WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:07.160 Praise the Lord. Hallelujah. I got a new smart 00:00:07.160 --> 00:00:18.420 watch. And I got one for my wife. And I like 00:00:18.420 --> 00:00:24.339 it during worship because every time I hit the 00:00:24.339 --> 00:00:28.960 keyboard or clap my hands, it counts as another 00:00:28.960 --> 00:00:36.259 step. So Cammie and I can challenge each other 00:00:36.259 --> 00:00:40.039 on how many steps we take. And all I got to do 00:00:40.039 --> 00:00:43.520 is play a couple songs on the keyboard and I 00:00:43.520 --> 00:00:50.820 win. Praise God. Everything's a competition. 00:00:50.939 --> 00:00:56.679 You know that, don't you? But I want to, I just 00:00:56.679 --> 00:00:59.359 have this in my heart this morning. There are 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:04.359 no shortcuts. That's a shortcut, isn't it? There 00:01:04.359 --> 00:01:09.879 are no shortcuts in the kingdom of God. There 00:01:09.879 --> 00:01:14.180 are no shortcuts to growing in Christ. There 00:01:14.180 --> 00:01:18.359 are no shortcuts to getting closer to God. And 00:01:18.359 --> 00:01:21.480 if you expect it to be different for you than 00:01:21.480 --> 00:01:24.159 it is for everybody else, it isn't going to work 00:01:24.159 --> 00:01:27.239 that way. We've got to give ourselves to the 00:01:27.239 --> 00:01:30.620 things of God, right? We've got to do what God's 00:01:30.620 --> 00:01:33.799 called us to do. We're not saved because of those 00:01:33.799 --> 00:01:36.980 things, but we grow because of those things. 00:01:37.040 --> 00:01:41.079 We give ourselves to God, and he helps us to 00:01:41.079 --> 00:01:43.480 move forward in Christ. How many of you want 00:01:43.480 --> 00:01:46.980 to move forward in Christ? Amen. Now, I'm believing 00:01:46.980 --> 00:01:51.640 this morning that... the altars are going to 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:55.019 be filled when I'm done preaching, that the altars 00:01:55.019 --> 00:01:58.739 are going to be filled with people that are rededicating 00:01:58.739 --> 00:02:03.060 their lives to Christ. Are you ready to rededicate 00:02:03.060 --> 00:02:07.760 your life to Christ this morning? Amen. Praise 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:12.939 God. Turn with me to Nehemiah chapter 13. Nehemiah 00:02:12.939 --> 00:02:17.319 chapter 13. And we're going to spend some time. 00:02:17.879 --> 00:02:20.580 in Nehemiah chapter 13. Today's an incredibly 00:02:20.580 --> 00:02:24.240 special day. Today is a day that America has 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:28.860 chosen to rededicate this nation back to God. 00:02:29.259 --> 00:02:35.099 Hallelujah. Hallelujah. This is a, I believe, 00:02:35.240 --> 00:02:41.280 across our country, a solemn day. We are rededicating 00:02:41.280 --> 00:02:46.629 our life not to a God, not to just a God, whichever 00:02:46.629 --> 00:02:51.610 God you choose. No, today we are rededicating 00:02:51.610 --> 00:02:55.409 America back to the God of the Bible. We are 00:02:55.409 --> 00:02:59.069 rededicating America back to Jesus. Hallelujah. 00:02:59.689 --> 00:03:03.810 And across this nation, at courthouses and counties 00:03:03.810 --> 00:03:08.509 all over, people are gathering for prayer. I 00:03:08.509 --> 00:03:12.169 know that the time three o 'clock has been mentioned. 00:03:12.229 --> 00:03:14.150 If you want to make your way to the courthouse 00:03:14.150 --> 00:03:17.009 at three o 'clock, I will be traveling at that 00:03:17.009 --> 00:03:19.469 time. But I would love for as many of you as 00:03:19.469 --> 00:03:22.669 possible on the courthouse grounds to gather 00:03:22.669 --> 00:03:25.990 and say, Lord, we dedicate this nation back to 00:03:25.990 --> 00:03:29.860 you. Amen. Praise God. And so, Lord, as this 00:03:29.860 --> 00:03:33.699 nation dedicates itself back to you, I pray that 00:03:33.699 --> 00:03:36.460 you would hear the cry of your people, that you 00:03:36.460 --> 00:03:39.000 would hear the heartbeat of the United States 00:03:39.000 --> 00:03:43.099 of America, that, Lord, of all of our shortcomings 00:03:43.099 --> 00:03:48.439 and failures, we turn back to you. In its 250th 00:03:48.439 --> 00:03:52.710 birthday, Lord, we turn back to you. And we acknowledge 00:03:52.710 --> 00:03:56.189 you as the sovereign over the United States of 00:03:56.189 --> 00:04:00.590 America. And all God's people said, Amen. Amen. 00:04:00.949 --> 00:04:05.909 Now throughout the history of Israel, there have 00:04:05.909 --> 00:04:11.469 been great reformers in the Old Testament. Thinking 00:04:11.469 --> 00:04:17.389 of Moses. Thinking of David. Thinking later of 00:04:17.389 --> 00:04:21.970 King Josiah, King Hezekiah. All the judges that 00:04:21.970 --> 00:04:26.269 God raised up to bring the nation back to God. 00:04:26.310 --> 00:04:30.009 Aren't you thankful for the voices that turn 00:04:30.009 --> 00:04:36.189 the nation back to God? And Nehemiah is one such 00:04:36.189 --> 00:04:43.089 person that God used to rebuild the walls around 00:04:43.089 --> 00:04:49.000 Jerusalem and bring the nation back to God. Before 00:04:49.000 --> 00:04:53.180 we read this passage, let me give you just a 00:04:53.180 --> 00:04:55.519 little history on Nehemiah. He was not a king. 00:04:55.600 --> 00:04:59.620 He was not a priest. Nehemiah was a cupbearer 00:04:59.620 --> 00:05:05.660 to a secular king, King Artaxerxes. He was a 00:05:05.660 --> 00:05:11.060 cupbearer. He was the one that tasted the food 00:05:11.060 --> 00:05:17.800 and drank the wine before the king to test it. 00:05:18.350 --> 00:05:23.810 To make sure it wasn't poisoned. Because the 00:05:23.810 --> 00:05:28.250 king has enemies. And not anybody, not just anybody 00:05:28.250 --> 00:05:31.949 can work in the cook of the president in the 00:05:31.949 --> 00:05:37.029 kitchen. Not anybody can do that. And the cup 00:05:37.029 --> 00:05:42.829 bearer was the one that protected the king. Would 00:05:42.829 --> 00:05:45.490 take that cup in his hand and before the king 00:05:45.490 --> 00:05:49.579 drank it, would drink it himself. So that if 00:05:49.579 --> 00:05:53.319 there was any poison in it, the king would know. 00:05:54.060 --> 00:05:57.439 Can I tell you? It's very much like the cross. 00:05:58.500 --> 00:06:02.459 It's very much like the cross of Calvary. Jesus 00:06:02.459 --> 00:06:07.639 drank the cup on our behalf so that the wrath 00:06:07.639 --> 00:06:11.660 of God would not touch you and I. So that the 00:06:11.660 --> 00:06:16.079 poison of sin would be removed. so that you and 00:06:16.079 --> 00:06:19.220 I would be protected. Nehemiah was a cupbearer. 00:06:20.079 --> 00:06:26.500 But his position in Israel was to bring the people 00:06:26.500 --> 00:06:29.019 back to God. So as you read the book of Nehemiah, 00:06:29.019 --> 00:06:31.860 he rebuilds the wall of Jerusalem, and it's an 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:35.339 incredible story. But he comes back at the end, 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:41.459 and in chapter 13, Nehemiah brings reformation 00:06:41.459 --> 00:06:46.430 to the people on another level. And we'll see 00:06:46.430 --> 00:06:49.170 how much of this we get to in the next 20 minutes 00:06:49.170 --> 00:06:52.649 or so. On that day they read from the book of 00:06:52.649 --> 00:06:55.209 Moses in the hearing of the people, and it was 00:06:55.209 --> 00:06:58.430 found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should 00:06:58.430 --> 00:07:02.009 ever come into the assembly of God, because they 00:07:02.009 --> 00:07:04.889 had not met the children of Israel with bread 00:07:04.889 --> 00:07:08.290 and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse 00:07:08.290 --> 00:07:11.709 them. However, our God turned the curse into 00:07:11.709 --> 00:07:14.790 a blessing. So it was when they heard the law 00:07:14.790 --> 00:07:18.889 that they separated all the mixed multitude of 00:07:18.889 --> 00:07:21.629 Israel. Now this chapter is going to sound harsh. 00:07:21.769 --> 00:07:24.689 It's Old Testament. It's not the testament of 00:07:24.689 --> 00:07:28.949 grace, but it is a testament that God called 00:07:28.949 --> 00:07:36.629 his people to obey. And so, verse 4. Now before 00:07:36.629 --> 00:07:41.189 this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over 00:07:41.189 --> 00:07:45.089 the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied 00:07:45.089 --> 00:07:50.910 with Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large 00:07:50.910 --> 00:07:55.339 room. where previously they had stored the grain 00:07:55.339 --> 00:07:59.120 offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:02.920 tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which 00:08:02.920 --> 00:08:05.519 were commanded to be given to the Levites and 00:08:05.519 --> 00:08:07.939 singers and gatekeepers and the offerings for 00:08:07.939 --> 00:08:11.550 the priests. But during all this, I was not in 00:08:11.550 --> 00:08:14.410 Jerusalem, for in the thirty -second year of 00:08:14.410 --> 00:08:17.250 Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I had returned to 00:08:17.250 --> 00:08:20.389 the king, and after certain days I obtained leave 00:08:20.389 --> 00:08:24.009 from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered 00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:29.209 the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in 00:08:29.209 --> 00:08:32.509 preparing a room for him in the courts of the 00:08:32.509 --> 00:08:36.110 house of our God, and it grieved me bitterly. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:39.659 Therefore, I threw all the household goods of 00:08:39.659 --> 00:08:43.179 Tobiah out of the room. I commanded them to cleanse 00:08:43.179 --> 00:08:46.700 the rooms and I brought back into them the articles 00:08:46.700 --> 00:08:50.379 of the house of God with the grain offering and 00:08:50.379 --> 00:08:55.860 the frankincense. This Nehemiah, he's got some 00:08:55.860 --> 00:09:00.240 fortitude, doesn't he? He's got some grit. I'm 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:04.360 believing God in 2026 for some people with some 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:08.259 spiritual grit inside of them that will walk 00:09:08.259 --> 00:09:11.399 with God. Now you need to understand something 00:09:11.399 --> 00:09:14.720 about Eliashib. He was the high priest. He was 00:09:14.720 --> 00:09:17.379 the one that was supposed to be leading the way 00:09:17.379 --> 00:09:20.320 in the things of the law, in the things that 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:23.639 God had commanded them to do. But here he had... 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:27.720 cleaned out a room that was designated by God 00:09:27.720 --> 00:09:32.059 for the offerings of God's people. And he had 00:09:32.059 --> 00:09:34.500 cleared out this room and said, hey, Tobiah, 00:09:34.740 --> 00:09:40.519 you can live here. Whenever you're in town, here's 00:09:40.519 --> 00:09:45.279 a room for you. Now you need to understand some 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:50.460 things about Tobiah. Because Tobiah was not just 00:09:50.460 --> 00:09:53.259 any other person. If you flip back in your Bible 00:09:53.259 --> 00:09:57.460 or you scroll back on your phone to Nehemiah 00:09:57.460 --> 00:10:02.899 2 and verse 10, you are introduced to the character 00:10:02.899 --> 00:10:09.139 of Tobiah. And it says in verse 10, when Sanballat 00:10:09.139 --> 00:10:14.059 the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official, 00:10:14.340 --> 00:10:18.019 when they heard of what... they were doing rebuilding 00:10:18.019 --> 00:10:21.940 the wall, they were deeply disturbed that a man 00:10:21.940 --> 00:10:25.419 had come to seek the well -being of the children 00:10:25.419 --> 00:10:31.399 of Israel. This Tobiah was not only an Ammonite, 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:35.620 he was a leader of the Ammonites. He was joined 00:10:35.620 --> 00:10:39.759 together with Sanballat, who spent the next two 00:10:39.759 --> 00:10:43.539 or three chapters taunting the Israelites, telling 00:10:43.539 --> 00:10:48.460 them they should not rebuild the wall. This Tobiah 00:10:48.460 --> 00:10:52.799 the Ammonite was a leader among his people and 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:57.639 Eliashib thought it was more important to maintain 00:10:57.639 --> 00:11:03.220 a back -channel relationship with Tobiah than 00:11:03.220 --> 00:11:07.860 it was to obey the word of God. And so the high 00:11:07.860 --> 00:11:13.379 priest of Israel had invited Tobiah the Ammonite 00:11:13.379 --> 00:11:19.950 to dwell. in the temple of God. This is an evil, 00:11:20.009 --> 00:11:24.830 evil, evil thing that is taking place. But I 00:11:24.830 --> 00:11:30.190 ask the question today, as we rededicate our 00:11:30.190 --> 00:11:34.070 lives to the Lord, you know, it doesn't make 00:11:34.070 --> 00:11:37.769 sense for America to rededicate herself to the 00:11:37.769 --> 00:11:42.870 Lord if the believers in America do not rededicate 00:11:42.870 --> 00:11:46.190 themselves to the Lord. It's got to come down 00:11:46.190 --> 00:11:49.370 to the church. It's got to come down to individuals 00:11:49.370 --> 00:11:53.269 in the house of God saying, I'm going to rededicate 00:11:53.269 --> 00:11:57.690 my life to the Lord. But how many of us have 00:11:57.690 --> 00:12:03.389 back channel relationships with things that God 00:12:03.389 --> 00:12:08.889 has once delivered us from? We have back channel 00:12:08.889 --> 00:12:13.960 relationships, friendships with the world. And 00:12:13.960 --> 00:12:17.340 it's time for us to say, we're going to clear 00:12:17.340 --> 00:12:21.820 out our storehouses and make room for God and 00:12:21.820 --> 00:12:26.720 what he wants to do. Jesus said, put your hand 00:12:26.720 --> 00:12:33.120 to the plow and do not look back. Amen? Do not 00:12:33.120 --> 00:12:38.879 look back. In 2 Peter chapter 2. Peter says something 00:12:38.879 --> 00:12:41.720 very sobering. He says, for if they, after they 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:45.320 have escaped the pollutions of the world, through 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:48.360 the knowledge of the Lord, our Lord and Savior 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:52.559 Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in the 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:54.919 things of the world and are overcome by them, 00:12:55.080 --> 00:12:58.519 the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 00:12:59.309 --> 00:13:01.970 It would have been better for them not to have 00:13:01.970 --> 00:13:05.049 known the way of righteousness than having known 00:13:05.049 --> 00:13:08.669 it to turn from the holy commandment delivered 00:13:08.669 --> 00:13:12.590 to them. But it has happened to them according 00:13:12.590 --> 00:13:15.970 to the true proverb, a dog returns to his vomit 00:13:15.970 --> 00:13:20.450 and a sow having washed to her wallowing in the 00:13:20.450 --> 00:13:24.620 mire. Friends, I want to call you to... Keep 00:13:24.620 --> 00:13:29.080 yourself in the deliverance that God has made 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:33.200 for you. Amen? Galatians chapter 5. That was 00:13:33.200 --> 00:13:37.279 Peter in 2 Peter. Here's Paul. He said, Stand 00:13:37.279 --> 00:13:42.259 fast, therefore, in the liberty by which Christ 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:48.120 has made us free. And do not be entangled again 00:13:48.120 --> 00:13:54.120 with the yoke of bondage. Hallelujah. Now, you 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:55.960 might say, well, I've been a Christian for a 00:13:55.960 --> 00:13:58.820 while, Pastor. I don't need to hear that. But 00:13:58.820 --> 00:14:02.279 can I remind you how quickly, after Moses went 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:04.240 up the mountain and he was gone, they had been 00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:06.500 delivered from the hand of Pharaoh. They had 00:14:06.500 --> 00:14:10.179 walked across on dry ground. They had seen the 00:14:10.179 --> 00:14:14.200 miraculous hand of God work. They had watched 00:14:14.200 --> 00:14:18.639 the pillar of fire by night and the cloud by 00:14:18.639 --> 00:14:21.299 day. They had it with them. But as soon as Moses 00:14:21.299 --> 00:14:23.620 went up the mountain, what did they do? Hey, 00:14:23.700 --> 00:14:27.399 let's make a golden calf. Let's bow down to it. 00:14:27.419 --> 00:14:32.000 And all the nation committed idolatry. We're 00:14:32.000 --> 00:14:37.360 fickle people, aren't we? We're very temperamental 00:14:37.360 --> 00:14:41.759 people. And we need God to constantly remind 00:14:41.759 --> 00:14:46.340 us, don't go back to the things I once delivered 00:14:46.340 --> 00:14:49.720 you from. And if you're here this morning and 00:14:49.720 --> 00:14:51.759 you're saying, you know what? I've gone back 00:14:51.759 --> 00:14:54.220 to some of those things. I've opened the door 00:14:54.220 --> 00:14:57.399 back to some of those things. I recognize this 00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:01.120 morning that I need to shut that door. When you 00:15:01.120 --> 00:15:03.559 rededicate your life to the Lord this morning, 00:15:03.679 --> 00:15:07.299 you're saying, I am shutting the door on the 00:15:07.299 --> 00:15:10.399 things that entangle me and that keep me from 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:14.879 living for God. I'm kicking Tobiah out of my 00:15:14.879 --> 00:15:20.299 house. In Jesus' name. We need to be like Nehemiah 00:15:20.299 --> 00:15:24.799 and rededicate ourselves to Christ. Amen? Is 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:29.539 that good stuff this morning? Praise God. Okay, 00:15:29.620 --> 00:15:31.200 I'm going to move quicker through the rest of 00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:34.240 these. The second thing Nehemiah did, the next 00:15:34.240 --> 00:15:38.159 verse, verse 10. I also realized that the portions 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:41.919 for the Levites had not been given to them for 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:45.159 each of the Levites and the singers. Everybody 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:49.879 say, and the singers. Who did the work had gone 00:15:49.879 --> 00:15:54.580 back to his field. They had gone back to his 00:15:54.580 --> 00:16:01.360 field. In rededicating Israel to the Lord, Nehemiah, 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:10.159 restored worship. He restored worship. The musicians 00:16:10.159 --> 00:16:14.740 and singers, they were Levites. They relied on 00:16:14.740 --> 00:16:18.500 the offerings that the rest of the nation brought. 00:16:18.820 --> 00:16:23.539 And when the rest of the nation under the leadership 00:16:23.539 --> 00:16:30.019 of Eliashib, they quit giving. They quit. They 00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:33.740 quit bringing offerings. And so the musicians 00:16:33.740 --> 00:16:38.460 and the singers and the worshipers, do you know 00:16:38.460 --> 00:16:43.200 what they did? They said, well, how are we going 00:16:43.200 --> 00:16:52.899 to eat? And they had to choose eating over fulfilling 00:16:52.899 --> 00:16:57.419 their calling. And they went back to the fields. 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:02.220 And the worship that was supposed to be offered 00:17:02.220 --> 00:17:06.640 by the people to the Lord, the singers that were 00:17:06.640 --> 00:17:10.200 supposed to stand in the place of worship, they 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:14.440 were gone. They were no more. Friends, if we're 00:17:14.440 --> 00:17:18.460 going to rededicate our lives back to God, we 00:17:18.460 --> 00:17:22.119 have got to come back to the place of worship. 00:17:22.400 --> 00:17:27.119 We've got to protect the place of worship. We've 00:17:27.119 --> 00:17:30.099 got to... come out of the field and we've got 00:17:30.099 --> 00:17:33.220 to say these these singers you know they they 00:17:33.220 --> 00:17:36.880 wanted to eat And so some might say, well, it's 00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:39.799 not their fault, but they had a mandate from 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:43.319 God and they abandoned their mandate. You know, 00:17:43.359 --> 00:17:45.019 can I tell you something? If they would have 00:17:45.019 --> 00:17:46.619 stayed and they would have said, you know what? 00:17:46.740 --> 00:17:49.960 It doesn't matter what Eliashib says. Eliashib 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:53.119 is not my provider. I'm going to fulfill the 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:56.079 call that God has on my life. Can I tell you 00:17:56.079 --> 00:17:58.759 something? God would have come through for every 00:17:58.759 --> 00:18:04.339 single one of them. Can I encourage you? Do not 00:18:04.339 --> 00:18:08.799 abandon your call for the sake of money, for 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:13.680 the sake of provision. Trust in the name of the 00:18:13.680 --> 00:18:17.460 Lord our God. Trust in Him in Jesus' name. Hallelujah. 00:18:18.779 --> 00:18:24.400 Some of the people that we have met with and 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:29.079 talked with about marriage, one of the difficulties 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:33.910 in our society, is that if you stay unmarried, 00:18:33.910 --> 00:18:37.930 you get more money from the government than if 00:18:37.930 --> 00:18:46.269 you marry. This is a very real thing. The question 00:18:46.269 --> 00:18:50.230 is this. Are we going to trust in the government? 00:18:51.730 --> 00:18:54.750 Or are we going to trust in the name of the Lord 00:18:54.750 --> 00:18:59.539 our God? And I want to declare over every one 00:18:59.539 --> 00:19:05.160 of us today to don't be afraid. Do not be afraid 00:19:05.160 --> 00:19:10.380 to take the steps that you need to take to trust 00:19:10.380 --> 00:19:14.559 in the Lord our God. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:17.799 And Nehemiah said, this isn't going to happen 00:19:17.799 --> 00:19:20.720 on my watch. On my watch, we're going to have 00:19:20.720 --> 00:19:23.470 worship in the house. On my watch, we're going 00:19:23.470 --> 00:19:26.049 to have musicians on the house. On my watch, 00:19:26.150 --> 00:19:28.069 we're going to have singers in the house. Hallelujah. 00:19:28.789 --> 00:19:31.630 You know, pastors come to me and they say, Darren, 00:19:31.789 --> 00:19:34.769 you know, if you cut your service time down to 00:19:34.769 --> 00:19:43.109 55 minutes, your church will grow. You know what? 00:19:44.269 --> 00:19:46.430 Based upon all the evidence of all the other 00:19:46.430 --> 00:19:59.430 churches, it's true. The church will grow. But 00:19:59.430 --> 00:20:05.670 what will we sacrifice? Because our number one 00:20:05.670 --> 00:20:10.690 priority, I mean, how many of you like it when 00:20:10.690 --> 00:20:16.150 the house is full? I like it. I believe we're 00:20:16.150 --> 00:20:20.619 going to have this house jam -packed. I believe 00:20:20.619 --> 00:20:22.599 the day is coming where if you don't come early, 00:20:22.660 --> 00:20:27.819 it's going to be hard to find a seat. But I refuse 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:33.720 to make that my number one priority. My number 00:20:33.720 --> 00:20:36.720 one priority is not to pack the house with people. 00:20:37.980 --> 00:20:41.839 My number one priority is not even to win the 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:48.089 lost. It's high on my list of priorities. But 00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:52.309 there's something that is higher still. And that 00:20:52.309 --> 00:20:57.170 is this. We are gathered in this place to worship 00:20:57.170 --> 00:21:02.009 God. We are gathered in this place to lift Him 00:21:02.009 --> 00:21:06.150 high. We are gathered in this place to give Him 00:21:06.150 --> 00:21:11.049 what is due His name. Hallelujah. And I love 00:21:11.049 --> 00:21:14.930 it. I love it, church, that we lingered in worship. 00:21:15.609 --> 00:21:18.789 For an hour and ten minutes this morning. I love 00:21:18.789 --> 00:21:20.990 it that we did that. I'm kind of racing through 00:21:20.990 --> 00:21:24.529 my message because of that. But we gave Jesus 00:21:24.529 --> 00:21:27.829 the worship that he is worthy of. Hallelujah. 00:21:28.329 --> 00:21:33.309 He is worthy of the worship. Glory to God. Glory 00:21:33.309 --> 00:21:38.289 to God. He's worthy of the worship. And before 00:21:38.289 --> 00:21:41.319 everything else. He's worthy. Do you know the 00:21:41.319 --> 00:21:44.839 number one reason we do missions? We do missions 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:48.220 because we care about people. Jesus cares about 00:21:48.220 --> 00:21:51.240 people. The Father's not willing that any should 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:53.839 perish, but that all should come to repentance. 00:21:54.119 --> 00:21:57.380 His heart is for the nations. His heart is for 00:21:57.380 --> 00:22:00.680 the lost. His heart is toward the people. But 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:02.920 you know the number one reason why we want to 00:22:02.920 --> 00:22:08.720 reach people? Because our God is worthy of... 00:22:09.160 --> 00:22:16.579 Their worship. Our God is worthy. Of another 00:22:16.579 --> 00:22:21.920 one. Coming to give him praise. Our God is worthy. 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:28.640 Of more. Than what we have right now. He's worthy 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:34.279 of it all. We do missions. Because our God is 00:22:34.279 --> 00:22:40.180 worthy. We want the nations. To sing and lift 00:22:40.180 --> 00:22:49.039 him up. And see. He's worthy. That's why we witness. 00:22:50.039 --> 00:22:54.579 That's why we reach the lost. We reach the lost 00:22:54.579 --> 00:22:58.440 for their sake as well. Because we love people 00:22:58.440 --> 00:23:04.339 like God does. But friends, the restoration of 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:10.480 worship is... is the priority of rededication. 00:23:11.880 --> 00:23:14.660 I'm believing that America will once again be 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:18.180 a center of worship for God. I'm believing that 00:23:18.180 --> 00:23:21.819 our nation will be known again because of its 00:23:21.819 --> 00:23:26.160 worship. We are here to worship the King of Kings 00:23:26.160 --> 00:23:28.500 and the Lord of Lords. I believe that worship 00:23:28.500 --> 00:23:31.200 is going to grow in this house. I believe that 00:23:31.200 --> 00:23:33.599 we're going to add opportunities for worship 00:23:33.599 --> 00:23:37.299 in the coming 12 months. We're going to see God 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:42.299 expand worship in central Illinois, across this 00:23:42.299 --> 00:23:45.220 land. I believe it with my whole heart. Are you 00:23:45.220 --> 00:23:48.519 hungry? Are you hungry to see God lifted high? 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:55.049 Hallelujah. Praise the name of the Lord. And 00:23:55.049 --> 00:24:00.230 so Paul, he said that one of the signs that you 00:24:00.230 --> 00:24:04.849 are filled with the Holy Spirit went beyond tongues, 00:24:05.190 --> 00:24:08.809 went beyond the gifts of the Spirit that are 00:24:08.809 --> 00:24:14.039 powerful and good. He said, do not be drunk with 00:24:14.039 --> 00:24:18.299 wine, which is dissipation, but be filled with 00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:21.319 the Spirit of God. And if you're filled with 00:24:21.319 --> 00:24:23.599 the Spirit of God, you're going to speak to one 00:24:23.599 --> 00:24:26.339 another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. 00:24:26.500 --> 00:24:28.880 If you're filled with the Spirit of God, you're 00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:31.119 going to sing and you're going to make melody 00:24:31.119 --> 00:24:34.099 in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always 00:24:34.099 --> 00:24:37.640 for all things to God the Father in the name 00:24:37.640 --> 00:24:42.079 of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah. Worship. 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:46.140 Worship. Make worship bigger in your home. Make 00:24:46.140 --> 00:24:49.220 worship bigger in your car. Make worship bigger 00:24:49.220 --> 00:24:52.019 when you're by yourself. Make worship bigger 00:24:52.019 --> 00:24:56.099 when you're here in this place. Don't just tolerate 00:24:56.099 --> 00:25:01.660 worship in this house to get to the good part, 00:25:01.799 --> 00:25:06.779 the preaching. We want the preaching to get better 00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:11.180 and better, but friends, do not skip. The worship. 00:25:12.759 --> 00:25:16.779 Give yourself to worship. Give yourself to worship. 00:25:17.440 --> 00:25:20.380 When we rededicate our lives to the Lord this 00:25:20.380 --> 00:25:23.059 morning. If you come down to this altar. You're 00:25:23.059 --> 00:25:25.359 saying God I want to be a vessel of worship. 00:25:26.019 --> 00:25:29.519 I may not sing great. I may not any of those 00:25:29.519 --> 00:25:34.539 things. But I want to be a vessel of worship. 00:25:38.279 --> 00:25:43.660 The restoration of. The temple, the restoration 00:25:43.660 --> 00:25:51.619 of worship, and the restoration of giving. The 00:25:51.619 --> 00:25:54.519 commands under Moses was for the nation to bring 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:58.539 the tithe to the temple so that the work of the 00:25:58.539 --> 00:26:04.480 ministry could happen. The whole nation was neglecting 00:26:04.480 --> 00:26:09.500 their responsibility, but this rededication involved 00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:16.299 a revival. Of giving. I personally believe. That 00:26:16.299 --> 00:26:21.539 the tithe. One tenth of your income. Belongs 00:26:21.539 --> 00:26:27.940 to the Lord. It's the beginning place. Of giving. 00:26:29.559 --> 00:26:36.240 To position yourself. For spiritual. Blessing. 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:43.440 Some of you wonder why. Ends never. meet. It 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:49.460 could be because you are neglecting giving. When 00:26:49.460 --> 00:26:52.940 you as an individual or a family begin to tithe 00:26:52.940 --> 00:26:58.119 God will begin to prove himself to you in ways 00:26:58.119 --> 00:27:02.980 that you never thought possible. And the question 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:06.680 that I want to ask is will you trust God with 00:27:06.680 --> 00:27:12.099 your finances? Bring all the tithes into the 00:27:12.099 --> 00:27:15.519 storehouse that there may be food in my house. 00:27:16.339 --> 00:27:19.180 Try me now in this, says the Lord, if I will 00:27:19.180 --> 00:27:23.480 not open for you the windows of heaven and pour 00:27:23.480 --> 00:27:26.559 out for you such blessing that there will not 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:31.240 be room enough to receive it. This is the one 00:27:31.240 --> 00:27:35.900 promise where God says it's okay to test him 00:27:35.900 --> 00:27:42.400 in. All throughout the Scriptures, the Word says, 00:27:42.480 --> 00:27:46.779 do not test the Lord your God. But here, God 00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:54.500 invites you to test Him. Financial miracles released 00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:58.339 into the church and into the families of the 00:27:58.339 --> 00:28:02.819 church happen when we rededicate our lives to 00:28:02.819 --> 00:28:06.579 the Lord. These Israelites under Nehemiah, they 00:28:06.579 --> 00:28:10.839 had gotten used to not giving. They had gotten 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:15.299 used to not bringing the sacrifice of worship 00:28:15.299 --> 00:28:22.680 through financial means. And we are rededicating 00:28:22.680 --> 00:28:27.460 our lives to God, trusting Him with everything. 00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:35.170 This is a revival of giving. be deceived. God 00:28:35.170 --> 00:28:40.349 is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that shall 00:28:40.349 --> 00:28:46.490 he reap. 1 Corinthians 16. On the first day of 00:28:46.490 --> 00:28:49.829 the week, let each one of you lay something aside, 00:28:50.130 --> 00:28:57.329 storing up as he may prosper to the church. This 00:28:57.329 --> 00:29:02.240 is Paul. I bear witness, he said in 2 Corinthians 00:29:02.240 --> 00:29:06.240 8, that according to their ability, yes, and 00:29:06.240 --> 00:29:09.940 beyond their ability, they were freely willing, 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:14.359 imploring us with much urgency that we would 00:29:14.359 --> 00:29:18.920 receive the gift and the fellowship of the ministering 00:29:18.920 --> 00:29:24.559 to the saints. Hallelujah. And so this morning, 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:28.799 We are rededicating our lives to God, saying, 00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:34.519 Lord, we trust you with everything. Hallelujah. 00:29:35.759 --> 00:29:40.440 Hallelujah. I feel the anointing of the Lord 00:29:40.440 --> 00:29:45.539 in this house right now. Rededicating our lives 00:29:45.539 --> 00:29:54.089 to God. Number four, the restoration. of the 00:29:54.089 --> 00:30:03.450 Sabbath. Nehemiah 13, 15. I saw people in Judah 00:30:03.450 --> 00:30:06.980 treading wine presses on the Sabbath. bringing 00:30:06.980 --> 00:30:09.980 in sheaves, loading donkeys with wine, grapes, 00:30:10.099 --> 00:30:12.200 figs, all kinds of burdens which they brought 00:30:12.200 --> 00:30:16.140 into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned 00:30:16.140 --> 00:30:18.859 them about the day on which they were selling 00:30:18.859 --> 00:30:22.720 provisions. Men of Tyre dwelt there also who 00:30:22.720 --> 00:30:26.000 brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold 00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:28.559 them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah 00:30:28.559 --> 00:30:32.930 and in Jerusalem. And I contended with the nobles 00:30:32.930 --> 00:30:35.450 of Judah and said to them, What evil thing is 00:30:35.450 --> 00:30:38.089 this that you do by profaning the Sabbath day? 00:30:38.289 --> 00:30:42.460 Did not your fathers do thus? And did not our 00:30:42.460 --> 00:30:45.180 God bring all this disaster on us and all this 00:30:45.180 --> 00:30:48.960 city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:52.039 profaning the Sabbath. So it was at the gates 00:30:52.039 --> 00:30:54.720 of Jerusalem as it began to be dark before the 00:30:54.720 --> 00:30:57.859 Sabbath. I commanded the gates to be shut. I 00:30:57.859 --> 00:31:00.119 charged that they must not be open till after 00:31:00.119 --> 00:31:02.900 the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at 00:31:02.900 --> 00:31:05.839 the gates so no burdens would be brought in on 00:31:05.839 --> 00:31:08.519 the Sabbath day. And the merchants and sellers 00:31:08.519 --> 00:31:11.779 of all kinds of wares lodged. outside Jerusalem 00:31:11.779 --> 00:31:15.299 once or twice and I warned them and I said to 00:31:15.299 --> 00:31:17.819 them, why do you spend the night outside the 00:31:17.819 --> 00:31:20.819 wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on 00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:25.019 you. Oh, I love Nehemiah. That was not in a good 00:31:25.019 --> 00:31:29.220 way. He was laying hands on people. From that 00:31:29.220 --> 00:31:32.559 time on, they came no more on the Sabbath and 00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:35.200 I commanded that the Levites, that they should 00:31:35.200 --> 00:31:37.700 cleanse themselves and they should go and guard 00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:45.329 the gates to sanctify. The Sabbath day. The Sabbath 00:31:45.329 --> 00:31:48.109 was a commandment, the fourth of the ten commandments 00:31:48.109 --> 00:31:51.170 in Exodus chapter 20 and Deuteronomy chapter 00:31:51.170 --> 00:31:57.369 5. God himself set in order the Sabbath by resting 00:31:57.369 --> 00:32:02.269 on the seventh day. Nehemiah saw that they weren't 00:32:02.269 --> 00:32:06.190 even making an attempt to follow it and he said 00:32:06.190 --> 00:32:10.630 it right. Then in the years that were to come, 00:32:10.670 --> 00:32:14.470 the leaders of Israel turned the Sabbath into 00:32:14.470 --> 00:32:22.190 legalism. Adding rule after rule that made it 00:32:22.190 --> 00:32:30.190 more of a burden than a blessing. Jesus brought 00:32:30.190 --> 00:32:35.049 the Sabbath back to its intention. In Mark 2 00:32:35.049 --> 00:32:41.259 .23, he said this, listen. Man was not made for 00:32:41.259 --> 00:32:48.059 the Sabbath. The Sabbath was made for man. Did 00:32:48.059 --> 00:32:51.140 you know that God's intention for the Sabbath, 00:32:51.200 --> 00:32:57.200 God's intention is to give you rest? Did you 00:32:57.200 --> 00:32:59.180 know that in the New Testament, there is not 00:32:59.180 --> 00:33:02.700 a legalistic single day that you have to keep 00:33:02.700 --> 00:33:11.180 by law? is the Sabbath day. And he said in Matthew 00:33:11.180 --> 00:33:17.180 11, come to me all you are weary and I will give 00:33:17.180 --> 00:33:22.039 you rest. His intention is that you pay attention 00:33:22.039 --> 00:33:28.480 to the rest that you have in Jesus Christ. I'm 00:33:28.480 --> 00:33:31.690 cutting this short a little bit. But some of 00:33:31.690 --> 00:33:35.990 you are neglecting to come to Jesus Christ for 00:33:35.990 --> 00:33:40.630 restoration. And you have to come back to him. 00:33:40.710 --> 00:33:43.390 Now I believe that you ought to take a day off 00:33:43.390 --> 00:33:56.750 once a week. I'm going to say that again. Because 00:33:56.750 --> 00:34:00.259 it felt good. I believe that you ought to take 00:34:00.259 --> 00:34:05.559 a day off once a week. I believe that you ought 00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:10.860 to rest. Do you know it's similar to the tithe? 00:34:12.079 --> 00:34:14.880 When you tithe, you're saying, God, I'm trusting 00:34:14.880 --> 00:34:17.719 you. I'm not trusting myself. Because in myself, 00:34:17.820 --> 00:34:20.800 it makes more sense that 100 % would pay more 00:34:20.800 --> 00:34:25.630 bills than 90%. But I'm giving you the 10 % because 00:34:25.630 --> 00:34:29.590 I trust in you. And guess what? God's blessing 00:34:29.590 --> 00:34:34.849 on the 90 % will go way farther than your ability 00:34:34.849 --> 00:34:39.809 to manipulate 100%. I guarantee you that. Because 00:34:39.809 --> 00:34:42.929 you're expressing trust in God. And the same 00:34:42.929 --> 00:34:48.969 is true when you rest. I'm trusting in God that 00:34:48.969 --> 00:34:54.230 in six days, He can help me get more done with 00:34:54.230 --> 00:34:59.230 his blessing than I can get done in seven days 00:34:59.230 --> 00:35:06.969 on my own. Jesus is our Sabbath rest, Hebrews 00:35:06.969 --> 00:35:11.469 teaches us. Some of you need to learn the Sabbath 00:35:11.469 --> 00:35:16.630 rest in Christ. If you're frazzled and weary 00:35:16.630 --> 00:35:21.900 all the time, you are missing something. Now 00:35:21.900 --> 00:35:24.179 this doesn't mean you don't work hard. Six days 00:35:24.179 --> 00:35:32.619 thou shalt work. But it means that we trust in 00:35:32.619 --> 00:35:40.079 the Lord. I take Fridays off. I rarely answer 00:35:40.079 --> 00:35:43.559 my phone. Now sometimes things happen. Sometimes 00:35:43.559 --> 00:35:46.179 we have ministry on Fridays. I get that. It's 00:35:46.179 --> 00:35:50.099 not a legalism thing. But I take Fridays off. 00:35:50.730 --> 00:35:57.409 I do not prepare sermons on Friday. I will answer 00:35:57.409 --> 00:36:00.789 a text if it's an emergency. If I don't answer 00:36:00.789 --> 00:36:03.010 the phone when you call and it's an emergency, 00:36:03.190 --> 00:36:10.809 text me. I will reply to you. I want to. But 00:36:10.809 --> 00:36:16.989 I take a day off. Why? Because I trust in God. 00:36:18.110 --> 00:36:23.960 Because He loves me. Because he pours rest into 00:36:23.960 --> 00:36:29.019 me. Some of you in rededicating your lives to 00:36:29.019 --> 00:36:31.599 God when you do this, you're going to shed weariness. 00:36:32.900 --> 00:36:37.260 You're going to say, God, I trust you with the 00:36:37.260 --> 00:36:44.300 rest. And finally, the restoration of separation. 00:36:46.679 --> 00:36:51.489 Now you need to hear this last part. Verse 23. 00:36:52.389 --> 00:36:55.429 I love Nehemiah. I love him more and more the 00:36:55.429 --> 00:36:58.570 more I read this chapter. In those days I also 00:36:58.570 --> 00:37:01.369 saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, 00:37:01.369 --> 00:37:04.070 and Moab. And half of their children spoke the 00:37:04.070 --> 00:37:07.789 language of Ashdod and could not even speak the 00:37:07.789 --> 00:37:11.590 language of Judah. But spoke according to the 00:37:11.590 --> 00:37:14.449 language of Judah. Of one or the other people. 00:37:14.650 --> 00:37:19.750 So I contended with them. And cursed them. And 00:37:19.750 --> 00:37:23.210 struck some of them. And pulled out their hair. 00:37:27.030 --> 00:37:31.510 And made them swear by God. Saying you shall 00:37:31.510 --> 00:37:34.309 not give your daughters as wives to their sons. 00:37:34.550 --> 00:37:37.989 Nor take their daughters for your sons for yourselves. 00:37:39.010 --> 00:37:42.949 And here's why. Did not Solomon, king of Israel, 00:37:43.070 --> 00:37:46.210 sin by these things? Yet among many nations there 00:37:46.210 --> 00:37:48.849 was no king like them who was beloved of his 00:37:48.849 --> 00:37:53.190 God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, 00:37:53.449 --> 00:37:58.909 pagan women caused even him to sin. Should we 00:37:58.909 --> 00:38:01.449 then hear of your doing all this great evil, 00:38:01.489 --> 00:38:05.150 transgressing against our God by marrying pagan 00:38:05.150 --> 00:38:19.710 women? One of the sons of Joiada. The son of 00:38:19.710 --> 00:38:24.449 Eliashib the high priest. We already said that 00:38:24.449 --> 00:38:29.190 Eliashib had Tobiah in the temple. Now Eliashib, 00:38:29.190 --> 00:38:35.190 we find out, was his son, was a son -in -law 00:38:35.190 --> 00:38:43.940 of Sanballat the Horonite. gave his children 00:38:43.940 --> 00:38:51.179 to Sanballat. The problem in the Old Testament 00:38:51.179 --> 00:38:56.199 with marrying other races was not that it was 00:38:56.199 --> 00:39:03.159 in itself a sin to cross into another culture, 00:39:03.280 --> 00:39:09.039 but that what would happen is that they would 00:39:09.039 --> 00:39:13.119 bring their gods into the relationship. And they 00:39:13.119 --> 00:39:17.559 would cause Israel to stumble just like Solomon. 00:39:19.480 --> 00:39:22.940 And so the command today in the New Testament, 00:39:23.239 --> 00:39:27.940 us Gentile church, is not that you can't marry 00:39:27.940 --> 00:39:30.820 outside of your race or that's a sin. That is 00:39:30.820 --> 00:39:36.019 not the truth. The lesson is not that you cannot... 00:39:37.550 --> 00:39:41.570 Mary because of social status or because of this 00:39:41.570 --> 00:39:45.809 or that. None of that is true. But the New Testament 00:39:45.809 --> 00:39:49.750 principle is this, that we have got to separate 00:39:49.750 --> 00:39:55.750 ourselves from the world. In 2 Corinthians 6, 00:39:55.809 --> 00:39:58.710 Paul said, do not be unequally yoked together 00:39:58.710 --> 00:40:02.909 with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness 00:40:02.909 --> 00:40:06.670 with lawlessness? What communion has light with 00:40:06.670 --> 00:40:10.809 darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? 00:40:10.869 --> 00:40:13.829 Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 00:40:14.030 --> 00:40:17.389 And what agreement has the temple of God with 00:40:17.389 --> 00:40:21.960 idols? For you are the temple of the living God. 00:40:22.019 --> 00:40:25.440 As God has said, I will dwell in them. I will 00:40:25.440 --> 00:40:29.639 walk among them. I will be their God and they 00:40:29.639 --> 00:40:34.940 shall be my people. Look, pat yourself on your 00:40:34.940 --> 00:40:39.179 chest right now. Come on. This right here. is 00:40:39.179 --> 00:40:42.599 the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus, the Son 00:40:42.599 --> 00:40:47.019 of God, lives inside of me. Hallelujah. I am 00:40:47.019 --> 00:40:52.119 separated. I am separated unto God. And I shall 00:40:52.119 --> 00:40:55.699 not take what is holy and washed in the blood 00:40:55.699 --> 00:40:59.989 of Jesus and bought with... with the Son of God 00:40:59.989 --> 00:41:05.070 on the cross. I will not take that and unify 00:41:05.070 --> 00:41:08.769 it with an idol. I will not unify it with something 00:41:08.769 --> 00:41:13.730 that is not of God. I will not be unequally yoked. 00:41:14.829 --> 00:41:21.010 I will not be unequally yoked. Come out from 00:41:21.010 --> 00:41:27.300 among them and be separate, says the Lord. If 00:41:27.300 --> 00:41:29.440 the only difference between you and the world 00:41:29.440 --> 00:41:32.440 is that you spend two hours in church on Sunday, 00:41:32.519 --> 00:41:41.400 you need to separate yourself unto the Lord. 00:41:43.159 --> 00:41:49.820 I'm rededicating my life to God. I'm rededicating 00:41:49.820 --> 00:41:57.900 my life to God. Do you not know that friendship 00:41:57.900 --> 00:42:10.159 with the world is enmity with God? Whoever loves 00:42:10.159 --> 00:42:16.800 the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 00:42:17.760 --> 00:42:26.630 Wow. Dedicating themselves back to God. In holiness. 00:42:29.489 --> 00:42:36.869 And saying here I am God. I belong to you. I 00:42:36.869 --> 00:42:42.030 belong to you. I've preached long enough. I'm 00:42:42.030 --> 00:42:46.210 going to ask the worship team to come. And I'm 00:42:46.210 --> 00:42:48.730 believing that for one of these reasons or another. 00:42:50.800 --> 00:42:53.079 That these altars are going to be full. We're 00:42:53.079 --> 00:42:55.420 going to just sing that song, Here I am to worship. 00:42:59.639 --> 00:43:06.699 Here I am to bow down. That you will say, God, 00:43:06.739 --> 00:43:11.679 I'm joining with America. I'm joining with Faith 00:43:11.679 --> 00:43:27.170 Church. And I am rededicating my life. I had 00:43:27.170 --> 00:43:32.090 a dream last night. I was in a house. It wasn't 00:43:32.090 --> 00:43:33.969 a house I've ever been in before, but it was 00:43:33.969 --> 00:43:37.130 mine. And there was a bunch of people there, 00:43:37.210 --> 00:43:42.349 and we were having a party. And it was a very 00:43:42.349 --> 00:43:44.690 real dream, and I looked out the window, and 00:43:44.690 --> 00:43:48.610 planes were flying overhead, and then I saw bombs 00:43:48.610 --> 00:43:53.590 dropping. And about a mile away, one exploded. 00:43:56.300 --> 00:43:59.019 And I was trying to get the people to look out 00:43:59.019 --> 00:44:01.480 the window and to pay attention. We needed to 00:44:01.480 --> 00:44:08.440 do something. But nobody would listen. They just 00:44:08.440 --> 00:44:17.840 kept eating their hot dogs. And I was trying 00:44:17.840 --> 00:44:20.619 to get the people to see that bombs were dropping. 00:44:26.760 --> 00:44:33.159 And I woke up. I forgot. I woke up and just started 00:44:33.159 --> 00:44:34.800 getting ready. I didn't even remember that I 00:44:34.800 --> 00:44:37.880 dreamed that. And when we got here, when I got 00:44:37.880 --> 00:44:42.619 here this morning, I paused a minute and I remembered 00:44:42.619 --> 00:44:53.199 having that dream. These are not the days, church. 00:44:55.599 --> 00:45:01.780 To be asleep. There is war in the heavenlies. 00:45:03.019 --> 00:45:09.239 Over our nation. You know that. Over your family. 00:45:11.000 --> 00:45:17.900 Over your sons and daughters. Over your own soul. 00:45:20.019 --> 00:45:24.869 Nehemiah realized it in his generation. He shook 00:45:24.869 --> 00:45:29.329 the people. I'm not going to come out of the 00:45:29.329 --> 00:45:35.789 aisle and pull your hair out today. But how many 00:45:35.789 --> 00:45:39.489 of you will say, God, I want to rededicate my 00:45:39.489 --> 00:45:44.429 life to you this morning. I want to say, here 00:45:44.429 --> 00:45:55.610 I am. Here I am. Here I am. I give myself to 00:45:55.610 --> 00:46:09.909 you. It's why we live, Lord. I don't want this 00:46:09.909 --> 00:46:15.150 to be emotion -driven, although I feel emotion 00:46:15.150 --> 00:46:20.949 right now. I don't want it to be just because 00:46:20.949 --> 00:46:26.409 everybody else is doing it. What I want to know 00:46:26.409 --> 00:46:29.210 is if you in your own heart of hearts want to 00:46:29.210 --> 00:46:32.630 say, God, here I am. I rededicate my life to 00:46:32.630 --> 00:46:38.750 you. Here I am. Here I am. And if that's you 00:46:38.750 --> 00:46:43.570 this morning, while we sing this song, here I 00:46:43.570 --> 00:46:47.530 am to worship you, God. I want you to just get 00:46:47.530 --> 00:46:49.690 up out of your seat and I want you to present 00:46:49.690 --> 00:46:53.800 yourself before the Lord. And say, Lord, here 00:46:53.800 --> 00:47:01.500 I am. I know I'm not perfect, God. But Lord, 00:47:01.619 --> 00:47:05.659 I rededicate my life to you. Along with this 00:47:05.659 --> 00:47:10.199 nation. Here I am, Lord. I worship you.