Author: Mojo Ministries

I want you to understand with me from the very start that David had a lot of mighty men. In fact, there were thousands of men who fought under David’s command.  However, as when we get to David’s final words here in II Samuel 23, David begins to narrow this down to a small list of men, 37 in fact, according to verse 39. But there were 30 men that we know were specified by name as David’s Mighty Men.

These were men who were known for great skill, for great feats of courage on the battlefield. They were men who loved their King, and they were loyal to David. They loved the nation of Israel, and I believe they loved God. And I would go as far as to say that I believe their strength and victories came as a direct result of their faith, because some of the things they are recorded as doing were not natural things – they were supernatural things: they were not ordinary things – they were extraordinary things!

Verse 8 tells us about a man by the name of Adino who slew 800 of the enemy with a spear at 1 time.  Now folks, that’s not ordinary, because you and I couldn’t take on 800 toddlers at one time. Verse 9 and 10 tells us about Eleazar, a man who found himself in a fight against the Philistines, and when he looked around, he found that everybody had abandoned him and run away. Yet he stayed in the fight and God brought a great victory. Then was Shammah, who stood in the middle of a pea patch, a lentil field, and when the Philistines came to take it, he stood alone when everyone else ran away, and again, God wrought a great victory.

But through the rest of the list, it just gives us a bunch of names – we don’t know exactly what they did or what they accomplished, we only know that they were some of David’s top mighty men.  Now, I can’t speak for you, but for me, it’s very easy to just start skipping over that list of names. So, it’s easy when you’re looking at this list for some names to get lost on the list.  In fact, that’s really the focus of my message during this great day in the history of our church. I’ll tell you folks, we are going to have some great days, and this is certainly one of them, but I’m just as sure that there will be some days that aren’t so great.

But as I began to really home in on this chapter, I realize there are some names on this list of men that we really get to know their deeds, men like Adino, Eleazar, Shammah, Abishai and Benaiah. But then there are other names that just seem to get lost on the list: They are not an Abishai or a Benaiah, or an Adino, or Eleazar or Shammah. There are four men that I notice really get lost on this list, there may only be a few words about them, and there may not be anything mentioned about them.  But I really want us to notice this, and I hope you can each apply this in your perspective ministries:

THE MIGHTY MAN WHO’S FIGHT WAS FORGOTTEN (18-23)

There is something I noticed about this list that is very interesting.  The first group of men that were mentioned in verses 8-12, was a list of 3 men – Adino, Eleazar and Shammah.  This is an elite list of the top three – these were David’s:

• Delta Force Operators,
• David’s Tier 1 guys.
• They Best of the Best.

But then in verses 18-23, there is another list of three men that are given.  These guys are what you might call the Tier 2 Special Forces – the Rangers, The Green Berets, The regular Navy Seal Teams, Marine Force Recon/Raiders.

Verse 18 says of this group “They had a name among three.” It then goes on to list Abishai in verses 18-19, who was among this second group, but didn’t make to cut into the top 3.  Then in verses 20-23, it mentions another mighty man that didn’t make the top 3 named Benaiah.

Now this is where this list gets interesting.  We know that the top three are Adino, Eleazar and Shammah.  But when you get to this second list of three, we only learn two names – Abishai, who was the captain of this group three, and Benaiah, who David would set over his guard. But we are never given the name of the third person. Whoever this mighty man was seems to be “Lost on the List.”

Now I find this to be very interesting, because to make this list meant that he was in the top 6 of the 37, which made him better than most on the list.  He had to have done something to of made this list of the top 6 list of David’s Mighty men.  Yet, he is not mentioned.  Now verse 39 clearly tells us that there were 37 mighty men listed here in total.  But I have read this message over and over and all I can come up with are 36 names list.  Whoever number 37, I believe is because this man is to second group of three got “Lost on the list.”  He obviously did something to make the list – but the truth is, the man has been left out.

Now I’m not going to say that the Holy Ghost forgot to breathe this man’s name to the author to put him on the list, because we don’t believe in errors of the Scripture.  So that means this man was left out intentionally.

Men, here is the message to you in this: there are going to be times in your service to God that you are going to be overlooked and underappreciated. You’re not always going to be recognized for what you do. And it will be a wonderful day in your ministry when you can:

• Die to self.
• And die to recognition.
• When you don’t have to be recognized for every little thing you do.

And I’m going to tell you now, if you are in this thing to be recognized, if you’re in this thing to always get a pat on the back, and for you to get the preeminence, I’m going to tell you that you want be in the ministry very long!

If you do this for recognition, you are doing it for the wrong reason! Jesus really pegged those Pharisees didn’t when He said that everything they did, they did to be “Seen of men.”  And when they gave, they had the trumpets sounded so everybody knew that they gave.  You know what they did, “They hired a Mariachi band to come play so everybody would see them giving!”

The bible says, when you give, don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.  When you pray, get in what?  Your prayer closet!

I must be careful here because I’m preaching about somebody that’s not even listed in the Bible, so just bear with me here.  Do you recall that list of hall of fame of heroes in Hebrews chapter 11, men who the Bible says, “Waxed valiant in fight.”  Well, I believe this list of men were apart of that group being mentioned there.  You know what the writer of Hebrews says of these men?

“They received a good report.” So, men – don’t do what you do to receive a good report among men but do what you do so that you can receive a good report in Heaven! There is a God in Heaven that recognizes everything that you do for His Kingdom.  Sometimes you’re going to feel left out, overlooked and lost on the list, but that’s OK – God knows who you are! Serve God because you love Him!

The Mighty Man whose Fight was Forgotten, but notice second:

THE MIGHTY MAN WHO FORSOOK THE FAMILIAR (29)

In the middle of verse 29, there is a man there by the name of Ittai. Now all we know about this man Ittai is that he was from Gibeah, and he was a Benjamite.  Do you know who else was from Gibeah and was a Benjamite?  KING SAUL.

There was a time when Saul sought to destroy David, but he was also losing men.  Remember 400 of Sauls men left Sauls Army and joined David in the caves.  I believe this man Ittai was very likely to have been one of those men.

I believe it is possible Ittai was from the same hometown, the same tribe, and may have even been in the same family as Saul, but I believe he made a decision in his life:

• He wasn’t going after the flesh anymore.
• He wasn’t going after this man that was rejected by God.

He left his own home and his own family and decided to follow David. So, there was clearly a point in this man’s life where he made the decision to cut all earthly ties to follow God’s anointed!

There is going to be a time in your ministry that you are going to have to decide that you are either going to follow what man wants you to do or what God wants you to do. 

In Acts chapter 5, when Peter and the other Apostles were brought before the council of the high priests, the high priests said unto them, “Didn’t we command you not to speak anymore in this name?”  And I love Peter’s response,

“We ought to obey God rather than man.”

Folks, unless you are willing to forsake the familiar, forsake all else, you’re never going to be a Mighty Man for God! I know that’s not killing a lion in a pit on a snowy day, I know it’s not slaying 800 at one time, but to be willing to leave your family, to forsake all else for the work of God, I don’t know about you, but that’s pretty Mighty to me!

The Mighty Man whose Fight was Forgotten

The Mighty Man who Forsook the Familiar

THE MIGHTY MAN WHO WAS FAITHFUL IN FOLLOWING (37)

In verse 37, “Zelek the Ammonite, Nahari the Beerothite, armourbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,”

We only get a small description of this man Nahari, and what we learn about him is that he is an armorbearer. This simply means he was the guy who bore the armor.  You know what that means?  That means he carried stuff!

• You carry equipment – that’s what you do.
• You’re not the front-line Special Operator – You’re the support guy.
• You’re not the man – you follow the man.
• You’re not in charge – You follow the one that is in charge.

The armor-bearer carries all the stuff, maybe the swords, the shields, the body armor, helmets, the extra food rations. You’re just dragging all the stuff behind somebody else. This is really an entry-level job. In fact, it was one of David’s first jobs as he was armor-bearer to Saul at one point.

Yet, here is this man listed among the top 37 of David’s Mighty Men and all we know of him is that he was a servant to somebody else.

You know what that means?  That means that no matter how tough he was, no matter how much he accomplished, no matter how many victories he won, he was always willing to follow somebody else!

Men, you will never be a leader if you’re not willing to be a follower.  In fact, I will go as far as to say I hope there never comes a point in your ministry where you stop being a follower!  The only way you are ever going to make disciples is by becoming a disciple!

So here is this man that is on this elite list of Mighty Men and the only thing we know about him to this day is that he was Joab’s armorbearer. 

Listen, back in chapter 18, you’ll find that Joab had not one, but 10 armorbearers. 10 young men that carried his stuff!  But this man apparently made the decision that if all he ever did was serve somebody else, if all he could do was be somebodies armorbearer, he was going to be the best armorbearer he could be!

I encourage each of you to just determine in your own lives you are going to be the best you can be right where God has planted you and you let God do the arranging of things in your life!

The Mighty Man whose Fight was Forgotten

The Mighty Man who Forsook the Familiar

The Mighty Man who was Faithful in Following

FINALLY NOTICE THE MIGHTY MAN WHO FORGAVE A FAILURE

There is a man mentioned in verse 39, “Uriah the Hittite.” Uriah brings up bad memories of some dark days in the life of King David. And these bad memories are not because of what Uriah did, but for what was done TO him.

The King that he served, the man he pledged his life to, stole his wife and then had him murdered.  That’s about as bad as you can get in my book.

In the ministry, there are going to be some people, unknowingly, or sadly knowingly – that are going to hurt you. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of ministry.  Somebody is going to hurt your feelings, they are going to let you down, they are going to disappoint you.

Listen guys, it’s just a part of life.  Truth is, I’ve hurt people’s feeling before.  I’ve had to go apologize to people; I’ve even had to apologize from the pulpit.

But here is the interesting thing about Uriah – Uriah went to his grave never knowing what David did. He went to his grave faithful to his king.  He went to his grave as an honorable man who died what he thought was an honorable death. There was no bitterness in his heart and no malice in his heart! He only had one enemy when he died, and that was the enemy he was confronting on the battlefield.

But Uriah is not the name on the list I am thinking of here, but it brings us to it. But there’s another name on this list – and he did know what David did to Uriah.

In the middle of verse 34, there is this name “Eliam, the son of Ahitophel, the Gilonite.”

Back in chapter 11, verses 2 and 3 tell us, “And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

So here’s David, enjoying a fresh cup of coffee up on the rooftop of Lust, and he’s inquiring about Bathesheba.  And one of his servant’s man’s up and says, “Hold on King, isn’t that your mighty man Eliam’s daughter and the wife of one of your other mighty men Uriah?”

Listen to me now, Uriah went to his grave never knowing what happened to him.  But Eliam had to live with what happened.  He had a son-in-law that was murdered by his King, he had a daughter that lost her husband and had an affair with the King. Then he had a grandson that died.

All we know about Eliam is what is written in these two verses, and I’ve shared both of them with you. So I submit this thought to you:

IF Eliam continued as a Mighty Man for David, and I assume he did as he is mentioned in David’s final thoughts as one of the Elite of the Elite, then there is only one way he could have done it:

HE HAD TO FORGIVE!  I’m not saying he did, I’m only saying if he did.  And if you are going to be and stay a mighty man for God, you’ll have to find forgiveness in your heart as well.

You’re going to have to forgive those who have wronged you. I promise you, in the ministry, you are going to get your feeling hurt and if you don’t learn to forgive people, that bitterness, that resentment will consume you and it will consume your ministry. What we do is forgive, and do you know why?  Because we’ve been forgiven!

Do you know what Eliam’s name means in the Hebrew language?  GOD’S PEOPLE.  Now, if anybody ought to be forgiving it ought to be GOD’S PEOPLE!

Forgiveness is always right. You can choose to live with bitterness or you can choose to do what’s right!

I can’t speak for you, but I believe that man who forgave – that’s a mighty man; that man who just served as an armorbearer – that’s a mighty man to me; that man who forsook all for the cause of Christ – that’s a mighty man to me; and that man who served God faithfully whether you knew his name or not – that’s a mighty man! So, choose to be a Mighty Man!

“Hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus, and toward all saints;”

That goes right to the heart of what you hear us often say here at Rally Point Biker Church – “Love God and Love each other.”

The Book of Philemon is an unusual book.  Look at some of the names listed in these short 25 verses:

• Paul – God used to write 13 books of the New Testament, almost half. A       man that was greatly used of God.  A man that trained at the feet of          Gamaliel. A Pharisee of the Pharisees. If you want to talk about a far- right zealot – it was this guy, and yet God saved Paul and used him mightily to turn the world upside down for Christ.
• Timothy – whose father was a Greek, but his mother was a Jew that    believed in Christ. So, if you look at their nationality, they were very different, yet Timothy was a beloved brother and fellow-laborer!
• Philemon – A very wealthy man, a man of means, a man who had other        servants who worked for him. A man who was certainly known among   other people. He was very different from both Paul and Timothy.
• Onesimus – Down in verse 10 we find that he is a runaway servant of           Philemon’s. Through running away from his master, he has put himself in a very difficult situation. We do not know his race or        ethnicity, we only know that this is a man on the run.
• Apphia & Archippus – in verse 2.  We don’t know much about them other   than they were fellow soldiers of the Cross that helped form the      church that was in Philemon’s house.
• Marcus (v24) – John Mark. We know that early own, he and Paul had fallen out that caused Paul and Barnabas to part ways. At the end of II    Timothy, we know that Paul summoned Timothy to come shortly and       bring John Mark with him, for he was profitable for the ministry.
• Aristarchus – we know nothing about.
• Demas – we know forsook Paul.
• Lucas – The Apostle Luke, a doctor, a physician, who also wrote one of the Gospels and was penman for Paul for the Book of Acts.

You begin to get a picture in this one small book of a doctor, a wealthy man, a runaway man, a half-breed man, a man very well trained in the Old Testament Law and the ways of the Jews, you have fellow soldiers and people who just made a church in their house. And what you begin to see here is a group of people that are so unlike one another. I don’t know if you could find a similarity between the entire group – had it not been for the “tie that binds them.”

So, I just want to share this thought with you “THIS IS OUR CHURCH.”

There’s an old hymn written by a Baptist preacher many years ago titled “The Tie That Binds.” John Faucet was an orphan at age 12 – no mother, no father. John Faucet was sent to pastor a very poor, uneducated farming community in England. While pastoring there, he was contacted by a very large, well-to-do church in that wanted him to come and be their pastor. John and his family were very poor themselves by virtue of the community they were pastoring, so he decided to accept the position and go where he could better care for his family.  As they were packing to go, his wife said, “I can’t stand the thought of us leaving here.” And he replied to her, “Neither can I.” He then wrote these words:

Blessed be the tie that binds.

Our hearts in Christian love.

The fellowship of kindred minds

Is like to that above.

He is writing that about the people he doesn’t want to leave.  A poor people. Listen to the next verse:

Before our Father’s throne

We pour our hearts in praise.

Our fear, our hopes, our aims are one

Our comforts and our cares.

He is writing that to the people in front of him. He is saying “We have a kinship.” We have a bond. We’re not leaving you.

We share our mutual woes

Our mutual burdens we bare

And for each other often flows

The sympathizing tears.

You know what I’m certain of? I’m certain that John Faucet didn’t look at that congregation and say, “This is y’alls church and I’m sure you’ll find somebody.” He looked at those people and he said, “This is our church – and I’m staying right here, right where God wants me.”

He didn’t say it was “MY CHURCH,” he said it is “OUR CHURCH.” And I believe if there is a message to be found in the book of Philemon it’s that we are not to look at the church as MY CHURCH or YOUR CHURCH but as OUR CHURCH – it is something that we are doing and building together!

Let me show just a few things this morning about OUR CHURCH: IT IS:

THE CHURCH IN THY HOUSE (V2)

Notice Paul said THE CHURCH in thy house.  Paul didn’t say his house was the church, but that the church was in his house.

Let me say that Rally Point Biker Church is not this building that has so graciously been loaned to us. Listen, we are very grateful to Roy and Phyllis for allowing us to meet here – but folks, this isn’t Rally Point Biker Church.

The area that we have outside to park our cars and motorcycles – and even    our all-terrain vehicles and the big sign that says Rally Point Biker Church, is not Rally Point Biker Church.

The Flags we have at the road, though they state “WELCOME – Rally Point Biker Church,” they are not Rally Point Biker Church.

The sign that hangs over our refreshment area that states “Rally Point Biker Church – a little bit of coffee and a whole lotta Jesus” is not Rally Point Biker Church.

For better or worse, Rally Point Biker Church is You and it is me, collectively that form this church.

Now the folks who granted us a 501(c)3 might think that the property at 830 Dutch Creek Road, Pauline South Carolina is Rally Point Biker Church. But when God looks down at 830 Dutch Creek Road, He thinks of all the people gathered right here.

The Bible doesn’t say that where “2 or 3 buildings are gathered together.” He said, “where 2 or 3 people are gathered together in my name, there and I in the midst of them.”

That verse doesn’t say “Your church in your house.” It says, “THE CHURCH in thine house.” 

Though the church may have met at his house, ate at his table, drank of his refreshments – it wasn’t his church – it has always been the LORD’s church.

You want a lesson in humility – the church was founded on Jesus Christ – not any one of us – and that includes me!

 I Corinthians 12:12 says, “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.”

If God is going to do anything great for this church (and He is) located in this building, it will not be because I’m your preacher, or because Josh plays the guitar, or Mary Ann sings, or Kim makes coffee and brings donuts – it will be because we worked collectively together to make OUR CHURCH a beacon of hope to our community.

So, I guess the question here is, are you a part of the body, or are you just a   body part?

This is important to understand folks, what happens to a body part when it is removed from the body?

So in the book of Philemon, God brings together this rich man, a doctor, a     slave, a man that is well versed in the Law that he used to write half the New   Testament, and God doesn’t look at them individually and say it is your church, or your church or your church, but it is OUR CHURCH – “The Church in Thy House.” And everybody sitting here today is an important part of OUR CHURCH IN THIS BUILDING and when 1 part of this body is missing, this whole body suffers!

          “The Church in thine house”

LABORING TOGETHER (V1, 2, 23, 24)

          V1 – Fellow Laborer – Not carry a piece of furniture alone, but together.

          V2 – Fellow Soldier – Not trying to fight the enemy in fron and behind alone, but standing back-to-back, fighting together!

          V23 – Fellow Prisoners – Prisoners (Paul & Silas) Chained together. No where to go. They are prisoners. You know, that’s kinda what we experience now. What I haven’t shared with you is that our church gives to two separate organizations. The first is The Missionary Church International, that’s who we have our 501(c)3 through. The second is the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which encompasses Samaritans Purse.

Folks, I don’t believe there is another ministry on the planet that does more   for the cause of Christ than the Billy Graham Evangelistic Ministries.  They   are actively engaged in ministries all over the world and in some very not so nice places.  They have missionaries that have given their lives for the ministry.

 How many of you have heard the statement that when one part of the body suffers, the whole body suffers? That statement is absolutely true.

 That’s what it means to be a fellow-prisoner.  We are locked in this ministry together.

• It’s not: I’m sorry to hear about your son or daughter that’s out in the world.
• It’s not, I’m sorry for all that you are going through.

 Folks, this is OUR CHURCH and OUR MINISTRY and it will be a good day when OUR CHURCH learns to help bear one another’s burdens!

That’s what it means to be a fellow-prisoner.

Finally, The Church in Thine House, where we Labor Together, because:

YOU ARE OUR BROTHER, OUR DEARLY BELOVED (V1)

Some folks are grouped together because of the financial stature, the neighborhood they live in, the type of house they live in or car they drive.

Some folks are grouped together because of their education level.

Some folks are grouped together because of the type of clothes they wear. Take those who were all black and identify themselves as being Goth.

Folks, it ought not be that way.  You know why? Because we are THE CHURCH – regardless of how much money you have, regardless of what kind of clothes you wear or even your education level.  We are the church of the living God.     

James 5:16, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Last week we spoke of the rebuilding of the Temple of God. Just as Haggai, Malachi and Zechariah were contemporaries to Ezra, so was this man named Nehemiah. Except Nehemiah wasn’t a prophet. Nehemiah was Not:

• An architect
• He was not an Engineer
• He was not a carpenter
• a brick mason
• a plumber
• a roofer
• or an electrician.

He was simply the King’s Cupbearer.  Nehemiah was just an ordinary guy, on an ordinary day who prayed an effectual fervent prayer to God. Let’s look at that prayer together:  READ Nehemiah 1:4-11. Let’s Pray.

The Book of Nehemiah is a book about building. God, in 52 days was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem that lieth in waste, and He was also building relationships as the people of God worked together on the wall, but He was also building His people.

Can I say this morning that I am glad God is still in the building business! I’m glad God’s still putting homes together and lives together. And God’s still building His church, and God’s doing a great work AMEN!!!!

But understand with me, before the walls were rebuilt, before the homes were rebuilt, God got a hold to the heart of a man.

Let me ask you, what is the focus of your prayer life? What is it that God has burdened your heart about? What is it that keeps you up at night? What is at the top of your prayer list? What burdens your heart about the work of God?

Nehemiah had a burden, and he knew where to take it.  He took his burden to the LORD. In fact. Verse 4 said he prayed before the God of Heaven. Nehemiah knew where to take his prayer.

If you and I are going to pray effectual, fervent prayers:

WE WILL HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INTEGRITY OF GOD (V.5)

That;s our God. He is the “Great and Terrible God.” He is the one who “keeps His covenant and mercy for them that love Him and observe His commandments.”

You see folks, that’s the God we are praying to! We are praying to a God “who is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is long suffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).

If we are going to pray and effectual, fervent prayer:

WE WILL HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THE INTEREST OF GOD IN OUR PRAYER (V.6a)

“Let thing ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant . . .”

God, would You hear me?  Will You incline Your ear to me? Nehemiah was asking God to lean in. “LORD, will you hear me/”

Psalm 40:1, “I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.”

God is able to hear and He is able to listen! But folks, we are going to have to start praying, “Father not my will, but Thy will be done!”

If we are going to pray and effectual fervent prayer:

WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT OF TIME AND TEARS (6b).

“When I pray before Thee now day and night for the children of Israel thy servants . . .”

You see, Nehemiah made an investment in prayer. The Bible says he prayed DAY AND NIGHT!

This prayer meant so much to Nehemiah that he lost sleep over this prayer. Now I’m not talking about losing sleep over stress or anxiety, I’m talking having such a burden for something that it keeps you up or gets you up in the wee hours of the morning to pray about. THAT IS AN INVESTMENT – and investment in both time and tears.

Let me ask you husband and wife, when’s the last time you invested time and tears praying for one another? For God to keep the fire burning in your marriage.

Hey mom and dad, when’s the last time you got on your face before the God of heaven and invested some time and tears praying for your children, for God to protect or for God to bring them home if they’ve gone astray? When’s the last time you invested in your kids, and for some of us, for our grandkids?

Church member, when’s the last time you got on your face before God and asked Him to protect our church? And prayed that someone would get the heart right with God? When’s the last time for prayed for your pastor or for one another?  When’s the last time you asked God to protect our youth

Kids, and that means anyone with a parent still living, when’s the last time you prayed and asked God to save your parents, or to protect your parents?

When’s the last time we agonized in prayer over our country?

Psalm 42:1-3 says, “As the hart (DEER) panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?

I’d say that’s somebody praying with a burden.

Finally, if we are going to pray and effectual, fervent prayer:

WE WILL HAVE TO ADMIT OUR INIQUITIES BEFORE GOD (V6c-7)

“and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandedst thy servant Moses.”

The latter part of verse 6 and verse 7, Nehemiah begins to confess his sins, the sins of his father and the sins of Israel.

 Nehemiah realized why the walls of the city laid in waste, why their homes   laid in waste and why the people had become such a reproach to God – it was the result of their sin against God. And he wasn’t looking around pointing his finger at everybody else, he confessed the sin in his own life. Nehemiah GOT REAL WITH GOD. He said “GOD I NEED HELP.

And so, Nehemiah had a burden to not only rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but to also rebuild the lives of a people that had been broken. And if we want God to repair in our lives what’s been broken, you and I are going to have to get real with God!

In the many years I have spent preaching, I realize that I have maybe only shared one message from the Book of Ezra.  Now, I am familiar with the Book, I have heard others preach from the Book, mostly when people are going through building projects.  That makes sense to me because Ezra was given the privilege by God to help rebuild the Temple. But, for whatever reason, God’s never laid a messages on my heart from the book of Ezra.

Now, a few things to note about Ezra. The prophets Haggai, Zachariah, and Malachi are contemporaries with Ezra. 

The prophet Haggai is not necessarily telling the people that they should be building the Temple – what he is telling them is that they are spending so much time building their own homes, they have neglected the work of God.

I would say to you that if you spent all your time building your life and gaining all the things you want, and you don’t spend anytime or energy on the House of God or the work of God, I think you will have some regrets in eternity because you didn’t make wiser choices.

And then you read about Malachi, and Malachi spent his time speaking about leadership. The Preachers of the Country.  I would venture to say that one of the biggest problems we have in the church today is we are filling the leadership with CEO’s and Administrators, and focusing on grandiose programs and performances, rather than filling the pulpit with men of God who will stand in demonstration of the Spirit and Power of God. And our churches are paying the price for it.

And then there’s Zachariah.  And he just puts all the emphasis on the Messiah. He talks about the one who is going to have wounds; the One who is going to spring forth fountains of Living Water. He just focusses on making the LORD the center-piece.  And I’ll tell you folks, if we are going to build a great work for God, we will have to keep Christ as the Center Piece!

In our text, Judah has gone into captivity, and they have been there for 70 years. Their homes lie in waste. To give you a good mental picture of the destruction, think in your mind about some of the images coming out of Ukraine and how their lives have been destroyed in just a moment in time. Can you image what their lives would be like if they remained that way for 70 years?

Now this is what you have in Jerusalem.  You have the Temple that was built by Solomon, and it is now destroyed. And it now lies in ruin.

Then God does something very unique, in Ezra 1 and beginning in verse 1, He stirs up the heart of the King of Persia.

          “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by   the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of   Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his        kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying,

                ² Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The Lord God of heaven hath given me all          the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at                 Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

                ³ Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him          go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build the house of the Lord God      of Israel, (he is the God,) which is in Jerusalem.

                ⁴ And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with    beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in          Jerusalem.”

Now I find it amazing that God stirred up the heart of the Medo-Persian King Cyrus.  Folks, if God can stir up the heart of Cyrus, then He can stir up the heart of anybody He wants to.

Cyrus’ heart is stirred, and because of that, he makes a decree that he is going to build the Temple of God, the House of God. The House of God didn’t need to stay in this broken-down ruined condition anymore.

Now listen to me – there are a lot of houses, and I’m not talking about the houses on the street that you live on, but there are a lot of houses that are broken down, and they’ve been that way for a long time.

What I mean by that, there are some marriages that have soured and have broken down, and that relationship is no longer what it once was, and it is now a broken marriage.

There are people that have broken minds. And they’ve been in that condition for a long time. Maybe it’s because of depression, or some traumatic event that’s come into their life. Some people don’t believe that mental illness is real.  But folks, I can tell you firsthand that things like mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are very real. People’s minds have been broken by events that have taken place in their lives.

There are many hearts that have been broken, in a state of disrepair.  A bitterness that has been there for a long time, something that has yet to be corrected. And their hearts and their minds are just totally broken.

There are people who have been broken by sin.  And that sin in their lives has wrapped itself around them like a chain. And brick by brick, and piece by piece, that sin has torn apart their lives.

So, I want to talk with you about how we can Rebuild the House, and I’m not talking a physical house, I am talking about how to rebuild that broken mind and that broken heart; How to rebuild a broken marriage and how to begin rebuilding a life devastated by sin.

I’m going to say this, If God can stir-up the heart of a King that’s not born again, and get him to move to get God’s people to move again, I’m telling you, GOD KNOWS HOW TO REBUILD!

The sad thing is, some folks have lived in that condition for so long, they’ve just become accustomed to it. They’re used to it.  It’s like dragging a body behind you. They’ve just gotten used to it.  You are used to your marriage being in shambles; you’re used to your mind and your heart being broken; you’re used to dragging that heavy weight of sin around with you.

So I am just going to stand on both feet this morning and shout as loudly as I can that GOD CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT – if you will give Him that opportunity!

Now look with me in chapter 3 if you will and I’m going to show you some things that are required if you want God to rebuild your house!

YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN AGREEMENT (gather together)

Ezra 3:1, “And when the seventh month was come, and the children of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered themselves together as one man to Jerusalem.”

They came together as one to rebuild the House. In the book of Acts, the people came together:

• Acts 1: They were together in one heart and one mind at Pentecost praying;
• Acts 3: They were together praying when Peter and John went up to the Temple
• Acts 4: they are praying together after being persecuted.
• Acts 12: they are praying together because James has been beheaded and Peter has been imprisoned.
• Acts 20: They are gathered together on the first day of the week to break bread and Paul preaches until midnight.

And so the church gathered together.  But this passage is Ezra goes beyond that – In Ezra, they have made an agreement, a pact, a commitment that they are going to work on the House together!

Husband and wives, things in your marriage might not be what it once was, but I’m telling you, y’all need to come together in one heart and one mind and work on this thing TOGETHER!

You might be a parent here that has a child struggling.  Y’all need to come to an agreement that you’re going to work on this TOGETHER (talk about Mike and Cameron).

Folks, the first step in Rebuilding is coming to an agreement.  “God I can’t do this thing on my own.

YOU HAVE TO BUILD AN ALTAR (V2)

“Then stood up Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and his brethren the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and his brethren, and builded the altar of the God of Israel, to offer burnt offerings thereon, as it is written in the law of Moses the man of God.”

Before they ever laid the foundation of the Temple, they built an altar! Listen folks, as the people of God we should be laser focused on building the altar and getting to God before we ever try to deal with the other problems of life.

When the children of God built the tabernacle in the wilderness, the very first thing you would come to was the brazen altar, and then to the presence of God.

What we have now is everybody is trying to handle their issues.  I’ve had people tell me, “Well preacher, when we get our marriage straightened out, I’ll come back to church.”  Or “When I fix this problem I have, then I’ll come back to church.” So everybody is trying to side step the altar.  What we need to do is come to God and then trust Him to help fix the other areas of your life.

• Noah, when he got off the boat, the first thing he did was Build an altar.
• Abraham – every where he went, he would pitch a tent and built an altar.

Listen folks, before Dave Ramsey can help and before any other self-help gurus can help you – YOU NEED TO GET TO AN ALTAR.  And if you want my opinion, you should get to an altar as often as you can!

You know what’s wrong with churches today? Nobody is getting on the altar bowing before God, Asking God to partner with them on life’s highway.

• You want to rebuild your marriage? Bow before the God of Heaven.
• You want to rebuild your broken mind and your broken heart? Bow before the God of Heaven.
• You want God to help you through life’s struggles? Bow before the God of Heaven.

The Agreement, The Altar, now look at:

HAVE THE RIGHT ATTITUDE (V5)

“And afterward offered the continual burnt offering, both of the new moons, and of all the set feasts of the Lord that were consecrated, and of every one that willingly offered a freewill offering unto the Lord.”

How many have heard the saying “It’s more blessed to give than to receive?” Let me show you what we do: we kneel at an altar and we hold out our hands and say, “God I need something from you. God I need a blessing.  God I need you to fix my marriage.  God I need you to fix my mind.”

But look what they did – rather than asking God for something, they brought something to God. Maybe rather than asking God for something all the time, maybe we should get involved in DOING something for God.

In verses 8 through 11, they begin the work on the foundation.  Once they complete the foundation, the send the priest to get dressed up, they send for the musicians, and they then begin to praise God.  That’s not how we operate. We don’t begin celebrating until the whole house is done. And why did they begin celebrating BEFORE the job was complete? Verse 11 says because of the goodness of GOD! Don’t miss out on praising God during the struggle.

Before I get into the message, I want to say that I pray your mind is clear and receptive to the word of God.  It’s funny how we as a church over time, have developed our own language and oftentimes it’s a language the world can’t understand and that the lost can’t understand. Let me give you an illustration.  I went to a church once and as the preacher began to give his invitation, this is what he said, “I wonder how many of you here are totally depraved?  Would you like to have the vicarious atonement of Jesus applied as the propitiation of your depravity?  You know what I said?  HUHHHH?  Listen, our mission as a church is to speak in a language that everybody can understand.

Psalm 37:23 says, “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and He delighteth in His way.”  As I look at this verse, these 11 words seem to naturally divide themselves into 3 categories.  The first you see is:

THE PATH – the steps He speaks about. Now I’m sure when he said “the steps” he wasn’t talking about the literal movement of your feet.  He wasn’t talking about walking as being the actual movement of your feet but he’s talking about the Direction, the Course of your life.

Now I’m sure that when you were growing up, your parents might have said to you, and you might have even said to your children, “You better watch your steps.”  Now, they weren’t talking about watching the literal movement of your feet, they were talking about the direction of your life!  THAT IS THE PATH.

THEN THERE IS THE PERSON.  A good man, a good person.  Notice what the Bible says, it doesn’t say that “The steps of a man or ordered by the LORD,” BUT “the steps of a GOOD man are ordered by the LORD.”

Listen to me very carefully so you don’t miss what I’m about to say.  I want to give you a simple observation of why a lot of people don’t understand the Bible.  One of the reasons we don’t understand the Bible is because WE MAKE INCLUSIVE PREDICTIONS BASED UPON EXCLUSIVE PROMISES. Sometimes the Bible makes promises that are inclusive . . . they include everybody. 

• When the Bible says that God loves all men . . . that includes everybody;
• The Bible says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust and the sun shines on the just and the unjust

And it doesn’t matter if you love God, Hate God, Curse God, Worship God, Despise God, or Praise God . . . He’s gonna make the SUN come up in the morning because that is an INCLUSIVE PROMISE.

I’m glad that the Word of God says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the LORD shall be saved.”  That is Inclusive to everybody that has ever lived.

Contrary to what some may believe, I believe that salvation is for every person that will turn to God by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST our LORD and Savior.

The promises of God are divided in to two Categories:  INLCUSIVE PROMISES . . . these are the promises that apply to everybody.

But then there are EXLUSIVE PROMISES, and in fact, most of the promises in the Bible are EXLUSIVE, they are for a select group.  That’s why the Bible is so emphatic in saying, “all things work together . . .” it doesn’t say for EVERYBODY.  It is an EXCLUSIVE promise, “All things work together for the good of those who LOVE God . . .”

We understand from the New Testament that “there are none righteous, no not one.”  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”  So we understand that when the Bible says that “The steps of a GOOD MAN . . .” is a reference to a REDEEMED MAN, a person that has made a conscious decision to follow Him by faith.

We saw the Path, and the Person.  Now, let’s look at the PROVISION:

“THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN, A RIGHTEOUS MAN, A REDEEMED MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD.”

What does that word ORDERED mean?  Now I looked up the meaning of that word ORDERED in the Hebrew lexicon, and do you realize there are around 25 applications for that word.  There are a few I’d like to share.

So what does it mean to have my steps ORDERED?  Well according to the concordance, it means to be FASHIONED.  That means that God had DESIGNED IT OR FASHIONED IT with His hand.

Listen, don’t let this thought be lost on you, “Do you realize that God has FASHIONED everyone one of us just the way He intended us to be?  One of the greatest blessing I’ve learned in my life is that God has fashioned me into what He has intended for me to be. 

Some times though we get the idea that we’re not good-looking enough, or smart enough and thin enough or rich enough – but the Bible tells us, “The steps of a GOOD MAN are ORDERED BY THE LORD!  God has fashioned us into exactly what He intends us to be.  So I’ve decided I’m just gonna be the best version of me that I can be.  There’s not another like me!

Listen, I was born into a poor farming family.  We didn’t have much of anything.  When I was 5 years old, my momma and daddy got a divorce, and all through my younger years until I was 17, I was basically raised by my grandma.  But one day, I knelt at an old fashioned altar and asked Jesus to come into my life and as I began to read His Word I found out I was wonderfully and gloriously made and I can do something that nobody else in the world can do – Billy Graham can’t do, Richard Blackwell can’t do it, my wife can’t do – I found out I’m the only person in the world that can do ME – and MY STEPS HAVE BEEN ORDERED BY THE LORD. 

You want me to tell you how to succeed in life? Go out and be the best version of YOU that God has created you to be!

But there is a second part to the meaning of that word ORDERED.  Not only does it mean to FASHION, It also means to FURNISH.

Let me explain this though this story.  When we prayed about starting Rally Point Biker Church, I prayed and I made a promise to God that I would never ask anybody to give anything.  That’s why we have a set of Boots in the back of the church.  I know it freaks people out that we don’t take up an offering.  But just let me explain why.  Now listen folks, there is nothing wrong with churches asking for money, in fact, many can’t survive without it, ministries can’t grow without it.  And I’m not some super spiritual person, I just prayed and said to God, LORD, I’m gonna trust You.  LORD, if you want people to give, you’re gonna have to lay that on their hearts.  Father, I’m just going to trust in YOU and be faithful to do what you have laid on my heart to do.”

And can I say, 10 months down the road, we haven’t missed one bill, GOD has supplied ALL of our needs according to HIS riches in glory.

The Steps of a Good man are Ordered, are fashioned, are furnished, by the LORD.

Conclusion:  Many of you know that a little over 2 years ago, I felt God had called me to pastor an established church in this area.  For 6 weeks Kim and I got to know them and love them.  And I felt certain that was where God wanted us to be.  The morning that they voted us in to be there pastor family should have been the happiest time of my life – but it wasn’t.  And I’m gonna tell you, me and God went to battle over that one.   “LORD, how could you bring us here for 6 weeks and go through so much to get here only to tell me NO.  God I don’t understand.”  Going back and telling those people that loved us, that voted for us that we were not coming had to be one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.  And honestly, I didn’t understand it.  But can I tell you now, after 10 months of being here, I’ve never felt more sure of Gods plan for my life than I am right now.  I’ve never felt more in the center of God’s plan than I do right now. 

So I want to leave you with this thought, if you want to know real peace in your life, then you find the place that God has designed for you and get in that place and be the best version of you that you can be, knowing:

THE STEPS OF A GOOD MAN ARE ORDERED BY THE LORD! 

In Psalm 8, David is writing a statement about to how big God is and how puny we are.  Yet, God has graciously crowned you and I with glory and honor and has set us to rule over his Creation.  David says in verse 3 and 4, “^“3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;  ⁴ What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” 

When he wrote these words, I picture him alone somewhere on the backside of a mountain, laying on his back and looking up at the heavens and gazing at the moon and stars.  And as he does, he’s thinking to himself, “Jehovah God, in light of the mighty works of your fingers, what could possibly be the significance of my life?”

As I thought of David writing this Psalm, I remembered that my grandmother used to have a little plaque by her front door that said, “Only one life, twil soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.”  And I think that statement says it well.  The significance of my life and your life can only be measured in light of our relationship with God the Father through His Son Jesus Christ.  And when we seek to live in the light of the purpose God has intended for our lives, then will we know the significance of our lives.

The message today is one I think my son Josh will relate to well.  If you don’t know, Josh is a tremendously gifted blacksmith, and I would go as far as to say probably one of the best in the country. There are a lot of similarities in what a Potter Does and What a Blacksmith Does.

Jeremiah 18:1-6, “The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ² Arise, and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause thee to hear my words. ³ Then I went down to the potter’s house, and, behold, he wrought a work on the wheels. ⁴ And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter: so he made it again another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it. ⁵ Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁶ O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter? saith the Lord. Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand, O house of Israel.”

The Potter’s Mission

He doesn’t just sit down at the potter’s wheel and do nothing.  Before he ever sits down, he has in mind whatever it is that he wants to make – he doesn’t just make things on a whim.  He sits down with a goal, with a purpose in mind.  He realizes there is a need, and he sets out to meet that need.  And you can rest assured that whatever he is doing is something that can be used.  So, the Potter has a mission, and his mission is to make something useful out of this worthless lump of clay!

I don’t need to remind you this morning that you and I are just lumps of clay.  Before God ever formed you in your mother’s womb, he had a mission for your life in mind.  His mission is this – He sees a need in the world, and He has formed you and I so we can help fulfill His mission in the world.  I’m so thankful this morning that when God looks at me and He looks at you, He sees something that He can use to achieve His purpose!

And what is His purpose?  “That none should perish but that all should come to repentance!”

SO understand with me, I have no issue with people setting goals, and I have no issue with people achieving goals, just don’t forget that in the process of living your daily life, He created us for a purpose, and that purpose is to share the message of Hope to a Hopeless world, our message of forgiveness for the unforgiveable.  Folks, that’s why we are here.

THE POTTER’S MATERIAL

What does he have to work with?  CLAY. And what is CLAY?  Well, it’s mud.  It’s dirt with a little water added!  Now, God formed man from what?  The dust of the earth.  So, to get the clay that He needs, the potter is going have to go dig up some dirt, he’s going to have to get dirty in order to get the material He needs to fulfill his purpose.  Listen, the Psalmist David said “He inclined unto me and heard my cry, he came down into the pit, out of the MIRY CLAY, and set his feet on what?  THE ROCK and established my goings.”

But the clay isn’t ready yet.  To make something to fulfill the Potter’s purpose, he has to prepare the material.  In forming the clay, the potter then begins to remove all the rocks and sticks and debris that keep the clay from forming.  Then he puts the clay under “running water.”  And as the is running it under the water, it begins to remove the imperfections he couldn’t see from inside the clay!

Listen folks, if we are going to be used fully to complete the purpose in our lives, we are going to have to be cleaned from the inside out!

THE POTTER’S METHODS

When he is ready, he will reach where all those clay balls are sitting, he will pick the one He needs for that purpose, and he will throw that clay up onto the Potter’s wheels (not 1 wheel, but 2 wheels – 1 for the clay and one for the potter’s feet). He is controlling the speed of the wheel.  The spinning wheel represents the circumstances in life.  Let me ask you something, “Have you ever felt like your life was spinning out of control?  Let me remind you that YOU ARE STILL IN THE POTTER’S HANDS and HIS FEET ARE ON THE WHEEL, AND HE KNOWS HOW FAST YOU CAN.  But don’t forget, He is always in control.

As that clay is spinning on the wheel, he is thinking to himself, this is going to be a bowl, or this is going to be a plate, or this is going to be a cup.  He doesn’t wait until the clay tells him what it wants to be.  Or no friend, He is forming that clay into the purpose he intended it to be. 

You know, the interesting thing here is, that when God is forming us, He never shows us the end of the road does He?  He just shows us the next step.  Many of us will never get to the end of the road; for some of us, all we may have left is the next step.  But when you’re allowing God to form you on the Potter’s wheel and have faith that the next step is what He has for you, the NEXT STEP is all you need. 

THE MIRACLE

The miracle is simple, the Potter made something out of nothing.  The Potter has taken this ole mired piece of Clay and made something out of nothing!

This is a message I started 3 or 4 years ago and shared point 1. This is the finished message:

In his first Book to young Timothy, Paul begins giving instructions on doctrine, on theology – he is reproving him for the sake of the ministry so that Timothy “might be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”  But in 2 Timothy, Paul begins to exhort young Timothy, he begins to encourage him, to admonish him, so beginning in verse 1, stand with me please in reverence to the reading of God’s Word:

“Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,  2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also. 6 Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.”

By the grace of God this morning, I want to share with you “Lessons Learned from Grandma’s Wood Stove.” 

As Paul is admonishing, encouraging, and motivating young Timothy, he says in verse 6 to “Stir up.”  Now this is the only place in the New Testament where this is used in such a manner.  In the Greek, this gives a picture of a fire that once burned brightly, that once gave warmth, and heat, and light and illumination.  But, for whatever reason, the fire has now burned down and you can no longer see the flame, and all that remains are the ashes.

Now this word “Stir Up” makes reference to taking a stick, or something that can be driven down into the ashes, something that can push down deep in the ashes until you’ve reached the live coals underneath, and then you begin to stir and stir until you have moved the live coal’s to a place where you can once again ignite the fire that once burned there. 

Now this is what Paul is speaking of when he is speaking to young Timothy when he said, “Stir up the gift of God that is within thee.”  It has reference to a burning fire. 

Now, when I’m talking about the fire this morning, I want you to understand what I’m talking about. 

I believe, that as a young 7 year old boy, sitting in a Sunday School class at 4^th Street Baptist Church some 53 years ago, when I knelt down and asked the Lord Jesus to forgive me of my sin and to be the Lord of my life – I believe instantly 2 things happened: 

1. I believe Jesus Christ came into my life to stay;
2. The Holy Spirit came to live inside of me.

I didn’t have to pray for it more; I didn’t have to beg for it more; I didn’t have to do a list of things to get it.  I believe it came with accepting Christ – it was a package deal AMEN!  You GET JESUS – YOU GET THE HOLY SPIRIT.

I just believe this morning, when I asked Jesus to come into my heart and forgive me of my sins, the Holy Spirit took up residence inside of me and set my soul on fire!  Maybe this is what Isaiah refers to when he says, “It’s a fire shut-up in my bones.”

And can I say, I haven’t always been what God intended me to be all these many years.  I have failed God; I have disappointed God, I have gotten out of “THE WAY,” BUT I’m glad thank God He’s never left me nor forsaken me. 

• He’s still there;
• And the fires still burning AMEN!

My momma and daddy got a divorce when I was 5 years old.  My momma originally got custody of me and my brother, however, she really didn’t want us.  So, we spent a year going from house to house until my mom’s family convinced her to give custody to my daddy’s mom, my Grandma Moore.  So, at 6, we went to stay with Grandmas. 

Now, in my grandma’s house, she had an old wood-burning stove in the living room.  Now, I don’t know if I am that old, or we were just that poor – but we also had a hand water pump in the yard.  So, I will never forget that old wood burning stove.  This many years later, it is amazing to look back and see the lessons in life I learned from that stove.  Things like:

1. Fire keeps you warm – good to know God is near Amen.
2. Fire Purges – when it’s burning right, it will keep bad things away;
3. Fire lights and illuminates – I’m glad the fire burning in me lets me know what God wants me to know.

I have learned that some of the greatest lessons in my life have come from some of the simplest things in my life.  And I like things simple AMEN.  Now I didn’t say STUPID things, I said SIMPLE things – and there is a big difference.

So, let me share with you for a bit this morning some simple lessons I learned from Grandma’s Wood-Burning Stove.  Now this first point is profound:

YOU GOTTA START THE FIRE

You Gotta start the fire – cause if you don’t start the fire, it doesn’t matter what else you do – that fire just ain’t gonna burn.

Listen, I’ve seen people over my years of ministry come to an alter and beg and plead with God to get their lives straight, only to get up, walk out of church and go right back to living like there’s no difference in their lives.  You can’t help but to wonder whether or not they got the fire started to begin with.  And I’m not trying to sound judgmental – I’m just being honest.

Listen to what Paul says to young Timothy, “I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” 

He’s saying “Timothy, I know the fire has been started in your heart and I know it’s burning there now! That fire that started in your grandma and your momma, it started in you too!”

Listen, there’s somethings in life we can get by with and not be sure of:

• I can get by not knowing what kinda car I’m gonna drive tomorrow;
• What model of Harley I’m gonna ride;
• Which neighborhood I’ll be living in a year from now;

There are simply some things you can get by with without knowing – BUT THIS AIN’T ONE OF THEM.  Folks, I mean we ought to know whether we are saved or not AMEN.

John said some fascinating things in his three little Epistles.  He said:

“These things have I written unto you, that you might know that you have eternal life.”

We don’t have to guess whether we are saved or not – we don’t have to wonder whether we are saved or not – we can KNOW.

Listen, if the fire of God has been born in your soul, you don’t have to stumble around wondering, cause His Spirit gives you the illumination you need to KNOW you’ve been saved.

So, the first lesson I learned from Grandma’s Wood-Burning Stove was that if you wanted to have a fire, you had to Start the Fire!  But the second thing I learned:

YOU GOTTA STOKE THE FIRE

Look with me in chapter 2, verse 15, and here, Paul is gonna tell Timothy how to stoke the fire that had already been started.  He says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

You know what he’s telling Timothy?  STOKE THE FIRE!  So what is it within us that stokes the fire of God – well, it’s the Word of God.  As we read upon it, as we pray upon it, as we meditate upon it.  It’s that Word of God, that “Quick and Power and sharper than any two-edged sword,” that will stoke the fire within you.

You see friends, I learned early on in life, if you want to keep the fire burning, you gotta keep putting wood on the fire. 

I’ve meet a lot of people over the years that learned to start a good fire.  But over time, something happened in their lives. 

• Circumstances happened in their lives;
• trouble’s happened in their lives;
• bad things happened to them;

Before they realized it, they’d stopped putting wood on the fire and their fire died down.

So I learned that if you want to keep the fire burning, you gotta put some wood on the fire.  You gotta stoke that fire – you gotta feed it something.

You know something.  One thing I realize every time I step into the pulpit to preach – whether it is here or anywhere else God opens doors for us to speak, every time I step behind the sacred desk, I have the assume responsibility to ensure that I had something to fuel our peoples fire.  That I had something from God’s Word that you can take away and stoke the fire within you.

I’m gonna tell you something right now – we spend all week long dealing with the world and the things of the world, and there’s plenty out there to cause your fire to go out.  So, when I come to church, I need my fire stoked, I need some wood on the fire – and folks, I’m not gonna settle for less and you shouldn’t settle for anything less!

Folks, you and I ought to hunger for God’s Word, we ought to hunger after righteousness.  And we ought not settle for less from God’s man.  My promise to you as your pastor isn’t that I will preach an eloquent message, or that my grammar will always be right, or that I want call and eagle’s wing span that of a taradactile, but my promise to you and everytime I get in the pulpit, you will know I’ve been with God and I come with a bucket load of wood.

Listen, there are some things I faced in my life that my education wasn’t enough to get me through; my experience wasn’t enough to get me through it – the only thing that got me through is the fact that I know I’m saved and I know that fire burns deep down inside of me. 

You gotta Start the Fire, you gotta Stoke the Fire, but the 3^rd thing I see:

YOU GOTTA STIR THE FIRE

Back in chapter 1, verse 6, Paul says, “I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.”

 Grandma used to have us boys fetch the wood for the wood-burning stove and to stoke it.  So, whenever it was my turn, I would fill that stove full of wood, even to the point I would have to kick it to cram all that wood in there.

But, sometimes I learned that no matter how much wood I put in that stove, sometimes it just didn’t get the house warm.  What I discovered, and my grandma taught me this, sometimes, you gotta grab the poker and stick it down in those embers and stir things up abit to get things settle down to where that fire would catch.

You know what I’ve discovered in my Christian life?  Sometimes, I just need a good “stirring up.”

You know, I grew up in a generation where most medications when I was a child came in liquid form.  On every one of those bottles they had stamped on them “Shake Well Before Using.”  You know why, because the medicines would settle, and in order for it to be used effectively, it needed everything mixed together well.  So you’d have to shake things up a bit.

Sometimes, I think God ought to stamp on our foreheads “SHAKE WELL BEFORE USING.”  Cause sometimes, even though we started a good fire, and we stoke that fire and spend time in God’s Word, sometimes, we just get settled in:

• We are not excited like we used to be;
• Things are going quite they they used to;
• Somethings wrong, and sometimes we can’t figure out what it is.

Sometimes friends, you just need to get down to the altar and ask God to reach down into the depths of your soul and just “Stir you up.” 

What I’m saying folks is that sometimes, we just get so busy, we get so caught up in the things of our lives that we start to lose the fire inside of us.  We just need to ask God to “Stir us up.”

I don’t know about you, but I want that fire to burn like it’s supposed to burn amen!

That’s what Paul told Timothy.  And by the way, I’m guessing Timothy was probably a pretty spiritual guy. 

So, not only did I learn I gotta start the fire, I gotta stoke the fire and I gotta stir the fire, but also:

SOMETIME YOU GOTTA SHOVEL SOME ASHES

Look at what Paul tells Timothy in chapter 2:21, “If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

What does it mean to purge something?   It means to “get it out”, to “get rid of it.”

You know what, the thing I hate most about a wood-burning stove, or even a fireplace is – you gotta get rid of the ashes.  Now, I would remove the ashes and put it in a bucket, and I don’t care if there has been no wind for the past 3 months, the minute I open the door with those ashes in my hand, the wind is going to blow those ashes all over me.

But, you gotta remove those ashes, cause if you don’t they will limit your fire.  They will stifle your fire.     

I think that is what Paul is telling Timothy here, “Timothy, there are gonna be some things in your life, you’re gonna make some mistakes in your life; you’re gonna have some failures in your life; there are gonna be some things you should have done that you didn’t do.”

“So, Timothy, you be sure to shovel out the ashes.”      

The fact is, this passage is a goal to strive for, not a standard by which to judge your life. If you see areas where you need improvement, get to work on those areas. Remember this one truth, you are human! No one expects perfection from you. You are allowed to make mistakes. You are allowed to be you.

Here is the invitation today;

• If you have never trusted Jesus Christ for salvation, I invite you to come to Him today. He died to save sinners just like you from His wrath and from the fires of Hell.
• There are husbands and wives who need to come before the Lord and ask Him to forgive you for the shape you have allowed your relationship to be in. Come together and recommit to one another to working together to make that relationship everything it should be.
• Maybe you need to ask the Lord to help you with your attitude, or with some other area of your life.
• If He has spoken to you today, please come to Him and let Him have His way!

Psalm 121:1 7 2 says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”

What a wonderful picture the LORD gives us to keep looking up. He doesn’t want us to look to history for our help, because looking to history will have you looking back. He doesn’t want us to look to science, because science will have us looking around. Nor does He want us to look to philosophy, as it will have us looking within, but rather, He wants us to look at Scripture, because the Scriptures will have us looking up!

As I though my own experiences with mountains, several thoughts come to mind:

I. WE ALL HAVE MOUNTAINS TO CLIMB

I think it is safe to say that if you live any length of time, there will be times you will have to climb some mountains. These mountains may be relational, they may be medical, they may be financial or even spiritual. We all have faced our own mountains.

II. THE BEST WAY TO CLIMB A MOUNTAIN IS TO PREPARE

Research the Mountain you are climbing – get to know everything you can that will help you to overcome the mountain;

Start Training for the Climb – get mentally, physically and spiritually ready to climb.

Take Time to get Acclimated to the conditions and Elevation of the climb. This may be your new “norm.”

Take Time to Hone Your Climbing Skills – get in the Word of God.

Find Someone to Train You or Assist You with the Climb. Whatever mountain you are climbing, there are others that have climbed it before you, so get their support and advice.

III. ALTHOUGH YOU TRAINED, THE CLIMB STILL ISN’T EASY.

IV. IT IS REWARDING TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP – You get a sense of accomplishment and will gain a fresh perspective with a better view. You will see things after the climb that you didn’t see before the climb.

V. THE MERE FACT THAT YOU ARE FACING A MOUNTAIN MEANS YOU ARE PROBABLY ALREADY IN THE VALLEY. When God led the children of Israel out of Bondage from Egypt, he told them that the land He had espied for them, the land that was flowing with milk and honey, the land that was the glory of all lands (Canaanland) was a land of “Hills and Valleys.” Every one of our lives are filled with hills and valleys. It seems to be a continual, repeating process. But I want you to understand that our God a big ole God up on that mountain top, and He’s a big ole God down in your valley as well.

I think what God really wants me to share with you is that no matter what you are going through in your life – and I know some of you facing some mountains, you have been in the valley – God wants you to know that He’s not mad at you, He’s not angry at you, He’s not shaking His fist at you – He’s just using those things in your life as faith-builders.  Our help and our hope is not going come from Oprah or Dr. Phil – OUR HELP AND HOPE IS GOING TO COME FROM THE LORD.