Hello and welcome
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to our Week of
Prayer program this evening.
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We like to be sure
and welcome those of you
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who are on the
internet with us tonight,
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those who have
tuned in by radio,
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thank you for joining us,
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and those who are at home
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and other places
watching on television,
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we appreciate your
being with us, welcome.
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And for those of you
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who have driven
here this evening,
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a special blessing,
thank you and welcome.
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And this evening
we have a blessing
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to be able to
pray for ourselves,
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so stay with us.
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I am Joe O'Brien,
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I work in the
pastoral department
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here at 3ABN,
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and this program is live
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from our headquarters here
in Thompsonville, Illinois.
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And our prayer tonight
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is going to be
for our marriages,
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our family relationships,
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our in-laws and out-laws
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and for the workplace.
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And of course,
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things can be volatile
at times in relationships.
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And so, I'd like to
share a little thought with you
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from our creator,
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a little
something to encourage us.
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In Matthew 5:9,
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God shares with
us this statement,
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"Blessed are the peacemakers."
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So if you're a peacemaker,
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don't feel like
you're a loser, you're not
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because God says
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you will be called
the Children of God.
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And to have the
creator of the universe
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as your dad
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is a pretty good
relationship to have.
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So you're blessed,
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and something that supports
that is another statement
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in Matthew 5:5 which says,
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"Blessed are the meek."
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Now the meek, I'm
sure occasionally think,
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well, I'm the
loser in the situations
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that are volatile,
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but consider this,
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if you're meek and
if you're a peacemaker,
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you're very much like Christ,
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our example who
is kind and patient,
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forgiving, goes the extra mile
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and turns that cheek
instead of striking back.
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And God says,
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"If that's the
kind of person you are,
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you will inherit the earth."
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And He's not talking
about this broken one,
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He's talking about
the earth made new.
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So with that in mind,
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I want to ask you to join
me in a prayer for all of us.
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Our Father in
heaven, we thank You Lord
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that You have all power,
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all knowledge and
wisdom, capability,
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and that we can
come to You as You said,
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"Come boldly
before My throne of grace
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in our time of need."
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And so in our
marriages we have a need,
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and our prayer is
that You will help us.
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If we're not equally
yoked to become equally yoked
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by looking at
Jesus as our example
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instead of at each other
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and then look at ourselves
and try to emulate Him,
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and study Him, and
become more like Him
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because as we do,
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we will become
more like each other
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and peace will enter.
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And Father we pray for
our family, relationships,
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especially with our children,
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that as the enemy
throws fiery darts
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in their direction,
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that they will
have us as examples
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and that they will see
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the choice
between right and wrong
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and the blessing and
curse that comes with it,
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and that they will choose
to make the better choice.
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And Father we pray also
for in-laws and out-laws
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and neighbors,
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there's difficulties,
there's property lines,
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there's lots of things,
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Lord, that can
fluff the feathers
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but all of that
will be left behind,
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and what really
matters is our characters
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and our love for one another
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and if our
enemies don't love us,
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then we need to pray for him
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that their
hearts will be softened,
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that they too
might be in your kingdom
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because that's what you want.
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And, Lord, also
for the workplace,
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the volatility that
takes place there at times
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help us to be able to absorb it.
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Help us to enjoy
going the extra mile
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knowing that You keep notes
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and You said,
"We'll reap what we sow."
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And we know that we can't lose
if we follow Your principles,
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we will be blessed.
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And so in the
workplace help us to be
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the kind of employees
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that we would want to hire
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and help our employers
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to recognize those
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who are worthy of a little extra
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and to be willing to give,
so it will be given unto them.
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And we thank You Lord
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for the many blessings we have
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and for the
blessings we're asking for
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and for the
blessings You want to give us,
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and we pray that it
will all come together
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and last for eternity.
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And we thank You
in Jesus' name, amen.
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Now if you have
other prayer requests,
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you're welcome to
call our prayer line
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which is
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618-627-4651
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and then
afterwards press another 1
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and you'll get
into the prayer system
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which is the
pastoral department.
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Now that phone number once again
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is 618-627-4651
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and then follow
it with another 1
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and you might find
us busy, if you do,
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you'll get our
voicemail which is a recording,
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and I want to share with you
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that if you do
get the voicemail,
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don't hesitate to
leave your prayer request
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because I guarantee
each and every prayer request
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is prayed for personally,
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one at a time by
our pastoral team.
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So feel confident when you leave
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your prayer
request on a recording.
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And also you may
receive, you may reach us
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with your prayer
request through email.
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And if you'd like to do that,
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our email address is
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prayer@3abn.org.
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Once again,
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prayer@3abn.org.
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And we're going to have
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a wonderful
message this evening now
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and it will be
brought to us by our very own
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Pastor John Lomacang,
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and the title of
his message tonight
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is "A Call to Leadership",
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what are the qualifications?
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But before he comes out,
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we're going to
have a musical selection
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from our Pillars
Hymns CD that is entitled,
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"In the Heart of Jesus"
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and that selection
will be brought to us
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by Ladye Love Smith.
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God bless you.
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In the heart of Jesus
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There is love for you
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Love most pure and tender
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Love most deep and true
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Why should you be lonely
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Why for friendship sigh
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When the tender heart of Jesus
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Has a full supply?
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In the mind of Jesus
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There is thought for you
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Warm as summer sunshine
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Sweet as morning dew
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Why should you be fearful
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Why take anxious thought
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Since the mind of Jesus
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Cares for those He bought?
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In the home of Jesus
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There's a place for you
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Glorious, bright and joyous
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Calm and peaceful, too
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Why then, like
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A wanderer
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Roam with weary pace
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If the home of Jesus
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Holds for you
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A place?
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Wasn't that wonderful song?
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In the heart of
Jesus there is love,
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there is room
for every one of us.
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Tonight's message
is one that excites me
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because it's
about a man in the Bible
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that I admired for a long time,
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I can't wait to meet
him, his name is Nehemiah.
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He's kind of my hero,
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he's the guy that I
would refer to as the guy
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that just
doesn't know how to quit.
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When God is on your
side, you should never quit,
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what do you say?
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Amen.
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A call for leadership,
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how amazing it is that
our nation just struggled
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through one of
the greatest decisions
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they had to make in a long time,
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and really, it's on
the issue of leadership,
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but tonight
from the very outset,
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I want you to know
that when leaders clash,
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I always choose God
above all earthly leaders.
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Tonight, before we
dive into the message,
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I'd like you to invite,
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like to invite you to
bow your heads with me
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and also hen we
are done praying,
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open your Bibles to
the Book of Nehemiah.
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We're going to walk through
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one of my favorite
stories in scripture,
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a call for leadership.
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Let's pray.
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Heavenly Father
we thank You tonight
00:12:06.49\00:12:07.96
for Your goodness,
00:12:07.99\00:12:09.66
for Your mercy, for Your grace,
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for the fact that
You are the leader
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that outlasts
all earthly leaders,
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and tonight, I pray that
You will take this message
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and design it to
accomplish Your perfect will.
00:12:19.80\00:12:23.94
And this I pray
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:12:23.97\00:12:28.18
Nehemiah 6:16 is where we
find our text for tonight.
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Nehemiah 6:16, a very
short but a very powerful text.
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We're going to go
to the end of the story
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before we go to the beginning.
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You know, often we say,
we know how the story ends.
00:12:42.69\00:12:45.66
So we'll go to the
end, to get you encouraged
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and let you see how God
walked Nehemiah and Israel
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through one of the most
trying times in their lives.
00:12:52.67\00:12:56.67
Nehemiah 6:16, New
King James Version,
00:12:56.71\00:13:00.41
"And it happened,
00:13:00.44\00:13:01.78
when all our
enemies heard of it,
00:13:01.81\00:13:04.38
and all the nations
around us saw these things,
00:13:04.41\00:13:07.78
that they were very disheartened
00:13:07.82\00:13:10.69
in their own eyes
for they perceived
00:13:10.72\00:13:14.22
that this work was done by..."
00:13:14.26\00:13:16.26
Who? "By our God."
00:13:16.29\00:13:19.79
My wife and I were coming
back from St. Louis that night,
00:13:19.83\00:13:22.03
I never forget it,
October 27th, 2011.
00:13:22.06\00:13:26.00
To remember that
date in greater detail,
00:13:26.03\00:13:27.80
I went back and did my research,
00:13:27.84\00:13:29.64
it was 53 degrees, partly cloudy
00:13:29.67\00:13:32.77
and the winds were
blowing at seven miles an hour
00:13:32.81\00:13:35.24
from left field to right field
00:13:35.28\00:13:38.15
as 43,375 tension filled fans
00:13:38.18\00:13:43.65
packed Bush Stadium
in St. Louis, Missouri.
00:13:43.69\00:13:48.06
Fox News said that
00:13:48.09\00:13:49.96
there were 21
million plus viewers
00:13:49.99\00:13:53.23
for one of the
most exciting games
00:13:53.26\00:13:55.13
that they said had
been aired in a long time.
00:13:55.16\00:13:58.90
It was the bottom
of the ninth inning,
00:13:58.93\00:14:01.07
we were passing by the
exit where you get off at that,
00:14:01.10\00:14:04.94
I think it's
right where Walmart,
00:14:04.97\00:14:07.14
the last Walmart exit
00:14:07.18\00:14:08.51
before you begin to
go toward Mount Vernon.
00:14:08.54\00:14:11.45
My wife and I were
listening to the baseball game,
00:14:11.48\00:14:13.35
she doesn't understand
all those things like ERAs
00:14:13.38\00:14:16.62
and all that other stuff
that's in an acronym form.
00:14:16.65\00:14:19.25
So she kept asking
me, what were they saying?
00:14:19.29\00:14:22.46
But one thing she did not
00:14:22.49\00:14:24.06
get confused about
was all the shouting
00:14:24.09\00:14:25.63
that ensued on the radio.
00:14:25.66\00:14:27.90
It was the bottom
of the ninth inning,
00:14:27.93\00:14:29.90
the Rangers had seven,
00:14:29.93\00:14:32.47
the Cardinals had five
00:14:32.50\00:14:35.04
and you can sense the
Cardinal fans were standing
00:14:35.07\00:14:37.97
and it seemed to me
like time had slowed down
00:14:38.01\00:14:40.68
like slow motion had taken over
00:14:40.71\00:14:43.28
and everybody's ears
and eyes and I can imagine,
00:14:43.31\00:14:45.65
everybody at their homes
were probably leaning forward
00:14:45.68\00:14:48.08
wondering what the next
moment was going to bring.
00:14:48.12\00:14:51.12
One sports newspaper
published it this way,
00:14:51.15\00:14:54.16
and they said as follows,
00:14:54.19\00:14:56.46
"43,375 lucky fans
00:14:56.49\00:14:59.93
who made up the largest crowd
in the history of Busch Stadium
00:14:59.96\00:15:04.17
were fighting back the tears
00:15:04.20\00:15:06.13
not to mention
the overpowering urge
00:15:06.17\00:15:08.80
to phone their cardiologists."
00:15:08.84\00:15:12.71
Baseball fans were
glued to the moment,
00:15:12.74\00:15:16.34
breathing seemed to
slow down, it was game six.
00:15:16.38\00:15:20.75
The first title for
the Texas Rangers JD
00:15:20.78\00:15:23.92
was just one strike away.
00:15:23.95\00:15:27.26
Man on first, man on second,
00:15:27.29\00:15:29.79
two outs, two
strikes and no room to blink,
00:15:29.82\00:15:34.63
then the most
unlikely thing happened.
00:15:34.66\00:15:37.23
His name was David Freese.
00:15:37.27\00:15:41.00
Pitcher Jaime
Garcia threw a Texas prayer
00:15:41.04\00:15:43.84
and I want to say Texans tonight
00:15:43.87\00:15:45.21
that prayer was not answered.
00:15:45.24\00:15:47.81
Because David Freese
had a game tying triple,
00:15:47.84\00:15:51.28
that saved the St.
Louis Cardinals' season.
00:15:51.31\00:15:54.98
I couldn't believe
it, two strikes, two outs,
00:15:55.02\00:15:58.59
bottom of the ninth and
they refused to give in,
00:15:58.62\00:16:01.56
I kept hearing, foul ball,
00:16:01.59\00:16:03.12
foul to the right,
foul to the left field,
00:16:03.16\00:16:05.69
out of bounds.
00:16:05.73\00:16:07.06
Pitcher winds up,
00:16:07.10\00:16:08.43
Jamie Garcia thinking that
00:16:08.46\00:16:09.83
he had the fate of his
entire state in his hand
00:16:09.86\00:16:12.90
gave it all he could
00:16:12.93\00:16:15.10
but St. Louis was not
about to go down that way.
00:16:15.14\00:16:18.67
Four hours and
thirty three minutes
00:16:18.71\00:16:21.48
the game lasted,
00:16:21.51\00:16:22.84
David Freese also led off
the bottom of the 11th inning
00:16:22.88\00:16:26.01
and, you know,
the rest of the story.
00:16:26.05\00:16:28.28
Shelley, with the
game winning home run
00:16:28.32\00:16:32.55
and the story reflected
the Cardinals won game six
00:16:32.59\00:16:35.66
and game seven and also
the world series of 2011.
00:16:35.69\00:16:40.93
The Cardinal right fielder,
Lance Berkman said as follows,
00:16:40.96\00:16:44.07
"Really and truly
this was an ugly game
00:16:44.10\00:16:47.17
for about six or seven innings
00:16:47.20\00:16:49.27
but then it got
beautiful right at the end."
00:16:49.30\00:16:52.47
That's how life is sometimes.
00:16:52.51\00:16:53.84
It looks ugly but
when we hang in there,
00:16:53.88\00:16:55.44
it gets beautiful at the end.
00:16:55.48\00:16:56.81
Can you say amen to that?
00:16:56.85\00:16:58.41
The St. Louis
Cardinals however lost
00:16:58.45\00:17:00.72
72 games that year that
they won the World Series
00:17:00.75\00:17:04.52
and they didn't
have the best record.
00:17:04.55\00:17:05.89
As a matter of fact,
00:17:05.92\00:17:07.26
you'll discover that a
loss does not cancel a victory,
00:17:07.29\00:17:10.76
it just makes a
victory that much sweeter.
00:17:10.79\00:17:14.16
Seventy two wins,
00:17:14.20\00:17:15.56
sorry seventy two losses
and they still won the game.
00:17:15.60\00:17:19.43
What made the difference?
00:17:19.47\00:17:20.97
With one chance left,
00:17:21.00\00:17:22.67
Tony La Russa
made his team believe
00:17:22.70\00:17:25.27
that they can still win.
00:17:25.31\00:17:27.81
The players refused to quit
00:17:27.84\00:17:29.54
because their leader,
their manager refused to quit.
00:17:29.58\00:17:33.58
And so to me,
00:17:33.62\00:17:34.95
the reason I use this story
is manager Tony La Russa to me
00:17:34.98\00:17:38.75
is the Nehemiah of our day,
00:17:38.79\00:17:41.02
a man that refused to quit
in the face of amazing odds.
00:17:41.06\00:17:45.53
He could have just
simply said, "You know,
00:17:45.56\00:17:47.73
Texas never won
before, let's give them one."
00:17:47.76\00:17:50.07
But he said,
"No, no, not tonight.
00:17:50.10\00:17:51.70
Not in front of my home team.
00:17:51.73\00:17:53.13
Not in front of my fans.
00:17:53.17\00:17:54.50
Not in front of the very place
00:17:54.54\00:17:55.87
where David Freese
was born and raised."
00:17:55.90\00:17:58.97
And that young man
fuelled by the vision to win,
00:17:59.01\00:18:01.88
walked up to that plate,
00:18:01.91\00:18:03.24
couldn't even blink
because at 92 miles an hour,
00:18:03.28\00:18:05.98
if you blinked the game is over.
00:18:06.01\00:18:07.42
As we switch gears
tonight to the people of God,
00:18:11.45\00:18:16.06
and one of the lowest points
00:18:16.09\00:18:17.99
in the history of
the children of Israel
00:18:18.03\00:18:20.50
with a job not yet done,
00:18:20.53\00:18:24.13
the commitment that prevailed
00:18:24.17\00:18:25.57
after being
released from bondage
00:18:25.60\00:18:27.77
eventually faded.
00:18:27.80\00:18:29.60
What began with a glorious shout
00:18:29.64\00:18:32.54
was now barely a whisper.
00:18:32.57\00:18:36.64
The restoration of
Israel was halted by despair.
00:18:36.68\00:18:41.02
Supply lines dried up,
money had all but run out,
00:18:41.05\00:18:45.32
moral was at an all time low.
00:18:45.35\00:18:47.62
Vision had become a word
of a long forgotten past,
00:18:47.66\00:18:51.26
and the end result,
Yannick, was no desire to go on.
00:18:51.29\00:18:57.17
But I'm so glad
that when it seems like
00:18:57.20\00:18:59.00
nobody could be found, God
knows how to find somebody.
00:18:59.03\00:19:03.41
Nehemiah received the report
00:19:03.44\00:19:04.94
about the plight of the remnant,
00:19:04.97\00:19:06.44
and in your Bible
you're reading Nehemiah 1:3,
00:19:06.47\00:19:09.38
and I'm reading this
from the King James Version
00:19:09.41\00:19:11.31
because it uses a word
that closely associates
00:19:11.35\00:19:14.68
the life and the victory
of the children of Israel
00:19:14.72\00:19:17.32
with the victory
of the people of God
00:19:17.35\00:19:18.69
in the last days by
using the word remnant.
00:19:18.72\00:19:22.02
What word did I say? Remnant.
00:19:22.06\00:19:24.83
The document is clear.
00:19:24.86\00:19:26.29
Nehemiah 1:3,
00:19:26.33\00:19:28.26
"The remnant that
are left of the captivity
00:19:28.30\00:19:30.63
there in the province
00:19:30.67\00:19:32.00
are in great
affliction and reproach,
00:19:32.03\00:19:36.40
the wall of
Jerusalem is also broken down,
00:19:36.44\00:19:39.04
and the gates there
of are burned with fire."
00:19:39.07\00:19:43.51
But tonight I want to say this.
00:19:43.55\00:19:45.31
I have a lot of
books about leadership,
00:19:45.35\00:19:47.02
you know, John, Maxwell,
00:19:47.05\00:19:48.92
I didn't buy any
of the TD Jakes books,
00:19:48.95\00:19:50.72
and the Joel Osteen books
and the Oprah Winfrey books
00:19:50.75\00:19:52.69
but I got a lot of
books about leadership.
00:19:52.72\00:19:54.86
But tonight I want to say
this, one of the first signs
00:19:54.89\00:19:57.19
that God chose the right
man came when Nehemiah did
00:19:57.23\00:20:01.26
what all true
leaders ought to do.
00:20:01.30\00:20:03.63
When they cannot find an answer,
00:20:03.67\00:20:05.37
a leader begins by prayer.
00:20:05.40\00:20:07.14
Leaders must get on their knees
00:20:10.44\00:20:12.77
before leaders can
stand on their feet.
00:20:12.81\00:20:15.44
Nehemiah 1:4 says it this way,
00:20:15.48\00:20:18.88
so it was when I
heard these words,
00:20:18.91\00:20:21.32
when Nehemiah
heard about the plight
00:20:21.35\00:20:23.18
of the Israelites it says,
00:20:23.22\00:20:24.95
"That I sat down and wept,
and I mourned for many days..."
00:20:24.99\00:20:30.73
But I'm glad it
didn't stop there.
00:20:30.76\00:20:33.43
"I was fasting and praying
before the God of Heaven."
00:20:33.46\00:20:38.90
I say it again, leaders
must kneel on their knees
00:20:38.93\00:20:42.90
before they can
stand on their feet,
00:20:42.94\00:20:44.81
principle number one.
00:20:44.84\00:20:46.17
And tonight, Shelley,
00:20:46.21\00:20:47.54
I'm going to break
every rule of homiletics.
00:20:47.58\00:20:49.74
I'm not going to
give you three points,
00:20:49.78\00:20:51.11
I'm going to give you ten.
00:20:51.15\00:20:52.91
And I'm going to
do it in 36 minutes.
00:20:52.95\00:20:55.38
Rule number one
or point number one,
00:20:55.42\00:20:57.39
leaders must get on their knees
00:20:57.42\00:20:59.59
before they stand on their feet.
00:20:59.62\00:21:01.59
You see if some
people look at prayer
00:21:01.62\00:21:03.26
like a spare tire but, friends,
prayer is the steering wheel.
00:21:03.29\00:21:07.90
Don't wait until
your life is flat
00:21:07.93\00:21:09.80
to pull out prayer,
00:21:09.83\00:21:11.17
begin with prayer and
you won't have a flat life,
00:21:11.20\00:21:13.47
ain't that right?
00:21:13.50\00:21:14.84
When we find ourselves
some time against the wall,
00:21:14.87\00:21:17.11
we go to God in prayer
and you'll discover in prayer
00:21:17.14\00:21:20.51
heaven's doors open,
heaven's windows open.
00:21:20.54\00:21:24.75
God begins to
pour into your life
00:21:24.78\00:21:26.38
those things that you
never thought were possible
00:21:26.41\00:21:28.72
by simply talking to God.
00:21:28.75\00:21:30.55
And by the way
when you talk to God,
00:21:30.59\00:21:31.92
you're not giving
God any information,
00:21:31.95\00:21:33.39
God knows exactly
what your need is,
00:21:33.42\00:21:35.36
but the reason for
prayer is that you acknowledge
00:21:35.39\00:21:37.89
that He is the one
00:21:37.93\00:21:39.26
that's going to
make a difference
00:21:39.29\00:21:40.63
in your past, your
present and your future.
00:21:40.66\00:21:44.53
Beginning with
prayer makes the difference.
00:21:44.57\00:21:46.80
A wise man said in Proverbs 3:6,
00:21:46.84\00:21:49.67
"In all your ways..."
00:21:49.70\00:21:51.04
In how many of your ways?
00:21:51.07\00:21:52.41
"In all your
ways acknowledge Him
00:21:52.44\00:21:54.94
and He will direct your paths."
00:21:54.98\00:21:58.75
What the church needs
nowadays is not more programs,
00:21:58.78\00:22:02.12
but more direction
from the one that knows
00:22:02.15\00:22:04.22
what path we ought to take.
00:22:04.25\00:22:05.95
What path we ought to take.
00:22:05.99\00:22:07.76
To go from failure to success,
you got to begin with prayer.
00:22:07.79\00:22:11.23
To go from despair to joy,
you got to begin with prayer.
00:22:11.26\00:22:14.40
To go from defeat to victory,
you got to begin with prayer.
00:22:14.43\00:22:18.77
I read about Michael Jordan,
00:22:18.80\00:22:20.14
he's known as
one of the greatest
00:22:20.17\00:22:21.50
basketball players of all time,
00:22:21.54\00:22:23.10
but I also
discovered this, Michael Jordan
00:22:23.14\00:22:25.31
missed more shots than he made.
00:22:25.34\00:22:29.24
Michael Jordan missed a
lot of game winning shots
00:22:29.28\00:22:32.28
or shots that could
have been game winning shots.
00:22:32.31\00:22:34.48
He missed a lot of them.
00:22:34.52\00:22:35.85
However his team mates felt good
00:22:35.88\00:22:37.92
that the ball was
in the hands of a man
00:22:37.95\00:22:39.95
that did not accept
00:22:39.99\00:22:41.46
the fact that
there was not another way
00:22:41.49\00:22:43.06
to win the game.
00:22:43.09\00:22:44.79
And up to this day,
00:22:44.83\00:22:46.16
he's known as one
of the best leaders
00:22:46.19\00:22:48.50
in the game of basketball,
00:22:48.53\00:22:49.86
one of the best
leaders of all time
00:22:49.90\00:22:51.80
because he
understood that losing a game
00:22:51.83\00:22:55.34
doesn't mean you're
going to lose a championship.
00:22:55.37\00:22:58.37
Sometimes we
lose the games of life
00:22:58.41\00:23:00.51
but if God is on our side,
00:23:00.54\00:23:01.88
He'll pull us
through to the championship.
00:23:01.91\00:23:03.78
Can you say amen to that?
00:23:03.81\00:23:05.85
Some people say
00:23:05.88\00:23:07.45
that leaders are
willing to do whatever it takes,
00:23:07.48\00:23:09.58
and I was somewhat disheartened
by the selection this year,
00:23:09.62\00:23:12.65
now that we're post-election,
I could say what I want to.
00:23:12.69\00:23:16.73
Just want to tell you
00:23:16.76\00:23:18.09
that I didn't
vote for either one
00:23:18.13\00:23:20.80
because I had an
obligation higher
00:23:20.83\00:23:22.26
than that of earthly men.
00:23:22.30\00:23:25.73
I love them both,
00:23:25.77\00:23:27.10
I felt that they
both had good ideas
00:23:27.14\00:23:28.50
but I chose to
vote on God's side
00:23:28.54\00:23:30.94
because I made up my
mind that if anybody conflicts
00:23:30.97\00:23:34.34
with what my
convictions are as a Christian,
00:23:34.38\00:23:38.01
I can't stand on that side.
00:23:38.05\00:23:39.78
So whether it's
incorrect theology
00:23:39.81\00:23:41.35
of what you
believe as a Christian
00:23:41.38\00:23:42.72
or whether it's,
00:23:42.75\00:23:44.09
whether it's s
principles that don't line up
00:23:44.12\00:23:45.52
with my morality, I
couldn't make the decision,
00:23:45.55\00:23:47.82
so I stood on the side
of one who never fails.
00:23:47.86\00:23:49.96
Can you say amen to that?
00:23:49.99\00:23:53.90
Leaders are called
to do what's right,
00:23:53.93\00:23:56.87
not what's fashionable.
00:23:56.90\00:23:59.33
Nehemiah 1:5, and I said,
00:23:59.37\00:24:02.90
I pray, Lord God of heaven,
00:24:02.94\00:24:06.37
oh, great and awesome God,
00:24:06.41\00:24:07.94
he made it very clear
00:24:07.98\00:24:09.31
that God stands with those
who stand for what's right.
00:24:09.34\00:24:12.11
Now I'm not saying that
00:24:12.15\00:24:13.48
God has abandoned any
of our political leaders
00:24:13.52\00:24:15.25
because each of them has a point
00:24:15.28\00:24:16.79
that they ought to
grow, amen to that.
00:24:16.82\00:24:19.85
But God made it clear that
00:24:19.89\00:24:21.22
when He calls you to
accomplish a mission,
00:24:21.26\00:24:23.32
He says in His Word in verse 5.
00:24:23.36\00:24:26.49
"And I said, "Oh, God.
00:24:26.53\00:24:27.86
Lord God of heaven,
oh, great and awesome God
00:24:27.90\00:24:31.13
You who keep Your
covenant and mercy
00:24:31.17\00:24:34.14
with those who love You
and observe Your commandments."
00:24:34.17\00:24:38.81
God makes a covenant with us
00:24:38.84\00:24:41.28
and the
covenant He makes with us
00:24:41.31\00:24:43.45
is a covenant of
agreement that He lives up to,
00:24:43.48\00:24:46.61
that He honors one we live
by the requirements of God.
00:24:46.65\00:24:51.12
So I have a...
00:24:51.15\00:24:52.49
I have a phrase that
you may have heard before.
00:24:52.52\00:24:54.26
I would say don't
negotiate at the table
00:24:54.29\00:24:56.36
of the adversary.
00:24:56.39\00:24:57.89
Don't meander in
the maze of mediocrity
00:24:57.93\00:25:00.46
and don't ponder at
the pool of popularity.
00:25:00.50\00:25:03.30
You've got to stand with God
00:25:03.33\00:25:04.87
and it's not always
popular to stand with God.
00:25:04.90\00:25:07.80
You won't always
be pat on the back.
00:25:07.84\00:25:09.54
But my third
point tonight is this,
00:25:09.57\00:25:11.27
leaders don't quit
00:25:11.31\00:25:14.04
because they don't believe
00:25:14.08\00:25:15.41
that the present
necessarily equals the future.
00:25:15.44\00:25:18.58
Nehemiah was sent
by God to a people
00:25:18.61\00:25:20.35
that have lost all hope.
00:25:20.38\00:25:21.72
They had lost all
sense of anything good
00:25:21.75\00:25:24.45
coming out of their situation.
00:25:24.49\00:25:25.85
And right now, tonight,
00:25:25.89\00:25:27.22
I'm praying for
anybody who's in Congress,
00:25:27.26\00:25:29.32
anybody who's in the
Senate, and surely anybody
00:25:29.36\00:25:31.53
who is in the
leadership seat of this nation,
00:25:31.56\00:25:33.80
because everybody
needs the direction of God.
00:25:33.83\00:25:36.23
When we say one
nation under God,
00:25:36.26\00:25:38.87
we ought to live
our lives under God.
00:25:38.90\00:25:41.94
Nehemiah was called by God
00:25:41.97\00:25:43.47
and he was a
leader that believed
00:25:43.51\00:25:44.84
that the present
situation of Israel
00:25:44.87\00:25:47.38
did not necessarily
equal the future of Israel
00:25:47.41\00:25:50.58
because God
doesn't send you to fail.
00:25:50.61\00:25:53.31
Whenever God sends
us, success is assured.
00:25:53.35\00:25:57.02
Look at Isaiah 1:18.
00:25:57.05\00:25:59.59
Matter of fact, I call this,
00:25:59.62\00:26:00.96
this my own saying,
you can use it if you like,
00:26:00.99\00:26:04.13
but I believe that
leaders ought to adopt
00:26:04.16\00:26:06.16
what I call the
Isaiah 1:18 vision principle.
00:26:06.19\00:26:10.40
Look at this very carefully.
00:26:10.43\00:26:12.53
"Come now, and let
us reason together,
00:26:12.57\00:26:14.37
says the Lord though
your sins are like..."
00:26:14.40\00:26:17.31
What?
00:26:17.34\00:26:18.67
"Scarlet, they
shall be as white as snow,
00:26:18.71\00:26:21.94
though they are red like..."
00:26:21.98\00:26:23.31
What?
00:26:23.35\00:26:24.68
"Crimson, they
shall be as wool."
00:26:24.71\00:26:26.72
Here is Isaiah 1:18 vision.
00:26:26.75\00:26:29.28
Though they are,
yet they shall be.
00:26:29.32\00:26:32.59
There are those that are living
in the though they are moment
00:26:32.62\00:26:35.96
and can't get to the
they shall be moment.
00:26:35.99\00:26:38.99
There are those that
though you are broke,
00:26:39.03\00:26:41.36
yet you shall be
brought through anyhow.
00:26:41.40\00:26:44.47
Though your health
report is not good,
00:26:44.50\00:26:46.37
yet it shall be reversed anyhow.
00:26:46.40\00:26:48.44
Though your present situation
is not one that brings you joy,
00:26:48.47\00:26:52.74
yet it shall be
00:26:52.77\00:26:54.54
when you put your
life in God's hand,
00:26:54.58\00:26:56.58
your though can
turn into a shall be,
00:26:56.61\00:26:59.11
can you say amen to that?
00:26:59.15\00:27:01.48
So those are not
permanent, those are temporary.
00:27:01.52\00:27:05.32
Though your sins
are like scarlet,
00:27:05.35\00:27:06.96
they shall be as white as snow.
00:27:06.99\00:27:10.23
And one of the
problems of Israel
00:27:10.26\00:27:11.59
is they suffered what I
called colorless dreams.
00:27:11.63\00:27:14.86
They dreamed in black and white,
00:27:14.90\00:27:16.30
they couldn't see
beyond their despair.
00:27:16.33\00:27:18.40
They had tamed vision,
00:27:18.43\00:27:19.77
they couldn't see that
if God was on their side,
00:27:19.80\00:27:22.50
and that's something we
ought to remember today.
00:27:22.54\00:27:24.24
When God is on your side,
00:27:24.27\00:27:25.61
there is no such
thing as failure.
00:27:25.64\00:27:27.64
Lot of times you talk about,
00:27:27.68\00:27:29.01
"What was your plan
for the future, pastor?"
00:27:29.04\00:27:30.55
What's my plan? To
ask God what's His plan.
00:27:30.58\00:27:33.01
Amen.
00:27:33.05\00:27:35.42
That's what my plan is and,
00:27:35.45\00:27:36.79
you know, I'm always confused
when the conference says,
00:27:36.82\00:27:38.62
we'd like you to submit
your plans for the New Year.
00:27:38.65\00:27:41.46
Say them one word prayer.
00:27:41.49\00:27:45.19
That's not easy,
send them email, prayer,
00:27:45.23\00:27:47.30
my plans for 2013, prayer.
00:27:47.33\00:27:50.57
Amen? Plans for
3ABN for 2013, pray.
00:27:50.60\00:27:56.50
And wait and trust God
00:27:56.54\00:27:59.04
to nowadays we get all
enamored by people that,
00:27:59.07\00:28:01.61
you know, seven
highly effective habits
00:28:01.64\00:28:03.28
of successful Christians.
00:28:03.31\00:28:06.48
The number one
highly effective habit
00:28:06.51\00:28:08.18
of a successful Christian
is somebody that realizes
00:28:08.22\00:28:10.82
that they are not
the leader and God is.
00:28:10.85\00:28:13.39
And only God's
vision really matters anyhow
00:28:13.42\00:28:16.52
because
whenever you have visions
00:28:16.56\00:28:17.89
that you cast and
sometimes you cast visions,
00:28:17.93\00:28:20.20
I always like, you know,
we have to have vision anyhow,
00:28:20.23\00:28:22.40
but sometimes
people come up and say,
00:28:22.43\00:28:23.77
well, the new
slogan for the next year
00:28:23.80\00:28:26.13
is and they mention the slogan
00:28:26.17\00:28:27.54
as though the slogan
is going to do the work.
00:28:27.57\00:28:30.74
The slogan is just
the beginning of the work.
00:28:30.77\00:28:32.74
God is the one that empowers us
and He doesn't do it by slogan.
00:28:32.77\00:28:36.31
He says "Not by might, nor
by power but by My Spirit."
00:28:36.34\00:28:41.62
Lot of days,
00:28:41.65\00:28:42.98
you know, we can
sit down and get plans
00:28:43.02\00:28:44.35
and you don't have
plans, I have a lot of plans.
00:28:44.39\00:28:46.22
I like to do a lot of seminars
and things that are good,
00:28:46.25\00:28:48.89
but I've also discovered
something very, very important
00:28:48.92\00:28:53.19
that I am not willing to give up
00:28:53.23\00:28:54.70
Canaan's blessings
for Egyptian methods.
00:28:54.73\00:28:59.70
And sometimes men
put methods together
00:28:59.73\00:29:01.94
that they have
not submitted to God,
00:29:01.97\00:29:03.30
I've read a lot
of leadership books,
00:29:03.34\00:29:04.87
I have a lot of
them in my library.
00:29:04.91\00:29:06.24
I told my wife, I put
together a whole stack of books.
00:29:06.27\00:29:09.64
That I said, "Honey,
00:29:09.68\00:29:11.01
I'm going to
diversify my reading plan
00:29:11.05\00:29:12.71
with all the other
things I have to do.
00:29:12.75\00:29:14.15
I'm going to still add
some more reading to that."
00:29:14.18\00:29:17.02
I just bought four DVDs
00:29:17.05\00:29:18.39
to train myself
with all kinds of things.
00:29:18.42\00:29:20.52
I've got to challenge myself,
if not, my mind gets dormant.
00:29:20.56\00:29:23.93
I'm like a clothes
closet, if I don't open it up,
00:29:23.96\00:29:25.99
I start smelling like
mothballs ought to be in there.
00:29:26.03\00:29:29.03
So I've got to challenge my mind
00:29:29.06\00:29:30.40
so it doesn't get dormant.
00:29:30.43\00:29:31.77
So I read about,
00:29:31.80\00:29:33.13
you know, things I need to learn
00:29:33.17\00:29:34.50
on the computer with the,
00:29:34.54\00:29:35.87
you know,
Photoshop and InDesign,
00:29:35.90\00:29:37.24
and an Illustrator
and Adobe Premiere Pro,
00:29:37.27\00:29:39.57
I got to understand how
to do things, right, Linda?
00:29:39.61\00:29:41.74
Got to understand those
things, as Linda taught me about
00:29:41.78\00:29:44.38
that how to find
my way around YouTube.
00:29:44.41\00:29:47.18
I learned things
00:29:47.22\00:29:49.42
and I read
books about leadership
00:29:49.45\00:29:50.79
and how to be an
exceptional presenter,
00:29:50.82\00:29:52.72
but when I
forget all that stuff,
00:29:52.75\00:29:54.22
I remember the first and
most important principle,
00:29:54.26\00:29:56.49
pray.
00:29:56.52\00:29:58.76
Trust God, trust His plans
00:29:58.79\00:30:01.73
and submit your
ways to the Lord.
00:30:01.76\00:30:04.43
Nehemiah knew that
prosperity was found in God.
00:30:04.47\00:30:07.04
Look at Nehemiah 1:11.
00:30:07.07\00:30:10.81
Nehemiah said,
"Oh, Lord, I pray.
00:30:10.84\00:30:13.17
Please let Your ear be attentive
00:30:13.21\00:30:15.14
to the prayer of Your servant
00:30:15.18\00:30:16.51
and to the
prayer of Your servants
00:30:16.54\00:30:18.41
who desire to fear Your name
00:30:18.45\00:30:22.72
and let Your servant
prosper this day I pray
00:30:22.75\00:30:26.05
and grand him mercy in
the sight of this man."
00:30:26.09\00:30:31.13
In other words, God gave
him everything he needed.
00:30:31.16\00:30:33.63
God gave him all the supplies
00:30:33.66\00:30:35.40
but Nehemiah said, Lord,
00:30:35.43\00:30:36.77
when I run into
folk on my way to Israel,
00:30:36.80\00:30:39.67
when I run into folk
on my way to Jerusalem
00:30:39.70\00:30:42.80
that is on my way to the place
00:30:42.84\00:30:45.47
where my work is going to begin.
00:30:45.51\00:30:46.84
Give me favor in
the sight of all those
00:30:46.88\00:30:50.05
that I run into
and God gives us favor
00:30:50.08\00:30:52.28
when God's plan is
being followed by our plan.
00:30:52.31\00:30:58.62
Did I say that right?
00:30:58.65\00:31:00.22
When our plan follow God's plan,
00:31:00.26\00:31:03.06
He gives us favor in
the eyes of humanity.
00:31:03.09\00:31:07.63
Because prosperity
is not in a good plan
00:31:07.66\00:31:10.87
but prosperity is in a good God.
00:31:10.90\00:31:13.97
And a good plan, Glenn,
is not always God's plan.
00:31:14.00\00:31:17.64
Sometimes we wonder why we fail
00:31:17.67\00:31:19.54
because we said
I had a good plan
00:31:19.57\00:31:21.74
but it wasn't God's plan.
00:31:21.78\00:31:23.78
So not all good
plans are God's plans.
00:31:23.81\00:31:27.78
That's why a wise man said,
"Commit your ways to the Lord.
00:31:27.82\00:31:31.52
Trust also in Him and
He shall bring it to pass."
00:31:31.55\00:31:35.62
Psalms 37:5 which
takes me to my fourth
00:31:35.66\00:31:39.29
and most important point.
00:31:39.33\00:31:40.90
Leaders are willing to give
up good plans for God's plans.
00:31:40.93\00:31:46.60
Because I've often said
00:31:46.63\00:31:47.97
and I say this to the
young people at school,
00:31:48.00\00:31:49.54
I said, you know,
what the enemy of good is?
00:31:49.57\00:31:52.81
Or the enemy of
best is, I blew my pun.
00:31:52.84\00:31:55.94
The enemy of best is good.
00:31:55.98\00:31:58.48
Let me just go ahead and
tell you since I blew it.
00:31:58.51\00:32:01.42
The enemy of best is
good, say that with me.
00:32:01.45\00:32:04.65
The enemy of what? Best is good.
00:32:04.69\00:32:07.56
When you're in the
bottom of the ninth,
00:32:07.59\00:32:08.92
you don't want a good batter,
00:32:08.96\00:32:10.29
you want your best
batter up at the bay.
00:32:10.33\00:32:11.73
You don't want somebody that,
do you think you could hit it?
00:32:11.76\00:32:13.60
I think I could.
00:32:13.63\00:32:14.96
No, sit down, let
me get somebody else.
00:32:15.00\00:32:16.33
Do you think you
could win this game?
00:32:16.36\00:32:17.70
I'm not sure. Well, sit down.
00:32:17.73\00:32:20.54
David Freese went to
that mound with an attitude,
00:32:20.57\00:32:24.11
I could do this
with 25 home runs,
00:32:24.14\00:32:28.68
I believe his
coach felt secure that
00:32:28.71\00:32:30.35
if anybody could do it,
00:32:30.38\00:32:32.28
he's one of those guys that have
00:32:32.31\00:32:34.08
a higher
percentage of anybody else
00:32:34.12\00:32:36.89
doing that at this
very critical moment.
00:32:36.92\00:32:39.52
Good plans are not
always God's plans.
00:32:39.55\00:32:43.06
And when we think about it,
what better example can we get.
00:32:43.09\00:32:45.63
You got to be like Jesus,
00:32:45.66\00:32:47.00
He said, "Not My
will be done but..."
00:32:47.03\00:32:48.70
What? "But thine be done."
00:32:48.73\00:32:50.63
I've learned that
00:32:50.67\00:32:52.03
after being here for nine years,
00:32:52.07\00:32:53.40
I've had a lot of
plans and sometimes I'd say,
00:32:53.44\00:32:54.94
"Honey, that was a good idea
but it's not going to work."
00:32:54.97\00:32:57.67
And I go back to
the drawing board
00:32:57.71\00:32:59.04
and realize that God
had something better in mind
00:32:59.07\00:33:01.11
and when I
submitted to God's plans,
00:33:01.14\00:33:03.88
Johnny, it always
comes out a whole lot better
00:33:03.91\00:33:06.55
than the way that
I planned it to occur
00:33:06.58\00:33:08.95
which takes me to
point number five.
00:33:08.98\00:33:10.32
Am I going fast enough?
00:33:10.35\00:33:11.85
Point number five, if
you missed the points,
00:33:11.89\00:33:13.72
get them on the video.
00:33:13.76\00:33:15.86
Leaders are
allegiant to God's tasks
00:33:15.89\00:33:19.83
and not man's temperaments.
00:33:19.86\00:33:22.83
Understand what I mean by that.
00:33:22.86\00:33:24.83
I've discovered after
25 years of pastoring,
00:33:24.87\00:33:27.27
sometimes people get upset
00:33:27.30\00:33:29.40
when you tell them your plans.
00:33:29.44\00:33:33.78
Let me make it
clear. Go to chapter 2:10.
00:33:33.81\00:33:37.51
Sometimes people get upset
00:33:37.55\00:33:40.08
if you're following God's plans.
00:33:40.12\00:33:44.49
"When Sanballat the Horonite
00:33:44.52\00:33:47.56
and Tobiah the
Ammonite official heard of it
00:33:47.59\00:33:51.69
they were..."
00:33:51.73\00:33:53.06
And what's the next two words?
00:33:53.09\00:33:54.90
"Deeply disturbed
that a man had come
00:33:54.93\00:33:59.53
to seek the wellbeing
of the children of Israel."
00:33:59.57\00:34:03.81
Any time you are seeking
00:34:03.84\00:34:05.34
the wellbeing of
the people of God,
00:34:05.37\00:34:07.21
Satan will always find
somebody to get upset with you.
00:34:07.24\00:34:11.68
And I've learned after a
while that if I as a leader,
00:34:11.71\00:34:15.32
I don't get somebody
upset, I'm not doing my job.
00:34:15.35\00:34:20.06
Amen?
00:34:20.09\00:34:21.46
Because the Lord says,
00:34:21.49\00:34:22.82
"Beware when men
speak well of you."
00:34:22.86\00:34:24.29
Even when we did
the pastor appreciation,
00:34:24.33\00:34:26.19
that's one of the
toughest days in the year for me
00:34:26.23\00:34:28.36
because I don't like to
be praised all that much.
00:34:28.40\00:34:30.80
I like to, you know, thank God,
00:34:30.83\00:34:32.77
praise the Lord
'cause it's not me who did it
00:34:32.80\00:34:34.64
but God who gets the
glory, amen for that.
00:34:34.67\00:34:37.27
You know, I appreciate the fact
00:34:37.31\00:34:38.64
that we appreciate
leadership like I appreciate
00:34:38.67\00:34:40.48
Greg and Jill and
all our leaders here
00:34:40.51\00:34:42.01
in our church and what they do
00:34:42.04\00:34:43.38
for the
advancement of God cause,
00:34:43.41\00:34:45.01
but you've got to keep in mind
00:34:45.05\00:34:46.38
that don't take the glory
and the credit for yourself.
00:34:46.41\00:34:49.25
But if you're
not a good leader...
00:34:52.72\00:34:54.06
you may do
things that people like.
00:34:58.59\00:35:00.26
The people got upset with Moses,
00:35:04.87\00:35:06.87
put that word in there,
complained against Moses.
00:35:06.90\00:35:10.54
The people got upset,
he got them out of Egypt,
00:35:10.57\00:35:13.81
where is the chicken?
00:35:13.84\00:35:15.91
He got them, let me
not go down that road.
00:35:15.94\00:35:20.62
God answered every plan,
00:35:20.65\00:35:23.75
God answered every prayer
for the children of Israel.
00:35:23.79\00:35:27.92
He blocked, He
drowned the Egyptian army.
00:35:27.96\00:35:31.06
He gave them
food in the morning.
00:35:31.09\00:35:33.36
He blocked the advancing
armies with a pillar of fire.
00:35:33.40\00:35:36.80
When things got hot
among the Israelites,
00:35:36.83\00:35:38.60
He cooled them down with a cloud
00:35:38.63\00:35:41.04
in the hot desert
days of their journey.
00:35:41.07\00:35:45.31
But instead,
instead of going to God
00:35:45.34\00:35:48.94
in prayer like they should have,
00:35:48.98\00:35:50.31
they looked at
Moses and they said,
00:35:50.35\00:35:52.28
you brought us out here
in the wilderness to kill us,
00:35:52.31\00:35:54.32
they complained against
Moses, and I like what he said,
00:35:54.35\00:35:56.52
I haven't gotten
up enough courage
00:35:56.55\00:35:58.39
here to say that to
some of the church members.
00:35:58.42\00:36:00.46
But I like the way he said,
00:36:00.49\00:36:01.82
"Who am I that you
should complain against me?
00:36:01.86\00:36:03.19
Go tell God about the problem,
don't talk to me anymore.
00:36:03.22\00:36:06.73
I already have enough trouble
people to tell me I'm too busy.
00:36:06.76\00:36:09.70
If I do that
they'll never call me.
00:36:09.73\00:36:12.00
So I got to
leave the avenue open."
00:36:12.03\00:36:13.47
But Moses said
it very wonderful,
00:36:13.50\00:36:15.40
"Who am I that you
complain against me?
00:36:15.44\00:36:19.07
Your problem is not
with me, it's with God."
00:36:19.11\00:36:23.35
So if you are
not doing a good job,
00:36:23.38\00:36:25.01
people may like
everything you do,
00:36:25.05\00:36:27.12
but if they complain,
you may be on the right path.
00:36:27.15\00:36:30.15
Amen somebody.
00:36:30.19\00:36:31.52
The Pharisees and
scribes complained about Jesus,
00:36:31.55\00:36:34.22
"Who is this man, even sinners
hanging out with this guy?"
00:36:34.26\00:36:37.29
So if they complained
about you as a leader,
00:36:37.33\00:36:39.76
make sure you're
doing the right thing,
00:36:39.79\00:36:41.73
don't just assume
because they're complaining,
00:36:41.76\00:36:43.43
you're doing the right thing,
that's not a good thing at all.
00:36:43.47\00:36:46.47
Point Number six,
00:36:46.50\00:36:48.54
leaders know when to keep it
00:36:48.57\00:36:52.27
just between them and God.
00:36:52.31\00:36:56.51
Leaders know when to keep
it just between them and God.
00:36:56.54\00:37:01.12
When God commissioned Nehemiah
00:37:01.15\00:37:04.02
there were times that
Nehemiah couldn't tell anybody
00:37:04.05\00:37:06.39
about what God had said,
00:37:06.42\00:37:07.76
not even the men
that were with him.
00:37:07.79\00:37:09.52
Sometimes, it's got to
be just between you and God.
00:37:09.56\00:37:11.56
There are some folk
that cannot hesitate,
00:37:11.59\00:37:13.73
like Joseph.
00:37:13.76\00:37:18.57
No, Jacob.
00:37:18.60\00:37:19.93
I get those brothers mixed up,
00:37:19.97\00:37:21.30
which one had the
coat of many colors?
00:37:21.34\00:37:23.14
Joseph, I knew it, I
was right the first time.
00:37:23.17\00:37:25.27
Get a nice coat, he
go and tells his brother,
00:37:28.54\00:37:30.41
"Look at my nice coat."
00:37:30.45\00:37:31.81
I understand their plight,
00:37:31.85\00:37:33.18
I would want to
bury him a long time too.
00:37:33.21\00:37:35.52
Then he had a dream and he said,
00:37:35.55\00:37:36.89
"You know, what I
dreamt last night?
00:37:36.92\00:37:38.25
You all are going to
be bowing to me one day."
00:37:38.29\00:37:41.06
There are times
when you got to keep it
00:37:41.09\00:37:42.42
just between you and God.
00:37:42.46\00:37:43.79
Can you say amen to that?
00:37:43.83\00:37:45.16
Because if you spend your time
00:37:45.19\00:37:46.93
boasting about all your success,
00:37:46.96\00:37:49.10
some people are going to
say, "Here he comes again.
00:37:49.13\00:37:51.77
I always tell him all
of the stuff he's doing.
00:37:51.80\00:37:53.94
Yeah, he is the only one,
yeah, that's right, yeah."
00:37:53.97\00:37:57.47
Sometimes,
00:37:57.51\00:37:58.91
and God has taught
me through the years
00:37:58.94\00:38:01.54
that sometimes
when God blesses us,
00:38:01.58\00:38:04.18
you got to just
keep that blessing
00:38:04.21\00:38:05.75
between you and God.
00:38:05.78\00:38:07.55
You can't tell anybody
00:38:07.58\00:38:08.92
even about your
greatest successes.
00:38:08.95\00:38:11.09
My wife and I sometimes say,
00:38:11.12\00:38:12.45
"Well, at least you
and me know about it."
00:38:12.49\00:38:15.26
Sometimes when God had blesses,
00:38:15.29\00:38:16.62
I remember we used to
call in Florida and say,
00:38:16.66\00:38:18.53
"Guess, what on be."
00:38:18.56\00:38:19.89
And we had
somebody at a distance
00:38:19.93\00:38:21.33
to rejoice with us.
00:38:21.36\00:38:23.03
But Nehemiah had
to exercise wisdom,
00:38:23.06\00:38:25.93
because when you
look at Nehemiah 2:12,
00:38:25.97\00:38:30.87
as the leader he knew
00:38:30.91\00:38:32.24
when to keep things
just between him and God.
00:38:32.27\00:38:35.48
Look at verse 12, "Then
I arose in the night..."
00:38:35.51\00:38:40.12
That's when a leader gets
into, it's just him and God.
00:38:40.15\00:38:43.39
"I and a few men with me..."
00:38:43.42\00:38:45.42
But notice what he said,
00:38:45.45\00:38:46.79
"I told no one what my
God had put in my heart
00:38:46.82\00:38:51.06
to do at Jerusalem.
00:38:51.09\00:38:52.59
Nor was there any animal with me
00:38:52.63\00:38:55.70
except the one
on which I rode..."
00:38:55.73\00:38:57.90
I wonder what he meant by that.
00:38:57.93\00:38:59.27
He said, "I didn't tell any man
00:38:59.30\00:39:00.67
and the animal
couldn't understand it either."
00:39:00.70\00:39:04.07
I didn't tell any man
00:39:04.11\00:39:05.44
and that was
not Balaam's donkey,
00:39:05.47\00:39:06.81
so there was going
to be no conversation
00:39:06.84\00:39:08.58
between him and me.
00:39:08.61\00:39:10.38
He kept it just
between him and God,
00:39:10.41\00:39:12.78
and I have learned
00:39:12.81\00:39:14.15
that it takes more discipline
to keep your mouth shut
00:39:14.18\00:39:17.45
than it does to keep it open.
00:39:17.49\00:39:18.82
Some folks just
cannot keep their mouth shut,
00:39:23.09\00:39:25.09
the Lord did many
wonderful miracles
00:39:25.13\00:39:26.96
to disciples and he said to them
00:39:27.00\00:39:28.60
look, Mark 9:9,
00:39:28.63\00:39:30.77
He commanded them to tell nobody
00:39:30.80\00:39:33.54
about what they saw
on the mountain until,
00:39:33.57\00:39:37.01
until He had
risen from the dead.
00:39:37.04\00:39:39.74
Could they keep
their mouth shut?
00:39:39.77\00:39:42.11
No, they couldn't
keep their mouth shut.
00:39:42.14\00:39:43.48
There's some people that itch,
00:39:43.51\00:39:44.91
when they know
something you don't know.
00:39:44.95\00:39:46.28
You ever see them,
"Honey, I gotta tell you..."
00:39:46.31\00:39:49.75
They don't know how
to keep their mouth shut,
00:39:49.78\00:39:51.12
they're itching,
they're like, they got scales,
00:39:51.15\00:39:52.49
"What's wrong with you?"
00:39:52.52\00:39:53.86
"I just got off the phone."
00:39:53.89\00:39:55.72
There's some people
that on the other side
00:39:55.76\00:39:57.39
that they can't wait to beat you
00:39:57.43\00:39:58.76
to the punch to tell
somebody what they heard
00:39:58.79\00:40:00.90
and there you are
standing in the worship,
00:40:00.93\00:40:03.16
waiting for any prayer request
00:40:03.20\00:40:04.57
and somebody breaks in
before they even mention.
00:40:04.60\00:40:08.84
And you think,
they took my thunder,
00:40:08.87\00:40:10.21
forget I ain't gonna mention it.
00:40:10.24\00:40:12.44
That's why I like
that Rwandan proverb,
00:40:12.47\00:40:14.14
listen to this,
00:40:14.18\00:40:15.51
and I'll tell you
about the story at the end.
00:40:15.54\00:40:17.28
There's a man in
Rwanda, he's deceased now
00:40:17.31\00:40:20.52
but I like when he thought about
00:40:20.55\00:40:21.92
this very important principle.
00:40:21.95\00:40:23.28
He said, "I no longer
need preeminence popularity,
00:40:23.32\00:40:27.22
prosperity,
position, promotion, plaudits,
00:40:27.26\00:40:30.76
I don't have to be
right, first, tops, recognized,
00:40:30.79\00:40:33.76
praised, regarded, or rewarded.
00:40:33.80\00:40:36.93
I just got to keep
it between me and God.
00:40:36.97\00:40:39.77
I just got to keep it
right where it matters
00:40:39.80\00:40:41.34
the most between me and God."
00:40:41.37\00:40:42.94
That's why Solomon,
00:40:42.97\00:40:44.31
the wise man wrote
in Ecclesiastes 5:2,
00:40:44.34\00:40:46.88
he said this
word, write it down.
00:40:46.91\00:40:49.61
Ecclesiastes 5:2, if
you are fast, turn there.
00:40:49.64\00:40:52.78
But I'm gonna go
ahead and read it.
00:40:52.81\00:40:55.08
He said, "Do not be
rash with your mouth
00:40:55.12\00:40:57.95
and let not your heart utter
anything hastily before God,
00:40:57.99\00:41:02.29
for God is in heaven
and you are on earth."
00:41:02.32\00:41:05.23
And as Phillips, Craig
and Dean said, "So therefore,
00:41:05.26\00:41:08.26
let your words be few,"
00:41:08.30\00:41:10.33
which takes me to
point number seven.
00:41:13.40\00:41:16.24
You never thought I
could cover ten points.
00:41:16.27\00:41:18.17
So you guys
think I preached long,
00:41:18.21\00:41:19.54
if you do on Sabbath morning
what they do during the week,
00:41:19.57\00:41:21.51
I preach in one hour.
00:41:21.54\00:41:23.91
And that's a
big amen right there
00:41:23.95\00:41:25.28
but you ain't
gonna give it to me,
00:41:25.31\00:41:26.65
that's all right.
00:41:26.68\00:41:29.58
Point number
seven, this is powerful.
00:41:29.62\00:41:33.29
Good leaders work for others,
00:41:33.32\00:41:37.76
great leaders work with others.
00:41:37.79\00:41:43.63
Think about that,
tonight at 2 o'clock,
00:41:43.67\00:41:45.17
you're gonna
wake up and say amen.
00:41:45.20\00:41:48.30
Good leaders work for others
00:41:48.34\00:41:51.01
but great
leaders work with others.
00:41:51.04\00:41:54.48
Nehemiah 2:18,
00:41:54.51\00:41:57.25
"And I told them
of the hand of my God
00:41:57.28\00:41:59.11
which had been good upon me
00:41:59.15\00:42:01.38
and also of the King's
words that He had spoken to me."
00:42:01.42\00:42:05.69
So they said, I like this,
this is an inclusive statement.
00:42:05.72\00:42:08.36
Whenever you
want to get involved
00:42:08.39\00:42:09.72
in a project, make sure
00:42:09.76\00:42:11.09
you got people on board
with you, like Nehemiah.
00:42:11.13\00:42:13.53
He didn't say, "Let
me rise up and build."
00:42:13.56\00:42:15.30
He said, "Let us..."
00:42:15.33\00:42:16.70
Say that with me, what?
"Let us rise up and build."
00:42:16.73\00:42:19.63
And they said, "Their
hands to this good work."
00:42:19.67\00:42:24.67
Leaders stimulate people
to join them in the vision.
00:42:24.71\00:42:29.81
I have learned, I'm not
going to burn myself out.
00:42:29.84\00:42:31.81
I'm going to the place
now where I'm starting to say,
00:42:31.85\00:42:33.98
well, if you don't want to
do, it ain't gonna get done.
00:42:34.02\00:42:35.82
You gonna help me
out with an amen on that?
00:42:39.25\00:42:42.79
'Cause some people think
00:42:42.82\00:42:44.16
pastors are born
to do everything.
00:42:44.19\00:42:47.03
Our job, Pastor C.A.,
is to equip the members
00:42:47.06\00:42:50.10
for the work of the
ministry, amen, preacher.
00:42:50.13\00:42:54.24
But so often we want people to,
00:42:54.27\00:42:55.77
"Hey, look at
what the pastor did,
00:42:55.80\00:42:57.14
he gave 45
baptismal studies this week,
00:42:57.17\00:42:59.57
he did six programs on
3ABN, he did some music tape
00:42:59.61\00:43:02.88
and he went to St.
Louis to pastors' meetings
00:43:02.91\00:43:04.78
because he works for
the Illinois Conference also
00:43:04.81\00:43:06.15
and he went to the hospital
00:43:06.18\00:43:07.52
to visit everybody this morning.
00:43:07.55\00:43:08.88
He got back and I think he ate,
00:43:08.92\00:43:10.25
I'm not sure but he
looks like he's losing weight."
00:43:10.29\00:43:13.02
"He has a Sabbath school class
00:43:13.05\00:43:14.39
and he's got a
sermon at the same time,
00:43:14.42\00:43:15.92
he does Wednesday
night prayer meeting
00:43:15.96\00:43:17.29
and between that if
he misses a visit..."
00:43:17.33\00:43:18.93
Everybody
doesn't know what he did,
00:43:18.96\00:43:21.13
some at the place
now, why don't you do it?
00:43:21.16\00:43:24.20
Come on amen
somebody. Why don't you do it?
00:43:24.23\00:43:26.74
I got a whole ship filled
with people that are on deck,
00:43:26.77\00:43:30.41
why don't you do it?
00:43:30.44\00:43:32.41
Don't just call me and tell
me somebody in the hospital,
00:43:32.44\00:43:34.28
go visit them.
00:43:34.31\00:43:38.45
Talking like a leader tonight.
00:43:38.48\00:43:42.78
Now I say to some of my elders,
00:43:42.82\00:43:44.15
"How come you don't
come to prayer meeting
00:43:44.19\00:43:45.52
on Wednesday night?
00:43:45.55\00:43:47.19
Is your leg broke?" No.
00:43:47.22\00:43:49.29
"Well, then get
out of your house
00:43:49.32\00:43:50.66
and come to prayer meeting."
00:43:50.69\00:43:52.03
Some people say prayer
meeting is going to be long,
00:43:52.06\00:43:53.40
no, it ain't, it starts
00:43:53.43\00:43:54.76
and it's done in 57
minutes and 32 seconds,
00:43:54.80\00:43:58.00
shortest prayer meeting in
the entire Adventist church,
00:43:58.03\00:44:03.17
right here in
Thompsonville, amen, Marline.
00:44:03.20\00:44:08.74
Cut it down, cut it
down to under an hour.
00:44:08.78\00:44:11.98
You couldn't vacuum
folk out of the house,
00:44:12.01\00:44:13.48
in this tiny
community three miles away,
00:44:13.52\00:44:16.82
let me get back on the sermon.
00:44:16.85\00:44:20.76
Next point,
00:44:20.79\00:44:23.29
some people don't like
success even especially
00:44:23.32\00:44:28.00
when it's not
connected with them.
00:44:28.03\00:44:29.60
Nehemiah 4:1,
got three more points
00:44:29.63\00:44:32.37
and I am going to
finish on time tonight.
00:44:32.40\00:44:37.21
We've made a pact, if
I don't finish in time,
00:44:37.24\00:44:41.11
they're going to cut me off.
00:44:41.14\00:44:42.61
So we're going
to finish tonight.
00:44:42.64\00:44:44.61
Nehemiah 4:1...
00:44:44.65\00:44:46.15
"But it so happened
when Sanballat heard
00:44:49.32\00:44:51.92
that we were
building the wall..."
00:44:51.95\00:44:53.56
Get it, we were
building the wall,
00:44:53.59\00:44:55.49
Nehemiah 4:1,
00:44:55.52\00:44:57.46
"But it so happened
when Sanballat heard that
00:44:57.49\00:45:00.16
we were rebuilding the wall,
00:45:00.20\00:45:02.13
that he was very
furious and very indignant,
00:45:02.16\00:45:06.84
and mocked the Jews."
00:45:06.87\00:45:08.80
I don't care if folk mock us
00:45:08.84\00:45:11.61
as long as the
work is getting done.
00:45:11.64\00:45:15.04
Too often people are
worried about what they believe.
00:45:15.08\00:45:18.31
I don't want people to stand,
00:45:18.35\00:45:19.68
I don't want people
to see me on the corner
00:45:19.71\00:45:21.05
in the Bentons
Square passing out tracts.
00:45:21.08\00:45:22.98
Well, that's not what
Linda told me about her
00:45:23.02\00:45:24.35
and she said, I'm
willing to go out there
00:45:24.39\00:45:26.29
and pass out tracks.
00:45:26.32\00:45:28.12
I don't care what anybody says
if they're passing off garbage,
00:45:28.16\00:45:31.79
we got to pass out something
00:45:31.83\00:45:33.16
that will lead to
somebody's eternal life.
00:45:33.19\00:45:37.60
Nehemiah didn't care
00:45:37.63\00:45:38.97
but they tried
to get them upset,
00:45:39.00\00:45:40.37
they weren't just furious,
00:45:40.40\00:45:42.07
they were very
furious and very indignant.
00:45:42.10\00:45:44.77
But look at verse 7 and 8.
00:45:44.81\00:45:46.31
Now what happened
when Sanballat, Tobiah,
00:45:46.34\00:45:49.14
the Arabs and the Ammonites,
and the Ashdodites heard
00:45:49.18\00:45:52.85
that the walls of
Jerusalem were being restored
00:45:52.88\00:45:55.95
and the gaps were
beginning to be closed
00:45:55.98\00:45:58.99
that they became very angry,
00:45:59.02\00:46:01.72
and all of them
conspired together
00:46:01.76\00:46:03.79
to come and attack
Jerusalem and create confusion.
00:46:03.83\00:46:06.43
I study that
thing out, Pastor CA,
00:46:06.46\00:46:08.03
and I discovered
00:46:08.06\00:46:09.40
that these guys
have got together,
00:46:09.43\00:46:10.77
were enemies of each
other, but I also learned
00:46:10.80\00:46:12.53
that enemies of each
other will get together
00:46:12.57\00:46:14.47
if they're all your enemy.
00:46:14.50\00:46:15.84
Ain't that amazing?
00:46:19.14\00:46:20.48
How folk that can't stand
each other will get together
00:46:20.51\00:46:22.01
'cause they can't stand you.
00:46:22.04\00:46:25.71
That's what the devil do.
00:46:25.75\00:46:27.55
You don't like him
either, I don't like him either,
00:46:27.58\00:46:29.32
let's get together,
and when we're done,
00:46:29.35\00:46:30.69
we'll get back
into our own fight.
00:46:30.72\00:46:32.32
We keep this thing going
but until then let's just,
00:46:32.35\00:46:34.06
let's have a truce
till we beat him up
00:46:34.09\00:46:35.82
and then we get
back and fight ourselves,
00:46:35.86\00:46:37.99
that's kind of what they said,
00:46:38.03\00:46:39.63
that's why we have
to pay more attention
00:46:39.66\00:46:41.00
to the walls being rebuilt
00:46:41.03\00:46:42.36
and the gaps beginning to close,
00:46:42.40\00:46:43.73
we cannot allow
ourselves to be sidetracked
00:46:43.77\00:46:46.33
by those who don't
like what we're doing
00:46:46.37\00:46:48.47
for the cause of God.
00:46:48.50\00:46:49.84
Leaders are not
concerned about the attitudes,
00:46:49.87\00:46:51.94
but the aptitude
between them and God.
00:46:51.97\00:46:54.84
Education, page 57,
the world's greatest need,
00:46:54.88\00:46:57.68
the greatest want of the
world is the want of men.
00:46:57.71\00:47:01.62
Men who will not
be bought or sold,
00:47:01.65\00:47:05.22
men who in their innermost
souls are true and honest.
00:47:05.25\00:47:08.36
Men who do not fear to
call sin by its right name.
00:47:08.39\00:47:12.43
Men whose
consciences is as true to duty
00:47:12.46\00:47:17.37
as the needle to the pole.
00:47:17.40\00:47:19.30
Men who will
stand for the right,
00:47:19.33\00:47:21.27
come on now,
though the heavens fall.
00:47:21.30\00:47:25.17
That's what this
generation needs,
00:47:25.21\00:47:27.01
not men that want to be popular,
00:47:27.04\00:47:29.68
that was the thing
I had a problem with.
00:47:29.71\00:47:33.38
Say what you mean
and mean what you say,
00:47:33.42\00:47:35.78
even if people don't like it.
00:47:35.82\00:47:37.82
Point number
eight, I'm getting close.
00:47:37.85\00:47:41.82
Leaders maintain focus
in the face of confusion.
00:47:41.86\00:47:45.59
I'm so glad the
pilot doesn't forget
00:47:48.63\00:47:50.67
where we're going
when turbulence is.
00:47:50.70\00:47:53.87
Where are we going?
00:47:53.90\00:47:55.24
Can you imagine,
"Could you ask the passengers,
00:47:55.27\00:47:57.71
what's on their ticket?"
00:47:57.74\00:47:59.37
I've never heard
that announcement,
00:47:59.41\00:48:00.74
I'm so glad that they not,
they remember where they headed
00:48:00.78\00:48:03.98
even though that
plane is being tossed.
00:48:04.01\00:48:05.88
We may have to make a detour
00:48:05.91\00:48:07.25
but we'll get back
on track, amen somebody.
00:48:07.28\00:48:10.59
Leaders maintain focus in
the presence of confusion,
00:48:10.62\00:48:13.79
Nehemiah 4:6.
00:48:13.82\00:48:15.99
"So we built the
wall and the entire wall
00:48:16.02\00:48:19.23
was joined together
up to half its height
00:48:19.26\00:48:21.66
for the people
had a mind to work."
00:48:21.70\00:48:25.13
It's all about
your mental attitude.
00:48:25.17\00:48:26.84
Some people say we can't do it.
00:48:26.87\00:48:28.20
Well, if you believe you
can't or you believe you can,
00:48:28.24\00:48:30.47
you are right.
00:48:30.51\00:48:32.17
Did you get that?
00:48:32.21\00:48:33.78
I can't do it, then
I don't want your help.
00:48:33.81\00:48:35.68
I can do it,
then I need your help.
00:48:35.71\00:48:37.78
If you believe
you can't, you can't.
00:48:37.81\00:48:39.31
If you believe you can, you can.
00:48:39.35\00:48:41.78
Sometimes also
we remember the work
00:48:41.82\00:48:44.25
but forget the
reason why we work.
00:48:44.29\00:48:47.42
I don't want to ever
get caught up in the work
00:48:47.46\00:48:48.99
and forget why I'm
doing what I'm doing,
00:48:49.02\00:48:50.39
that's what
happened to the Jews.
00:48:50.43\00:48:52.29
You're the Messiah, hold
on, we got to kill a lamb.
00:48:52.33\00:48:56.16
Look at verse 14 of chapter 4.
00:48:56.20\00:49:00.07
Don't forget the
reason why you work for God.
00:49:00.10\00:49:03.54
Chapter 4:14,
00:49:03.57\00:49:05.57
"And I looked and
arose and said to the nobles,
00:49:05.61\00:49:10.01
to the leaders and to
the rest of the people,
00:49:10.05\00:49:13.21
'Do not be afraid of them..."'
00:49:13.25\00:49:14.92
Don't be worried about them.
00:49:14.95\00:49:16.28
"Remember the Lord..."
00:49:16.32\00:49:17.65
Here are the
reasons, "Remember the Lord,
00:49:17.69\00:49:19.72
great and awesome and
fight for your brethren."
00:49:19.75\00:49:23.12
You got to fight
for people nowadays.
00:49:23.16\00:49:25.76
Not fight with
them, fight for them.
00:49:25.79\00:49:29.26
"Fight for your brethren,
your sons, your daughters,
00:49:29.30\00:49:32.43
your wives and your houses."
00:49:32.47\00:49:34.20
The reason why they
kept their mind in the work
00:49:34.24\00:49:36.67
is because they had
their families in their mind,
00:49:36.71\00:49:39.37
they had their
children in their mind,
00:49:39.41\00:49:41.74
they had their
spouses in their mind.
00:49:41.78\00:49:43.65
Why do you work? Why
are you an Adventist?
00:49:43.68\00:49:45.88
Is it because of your
children, your family members,
00:49:45.91\00:49:48.98
your wife that
may not be a believer,
00:49:49.02\00:49:50.72
your husband that
may not be a believer,
00:49:50.75\00:49:52.39
your son that may
not be a believer?
00:49:52.42\00:49:54.02
If you come to church and forget
00:49:54.06\00:49:55.46
that you are fighting for
your brother and your son,
00:49:55.49\00:49:57.36
your daughters, your
wives and your house,
00:49:57.39\00:49:58.99
your work is in vain.
00:49:59.03\00:50:02.26
I don't want to sound angry,
I'm trying to get you fired up.
00:50:02.30\00:50:06.94
We also have to
remember that when we lead,
00:50:06.97\00:50:09.24
we got to leave the
enemies to God, verse 15.
00:50:09.27\00:50:13.71
And it happened
when our enemies heard
00:50:13.74\00:50:15.98
that it was known to
us, that's how God is,
00:50:16.01\00:50:18.45
He lets us know what
the enemies are doing
00:50:18.48\00:50:21.25
and don't let them
know what we're doing.
00:50:21.28\00:50:23.89
When our enemies heard
that it was known to us
00:50:23.92\00:50:26.55
and that God had
brought their plot to nothing
00:50:26.59\00:50:29.92
that all of us
return to the wall,
00:50:29.96\00:50:31.79
everyone to his work.
00:50:31.83\00:50:33.36
The enemy will
try a thousand ways
00:50:33.40\00:50:35.13
but God's got a
thousand and one ways
00:50:35.16\00:50:37.33
to stop their thousand ways.
00:50:37.37\00:50:40.30
Brings me to point number nine.
00:50:40.34\00:50:43.41
Effective leaders
learn how to multitask.
00:50:43.44\00:50:46.71
While I'm working on my
sermon, I'm getting phone calls,
00:50:46.74\00:50:48.74
"You know, who just
went to the hospital?"
00:50:48.78\00:50:50.95
Somebody.
00:50:50.98\00:50:52.31
"Oh, I was trying
to get you all day,
00:50:52.35\00:50:53.68
I'm trying to tell
you about something
00:50:53.72\00:50:55.05
coming up in April next year."
00:50:55.08\00:50:56.42
I'm working on my sermon.
00:50:56.45\00:50:57.79
"You know, I got
this real quick question,
00:50:57.82\00:50:59.15
are you busy?"
00:50:59.19\00:51:00.86
Pastor, you got to
say, "No, I'm all right."
00:51:00.89\00:51:04.89
I'm all right.
00:51:04.93\00:51:06.29
Shelley, I'm all right.
00:51:06.33\00:51:09.46
Trying to get
that sermon finished
00:51:09.50\00:51:11.03
but you've got to be polite,
00:51:11.07\00:51:12.40
you got to learn
how to multitask.
00:51:12.43\00:51:13.77
A real leader
understands how Jesus is.
00:51:13.80\00:51:16.44
Jesus is on His
way to raise Lazarus
00:51:16.47\00:51:19.61
but He stops to heal a
sick woman along the way,
00:51:19.64\00:51:22.44
you've got to multitask,
you've got to be like Jesus.
00:51:22.48\00:51:24.98
You cannot say
anybody is unimportant
00:51:25.01\00:51:26.98
because everybody's
important in the economy of God,
00:51:27.02\00:51:29.85
A leader learns
how to multitask.
00:51:29.88\00:51:33.09
Look at verse 17 and 18.
00:51:33.12\00:51:37.06
"Those who built on the wall
and those who carried burdens
00:51:37.09\00:51:41.66
loaded themselves,
00:51:41.70\00:51:43.03
so that with one hand
they worked at construction
00:51:43.06\00:51:49.20
and with the
other held the weapon."
00:51:49.24\00:51:51.41
With one hand they did what?
00:51:51.44\00:51:52.94
Work, and the
other hand they did what?
00:51:52.97\00:51:54.54
Held the weapon.
00:51:54.58\00:51:55.91
If it was in Southern
Illinois, you could hear.
00:51:55.94\00:51:57.28
Got a trowel over here
and a shotgun over here...
00:51:59.81\00:52:02.28
that's why we are called
00:52:05.29\00:52:06.62
not to just be
builders of the kingdom
00:52:06.65\00:52:09.39
but soldiers of the cross.
00:52:09.42\00:52:11.56
Amen somebody.
00:52:11.59\00:52:13.03
God will take
care of the enemies,
00:52:13.06\00:52:14.70
He told them that in chapter 6:1
00:52:14.73\00:52:19.10
or chapter 4:20,
00:52:19.13\00:52:20.50
"God will fight for us."
00:52:20.54\00:52:23.91
Just keep your mind on the work.
00:52:23.94\00:52:26.34
I'm so glad
that somebody created
00:52:26.37\00:52:27.84
one of those bug zapper,
00:52:27.88\00:52:29.81
I think it's the best
invention ever since ions.
00:52:29.84\00:52:34.62
Because you can't
see, you can't see bugs,
00:52:34.65\00:52:37.19
Southern
Illinois is critter land.
00:52:37.22\00:52:41.12
Am I telling the truth?
00:52:41.16\00:52:42.49
It's winter time
00:52:42.52\00:52:43.86
and you still can't
get rid of fruit flies.
00:52:43.89\00:52:47.63
One hand in the Bible, the
other hand on a bug zapper.
00:52:47.66\00:52:50.43
We are called to be
builders of the kingdom
00:52:55.44\00:52:57.21
and soldiers of the cross.
00:52:57.24\00:52:58.74
God will take care of
all the bugs in your life
00:52:58.77\00:53:01.24
if you got the
other hand in God's work.
00:53:01.28\00:53:04.25
The enemies try to get Nehemiah
to take a break from the work
00:53:04.28\00:53:06.82
and that man on a high note,
00:53:06.85\00:53:08.18
they try to get him to
take a break from the work.
00:53:08.22\00:53:09.78
You want to understand,
this is a powerful story.
00:53:09.82\00:53:11.49
I preached a
sermon about 15 years ago
00:53:11.52\00:53:14.06
and when I heard it was going
to be about Nehemiah I said,
00:53:14.09\00:53:15.86
"God, You understand
exactly what I like."
00:53:15.89\00:53:19.69
They try to get Nehemiah
to take a break from the work
00:53:19.73\00:53:22.26
and they said to him,
00:53:22.30\00:53:23.63
"We want you to meet
us in the plain of oh no."
00:53:23.67\00:53:27.70
Now that's a whole
sermon right there, right?
00:53:27.74\00:53:29.77
They said to Nehemiah,
"Meet us at Starbucks."
00:53:29.80\00:53:31.91
At Starbucks and
Nehemiah said, "Oh, no."
00:53:31.94\00:53:35.38
They said, why don't you meet us
00:53:35.41\00:53:36.75
and have some lunch at Ryan's?
00:53:36.78\00:53:38.11
Nehemiah, you need a break."
00:53:38.15\00:53:39.48
And Nehemiah said, "Oh, no."
00:53:39.51\00:53:41.32
"Don't you need
to get some supplies
00:53:41.35\00:53:42.92
at home depot, Nehemiah?"
00:53:42.95\00:53:44.39
And Nehemiah said, "Oh, no."
00:53:44.42\00:53:46.92
He made up his mind
00:53:46.96\00:53:48.29
to keep his mind on
the work of the Lord,
00:53:48.32\00:53:51.23
what do you say?
00:53:51.26\00:53:53.73
My final point,
00:53:53.76\00:53:56.13
leaders must stay on the wall
00:53:56.16\00:53:59.23
until the work is done.
00:53:59.27\00:54:03.67
Chapter 6:3-4,
00:54:03.71\00:54:05.57
"So I sent messengers to
them, I'm doing a great work..."
00:54:05.61\00:54:09.94
That's what he sent an
email, text message, here it is.
00:54:09.98\00:54:12.15
"I'm doing a great work
so that I cannot come down.
00:54:12.18\00:54:14.68
Why should the work cease
00:54:14.72\00:54:16.05
while I leave it
and go down to you."
00:54:16.08\00:54:18.49
But they sent me
this message four times
00:54:18.52\00:54:20.86
and I sent them the
same text message back.
00:54:20.89\00:54:24.76
I ain't coming,
amen, Christians.
00:54:24.79\00:54:27.76
We want to say that when
God calls us to work for Him,
00:54:27.80\00:54:30.83
American Idol is
coming on, I ain't coming.
00:54:30.87\00:54:35.17
This is the season's finale,
Wednesday night at 7 o'clock,
00:54:35.20\00:54:37.94
I ain't gonna be there,
00:54:37.97\00:54:39.31
I got a prayer meeting
appointment, amen somebody.
00:54:39.34\00:54:41.81
I ain't coming
down off the wall,
00:54:41.84\00:54:43.18
there's something
more important than that.
00:54:43.21\00:54:44.88
We got to get our minds
and our priorities right.
00:54:44.91\00:54:46.92
As a pastor I don't care
if the church never likes me,
00:54:46.95\00:54:49.65
but I'm gonna say
Wednesday night prayer meeting
00:54:49.68\00:54:51.59
is a place where
those who are waiting
00:54:51.62\00:54:53.42
for the coming
of God ought to be.
00:54:53.46\00:54:56.66
And I'm gonna stay on
the wall and keep saying them
00:54:56.69\00:54:58.29
till the Lord shuts me up
or the members beat me up.
00:54:58.33\00:55:00.96
My final point is
leaders must stay on the wall
00:55:04.10\00:55:07.37
until the work is done.
00:55:07.40\00:55:09.10
You see, my
brethren, and here's the point.
00:55:09.14\00:55:10.71
When leaders let God lead,
God will accomplish the work.
00:55:10.74\00:55:16.34
Nehemiah 6:15,
00:55:16.38\00:55:17.91
"So, the wall was
finished in 52 days, 52 days,
00:55:17.95\00:55:21.12
Nehemiah had to go
through all that in just 52 days
00:55:21.15\00:55:24.25
but God had finished the work
00:55:24.29\00:55:26.15
and my beginning
text is my ending text,
00:55:26.19\00:55:28.22
and here's a simple
point of the whole sermon.
00:55:28.26\00:55:29.79
For they perceived that
this work was done by God,
00:55:29.82\00:55:33.06
leaders, point number 11,
00:55:33.09\00:55:34.70
I didn't have one, but
I just found one, Shelley.
00:55:34.73\00:55:37.00
Leaders know that God is the one
00:55:37.03\00:55:38.77
that's doing all the
work, he just includes us
00:55:38.80\00:55:40.47
in the process for the benefits.
00:55:40.50\00:55:44.34
God is doing the work.
00:55:44.37\00:55:46.17
In 1980, a young man
from Rwanda was forced
00:55:46.21\00:55:49.74
by his tribe to
either renounce Christ
00:55:49.78\00:55:51.55
or face certain death.
00:55:51.58\00:55:53.72
He refused to renounce Christ
and he was killed on the spot.
00:55:53.75\00:55:58.99
He lost his life but his words
continue to inspire leaders
00:55:59.02\00:56:01.82
even to this very day
00:56:01.86\00:56:03.39
and this was found in his room
the day after he was killed.
00:56:03.43\00:56:08.26
I got a minute and 22
seconds, I think I can do it.
00:56:08.30\00:56:11.40
This is what
this Rwanda man said,
00:56:11.43\00:56:13.17
who has inspired leaders
for the rest of their lives,
00:56:13.20\00:56:15.47
he said, "I am a
part of the fellowship
00:56:15.50\00:56:17.41
of the unashamed.
00:56:17.44\00:56:18.77
I have Holy Spirit's power.
00:56:18.81\00:56:20.28
The die has been cast, I
have stepped over the line,
00:56:20.31\00:56:22.98
the decision has been made,
00:56:23.01\00:56:24.51
I am a disciple of Jesus Christ,
00:56:24.55\00:56:26.45
I won't look back,
00:56:26.48\00:56:27.85
let up slow down
back away or be still.
00:56:27.88\00:56:30.65
My past is redeemed.
00:56:30.69\00:56:32.02
My present makes sense.
And my future is secure.
00:56:32.05\00:56:34.92
I'm finished and done
with low living, sight walking,
00:56:34.96\00:56:38.06
small planning, smooth
knees, colorless dreams,
00:56:38.09\00:56:41.16
tamed visions, mundane
talking, and dwarfed goals.
00:56:41.20\00:56:44.60
I no longer need preeminence,
prosperity, position,
00:56:44.63\00:56:47.20
promotion,
plaudits or popularity,
00:56:47.24\00:56:49.64
I don't have to be first,
tops, recognized, praised,
00:56:49.67\00:56:52.84
regarded or rewarded.
00:56:52.87\00:56:55.04
I now live by presence,
00:56:55.08\00:56:56.58
walk by the
faith, love by patience,
00:56:56.61\00:56:58.81
live by prayer
and labor by power.
00:56:58.85\00:57:02.02
I cannot be bought,
compromised, deterred,
00:57:02.05\00:57:05.65
lured away, turned
back, diluted or delayed.
00:57:05.69\00:57:08.66
I will not flinch in
the face of sacrifice,
00:57:08.69\00:57:11.16
hesitate in the
presence of the adversary,
00:57:11.19\00:57:13.29
negotiate at the
table of the enemy,
00:57:13.33\00:57:15.30
ponder at the pool of popularity
00:57:15.33\00:57:17.23
or meander in the
maze of mediocrity.
00:57:17.27\00:57:19.70
I won't give up,
back up, let up or shut up
00:57:19.73\00:57:22.77
until I've preached up,
00:57:22.80\00:57:24.14
prayed up, paid up,
00:57:24.17\00:57:25.57
stored up and
stayed up for Christ
00:57:25.61\00:57:27.41
and when He comes, He
will know exactly who I am."
00:57:27.44\00:57:29.91
God bless you.
00:57:29.94\00:57:31.28