R326 Starting for the Finish

Starting for the finish. That's today's topic from God's Encouraging Word Dr. Don Wilton. Let's open God's word together as we had to our Bible study in just a moment in the book of Nehemiah chapter 2 we want you know that were available for reconnecting a number of ways to encourage you as you are starting for the finish.

Today's topic you can call us right now in 866-899-WORD 866-899-WORD 9673. Many are calling for prayer or to sign up for the three daily Encouraging Word Bible guide and send you a hard copy of that or you can sign up online as well at tewonline.org large, he wonderful way to launch your day email that pops in your box about 6 o'clock Eastern from Dr. Don Wilton that will encourage and I can sign up today online@tewronline.org now Dr. Don Wilton would turn with me to jail. Nehemiah chapter 2 book of Nehemiah in chapter 2 all subject this morning starting for the finish. You see starting for the finish is an interval part of our daily life. I know that all of the young people you would say will foxtrot open one day I'm very wealthy. Well I hope you want to, but there not a lot of people who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth they not a lot of Prince Charles in the world there Simon. I'm grateful for them, but they not a great deal of people who just inherited masses of wealth. I think it would be true to say that if you want to do well in life, you need to stock will your beginnings are very important. The things that you put into your body. Today I'm going to impact the way your body feels tomorrow. Your education today is going to impact where you are tomorrow the things that you put into place today are going to have a direct bearing on your tomorrow. Nehemiah found himself in such a position. God had given him a job to do. The walls were broken down, the people wearing disarray. There was much despair and despondency. God as a clear center Nehemiah Nehemiah I want you to be the one to go and gather my people to give.

I want you to read through the broken rules. I want you to reconstruct everything that I have intended for my people, and this is the goal to which I want you to move toward and Nehemiah was prepared to step out in faith. Nehemiah was prepared to overcome hurdles. Nehemiah was prepared to do all these things Buddy have to begin and at that beginning point Nehemiah made certain of certain things that he put into place that's read about some of them I want to read together with you and Nehemiah chapter 2 beginning at verse 11. Nehemiah says I went to Jerusalem and often staying there three days. I sent out during the night with a few men now this becomes remarkably interesting at this point I said out during the night with a few men I had not told anyone what God my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. They were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on.

I thought of the movie for the around the roof.

I mean nearby, hadn't even told these horses about this verse 13. By night I went out through the Valley gate toward the jackal well and the dung gate examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire, trimming the spores among the this man was an extraordinary organizer. He knew what to do and how to. He was a man of simple and yet profound faith and trust in God. What happens you look at verse 13. Again, I want to read read verse 13.

By night I went out through the Valley gate toward the jackal will and the dung gate examining the walls of Jerusalem, which are being broken down and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the fountain gate and the king spoon, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through that amazing heat.

The Bible says that he went up to this date, and he found out that he couldn't get his horse and I wanted that Taylor that told Nehemiah that he had better be careful of that date of the enemy came did never get the cavalry through their so he have to begin to think and preplanned as he started for the finish that if the enemy ever attacked him. He have to.

He had to distract the enemy and cause the enemy to come toward them from a different angle starting for the finish. So in verse 15, I went up the valley by not examining the wool. Finally I turned back and reentered through the Valley gate.

The officials did not know where I'd gone all what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priest or the nobles. All the officials or any others who would be doing the work.

Then I said to them you see the trouble we are in Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire, come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace.

I also told him about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king and said to me, so they replied let us start rebuilding. So they began this good work, but when Sam valid the horror night was the governor of Samaria told by the payment ninth official indicium the Arabs heard about it. They mocked and ridiculed us.

What is this you are doing that Australia rebelling against the king on sedan by saying the God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding.

But as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historical right to it by the Lord writing his word upon our hearts this morning starting for the finish. If you're willing to go back to Bethel as Jacob. If you're willing to go back to the place of your original commitment. If you're willing to let your life before God and say, oh God I messed up. You can say because of the grace of God I can start for the finish. Because God is the God of tomorrow. God is the God of the second tranche God is the God of the beginning again today can be the first day of the rest of your life.

It's not over so we find Nehemiah. Let's look at some of the principles that he put into place. First of all, and I'm going to personalize them number one. Surround yourself with good people. Look at verse 12. Go back to verse 12. Bible says I sent out during the night with a view men.

There were men and women that Nehemiah surrounded himself with that put an integral part of his stock for the finish. Surround your self with good people. I want to say something yeah especially to our young people. I love our teenagers and our young people you know that if you want me to give you a guarantee today. I'll give you guaranteed I will guarantee you that if you hang around with bad people, you will be, that I'm going to guarantee you if you surround yourself with with bad company you going to become bad company. If you surround yourself with godless people. You are going to begin to practice godless behavior. If you surround yourself with people who speak with four letter words and for all times you are going to start speaking in the same way if you surround yourself with people who haven't this done for godliness and for righteousness and for the things of the Lord Jesus Christ and his holiness. Your life is going to begin to become patent.

Often those people that you are surrounded with the Bible says we must be in the world but not all the world and I would exhort you today. If you are wanting to start for the finish you need to make an absolute mandate in your life that you're going to surround yourself with good people. My brothers, who do you play golf with your sons watch you play golf with your sons watch you play golf with somebody who blesses everything including the kitchen sink and it has a bad temper, and he uses four letter words on a golf course. I will guarantee your sons again to watch what they are doing and they going to wonder what in the world is going on in your own life. Surround yourself with good people make a decision. Young people at school don't find yourself gravitating toward company that is going to drag you down and chew you up and kill you down and spit you out in the gutter where the devil wants you to be surround yourself with good people. It's a basic principle in life inside of me pasta what must I do with bad people witness to them, love them, invite them to come to church stand up tall in their company stands firmly upon the principles that God is simply for you but I will guarantee you my friend.

If ever you going to get to the finish mark, you must surround yourself with good number to retain single hearted conviction retain single hearted conviction.

Look at verse 12. Again, look what happened. Nehemiah I sent out during the night with a few men I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. Very simple fact I didn't even tell my horse about it. He said I only had one mount. I didn't bring a whole cavalry with me God had written these things upon my heart every time I think about single hearted conviction. I think of Mary the mother of Jesus, who pondered these things in her heart that when pondering means that when God comes down upon you my friend. Allow God's spirit to take to receiving your own heart. Allow God to speak to you by God's word in your heart.

This man was a purpose driven man you sat down and written a vision statement. Are you able to know you all you know why you all the way you all do you know what you need to do you know how you need to do it where you need to do it when you need to do it. Are you a person who retains single hearted conviction very simple question two people know you to be a person of single hearted conviction while you like the wind blowing around all over the place.

Are you influenced by negative people.

If someone negative came up to you and began to talk negative things to you and began to criticize. Are you one of those people who becomes influenced by that's how you tell if you have single hearted conviction. If someone sidled up to you at work tomorrow and I said listen this and that and they began to get negative and criticize and break down and assassinate characters and give information to you.

Would you immediately begin to buckle under that hotel whether you have single hearted conviction.

You see a person of single hearted conviction is not swayed by the harlequins a block a person of single hearted conviction is the wise man Rosie's house upon a rock. When the floods, and the rains come the house on the rock does what stands for precious young people, teenagers build your house upon a rock. Build your house upon a rock is guaranteed. Surround yourself with good godly Christian friend as you start for the finish retain single hearted conviction I I there is not more beautiful in this world than a teenage boy or a teenage girl that has single hearted conviction. They know where they going that I know why they going.

They know who they are. They know where they stand. You know what it is because they have started for the finish. They've made a decision.

I've looked into the eyes of some teenagers and I want to just cry because you can see it in their eyes you can see the harlequins and the tornadoes of life every wind and every philosophy and every opinion in every criticism that comes around. They all acted like the wind to and fro, have a single hearted conviction. Number three build confidence required analysis does 1/3 principle about starting for the finish. Whether it's your marriage, say to me today will foster my marriage is on the rocks my marriage is on the rocks cannot start for the finish. Yes, you can build confidence through quiet analysis.

I want to show you something. Verses 13 and 14.

That's what the Bible says. The Bible says bind night I went out through the valley. Good. He didn't get up and make a big song in bonds about the didn't go out mentality but didn't blow the trumpet closer.

If you ever heard someone get up in the church and say well I think everybody needs to know about everything.

Also, not according to God's word, it wouldn't work that way we'd never get anything done this and that all the dads here this morning.

We talk about promise keepers you want something to start happening in your marriage and your family life. Don't get up and blow the trumpet about be about the business of quiet analysis. Have a look at your circumstances. Analyze all ask God what he wants you to do later without is the head of your load. Determine your strategy before you, and then act upon. Just forgive the interruption will be back with the rest of today's message starting from the finish with Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment had so many people asking about this wonderful double DVD set, making available right now on our website@twonline.org about trusting this wonderful message from Dr. Wilson and then a resource about the life of Ruth Phil Gramm.

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E. W online.org. Now back to today's great Bible teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. The message starting for the finish.

Sometimes we beat around the bush so much. We forget what Bush beating around always calling a meeting to see Nehemiah was about the business of building confidence quiet, spiritual analysis, what he. He did it in three states number one. He noted his surround. That's what the Bible says he noted he surround number two observed the course to be run.

He observed the course to be run.

I mean he even went up to one guy found that he thought I could just imagine the getting "if it was me jabbing him with every kind of electronic gear just to give him up to get what was that Nehemiah did. But the Bible says very clearly that he backed up in verse 15, he couldn't get so I went up the valley by not and began to examine the war now.

What happened is he went up to this particular diet which was the king's pool guy just bossed the fountain date and if you look at the construction of what was the situation back then. According to Josephus and the historians that Jake was up yet. What he did was he backed down and he went all the way around the Valley examining the total structure of the wool that was no longer there. Why was he doing that he was thinking ahead, quiet analysis, note your surroundings. Observe the course to be run and number three be mindful of the hurdles that you have to overcome your CD wouldn't have known about that guy. What would've happened was they would be building the wall we going to find out later on and the enemy would've come and he would've called up the cavalry and then he would've found out that they couldn't fit through the gate. And guess what would've happened. They would've been defeated. Nehemiah gained confidence starting for the finish. By virtue of quiet analysis.

You see he was awake when others were sleeping.

This was a man who was concerned when others wear these this leader was a person there was a party's close. He had asked Cindy's pants if you please.

He couldn't sit still. He was always doing something. He was in motion.

He was action personified. He was out there willing to do whatever it took.

Surround yourself with good people retain single hearted conviction, build confidence, required analysis, but I also want you to notice realize that some people will not understand now without the starting date, we haven't begun to run the race. I think it is appropriate that we understand because it comes up rocks or Nehemiah that some people will not under stand that will not understand there will always be the doctors there always be the criticizes folks I'll guarantee you young people listen to me when you make a resolution today you going to start for the finish. According to God's word. I'm going to give you another guaranty there again to be friends at school tomorrow who will not understand they going to give you the hardest time you've ever had in your life. No doubt about it.

You make a decision today that you going to start to the finish, there will always be those who don't understand and I don't want to understand there are those who don't know what is happening. There are those who watch what is happening, then there are those who make it happen where you fit into that scheme of things. You see friends here in verse 16.

The Bible says these people, not the Jews of the priests of the nobles or the officials or any others who were going to do the work that I didn't know about, but then he comes back in verse 19. And he tells us about San Ballard and he tells us about turbine he tells us about addition and he says these were not just people who didn't know about it. These were people who didn't want to know about their always going to be those who don't understand always be in the middle of the church there be some people go this morning. I'll guarantee you there's at least one person here today doesn't matter what happens you can stand on your head you can have an outpouring of God's spirit. You can see an incredible revival, you can see God move. They don't want to understand. I don't want to have anything to do this, I'll be there in person, but they'll criticize, analyze, they'll break down they'll be about the business of rumormongering they'll do whatever it takes.

There will always be people here this morning got to my Monday morning at school, at work on the playgrounds in the ball team in your civil organization at Rotary appliance at the waters. There will always be those who don't and won't. And never will understand they don't want to be a part of starting for the finish. Number five always begin with facts and fight always begin with facts and fight those two wonderful twins coexist together in God's scheme of things live in verse 17 and 18. I said to them, you see, we are in trouble Jerusalem lies in ruins. Its gates are destroyed and are being burned with fire, let's do something about. But then in verse 18.

My God is with us he's going to bless us. There is a wonderful there is a wonderful relationship between the Siamese twins in the scheme of God's thing God always brings back some place to get friends when you present the facts operating in the scheme of God's faith God is going to bless you can do that in your marriage can do that in your private life. Your whole life. You can do it anywhere you want to facts and fight three things he did, bringing facts and faith together in verse 17 and 18. He showed the need number two he outlined the cost and number three reassure them of God's blessing, nobody can argue with that.

He certainly outlined the talks and then he strode and assured them God's blessing always begin with facts and fight when you start for the finish. And finally, keep your eyes upon the God of heaven.

Verse 19 and 20. Say starting for the finish. Keep your eyes upon heaven to serve turn your eyes upon Jesus folding his wonderful place and the things of the gross frames lean the light of his glory is grace a powerful message. As we reveled God's grace just a moment, document and return to close out the program right now. I know that she wants you to be reminded that we are here for you love to pray with you, pray for.

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