(Breath of Life Theme Music)
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Sermon #B693 - Stay On The Wall
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Dr. Byrd: I want to invite you
at this time to take your Bibles
and turn with me to the book of
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Nehemiah. Nehemiah 6:1, 2, and 3
is where I'll begin today,
reading the word of God.
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Nehemiah 6:1, 2, and 3. Nehemiah
6:1, 2, and 3. The word of God
says to us, I'm going to read
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from the King James Version of
the Bible, "Now it came to pass
when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and
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Geshem the Arabian and the rest
of our enemies heard that I had
builded the wall and that there
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was no breach left therein;
though at that time, I had not
set up the doors upon the gates;
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That Sanballat and Geshem sent
unto me saying, Come let us meet
together in some one of the
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villages in the plain of Ono.
But they thought to do me
mischief." Verse number 3, "And
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I sent messengers unto them
saying, I am doing a great work
so that I cannot come down: why
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should the work cease whilst I
leave it and come down to you?"
This is the question that
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brother Nehemiah asked there in
Nehemiah Chapter 6. Will I come
down? I'm doing a great work,
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and so the word of God to us
today is - stay on the wall.
Let's pray, God, we thank you,
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we praise you we lift you up, we
magnify your name. And I ask
right now in the name of Jesus,
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through the intercession of the
Holy Ghost that you would come
by this place and visit this
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rostrum, visit this pulpit, and
visit this preacher. And as a
result of your visitation of
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your spirit that it would then
visit your people who are
watching. Your people who are
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even right now the saints or
even the pastors, even the media
team, all those who are
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watching, God speak your
servants heareth. We promise
we'll give you the praise God
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and the glory, forgive me of my
sins. And as I say every week,
hide me, oh, God behind the
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cross of Jesus Christ. May Jesus
be glorified today. And when the
appeal time comes, move, move
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again, I pray, by your spirit
because it's in Jesus' name we
ask these things. Amen. And
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amen. Stay on the wall. Stay on
the wall. Time is not our ally.
Let me give you the CliffsNotes
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version of Nehemiah's life.
Solomon built the temple in the
Old Testament. Jerusalem was at
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the height of its glory and
fame. Its fame was known and
God's name was spread throughout
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the nation, but you know how it
is. Sometimes when God blesses
us, we get the big head and we
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forget that it was God and not
us. Are you hearing what I'm
saying? That's why Solomon said,
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"Pride goeth before
destruction," and Job said,
"Pride goes before destruction,
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a haughty spirit before a fall,"
and Job said, "The Lord giveth
and the Lord taketh away." Are
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you hearing what I'm saying?
Because of Israel's big head.
God allowed Jerusalem to be
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destroyed because the Israelites
were unfaithful to God and now
Jerusalem lay in ruins. The
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once-thriving city was now in
shambles. The walls of the city
had been torn down and the gates
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of the city had been burned. And
because the city was in this
condition anyone could come and
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go and do as they please. Now,
you need to know, Jerusalem was
the homeland of this man
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Nehemiah. Nehemiah was the
cupbearer for the king,
Artaxerxes. He was the powerful
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king of Persia and the cupbearer
was one of the most important
assignments in the ancient world
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because the cupbearer's job was
to taste the ruler's food to
make sure the food was safe and
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it had not been poisoned.
Because you see back in the day,
political assassinations were
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very common and the job of the
cupbearer was a big deal because
life-or-death rested in the
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hands of the cupbearer. So the
cupbearer often became the most
trusted confidante to the ruler
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he served and there's a reason
why Nehemiah's role as a
cupbearer is important, but I'll
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tell you that in a minute. Now,
when Nehemiah heard that the
walls of Jerusalem had been
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destroyed and broken down and
burned, he was devastated. The
Bible said he wept, the Bible
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said he mourned, the Bible said
he cried for Jerusalem, but God
told Nehemiah, "Nehemiah, these
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walls need to be rebuilt because
it wasn't in God's plan for
Jerusalem to lay in ruins," and
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because of Nehemiah's love for
his homeland, God's anointing
was on him at the favor of the
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King was extended to Nehemiah.
Nehemiah took on the task of
leading and rebuilding the
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city's devastated walls. I must
come in right here. I am a
witness, I'm not talking about
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what I heard. I am a witness
that leading a building project
is not easy. Leading a building
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project is more than a notion.
In addition to making sure the
builders build right, you got to
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make sure the money's right. Are
you hearing what I'm saying? You
need everybody's help and
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everyone's support. You need all
hands on deck, but I've learned
that everyone is not always in
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support of a building project or
what you're doing. Nehemiah
experienced this from the
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beginning to the end of the
Jerusalem building project,
there were enemies of the
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project. There were good guys
and there were bad guys and
three of the bad guys in this
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story were Sanballat, Tobiah,
and Geshem. And while these
three plotted to stop the work
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of Nehemiah, Nehemiah reminded
his workers, "Look don't be
afraid. Just remember the Lord,
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the same God who has helped us
back here. It's the same God
who's going to help us up here."
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And so the workers didn't quit,
Nehemiah didn't quit because of
the opposition, but the Bible
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says they worked with one hand
and held a weapon in the other
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hand. But in the end, Nehemiah
6:15 tells us that the wall was
completed and rebuilt,
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Hallelujah, in 52 days. Now,
that's the CliffsNotes version
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of the story. But today I want
to draw your attention to five
specific lessons in this story
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that I blessed my life that I
believe are going to bless your
life. Lesson Number One today,
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there will always be broken
walls that need to be rebuilt.
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I said there will always be
broken walls that need to be
rebuilt. Now if we look around
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the world, we see broken walls
all around us in this world. We
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see broken lives, lives that are
broken with no hope for a better
future; lives broken by the
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effects of sin; lives broken
because people have been hurt by
those who were supposed to love
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them; lives broken because of
past failures; lives broken
because somebody failed to live
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up to the expectations of
others. We see broken lives. But
not only do we see broken lives,
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we see broken communities. Not
only that, we are seeing now
broken countries and governments
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- corruption, cover-up, conceit,
and questionable character are
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commonplace. As we speak right
now, we are a divided nation.
The results may be out, but we
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are a divided nation. Democrats
versus Republicans. Liberals
versus Conservatives.
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Constitutional conformity
versus individual expediency.
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Rejection of a reality versus an
acceptance of an actuality.
Lawsuits versus concession
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speeches. We see broken
countries and governments. There
will always be broken walls that
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need to be rebuilt. Lesson 2
from the text - God will put you
in the right place, Hallelujah,
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at the right time to accomplish
God's purposes. I believe I've
got a witness right now that
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knows when God needs to do
something, God will put specific
people in strategic positions to
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accomplish His divine purposes.
Now, remember earlier I told you
that Nehemiah was the cupbearer
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to the king. He was next to the
king, trusted by the king. How
did that happen? God did that.
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God orchestrated things and
placed Nehemiah in a position to
do something. Y'all don't hear
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what I'm saying. God will put
you in the right place at the
right time to accomplish his
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purposes because although
Nehemiah, hear me, was a Jew who
was displaced when Babylon
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destroyed Jerusalem, God during
that time, put him next to the
king, Hallelujah, and Nehemiah
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had the king's ear. So when
Nehemiah asked the king for
permission to return to
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Jerusalem to rebuild the wall,
the king granted his request.
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but the Bible says
here come three men -
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Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem. And
the Bible also says the rest of
Nehemiah's enemies.
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Sanballat was the governor of
Northern Israel, which was
Samaria and he hoped to unite
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Israel and become governor over
both North and Southern Israel.
This is why he wanted to get rid
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of Nehemiah because Nehemiah was
an obstacle in his way. And so
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Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem
try to get Nehemiah to stop
working and to come down off the
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wall. In fact, the Bible says
they come to Nehemiah four times
trying to get him to come down
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off the wall. Sanballat and
Geshem invite Nehemiah then to
meet them in one of the villages
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Northwest of Jerusalem in the
plains of Ono, which was about
25 miles away. But then why
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would they need to meet him
there? Ono was a day's journey.
It was on the border of Samaria,
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which remember was Sanballat's
province. Why couldn't they
speak to Nehemiah in Jerusalem?
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What sense did it make for
Nehemiah to travel one day's
journey to talk away from the
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protection of his people to
go in a place near the enemy's
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territory? What sense would it
make for Nehemiah to put himself
in harm's way? That doesn't make
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sense. Nehemiah, yes, he walked
with God but Nehemiah also had
what a lot of people don't have
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- common sense. You see common
sense is the most common thing
that is uncommon to common
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people. Y'all don't hear what
I'm saying. And it didn't make
common sense to leave the safety
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of his city to go
into enemy territory.
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I mean, your enemy is mad at
you, and you're going to leave
your house and go to your
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enemy's house to talk. Nehemiah
knew they were up to something.
He knew they had something up
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their sleeves because if they
were really sincere, they would
have spoken to him in Jerusalem.
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The Bible says that they thought
to do mischief. In other words,
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they were up to no good which
leads me to lesson number three
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- Beware of distractions
disguised as opportunities. Let
me say that one more time.
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Beware of distractions disguised
as opportunities. When Nehemiah
went to rebuild the walls around
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Jerusalem, he was hit with all
kinds of distractions that could
have kept him from his mission,
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"Meet us in Ono, let's go out to
lunch. Let's do this. Let's do
that." But Nehemiah, Hallelujah,
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says, "I'm doing a great work
and I can't come down off the
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wall." Some of the most
challenging demonic attacks come
in the form of everyday
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distractions, distractions
disguised as opportunities, but
don't fall for the bait, don't
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yield to temptation. And let me
say this - some of these
opportunities just might be good
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opportunities, but there's a
difference between good and
great. Y'all don't hear what I'm
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saying. And if we're going to
accomplish what God has called
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us to do, we must learn how to
say no to some good things
because it's the good things
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that have the most potential to
distract us from the great
things God wants to do through
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us. The ice cream is good, but
it's not great if you're trying
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to lose weight. The next lesson
I learned from the text - don't
let people or the devil gets you
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to come down off the wall. I
said don't let people or the
devil get you to come down off
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the wall. In other words when
God tells you to do something
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you better do it. I don't care
what people say if God said it
that settles it. I don't care
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how you're feeling if God said
it, that settles it. Understand
you got to stay on the wall. If
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God tells you to stay on your
current job, I don't care how
much better that other job
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looks, I don't care how bad your
boss, your co-workers, your
customers, or people are doing
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and getting on your nerves, you
better stay on the job 'til God
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tells you so. That medical
school or law school, graduate
school or college are in your
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future, you better stay on the
wall. Don't let somebody who
gave up on their dreams talk you
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out of yours.
You stay on the wall.
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But understand it's not just
people trying to pull you down
off the wall. Sometimes, it's
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the devil himself. The devil is
trying to pull and get somebody
down off the wall of prayer,
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putting crazy thoughts in your
mind, "You don't need to pray.
You don't have time to pray.
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You're too busy to pray. You're
too tired to pray. You need your
sleep. You need your beauty
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rest," and maybe you do. But I'd
rather be a whole lot of ugly
and talk to God than a whole lot
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of handsome or pretty and not
talk to God. Are you hearing
what I'm saying? I'm not coming
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off the prayer wall. The devil
trembles when we pray. The devil
doesn't like it when we pray but
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the devil can't stand prayer,
but the devil, Hallelujah, can't
stop you from praying and the
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devil can't stop God from
answering prayer. And I don't
know about you, but I want to
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make the devil tremble. I want
to make the devil scared. I want
to make the devil nervous. Seek
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the Lord while he may be found.
Call upon him while he is near.
Don't let the devil take you off
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the prayer wall. Stay on the
wall. But not only the prayer
wall, the church wall.
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The devil is trying to destroy
this church. I'm not talking
about Oakwood University Church,
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I'm talking about the church
corporately and that devil's
trying to say to you that the
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church is a bunch of hypocrites
that belong to the church. Well,
you know what the devil's right
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about that. We are all sinners.
Yes, we are. We are all messed
up. Don't think you all that
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then in some we all sinners, we
all messed up, we all trifling
if it had not been for the Lord
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on my side where we any of us
be? We are all sick in the
hospital, you're on the lying
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floor, this one's on the
adultery floor, this one's on
the gossip floor, this one's on
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the fear floor. We all got a
floor. I wish I had a witness in
this place. But we need Dr.
00:16:16.50\00:16:22.41
Jesus to come by and visit our
floor, but I'm not coming off
the church wall. The church even
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with all its challenges is still
the apple of God's eye. Even
though we may need structural
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and system changes, I'm not
coming off the wall. Even though
we need to be more balanced with
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religion and relationship, I'm
not coming off the wall. The
devil is a lie. I still believe
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that the church is an imperfect
people trying to serve a perfect
God. I still believe that we
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preach a perfect message. I
still believe that God preaches
to preachers, sings through
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singers, teaches through
teachers. I still believe God
speaks to his people so I'm not
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coming down. Stay on the wall,
Don't let people don't let the
devil tell you to come down off
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the wall. You better tell
somebody, "I'm doing a great
work. I can't come down. I'm not
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coming down. So you might as
well pass me another brick
because I'm not coming down off
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this wall. I'm staying on the
wall." I'm almost done by I'm
gonna slow this in. In the first
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five chapters of the book of
Nehemiah, it tells us of the way
Satan tried to stop the people
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from rebuilding. Satan tried
derision by laughing at their
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work. He tried discouragement
that the project would be a
complete failure. He tried the
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danger of bodily harm. He tried
discord to get the people to
start fighting one another
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and then he tried depletion by
taking away needed resources to
complete the project.
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But Nehemiah stayed on that
wall. In Nehemiah chapter 6, the
Bible teaches that after a
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series of attacks and threats
against Nehemiah in an effort to
intimidate him the enemies of
00:18:10.49\00:18:16.93
Nehemiah - Sanballat, Tobiah,
and Geshem, they changed their
tactics. They now resort to the
00:18:16.96\00:18:25.37
destruction of friendliness and
persuasion. Now, if you read
beyond our scripture text and
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you go to verse number 5 of
Nehemiah chapter 6. It states
that Sanballat came a fifth time
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to Nehemiah but this time he
sends his imp. He sends one of
his servants to Nehemiah with an
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unsealed letter. Unsealed means
it was an open letter, which
means it was read on its
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delivery from Samaria to
Jerusalem. I wish I had a
witness to this place y'all
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understand what I'm saying. I
want to throw this in - whenever
you give somebody an unsealed
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letter to deliver to somebody
else, you better believe that
nine out of ten, they read it.
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So if you want your letter to be
confidential if you want your
letter to be privileged,
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then either have it delivered
sealed or deliver it yourself.
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Are you hearing what I'm saying?
Sanballat's assistant delivers
this unsealed letter to
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Nehemiah. And Nehemiah 6:6 says
what the letter says, the letter
begins by saying, "It is
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reported among the heathen." Let
me say it again. It is reported
among the heathen-- Now, I can
00:19:42.71\00:19:56.06
preach a whole sermon on that
right now. Now, whenever
somebody says it is being
00:19:56.09\00:20:09.24
reported that ought to raise a
red flag in your mind because
what they're really saying is
00:20:09.27\00:20:13.71
somebody told me, or what
they're saying is it was rumored
when they say it is being
00:20:13.74\00:20:19.18
reported. Because whenever
somebody tells you something and
the source of what they're
00:20:19.21\00:20:29.26
telling you is never mentioned,
you know it's rumored. If it's
not in the first person - I said
00:20:29.29\00:20:42.04
I saw, but it's always in the
third person, he said, she said,
they said, he saw, they saw, she
00:20:42.07\00:20:54.92
saw be careful because when
somebody comes running up to you
telling you something in the
00:20:54.95\00:21:00.39
third person, most times it's a
rumor. Are you hearing what I'm
00:21:00.42\00:21:04.66
saying? So let me give everybody
some advice today what you don't
see with your eyes don't invent
00:21:04.69\00:21:11.00
with your mouth. Are
you hearing what I'm saying?
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.03
The letter says, "Nehemiah, it
is reported, it is rumored that
you and your people are planning
00:21:13.07\00:21:29.62
a revolt. That's the reason
you're rebuilding the wall
00:21:29.65\00:21:32.92
and you're playing to make
yourself the king of Judah with
00:21:32.95\00:21:36.52
arrangements already made for
the prophets to declare you
king." He said, "Even Geshem
00:21:36.56\00:21:46.53
testifies that it's true." But
remember Geshem was one of their
own so, of course, Geshem is
00:21:46.57\00:22:01.08
going to attest to what the
letter says. In other words,
somebody's not getting this.
00:22:01.12\00:22:06.32
They created fake news and then
rubber-stamped it themselves
with one of their own. In other
00:22:06.35\00:22:15.56
words, they tell their own lies
and then threatened to take this
report to King Artaxerxes if
00:22:15.60\00:22:23.84
Nehemiah refused to cooperate
with them. They told their own
lie, and then they started
00:22:23.87\00:22:34.12
believing their own lies that
they told. but in verse number
8, Nehemiah sets the record
00:22:34.15\00:22:43.09
straight. He says nothing like
what you're saying is happening.
You're making it up out of your
00:22:43.12\00:22:54.50
head. Nehemiah sensed their
motives. They were trying to
scare Nehemiah and the people
00:22:54.54\00:23:03.38
into thinking their hands will
get too weak for the work and
the wall will not be completed.
00:23:03.41\00:23:10.29
So what does Nehemiah do? That
brings us to our fifth and final
lesson. Nehemiah prays. He says
00:23:10.32\00:23:23.33
I've found the answer. I've
learned how to pray and that's
what he does in verse number
00:23:23.37\00:23:32.21
nine. He prays, "Oh, God,
strengthen my hands." Nehemiah
was tired. Nehemiah had been
00:23:32.24\00:23:36.54
facing wave after wave of
problems that would not stop.
Nehemiah was physically drained,
00:23:36.58\00:23:43.59
mentally stretched, and
emotionally tired, but by God's
grace, Nehemiah stood firm,
00:23:43.62\00:23:54.30
Nehemiah stood tall and the
Bible says he prayed, "Oh, God,
strengthen my hands." In the
00:23:54.36\00:24:01.14
closing verses of Chapter 6
though, the Bible says there
came another man. Because you
00:24:01.17\00:24:06.01
see the devil doesn't leave us
alone. He keeps coming back for
more, for more, for more. The
00:24:06.04\00:24:12.08
Bible says in the closing verses
of chapter 6 that another man
Shemaiah, a so-called Prophet
00:24:12.11\00:24:22.16
was paid to lure Nehemiah into
the temple. Shemaiah invited
Nehemiah to his house and then
00:24:22.19\00:24:29.13
he relates this message to
Nehemiah. He says, "Nehemiah,
let's meet in the house of God.
00:24:29.16\00:24:35.30
Let's meet inside the temple,"
read the word and then he says,
"Let's close the temple doors
00:24:35.34\00:24:39.94
because men are coming by night
to try to kill you." Now, on the
surface, this seems like some
00:24:39.97\00:24:48.18
good warning council to protect
Nehemiah. But, again, Nehemiah
has common sense. Nehemiah walks
00:24:48.22\00:24:55.96
with God and Nehemiah is
concerned that something just
isn't right. Why is he
00:24:55.99\00:25:00.63
concerned? Remember number one,
Nehemiah knew that it hadn't
been God's will from him to run
00:25:00.66\00:25:06.37
away from the work or flee from
troubles. So in verse number 11,
Nehemiah says should a man like
00:25:06.40\00:25:12.84
me run away? But then also
number two, Nehemiah knew
something was up because
00:25:12.87\00:25:18.91
Nehemiah knew that to hide in
the temple wasn't right. If you
study carefully, the term inside
00:25:18.95\00:25:24.35
or within the temple, referred
to the holy place and not just
the temple enclosure, and hiding
00:25:24.39\00:25:30.79
in the holy place would be a
violation of God's law because
only priests - listen to me,
00:25:30.83\00:25:34.73
we're supposed and permitted to
enter the holy place. So then,
Nehemiah would have sinned by
00:25:34.73\00:25:40.57
hiding in the holy place and any
idea or suggestion that is
contrary to the word of God can
00:25:40.60\00:25:48.38
never be from God. God doesn't
contradict himself. God doesn't
speak out of both sides of his
00:25:48.41\00:25:52.41
mouth. So, Nehemiah knew that
God had not sent Shemaiah but
that Shemaiah had prophesied
00:25:52.45\00:26:00.89
against him because Tobiah and
Sanballat had hired him. In
fact, Nehemiah says in verse 13,
00:26:00.92\00:26:07.66
"He had been hired to intimidate
me so that I would commit a sin
00:26:07.73\00:26:15.40
by doing this and then they
would give me a bad name to
discredit me." Nehemiah's
00:26:15.44\00:26:24.48
enemies understand, plotted to
deceive him, distract him,
defame him, discredit him, and
00:26:24.51\00:26:38.23
dishonor him but praise be to
God, although Nehemiah was
outnumbered, Nehemiah was not
00:26:38.26\00:26:45.37
intimidated. Nehemiah always
knew that he plus God that's
always a majority. So what did
00:26:45.40\00:26:53.68
Nehemiah do? Nehemiah prayed
again and God answered his
prayers. The attacks did not get
00:26:53.71\00:27:02.42
to Nehemiah. The city walls were
rebuilt in 52 days. I'm a
witness today that when you fear
00:27:02.45\00:27:10.99
God and not men when you seek
God's favor and not man's
approval, God will protect you.
00:27:11.03\00:27:17.73
God is our refuge and strength
a very present help in times of
00:27:17.77\00:27:18.50
trouble. I serve a
prayer-answering God,
00:27:18.53\00:27:20.54
I serve a problem-solving God, I
serve a pain-relieving God, I
serve a heart-fixing God,
00:27:20.57\00:27:27.11
I serve a cancer-curing God, I
serve a coronavirus-healing God,
I serve a disease-killing God,
00:27:27.14\00:27:33.95
I serve a mess-destroying God, I
serve a job-giving God, I serve
00:27:33.98\00:27:40.39
a way-making God, I serve a
marriage-saving God, I serve a
single-satisfying God. Stay on
00:27:40.42\00:27:47.30
the wall. I know there are
broken walls all around you but
00:27:47.30\00:27:51.87
stay on the wall. I know you
feel like giving up but stay on
the wall. I know somebody you're
00:27:51.90\00:27:56.97
being criticized but stay on the
wall. I know you're being talked
about but stay on the wall.
00:27:57.01\00:28:03.48
I know this division and
confusion in our country but
00:28:03.51\00:28:08.12
stay on the wall. I know the
church may not be all they
should be but stay on the wall.
00:28:08.15\00:28:12.59
I know people are getting on
your nerves but stay on the
wall. I know you feel like
00:28:12.62\00:28:19.16
quitting I've been
there but stay on the wall.
00:28:19.19\00:28:23.33
Thank you very much for tuning
in to this week's Breath of Life
00:28:23.37\00:28:27.44
broadcast. We hope and pray that
you've been blessed by Dr.
Byrd's inspirational message.
00:28:27.47\00:28:32.11
If you would like to hear
this sermon in its entirety,
00:28:32.14\00:28:34.38
please feel free to visit
us at www.breathoflife.tv.
00:28:34.41\00:28:40.38
Or, call us at (256) 929-6460.
00:28:40.42\00:28:46.32
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00:28:46.35\00:29:01.40