1 00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:04,040 Hey everybody, this is Pastor John Ewart from Englewood 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:05,920 Baptist Church in Rocky Mountain, North Carolina. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:08,119 Thank you so much for tuning in to our podcast. 4 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,320 You're going to hear from God today as we share from his word 5 00:00:11,560 --> 00:00:15,080 about important issues facing your life that can guide you 6 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:21,080 according to the Bible. Well, good morning, Englewood. 7 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,960 I did not pay George Mamboyne for that video. 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:31,440 Somehow I have the feeling that I will before it's over. 9 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:34,760 George is actually has a master's degree from 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:38,200 Southeastern Seminary. He's part of a cohort from East 11 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,880 Africa that we helped train several years ago. 12 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:46,760 This team is going to get to experience as close to an old 13 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,880 fashioned Baptist mission station, an old mission life 14 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:56,440 that you ever could there. George is located on the corner 15 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,720 of Rwanda, Congo, and Uganda. They'll actually land in Rwanda 16 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:05,360 and crossover into Uganda and he's working, has a Bible school 17 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:09,760 there, seminary basically has children's schools, is refugee 18 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,640 ministries from people escaping the Congo, homeless settlements 19 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:18,800 there, humanitarian aid, tons of children, tons of children in 20 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:20,680 multiple schools. He runs a whole network of 21 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:22,320 churches. So they're going to have an 22 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:26,720 incredible experience and look forward to hearing back from my 23 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:31,960 dear friend George and the team. Listen, this weekend, I don't 24 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:34,640 know if you realize it or not, they're actually more chairs in 25 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,800 here then then there are now. But every single one of these 26 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,040 chairs was full of men this weekend at the East Coast Men's 27 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,880 Bible Conference. It was a powerful time. 28 00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:48,000 Had men from 11 states, over 1200 of them and had AI had a 29 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:49,880 great time. I felt like this the the 30 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:53,320 conference went well. I just want to say thank you to 31 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,560 all of you. There were over 200 Inglewood 32 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,000 men involved and for the 252 weekend back-to-back with the 33 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,320 East Coast Men's Bible Conference weekend. 34 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,400 Just want to say thank you to all the volunteers who worked so 35 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,520 hard to make, to make that, that work. 36 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:12,800 And also just want to brag on our children and, and preschool 37 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,520 ministries, the way they're working with Laura and Beth, you 38 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,920 know, seeing our children being baptized and kids coming through 39 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:22,840 that ministry is, is really, really special. 40 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:26,640 And so, and then also I just want to say thank you. 41 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:28,840 Just thank you for your stewardship. 42 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,080 I'll say more about that in a week or two. 43 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,520 But our giving is up from last year and we appreciate that very 44 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:37,160 much. We appreciate your faithfulness 45 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:39,800 in in supporting that. So thank you. 46 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:42,560 On the front of your bulletin. If you notice this is really 47 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,320 important to me, we're having a senior adult event coming up. 48 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,280 And and if you haven't signed up for that, I need you to sign up 49 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:52,240 for that. Please, if you can, if you're a 50 00:02:52,240 --> 00:02:54,760 senior adult, if you would consider yourself a prime timer. 51 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:59,960 And this is basically going to be a really in depth study of 52 00:02:59,960 --> 00:03:02,760 the book of Jonah as well as we're going to have some fun 53 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:04,240 together. We're going to sing and we'll do 54 00:03:04,240 --> 00:03:05,800 some other things that just be a lot of fun. 55 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,240 But it's primarily a Bible study and a time for you to invite 56 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,960 your friends who don't know Christ, who might be a little 57 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,800 bit older. And so we would love to see that 58 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,400 happen and hope you'll be a part of that. 59 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,320 Listen, this morning if you'll take your Bibles and turn to 60 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:26,240 Nehemiah chapter, start in Chapter 11. 61 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:28,480 I'll catch up to you in a few moments. 62 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:32,800 This is a very strategic message that I need to share with you, 63 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,080 and you'll see why in a minute. So I'm glad that you're here. 64 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,320 Others who are on spring break this week need to listen to this 65 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,200 one online and catch up on this because this may explain a whole 66 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:46,480 lot of things this morning to you. 67 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:48,680 I'll get to that. You know what? 68 00:03:49,040 --> 00:03:53,200 Years ago, Teresa and our family and I were transitioning from 69 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:56,040 Arizona. We were in the mountains of 70 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,720 Northern Arizona. We were church plant planting up 71 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,360 in there and I was pastoring a church and we'd have multiple 72 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:05,120 church plants going in Northern Arizona and I'd still be there 73 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,640 at this time. If if God had just not called 74 00:04:07,640 --> 00:04:10,280 me, God named Tom Rayner wouldn't be to come serve with 75 00:04:10,280 --> 00:04:13,160 him and Al Mohler and Danny Aiken at Southern Seminary at 76 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:15,760 the time. And it was a major transition. 77 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:18,079 But anyway, that doesn't matter. But but we had to make the 78 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:22,840 physical move and I worked out a deal and it's Long story short, 79 00:04:22,840 --> 00:04:25,240 I decided to do it with the old fashioned U-Haul truck. 80 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,880 And so I rented the largest U-Haul truck you can rent. 81 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:32,040 You know the kind with granny's attic over the cab. 82 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:33,040 You all know what I'm talking about. 83 00:04:33,440 --> 00:04:37,720 It's that biggest truck. And then I had a trailer hooked 84 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:42,360 up to the back of the truck with my 1972 pickup truck on it 85 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:44,840 because for some reason I felt the need to take that with me. 86 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:50,360 And it had a camper shell on it. I think I was about 55 to 60 87 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,720 feet long or something like that, Charles, by the time I was 88 00:04:52,720 --> 00:04:54,000 done. But anyway, the truck was 89 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:58,720 completely full, packed to the the gills inside the front cab 90 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,480 of the truck, stuff on the dashboard and the floor had a 91 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:03,840 dog in a cage sitting next to me in the seat. 92 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,880 And then the pickup truck, the camper shell was completely 93 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:09,800 full. The cab of the truck was 94 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:11,880 completely full with stuff up on the dashboard. 95 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,360 And then we tied stuff to the top of the camper shell. 96 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:21,160 Then Teresa was in a car behind that with two of our kids and it 97 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:24,280 was completely full. And so, you know, the Clampets 98 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:26,760 are leaving Arizona to go on a trip. 99 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,320 Thank you for those old enough to know who the Clampets are. 100 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:36,040 And we're, we're going to go to Oklahoma 1st to see family and 101 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,400 then I'm going to go on to Kentucky all by myself to 102 00:05:39,400 --> 00:05:41,520 Louisville. And then the, the family was 103 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:44,640 going to join me later. Well, so we start off on this 104 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,400 trip and, you know, we're up in the middle of the, the basically 105 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:49,760 the Rocky Mountains. I mean, where we lived in 106 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:53,000 Arizona was a Mile High. And so we're chugging along and 107 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:54,840 this thing and this thing's pulling so much weight. 108 00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:57,320 I mean, it's black smokes just belting out of this truck. 109 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:03,160 So I'm maxing out at about 43 1/2 mph on I-40 trying to get 110 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:05,400 through those mountains and Teresa's back behind me. 111 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,040 And, and we didn't have, we didn't have cell phones. 112 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:11,560 And you know, this was, this was in those days you had a big bag 113 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:12,920 phone, if you remember those things. 114 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:17,040 But so we had walkie talkies. And so we're chugging along and 115 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:22,200 this is supposed to be a 19 hour trip at the best in the best 116 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:27,000 scenario from Prescott, AZ to Tahlequah, OK, especially where 117 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:29,760 we had to go out in the middle of nowhere in Oklahoma. 118 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,920 And so we're chugging along and chugging along and chugging 119 00:06:32,920 --> 00:06:36,400 along with, we'll make a Long story short, this 19 hour trip 120 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:41,280 becomes a 32 hour trip. And we, we kept asking whether 121 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:43,040 you want to stop or you want to keep going. 122 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:44,960 Well, let's just keep going. The kids are asleep. 123 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,200 Let's just keep going. And we just kept going, and we 124 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:49,280 just keep going. And we're trugging, chugging 125 00:06:49,280 --> 00:06:50,920 along. And suddenly, over the 126 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,280 walkie-talkie in the middle of the night, I hear Teresa 127 00:06:54,280 --> 00:06:57,000 screaming in the walkie-talkie. Now I can barely see her back 128 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:58,480 there. She's behind me somewhere back 129 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:00,120 there, probably covered up in black smoke. 130 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,640 And she goes, It's loose, it's loose. 131 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,360 Somewhere along the way, the hamster had gotten out of the 132 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:19,040 cage and had crawled up her leg. So I'm hearing loose hamster, 133 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:22,080 loose hamster. And I, I, I, for the life of me, 134 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,880 I could not, my brain in the 30th hour of this trip or 135 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,600 whatever it was, could not, could not comprehend loose 136 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,840 hamster. Those words didn't make sense to 137 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:32,920 me. Well, so we're still chugging 138 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:34,400 and chugging and chugging, and finally we hit. 139 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:35,720 So we pull over the side of the road. 140 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,520 We have to find the hamster. We take care of that. 141 00:07:38,760 --> 00:07:41,120 And finally we're back on the belching black smoke. 142 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:43,320 Belching black smoke. Well, what we didn't realize is 143 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:45,120 that there was also a leak inside the truck. 144 00:07:45,120 --> 00:07:48,080 So that by the time I get to Kentucky with everything we had 145 00:07:48,080 --> 00:07:49,960 smoked furniture. It was fantastic. 146 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:54,080 Yeah, nothing like a. Now I enjoy smoking ribs and 147 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,840 brisket, but not my couch and not my mouth, my mattress too 148 00:07:56,840 --> 00:07:58,520 much. It was solid black. 149 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,240 It was hilarious. But the trips that we make for 150 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,840 Jesus, huh? Some of the journeys that we go 151 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:07,800 on, these folks going all the way to Uganda, you know, moving 152 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:11,080 into a new future can also be quite a journey. 153 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:14,560 It's often requires some cleaning up and even some 154 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:18,440 cleaning out sometimes when you make those moves, forcing 155 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,320 decisions on what to bring, what to leave behind, what do I pack, 156 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,360 What don't I pack? It's exciting, but it can also 157 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,520 be a little bit scary, frankly, with new things coming along. 158 00:08:29,800 --> 00:08:31,840 And Nehemiah is that kind of story. 159 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:35,520 Nehemiah left a life of, of luxury and one of the most 160 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,039 opulent palaces in the known world at the time back in Persia 161 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,400 and he goes to a broken down Jerusalem. 162 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:43,520 And he only went because God called him to go. 163 00:08:43,799 --> 00:08:46,480 It was a task of, of, of, of renewal. 164 00:08:46,760 --> 00:08:49,880 And when he arrived, the debris was so high, if you remember in 165 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:52,440 this story that he couldn't even get around the city without 166 00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,160 climbing over the top of it. And, and yet he, he, he knew he 167 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,360 was supposed to been there. It could have been overwhelming, 168 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:01,960 but he knew that God had a plan for that old pile of rubble. 169 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:06,040 And so sometimes in in our in our journey in life, we have to 170 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,840 believe in the potential that God knows for us and what he 171 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,600 wants to see happen to us. And they worked hard and they 172 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,240 faced enemies and they persevered. 173 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,120 And Jerusalem was transformed from a, from a defenseless joke, 174 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:22,760 frankly, and a testimonial shame to a, to a fortified stronghold 175 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,440 where a promise fulfilling God could actually be worshipped 176 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:28,680 properly again, with the temple working the way it was supposed 177 00:09:28,680 --> 00:09:32,440 to. So the city was ready, but it 178 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:36,760 lacked one key ingredient. They needed more people to 179 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:39,960 reside in it now. So so they build it. 180 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:43,800 An empty city couldn't fulfill God's promise. 181 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,960 Well, my first year anniversary with you passed a week or two 182 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:53,080 ago and and it's been an amazing year for Teresa and I. 183 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:56,720 We appreciate you. Thank you for allowing us the 184 00:09:56,720 --> 00:10:01,160 privilege to serve you and thank you for being patient with some 185 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,160 of the things that have happened, some of the changes 186 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:07,520 and, and it, and though it might not be clear to you, there 187 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:11,280 really is a method to my madness or as some have said, there 188 00:10:11,280 --> 00:10:15,240 might be a madness to my method. And so I want you to remember 189 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,240 the context of the book of Nehemiah. 190 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:21,440 I want you to understand, just focus with me for the next two 191 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,360 or three minutes. I want you to fully understand 192 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:28,920 why Nehemiah. So remember the context. 193 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,440 The people returned from exile in groups. 194 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:34,560 The earliest groups were to lay a new temple foundation. 195 00:10:34,560 --> 00:10:37,880 Later, Haggai, Zechariah and Ezra had to come to get to help 196 00:10:37,880 --> 00:10:40,480 them face their enemies and actually finish the temple. 197 00:10:41,000 --> 00:10:45,080 So there was a foundation and a structure that couldn't be used 198 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:49,360 yet because the perimeter was not set up, the walls were not 199 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,520 there, the gates still needed repair, and they were not 200 00:10:52,520 --> 00:10:55,040 protected. They were not safe, so the 201 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,280 parameters of the city still needed to be defined. 202 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:00,040 They were undefined at that point. 203 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,400 Well, believe it or not, we've been on a similar journey. 204 00:11:04,960 --> 00:11:08,440 I've spent this first year learning a lot about your past 205 00:11:09,080 --> 00:11:11,520 and trying to teach you redundantly. 206 00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:16,240 I know about God's future. Remember something about me 207 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,640 Assessment never ends. Never ends. 208 00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:23,880 And so first we needed to rebuild a proper foundation. 209 00:11:24,560 --> 00:11:29,120 So our study in the book of Acts laid for us a bedrock of new 210 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:31,920 mission understanding. We needed to do that. 211 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:36,800 We exist here to bring God glory and to join Him in redeeming the 212 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:40,240 nation's. This is why we are here. 213 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,640 This is why Inglewood Baptist Church exists. 214 00:11:44,360 --> 00:11:46,920 And so we recognized that was just the beginning. 215 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:52,200 So then we needed an understood strong walls of definition, the 216 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:57,120 parameters, the guidelines, the definitions of who we are. 217 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,960 So we had to study what is a biblical church? 218 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:03,440 What's a biblical church member? So Acts also taught us the 219 00:12:03,440 --> 00:12:06,720 answers to that and LED us to our vision where we want to make 220 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:11,840 disciples who love God, love others, and join God's mission. 221 00:12:12,400 --> 00:12:15,080 We needed to further define that though, because what's a 222 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:17,160 disciple? And so we began to teach that a 223 00:12:17,160 --> 00:12:20,240 disciple means that there are at least seven essential areas of 224 00:12:20,240 --> 00:12:24,040 discipleship in which to grow in order to be like Jesus. 225 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:28,200 But we also need to structure, to build on that foundation and 226 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:30,560 to to be protected by those walls. 227 00:12:30,680 --> 00:12:35,000 Structures like 100% participation in our core 228 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:40,640 ministries here in worship, a special push and growth in 229 00:12:40,640 --> 00:12:44,040 Connect group, small groups, an entirely different midweek 230 00:12:44,040 --> 00:12:47,480 experience, more service opportunities and focused 231 00:12:47,480 --> 00:12:51,360 stewardship. Now, now, now we know why we are 232 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,440 now we know who we are. Now we know what we need to be 233 00:12:54,440 --> 00:12:56,360 doing and how we're going to do it. 234 00:12:56,640 --> 00:13:00,080 But the gates, the entry points, they still had to be addressed. 235 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,800 They needed to be set. So we needed to revise or 236 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:05,720 discover Inglewood. We had a new membership covenant 237 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,320 that you saw a couple weeks ago with clear membership 238 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:11,680 expectations. We've had new in reach to every 239 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:14,760 single church member through reach in our small groups to 240 00:13:14,760 --> 00:13:19,320 strengthen our entry points. Our midweek study has focused on 241 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:22,360 emphasizing doctrine and deeper discipleship. 242 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,320 As we grow and we grow. So the foundation solid, much of 243 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,080 the structures in place, the parameters are defined, the 244 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,600 gates are set. They're going to be constantly 245 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,320 guarded. I mean, it's almost like I can 246 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:39,440 see a set of train tracks stretching toward a new horizon 247 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,040 and and we can wave goodbye to most of the bumper cars. 248 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,520 Maybe not all just yet, but most. 249 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:51,600 Now we need to take the next step in Year 2. 250 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,040 Now it's time to take the next step, just like they had to take 251 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:00,440 the next step. It's time to fill the city. 252 00:14:01,560 --> 00:14:05,960 It's time for new people. It's time to occupy and truly 253 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:10,400 live in restoration. And so first, we have to 254 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,160 continuously prioritize our discipleship. 255 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:16,520 We need to prioritize the depth of our discipleship, the 256 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,440 maturity of our discipleship. I want you to feed well on 257 00:14:20,440 --> 00:14:22,880 Sundays. I want you to feed well at 258 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:25,160 midweek. And even this past week, I 259 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:29,240 recognized some of the theological questions, perhaps 260 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,840 even some immaturity that still exists. 261 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:35,280 And and so it challenged me to pray about even more what the 262 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,880 necessary next steps of teaching needed to be. 263 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,120 So qualitative growth, qualitative maturity must come 264 00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:43,920 first. And that will lead us to the 265 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:46,880 quantitative fruit. We pray for the future. 266 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,240 And God's already blessing us with new members, with people 267 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,400 being baptized. Listen, we got at least I think 268 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:56,000 three more next week and so more and more coming. 269 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,720 We've got more and more we're talking to no telling what's 270 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,040 going to happen after these last two weekends with some of our 271 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,800 follow up. And so we must always praise him 272 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,560 for this. We must always praise him for 273 00:15:06,560 --> 00:15:09,960 people who are being baptized, who are being saved and who are 274 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:11,000 joining. Amen. 275 00:15:11,480 --> 00:15:16,120 Always, never, ever, ever take that for granted. 276 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,960 In fact, next week we're going to complete our study of 277 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,920 Nehemiah and he's actually going to give us a dire warning about 278 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:26,800 forgetting those things. We're going to see a turn in the 279 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,840 story at the very end. And then I'm praying for a 280 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:32,840 harvest to fill the city as we follow up on these weekends, as 281 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,040 we follow up through our our our connect group reach strategy 282 00:15:36,040 --> 00:15:38,960 through our weekly ministries. And guess what's just around the 283 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:45,240 corner? Easter, Easter, listen, I need 284 00:15:45,240 --> 00:15:48,200 you to join us in prayer and participation this Wednesday at 285 00:15:48,200 --> 00:15:50,280 6:30. I want you to come and pray and 286 00:15:50,280 --> 00:15:52,640 study with us. I'm going to break down some of 287 00:15:52,640 --> 00:15:55,320 the Lord Jesus's most intimate prayers. 288 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,680 This is actually last week we talked about what's called the 289 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,720 Lord's Prayer, which is really the disciples prayer. 290 00:15:59,920 --> 00:16:02,480 This week we're actually going to talk about the Lord's prayers 291 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,840 this this Wednesday night you want to be here and we're going 292 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,760 to talk about these intimate moments that Jesus prayed to the 293 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:12,240 Father in great detail because all of this belongs to him. 294 00:16:12,440 --> 00:16:14,760 Then in two weeks, we're going to dive deeply into the 295 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:18,040 celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ for the Easter 296 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:20,480 season. And following Easter, I'm going 297 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,760 to be sharing with you my complete testimony. 298 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,680 It's a little PG13, but I'm going to share my whole 299 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:27,800 testimony because several of you asked me to do that. 300 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:31,360 And then we're going to engage in an intense study of the book 301 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,360 of Romans because we're going to go deep. 302 00:16:34,440 --> 00:16:36,440 We're going to look at our discipleship depth. 303 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:38,480 This will be completely different from anything that 304 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:43,200 we've done before so far. But this morning, we're not 305 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:46,600 quite done with the journey. This morning we're not quite 306 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:51,080 done with Nehemiah. And so we need key truths for 307 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:54,840 moving forward from Chapter 11 and 12. 308 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:57,240 So look at verse 1 of Chapter 11. 309 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:01,200 Now the leaders of the people lived in Jerusalem, and the rest 310 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:04,119 of the people cast lots to bring one out of 10 to live in 311 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:07,640 Jerusalem, the holy city, while 9 out of 10 remained in the 312 00:17:07,640 --> 00:17:10,160 other towns. And the people blessed all the 313 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:13,160 men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem. 314 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,359 So the first thing we see, as I mentioned before, is new people 315 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,079 required. We need new people. 316 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:22,160 It's not going to be enough just to get the old church members to 317 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:23,599 come back. We're going to talk about those 318 00:17:23,599 --> 00:17:26,160 in a minute, but we're going to go out into this community and 319 00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:29,560 find new people that we've never met before, people that we don't 320 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:32,360 know yet. And so they had to revitalize 321 00:17:32,360 --> 00:17:34,560 the population. They had to revitalize the 322 00:17:34,560 --> 00:17:37,000 city's life. More people were needed to bring 323 00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,960 God glory in the temple, to be an example to the nations and to 324 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,920 strengthen one another. So they cast lots and, and, and 325 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:46,080 110th of them would resettle in Jerusalem. 326 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,120 But you got to understand that wouldn't be easy. 327 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:51,160 It was a sacrifice to live inside the city. 328 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,600 Believe it or not. It wouldn't be easy to live in 329 00:17:53,600 --> 00:17:56,560 there at that time with new walls, new gates, new 330 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,400 structures, new design. This was going to be the largest 331 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:04,000 fortress in the region and it posed a threat to the enemy. 332 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:10,720 Now keep connecting this to us as God blesses and God blesses 333 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,000 and God blesses. We will become a threat to the 334 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,080 enemy. And then the enemy always 335 00:18:16,080 --> 00:18:20,040 attacks when new strength and new momentum are achieved. 336 00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:23,720 He always will do this. So why would he need to waste 337 00:18:23,720 --> 00:18:26,200 time? Why would he need to waste time 338 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,280 in a broken down old city or a broken down church or a weak 339 00:18:29,280 --> 00:18:31,080 church? He already has them. 340 00:18:31,200 --> 00:18:33,760 He wants. He wants to work and to, to stop 341 00:18:33,760 --> 00:18:37,400 somebody like Inglewood. But when God begins to work in 342 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:39,400 your life, when God begins to work in your church, you need to 343 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:40,680 look out. We've got to be on guard. 344 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:42,960 We've got to expect him. And this would be a challenge 345 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,840 for the people who moved into the New Jerusalem. 346 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:51,320 If you lived in the city, you also didn't have land to work in 347 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,960 order to support yourself. So this, this was a even a 348 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,560 practical problem for them. Sacrifice might be required from 349 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:03,000 them to live in that city. Sacrifice might be required for 350 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,120 us to fill the future. But it was a necessary part of 351 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:08,720 God's plan. Some even volunteered and were 352 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:11,840 commended for it. I love it when people volunteer 353 00:19:11,840 --> 00:19:16,520 to do the first hard, unglamorous, and even dangerous 354 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:18,560 work. Sometimes behind the scenes, 355 00:19:18,640 --> 00:19:21,560 sometimes never commended, sometimes never mentioned, 356 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:25,040 Sometimes no one else knows. But God knows and God remembers, 357 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:28,400 and that's what Jesus did for us, wasn't it? 358 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,680 It was the hard work. He stepped up when only He could 359 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,680 do the hard thing. So they needed folks to step up. 360 00:19:34,680 --> 00:19:37,680 They needed folks to step forward, to fill the future, to 361 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,520 step up and to serve. And in our next year together 362 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:46,560 and Year 2, they're going to be new places to be filled and old 363 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,400 ones to support. In fact, Pastor Jordan Rees and 364 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:52,840 his discipleship team are developing right now a new 365 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:55,800 Discover Your Design course and profile, where we're going to 366 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:59,600 help you to understand how God has shaped you, how God has made 367 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:02,920 you, how God has gifted you. And on the end of that, there's 368 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:05,840 actually going to be practical service placement where we're 369 00:20:05,840 --> 00:20:08,240 going to talk to you about jobs that need to be filled in the 370 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,600 church. And we're going to start that 371 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:12,520 very, very soon. We're going to want everybody to 372 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:13,880 go through that before it's over. 373 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:18,080 And so we want you to step up and choose who God wants you to 374 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:19,720 be. Choose his future by living out 375 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,120 these 7 essentials of true discipleship. 376 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:25,520 Believe in the promise fulfilling Lord and His purpose 377 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:28,320 for Inglewood and for the Rocky Mount area. 378 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:30,840 I believe it. I've seen it, I can taste it. 379 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,680 So these priestly and Levitical families came so. 380 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,720 So temple worship could commence in full force, so God could be 381 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,720 magnified. In fact, one of them that's 382 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,720 mentioned is is Uzi, the chief officer of the Levites. 383 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:47,640 He was actually a descendant evasive, who was one of the guys 384 00:20:47,640 --> 00:20:51,760 who wrote at least at least some of the Psalms that you read in 385 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,520 your Bible. In chapter 12, it continues, 386 00:20:54,520 --> 00:21:00,640 look at chapter 12, verse one. These are the priests and the 387 00:21:00,640 --> 00:21:05,920 Levites who came up with Zerubbabel, the son of Shaltil. 388 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:10,040 And so we see those who were were actually part that these 389 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:12,720 folks mentioned here. We're actually part of some of 390 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:15,360 those original older groups that have returned. 391 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,920 Some of them had been there for a long time, almost a century 392 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:21,640 earlier, some of them by this time. 393 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:23,480 And so they've been there for years. 394 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:26,200 And so they're they're old, older people who've been around 395 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,000 a long time, but they needed to be encouraged. 396 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:34,160 They need to be restored to come back and join in the new day and 397 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,600 future. You make a connection. 398 00:21:37,120 --> 00:21:41,320 Anybody making a connection. This is all about us. 399 00:21:42,040 --> 00:21:46,120 It's always been about Inglewood to some degree. 400 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:49,800 We forget nobody. We want to pursue everyone. 401 00:21:49,920 --> 00:21:52,640 These were the people of God with the connection to what He 402 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:55,320 had done for them as a fulfillment of His promise. 403 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,240 Now, some of these were also singers who needed to lead the 404 00:21:58,240 --> 00:22:02,120 day-to-day worship, gatekeepers who needed to come to watch the 405 00:22:02,120 --> 00:22:05,120 gates and keep the people secure from outside enemies. 406 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:07,680 And then the remaining people were going to reside in these 407 00:22:07,680 --> 00:22:09,600 surrounding villages to support them. 408 00:22:09,920 --> 00:22:13,520 But they formed a new people, a new population, a a different 409 00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,240 population than the past, focused and ready to serve in 410 00:22:17,240 --> 00:22:19,920 various roles and to move forward in the future. 411 00:22:20,600 --> 00:22:23,760 They all mattered. They were all important. 412 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:27,360 No one was left behind. I really do hope you're 413 00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,160 connecting with this. Just the other day, I was given 414 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:35,800 a report stating that we have 254 church members over 18 years 415 00:22:35,800 --> 00:22:38,960 of age and may have changed in the last two weeks because of 416 00:22:38,960 --> 00:22:42,000 spring break. The other day I was given a 417 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:45,040 report stating that we have 254 church members over the age of 418 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,760 18 who have not attended a connect group in the past six 419 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:49,080 months. Oh yes, we're checking. 420 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:54,520 We're tracking. I want what percentage do I want 421 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,840 connect groups? That's right. 422 00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,120 And, and, and folks who've who've been here in the past, 423 00:23:01,880 --> 00:23:05,160 maybe folks sitting in here right now this morning, think 424 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:06,480 about this. Here's how I want you to think 425 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:07,800 about this. Don't think about the preacher 426 00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:10,200 whining on you. Don't turn me off and, and don't 427 00:23:10,200 --> 00:23:12,280 think I'm stepping on your foot. Listen, here's one of the 428 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:13,640 funniest things about this weekend. 429 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,400 I broke one of my toes Friday morning right before this whole 430 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,080 thing started. My, my left foot looks like raw 431 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:21,520 hamburger meat right now. It is swollen beyond 432 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:23,200 imagination. Every time I got up during the 433 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:25,800 conference, I was just praying that I wouldn't pass out. 434 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:30,320 So, so I'm not here to just step on your toes. 435 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:32,640 I don't even want to think about that idea right now. 436 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:36,920 But listen to me, think of it this way. 437 00:23:37,040 --> 00:23:38,760 Don't think about me picking on anybody. 438 00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:45,440 How would it strengthen all of us if we had over 250 more 439 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:47,920 adults in our small group ministry? 440 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:50,880 That's how I want us to think about it. 441 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:52,400 Not so we can brag about a number. 442 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,160 I don't care about that. That's not the issue here. 443 00:23:54,360 --> 00:23:57,760 I don't care about a number. But so that we can bring God 444 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:01,320 great glory by seeing even more people studying His Word 445 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,400 together and encouraging and loving one another. 446 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:10,320 Listen, I'll find you a chair. We'll find you a spot and think 447 00:24:10,320 --> 00:24:13,800 about the residual impact that that would have on our worship, 448 00:24:14,240 --> 00:24:17,920 on our student ministry, on our children's ministry and our 449 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:20,200 preschool ministry. It overflows. 450 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:23,640 More praise, more prayers, more discipleship. 451 00:24:23,800 --> 00:24:28,560 New and more people, some of them from the past, but some of 452 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:32,240 them from the future, needed to come to fill the city. 453 00:24:32,960 --> 00:24:38,560 Listen, March 29th, Palm Sunday is what we call an H week in our 454 00:24:38,680 --> 00:24:41,840 Connect Group Reach ministry, where every single Reach member, 455 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:44,360 every single Connect group member is going to work together 456 00:24:44,360 --> 00:24:48,160 to reach these folks as well as prospects for Easter. 457 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:51,720 We're going to have a billion Easter invite cards out for 458 00:24:51,720 --> 00:24:54,040 everybody to take. So you can invite your 459 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:55,560 neighbors, your family, your friends. 460 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:59,600 Let's use Easter as a real kick off to this new, this new phase, 461 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:02,320 this next phase. We want to keep people after 462 00:25:02,320 --> 00:25:03,760 Easter. We don't just need people 463 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:06,960 visiting on Easter. So find them, bring them to 464 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:09,560 study about and worship. Let's fill the city. 465 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:15,880 Look at chapter 12, verse 27. It gets fun and one of the 466 00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:18,320 hardest words in the Old Testament to pronounce coming 467 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:20,680 up. Here we go, verse 27 and that 468 00:25:20,680 --> 00:25:22,520 the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. 469 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:27,280 They sought the Levites in all their places to bring them to 470 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:30,760 Jerusalem, to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with 471 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,600 thanksgivings and with singing with cymbals, harps and liars. 472 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:37,600 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the 473 00:25:37,600 --> 00:25:41,040 districts surrounding Jerusalem and from the the village of the 474 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,600 Neeta. Neetaphethites. 475 00:25:43,640 --> 00:25:49,240 I can't do it. It's actually Neetophathites, 476 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:54,000 also from Beth Gilgal and from the region of Giba and Ozma. 477 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:57,320 Ozma Beth. For the for the singers. 478 00:25:57,320 --> 00:25:58,480 Listen to this last part, though. 479 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,280 For the singers, they built for themselves villages around 480 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:04,600 Jerusalem. So secondly, not only need new 481 00:26:04,600 --> 00:26:07,480 people, we need new purity. We're going to see a dedication 482 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:08,920 experience getting ready to take place. 483 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,960 New purity is required. So the new walls formally 484 00:26:12,120 --> 00:26:14,240 dedicated. Finally, this is a big deal and 485 00:26:14,320 --> 00:26:16,680 they're going to have this grand celebration. 486 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,600 Let's make Easter a grand celebration as we dedicate 487 00:26:20,600 --> 00:26:23,320 everything to him. And so all the Levites and all 488 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,280 the singers living in villages around there were brought to 489 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,120 Jerusalem. I mean, Can you imagine an 490 00:26:28,120 --> 00:26:30,080 entire village made-up of singers? 491 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:36,000 And that's where I want to live. You talk about a praise team in 492 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:39,760 choir practice. I mean, they were to play and 493 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:44,440 sing with gladness. I mean, seriously, aren't you 494 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:47,240 thankful? Aren't you glad for the many 495 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:52,080 people who play and sing up here with gladness, using their gifts 496 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,600 and talents to lead us in thankful worship? 497 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:59,360 Aren't you appreciative of them? Look at verse 30. 498 00:27:00,760 --> 00:27:03,640 Look at verse 30 and the priests and the Levites purified 499 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:08,000 themselves and they purified the people and the gates and the 500 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,000 wall. Now that's an easy verse to 501 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,240 read, but let me tell you what that meant. 502 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,480 So the priests and the Levites needed to be right with God. 503 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,160 Leaders always do. That has never changed. 504 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,280 We must walk closely with God and abide in Him to know how to 505 00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:26,960 shepherd and how to lead. Well, if we are not doing that, 506 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,480 you need to call us on that and, and stop us. 507 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:32,960 And so if we don't do that, we're going to fail. 508 00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:36,440 And we should, we should fail. We should completely fail. 509 00:27:36,440 --> 00:27:38,760 We should fall on our faces if we're not walking with God. 510 00:27:39,920 --> 00:27:42,320 But it was not simply the leaders who were required to be 511 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:45,400 pure and holy. The people needed to walk with 512 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:50,080 God in discipleship. So the walls and gates, the the 513 00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:54,360 defining parameters and entry points also need to be pure and 514 00:27:54,360 --> 00:27:56,560 holy. If you notice, they dedicate not 515 00:27:56,560 --> 00:27:59,360 just the people, they're dedicating gates and walls. 516 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:03,120 So those parameters, those definitions need to be holy, 517 00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,400 They need to be biblical. The entry points need to be holy 518 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:08,840 and biblical. So they entered into a new state 519 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:10,120 of ritual purity. They hadn't. 520 00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,840 They hadn't been experienced in years because of the exile. 521 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:17,000 This is a big deal. And so no matter what the past, 522 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:21,280 no matter, no matter what your past might contain, whatever 523 00:28:21,320 --> 00:28:25,600 your past prevented, even maybe today's a new day. 524 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:27,680 This is a new day, this is a new opportunity. 525 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,800 You're not too dirty, you're not too sinful, You're not too far 526 00:28:30,800 --> 00:28:33,080 away. Never think that that God 527 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:35,760 doesn't want you. None of us deserve his grace. 528 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:42,040 So you come and join us sinners and help us to build a church. 529 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,080 We all depend upon his cleansing. 530 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,680 And but you got to understand now here's the here's the real 531 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,400 part. Part of that purification 532 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:52,840 ceremony was the sprinkling of sacrificial blood. 533 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:58,520 And so blood always represented purification and salvation. 534 00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:02,880 They literally would sprinkle blood on the people and on the 535 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:06,240 walls and on the gates, if you can imagine such a thing, 536 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:08,720 because that's what blood represents. 537 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:11,960 And so as you, your two begins here, we need to commit to a new 538 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:17,120 purity, a new obedience by the blood of Jesus Christ. 539 00:29:18,280 --> 00:29:20,400 Those here who've trusted in Christ have been covered. 540 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:23,680 We've been purified, we've been saved, we've been called 541 00:29:23,680 --> 00:29:27,720 righteous by the shedding of his blood to the point that we're 542 00:29:27,720 --> 00:29:29,800 going to learn a whole lot more about this in our study of 543 00:29:29,800 --> 00:29:32,640 Romans. But Romans 322 says the 544 00:29:32,640 --> 00:29:37,240 righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all 545 00:29:37,240 --> 00:29:40,520 who believe, for there is no distinction, for all have 546 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:42,480 sinned. That means me, that means you 547 00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:46,840 and fall short of the glory of God and are justified by His 548 00:29:46,840 --> 00:29:50,400 grace as a gift through the redemption that is in Christ 549 00:29:50,400 --> 00:29:55,400 Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood to be 550 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,120 received by faith. This was to show God's 551 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:01,400 righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed 552 00:30:01,400 --> 00:30:05,040 over former sins. All have sinned, all have fallen 553 00:30:05,040 --> 00:30:08,560 short, all can be justified by His grace. 554 00:30:08,560 --> 00:30:12,120 So only through the blood of Christ are we redeemed, are we 555 00:30:12,120 --> 00:30:15,760 purchased our sin, penalties paid for it. 556 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:19,080 Our sin is appease. That's what the idea of 557 00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:22,040 propitiation means. It means that that that God's 558 00:30:22,040 --> 00:30:24,800 wrath about sin has been satisfied. 559 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:28,320 Our former sins are passed over. I don't care how many they are. 560 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:31,320 I don't care what they are. They can be passed over just 561 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:36,800 like the Passover in in Exodus, you're not too far away. 562 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:38,240 I was talking to somebody the other day. 563 00:30:38,240 --> 00:30:43,480 You didn't feel like they were worthy of God and and it doesn't 564 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:46,720 matter where you are. It matters where he is and what 565 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:49,560 he's ready to do. So he had to, he had to 566 00:30:49,560 --> 00:30:53,320 perfectly pay for the sin. He's the only one who could your 567 00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:58,880 sin, my sin, past sin, future sin, paid for by that blood 568 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:01,240 because we've been covered by it. 569 00:31:02,080 --> 00:31:05,200 So the Father then sees this blood offering of the Son 570 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:09,400 covering and not our sin anymore, making it possible for 571 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:12,280 us to have that relationship and eternal life with Him. 572 00:31:12,280 --> 00:31:14,200 In fact, Paul writes about it in Ephesians 2. 573 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:18,640 He says, but now in Christ Jesus, you who are once far off 574 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:22,240 have been brought near by the blood of Christ, and only Christ 575 00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:26,160 can bring you near. No, no one else can do that. 576 00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,720 Nothing else can do that. You were once far off, Jesus can 577 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,240 bring you near again. So the priests are going around 578 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:34,560 sprinkling. You got to think about it. 579 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:39,920 They're going around the whole city, sprinkling blood on that 580 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:45,840 city to symbolize the cleansing, to symbolize the covering of 581 00:31:45,840 --> 00:31:51,160 God's holiness and forgiveness. So we need to be covered in a 582 00:31:51,160 --> 00:31:56,520 new purity by trusting in Christ who sacrificed for us to give us 583 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:59,000 that opportunity. And with this new purity, a new 584 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:02,800 commitment, a new appreciation and understanding of the Word 585 00:32:03,200 --> 00:32:08,840 and the will of God for us and this church and the city, and a 586 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:13,000 new obedience. With all that, the celebration 587 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:15,600 began. Look at verse 31. 588 00:32:16,600 --> 00:32:21,880 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up into the wall, up onto 589 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:23,920 the wall, and I noticed they're going up on the wall now and 590 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:27,840 appointed 2 great choirs that gave thanks. 591 00:32:28,160 --> 00:32:30,680 One went to the South on the wall to the Dung Gate. 592 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:35,320 Look at verse 36, the second part of it with the musical 593 00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,120 instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe went 594 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:40,600 before them. So one of them goes heading 595 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:42,400 around one way and Ezra's helping them. 596 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,160 Verse 38, the other choir of those who gave thanks went to 597 00:32:46,160 --> 00:32:49,240 the north, and I followed them with half of the people on the 598 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:52,640 wall above the tower of the ovens to the broad wall. 599 00:32:52,800 --> 00:32:55,520 So not only do we need new people, we need new purity. 600 00:32:55,520 --> 00:33:00,320 We also need new praise. Don't, don't take this for 601 00:33:00,320 --> 00:33:03,680 granted. Don't forget what God is doing 602 00:33:03,680 --> 00:33:06,400 and what he's done. It was time to celebrate what he 603 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:07,920 had done. And so Nehemiah creates these 604 00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:11,040 two great choirs. One goes one way in a counter 605 00:33:11,040 --> 00:33:13,760 clock direction. The other one with Nehemiah goes 606 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,560 in a clockwise direction, walking along the top of the 607 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:19,600 wall around the whole city. And they praise walked. 608 00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:24,200 They praise walked the entire circumference of the city, 609 00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:26,680 surrounding the city and worship. 610 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:31,440 Now remember back in chapter 4, one of the enemies named Tobiah 611 00:33:31,440 --> 00:33:34,640 made fun of them when they were building the wall and he said to 612 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,960 them that a small fox could even break down that wall. 613 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,280 Well, now we've got parades going around both sides. 614 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:44,360 I mean, God, God will. God does not heed the taunts of 615 00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:47,040 man. God supersedes that. 616 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,400 Fear him more than the people around you. 617 00:33:49,520 --> 00:33:53,360 Fear him more than the enemy. Fear him enough to praise him 618 00:33:53,520 --> 00:33:55,480 and to give him the glory and the honor. 619 00:33:55,560 --> 00:33:58,880 And they circled the city with Thanksgiving, with recognition 620 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:03,120 of God and what God had done. We need to be careful. 621 00:34:03,120 --> 00:34:06,800 We can't take it for granted. When we sing, we need to sing. 622 00:34:08,239 --> 00:34:10,639 When we when we're supposed to worship, we better worship. 623 00:34:10,639 --> 00:34:16,280 When we when we praise, we better praise because we can 624 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:20,360 take coming here and singing a song for granted. 625 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:23,600 They circled that they dedicated their city. 626 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:26,760 They dedicated their lives to him and we have to do the same 627 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:28,600 thing. We need to claim our city. 628 00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:30,120 We need to claim our neighborhoods. 629 00:34:30,199 --> 00:34:32,080 We need to claim our our schools. 630 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,920 We need to claim our businesses. We need to claim our families 631 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:37,800 and our friends for Jesus Christ. 632 00:34:39,120 --> 00:34:43,000 Look at verse 40. So both choirs of those who gave 633 00:34:43,000 --> 00:34:46,239 thanks stood in the House of God, and I and half of the 634 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:48,800 officials with me. Now go to verse 43. 635 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:51,560 And they offered great sacrifices that day and 636 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:55,719 rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. 637 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:58,160 The women and children also rejoiced. 638 00:34:58,160 --> 00:34:59,720 You think you're supposed to rejoice? 639 00:35:00,600 --> 00:35:04,800 And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away. 640 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,400 So they ended their parade of praise. 641 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:10,440 They all gather back together in a coordinated end zone at the 642 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:12,520 temple. They all in this coordinated 643 00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,720 ceremony and they're joined by the rest of the people. 644 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:19,240 Everybody came. They celebrated with great joy 645 00:35:19,240 --> 00:35:22,280 and they worshipped God. There was no denying their 646 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:26,000 spirit of Thanksgiving. The entire family joined in. 647 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:28,800 Everyone joined in. What percentage is that? 648 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:34,200 And the noise from the celebration? 649 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:42,080 The noise from the celebration could be heard far outside the 650 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:45,480 city for some distance. That must have terrified their 651 00:35:45,480 --> 00:35:51,480 enemies. I pray our enemy hears the 652 00:35:51,480 --> 00:35:57,280 praises of Englewood and we strike terror into his, into his 653 00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:01,080 evil heart as lives are restored. 654 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:05,800 I pray our city hears of the power and wondrous deeds of our 655 00:36:05,800 --> 00:36:10,040 awesome God that He's doing here, not for any glory for us 656 00:36:10,040 --> 00:36:14,360 at all, but for His glory, that they might fear Him, that they 657 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:19,000 might love him, that they might come to be covered by His Son's 658 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:23,720 blood. Rejoice, Inglewood, over the 659 00:36:23,720 --> 00:36:26,640 promise fulfilling God that we serve. 660 00:36:27,120 --> 00:36:32,320 He's chosen you and He's just getting started here. 661 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:36,360 We're just now at the beginning line. 662 00:36:37,160 --> 00:36:41,560 We're just now getting ready to start what I believe He has for 663 00:36:41,560 --> 00:36:45,240 us. So that means that we all need 664 00:36:45,240 --> 00:36:47,120 to be in this together. Look at verse 44. 665 00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,520 On that day men were appointed over the store rooms, the 666 00:36:50,520 --> 00:36:54,120 contributions, the first fruits, and the ties to gather into them 667 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:56,760 the portions required by the law for the priests and for the 668 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:59,280 Levites, according to the fields of the towns. 669 00:36:59,440 --> 00:37:02,600 For Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who 670 00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:05,600 ministered, and they performed the service of their God and the 671 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:08,600 service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, 672 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:11,640 according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 673 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:16,440 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were 674 00:37:16,600 --> 00:37:19,560 directors of the singers, and there were songs of praise and 675 00:37:19,560 --> 00:37:23,400 Thanksgiving to God. And all Israel, in the days of 676 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:26,800 Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the daily 677 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:30,440 portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, and they set apart 678 00:37:30,440 --> 00:37:33,800 that which was for the Levites, and the Levites set apart that 679 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:39,880 which was for the sons of Aaron. We need new people, got to have 680 00:37:39,880 --> 00:37:42,720 new purity. We need new praise. 681 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:47,400 We also need new provision. Listen, new provisions required. 682 00:37:47,400 --> 00:37:50,400 The celebration hits its climactic point with this, with 683 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:54,440 the official commissioning of those who are going to oversee 684 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:57,080 the temple worship. It's time to crank this up 685 00:37:57,080 --> 00:38:00,240 again, time to get it going. They put into action the 686 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,320 previous commitments. You got to remember earlier in 687 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,760 the book, they made commitments to provide for this, to give 688 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:10,280 ties and offerings and they, they, they're now putting that 689 00:38:10,280 --> 00:38:12,560 into action. It's time to, to call your 690 00:38:12,560 --> 00:38:14,760 pledge. It's time to bring those 691 00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,840 commitments forward. And so all Israel gave the 692 00:38:17,840 --> 00:38:21,440 portions, they all provided for the work, They all, they all had 693 00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:24,280 something they could contribute to the new future God had for 694 00:38:24,280 --> 00:38:27,280 them. It was 100% participation in 695 00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:29,760 stewardship. I pray all this sounds familiar. 696 00:38:31,560 --> 00:38:35,920 What will you provide for the future? 697 00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:41,160 This isn't just about money, it's about giftedness, it's 698 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:45,840 about time, it's about service, it's about your 100% 699 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,360 participation. It's also about your finances. 700 00:38:48,360 --> 00:38:50,000 In a moment, we'll pass the offering place. 701 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,560 If you're a guest here, you put nothing in there other than that 702 00:38:52,560 --> 00:38:55,400 Next steps card. We just love to pray for you and 703 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:58,760 get to know you. For us, it's time. 704 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,120 And perhaps this morning, perhaps this morning, you need 705 00:39:02,120 --> 00:39:04,880 to receive His provision for you first. 706 00:39:05,600 --> 00:39:06,800 Maybe that's what needs to happen. 707 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:09,600 That's the transaction that needs to happen before you're 708 00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:11,520 providing provision for His service. 709 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:14,880 You need to provide hit or you need to receive His provision 710 00:39:14,880 --> 00:39:18,680 for you in grace and salvation. Maybe that's what you need. 711 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:22,840 Maybe you need forgiveness. Maybe you need restoration. 712 00:39:22,840 --> 00:39:24,720 Maybe you need grace. Maybe you need peace. 713 00:39:24,720 --> 00:39:27,400 Maybe you need hope. Maybe you need purpose. 714 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,840 I love these baptismal testimonies because they talk 715 00:39:31,840 --> 00:39:37,120 about those kinds of things. I pray that sounds great to you. 716 00:39:37,120 --> 00:39:39,160 I pray that that's something you even want. 717 00:39:39,160 --> 00:39:41,920 Listen. Listen for him in your heart 718 00:39:41,920 --> 00:39:44,040 right now. Listen to what he might want 719 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,440 from you, but also what He wants for you. 720 00:39:48,120 --> 00:39:54,240 Listen, I've been so blessed over the years to personally be 721 00:39:54,240 --> 00:39:58,000 part of multiple church plants around the world. 722 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:01,160 And we actually acknowledged and recognized our church planters 723 00:40:01,160 --> 00:40:04,120 in the men's conference here yesterday. 724 00:40:05,360 --> 00:40:07,840 And to work with thousands of other church planters and 725 00:40:07,840 --> 00:40:10,720 leaders who are planting churches globally. 726 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:14,040 And, and, and one of the most exciting moments of church 727 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:18,480 planting is when the church or when the church plant is 728 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:21,480 dedicated as a new church. It's a new church now. 729 00:40:21,480 --> 00:40:26,440 It's a, a real church. I I remember stories. 730 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:30,560 Stories like booming mariachi bands and all you can eat 731 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:33,840 homemade tamales in Oklahoma with the dedication of a brand 732 00:40:33,840 --> 00:40:35,600 new Spanish speaking congregation. 733 00:40:35,840 --> 00:40:39,920 What a party. Huge portions of elk, mule deer 734 00:40:40,120 --> 00:40:44,800 and javelina singing and praying in the Mormon and New Age 735 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:47,680 dominated mountain towns of Northern Arizona. 736 00:40:48,760 --> 00:40:52,440 Mounds of beautiful, fragrant, fragrant flowers and our shoes 737 00:40:52,440 --> 00:40:54,880 piled out by the door. You could always find mine 738 00:40:54,880 --> 00:40:56,960 because they're four times bigger than anybody else's. 739 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:02,280 With hours, hours of prayer, hours of worship as the first 740 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:06,000 church opened in a Hindu dominated village in rural 741 00:41:06,000 --> 00:41:11,000 India. Broiled fish, roasted pig on a 742 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:15,440 beach as Pelee Baptist Church in a small fishing village on an 743 00:41:15,440 --> 00:41:19,240 island with no missionary presence at all and the cheers 744 00:41:19,400 --> 00:41:23,480 of of leaders and students. When we turned an army barracks 745 00:41:23,480 --> 00:41:27,320 in Manila into a meeting place for the church at Fort Andras 746 00:41:27,320 --> 00:41:32,440 Bonifacio in Manila. Songs and dances of joy as 747 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:36,200 people arrived after walking for miles, walking for miles, 748 00:41:36,200 --> 00:41:39,760 walking for miles because they couldn't wait to get to worship 749 00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:43,880 along with dirt, red, red dirt roads to attend the very first 750 00:41:43,880 --> 00:41:47,040 church in their region in the Tea and Coffee Mountains of 751 00:41:47,040 --> 00:41:51,360 Thika, Kenya. A soccer clinic and a friendly 752 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:57,560 match to gather people to share the gospel in Spanish in Roanoke 753 00:41:57,560 --> 00:41:59,520 Rapids in just a couple of weeks. 754 00:41:59,520 --> 00:42:03,960 And we need some of you to help. Or, or the renovation of an old 755 00:42:03,960 --> 00:42:09,880 mall in a little town called Tarboro where a congregation is 756 00:42:09,880 --> 00:42:12,400 meeting right now and preaching the gospel. 757 00:42:14,600 --> 00:42:17,200 Where's next? Who's next? 758 00:42:18,240 --> 00:42:22,040 What will happen next? The joy and understanding and 759 00:42:22,040 --> 00:42:26,640 valuing just how precious, how special, how wonderful this 760 00:42:26,640 --> 00:42:31,600 thing we call church can be to be part of God's people and the 761 00:42:31,600 --> 00:42:35,280 privilege of that. To remember why you exist, who 762 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:39,200 you are, who you're supposed to become, and the and how and, 763 00:42:39,320 --> 00:42:42,600 and, and what you need to do to do that and the impact that 764 00:42:42,600 --> 00:42:46,600 you're to have on a city. I just pray this vision brings 765 00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:51,920 you gladness and joy that you want to be a part of it. 766 00:42:52,080 --> 00:42:56,320 I pray we can circle this city and this world around us so they 767 00:42:56,320 --> 00:43:00,120 can hear. I pray we praise Him and that we 768 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:05,160 provide all we are to Him so that those around us can hear 769 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:10,000 and can know the testimony of a great God who's using his 770 00:43:10,000 --> 00:43:12,720 people. He, he deserves it. 771 00:43:14,520 --> 00:43:18,080 We owe it to him and we desperately need him. 772 00:43:19,640 --> 00:43:26,280 I pray we'll be that people. Father, thank you, Lord, that 773 00:43:26,280 --> 00:43:30,360 you, you want to use this. Thank you, Father, that your 774 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:33,200 hand is still upon us and you're still working and blessing. 775 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:39,560 And Father, sometimes, sometimes I fear, Lord, that if we don't, 776 00:43:40,440 --> 00:43:44,800 if we don't fully turn to you, if we don't fully submit to you, 777 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:46,200 Lord, that you'll remove your hand. 778 00:43:47,720 --> 00:43:50,960 The Father, thank you for still being with us and using US. 779 00:43:52,200 --> 00:43:56,320 Father, I pray, Lord, right now for those here who need to 780 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:00,360 receive your provision, Father, they need your provision of 781 00:44:00,360 --> 00:44:03,440 forgiveness. They need your provision of 782 00:44:03,440 --> 00:44:06,600 clarity. They need your forgiveness, 783 00:44:06,600 --> 00:44:10,120 Father, to recognize what's really going on in their lives 784 00:44:10,480 --> 00:44:14,280 and that, Father, they need to be saved. 785 00:44:15,720 --> 00:44:20,120 They need to be restored. For some, Father, maybe they 786 00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:23,280 were saved years ago, but they recognize their discipleship 787 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:25,120 walk is not all that it ought to be. 788 00:44:26,480 --> 00:44:29,280 And Father, I pray, Lord, that this will be a time of renewal, 789 00:44:29,720 --> 00:44:34,000 just like for the people of Israel, a time of restoration, a 790 00:44:34,000 --> 00:44:37,960 time to come back, Father, for others, this may be brand new 791 00:44:37,960 --> 00:44:39,760 and they've never trusted in you. 792 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:43,240 Lord, I pray right now that if they've never trusted in Jesus 793 00:44:43,240 --> 00:44:46,720 Christ as their Lord and Savior, they'll recognize that they too 794 00:44:46,720 --> 00:44:49,240 are a Sinner just like we all are, just like we read. 795 00:44:51,040 --> 00:44:54,000 And Father, I pray that you'll work through your Holy Spirit to 796 00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:56,280 convict them. So they would be sorry for their 797 00:44:56,280 --> 00:44:57,920 sin. They'd want to turn from their 798 00:44:57,920 --> 00:45:00,800 sin. They'd want to trust in Jesus as 799 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:05,160 their Savior, trust in Jesus as their Lord, and serve him in the 800 00:45:05,160 --> 00:45:08,840 church and give their life to him. 801 00:45:10,880 --> 00:45:14,120 Others, Father recognized that they need to circle their 802 00:45:14,120 --> 00:45:16,080 families, circle their businesses, circle their 803 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:17,920 friends. They, they know people who don't 804 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:19,280 know you. They know people who have 805 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:23,000 strayed or wondered, wandered away, or have never known your 806 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:24,160 Father. They need to pray for them. 807 00:45:25,440 --> 00:45:28,200 I pray, Father, with the incredible celebration of the 808 00:45:28,200 --> 00:45:32,240 resurrection coming our way in just a few weeks, that Father 809 00:45:32,240 --> 00:45:36,840 will prepare ourselves to circle the city and that Lord, you'll 810 00:45:36,840 --> 00:45:40,560 fill the city. You'll bring people here so that 811 00:45:40,560 --> 00:45:42,600 they can learn about You and grow. 812 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:46,120 So, Father, as we sing in just a moment, I just pray that we'll 813 00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:49,280 surrender, that we'll submit. Some need to come and pray at 814 00:45:49,280 --> 00:45:51,000 these steps and just pray before you. 815 00:45:51,000 --> 00:45:52,600 Others might want to talk to a pastor. 816 00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:55,760 Many ought to go to the Next steps room and have a private 817 00:45:55,760 --> 00:45:59,600 prayer time and counsel time with somebody who would love to 818 00:45:59,600 --> 00:46:01,120 just share with them for a few minutes. 819 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:05,840 So whatever we need to do, Lord, to help us to surrender, you 820 00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:09,480 provide for us, Lord, so that we can give back to you. 821 00:46:10,320 --> 00:46:12,880 And Father, there's our offering plate surpassed that Lord, we 822 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:15,800 will recognize that this is often seen as a financial 823 00:46:15,800 --> 00:46:17,480 moment. But I pray, Father, it's seen as 824 00:46:17,480 --> 00:46:19,720 a whole lot more than that. I pray it's an act of worship 825 00:46:19,720 --> 00:46:22,480 where we recognize that that Father, this isn't just about 826 00:46:22,480 --> 00:46:25,000 whether I put money in a plate. It's about whether I give my 827 00:46:25,000 --> 00:46:28,560 life in service and discipleship. 828 00:46:29,000 --> 00:46:34,280 Follow ship to you. So, Father, I pray that this 829 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:39,400 will be a time that Lord you lead us to you now in Christ's 830 00:46:39,400 --> 00:46:42,040 name, Amen. Will you stand with me? 831 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:43,720 Our worship team is going to help us. 832 00:46:43,720 --> 00:46:47,160 Our pastors will be here. The next Steps room is open. 833 00:46:47,640 --> 00:46:49,840 We'd love to have you go and share their people right in 834 00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:50,880 there. You don't need to come up here 835 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:52,560 at all. You don't need to have to talk 836 00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:54,000 to any of us. You can go straight over there 837 00:46:55,000 --> 00:46:59,000 or you can come pray. Pray with us that you respond as 838 00:46:59,000 --> 00:47:06,840 long as God leads you. Thank you so much for listening 839 00:47:06,840 --> 00:47:09,360 today and I also hope that you'll go to our website at 840 00:47:09,360 --> 00:47:12,520 englewoodbaptist com as well as our app and find many other 841 00:47:12,520 --> 00:47:14,720 resources that will bless you and your families. 842 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:15,920 Thank you once again.