R326 Starting for the Finish

Starting for the finish, that's today's topic from God's encouraging Word with Dr. Don Wilton.

Let's open God's Word together. As we head to our Bible study in just a moment in the book of Nehemiah chapter 2, we want you to know that we're available for you connecting in a number of ways to encourage you as you are starting for the finish. Today's topic, you can call us right now at 866-899-WORD. That's 866-899-9673.

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Turn with me to Nehemiah chapter 2, the book of Nehemiah in chapter 2. Our subject this morning, starting for the finish. You see, starting for the finish is an integral part of our daily lives. I know that all of the young people here would say, well pastor, I hope that one day I'm very wealthy. Well, I hope you are too, but they're not a lot of people who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They're not a lot of Prince Charles's in the world.

There are some and I'm grateful for them, but they're not a great deal of people who just inherit masses of wealth. I think it would be true to say that if you want to do well in life, you need to start well. Your beginnings are very important. The things that you put into your body today are going to impact the way your body feels tomorrow. Your education today is going to impact where you are tomorrow.

The things that you put into place today are going to have a direct bearing on your tomorrow. Nehemiah found himself in such a position. God had given him a job to do. The walls were broken down. The people were in disarray.

There was much despair and despondency. God, as it were, said to Nehemiah, Nehemiah, I want you to be the one to go and gather my people together. I want you to rebuild the broken walls. I want you to reconstruct everything that I have intended for my people.

And this is the goal to which I want you to move toward. And Nehemiah was prepared to step out in faith. Nehemiah was prepared to overcome hurdles. Nehemiah was prepared to do all these things, but he had to begin. And at that beginning point, Nehemiah made certain of certain things that he put into place.

Let's read about some of them. I want to read together with you in Nehemiah chapter 2 and beginning at verse 11. Nehemiah says, I went to Jerusalem and after staying there three days, I set out during the night with a few men.

Now this becomes remarkably interesting at this point. I set out during the night with a few men. I had not told anyone what God, my God, had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem.

There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. I thought of the movie Fiddler on the Roof. I mean, Nehemiah hadn't even told his horses about this. Verse 13, by night I went out through the valley gate toward the jackal well and the dung gate examining the walls of Jerusalem which had been broken down and its gates which had been destroyed by fire.

Let me just pause a moment there. This man was an extraordinary organizer. He knew what to do and how to do it. He was a man of simple and yet profound faith and trust in God.

Look what happens here. Look at verse 13 again. I want to reread verse 13. By night I went out through the valley gate toward the jackal well and the dung gate examining the walls of Jerusalem which had been broken down and its gates which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the fountain gate and the king's pool but there was not enough room for my mount to get through.

Isn't that amazing? The Bible says that he went up to this gate and he found out that he couldn't get his horse through. Now what did that tell him? That told Nehemiah that he had better be careful of that gate. If the enemy came he'd never get the cavalry through there. So he had to begin to think and pre-plan as he started for the finish that if the enemy ever attacked him he had to he had to distract the enemy and cause the enemy to come toward them from a different angle starting for the finish. So in verse 15 I went up the valley by night examining the wall. Finally I turned back and re-entered through the valley gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or any others who would be doing the work. Then I said to them you see the trouble we are in Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned with fire come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and we will no longer be in disgrace I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me so they replied let us start rebuilding so they began this good work but when Sanballat the Horonite who was the governor of Samaria Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it they mocked and ridiculed us what what what is this you are doing they asked are you rebelling against the king I answered them by saying the God of heaven will give us success we his servants will start rebuilding but as for you you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it may the Lord write his word upon our hearts this morning starting for the finish if you're willing to go back to Bethel as Jacob did if you're willing to go back to the place of your original commitment if you're willing to lay your life before God and say oh God I've messed up you can say because of the grace of God I can start for the finish because God is the God of tomorrow God is the God of the second chance God is the God of the beginning again today can be the first day of the rest of your life it's not over and so we find Nehemiah let's look at some of the principles that he put into place first of all and I'm going to personalize them number one surround yourself with good people look at verse 12 go back to verse 12 Bible says I set out during the night with a few men there were men and women that Nehemiah surrounded himself with that were an integral part of his start for the finish surround yourself with good people I want to say something here especially to our young people I love our teenagers and our young people you know if you want me to give you a guarantee today I'll give you a guarantee I will guarantee you that if you hang around with bad people you'll become bad people I'm going to guarantee you if you surround yourself with with bad company you're going to become bad company if you surround yourself with godless people you are going to begin to practice godless behavior if you surround yourself with people who speak with four-letter words and four tongues you are going to start speaking in the same way if you surround yourselves with people who have a disdain for godliness and for righteousness and for the things of the Lord Jesus Christ and his holiness your life is going to begin to become patterned after those people that you are surrounded with the Bible says we must be in the world but not of the world and I would exhort you today if you are wanting to start for the finish you need to make an absolute mandating in your life that you are going to surround yourself with good people my brothers who do you play golf with who do your sons watch you play golf with if your sons watch you play golf with somebody who blesses everything including the kitchen sink and who has a bad temper and he uses four-letter words on a golf course I will guarantee your sons are going to watch what they are doing and they're going to wonder what in the world is going on in your own life surround yourself with good people make a decision young people at school don't find yourself gravitating toward company that is going to drag you down and chew you up and chew you down and spit you out in the gutter where the devil wants you to be surround yourself with good people it's a basic principle in life you'd say to me pastor well what must I do with bad people witness to them love them invite them to come to church stand up tall in their company stand firmly upon the principles that God has set before you but I will guarantee you my friend if ever you're going to get to the finish mark you must surround yourself with good people number two retain single-hearted conviction retain single-hearted conviction look at verse 12 again look what happened in Nehemiah I set out during the night with a few men I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem it's very simple fact I didn't even tell my horse about it he said I only had one mount I didn't bring a whole cavalry with me God had written these things upon my heart every time I think about single-hearted conviction I think of Mary the mother of Jesus who pondered these things in her heart that word pondering means that when God comes down upon you my friend allow God's spirit to take fruition in your own heart allow God to speak to you hide God's word in your heart this man was a purpose-driven man if you sat down and written a vision statement are you able to know who you are you know why you are where you are do you know what you need to do you know how you need to do it where you need to do it when you need to do it are you a person who retains single-hearted conviction it's a very simple question do people know you to be a person of single-hearted conviction are you like the wind you blow around all over the place are you influenced by negative people if someone negative came up to you and began to talk negative things to you and began to criticize are you one of those people who becomes influenced by it that's how you'll tell if you have single-hearted conviction if someone sidled up to you at work tomorrow and they said listen this and that and they began to get negative and criticize and break down and assassinate characters and give information to you would you immediately begin to buckle under it that'll tell whether you have single-hearted conviction you see a person of single-hearted conviction is not swayed by the hurricanes of life a person of single-hearted conviction is the wise man who builds his house upon a rock and when the floods come and the rains come the house on the rock does what it stands for precious young people teenagers build your house upon a rock build your house upon a rock it is guaranteed surround yourself with good godly Christian friends as you start for the finish retain single-hearted conviction I there is nothing more beautiful in this world than a teenage boy or a teenage girl who has single-hearted conviction they know where they going they know why they going they know who they are they know where they stand you know what it is because they have started for the finish they've made a decision I've looked into the eyes of some teenagers and I want to just cry because you can see it in their eyes you can see the hurricanes and the tornadoes of life every wind and every philosophy and every opinion and every criticism that comes around they are battered like the wind to and fro have a single-hearted conviction number three build confidence through quiet analysis here's a third principle about starting for the finish whether it's your marriage you say to me today will pastor my marriage is on the rocks my marriage is on the rocks can I start for the finish yes you can build confidence through quiet analysis now I want to show you something look with me at verses 13 and 14 here's what the Bible says the Bible says by night I went out through the valley gate he didn't get up and make a big song and dance about he didn't go out and tell anybody didn't blow a trumpet no sir have you ever heard someone get up in the church and say well I think everybody needs to know about everything no sir not according to God's Word it wouldn't work that way we'd never get anything done listen dad all the dads here this morning we talk about promise keepers you want something to start happening in your marriage and in your family life don't get up and blow a trumpet about it be about the business of quiet analysis have a look at your circumstances analyze it ask God what he wants you to do lay it out as the head of your home determine your strategy before you and then act upon just do it forgive the interruption we'll be back with the rest of today's message starting for the finish with dr. Don Wilton in just a moment but we've had so many people asking about this wonderful double DVD set that we're making available right now on our website at TEW online o RG about trusting God it's a wonderful message from dr. Wilton and then a resource about the life of Ruth Bell Graham dr. Don Wilton had a wonderful relationship with of course dr. Graham and his bride and this DVD is so powerful you can discover more details on our website at TEW online o RG or call for your copy at eight six six eight nine nine word that's eight six six eight nine nine nine six seven three or all the details are online at TEW online o RG that's TEW online o RG and while you're there let's get connected on our social media we'd love to encourage you to follow dr. Wilton it's such a powerful boast of encouragement every time he posts all of the details are on our website at TEW online o RG now back to today's great Bible teaching with dr. Don Wilton the message starting for the finish sometimes we beat around the bush so much we forget what Bush we beating around we're always calling a meeting you see Nehemiah was about the business of building confidence through quiet spiritual analysis what did he do he did it in three steps number one he noted his surroundings that's what the Bible says he noted his surroundings number two he observed the course to be run he observed the course to be run I mean he even went up to one gate and found that he's horse I could just imagine him getting off his horse and say come come come get cool cool act if it was me man I would have been jabbing him with every kind of electronic gear just to jibby him up to get through the gate I don't know what it was that Nehemiah did but the Bible says very clearly that he backed up in verse 15 he couldn't get through so I went up the valley by night and began to examine the war now what happened is he went up to this particular gate which was the king's pool gate just past the fountain gate and if you look at the construction of what was the situation back then according to Josephus and the historians that gate was up here what he did was he backed down and he went all the way around the valley examining the total structure of the wall that was no longer there why was he doing that he was thinking ahead quiet analysis note your surroundings observe the course to be run and number three be mindful of the hurdles that you have to overcome you see he wouldn't have known about that gate what would have happened is they would have been building the wall we're going to find out later on and the enemy would have come and he would have called up the cavalry and then he would have found out that they couldn't fit through the gate and guess what would have happened they would have been defeated Nehemiah gained confidence starting for the finish by virtue of quiet analysis you see he was awake when others were sleeping this was a man who was concerned when others were at ease this leader was a person who was upon his toes he had ants in his pants if you please he couldn't sit still he was always doing something he was in motion he was action personified he was out there willing to do whatever it took surround yourself with good people retain single-hearted conviction build confidence through quiet analysis but I also want you to notice realize that some people will not understand now we're at the starting gate we haven't begun to run the race I think it is appropriate that we understand because it comes up right through Nehemiah that some people will not understand they'll not understand they'll always be the doubters they'll always be the criticizers folks I'll guarantee you young people listen to me when you make a resolution today that you're going to start for the finish according to God's Word I'm going to give you another guarantee there are going to be friends at school tomorrow who will not understand they're going to give you the hardest time you've ever had in your life no doubt about it you make a decision today that you're going to start for the finish there will always be those who don't understand and they don't want to understand there are those who don't know what is happening there are those who watch what is happening and then there are those who make it happen where do you fit into that scheme of things you see friends here in verse 16 the Bible says these people not the Jews or the priests or the nobles or the officials or any others who are going to do the work they didn't know about it but then he comes back in verse 19 and he tells us about Sanballat and he tells us about Tobion he tells us about Geshem and he says these were not just people who didn't know about it these were people who didn't want to know about it there are always going to be those who don't understand always they'll be in the middle of a church there be some people here this morning I'll guarantee you there's at least one person here today doesn't matter what happens you can stand on your head you can have an outpouring of God's spirit you can see an incredible revival come you can see God move they don't want to understand they don't want to have anything to do with it they'll be there in person but they'll criticize they'll analyze they'll break down they'll be about the business of rumor-mongering they'll do whatever it takes there will always be people here this morning here tonight Monday morning at school at work on the playgrounds in the ball team in your civil organization at rotary at lions at kawanas there will always be those who don't and won't and never will understand they don't want to be a part of it starting for the finish number five always begin with facts and faith always begin with facts and faith those two wonderful twins coexist together in God's scheme of things look at verse 17 and 18 I said to them you see we are in trouble Jerusalem lies in ruins its gates are destroyed and have been burned with fire let's do something about it but then in verse 18 my God is with us he's going to bless us there is a wonderful there is a wonderful relationship between the Siamese twins of facts and faith in the scheme of God's things God always brings facts and faith together and friends when you present the facts operating in the scheme of God's faith God is going to bless it you can do that in your marriage you can do that in your private life your home life you can do it anywhere you want to facts and faith three things he did bringing facts and faith together in verse 17 and 18 he showed the need number two he outlined the task and number three he assured them of God's blessing nobody can argue with that he showed the need he outlined the task and then he showed and assured them God's blessing always begin with facts and faith when you start for the finish and finally keep your eyes upon the God of heaven that's what verse 19 and 20 say when you're starting for the finish keep your eyes upon heaven yes sir turn your eyes upon Jesus look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory his grace what a powerful message from dr. Wilton as we revel in the light of God's glory and his grace in just a moment dr. Wilton will return to close out the program but right now I know that he wants you to be reminded that we are here for you we would love to pray with you pray for you perhaps there are questions that have been drawn to the surface because of the teaching from Nehemiah today with dr. Wilton we'd love to discover those answers with you in the Word of God the encouraging Word of God you can call us at eight six six eight nine nine word we would love to speak with you pray with you that number again is eight six six eight nine nine nine six seven three or if you'd rather go keyboard to keyboard we'll meet online as well at TEW online.org that's TEW online.org and as I mentioned dr. Wilton wants to come back and share these closing thoughts from his heart are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ I'm so happy to hear that why don't you pray this prayer with me today dear God I know that you love me very very much and I know that the Lord Jesus Christ came and died on a cross so that I might be forgiven of my sin today I repent of my sin I confess my sin to you and I invite you to come into my heart and into my life I say in Jesus name I pray if you prayed that prayer let me be the first one to welcome you to the family of God this is wonderful I hope that you know how much I'm going to be praying for you and how very important this is for me call us so we can talk to you and connect you in the right place so you can begin this wonderful journey and in just a moment I'm gonna come back with a final word if you were just praying along with dr. Wilton giving your life to Jesus Christ or rededicating your life to Christ dr. Don wants you to have a wonderful set of resources to help you grow in your next steps just call us and let us know eight six six eight nine nine word is the phone number we would love to send you these free resources right away that number again is eight six six eight nine nine nine six seven three or we can connect online as well at TEW online dot o RG and while you're there you need to sign up for the daily encouraging word from dr. Don Wilton it's such a blessing here's dr. 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