Latest / INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living / Operation Intimidation Msg 916 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living

Transcript

Operation Intimidation Msg 916 - Pastor Chuck Swindoll Insight for Living · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

• 0:01
  Speaker 1: For months, Nehemiah has led the project of rebuilding Jerusalem's walls.
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: He's done this in spite of constant opposition. That opposition
• 0:10
  Speaker 1: has been both subtle and overt. As those walls neared completion,
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: threatening foes once again came after and assailed this leader.
• 0:23
  Speaker 1: But this time the attack was much more insidious than before,
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: as the enemy attempted to to intimidate Nehemiah through several
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: frightening plots. However, because Nehemiah had developed God-given discernment, none
• 0:39
  Speaker 1: of those plans succeeded. The plots failed, and the wall
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: was completed. To understand the dilemma, you may recall a
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: well-known cartoon series that chronicled the endless frustrations of a
• 0:56
  Speaker 1: hapless coyote who couldn't quite catch up with the object
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: of his culinary obsession. Try as he might, no perfect scheme,
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: no elaborate trap, no ideal setup would ever bring him
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: face to face with the elusive roadrunner. Now you remember,
• 1:16
  Speaker 1: don't you? Perhaps no one has tried harder and failed
• 1:19
  Speaker 1: more miserably at destroying his target than that crazy coyote,
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: in those classic Saturday morning cartoons. But the murderous designs
• 1:32
  Speaker 1: of Sanballat, Tobiah, and Gashem run an awfully close second.
• 1:37
  Speaker 1: In real life, those wily enemies of Israel tried to
• 1:43
  Speaker 1: trap or discredit Nehemiah again and again and again with
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: ever more elusive tactics. but they endured the humiliation of
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: one failed attempt after another. So then, let's zoom in
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: to observe the troublesome trio's latest attacks as you follow
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: along while I read Nehemiah chapter 6. Once again, that's
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: Nehemiah chapter 6, beginning at verse 1. Now, it came
• 2:17
  Speaker 1: about when it was reported to Sanballat-Tobiah to Geshem the Arab,
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: and to the rest of our enemies that I had
• 2:24
  Speaker 1: rebuilt the wall, and that no breach remained in it,
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: although at that time I had not set up the
• 2:32
  Speaker 1: doors in the gates, that Sanballat and Geshem sent a
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: message to me, saying, Come, let us meet together at Kephirim,
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: in the plain of Ono. But they were planning to
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: harm me. So I sent messengers to them, saying, I
• 2:50
  Speaker 1: am doing a great work and I cannot come down.
• 2:53
  Speaker 1: Why should the work stop while I leave it and
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: come down to you? They sent messages to me four
• 3:02
  Speaker 1: times in this manner, and I answered them in the
• 3:05
  Speaker 1: same way. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: the same manner a fifth time, with an open letter
• 3:15
  Speaker 1: in his hand. In it was written, It is reported
• 3:21
  Speaker 1: among the nations, and Gashmu says, that you and the
• 3:26
  Speaker 1: Jews are planning to rebel. Therefore, you are rebuilding the wall,
• 3:32
  Speaker 1: and you are to be their king, according to these reports.
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: You have also appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you,
• 3:41
  Speaker 1: a king is in Judah. And now it will be
• 3:45
  Speaker 1: reported to the king, according to these reports. So, Come now,
• 3:52
  Speaker 1: let us take counsel together. Then I sent a message
• 3:56
  Speaker 1: to him, saying, Such things as you are saying have
• 4:00
  Speaker 1: not been done, but you are inventing them in your
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: own mind. For all of them were trying to frighten us,
• 4:09
  Speaker 1: thinking they will become discouraged with the work and it
• 4:12
  Speaker 1: will not be done. But now, O God, strengthen my hand.
• 4:20
  Speaker 1: When I entered the house of Shimeah, the son of Deliah,
• 4:28
  Speaker 1: son of Mehetabel, who was confined at home, he said,
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: Let us meet together in the house of God within
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: the temple, and let us close the doors of the temple.
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: For they are coming to kill you, and they are
• 4:48
  Speaker 1: coming to kill you at night. But I said, Should
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: a man like me flee, and could one such as
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: I go into the temple to save his life, I
• 5:00
  Speaker 1: will not go in. Then I perceived that surely God
• 5:06
  Speaker 1: had not sent him, but he uttered his prophecy against
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. He was
• 5:15
  Speaker 1: hired for this reason, that I might become frightened and
• 5:19
  Speaker 1: act accordingly and sin so that they might have an
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: evil report, in order that they could reproach me. Remember,
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: O my God, Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these works
• 5:33
  Speaker 1: of theirs, and also Nohadiah, the prophetess, and the rest
• 5:40
  Speaker 1: of the prophets who were trying to frighten me. So
• 5:45
  Speaker 1: the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month, Elul,
• 5:50
  Speaker 1: in fifty-two days. It came about when all our enemies
• 5:55
  Speaker 1: heard of it, and all the nations surrounding us saw it,
• 6:00
  Speaker 1: they lost their confidence, for they recognized that this work
• 6:04
  Speaker 1: had been accomplished with the help of our God. Also
• 6:08
  Speaker 1: in those days many letters went from the nobles of
• 6:11
  Speaker 1: Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters came to them. For
• 6:17
  Speaker 1: many in Judah were bound by oath to him, because
• 6:21
  Speaker 1: he was the son of Shechaniah, the son of Arah,
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: and his son Jehohanan had married the daughter of Meshulam,
• 6:34
  Speaker 1: the son of Berechiah. Moreover, they were speaking about his
• 6:39
  Speaker 1: good deeds in my presence, and reported my words to him.
• 6:45
  Speaker 1: Then Tobiah sent letters to frighten me.
• 6:50
  Speaker 2: In typical George Allen fashion, when he shifted from the
• 6:53
  Speaker 2: Rams to the Redskins, he promised the nation's capital, the moon.
• 6:58
  Speaker 2: He told them it would be a matter of just
• 7:00
  Speaker 2: a very few months, and at the most, just a
• 7:02
  Speaker 2: very few seasons, before he would develop them into a
• 7:05
  Speaker 2: championship team. He promised them the Super Bowl, I believe
• 7:09
  Speaker 2: it was, in the second season. And they had a
• 7:12
  Speaker 2: brilliant preseason, to be sure. They had won a couple
• 7:15
  Speaker 2: or three amazing games. victories early in the regular season,
• 7:20
  Speaker 2: and so it seemed as though the Redskins would be
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: lifted from the common role of losers to the uncommon
• 7:27
  Speaker 2: role of the winners. And as time passed, however, the
• 7:32
  Speaker 2: inevitable occurred. They began to lose and lose and lose.
• 7:41
  Speaker 2: This time it was blamed, at least in part, on
• 7:47
  Speaker 2: not George Allen, but a man named Sonny Jurgensen. And
• 7:52
  Speaker 2: if you're not a sports fan, that name means nothing
• 7:54
  Speaker 2: to you. But if you are, you don't need an explanation.
• 7:58
  Speaker 2: Jurgensen was, in my opinion, one of the most brilliant
• 8:01
  Speaker 2: and experienced quarterbacks in the league. And I might add
• 8:05
  Speaker 2: a quality he has that I deeply admire, personal security.
• 8:10
  Speaker 2: It seems as though you just can't shake Sonny Jurgensen
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: from what he believes to be right. But he had
• 8:17
  Speaker 2: had a few bad games, and in an unusual, compassionate moment,
• 8:22
  Speaker 2: a sports writer leaned over to him in the locker
• 8:24
  Speaker 2: room and he said,' Say, Sonny, be honest now. Don't
• 8:29
  Speaker 2: all these intimidating remarks and doesn't all this black disturb you?
• 8:35
  Speaker 2: Doesn't it make you want to quit when people throw
• 8:37
  Speaker 2: things at you from the stands and when you get
• 8:40
  Speaker 2: these dirty letters?' Now the comment he made is more
• 8:46
  Speaker 2: fitting to a locker room than a pulpit. I want
• 8:48
  Speaker 2: to warn you ahead of time. But he leaned back
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: and gave a big toothless grin, as only Jorgensen can do,
• 8:57
  Speaker 2: and he sighed and he said, no, not really. I
• 9:02
  Speaker 2: don't want to quit. I've been in this game long
• 9:05
  Speaker 2: enough to know that every quarterback, every season, every week
• 9:11
  Speaker 2: spends his time either in the penthouse or the outhouse.
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: Now I knew when I said that that it would
• 9:20
  Speaker 2: fall on you in a rather unusual way. But it
• 9:24
  Speaker 2: might help you to know that I almost entitled the message,
• 9:28
  Speaker 2: Nehemiah in the outhouse. But I felt like if I
• 9:33
  Speaker 2: did that I would have all sorts of probably deserved
• 9:37
  Speaker 2: flack from the press and other places. But it is
• 9:42
  Speaker 2: true that if you are in leadership, you spend your
• 9:45
  Speaker 2: place either on the top or in the bottom. You
• 9:51
  Speaker 2: seldom know what it's like, by the way, in between.
• 9:55
  Speaker 2: You are either the hero or you are the villain.
• 9:59
  Speaker 2: You are deeply respected or you are hated. And unfortunately,
• 10:05
  Speaker 2: the time spent in the penthouse is very, very seldom
• 10:10
  Speaker 2: for those that are really doing a job. I have
• 10:16
  Speaker 2: discovered in a few years in the ministry that this
• 10:19
  Speaker 2: is true even today. In the spiritual realm. You commit
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: yourself to a life of faith. You declare before God
• 10:29
  Speaker 2: that you are going to walk with him regardless. And
• 10:34
  Speaker 2: all hell breaks loose. The enemy turns every gun he
• 10:40
  Speaker 2: can upon you. To blast you out of the saddle.
• 10:44
  Speaker 2: To finish your season in defeat. To make you think
• 10:47
  Speaker 2: that it's really not worth it after all. Nehemiah in
• 10:53
  Speaker 2: chapter 6 is not in the penthouse. And I'll leave
• 10:56
  Speaker 2: the rest of the statement up to you. He is
• 11:00
  Speaker 2: under the gun. He is under attack. And the question comes, when?
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: When did they come and attack him? I think it's
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: significant because it is at a surprising juncture in his life.
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: It is right when he is almost finished with the
• 11:20
  Speaker 2: greatest task up to that time Jerusalem had ever seen
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: in their generation. Verse 1 tells us when. It says,
• 11:30
  Speaker 2: when they had rebuilt the wall, when there was no
• 11:34
  Speaker 2: breach in it at all, except for the gates, right
• 11:39
  Speaker 2: when they were on the verge of dedicating the walls
• 11:43
  Speaker 2: to God. at that point where they were almost ready
• 11:49
  Speaker 2: to enter into a time of jubilant celebration. At that time,
• 11:58
  Speaker 2: the enemy attacked. You know, that is so realistic, I
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: can't believe it. I think that that perhaps is one
• 12:07
  Speaker 2: of the reasons God says in his word to take heed,
• 12:10
  Speaker 2: you that stand, take heed lest you fall. Because it
• 12:14
  Speaker 2: isn't the person that's almost fallen that's given to vulnerability.
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: It's the person that thinks he'll never fall. I have
• 12:24
  Speaker 2: found in scripture it happens time and again. When did
• 12:27
  Speaker 2: Bathsheba cross the gaze of David? At a time when
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: he had never known defeat in battle. You study it
• 12:35
  Speaker 2: for yourself. From the time he took the kingdom until
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: he fell with Bathsheba, he never knew defeat politically. militarily
• 12:46
  Speaker 2: or personally? When did Jonah fall into self-pity after the
• 12:51
  Speaker 2: greatest revival that had ever swept the world in recorded history?
• 12:57
  Speaker 2: When did Joseph receive that temptation from Mrs. Potiphar? Soon
• 13:03
  Speaker 2: after he had been promoted to the assistantship right under
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: Potiphar's leadership. When he had been given the free run
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: of the home at that time, The enemy moved in.
• 13:16
  Speaker 2: I'll share with you frankly from my own life. Some
• 13:19
  Speaker 2: of my most discouraging times occur on Monday. I can't
• 13:24
  Speaker 2: explain why. After a great Sunday when we have been
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: on the crest of one delightful service after another. When
• 13:33
  Speaker 2: we've heard testimonies and words of encouragement. We've sung together
• 13:37
  Speaker 2: and been together and we've really enjoyed the Lord. I
• 13:40
  Speaker 2: can't explain it but at times on Monday I just
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: sink into discouragement. I have found at times when I
• 13:48
  Speaker 2: am just before a tremendous experience, I slump into depression.
• 13:55
  Speaker 2: Maybe you found that to be true in your life. Nehemiah,
• 14:00
  Speaker 2: all ready to have that dedication service, received the flak
• 14:04
  Speaker 2: from the enemy like he had never received it before. Well,
• 14:09
  Speaker 2: the second question to answer is, what were the attacks?
• 14:13
  Speaker 2: If it comes at this unusual time, in what form
• 14:16
  Speaker 2: did it come? Verses 2 down through, well, almost the
• 14:21
  Speaker 2: end of the chapter, tell us the story of these attacks.
• 14:24
  Speaker 2: And there were four different kinds, all of them with
• 14:28
  Speaker 2: the same motive from the enemy to stop the project,
• 14:32
  Speaker 2: to deter him, to discourage him and the men under him. Now,
• 14:38
  Speaker 2: if you are in spiritual leadership, and I'm including that
• 14:41
  Speaker 2: the mother of a family, I'm including in that any
• 14:46
  Speaker 2: realm of leadership in your work. Maybe you're the head
• 14:49
  Speaker 2: of the corporation or you are one of the heads.
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: Maybe you work in personnel over individuals. You are a teacher,
• 14:56
  Speaker 2: then you are a leader. Maybe you serve in some
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: capacity in your profession in leadership, in the leadership realm.
• 15:03
  Speaker 2: You may be in the ministry. You may be teaching
• 15:06
  Speaker 2: in a Christian school. You may be in the administrative
• 15:09
  Speaker 2: function of a school. Whatever may be the realm, this
• 15:12
  Speaker 2: passage and these verses will really apply if you think
• 15:16
  Speaker 2: in terms of your life as to what we point out.
• 15:19
  Speaker 2: I want to tell you ahead of time that this marvelous,
• 15:23
  Speaker 2: wonderful God of ours does not provide us with a
• 15:27
  Speaker 2: pillowy experience. As the poet has put it, God has
• 15:32
  Speaker 2: not promised skies always blue, flowers strewn pathways all our
• 15:36
  Speaker 2: lives through. God has not promised sun without rain, joy
• 15:39
  Speaker 2: without sorrow, and peace without pain. That's unrealistic. That's penthouse living.
• 15:46
  Speaker 2: And every once in a while we enjoy that kind
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: of living. But that's unrealistic. Usually we don't. G.K. Chesterton
• 15:54
  Speaker 2: was the 19th century C.S. Lewis, and he put it
• 15:57
  Speaker 2: this way. Christianity has not been tried and found wanting.
• 16:01
  Speaker 2: It's been found difficult and not tried. Many a person
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: today sees the demands of the Christian life and he says,
• 16:09
  Speaker 2: you can have it. I'd rather go my own way.
• 16:13
  Speaker 2: Nehemiah says, no, I'm going God's way. Well, then came
• 16:17
  Speaker 2: the attack. First of all, there was a personal request.
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: Harmless sounded very innocent. In fact, on the surface, it
• 16:25
  Speaker 2: sounded like it's something he ought to do. Verse 2.
• 16:29
  Speaker 2: Sam Ballard and Gasham sent a message to me. And
• 16:34
  Speaker 2: they said this. Come, let us meet together in the
• 16:39
  Speaker 2: plain of Ono. Now the word together suggests the idea
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: of a compatible visit. You know, the plain of Ono
• 16:49
  Speaker 2: was up about 20 miles north of Jerusalem, and it was,
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: I am told, a beautiful verdant valley. Different from the
• 16:58
  Speaker 2: rugged stonework on the wall, you need to get away
• 17:01
  Speaker 2: for a while. Get away from the project. You've been
• 17:05
  Speaker 2: at it too long, Nehemiah. We've had our odds, but
• 17:08
  Speaker 2: let's get together. Come on up to Ono. Nehemiah said,
• 17:13
  Speaker 2: oh no, I'm not coming up there. Not on your life.
• 17:17
  Speaker 2: Now why? Why did Nehemiah say that? Verse 2 tells
• 17:23
  Speaker 2: you why. They were planning to harm me. How did
• 17:28
  Speaker 2: he know that? I can't explain how. I can't explain
• 17:35
  Speaker 2: to you how every leader in God's marvelous family is
• 17:40
  Speaker 2: gifted with a sixth sense from above. And he gets
• 17:46
  Speaker 2: to the verge of something that's dangerous and he says,
• 17:49
  Speaker 2: oh no, I don't dare get into that. Or she
• 17:54
  Speaker 2: senses in this there's deception, there's something more, I'll stay
• 17:57
  Speaker 2: away from it. Doesn't mean we live a life of
• 18:00
  Speaker 2: an isolationist. It means that we live a life of discernment.
• 18:05
  Speaker 2: And you're not worth your salt as a leader if
• 18:07
  Speaker 2: you lack discernment. That's one God-given quality you have to have.
• 18:13
  Speaker 2: He sensed in this, they're going to harm me. In
• 18:16
  Speaker 2: other words, if I get up there in that plain
• 18:18
  Speaker 2: of Ono, I might be kidnapped. And it could be murder.
• 18:24
  Speaker 2: And we know for sure that as soon as I leave,
• 18:27
  Speaker 2: the work here suffers. And so what does he say?
• 18:30
  Speaker 2: Look how he handles it. They were planning to harm me,
• 18:35
  Speaker 2: and so I sent a messenger back. I'm doing a
• 18:38
  Speaker 2: great work, and I cannot come down. Why should the
• 18:44
  Speaker 2: work stop while I leave it and come down to you?
• 18:48
  Speaker 2: Now look at that verse. Wait a minute before you
• 18:50
  Speaker 2: turn the page. Look at verse 3. He says this,
• 18:54
  Speaker 2: I cannot come. And here's my reason. If I were
• 18:59
  Speaker 2: to come, the work would stop. Now let me put
• 19:04
  Speaker 2: it this way. There is a great difference between being
• 19:08
  Speaker 2: an available man or woman of God and And being
• 19:13
  Speaker 2: a puppet of people is a great difference. There are
• 19:18
  Speaker 2: some people who never understand when you say no. But
• 19:23
  Speaker 2: that is a right every leader must reserve unto God.
• 19:30
  Speaker 2: It has been said that one of the signs and
• 19:32
  Speaker 2: marks of maturity is the ability to say no without explanation.
• 19:38
  Speaker 2: Nehemiah said no. And it's not hard when you say
• 19:43
  Speaker 2: no once. But look at verse 4. They sent messages
• 19:48
  Speaker 2: to me four times. The message kept coming. Nice, embossed invitation.
• 19:57
  Speaker 2: Lovely printing. Each time with a little word added at
• 20:02
  Speaker 2: the bottom. Request number two. Request number three. Final request.
• 20:11
  Speaker 2: You know, that kind of thing. And each time he
• 20:13
  Speaker 2: gave the same answer. I answered them in the same way.
• 20:16
  Speaker 2: What a secure man was Nehemiah. But I'll tell you,
• 20:20
  Speaker 2: he was heading for a pressure tactic. Look at the tactic.
• 20:27
  Speaker 2: Verse 5. Then Sanballat sent his servant to me in
• 20:34
  Speaker 2: the same manner a fifth time with an open letter
• 20:42
  Speaker 2: in his hand. What does that mean? Well, I suppose
• 20:46
  Speaker 2: it would be something like a petition. It was no
• 20:50
  Speaker 2: longer a private letter in a personal envelope tucked away
• 20:54
  Speaker 2: in his possession, but now this messenger came and he
• 20:59
  Speaker 2: opened it up for everyone to read that was there.
• 21:05
  Speaker 2: What did it say? Notice the intimidating, threatening remarks of
• 21:10
  Speaker 2: this open letter. It is reported among the nations, and
• 21:17
  Speaker 2: Gashmu says, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel. Therefore,
• 21:25
  Speaker 2: you are rebuilding the wall. Perhaps it would help to
• 21:28
  Speaker 2: read the word therefore, and for this reason. It is
• 21:33
  Speaker 2: reported among the nations that you and the Jews are
• 21:36
  Speaker 2: planning to rebel, and for this reason, you are rebuilding
• 21:39
  Speaker 2: the wall. It doesn't stop there. And, You are planning
• 21:46
  Speaker 2: to be their king according to these reports. And you
• 21:53
  Speaker 2: have appointed prophets to proclaim in Jerusalem concerning you. A
• 21:59
  Speaker 2: king is in Judah. Now notice the intimidation. And now
• 22:06
  Speaker 2: it will be reported to the king according to these reports.
• 22:12
  Speaker 2: So come now. Let us take counsel together. You wouldn't
• 22:18
  Speaker 2: come when we just sent an invitation. So we're letting
• 22:21
  Speaker 2: the truth be known. We want everybody to know two things.
• 22:25
  Speaker 2: First of all, when you came to Jerusalem, you had
• 22:28
  Speaker 2: an evil motive. It was not just to rebuild the wall. Ah,
• 22:32
  Speaker 2: you had more in mind than that. You came for
• 22:36
  Speaker 2: the express purpose of banding a group of people around
• 22:41
  Speaker 2: you and leading an insurrection. Furthermore, your present motive is evil.
• 22:46
  Speaker 2: You want to be the king, and you've spread the
• 22:49
  Speaker 2: prophets all through the land. Nehemiah will be the king,
• 22:54
  Speaker 2: not Artaxerxes. And so they said, you know, we're going
• 22:58
  Speaker 2: to send the word back to the king in Persia,
• 23:00
  Speaker 2: and you'll come up and visit with us in Ono.
• 23:05
  Speaker 2: You get it? Okay, if you haven't yet, you will now,
• 23:09
  Speaker 2: because I'm going to apply this in a rather direct way.
• 23:15
  Speaker 2: I want to analyze the rumor to start with, and
• 23:17
  Speaker 2: then I want to talk about rumors. Okay? Let's look
• 23:21
  Speaker 2: back at verse 5. One of the things that characterizes
• 23:29
  Speaker 2: a rumor is that the source is never known. The
• 23:36
  Speaker 2: original source of the rumor is never declared. It's verse 6.
• 23:45
  Speaker 2: It is reported. Did you get that? Well, who said it? Well,
• 23:50
  Speaker 2: it doesn't say. We heard about it from the land
• 23:52
  Speaker 2: over there. A group of people over there have been
• 23:55
  Speaker 2: passing the word around. And Gashmu says it's right here
• 23:58
  Speaker 2: in our area, but, boy, we heard it from another area.
• 24:02
  Speaker 2: And it says it's also reported that according to these reports,
• 24:06
  Speaker 2: you're going to be the king. According to these reports,
• 24:10
  Speaker 2: verse 6 concludes. A rumor is noted, first of all,
• 24:14
  Speaker 2: because the source is never declared. Second, a rumor is
• 24:21
  Speaker 2: noted because of its exaggeration and inaccuracy. A rumor that
• 24:28
  Speaker 2: is spread is spread in an exaggerated fashion, and gullible
• 24:33
  Speaker 2: listeners and gullible gossips feed on that kind of garbage.
• 24:39
  Speaker 2: And they pass it from one ear to the next mouth,
• 24:42
  Speaker 2: from the one mouth to the next ear. And by
• 24:45
  Speaker 2: the time it's at the end, it is incredible what
• 24:47
  Speaker 2: is being said. You ever played the game gossip? I
• 24:51
  Speaker 2: don't mean in regular life. I mean in a party
• 24:54
  Speaker 2: type of thing. You get in a long line of
• 24:57
  Speaker 2: ten people and the first guy whispers something to the
• 24:59
  Speaker 2: next guy. Or a gal. And she whispers it to
• 25:03
  Speaker 2: the next one and you say it down the line.
• 25:05
  Speaker 2: And by the time you get to number 10, it
• 25:06
  Speaker 2: doesn't even look or sound like what started. And that's
• 25:10
  Speaker 2: only 10. And that's sitting in a row. And that's
• 25:14
  Speaker 2: when you try to cooperate. You know? And you take
• 25:18
  Speaker 2: away those variables and you've got a basket case on
• 25:22
  Speaker 2: your hands right off from the start. Exaggerate it. A
• 25:30
  Speaker 2: rumor also leads to personal hurt and misunderstanding. What was
• 25:37
  Speaker 2: the result of this report? Hurt to Nehemiah. That's what
• 25:42
  Speaker 2: the result was. It was designed to hurt. Maybe it
• 25:47
  Speaker 2: wasn't stated, but it was there. In between the lines
• 25:51
  Speaker 2: of the rumor are feelings to hurt and to lead
• 25:55
  Speaker 2: to misunderstandings. Also, I observe that the tactic employed is
• 26:03
  Speaker 2: employed with the wrong motive. Because they say in verse 7,
• 26:08
  Speaker 2: now let us take counsel together. And he said earlier,
• 26:11
  Speaker 2: it was to my hurt. Let me tell you the predicament.
• 26:15
  Speaker 2: He was impaled on the horns of a dilemma. First
• 26:18
  Speaker 2: of all, there was this fact. If he refused to
• 26:21
  Speaker 2: go to Ono, it would be tantamount to saying, I'm
• 26:26
  Speaker 2: afraid to let the truth be known. If he refused,
• 26:32
  Speaker 2: if he went to Ono, he would leave the work.
• 26:37
  Speaker 2: And he would play into their hands. And so that's
• 26:40
  Speaker 2: where he was. In what I would call, humanly speaking,
• 26:46
  Speaker 2: an impossible situation. And you have to have been in
• 26:51
  Speaker 2: a situation like that to feel for Nehemiah. I want
• 26:59
  Speaker 2: to say something here with regard to rumors. I am
• 27:02
  Speaker 2: personally convinced that the number one enemy of unity is
• 27:11
  Speaker 2: the tongue. Not drink, not drugs, not poor homes, not
• 27:23
  Speaker 2: even a poor church program, not even a weak pulpit.
• 27:30
  Speaker 2: It's the tongue. I observe among those that run with
• 27:37
  Speaker 2: people that spread rumors several things that are lacking. First
• 27:41
  Speaker 2: of all, a lack of wisdom. Wisdom asks such searching
• 27:47
  Speaker 2: questions as, is this necessary to say? It asks, is
• 27:55
  Speaker 2: this confidential information that I really don't know a lot about?
• 28:00
  Speaker 2: Wisdom says if it is, oh, don't open your mouth.
• 28:04
  Speaker 2: Because God hates those that sow discord among brothers. Proverbs
• 28:09
  Speaker 2: chapter 6. He hates it. Of the seven things God hates,
• 28:15
  Speaker 2: three relate to the tongue. Second thing that's lacking in
• 28:21
  Speaker 2: those that spread rumor is accurate information. Accuracy. What is
• 28:27
  Speaker 2: the truth? And to find the truth, the source has
• 28:31
  Speaker 2: to be encountered. And from the source, there must be
• 28:35
  Speaker 2: given the freedom to share. Accuracy is missing. Accuracy asks,
• 28:42
  Speaker 2: is this true? Can I go and quote the original source? Three,
• 28:52
  Speaker 2: a proper setting is lacking. All three were lacking here.
• 28:57
  Speaker 2: That was the wrong setting. That was the wrong method.
• 29:04
  Speaker 2: The proper setting asks, will this benefit the person that
• 29:08
  Speaker 2: hears me better than that? Can he do anything about it?
• 29:14
  Speaker 2: Or is it just pouring something in someone's ear that
• 29:17
  Speaker 2: will disturb? Are they individuals that can hear and say, listen,
• 29:24
  Speaker 2: thanks for bringing that to our attention. Or, no, let
• 29:27
  Speaker 2: me help you know the real facts. When you give
• 29:32
  Speaker 2: information to someone that's critical and negative and they cannot
• 29:36
  Speaker 2: do anything about it, that's gossip. When you go to
• 29:40
  Speaker 2: an individual who can do something about it and in
• 29:43
  Speaker 2: a spirit of love, share it, that is constructive criticism. Now,
• 29:54
  Speaker 2: not every critic is an enemy of the faith. Not
• 29:57
  Speaker 2: every person who criticizes is of the devil. I'm not
• 30:01
  Speaker 2: fully convinced that that applies to the gossip, however. A
• 30:06
  Speaker 2: person who is genuinely interested in the truth uses his
• 30:10
  Speaker 2: tongue to maintain it and to secure it. What do
• 30:16
  Speaker 2: I think is needed in the case of gossip? A rebuke. Frankly,
• 30:24
  Speaker 2: I feel a rebuke is the best plan, the best response.
• 30:29
  Speaker 2: The next time someone brings gossip or rumors into your ears,
• 30:34
  Speaker 2: rebuke them. Chances are they will not bring any more.
• 30:41
  Speaker 2: It's amazing how pastors of churches are often not in
• 30:51
  Speaker 2: the realm of gossip. I feel often it's because the
• 30:57
  Speaker 2: one who is the Gossiper knows he will be rebuked
• 31:03
  Speaker 2: or will be clarified. Now, in the case of Nehemiah,
• 31:10
  Speaker 2: no one was around. They just exposed a letter that
• 31:16
  Speaker 2: was built on a lie. And Nehemiah responds beautifully. Let
• 31:23
  Speaker 2: me have you apply it to you that are the
• 31:25
  Speaker 2: target of it. In case you are involved in being
• 31:28
  Speaker 2: talked about, look at verse 8. Here's Nehemiah. Here's how
• 31:35
  Speaker 2: to handle yourself when you're under the gun. First of all,
• 31:39
  Speaker 2: he calmly denied the charge. Verse 8, such things as
• 31:44
  Speaker 2: you were saying have not been done. It's not true,
• 31:50
  Speaker 2: says Nehemiah. Second, he put the blame where it belonged.
• 31:57
  Speaker 2: You are inventing these things in your own mind. These
• 32:04
  Speaker 2: are the things that you have come up with in
• 32:06
  Speaker 2: your head. And they're wrong, says Nehemiah. And then verse
• 32:12
  Speaker 2: 9 tells us that he took his hurt to God.
• 32:18
  Speaker 2: He said, all of them were trying to frighten us,
• 32:21
  Speaker 2: thinking they'll become discouraged with the work. It will not
• 32:25
  Speaker 2: be done. But now, oh God, strengthen my hands. Let
• 32:32
  Speaker 2: me say to you that it is impossible for a
• 32:34
  Speaker 2: person with any kind of sensitive spirit not to be
• 32:37
  Speaker 2: hurt by a rumor. I don't care how strong you are.
• 32:42
  Speaker 2: You have a period where it just buckles you. And
• 32:45
  Speaker 2: then when you pick the pieces up, you get it
• 32:47
  Speaker 2: all back together, then you're able to move on. But
• 32:52
  Speaker 2: in the midst of the rebuke or the rumor or
• 32:55
  Speaker 2: whatever it may be, knowing that the motive is not right,
• 33:00
  Speaker 2: it hurts deeply. And what is interesting to me is
• 33:04
  Speaker 2: that the flesh is the most creative thing we possess.
• 33:07
  Speaker 2: We never run out of creative ways of gossiping. Just remarkable.
• 33:15
  Speaker 2: If your tongue is a loose tongue, It's a tongue
• 33:21
  Speaker 2: that God is going to have to deal with. It
• 33:26
  Speaker 2: is part of the reason that in the family of
• 33:29
  Speaker 2: God there isn't a unity. What should I do when
• 33:34
  Speaker 2: I have feelings that need to be expressed? I need
• 33:37
  Speaker 2: to take those feelings to an individual that can do
• 33:40
  Speaker 2: something about them. and will hear them and not necessarily
• 33:45
  Speaker 2: do exactly what is requested, but will listen to them,
• 33:48
  Speaker 2: evaluate them, and in leadership will respond as this individual
• 33:53
  Speaker 2: sees it is best. If you serve in a corporation
• 33:56
  Speaker 2: and you're bad-mouthing the president or the boss above you,
• 33:59
  Speaker 2: you're wrong. You need to express that to someone who
• 34:04
  Speaker 2: is in authority, in a tone that is teachable and loving.
• 34:12
  Speaker 2: I feel that every telephone ought to have by it
• 34:16
  Speaker 2: Ephesians 4.29 so that nobody will feel guilty turning. Let's
• 34:21
  Speaker 2: all turn to Ephesians 4.29 and make sure that we
• 34:27
  Speaker 2: all see it as to what it is. Ephesians 4.29
• 34:40
  Speaker 2: Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth. But only
• 34:47
  Speaker 2: such a word as is good for edification. Now that
• 34:50
  Speaker 2: may include criticism to the right person. But it is
• 34:56
  Speaker 2: to edify, to build up according to the need of
• 35:00
  Speaker 2: the moment. That it may give grace to those that hear.
• 35:07
  Speaker 2: What a marvelous verse. for telephone manners. What a marvelous
• 35:15
  Speaker 2: verse to use for your life in the new year.
• 35:21
  Speaker 2: Perhaps the newness begins today with regard to your tongue. Now,
• 35:29
  Speaker 2: Nehemiah chapter 6 includes the intimidating remarks of this open letter.
• 35:36
  Speaker 2: And I want you to observe before we go to
• 35:38
  Speaker 2: the Next verse, that it was done to frighten him.
• 35:44
  Speaker 2: Verse 9, they were trying to frighten us. But it
• 35:49
  Speaker 2: didn't work. Nehemiah didn't give in. He persisted in what
• 35:56
  Speaker 2: he knew to be the will of God. Now look
• 35:59
  Speaker 2: at verse 10. Isn't it interesting that when one approach
• 36:03
  Speaker 2: doesn't work, another approach is used, and when that doesn't work,
• 36:06
  Speaker 2: another approach is used? Creativity. Flesh is tremendously creative. When
• 36:13
  Speaker 2: I entered the house of Shemaiah, verse 10, who was
• 36:19
  Speaker 2: confined at home, apparently he paid a visit on a
• 36:22
  Speaker 2: sick individual, or at least it appeared to be that way,
• 36:26
  Speaker 2: he said to me, Hey, Nehemiah, there's something going on.
• 36:36
  Speaker 2: Let's meet together in the house of God within the temple.
• 36:41
  Speaker 2: And let's close the doors of the temple for they're
• 36:43
  Speaker 2: coming to kill you and they are coming at night.
• 36:49
  Speaker 2: That's a frightening thing. Man, Nehemiah gets on his pajamas
• 36:53
  Speaker 2: some night and he turns off the light. I mean,
• 36:57
  Speaker 2: blows out the candle and he lays down. And he
• 37:01
  Speaker 2: hears a noise outside. Oh no, that's one of those
• 37:04
  Speaker 2: guys coming in the middle of the night. They're going
• 37:06
  Speaker 2: to get me. So this guy says, you know, Nehemiah,
• 37:08
  Speaker 2: these people are going to come in the middle of
• 37:09
  Speaker 2: the night and they're going to get you. Tell you what,
• 37:15
  Speaker 2: let's meet at the temple. We can go to prayer together.
• 37:20
  Speaker 2: You know, that pious approach. Let's pray together about this situation.
• 37:24
  Speaker 2: Verse 11. Now here is discernment. Should a man like
• 37:31
  Speaker 2: me flee? That's so secure. He says, do I have
• 37:35
  Speaker 2: to run? Do I have to run to the temple?
• 37:38
  Speaker 3: No.
• 37:42
  Speaker 2: And could one such as I go to the temple
• 37:43
  Speaker 2: to save his life? I will not go in. That's discipline.
• 37:50
  Speaker 2: That's security. How did he know to say that? Verse 12.
• 37:55
  Speaker 2: I can't explain it. It just says, I perceived surely
• 38:00
  Speaker 2: God had not sent him. He uttered his prophecy against
• 38:05
  Speaker 2: me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. Man, here's
• 38:10
  Speaker 2: this great fellow spending his life building the walls and
• 38:14
  Speaker 2: he's got a group of people hiring this hit man
• 38:20
  Speaker 2: to get him in the temple and to finish him off.
• 38:24
  Speaker 2: And Nehemiah says, I can't do that. What is intimidation?
• 38:31
  Speaker 2: Webster says it means to compel or deter by a threat.
• 38:39
  Speaker 2: to frighten by a threat. Here is an intimidating statement.
• 38:48
  Speaker 2: Don't do this, because if you do, you will cause
• 38:53
  Speaker 2: this and this and this. Or, you better take care
• 39:00
  Speaker 2: of this, or you can be sure that that will
• 39:05
  Speaker 2: surely happen if you don't take care of this. Signed, unsigned.
• 39:13
  Speaker 2: You know how it is. I have a pastor friend
• 39:18
  Speaker 2: who had a very successful and marvelous ministry on the
• 39:22
  Speaker 2: East Coast. His first Sunday morning to begin his ministry,
• 39:27
  Speaker 2: there was a little letter on his desk. they're always
• 39:31
  Speaker 2: small and he opened the letter up very well printed
• 39:35
  Speaker 2: if you do not send your children to such and
• 39:38
  Speaker 2: such a Christian school you will split the church signed
• 39:44
  Speaker 2: a concerned member that's intimidating Nehemiah, they're going to come
• 39:55
  Speaker 2: in the middle of the night, man. They're going to
• 39:56
  Speaker 2: get you. And if you and I don't get away,
• 39:59
  Speaker 2: you've had it. Nehemiah says, man, I can't go. Why not?
• 40:05
  Speaker 2: Because God doesn't want me to go. Well, you're nuts. No,
• 40:10
  Speaker 2: I'm walking by faith. I believe God will protect me.
• 40:18
  Speaker 2: And then when he got alone and he took this
• 40:20
  Speaker 2: thing before God... God said, oh, Nehemiah, don't go. Look
• 40:26
  Speaker 2: at the next verse. He was hired, verse 13, that
• 40:30
  Speaker 2: I might be frightened, look at this, and act accordingly
• 40:34
  Speaker 2: and sin. Where is the sin in yielding to an
• 40:38
  Speaker 2: intimidating remark? That's the sin, not being intimidated, but yielding
• 40:43
  Speaker 2: to it. Nehemiah says before God, I can't give in.
• 40:47
  Speaker 2: I can't give in. Verse 13, he was hired for
• 40:55
  Speaker 2: this reason, that I might sin so that they might
• 40:59
  Speaker 2: have an evil report in order that they could reproach me.
• 41:05
  Speaker 2: Such is, did you hear about who Nehemiah is spending
• 41:07
  Speaker 2: time with these days? Every evening, they're up at the
• 41:11
  Speaker 2: temple together. You know that rumor, problem? They could reproach me.
• 41:19
  Speaker 2: Look at verse 17. In those days, many letters went
• 41:24
  Speaker 2: from the nobles of Judah to Tobiah, and Tobiah's letters
• 41:30
  Speaker 2: came to them. Now, this is very practical. Tobiah was
• 41:35
  Speaker 2: his archenemy, unbeliever. He hated the things of God. Inside
• 41:43
  Speaker 2: the wall was Nehemiah and a band of men, but
• 41:48
  Speaker 2: The plot was thickened because Tobiah, the enemy, was related
• 41:52
  Speaker 2: by marriage and by blood to somebody on the inside.
• 41:55
  Speaker 2: So there was a constant passing of letters back and
• 41:59
  Speaker 2: forth in front of Nehemiah about Nehemiah. And it was
• 42:04
  Speaker 2: going on. Nehemiah says they kept sending these letters back
• 42:07
  Speaker 2: and forth. Son-in-law, daughter, daughter-in-law, back and forth. Verse 19,
• 42:12
  Speaker 2: they were speaking about his good deeds in my presence,
• 42:16
  Speaker 2: namely dope Tobiah's. and reported my words to him. Tobias
• 42:22
  Speaker 2: sent letters to frighten me. Ever received a frightening letter?
• 42:31
  Speaker 2: Stop and think. Some of you are in places of
• 42:34
  Speaker 2: tremendous leadership. Ever gotten a frightening letter? I understand when
• 42:41
  Speaker 2: Billy Graham was in the Dallas area, there were four
• 42:44
  Speaker 2: threats on his life just during that one campaign. Frightening letters.
• 42:51
  Speaker 2: Ever gotten a frightening call? That's an intimidating act designed
• 42:57
  Speaker 2: to frighten you and to deter you. But the marvelous
• 43:02
  Speaker 2: thing is he never gave in. Let me just lay
• 43:06
  Speaker 2: down one basic rule of courtesy. Every letter you write,
• 43:11
  Speaker 2: sign it. Okay? That's a good rule to remember. It's
• 43:15
  Speaker 2: a sign of courtesy, and a sign of character, if
• 43:21
  Speaker 2: you sign it. If you lack the signature, you lack
• 43:27
  Speaker 2: courtesy and character. There's a beautiful file where every unsigned
• 43:35
  Speaker 2: letter ought to land, usually in a circle, and it
• 43:40
  Speaker 2: usually sits on the floor. Now, if it weren't for
• 43:44
  Speaker 2: the terrible curiosity we all have, we would never read
• 43:47
  Speaker 2: an unsigned letter, would we? But being curious, we just
• 43:50
  Speaker 2: have to read what it says. And then just as
• 43:53
  Speaker 2: soon as we've read it, we need to file it
• 43:55
  Speaker 2: away like this. Because it's unsigned. How do you know
• 44:04
  Speaker 2: but what an enemy of God wrote it? Nehemiah says,
• 44:11
  Speaker 2: I'm not giving in. You'd make all those trips at
• 44:14
  Speaker 2: night to the temple you want to, but I'm not
• 44:16
  Speaker 2: going along with you. Pull all those intimidating approaches you
• 44:23
  Speaker 2: like with me. I'm saying to you before God that
• 44:25
  Speaker 2: wall is going to get built. Period. Now, I'm not
• 44:32
  Speaker 2: mad at anybody this morning. I'm just trying to preach
• 44:33
  Speaker 2: this passage. Look at verse 15. Let me show you
• 44:36
  Speaker 2: what happens. What a wonderful response. The wall was completed. When?
• 44:42
  Speaker 2: In the midst of one attack after another. In the penthouse?
• 44:47
  Speaker 2: Not on your life. Nehemiah was under the gun. And
• 44:51
  Speaker 2: what happened? The wall got built. No job worth getting
• 44:56
  Speaker 2: done is done without flack. Just face it. And that
• 45:04
  Speaker 2: wall went up, and what happened? Nehemiah, he stood in there.
• 45:08
  Speaker 2: What happened to the people? Verse 16, it came about
• 45:12
  Speaker 2: when all our enemies heard of it that the nations
• 45:16
  Speaker 2: surrounding us saw it and they lost their confidence. Oh,
• 45:20
  Speaker 2: let me tell you something. That is the most thrilling
• 45:22
  Speaker 2: experience in the world, if you will forgive this personal
• 45:25
  Speaker 2: remark here, to watch God come to the rescue when
• 45:31
  Speaker 2: you have been helpless. Ever experienced that? Ever told God
• 45:35
  Speaker 2: on someone, you know, and you don't want to have
• 45:38
  Speaker 2: a deal with them. And so you say, Lord, take over.
• 45:40
  Speaker 2: And then the Lord zaps and he takes over. And
• 45:44
  Speaker 2: through an incredible change of their lives. You look at
• 45:49
  Speaker 2: it and you say, oh, thanks, God. What a marvelous change.
• 45:55
  Speaker 2: And he even uses you and he works in your
• 45:58
  Speaker 2: life and you suddenly develop a love relationship, which is
• 46:02
  Speaker 2: where it's at. And by and by, the confidence is
• 46:08
  Speaker 2: gone and you're pulling together. Now, why is this important today? Well,
• 46:18
  Speaker 2: it's important because it is impossible to do the will
• 46:20
  Speaker 2: of God and walk by faith Without attack. I would
• 46:30
  Speaker 2: hasten to say that not every criticism is wrong. In fact,
• 46:39
  Speaker 2: it is the concerned individual often with the very best
• 46:43
  Speaker 2: of motive that has the keenest mind and says, you know,
• 46:46
  Speaker 2: there's something wrong with this plan. Let's talk about it.
• 46:50
  Speaker 2: Any leader worth his salt will say, sit down. Let's talk.
• 46:58
  Speaker 2: And so I wouldn't have you leave this morning thinking, my,
• 47:03
  Speaker 2: the answer is a tough hide to everything that's suggested.
• 47:06
  Speaker 2: That's not the answer. The answer is discernment, a sensitive
• 47:11
  Speaker 2: spirit to God, a teachable, willing heart to listen as
• 47:16
  Speaker 2: long as that attitude is positive. And then as both
• 47:22
  Speaker 2: of you discuss it, whether it's wrong as a personal
• 47:24
  Speaker 2: thing or an organizational thing that it's worked out, And
• 47:30
  Speaker 2: there are no personal offenses built up. Rumors build up
• 47:34
  Speaker 2: personal offenses. Now, I think also I would say in
• 47:40
  Speaker 2: conclusion that what I am saying this morning is that
• 47:43
  Speaker 2: persistence pays off when you're in the will of God.
• 47:51
  Speaker 2: You know, it isn't usual for me to come to
• 47:54
  Speaker 2: a morning service or an evening service without having my
• 47:57
  Speaker 2: conclusion thought through. But that happened to me. I stayed
• 48:02
  Speaker 2: up until midnight last night. I was up at 5
• 48:04
  Speaker 2: o'clock this morning, and I couldn't wrap it up together
• 48:08
  Speaker 2: in a package. And I thought, Lord, how am I
• 48:12
  Speaker 2: supposed to conclude this? And I couldn't come up with
• 48:15
  Speaker 2: it until the family called me to breakfast, and they sang,
• 48:19
  Speaker 2: Happy Father's Day to you. And there it was. It
• 48:23
  Speaker 2: was a nice little gift down there, a little gift
• 48:26
  Speaker 2: with a little ribbon around it. And I opened it up,
• 48:30
  Speaker 2: My sweet little four children gave me a book called
• 48:36
  Speaker 2: Never Give In. Isn't that great? It's a book about
• 48:42
  Speaker 2: challenging words of Winston Churchill. And I thought, Lord, is
• 48:48
  Speaker 2: there something here for me? And I turned it over.
• 48:52
  Speaker 2: And I found a statement that he gave at a
• 48:54
  Speaker 2: speech at the Harrow School, which goes like this. Never
• 49:00
  Speaker 2: give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never. I
• 49:09
  Speaker 2: think he's getting his point across here. Never give in.
• 49:11
  Speaker 2: In nothing great or small, large or petty, never give
• 49:16
  Speaker 2: in except to convictions of honor. and good sense. If
• 49:25
  Speaker 2: honor is at stake and good sense says otherwise, then
• 49:29
  Speaker 2: give in. Smart people change their minds when there's honor
• 49:35
  Speaker 2: and good sense at stake. But puppets respond to intimidation
• 49:47
  Speaker 2: when the pressure gets heavy. And I want to tell
• 49:51
  Speaker 2: you as I close that we really learn more when
• 49:59
  Speaker 2: we're out of the penthouse. You know that? That's when
• 50:05
  Speaker 2: lessons are learned. I don't ever know a time when
• 50:11
  Speaker 2: I've loved a group of people as much as I
• 50:14
  Speaker 2: love you in this congregation. I'm afraid having preached this
• 50:20
  Speaker 2: sermon that you might think, boy, that guy's really under attack.
• 50:23
  Speaker 2: So to set it straight, I'm really not. I was
• 50:26
  Speaker 2: telling Bill as I got ready to come in, it's
• 50:28
  Speaker 2: hard to preach a sermon like this without making it
• 50:30
  Speaker 2: sound personal. It's not personal. It's just that I have
• 50:35
  Speaker 2: lived in the passage of Nehemiah 6 all this week
• 50:38
  Speaker 2: and I've tried to identify with what that is like.
• 50:42
  Speaker 2: And then I've communicated what I believe to be the truth.
• 50:47
  Speaker 2: And as long as you're in the will of God
• 50:49
  Speaker 2: and you're sure of it, never give in. Let's bow together.
• 50:58
  Speaker 2: I want to just talk with you as we're bowed together.
• 51:02
  Speaker 2: It's possible that some of you are Under the gun today.
• 51:09
  Speaker 2: That there is at stake. A real. Principle. And you're
• 51:16
  Speaker 2: backed up against the wall. And you know that you
• 51:20
  Speaker 2: were right. Before God. But you're being intimidated. And harassed.
• 51:31
  Speaker 2: Oh listen. Especially you fathers that are here today. Being
• 51:41
  Speaker 2: right before God is the greatest, most rewarding experience in
• 51:48
  Speaker 2: the world. Don't give in. If Jesus Christ had listened
• 51:58
  Speaker 2: to the majority, he would have never paid the price
• 52:00
  Speaker 2: for our sins. He would have run. Escaped. Given in.
• 52:16
  Speaker 2: If you've never trusted the Lord Jesus, you're wrong. Common sense. Honor.
• 52:28
  Speaker 2: Character says, I give in. Right where you're sitting, you
• 52:34
  Speaker 2: can ask Jesus Christ. Come into your life. Change you.
• 52:41
  Speaker 2: Accepting him as your personal Savior. God's gift. And he'll
• 52:46
  Speaker 2: come in. Our Lord, today I give you great thanks
• 52:57
  Speaker 2: for the genuine joy of preaching the word to a
• 53:02
  Speaker 2: congregation such as I have the privilege of declaring. and pastoring, feeding.
• 53:14
  Speaker 2: I thank you for those men that surround me in
• 53:16
  Speaker 2: this staff, for our many officers and fellow laborers, for
• 53:24
  Speaker 2: those that beef up this ministry with significant melody that
• 53:30
  Speaker 2: touches the heart. I thank you for the dedication of
• 53:35
  Speaker 2: the vast majority Of those quiet silent heroes of the faith.
• 53:44
  Speaker 2: That are badgered and buffeted in this world. In the
• 53:48
  Speaker 2: competitive jungle of this godless age. But they stand fast.
• 53:54
  Speaker 2: Thank you for them. May not one of them be intimidated.
• 54:00
  Speaker 2: Not one. Put steel in our bones our father. May
• 54:05
  Speaker 2: we learn what it is like. To say no without
• 54:10
  Speaker 2: an explanation or guilt. To stand firm. To be discerning.
• 54:18
  Speaker 2: To be your men and women. Your young people. Lord,
• 54:23
  Speaker 2: especially for these guests of honor here today. Our fathers.
• 54:30
  Speaker 2: And the fathers of our memory. May they be encouraged.
• 54:38
  Speaker 2: As they give themselves to the truth of God. I
• 54:44
  Speaker 2: thank you especially Lord for strength. When you move us
• 54:49
  Speaker 2: out of the penthouse. Thank you for reality. And being
• 54:56
  Speaker 2: able to face it. By faith. Through Christ we pray.
• 55:00
  Speaker 3: Amen. was copyrighted in 1974, 1983, 1990, 2006, and 2015,
• 55:15
  Speaker 3: and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2016.
• 55:20
  Speaker 2: By Charles R. Swindoll, Inc.
• 55:23
  Speaker 3: All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for
• 55:27
  Speaker 3: commercial use is strictly prohibited.