1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:15,440 Welcome to Hub City Vineyard. 2 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:23,060 To get connected or to give online go to connect.hcv.church or give.hcv.church. 3 00:00:23,060 --> 00:00:27,360 If at any point during this message you feel called to make a change in your life, text 4 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:30,840 change me to 970-00. 5 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:32,680 Thank you and enjoy the message. 6 00:00:32,680 --> 00:00:34,360 Well now you guys have set a precedent. 7 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:39,720 I know how loud you can get so I expect that if I say anything this morning that touches 8 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:44,480 your heart you're going to give me that same level of enthusiasm. 9 00:00:44,480 --> 00:00:46,640 Good morning church. 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,140 I want to start off by saying what an absolute privilege it is to be able to share God's 11 00:00:51,140 --> 00:00:53,040 word with you this morning. 12 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:58,240 For those of you who don't know who I am, my name is Carl Hartman and I am one of the 13 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:03,060 worship leaders and music directors here at HCV. 14 00:01:03,060 --> 00:01:09,520 If you're joining us here for the first, second or third time, welcome to Hub City Vineyard. 15 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:13,980 If you're joining us online, thank you for welcoming us into your home or space. 16 00:01:13,980 --> 00:01:18,820 We're so honored that you chose to tune in this morning. 17 00:01:18,820 --> 00:01:23,640 As you can see, Chris is out of town for the weekend and he's invited me to help kick off 18 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:26,780 our series for the month of October. 19 00:01:26,780 --> 00:01:34,520 Our series title is The Build Back and we're going to be looking at the book of Nehemiah. 20 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,840 Now before I get too deep into the message this morning, I wanted to take a quick second 21 00:01:38,840 --> 00:01:44,680 and honor our leaders, Chris and Jess. 22 00:01:44,680 --> 00:01:50,520 You all know how lucky we are to have two incredible, passionate leaders like Chris 23 00:01:50,520 --> 00:01:57,120 and Jess who are completely sold out for God's mission for this community of faith. 24 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:03,400 It is such an honor to serve alongside of them and I wonder, would you join me in giving 25 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:13,980 them a huge round of applause? 26 00:02:13,980 --> 00:02:19,400 Now as I mentioned, our series for the month of October is based on the book of Nehemiah 27 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,400 and over the next four weeks, we're going to be diving in and looking at some of the 28 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:31,500 principles and values that enabled Nehemiah to step out in faith, to overcome challenges 29 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:37,200 and to lead his community to do incredible, good works. 30 00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:42,320 This morning, I want to give you a brief overview of the book of Nehemiah and then I want to 31 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,000 look at some of the lessons that we can learn from his example. 32 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:52,920 The book of Nehemiah is found in the Old Testament and to understand the context, we need to 33 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:58,640 look at how it fits into the overarching biblical narrative. 34 00:02:58,640 --> 00:03:04,440 All throughout the Old Testament, God was continually inviting his chosen people, Israel, 35 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:08,380 into a covenant relationship with himself. 36 00:03:08,380 --> 00:03:15,800 In this relationship, Israel was responsible for following God's laws and commands and 37 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:22,100 in return, God would pour out his blessing on his chosen people. 38 00:03:22,100 --> 00:03:27,500 Over and over again, Israel would agree to enter into this relationship only to turn 39 00:03:27,500 --> 00:03:31,040 around and be disobedient to God. 40 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:37,440 Ultimately, God allowed Israel's enemies to come in to destroy the city of Jerusalem and 41 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:42,000 to carry the people off into exile. 42 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,960 After a period of time, the nation of Babylon, where they were in exile, was conquered by 43 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:52,480 the kings of Persia and this opened up the door for Israel to go back to Jerusalem and 44 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:54,240 to rebuild the city. 45 00:03:54,240 --> 00:04:01,400 That's the back story or the backdrop against which the book of Nehemiah was written. 46 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:06,440 The book of Nehemiah was written about 450 years before the birth of Christ and it's 47 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:10,880 written largely from the first person, from Nehemiah's point of view. 48 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:15,840 In the book of Nehemiah, Nehemiah discusses the vision that God laid on his heart to go 49 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:20,400 back to Jerusalem and to rebuild the city walls. 50 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:27,920 He also discusses the challenges that he faced as well as the spiritual awakening that occurred 51 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,280 as a result of the restoration of Jerusalem. 52 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:39,120 By occupation, Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Babylonian king Artaxerxes and he was 53 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:47,200 an otherwise ordinary individual who simply chose to say yes to God. 54 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:51,040 One of the primary themes of the book of Nehemiah that we're going to be looking at this morning 55 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:58,040 is that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary work. 56 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:04,040 So here at HCV, we regularly encourage our people to step out in faith and serve. 57 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:09,720 And I believe that for some of us here this morning, that may be a bit of a challenge. 58 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:15,120 Perhaps you've tried to serve in church in the past and you've had a bad experience. 59 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:19,360 Or maybe you feel like there's something in your past that disqualifies you from stepping 60 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,120 out in faith and serving God. 61 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,900 Perhaps you're sitting here right now thinking to yourself skeptically, how can God use 62 00:05:27,900 --> 00:05:30,040 me? 63 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:36,560 My goal is that by the end of this message, you'd be able to ask that question more earnestly, 64 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:43,660 embracing a better perspective and truly ask, how can God use me? 65 00:05:43,660 --> 00:05:47,360 Before we jump into the message for this morning, I want to give you a quick illustration. 66 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:52,800 By a show of hands, how many people here this morning are familiar with the popular home 67 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,440 renovation television show, Fixer Upper? 68 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:58,520 Okay, that's about 50%. 69 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:03,600 For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, the show follows a couple, Chip and 70 00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:08,960 Joanna Gaines, as they work with individuals who are purchasing homes with the intention 71 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:11,620 of transforming and restoring them. 72 00:06:11,620 --> 00:06:14,680 These individuals sit down with Chip and Joanna Gaines. 73 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,760 They discuss their vision and then they pass their house over for the Gaineses to work 74 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:19,920 on. 75 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:24,640 At the end of each episode, there's this incredible segment where the home buyers get to come 76 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:31,560 back in and see the work that Chip and Joanna Gaines have done to their home. 77 00:06:31,560 --> 00:06:38,160 Now I want you to imagine that you wake up tomorrow morning and you receive a phone call. 78 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:42,680 Your home has been chosen to be featured on the show, Fixer Upper. 79 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:48,960 In fact, Chip and Joanna Gaines are on their way to your house right now. 80 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:53,860 You quickly scramble and set up temporary living arrangements and then you sit down 81 00:06:53,860 --> 00:06:57,840 with Chip and Joanna Gaines and you discuss your vision. 82 00:06:57,840 --> 00:07:06,040 You hand over your keys and tens of thousands of dollars and then you wait. 83 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,280 After several weeks, you receive a phone call that your home is nearing completion and a 84 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:13,080 date has been set for the big reveal. 85 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:18,900 And as the big day approaches, you're filled with anticipation. 86 00:07:18,900 --> 00:07:22,420 You walk up to the front door of your house where Chip and Joanna Gaines are waiting to 87 00:07:22,420 --> 00:07:29,600 welcome you inside and as you walk through your front door, you're overcome with emotion. 88 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:37,600 There's a new open floor plan, updated lighting and furniture, miles and miles of shiplap 89 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:41,000 adorn the walls. 90 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:45,640 Joanna Gaines is waiting to take you from one space to the next to show you all of the 91 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:51,680 time and effort that she's put into restoring and transforming your home. 92 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:57,280 As you move from one room to the next, you're overcome with joy and gratitude. 93 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:02,560 You have this vision of raising your children in this home and growing old here. 94 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:07,340 This has truly become your forever home. 95 00:08:07,340 --> 00:08:13,120 As the day winds down and Chip and Joanna Gaines prepare to leave, Chip leans over and 96 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:20,000 hands you the keys and he says to you, I just need to let you know that the county came 97 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:25,720 by last night and your home failed the inspection. 98 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:27,280 It's been condemned. 99 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:31,880 You can own it, but you can't live in it. 100 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:38,480 I want you to think about the emotions that you'd be feeling in that moment, the anger, 101 00:08:38,480 --> 00:08:41,680 the frustration, the disbelief. 102 00:08:41,680 --> 00:08:48,480 You put everything that you had into restoring your home and you are all in on the vision. 103 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:55,240 You're in a state of complete disappointment because you know that your home has been restored 104 00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:01,480 for a reason, which brings me to the title of my message for this morning, restored for 105 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:02,480 a reason. 106 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:07,320 See, I believe that each one of us here this morning can bear witness to the good works 107 00:09:07,320 --> 00:09:09,920 that God has done in our lives. 108 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,760 Many of us have been pulled from darkness and addiction and brought into the light, 109 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:18,460 into a new relationship with Jesus. 110 00:09:18,460 --> 00:09:21,720 We've been given meaning and purpose. 111 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:26,800 Much like the houses in the show, Fixer Upper, God has been working within us, tearing down 112 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:31,000 walls, transforming us from the inside out. 113 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:36,160 We have truly been restored for a reason. 114 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:42,120 As we dive into our study of the book of Nehemiah, I want to encourage you this morning to begin 115 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:47,980 to think about the good works that God has prepared for you to do. 116 00:09:47,980 --> 00:09:53,880 It's not a question of whether or not you've been called to serve. 117 00:09:53,880 --> 00:09:58,040 The only question is how will you respond? 118 00:09:58,040 --> 00:09:59,800 So Holy Spirit, come. 119 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:04,760 I pray, Lord, that you would open our hearts, open our eyes, open our minds, God, to the 120 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:07,280 words that you want us to receive, Lord. 121 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:13,040 I pray right now that you would silence every distraction and that you would create in us 122 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:19,840 a willingness to hear your voice calling us into action. 123 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:20,840 Bless us now in this time. 124 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:21,840 In your name we pray. 125 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:22,840 Amen. 126 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:33,320 We'll look at your neighbor and tell them it's a good day for a good work. 127 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,840 My first offer this morning is this. 128 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:43,640 God's faithfulness is not derailed by our failure. 129 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:48,280 In Nehemiah chapter nine, the religious leaders gathered the people together and they began 130 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,960 to lead them in a time of prayer. 131 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:57,640 And in this prayer, they lay out this summary of exactly how Israel had ended up in exile 132 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:58,640 in the first place. 133 00:10:58,640 --> 00:11:01,600 And I want to pick it up in verse 28. 134 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:09,280 But as soon as they, Israel, were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. 135 00:11:09,280 --> 00:11:14,360 Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. 136 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:19,120 And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven and in your compassion, 137 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:22,760 you delivered them time after time. 138 00:11:22,760 --> 00:11:28,300 And in this verse, we can see this continual cycle of Israel failing, crying out for rescue. 139 00:11:28,300 --> 00:11:31,760 And this happens over and over again. 140 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:34,160 Continuing on in verse 30. 141 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,880 For many years, you were patient with them. 142 00:11:36,880 --> 00:11:43,040 By your spirit, you warned them through your prophets, yet they paid no attention. 143 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:48,360 So you gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples. 144 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:52,760 I think we can all relate to Israel in this passage of scripture. 145 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:59,920 Each one of us has areas of our life where we struggle to remain faithful to God. 146 00:11:59,920 --> 00:12:06,840 Whether it's an attitude, a mindset, or a habit, we take one step forward and feel like 147 00:12:06,840 --> 00:12:10,240 we're taking two steps back. 148 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:16,200 But as we study this passage of scripture, something that we need to understand is that 149 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:19,020 Israel had failed. 150 00:12:19,020 --> 00:12:22,280 But God's faithfulness remained intact. 151 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:24,680 Look at the very next verse, Nehemiah 9.31. 152 00:12:24,680 --> 00:12:31,200 But in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a 153 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:33,920 gracious and merciful God. 154 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:40,160 God's faithfulness is not derailed by our failures. 155 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:45,400 Right here at the very beginning of the message, I felt called to address anyone here this 156 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:50,940 morning who's struggling with feeling like a failure. 157 00:12:50,940 --> 00:12:54,720 Maybe you've made some bad decisions in your life and you feel like your life has been 158 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,700 defined by failure. 159 00:12:57,700 --> 00:13:03,960 Or maybe you've made some poor choices and you feel like you're failing God. 160 00:13:03,960 --> 00:13:10,300 And I want to speak this truth to you this morning, and I need you to hear this. 161 00:13:10,300 --> 00:13:16,760 You may have failed, but God's faithfulness hasn't. 162 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:22,560 You may have failed, but God's promises didn't and they won't. 163 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:28,520 There's no failure that you can experience in your life that can separate you from God's 164 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:29,520 faithfulness. 165 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:32,880 And I felt like I needed to read this verse over you this morning. 166 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:37,640 So I want to invite you all just to close your eyes and receive the word of God. 167 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:49,640 Romans 838, for I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, 168 00:13:49,640 --> 00:13:56,520 neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything 169 00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:03,000 else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ 170 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,800 Jesus our Lord. 171 00:14:04,800 --> 00:14:07,120 There's no failure in your past. 172 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:09,760 There's nothing you're struggling with in the present. 173 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:15,560 There's no failure that you can experience in the future that can derail God's faithfulness 174 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:16,560 in your life. 175 00:14:16,560 --> 00:14:23,440 God's faithfulness is not derailed by our failures, which brings me to my second thought 176 00:14:23,440 --> 00:14:25,040 for this morning, number two. 177 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:31,840 Our failures don't determine our future. 178 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:39,040 The fact that Israel was led into exile in Babylon is significant. 179 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:46,680 All throughout the biblical narrative, Babylon stands as a symbol of humanity's pride and 180 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:48,660 rebellion. 181 00:14:48,660 --> 00:14:54,800 The fact that God would have chosen the very nation that came to symbolize rebellion to 182 00:14:54,800 --> 00:15:01,600 correct his chosen people who were behaving rebellious would have been very humbling for 183 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,440 the nation of Israel. 184 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:11,240 And as I was studying Israel's exile, I came across this powerful truth. 185 00:15:11,240 --> 00:15:19,680 While it's true that Israel was in exile as a result of their decisions, we need to understand 186 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:23,440 that exile is not the end. 187 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:29,040 Look at the very next verse, Nehemiah 9.31, but in your great mercy, you did not put an 188 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:35,680 end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. 189 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:41,640 Our failures don't determine our future. 190 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:47,120 At the very beginning of the book of Nehemiah, we're introduced to the main character, Nehemiah, 191 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:52,840 and the mission that God laid on his heart to go back to Jerusalem and to rebuild the 192 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,200 city walls. 193 00:15:55,200 --> 00:16:01,120 As I mentioned, Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Babylonian king, Artaxerxes, and at 194 00:16:01,120 --> 00:16:07,400 just the right time, he presented his request to the king. 195 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:15,600 Because of God's grace and his favor, the king granted Nehemiah's request. 196 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:23,640 And then he provided for Nehemiah resources, letters of passage, and the military escort 197 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:27,760 to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls. 198 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:40,120 Not only did God use Babylon as a source of correction, he used them as a source of blessing. 199 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:49,740 How many people here this morning know that God can bring blessings from Babylon? 200 00:16:49,740 --> 00:16:54,740 That boss that you can't stand, God can use them to bless you. 201 00:16:54,740 --> 00:17:00,200 Those plans that you had that fell apart, God can work through the failure to bring 202 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:02,760 a blessing into your life. 203 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:05,480 It may not be like what you expect though. 204 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:10,280 It may be the blessing of a new perspective. 205 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:16,200 You thought when the relationship failed that your life was over. 206 00:17:16,200 --> 00:17:21,540 But I need you to know this morning that when they walked out on you, they were just making 207 00:17:21,540 --> 00:17:23,760 room for a better blessing. 208 00:17:23,760 --> 00:17:27,240 Come on, God can bring blessings from Babylon. 209 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:33,840 You see, church, what we need to understand this morning is that exile is not the end. 210 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:39,440 God doesn't intend for us to live in the exile of our mistakes. 211 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:45,000 What he intends is that we experience restoration through Christ, which brings me to my third 212 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:52,120 thought for this morning, number three, we are restored for a reason. 213 00:17:52,120 --> 00:18:00,520 The nation of Israel was designed to operate as an earthly embassy for the kingdom of heaven. 214 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:05,800 And what I mean by that is that God's design and his desire for Israel is that they would 215 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:11,920 be a witness to the surrounding nations of what it would look like if a chosen people 216 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:15,760 came together and were obedient to God. 217 00:18:15,760 --> 00:18:20,600 Nehemiah understood this and he references it as he's praying to God in chapter one. 218 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:27,040 He says, remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, if you are unfaithful, 219 00:18:27,040 --> 00:18:29,820 I will scatter you among the nations. 220 00:18:29,820 --> 00:18:35,660 But if you return to me and obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the 221 00:18:35,660 --> 00:18:42,120 farthest horizon, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen 222 00:18:42,120 --> 00:18:46,160 as a dwelling for my name. 223 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:54,240 Nehemiah understood that Israel was in the process of being restored for a reason. 224 00:18:54,240 --> 00:19:00,720 And that reason was so that they could bear witness to God's goodness and his grace. 225 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:08,840 Friends, we have been restored through Jesus for the same reason, so that we can bear witness 226 00:19:08,840 --> 00:19:12,440 to God's goodness and his grace. 227 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:17,280 And we do that when we step out in faith and do the good works. 228 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:23,560 Paul puts it this way in his letter to the church in Ephesus, Ephesians chapter two. 229 00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:27,720 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. 230 00:19:27,720 --> 00:19:29,480 And this is not from yourselves. 231 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:34,700 It is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast. 232 00:19:34,700 --> 00:19:42,560 For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared 233 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:45,800 in advance for us to do. 234 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:49,420 Paul says we're restored for a reason. 235 00:19:49,420 --> 00:19:54,760 And that reason is so that we can do the good works that God has called us to do. 236 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:58,500 Notice we're not saved by our works. 237 00:19:58,500 --> 00:20:00,400 We're saved by grace. 238 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:07,320 The works that we do are a response to the grace that we've already received. 239 00:20:07,320 --> 00:20:13,640 Look at your neighbor and tell them, I got it. 240 00:20:13,640 --> 00:20:16,460 I got it. 241 00:20:16,460 --> 00:20:18,780 I got the grace. 242 00:20:18,780 --> 00:20:20,160 I got the grace. 243 00:20:20,160 --> 00:20:23,080 But I also got the gift. 244 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:27,860 And I think sometimes we get confused about this. 245 00:20:27,860 --> 00:20:32,120 Every year around Christmas time, my wife and I gather all of the presents that we've 246 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:34,240 purchased for our kids. 247 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,800 And we have this little party where we wrap all the presents. 248 00:20:36,800 --> 00:20:44,260 Inevitably every year she'll hand me an interesting toy or game that's meant for our son Jake. 249 00:20:44,260 --> 00:20:46,920 And I'll look at it and I'll say, oh, what's this? 250 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,720 And her response every year is always the same. 251 00:20:50,720 --> 00:20:54,080 It's not for you to play with. 252 00:20:54,080 --> 00:21:03,200 See, in that moment, my role is to be a conduit receiving the gift that my wife has given 253 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:07,760 me and preparing it to give to my son. 254 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:14,680 Every person in here has been given talents and gifts. 255 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:19,380 But I need you to know they're not for you to play with. 256 00:21:19,380 --> 00:21:25,720 They're for you to use to bring God glory, to build his kingdom. 257 00:21:25,720 --> 00:21:28,560 Now listen, as I was studying this verse, I want to show you one last thing. 258 00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,140 I was studying this verse this week. 259 00:21:31,140 --> 00:21:36,260 God showed this to me and it was a complete game changer for me as an individual. 260 00:21:36,260 --> 00:21:38,920 Maybe you can relate. 261 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:45,280 One of the greatest struggles in my life is this overwhelming feeling of being unqualified 262 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:49,040 and insufficient for what God has called me to do. 263 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:54,760 But God showed me in this verse something that silenced the voice of the enemy. 264 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:55,760 Okay? 265 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:56,840 So let's look at this verse. 266 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:05,640 We are God's handiwork created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance 267 00:22:05,640 --> 00:22:10,080 for us to do. 268 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:21,240 If God can be trusted to prepare the work, then he can be trusted to prepare the worker. 269 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:26,120 If God's called you into it, then he's put everything that you need inside of yourself 270 00:22:26,120 --> 00:22:29,000 to be able to carry it out. 271 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:35,040 And it doesn't require any additional qualifications, which brings me to my fourth thought, number 272 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:36,040 four. 273 00:22:36,040 --> 00:22:41,320 Jesus uses ordinary people to do extraordinary works. 274 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:50,680 We see this principle all throughout the Bible in God's selection of Noah, Abraham, Jacob, 275 00:22:50,680 --> 00:22:52,860 Joseph, David. 276 00:22:52,860 --> 00:22:58,240 We see it in the New Testament in Jesus' selection of his disciples. 277 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:03,760 He chose ordinary people like you and I instead of the most prominent religious figures. 278 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:09,040 He chose ordinary people to carry out his mission. 279 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:14,360 We see it in the selection of Peter, Paul, and Mary. 280 00:23:14,360 --> 00:23:18,520 John, Paul, George, and Ringo. 281 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:19,520 I'm kidding. 282 00:23:19,520 --> 00:23:20,520 I'm kidding. 283 00:23:20,520 --> 00:23:25,200 We might be the hippie church, but even I know that the Beatles aren't in the Bible. 284 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:31,200 However, they are an example of ordinary people who did extraordinary work, just not for the 285 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:33,920 kingdom of heaven. 286 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:36,360 But Nehemiah is an example of this as well. 287 00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:44,120 See, unlike his biblical contemporary, Ezra the priest or Malachi the prophet, Nehemiah 288 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:49,040 was simply an ordinary guy who chose to say yes to God. 289 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:55,220 And when he said yes to God, God used him to do incredible work. 290 00:23:55,220 --> 00:24:00,000 In Nehemiah chapter two, Nehemiah departs from Babylon and he comes to Jerusalem and 291 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:04,520 he begins to survey the damage that's been done to the walls. 292 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:08,840 And he brings the people together and he says this in Nehemiah 2, 17. 293 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:13,400 Then I said to them, you see the trouble we are in. 294 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:17,720 Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire. 295 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:24,480 Come, let us rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace. 296 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:30,840 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to 297 00:24:30,840 --> 00:24:32,040 me. 298 00:24:32,040 --> 00:24:35,120 They replied, let us start rebuilding. 299 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:39,680 So they began this good work. 300 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:44,240 Now I want to pay close attention to these verses. 301 00:24:44,240 --> 00:24:49,920 In the middle of encouraging his community to step out in faith and join him in doing 302 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:57,040 the work of rebuilding the walls, Nehemiah provides them with a testimony of what God 303 00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:01,080 has already done to bless the mission. 304 00:25:01,080 --> 00:25:08,320 This testimony was only possible because Nehemiah had first said yes to God. 305 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:16,040 And so many times in our life we fall into this thinking where we just want to see God 306 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:17,040 move. 307 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:24,440 We just want to see God do the supernatural so that we have a testimony to share. 308 00:25:24,440 --> 00:25:31,780 And while we're waiting on God to move, God is waiting on us to say yes to him. 309 00:25:31,780 --> 00:25:39,740 And if we will simply say yes to God, I promise you will have a testimony to share. 310 00:25:39,740 --> 00:25:46,480 In Nehemiah chapter 3, we're introduced to the names of the individuals and the families 311 00:25:46,480 --> 00:25:49,640 who helped to rebuild the wall. 312 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:56,780 In this list, we're given several examples of these individuals' occupations. 313 00:25:56,780 --> 00:26:06,220 They include priests, merchants, goldsmiths, perfume makers, and the women worked right 314 00:26:06,220 --> 00:26:08,400 alongside the men. 315 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:14,840 No one was disqualified in joining in to do the good work that God had called Nehemiah 316 00:26:14,840 --> 00:26:17,040 to lead. 317 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:21,000 What's conspicuously absent from this list? 318 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:28,240 Stonemasons, carpenters, architects, the type of people that you would expect to see building 319 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,240 a wall. 320 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:35,400 See, God used the ordinary people of the community to do the good work. 321 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:40,680 God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary work. 322 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:45,800 Now, I want us all to do a quick exercise this morning. 323 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:50,240 I want us to reflect on this question. 324 00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:57,860 Growing up, who was the single most influential person in your life? 325 00:26:57,860 --> 00:27:04,720 Let's just reflect on that for a second. 326 00:27:04,720 --> 00:27:11,840 For some of us here this morning, that person may be a parent or a grandparent. 327 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:18,520 For some of us, it may be a teacher or a coach or a youth leader. 328 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:24,480 I don't know who the most influential person in your life has been, but I'd be willing 329 00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:33,160 to bet that that person has never been the president of the United States. 330 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:41,120 I'd also be willing to bet that that individual does not have a Nobel Prize or a PhD. 331 00:27:41,120 --> 00:27:48,440 In fact, I'd be willing to wager that the single most influential person in your life 332 00:27:48,440 --> 00:27:54,560 was simply an ordinary person who chose to speak into your life. 333 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:59,160 What I'm trying to help us to see is that this principle is inherent in our own life 334 00:27:59,160 --> 00:28:00,160 experiences. 335 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:06,280 And beyond that, I believe that each one of us here this morning has the potential to 336 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:15,120 be the most influential person in somebody else's life, and it doesn't require a PhD. 337 00:28:15,120 --> 00:28:24,080 It does, however, require a PHS, a willingness to partner with the Holy Spirit. 338 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:25,860 So how do we do this? 339 00:28:25,860 --> 00:28:31,760 How do we step out in faith and do the work that God has called us to do? 340 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:33,040 I think it's simple. 341 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:38,760 I think we need to follow the steps that Nehemiah took as he was rebuilding the wall. 342 00:28:38,760 --> 00:28:42,600 So our first action step for this morning is this. 343 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:46,200 Pick your perspective. 344 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:56,480 When we're given the opportunity to step out in faith and serve, we can either choose 345 00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:01,880 to see the pain or the payoff. 346 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:08,700 And how we view these opportunities that we've been given directly determines how we respond 347 00:29:08,700 --> 00:29:10,240 to them. 348 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:16,100 As Nehemiah began the work of rebuilding the walls of his community, the opposition came 349 00:29:16,100 --> 00:29:20,540 and they began to mock and criticize the work that Nehemiah was doing. 350 00:29:20,540 --> 00:29:23,920 We read this in Nehemiah chapter two. 351 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:30,320 But when Sam Ballad the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshum the Arab heard 352 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:34,500 about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. 353 00:29:34,500 --> 00:29:36,320 What is this you are doing, they asked? 354 00:29:36,320 --> 00:29:40,520 Are you rebelling against the king? 355 00:29:40,520 --> 00:29:49,020 These men came and began to mock and ridicule Nehemiah's work, but Nehemiah remained confident 356 00:29:49,020 --> 00:29:50,500 in the payoff. 357 00:29:50,500 --> 00:29:52,740 Look at his response, Nehemiah 2.20. 358 00:29:52,740 --> 00:29:59,280 I answered them by saying, the God of heaven will give us success. 359 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:01,720 We his servants will start rebuilding. 360 00:30:01,720 --> 00:30:07,020 But as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem. 361 00:30:07,020 --> 00:30:12,160 What we need to understand about these men is that they were the leaders of the surrounding 362 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:17,600 towns and they were threatened by the work that Nehemiah was doing. 363 00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:23,720 They didn't want Jerusalem to regain its status as a regional powerhouse. 364 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,600 And so they began to mock and ridicule Nehemiah. 365 00:30:26,600 --> 00:30:31,320 And as they're doing this, they appeal to the highest authority that they know. 366 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:34,580 They say, are you rebelling against the king? 367 00:30:34,580 --> 00:30:43,720 And I love Nehemiah's response because Nehemiah responds by appealing to a higher authority. 368 00:30:43,720 --> 00:30:48,300 He says, the God of heaven will give us success. 369 00:30:48,300 --> 00:30:55,220 And what I want us to take away from these verses is this, that when we have an opportunity 370 00:30:55,220 --> 00:31:04,280 to serve and all we can see is the pain, we need to be willing to appeal to a higher authority 371 00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,440 so that we can see the payoff. 372 00:31:07,440 --> 00:31:12,360 We have to choose to pick our perspective. 373 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:17,660 Number two, pick a wall. 374 00:31:17,660 --> 00:31:22,480 So by this point, you may be thinking to yourself, Carl, how do I know where God wants me to 375 00:31:22,480 --> 00:31:24,400 serve? 376 00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:25,840 Great question. 377 00:31:25,840 --> 00:31:30,560 Let's go back to the text, Nehemiah chapter three, verse 28 and 29. 378 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:38,240 Of the horse gate, the priests made repairs each in front of his own house. 379 00:31:38,240 --> 00:31:45,880 Next to them, Zadok son of Emar made repairs opposite his house. 380 00:31:45,880 --> 00:31:53,080 Nehemiah led the people to repair the sections of wall that were right outside their homes. 381 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,200 I believe that this was partly logistical in nature. 382 00:31:56,200 --> 00:32:01,120 It would have just made sense for the individuals to work on the walls that were right outside 383 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:02,120 their home. 384 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:04,400 They'd be close to their amenities. 385 00:32:04,400 --> 00:32:07,720 They'd have an incredible commute. 386 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:12,020 But I also think it's a psychological in nature. 387 00:32:12,020 --> 00:32:19,040 I believe that Nehemiah knew that by having the people work on the walls right outside 388 00:32:19,040 --> 00:32:26,560 their homes, he was enhancing their level of buy-in and ownership in the project. 389 00:32:26,560 --> 00:32:30,560 Nehemiah knew that if these individuals were going to have to see that section of wall 390 00:32:30,560 --> 00:32:34,360 every time they went in and out of their house, they were going to make sure that it was rebuilt 391 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:37,320 correctly. 392 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:41,540 So this is what I want to ask you this morning. 393 00:32:41,540 --> 00:32:46,040 What has God placed in front of you? 394 00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:52,560 What gifts, passions has God placed in your heart? 395 00:32:52,560 --> 00:32:57,400 How has God positioned you in the community to make a difference? 396 00:32:57,400 --> 00:33:02,840 In short, what has God placed right outside your front door? 397 00:33:02,840 --> 00:33:08,360 I believe these are areas, these are clues to where God wants us to step out of faith 398 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:09,360 and serve. 399 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,600 So number one, pick your perspective. 400 00:33:12,600 --> 00:33:15,200 Number two, pick a wall. 401 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,480 Number three, pick up a stone. 402 00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:23,360 Now we're winding down here, but I want to play a quick game with you. 403 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:29,880 I want to test your collective knowledge of modern day advertising jingles. 404 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:31,720 So here's what I want to do. 405 00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:35,780 I'm going to start a jingle and I want you, I'm going to point you all and I want you 406 00:33:35,780 --> 00:33:38,560 all to finish it. 407 00:33:38,560 --> 00:33:45,040 The first jingle that I've chosen is from a company you may have heard of called McDonald's. 408 00:33:45,040 --> 00:33:50,120 Now I know that nobody in here ever goes to McDonald's because of all the salt and the 409 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:55,560 cholesterol, but I'm certain that you've been exposed to this advertising jingle. 410 00:33:55,560 --> 00:34:00,840 So again, I'm going to start it and I'm going to point to you and I want you to finish it. 411 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,840 So here we go. 412 00:34:03,840 --> 00:34:05,840 Nice. 413 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:07,920 Excellent. 414 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:08,920 I'm loving it. 415 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:10,020 All right. 416 00:34:10,020 --> 00:34:18,780 So for the second advertising jingle, I've chosen a candy bar that comes in a red wrapper. 417 00:34:18,780 --> 00:34:20,320 Big hint. 418 00:34:20,320 --> 00:34:23,120 So here we go. 419 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:26,120 Break me off a piece of that. 420 00:34:26,120 --> 00:34:27,120 Let's go. 421 00:34:27,120 --> 00:34:28,120 Two for two. 422 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:29,400 All right. 423 00:34:29,400 --> 00:34:33,100 So we started with McDonald's, then we went to a candy bar. 424 00:34:33,100 --> 00:34:36,480 So for my third one, I'm going to give you the slogan for Meredith's Health and we're 425 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,840 all going to go get a triple bypass. 426 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:40,840 I'm kidding. 427 00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:41,840 I'm kidding. 428 00:34:41,840 --> 00:34:49,600 I simply want to direct your attention to my footwear made by a company called Nike. 429 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:55,840 As many of you know, Nike has a popular three word slogan. 430 00:34:55,840 --> 00:34:56,840 Don't say it yet. 431 00:34:56,840 --> 00:34:57,840 Don't say it. 432 00:34:57,840 --> 00:34:59,520 Popular three word slogan. 433 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:06,040 The first word starts with the letter J. And so what I want to do is I'm going to count 434 00:35:06,040 --> 00:35:10,440 to three and on the count of three, I want you all to shout out as loud as you can the 435 00:35:10,440 --> 00:35:11,440 slogan for Nike. 436 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:12,440 All right. 437 00:35:12,440 --> 00:35:13,440 So here we go. 438 00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:14,440 One, two, three. 439 00:35:14,440 --> 00:35:15,440 Let's go. 440 00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:25,080 Listen, when we're given an opportunity to step out in faith and serve and we know that 441 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:31,600 God has called us to step into our calling, we need to take the time to pray. 442 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,720 We need to take the time to prepare. 443 00:35:34,720 --> 00:35:41,080 But ultimately we need to be willing to do the work and to pick up a stone. 444 00:35:41,080 --> 00:35:43,280 Look at Nehemiah chapter two. 445 00:35:43,280 --> 00:35:45,280 Nehemiah says this to his community. 446 00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:52,100 He says, come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace. 447 00:35:52,100 --> 00:35:54,920 They replied, let us start rebuilding. 448 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,800 So they formed a committee and they talked about it. 449 00:35:57,800 --> 00:36:01,720 Oh, I'm sorry. 450 00:36:01,720 --> 00:36:06,200 They replied, let us start rebuilding. So they started a Facebook group and they voted 451 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,240 on it. 452 00:36:09,240 --> 00:36:10,480 That was the Gen Z version. 453 00:36:10,480 --> 00:36:11,480 I'm sorry. 454 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:12,560 Let me get the right translation. 455 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:15,560 They replied, let us start rebuilding. 456 00:36:15,560 --> 00:36:19,380 So they began this good work. 457 00:36:19,380 --> 00:36:27,240 The walls of Jerusalem were restored one stone at a time. 458 00:36:27,240 --> 00:36:34,960 Our community is restored one act of obedience at a time. 459 00:36:34,960 --> 00:36:40,200 My challenge to you this morning, what's your wall? 460 00:36:40,200 --> 00:36:42,200 What is God calling you to do? 461 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:47,040 In what ways is God calling you to step out in faith and serve? 462 00:36:47,040 --> 00:36:49,880 Now we're gonna get ready and close out this morning. 463 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:55,440 Before we do, I started this message with a story. 464 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,120 Now I wanna end it with a story. 465 00:36:58,120 --> 00:37:06,400 I wanna tell you my story, how God has worked through this community of faith to bring restoration 466 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:07,400 into my life. 467 00:37:07,400 --> 00:37:11,560 And I'm gonna try to hold it together. 468 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:19,440 I grew up in a Christian home with two incredible parents who regularly modeled for me what 469 00:37:19,440 --> 00:37:22,840 it looked like to walk in obedience to God. 470 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:28,200 From an early age, they had me involved in church. 471 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:33,000 And some of my earliest memories of serving were running the overhead slide projector 472 00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:34,680 while my dad helped to lead worship. 473 00:37:34,680 --> 00:37:39,800 It was like the OG music director position. 474 00:37:39,800 --> 00:37:44,220 As a young teen, I grew in my faith. 475 00:37:44,220 --> 00:37:51,540 And later in my teens, I would meet the woman who would go on to become my wife. 476 00:37:51,540 --> 00:37:56,760 We got married young, really young, like right out of high school. 477 00:37:56,760 --> 00:38:05,760 And in the first five years of our marriage, I began to serve in our church's worship ministry. 478 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:11,200 Simultaneous to that, I took a career in the financial services industry. 479 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:19,540 In both my career and in my serving in church, I began to grow in my position and in prestige. 480 00:38:19,540 --> 00:38:27,360 In this same period of our life, we had our first child, our daughter, Kira. 481 00:38:27,360 --> 00:38:37,240 Looking at my life from the outside, by every external measure, I was a success. 482 00:38:37,240 --> 00:38:42,160 But inside, it was a different story. 483 00:38:42,160 --> 00:38:47,260 And everything was about to come crashing down. 484 00:38:47,260 --> 00:38:50,800 It was Super Bowl Sunday 2012. 485 00:38:50,800 --> 00:38:56,440 And I remember for weeks leading up to this moment, I had been struggling to connect with 486 00:38:56,440 --> 00:38:59,800 God and to connect with my family. 487 00:38:59,800 --> 00:39:05,400 And I felt this incredible sense of turmoil inside myself. 488 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:10,560 Looking back in reflection, I could see that I had been running. 489 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:17,000 But that day, God brought me to my knees. 490 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:21,440 I went to my wife and I began to pour out my heart. 491 00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:25,560 I'd been struggling with an addiction to pornography. 492 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:30,920 Not only that, but there had been boundaries in our relationship that I had crossed. 493 00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:37,320 I'd gotten too close to some friends at work and I'd allowed them to influence my decisions. 494 00:39:37,320 --> 00:39:42,560 There were lies, secrets. 495 00:39:42,560 --> 00:39:46,360 Standing in the wreckage of my decisions. 496 00:39:46,360 --> 00:39:51,600 I knew that I needed to make a drastic change in my life. 497 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:57,280 So ultimately, I quit my job and went back to my previous employer. 498 00:39:57,280 --> 00:40:04,600 We sold our house, left our church and our friends and moved to West Virginia. 499 00:40:04,600 --> 00:40:12,000 Part of that move was because I had a desire to give my family a chance at a new start. 500 00:40:12,000 --> 00:40:15,180 And I wanted to experience healing inside. 501 00:40:15,180 --> 00:40:20,160 But there was another reason. 502 00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:26,380 Much like the house in my earlier illustration, I had failed God's inspection. 503 00:40:26,380 --> 00:40:31,120 And I just felt layers and layers and layers of condemnation. 504 00:40:31,120 --> 00:40:37,600 And in that moment, I felt that the best thing that I could do for myself was to put myself 505 00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:44,240 in exile. 506 00:40:44,240 --> 00:40:51,760 July of 2020, I'm sorry, July of 2012, we started attending HCV. 507 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:57,760 And for the first several weeks, all I could do during worship was weep. 508 00:40:57,760 --> 00:41:05,640 See, God had placed on my heart this incredible dream to write worship music for the church. 509 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,320 But I had failed in a big way. 510 00:41:09,320 --> 00:41:22,840 And so I buried that dream and I put away my guitar until one Sunday, this incredible, 511 00:41:22,840 --> 00:41:30,040 talented worship pastor got up to preach. 512 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:36,920 He was preaching a message about endurance, using as an example Joshua and the walls of 513 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:37,920 Jericho. 514 00:41:37,920 --> 00:41:48,080 And at the end of his message, he just encouraged us, go one more lap. 515 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:51,120 I know it hurts. 516 00:41:51,120 --> 00:41:53,400 Go one more lap. 517 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:58,360 I know you're tired, but just go one more lap. 518 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:04,400 I know it feels like you can't, but just go one more lap. 519 00:42:04,400 --> 00:42:11,080 Because while you're walking around the walls that are keeping you out of the promise that 520 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:18,360 God has for you, God is working to strengthen you so that when those walls come down, you 521 00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:21,640 can receive the promise that he has over your life. 522 00:42:21,640 --> 00:42:26,520 And in that moment, I knew that God was calling me back into serving. 523 00:42:26,520 --> 00:42:32,400 And so a few months later, I joined the worship team at Hub City Vineyard. 524 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:37,360 And shortly after that, Rhett and I began writing worship music for this community of 525 00:42:37,360 --> 00:42:47,000 faith. 526 00:42:47,000 --> 00:42:51,480 And what I want you to know, church, is this. 527 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:55,240 Worship is my wall. 528 00:42:55,240 --> 00:43:02,360 And the stones that I pick up and contribute to that wall on a regular basis, those stones 529 00:43:02,360 --> 00:43:10,360 are the songs that God has borne out of the testimonies of everyone in this community 530 00:43:10,360 --> 00:43:14,320 of faith. 531 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:30,240 Highest King runs wild, no looking back, God of miracles, Adonai. 532 00:43:30,240 --> 00:43:34,440 So how do I know? 533 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:42,000 How do I know that God's faithfulness is not derailed by our failure? 534 00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:48,720 How do I know that our failures don't determine our future? 535 00:43:48,720 --> 00:43:56,120 Ask me how I know that exile is not the end, that God can bring blessings from Babylon. 536 00:43:56,120 --> 00:43:59,680 How do I know that we've been restored? 537 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:03,240 How do I know that we've been restored for a reason? 538 00:44:03,240 --> 00:44:08,360 That God can use ordinary people to do extraordinary work? 539 00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:11,360 Because I'm living proof. 540 00:44:11,360 --> 00:44:12,720 I'm living proof. 541 00:44:12,720 --> 00:44:14,800 We sang it this morning. 542 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:16,880 You pulled me from the fire. 543 00:44:16,880 --> 00:44:18,600 Now I'm walking on waves. 544 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,400 That's a testimony of my life. 545 00:44:21,400 --> 00:44:30,680 There's no impossible, I believe that you are working now. 546 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:33,560 So pour it out. 547 00:44:33,560 --> 00:44:52,560 Oh pour it out.