YP Sing Address—J. Hyland, D. Nicolet
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Well, I realize that you've had many things run before you in these meetings today. I trust that every one of us have got a little something for our souls concerning the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I'm going to try to not speak very long this evening just to give you perhaps a spoonful more or two of something to encourage you this evening. You know, there's plenty in the word of God to encourage. We just, on an occasion like this, scrape out.
A few things here and there. What I want to do is just read 3 exhortations that are found on the last page of God's Word, the end of Revelation.
Revelation Chapter 22.
And verse 7.
Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy.
Of this book. And then notice verse 12 and behold, I come quickly.
And my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be verse 20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly, Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Well, I just want to speak for a few moments in connection with the Lord's coming relative to these three verses that we have read.
All of which encourage us that the Lord Jesus is coming and that he's coming quickly. Now I know for young people it's perhaps hard to really grasp the thought that the Lord is coming at any minute and to live every day with that thought before our souls. I realize that there are young people here this evening who are anticipating many things. Some of you perhaps are nearing graduation, either of high school or college or university. Some of you are anticipating new careers.
Some of you are anticipating marriage, many things that we're looking forward to, many goals, many aspirations that we have. And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with any of those goals, those aspirations in their proper place and proper perspective and what has exercised me young people. And this is really my burden in reading these portions. The end of God's word is to realize that everything in Christianity.
Is relative to the Lord's coming. And you don't have to be 40 some years of age or you don't have to be 70 or 80 to be looking forward to the Lord coming every day. You know, I heard of a young man and he had a little motto on his bathroom mirror. 2 words. It simply said. Perhaps today I thought that was very good. There was a young man who wanted to be reminded every morning when he got up and looked in the mirror.
That today might be the day when the Lord Jesus comes, and I want to encourage you, yes.
You need to work hard at school. Yes, you have to have some goals and objectives to.
Motivate you and to live towards, to work towards. But young people amidst all that, I want to encourage you to every day, every day of your life look up and say Lord Jesus come. You know I'd heard of yet another young brother many years ago in the days of those old roll top desks that perhaps some of you have seen. A young brother who made the habit every night when he rolled down his roll top desk at the office and went home for the night. He made it the habit of his life to audibly say.
Lord Jesus come because he wanted to be reminded as he closed the office each evening.
That perhaps before another sunrise, the Lord Jesus was going to come and he'd never have to come back to the office. He would exchange the daily grind of the office for the Father's House of rest and joy. But what I want to notice in connection with these three encouragements as to the Lord Jesus coming and coming quickly, and maybe I'll just say this too. You know, young people, we've never been closer to the Lord's coming than we are right now. And I believe, as we see things in the world developing and as we look into the Scriptures and see what characterizes the days just before the Lord Jesus comes to call his own to the Father's house, I suggest that we're just on the eve of the Lord's return.
It's going to be at any moment and do we lift up our hearts every day?
00:05:02
And say this might be the day, but I want to notice three things here in connection with these three portions.
Three things will for the sake of simplicity and remembering, 3 things that begin with R because we might say that in the first exhortation or encouragement, where in verse seven he says, behold, I come quickly. This is what we might say is in connection with reaction, because he says blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. In other words, as you and I realize that the Lord Jesus is coming and he's coming soon.
There ought to be a reaction, and what should that reaction be?
Obedience to the Word of God. Now, I have no doubt that when it says the sayings of the prophecy of this book, it's referring specifically to what has preceded here as to that which was given John as to the Revelation, as to prophetic events that are yet to unfold in this world. But I believe there's a broad application here, because tonight, in view of the Lord's coming, I want to encourage you to walk in obedience to the word of God.
You know, young people, when I was your age and sat in meetings and at things like this, I heard some of the older brethren say obedience and happiness go hand in hand. I've heard that all my life. But, you know, I wish.
I wish that when I was your age, I had really understood the import of a statement like that.
If when I was in my teens or my early 20s, I could have got a hold of a statement like that and realized the truth of it.
Young people, I stand here to tell you before God, it would have saved me a lot of sorrow. I'm still reaping today some of the things I sowed in my youth. Because when it says whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap, that's not written to unbelievers. That's written to those of us who know the Lord Jesus as our Savior. And if you sow wild oats you're going to reap later on in your life the fruit of that it will be no other way. And yes, by the grace of God there may be restoration in our lives. We may come around.
To have convictions and see things clearly that we didn't see when we were younger, but we will still reap the fruit of what we sow when we're young. All young people, I plead with you tonight with all my heart. Don't do it. Learn to be looking for the Lord's coming every day and learn that in view of the fact that he has said I am coming quickly, He also tells us in light of that.
To obey his word. To keep the sayings of this book. What book? This book that we hold in our hands tonight. The word of God. Do you want to be a happy Christian? Do you want to be a fruitful Christian? Do you want to have power in your life? There will be no other way. But then obedience to the word of God and not just reading of the word of God, That's important. You know there's an interesting verse in the 143rd Psalm. You can look it up sometime.
I think it's the tenth verse says this. Teach me to do thy will, not just teach me thy will. David said that in the 27th Psalm. Teach me thy way. But in the 143rd Psalm it was more than that. Teach me to do thy will. You know, I'm afraid that many of us, and I realize some of you perhaps have not come from Christian homes, but many of us have come from Christian homes. We've heard the truth of God at the dinner table. We've heard it at the meetings. We've heard it from our parents.
We know it.
It's not a question of whether we know it or not.
But are we obeying? Are we? Like David? Who said teach me to do thy will? There's a vast difference.
Between knowing and doing. But the joy and the blessing, I repeat, will only come as you walk in obedience to the word of God, in view of the fact that the Lord Jesus is coming at any moment. So this is the first thing. He's coming quickly. There ought to be a reaction, and in light of his soon return, the reaction ought to be that we walk in obedience to His word. But then we have something else in the 12Th verse.
Here's the 2nd encouragement, confirmation of his soon return. And here he says, and my reward is with me. So if we have reaction in the seventh verse, we have reward here in the 12Th verse. Because you know young people, if you seek to walk in obedience to the word of God, you'll get a reward. Not down here necessarily, but every time you act in obedience to God's word.
00:10:26
There's a book of remembrance in heaven opened to the page with your name on it.
And under your name, so much does he value that obedience.
That he jots it down in his book of remembrance. And he says, I'm going to give a reward in that coming day. You know, I look forward to that day. We have some brethren, some young people, some brothers and sisters, some assemblies in various parts of North America that on an ongoing basis compile gospel literature for us.
Do all kinds of things to help propagate the work.
I've just been to an assembly where they compile forests on an annual basis, about 120,000 gospel booklets.
And, you know, I'm looking forward to the day when I stand at the judgment seat of Christ and everybody, if I can put it this way, everybody that's worked on that project is going to get a share of the pie. Someone made sure the tracks were there. Someone made sure the messages of love were there. Someone bought the paper, Someone ran the printer, someone had the electric stapler going. And everyone is going to get a reward. It says my reward is with me. And you know, young people when we get to heaven.
So much is he going to desire to give us reward for faithfulness. He's going to have it right with them. He's not going to delay.
You know, I travel a lot by myself. I'm away from my family more than I care to admit. But you know, whenever I go home, whether I'm gone for a weekend or whether I'm gone for a month, I always have something in my bag for my wife and children. And you know, when I get home from a trip, it doesn't matter if the plane lands at 11:00 at night or whatever time of the day it is. I don't want to have to wait to give them those little things. As soon as I'm with them, I want to open my bag because I delight to bring them those little things.
And you know, the Lord Jesus is going to find such joy, such delight in saying, well done, thou good and faithful servant, that I believe as soon as we get home to glory, the judgment seat of Christ for believers is going to take place. And he's going to bring out those rewards, and he's going to reward us.
You know everybody's going to have a reward. Every man shall have praise of God, but you know it's good.
As we go about from day-to-day. And again, I know school absorbs you. I know it takes all you've got to survive in the work a day world today.
But all just to take the time to do those little things for the Lord Jesus to live, to please him, to serve him again. This is what's going to bring joy. These are the things that are going to last. Yes, you need to get your marks. Yes, you need to get through school. Yes, you need to do your work at the office or the shop. Hardly is unto the Lord. Scripture exhorts us to those things over and over and over again. But don't let it so absorb your soul and your being.
That you don't have time to serve the Lord. You don't have time to walk in obedience to His word. Are you going to give him the pleasure in that day of commending and rewarding? And so his reward is with him to give to every man. There's going to be nobody that doesn't get a reward. You know, if we go to awards ceremonies sometimes, and a lot of people go away disappointed, only a handful get a reward. If we go to an athletic event and only one team, or only three or four people get the reward.
But when we get to heaven, he's going to have a reward for every one of us. He's going to sort it all out. And I just marvel that he's going to find something to commend and reward each one of his foreign young people again. The Lord is coming. He's coming quickly. What's going to matter when you stand before him? What's going to matter? How well you planned your life, how well you got along down here, know what's going to matter. Are those things done for him? You've heard this little poem often. I've heard it all my life.
Only one life will soon be passed. Only what's done for Christ will last. I look into the faces of so much energy. You know, I don't know how you look at me, but I don't consider myself old. Although I realize I'm not one of the young people. But you know, my energies are beginning to wane. I'm not 30 anymore. I don't have the energy I did when I was 30. I don't have the energy I did when I was 20. You're at your prime. You're at your peak. God wants the best years of your life.
00:15:23
He wants to reward you for those things that are done while you're young. Yes, while we're older too, but while you're young.
Oh, there's more to life than just getting through school and getting a good job. Settling down in a nice suburban area of town and coming to all the meetings. That's wonderful. It's important. But all I want to encourage you serve the Lord in view of his soon return.
Walk in obedience to his word, serve him, and then he, I say, will have the joy of commending. But then we find he comes down to the end of the book, one last confirmation before the word of God closes. He which testifies these things saith.
Surely I come quickly now. This is not response. This is not reaction. This is not reward. This is response. Amen. Even so. Come Lord Jesus.
Is there that response from your heart and mind? You know, it's interesting to me that he repeats this statement. Behold or surely. I come quickly, three times before he gets a response. But you know, young people, when he gets the response, he doesn't repeat it again. To me, it's just as if he says, now that's what I've been looking for. That's what I wanted. I wanted that response. Now I know there's lots of problems and sometimes we look up and we want the Lord to come because.
Maybe we're not looking forward to those midterm exams. Maybe we're not looking forward to that shuffle at work, and there might be a layoff slip on our desk. Maybe we're not looking forward to some problem that we think is going to manifest itself and we're going to have to deal with. And we say, Lord come, well, that's OK, We're looking for the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ. But young people, he wants the response of our hearts from a heart that is so attracted to himself that we want nothing less.
Than to be physically in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Does your heart go out so much to the person of Christ that you want nothing less to be with him there in the Father's house? I see young men and young ladies together this evening. It's wonderful. Some of you, no doubt have been looking forward to this time. You say, oh, it'll be just wonderful to see so and so again. It'll be just wonderful to see that young lady again and be with her for the weekend.
Or that young man again, and be with him for a few days. Is that the kind of heart we have in connection with our blessed bridegroom, the one who loved us so much that he gave himself at Calvary's cross? And so he says, surely I come quickly and there's an immediate response. And he closes the book. Well, not quite. There's something else. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen, in other words.
If we're left here another few days, another few moments, His grace is going to carry us through. You know, it says in the 84th Psalm, the Lord will give grace and glory. Grace is what meets our present need and glory is what comes at the end. But I just want to, in closing, point out something else I've enjoyed in connection with these last two verses of God's Word. You know, the last words, the last recorded words of the Lord Jesus in Scripture, are the promise of His coming.
To my own soul, that's exceedingly precious.
The last recorded words of the Lord Jesus are surely I come quickly. The last recorded words of the believer, the Saint of God, are even. So come Lord Jesus. Let me put it this way. We have the last promise. Surely I come quickly, we have the last prayer.
Amen. Even so come Lord Jesus, and we have the last provision.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. And so I just want to leave you with these thoughts. Oh young people, the Lord is coming. It's a marvelous hope. Make it a reality in your life. Every man that hath this hope in him purifies himself, even as he is pure. Oh, may the hope of the Lord's coming be a reality, and may it so grip our souls that there's a reaction. Obedience to His word. There's encouragement in realizing we're going to get a reward.
If there is any faithfulness and then that response that he so desires.
Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus.
00:20:03
Nehemiah, where we spoke from the other I guess it was Friday afternoon.
And this is going to kind of form the.
Um structure.
But I want to talk a little bit about tonight to you beloved young people through.
3 short phrases before we pray Nehemiah chapter 1-2 words in verse 3.
Great affliction.
OK, great affliction.
Nehemiah, chapter 6.
And.
Verse.
Three in the middle of the verse, 2 words. Great work.
And Nehemiah chapter 8.
And verse 17.
The end Last three verses or words of verse 17.
Very great gladness.
Great affliction, great work, very great gladness. Now, I don't know about you, but.
I like those last three words best of all.
Let's pray.
I begged the apartment. I'm going to apologize to the beloved young people who had to sit through the little chat we had yesterday afternoon. When I talked about those two cities, The city of Cain that Cain built called Enoch. He named it after his son Enoch. And then we talked about the city of God, if I can say that, Jerusalem. But we found that verse in the end of Ezekiel where that city was named.
The Lord is there or in the margin that reads Jehovah Shama.
Two cities Enoch, Jehovah, Shamma, and beloved young people. Tonight your life is like one of those two cities.
In one city, nobody ruled. People did what they wanted. And the reason nobody ruled and people did what they wanted was because the one who built that city did it After he willingly walked away from the presence of God. That was Cain. Cain willingly left the presence of God and said I'm going to be happy without God. I don't need him.
I hope nobody here tonight.
Has a life or is building a life that's marked with that thought. I don't need God.
The other city, Jehovah Shamma. The Lord is there.
Is a city that's gone through a lot of different stages. It's been built. It's been destroyed. It's been built. It's been destroyed. It's God's city. It's Jerusalem. It's where the Lord Jesus Christ is going to reign. You and I are looking at each other tonight. He's going to set his feet down in that city in Jerusalem.
That we're reading about in the papers today and all that's going on. He's going to, as a man, stand in that city and reign as its king. And it's going to be a beautiful, incredibly perfect, wonderful time. And it will be said the Lord is there now, beloved young people. What my burden tonight is in going back to Nehemiah for a little while is that I want you to be encouraged. I don't.
I don't want to say I don't care.
But it's not an issue to me of what's going on in your life. The issue is, do you want to have a life that's characterized by a city that the Lord is there? Because if He is all of the blessings of His presence you are going to have.
And I want to encourage you tonight to do what Nehemiah did, because that first verse we read was the condition of that city of God, great affliction and reproach because of disobedience.
And the guy standing here tonight talking to you has had 60 years of experience of knowing how to disobey.
And I'm one of those.
That brother Bob tonight was talking about that Jesus hung on the cross for and shed his blood for and washed my sins away.
00:25:11
And I'm here to tell you that when the Lord Jesus said in John 13 and verse 17, if you know these things, have the idea to do them, he meant it.
He wants you to have a happy life. He doesn't want your life, if you know him as savior, to be marked by great affliction and reproach and beloved young people. Tonight you heard a gospel I can't say anymore. I hope every single one of you here in this room tonight knows Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
I'm going to talk to you as those who do, God knows. And as I said yesterday, I'm pretty well convinced you know too.
I'm going to talk to you as though you belong to the Lord Jesus and that it would be his desire to reign as king in your life as he will reign as king in Jerusalem when it's said of Jerusalem the Lord is there.
That is his desire, and I'm going to talk to you about that tonight. And affliction and reproach happened to that city because the people that dwelt there were disobedient to God and all, I'm going to say beloved young people, in the 60 years of my life I found that I can never, ever be happy when I'm being disobedient to God.
There, you know, they were talking about humanism today.
Humanism is doing what I want to do because I'm the most important, without reference to God's thoughts.
And beloved young people, if that's the path you want to walk, there's going to be plenty of encouragement for you out in that world. But you answer this question in your heart. You take a good, deep, long look at that world out there at that city that cane built.
And you ask yourself if there's real happiness and satisfaction there.
So I want to tell you tonight that if the city that the Lord Jesus rightfully owns and ought to rightfully be reigning as king is broken down its walls, broken down, it's in affliction and great reproach, that that's not the way the Lord wants it to remain and it doesn't need to remain that way.
OK, so much for the teachers review of the past lesson.
Now what I want to do is, I want to talk to you starting in Nehemiah chapter six. We didn't get to that in the talk the other day. I'm actually going to start in Nehemiah chapter 5, because between great affliction and great reproach, which is Nehemiah one, and very great gladness, which is Nehemiah 8 in his, which is what the Lord wants for every one of us.
In between those two things is something called very is something called great work.
And beloved young people.
There is some work to do to build that wall and those gates that will preserve you and protect you from the influences that would ruin your life.
And would at the same time allow the blessings that God wants you to have to come into your life.
And so I want to start tonight by telling you.
As we talk about Nehemiah, he sets an example. You can look at him as a picture of the Lord Jesus seeking to work in your life, but I also want to.
Have you looked at him as setting an example for you to follow?
In the work that needs to be done.
Now, first of all, the end of I'm not going to read a lot of verses and I'm not going to take a lot of time. But the End of Nehemiah chapter 5 talks about Nehemiah, who is the governor in Jerusalem while he was doing this building. There's a strange name. You read about it in Ezra and Nehemiah, sometimes the governor that is the leader, the ruler that was in charge, he's called the Tirshafa. I think that's the way you pronounce it.
But he's the guy that's in charge, and the king of Babylon said to Nehemiah. You go back there, you're in charge, and then he said this, and the people that you're in charge of owe you.
They got paid taxes.
They got to support you.
00:30:00
And the last verses of the 5th chapter of Nehemiah.
Are one of the most beautiful encouragements for you beloved young people. If tonight you want to build.
A life, a city that the Lord is there where you'll have very great gladness. This is just how much the Lord wants you to have that.
I want you to look in Nehemiah chapter 5 and verse.
14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the 20th year, even on to the two and 30th year of art deserves.
King, that is, 12 years. I and my brethren had not eaten the bread of the governor.
In other words, Nehemiah came back there. He had the right to expect the people that he was governing to pay his way, to pay his salary, to pay taxes. But for 12 years he had been back there working for them, and he hadn't asked anything. He wasn't asking them to give to him. Look at verse.
17.
Nehemiah 5, verse 17. Moreover, there were at my table in 150 of the Jews and rulers besides those that came unto us from among the heathen that are about us now. That which was prepared for me daily was 1 ox. Six choice sheep. Also fowls were prepared for me once in 10 days store all sorts of wine. Yet for all this required I, not the bread of the governor.
You know what? Nehemiah came back there to rule them, to help them build This city that could be called the Lord is there. And he said, I'm not coming back to take from you, I'm coming back to you. And that's the heart of my Lord Jesus.
He didn't come into this world to take, to require to say you owe me. Now we do.
We're responsible before God, but in grace, he came and he said I'm not coming to take, I'm coming.
To give.
And I want to tell you, beloved young people, he spreads an incredible table.
You know, all of these things that Nehemiah Table had prepared, that those people came and they got to enjoy. That didn't come cheap.
That was expensive, fair. That was good food and that was wonderful joy.
It says once in 10 days, store all sorts of wine. You know, sometimes the world tells you, you become a Christian. You're going to not have any fun. You've got to give that all up. You can't do this. You can't go there. You can't say that. You can't dress like that. You can't look like that.
And the Lord Jesus is saying I didn't hang on the cross to make you miserable.
I hung on the cross to save your soul and to give you all sorts of joy.
Do you believe that?
Test the table, Nehemiah, spread. But it's nothing to what the Lord Jesus is spreading. Wants to spread to give you tonight if you want to tell him, Lord Jesus, I want this city to be the place where you rule. I want to be called in my life. The Lord is there.
Well, there's some work that's got to be done, But I want to tell you before the work is done, God the blessed and Savior, the Lord Jesus, gives this full, wonderful supply. And I want your beloved young people don't believe what I say. Believe what he says and sit down at His table and enjoy. And when I talk about His table, I'm talking about all the blessings he wants to bring into your life. Sit down at that table and start eating and start drinking.
What the Lord Jesus Christ has for you.
And start finding out what real joy is. You know, if you're going to do a work for the Lord, you're going to need some energy and some strength and he's going to give it to you. Well, in the next chapter I'm, I'm going to talk a little bit about this chapter and then just a little bit about the.
The great work and the very great gladness, and I don't intend to go any further tonight, but I want to point something out before we before we're going to start talking about Chapter 6.
Want to point something out that it's in this chapter in the middle of the book of Nehemiah that the wall gets finished.
And yet, there are seven more chapters of things that take place in Nehemiah after this wall gets built. And let's go back a minute. I'm sorry guys. Teachers always are doing this. Let's review this.
00:35:10
A wall is built to keep out, to protect, to separate. OK, you want a wall to keep yourself protected and separated from something that's going to harm you.
You want gates.
That are lockable and have bars which these gates did to allow you to control.
What gets in and what you get rid of, OK, And our lives need that. We need a good, strong wall to protect us from influences that are going to harm us. And we need gates that we can open and close to allow blessing in.
And to get rid of stuff that's in, that we really don't want, that's not really going to make us happy. Now in this 6th chapter, the wall is finished.
The work is done. And yet there's still more. Seven more chapters. Why? Well, let me just suggest this beloved young people. I'm not just talking about someone. If there's someone here tonight that has had failure in your life and you want to do some rebuilding, the Lord is there with this table of supply and joy in his presence, and he's with you, and he's going to and he's going to be with you and he's going to rebuild with you. That's true.
But if you're here tonight and you just want to say, I want the Lord in my life, I want to have that city that it's called Jehovah is there.
He's going to be with you for that. But you know what?
Even when you're doing that, the problems aren't over.
Living the Christian life is not a toboggan ride on a snowy hill with no trees, rocks or bumps on the way down.
But the difference is from the 6th chapter on after the wall is rebuilt.
And the problems were there. And the enemies are still trying to cause problems, that the wall is there and they're protected. And tonight that's what I want you to see. It's not that. If you say, OK, I'll try what the guy has said tonight, I really want the Lord to come into my life. And then everything is just going to be peachy, keen, rosy and easy the rest of the way. No, but you're going to have the Lord Jesus with you, because the Lord is there.
And you tell me, you think this in your mind, the United States out loud, but you tell me who is going to be able to take away your joy and happiness? If the Lord Jesus is reigning his king in your life and He's there, Who's going to be able to rob you of the blessing he wants to give you? If he's really there? If he knows these things, happy are ye if you do them? If that's really so, that's the Lord Jesus Christ who said that? Is there something in this world that can make him a liar?
Let God be true in every man a liar. OK, let's quickly look at a few things in chapter 6, and we'll be done.
It says. And now it came to pass from the Sandbelt and Tobi and Jisha and the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I builded the wall reading the first verse of Chapter 6, and there was no breach left therein. You know, sometimes beloved young people, we say, OK, yeah, I'll be a Christian, but I'm going to leave a few little cracks, a few breaches, because I don't want to. I don't want to be too legal.
And I don't want to be too weird. I don't want to be too different. So I'll get this wall built, but there's going to be a few openings in it, not gates breaches.
Don't do that.
Don't do that because the world can get in to those breaches real easily. If you're going to build the wall, and I want you to build the wall, build the whole wall. And so it says here that the breeches.
There weren't any left. There wasn't any way for that enemy to get in. And it says San Ballot and Jason did something, and this is what the world will seek to do to you tonight. And this is what the Lord Jesus wants to encourage you to guard against, San Valid. And G Shim said unto me, That's unto Nehemiah, Let's put you there, put your name there. You're building this, this wall around the city of your life. That Christ can be there and rule and you can be happy.
And so here come the enemies and they say, hey, come let us meet in one of the villages. Let's read that verse 2. Come let us meet together in someone of the villages in the plain of Arnold. But they thought to do me mischief. In other words, the world says, OK, you got the wall built, we can't get in, so you come on out.
00:40:00
You come on out where we are, Let's get together. We can walk together. We can figure out how to be kind of happy together. You can have your religion and you can have some fun with us. But you got to leave the wall. You got to leave the city where the wall is and come out to us. And the place you're going to meet us is the plane of I'm going to, I'm going to change the pronunciation of that. Oh, no.
And that's what you say.
And that's all you have to say.
Oh no, I'm not leaving this place where Jesus Christ, my Savior, is ruling as king.
Because you've got nothing out there for me. Well, they thought to do me mischief. Now here's the message. I sent messages on them saying I am doing a great work so that I cannot come down.
Sorry.
Tonight, you heard.
About the eternal Son of God.
Who became a man?
And he stretched out his hands on a cross.
And he, as it were, said, I'm doing a great work. I cannot come down when people were walking by mocking him and saying, if thou be the Son of God, come down.
And he said I can't come down. I'm doing a great work.
And that great work was paying for my sins.
At Calvary's Cross.
Now, beloved young people, can you look at your life and say, I'm not compromising with the world, I'm doing a great work? You know what the great work is you're doing? You're setting up a life where Christ reigns supreme as king, as Lord and has full rights and full control in your life. And that's a great work. And if you're going to leave that, believe me, you're not going to be going up.
You don't leave the presence of the Lord Jesus beloved young people and go up to the level of the world.
You leave the presence of the Lord Jesus and you go down to Jericho.
And on the way down you get smacked real good and hard.
And the world, when it's done getting out of you what it wants, leaves you half dead because it doesn't need you for anything anymore. It's got what it can out of you and it just leaves you.
Don't leave the great work of building a life separated to the Lord Jesus Christ, the only one who can give you happiness and satisfaction and go down to compromise with this world. We've said it before. You guys are probably turning green, being sick, carrying it. I'm going to say it again.
Don't buy into this.
Junk called tolerance.
That's compromise.
You don't need to tolerate anything that God doesn't tolerate.
You don't need to tolerate anything that Jesus Christ doesn't tolerate.
Because you belong to him. And if you're going to be happy, truly happy, truly blessed, if he's going to be truly the Lord in your life, the ruler in your in that, the king in that city, if it's going to be truly said, the Lord is there.
There's not room for tolerance of wickedness.
I don't care what the world says, and I don't care who in the world says it because, you know, a little later on in here we're going to find that some of the people of God, prophets of prophetess and prophets, were even telling Nehemiah to do this. Sometimes even people who say they're Christians and they may even be Christians try to get you to leave the protection of that wall and that great work you're doing, building a place where Christ rules and come down well.
I want to finish but it says here.
You know Sanballat, this jerk. I'm sorry. I shouldn't say that. I'm not sorry. He is a jerk.
He doesn't give up.
Four times he tells, he tells Nehemiah, come on down. And then the fifth time he writes a letter to him, he says, well, if you all listen to my message, I'll put it in writing. Can you read young people? You've got billboards all over this city and all over this country where you live that are sending you the message. Come on down.
Are you? You know the enemy isn't going to give up. Don't expect them to.
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To just remember where they want to meet you and say it to him. Oh no.
And he says, you're what you're doing is you're trying to be rebellious. You're trying to get the Jews to rebel. You want to be the king. You want to be important. And you're going to preach that there's a king in Jerusalem now, and these words are going to be reported to the king, and you're going to get in trouble. That's a loose paraphrase of verse 7.
And then he says once again the 5th time, Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. Let me ask you something.
To loving young people, will you please answer this in your hearts tonight? What kind of counsel that's worth taking? Will the world give you that Walk by the cross of Jesus Christ and laugh at him as he hung there in his attitude.
What kind of counsel do they have for you?
And that's what he's saying. He's saying you're going to set, you want to have your own little city and you want to set a king up and you're going to get in trouble because there's a king in this world and he's not going to put up with that. Well, you know what? This guy is right? Jesus Christ. I want him to be king in my life.
You want to be king in your life. That's not going to make the Prince of the power of the air, the Prince of this world happy.
You know what? I don't care.
Because I already found out in the word of God that he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world. So this was a really hollow threat. And I don't need to be together with the world. I don't need to take counsel with her. I don't need to listen to him. I got Jesus.
Who have you got?
To make you happy.
The world can city for the Lord Jesus.
OK, last verse.
Second to the last verse, if you read in verse 14 and 15 and so on, all these verses, they're trying to make Nehemiah scared to do the one thing that's going to make him happy. Don't let the world don't let its ways. Don't let its its advertising, its slogans. Don't let it scare you into thinking if I walk a Christian life, I'm not going to be happy.
It's the opposite way around.
But it says here verse 15, so the wall of chapter 6. So the wall was finished in the 20th and the 5th day of the month. ELU in 50 and two days. And then it talks about how the enemies were cast on said take out it done anyway. In spite of our of our mocking, in spite of our laughing, in spite of our threats, in spite of our attacks, they got the wall built.
And if you set your heart to building a happy Christian life with Christ as the king, the center, the Lord of your life, I'll tell you something. If the Lord leaves us here, you're going to get it done. If that's what you're building, if that's what you're setting in your heart, and you want that, you'll get it done.
Now last verse in chapter 8 and we talked about this in the in the address on Friday about how the people stood at the Watergate and they heard the word of God. Read Beloved young People, This is your guidebook. Here it is.
When I.
Used to teach computer graphics dependent on the software package we had.
I would hold up a packet of papers, instructions, or a booklet and I'd say this is your guidebook. Follow it and you know, it's the strangest thing. The people who listen to what I said and followed the guidebook usually got A's and the people who were out partying the weekend before and they had their heads down on their desk in front of their computer terminal, sleeping. Here's the strangest thing. They got these.
Here's the guide book. If ye know these things, happy are ye. If ye do them, it's so beautiful and it's so simple. Read it and do it. How can I do it? Do you know Jesus as your savior? Well, there's something else wonderful about you. Then you've got the Spirit of God dwelling in your heart.
And he gives you the power to do it.
The good kind. The right kind of do it.
He gives you the power for that.
And so.
They stand before the Watergate and they hear the word of God.
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And it really touches their hearts and they start weeping and and the word is don't weep, be happy. God wants you to be happy. And they decide to believe God instead of believing the world.
And you know what, beloved young people? That's why in the end of verse 17 it says.
And there was very great gladness.
There was very great gladness because the people did one very simple thing. They listened to the word of God and believed it.
And that city, I'm going to say morally, even though there were problems and difficulties that happened, they were overcome because it was now a city with wall, with a wall and with gates, and it could be properly said the Lord's name.
The Lord is the king in your life, the Lord of your life, if he's there.
There will be some problems, but you think there will be anything that he can't handle.
Will you always be there? I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. He said that if you're not sure about that, you argue with him about that. That's what he's saying. I won't leave you or forsake you. And he said one other thing. Jesus Christ the same.
Yesterday, when he died on the cross. Today, when you're struggling and maybe failing, and forever, when if you know him as savior, you're going to be with him, enjoy. He's the same. Trust him. Build the wall. Put in the gates.
And be called in your life. The Lord is there, all beloved young people.
To leave this book and follow it and find out what very great gladness is all about.