WEBVTT 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:11.759 You're listening to the road with Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:12.720 --> 00:00:21.600 What would happen if on a regular basis God's work in your life was so significant that Satan got disheartened by you? 00:00:22.079 --> 00:00:23.519 Wouldn't that be a cool thing? 00:00:23.600 --> 00:00:30.320 I mean, wouldn't it be great that so dishearten demons that they're kind of sick of how supernatural you live your life? 00:00:30.559 --> 00:00:35.280 At The Road, our mission is to empower people to change the world. 00:00:35.520 --> 00:00:39.600 For more information on The Road, visit theroad.org. 00:00:39.759 --> 00:00:44.560 We hope you are encouraged by today's message from Pastor Teacher Steve Holt. 00:00:49.200 --> 00:00:52.079 All right, turning your Bibles to Nehemiah 6. 00:00:52.240 --> 00:00:57.520 And for you that are guests with us today, we are going through the book of Nehemiah. 00:00:57.840 --> 00:01:01.920 We're talking about building spiritual walls in our life. 00:01:02.159 --> 00:01:09.040 And here's my title today God's work done God's way can build a city. 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:10.879 God's work, how many of you know? 00:01:11.040 --> 00:01:14.159 God's work done God's way can build a family. 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:17.120 God's work done God's way can build a marriage. 00:01:17.359 --> 00:01:23.200 God's work done God's way can build you to be as successful and effective in your job as you were created to be. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:29.599 God's work done God's way can enable you to break the power unforgiveness in your life. 00:01:29.760 --> 00:01:33.359 God's work done God's way can often bring healing in your life. 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:50.799 God's work done God's way can cause you to experience so much supernatural stuff that you're living on the edge all the time of the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit because you start praying these kind of prayers. 00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:57.840 Lord, you told me to pray to seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added unto me. 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:05.680 Lord, you told me in the Lord's Prayer to pray, Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come. 00:02:06.319 --> 00:02:10.000 Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:14.080 If you start to believe that, and by the way, that does all come from the red. 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:16.879 That's from the red in your Bible. 00:02:17.039 --> 00:02:17.360 Okay? 00:02:17.599 --> 00:02:19.759 That's from the main guy. 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:21.280 That's from Jesus. 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:23.199 He's saying, This is how I want you to live. 00:02:23.360 --> 00:02:26.159 Seek first the kingdom and pray for the kingdom to come. 00:02:26.479 --> 00:02:30.319 So I'm not pessimistic about the future. 00:02:30.879 --> 00:02:33.120 I'm super optimistic. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:38.400 I believe that the city we're living in is not gonna get worse, it's gonna get better. 00:02:38.960 --> 00:02:45.039 And as long as we keep having a view like the end is coming, oh no, who's the Antichrist? 00:02:45.199 --> 00:02:46.800 When's the second coming coming? 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:49.599 You're gonna live a pessimistic life. 00:02:49.840 --> 00:03:03.840 I want to encourage you that in God's hands, all that kind of stuff, what matters to us is what the Bible says, and the Bible says to build God's kingdom through the power of the Holy Spirit and through the anointing of the Holy Spirit with the gifts that God's given you. 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:05.280 Everybody said amen. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:06.879 Everybody said amen? 00:03:07.360 --> 00:03:08.639 Everybody said amen. 00:03:10.080 --> 00:03:10.719 It's true. 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:17.840 And so what we have in Nehemiah 6 and 7 is this incredible work that a cupbearer did. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:19.680 This guy's a cupbearer. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:22.080 He's a food taster. 00:03:23.039 --> 00:03:24.960 He's a wine taster. 00:03:25.199 --> 00:03:34.319 He's a nobody who becomes a somebody because he believes that God's work done God's way can build something great. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:43.520 Doesn't matter what your education is, it doesn't matter how smart you are, it doesn't matter how many kids you have, it doesn't matter how many divorces you've been through, it doesn't matter. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:54.639 If you'll surrender to Christ today and begin to give yourself to him, there's amazing things that God does through people who are completely surrendered to him, and that's Nehemiah. 00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.759 So here we've gone through these last few weeks. 00:03:58.080 --> 00:04:05.759 52 days is all it took for him to rebuild the walls that the nobles, the government officials had had for years. 00:04:06.400 --> 00:04:09.520 For years they've had the temple there, all the walls come on down. 00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:10.800 It took one man. 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:12.800 That's all it takes is one man. 00:04:12.960 --> 00:04:19.920 That's all it takes is one woman who begins to believe I'm sick and tired of the way things are, and I'm gonna make a difference. 00:04:20.079 --> 00:04:23.600 If nobody follows me, fine, but I'm gonna make a difference. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:26.160 And so that's often the way God works. 00:04:26.319 --> 00:04:35.600 He works through men and women who begin to get uncomfortable with status quo, and they want to make a difference, and that's what happens here with Nehemiah. 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:40.319 So we pick it up, chapter 6, verse 15. 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:46.720 So the wall was finished on the 25th day of Alul in 52 days. 00:04:47.040 --> 00:04:48.560 This should have taken years. 00:04:48.720 --> 00:04:51.120 He does it in 52 days. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:59.920 And it happened when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:08.959 Circle, disheartened, underline, highlight, disheartened, in their own eyes, for they perceived that this work was done by our God. 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:17.920 What would happen if on a regular basis God's work in your life was so significant that Satan got disheartened by you? 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:19.759 Wouldn't that be a cool thing? 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:26.560 I mean, wouldn't it be great to so dishearten demons that they're kind of sick of how supernatural you live your life? 00:05:26.879 --> 00:05:27.759 It's possible. 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.920 God does that and he took, and he took this guy and he began to follow God. 00:05:32.000 --> 00:05:41.040 He gathered a group, they began to build this city God's way, and in so doing, it actually pulls the heart out of the enemy. 00:05:41.600 --> 00:05:43.920 It pulls the heart out of the enemy. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:52.399 I think we should be on, we should have a goal as a church and as an individual that we want to see God do something at the road. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:57.839 We want to see God do something in this city that disheartens our enemies. 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:00.639 They're like, I don't know what to do. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:04.879 Every time those guys pray, something happens. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:06.720 And I'm fearful of that. 00:06:07.120 --> 00:06:13.040 The prayer on Wednesday night for all the young people that were up here as we begin to ask the Holy Spirit to minister. 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:20.240 I mean, it was like, I don't know, 40 or 50 young people up in the front getting prayer because they're, and it was about abortion. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:28.399 But they were coming forth because they saw something of the need in their heart for a supernatural encounter with God. 00:06:29.600 --> 00:06:31.600 And so and so that's what God wants to do. 00:06:31.680 --> 00:06:35.360 He wants to dishearten the enemy through heartened people of God. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:45.279 And what happens, you guys, is we become so used to our status quo Christianity that we lose the fire. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:46.639 We lose the fire. 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:54.319 And when God comes and he begins to move in our heart again, we begin to trust him in fresh new ways, we come alive in the spirit. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:55.920 We come alive in the spirit. 00:06:56.000 --> 00:07:02.399 And so then God's work done God's way has supernatural speed in what he can do sometimes. 00:07:02.560 --> 00:07:03.120 Not all the time. 00:07:03.199 --> 00:07:04.639 Sometimes we have to wait on the Lord. 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:23.920 But there are so many things, I'm sure, economically, physiologically, mentally, and emotionally, that God could heal today, right now in your life, if you chose to start doing God's work, done God's way, and let him have his way in your life. 00:07:24.160 --> 00:07:29.360 So on Wednesday night, this Wednesday night I'm gonna be talking about God, politics, and the Bible. 00:07:29.519 --> 00:07:33.120 So I'm gonna do part one on Wednesday night, God, politics, and the Bible. 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:39.600 And I want to give a basis for what I believe the Bible says about the political arena, civil arena, and our role in that. 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.720 But then, secondly, you guys, I want it to be a healing time. 00:07:42.959 --> 00:07:45.360 I want to make Wednesday night a healing service. 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:51.680 So if you have an ailment or you know someone who needs healing, bring them to Wednesday night at 6 p.m. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:57.920 for our strategic prayer, and we're gonna pray specifically about healing on that night. 00:07:58.639 --> 00:08:01.600 So, God moves, pulls the heart out of the enemy. 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:03.120 Look at chapter 7. 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:27.920 Then it was when the wall was built, and I had hung the doors, when the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, that I gave the charge of Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah, the leader of the citadel, for he was a faithful man and feared God more than many. 00:08:28.079 --> 00:08:33.039 Now turn, turn in your Bibles to Psalm 127. 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:37.840 If you turn to Psalm 127, keep your finger in chapter 7, but turn to Psalm 127. 00:08:38.799 --> 00:08:48.159 Psalm 127 is one of those great Psalms that challenges us in how to build our lives in Christ. 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:55.200 Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. 00:08:55.519 --> 00:09:00.399 Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:08.480 It is vain for you to rise up early to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrow's, for so he gives his beloved seat. 00:09:08.559 --> 00:09:11.679 Now write this down, jot this down. 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:15.600 What God builds, he guards. 00:09:16.399 --> 00:09:19.600 What God builds, he guards. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:23.600 Some of you are hoping God's gonna guard something that he didn't build. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:30.000 There's a lot of churches that God hasn't built and they're struggling right now during COVID. 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.519 One out of five churches is closing during COVID. 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:34.159 Did you know that? 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:40.000 And my feeling on that is probably it's exactly what they should have done years ago. 00:09:40.320 --> 00:09:44.320 Okay, so when God builds a house, the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.039 So when God's building his house, he's gonna protect it. 00:09:47.200 --> 00:09:58.320 If you're building your personal finances, if you're building your marriage, if you're building your family on God, your foundation is God in the Bible, he will guard it. 00:09:58.559 --> 00:10:00.799 If you're not, you're guarding it. 00:10:00.960 --> 00:10:03.840 And if you're guarding it, it's gonna be really, really tough. 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:04.960 Because that's verse two. 00:10:05.440 --> 00:10:06.159 It's vain. 00:10:06.559 --> 00:10:07.919 It's vain to stay up late. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:10.399 How many of you stay up late worrying? 00:10:10.960 --> 00:10:11.679 Raise your hand. 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:13.759 How many of you stay up late worrying sometimes? 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:16.240 Wow, you guys are just so godly, hardly anybody. 00:10:16.399 --> 00:10:17.919 Well, I do, okay? 00:10:18.159 --> 00:10:21.039 Because there's things in my life that I know I'm not building on the Lord. 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:21.919 I know I'm not. 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:23.360 And so I worry about them. 00:10:23.440 --> 00:10:25.679 And then sometimes you're building on the Lord and you still worry about them. 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:26.159 Hello? 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:26.720 Right? 00:10:26.960 --> 00:10:38.559 And so what God's saying to us is it's vain to give yourself to something, build something that God's not building, number one, and then number two, that God's not even guarding. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:41.840 And that's what he wants to do in a city church. 00:10:42.159 --> 00:10:44.799 He wants a city that he builds. 00:10:44.960 --> 00:10:47.919 He wants Colorado Springs to be a city that he builds. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:54.399 Now, before there's any misunderstanding, and I'll clear this up on Wednesday night, I'm not saying that everybody's Christian. 00:10:54.559 --> 00:10:56.399 I'm not saying that every leader has to be a Christian. 00:10:56.480 --> 00:11:08.000 As a matter of fact, Martin Luther during the Reformation said, I'd rather have a good pagan who's not a Christian than a good Christian who acts like a pagan. 00:11:08.399 --> 00:11:16.799 And so the reality is that we have common values, we have common grace that we can all agree on as it relates to our land. 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:23.120 And so, in the reality of all of that, he's saying, Let's build the city on me. 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:24.320 Let me build the city. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:30.240 And he'll do that through civic, he does it through civic leaders as well as spiritual leaders. 00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:31.440 Continues. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:36.799 Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. 00:11:36.960 --> 00:11:41.759 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth. 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:45.039 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:50.080 They shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with their enemies in the gate. 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:52.960 Listen, this is really important. 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:59.600 Where God builds, children are cherished. 00:12:00.879 --> 00:12:04.000 When God builds something, children are cherished. 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:11.279 We have a democratic party that is built largely on abortion. 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:14.720 That is, God is not building that house. 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:16.000 I can tell you that right now. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.559 It is wrong and it is wrong. 00:12:18.879 --> 00:12:30.720 And so God, when he builds a city, you guys, he builds a city where he's got a bow that he's pulling back so that our children will eventually be arrows. 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:41.919 They're being equipped and they're being mightily built in a powerful way to be used for the next generation of the kingdom of God. 00:12:42.159 --> 00:12:44.000 That's what this church is all about. 00:12:44.399 --> 00:12:46.080 That's what this city should be out. 00:12:46.240 --> 00:13:00.559 Wouldn't it be awesome if there's a day coming where there's a beautiful day coming, church, where when we pull back that quiver, we know that the whole generation of children coming, and when those children come forth, they're gonna be more godly than we were. 00:13:00.799 --> 00:13:04.159 They're gonna be more biblical, they're gonna be more spirit-filled than we were. 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:10.799 You've got to build a city on a foundation that cherishes children, even the unborn. 00:13:12.080 --> 00:13:18.080 I'm not real smart, but I can tell you this children can't be born if they're dead. 00:13:18.960 --> 00:13:36.480 And so, from conception, just so you know, and most of you would know this, for 5,000 years, even before, there was always, especially in the last 2,000 years with Christianity, there's always been a solid belief in the sanctity of life. 00:13:36.720 --> 00:13:49.919 It's only been in the last 75 or 100 years that we've actually regressed to paganism with child sacrifice, with the with the spirit of malek, the spirit of human sacrifice through children. 00:13:50.159 --> 00:13:57.120 What's been exciting recently is that at least in the Trump administration, they've been going after sex traffickers. 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:01.039 You're not hearing about it in the news, but you're but they're going after them. 00:14:01.200 --> 00:14:04.240 And they're nailing them left and right and left and right. 00:14:04.480 --> 00:14:10.879 One of the things that Lou said on Wednesday night, which I'd never thought of, he said, and you guys understand this. 00:14:11.039 --> 00:14:25.440 Well, you know you don't, because I don't say this very often, but I am no big fan of Donald Trump's character and the things that he says sometimes, but I I agree on the policies, not necessarily the personality or the way it comes across. 00:14:25.759 --> 00:14:41.600 But uh he he said, in a way, Donald Trump is like a modern-day William Wilberforce who ended slavery because of his pro-life stance and also his commitment, his solid commitment to going after the sex trafficking that's happening around the world. 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:44.960 And it's happening in our city. 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:52.960 Wouldn't it be awesome if we built this city in the days ahead in such a way that no sex trafficker would be welcome here? 00:14:53.440 --> 00:15:06.559 Where no abortion is ever happening to a young person, where we're a church that loves our kids and cherishes our kids and adopts our kids and has homes for those kids where they can grow up to be who they were created to be by God. 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:08.559 It's possible. 00:15:09.120 --> 00:15:13.120 And that's what's happening here through Nehemiah. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:15.919 So go back to Nehemiah chapter 7. 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:21.600 And so what he does here, men and women, is he begins to build leaders. 00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:24.799 He begins to hang doors, he has gatekeepers. 00:15:25.039 --> 00:15:27.440 Listen, he has gatekeepers and singers. 00:15:27.519 --> 00:15:28.960 Listen to what I'm gonna say next. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:34.240 You need gatekeepers, gatekeepers that are civil gatekeepers. 00:15:34.399 --> 00:15:49.679 We need good mayors, we need good senators, we need a good city council, we need people that we voted in, who we believe have a worldview of cherishing life, cherishing others, a loving environment, care for our poor, justice. 00:15:49.840 --> 00:15:51.279 All those things, civil. 00:15:51.440 --> 00:15:55.440 But then there's also, he says, singers, there's also spiritual gatekeepers. 00:15:55.600 --> 00:16:02.320 There's civil gatekeepers, which are for the protection, Romans 13, for the protection of our land, okay? 00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:06.720 But then we have spiritual gatekeepers that are for the presence of God. 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:07.840 Do you understand the difference? 00:16:08.000 --> 00:16:10.720 So there's protection of our land, presence of God. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:14.879 Romans 13, I'll talk about this more and unpack it more on Wednesday night. 00:16:15.039 --> 00:16:19.360 But the point is this, it really matters that you vote. 00:16:20.080 --> 00:16:23.679 It really matters who our civil gatekeepers are. 00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:25.679 And I'll talk about this again. 00:16:27.600 --> 00:16:30.559 I haven't written the message yet, but it's like going around in my head. 00:16:30.720 --> 00:16:54.480 And that is this that I believe so strongly that the best example I can think of is if you have a home and you're and you're worshiping God, you're praying, and yet someone breaks into your house, begins to steal and pillage everything that they can, you might not be as strong in your spiritual life or feel protected enough, right? 00:16:54.639 --> 00:17:02.240 Well, the reality is both matter that there's protection, that you have locks on your doors, that you have maybe you have an alarm system or something like that. 00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.440 But you have a way of protection, but then also you worship God. 00:17:05.599 --> 00:17:12.000 And so, in the same way in a city, there's civil gatekeepers, which are there mainly for protection of life. 00:17:12.160 --> 00:17:17.680 And then, secondly, there's spiritual gatekeepers, which are there for the presence of God. 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.480 And so that's why, that's why on Thursday we're gonna meet with the mayor. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:28.319 Because I want him to feel supported, I want him to feel loved, I want him to know that the church is behind him. 00:17:28.400 --> 00:17:31.759 But I'm also interested to hear what's our vision. 00:17:33.039 --> 00:17:33.440 Mr. 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:35.440 Mayor, what's your vision for the city? 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:44.960 I I want to know because because what if, what if God wanted to bring a kingdom of God revolution in our city and in our state? 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:46.640 Are we prepared for that? 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:50.400 Well, I think you build toward that in your vision. 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:52.000 Verse 3. 00:17:52.400 --> 00:17:57.680 And I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:10.319 And while they stand guard, let them shut and bar the doors and appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, one at his watch station and another in front of his own house. 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:18.720 So historically the tradition was with opening of gates, you opened gates at sunset, closed them at sundown. 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.680 He's saying, wait until it's hot. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:27.039 So he's saying, wait until noonday before you open the gates. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:27.680 Here's why. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:37.440 Because Nehemiah, who's a civil leader and a spiritual leader, but he's mainly a civil leader, he's the governor of the district, is saying, there's a lot of enemies out there. 00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:40.480 Folks, we need a police force. 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:41.920 Okay? 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:47.359 So whether you want to call it defunding the police or whatever, it's idiotic. 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:48.640 Okay, it's idiotic. 00:18:48.880 --> 00:18:58.640 The reality is that he's saying, look, there's enough enemies out there that we are going to open the gates not until noonday. 00:18:58.880 --> 00:19:00.559 So we're we're concerned about that. 00:19:00.640 --> 00:19:03.200 He's using gates, gates for protection. 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:04.960 Gates are important. 00:19:05.119 --> 00:19:08.079 And so he's saying, be on, be aware. 00:19:08.319 --> 00:19:09.519 And look at what he says. 00:19:09.680 --> 00:19:13.680 He says, one at his watch station. 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:21.839 I think that would be the assigned place that he's been given to watch over the city, but the other is in front of his own house. 00:19:23.200 --> 00:19:24.079 Church. 00:19:25.440 --> 00:19:25.759 Men. 00:19:26.960 --> 00:19:28.559 Protect your wives. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:30.240 Be there for her. 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:32.240 Protect your children. 00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:35.759 What are your children being taught in school? 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:37.599 It really matters. 00:19:38.480 --> 00:19:44.079 It really matters what in these formative years they're getting from teachers at school. 00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:45.279 Stand watch. 00:19:45.519 --> 00:19:46.480 Be aware. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:47.759 Be smart. 00:19:48.400 --> 00:19:49.839 Protect your family. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:52.160 Have a job. 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:55.200 Take care of your family. 00:19:56.079 --> 00:20:02.160 One of your first and primary responsibilities is that you take care of your family and watch over them. 00:20:03.680 --> 00:20:11.119 And in the same way, women, in your life, you're there to be a protective force for your husband sometimes. 00:20:11.359 --> 00:20:16.559 And I can't tell you how many times Liz has protected me from myself. 00:20:20.079 --> 00:20:24.160 If I run into my wife between first and second service, there's always a comment. 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:27.680 Don't say that. 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:32.799 Why did you say that? 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.000 Get away from me, woman. 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:38.000 I'm your leader. 00:20:38.160 --> 00:20:39.519 You're my wife. 00:20:39.920 --> 00:20:40.240 No. 00:20:41.359 --> 00:20:42.319 No, she does. 00:20:42.400 --> 00:20:43.039 And I love that. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.000 I love that about her. 00:20:44.079 --> 00:20:46.240 And I she has my best interest in mind. 00:20:46.480 --> 00:20:48.079 And so we need our wives. 00:20:48.240 --> 00:20:53.119 But they speak things to us that nobody else will say because they love us so much. 00:20:53.279 --> 00:20:58.720 And there's a lot of people that want to say things to me as a leader that sometimes I can't hear until I hear it from Liz. 00:20:58.799 --> 00:21:03.039 And when Liz says it, it's like, whoa, I change overnight. 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:06.880 So I'm sure there's been times where people have said, Liz, would you tell Steve? 00:21:11.279 --> 00:21:14.720 So we're husbands and wives, we have a relationship with each other. 00:21:14.880 --> 00:21:21.519 If you're single, if you're divorced, if you're on your own, have other bloodstained allies in your life that can speak into your life, okay? 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:22.640 You need others. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:30.160 At AIM on Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., the godly hour of 6 a.m., our men's gathering. 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:33.680 I'm going to be speaking on this issue of shame and vulnerability. 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:36.160 It's probably men's biggest struggle. 00:21:36.319 --> 00:21:41.839 We don't want anybody to tell us anything, and we kind of have our little way of doing things. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:44.880 And I want to say to guys at the road, don't be like that. 00:21:45.359 --> 00:21:46.160 Grow up. 00:21:46.640 --> 00:21:47.599 Be mature. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:49.039 Be humble. 00:21:49.440 --> 00:21:50.559 You'll keep growing. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.480 Don't you want to grow up before you grow old? 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:54.079 I know your wives want you to. 00:21:54.640 --> 00:21:58.799 And so we keep growing together, all right, with all of our mistakes. 00:21:58.880 --> 00:21:59.680 And it's always two steps. 00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:01.200 Forward and one step back. 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:08.319 So he says here, look, it's not good enough just to be at the watch station, but watch over your house. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:10.400 Watch over your family. 00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:12.880 Know what's happening in your family. 00:22:13.119 --> 00:22:19.440 Men and women, if you have children, know what's happening in the lives of your children. 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:21.279 Family's really important. 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:31.359 And if I was giving any advice, if I could sum it down to sort of the irreducible minimum, this is what I would give four things, kind of four things in a family. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:33.519 One was would be pray together. 00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:36.640 At least once a week, pray together. 00:22:36.960 --> 00:22:41.279 Daily pray together would be really awesome, but start with once a week if you don't do it. 00:22:41.519 --> 00:22:43.920 Number two, talk together. 00:22:44.559 --> 00:22:45.279 Talk. 00:22:46.079 --> 00:22:46.640 Talk. 00:22:46.799 --> 00:22:49.119 You know, share what's happening in each other's life. 00:22:49.359 --> 00:22:51.279 Number three, open the word together. 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:52.799 That's a powerful thing. 00:22:53.119 --> 00:22:54.799 Open the word together. 00:22:55.039 --> 00:22:56.880 And then fourth, forgive each other. 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.119 Because you're gonna have a lot of people in that family that hurt your feelings. 00:23:01.359 --> 00:23:06.000 And as we talk and we share and we pray, we can also forgive each other. 00:23:06.559 --> 00:23:07.759 Verse four. 00:23:08.079 --> 00:23:15.839 Now the city was large, spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt. 00:23:16.160 --> 00:23:24.079 Then my God put it into my heart to gather the nobles, the rulers, and the people that they might be registered by genealogy. 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:25.279 Now look at this. 00:23:25.440 --> 00:23:26.319 Look at verse 5. 00:23:26.400 --> 00:23:28.000 That first sentence is so important. 00:23:28.319 --> 00:23:31.200 God put it into my heart. 00:23:31.839 --> 00:23:37.519 How many of you have had times where God has put something in your heart that kind of seemed to come out of nowhere? 00:23:37.759 --> 00:23:38.319 Yeah. 00:23:38.559 --> 00:23:40.480 That's how God often speaks. 00:23:40.799 --> 00:23:46.000 The main way he speaks, 90% of the time, is this book. 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:51.279 Everybody hold up your Bible, put your finger on it and go, this book. 00:23:51.599 --> 00:23:55.839 This book is 90% of everything that you need to know. 00:23:56.000 --> 00:23:56.880 It's right here. 00:23:57.039 --> 00:23:58.960 But listen, don't miss this. 00:23:59.440 --> 00:24:06.079 Knowing this book is key to hearing the voice of God. 00:24:06.480 --> 00:24:13.680 Because how many of you know that you hear a lot of voices in a week, or maybe even in a day, and most of them are yours. 00:24:13.839 --> 00:24:16.079 Most of them are just your own impressions. 00:24:16.640 --> 00:24:22.319 The last podcast you watched or TV program that you watched has nothing to do with God. 00:24:22.960 --> 00:24:25.920 It's just your fleeting thoughts as they float around in your head. 00:24:26.160 --> 00:24:43.440 But the way you can discern the two is by being in God's word so much, and I'm just talking about a little bit each day, being in God's word, what happens, church, is that God uses what you've given Him to work with. 00:24:43.519 --> 00:24:48.319 How many of you know if you don't study for the SAT, you tend to not do well in the SAT? 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:59.200 Okay, that's a kingdom principle that God's given you a volitional will, and he's given you a brain, and that as you study something, you actually become better at the thing that you're studying. 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:01.039 So we call it logos. 00:25:01.119 --> 00:25:02.640 We call it the study of God. 00:25:02.799 --> 00:25:15.680 The study is we spend time in God's word, he fills our mind with godly thoughts, and then he can drop something into our heart that we might even call supernatural, but it's not even that supernatural. 00:25:15.759 --> 00:25:22.240 It's just the fact that you disciplined and conditioned your life to hear, and then he found, well, there's an easy one. 00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.160 That's an easy one. 00:25:24.400 --> 00:25:26.799 Because they're in my word, I can drop this in. 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:27.680 I know they'll obey it. 00:25:27.759 --> 00:25:28.960 I know they'll do something about it. 00:25:29.119 --> 00:25:29.599 Hello? 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:32.880 You know, and I think God sometimes looks and go, that's a hard one. 00:25:33.119 --> 00:25:35.920 And they have to keep saying it and saying it and saying it and saying it. 00:25:36.000 --> 00:25:40.880 But because we're not in God's word on a regular basis, we don't know it's from God. 00:25:41.759 --> 00:25:50.160 And so it's exciting when we begin to discover that value of being in God's word, God dropping something in our mind. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:58.799 And so I think what's happening, quite frankly, right here, is that by the way he says this, I don't think this was in Nehemiah's mind. 00:25:59.599 --> 00:26:05.359 I think Nehemiah is having to make it up as he goes along the way. 00:26:06.240 --> 00:26:07.839 So listen, don't miss this. 00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:14.720 If you'll be faithful at the last thing God told you to do, he'll speak to you about the next thing you're supposed to do. 00:26:14.960 --> 00:26:21.839 If you'll be faithful in the last thing he told you to do, he'll guide you and speak to you about the next thing he wants for you to do. 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:31.440 But if you're not faithful, and this is the part I don't like to say, but it's true, if you're not faithful in the last thing he told you to do, then he can't speak to you about the new thing that he wants to do. 00:26:31.839 --> 00:26:45.599 So if you're embezzling money, if you're involved in an adulterous relationship, if you're addicted to drugs and alcohol or something like that, if you're constantly disobeying God, and you say, Well, I can't hear from God. 00:26:46.880 --> 00:26:50.240 I can't, I God never speaks to me the way he does with you. 00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:56.480 I would say, well, the reason is he is speaking to you, but you're not obeying him. 00:26:56.799 --> 00:27:00.559 If you'll start obeying him, watch out, watch out. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:05.119 God's work done God's way can have supernatural, speedy results. 00:27:05.519 --> 00:27:06.079 We trust him. 00:27:06.240 --> 00:27:12.160 And so then he says, verse 2, faithful men who fear God. 00:27:13.039 --> 00:27:14.400 Faithful men who fear God. 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:16.799 Sounds very much like Acts chapter 6. 00:27:17.119 --> 00:27:21.039 God's looking for faithful men and women who fear God. 00:27:21.279 --> 00:27:22.319 Now listen to this. 00:27:22.559 --> 00:27:27.599 Faithfulness is a result of the motivation of fearing God. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:31.279 So faithfulness is the external behavior. 00:27:31.519 --> 00:27:34.240 Fearing God is the internal motivation. 00:27:34.720 --> 00:27:35.839 Does that make sense? 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:45.599 So when you begin to fear God, what that means is that you fear what could happen being out of God's will. 00:27:45.759 --> 00:27:51.119 You're excited to be in God's will, and what happens is it makes you courageous. 00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:52.559 It's amazing. 00:27:52.880 --> 00:27:55.599 Fearing God makes you courageous. 00:27:55.920 --> 00:28:02.640 Because when you fear God over man, you're not looking around at what everybody else's opinion is. 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:04.079 You're following God. 00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:06.480 And when you do, you become a faithful man. 00:28:06.640 --> 00:28:08.400 You become a faithful woman. 00:28:08.720 --> 00:28:12.640 And so that's the kind of leadership that Nehemiah is looking for. 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:13.920 Verse 3. 00:28:14.079 --> 00:28:22.880 And I said to them, Do not let the gates of Jerusalem be open until the sun is hot, and while they stand guard, let them shut bar the doors and appoint guards. 00:28:23.039 --> 00:28:25.920 And he talks about watching over the station and the house. 00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:26.799 Verse 4. 00:28:27.039 --> 00:28:34.240 Now the city was large and spacious, but the people in it were few, and the houses were not rebuilt, and he put it into my heart. 00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:35.440 So here's what's happening. 00:28:46.079 --> 00:28:47.839 And so now we're going to read all. 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:48.799 No, we're not going to. 00:28:49.119 --> 00:28:52.640 I I I would encourage in your own quiet time, you can read through this. 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:55.839 But turn now to verse 70. 00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:57.119 Verse 70. 00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:01.039 And some of the heads of the father's houses gave to the work. 00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:11.759 The governor, which was Nehemiah, gave to the treasury 1,000 gold drachmas, 50 basins, 530 priestly garments. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:20.559 Some of the heads of the father's houses gave to the treasury of the work 20,000 gold drachmas, and 2,200 and silver minias. 00:29:21.359 --> 00:29:29.359 And that which the rest of the people gave was 20,000 gold drachmas, 2,000 silver minias, and 67 priestly garments. 00:29:29.680 --> 00:29:36.000 Now, there's a reason why historically a lot of Jews have been bankers. 00:29:36.400 --> 00:29:37.680 I mean, this is incredible. 00:29:37.759 --> 00:29:45.839 Can you imagine you're writing this genealogy, you're writing the history of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls in 52 days, and they've got that much detail? 00:29:46.079 --> 00:29:47.839 I mean, this is incredible detail. 00:29:48.000 --> 00:29:50.720 Here's the point, though generosity. 00:29:52.000 --> 00:30:00.799 You show me a person who gets revived by the Holy Spirit, who becomes a true Jesus follower, I'll show you a person who becomes generous. 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:07.119 You show me a person that can't be generous, and I'll show you someone who's never discovered the generosity and the love of God. 00:30:07.920 --> 00:30:09.519 And these people are fired up. 00:30:09.599 --> 00:30:20.480 And in Acts, we see this again and again the move of the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit moves, the generosity, the first early church, Acts chapter 4. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:24.960 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul. 00:30:25.279 --> 00:30:31.920 Neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:39.200 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 00:30:39.519 --> 00:30:55.279 Nor was there any one among them who lacked, for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet, and they distributed to each one as anyone had need. 00:30:55.519 --> 00:30:57.920 Amazing, amazing generosity. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:02.559 With that generosity, God moved powerfully in that early church. 00:31:02.720 --> 00:31:15.759 And I don't know if you know this, but the Jerusalem church was had abundance at that time and later would go through a famine, a very difficult time, and the other churches throughout Asia Minor would have to give to them. 00:31:15.920 --> 00:31:17.680 But there was generosity. 00:31:18.400 --> 00:31:20.319 Wouldn't it be awesome? 00:31:21.200 --> 00:31:31.839 If five years from now, there's so much generosity in this church and in this city that there's no one hungry. 00:31:32.079 --> 00:31:33.519 No one hungry at all. 00:31:33.680 --> 00:31:42.559 That there's opportunity for such tremendous generosity that we have more than enough in providing for all those that have needs. 00:31:42.720 --> 00:31:46.960 I believe God wants to so prosper his church. 00:31:47.279 --> 00:31:51.359 Write this down if you haven't already before, because I've said it a few times in the past. 00:31:51.680 --> 00:31:55.359 Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 26. 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:58.720 Deuteronomy 28, Leviticus 26. 00:31:58.799 --> 00:32:01.599 I may talk about this on Wednesday night, I'm not sure. 00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:15.759