Serve With Audacity

them. Today, I want to make sure that I start off and say this the right way. I want to say thank you. I know sometimes those words get used a lot in our culture and society, and sometimes they can lose a little bit of the impact because it's something that's said often, but I don't want it to lose its impact today. I sincerely mean thank you to everyone who serves here at Centerpoint. to those who show up early like today and work around the campus to make sure we can get things open. Those who stay late, make sure the building gets locked up. Those who serve faithfully week in and week out. Those who serve when it's convenient, and then those who serve when it's not. I said this last night, but I think it bears worth repeating today. This church does not run on talent alone. It does not run on preaching alone. It does not advance on vision alone. and it moves forward because of God's love and his power, his presence, the truth of his word and the volunteers and servants who say yes every week. So, thank you for those who serve. I just want to give you an applause today. Thank you so much for what you do.

Today, being served Sunday means today is not about pressure. It's not about guilt. It's not about filling holes. It's about a vision. It's about a calling and an understanding of how God builds his kingdom and what your place is in that. Our theme this year is be the church audaciously. We've talked about that the very first Sunday of the year, but today I want to talk about what it means to serve with audacity because it's important that we understand our calling. If you have your Bibles, going to turn with me to one of my favorite books in the Bible, the book of Nehemiah. I love the story that is here. I'm going reading to you from the book of Nehemiah, chapter 1, a few verses of scripture. Again, to all of our guests, I appreciate you being here on this cold Sunday. To those that are watching online, I hope you can feel the presence of God as strong in your living room as you we feel him here in the sanctuary today. Nehemiah chapter one, reading from verse number one. And I'm going to do something I don't do a lot, and I'm going to read from the New Living Translation because I feel like it puts it a little bit in today's language. starts off by saying, "These are the memoirs of Nehemiah. In late autumn, in the month of Kisslav, in the 12th year of King Artic Xerxes reign, I was in the fortress of Susa. Haniah, one of my brothers, came to visit me with other men who had just arrived from Judah. I asked them about the Jews who had returned there from captivity and about how things were going in Jerusalem. They said to me, "Things are not going well for those who return from the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down and the gates have been destroyed by fire. When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.

The book of Nehemiah tells us a story of how God used an ordinary man to restore what had been broken down. I think it's important for you to wrap your mind around this truth that Nehemiah was not a prophet. He was not a priest. He was a cup bearer that was serving in a foreign land. But upon return from that foreign land from some of his friends, he was asking the news about what they had seen and what they had heard. He wanted to know because he was still attached. There was still a longing and a desire that one day he might return to that land that meant so much to him. But when he heard about Jerusalem's walls that were in ruin, we see that his heart was burdened by what he heard. He prayed and he fasted and he saw God. And then he stepped out in faith. I think it's important to note that with God's favor, Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem and led the people to rebuild the wall. Not through miracles alone, but what I want to get to today is it was because of his willingness and obedience that he became a leader that led a collective effort for God to do a miraculous work. Again, just an ordinary man with an ordinary job, but God places extraordinary burden on his heart. And because of that, Nehemiah was able to do something very powerful that we're still talking about today. So on this serve Sunday, I want to set the tone. God does his greatest work through ordinary people who are willing to step into broken places and to serve with courage. >> Amen. >> He still does that today.

I know often times, especially in a church where we are and our day and age and our size, we see a lot of things going on and we see people plugged in everywhere and you see the services that we are able to conduct and life classes and serve celebrations and you may think to yourself, well, they seem to have a lot of it going on. I don't know that I have any talent or any ability that I can contribute. I want you to know that's not true. >> We need you. >> Yes. More importantly, we need you to discover your kingdom place for God. When I look back at Nehemiah's story, what I saw that there was something that was broken. And when he realized that something was broken, that brokenness and that awareness that caused him to be broken himself. That's how serving begins, ladies and gentlemen. Serving doesn't start with a clipboard. It starts with a burden. starts by realizing that I have something that I can give. Something that I can do, something that I can give my talent, ability back to the kingdom of God. When we serve, we do it because it matters. >> It matters. It matters to God. We serve because God lets us feel what he feels. That he has created you for something special.

Some of you serve in different capacities around here. Some are over in the kids building right now doing an amazing job. Are you thankful for our kids staff? They do a phenomenal job. I'm so thankful that they have the burden. Many of them when you if you talk to them about why they got involved in kids ministry, you'll discover that they didn't have a spiritual covering at their house. Many of the ones who work so tirelessly and diligently over there realize that they want to give what they never had themselves. Someone who paid attention to the smallest ones that were there. And you may think they're just babysitting. I promise you, they're not babysitting over there. If you've ever been a part of their services and what goes on, there's always powerful moves of God in our kids area because people are wholeheartedly committed to doing more than just showing up. >> That it's a ministry. It's an opportunity to serve to our most vulnerable members of this church. Some get involved in other areas around a church. Some people get involved in our welcoming team because they know what it's like to not be loved. They know what it felt like when they walked into a church the first time and someone smiled at them and genuinely asked how they were doing. It matters. I'm telling you, these small things that you think could be insignificant and don't matter have the ability to change the course of generations because somebody simply smiled.

>> Brother and sister Benson are not with us tonight. They normally sit there in that back section because the weather home and we understand that and want them to be safe. But his father has a powerful story. His father, brother LHBson, was our district superintendent for many years. But if you go back to his beginning story, he was just a hobo riding trains back when hobo was a term we used. But one day he found himself wandering into a tent revival, a hole in his tent revival. They think, "Why? Why, Pastor Kevin, why are you talking about this?" I'm going to tell you right now, there are four generations later of people who are still living for God because a hobo wandered into a tent revival. I'm telling you, it matters being plugged in and finding some place to serve. You may think it's not a big deal, but I'm telling you, it's a big deal. Everything we do around here, every position, every volunteer opportunity, it is a big deal in the kingdom of God.

>> God always assigns a burden before he signs a building. Prayer precedes our involvement. Before Nehemiah lifted a hammer, he bows his head. He prays. He fasts. He repents. He aligns himself with God's purpose. This still works today. It matters. I want us to be prayerful today. Not about finding a place that's convenient for you. Because at the end of the service, here's what's going to take place. I'm not going to pull the wool over your eyes. I'm not going to hide like we're wanting you to go out into the foyer and you've seen all of those tables that were set up out there and they have plaques on them and there are ministry opportunities that are here in this church. And what I hope is that at the end of the service, you pray about where it is that God wants you to be involved in this church. We want you to have a ministry because we believe everybody's a minister. >> Amen. >> Amen. I feel like it's a little quiet today. Is it because it's cold outside? >> Is that what's going on? >> You guys okay if we just continue moving forward with what God wants us to do? >> All right. You know, we battle a lot in church today. And sometimes that entertainment bug is tough when we've been, you know, in our jammies all week, binging a lot of things, and it's easy to go into the autopilot mode. I want us to encourage you not to go into autopilot right now. Okay? >> It's serve Sunday, but God can still fill somebody with the Holy Ghost. >> Yes. Amen. There you go. I knew you were there. It matters. We don't serve to be busy. We don't serve to feel important. We serve because God is doing something and we want to be a part of it.

>> And reading the Psalms, there's so many passages. One of the first ones I came across that were in my mind when I was putting this message together, Psalms 127:1 says, "Unless the Lord builds a house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain." Serve Sunday is not about filling spots. It's about an opportunity for you and I to partner with God. And I want you to know that you and God are an overwhelming force. You and God are an unstoppable force. So why would you not want to partner with God? It's not about doing anything else but other than you finding your kingdom purpose. I know I talk a lot about that. You guys are probably tired of hearing it. I'm sorry. It's just in me that we all have a kingdom purpose. We all have a kingdom plan. And I want to do my part to discover what that is. I want to live a life more than just me acquiring things. More than just me having the world's accolades or fitting in the culture, but I want to hear well done that good and faithful servant. I want God to be proud of what I've done. I want to find out what he created me to do besides just breathing air. >> Don't you feel that way that you know that you have a purpose for the reason that you're here today? I want us to have the audacity to find our purpose and to know our purpose. When I say audacity, that's I'm not talking about hype and I'm not talking about anything other than obedience that's rooted in prayer. >> I want you to be audacious enough to pray a big prayer to a big God who does big things. >> That when you read through his scriptures, you see that he uses the most unlikely of people. >> That's what he specializes in. Not the ones who are qualified, but the ones who are willing. And I'm wondering if there anybody willing today to maybe be open to God drawing you into a new opportunity for ministry, a new place for you to plug in. Is anybody willing to do more than just be. >> I don't want to go through life just being. I want to go through life with a purpose. I want to go through life knowing that my God created me for a specific thing. And I discovered what that was and I started doing it. And because of that, there were other people whose in lives were impacted because I was simply willing to be obedient. Not that I got a pat on the back, but I was able to fulfill that call God placed in my life.

I want that for everyone because here's what I know that everyone in Nehemiah had a section of the wall. If you go to Nehemiah chapter 3, it's a great story. The first half of Nehemiah is about the rebuilding of the wall. The second half in Nehemiah is about the people being rebuilt. What I loved about Nehemiah's leadership abilities and skill sets is when we go to chapter 3, one of the most overlooked chapters in scriptures, in my opinion, because it's full of names. Now, let's be honest. Often times when we get a chapter that's full of names in the Bible, we have a tendency to speed readad through there. Anybody get bogged down in the bagats? Yeah. And you're like, "So and so begat so and so." And you're Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We get it. They were beating. Nehemiah 3 though, what I love is it lists names of individuals. It lists names of families and it lists their occupations and their locations. You know why? Because it was pointing out that everybody had a part to play. That just because you may be so and so that works for so and so, you still needed to work on the wall. Just because you may be working over here, it doesn't matter. You're not disqualified. you could get out in front of your house and rebuild the wall. Why? Because everybody had a part to play. And when they all got on board, God was able to do miraculous things. Why? Because they were united together, understanding the purpose that they needed to do this. I wanted to know if we could be united this year at Centerpoint. Can we be united today in this service? When I look at the people, they were taking responsibility, rebuilt their portions. I loved how he went and he grabbed fathers and he grabbed the fathers grabbed their kids and they went outside their house and rebuilt their wall because it was important for moms and dads to explain to their kids why we're doing this. I love that Centerpoint has a culture that cultivates families being involved in ministry. One of my highlights of last night's service celebration was all of the kids who got up that had been serving over in the kids department. I think we had like seven or eight of them this was their first time to get their first coin. When I looked over, it made my heart so happy because we're creating a culture that says you have a part to play. We don't want to wait till you turn 18 to get you involved in ministry. We want to have opportunity for you when you realize the importance and you have a place. We'll discover ministry opportunities for you. Amen.

>> Here's the truth about serve Sunday, man. I'm trying to remind not everyone does the same thing, but everyone does something. The kingdom is not built by spectators, but it's built by servants who are willing to volunteer. I'm looking to see if anybody wants to get in the game. >> Anybody want to get in the game today? >> Anybody want to be involved? Anyone? Anybody want to be more than just a pew setter? >> Right. Well, I've spent the majority of my life studying this word. The overwhelming majority of my life. Nowhere did I say that anybody was called to be a pew setter. >> There's more to life than that. There's more to ministry than that. When I think through scriptures, I think about how Saul working together as one body. Paul talked about this in 1 Corinthians 12 verse number 18. But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as he pleased. Did you catch that? He put it together as he pleased. You know, sometimes he acts like God. Verse number 19. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you. Nor to the head, to the feet, I have no need of you. What Paul was saying is we all have a part to play. And nobody's more important than the other. Did you catch that? Nobody's more important than the other. >> Just like in the body, we all have body and we have differing parts that were there. And sometimes we don't think a whole lot about the pinky toe until we stub it. And the old does it get our attention? You don't think a whole lot about you don't even think a whole lot about your pinky. But if you don't have your pinky, you can't hold anything in your hand. So even what I'm saying, even the smallest, most insignificant pieces of the body have important parts to play. They're all important. No one's more of priority than the other. Especially when it's all working together well. That's why I'm encouraging you to think and pray about where it is that you can find your place in the part of the body. Do you have a place? Do you have a place? Do you have somewhere where you're contributing? You don't have to have someone else's role. You don't have to have a stage. You don't need a title. You just need to find your section of the wall. You don't have to have your eyes open. You just need your heart to be open where God wants you to work. >> Amen. Amen.

And here's what I know that this is what I'm facing already today. I can feel a little bit of the resistance in it. Like, yeah, it's cold and it's snowy. We're hungry. We've been cooped up. This the first time some of us got out in a while. We're over stimulated right now cuz opposition comes. Nehemiah chapter 4, the opposition starts coming in. When the wall started going up, the opposition shows up. Mockery and threats and discouragement. Isn't it interesting how the enemy loves to keep us distracted? That is like the order of today is distraction. Now, I want you to pay close attention to this verse I want to read to you out of Nehemiah chapter 2 verse number 10. When Sam Ballot the Horonite and Tobi the Ammonite officially heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel. Did you notice what made him upset? Not that he was coming to Jerusalem. Not that Nehemiah was the cup bearer of the king. Not that he wanted to rebuild the wall that had been destroyed. What grieved him is that there was a man who was concerned with the welfare of the children of God. I'm telling you what makes our enemy mad 10 out of 10 times is when a church wants to build a big sanctuary. Not when the church wants to build a big sanctuary life center, but when the church is concerned with the people that show up. >> It's not about making a name for the church. It's about being the hands and feet of God. The enemy gets mad at it every single time. >> That's why it's important that we understand we have a part to play. The devil hates a church who has a burden for a city.

When I read Nehemiah's response there in chapter one, it gets me every time that he stopped and wept. And it says for days he was bothered. When's the last time that you have been truly bothered about the state of affairs in our country? When's the last time that you were bothered by the state of affairs in our city? And here's what goes on now, right? This is where a lot of us live. And I'm going to I'm speaking to all of us, okay? We can see all the noise and all the distraction and all the stuff that's going on. And because it's coming at us so fast and with so much abundance, we have the ability to turn those things off. And we often try to find something to numb it, something. Now, for some that could be things like drugs and alcohol, and we love to try to reach out and try to help people who find themselves bound in addictions. But I'm going to speak to the church for just a minute. We as the church often times can find ourselves numbing ourselves as well through distractions like Netflix and Amazon Prime and Hulu or our Kindle or our Audible account or our podcast or our Christian talk radio because we know how to control the narrative. But we're doing the same thing. We're numbing oursel and we're distracted from the reality what's going on around us. We're in a desperate place right now in the world. Shame on us as a church if we don't feel the weight of that. >> When are we going to wake up and realize that God is desperately trying to use us to reach our neighbors? But we're being lulled to sleep. Self-induced ways of numbing the noise.

As I was praying this morning, I was like, "God, please help me get this conviction that I feel like you've placed in me across the pull pit today so the church can feel that I'm not just trying to boost volunteer numbers so that I can say, "Hey, we had 210 people show up at our volunteer banquet. We need some more people to boost." That's not what it's about. It's about understanding we have so much work to do. so much work to do. We have a responsibility. I keep saying that this year. We have this obligation that we have truth. We have it. We know we know what God wants to do with people, but we are only sitting in these church walls. Why are we not reaching outside? Why are we not taking the opportunity? Why are we not willing to stand up? Why are we not bothered like Nehemiah was bothered when he just got word he didn't have a picture. He didn't see a real. There wasn't a social media post. No one even brought him back a script down. They simply said, "It's not good. The walls are tore down. The gates are burned." And it affected him and so deeply he sat down and prayed and fasted off of that news. When's the last time that you looked at what's going on in our world and instead of wondering if it's a donkey or an elephant, if it's red or it's blue or if it's your person there, when's the last time that you just stopped and you pushed back and said, "Oh my God, I'm going to pray. Lord, we're desperately needing you to direct our lives. When's the last time you skipped a meal without pastor asking you to skip a meal because of the state of the affairs in our country today? >> When's the last time it bothered you? We cannot stay insulated to this stuff and be obedient to what God is asking us to do. That's not his plan is for you to be comfortable knowing that your salvation is secure, but the rest of the world is burning down around you and going to a devil's hell. We can't be comfortable with that. We got to get to the point that we're uncomfortable enough to do something to be involved. There shouldn't be anybody with me asking you to volunteer. should be the pastor. Where do you need me a couple of generations ago? The enemy bombed us in Pearl Harbor and the next day there was no need for anybody to ask for a volunteer. They didn't have to put together a draft. We had been attacked and we rallied because the enemy hit us. Ladies and gentlemen, the enemy hasn't stopped. But we've gotten so used to it, no one feels the urgency anymore, the weight anymore. We have allowed the world's culture to slip in the back door of the church. And we have become very self-centered and me centric even in our consumption of God is that I come in to Sunday and for the two hours and a half that I'm here I'll allow myself to be open to his spirit and I allow myself to be moved. I'll even come down to the altar sometimes, but I'll put him back in his box when I walk outside the door and I'll go back to my life and my conveniences and I'll have my little daily devotional so I can check off the box and I'll read my portion of scripture because that's what I'm supposed to do to be a good Christian. But I won't let it sit down inside of me and impact me to the point where I find myself weeping over the state of the world today. It serves Sunday. I shouldn't have to be a cheerleader to get you involved in ministry around here. You should just know that I'm created to do something for his kingdom, not my kingdom. I have a part to play where I can get involved.

Here's a key truth. If what you're building doesn't matter, it won't be opposed. But if you're facing opposition in your life, I promise you the enemy knows you're a threat. And he doesn't want you to realize your potential >> and he's dirtying his tactics and he's sneaking his slide. He knows the things that are most important for us. I'm speaking to somebody right now and I feel it in the Holy Ghost. The enemy has been fighting your family. I'm telling you, it's a time to double down on what is right and what is true. It's time to take spiritual lead in your home and be the leader you need to be because the enemy is afraid of you. >> He's going to fight you hard on the very place that he knows you're the most you have the most potential to be successful for the kingdom.

>> Nehemiah responded this way in chapter 4 verse number 17. Those who built on the wall and those who carried burdens loaded themselves so that with one hand they worked at construction and with the other hand they held the weapon. I'm not. See, this is what I love about this. I'm not telling you to be that Bible thumper crazy person that has the A-frame strapped around their neck walking around saying it's the end of time. Okay, those people are weird. I love Jesus and I don't know what to do with those people. But here's what I glean from what Nehemiah did. He put the word in one hand and a trial in the other. So he worked when it was time to work, but when the enemy came up, he had the word to counter about that. What would we be like if we was a church who was equally committed to church as he was to work? Now, my mind is you should have a little higher commitment to God. But I'm telling you right now, I'll just take it if we can maybe get some 50/50 going on where you're thinking about the word of God. You're thinking about the fact that he wants you to be mindful of him. They serve. They stayed alert. They didn't quit. Galatians 6:7, "Do not be deceived. God is not mocked. For whatever man sws, that will he also reap. For he who sws to his flesh will the flesh reap corruption. But he who sws in the spirit will the spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary and welloing for in due season we shall reap if we shall not lose heart. Did you catch that? That God's not going to be mocked. I'm asking you. I'm going to ask you this. You think, "Pastor Kevin, you're getting dirty." No, I'm not. Because I had to ask me the question before I typed it. We had a little down week. We had a little reprieve for most of us. For some, it was an answered prayer. For some of you, you had daytime jammies and nighttime jammies. What did you sew this past week? What did you sew? You had an opportunity to where a lot of the time the world come close to a stop because of weather and you were home. You had time. You had spare time. Now, I'm not saying that you can't do some fun things, but I'm asking you, what did you sew? Did you sew into the flesh? We did that at our house. My wife was married when she turned into Martha Stewart after day three being pinned up there with her cooking every day, every meal, new things on the counter time. I was like, I got to get out of here because my jammy's lying to me. My pants aren't going to feel good. So, we did a little flesh sewing. I'm sure you did, too. Did you a little word? Did you get in the word? Did you do anything to enrich your soul? If not, shouldn't that be a wakeup call to you? That when the opportunity presented itself for you to grow spiritually, you didn't sew into the spirit. You only swed into the flesh. >> And Pastor Kevin, it's serve Sunday. Why are you going deep like this? Cuz Pastor Wesley, we're at the end of time. We're in the last days. >> I'm so afraid we're going to be rocked to sleep. The whole time the world's burning down around us. What are you doing? Where are you serving? What wall are you working on? Audacious servants don't quit because it's hard. They just keep building. They just keep planting. They just keep sewing. They keep reaping. So, where are you sewing in your life? Where are you sewing? How are you growing?

One of the most frustrating things as a pastor is to watch Christians plateau. that, you know, I we know salvation. I know the doctrine. I know this. So, I'm good. I come to church on a regular basis. You know, Pastor Kevin, I pay my tithe. I'm in attendance. I go to life class. Like, I'm good. Really? I have a hard time that you've read the word of God and comprehended it. And you just made the statement, "You're good." No. No. There should be a hunger inside of you that's perpetually moving you forward to knowing that there's more to do for the kingdom. There's more to do in these last days. There's more that it's our final hour. It's last hour. Lord, what are we doing? We cannot be idally sitting by entertaining oursel to death. I'm working on that AI message. I'm working on it diligently, but I haven't felt comfortably released to go forward. But I'm telling you, it's scary in these last days what we have allowed oursel to be committed to what we have bought into hookline and sinker.

Nehemiah 6. So the wall was finished 25th day of Eli in the 52 days. And it happened when all of our enemies heard of it and all the nations around saw these things that they were very disheartened in their own eyes for they perceived that the work was done by our God. Did you notice the balance that it was God who helped them but they built. This is how the kingdom works is God provides the power, God provides the purpose. God provides the direction but people provide the obedience. James 2:17 says so also faith by itself if it does not have a work is dead. So if you're personally living by faith, where's your work? Not to salvation, right? We can't buy salvation. You can't earn your way into heaven. Jesus took care of that at Calvary. It's not about earning your salvation, but it's about putting that faith in motion. Where are you putting your faith in motion? Where is it speaking for you? Where's the action behind it? Do you believe in God? Good. The devil's also believing God. You're not doing anything. The devil knows that. Where's your work going? Where you putting your hand to the plow at? Where are you committed to doing something for the kingdom of God? Where are you sewing seed? What wall are you working on? Where are you positioning yourself at? We need to serve because servant is faith in motion.

So what does it mean for us today to be a servant doing it with audacity? Because audacity isn't arrogance and it's not recklessness, but audacity is confidence that God is at work and we're doing what matters. Audacity says, "I'll serve even if it costs me. I'll show up even when it's inconvenient. I believe God can use my obedience to change the lives of the people around me." Safe serving never changed the world. Safe serving never changed the world. But where are you willing to step out and be audacious? Where has God called you? What is it that God's laid on your heart? Here's what I know. I know. I know. I know. I know that there are ministry dreams in this room. I know God has spoke things into your hearts and into your minds. I know he's given you visions of things he wants to do with you, but you've been afraid. You sitting on the sideline. I'm trying to wake it up. I'm trying to wake it up. I'm trying to tell you, yes, he's still calling people. He's still calling people. He's still burdening people. He's still laying audacious things like going to Boston and planting a church. that's living audaciously is to say, "Hey, I don't want to do this, but I'm willing to uproot my entire family because I got a call on my life." Where is God calling you? >> Where is he calling you? I know where he's not calling you. He's not calling you to sit in a chair. >> Where you don't have to leave the church. You don't have to leave the city. I'm thankful what for what Lindsay and Wesley are doing. It's God ordained. They're going to do a great thing. and they're going to plant a church in Boston. But what about you? Where's God calling you? What ministries he planted inside of you? What is it that you need to bring up to the forefront of your mind? And remember, there was something that God placed inside of you for many of you, you're doing things. You know, Lincoln, he put that in you to do those worship nights in your neighborhoods. God's going to use that. That's something that's a God-given thing he placed inside of you. We're going to see souls changed and lives forever altered because of you being obedient. But it takes more than Wesley Lincoln. What about you? What is God calling you to do? Where is it that you're supposed to be serving? What is it that's down inside that is a flicker that God planted there a long time that you need to fan the flame and bring it up to where it burns brightly? I don't know. I don't know for you, but I do know this. It's there. It's there. There's a burden inside of you there. >> When are you going to take a step? When? I told you a couple Sundays ago. You remember what I spoke over you? You're a connector to people I'll never be able to connect with. God's going to use you to bring them into his house and God's going to fill them with his spirit and change their lives. Don't be afraid to take this step. Don't be afraid. There's so many ministries. You guys know, >> but it's more than just these hand few. Where is yours at? It's serve Sunday. Where can you plug in? Where can you take your talents and your abilities and your giftings and your skill sets and your personality traits? Where can you use that for the kingdom? Where I'm trying to wake you up. I know I'm not doing my back flips and cartwheels. I'm not hanging off and biting a sheetrock right now. But hey, I'm telling you the truth. >> That God has a mission for you. >> He has a ministry for you. Is for you. And I want us to audaciously be the church. I want us to serve with audacity. Which means that you're at some point going to have to wake up and realize that I'm not going to back off of this. I'm going to keep preaching it and preaching it and preaching as long he puts it on my heart. I'm going to keep preaching until we wake up and we really become the church God wants us to be. Till we make an impact in our city, in our state, and in our nation. We can be a catalyst for some change. It doesn't have to be some place, a co college campus in another town. It could be right here. It could be in this city. He could be with us if we would rally around and unite together and understand that we have a purpose and we have a plan that God has for each and every one of us. When are we going to wake up and sit upon and understand this the last days is not time to set idly BY BUT BE INVOLVED IN WHAT GOD'S TRYING TO DO AROUND US.

>> I'll go back to verse number four in chapter one and I'm going to be closing in just a minute reading from the English Standard Version. As soon as I heard those words, I sat down and wept and mourned for days. And I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. As I said already, Nehemiah is one of my favorite books because it refuses to let faith stay theoretical. When Nehemiah heard about Jerusalem, his homeland, the place of his promise, he didn't shrug. He didn't scroll. He didn't spiritualize it away. Instead, he sits down and he weeps and he mourns and he fasts and he prays. And his response convicts me every time. Nehemiah wasn't even living in Jerusalem anymore. He wasn't. The broke walls did not directly affect his daily comfort, but they affected his heart. He was moved because he still cared deeply about the condition, about the things that belong to God. When's the last time you were moved? When's the last time that you stood at the grocery store checkout line and you looked around and you asked yourself this question, I wonder do they even know Jesus? When's the last time that you were at Starbucks or Brass Horn or Just Love or your favorite coffee place and you just looked around and ask yourself the question, I wonder if anybody in here even knows him. When's the last time that it bothered you that you carry the words of life around inside you and we don't share it? Nehemiah was bothered. He was convicted. And that forced him into an uncomfortable question that I need to ask you today. Where is our devotion for the state of our own homeland? Our walls may not be in rubble or ash, but something is undeniably broken. In our city, I'm just going to put it in our city. Okay, I'm just going to get down where we live just in Murphy'sboro. Spiritually, much has been lost. Morality has faded. Truth has been replaced by preference. Self has become the new God. Entertainment the new altar and distraction the new lethargy. Anything that honors God is slowly being pushed aside and torn down. And yet, where are our tears? Where is our cries? Where's our mourning? Where's the kind of bird that drives me to my knees instead of just my opinions? Nehemiah didn't start with a plan. He didn't start with a platform. He started by turning to God in prayer. overwhelmed by what he seen. It drove him to his knees. And it was when he was there that God was able to work out a plan with Nehemiah that he was able to go and do more than just cry, but he was able to bring hope and restoration. He was willing to rally a nation because one man was willing to say, "God, I can't stand it." one man who was willing to go to his knees and said, "You know, Lord, I don't know what you can do, but here I am. If you can use anything, Lord, you can use me." >> Why would you limit God because of what you think your ability is, >> ladies and gentlemen? It doesn't have anything to do with your ability at all. >> We're all limited, but he's unlimited. He's an all powerful, all- knowing God, not bound by space or time. Why would we not be driven to our knees and say, "God, here I am. Whatever it is you think I can do, Lord, I am willing to go. Lord, my answer is yes." Is there any yeses in the room today? Lord, help me care again. Not just with outrage, but with repentance. Not just with strategy, but with surrender. God, give me eyes to see what's broken and a heart that refuses to look away.

As I bring this message to an end today, center point, God is still rebuilding lives. He is still restoring families. He is still doing work that only God can do. He is still strengthening his church. And he's doing it the same way he's always done it through ordinary people who have willing hearts and the opportunity to say, "God, here I am to serve." People who live with audacity. Some of you here in the room today, you're already serving. So, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for showing up week after week, Sunday after Sunday, Wednesday after Wednesday. Thank you for what you do. I appreciate it so much. Some of you are ready to step in and some of you today are ready to discover your place. So, here's how I'm going to end the message today. As you stand with me, I want you to be open. I want you to be open that in our closing prayer today that God's going to reveal to you the section of wall he wants you to work on. Just like Nehemiah did. He went into the city. He began to survey what was going on. And then he begin to lead men to the places right in front of them and say, "This is where I need you to work." Often times it had to do with where they were at by their vocation or by their family connection. I've said this many times. There's a reason why you have those talents. There's a reason why you have those abilities. Yes, you can use them in your vocation. You can use them to keep food in your pantry. But I'm telling you, they were given to you by God for his kingdom. for his kingdom. So, as we begin to pray here in just a minute, I want you to pray, "God, show me the piece of wall you need me to work in." In other words, God, show me the ministry that you want me to work in. Help me identify it in my life. Help me to see it. Help me to know it. Help me to feel, Lord, the weight and the passion and the burden that you have for me. >> >> Once you find your section of wall, I want you to learn to pick you up your tool and I want you to get to work and I want us to be the church audaciously.

Now, before I pray this closing prayer, I know that doubts in the room, so I'm going to take dominion and authority over that in just a minute. I also know this that the same God who equips is also the same God who restores and the same God who heals and the same God who fills. So if you have a need for salvation today, today according to the word of God is the day of salvation. If you need a healing in your body, today is God can heal you. >> If you need restoration, today is a day that God can restore you. So, not only in our prayers are we going to be praying about ministry opportunities, but if you have a need in your life, I want you to know the God who can handle all of that is here today as well. So, at any time you want, please feel free to come down. We will pray with you in this alter area. As I start this prayer, I want you to know this altar is open. You all are invited to come. When we conclude service or if you have to leave, I encourage you to make your way out there to go past the tables. So, I want you to just prayerfully take a look at ministry opportunities that are here and see if the Lord won't speak to you about one of those before you leave here today.

Bow your heads with me. Jesus, I feel you strong in this place. You're walking close to us. I'm so thankful for that. Lord, I want to start off by asking Lord, would you remove all doubt from this room right now in the name of Jesus? Would your doubt would you just remove doubt God? Unbelief be gone from this place. I pray God that we would feel comfortable in your presence right now. Lord, we all have a part to play in your kingdom. We all have a place that you uniquely designed us to fit. I pray Jesus that you start opening our eyes and give us understanding of what that is. God, I pray for those dreams that you've planted and you've words that you've spoken over people that are in this room. Ministry opportunities, Lord, that have laid dormant far too long. Bring it back to the forefront of their mind, those things that have been spoken over them right now in Jesus name. God, give us a burden. Give us a burden to be involved in your kingdom. Give us a burden for our city. You give us a burden for the loss that are around us. God, give us a burden for our family. Give us a burden for our friends. Lord, wake us up in these last days that we're living in. God, I pray if there's someone who needs salvation today, Lord, that you would meet them, that you would fill them, that you would wash them, that you redeem them in Jesus name. It's prayer time, church. I invite you to come. Let's pray.