23:22.079 --> 00:23:24.480 My soul waits, and in his word I hope. 00:23:24.720 --> 00:23:29.519 My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning, more than watchman for the morning. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:36.640 Oh Israel, hope to the Lord, hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. 00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:40.559 And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:44.720 Looks God works while we wait. 00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:47.920 We see the pattern play out as well in the scriptures. 00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:48.559 Think about it. 00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:59.839 Joseph in Genesis, he has given this dream and this vision that God gave him that said he was going to be the father or he's gonna be a leader over all of his brothers, and he was gonna be a leader of this great nation. 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:09.200 But now what we see along the way as we read that Joseph finds himself in a place where his brothers sold him into slavery and he's in a dungeon. 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:14.480 He is sitting here while his dream is over there, and he has no way of going from here to there. 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:17.680 And it's almost like God tells him, Just wait, I'm not done with you. 00:24:18.160 --> 00:24:19.279 Gotta wait. 00:24:19.519 --> 00:24:20.960 It will come in time. 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:28.799 King David, he was given this vision and this dream that God told him he was gonna be the leader and the king of the nation of Israel. 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:38.640 Yet he then finds himself running in fear for his life from King Saul, hiding in caves, waiting for that fulfillment to be fulfilled. 00:24:38.720 --> 00:24:43.119 And that's ultimately we see when so many of these Psalms that we've already read were written. 00:24:44.079 --> 00:24:48.079 God shapes him and moves him and changes his character and changes who he is. 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:49.359 Folks, I want you to know this. 00:24:49.440 --> 00:24:54.720 Even though you may not feel like any progress is taking place in the middle of a waiting time, I want you to know this. 00:24:54.960 --> 00:24:59.440 God is working in your life while you wait. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:04.400 We don't know the circumstances here specifically, but we know Nehemiah had to wait for four months. 00:25:04.640 --> 00:25:16.480 He was the cupbearer for the king, and you've got to wonder if he prayed every day, God do something, God do something, God do something, waiting for the opportunity whenever it was going to be time to do something about the situation. 00:25:17.920 --> 00:25:21.200 Let me ask, are you in a season of waiting? 00:25:23.359 --> 00:25:29.279 You feel like you're in a place where you want things to be moving forward. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:40.720 But it just feels like you find yourself in a relational grind, kind of wanting to make this thing figured out. 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:55.200 Instead, you feel like the Lord's just saying, At your office, are you at the place where you're about to take things into your own hands and you're about to go and do what it is that you think you're supposed to go and do? 00:25:55.279 --> 00:25:56.000 Is it possible? 00:25:56.079 --> 00:25:58.319 What the Lord wants you to hear today is this. 00:25:58.720 --> 00:26:00.240 I want you to pray. 00:26:00.559 --> 00:26:01.920 And I need you to wait. 00:26:03.680 --> 00:26:11.759 Maybe you look at your marriage and you would say, you know, I'm I'm fine investing in my marriage, I'm fine going to re-engage, starts this coming Wednesday, it'd be a great thing for me for you to do. 00:26:11.920 --> 00:26:13.599 And so I'm I'm fine doing that. 00:26:13.680 --> 00:26:21.039 But if she's not better by this day, or if I'm not he hasn't changed by this specific day, then I am owls, and I would simply tell you this pray. 00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:24.960 Wait and get rid of your timeline. 00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:29.759 Second Peter chapter 3, verse 8 says this. 00:26:30.799 --> 00:26:35.440 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years. 00:26:36.640 --> 00:26:40.559 And a thousand years as one day. 00:26:42.799 --> 00:26:44.799 God is in nearly as much of a hurry. 00:26:46.079 --> 00:26:50.160 He's often slow, but he's never late. 00:26:52.079 --> 00:27:06.000 Because I think back, I've been here for five years at United City, and in many ways it was a revitalization situation in terms of the church and the building and all that kind of stuff, and and even just looking at what we have here, it just kind of brings me back to that season. 00:27:06.079 --> 00:27:14.559 And I think back in my life five years ago, and I would simply tell you there was so often in the midst of that season, I wanted desperately for the walls to be put back together. 00:27:14.880 --> 00:27:18.559 I wanted so desperately for the morale and the culture to be changed. 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:20.720 I wanted so desperately and so quickly. 00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:26.079 I want, in fact, I got frustrated often complaining, good to the Lord, like, why can't this be fixed? 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:27.359 And why can't this be fixed? 00:27:27.440 --> 00:27:28.559 And why can't this be changed? 00:27:28.640 --> 00:27:29.759 And on and on and on. 00:27:29.839 --> 00:27:41.119 And as I stand here today and look back, what I would tell you is I missed over and over again the small, subtle ways in which God provided and which God did things and God moved. 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:48.960 And because I was so busy complaining about what was not yet to come, I missed thanking God for all that He had done. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:28:04.319 Looks is it possible that what God wants you to do is to slow down so that you will look back and walk in confidence in the future, seeing how God has provided so that you will never question it when something else comes up. 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:09.599 Is it possible that God wants you to wait? 00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:22.000 Because He wants to do things in you that He's not yet finished and completed, even though it may feel like the circumstances are ready for the change. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:26.319 What I want you to see is three things you can do in your waiting. 00:28:26.400 --> 00:28:27.599 Let me give them to you quickly. 00:28:28.799 --> 00:28:30.480 Pray, plan, and prepare. 00:28:31.440 --> 00:28:32.640 Pray, plan, and prepare. 00:28:32.799 --> 00:28:33.920 First one is pray. 00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:37.759 Nehemiah was already doing this when he heard about the problem in the past. 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:39.599 He saw that in chapter one. 00:28:39.920 --> 00:28:42.559 But look at what he does in verse four. 00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:45.200 Then the king said to me, What are you requesting? 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:46.559 That's a big moment. 00:28:47.920 --> 00:28:50.640 Like he'd been ready, he'd been talking about it, he'd been thinking about it. 00:28:50.720 --> 00:28:51.440 What am I gonna do? 00:28:51.599 --> 00:28:54.640 And then all of a sudden the king out of nowhere says, Hey man, what's going on? 00:28:54.880 --> 00:28:56.400 What do you want to see changed? 00:28:57.279 --> 00:28:58.880 And I love what it says that he does. 00:28:58.960 --> 00:29:00.559 So I prayed to the God of heaven. 00:29:02.079 --> 00:29:09.759 I'm convinced what God desires for us to do is to get on our knees and beg before the Lord and let him do a work in and through all of us. 00:29:09.839 --> 00:29:23.039 But then I also believe whenever he says that we are to pray without ceasing, it's these breath prayers so that in that moment when all of a sudden I get asked the question, all of a sudden I get put in front of that person, all of a sudden I get the opportunity that I didn't know was coming. 00:29:23.200 --> 00:29:24.880 I've God, what do I do right now? 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:26.720 And he's there. 00:29:28.000 --> 00:29:34.000 Whether it's long private prayers or brief public prayers, here's what I do. 00:29:34.079 --> 00:29:35.359 I'm walking with Jesus. 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:37.599 I'm walking with him. 00:29:38.160 --> 00:29:39.119 I'm ready. 00:29:39.359 --> 00:29:40.960 I'm ready for what he wants me to do. 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:44.640 Why is it so important that we pray while we wait? 00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:45.839 I believe for two reasons. 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:53.599 One, because I know that what God tends to do is he begins to bring about change in other people while we pray and wait. 00:29:54.400 --> 00:29:59.680 I don't know the circumstances with King Aryxerxes here in verse four, but what we do see is this. 00:29:59.920 --> 00:30:09.519 All of a sudden, that specific day, in that specific scenario, he was willing and ready to ask the question and say, Hey, what do you need? 00:30:10.160 --> 00:30:11.440 What are you wanting? 00:30:12.799 --> 00:30:22.880 Folks, what I've found is that what happens is that whenever I pray, God begins to move and open up doors that I could have never possibly opened with all the plans that I already had. 00:30:25.119 --> 00:30:28.079 God can do more in a moment than you can do in a lifetime. 00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:31.759 Sometimes He just needs us to pray in order to make it happen. 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:39.039 A second reason I believe you should pray while you wait is because it allows God to change your heart. 00:30:39.279 --> 00:30:41.359 Have you ever had any never mind prayers? 00:30:42.880 --> 00:30:44.240 God, I need you to do this. 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:59.200 I need this specific thing, I need you to provide in this specific way, I need you to do that, and then all of a sudden something changes, the circumstances changes, you kind of moved on, and then all of a sudden God gives that, and you're like, oh, that's awesome, but I actually that never mind, I don't really need it anymore. 00:30:59.279 --> 00:30:59.920 I don't want that. 00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:00.720 That's fine. 00:31:03.039 --> 00:31:04.960 Folks, what I want you to see is this. 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:17.200 So often, what God does in the praying, it's not about whether he answers it or not, it's about what he's doing and changing in you while you pray. 00:31:18.240 --> 00:31:22.640 Second thing I tell you to do, not only pray while you wait, but number two is a plan while you wait. 00:31:23.440 --> 00:31:23.759 Plan. 00:31:24.400 --> 00:31:26.480 We're gonna look at this in depth next week. 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:29.440 But Nehemiah didn't pray and do nothing. 00:31:30.319 --> 00:31:32.559 Nehemiah had a plan, he thought it through. 00:31:32.880 --> 00:31:36.880 He was ready when the moment of time came to present and to execute that plan. 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:41.680 Which means I must do what I can do while letting God do what only he can do. 00:31:42.799 --> 00:31:48.960 I may not know everything, but I can be obedient to what I do know and I can trust God for the things that I don't know. 00:31:50.400 --> 00:31:54.559 Sometimes we have an idea or a hope or a thought or a dream, and I want to consider this question. 00:31:54.799 --> 00:31:57.279 If I get your journals and I want you to write this down. 00:31:58.480 --> 00:32:07.200 If God builds a blank, whatever your blank is, if God rebuilds a blank, what is my next step? 00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:10.480 What is my next step? 00:32:53.039 --> 00:33:00.000 This means you pray to God to rebuild your job while actively networking and working hard where you are right now. 00:33:01.440 --> 00:33:04.079 That you're waiting in active wait. 00:33:04.880 --> 00:33:06.559 And finally, prepare. 00:33:07.519 --> 00:33:08.160 Prepare. 00:33:10.319 --> 00:33:11.839 Pray, plan, and prepare. 00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:25.680 One of the greatest privileges that we have is the ability to look back and our lives and recognize how God was working in the midst of our situations and orchestrating things that we never could have possibly seen in the moment. 00:33:27.200 --> 00:33:44.240 Which allows us to have the confidence to think about all the things that have happened in your life, and you see how God has used all of it, the good things and the bad things, the highs and the lows, the miraculous and the trials, to prepare you for the moment that you have right in front of you. 00:33:46.079 --> 00:34:02.880 You see, while you think that what you're dealing with is so important, God is doing something behind you, bigger than you, and he's using your specific circumstances in order to bring about his good purpose and his good plan. 00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:06.559 It doesn't mean that he doesn't care about your circumstances. 00:34:06.720 --> 00:34:20.800 What it does mean is he cares intimately about those circumstances, but what it does also mean is that we are to lay those circumstances before him, recognizing that God is doing something bigger through me, through you, through us. 00:34:23.039 --> 00:34:29.760 Many times God may use your situation to accomplish bigger purposes in his life, in our lives. 00:34:30.559 --> 00:34:34.320 Sometimes God affirms and God blesses the plans that we have set out. 00:34:35.199 --> 00:34:38.239 Sometimes God prunes and he refines those plans. 00:34:39.199 --> 00:34:47.519 Sometimes God says no so that we can be exposed and see a better yes that he has available for us. 00:34:47.599 --> 00:34:50.800 But no matter what, we can trust. 00:34:52.639 --> 00:34:56.400 Even when I don't see it, he's working. 00:34:57.679 --> 00:35:01.679 Even when I don't feel it, you're working. 00:35:04.400 --> 00:35:05.360