April 27, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
God has strategically positioned you to make a difference for
his glow.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Doctor Tony Evans says, we shortchange the kingdom. We don't
use our skills and talents to influence our culture.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
One of the things we need to learn if we're
going to rebuild our community is to discover how God
can use our quote.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Unquote secular skill for sacred purposes.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. We've all been there,
waiting for something to change, but feeling like nothing is happening.
Neamiyah faced a similar challenge, a huge problem and no
clear solution except for prayer. For months, he simply asked
(00:45):
God to remember his promises. Today, Doctor Evan shows how
Neamiah's prayer reminds us that when we align with God's will,
change is already in motion, even when we don't see it.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Beginning in verse four, now it came about when I
heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned
for days, and I was fasting and praying before the
God of Heaven. When he heard about the collapse of
the world that he loved of the people that he
(01:18):
was a part of, of his community, if you will.
He was so hurt and so in pain that he
fasted and he prayed for many days.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
What I would like.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
To introduce is what I concluded with last time, and
that is that his first response was.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Prayer, not his last response.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
He didn't go to God after he tried all of
his human ingenuity, after he tried all of his human methods,
after he had tried all the secularistic.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Thinking, he went to God.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So this man is facing an impossible situation, the collapse
of his beloved civilization, and he prays. He says in
verse five, Now I said, I beseech the o Lord,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who preserves
(02:24):
the covenant and loving kindness for those who love him
and keep his commandments. Now most of us would have
jumped in and said, fixed this problem.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Lord.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Most of us would have jumped in and said, Lord,
I've got a problem, do something.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
But notice how he introduces his prayer.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
He introduces his prayer by reflecting on the character of God.
He doesn't start off with this problem. He starts off
with his God. Because when you've got a big problem,
you need a big God.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
And if you've got.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
A big problem, as Neah Mayah has, and therefore you
need a big God, you are to start off reminding
yourself of who your God is and what your God
can do. See, we panic because this thing looks so big.
We panic because we don't know how we're gonna get
(03:25):
this situation in our lives fixed. But when you see
a God who can buy the spoken word, create the universe,
when you see a God who knows every star by name, well,
what did you say was wrong? It is only the
Christian who is able to see their problem in light
(03:45):
of their God that has the confidence to move against.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
That problem with carriage. And so.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
He thinks about the great and awsome God in verse five,
and he talks about his character.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Not only is he great and nawesome, but.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
It says that he preserves the covenant and loving kindness
for those who love him and keep his commandments. He says,
God is not only awesomebody's faithful.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
He talked about preserving the covenant.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
The covenant means the binding relationship that God enters into
with his people, and as if people live in contact
with that covenant, they can be confident of God's grace,
God's forgiveness.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
In God's strength.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
When God's people get right with God, they can count
on him coming through for them. But Nea Mayah sees
a great problem that he doesn't have a solution for,
and all he can say.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Is Oh awesome God.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Verse six, Let thine here be attentive, and thine eyes open.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
To hear.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
The prayer of my servant, which I am praying for
thee day and night. Now we know he's praying for
many days. In fact, let me tell you how many
days he was praying. You know that in verse one
it began in the month of just left, And in
chapter two, verse one, he doesn't get an answer until
the month of Nicein Now, the difference between just leven
(05:23):
nicelnd is four and a half months. So he goes
some four and a half months praying. One of the
questions I'm often asking is how long do you pray
for something? Well, there's a very simple answer. Can you
get an answer? That's how long you pray? Sometimes it's
(05:44):
a day, sometimes it's a month. Sometimes, like him, it's
four and a half to five months. Other times it's years. Now,
God can only give you one or three answers. There's
only three answers, go and get. He can say yes.
Now that's the answer we generally want. He can say no,
(06:05):
or he can say nothing, which means wait until God
says no.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
You pray. You don't quit.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You pray until you hear something, because often God saying
nothing is God's saying let me arrange things for the
proper time to say yes.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
That's why you don't cut short praying.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
That's why you don't quit praying, because unless you've heard no,
you assume God is gonna say yes, gonna arrange things
different than what you ask, so that it might as
well be yes. Or get you ready for no. He
prays day and night. He says, I pray on behalf.
(06:50):
This is called intersession, praying on behalf of the of Israel,
sons of Israel by servants. Now look at this, confessing
the sins of the sons of israe real which we
have sinned against THEE.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I and my father's house have sinned.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
We have acted very corruptly against THEE and have not
kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which
thou discommand, thy servant, Moses. Now let me say something
that will not be popular. But unless you leave it
(07:28):
and take it seriously, nothing else will matter.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And that is that deterioration.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
In your personal life, family life, or societal life can
be traced back to sin. Let me say that again,
because this is what we've missed, even Christians have missed us.
The walls are broken down. You would say, well, what
you need is a contractor you don't have walls you
(08:04):
need somebody knows that to bill walls.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
No, no, no. The walls were.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Broken down because we have acted corruptly. Society dissipates because
we have acted corruptly. There is a breakdown of the culture.
Because we have acted corruptly. You can trace the headlines
(08:30):
of the morning news in terms of what's happening in crime,
and what's happening in economics, and what's happening in social
deterioration and racial strife to sin. That a city council
don't want to hear that. But this is something Christians
have got to come to understand. The Bible says sin
(08:51):
is a reproach to any people that when there is
a breakdown in righteousness in a culture, there is a
break down in the culture, and what people focus on
are the effects, not the cause. He traces it to sin. Now,
who's sin? He says, the problem exists because of the
(09:16):
sons of Israel. In other words, the people who are
in covenant with you are sinning, and so the culture
is deteriorating. The deterioration of a culture is tied to
the sinfulness of God's people, because the reason that God
has as people in the culture is as a preservative. Remember,
(09:40):
salt and light, You are the salt of the world.
We are here to sustain culture, but we often add
to the decline of culture because we.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Do not influence it for righteousness. See, that's why you.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Gotta have Christian politicians and Christian lawyers, and Christian doctors,
and Christian accountants and Christian everything else, so that there
will be a divine righteous presence in the culture. What
did God say, If my people, who will called by
my name shall humble themselves and pray and turn from.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Their wicked way, then I will heal the land.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
In other words, I can address the society when I've
got my people to work through.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So God is ready to heal the land. But when
we return to the message in just a moment, doctor
Evans will address one of the biggest barriers to that
healing before he does. Though. Today's lesson is part of
Tony's fifteen part sermon series on the Book of Nehemiah,
a powerful look at how God can use ordinary people
to accomplish extraordinary things. As we follow Nehemiah's journey to
(10:51):
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, we're discovering timeless truths about leadership, perseverance,
and spiritual renewal, truths that can help us overcome challenges
and step confidently into God's purpose for our lives. For
a limited time, you can get this complete audio series
for yourself on digital download as well as on either
(11:11):
CDs or a USB flash drive, along with Tony's compelling
book One Nation Under God, a timely and practical guide
to making a Kingdom impact in our culture. Just visit
Tonyevans dot org or call us at one eight hundred
eight hundred thirty two twenty two, make a contribution and
(11:32):
let us send you the Nehemiah audio series and One
Nation Under God once again. You can find all the
details on this special offer at Tonyevans dot org or
by phone at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two
twenty two. Well, let's get back to more now from
doctor Evans.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
One of the great failures today in American culture is
the failure of the Church of Jesus Christ to be
the church. In fact, some there's more mess in the
church than there.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Is in the world.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
There's more family disintegration in the church than there is
in the society. And the Bible says First Peter, Chapter fourth,
verse seventeen. Let judgments stop in the household of what faith,
and then we can address the unrighteous. Is the people
of God that provides the temperature that will affect the
(12:30):
well being of society. It is also true in a family, Lord,
please make my wife a better wife so I can
be a better husband. Please make my husband a better
husband so I can be a better wife.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Well, let's notice what Nearmiah does. He says, we have sinned.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Notice in the verse six a and my father's house
have sinned. In other words, he understood a fundamental principle,
and that is the principle of identification. Do you know
why you're saved today Because Jesus took your problem upon himself.
He identified with you. He became sin for us. Nilmah
(13:21):
understood that if even going to be part of the solution,
he had to.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Understand his contribution to the problem.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
He understood that as a representative in the nation, he
bore part.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Of the blame.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
We spend so much time blaming other folks that we
don't spend.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Enough time fixing us.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We look at the unrighteousness in society and we say
they are to stop doing that.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
But what are do you stop doing? So God can
use you?
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And so he says in verse eight, remember the word
which thou dost command thy servant, Moses, God doesn't forget.
Why are you telling God to remember with me? And
Mayah saying, Lord, you remembered your word about cursing us.
(14:21):
Say you remember that well, because we're in a mess,
because God had told them if you rebell against me,
if you leave me, my word says that I am
going to judge you. Nea, Mayah says God, I know
you remember that, because looking to mess we in.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
But remember your other word, remember the word verse eight.
If you are unfaithful.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I will scatter you among the peoples so they were
under Persian rule.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
But if you return to me and keep.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
My commandments and do them, though those of you who
have been scattered. Wouldn't they get this, were in the
shrim mode part of the heaven. I will gather you
from there and will bring them to the place where
I have chosen the cause my name to dwell.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Now, boy, I like this. You know what it says.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
No matter what mess you have created, no matter how
far left you gone, I got good news for hear you.
Some of you that messed up your life that a
doctor can't fix it, a psychologist and psychiatrist can't fix it.
Some of us have messed up our lives so that.
I mean, it's just there's nothing left to live for.
We've sinned so deep for so long, We've been addicted
(15:33):
for so long.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
We wonder if there is any hope in the world.
Remember that word. Remember you told me, Lord that if
I got right with you, if I.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Turned and repented of my sin, even though I was
way out there, he said, scattered to the outermost parts
of the heaven. Now that's a long way out, because
even though you away out there, I will gather you together.
(16:07):
I will turn the circumstances around. Just as God remembers
his word for judgment, he also remembers his word for blessing,
But it's conditioned.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
He says, on your decision to be faithful, no.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Matter how bad things get, God will honor his word.
That is where Second Chronicles fifteen one to six comes in.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
It says there was no God in the land.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
There was no teaching priest, there was no law, and
so God caused judgment to come upon the land until
the people called on his name. He continues now verse ten,
and they are thy servants and thy people whom boud
It's redeemed thy great power and by thy strong hand.
(17:01):
He's saying, we are your people. God obligates himself to
his people. God is not obligated to the non Christian world.
God is obligated to the Christian world. That's why the
Christian world can get things done for the non Christian world,
because we are the ones to whom God is obligated.
He comes to the last verse, which has a lot
in it. Let me summarize it for you. Verse eleven
(17:24):
is his petition. Here is what he wants. So he
deals with the character of God, he deals with his sin,
and now.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
He makes his request because now it's in perspective.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Oh Lord, I beseech thee, may thine ear be attentive
to the prayer of thy servant and the prayer of
thy servants who delight to revere worship your name. He says,
(17:58):
I'm praying, but a small group praying too. He says, recognize.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
This group, even though the people are still messed up.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Accept us as your representative who delight to reveal thy
name and make thy servants successful today, and grant him compassion.
Before this man, now, I was a cupbearer to the king.
Neel Mayah asked God to give him success. Now, there
(18:37):
are a number of things you need to know about
this scenario, of this prairie quest. Neil Mayah is not
a preacher. He's a layman. He's in politics. He's a
running a middle layman. He's just become upper class because
he's gotten some unique privileges. But he's a layman. So
what I want to tell you is that you don't
(18:58):
have to be a preacher to pray this. You don't
have to have a collar on, you don't have to
be ordained. This is available to you. Neil Mayah is
a layman. Ezra is the priest. Ezra comes in later.
Nel Mayah is a man in politics. First thing you
need to understand he's a layman. Second thing you need
to understand is that it dawns on him. Now, please
(19:25):
don't miss this, that God had already positioned him to
make a difference.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
He said, make thy.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Servants successful today, and grant him compassion before this man.
Now this man meant the king. He wanted to go
before the king and make an astounding request. He's getting
ready to ask permission to go back and rebuild Jerusalem.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Now you must to understand. You don't just.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Go and ask the king to go back and rebuild
Jerusalem if you have bearer, because you're the guy who
tastes the wine and tastes the food before the.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
King gets it.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
You're the one who make sure nobody assassinates the king.
So you're the one who's learned to trust and rely on.
He's not gonna let you just disappear into nowhere and
go miles away from him and him have to create
somebody else new in this position.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
When you've been the man he's been.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Using all these years, he says, grant me compassion this day. Now,
Please know the something else about prayer I mentioned it earlier,
Let me reiterate it now. In his mind he had
planned to go to the king that day. It didn't
work out that he could go to the king before
four and a half months. So your plans in God's
(20:39):
plans may not be the same plans. But when you
submit your plans to God's plans, the right plan will
come out. Or to put it in another way, all
things work together for good to them that love God
another called according to His purposes.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Sometime we get mad at God.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
God, I wanted that today, and I asked for that today,
and I trusted you for it today, and it's been
ten months and I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Don't worry.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
If the old folks used to say, wait till you change, come,
wait till you change. Car God hasn't forgotten you, but
he's working out a network of events that have.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
To do with timing.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Here is a fundamental flaw that has encapsulated the Christian Church,
and that is we have separated our careers from our worship.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Let me say that again.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Many of us have separated the fact that we worship
God from the skills that He has given us that
many of us are already utilizing in our employment. It
dawns on him, he says, I was the cup bearer
(21:53):
for the king. Now what does that mean? He had
not made the correlation before between being a cup bearer
and the plight of Jerusalem. It hadn't dawned on him
before that he was in the most strategic position possible. Now,
King ar dessert Sees for whom he worked is an unsaved,
(22:16):
unregenerate man.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
But he's got the power in his hand to solve
the problem. The question is how do I get the
power of our dessert sees to the people who need it.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
God had already provided the answer by making near Maya
the cup bearer. It just had never dawned on him before. See,
some of you work for different entities, but it never
dawned on you that God has strategically positioned you to
make a difference for his glory.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Are you see his skill and dollars? Are you see?
Is I do this to make a living?
Speaker 1 (22:56):
But you've not interpreted your cup bearing, that is your career,
as an opportunity to make a difference with the glory
of God. One of the things we need to learn
if we're going to rebuild our community is to kingdomize
our skill. That is, to discover how God can use
(23:16):
our quote unquote secular skill for sacred purposes.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
God is a divine purpose for.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Your ability, Doctor Tony Evans with an important and timeless
message and how God is ready to use you for
the advancement of His kingdom wherever you are in life. Now.
If you'd like to hear the full length version of
this message, you can receive it as a part of
Tony's fifteen part sermon series simply called Nehemiah. And don't
(23:45):
forget that special double offer I mentioned earlier. You can
receive all the lessons in this series bundled along with
his compelling book One Nation Under God. Both of these
resources are yours with our thanks for your donation to
help make this Listeners Reported program possible. Make the arrangements
today at one eight hundred, eight hundred thirty two twenty
(24:06):
two before time runs out. That's one eight hundred eight
hundred three two two two, or visit Tonyevans dot org.
Trying to fix a broken world without addressing its spiritual
foundation is like trying to build a house on shifting sand.
Is just not going to stand for long. Well tomorrow,
(24:27):
doctor Evan shows how true restoration in our communities, our families,
and even our nation begins with a return to God
for sure to join us.
God has strategically positioned you to make a difference for
his glow.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Doctor Tony Evans says, we shortchange the kingdom. We don't
use our skills and talents to influence our culture.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
One of the things we need to learn if we're
going to rebuild our community is to discover how God
can use our quote.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
Unquote secular skill for sacred purposes.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. We've all been there,
waiting for something to change, but feeling like nothing is happening.
Neamiyah faced a similar challenge, a huge problem and no
clear solution except for prayer. For months, he simply asked
(00:45):
God to remember his promises. Today, Doctor Evan shows how
Neamiah's prayer reminds us that when we align with God's will,
change is already in motion, even when we don't see it.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Beginning in verse four, now it came about when I
heard these words, I sat down and wept and mourned
for days, and I was fasting and praying before the
God of Heaven. When he heard about the collapse of
the world that he loved of the people that he
(01:18):
was a part of, of his community, if you will.
He was so hurt and so in pain that he
fasted and he prayed for many days.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
What I would like.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
To introduce is what I concluded with last time, and
that is that his first response was.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
Prayer, not his last response.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
He didn't go to God after he tried all of
his human ingenuity, after he tried all of his human methods,
after he had tried all the secularistic.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Thinking, he went to God.
Speaker 1 (02:01):
So this man is facing an impossible situation, the collapse
of his beloved civilization, and he prays. He says in
verse five, Now I said, I beseech the o Lord,
God of Heaven, the great and awesome God who preserves
(02:24):
the covenant and loving kindness for those who love him
and keep his commandments. Now most of us would have
jumped in and said, fixed this problem.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Lord.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Most of us would have jumped in and said, Lord,
I've got a problem, do something.
Speaker 3 (02:42):
But notice how he introduces his prayer.
Speaker 1 (02:46):
He introduces his prayer by reflecting on the character of God.
He doesn't start off with this problem. He starts off
with his God. Because when you've got a big problem,
you need a big God.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
And if you've got.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
A big problem, as Neah Mayah has, and therefore you
need a big God, you are to start off reminding
yourself of who your God is and what your God
can do. See, we panic because this thing looks so big.
We panic because we don't know how we're gonna get
(03:25):
this situation in our lives fixed. But when you see
a God who can buy the spoken word, create the universe,
when you see a God who knows every star by name, well,
what did you say was wrong? It is only the
Christian who is able to see their problem in light
(03:45):
of their God that has the confidence to move against.
Speaker 3 (03:50):
That problem with carriage. And so.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
He thinks about the great and awsome God in verse five,
and he talks about his character.
Speaker 3 (04:00):
Not only is he great and nawesome, but.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
It says that he preserves the covenant and loving kindness
for those who love him and keep his commandments. He says,
God is not only awesomebody's faithful.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
He talked about preserving the covenant.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
The covenant means the binding relationship that God enters into
with his people, and as if people live in contact
with that covenant, they can be confident of God's grace,
God's forgiveness.
Speaker 3 (04:34):
In God's strength.
Speaker 1 (04:36):
When God's people get right with God, they can count
on him coming through for them. But Nea Mayah sees
a great problem that he doesn't have a solution for,
and all he can say.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Is Oh awesome God.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Verse six, Let thine here be attentive, and thine eyes open.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
To hear.
Speaker 1 (05:00):
The prayer of my servant, which I am praying for
thee day and night. Now we know he's praying for
many days. In fact, let me tell you how many
days he was praying. You know that in verse one
it began in the month of just left, And in
chapter two, verse one, he doesn't get an answer until
the month of Nicein Now, the difference between just leven
(05:23):
nicelnd is four and a half months. So he goes
some four and a half months praying. One of the
questions I'm often asking is how long do you pray
for something? Well, there's a very simple answer. Can you
get an answer? That's how long you pray? Sometimes it's
(05:44):
a day, sometimes it's a month. Sometimes, like him, it's
four and a half to five months. Other times it's years. Now,
God can only give you one or three answers. There's
only three answers, go and get. He can say yes.
Now that's the answer we generally want. He can say no,
(06:05):
or he can say nothing, which means wait until God
says no.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
You pray. You don't quit.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
You pray until you hear something, because often God saying
nothing is God's saying let me arrange things for the
proper time to say yes.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
That's why you don't cut short praying.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
That's why you don't quit praying, because unless you've heard no,
you assume God is gonna say yes, gonna arrange things
different than what you ask, so that it might as
well be yes. Or get you ready for no. He
prays day and night. He says, I pray on behalf.
(06:50):
This is called intersession, praying on behalf of the of Israel,
sons of Israel by servants. Now look at this, confessing
the sins of the sons of israe real which we
have sinned against THEE.
Speaker 3 (07:03):
I and my father's house have sinned.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
We have acted very corruptly against THEE and have not
kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances which
thou discommand, thy servant, Moses. Now let me say something
that will not be popular. But unless you leave it
(07:28):
and take it seriously, nothing else will matter.
Speaker 3 (07:34):
And that is that deterioration.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
In your personal life, family life, or societal life can
be traced back to sin. Let me say that again,
because this is what we've missed, even Christians have missed us.
The walls are broken down. You would say, well, what
you need is a contractor you don't have walls you
(08:04):
need somebody knows that to bill walls.
Speaker 3 (08:07):
No, no, no. The walls were.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Broken down because we have acted corruptly. Society dissipates because
we have acted corruptly. There is a breakdown of the culture.
Because we have acted corruptly. You can trace the headlines
(08:30):
of the morning news in terms of what's happening in crime,
and what's happening in economics, and what's happening in social
deterioration and racial strife to sin. That a city council
don't want to hear that. But this is something Christians
have got to come to understand. The Bible says sin
(08:51):
is a reproach to any people that when there is
a breakdown in righteousness in a culture, there is a
break down in the culture, and what people focus on
are the effects, not the cause. He traces it to sin. Now,
who's sin? He says, the problem exists because of the
(09:16):
sons of Israel. In other words, the people who are
in covenant with you are sinning, and so the culture
is deteriorating. The deterioration of a culture is tied to
the sinfulness of God's people, because the reason that God
has as people in the culture is as a preservative. Remember,
(09:40):
salt and light, You are the salt of the world.
We are here to sustain culture, but we often add
to the decline of culture because we.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Do not influence it for righteousness. See, that's why you.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
Gotta have Christian politicians and Christian lawyers, and Christian doctors,
and Christian accountants and Christian everything else, so that there
will be a divine righteous presence in the culture. What
did God say, If my people, who will called by
my name shall humble themselves and pray and turn from.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Their wicked way, then I will heal the land.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
In other words, I can address the society when I've
got my people to work through.
Speaker 2 (10:27):
So God is ready to heal the land. But when
we return to the message in just a moment, doctor
Evans will address one of the biggest barriers to that
healing before he does. Though. Today's lesson is part of
Tony's fifteen part sermon series on the Book of Nehemiah,
a powerful look at how God can use ordinary people
to accomplish extraordinary things. As we follow Nehemiah's journey to
(10:51):
rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, we're discovering timeless truths about leadership, perseverance,
and spiritual renewal, truths that can help us overcome challenges
and step confidently into God's purpose for our lives. For
a limited time, you can get this complete audio series
for yourself on digital download as well as on either
(11:11):
CDs or a USB flash drive, along with Tony's compelling
book One Nation Under God, a timely and practical guide
to making a Kingdom impact in our culture. Just visit
Tonyevans dot org or call us at one eight hundred
eight hundred thirty two twenty two, make a contribution and
(11:32):
let us send you the Nehemiah audio series and One
Nation Under God once again. You can find all the
details on this special offer at Tonyevans dot org or
by phone at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two
twenty two. Well, let's get back to more now from
doctor Evans.
Speaker 1 (11:51):
One of the great failures today in American culture is
the failure of the Church of Jesus Christ to be
the church. In fact, some there's more mess in the
church than there.
Speaker 3 (12:04):
Is in the world.
Speaker 1 (12:05):
There's more family disintegration in the church than there is
in the society. And the Bible says First Peter, Chapter fourth,
verse seventeen. Let judgments stop in the household of what faith,
and then we can address the unrighteous. Is the people
of God that provides the temperature that will affect the
(12:30):
well being of society. It is also true in a family, Lord,
please make my wife a better wife so I can
be a better husband. Please make my husband a better
husband so I can be a better wife.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
Well, let's notice what Nearmiah does. He says, we have sinned.
Speaker 1 (12:57):
Notice in the verse six a and my father's house
have sinned. In other words, he understood a fundamental principle,
and that is the principle of identification. Do you know
why you're saved today Because Jesus took your problem upon himself.
He identified with you. He became sin for us. Nilmah
(13:21):
understood that if even going to be part of the solution,
he had to.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
Understand his contribution to the problem.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
He understood that as a representative in the nation, he
bore part.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Of the blame.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
We spend so much time blaming other folks that we
don't spend.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Enough time fixing us.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
We look at the unrighteousness in society and we say
they are to stop doing that.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
But what are do you stop doing? So God can
use you?
Speaker 1 (13:57):
And so he says in verse eight, remember the word
which thou dost command thy servant, Moses, God doesn't forget.
Why are you telling God to remember with me? And
Mayah saying, Lord, you remembered your word about cursing us.
(14:21):
Say you remember that well, because we're in a mess,
because God had told them if you rebell against me,
if you leave me, my word says that I am
going to judge you. Nea, Mayah says God, I know
you remember that, because looking to mess we in.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
But remember your other word, remember the word verse eight.
If you are unfaithful.
Speaker 1 (14:46):
I will scatter you among the peoples so they were
under Persian rule.
Speaker 3 (14:50):
But if you return to me and keep.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
My commandments and do them, though those of you who
have been scattered. Wouldn't they get this, were in the
shrim mode part of the heaven. I will gather you
from there and will bring them to the place where
I have chosen the cause my name to dwell.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Now, boy, I like this. You know what it says.
Speaker 1 (15:12):
No matter what mess you have created, no matter how
far left you gone, I got good news for hear you.
Some of you that messed up your life that a
doctor can't fix it, a psychologist and psychiatrist can't fix it.
Some of us have messed up our lives so that.
I mean, it's just there's nothing left to live for.
We've sinned so deep for so long, We've been addicted
(15:33):
for so long.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
We wonder if there is any hope in the world.
Remember that word. Remember you told me, Lord that if
I got right with you, if I.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Turned and repented of my sin, even though I was
way out there, he said, scattered to the outermost parts
of the heaven. Now that's a long way out, because
even though you away out there, I will gather you together.
(16:07):
I will turn the circumstances around. Just as God remembers
his word for judgment, he also remembers his word for blessing,
But it's conditioned.
Speaker 3 (16:20):
He says, on your decision to be faithful, no.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Matter how bad things get, God will honor his word.
That is where Second Chronicles fifteen one to six comes in.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
It says there was no God in the land.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
There was no teaching priest, there was no law, and
so God caused judgment to come upon the land until
the people called on his name. He continues now verse ten,
and they are thy servants and thy people whom boud
It's redeemed thy great power and by thy strong hand.
(17:01):
He's saying, we are your people. God obligates himself to
his people. God is not obligated to the non Christian world.
God is obligated to the Christian world. That's why the
Christian world can get things done for the non Christian world,
because we are the ones to whom God is obligated.
He comes to the last verse, which has a lot
in it. Let me summarize it for you. Verse eleven
(17:24):
is his petition. Here is what he wants. So he
deals with the character of God, he deals with his sin,
and now.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
He makes his request because now it's in perspective.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Oh Lord, I beseech thee, may thine ear be attentive
to the prayer of thy servant and the prayer of
thy servants who delight to revere worship your name. He says,
(17:58):
I'm praying, but a small group praying too. He says, recognize.
Speaker 3 (18:03):
This group, even though the people are still messed up.
Speaker 1 (18:07):
Accept us as your representative who delight to reveal thy
name and make thy servants successful today, and grant him compassion.
Before this man, now, I was a cupbearer to the king.
Neel Mayah asked God to give him success. Now, there
(18:37):
are a number of things you need to know about
this scenario, of this prairie quest. Neil Mayah is not
a preacher. He's a layman. He's in politics. He's a
running a middle layman. He's just become upper class because
he's gotten some unique privileges. But he's a layman. So
what I want to tell you is that you don't
(18:58):
have to be a preacher to pray this. You don't
have to have a collar on, you don't have to
be ordained. This is available to you. Neil Mayah is
a layman. Ezra is the priest. Ezra comes in later.
Nel Mayah is a man in politics. First thing you
need to understand he's a layman. Second thing you need
to understand is that it dawns on him. Now, please
(19:25):
don't miss this, that God had already positioned him to
make a difference.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
He said, make thy.
Speaker 1 (19:36):
Servants successful today, and grant him compassion before this man.
Now this man meant the king. He wanted to go
before the king and make an astounding request. He's getting
ready to ask permission to go back and rebuild Jerusalem.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Now you must to understand. You don't just.
Speaker 1 (19:55):
Go and ask the king to go back and rebuild
Jerusalem if you have bearer, because you're the guy who
tastes the wine and tastes the food before the.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
King gets it.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
You're the one who make sure nobody assassinates the king.
So you're the one who's learned to trust and rely on.
He's not gonna let you just disappear into nowhere and
go miles away from him and him have to create
somebody else new in this position.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
When you've been the man he's been.
Speaker 1 (20:18):
Using all these years, he says, grant me compassion this day. Now,
Please know the something else about prayer I mentioned it earlier,
Let me reiterate it now. In his mind he had
planned to go to the king that day. It didn't
work out that he could go to the king before
four and a half months. So your plans in God's
(20:39):
plans may not be the same plans. But when you
submit your plans to God's plans, the right plan will
come out. Or to put it in another way, all
things work together for good to them that love God
another called according to His purposes.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Sometime we get mad at God.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
God, I wanted that today, and I asked for that today,
and I trusted you for it today, and it's been
ten months and I haven't seen it yet.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Don't worry.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
If the old folks used to say, wait till you change, come,
wait till you change. Car God hasn't forgotten you, but
he's working out a network of events that have.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
To do with timing.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
Here is a fundamental flaw that has encapsulated the Christian Church,
and that is we have separated our careers from our worship.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Let me say that again.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
Many of us have separated the fact that we worship
God from the skills that He has given us that
many of us are already utilizing in our employment. It
dawns on him, he says, I was the cup bearer
(21:53):
for the king. Now what does that mean? He had
not made the correlation before between being a cup bearer
and the plight of Jerusalem. It hadn't dawned on him
before that he was in the most strategic position possible. Now,
King ar dessert Sees for whom he worked is an unsaved,
(22:16):
unregenerate man.
Speaker 3 (22:20):
But he's got the power in his hand to solve
the problem. The question is how do I get the
power of our dessert sees to the people who need it.
Speaker 1 (22:33):
God had already provided the answer by making near Maya
the cup bearer. It just had never dawned on him before. See,
some of you work for different entities, but it never
dawned on you that God has strategically positioned you to
make a difference for his glory.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Are you see his skill and dollars? Are you see?
Is I do this to make a living?
Speaker 1 (22:56):
But you've not interpreted your cup bearing, that is your career,
as an opportunity to make a difference with the glory
of God. One of the things we need to learn
if we're going to rebuild our community is to kingdomize
our skill. That is, to discover how God can use
(23:16):
our quote unquote secular skill for sacred purposes.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
God is a divine purpose for.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Your ability, Doctor Tony Evans with an important and timeless
message and how God is ready to use you for
the advancement of His kingdom wherever you are in life. Now.
If you'd like to hear the full length version of
this message, you can receive it as a part of
Tony's fifteen part sermon series simply called Nehemiah. And don't
(23:45):
forget that special double offer I mentioned earlier. You can
receive all the lessons in this series bundled along with
his compelling book One Nation Under God. Both of these
resources are yours with our thanks for your donation to
help make this Listeners Reported program possible. Make the arrangements
today at one eight hundred, eight hundred thirty two twenty
(24:06):
two before time runs out. That's one eight hundred eight
hundred three two two two, or visit Tonyevans dot org.
Trying to fix a broken world without addressing its spiritual
foundation is like trying to build a house on shifting sand.
Is just not going to stand for long. Well tomorrow,
(24:27):
doctor Evan shows how true restoration in our communities, our families,
and even our nation begins with a return to God
for sure to join us.
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