WEBVTT

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So anyway, we're at lunch today.

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No, I'm just kidding.

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Let's start over.

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All right.

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So the title of my sermon this evening is The Devices of the Haters.

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The Devices of the Haters.

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When you read the book of Nehemiah, of course, Nehemiah is doing a great work for God and

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he's just having all kinds of success, but there are a lot of adversaries in the book

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of Nehemiah.

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A lot of haters, a lot of people that just really don't want Nehemiah to succeed.

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And unfortunately, in the Christian life, you're going to have people that are just out

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there to try to stop you and they don't want you to succeed.

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They don't want you to thrive as a Christian.

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They don't want you to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

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They don't like to see you getting right with God and going out and getting people

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saved.

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You know, things that you'd assume everybody would be happy about.

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Unfortunately, there are some wicked people in this world, the sand ballads, Tobias

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and Gishams of this world.

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And in this chapter, you can see that they kind of come at Nehemiah with a whole bunch

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of different strategies just to try to mess with them.

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We're going to go through all of their various machinations and devices tonight.

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But starting on verse number one there of Nehemiah chapter six, it says, Now came

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to pass when Saint Ballot and Tobiah and Gisham the Arabian and the rest of our

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enemies heard that I had builded the wall and that there was no breach left therein,

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though at that time I'd not set up the doors upon the gates that Saint Ballot and

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Gisham sent unto me saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages

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in the plain of Ono, but they thought to do me mischief.

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So notice, they act like they just want to get together with them and let's,

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Hey, let's talk about this.

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Maybe we can resolve this.

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But the Bible says they thought to do him mischief.

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And the first thing I want to point out is that number one,

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a lot of times haters will pretend that they want dialogue, but really they're just

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trying to hurt you.

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They're just trying to find a way to get at you.

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And in this case, when it says they sought to do a mischief,

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I think it means that they literally wanted to hurt him like to assault him or to kill him.

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But a lot of times, you know, people will just come at you and what they want to do

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is just catch you saying the wrong thing or kind of trap you, trick you.

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Hey, let's have a conversation.

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But really they're not actually interested in learning.

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Now, if you would flip over in your Bible to the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament,

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the Gospel of Mark, because people were constantly doing this to Jesus

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where they would pretend to have a sincere conversation with them.

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But really all they're trying to do is just to catch him saying something

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that they can use to attack him.

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So the haters will sometimes act like they just kind of want to hear you out

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or see where you're coming from, have some dialogue with you.

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But in reality, they're just trying to mess with you.

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So the Bible says in Mark chapter 12 verse 12,

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and they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people.

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So, you know, what they really want to do is just physically attack Jesus,

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get him arrested.

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But it says they knew that he had spoken the parable against them

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and they left him and went their way.

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And they sent unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians,

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watch this, to catch him in his words.

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And when they were come, they sand him.

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Master, we know that thou art true and cherished for no man,

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for thou regardest not the person of men,

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but teachest the way of God in truth.

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And of course here they're flattering him.

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They don't actually believe in Jesus.

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They don't like his teaching,

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but they're pretending to be friendly toward him in order to trick him.

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And then they say, is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?

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And what they're doing is they're asking him a question

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where no matter what he says,

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they're going to be able to use this against him.

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If he says, yes, give the money to Caesar,

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then basically they can say, oh, he's a pro-government,

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FEMA pastor.

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He loves the Roman Empire.

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He's not really patriotic for Israel and stuff like that.

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And then if he says, don't pay tribute to Caesar,

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then what are they going to do?

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They're going to lie and say, oh, he's anti-government.

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He's rebellious.

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He's trying to overthrow the Romans.

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And ultimately, when Jesus Christ is arrested and beaten

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and crucified, this is one of the accusations

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that they come at him with.

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They say, hey, this guy's forbidding us to pay tribute to Caesar.

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He's telling us do not pay Caesar,

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which is of course the opposite of what he actually says.

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Because it says in verse 15, they ask him,

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shall we give or shall we not give?

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But he knowing their hypocrisy,

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so he knew that they're flattering him

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and that they're hypocrites.

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Knowing their hypocrisy,

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he said unto them, why tempt ye me?

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Bring me a penny that I may see it.

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And they brought it.

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And he said unto them, whose is this image in superscription?

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And they said unto him, Caesar's.

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And Jesus answering, said unto them,

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render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's

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and to God the things that are God.

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And they marveled at him.

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So his answer is, yeah, pay the taxes to Caesar.

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That doesn't change the fact that they're later

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going to lie and say that he said the opposite.

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But his answer is in such a way

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where he doesn't really give them the sound bite

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that they wanted where they could use it to attack him.

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And if you would flip over to Luke chapter 11,

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just a few pages to the right in your Bible

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and we'll see something similar in Luke chapter 11.

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And so a lot of times the haters are going to be too faced.

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They're going to pretend to be your friend.

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They're going to flatter you.

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They're going to act like they want to see

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where you're coming from.

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They want to dialogue with you.

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They want to talk with you.

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They're open to what you have to say, but they're not.

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Here's what the Bible says in Proverbs,

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go from the presence of a foolish man

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when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

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So, you know, when someone has shown themselves

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to be malicious, a hater, a bad person,

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you know, you need to not be fooled by their flattery

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and their soft words when they come at you

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and try to, you know, act like they're your friend or something.

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And, you know, the Bible also says,

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a man that is a heretic

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after the first and second admonition reject.

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Because you don't want to just spend so much time

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with people who just want to argue with you

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and waste your time.

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And they're really just trying to catch you in your words

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so that they can use it against you.

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Look at Luke 11, verse 53.

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And as he said, these things unto them,

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the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently

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and to provoke him to speak of many things.

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So, they're kind of just trying to get him to talk about

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as many different subjects

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and they're trying to really interrogate him

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and pin him down.

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And then it says in verse 54 what they're doing,

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laying weight for him

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and seeking to catch something out of his mouth

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that they might accuse him.

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So, they're trying to accuse Jesus.

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They're not actually trying to learn, right?

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And here's the thing.

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Some people come at you and ask you questions

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and they make it seem like they're trying to learn,

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but really what they're trying to do

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is just use it against you.

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Anything you say can and will be used against you.

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So, back to Nehemiah,

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let's look at Nehemiah's reaction to this.

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Okay, so the first thing we see

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is that they're pretending

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that they want to dialogue with him,

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but really they just want to hurt him.

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Look at verse number three,

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Nehemiah says,

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And I sent messengers unto them.

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So, you know, he doesn't even go

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and tell them this himself.

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He just sends it through a messenger.

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I'm doing a great work

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so that I cannot come down.

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Why should the work cease

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whilst I leave it and come down to you?

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Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort

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and I answered them after the same manner.

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So, notice Nehemiah is not taking the bait.

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He's not just going to get sucked in

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to talk into a bunch of professional time wasters

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and arguing with people

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and going back and forth with people

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and just wasting time with people.

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He's not going to waste a bunch of time with bozos.

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He's just like,

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Look, I'm doing a great work.

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I'm not going to come down

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and sit around and talk to you.

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And we got to make sure

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that when the enemies and the haters

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want to argue with us and talk to us,

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you know, that we don't get sucked in

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because there's a lot of great work

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that we could be doing for God

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and it's easy to just get distracted

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and fixated on things that don't matter

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and that aren't important.

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You know, let the dead bury their dead

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and just go preach the kingdom of God.

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And so that's point number one.

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Number two,

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look at verse number five.

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It says then sent sand ballot.

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So, you know, the first tactic didn't work.

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So now look what they're going to try in verse five.

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Then sent sand ballot

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his servant unto me in like manner.

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The fifth time with an open letter in his hand.

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And when we see the word open letter,

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what we're saying is this is not a private communication.

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An open letter is one that's public

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for anyone and everyone to read.

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So to give like a modern analogy of this,

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this would be like sending,

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instead of sending a DM or a private message,

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this is just like posting to their wall or something,

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you know, or posting it openly on social media.

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That's what an open letter is.

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And this is what the letter says.

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It's reported among the heathen

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and gas bag set it.

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I mean, gash move set it.

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That thou and the Jews think to rebel

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for which cause thou buildest the wall

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that thou mayest be their king,

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according to these words.

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And thou has also appointed prophets

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to preach of the Jerusalem

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saying there's a king in Judah.

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And now shall it be reported to the king,

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according to these words,

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come now therefore and let us take counsel together.

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And so point number two is this.

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Haters will often pretend that they want to help you

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or that they're on your side

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when they correct you publicly,

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when they publicly correct,

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they send you an open letter like,

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Hey, we're just worried about you,

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you know, because these are the accusations.

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This is what people are saying about you.

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And we're just, we just want to get together

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and just kind of counsel with you

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and see if we can help you out.

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But really what their goal is,

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is to just publicly repeat the accusations.

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That's why they're doing it as an open letter.

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They're not doing it privately.

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Okay. So this is like when, you know,

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a so-called preacher friend of mine

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preached against me

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and then two days after preaching against me

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calls me up and says,

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Hey, he wants to talk to me,

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ask me some questions,

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see, you know, get things from my side of the story.

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It's like, wait a minute,

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you know, you've already attacked me publicly.

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People who attack you publicly

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about false accusations and rumors

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without even hearing your side

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are not your friends.

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Now this is the scripture

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that people will often hide behind.

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And we're going to be in Nehemiah 6 the whole time,

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but flip over to Proverbs chapter 27.

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Because I think this is one of the most

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misunderstood scriptures

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that gets misapplied a lot

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by people who want to pretend to be your friend.

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And really they're just out to hurt you

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and just amplify attacks on you.

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And again, here's a rule of thumb

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that I've noticed when it comes to correcting people.

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I've noticed that when people

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who actually care about me

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want to correct me,

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usually they'll send you the DM.

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And then the people who actually

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don't care about you

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and their correction is insincere

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are usually leaving it as a public comment

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or a public post or something like that.

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Because typically, you know,

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and I use this illustration,

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this is kind of a crass illustration,

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but I'm going to use it again

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because it's such a great illustration.

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But I was at the airport one time

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and this guy that I didn't even know

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just walks up to me

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and just puts his arm around me

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like he's my buddy,

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which kind of, you know,

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it kind of takes you aback

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because you're not used to that.

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He comes up and hey, buddy,

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acts like he's my friend

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and he whispers in my ear,

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hey, your zipper's down.

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You know, and here's the thing.

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What he was doing was

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he was trying to be nonchalant

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and cool about it

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so they wouldn't embarrass me

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and humiliate me

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because I had made a mistake.

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See, that's what your actual friend

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is going to do

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who's actually trying to help you out.

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Look, obviously,

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you don't want to let somebody

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just walk around, you know,

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with their zipper down or something.

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It's embarrassing.

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It's humiliating, right?

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So you're going to come alongside

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that person and tell them

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but it's not like,

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hey, you're afraid of heights, buddy?

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Because your zipper is.

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You know what I mean?

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Like that's the wrong way to correct someone

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because you don't want to embarrass someone.

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Does everybody understand what I'm saying?

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And so it's pretty easy sometimes

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to tell who your friends are

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because your friends,

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they're going to come up

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and be nonchalant about it

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and say, hey, let me privately tell you some advice.

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Let me help you, friend.

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Let me because look,

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all of us need correction at times.

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But when people are just at the drop of a hat

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to correct you publicly,

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especially about private things or something,

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what it is is that

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they really just want to embarrass you.

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They want to humiliate,

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they want to attack you publicly,

12:42.360 --> 12:43.820
but they want to make it seem like,

12:43.940 --> 12:45.260
oh, we just care about you.

12:45.480 --> 12:47.000
We're just concerned about you.

12:47.240 --> 12:49.180
I was just worried about your zipper being down.

12:49.180 --> 12:51.440
That's why I shouted it to the entire airport.

12:51.780 --> 12:54.820
I mean, maybe they could just get that intercom at the airport

12:54.820 --> 12:56.160
and just be like,

12:56.980 --> 12:59.780
passenger Stephen Anderson, gate 15.

13:00.520 --> 13:01.740
Your zipper is down.

13:02.280 --> 13:04.560
Gate 15, passenger Stephen Anderson,

13:04.820 --> 13:06.300
report to the desk.

13:06.460 --> 13:08.220
You know, that's the way some people are.

13:09.420 --> 13:10.420
They don't love you.

13:11.000 --> 13:12.600
They don't care about you, right?

13:12.760 --> 13:13.860
They're not trying to help you.

13:15.040 --> 13:16.240
So here's the verse though

13:16.240 --> 13:17.240
that they'll hide behind

13:17.240 --> 13:19.520
to justify this kind of behavior.

13:20.420 --> 13:22.780
Chapter 27 verse 5 in Proverbs says,

13:23.260 --> 13:25.140
open rebuke is better than secret love.

13:25.300 --> 13:26.300
This is their life verse.

13:26.960 --> 13:30.080
Hey, we're just going to just openly rebuke everybody every time.

13:30.580 --> 13:30.720
Okay?

13:31.140 --> 13:32.820
Open rebuke is better than secret love.

13:33.340 --> 13:34.760
Faithful are the wounds of a friend,

13:34.880 --> 13:36.500
but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

13:37.220 --> 13:39.240
And here's what this Bible verse is not saying.

13:39.600 --> 13:40.780
This Bible verse is not saying,

13:41.040 --> 13:42.700
always rebuke openly.

13:43.400 --> 13:45.040
Always correct everybody publicly.

13:45.220 --> 13:46.300
That's not what this is saying.

13:46.920 --> 13:50.000
It's simply saying that open rebuke

13:50.000 --> 13:51.480
is better than secret love.

13:51.900 --> 13:54.200
You know, here's the whole point here is like,

13:54.260 --> 13:55.980
well even open rebuke,

13:56.000 --> 13:57.420
even though that's not good,

13:57.680 --> 13:59.480
even though that's bad,

14:00.160 --> 14:03.860
you know, it's still better than secret love.

14:04.600 --> 14:05.920
You know, does everybody understand what I'm saying?

14:06.180 --> 14:08.560
It'd be like if I were comparing two things

14:08.560 --> 14:12.480
and I said, hey, McDonald's is better than what a burger.

14:13.020 --> 14:14.440
It doesn't mean that I'm okay.

14:14.600 --> 14:15.940
Sorry, but wrong crowd.

14:17.440 --> 14:19.360
If I said, if I said, hey,

14:19.640 --> 14:21.280
McDonald's better than what a burger,

14:21.500 --> 14:23.220
it wouldn't be like I'm saying like,

14:23.360 --> 14:25.720
yay, McDonald's is awesome.

14:26.480 --> 14:27.420
Does everybody understand?

14:27.640 --> 14:29.860
Okay, I got one person that's just being polite

14:29.860 --> 14:31.340
because he invited me here to preach.

14:32.860 --> 14:33.800
Bad illustration.

14:34.460 --> 14:36.460
But the point is you're bringing up

14:36.460 --> 14:40.020
two things that are not what you want.

14:40.260 --> 14:41.520
They're not ideal.

14:41.760 --> 14:43.120
They're not the best situation.

14:43.380 --> 14:46.200
And it's just basically saying that secret love

14:47.780 --> 14:51.340
is so low that basically open rebuke

14:51.340 --> 14:53.380
is even better, even open rebuke's better than that.

14:53.460 --> 14:54.000
It's not just saying,

14:54.280 --> 14:56.280
hey, we just always openly rebuke our friends

14:56.280 --> 14:58.420
and just humiliate and embarrass them every chance we get.

14:58.520 --> 14:59.420
Does everybody see what I'm saying?

15:00.180 --> 15:01.840
What a twisting of scripture though

15:01.840 --> 15:05.460
to act like open rebuke is just the way to go.

15:05.620 --> 15:06.700
That's just the way to be a friend.

15:06.920 --> 15:08.560
Well, that's not what the rest of the Bible teaches.

15:08.720 --> 15:09.580
That doesn't even make sense.

15:09.780 --> 15:11.520
And they're misunderstanding the comparison

15:11.520 --> 15:12.360
that's being made here.

15:12.680 --> 15:13.780
What it's saying here is that,

15:13.780 --> 15:16.400
hey, at least the person who openly rebukes you

15:16.400 --> 15:17.560
is being honest with you.

15:18.000 --> 15:20.700
At least they're being upfront and honest.

15:21.260 --> 15:23.220
It'd be like if I said, hey, the devil you know

15:23.220 --> 15:24.940
is better than the devil you don't know.

15:25.600 --> 15:28.200
Doesn't mean I'm like, yay, the devil I know, great.

15:29.800 --> 15:32.820
But the bottom line is that most corrections

15:32.820 --> 15:34.320
should be done privately.

15:34.900 --> 15:35.100
Okay.

15:35.500 --> 15:37.560
Now, if you would go to Galatians chapter two,

15:38.320 --> 15:39.080
Galatians chapter two,

15:39.160 --> 15:40.860
let me read for you just a few verses on this.

15:41.040 --> 15:43.680
And again, we could really park on any

15:43.680 --> 15:44.940
of these points and just,

15:45.100 --> 15:47.640
I could prove this from the Bible all day long,

15:47.740 --> 15:49.660
but I'm just going to give you a few verses on this.

15:50.160 --> 15:51.700
But it says in Matthew 18, 15,

15:51.960 --> 15:54.200
moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee,

15:54.720 --> 15:57.240
go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone,

15:57.920 --> 15:59.820
if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

16:00.320 --> 16:02.120
Or how about Proverbs 25, 9,

16:02.840 --> 16:05.380
debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself

16:06.000 --> 16:08.040
and discover not a secret to another.

16:08.540 --> 16:10.460
Saying, you know, you got a problem with someone,

16:10.700 --> 16:11.800
you got an issue with someone,

16:11.800 --> 16:13.960
you need to, you know, correct someone.

16:14.200 --> 16:15.960
Usually you're going to go to that person,

16:16.020 --> 16:18.840
if you care about that person and privately tell them.

16:20.660 --> 16:24.160
Now, sometimes open rebuke is appropriate.

16:24.360 --> 16:27.760
There are times when things need to be called out publicly

16:27.760 --> 16:30.280
and when a public correction needs to happen.

16:30.460 --> 16:32.240
And this is typically a situation

16:32.840 --> 16:35.460
where it's a public matter that needs to be dealt with.

16:35.540 --> 16:37.460
Like if the crime is public,

16:37.460 --> 16:40.060
then typically the correction is going to need to be public,

16:40.060 --> 16:43.920
especially if it's something that affects other people.

16:44.080 --> 16:45.980
So for example, if somebody is getting up

16:45.980 --> 16:49.560
and preaching false doctrine that's really bad,

16:49.740 --> 16:54.100
like damnable heresy, just a really harmful bad teaching

16:54.100 --> 16:55.580
is being publicly taught,

16:55.860 --> 16:58.100
then yeah, you got to publicly call that out

16:58.100 --> 17:01.500
so that basically everybody can get straight on the doctrine.

17:01.800 --> 17:04.700
Okay, that's different than just,

17:04.780 --> 17:07.320
hey, I'm just always going to correct everybody

17:07.320 --> 17:08.940
for every private matter.

17:08.940 --> 17:12.680
I'm just going to put it on blast, open letter, public,

17:13.020 --> 17:15.040
social media on everything.

17:15.660 --> 17:17.080
Look, if you would, and look,

17:17.240 --> 17:18.440
that's what people do to their enemies.

17:18.580 --> 17:20.240
They put their enemies publicly on blasts,

17:20.240 --> 17:21.600
but is that how you treat your friends?

17:22.340 --> 17:25.540
Those are some interesting friendships in that case.

17:25.940 --> 17:27.700
But look at Galatians chapter 2, verse 11.

17:27.760 --> 17:29.420
We're going to see a public correction

17:29.420 --> 17:30.880
that's appropriate in the Bible.

17:31.360 --> 17:32.440
It says in verse 11,

17:32.920 --> 17:34.980
but when Peter was come to Antioch,

17:35.100 --> 17:37.960
I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed

17:38.680 --> 17:40.980
for before that certain came from James,

17:41.260 --> 17:42.920
he did eat with the Gentiles,

17:43.400 --> 17:44.160
but when they were come,

17:44.320 --> 17:46.180
he withdrew and separated himself,

17:46.580 --> 17:48.680
fearing them which were of the circumcision.

17:49.200 --> 17:52.300
And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him

17:52.300 --> 17:55.800
in so much that Barnabas also was carried away

17:55.800 --> 17:57.500
with their dissimulation.

17:57.680 --> 18:00.800
And when I saw that they walked not uprightly

18:00.800 --> 18:03.100
according to the truth of the gospel,

18:03.220 --> 18:04.460
and I'm going to stop right there for a second,

18:04.460 --> 18:08.120
notice this is a doctrinal issue

18:08.700 --> 18:11.980
that is actually harming the cause

18:11.980 --> 18:13.740
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

18:13.860 --> 18:17.340
This could confuse people about what the gospel even is.

18:17.620 --> 18:20.660
They're not walking according to the gospel,

18:21.300 --> 18:24.160
and then other Jews are getting caught up in it.

18:24.520 --> 18:26.060
So this isn't just one person.

18:26.420 --> 18:28.980
I mean, this is somebody doing something,

18:29.440 --> 18:31.440
teaching something that is causing

18:31.440 --> 18:34.140
a whole bunch of other people to get caught up in it,

18:34.140 --> 18:35.980
even Barnabas is getting caught up in it.

18:36.140 --> 18:38.880
And it's something that's even ultimately

18:38.880 --> 18:41.340
leading to a salvation type issue

18:41.340 --> 18:43.540
where it's like, hey, this is not compatible

18:43.540 --> 18:45.580
with the gospel that we're preaching here.

18:45.800 --> 18:47.800
And so because of that, it says,

18:48.240 --> 18:50.560
I said unto Peter before them all.

18:50.680 --> 18:52.960
So he ends up publicly correcting this.

18:53.320 --> 18:55.080
I said unto Peter before them all,

18:55.500 --> 18:56.680
if thou being a Jew,

18:57.140 --> 18:58.960
livest after the manner of Gentiles,

18:59.260 --> 19:00.520
and not as do the Jews,

19:01.020 --> 19:02.860
why compelest thou the Gentiles

19:02.860 --> 19:04.240
to live as do the Jews?

19:04.720 --> 19:07.760
Now look, I do believe that Paul loved Peter.

19:08.200 --> 19:10.640
I do believe that Peter and Paul are friends.

19:11.180 --> 19:13.220
We see in 2 Peter chapter 3,

19:13.580 --> 19:16.320
Peter is being very positive about the apostle Paul.

19:16.680 --> 19:18.080
Obviously Paul loves Peter.

19:18.520 --> 19:19.660
They're both good men of God.

19:19.960 --> 19:20.660
They're both friends.

19:21.020 --> 19:22.140
And so every once in a while,

19:22.280 --> 19:24.280
even friends, yes, sometimes

19:24.280 --> 19:26.220
are going to have to call one another out

19:26.220 --> 19:27.580
publicly over something.

19:27.800 --> 19:28.260
But you know what?

19:28.320 --> 19:29.420
It better be something important.

19:29.920 --> 19:31.340
It better be something meaningful.

19:31.340 --> 19:34.240
It better be something that actually matters.

19:34.660 --> 19:36.180
And again, this is something

19:36.180 --> 19:38.960
Peter is doing publicly, harming the gospel.

19:39.440 --> 19:42.340
And so Paul has to unfortunately set him straight on it.

19:42.680 --> 19:45.360
But this is not a teaching that just says,

19:45.680 --> 19:47.340
hey, this is how we treat our friends

19:47.340 --> 19:48.480
every time they make a mistake.

19:48.640 --> 19:50.720
We amplify it, open letter publicly.

19:51.360 --> 19:52.780
And again, I've just noticed,

19:52.940 --> 19:54.440
I've been at this thing for a long time.

19:54.760 --> 19:57.300
And I've noticed that the comments

19:57.300 --> 19:58.700
versus the private messages,

19:58.700 --> 20:01.520
depending on whether the people actually care about you

20:01.520 --> 20:02.920
when they're making a correction.

20:03.760 --> 20:04.600
And I'll do the same.

20:04.840 --> 20:07.400
I'll literally, I'll see something misspelled

20:07.880 --> 20:09.680
on one of my pastor friends posts.

20:10.220 --> 20:12.000
And I'm not talking about Brother Reyes,

20:12.260 --> 20:13.840
be an ESL or something.

20:14.240 --> 20:16.180
But I'll see one of my pastor friends

20:16.180 --> 20:17.760
will literally misspell something.

20:17.880 --> 20:19.940
I'm not leaving a comment like, hey, you spelled it wrong.

20:19.980 --> 20:21.460
I'm typically sending a private message,

20:21.660 --> 20:24.060
hey, you spelled it wrong in general.

20:24.480 --> 20:26.440
Even over little dumb things like that

20:26.440 --> 20:27.180
that don't even matter,

20:27.180 --> 20:31.080
I always try to lean toward a private message

20:31.660 --> 20:34.780
because the goal is actually to correct the person

20:34.780 --> 20:37.060
not to just call them out

20:37.060 --> 20:40.020
and try to hurt their reputation or something like that.

20:40.360 --> 20:41.700
So that's what the haters will do.

20:41.860 --> 20:43.120
Look at Nehemiah chapter six.

20:43.260 --> 20:44.520
Let's look at Nehemiah's reaction.

20:45.020 --> 20:46.420
So we said, number one, the haters,

20:46.680 --> 20:49.260
they pretend to be open.

20:49.580 --> 20:50.680
They pretend to be your friend.

20:50.820 --> 20:51.940
They pretend they want to dialogue.

20:52.280 --> 20:53.380
They pretend they want to learn.

20:53.880 --> 20:55.780
But a lot of times they're just hypocrites

20:55.780 --> 20:56.980
trying to nail you.

20:57.320 --> 21:01.120
Number two, we saw that the haters will

21:02.100 --> 21:04.860
try to pretend that they want to help you

21:04.860 --> 21:06.980
by correcting you publicly

21:06.980 --> 21:09.760
because open review is better than secret love

21:09.760 --> 21:12.000
when in reality what they're trying to do

21:12.000 --> 21:16.180
is just amplify whatever the accusations are.

21:16.240 --> 21:18.640
Because remember, these accusations against Nehemiah,

21:18.840 --> 21:20.980
they're lies and false accusations.

21:20.980 --> 21:26.140
And really what Gasbag and Tobiah and Geeshim and these guys,

21:26.400 --> 21:27.860
they're just trying to amplify it

21:27.860 --> 21:29.460
and just make sure more people hear about it.

21:30.180 --> 21:33.320
While pretending like, hey, why counsel you, brother,

21:33.700 --> 21:35.220
why I get together and help you.

21:35.540 --> 21:36.420
It's disingenuous.

21:36.520 --> 21:38.220
Look at Nehemiah's reaction verse eight.

21:38.680 --> 21:40.160
Then I sent unto them saying,

21:40.620 --> 21:43.140
there are no such things done as thou sayest,

21:43.520 --> 21:45.900
but thou feignest them out of thine own heart.

21:46.220 --> 21:47.120
What's Nehemiah saying?

21:47.300 --> 21:48.440
You just made that up right now.

21:48.880 --> 21:49.620
That's not real.

21:49.620 --> 21:51.480
That's not a real accusation.

21:51.520 --> 21:52.380
You're making that up.

21:52.520 --> 21:54.900
And so his response is to call out

21:54.900 --> 21:57.320
the false accusations as the baloney that they are.

21:58.720 --> 22:01.440
Let's look at number nine, verse number nine for point three.

22:01.600 --> 22:05.180
It says, for they all made us afraid saying,

22:05.940 --> 22:08.400
their hands shall be weakened from the work

22:08.400 --> 22:09.560
that it be not done.

22:09.960 --> 22:13.400
Now therefore, oh God, strengthen my hands.

22:13.500 --> 22:14.480
So point number three is this.

22:14.900 --> 22:18.320
Haters will try to claim that you're going to fail.

22:18.320 --> 22:22.020
They're going to try to claim that your work is going to fail.

22:22.340 --> 22:24.500
And that's what they're saying about Nehemiah.

22:24.780 --> 22:27.640
They're saying, oh, his hands are going to be weakened from the work.

22:27.860 --> 22:29.240
He's not going to be able to get it done.

22:29.440 --> 22:31.100
Earlier in the book of Nehemiah, they said,

22:31.220 --> 22:33.760
oh, if a fox runs up on the wall that he builds,

22:33.860 --> 22:34.960
it's just going to fall over.

22:35.340 --> 22:37.420
So they want to downplay his success.

22:37.960 --> 22:40.700
And they want to just predict his failure.

22:40.940 --> 22:41.940
You know, and unfortunately,

22:42.480 --> 22:44.180
there are going to be haters like this in our lives

22:44.180 --> 22:46.380
that are just rooting for us to fail.

22:46.380 --> 22:48.720
You know, they just want us all to fail.

22:48.820 --> 22:50.380
They want your pastor to fail.

22:50.540 --> 22:51.520
They want me to fail.

22:51.680 --> 22:52.560
They want you to fail.

22:52.680 --> 22:55.540
They just want to see us fail.

22:55.840 --> 22:57.520
And it kind of, when I was reading this,

22:57.600 --> 23:00.140
it kind of made me think about the constant predictions

23:00.580 --> 23:04.400
of the quote, unquote, fall of the new IFB, right?

23:04.760 --> 23:07.480
Like the rise and fall of the new IFB,

23:07.540 --> 23:10.480
even though the NIV is thriving and we're in our prime.

23:10.860 --> 23:13.300
You know, that's just the reality of the situation.

23:14.100 --> 23:15.600
Obviously, our churches are thriving.

23:15.600 --> 23:17.680
There's no sign of slowing down whatsoever.

23:17.980 --> 23:19.500
I mean, I'm looking at your bulletin

23:19.500 --> 23:21.640
and you look at last year's salvations.

23:21.700 --> 23:24.200
And it's like, you guys have already like tripled that this year.

23:24.340 --> 23:26.200
And it's September, you know?

23:26.360 --> 23:30.720
So, you know, there's no dying or falling or oh,

23:30.820 --> 23:34.720
we're just in our final last few spasmatic death throes

23:34.720 --> 23:36.820
before we just give up the ghost over here.

23:37.060 --> 23:39.020
It's like, our churches are growing and thriving.

23:39.460 --> 23:41.100
And honestly, the numbers don't lie.

23:41.680 --> 23:42.180
It's that simple.

23:42.180 --> 23:46.380
I mean, just think about how Pastor Shelly up in Dallas,

23:46.560 --> 23:49.380
Fort Worth, what they have like 287 people

23:49.380 --> 23:51.600
on Sunday morning church.

23:51.960 --> 23:53.440
He's constantly texting me.

23:53.860 --> 23:55.900
Attendances that just blow me away

23:55.900 --> 23:59.420
of how that church is growing and thriving.

24:00.120 --> 24:03.000
And you know, this church is getting tons of people saved

24:03.000 --> 24:04.920
here in Houston, doing great.

24:05.080 --> 24:07.760
Our church in Phoenix is thriving growing.

24:08.140 --> 24:11.140
We've had over 5,000 salvations this year.

24:11.140 --> 24:12.620
And again, it's only September.

24:12.880 --> 24:14.320
We still got three more months to go.

24:14.520 --> 24:16.020
And so, you know, it's exciting.

24:16.640 --> 24:18.840
And so, you know, people try to say like,

24:19.080 --> 24:20.240
oh, they're going to fail.

24:20.540 --> 24:21.740
They're going to crash and burn.

24:21.980 --> 24:24.260
This is just a last ditch effort or whatever.

24:24.400 --> 24:28.380
Well, yeah, but it's like month after month, year after year

24:28.380 --> 24:32.240
of last ditch effort, final gas, final struggle,

24:32.260 --> 24:35.540
that last little bit of energy before you die or something.

24:35.820 --> 24:37.120
You know, if that's what this is,

24:37.200 --> 24:39.640
it's kind of lasting a long time, you know?

24:40.120 --> 24:41.160
Because if you think about it,

24:41.200 --> 24:42.600
sometimes that does happen when people die.

24:42.740 --> 24:43.700
It's like people are freezing to death.

24:43.840 --> 24:44.780
They get warm again, right?

24:44.960 --> 24:46.140
Before they die or something, you know?

24:46.320 --> 24:48.180
People drown and then they go unconscious

24:48.180 --> 24:50.400
and then they take one last gas per breath.

24:50.540 --> 24:51.880
Their body tries one more time to,

24:52.120 --> 24:54.820
yeah, that's what we do just for years on end.

24:55.240 --> 24:58.620
We're just always dying all the time.

24:58.760 --> 24:59.340
Just constant.

24:59.540 --> 25:00.360
It just never stops.

25:00.560 --> 25:01.360
Just constantly falling.

25:01.800 --> 25:03.860
We're going to, I guess we just keep falling

25:03.860 --> 25:05.900
and falling and we're just in a free fall.

25:05.900 --> 25:07.320
We must be in orbit or something.

25:07.320 --> 25:10.200
The way that we're just in free fall for years at a time.

25:10.720 --> 25:13.300
So I guess we're just going 18,000 miles an hour,

25:13.520 --> 25:15.100
just free falling around the planet.

25:15.280 --> 25:16.340
I guess that's what's going on.

25:16.680 --> 25:19.160
So number three is they're going to try to,

25:19.160 --> 25:21.400
you know, have this doom and gloom.

25:21.600 --> 25:23.820
You know, you're going to crash and burn.

25:24.180 --> 25:24.920
You're going to fail.

25:25.340 --> 25:26.540
You're not going to make it.

25:28.020 --> 25:29.400
But obviously they're wrong.

25:29.500 --> 25:30.220
Look at verse 10.

25:31.020 --> 25:33.360
Afterward, I came under the house of Shamiah,

25:33.460 --> 25:35.780
the son of Deliah, the son of Mahetabeel,

25:35.780 --> 25:37.800
who was shut up and he said,

25:38.000 --> 25:40.720
let us meet together in the house of God within the temple

25:40.720 --> 25:42.920
and let us shut the doors of the temple

25:42.920 --> 25:44.640
for they will come to slay thee.

25:44.920 --> 25:47.840
Ye in the night will they come to slay thee.

25:47.960 --> 25:49.920
So number four is that the haters,

25:50.280 --> 25:52.580
they want you to be intimidated and scared

25:52.580 --> 25:55.320
so that you'll just flee when no man's pursuing.

25:55.600 --> 25:58.100
They just want you scared of your own shadow.

25:58.220 --> 25:59.780
And they're trying to scare Nehemiah.

25:59.840 --> 26:02.120
Look at Nehemiah's response in verse 11.

26:02.120 --> 26:06.800
And I said, should such a man as I flee,

26:07.640 --> 26:10.500
and who is there that being as I am

26:10.500 --> 26:13.000
would go into the temple to save his life,

26:13.360 --> 26:15.020
I will not go in.

26:15.420 --> 26:18.320
And so notice Nehemiah is going to continue

26:18.320 --> 26:20.260
serving God publicly

26:20.260 --> 26:23.320
and he's not going to let fear stop him.

26:24.160 --> 26:25.200
He said, man, you know what?

26:25.300 --> 26:29.520
I'd rather die than go hide and cower in fear.

26:29.660 --> 26:31.060
He's like, should such a man as I hide,

26:31.060 --> 26:33.320
you think I'm going to go lock myself in the temple,

26:33.700 --> 26:36.860
shut the door, be scared, fleeing from my...

26:36.860 --> 26:37.580
He said, you know what?

26:37.580 --> 26:41.540
I'd rather just die than to just flee and cower in fear

26:41.540 --> 26:43.060
when there's a great work to be done.

26:43.420 --> 26:45.560
Hey, God wants us to keep serving him

26:45.560 --> 26:47.420
and he wants us to serve him publicly.

26:48.680 --> 26:51.560
We should be public about our service for God

26:51.560 --> 26:52.900
and not trying to hide it

26:52.900 --> 26:54.740
and trying to put it under a bushel.

26:55.180 --> 26:56.220
Notice that Nehemiah,

26:56.440 --> 26:58.560
he's not setting the sermons to private

26:58.560 --> 27:00.540
and putting it behind a password.

27:01.140 --> 27:03.700
No, we should be shouting it from the house tops, amen?

27:05.380 --> 27:06.040
And you know what?

27:06.320 --> 27:08.820
If you're a young person, you go to school,

27:09.080 --> 27:10.440
you go to work, go to different places,

27:10.780 --> 27:11.180
you know what?

27:11.380 --> 27:12.860
You should make it known that you're a Christian

27:12.860 --> 27:13.720
everywhere that you go.

27:14.320 --> 27:15.820
You know, go to school,

27:16.060 --> 27:17.360
bring your Bible with you to school.

27:18.120 --> 27:19.640
You know, talk to the people at work,

27:19.960 --> 27:21.620
talk to the people at school,

27:21.840 --> 27:22.880
talk to the people in your neighborhood,

27:23.100 --> 27:24.420
let them know that you're a Christian.

27:25.140 --> 27:26.660
Let them know that you're saved.

27:26.660 --> 27:29.540
Let them know that you believe in the Word of God

27:29.540 --> 27:30.740
and you can have opportunities

27:30.740 --> 27:31.880
to win those people to Christ.

27:32.540 --> 27:36.060
Don't be some kind of undercover, secret Christian.

27:36.880 --> 27:39.080
Be open about your service for God.

27:39.360 --> 27:40.700
Let me give you some examples of this.

27:41.580 --> 27:42.700
Daniel, chapter 6,

27:42.800 --> 27:43.500
you don't have to turn there,

27:43.780 --> 27:45.640
but of course they've made it illegal

27:46.240 --> 27:47.520
for Daniel to pray

27:47.520 --> 27:48.980
and he's in the habit of praying

27:49.500 --> 27:50.940
and they made it illegal

27:51.460 --> 27:52.760
and he was going to be killed

27:52.760 --> 27:54.440
if he prays to the Lord

27:54.440 --> 27:55.780
during this one month period

27:55.780 --> 27:57.840
and it says in verse 10 of Daniel 6,

27:58.260 --> 28:00.360
now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed,

28:00.700 --> 28:01.700
he went into his house

28:01.700 --> 28:03.420
and his windows being open

28:03.420 --> 28:04.880
in his chamber toward Jerusalem,

28:05.380 --> 28:08.040
he kneeled upon his knees three times a day

28:08.040 --> 28:10.640
and prayed and gave thanks before his God

28:10.640 --> 28:12.680
as he did a four time.

28:13.080 --> 28:14.000
He opens the window

28:14.660 --> 28:16.540
and he prays with the windows open

28:16.540 --> 28:18.220
just like he always does

28:18.220 --> 28:20.260
and just the fact that they're trying

28:20.260 --> 28:21.260
to persecute him

28:21.260 --> 28:22.420
and make it illegal

28:22.420 --> 28:23.320
and get him in trouble.

28:23.320 --> 28:25.700
He just did not change the routine.

28:25.960 --> 28:27.460
He's going to continue to serve God

28:27.460 --> 28:29.120
and he's going to continue to do it publicly.

28:30.240 --> 28:31.820
That's what we see in Daniel 6

28:31.820 --> 28:33.020
and of course that gets him

28:33.020 --> 28:34.140
thrown into the lion's den

28:34.140 --> 28:36.380
but God delivers him from the lion's den.

28:36.820 --> 28:38.880
Many are the afflictions of the righteous

28:38.880 --> 28:40.700
but out of them all

28:40.700 --> 28:42.340
the Lord delivers him.

28:42.840 --> 28:43.660
That's what the Bible says.

28:44.080 --> 28:46.800
Look, all that will live Godly in Christ Jesus

28:46.800 --> 28:47.740
shall suffer persecution.

28:48.000 --> 28:48.860
It's not just pastors

28:48.860 --> 28:50.200
they get persecuted.

28:50.440 --> 28:50.880
It's everybody.

28:51.420 --> 28:52.420
It's every layman,

28:52.420 --> 28:54.260
man, woman, boy and girl

28:54.260 --> 28:55.780
there are going to be people

28:55.780 --> 28:57.820
that come at you in your life.

28:57.860 --> 28:59.300
They want to scare you.

28:59.580 --> 29:01.020
They want to intimidate you.

29:01.160 --> 29:02.540
They want to slow you down

29:02.540 --> 29:04.460
and the way to overcome that

29:04.460 --> 29:05.260
you know the Bible says

29:05.260 --> 29:06.860
resist the devil and he'll flee from you.

29:06.960 --> 29:08.060
You know you got to just keep

29:08.060 --> 29:09.380
serving God publicly

29:09.380 --> 29:10.940
and stay bold,

29:11.220 --> 29:12.580
have the courage to keep going.

29:12.900 --> 29:14.500
The Bible says the wicked flee

29:14.500 --> 29:15.580
when no man pursues

29:15.580 --> 29:18.140
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

29:18.640 --> 29:20.520
You see having a clear conscience

29:20.520 --> 29:23.080
and knowing that you're following the Bible

29:23.080 --> 29:24.640
you know that what you're doing

29:24.640 --> 29:26.100
is consistent with God's word.

29:26.280 --> 29:27.620
You know you love the Lord.

29:27.860 --> 29:29.320
You know that people are being saved.

29:29.600 --> 29:31.060
You know that you're on the Lord's side

29:31.060 --> 29:33.180
and so you have that confidence

29:33.180 --> 29:35.020
that could just give you boldness

29:35.020 --> 29:37.640
to say nothing will stop me.

29:37.860 --> 29:39.720
Nothing will make me go dark

29:39.720 --> 29:40.860
to go quiet,

29:41.060 --> 29:42.080
to go underground.

29:42.320 --> 29:43.760
No, I'm just going to keep on going

29:43.760 --> 29:45.380
because if God's force

29:45.380 --> 29:46.320
who can be against us?

29:47.840 --> 29:48.620
And so he said,

29:48.660 --> 29:49.580
man, I'd rather die

29:49.580 --> 29:50.180
than go hide.

29:50.340 --> 29:51.300
You know you want me to go hide

29:51.300 --> 29:52.540
and shut the door and be scared.

29:52.660 --> 29:53.960
I'd rather die than do that.

29:54.200 --> 29:55.280
I'm going to keep serving God.

29:55.660 --> 29:56.640
What does the Bible say

29:56.640 --> 29:58.020
in Revelation 2.10?

29:58.080 --> 29:58.760
You don't have to turn there.

30:00.180 --> 30:00.480
But it says,

30:00.780 --> 30:01.520
fear none of those things

30:01.520 --> 30:02.460
which thou shalt suffer.

30:03.160 --> 30:04.600
Behold the devil shall cast

30:04.600 --> 30:05.660
some of you into prison

30:06.160 --> 30:07.480
that she may be tried

30:07.480 --> 30:08.900
and ye shall have tribulation

30:08.900 --> 30:09.700
ten days

30:09.700 --> 30:11.660
be thou faithful unto death

30:11.660 --> 30:13.660
and I will give thee a crown of life.

30:14.140 --> 30:14.860
You know and thankfully

30:14.860 --> 30:17.120
none of us have ever had to go to prison

30:17.760 --> 30:19.960
or be in the risk of being killed

30:19.960 --> 30:21.100
for the cause of Christ.

30:21.620 --> 30:22.760
You know as it says in Hebrews,

30:23.020 --> 30:24.280
you've not yet resisted

30:24.280 --> 30:24.840
unto blood

30:24.840 --> 30:25.980
striving against sin.

30:26.700 --> 30:28.140
You know God's kept us safe.

30:28.380 --> 30:30.220
God has protected us from those things.

30:30.440 --> 30:31.540
But the Bible is saying that

30:31.540 --> 30:32.980
even if you were to be thrown

30:32.980 --> 30:33.660
into prison,

30:33.960 --> 30:35.540
even if you were to be killed

30:35.540 --> 30:36.360
for the cause of Christ,

30:36.720 --> 30:39.240
God wants us to be faithful unto death

30:39.920 --> 30:40.540
and he says,

30:40.780 --> 30:41.920
I'll give you a crown of life.

30:42.500 --> 30:44.020
And so just as

30:44.020 --> 30:46.820
Christ was obedient unto death

30:46.820 --> 30:47.780
even the death of the cross,

30:47.900 --> 30:48.700
that's the commitment

30:49.260 --> 30:50.660
that God requires from us.

30:50.860 --> 30:53.540
And so if you can't even withstand

30:54.020 --> 30:55.520
a little bit of ridicule

30:55.520 --> 30:58.160
people saying all manner of evil

30:58.160 --> 30:59.340
against you falsely,

30:59.680 --> 31:00.620
persecuting you,

31:00.800 --> 31:01.660
criticizing you,

31:01.980 --> 31:03.160
maybe they're laughing at you

31:03.160 --> 31:04.020
on the playground

31:04.560 --> 31:05.820
or maybe they're you know

31:05.820 --> 31:07.280
snickering about you

31:07.280 --> 31:08.180
and poking each other

31:08.180 --> 31:09.540
at the water cooler at work

31:09.540 --> 31:10.020
or something

31:10.020 --> 31:11.860
because you're a fundamental Christian

31:11.860 --> 31:12.780
because you're

31:12.780 --> 31:14.180
live into a higher standard.

31:14.560 --> 31:15.520
You know whatever people

31:15.520 --> 31:16.940
say about you,

31:17.360 --> 31:18.380
criticize you,

31:18.700 --> 31:20.000
you know it's still better

31:20.000 --> 31:21.360
than taking a beating in an alley.

31:22.640 --> 31:23.880
You know you've not yet

31:23.880 --> 31:24.780
resisted unto blood

31:24.780 --> 31:25.720
striving against sin.

31:26.440 --> 31:27.380
You know none of us

31:27.380 --> 31:28.360
have been cast into prison

31:28.880 --> 31:30.040
so praise God for that.

31:30.320 --> 31:31.060
But he says,

31:31.120 --> 31:31.740
look some of you

31:31.740 --> 31:32.880
are going to be cast into prison

31:33.440 --> 31:34.400
and you'll have tribulation

31:34.400 --> 31:35.400
and when you hear tribulation

31:35.400 --> 31:36.260
for 10 days

31:36.260 --> 31:37.460
it sounds pretty doable.

31:38.060 --> 31:38.700
Like I feel like

31:38.700 --> 31:39.520
I could handle anything

31:39.520 --> 31:40.860
for 10 days, right?

31:41.380 --> 31:41.940
He says you'll have

31:41.940 --> 31:42.720
tribulation 10 days

31:42.720 --> 31:44.260
and obviously 10 days

31:44.260 --> 31:45.440
is a symbolic number

31:45.440 --> 31:45.700
here.

31:46.220 --> 31:48.220
But the symbolism of 10 days

31:48.220 --> 31:49.980
is a short period of time

31:49.980 --> 31:51.740
because nobody hears 10 days

31:51.740 --> 31:52.820
and thinks oh man

31:52.820 --> 31:54.120
that's super long.

31:54.740 --> 31:55.300
You know I mean hey

31:55.300 --> 31:56.140
if we're going to go to prison

31:56.140 --> 31:57.920
hopefully it's only for 10 days

31:57.920 --> 31:58.120
amen.

31:58.740 --> 31:59.760
And the idea is

31:59.760 --> 32:01.220
that in the scheme of things

32:01.220 --> 32:03.340
when we go to prison

32:03.340 --> 32:04.800
when we get persecuted

32:04.800 --> 32:05.820
when bad things happen

32:05.820 --> 32:06.500
that's on this earth

32:06.500 --> 32:07.720
you know our life

32:07.720 --> 32:08.500
is like a vapor

32:08.500 --> 32:10.480
that appears for a little time

32:10.480 --> 32:11.540
and then vanishes away

32:11.540 --> 32:13.080
so whatever it is

32:13.080 --> 32:13.980
that we endure

32:13.980 --> 32:15.540
for the 10 days

32:15.540 --> 32:16.860
of our tribulation

32:16.860 --> 32:18.640
the 10 days of our life

32:18.640 --> 32:19.380
here on this earth

32:19.380 --> 32:20.860
you know at the end of the day

32:21.400 --> 32:23.100
we can't even compare it

32:23.100 --> 32:24.100
with the glory

32:24.100 --> 32:25.340
that shall be revealed in us

32:25.340 --> 32:26.500
that the sufferings of this life

32:26.500 --> 32:27.640
are not worthy to be compared

32:27.640 --> 32:28.860
with the glory

32:28.860 --> 32:30.000
that shall be revealed in us

32:30.000 --> 32:30.600
the Bible says.

32:31.060 --> 32:33.580
So look at Nehemiah chapter 6 verse 12

32:34.220 --> 32:36.360
and we'll see Nehemiah's reaction

32:36.860 --> 32:38.480
besides you know saying

32:38.480 --> 32:39.840
hey I'd rather die

32:39.840 --> 32:41.220
than go hide

32:41.220 --> 32:42.240
and be scared

32:42.240 --> 32:43.220
and wimp out

32:43.220 --> 32:44.580
but he says in verse 12

32:44.580 --> 32:46.620
lo I perceive that God had not sent him

32:46.620 --> 32:48.280
you know the guy who's giving him this advice

32:48.280 --> 32:50.620
of like hey you just need to go dark brother

32:50.620 --> 32:52.120
you just need to just

32:52.120 --> 32:54.100
you know set it to private

32:54.100 --> 32:55.200
you just need to hide

32:56.320 --> 32:58.520
lo I perceive that God had not sent him

32:58.520 --> 33:01.180
but that he pronounced this prophecy against me

33:01.180 --> 33:04.360
for Tobiah and Sanballad had hired him

33:05.100 --> 33:06.480
therefore was he hired

33:06.480 --> 33:08.020
that I should be afraid

33:08.020 --> 33:09.380
and do so

33:09.380 --> 33:10.280
and sin

33:10.280 --> 33:11.680
and that they might have

33:11.680 --> 33:13.700
matter for an evil report

33:13.700 --> 33:15.020
that they might reproach me

33:15.020 --> 33:16.900
and of course this is always the devil's

33:16.900 --> 33:17.960
modus operandi

33:18.460 --> 33:20.020
is he'll tell you to do something

33:20.020 --> 33:21.140
and then when you do it

33:21.140 --> 33:22.660
he'll accuse you for doing it

33:23.200 --> 33:24.680
it's kind of interesting how the devil

33:24.680 --> 33:25.720
is both the tempter

33:25.720 --> 33:27.160
and the accuser

33:27.160 --> 33:28.360
how does that work

33:28.360 --> 33:29.060
it'd be like if

33:29.060 --> 33:30.080
a prosecutor

33:30.080 --> 33:32.040
was going around provoking people

33:32.040 --> 33:32.900
to commit crimes

33:32.900 --> 33:34.860
and then he's in court on Monday morning

33:34.860 --> 33:36.680
like this guy's terrible

33:36.680 --> 33:37.580
look what he did

33:37.580 --> 33:39.160
and then on Saturday and Sunday

33:39.160 --> 33:40.800
he's out like tempting people

33:40.800 --> 33:41.740
and entrapping people

33:41.740 --> 33:42.820
and trying to get them

33:42.820 --> 33:43.840
to commit crimes

33:43.840 --> 33:44.940
it'd be bizarre right

33:44.940 --> 33:46.900
but that's literally what the devil is

33:46.900 --> 33:48.020
he's the tempter

33:48.020 --> 33:49.480
and he's the accuser

33:50.000 --> 33:51.040
and it kind of reminds me

33:51.040 --> 33:52.480
of the story of Amnon

33:52.480 --> 33:53.520
in the Old Testament

33:53.520 --> 33:55.160
where his friend John Adab

33:55.160 --> 33:57.820
gives him the idea to commit this crime

33:57.820 --> 33:59.720
against his sister Tamar

33:59.720 --> 34:01.840
and then after he commits the crime

34:01.840 --> 34:03.780
John Adab was just kind of gleefully

34:03.780 --> 34:04.780
talking about it

34:04.780 --> 34:06.120
like oh yeah this is what you know

34:06.120 --> 34:07.300
this is what Amnon did

34:07.300 --> 34:09.300
because he's both the tempter

34:09.300 --> 34:10.840
and the accuser

34:10.840 --> 34:12.420
okay so these people

34:12.420 --> 34:14.660
they're trying to get Nehemiah

34:14.660 --> 34:16.840
to go flee and hide

34:16.840 --> 34:18.340
and cower in fear

34:18.340 --> 34:19.640
and then they're going to turn around

34:19.640 --> 34:21.700
and say oh look what a coward he is

34:21.700 --> 34:22.840
look how weak

34:22.840 --> 34:24.460
this guy doesn't have faith in God

34:24.460 --> 34:26.400
this guy's not trusting the Lord

34:26.400 --> 34:27.200
look how he's hiding

34:27.200 --> 34:29.340
even though they sent a fake preacher

34:29.860 --> 34:31.540
to tell him that it was the will of God

34:31.540 --> 34:32.220
for him to hide

34:32.720 --> 34:34.300
but he realized wait a minute

34:34.300 --> 34:35.600
this guy's not preaching the word of God

34:35.600 --> 34:36.860
this guy has been hired

34:36.860 --> 34:38.060
by my enemies

34:38.060 --> 34:39.580
look at verse number 14

34:40.440 --> 34:41.100
my god

34:41.100 --> 34:44.000
think thou upon Tobiah and Sandballad

34:44.000 --> 34:44.720
according to the

34:44.720 --> 34:46.260
according to these their works

34:46.260 --> 34:48.220
and on the prophetess

34:48.220 --> 34:49.400
Noah Daya

34:49.400 --> 34:52.300
you know this is some female preacher

34:52.300 --> 34:53.360
that was giving him trouble

34:53.360 --> 34:54.920
and the rest of the prophets

34:54.920 --> 34:57.960
that would have put me in fear

34:57.960 --> 35:00.280
and so we said point number four

35:00.280 --> 35:01.620
is that the haters

35:02.500 --> 35:04.160
you know they want to intimidate you

35:04.160 --> 35:04.980
and scare you

35:05.460 --> 35:07.320
so that you'll basically shut up

35:07.320 --> 35:09.360
so that you'll kind of just hide

35:09.360 --> 35:10.680
and cower in fear

35:10.680 --> 35:11.740
and not be effective

35:12.200 --> 35:12.940
serving God

35:12.940 --> 35:14.720
but now it's getting to point five

35:15.160 --> 35:16.880
because we're seeing all the devices

35:16.880 --> 35:18.360
of the haters in this chapter right

35:18.360 --> 35:19.740
we've seen all the different things

35:19.740 --> 35:21.340
they're going to try to pretend

35:21.340 --> 35:22.260
that they're for you

35:22.260 --> 35:23.140
they want to dialogue

35:23.140 --> 35:24.040
they want to learn

35:24.040 --> 35:25.320
they want to talk

35:25.320 --> 35:26.500
they want to counsel you

35:26.500 --> 35:27.840
they're here to help you

35:28.360 --> 35:29.160
and you know

35:29.160 --> 35:31.280
they're they're going to try to scare you

35:31.280 --> 35:32.900
they're going to try to do all these

35:32.900 --> 35:34.140
different things to get at you

35:34.140 --> 35:35.320
they'll they'll try to

35:35.320 --> 35:37.400
just downplay your success

35:37.400 --> 35:38.360
and act like oh

35:38.360 --> 35:39.660
you're on the verge of failure

35:39.660 --> 35:40.800
you're about to fail

35:40.800 --> 35:42.300
you're about to crash and burn

35:42.300 --> 35:43.440
you know we are

35:43.440 --> 35:44.620
everybody already sees it

35:44.620 --> 35:45.780
in fact we're already just

35:45.780 --> 35:47.980
announcing the the rise and fall

35:47.980 --> 35:49.060
of of you know

35:49.060 --> 35:50.420
spring crest baptist church

35:50.420 --> 35:51.800
you know we're already releasing

35:51.800 --> 35:53.380
a book called the rise and fall

35:53.380 --> 35:54.520
of spring crest baptist

35:54.520 --> 35:55.520
even though spring crest baptist

35:55.520 --> 35:56.220
is still here

35:56.800 --> 35:58.340
like that doesn't even make sense

35:58.940 --> 36:00.500
but look if you would at

36:00.500 --> 36:01.680
verse number 15

36:02.140 --> 36:03.360
it says so the wall

36:03.820 --> 36:04.680
was finished

36:05.320 --> 36:06.640
look how God gave the victory

36:06.640 --> 36:08.340
in spite of all the haters

36:08.340 --> 36:09.700
and all their machinations

36:09.700 --> 36:11.180
and all their huffing and puffing

36:11.180 --> 36:12.400
they get it done

36:12.400 --> 36:13.420
the wall was finished

36:13.940 --> 36:15.480
in the 20 and fifth day of the

36:15.480 --> 36:16.120
month elul

36:16.660 --> 36:18.140
in 50 and two days

36:18.820 --> 36:19.820
and it came to pass

36:19.820 --> 36:21.460
that when all our enemies

36:21.460 --> 36:22.580
heard thereof

36:22.580 --> 36:24.320
and all the heathen that were

36:24.320 --> 36:25.580
about us saw these things

36:25.580 --> 36:26.160
watch this

36:26.160 --> 36:27.020
this is the best part

36:27.640 --> 36:29.700
they were much cast down in

36:29.700 --> 36:30.520
their own eyes

36:31.200 --> 36:32.660
so when they hear that God's

36:32.660 --> 36:34.220
work goes forward

36:34.220 --> 36:36.100
this finish thriving successful

36:36.100 --> 36:37.980
they were much cast down

36:37.980 --> 36:38.860
in their own eyes

36:38.860 --> 36:40.540
for they perceived that this

36:40.540 --> 36:42.180
work was wrought of our God

36:42.180 --> 36:43.860
and so point number five is this

36:43.860 --> 36:44.340
the haters

36:44.340 --> 36:46.320
they secretly know that

36:46.320 --> 36:46.960
they're losers

36:47.940 --> 36:49.840
like in their own eyes

36:49.840 --> 36:51.960
they're cast down like oh man

36:51.960 --> 36:52.660
we lost

36:52.660 --> 36:53.380
you know

36:53.380 --> 36:54.980
the haters secretly know that

36:54.980 --> 36:55.520
they're losers

36:55.520 --> 36:57.260
which is why they just can't

36:57.260 --> 36:59.580
stop wasting their lives

37:00.140 --> 37:01.560
attacking good churches

37:01.560 --> 37:02.120
and good people

37:02.120 --> 37:03.300
it's sort of like the devil

37:03.800 --> 37:05.740
like what makes the devil tick

37:05.740 --> 37:08.320
what makes Satan keep doing

37:08.320 --> 37:08.800
is I mean

37:08.800 --> 37:10.640
Satan is going to lose

37:10.640 --> 37:11.720
we know this from the word of

37:11.720 --> 37:11.880
God

37:11.880 --> 37:13.100
we've read the final chapter

37:13.100 --> 37:14.500
we know how it is

37:14.500 --> 37:16.280
we know that the devil is doomed

37:16.280 --> 37:18.000
what is the point

37:18.000 --> 37:20.140
of the devil continuing to

37:20.140 --> 37:21.540
operate on this earth

37:21.540 --> 37:23.200
and have all his minions

37:23.200 --> 37:23.920
going everywhere

37:23.920 --> 37:25.100
you know what the devil

37:25.100 --> 37:26.080
wants to do

37:26.080 --> 37:27.300
is just take as many people to

37:27.300 --> 37:28.360
hell with him as he can

37:28.920 --> 37:30.680
because misery loves company

37:31.140 --> 37:32.480
and so the devil's doomed

37:32.480 --> 37:33.280
there's nothing the devil

37:33.280 --> 37:35.160
can do to fix his situation

37:36.580 --> 37:38.280
he is what he is

37:38.770 --> 37:39.680
he is a loser

37:40.250 --> 37:41.760
he can't fix his situation

37:42.510 --> 37:43.820
and so what can he do

37:43.820 --> 37:45.340
is just try to drag down as

37:45.340 --> 37:45.880
many people

37:46.370 --> 37:47.380
with him as he can

37:47.380 --> 37:48.980
you know that's that's the goal

37:50.300 --> 37:51.480
and so the haters

37:51.480 --> 37:53.620
they secretly know deep down

37:53.620 --> 37:55.460
they know that they are failures

37:55.460 --> 37:57.620
and that the Lord is with us

37:57.620 --> 37:59.440
they secretly know that they're

37:59.440 --> 37:59.860
losers

38:00.330 --> 38:01.860
and so the only meaning that

38:01.860 --> 38:03.100
they can find in their life

38:03.100 --> 38:06.100
is to continue to fixate on us

38:06.100 --> 38:07.480
obsess over us

38:07.480 --> 38:09.160
and just attack good Christians

38:09.160 --> 38:10.560
attack good churches

38:10.560 --> 38:12.080
you know because wouldn't you

38:12.080 --> 38:13.100
think that people would just

38:14.180 --> 38:15.220
even just

38:15.840 --> 38:16.480
like I said

38:16.480 --> 38:17.100
at work

38:17.100 --> 38:17.700
at school

38:17.700 --> 38:18.460
in the neighborhood

38:18.460 --> 38:19.580
just wherever you're out of life

38:19.580 --> 38:20.500
wouldn't you think

38:20.500 --> 38:22.300
that if someone just saw

38:22.300 --> 38:23.300
someone just trying to live

38:23.300 --> 38:24.540
a godly Christian life

38:24.540 --> 38:25.480
preach the gospel

38:25.480 --> 38:26.480
preach about Jesus

38:26.480 --> 38:27.180
you know

38:27.180 --> 38:28.920
even if they didn't believe in it

38:28.920 --> 38:30.220
you kind of expect them to

38:30.220 --> 38:31.080
just think like well

38:31.080 --> 38:32.300
this isn't really my thing

38:32.300 --> 38:32.920
but hey

38:34.220 --> 38:34.940
now look

38:34.940 --> 38:37.660
we obviously hate false religion

38:38.320 --> 38:40.080
because we are actually

38:40.080 --> 38:40.840
you know

38:40.840 --> 38:42.400
on the side of truth

38:42.400 --> 38:42.760
you know

38:42.760 --> 38:44.140
so because we love christ

38:44.140 --> 38:44.600
you know

38:44.600 --> 38:45.200
david said

38:45.200 --> 38:46.400
I hate every false way

38:46.880 --> 38:47.480
you know

38:47.480 --> 38:48.860
because we know the way the truth

38:48.860 --> 38:49.440
in the life

38:49.440 --> 38:49.780
so yeah

38:49.780 --> 38:50.580
obviously

38:50.580 --> 38:52.540
we're offended by hinduism

38:52.540 --> 38:53.820
we're offended by buddhism

38:53.820 --> 38:55.260
we're offended by islam

38:55.260 --> 38:56.520
and all these different false

38:56.520 --> 38:57.040
religions

38:57.040 --> 38:58.500
because we know we're on the side

38:58.500 --> 38:58.720
of truth

38:58.720 --> 38:59.720
but what's funny is when you see

38:59.720 --> 38:59.940
people

38:59.940 --> 39:01.780
they don't even have beliefs

39:02.300 --> 39:03.360
they don't even care

39:03.360 --> 39:05.560
they don't even believe in any religion

39:05.560 --> 39:07.340
they don't even believe anything

39:07.340 --> 39:08.140
and yet

39:08.140 --> 39:10.040
they're just so upset

39:10.040 --> 39:11.680
by the gospel going forth

39:11.680 --> 39:12.780
what it really is

39:12.780 --> 39:14.080
is that they're just being tools

39:14.080 --> 39:15.280
of the devil at that point

39:15.280 --> 39:15.540
you know

39:15.540 --> 39:15.840
because

39:15.840 --> 39:17.300
because unsafe people

39:17.300 --> 39:18.760
unfortunately they walk

39:18.760 --> 39:20.940
according to the prince of the power of the air

39:21.640 --> 39:23.320
the spirit that now worketh

39:23.320 --> 39:25.440
in the children of disobedience

39:25.440 --> 39:26.500
and so it's just

39:26.500 --> 39:26.980
you know

39:26.980 --> 39:28.160
you think people would just be like

39:28.160 --> 39:28.660
hey you know

39:28.660 --> 39:29.860
whatever christians

39:29.860 --> 39:30.640
you know

39:30.640 --> 39:31.780
they're living a clean life

39:31.780 --> 39:32.400
that you know

39:32.400 --> 39:33.400
they believe in jesus

39:33.400 --> 39:33.680
whatever

39:33.680 --> 39:34.820
but no that's not good enough

39:34.820 --> 39:35.280
it's like they

39:35.280 --> 39:37.140
they feel that they have to persecute

39:37.700 --> 39:38.380
god's people

39:39.940 --> 39:40.800
and you know

39:40.800 --> 39:41.320
and again

39:41.320 --> 39:41.980
typically

39:42.440 --> 39:43.820
if you think about the haters

39:44.340 --> 39:45.300
they don't typically

39:45.860 --> 39:47.420
have a lot going for themselves

39:47.420 --> 39:48.760
like it's not like

39:48.760 --> 39:50.380
they have some awesome work

39:50.380 --> 39:51.760
for god going over here

39:51.760 --> 39:52.980
and they just have

39:52.980 --> 39:53.460
boku

39:53.460 --> 39:55.020
salvations over here

39:55.540 --> 39:57.340
and just all this great preaching

39:57.340 --> 39:58.600
and all these church that they love

39:58.600 --> 39:59.460
it's like no no

39:59.460 --> 40:00.080
they have

40:00.080 --> 40:00.920
stuff that they

40:00.920 --> 40:01.880
that they hate

40:01.880 --> 40:02.980
they have

40:02.980 --> 40:04.040
stuff that they're against

40:04.040 --> 40:05.180
but it seems like

40:05.180 --> 40:06.880
they don't really have a lot of good stuff

40:06.880 --> 40:07.640
that they promote

40:08.560 --> 40:09.160
you know

40:09.160 --> 40:10.620
and i would hate to go through life

40:10.620 --> 40:12.240
just being against things

40:12.240 --> 40:13.440
and not for anything

40:14.060 --> 40:14.600
you know

40:14.600 --> 40:14.780
i mean

40:14.780 --> 40:16.380
imagine if our churches

40:16.380 --> 40:17.740
were just characterized

40:17.740 --> 40:18.440
just

40:18.440 --> 40:18.820
just

40:18.820 --> 40:19.820
we're just against

40:19.820 --> 40:21.120
false religion

40:21.120 --> 40:22.040
and we're just against

40:22.520 --> 40:23.000
sodomites

40:23.000 --> 40:23.900
and we're just against

40:23.900 --> 40:24.820
whatever sin

40:24.820 --> 40:26.260
but but if we weren't for anything

40:26.960 --> 40:27.440
right

40:27.440 --> 40:28.700
but what are we for

40:28.700 --> 40:29.740
we're for

40:29.740 --> 40:31.420
the Lord Jesus Christ

40:31.420 --> 40:33.000
we're for the gospel of Christ

40:33.000 --> 40:33.980
and we have

40:33.980 --> 40:36.260
not just a negative ministry of

40:36.260 --> 40:37.620
hey let's just call out

40:37.620 --> 40:38.520
every bad thing

40:38.520 --> 40:39.260
it's like no

40:39.260 --> 40:40.840
the biggest part of our ministry

40:40.840 --> 40:42.740
the heartbeat of our ministry

40:42.740 --> 40:44.000
the lifeblood of our ministry

40:44.000 --> 40:44.880
is the soul winning

40:44.880 --> 40:46.280
i mean

40:46.280 --> 40:46.860
all of

40:46.860 --> 40:48.100
all of our friends churches

40:48.780 --> 40:50.520
we're all aggressive about soul winning

40:51.160 --> 40:51.540
you know

40:51.540 --> 40:52.620
we're all just excited

40:52.620 --> 40:54.260
to just go out

40:54.260 --> 40:56.300
and just talk to total strangers

40:56.860 --> 40:57.520
and people

40:57.520 --> 40:58.720
that have just

40:58.720 --> 40:59.260
you know

40:59.260 --> 41:00.580
not even heard of us

41:00.580 --> 41:01.560
they don't know who we are

41:01.560 --> 41:02.160
from Adam

41:02.160 --> 41:02.940
and we just

41:02.940 --> 41:04.760
knock on some random person's door

41:04.760 --> 41:05.020
you know

41:05.020 --> 41:06.220
I was just out doing it yesterday

41:06.220 --> 41:06.560
you know

41:06.560 --> 41:06.720
just

41:06.720 --> 41:08.680
knock on some random person's door

41:09.240 --> 41:09.980
and just

41:09.980 --> 41:10.840
tell them

41:10.840 --> 41:12.660
the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ

41:13.180 --> 41:14.420
and get those people saved

41:14.420 --> 41:15.180
hey you know

41:15.180 --> 41:16.840
that's the kind of a mission

41:17.420 --> 41:19.380
that can keep you going for decades

41:19.380 --> 41:21.260
that can keep you going for a lifetime

41:21.260 --> 41:22.720
the positivity

41:23.300 --> 41:25.440
of bringing forth new life

41:25.440 --> 41:27.360
getting people saved

41:27.360 --> 41:29.260
pulling people out of the fire

41:29.260 --> 41:31.440
preaching the gospel to every creature

41:31.440 --> 41:31.940
you know

41:31.940 --> 41:33.180
that's going to keep you motivated

41:33.180 --> 41:34.300
in the long run

41:34.300 --> 41:35.400
not just like

41:35.400 --> 41:37.780
oh boy I just hate Muslims or something

41:37.780 --> 41:38.340
you know

41:39.040 --> 41:39.560
that's not

41:39.560 --> 41:40.940
that's not a strategy

41:40.940 --> 41:43.540
for a lifetime of service for God

41:43.540 --> 41:45.220
and so when people are just only

41:45.220 --> 41:46.720
banded together by hate

41:46.720 --> 41:48.320
and they're only banded together

41:48.320 --> 41:49.540
by what they don't like

41:49.540 --> 41:50.680
and what they don't approve of

41:50.680 --> 41:51.200
you know

41:51.200 --> 41:51.480
I mean

41:51.480 --> 41:52.480
it's pretty weird

41:52.480 --> 41:54.040
when people spend more time

41:54.040 --> 41:55.580
listening to preachers that they hate

41:55.580 --> 41:56.580
than preachers that they love

41:57.140 --> 41:57.660
because you know

41:57.660 --> 41:59.380
I only have so much time in my day

41:59.380 --> 42:01.140
and I only have so much energy

42:01.140 --> 42:03.060
and inclination to listen to sermons

42:03.060 --> 42:03.800
you know

42:03.800 --> 42:04.400
it's like

42:04.400 --> 42:06.560
if I'm going to listen to the haters

42:06.560 --> 42:07.740
and see what they're up to

42:07.740 --> 42:10.560
or am I going to listen to my friends

42:10.560 --> 42:12.060
listen to godly men

42:12.060 --> 42:13.580
listen to good ser-

42:13.580 --> 42:15.200
you know I'm looking down the list

42:15.200 --> 42:16.760
of sermons that have been preached

42:16.760 --> 42:19.760
I want to listen to sermons that I like

42:19.760 --> 42:21.720
that are from men of God

42:21.720 --> 42:22.560
spirit filled

42:22.560 --> 42:23.620
not like

42:23.620 --> 42:24.180
hey

42:24.180 --> 42:25.900
let's just go see what the

42:25.900 --> 42:27.520
Catholics are up to all day every

42:27.520 --> 42:27.760
I mean

42:27.760 --> 42:29.200
imagine just sitting and just listening

42:29.200 --> 42:30.520
to hours of Catholics

42:30.520 --> 42:32.280
just just just to see what they're up to

42:32.860 --> 42:33.920
just to nail them

42:33.920 --> 42:36.720
I'm just going to listen to hours and hours of

42:38.180 --> 42:39.060
the Mormons

42:39.780 --> 42:40.220
preaching

42:40.220 --> 42:41.460
you know let's just go on

42:41.460 --> 42:42.240
Mormon.org

42:42.240 --> 42:43.660
and just listen to hours of preaching

42:43.660 --> 42:44.560
just because I just

42:44.560 --> 42:46.160
I'm just so against Mormonism

42:46.160 --> 42:46.460
it's like

42:46.460 --> 42:47.180
yeah bro

42:47.180 --> 42:49.080
okay we're all against Mormonism

42:49.080 --> 42:50.560
we're all against Catholics

42:50.560 --> 42:51.920
and we might do a little research

42:51.920 --> 42:52.380
like

42:52.380 --> 42:53.600
hey what do Catholics believe

42:53.600 --> 42:54.280
Mormons you know

42:54.280 --> 42:55.640
so we can preach a sermon against them

42:55.640 --> 42:56.880
and then kind of move on

42:56.880 --> 42:58.080
with our lives

42:58.760 --> 42:59.880
but at the end of the day

42:59.880 --> 43:01.560
we're going to spend more time

43:01.560 --> 43:03.320
studying what we like

43:03.900 --> 43:05.240
reading the word of God

43:05.240 --> 43:07.000
listening to preaching that's actually

43:07.000 --> 43:07.820
good preaching

43:07.820 --> 43:09.440
and you know it reminds me of

43:10.480 --> 43:12.020
what I heard about people

43:12.020 --> 43:13.240
who are trained

43:13.240 --> 43:14.840
to spot counterfeit money

43:14.840 --> 43:16.600
typically they spend most of the time

43:16.600 --> 43:18.040
learning about the real money

43:18.700 --> 43:20.800
not necessarily just obsessing over

43:20.800 --> 43:21.720
the fake money

43:22.280 --> 43:23.720
because the thing about the fake money

43:23.720 --> 43:24.220
is that

43:24.220 --> 43:26.180
the fake money is constantly changing

43:26.780 --> 43:28.540
it's not like counterfeit money today

43:28.540 --> 43:30.260
is the same as counterfeit money

43:30.260 --> 43:31.080
of five years ago

43:31.080 --> 43:31.560
ten years ago

43:31.560 --> 43:33.020
because then it'd be too easy to spot

43:33.020 --> 43:35.340
so their ways are movable right

43:35.340 --> 43:36.680
the the counterfeit money is going to

43:36.680 --> 43:37.160
keep change

43:37.160 --> 43:38.180
they're going to keep coming up with

43:38.180 --> 43:40.220
new ways to counterfeit and trick you

43:40.880 --> 43:43.620
really the expert cashier

43:43.620 --> 43:45.080
or banker or whatever

43:45.080 --> 43:46.420
is really just getting really good at

43:46.420 --> 43:47.740
identifying the real thing

43:47.740 --> 43:48.860
they know what to look for

43:48.860 --> 43:49.620
if it's real

43:49.620 --> 43:51.200
they're studying the real thing

43:51.200 --> 43:52.900
you know we should spend more time

43:52.900 --> 43:54.420
studying the bible

43:55.620 --> 43:56.700
than fixating

43:57.220 --> 43:58.520
on false religions

43:58.520 --> 43:59.700
false teachers

43:59.700 --> 44:00.840
false prophets

44:00.840 --> 44:02.700
and yeah we might do a little research

44:02.700 --> 44:03.480
to expose them

44:03.480 --> 44:04.240
but you know

44:04.240 --> 44:06.520
it's pretty sad when that's your whole life

44:07.030 --> 44:09.140
is fixating on something that you don't

44:09.140 --> 44:09.760
believe in

44:09.760 --> 44:11.820
fixating on something that you hate

44:11.820 --> 44:13.300
spending a bunch of time

44:13.300 --> 44:15.100
on something that you don't care about

44:15.100 --> 44:15.720
you know we need

44:15.720 --> 44:17.760
something positive to drive us

44:17.760 --> 44:19.300
and what drives us

44:20.020 --> 44:21.280
in the new IFB

44:21.280 --> 44:22.340
in churches like this

44:22.340 --> 44:23.840
you know what drives us is our

44:23.840 --> 44:25.160
love for the lost

44:25.160 --> 44:26.840
going on getting people saved

44:27.340 --> 44:29.080
our love for the king james bible

44:29.080 --> 44:30.700
you know we love the bible

44:31.140 --> 44:33.140
and we love to talk about the bible

44:33.140 --> 44:34.980
we love to study the bible

44:35.460 --> 44:36.140
we love

44:36.140 --> 44:37.720
you know every part of the bible

44:37.720 --> 44:39.380
we love the old testament

44:39.860 --> 44:41.700
we love the obscure passages

44:41.700 --> 44:42.460
in the old testament

44:42.460 --> 44:43.900
we love the famous passages

44:44.380 --> 44:46.060
you know we love john 316

44:46.060 --> 44:47.720
and song 23

44:47.720 --> 44:48.880
and first chrithians 13

44:48.880 --> 44:50.860
but we also love all the deep dives

44:50.860 --> 44:53.040
and you know isiah jermaine

44:53.040 --> 44:53.840
ezekiel

44:53.840 --> 44:55.400
and you know we just love the bible

44:55.400 --> 44:56.760
we want to get together

44:56.760 --> 44:58.220
three times a week

44:58.220 --> 44:59.620
and hear the word of god

44:59.620 --> 45:00.860
because we love the word of god

45:00.860 --> 45:03.100
we want to go out and win souls to christ

45:03.100 --> 45:04.880
because we love winning souls to christ

45:04.880 --> 45:06.080
you know and there's so much

45:06.080 --> 45:06.940
positivity

45:07.580 --> 45:09.120
of loving our wives

45:09.120 --> 45:11.100
you know or loving our families

45:11.100 --> 45:12.760
and loving our friends

45:12.760 --> 45:14.160
and having fellowship

45:14.160 --> 45:15.960
and going on mission trips

45:15.960 --> 45:16.500
and going so

45:16.500 --> 45:17.900
you know these are the things

45:17.900 --> 45:19.260
that are going to bond us together

45:19.260 --> 45:20.680
and keep us going in the long run

45:20.680 --> 45:23.380
not just like oh we share a common enemy

45:24.060 --> 45:25.900
my enemy's enemy is my friend

45:25.900 --> 45:27.200
that's not really a great friendship

45:29.880 --> 45:31.180
but you know these haters

45:32.460 --> 45:34.620
they're they end up when they see us

45:34.620 --> 45:36.320
succeed they're much cast down

45:36.320 --> 45:37.140
in their own eyes

45:37.700 --> 45:39.580
and they kind of know that they're

45:39.580 --> 45:39.940
losers

45:39.940 --> 45:42.000
and that the most exciting thing

45:42.000 --> 45:43.300
that ever happened for them in their

45:43.300 --> 45:45.320
life was their their brief time with us

45:46.340 --> 45:47.320
you know what i mean

45:47.900 --> 45:50.060
it's kind of sick if you think about it

45:50.060 --> 45:51.440
it'd be like if you had some some

45:51.440 --> 45:53.520
ex-girlfriend from like years and years

45:53.520 --> 45:54.420
ago but like

45:55.020 --> 45:56.760
that short relationship she had with

45:56.760 --> 45:57.960
you that that's kind of the most

45:57.960 --> 45:59.640
exciting thing in her life still

46:00.280 --> 46:01.960
you know it's just like wow

46:02.540 --> 46:03.480
time to move on

46:04.600 --> 46:06.640
but the haters they can't stop

46:06.640 --> 46:07.880
because they're under the control

46:07.880 --> 46:09.060
of satan in many cases

46:09.560 --> 46:10.860
and that's why they can't stop

46:10.860 --> 46:12.680
they're cast down in their own eyes

46:12.680 --> 46:14.400
they kind of realize how stupid they

46:14.400 --> 46:16.840
are but they just keep on going

46:17.980 --> 46:19.560
but number six look at verse

46:19.560 --> 46:21.460
number 17 it says more over in those

46:21.460 --> 46:21.820
days

46:23.100 --> 46:25.520
the nobles of Judah sent many letters

46:25.520 --> 46:26.260
unto Tobiah

46:26.860 --> 46:28.880
and the letters of Tobiah came unto them

46:29.540 --> 46:31.100
for there were many in Judah

46:31.720 --> 46:32.800
sworn unto him

46:33.320 --> 46:35.080
because he was the son-in-law

46:35.640 --> 46:37.680
of Shekiniah the son of Era

46:38.140 --> 46:39.700
and his son Johanin

46:39.700 --> 46:41.140
had taken the daughter of

46:41.140 --> 46:43.320
Micholam the son of Barakaiah

46:43.320 --> 46:45.120
and so number six is this you know

46:45.120 --> 46:46.840
some people that are on the Lord's

46:46.840 --> 46:47.100
side

46:48.100 --> 46:50.080
they want us to be buddies with haters

46:51.140 --> 46:52.240
but they're misguided

46:52.240 --> 46:53.520
you know even people that are on the

46:53.520 --> 46:55.060
right side they somehow just want to

46:55.060 --> 46:55.960
get along with everyone

46:55.960 --> 46:57.760
and they want us to be buddies with

46:57.760 --> 46:59.580
haters but they're sorely misguided

46:59.580 --> 47:00.700
now what you'll notice here

47:00.700 --> 47:02.300
is that in verse 17

47:02.300 --> 47:05.560
it says you know in those days

47:05.980 --> 47:08.540
the nobles of Judah sent many letters

47:08.540 --> 47:09.360
unto Tobiah

47:09.360 --> 47:10.560
and the letters of Tobiah came

47:10.560 --> 47:11.400
into them so there it's like

47:11.400 --> 47:12.720
they're trying to stay in touch

47:12.720 --> 47:14.280
with Tobiah and Tobiah is the bad guy

47:14.980 --> 47:16.200
and then it says in verse 18

47:16.200 --> 47:17.140
there were many in Judah

47:17.140 --> 47:18.000
the ones in Judah

47:18.000 --> 47:19.300
these are the ones they're supposed

47:19.300 --> 47:20.800
to be on Nehemiah's team

47:20.800 --> 47:21.800
they're on the good team

47:21.800 --> 47:23.160
they're on the right side Lord's side

47:23.160 --> 47:25.440
they're sworn unto Tobiah why

47:25.440 --> 47:28.080
well because he's the son-in-law

47:28.080 --> 47:29.260
of Shekiniah

47:29.880 --> 47:31.600
and his son Johanin

47:31.600 --> 47:33.640
had taken the daughter of Micholam

47:33.640 --> 47:34.860
the son of Barakaiah

47:34.860 --> 47:36.500
so it's like they're family

47:36.500 --> 47:37.460
you know what do you do

47:37.460 --> 47:38.260
they're family

47:38.800 --> 47:40.760
so we gotta all try to get along

47:40.760 --> 47:42.500
you know what if they're haters

47:42.500 --> 47:43.720
nuts to them

47:43.720 --> 47:45.640
I don't care if it's your Siamese twin

47:46.600 --> 47:48.240
it's like oh they're family

47:48.800 --> 47:49.740
you know what

47:49.740 --> 47:51.580
you better be on the Lord's side

47:51.580 --> 47:53.400
and you know people that are

47:53.400 --> 47:55.020
against the work of God

47:55.020 --> 47:56.880
going against the truth

47:56.880 --> 47:58.100
going against men of God

47:58.100 --> 47:59.740
you know just it's time to cut

47:59.740 --> 48:00.740
those people loose

48:00.740 --> 48:02.220
you know and it's like well

48:02.220 --> 48:03.100
you know it's my

48:03.100 --> 48:04.920
you know uncle's cousins

48:04.920 --> 48:07.120
second roommate or whatever

48:07.840 --> 48:08.560
nuts to them

48:09.220 --> 48:11.680
so Tobiah is talking all this mad trash

48:11.680 --> 48:12.240
I mean look

48:12.240 --> 48:14.060
look how much evil Tobiah

48:14.060 --> 48:15.520
has sought to do to Nehemiah

48:15.520 --> 48:16.160
just in this chapter

48:16.160 --> 48:17.720
and again in earlier chapters

48:17.720 --> 48:19.820
Tobiah is already going after Nehemiah

48:19.820 --> 48:20.380
in other ways

48:20.380 --> 48:22.240
but just in chapter 6 alone

48:22.800 --> 48:24.360
Tobiah is saying and doing

48:24.360 --> 48:26.300
all these evil things

48:26.300 --> 48:27.300
look at verse 19

48:28.280 --> 48:29.080
it says

48:29.600 --> 48:32.160
also they reported his good deeds before me

48:32.160 --> 48:33.500
so people are coming to Nehemiah

48:33.500 --> 48:34.260
and saying like

48:34.260 --> 48:35.240
hey you know

48:35.240 --> 48:37.200
here's some good things about Tobiah

48:37.200 --> 48:39.040
like praising Tobiah to him

48:39.980 --> 48:42.160
and they uttered my words to him

48:42.160 --> 48:44.540
and Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear

48:44.540 --> 48:46.000
so Tobiah is like

48:46.000 --> 48:47.360
being super negative

48:47.900 --> 48:48.700
toward Nehemiah

48:48.700 --> 48:49.840
but then other people are kind of

48:49.840 --> 48:51.380
trying to tell Nehemiah

48:51.380 --> 48:53.060
hey you should be Tobiah's buddy

48:53.060 --> 48:53.620
you know

48:53.620 --> 48:54.680
he's not a bad guy

48:54.680 --> 48:56.120
let me tell you all the good things about him

48:56.680 --> 48:57.120
okay

48:57.800 --> 49:00.100
now turn if you went to Proverbs chapter 26

49:00.100 --> 49:01.440
Proverbs chapter 26

49:02.100 --> 49:03.320
and you know the bible says

49:03.320 --> 49:05.640
they that forsake the law praise the wicked

49:06.160 --> 49:08.200
but such as keep the law content with them

49:08.200 --> 49:08.700
you know

49:08.700 --> 49:11.360
don't come at me praising Tobiah to be

49:11.360 --> 49:12.300
I'm not interested

49:13.200 --> 49:13.760
so

49:13.760 --> 49:16.000
Tobiah just needs to be shunned and avoided

49:16.000 --> 49:17.080
and here's the thing

49:17.080 --> 49:18.420
when people get exposed

49:19.020 --> 49:20.060
as judices

49:21.340 --> 49:21.900
backstabbers

49:21.900 --> 49:22.760
infiltrators

49:22.760 --> 49:24.580
the natural normal reaction

49:24.580 --> 49:25.960
not as Nehemiah's reaction

49:25.960 --> 49:27.760
which is to eschew these people

49:28.480 --> 49:29.040
right

49:29.040 --> 49:30.900
whereas there are these kind of

49:30.900 --> 49:32.220
Rodney King types

49:32.220 --> 49:32.680
you know

49:32.680 --> 49:33.880
can't we all just get along

49:34.580 --> 49:35.980
and they kind of want us

49:35.980 --> 49:38.900
to just be buddies with people who hate us

49:38.900 --> 49:40.540
who literally want to kill us

49:40.540 --> 49:41.180
I mean look

49:41.180 --> 49:43.640
are Nehemiah's enemies playing games here

49:43.640 --> 49:44.840
because last I checked

49:44.840 --> 49:46.280
they're trying to lure him

49:46.280 --> 49:47.580
out into the countryside

49:47.580 --> 49:49.840
so that they can do mischief to him

49:49.840 --> 49:51.660
they're trying to go and kill him

49:52.120 --> 49:53.600
they're trying to get him arrested

49:53.600 --> 49:55.100
they're trying to get him in trouble

49:55.100 --> 49:55.820
with the government

49:55.820 --> 49:57.720
they're trying to physically hurt him

49:57.720 --> 49:59.600
they're trying to destroy his reputation

50:00.220 --> 50:02.800
they are evil wicked people

50:02.800 --> 50:03.380
and it's just like

50:03.380 --> 50:05.320
yeah but can't we just find a way to get along

50:05.320 --> 50:06.760
folks unfortunately

50:06.760 --> 50:08.820
you're not going to be able to get along with everybody

50:08.820 --> 50:10.340
it's a fool's errand to think

50:10.340 --> 50:12.040
that oh I'm going to be able to just

50:12.040 --> 50:13.660
you know bridge the gap

50:13.660 --> 50:15.680
between Jesus and Satan

50:15.680 --> 50:17.460
it's just not going to work my friend

50:18.120 --> 50:19.260
you know some people

50:19.260 --> 50:20.840
you just got to get away from them

50:21.560 --> 50:23.180
and again back to point one

50:23.180 --> 50:25.480
you know Nehemiah just didn't waste time with people

50:25.480 --> 50:27.520
he focused more on the work of God

50:28.100 --> 50:28.640
than on

50:28.640 --> 50:31.040
feeling like he has to just endlessly dialogue

50:31.540 --> 50:32.300
with haters

50:33.180 --> 50:35.280
because it can be just a big waste of time right

50:35.280 --> 50:38.780
look at verse 22 of chapter 26 there in Proverbs it says

50:38.780 --> 50:42.080
the words of a tail bearer are as wounds

50:43.100 --> 50:45.880
and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly

50:45.880 --> 50:47.700
another word for a tail bearer is like a

50:47.700 --> 50:48.720
you know a gossip

50:49.320 --> 50:49.980
a whisper

50:49.980 --> 50:52.240
a backbiter

50:52.240 --> 50:53.740
you know something like that

50:55.040 --> 50:58.620
and it says in verse 23 burning lips

50:58.620 --> 50:59.800
and a wicked heart

51:00.340 --> 51:03.480
are like a potchard covered with silver draws

51:03.480 --> 51:06.160
right is there's no value on the inside

51:06.160 --> 51:08.620
it just has a shiny coating on the outside

51:08.780 --> 51:10.880
look at verse 24 he that hated

51:12.260 --> 51:13.800
dissembleth with his lips

51:13.800 --> 51:16.220
and the word dissembl means there you know

51:16.220 --> 51:17.740
that he's being deceitful

51:17.740 --> 51:19.680
he's pretending to be something that he's not

51:19.680 --> 51:22.160
he that hated dissembleth with his lips

51:22.160 --> 51:24.620
and layeth up deceit within him

51:24.620 --> 51:27.940
when he speaketh fair believe him not

51:27.940 --> 51:31.200
for there are seven abominations in his heart

51:31.200 --> 51:32.240
and this goes back again

51:32.240 --> 51:33.920
to some of the early points of the sermon

51:33.920 --> 51:36.660
where these guys are trying to convince Nehemiah

51:36.660 --> 51:38.040
oh we want to counsel with you

51:38.040 --> 51:38.980
we want to meet with you

51:38.980 --> 51:40.180
we want to hear your side

51:40.180 --> 51:41.420
we want to talk to you

51:41.420 --> 51:42.100
we want to be your friend

51:42.100 --> 51:43.520
you know the bible say look

51:43.520 --> 51:45.960
when you've seen someone exposed

51:46.540 --> 51:48.080
as a tail bearer

51:48.080 --> 51:49.200
as a rotten person

51:49.200 --> 51:50.060
as a hater

51:50.060 --> 51:53.480
he that hated dissembleth with his lips

51:54.020 --> 51:55.140
he's trying to deceive you

51:55.140 --> 51:56.460
he's going to flatter you

51:56.460 --> 51:58.400
but he's setting a trap for you

51:58.400 --> 52:00.800
so it says when he speaketh fair

52:00.800 --> 52:02.900
verse 25 believe him not

52:03.420 --> 52:05.860
for there are seven abominations in his heart

52:06.980 --> 52:10.420
whose hatred is covered by deceit

52:11.360 --> 52:13.740
his wickedness shall be showed

52:13.740 --> 52:15.180
before the whole congregation

52:15.180 --> 52:16.980
you know ultimately these people get exposed

52:16.980 --> 52:18.300
before the entire church

52:18.300 --> 52:19.880
because congregation and church

52:19.880 --> 52:22.360
are used interchangeably in the scripture

52:22.360 --> 52:24.200
whose hatred is covered by deceit

52:24.200 --> 52:25.340
his wickedness shall be showed

52:25.340 --> 52:26.580
before the whole congregation

52:26.580 --> 52:29.560
whoso digeth a pit shall fall therein

52:29.560 --> 52:31.180
and he that rolleth a stone

52:31.180 --> 52:33.100
it will return upon him

52:33.100 --> 52:34.740
a lying tongue

52:35.480 --> 52:38.360
hateeth those that are afflicted by it

52:38.360 --> 52:40.700
and a flattering mouth worketh ruin

52:40.700 --> 52:43.900
and so notice the repetition of this word

52:43.900 --> 52:44.740
over and over again

52:44.740 --> 52:46.700
because in verse 24 it said

52:46.700 --> 52:48.400
he that hateeth

52:48.400 --> 52:49.500
in verse 26

52:49.500 --> 52:52.020
whose hatred is covered by deceit

52:52.020 --> 52:53.660
verse number 28 a lying tongue

52:53.660 --> 52:54.980
hate these are the haters

52:54.980 --> 52:56.240
what's the title of the story

52:56.240 --> 52:57.600
you say what are you talking about

52:57.600 --> 52:58.920
haters pastor arson

52:58.920 --> 53:02.160
what is this slang that you speak of

53:02.160 --> 53:03.060
you know the hater

53:03.060 --> 53:04.640
the devices of the haters

53:04.640 --> 53:05.900
what kind of a sermon title is that

53:05.900 --> 53:07.200
well you know the bible's talking about

53:07.200 --> 53:08.060
some haters here

53:08.980 --> 53:09.380
right

53:09.380 --> 53:12.720
and they lie and they hide the fact

53:12.720 --> 53:13.340
that they're haters

53:13.340 --> 53:14.920
and then you'll have these people

53:14.920 --> 53:15.400
that come along

53:15.400 --> 53:16.660
and they want you to be buddies

53:16.660 --> 53:17.340
with these people

53:17.340 --> 53:18.160
they want you to be friends with

53:18.160 --> 53:18.500
no look

53:18.500 --> 53:20.200
you know we had a guy in our church

53:20.200 --> 53:21.000
not that long ago

53:22.100 --> 53:23.860
who was pretending to be our friend

53:24.800 --> 53:27.020
and it turned out that his goal

53:27.020 --> 53:29.500
was to quote gather evidence

53:30.300 --> 53:31.880
against me and my wife

53:32.600 --> 53:34.140
because he literally wanted

53:34.140 --> 53:35.980
to take our children away

53:35.980 --> 53:37.180
and send us to prison

53:37.940 --> 53:40.580
okay so this guy is coming over to our

53:40.580 --> 53:40.960
house

53:40.960 --> 53:42.600
you know my wife's cooking them

53:42.600 --> 53:43.880
all these five star meals

53:43.880 --> 53:45.580
because my wife is incredible cook

53:45.580 --> 53:47.080
and so she's cooking all these

53:47.080 --> 53:48.020
five star meals

53:48.020 --> 53:50.600
for this totally unworthy

53:50.600 --> 53:51.840
ungrateful punk

53:51.840 --> 53:53.300
who's pretending to be our friend

53:53.300 --> 53:55.140
pretending that he loves us

53:55.140 --> 53:57.680
pretending to just want to spend time

53:57.680 --> 53:58.080
with us

53:58.080 --> 54:01.080
and really he's secretly conniving

54:01.610 --> 54:03.100
and out of his own mouth

54:03.100 --> 54:04.300
he's quote unquote

54:04.300 --> 54:05.860
gathering evidence

54:05.860 --> 54:07.620
and wants me and my wife

54:07.620 --> 54:08.500
to go to prison

54:09.340 --> 54:11.040
okay that's pretty serious

54:11.800 --> 54:13.900
all while pretending to be our friends

54:13.900 --> 54:15.900
hanging out with our kids

54:16.440 --> 54:18.120
you know under false pretenses

54:18.120 --> 54:19.240
and so forth

54:19.240 --> 54:20.760
and then after all this

54:20.760 --> 54:21.800
he admits quote

54:21.800 --> 54:24.000
there's no actual evidence

54:24.750 --> 54:25.460
you know so he spends

54:25.460 --> 54:26.920
months and months trying to

54:26.920 --> 54:28.260
get with my kids

54:28.260 --> 54:29.860
and talk to them privately

54:29.860 --> 54:31.360
and get them to say something

54:31.360 --> 54:32.820
he's coming to our house

54:32.820 --> 54:33.940
week after week

54:33.940 --> 54:36.160
and just trying to gather evidence

54:36.160 --> 54:36.640
or you know

54:37.220 --> 54:38.720
this Barney Fife

54:38.720 --> 54:39.440
over here

54:39.440 --> 54:40.100
because he's

54:40.100 --> 54:42.140
literally a cop as well by the way

54:42.820 --> 54:44.640
but he's a highway patrolman

54:44.640 --> 54:46.060
but he thinks he's like

54:46.060 --> 54:47.440
super detective

54:47.440 --> 54:48.960
I don't know who's the famous detective

54:48.960 --> 54:50.280
that is in all those

54:50.280 --> 54:51.040
Agatha Christie

54:51.880 --> 54:52.480
what's

54:52.480 --> 54:52.780
what's

54:54.380 --> 54:56.120
hair-cured plow row

54:56.120 --> 54:58.300
yeah so we got plow row over

54:58.300 --> 55:00.180
we got Colombo over here

55:00.180 --> 55:01.140
you know we got

55:02.560 --> 55:03.260
it's like

55:03.260 --> 55:04.480
he thinks that he's just

55:04.480 --> 55:06.240
Sherlock Holmes over here

55:06.240 --> 55:07.560
you know it's like bro

55:07.560 --> 55:09.040
he's just coming to our house

55:09.040 --> 55:10.200
and spending all this time

55:10.200 --> 55:11.060
talking to everybody

55:11.060 --> 55:12.360
and then at the end of it

55:12.360 --> 55:13.320
it's like oh snap

55:13.900 --> 55:14.180
quote

55:14.180 --> 55:15.700
there is no evidence

55:16.460 --> 55:17.800
okay this bozo

55:18.380 --> 55:20.080
but this is what's so funny about this

55:20.680 --> 55:22.240
I mean the guy is admitting

55:22.240 --> 55:23.780
to come into our house

55:23.780 --> 55:24.980
under false pretenses

55:25.740 --> 55:27.640
to gather evidence to try to

55:28.200 --> 55:29.000
slander us

55:29.000 --> 55:30.080
and to get our children to

55:30.080 --> 55:30.880
and do all these things

55:30.880 --> 55:32.340
and then this is what he does

55:32.340 --> 55:34.060
after that he whines about how

55:34.060 --> 55:36.160
oh I came to this church for years

55:36.160 --> 55:37.500
and then everybody just turned on me

55:37.500 --> 55:38.180
so fast

55:38.180 --> 55:39.240
when they found this out

55:39.240 --> 55:40.200
that I was doing this

55:41.260 --> 55:42.740
it's like yaw

55:43.620 --> 55:45.920
how could people not turn on you fast

55:45.920 --> 55:48.420
when they find out you're a Judas Iscariot

55:48.420 --> 55:50.320
it's not like they're going to be like

55:50.320 --> 55:53.220
oh well let's sit down and talk about this

55:53.800 --> 55:55.100
you know I'm sorry but when

55:55.100 --> 55:56.660
someone wants you in prison

55:57.120 --> 55:59.500
and they want to steal your children from you

55:59.500 --> 56:01.600
you can't quote work things out

56:02.700 --> 56:03.740
with that kind of person

56:03.740 --> 56:05.720
I mean if people are trying to kill you

56:05.720 --> 56:07.640
if people are trying to put you in prison

56:07.640 --> 56:09.840
if people are trying to destroy you

56:09.840 --> 56:11.360
and destroy your life

56:11.940 --> 56:13.560
and kidnap your family members

56:13.560 --> 56:15.660
and send armed people to your house

56:15.660 --> 56:16.740
to kidnap your family members

56:16.740 --> 56:18.260
I'm sorry but you can't just kind of like

56:18.260 --> 56:19.820
work now let's just sit down

56:19.820 --> 56:21.500
and work things out with these people

56:21.500 --> 56:21.840
right

56:22.320 --> 56:22.840
in fact

56:22.840 --> 56:24.780
maybe I should just take a little time off

56:24.780 --> 56:25.640
from pastoring

56:25.640 --> 56:27.640
just so I can just kind of work things out

56:27.640 --> 56:28.960
with these with these people

56:28.960 --> 56:31.000
it's like no that's not really the way it works

56:31.000 --> 56:32.880
because at the end of the day

56:32.880 --> 56:35.480
these people you can't work things out with them

56:35.480 --> 56:37.580
we're not gonna we don't need to sit down

56:37.580 --> 56:39.040
with Gishem the Arabian

56:39.040 --> 56:40.160
we don't need to sit down

56:40.160 --> 56:41.620
with San Bal at the Horonite

56:41.620 --> 56:43.220
we don't need to sit down with Tobiah

56:43.220 --> 56:46.540
these people just need to be eschewed

56:46.540 --> 56:48.760
that's what Nehemiah was smart enough to know

56:48.760 --> 56:51.140
and you know what he's constantly just talking to God

56:51.140 --> 56:52.240
in the book of Nehemiah

56:52.240 --> 56:54.140
which one interesting thing about Nehemiah

56:54.140 --> 56:56.540
is he'll be telling the story about what happened

56:56.540 --> 56:58.280
and then he'll just stop and be like God

56:58.280 --> 56:59.480
remember me

56:59.480 --> 57:00.640
this is what happened

57:00.640 --> 57:01.580
remember these people

57:02.260 --> 57:03.780
Lord punish these people

57:03.780 --> 57:05.420
Lord bless me help me out

57:05.420 --> 57:07.800
he just stops and prays over and over again

57:07.800 --> 57:09.640
throughout the book of Nehemiah

57:09.640 --> 57:11.360
because he realizes that you know what

57:11.360 --> 57:13.020
talking to these people is not going to fix it

57:13.020 --> 57:13.280
you know

57:13.280 --> 57:14.940
the only person you can really talk to

57:14.940 --> 57:15.980
that can fix it is God

57:16.480 --> 57:17.980
he's talking to God about it

57:17.980 --> 57:19.360
throughout the book of Nehemiah

57:19.360 --> 57:20.380
but at the end of the day

57:20.380 --> 57:21.600
he just says no

57:21.600 --> 57:22.680
I'm not coming to the meeting

57:22.680 --> 57:24.120
I'm not coming to see Gishem

57:24.120 --> 57:25.280
I'm not hanging out with Tobiah

57:25.280 --> 57:28.040
I'm too busy doing a great work for God

57:28.980 --> 57:31.160
and so let me give you a conclusion here

57:31.160 --> 57:32.420
that kind of ties it all together

57:32.420 --> 57:33.020
because we you know

57:33.020 --> 57:35.240
we just worked through the entire chapter didn't we

57:35.240 --> 57:38.060
I mean we just read through the entire chapter of Nehemiah 6

57:38.060 --> 57:41.200
and as we went through the chapter of Nehemiah 6

57:41.200 --> 57:43.140
we saw all these different strategies

57:43.140 --> 57:45.980
that Tobiah and his friends are trying to use

57:45.980 --> 57:48.760
to hurt and to harm and destroy Nehemiah

57:49.780 --> 57:52.020
and let me just boil down for you

57:52.580 --> 57:53.500
Nehemiah's response

57:54.120 --> 57:55.620
how did Nehemiah handle it

57:55.620 --> 57:56.860
because Nehemiah ends up a success

57:57.800 --> 58:00.600
you know and and when we get all the way to Nehemiah chapter 13

58:01.520 --> 58:04.080
there's still people that are rebelling against God

58:04.080 --> 58:06.620
the haters are still there in chapter 13

58:07.140 --> 58:09.440
in chapter 13 you get to the end of Nehemiah

58:09.440 --> 58:11.280
the haters have not gone anywhere

58:11.880 --> 58:13.760
and you still have the sympathizers

58:14.360 --> 58:15.680
trying to be buddies with the haters

58:15.680 --> 58:17.080
all the way in chapter 13

58:17.640 --> 58:18.740
you get to chapter 13

58:18.740 --> 58:20.800
and they've like moved one of the haters

58:20.800 --> 58:22.740
into this room in the temple

58:22.740 --> 58:25.440
and Nehemiah is just like throwing his stuff on the sidewalk

58:25.980 --> 58:29.000
I mean in chapter 13 Nehemiah is chasing people

58:29.600 --> 58:30.800
ripping out their hair

58:30.800 --> 58:32.600
you know doing all kinds of things

58:32.600 --> 58:33.840
he's still fighting

58:33.840 --> 58:35.020
he's still kicking

58:35.020 --> 58:36.380
he's still alive and kicking

58:36.380 --> 58:39.820
but at the end of the day Nehemiah is a success

58:40.940 --> 58:43.160
Nehemiah is the one who God blessed

58:43.160 --> 58:44.540
he got the wall finished

58:44.540 --> 58:46.220
the wall stayed up

58:46.220 --> 58:48.060
the people continued

58:48.720 --> 58:50.120
and you know mission accomplished

58:50.120 --> 58:51.660
as far as Nehemiah is concerned

58:51.660 --> 58:53.340
he gets a whole book of the bible named after him

58:53.340 --> 58:54.420
and he did great work for God

58:55.280 --> 58:56.540
but what did he do

58:56.540 --> 58:58.000
what did we see him respond

58:58.500 --> 58:59.480
in chapter 6

58:59.480 --> 59:00.200
well number one

59:01.040 --> 59:02.920
he didn't waste time on the bozos

59:03.960 --> 59:05.820
he did not waste time on bozos

59:05.820 --> 59:07.300
he didn't get sucked in

59:07.300 --> 59:09.120
to endless arguments

59:10.200 --> 59:11.000
endless conversations

59:11.840 --> 59:12.640
vein jangling

59:12.640 --> 59:13.300
going back forth

59:13.300 --> 59:14.220
I mean what does the bible say

59:14.220 --> 59:15.100
a man that is a heretic

59:15.100 --> 59:16.740
at the first and second ammunition reject

59:17.180 --> 59:18.280
what does the bible say

59:18.280 --> 59:21.080
it said go from the presence of a foolish man

59:21.080 --> 59:22.440
even if he's not a heretic

59:22.440 --> 59:23.560
if he's just an idiot

59:24.200 --> 59:26.220
go from the presence of a foolish man

59:26.220 --> 59:27.580
when they'll perceive us not in him

59:27.580 --> 59:28.380
the lips of knowledge

59:28.380 --> 59:29.440
there are certain people

59:29.440 --> 59:31.320
that just aren't worth the time

59:31.880 --> 59:33.460
you don't have to just engage

59:33.460 --> 59:35.700
with every back and forth

59:35.700 --> 59:36.920
especially online

59:36.920 --> 59:38.140
but also in person

59:39.040 --> 59:39.820
so number one

59:39.820 --> 59:41.080
he didn't waste time on the bozos

59:41.680 --> 59:42.460
number two

59:42.460 --> 59:44.020
he did rebuke the lies

59:44.020 --> 59:45.700
and false accusations when necessary

59:46.180 --> 59:46.760
you know

59:46.760 --> 59:47.640
but again

59:47.640 --> 59:49.060
he's not really required to

59:49.580 --> 59:51.140
if people lie about you

59:51.140 --> 59:51.780
and you know

59:51.780 --> 59:52.920
you could just ignore it too

59:52.920 --> 59:54.360
you don't even always have to respond

59:54.360 --> 59:55.080
but you know

59:55.080 --> 59:56.120
sometimes it is appropriate

59:56.120 --> 59:57.800
to rebuke the lies

59:57.800 --> 59:59.180
and false accusations when necessary

59:59.180 --> 59:59.960
number three

59:59.960 --> 01:00:00.840
what did neomai do

01:00:00.840 --> 01:00:03.500
he kept on working hard for the lord

01:00:03.500 --> 01:00:05.440
and there's a saying that people use

01:00:05.440 --> 01:00:08.380
that the best revenge is to live well

01:00:09.280 --> 01:00:10.020
but you know

01:00:10.020 --> 01:00:11.660
let me just put a little spin on that

01:00:11.660 --> 01:00:12.840
for the christian

01:00:12.840 --> 01:00:14.080
and say you know what

01:00:14.080 --> 01:00:16.460
the best revenge against the people

01:00:16.980 --> 01:00:18.740
that are trying to stop the work of god

01:00:19.060 --> 01:00:19.780
is to just

01:00:20.340 --> 01:00:21.680
push the work of god forward

01:00:21.680 --> 01:00:22.400
full speed ahead

01:00:23.360 --> 01:00:24.920
overcome evil with good

01:00:24.920 --> 01:00:27.560
by doing your best work for god

01:00:27.560 --> 01:00:28.420
you know

01:00:28.420 --> 01:00:29.760
instead of having to take vengeance

01:00:29.760 --> 01:00:30.740
and defeat them

01:00:30.740 --> 01:00:32.420
here's the way we're going to defeat them

01:00:32.420 --> 01:00:34.260
by going on and doing

01:00:34.820 --> 01:00:35.900
huge works for god

01:00:35.900 --> 01:00:37.260
that'll show them

01:00:37.260 --> 01:00:38.680
that'll shut them up

01:00:38.680 --> 01:00:39.800
and then they can

01:00:39.800 --> 01:00:41.780
huff and puff publicly all they want

01:00:41.780 --> 01:00:42.380
but we know

01:00:42.380 --> 01:00:43.800
that secretly privately

01:00:43.800 --> 01:00:45.580
they're cast down in their own eyes

01:00:46.640 --> 01:00:47.560
they know it

01:00:47.560 --> 01:00:48.180
we know it

01:00:48.180 --> 01:00:49.280
god knows it

01:00:49.940 --> 01:00:50.680
number four

01:00:50.680 --> 01:00:52.500
he prayed for courage

01:00:53.060 --> 01:00:53.440
you know

01:00:53.440 --> 01:00:54.940
he didn't succumb to fear

01:00:54.940 --> 01:00:57.340
he didn't give in to the intimidation

01:00:57.340 --> 01:00:58.400
and fear

01:00:58.400 --> 01:00:59.740
he prayed for courage

01:00:59.740 --> 01:01:00.880
number five

01:01:01.440 --> 01:01:02.820
he didn't envy the wicked

01:01:03.620 --> 01:01:04.140
right

01:01:04.140 --> 01:01:06.440
because their life is garbage anyway

01:01:06.440 --> 01:01:07.260
you don't want to trade

01:01:07.260 --> 01:01:08.740
do you want to trade places with the wicked

01:01:09.400 --> 01:01:10.380
absolutely not

01:01:10.980 --> 01:01:11.280
okay

01:01:11.280 --> 01:01:14.300
they might have on the outside

01:01:14.300 --> 01:01:15.540
something going for them

01:01:15.540 --> 01:01:16.080
but you know what

01:01:16.080 --> 01:01:16.700
at the end of the day

01:01:16.700 --> 01:01:17.800
don't envy the wicked

01:01:17.800 --> 01:01:19.920
because they are losers

01:01:19.920 --> 01:01:20.900
and they know it

01:01:20.900 --> 01:01:21.640
and god knows it

01:01:21.640 --> 01:01:22.540
and if you don't know it

01:01:22.540 --> 01:01:22.780
well

01:01:23.400 --> 01:01:23.880
you know

01:01:23.880 --> 01:01:24.760
you got to trust god

01:01:24.760 --> 01:01:25.280
that it's true

01:01:25.280 --> 01:01:26.460
because it is

01:01:27.500 --> 01:01:28.340
and then lastly

01:01:28.340 --> 01:01:29.160
this number six

01:01:29.160 --> 01:01:31.320
you cut people out of your life

01:01:31.320 --> 01:01:32.000
once you know

01:01:32.000 --> 01:01:33.280
that they're backstabbers

01:01:33.280 --> 01:01:34.160
you just avoid them

01:01:34.160 --> 01:01:34.700
you know

01:01:34.700 --> 01:01:36.240
and and honestly

01:01:36.240 --> 01:01:37.980
there have been people in my life

01:01:37.980 --> 01:01:38.920
where you know

01:01:38.920 --> 01:01:40.860
I just had to just cut people out of my life

01:01:40.860 --> 01:01:41.920
and people will criticize you

01:01:41.920 --> 01:01:42.660
for doing this sometimes

01:01:42.660 --> 01:01:43.240
when you just

01:01:43.240 --> 01:01:44.520
when you just cut ties

01:01:44.520 --> 01:01:45.140
with certain people

01:01:45.140 --> 01:01:46.160
and just cut people out of your life

01:01:46.160 --> 01:01:47.260
but when someone shows

01:01:47.260 --> 01:01:48.660
themselves to be a conniving

01:01:49.240 --> 01:01:49.800
backstabber

01:01:49.800 --> 01:01:50.360
a Judas

01:01:50.360 --> 01:01:51.700
a backbiter

01:01:51.700 --> 01:01:52.860
a whisperer

01:01:52.860 --> 01:01:53.660
an enemy

01:01:53.660 --> 01:01:54.800
a frenemy

01:01:54.800 --> 01:01:55.980
somebody who is

01:01:55.980 --> 01:01:56.380
you know

01:01:57.000 --> 01:01:57.560
maliciously

01:01:58.180 --> 01:01:58.460
just

01:01:59.260 --> 01:02:00.400
trying to flatter you

01:02:00.400 --> 01:02:00.920
and what you know

01:02:00.920 --> 01:02:02.760
once once a person like that is exposed

01:02:02.760 --> 01:02:04.620
just cut those people loose

01:02:05.360 --> 01:02:06.000
you know

01:02:06.000 --> 01:02:07.220
and I've I've cut ties

01:02:07.220 --> 01:02:08.560
with people in my life

01:02:09.020 --> 01:02:09.600
and there's

01:02:09.600 --> 01:02:12.200
you know I'm 45 years old

01:02:12.200 --> 01:02:13.300
and I've kind of been through the

01:02:13.300 --> 01:02:13.640
ringer

01:02:13.640 --> 01:02:14.120
you know

01:02:14.120 --> 01:02:14.740
because I've been

01:02:14.740 --> 01:02:16.540
obviously aggressively

01:02:16.540 --> 01:02:18.780
preaching God's work for 21 years

01:02:18.780 --> 01:02:20.160
I've been aggressively

01:02:20.680 --> 01:02:21.120
pastoring

01:02:21.120 --> 01:02:22.060
and and preaching

01:02:22.060 --> 01:02:23.260
and very public

01:02:23.260 --> 01:02:25.240
and and trying to really push myself

01:02:25.240 --> 01:02:25.920
and do a lot

01:02:25.920 --> 01:02:26.900
and so you know

01:02:26.900 --> 01:02:28.700
I've I've been through a lot of stuff

01:02:28.700 --> 01:02:29.660
and you know

01:02:29.660 --> 01:02:31.320
there have been a lot of attacks

01:02:31.320 --> 01:02:32.000
and haters

01:02:32.000 --> 01:02:33.220
and backstabbers

01:02:33.220 --> 01:02:33.680
and bozos

01:02:33.680 --> 01:02:34.440
over the years

01:02:34.440 --> 01:02:35.820
that I've cut off

01:02:35.820 --> 01:02:36.680
and you know what

01:02:36.680 --> 01:02:39.000
there's not a single one of them

01:02:39.000 --> 01:02:39.520
where I'm like

01:02:39.520 --> 01:02:40.200
oh I regret

01:02:40.200 --> 01:02:41.820
cutting that person out of my life

01:02:43.820 --> 01:02:45.280
but there are a lot of people

01:02:45.280 --> 01:02:45.740
where I'm like

01:02:45.740 --> 01:02:47.900
I should have cut that person out of my life a lot sooner

01:02:48.740 --> 01:02:49.700
you know what I mean

01:02:49.700 --> 01:02:50.380
and so

01:02:50.380 --> 01:02:52.420
unfortunately life is short

01:02:52.420 --> 01:02:54.020
okay life is short

01:02:54.020 --> 01:02:55.700
and so just feeling like

01:02:55.700 --> 01:02:58.000
you just have to keep everyone in your life

01:02:58.540 --> 01:02:59.840
that's holding you back

01:02:59.840 --> 01:03:01.040
that's slowing you down

01:03:01.040 --> 01:03:02.620
malicious rotten

01:03:02.620 --> 01:03:04.220
evil toxic people

01:03:04.220 --> 01:03:05.060
you know what

01:03:05.060 --> 01:03:06.240
just life is too short

01:03:06.240 --> 01:03:07.360
to keep those people in your life

01:03:07.360 --> 01:03:08.160
cut them loose

01:03:09.020 --> 01:03:10.360
okay now again

01:03:10.360 --> 01:03:11.100
you know

01:03:11.100 --> 01:03:13.440
lest some bozo twist the sermon

01:03:13.440 --> 01:03:14.800
that doesn't go for your spouse

01:03:14.800 --> 01:03:15.420
okay

01:03:15.930 --> 01:03:17.640
you never cut your spouse loose

01:03:17.640 --> 01:03:18.140
okay

01:03:18.140 --> 01:03:19.900
because it's till death do us part

01:03:19.900 --> 01:03:22.100
in case you've been listening to any of the sermons

01:03:22.100 --> 01:03:23.180
from Faithful Word lately

01:03:23.180 --> 01:03:25.460
you know that's been a little bit of a theme lately

01:03:25.460 --> 01:03:27.080
you know we've been preaching hard

01:03:27.080 --> 01:03:29.000
on the sanctity of marriage

01:03:29.000 --> 01:03:30.540
and staying married

01:03:30.540 --> 01:03:32.540
and staying faithful to your spouse

01:03:32.540 --> 01:03:33.900
you know being married

01:03:33.900 --> 01:03:35.460
that's not an optional relationship

01:03:36.010 --> 01:03:37.640
you know that's a vow that you made

01:03:37.640 --> 01:03:38.520
you keep your vow

01:03:38.520 --> 01:03:39.440
you stay married

01:03:39.440 --> 01:03:40.400
you stay faithful

01:03:40.400 --> 01:03:41.640
it's for life

01:03:42.240 --> 01:03:43.000
okay so

01:03:43.000 --> 01:03:44.400
there are certain people

01:03:44.400 --> 01:03:45.180
in our lives

01:03:45.180 --> 01:03:46.760
that are non-negotiable

01:03:46.760 --> 01:03:47.460
you know

01:03:47.460 --> 01:03:49.720
obviously we got to honor our father and mother

01:03:49.720 --> 01:03:50.480
no matter what

01:03:51.040 --> 01:03:52.820
and we've got to be faithful to our spouse

01:03:52.820 --> 01:03:53.400
no matter what

01:03:53.400 --> 01:03:54.240
but guess what

01:03:54.240 --> 01:03:55.280
there are other people

01:03:55.280 --> 01:03:56.780
in the periphery of our lives

01:03:56.780 --> 01:03:58.460
that are more optional

01:03:59.880 --> 01:04:01.700
you don't have to hang around

01:04:01.700 --> 01:04:02.740
with every single person

01:04:02.740 --> 01:04:04.340
you don't have to spend time

01:04:04.340 --> 01:04:05.360
with every single person

01:04:05.360 --> 01:04:07.520
and just because they're your second cousin

01:04:07.520 --> 01:04:08.300
once removed

01:04:08.300 --> 01:04:10.440
doesn't mean that you have to have that person

01:04:10.440 --> 01:04:11.040
in your life

01:04:11.040 --> 01:04:13.160
because you know at the end of the day

01:04:13.720 --> 01:04:15.140
who is my mother

01:04:15.140 --> 01:04:16.040
who are my brethren

01:04:16.040 --> 01:04:16.880
you know it's

01:04:16.880 --> 01:04:17.800
at the end of the day

01:04:17.800 --> 01:04:19.160
Jesus stretched forth his hand

01:04:19.160 --> 01:04:19.900
towards his disciples

01:04:19.900 --> 01:04:20.280
and said

01:04:20.280 --> 01:04:21.960
behold my mother and my brother

01:04:22.620 --> 01:04:24.960
for whosoever shall do the will of my father

01:04:24.960 --> 01:04:25.460
which is in heaven

01:04:25.460 --> 01:04:26.800
the same is my mother

01:04:26.800 --> 01:04:27.880
and sister and brother

01:04:27.880 --> 01:04:28.880
at the end of the day

01:04:28.880 --> 01:04:29.560
you know

01:04:29.560 --> 01:04:31.680
the ultimate family for us

01:04:32.180 --> 01:04:33.560
is the people of God

01:04:33.560 --> 01:04:35.960
and it's great when our physical relatives

01:04:36.520 --> 01:04:37.080
love God

01:04:37.080 --> 01:04:38.660
and we can share things with them

01:04:38.660 --> 01:04:40.640
and it's a blessing

01:04:41.280 --> 01:04:42.520
when our physical

01:04:42.520 --> 01:04:44.400
biological family members

01:04:44.400 --> 01:04:46.580
are on the same page with us spiritually

01:04:47.100 --> 01:04:48.440
and want to support us

01:04:48.440 --> 01:04:48.800
and they

01:04:48.800 --> 01:04:50.580
you know they're happy when we succeed

01:04:50.580 --> 01:04:52.440
they're happy when we're thriving

01:04:52.440 --> 01:04:54.560
and they rejoice when we rejoice

01:04:54.560 --> 01:04:55.860
and they weep when we

01:04:55.860 --> 01:04:56.640
when we weep

01:04:56.640 --> 01:04:57.780
because they actually love us

01:04:57.780 --> 01:04:59.500
you know that's a beautiful relationship

01:04:59.500 --> 01:05:01.840
when we can have those biological relatives

01:05:01.840 --> 01:05:03.580
that we can have good

01:05:03.580 --> 01:05:04.940
beautiful relationships with

01:05:04.940 --> 01:05:06.200
but you know at the end of the day

01:05:06.200 --> 01:05:09.080
just because I have shared DNA with someone

01:05:09.800 --> 01:05:10.880
who's a rotten person

01:05:10.880 --> 01:05:12.380
it's just like cut them loose

01:05:13.620 --> 01:05:14.880
because at the end of the day

01:05:14.880 --> 01:05:16.420
the spirit is what matters

01:05:17.080 --> 01:05:18.800
you know and I'm not trying

01:05:18.800 --> 01:05:20.720
to just be best buddies

01:05:20.720 --> 01:05:22.260
with every relative

01:05:22.260 --> 01:05:23.420
that's an atheist

01:05:24.100 --> 01:05:25.700
or just that's a rotten person

01:05:25.700 --> 01:05:27.500
or that's cheering for my downfall

01:05:27.500 --> 01:05:28.880
or cheering for my destruction

01:05:29.400 --> 01:05:30.560
you know at the end of the day

01:05:31.220 --> 01:05:32.780
you know with friends like those

01:05:32.780 --> 01:05:33.460
who needs enemies

01:05:34.500 --> 01:05:36.100
you know and so that's what

01:05:36.100 --> 01:05:37.400
I learned from Nehemiah

01:05:37.400 --> 01:05:38.740
in Nehemiah chapter six

01:05:38.740 --> 01:05:40.440
you know he had a great response

01:05:40.440 --> 01:05:42.960
to these machinations of the haters

01:05:42.960 --> 01:05:45.140
by not wasting time on bozos

01:05:45.700 --> 01:05:47.800
and continuing to work hard for the Lord

01:05:47.800 --> 01:05:49.540
just you know constantly looking to God

01:05:49.540 --> 01:05:50.880
for strength courage

01:05:50.880 --> 01:05:52.700
keep going push through

01:05:53.300 --> 01:05:54.840
cut people loose when necessary

01:05:54.840 --> 01:05:55.960
that's why he's a great man of God

01:05:55.960 --> 01:05:56.500
and a great leader

01:05:57.140 --> 01:05:58.920
and you know whoever you are out there

01:05:58.920 --> 01:06:00.240
man woman boy girl

01:06:00.240 --> 01:06:02.300
you know obviously I preach these things

01:06:02.300 --> 01:06:03.780
from the perspective of a pastor

01:06:03.780 --> 01:06:04.940
because I am a pastor

01:06:04.940 --> 01:06:06.500
you know so that's how I think

01:06:06.500 --> 01:06:07.740
and obviously

01:06:07.740 --> 01:06:09.820
other pastors that are hearing the sermon

01:06:09.820 --> 01:06:10.800
you know they're like

01:06:10.800 --> 01:06:12.540
understanding that point of view

01:06:12.540 --> 01:06:15.080
but really the sermon goes for every single person

01:06:15.080 --> 01:06:15.840
because like I said

01:06:15.840 --> 01:06:17.380
it's not only pastors

01:06:17.900 --> 01:06:19.200
that have haters

01:06:20.020 --> 01:06:20.860
you know just

01:06:21.200 --> 01:06:23.920
as soon as you start doing something big for God

01:06:23.920 --> 01:06:25.500
even if it's as a layman

01:06:26.040 --> 01:06:27.020
there are going to be people

01:06:27.020 --> 01:06:28.300
who try to take you down a notch

01:06:28.780 --> 01:06:30.500
I mean I remember when I was 17

01:06:31.140 --> 01:06:31.920
and 18

01:06:32.700 --> 01:06:34.040
just a nobody

01:06:34.600 --> 01:06:35.560
just a teenager

01:06:36.180 --> 01:06:37.600
I had no following

01:06:37.600 --> 01:06:39.100
I wasn't well known

01:06:39.640 --> 01:06:40.520
nobody cared

01:06:41.120 --> 01:06:43.280
and yet there were just constant people

01:06:43.280 --> 01:06:45.260
in my life trying to discourage me

01:06:45.260 --> 01:06:46.980
as I started going soul winning

01:06:46.980 --> 01:06:48.700
they're trying to make fun of soul winning

01:06:49.320 --> 01:06:50.560
discourage me from soul winning

01:06:50.560 --> 01:06:52.720
telling me not to go soul winning

01:06:52.720 --> 01:06:54.300
telling me that soul winning doesn't work

01:06:54.300 --> 01:06:55.900
trying to take me aside

01:06:55.900 --> 01:06:57.020
and sit down with me

01:06:57.020 --> 01:06:58.960
and trying to get the King James Bible

01:06:58.960 --> 01:06:59.820
away from me

01:06:59.820 --> 01:07:01.460
and trying to get me on the NIV

01:07:01.460 --> 01:07:03.180
and trying to get me on the ESV

01:07:03.180 --> 01:07:04.920
and it's like there were all these people

01:07:05.480 --> 01:07:08.460
trying to oppose the direction that I was going

01:07:09.380 --> 01:07:10.300
not supportive

01:07:10.840 --> 01:07:12.080
not encouraging me

01:07:12.080 --> 01:07:13.780
you know and I guarantee you

01:07:13.780 --> 01:07:15.720
you're going to have people in your life

01:07:15.720 --> 01:07:17.480
like that that try to stop you

01:07:17.480 --> 01:07:19.100
and fight you and slow you down

01:07:19.530 --> 01:07:20.720
and persecute you because

01:07:20.720 --> 01:07:23.240
all who will live godly in Christ Jesus

01:07:23.240 --> 01:07:23.960
just have persecution

01:07:23.960 --> 01:07:25.660
and so you know when that happens

01:07:25.660 --> 01:07:26.760
just think about Nehemiah

01:07:26.760 --> 01:07:28.260
and just think about hey this is

01:07:28.260 --> 01:07:29.300
this is life

01:07:29.300 --> 01:07:30.540
this is the way it's going to be

01:07:30.540 --> 01:07:31.700
I got to push through

01:07:31.700 --> 01:07:33.020
I'm not going to fixate

01:07:33.020 --> 01:07:33.840
waste time

01:07:33.840 --> 01:07:35.460
you know blow them off

01:07:35.460 --> 01:07:36.320
cut them loose

01:07:36.880 --> 01:07:38.280
let the dead bury their dead

01:07:38.280 --> 01:07:40.020
go preach the kingdom of God

01:07:40.020 --> 01:07:41.840
and do something great for God

01:07:41.840 --> 01:07:44.040
and try to have some positive in your life

01:07:44.040 --> 01:07:45.140
that you focus on right

01:07:45.140 --> 01:07:46.760
because I don't want to just go through life

01:07:46.760 --> 01:07:47.980
focus on negative things

01:07:47.980 --> 01:07:49.240
because it's going to it's

01:07:49.240 --> 01:07:50.660
it's bad for your digestion

01:07:51.620 --> 01:07:53.460
you know you're going to get a stomach pain

01:07:54.100 --> 01:07:55.480
right I want to go through life

01:07:55.480 --> 01:07:57.140
thinking about okay what's something

01:07:57.140 --> 01:07:58.060
I can build

01:07:58.060 --> 01:08:00.240
what's something positive that we can do

01:08:00.240 --> 01:08:02.100
you know you got to have those things

01:08:02.100 --> 01:08:02.880
that are lovely

01:08:02.880 --> 01:08:04.860
you got to have those things that are true

01:08:04.860 --> 01:08:06.360
honest just pure lovely

01:08:06.360 --> 01:08:07.100
and a good report

01:08:07.100 --> 01:08:08.720
to fixate on in your life

01:08:09.280 --> 01:08:11.240
and you know nuts to the haters

01:08:11.240 --> 01:08:12.280
let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer

01:08:12.280 --> 01:08:13.300
Father we thank you so much

01:08:13.300 --> 01:08:14.300
for your word

01:08:14.300 --> 01:08:15.520
thank you for this great chapter

01:08:15.520 --> 01:08:17.140
Nehemiah chapter 6 Lord

01:08:17.140 --> 01:08:19.200
help us to take inspiration

01:08:19.920 --> 01:08:21.580
from Nehemiah Lord

01:08:21.580 --> 01:08:24.020
and take lessons on how to deal with

01:08:24.560 --> 01:08:26.360
the the the naysayers

01:08:26.360 --> 01:08:27.760
and the opponents that were

01:08:27.760 --> 01:08:29.180
inevitably going to face

01:08:29.180 --> 01:08:31.780
when the great door is open and effectual

01:08:31.780 --> 01:08:34.060
there will always be many adversaries Lord

01:08:34.060 --> 01:08:35.900
they know their losers Lord

01:08:35.900 --> 01:08:38.860
help us to just not get discouraged

01:08:38.860 --> 01:08:40.780
but to follow Nehemiah's playbook

01:08:40.780 --> 01:08:42.080
and in Jesus name we pray amen