#S065_What To Do When
Opportunity Knocks (Part 2)
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Welcome to the Breath of Life
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Television Ministries broadcast
with Pastor Debleaire Snell..
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In today's episode,
Pastor Snell will continue part
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two of the
powerful message titled
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What to Do When
Opportunity Knock..
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Now let's go deeper
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into the Word of God.
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And so the Bible says
here in Nehemiah chapter
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two and verse
one, the Bible says,
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and it came to pass in the
month of Nisan in the 20th year.
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King Artaxerxes explains
when wine was before him
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that I took the wine
and gave it to the king.
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Now, I had never been
sat in his presence before.
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Therefore, the king said to me,
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Why is your face sad
since you are not sick?
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Since this, this is
nothing but sorrow of the heart.
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So I became dreadfully afraid
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and said to the king,
may the King live forever.
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Why should my face not be
sad when the city of my father's
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tombs lies and waits and
its gates are burned with fire?
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Then the king said to me,
What is it that you request?
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Okay,
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the second thing
this teaches us church
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is that sometimes
things don't break differently
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until you're at
your breaking point.
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Okay.
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Nehemiah is so
obsessed with this mission
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that is on his
heart, is on his mind.
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And after a while, it
begins driving his energy.
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In fact, Nehemiah is so heavily
burdened for his people that it
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unwittingly begins to show
up outwardly on his countenance.
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Now, it's crazy
because even near my notices
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that the king has
never seen him sad before.
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Now there are
some folk who believe
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that Nehemiah pretends to be sad
in order to get the attention
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of the king.
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But that's not necessary,
really, how he's moving.
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Sadness is not
just his disposition.
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At this point,
sadness is his posture.
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Because I need you to understand
this kind of contextual thing.
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Because if you
sat before the King,
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I needed to be clear
that you could never show up
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before the king like
you didn't want to be there.
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The only thing in the light
makes clear that was permitted
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before the king was
this buoyant joyfulness.
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It's expressiveness
about having the opportunity
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to serve in the
presence of the King.
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In fact,
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if you came before the king
with a sorrowful disposition,
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it would be met with
suspicion and treated as an act
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of treason,
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especially because of what
Nehemiah does as his occupation.
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He is the cup
bearer for the king.
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In other words, near
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his job is not just
to bring food and drink.
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You realize what
Nehemiah has to do.
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It's because
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there are so many assassination
attempts against the king.
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That vote would
try to poison his food
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and Nehemiah would
have to sample it first
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to make sure that
if anything went down,
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it would not hurt the king.
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It would hurt Nehemiah.
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But if Nehemiah
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is somehow acting like
he don't want to be there,
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they're going to interpret it
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as something being
wrong with the food.
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And Nehemiah
suffer the consequences.
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And it's crazy because man,
this thing is so bad on Nehemiah
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that it is
showing up on his spirit.
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And so the king tells
me what's wrong with you,
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seeing that you are not sick.
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This is nothing
but sorrow of heart.
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And the Bible says that
Nehemiah became even afraid
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to say what was wrong with him,
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because if he's serving
the government of Persia,
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he can announce to his boss
that my heart is all the way
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over in Jerusalem. That's right.
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So he thinks about it and he
kind of weighs and vacillates
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about whether or not he
should even say anything.
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But what is happening, man,
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is that Nehemiah
so is so overwhelmed.
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It is so
burdened for the freedom
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and the rebuilding of his city
that eventually Nehemiah begins
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to pour out his heart.
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He says, How is it that
I can be anything but sad,
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knowing that my
people are scattered,
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that the city is in ruins,
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and that the gates
are burned with fire?
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And as Nehemiah begins to talk,
he begins to unload his soul.
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He begins to relieve
himself of this burden.
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He begins to
share all of the sorrows
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that have showed
up on his person.
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And immediately
after Nehemiah says that
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there is a fear and a regret.
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Maybe I've said too much.
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There's a part of
him that say, maybe
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I should have kept it to myself.
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There's a part of
him that's thinking maybe
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I should not have articulated
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because he realizes
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that it is wrong for
somebody that is supposed to be
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a Persian patriarch
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to be talking about
what's happening in Jerusalem.
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But God is so good and
he's given Nehemiah such favor
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that when he pours out his heart
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about what's wrong in Jerusalem,
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the king does not act toward him
with aggression and judgment.
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But the King opens up
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in his mouth and says,
What can I do to assess?
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Are you here? Me, friends?
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And what I need
you to get beloved,
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is the juxtaposition of
circumstances and sorrow.
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I need you to
know that at the moment
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when Nehemiah is at his lowest
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is when God gets ready to
take things to their highest.
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It is when
Nehemiah is at his bottom
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that God gets ready
to take it to the top.
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It is when Nehemiah is at
his breaking point that the
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opportunity finally begins
to break in a different fashion.
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And I simply want
to say to somebody
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who is at their breaking
point today that you don't
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you let your
breaking point break you,
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because sometimes the
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opportunity does not break
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until you are at
your breaking point.
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Oh, this is going
to help somebody today
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because there is somebody that's
on the verge of giving up.
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There is somebody on the verge
of going back the way they came.
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There is somebody that is
nearing their breaking point.
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But I need you to know that
sometimes the breaking point is
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just evidence that the
breakthrough is on the way.
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So, so so let's look
back in the scripture.
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Remember, there is a woman
who is at her breaking point.
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She has an issue of blood.
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She has run out of money.
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She has run out of medicine.
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She has run out of physician.
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But she's made it up in her mind
that if I can just touch the
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him of his garments, I
know I can be made whole
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and things begin to break.
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When she was at
her breaking point.
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Remember, Hannah was
at her breaking point.
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She was so heavily burdened
that Eli thought she was drunk.
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But because she
prayed at her breaking point,
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Eli was able to prophesy
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that this same time next year
you are going to bear a son.
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Because things break through
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when you get to
your breaking point.
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I need you to see
Elijah at his breaking point
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where he defeated
the prophets of Bel
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and he thought
the battle was over.
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But Jezebel
continued her pursuit
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and he got under a juniper
tree and just longed for death.
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But that's when God showed
up and gave him encouragement.
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He got his breakthrough
at his breaking point.
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Remember Jesus in
the Garden of Gethsemane?
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He was at his breaking point as
he sweat great drops of blood.
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And it was at his breaking point
that the angel showed up to
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strengthen harm.
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See, sometimes friends
you won't see the breakthrough
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until you're willing to
get to your breaking point.
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Now, the reason some
of us never experience
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miracle, the reason we never
see breakthrough is because
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we start fidgeting before
we get to the breaking point.
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So I need you to realize
there's a difference between
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your perceived breaking point
and your actual breaking point.
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So your breaking point is
much further down the line
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than what your emotions
are telling you right now.
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And this is the word to somebody
today when you're up the river
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without a paddle, when
you're right in that place
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between a rock and a hard
place, when you're out there
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between the devil
and the deep blue sea,
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there is going to be
something that has to break.
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But it won't be a child of God.
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I need you to
know the circumstance
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is going to break.
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The situation is going to break.
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But guess what? Is not
going to break your resolve.
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It's not going
to break your faith
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that God has already
measured you and predetermined
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that you're going to make
it through to the other side.
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So the King requests
in verse number four,
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he said to me,
What do you requests?
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13 Is teacher strength.
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Is that the greatest
gift you can ever receive?
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Is not position but influence.
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See for Nehemiah is
probably one of several.
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Cup bearers.
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Are you all still in church?
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In other words,
I need to get that.
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This is not the kind of
job you want to apply for.
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There is a short life expectancy
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for those who operate in
this particular occupation.
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That's why there are several
cup bearers, in fact, because
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there are so many assassination
attempts against the king,
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those who want to create
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political coups
and insurrections,
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they try to get at
him through their food.
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So there is an assumption
that after a while Nehemiah
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is going to be replaced
anyway, just a matter of time
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before Nehemiah
is off the scene.
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In other words,
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Nehemiah should not have
very much value to the king,
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but God has given Nehemiah
such favor with the King
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that the relationship
is not just functional.
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It is not just transactional.
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God has given him an influence
with the King that allows him
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in this providential moment
to create a different outcome.
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All the way back
home in Jerusalem.
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And this is the key.
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Nehemiah didn't have the crown.
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He didn't have the throne.
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He didn't have the position.
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But this is the blessing.
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Nehemiah had the influence.
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See, Nehemiah wasn't the head,
but he was the net that turn
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the head. You are
not with me today.
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Church and see,
I need us to get.
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Because there are some of us
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that can be so
small in our thinking
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that we think God is only
good when we get the position.
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But how many of us
know that the power
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is not in the position?
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The power is in
having the influence.
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Because people have position.
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They've got a lead.
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They've got a plateau.
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So that when
you have a position,
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you've got to operate
within a certain jurisdiction.
00:11:32.92\00:11:34.62
But how many of us know
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that when you have
influence, there is no lead?
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You don't just operate
within a certain jurisdiction.
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You can influence
any space at any time
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with any group of people.
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When God gives you
the favor of influence
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and see,
sometimes we can be so busy
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cursing our position
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that we're blind to the fact
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that God has
positioned us to influence
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people for His glory.
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So that name means wife.
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Servant girl didn't
have the greatest position,
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but when a name got leprosy,
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she had been positioned by
God to serve the man's wife
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and God use her influence
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so that no man would get
introduced to the God of Elijah.
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Y'all with me today? Church.
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Remember when
Joseph was in Egypt?
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He never had the position,
but God gave him influence
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with part of her.
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He gave him influence
with the keeper of the jail.
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He had influence of
the butler and the baker.
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So that by the
time Joseph is in prison
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and the king needs
somebody to interpret the dream.
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Joseph has influence
that reaches all the way
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from the prison
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that when Daniel
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and the three Hebrew
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boys got to Babylon, they
came in as position of slaves,
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but God gave them influence
with King Nebuchadnezzar
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and with Darius.
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And because they had influence,
both kings introduced laws
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that no one would worship
any God except for Daniel
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and the three Hebrews God,
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because sometimes
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God doesn't position
you where you want to be,
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but he positions
you for your witness
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so you can influence
people in the direction of God.
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There
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are you hear me today
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and see some of us
make the mistake of assuming
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that influence is
the result of position.
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I need you to understand that
the greatest form of favor favor
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it is not
position, it is influence.
00:13:40.55\00:13:41.82
And what most of
us fail to realize
00:13:41.85\00:13:43.85
is that the position or
the title, it always finds
00:13:43.89\00:13:47.36
the person that
has the influence
00:13:47.39\00:13:49.66
are you hear me today, friends?
00:13:50.76\00:13:53.09
That needs to be clear.
00:13:53.13\00:13:54.60
Like, you know, our senators
and congressmen don't run
00:13:54.63\00:13:58.60
the country.
00:13:58.63\00:13:59.77
It's the lobbyists
that have the influence
00:14:00.74\00:14:03.00
that determine
all of our outcomes.
00:14:03.84\00:14:05.21
They are with me today.
00:14:05.24\00:14:05.87
Friends
00:14:05.91\00:14:06.64
like Donald Trump
00:14:07.14\00:14:07.64
hadn't been
00:14:07.68\00:14:08.84
president for three years,
but he still has a young man.
00:14:08.88\00:14:11.45
When I talk about that
today, he still has influence
00:14:11.48\00:14:15.18
over a lot of the
things that are happening here.
00:14:15.22\00:14:17.59
What I'm saying, like real talk.
00:14:17.62\00:14:19.39
Michael Jordan has not
played ball for 30 years,
00:14:19.42\00:14:23.19
but kids that have never seen
00:14:23.22\00:14:24.83
him play are still
paying $300 for his shoes
00:14:24.86\00:14:28.83
because even though he doesn't
00:14:29.53\00:14:30.43
have the position,
he has the influence.
00:14:30.47\00:14:34.04
Because you go never be
set apart by your position.
00:14:34.07\00:14:36.87
What sets you apart is the
influence that God gives you.
00:14:38.07\00:14:40.41
Oh, so you may
00:14:42.14\00:14:44.15
have the position as a teacher,
00:14:44.18\00:14:47.28
but it's not going to be
your position that makes kids
00:14:47.32\00:14:49.92
learn
00:14:49.95\00:14:50.85
is going to be your
influence with the kids
00:14:51.85\00:14:53.42
that help them learn.
00:14:53.46\00:14:55.26
In other words,
00:14:55.29\00:14:56.36
you may have the
position of a parent
00:14:56.39\00:14:58.59
and that will make them honor
00:14:58.63\00:14:59.73
you while they
are in your house.
00:14:59.76\00:15:01.50
But it's not unless you
have influence with them
00:15:01.53\00:15:03.87
that keeps them honoring
you when they no longer live
00:15:05.00\00:15:06.84
underneath your roof.
00:15:06.87\00:15:08.14
There are some of us
that have position of husband
00:15:08.17\00:15:10.91
and head of the home, but
because some of us have lost
00:15:12.01\00:15:14.28
influence, our wives
listen to everybody but us.
00:15:14.31\00:15:17.98
There are some that have the
position of head of the team,
00:15:19.21\00:15:22.25
but because you
don't have influence,
00:15:23.15\00:15:24.42
the rest of the team takes
their cues from somebody else.
00:15:25.62\00:15:27.79
You may have the
position of a position
00:15:28.72\00:15:30.66
that allows you to
diagnose and to prescribe,
00:15:31.69\00:15:34.03
but it is your influence
with the patient that helps them
00:15:35.16\00:15:37.70
begin to change their
habits and their ways.
00:15:38.70\00:15:40.50
And what I'm
saying to somebody today
00:15:41.34\00:15:42.47
is that we need
to change our prayer
00:15:42.50\00:15:44.51
instead of
praying for our position.
00:15:45.37\00:15:46.57
Instead of
praying for promotion,
00:15:46.61\00:15:48.48
we have to be praying,
God, give me influence.
00:15:48.51\00:15:51.15
You have to be praying.
00:15:51.18\00:15:51.98
Give me influence with my kids.
00:15:52.01\00:15:54.22
Give me influence
with my coworkers.
00:15:54.25\00:15:56.48
Give me influence
in this community.
00:15:57.35\00:15:58.99
Give me influence in the church.
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.32
I don't need a title.
00:16:01.36\00:16:02.62
I don't need an
office. I don't need a badge.
00:16:02.66\00:16:05.26
I don't need a degree.
00:16:05.83\00:16:06.76
God, just give me influence
00:16:06.80\00:16:09.26
to be able
00:16:11.30\00:16:12.33
to move people in your
direction for your glory.
00:16:12.37\00:16:14.87
So I want to say this
00:16:16.47\00:16:18.31
because you get
influence in very simple ways.
00:16:18.34\00:16:21.31
Do you realize that
just being a caring person
00:16:22.81\00:16:25.85
gives you influence?
00:16:26.75\00:16:28.82
Are you hear what I'm saying?
00:16:28.85\00:16:30.59
I mean I mean, just
when you're a caring person,
00:16:31.65\00:16:32.82
when you go the extra mile,
when you take the time to care
00:16:34.06\00:16:36.22
and you take the time to
dot the I's and cross the t's,
00:16:36.26\00:16:39.29
I don't hear what
I'm saying to the church.
00:16:39.33\00:16:41.43
There are certain people
that cook with ingredients.
00:16:41.46\00:16:43.50
There are some
folks who cook with love.
00:16:44.43\00:16:45.70
Come on and say, man,
00:16:45.73\00:16:47.40
you ever heard of
00:16:47.90\00:16:48.84
so somebody they
didn't put their foot in it.
00:16:48.87\00:16:50.07
They put their
heart into that soufflé
00:16:50.11\00:16:52.24
because caring
gives you influence.
00:16:53.07\00:16:55.44
I have some a couple
guys, one that works on my car,
00:16:56.58\00:16:58.58
another one that does
some work on my house.
00:16:58.61\00:17:00.72
And every now I'm their
man, they're just checking in.
00:17:00.75\00:17:02.78
They go the extra mile to
make sure things are done right.
00:17:02.82\00:17:05.45
They go beyond the
scope of their responsibility
00:17:06.45\00:17:08.22
and guess what, man?
00:17:08.76\00:17:09.56
Whenever I know
that somebody needs
00:17:09.59\00:17:11.19
some work done on
their car or their house,
00:17:11.23\00:17:13.40
I'm gonna use my influence
00:17:14.00\00:17:14.83
to drive them in
their direction. Why?
00:17:14.83\00:17:17.03
Because not.
00:17:17.43\00:17:18.37
They're just not
just good at what they do,
00:17:18.40\00:17:19.83
but they care
about what they're doing.
00:17:19.87\00:17:21.80
I mean, there is something
about a nurse that cares.
00:17:22.94\00:17:25.94
Can I get a
witness out there today?
00:17:26.81\00:17:27.91
I mean, that just has that
touch and that bedside manner
00:17:27.94\00:17:31.58
that says, I'm
concerned about your outcome.
00:17:32.51\00:17:34.65
I see.
00:17:35.75\00:17:36.82
Sometimes just caring
gives you favor with people.
00:17:36.85\00:17:38.59
And that's what I
want to say really quickly,
00:17:39.72\00:17:41.26
that in this church
00:17:41.29\00:17:42.19
where we have to deal
00:17:42.22\00:17:43.22
with young people in
high school and college,
00:17:43.26\00:17:45.13
and let me just give
you this bit of advice,
00:17:45.16\00:17:46.93
because sometimes we
correct because we care.
00:17:46.96\00:17:50.57
But you got to show you care
before you start correcting.
00:17:51.77\00:17:56.97
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
00:17:57.01\00:17:58.24
See, see, I need you
to do the correcting,
00:17:58.27\00:18:00.44
but never let your correcting
be preceded by your caring
00:18:01.64\00:18:04.21
and your concern.
00:18:04.25\00:18:06.18
Do you realize that
God gives you influence
00:18:06.21\00:18:07.95
when you're just
good at what you do?
00:18:07.98\00:18:09.05
Come on and say mentions
God gives you influence,
00:18:09.08\00:18:11.72
not because you
know the right person.
00:18:11.75\00:18:13.36
You scratch their
back so they scratch yours.
00:18:13.39\00:18:15.46
You've got to align
up with the right friend.
00:18:15.49\00:18:17.09
Just be good at what you do
00:18:17.13\00:18:18.46
and people will imitate
you and ask you for advice.
00:18:18.49\00:18:21.26
So I need you to
know that, folks,
00:18:22.40\00:18:23.57
that's always giving advice
without being asked for it.
00:18:23.60\00:18:26.03
Are people that
don't do nothing.
00:18:26.07\00:18:27.24
Well.
00:18:27.27\00:18:30.51
But when you do something
well, you ain't got to dish out
00:18:30.54\00:18:32.91
unsolicited advice.
00:18:32.94\00:18:34.04
People going to seek out
your counsel and your direction.
00:18:34.08\00:18:36.71
They're going to
00:18:37.15\00:18:38.35
imitate the things that you do
on a routine and regular basis.
00:18:38.38\00:18:40.78
Are Hear what I'm
saying today, friends
00:18:40.82\00:18:42.92
and what you want to
pray for friends is not just
00:18:42.95\00:18:44.95
that God gives you
title and position.
00:18:44.99\00:18:46.72
You want to pray that
God gives you influence.
00:18:46.76\00:18:49.96
So the word say is
here in verse number four.
00:18:49.99\00:18:52.16
Then the King said to
me, What do you request?
00:18:52.19\00:18:55.60
So he says, So I
prayed to the God of heaven.
00:18:56.60\00:19:02.30
Did your kids at church.
00:19:02.87\00:19:03.57
All right.
00:19:04.81\00:19:05.71
So don't just pray
for God to open the door.
00:19:06.71\00:19:09.44
You got to pray
when God opens the door.
00:19:11.15\00:19:13.68
See, I need to revisit something
that we talked about for
00:19:14.82\00:19:16.72
just a second last week.
00:19:16.75\00:19:18.19
Remember, we said that
00:19:18.22\00:19:19.59
that prayer ought to
always precede your actions.
00:19:19.62\00:19:23.02
But the fourth thing
today is that prayer needs
00:19:24.06\00:19:26.26
to accompany your actions.
00:19:26.29\00:19:29.93
Okay, you see, this
00:19:30.47\00:19:31.83
opportunity comes
without announcement.
00:19:31.87\00:19:34.44
The opportunity does not RSVP.
00:19:35.54\00:19:38.64
The opportunity
does not call ahead.
00:19:38.67\00:19:40.91
The opportunity does not
announce that it is coming.
00:19:41.98\00:19:44.38
It comes upon Nehemiah with
a certain degree of surprise
00:19:45.58\00:19:48.62
and understand he
is already anxious
00:19:49.48\00:19:50.69
and there is some trepidation
00:19:50.72\00:19:52.05
about how it is
that he has to report but
00:19:52.09\00:19:54.86
plan or answer the
king in this manner.
00:19:54.89\00:19:57.89
And so what Nehemiah
takes the time to do is
00:19:58.89\00:20:01.60
to pray before he responds,
00:20:01.63\00:20:05.40
because if he asks
00:20:06.47\00:20:07.94
too little, then the
job will not be completed.
00:20:07.97\00:20:12.37
If he asks to stay
too long or too much,
00:20:13.31\00:20:15.84
that he may incur
the wrath of the king.
00:20:16.78\00:20:18.78
So before
Nehemiah starts jabbering,
00:20:19.65\00:20:22.88
he starts petitioning
00:20:24.62\00:20:26.25
the Lord as to
what He is to say,
00:20:26.29\00:20:29.62
and I need
somebody to get me friends.
00:20:30.53\00:20:31.56
That demeanor in this moment
00:20:31.59\00:20:33.53
does not make a
spectacle of himself.
00:20:33.56\00:20:35.56
He is not there
in the King's Court.
00:20:36.43\00:20:37.63
He doesn't fall on
his face and start praying
00:20:37.67\00:20:40.67
when he's a king
is waiting on a reply.
00:20:41.57\00:20:43.71
What's happening is that while
there is an outward conversation
00:20:44.94\00:20:47.74
with the king,
00:20:47.78\00:20:48.88
there is an inward conversation
with the King of Kings.
00:20:48.91\00:20:52.18
So I need you to understand
that prayer should not
00:20:53.72\00:20:56.65
just be your practice.
It ought to be your posture.
00:20:56.69\00:20:59.59
See, friends, let
me say it this way.
00:21:01.42\00:21:03.09
There are times where I
have my private prayer with God.
00:21:03.12\00:21:06.39
But how many of us understand,
Joe, that your whole day
00:21:06.43\00:21:10.07
ought to be an
atmosphere of heaven, where
00:21:11.03\00:21:13.37
there is an ongoing conversation
with you and the most high.
00:21:13.40\00:21:18.07
I am a preacher
in a church today.
00:21:18.11\00:21:19.97
That's what the Bible says,
00:21:20.01\00:21:21.94
that we ought to
pray without ceasing.
00:21:21.98\00:21:24.58
And one of the
things I'm realizing
00:21:25.45\00:21:26.35
is that the older I get,
00:21:26.38\00:21:27.92
the more I need to
be praying in all things
00:21:27.95\00:21:30.92
and throughout all things.
00:21:30.95\00:21:32.65
I'm just at a place
where, when I'm in a counseling
00:21:32.69\00:21:35.76
session, I'm
praying as I'm processing.
00:21:35.79\00:21:38.86
There are times where, as
I'm preaching this sermon, I'm
00:21:40.06\00:21:41.83
praying for strength,
for God to make things clear.
00:21:41.86\00:21:44.60
There are times
00:21:45.03\00:21:46.03
when I'm in board
meetings and business meetings,
00:21:46.07\00:21:47.94
I've got to be
asking the Lord for help
00:21:48.84\00:21:50.34
before I have hard
conversations with my spouse.
00:21:51.34\00:21:53.48
I've got to pray for
God to guide my tongue.
00:21:54.41\00:21:56.75
When kids ask me questions
about what they should do, I'm
00:21:57.95\00:22:00.58
praying while
I'm still processing
00:22:00.62\00:22:02.78
and what I'm saying to
the Church of the Living God
00:22:03.85\00:22:05.32
is that there
ought not ever be a time
00:22:06.22\00:22:07.79
where you're just
operating in your own strength.
00:22:08.89\00:22:10.49
Remember, there is a way
00:22:11.06\00:22:12.19
that seems right to a man,
but the end is the way of death.
00:22:12.23\00:22:15.96
So you ought to be praying
while you give the lecture.
00:22:17.13\00:22:19.37
You ought to pray
while you're taking the exam.
00:22:20.44\00:22:22.44
You ought to pray while you're
having the hard conversation.
00:22:23.71\00:22:25.77
You ought to pray while
they're not paying attention.
00:22:26.94\00:22:28.88
You don't just
pray before it happens.
00:22:29.78\00:22:31.61
You ought to
pray while it happens
00:22:32.45\00:22:34.05
and while you're here.
00:22:34.62\00:22:35.28
You ought to pray after
00:22:35.32\00:22:37.12
it happens.
00:22:38.65\00:22:40.32
And this is really
what I want to say.
00:22:40.36\00:22:42.02
Friends of mine, we
got to get to a place
00:22:42.06\00:22:44.66
where prayer is not
this sporadic activity.
00:22:45.66\00:22:48.43
Prayer ought to
be your atmosphere.
00:22:49.26\00:22:56.60
So you pray before you move.
00:22:56.64\00:22:59.41
You're praying
while you're move.
00:22:59.44\00:23:02.04
And you prayed after you move.
00:23:02.08\00:23:04.58
So that prayer and
the spirit of praise
00:23:04.61\00:23:08.75
is not something
that happens once a week,
00:23:09.72\00:23:11.79
but prayer is a portable
atmosphere that follows me.
00:23:13.56\00:23:18.23
Wherever I go, I hear me today.
00:23:18.26\00:23:21.06
Church I'm going to
date myself when I say this.
00:23:21.10\00:23:24.17
Anybody remember this old
school Charlie Brown character
00:23:25.30\00:23:27.74
named Pig Pan?
00:23:28.17\00:23:30.94
Not now, y'all remember Pig Pen
on the Charlie Brown character.
00:23:30.97\00:23:34.34
He was this dirty kid.
00:23:34.91\00:23:36.31
And whenever he went somewhere
00:23:36.34\00:23:38.15
that was just
this spirit of dirt
00:23:38.18\00:23:40.25
that was in front of
him, it was around him
00:23:41.25\00:23:44.49
and it was behind him because
dirt was in his atmosphere.
00:23:45.72\00:23:49.36
And can I suggest that
when you don't have a prayer
00:23:50.46\00:23:52.39
for atmosphere, you
have a dirty atmosphere?
00:23:52.43\00:23:55.53
And when I'm
saying that somebody today
00:23:56.46\00:23:58.57
is that your atmosphere
ought to be one of prayer
00:23:58.60\00:24:01.50
where prayer precedes
you, it accompanies you,
00:24:02.54\00:24:05.04
and it follows you wherever
you go, because you pray
00:24:06.11\00:24:08.54
before all things, in all
things and during all things.
00:24:08.58\00:24:12.25
And you praise God
00:24:12.75\00:24:14.48
once those things come to pass.
00:24:16.42\00:24:18.65
And it's crazy because God
gives him such immense favor.
00:24:20.26\00:24:23.46
Friends, that
God blesses Nehemiah
00:24:23.49\00:24:27.86
with three critical things.
00:24:28.53\00:24:29.86
He gives Nehemiah access.
00:24:29.90\00:24:32.80
He gives him
letters of commendation
00:24:32.83\00:24:35.40
that allows him to
00:24:35.90\00:24:37.01
go into places where he
wouldn't normally be able to go.
00:24:37.04\00:24:39.77
That need, you know,
friends that when God blesses
00:24:40.88\00:24:42.78
you would favor.
00:24:42.81\00:24:43.71
One of the things
he gives you is access.
00:24:43.75\00:24:45.61
Are you hearing
the pastor today?
00:24:45.65\00:24:47.38
I need you to know
that when God causes you
00:24:47.42\00:24:49.38
to rise on the high
places of the Earth,
00:24:49.42\00:24:51.52
He'll put you in rooms
with people that you never, ever
00:24:52.62\00:24:54.49
thought possible.
00:24:54.52\00:24:55.66
He'll put you in positions
00:24:55.69\00:24:57.26
that are beyond your
highest goal or or ambition.
00:24:57.29\00:25:01.46
God will put you in
rooms and places where you can
00:25:02.56\00:25:04.47
influence kings and
people for His glory.
00:25:04.50\00:25:07.57
But not only does God give Him
access, He gives him resources.
00:25:08.80\00:25:10.71
He says, I'm going
to give you a letter
00:25:11.61\00:25:12.64
so that they give you
enough timber. What's this?
00:25:12.67\00:25:14.41
Not just to
build the house of God,
00:25:15.28\00:25:17.08
but to build the house
00:25:17.65\00:25:18.88
you live in while
you're there doing the work.
00:25:18.91\00:25:21.92
So that does what Nehemiah
doesn't have to go and beg
00:25:23.05\00:25:26.32
for the approval of the king
keeper of the forest, though
00:25:26.35\00:25:30.46
he's already been
00:25:30.49\00:25:31.46
given resources by the
king of the entire land.
00:25:31.49\00:25:35.03
And not only does God
00:25:35.60\00:25:36.83
give him resources and access,
he gives him a security detail
00:25:36.87\00:25:40.54
so that nobody can mess
00:25:41.74\00:25:43.57
with Nehemiah even when
he goes in enemy terrain.
00:25:43.61\00:25:47.21
I need somebody to know that not
only will God give you access,
00:25:48.44\00:25:50.95
not only will He give you
resources, he will give you
00:25:52.05\00:25:54.65
an invisible
convoy of security detail.
00:25:54.68\00:25:59.49
The angelic host will accompany
you no matter where you go.
00:26:00.76\00:26:04.39
And it doesn't matter
00:26:04.96\00:26:05.93
what weapons are formed
against you and won't be
00:26:05.96\00:26:09.33
permitted to prosper
because the Angel of the Lord
00:26:09.36\00:26:13.54
is encamped about you
00:26:15.94\00:26:17.24
at all times.
00:26:17.27\00:26:19.87
It's graduation season
00:26:21.71\00:26:23.51
and I want to say congrats
to all of our recent graduates.
00:26:23.55\00:26:26.38
And though we're thankful
for how God is blessing you,
00:26:27.55\00:26:29.58
the only problem is that
we ask 18 or 19 year olds
00:26:29.62\00:26:33.25
to make decisions that
affect the rest of their lives.
00:26:34.42\00:26:36.86
That's why I'm
inviting you to join me for our
00:26:37.89\00:26:39.93
first ever Breath
of life decision day.
00:26:40.86\00:26:42.73
It's a one day online
conference on July the seventh.
00:26:43.80\00:26:46.80
I'm going to be joined
by a number of individuals.
00:26:47.90\00:26:49.77
They're going to help
00:26:50.34\00:26:51.37
our young people make
decisions about their future.
00:26:51.41\00:26:53.68
We're going to be discussing
things like How to discover
00:26:54.88\00:26:56.98
your calling doesn't HBCU
put me out of this advantage?
00:26:57.01\00:27:01.45
When do I need to pivot
changing schools or majors
00:27:02.55\00:27:05.25
or how to dream big?
00:27:05.79\00:27:07.79
It's going to be held on
July the seventh from 10 a.m.
00:27:08.96\00:27:11.13
to 2:00 pm.
00:27:11.16\00:27:12.63
It's a free conference,
00:27:12.66\00:27:14.13
but we don't just
want the kids to come.
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.10
We want the parents to come so
that we can make these decisions
00:27:16.13\00:27:19.93
with God's
tutelage as a village.
00:27:20.77\00:27:23.04
So again, that's going to be
July the seventh from 10 a.m.
00:27:24.27\00:27:26.11
to 2:00 pm.
00:27:26.14\00:27:27.68
I need you to know it's going
to be a great time of learning.
00:27:27.71\00:27:29.91
You're going to be equipped.
00:27:30.58\00:27:31.31
You're going to
be given some tools
00:27:31.35\00:27:33.08
to make sure
00:27:33.11\00:27:33.78
that you land at the right place
00:27:33.82\00:27:35.58
and that you
make the right choice.
00:27:35.62\00:27:37.59
I look forward to seeing
you soon on decision day.
00:27:37.62\00:27:44.63