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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie - Finishing What You Start

March 16, 2026 | 27:29

Greg Laurie - Finishing What You Start
Join Pastor Greg Laurie for a time of encouragement, worship, and Bible study.
#WordofGod #Israel #Success #Nations #Belief #ServantofGod #Righteousness #Focus #Fear #Enemy #GregLaurie

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Harvest with Pastor Greg Laurie | Greg Laurie - Finishing What You Start | March 16, 2026
  • ...
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  • ♪♪♪
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  • Greg laurie: you know, we'll be on a roll, we'll be doing great,
  • 00:00:05.215 --> 00:00:07.317
  • And then we'll do something that is completely self-destructive.
  • 00:00:07.417 --> 00:00:11.621
  • Has that ever happened to you?
  • 00:00:11.755 --> 00:00:13.189
  • You're doing well spiritually, you're reading your bible,
  • 00:00:13.323 --> 00:00:15.692
  • You're going to church, you're praying, you're sharing your
  • 00:00:15.825 --> 00:00:18.561
  • Faith, you're firing on all cylinders, and then you just do
  • 00:00:18.661 --> 00:00:21.765
  • The dumbest thing of all, something that sabotages you,
  • 00:00:21.898 --> 00:00:26.436
  • Something you can't believe you even did, and you wanna know why
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  • You do that?
  • 00:00:30.173 --> 00:00:31.374
  • Here's the answer.
  • 00:00:31.508 --> 00:00:32.742
  • You might wanna write this down.
  • 00:00:32.842 --> 00:00:34.077
  • Sin makes you stupid.
  • 00:00:34.210 --> 00:00:34.577
  • ♪♪♪
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  • ♪ this is the day, ♪
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  • ♪ the day when life begins ♪
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  • ♪ this is the day, ♪
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  • ♪ the day when life begins ♪♪
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  • Greg: today the title of the messages is,
  • 00:01:02.372 --> 00:01:05.008
  • "finishing what your start," so
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  • I don't know about you, but i'm the kind of a person
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  • That will start a project and not always finish it.
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  • Like, take my office as an example.
  • 00:01:15.418 --> 00:01:17.220
  • It gets very messy.
  • 00:01:17.220 --> 00:01:18.588
  • I have lots of books piled up and it's getting so cluttered, i
  • 00:01:18.588 --> 00:01:22.292
  • Can't find anything.
  • 00:01:22.292 --> 00:01:23.660
  • In fact, one time i lost my wife for two days.
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  • Like what?
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  • So it's time to straighten it out and i start to organize.
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  • And i'll get it completed with maybe a few things left out and
  • 00:01:30.900 --> 00:01:34.771
  • Then that little mess will turn into a big mess and it will be a
  • 00:01:34.771 --> 00:01:37.941
  • Problem all over again, finishing what you start.
  • 00:01:37.941 --> 00:01:41.778
  • I was at my grandson's lacrosse game the other day.
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  • He was playing very well with his team and i was standing next
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  • To his sister ali.
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  • And i reminded her of when she was a little girl and when she
  • 00:01:51.788 --> 00:01:54.357
  • Was playing soccer, she was in some league, i think not league,
  • 00:01:54.357 --> 00:01:59.395
  • But rather a team called the purple princesses or something
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  • Like that.
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  • And she wasn't scoring any goals, and i said, "ali, you
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  • Need the eye of the tiger."
  • 00:02:06.769 --> 00:02:09.038
  • She looked at me quizzically.
  • 00:02:09.038 --> 00:02:10.406
  • "what?
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  • You haven't seen "rocky iii?""
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  • Okay, the eye of the tiger, and i said, "i'll tell you what,
  • 00:02:13.109 --> 00:02:15.311
  • I'll give you a doll if you score a goal."
  • 00:02:15.311 --> 00:02:17.814
  • Well, she got the eye of the tiger and she started scoring
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  • Goal after goal.
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  • I thought someone should write a song like the eye of the doll.
  • 00:02:22.585 --> 00:02:25.121
  • I don't know, but she was scoring so many goals.
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  • I said, "okay, the doll deal is over with.
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  • You're scoring too many goals."
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  • But you know, the "eye of the tiger," if you don't know what
  • 00:02:32.195 --> 00:02:34.931
  • I'm talking about, is a song, and it's from "rocky iii."
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  • So in "rocky iii," rocky is the undefeated champion of the
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  • World, and he's kind of getting lazy and complacent.
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  • He even has a pet tiger.
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  • He's not taking anything seriously.
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  • He has a challenger in clubber lang played by mr. t, who
  • 00:02:52.115 --> 00:02:56.619
  • Beats him.
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  • So the rest of the movie is surprised about rocky making a
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  • Comeback, right?
  • 00:03:00.990 --> 00:03:02.358
  • Isn't that what all the rocky movies are about, the
  • 00:03:02.358 --> 00:03:04.327
  • Big comeback?
  • 00:03:04.327 --> 00:03:05.662
  • And so at one point he's being trained by apollo creed, his
  • 00:03:05.662 --> 00:03:09.866
  • Former opponent, and apollo says to rocky, "rocky, you need the
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  • Eye of the tiger."
  • 00:03:14.604 --> 00:03:16.940
  • And you know, spiritually we too can grow complacent and lazy,
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  • And that's what was happening to israel.
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  • Of course they had gone to jerusalem to rebuild the walls.
  • 00:03:26.649 --> 00:03:31.387
  • They were successful.
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  • The walls were completed in 52 days.
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  • Nehemiah felt like, "hey, my job is done."
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  • He went back to babylon to continue on as the cupbearer,
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  • Advisor, counselor to the king, and then a report came to
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  • Nehemiah that the people had gone back again, that there was
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  • Sin among them again, that there was compromise.
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  • That everything was falling apart, reminding us that just
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  • Because you have a good beginning doesn't mean you will
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  • Necessarily have a good finish.
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  • The constitution of the united states had just been signed when
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  • America was a nation.
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  • Benjamin franklin, walked out of a meeting room to a waiting
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  • Crowd, and one lady came up to benjamin franklin and said, "so
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  • Mr. franklin, what type of government have you and the
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  • Delegates given us?"
  • 00:04:24.607 --> 00:04:26.109
  • And his response was, "well, a republic, madam, if you can
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  • Keep it."
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  • The idea is we've laid the foundation, now it's up to you
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  • And the nation and the future to maintain this, and the same is
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  • True spiritually.
  • 00:04:40.790 --> 00:04:42.825
  • You know, we'll be on a roll, we'll be doing great, and then
  • 00:04:42.825 --> 00:04:45.328
  • We'll do something that is completely self destructive.
  • 00:04:45.328 --> 00:04:49.265
  • Has that ever happened to you?
  • 00:04:49.265 --> 00:04:50.867
  • You're doing well spiritually, you're reading your bible,
  • 00:04:50.867 --> 00:04:53.369
  • You're going to church, you're praying, you're sharing your
  • 00:04:53.369 --> 00:04:56.205
  • Faith, you're firing on all cylinders, and then you just do
  • 00:04:56.205 --> 00:04:59.442
  • The dumbest thing of all, something that sabotages you,
  • 00:04:59.442 --> 00:05:04.113
  • Something you can't believe you even did.
  • 00:05:04.113 --> 00:05:06.649
  • And do you wanna know why you do that?
  • 00:05:06.649 --> 00:05:08.584
  • Here's the answer.
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  • You might wanna write this down.
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  • Sin makes you stupid.
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  • There's nothing rational about it.
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  • There's nothing logical about it.
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  • Go back to our first parents in the garden of eden.
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  • How crazy was it to abandon literal paradise to take a bite
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  • Of some piece of fruit offered to them by the devil, but that's
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  • Exactly what they did.
  • 00:05:32.241 --> 00:05:34.744
  • So that brings me to point number one, if you're taking
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  • Notes, and it is starting strong is good, finishing strong
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  • Is better.
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  • Starting strong is good, but finishing strong is better.
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  • You can have the worst start, but if you have a great finish,
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  • That's really all that matters.
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  • Or you can have a great start and a horrible finish and undo
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  • All the good that you did.
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  • And so we want to finish well.
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  • You know, we'll make commitments to things that we won't follow
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  • Through on like diets.
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  • How many of you went on a diet at the beginning of this year?
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  • Raise your hand.
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  • Some of you should have.
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  • I don't know.
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  • I won't say who, but i'm looking at them right now.
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  • No, i'm just kidding.
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  • Looking at mirrors, what they should be looking at, right?
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  • Like a high protein diet, how great of a diet is that?
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  • Oh, i can eat meat and i can eat cheese and i can eat all these
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  • Great things.
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  • I just can't have carbs.
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  • Who cares?
  • 00:06:36.272 --> 00:06:37.607
  • And after three days you are withdrawing, wanting carbs so
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  • Badly, right?
  • 00:06:39.475 --> 00:06:40.810
  • Or joining a gym.
  • 00:06:40.810 --> 00:06:42.178
  • A lot of people do that at the beginning of the year.
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  • Planet fitness is the biggest gym chain in america, or at
  • 00:06:45.181 --> 00:06:48.351
  • Least one of them.
  • 00:06:48.351 --> 00:06:49.719
  • And one of their gyms has a capacity to only hold 300
  • 00:06:49.719 --> 00:06:54.157
  • People, but they signed up 6000.
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  • And the reason they can do that is because they know guaranteed
  • 00:06:57.693 --> 00:07:01.798
  • Half of the people that sign up will never show up even once,
  • 00:07:01.798 --> 00:07:06.502
  • And then the rest will be sporadic at best.
  • 00:07:06.502 --> 00:07:09.272
  • "oh, i'm gonna join the gym," yeah, but then you don't ever go
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  • To the gym.
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  • Or maybe you volunteer to serve here at church.
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  • You find out there's a need in children's ministry, so you
  • 00:07:16.979 --> 00:07:20.249
  • Volunteer to help out the 3-year-olds and after they've
  • 00:07:20.249 --> 00:07:23.553
  • Tied you to a chair and they're talking about selling you into
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  • Slavery because you taught that lesson on joseph and his
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  • Brothers, you're reconsidering.
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  • Do i wanna keep doing this?
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  • The bible's filled with stories of people that started well but
  • 00:07:36.299 --> 00:07:40.536
  • Did not finish well.
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  • Samson comes to mind, the he-man with the she weakness.
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  • Superhuman strength, but he's self-destructed.
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  • We also think of moses.
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  • He did not finish all that well, nor did noah, for that matter.
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  • David started very well.
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  • He crashed and burned, but he did make a comeback, as
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  • Did peter.
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  • So you wanna finish well because the bible tells us the christian
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  • Life is like a race, and the objective of this race is to run
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  • To win.
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  • Paul says run to win the race, but you also want to finish the
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  • Race you've started.
  • 00:08:20.710 --> 00:08:22.044
  • Paul also talked about finishing his race with joy.
  • 00:08:22.044 --> 00:08:25.581
  • And in his final epistle he said, "i fought the good fight,
  • 00:08:25.581 --> 00:08:29.151
  • I kept the faith, i finished the course.
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  • Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness."
  • 00:08:32.188 --> 00:08:35.791
  • So we wanna finish this race well.
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  • Number two, stay focused.
  • 00:08:38.628 --> 00:08:40.897
  • Don't lose the eye of the tiger.
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  • You know, the scripture tells us that we are to run with
  • 00:08:43.799 --> 00:08:46.669
  • Perseverance the race marked out for us.
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  • How do we do it?
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  • Answer, we keep our eyes on jesus.
  • 00:08:50.840 --> 00:08:53.342
  • In hebrews 12, the writer says, we're all running a race, so lay
  • 00:08:53.342 --> 00:08:58.781
  • Aside the weight and the sin that so easily besets you or
  • 00:08:58.781 --> 00:09:01.884
  • Slows you down.
  • 00:09:01.884 --> 00:09:03.252
  • Run this race with endurance.
  • 00:09:03.252 --> 00:09:04.587
  • Here's the key.
  • 00:09:04.587 --> 00:09:05.922
  • "looking unto jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, who
  • 00:09:05.922 --> 00:09:09.559
  • For the joy that was set before him, endured the cross despising
  • 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:13.596
  • The shame, and now is set down on the right hand of god."
  • 00:09:13.596 --> 00:09:17.166
  • So the key is looking to jesus, keeping your eyes on the lord,
  • 00:09:17.166 --> 00:09:22.672
  • Because the devil wants you to get your eyes off of the lord
  • 00:09:22.672 --> 00:09:26.142
  • And he wants you to give up.
  • 00:09:26.142 --> 00:09:27.610
  • The devil's two favorite words are give up.
  • 00:09:27.610 --> 00:09:31.614
  • Don't listen to him.
  • 00:09:31.614 --> 00:09:33.215
  • Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
  • 00:09:33.215 --> 00:09:35.885
  • And i think i'm talking to someone right now that's
  • 00:09:35.885 --> 00:09:38.054
  • Thinking of giving up.
  • 00:09:38.054 --> 00:09:40.056
  • Giving up on your marriage.
  • 00:09:40.056 --> 00:09:42.358
  • Giving up, maybe even on your life.
  • 00:09:42.358 --> 00:09:45.261
  • Giving up on your faith.
  • 00:09:45.261 --> 00:09:47.930
  • Giving up on your ministry.
  • 00:09:47.930 --> 00:09:49.832
  • Don't give up.
  • 00:09:49.832 --> 00:09:51.167
  • Get up and remember this.
  • 00:09:51.167 --> 00:09:53.302
  • Fix your eyes on jesus.
  • 00:09:53.302 --> 00:09:55.237
  • In fact, nehemiah 4:14 says, he says to the people, "don't be
  • 00:09:55.237 --> 00:10:00.076
  • Afraid of the enemy, remember the lord."
  • 00:10:00.076 --> 00:10:02.912
  • But israel had forgotten this.
  • 00:10:02.912 --> 00:10:04.280
  • They were not remembering the lord.
  • 00:10:04.280 --> 00:10:07.083
  • They were going backward again.
  • 00:10:07.083 --> 00:10:09.652
  • Though they had rebuilt these walls and had a spiritual
  • 00:10:09.652 --> 00:10:12.588
  • Awakening, they were returning to their old ways.
  • 00:10:12.588 --> 00:10:16.892
  • They had to return again to the lord.
  • 00:10:16.892 --> 00:10:20.062
  • So that brings us now to our text in nehemiah 10, verse 28.
  • 00:10:20.062 --> 00:10:27.236
  • And this is what they did before their fall began.
  • 00:10:27.236 --> 00:10:31.407
  • And jonathan touched on this in our last message in nehemiah.
  • 00:10:31.407 --> 00:10:35.244
  • I wanna go back over it a little bit before we talk about what
  • 00:10:35.244 --> 00:10:38.414
  • Happened after this.
  • 00:10:38.414 --> 00:10:40.316
  • Nehemiah 10, verse 28.
  • 00:10:40.316 --> 00:10:41.684
  • "the rest of the people, the priests, levites, gatekeepers,
  • 00:10:41.684 --> 00:10:44.420
  • Singers, temple servants, and all who separated themselves
  • 00:10:44.420 --> 00:10:48.224
  • From the pagan temple of the land in order to obey the lord
  • 00:10:48.224 --> 00:10:52.261
  • Together with their wives, sons, daughters, and all who were old
  • 00:10:52.261 --> 00:10:55.765
  • Enough to understand, joined their leaders.
  • 00:10:55.765 --> 00:10:58.000
  • And bound themselves with an oath.
  • 00:10:58.000 --> 00:11:00.803
  • They swore a curse on themselves if they failed to obey the law
  • 00:11:00.803 --> 00:11:04.774
  • Of god as issued by his servant moses.
  • 00:11:04.774 --> 00:11:08.811
  • They solemnly promised to carefully follow all the
  • 00:11:08.811 --> 00:11:13.382
  • Commands, regulations, and decrees of the lord our god."
  • 00:11:13.382 --> 00:11:17.987
  • So number three, they promised to carefully follow all the
  • 00:11:17.987 --> 00:11:21.891
  • Commands of scripture.
  • 00:11:21.891 --> 00:11:24.226
  • I think sometimes people wanna pick and choose what parts of
  • 00:11:24.226 --> 00:11:27.430
  • The bible they like and discard the rest.
  • 00:11:27.430 --> 00:11:31.867
  • I'm reminded of thomas jefferson who had his own version of
  • 00:11:31.867 --> 00:11:35.638
  • The bible.
  • 00:11:35.638 --> 00:11:37.339
  • It was called jefferson's bible, and basically what he did was he
  • 00:11:37.339 --> 00:11:41.811
  • Took scissors and cut out all the parts of the bible he did
  • 00:11:41.811 --> 00:11:46.348
  • Not agree with.
  • 00:11:46.348 --> 00:11:48.451
  • So in jefferson's bible, there were no miracles, so no walking
  • 00:11:48.451 --> 00:11:53.489
  • On water, no feeding of the 5000, no resurrection of jesus.
  • 00:11:53.489 --> 00:11:57.827
  • He also cut out all references to the deity of christ because
  • 00:11:57.827 --> 00:12:02.298
  • Jefferson did not believe jesus was the son of god.
  • 00:12:02.298 --> 00:12:05.701
  • However, he left in the ethical teachings of jesus like the
  • 00:12:05.701 --> 00:12:10.439
  • Sermon on the mount and parables about kindness, forgiveness, and
  • 00:12:10.439 --> 00:12:13.843
  • Love, and other lessons on humility, compassion, et cetera.
  • 00:12:13.843 --> 00:12:18.848
  • Because jefferson regarded jesus as a great philosopher,
  • 00:12:18.848 --> 00:12:23.219
  • Nothing more.
  • 00:12:23.219 --> 00:12:24.553
  • Well, you can't do that.
  • 00:12:24.553 --> 00:12:27.456
  • You can't go to the bible and take out the parts you don't
  • 00:12:27.456 --> 00:12:30.526
  • Agree with.
  • 00:12:30.526 --> 00:12:31.894
  • Jesus said, "you are my disciples if you continue in
  • 00:12:31.894 --> 00:12:35.131
  • My word."
  • 00:12:35.131 --> 00:12:36.499
  • So we need to continue in what his word says.
  • 00:12:36.499 --> 00:12:40.002
  • Number four, they chose to obey the word of god.
  • 00:12:40.002 --> 00:12:44.140
  • To obey what it says, so they surrendered from god's word.
  • 00:12:44.140 --> 00:12:48.711
  • Everyone did it, verse 28 says, the wives, the sons, the
  • 00:12:48.711 --> 00:12:52.681
  • Daughters, everyone joined themselves and they made this
  • 00:12:52.681 --> 00:12:56.185
  • Commitment, and i wanna point out something.
  • 00:12:56.185 --> 00:12:58.120
  • It was a public commitment.
  • 00:12:58.120 --> 00:12:59.522
  • They took an oath.
  • 00:12:59.522 --> 00:13:00.856
  • "we are going to do this, and we want everyone to know it."
  • 00:13:00.856 --> 00:13:05.127
  • It's important to make public stands on certain things
  • 00:13:05.127 --> 00:13:08.230
  • Like marriage.
  • 00:13:08.230 --> 00:13:09.565
  • This is why a wedding ceremony matters, 'cause people will say,
  • 00:13:09.565 --> 00:13:13.803
  • "well, we're just living together.
  • 00:13:13.803 --> 00:13:15.304
  • It's like being married."
  • 00:13:15.304 --> 00:13:16.639
  • No, it isn't.
  • 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:18.007
  • Because you know you could walk away at any given moment.
  • 00:13:18.007 --> 00:13:21.877
  • And when you really are in love with someone, you need to make
  • 00:13:21.877 --> 00:13:24.814
  • That commitment.
  • 00:13:24.814 --> 00:13:26.182
  • "oh, it's just a piece of paper."
  • 00:13:26.182 --> 00:13:27.516
  • No, it's a commitment you're making to god and it's a
  • 00:13:27.516 --> 00:13:31.053
  • Commitment you're making to your family and it's a commitment
  • 00:13:31.053 --> 00:13:34.924
  • You're making to your friends and anybody else who happens
  • 00:13:34.924 --> 00:13:38.260
  • To attend.
  • 00:13:38.260 --> 00:13:39.628
  • You're saying publicly, "i take you to be my lawfully wedded
  • 00:13:39.628 --> 00:13:42.331
  • Wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish from this
  • 00:13:42.331 --> 00:13:46.569
  • Day forward, in sickness and in health," et cetera.
  • 00:13:46.569 --> 00:13:50.105
  • So that's a public stand.
  • 00:13:50.105 --> 00:13:52.241
  • And by the way, if you wanna sabotage a marriage, live
  • 00:13:52.241 --> 00:13:56.278
  • Together before you get married.
  • 00:13:56.278 --> 00:13:58.480
  • Statistics actually show that those who lived together before
  • 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:01.483
  • Marriage are more likely to divorce than those that don't.
  • 00:14:01.483 --> 00:14:06.121
  • So you make a public commitment.
  • 00:14:06.121 --> 00:14:08.290
  • And the same is true of your faith.
  • 00:14:08.290 --> 00:14:10.826
  • Make a public stand for christ.
  • 00:14:10.826 --> 00:14:13.362
  • Do people in your neighborhood know you're a christian?
  • 00:14:13.362 --> 00:14:16.599
  • Do people on your campus know you're a follower of
  • 00:14:16.599 --> 00:14:19.535
  • Jesus christ?
  • 00:14:19.535 --> 00:14:21.103
  • Do people who follow you on social media know you believe
  • 00:14:21.103 --> 00:14:24.673
  • That the bible is true?
  • 00:14:24.673 --> 00:14:26.342
  • Make your stand.
  • 00:14:26.342 --> 00:14:27.710
  • Here's another thing, number five, they separated themselves
  • 00:14:27.710 --> 00:14:31.146
  • From ungodly influences.
  • 00:14:31.146 --> 00:14:33.749
  • They separated themselves from ungodly influences.
  • 00:14:33.749 --> 00:14:36.518
  • Look at verse 28.
  • 00:14:36.518 --> 00:14:37.887
  • "then the rest of the people, the priests, levites,
  • 00:14:37.887 --> 00:14:40.222
  • Gatekeepers, singers separated themselves from the pagan people
  • 00:14:40.222 --> 00:14:44.860
  • Of the land in order to obey the law of the lord, saying, 'we
  • 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:48.564
  • Promised to not let our daughters marry the pagan people
  • 00:14:48.564 --> 00:14:51.867
  • Of the land and not to let our sons marry their daughters.'"
  • 00:14:51.867 --> 00:14:56.906
  • If you wanna be a godly person, you have to separate yourself
  • 00:14:56.906 --> 00:15:00.676
  • From some things and join yourself to others.
  • 00:15:00.676 --> 00:15:06.215
  • Being a christian is saying no to some things and saying yes
  • 00:15:06.215 --> 00:15:09.952
  • To others.
  • 00:15:09.952 --> 00:15:11.320
  • Psalm 1 sums it up perfectly.
  • 00:15:11.320 --> 00:15:13.489
  • It says, "happy is a man or woman who walks not in the
  • 00:15:13.489 --> 00:15:17.059
  • Counsel of the ungodly or stand in the way of sinners or sit in
  • 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:20.996
  • The seat of the scornful."
  • 00:15:20.996 --> 00:15:22.364
  • That's what they don't do.
  • 00:15:22.364 --> 00:15:23.699
  • But in contrast, "their delight is in the word of the lord, and
  • 00:15:23.699 --> 00:15:27.970
  • In it do they meditate day and night."
  • 00:15:27.970 --> 00:15:31.340
  • In timothy, paul writes, "flee youthful desires and follow
  • 00:15:31.340 --> 00:15:35.577
  • Righteous, faith, and peace along with those that call on
  • 00:15:35.577 --> 00:15:39.048
  • The lord out of a pure heart."
  • 00:15:39.048 --> 00:15:42.651
  • The three most important decisions you will make in
  • 00:15:42.651 --> 00:15:45.387
  • Your life.
  • 00:15:45.387 --> 00:15:46.722
  • Number one, what are you gonna do with jesus christ?
  • 00:15:46.722 --> 00:15:49.558
  • Number two, what are you gonna do with your life?
  • 00:15:49.558 --> 00:15:51.894
  • Number three, who are you going to marry?
  • 00:15:51.894 --> 00:15:55.230
  • And so here's what was happening to israel.
  • 00:15:55.230 --> 00:15:57.833
  • They were being pulled down by ungodly people, and they were
  • 00:15:57.833 --> 00:16:01.603
  • Intermarrying with them and found themselves worshiping the
  • 00:16:01.603 --> 00:16:05.407
  • False gods.
  • 00:16:05.407 --> 00:16:07.409
  • And this is why it was an issue, and this is why the bible says,
  • 00:16:07.409 --> 00:16:11.780
  • "don't be unequally yoked together with nonbelievers, for
  • 00:16:11.780 --> 00:16:15.217
  • What fellowship does light have with darkness or righteousness
  • 00:16:15.217 --> 00:16:18.988
  • With unrighteousness?
  • 00:16:18.988 --> 00:16:20.322
  • Or as a more modern translation puts it, "don't become partners
  • 00:16:20.322 --> 00:16:25.227
  • With those who reject god.
  • 00:16:25.227 --> 00:16:28.230
  • How can you make a partnership out of right and wrong?
  • 00:16:28.230 --> 00:16:31.000
  • That's not partnership, that's war.
  • 00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:33.836
  • Is light best friends with darkness?
  • 00:16:33.836 --> 00:16:35.471
  • Does christ go strolling with the devil?
  • 00:16:35.471 --> 00:16:38.240
  • Do trust and mistrust hold hands?"
  • 00:16:38.240 --> 00:16:40.976
  • It's good translation.
  • 00:16:40.976 --> 00:16:42.745
  • And the answer, of course, to those questions, the answer to
  • 00:16:42.745 --> 00:16:45.714
  • Those questions is, of course, no.
  • 00:16:45.714 --> 00:16:48.717
  • So we don't wanna marry or become romantically entangled
  • 00:16:48.717 --> 00:16:53.322
  • With someone who's not a believer.
  • 00:16:53.322 --> 00:16:55.591
  • However, the bible is not advocating complete isolation
  • 00:16:55.591 --> 00:16:59.395
  • And no contact with nonbelievers.
  • 00:16:59.395 --> 00:17:01.964
  • Otherwise, how are we going to reach them with the gospel,
  • 00:17:01.964 --> 00:17:06.602
  • Because we're to go into all the world and preach the
  • 00:17:06.602 --> 00:17:08.771
  • Gospel, right?
  • 00:17:08.771 --> 00:17:10.105
  • So we have to find that balance between the two because the
  • 00:17:10.105 --> 00:17:13.809
  • Great commission, last time i checked, matthew 28, i think
  • 00:17:13.809 --> 00:17:17.246
  • It's still there, unless jefferson got to it with
  • 00:17:17.246 --> 00:17:20.349
  • The scissors.
  • 00:17:20.349 --> 00:17:22.451
  • And that great commission is to go into all the world and preach
  • 00:17:22.451 --> 00:17:25.421
  • The gospel, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
  • 00:17:25.421 --> 00:17:29.958
  • The name of the father, son, and holy spirit, teaching them to
  • 00:17:29.958 --> 00:17:33.295
  • Observe all things that christ has commanded us.
  • 00:17:33.295 --> 00:17:36.532
  • So we do want to reach people with the gospel, but i read this
  • 00:17:36.532 --> 00:17:41.270
  • Stat the other day, 95% of all christians have never led a
  • 00:17:41.270 --> 00:17:46.508
  • Person to christ.
  • 00:17:46.508 --> 00:17:47.843
  • That's a lot.
  • 00:17:47.843 --> 00:17:49.211
  • Ninety five percent of christians have never led
  • 00:17:49.211 --> 00:17:50.979
  • Someone to christ.
  • 00:17:50.979 --> 00:17:52.481
  • I think we have a unique opportunity right now in our
  • 00:17:52.481 --> 00:17:55.451
  • Country to do this maybe like never before.
  • 00:17:55.451 --> 00:17:59.621
  • Also, the people invested in god's kingdom.
  • 00:17:59.621 --> 00:18:05.327
  • Look at verse 32.
  • 00:18:05.327 --> 00:18:06.695
  • They said, "we promised to obey the command to pay the annual
  • 00:18:06.695 --> 00:18:10.365
  • Temple tax of one eighth of an ounce of silver for the care of
  • 00:18:10.365 --> 00:18:14.837
  • The temple of our lord."
  • 00:18:14.837 --> 00:18:17.439
  • So they were tithing.
  • 00:18:17.439 --> 00:18:19.208
  • The word tithe means 10th.
  • 00:18:19.208 --> 00:18:21.243
  • They were giving a 10th of their income to the lord, bringing
  • 00:18:21.243 --> 00:18:24.980
  • Their best, not the worst, to god.
  • 00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:27.983
  • Some would say, "well, tithing is not in the new
  • 00:18:27.983 --> 00:18:30.285
  • Testament," okay.
  • 00:18:30.285 --> 00:18:32.421
  • "so tithing is not in the new testament," you say, "therefore
  • 00:18:32.421 --> 00:18:35.691
  • I give nothing."
  • 00:18:35.691 --> 00:18:38.327
  • Wait, how did you arrive at that conclusion?
  • 00:18:38.327 --> 00:18:41.063
  • It's clear in both the old and new testament that the believers
  • 00:18:41.063 --> 00:18:44.099
  • Should invest their finances into the kingdom.
  • 00:18:44.099 --> 00:18:47.102
  • Why?
  • 00:18:47.102 --> 00:18:48.437
  • Because where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
  • 00:18:48.437 --> 00:18:51.607
  • Whatever you spend your money on is what you have the greatest
  • 00:18:51.607 --> 00:18:55.144
  • Interest in.
  • 00:18:55.144 --> 00:18:56.478
  • And i hope you have an interest in the kingdom of god.
  • 00:18:56.478 --> 00:18:59.348
  • And by the way,
  • 00:18:59.348 --> 00:19:00.682
  • Let me just say this.
  • 00:19:00.682 --> 00:19:02.017
  • We should welcome and embrace what the bible says about
  • 00:19:02.017 --> 00:19:04.953
  • Every topic.
  • 00:19:04.953 --> 00:19:06.588
  • Let me take a quick poll.
  • 00:19:06.588 --> 00:19:08.090
  • How many of you believe what the bible says about heaven?
  • 00:19:08.090 --> 00:19:10.759
  • Raise your hand.
  • 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:12.094
  • Okay, good.
  • 00:19:12.094 --> 00:19:13.462
  • How many of you believe what the bible says about your salvation?
  • 00:19:13.462 --> 00:19:15.864
  • Raise your hand.
  • 00:19:15.864 --> 00:19:17.232
  • How many of you believe what the bible says about money?
  • 00:19:17.232 --> 00:19:19.334
  • Raise your hand.
  • 00:19:19.334 --> 00:19:21.737
  • Now, most of you raised your hand, but what kind
  • 00:19:21.737 --> 00:19:24.873
  • Of christian?
  • 00:19:24.873 --> 00:19:26.241
  • Well, i don't know about that, but remember what we
  • 00:19:26.241 --> 00:19:27.576
  • Learned earlier.
  • 00:19:27.576 --> 00:19:29.011
  • The people of god said, "we'll obey everything that the
  • 00:19:29.011 --> 00:19:32.080
  • Lord says."
  • 00:19:32.080 --> 00:19:33.448
  • What does the bible say?
  • 00:19:33.448 --> 00:19:34.783
  • It says that every believer should give.
  • 00:19:34.783 --> 00:19:37.186
  • In fact, 1 corinthians 16:2, paul says, "the believers should
  • 00:19:37.186 --> 00:19:41.290
  • Set aside a sum of money on the first day of the week."
  • 00:19:41.290 --> 00:19:45.160
  • We should give systematically, not sporadically, or when it
  • 00:19:45.160 --> 00:19:49.598
  • Occurs to us.
  • 00:19:49.598 --> 00:19:51.333
  • Cathe and i for years have given electronically.
  • 00:19:51.333 --> 00:19:54.102
  • It's very easy to do.
  • 00:19:54.102 --> 00:19:56.505
  • I think 75% of our church does that now, but 25% still give
  • 00:19:56.505 --> 00:20:01.109
  • In person.
  • 00:20:01.109 --> 00:20:02.444
  • We thank you for however you wanna give, but it's something
  • 00:20:02.444 --> 00:20:05.247
  • You plan on.
  • 00:20:05.247 --> 00:20:06.615
  • You are to give proportionately.
  • 00:20:06.615 --> 00:20:08.250
  • Paul says in 1 corinthians 16, "you should keep in keeping with
  • 00:20:08.250 --> 00:20:12.020
  • Your income."
  • 00:20:12.020 --> 00:20:14.022
  • Each person should give in keeping with their income, so
  • 00:20:14.022 --> 00:20:16.858
  • Some can give more, some can give less, but it's okay, but
  • 00:20:16.858 --> 00:20:21.363
  • Give something and you are to give joyfully.
  • 00:20:21.363 --> 00:20:24.099
  • 2 corinthians 9:6 says, "determine how much you'll give.
  • 00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:28.070
  • Don't give reluctantly or in response to pressure, for god
  • 00:20:28.070 --> 00:20:32.441
  • Loves a cheerful giver."
  • 00:20:32.441 --> 00:20:35.310
  • And finally, if we do this, god promises he will meet our needs.
  • 00:20:35.310 --> 00:20:40.148
  • 2 corinthians 9:8.
  • 00:20:40.148 --> 00:20:41.950
  • God will generously provide all you need, and you'll have
  • 00:20:41.950 --> 00:20:45.887
  • Everything you need and plenty left over to share with others.
  • 00:20:45.887 --> 00:20:50.425
  • Now, i wish i could say, "and they followed these commitments
  • 00:20:50.425 --> 00:20:53.395
  • And they lived happily ever after," and the book of nehemiah
  • 00:20:53.395 --> 00:20:56.598
  • Ends, but it doesn't end there.
  • 00:20:56.598 --> 00:20:58.734
  • That's not what happened at all.
  • 00:20:58.734 --> 00:21:00.302
  • They listened to and obeyed the word of god.
  • 00:21:00.302 --> 00:21:02.604
  • They separated themselves from ungodly people.
  • 00:21:02.604 --> 00:21:05.374
  • They gave up their finances, and then they turned their backs
  • 00:21:05.374 --> 00:21:08.310
  • On god.
  • 00:21:08.310 --> 00:21:09.878
  • Wow, does that sound familiar?
  • 00:21:09.878 --> 00:21:11.813
  • Sounds just like us.
  • 00:21:11.813 --> 00:21:13.582
  • We've all in one way, shape or form had lapses in our faith or
  • 00:21:13.582 --> 00:21:18.487
  • Grown somewhat complacent or lost the eye of the tiger, if
  • 00:21:18.487 --> 00:21:22.858
  • You will.
  • 00:21:22.858 --> 00:21:24.192
  • This happened to the church of ephesus.
  • 00:21:24.192 --> 00:21:26.061
  • Jesus said to them, "hey, i know all the things you do.
  • 00:21:26.061 --> 00:21:28.597
  • I see your hard work and patient endurance.
  • 00:21:28.597 --> 00:21:31.533
  • I know you don't tolerate evil people.
  • 00:21:31.533 --> 00:21:34.269
  • You patiently suffered for me without quitting, but i have
  • 00:21:34.269 --> 00:21:37.806
  • This complaint against you."
  • 00:21:37.806 --> 00:21:39.174
  • Jesus said, "you don't love me as much as you did at first.
  • 00:21:39.174 --> 00:21:43.945
  • Look how far you've fallen."
  • 00:21:43.945 --> 00:21:46.882
  • And so here's old nehemiah.
  • 00:21:46.882 --> 00:21:48.483
  • He's back with the king again in babylon.
  • 00:21:48.483 --> 00:21:51.553
  • He hears what's happening in israel.
  • 00:21:51.553 --> 00:21:53.355
  • It's like the old expression, "when the cat's away, the mice
  • 00:21:53.355 --> 00:21:56.358
  • Will play."
  • 00:21:56.358 --> 00:21:57.826
  • And even worse, he hears that tobiah, who was working with
  • 00:21:57.826 --> 00:22:01.763
  • This guy named sanballat, remember i talked about
  • 00:22:01.763 --> 00:22:03.932
  • Sanballat and tobiah, "beavis and butt-head."
  • 00:22:03.932 --> 00:22:07.903
  • Or "dumb and dumber," right?
  • 00:22:07.903 --> 00:22:09.771
  • They're always giving israel a hard time opposing them when
  • 00:22:09.771 --> 00:22:12.641
  • They went to rebuild the wall, slandering them, threatening
  • 00:22:12.641 --> 00:22:16.378
  • Their lives, and yet the people of god persisted.
  • 00:22:16.378 --> 00:22:19.815
  • Guess who's back in town?
  • 00:22:19.815 --> 00:22:21.483
  • They gave tobiah a room in the temple.
  • 00:22:21.483 --> 00:22:24.853
  • It's like the fox was in the hen house.
  • 00:22:24.853 --> 00:22:28.623
  • So nehemiah now needs to leave babylon, go back to israel, and
  • 00:22:28.623 --> 00:22:32.694
  • Take care of business.
  • 00:22:32.694 --> 00:22:34.062
  • Look at what happens.
  • 00:22:34.062 --> 00:22:35.397
  • Nehemiah 13:8.
  • 00:22:35.397 --> 00:22:36.732
  • He says, "i became very upset.
  • 00:22:36.732 --> 00:22:38.367
  • I threw all of tobiah's belongings out of the room, and
  • 00:22:38.367 --> 00:22:42.337
  • I demanded the rooms be purified, and i brought back the
  • 00:22:42.337 --> 00:22:45.874
  • Articles for god's temple, grain offerings and the frankincense."
  • 00:22:45.874 --> 00:22:50.679
  • Out with the old, in with the new.
  • 00:22:50.679 --> 00:22:53.815
  • When something's dirty, you need to clean it.
  • 00:22:53.815 --> 00:22:56.852
  • They fumigated the place and they tossed tobiah out.
  • 00:22:56.852 --> 00:23:01.790
  • Sometimes we get a tobiah in our life.
  • 00:23:01.790 --> 00:23:05.060
  • It can be an addiction, it can be an old sin coming back again.
  • 00:23:05.060 --> 00:23:09.398
  • Hey, come and live in the guest room.
  • 00:23:09.398 --> 00:23:12.100
  • You're not living here, but you can stay in this room and next
  • 00:23:12.100 --> 00:23:14.803
  • Thing you know it's taking your life over again and that's
  • 00:23:14.803 --> 00:23:18.340
  • Exactly what they did and they needed to get him out plain
  • 00:23:18.340 --> 00:23:22.677
  • And simple.
  • 00:23:22.677 --> 00:23:24.012
  • This reminds us of when jesus cleansed the temple, remember?
  • 00:23:24.012 --> 00:23:27.983
  • He went into the money changers.
  • 00:23:27.983 --> 00:23:29.418
  • He overturned the tables, drove them out with a whip.
  • 00:23:29.418 --> 00:23:32.654
  • It's like indiana jones.
  • 00:23:32.654 --> 00:23:35.323
  • And then he had to do it a second time because those same
  • 00:23:35.323 --> 00:23:38.260
  • People came in again and set their tables up and sometimes
  • 00:23:38.260 --> 00:23:41.997
  • There needs to be some serious cleaning in our life because
  • 00:23:41.997 --> 00:23:46.435
  • We've allowed little compromises to come in.
  • 00:23:46.435 --> 00:23:50.439
  • So it starts small and it gets big.
  • 00:23:50.439 --> 00:23:52.240
  • That's how sin works in our life.
  • 00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:54.443
  • Little compromises lead to bigger problems.
  • 00:23:54.443 --> 00:23:57.279
  • So nehemiah took action.
  • 00:23:57.279 --> 00:23:59.247
  • He cleaned house, and i wonder if someone needs to clean house
  • 00:23:59.247 --> 00:24:02.717
  • Spiritually today in their own life.
  • 00:24:02.717 --> 00:24:06.488
  • God says in jeremiah 3:22, "return you backsliding
  • 00:24:06.488 --> 00:24:10.125
  • Children, and i will heal your backsliding."
  • 00:24:10.125 --> 00:24:14.329
  • It's always good to know when we've messed up we can be
  • 00:24:14.329 --> 00:24:18.633
  • Forgiven if we return to god.
  • 00:24:18.633 --> 00:24:22.471
  • Coming back to the message of jesus to the church of ephesus
  • 00:24:22.471 --> 00:24:26.808
  • After he told them they had left their first love, he then goes
  • 00:24:26.808 --> 00:24:30.545
  • On to say, "remember, therefore, from where you have fallen.
  • 00:24:30.545 --> 00:24:34.182
  • Repent and do the first works quickly," interesting, quickly.
  • 00:24:34.182 --> 00:24:40.055
  • In other words, he's saying you need to act on this.
  • 00:24:40.055 --> 00:24:42.791
  • Listen, if the holy spirit of god is touching your heart right
  • 00:24:42.791 --> 00:24:46.294
  • Now and maybe there's some area in your life where there's been
  • 00:24:46.294 --> 00:24:49.831
  • Compromise or some tobiah, so to speak, has taken up a guest room
  • 00:24:49.831 --> 00:24:55.670
  • Or some addiction or some sin has returned or something that's
  • 00:24:55.670 --> 00:24:59.808
  • Probably coming to the forefront of your mind right now is there,
  • 00:24:59.808 --> 00:25:03.111
  • This is the time to deal with it and do it quickly.
  • 00:25:03.111 --> 00:25:06.681
  • How are you doing in the race of life?
  • 00:25:06.681 --> 00:25:10.185
  • Have you lost your way?
  • 00:25:10.185 --> 00:25:11.520
  • Have you lost the eye of the tiger, so to speak?
  • 00:25:11.520 --> 00:25:15.323
  • Well then it's time to make that recommitment again and christ
  • 00:25:15.323 --> 00:25:19.361
  • Can forgive you because we all wanna finish this race well.
  • 00:25:19.361 --> 00:25:25.600
  • Greg: have you watched the news lately?
  • 00:25:29.471 --> 00:25:30.906
  • It seems like the world is coming apart.
  • 00:25:30.906 --> 00:25:33.942
  • War in the middle east, instability all around us.
  • 00:25:33.942 --> 00:25:37.946
  • And i'm telling you right now, the bible predicted these things
  • 00:25:37.946 --> 00:25:41.249
  • Would happen in the last days.
  • 00:25:41.249 --> 00:25:43.218
  • But here's what you need to remember.
  • 00:25:43.218 --> 00:25:45.086
  • Jesus said, "when you see these things begin to happen, look up
  • 00:25:45.086 --> 00:25:49.457
  • For your redemption is drawing near."
  • 00:25:49.457 --> 00:25:51.393
  • He didn't say, "freak out."
  • 00:25:51.393 --> 00:25:52.861
  • He said, "look up."
  • 00:25:52.861 --> 00:25:55.130
  • I want you to know that i've read the last page of the bible
  • 00:25:55.196 --> 00:25:58.300
  • And we win in the end.
  • 00:25:58.300 --> 00:26:00.035
  • We need hope in this crazy, hopeless world, in this world of
  • 00:26:00.035 --> 00:26:04.105
  • Chaos and confusion.
  • 00:26:04.105 --> 00:26:05.840
  • Jesus christ has everything you're looking for in a
  • 00:26:05.840 --> 00:26:09.945
  • Relationship with him.
  • 00:26:09.945 --> 00:26:11.913
  • I encourage you to call out to the lord and ask him to come
  • 00:26:11.980 --> 00:26:16.484
  • Into your life.
  • 00:26:16.484 --> 00:26:17.953
  • Let me send you at no charge, a bible to help you get started in
  • 00:26:17.953 --> 00:26:22.591
  • Your new relationship with christ.
  • 00:26:22.591 --> 00:26:26.661
  • Greg: greg laurie here.
  • 00:26:30.198 --> 00:26:31.533
  • You know, there is a very special group of people
  • 00:26:31.533 --> 00:26:34.569
  • I want to introduce you to.
  • 00:26:34.569 --> 00:26:36.338
  • They are a group of people who are passionate about the gospel
  • 00:26:36.338 --> 00:26:40.175
  • Of jesus christ being proclaimed in this nation and beyond.
  • 00:26:40.175 --> 00:26:43.678
  • In fact, these people
  • 00:26:43.678 --> 00:26:45.347
  • Make possible our radio program, our harvest
  • 00:26:45.347 --> 00:26:48.216
  • Crusades, our evangelistic movies like "jesus revolution,"
  • 00:26:48.216 --> 00:26:52.087
  • And so much more.
  • 00:26:52.087 --> 00:26:53.421
  • Without them, harvest ministries could not even exist,
  • 00:26:53.421 --> 00:26:56.758
  • So who are these amazing people?
  • 00:26:56.758 --> 00:26:59.060
  • We call them harvest partners.
  • 00:26:59.060 --> 00:27:01.329
  • They are people who have chosen to give monthly to harvest to
  • 00:27:01.329 --> 00:27:04.899
  • Keep the gospel moving forward.
  • 00:27:04.899 --> 00:27:06.968
  • Some can only give a little, others can give more,
  • 00:27:06.968 --> 00:27:10.205
  • But all of it makes a big difference.
  • 00:27:10.205 --> 00:27:12.574
  • Jesus said, "the harvest is plentiful,
  • 00:27:12.574 --> 00:27:14.976
  • But the laborers are few.
  • 00:27:14.976 --> 00:27:16.544
  • Therefore, pray the lord of the harvest to send out
  • 00:27:16.544 --> 00:27:19.748
  • Laborers into his harvest."
  • 00:27:19.748 --> 00:27:21.583
  • Will you become a harvest partner and help us fulfill the
  • 00:27:21.583 --> 00:27:25.754
  • Great commission in our lifetime?
  • 00:27:25.754 --> 00:27:27.822
  • Let's do this together.
  • 00:27:27.822 --> 00:27:29.010