R1677 Making a Big Decision

Facing a big decision. That's today's sermon topic from Dr. Don Wilton Nehemiah chapter 2 on The Encouraging Word the open God's word together know they were connecting 24 hours a day on our website at tewonline.org insurance requested more online W online.org. Today's message from Dr. Don Wilton ready for this to speak to about making the decision you got that making big decisions. So I'm a Christian man saw him dad and granddad. I got a lovely family man amongst a lot of friends and I love bowl games of any kind allowed to play golf, football, you name it. Accepting on no longer try to play some of those because I take one look at some of those other guys that play the game. They'd slap me in an instant, but I just love I love athletics.

I'm in a tell you as a Christian man. Now I just wanted to find that I'm a Christian man.

That means that I've given my heart to Jesus. I follow Jesus. I'm I do everything like everybody else, but I'm a follower of the Lord Jesus so he came into my heart and he forgave me for all my son.

I do lots of them and he gave me an inner joy and an inner peace and inner strength, and he did something for me that I don't think I could've done for myself. A lot of things I try to do. I try to be successful and go to school and do my work be among my friends and play ball hard. But I'm tiny without Jesus. He's made all the difference. So now you get why one of the probably the most important element to tell you about making big decisions. Domino tell you when you give your heart to Jesus Jesus God is involved in every decision you make everything and there are no less decisions than others. All decisions God knows about.

He loves you and him and he's going to help you but you not know they some decisions that are just big decisions right I mean like big decisions like I'm speaking to someone here right now and and you've already gone through high school and you may be in college or thereabouts, and you started falling in love with somebody and you think they the best thing since chewing gum and you are absolutely in love and you starting to think marriage. Let me tell you, marriage is a big decision. It's a big decision guys know why my assignment because marriage is a big decision you are going to live with that person for the rest of your life.

You going to be together you going to God willing you going to have children playing in the basketball leagues you going to go together, live together. You gonna worship together you going to earn money to get your misprint together you going to buy houses to get into big decision and I'm telling you, if you don't get God involved in that. If you want to know how big a decision is look at the end result of it.

What does your decision produce. If you did this, what does it bring so let me give you an easy one. Okay, somebody here today. You're trying to you thinking about buying a house and everybody wants to have a house in your couple you might've had a house out on what stage arena may be your first option you looking at buying a house and you know that you can buy that house there for so much that house they put so much in that house. Therefore so much, why is that a big decision, but we all know is houses cost money. Any questions right so let's just say your house that you want to buy costs. You know it's going to cost you $1500 a month to play the mortgage loan or whatever it is, however, you financed and you know that that is going to put a serious strain on your in, your income, so the money you're getting in before you get it in in your pocket. You know you've already got it play out $1500 a month on your house that's a big decision and God will help you make that decision. I want you to listen because you've got some big decisions to make, and God's going to speak to you. So the place. I always go is to the Bible so I want you to turn in your Bible in the Old Testament of the book of Nehemiah okay we going to be a Nehemiah bio I'm going to put it up there on the screen just in case you want to read it on the screen okay but it's very important for you to see this and this. This man Nehemiah God got a hold of these life he love God. He was a God follow and God put something in his heart. Okay, it would big guys. It was huge big big big big big big. I'm not going into details, even live where he was talking about. He lived in Persia. This was going on in Jerusalem.

He didn't have the influence he didn't have the position that the money he didn't have the power and he didn't have a motorhome to get in there. I mean, he had virtually and God putting these heart and the people's heart to go back to Jerusalem with the people of God were gathering and read mood that city remove the walls, bring back people together, minister to the people and hold the name of Jesus. There was, not a single thing about what God was telling him to do that was not big Jimmy just read you a little bit about it okay so I'm going to be a Nehemiah chapter 2 in the month of Nisan in the 20th year of King Artaxerxes Greg, namely, when wine was before him. I took up the one I gave it to the king not I had not been said in his presence, and the king said to me why Joe Peso said, seeing you are not sick. This is nothing but sadness of the heart. Then I see to the king, let the king live forever.

Why should not my face be said, when the city, the place of my father's graves lies in ruins and its gates are being destroyed by fire so the king said to me what you're requesting. So I prayed to God in heaven, and I see to the king, if it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight that you seen me to Judah to Jerusalem to the city of my father's graves that I may reboot it and the king said to me with the queen sitting behind deciding how long will you be gone and when will you return said please the king to send me when I'd given him a time and I said to the king, if it pleases the king, let letters be given to me is very very important to the gobblers of the provinces beyond the river in this place that they may let me parse through until I come to Judah and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king's forest so that he may give me timber building materials to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall occupy and the king granted me what I had lost him and the gracious good hand of the Lord's was on this big decision.

So then I came to the governors of the province beyond the ribbon gave them the king's latest.

Now the king also had sync with me offices of the Army and the horsemen, but queen sand ballot. The horror not interred by the aim and not servant hood.

This it displeases them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel. So I went to Jerusalem and I spent at least three days. The how do how did Nehemiah make a big decision ready for this one did Nehemiah do siliceous all ask about him.

Okay not asking this about you about me, but I want you in your heart right now.

God's already told you what's facing you some you've got a huge decision about your health puncture not asking you to stand up. The doctors of told you that something's going on and you got a big decision to make. You got a big decision to make about a job.

Maybe you got an offer of two jobs you don't know which one to go live. You got a big decision about your maybe right now you want about great students and you're about to graduate you Simon. I don't know whether to go to this college of this collagen label wonderful colleges but that's a big decision because it's going to carry with you for the rest of your lives. Look at the consequences of what you do. That's a hard thing for us to do right. That is a tough thing to do and sometimes it can be pretty bad.

I'm I'm not trying to give you something negative. It's but I know a man a medical doctor coming this Kaiser doctor wonderful man great guy and he went on a business trip with three of these buddies. I had a like a high school reunion trip so I will is that far yet we do that all the time. It wasn't the going on the trip. It's what they did on the trip.

They were away from the family away from their wives. They went to this place for them. They grew up together graduate together, went to college together. MMA got this great idea. Let's wonderful man. Nothing wrong with that and on the second night they were together, those four guys seated.

Let's go to that place and let's go rock the world and let's later Altman and they went to a place that I don't think that this man told me. He said my wife would be very unhappy with me. He said I would never I've never done that I don't do that at home, but when I bought with my friends all three of four of us said let's go to that place. Big decision. They went not happen had nothing to do them a fight broke out, and they were in that place and I will all drinking and whether that man wanted to or not. The cameras told the story he got involved in one man got killed, wanted tell you the end of that story that doctors talk to you right now is enjoyable. He didn't intend one. He's track record, but he was there he made a decision.

What decision are you making right now. So what did Nehemiah do Nehemiah looks at all his people, and God begins to speak to him and to the people that were with him, and he knows the people are in trouble. He knows the city's broken down knows the buildings are in disrepute. He knows there are families they got no protection. He knows all of this and I go to make a big decision because what he did not just give it to couple things number one, he humbled himself, he humbled himself, guys listen you want to make a big decision before God. Humble yourself. What is that mean you are awesome God to help you not run interference on the decision from your perspective, forgive eruption will be back for the rest of today's message.

Big decision from Dr. Don Wilton just a moment, but there's a big opportunity to connect with a powerful book from Dr. Wilson. If you haven't heard about salaries with Billy.

You need to consider visiting our website at tewonline.org. She my book Saturdays with Billy is about an extraordinary relationship with a precious man impacted lives across the world. You don't want to miss this opportunity to be inspired by his life to get the details on our website tewonline.org your call for your copy at 866899 word 866-899-WORD 9673. Now that today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton that's tough.

It's tough. You know the Bible says God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. You will accomplish far more in the decision you need to make. If you've got a humble spirit about going about trying to accomplish that.

And especially when it comes to God. Number two. He approached the throne Bible tells us very clearly that in verse three he approached the front by the way, the word approach they speaks to his aptitude. The attitude with which he came before the king. The aptitude you know sometimes when we all ask God to help us with the big decision. That's how we approach God, but you know how we approach God sometimes like a God. This is me man you know who I am God. Don't do that. He approached the throne, number three, he prayed to the Lord. He prayed to the Lord in Bible tells us he prayed. By the way if approach speaks to our attitude. Praying speaks to our speech. Have you ever had your son or daughter come up to you, mom, dad, and you looked at them and you said let me tell you what my own answers.

You gonna think about that a little bit and then you come back out to talk to your mama and you society in the right way and then I'll give you an onset now right. That's what we do. Sometimes it's not what we all lost its how we are so he prayed, number four, he face the facts. He face the fact the Bible says is the facts the city's broken people are divided. I got no protection.

He said everything was destroyed.

He said these are God's people. These are my people meant God's telling me what to do you face the facts cannot use a little Frazier facts is facts. Facts is facts.

Sometimes guys listen to this when you trying to settle a big decision. Face the facts.it's no good trying to make a decision about a big decision if you all tiptoeing and doing doggy paddle around the facts of your decision. So going back to my little illustration about buying a house with a $1500 note 1 of the what all the facts. What are the facts of your decision in relation to your decision.

Are you able to pay for that related to your income to your life to your well-being goes all the facts Aesop fact, not an insignificant fact is whether or not you like a four-bedroom or a three bedroom house. All right, those are sub facts, but the fact of the fact is an Nehemiah got to that point in the fact of the fact is, the walls were broken down so yes number five.

He surrounded himself with offices and then if the reader to begin, but in chapter 9.

The Bible says that the king had sent with me offices of the Army and the cavalry. They all came yes.

What's gonna happen to you when you have to make decisions in life. God will always surround you with the right coaches Boys and Girls Club cannot tell you something. Listen to your coaches. Listen to your mom. Listen to your dad listen to the people that God puts in your path way that person at work that person the church that person there that's instructing that all the person that close frame God always accompanies his children with offices of the Army and the cavalry. He surrounds us with amazing people.

I look around here, man alive.

MR surrounded mom and dad you not alone. My friend, you might've gone through divorce. You got a heavy heart today you are more decisions to make than you've ever made you not on your own you not you not abandon you know you you made you, you made that mistake didn't you you you send against God, you, you really disappointed your family and you belong to Jesus you you not on your own. God's got you surrounded man show you what the Bible says he, nor any surround himself with with offices but he encountered the enemy all the way. The Bible says in verse 10, when San Ballard and Tobiah heard of these things. It displeased them greatly that someone would be looking out for the people. Does this listen to this. This is not a single thing the devil likes about you doing what God wants you to do one thing you make a decision to start coming to church you've never had more things thrown in your way to stop you to come.

You might you make a decision you're a Christian and you make a decision that you are going to train like you've never trained before, so that you can go and you can play ball you can befit you got the right moves and you know all the watch out. I mean it'll coming every forming including just suddenly your toes don't feel to good. I mean, that devil will throw time in your face, your throat pain in your face you throw obstacles in your face you put people in your face.

Listen these guys you know who these guys were San Ballard, told by all of these guys they will all government is who would governors working on the authority of the Persian King. Their allegiance was to the Persians, not God of Israel, well Bible tells us he encountered the enemy when you got a big decision to make. Don't go. I cannot believe this because the devil is like a roaring lion. He doesn't want you to be happy married, you know that he wants you to cuss your wife out.

He wants you to slip back into that addiction you want you to pick up that lost take that shot he wants you to go to that place that you know you shouldn't go you one shooter to actually that's what the devil wants this a is a final thing they he activated his faith. He activated his faith Bible says when all was said and done, he knew God had spoken.

I love verse 11. He said he went to Jerusalem. Watch this. What does this teach us cannot just give this to you guys put this in your heart. This is about making big decisions right onset number one there are big decisions to be made and you already are identifying those in your life there all big decisions number two son decisions need to be big decisions. I'm just asking the question that thing that you dealing with have you put it in the box of this is just a small decision.

Maybe God wants you to identify the significance of what you doing you know sometimes guys we can go through life without all these decisions. Every decision is important.

Everything we do, whether to turn left or right, up or down, but sometimes maybe today God's telling you you need to take a lot more seriously. The decision you're about to make. Can I say this in a loving way. You may be treating this thing to likely number three have a pure heart. When you are scrawled to help you make big decisions.

Have a pure heart. If you don't have a pure heart like Nehemiah you know who's going to be your number one enemy. You you you know you and I many times are our biggest enemies why we, the biggest enemies because we all have opinions. Guys will let personalities. We all have ways of doing things. How do you ever get posture self. Have a pure heart. Number four. Always remember that prey is not an opinion. Prey is not an opinion. I just want to share this with you when you pray to God you not asking God for his opinion that when we talk to each other. We'll say what's your opinion. Dad what your mom what your coach what your opinion sometimes coach will look at you and say I'm not asking you for your opinion. Getting the guy right God. You're not all asking God for his opinion because he is God guys you don't think that God knows God loves you. Prayer is not our opportunity to consult with God about his opinion. Prayer is our opportunity to speak to God about his authority. What do you want me to do. Opinions are like ideas ever had a good idea and when you think about it you had a good idea for the lost 15 years, haven't you, if you don't turn your idea into an action is gonna float around their and it's eventually going to physical and pop you not discovered something about a lot of successful people that don't spend a lot of time with ideas. I get the idea and they settle on the authority and they make the decision and a new decision in your heart. Listen to Dr. teaching from the pulpit. Now, as he steps in the studio. Open your heart to what he wants to share next are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now they are gone. I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus name, my friend.

I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new if you just prayed with Dr. Wilton. Moments ago to give your life to Christ to rededicate your life to Christ.

Dr. Wilton has free resources. He wants you to have if you call 866-899-WORD that's 866-899-9673 or me this online we love to connect with you@twonline.org that's TW online.org. We are here to