Sunday Morning Sermon Series - Pastor Jeff Shipley (Date: 09/12/2021)

Now I want you to pay attention it wasn't anything in Israel wasn't their military.

Absolute privilege to stand at this pulpit and to be a part of a going

home service for a family young man the

prime of his life struck down by the entropy of this world and by a sinful

broken human body but yet to be able to deliver the word of God with a hope and a

grace that transcends anything this world can offer.

I hope you have that today.

Now I'm going to ask you today for a minute especially those of you who are

visiting.

Please put away sermon ideas.

Please in your little brain right now put away the idea of churchy stuff.

I want you to hear now.

I grew up Catholic.

Of course it's not even fair to say because I've been to church once a year sometimes twice.

Most of the people in this room are not Baptists.

Most of the people in this room are first generation believers.

We got thugs in here.

We got.

It's hilarious when I look at this place.

We got law enforcement and drug dealers.

It's hilarious.

We got drunks prostitutes everybody and their mama is here.

But see we even got a few liberals in this place.

Right.

A few liberals.

We got some guys that are a little like loafers.

You know what I mean.

We got some people that can decide whether they're a male or a female.

We got some folks that are so far out in the left field they couldn't find the Holy Spirit with other hands in the

dark.

But you know what.

No matter where you are today I don't want to offer you a stupid Baptist

sermon.

I want to offer you the life -changing message of the Word of the Living God.

Please keep that in your brain as we move forward.

Look at Nehemiah chapter 8.

Now let me do a quick review.

For those of you that haven't been we are about 1 ,000 years after the

time of Moses.

You can look at beautifulness which James likes to name Michelle.

Beautiful Michelle is redoing this timeline.

But we are about a thousand years after the time of Moses.

We're about 400 years before Jesus Christ is born.

It's about 444 -445 BC.

And Persia modern -day Iran has whipped Babylon modern -day Iraq.

Remember what are the world powers in order.

Remember A B P G

Syria Babylon Persia Greece and then Rome.

Okay we are in that Persian era in a few uh in one

generation a man called Alexander the Great is going to come to power and he is going to unite the world

with one culture one language in which the New Testament will be written in.

That is the New Testament degree.

Guys.

Jerusalem Israel it once dominated the Middle East in power under David

and Solomon.

It was a very wealthy and very powerful nation.

They walked away from the Word of God.

They totally walked away from it.

And started believing in the humanistic ideas of who we are in ourselves rather

than who we are in.

And whenever a nation does that especially one that has been founded on the

idea of Jesus Christ on the idea of following God's Word.

Once you leave God's Word you will begin from.

But you notice the correlation of which I speak.

Some of you don't watch the news.

Maybe you don't.

But that's where America is today now.

I'm not here to try to save America.

Um that's not my goal.

My goal is to lift up Jesus Christ.

Let God's people do what they want to do.

Okay.

But this is where Jerusalem is right now.

Jerusalem is a ghost town.

It's lying in ruins.

It looks like Milliton after a tornado.

Okay.

Or even before a tornado it looks like Frazier.

Right.

It's just up nine ways to Sunday.

All right.

And there's a bunch of Jews that have been taken prisoner to Susa the

capital of the Persian empire and their servants there.

One of these guys is a cut bearer.

His name is Nehemiah and his job is to taste the wine before the king drinks it in

case it's poison.

And he sits there.

He's a Jew and he has some other Jews come up to Susa and he asks them hey

how's Israel going.

You know man it's rough.

It's rough.

I mean it's bad looking.

It's pretty rough looking.

And Nehemiah goes what's wrong.

Well the walls are torn down.

They've rebuilt the temple under a guy named Ezra.

But they can't keep it nice because there's no walls to protect.

So Nehemiah goes to the king a foreign king who has him embodied

and by the sovereignty of God.

Let me tell you something.

Political parties and governments of the world are nothing but mere puppets in the hands of the sovereign God.

Nehemiah goes and says hey king I've got a deal for you.

Let me go down to one of your former enemy strongholds and let me rebuild

it.

And the king goes oh go down.

And in fact I'm going to get a symbol of protection with you.

I'm going to give you some here's some lumber.

Let me help you rebuild that place.

So Nehemiah goes about 800 miles from Susa to Jerusalem takes him about four months to get

there.

He gets there and the people are just kind of and they're just

defeated.

They're eagles.

They're just defeated man.

They're just beat up defeated.

There's no leadership.

There's no guidance.

There's no nothing.

And Nehemiah goes hey guys let's have a look here.

Let's have a look.

Triptych.

Right.

41 trap on three.

All right.

We're going to redo this.

We're going to rebuild these walls.

They're like yay.

So they start rebuilding.

And as soon as we start rebuilding anything the people who have power in

the ruins start to get intimidated.

Have you ever noticed that whatever change wants to show up whenever God's people

start wanting revival and change.

You're going to come under affliction and persecution on earth.

But they did it anyways.

And here's what Nehemiah did.

Obviously he was not a card carried member of the ACLU because this is what he did.

They all said we're going to kill you if you rebuild these walls.

Nehemiah said everybody strap on shore.

If you're working with a hammer in one hand make sure you the other we are going to rebuild these

walls.

Took them 52 days.

What they couldn't do in generations under proper leadership.

It took them 52 days.

They rebuilt that wall.

Now here comes the hard part of rebuilding.

You see they physically rebuilt Jerusalem.

But they had to go take it a step further.

People it is not the outside of your lives rebuild.

Listen to me listen to me.

If you're struggling with something in here i mean i'm looking around the room and i know some of y 'all are struggling with heroin.

Some of you are struggling with alcoholism.

Some of you are struggling with identity image issues.

Okay i'm gonna give you a secret unless the holy spirit rebuilds the inside you're never going to have a

sustaining change.

Okay i'm just here to tell you you're gonna have one of them emotional

moments again and again and again.

If you're one of those people who do not solid in your christian faith you're one of those folks that say well i feel like me

and god are this far apart.

And you try to keep having through music or through sermons or some religious understanding

this culminating event that brings you back to god.

So you can start putting vowels on the end.

God and jesus.

And you need to stop raising your hands and doing it's never going to last because

you're trying to manufacture an emotion rather than a repentant idea

of the holy spirit of god.

You understand you cannot reform.

You must first be regenerated all.

Right.

So that's what we're going to talk about today.

They've got the walls rebuilt.

And then in chapter 8 verse 1 let's read chapter 8 verse 1.

Why am i asking this chapter 8 verse 1.

They bring they come together.

Now look look what it says when they get together with god's word.

Notice how they get together.

They get together.

All the people gather together.

Let me say this ladies and gentlemen i actually asked one of our women who i'm doing counseling with.

I actually asked her hey would you mind giving up and sharing the testimony of your

journey with our people.

Because i think you have something i think you have some scar tissue that would

benefit some of the people in our sanctuary.

This is what she said after 17 years of me being your pastor after me

preaching about this for 17 years this is what she said.

Can women speak in church.

I don't know how many times i'm going to do this.

I really don't.

And i'm not mad.

I'm just frustrated.

That's a good point.

Come here think about this.

Especially people who are inundated in religion and tradition.

We just had a bunch of chicks up here

singing.

Nobody's got a problem with that right now.

If you're an independent baptist i'm sure you did.

But for the rest of us normal people no one's got a problem with that.

They are speaking and singing in a worship service.

What about if one of them comes up here and says can i tell y 'all what jesus christ has done in my life.

Does anybody got a problem with that.

If you do megan rhoda's right now in 64 get a step.

Because here's the deal when god calls his people together.

I hate to tell you this.

There ain't methodist over there and baptist over there.

When god gathers his people together the women aren't sexu - sexuated.

Is that for you.

I separated over there.

Right.

You're not separated in the kitchen and in the nursery.

Guys the same spirit of god that is in me is the same spirit if you're a christian if you're a

godless heathen then i ain't talking to you.

But if you're a believer regardless of your gender the same spirit of god is in me.

The same spirit of god's in you.

The same calling of god on my life is the same calling of god on your life

the same salvation the same faith the same lord who is one

over all the church will never be the church unless we're all

gathered together.

Look here.

Chapter 8 verse 1.

Real revival happens when real understanding of god's word is when we

all come.

Look at this.

When they came together there was some respect for the first time.

So people started to have some self -respect.

And when you have some self -respect you're able to give respect.

First of all look what it says.

They respected each other.

Verse 2 it says.

And they all all the people gathered together to swear in front of one day they asked as we're described

to read the book of the law of moses that the lord had given israel before the assembly

of men and women.

And all who can listen with understanding who deserves to be in this room.

Who deserves.

We have some homosexuals in here.

We need to run them out of here.

Little freak moves right here.

We have an ex -prostitute in here.

And right now we got some alcoholics.

Y 'all we got a bunch of alcoholics who

deserves to be in here.

Here's the deal.

Listen to me.

Some of you people were raised to believe that there are good sins

little bitty sins.

White lies bad sins and really bad sins.

I want you to notice something.

God actually lists out seven sins that he hates.

You realize that you realize that homosexuality is not one of them.

Now for you liberals in here that want to take a preacher and somehow validate your sinful life.

Come here.

Homosexuality is a sin.

Don't try to explain it away.

Don't sit there and go.

Well.

I feel i think nobody cares.

Especially god.

With the opinion is god's very clear that it's a sin.

However it's amazing.

God says he hates a lying tom.

Anybody ever not alive in here.

He just did.

You know what else he hates.

Hate this gossip.

Oh man how many of you old bats in here still live under that rebellious

attitude of the 1950s 60s and 70s where that sermon's on first.

Did you see what she was waiting for.

If god was hating you best repent.

How dare you.

How dare you.

But you know the one i hate the worst.

Toss them out.

What.

What'd i say.

Hey man god if you hate blood then why'd you make mother grace so good.

Right.

I'm gonna give you a break.

You know we all can't look like evan.

Where is that.

Uh.

You hold your hand up again.

You know.

Never walks around.

You know he's got two percent body fat.

I wish i could be like that you

know.

But i can't.

I struggle with pub chop guys have a little respect for each other.

Have a little respect for each other.

Oh by the way you people that are divorced

man i felt i heard the cushions of the chair.

Your divorce may or may not be a sin.

There's two different uh provisions for divorcing god's word.

We will talk about it now.

But let me tell you this irregardless of where you're at in that.

Yes i irregardless where you are in that is this divorce does not disqualify

you from the call of god.

And it does not disqualify you from ministering.

Go work.

Okay all right.

They respect each other.

But notice also this.

Look at that very next verse.

I'm sorry.

Verse five.

So ezra.

Ezra and nehemiah are contemporaries.

Think of nehemiah as the book of ezra.

Part two.

So ezra is up there.

He begins to preach.

And when he opens up the word of god you know what everybody does.

Verse five.

They all stood up.

How much do you respect the word of god.

How much do you respect.

I'll be honest with you i i struggle when on my desk carrie my

assistant knows this.

If my bottle's on the desk if someone lays something on top of it it just irritates

the fire in me.

I don't know why i i can't leave my bottle in my car overnight.

I can't do it.

I feel bad.

I think like 12 o 'clock tonight all every day do i find my bottle.

That's not the respect i think we need to talk about.

Here's how you respect the word of god.

Use it read it and then obey it.

There's a lot of people that have external respect.

There's a lot of people that have external respect.

But having an understanding of appreciation and giving true respect is meted out in the obedience

that you give in the word of god.

But anyways they had some respect of the word of god.

Now look here in verse six.

Chapter eight.

Verse six we're going verse by verse here ezra the scribe stood on a high.

By the way this is a pulpit.

This is not.

This is a podium.

This is a pulpit.

And the reason we have pulpits is because of verse six.

Verse six as described stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose.

And these guys whose names i'm not going to try to pronounce stood beside him to his right and his left.

Uh verse what is that.

Five.

Ezra opened the book.

Blah blah blah blah.

Praise the lord the great god with their hands lifted up.

All the people said amen amen.

And they bowed down and worshiped the lord their god with their faces to the ground.

You know what the word of god will bring to your life is a little bit of praise.

How many of y 'all struggle with praising god.

You are a bunch of liars.

Seriously i do.

Is it okay.

Hi.

My name is jeff.

All right.

Okay.

So can we all be honest for a second.

All right.

Let me let some of you may go.

And i don't know what you're going to talk about.

Watch this.

Have you ever been singing a song and said something in your mind that this song isn't doing nothing.

For have you ever been trying to decide where to serve

god based upon the worship service of a church.

Have you ever sat there and been singing and see someone else praising god.

And god wish i could be like okay.

Well maybe you're a perfect christian.

You need to be baptized.

Here's the problem.

You know what real praise comes from.

It's not the music i can tell you trust me.

I can take one.

Maybe i shouldn't go that far.

But i can take.

We can take master of puppets and put god's word to it.

And i can praise.

Maybe i'll be doing like this.

But i can praise god.

It's not the music guys.

Music does not determine praise.

If your heart is not already ready when you show up it ain't gonna be ready.

Here in the middle of people it says enter your courts.

Enter the courts with thanksgiving in your heart.

When you want to praise god here it's got to start out there.

We have an mma ministry here where we train guys to fight.

Right.

We sweat here.

So you won't bleed over there.

Ladies and gentlemen you want to start praising and worshiping god.

It's going to come to a place where you obey god's word.

And then the praise and worship is an overflow of that which already exists on a

sunday morning.

You try to manufacture it by emotion.

And here it's going to be dead before you walk out that door out there.

Book it.

Is that too much truth for you.

Some of y 'all look at me like you don't know what i'm talking about.

Well that's probably because you're not a christian.

So hold on.

I'll get to you in a second.

Guys you christians you know what i'm talking about.

Quit trying to live your life spiritually by your emotions.

Emotions are a formal way to guide your life in christ.

Guys praise when they opened god's word they didn't have glitter bombs and smoke

machines and lights and fancy orchestra's.

They simply opened god's word and the people lifted their hands in the air.

Oh yeah baptist.

They went to the hospital lifted their hands in the air and said amen.

Amen by the way amen is hebrew.

What's it mean.

So we believe we agree with what you're saying all.

Right.

So god's word is paramount.

Now notice this in verse seven.

Enter sunny school teachers and ministers.

Verse seven.

Look at this.

So they were reading god's word.

And these guys once again doesn't matter what their names were who were levites

explained the law to the people as they stood in their places.

Now this is twofold number one.

An entire generation of israelites had grown up.

What.

In a language other than hebrew.

The language that was most commonly spoken in this area at this time was aramaic.

In fact aramaic became a subcommon language that even in jesus's

time they were still speaking.

Okay.

And so the word of god was written in hebrew and yiddish.

Right.

It was written in hebrew but hebrew.

And so as as we're speaking people are walking around and they're sitting going.

You understand what he's saying.

You don't let me explain it to you.

God isn't that cool.

I mean dang what would happen if vicky didn't understand what i was

preaching.

And like she looked over the person sitting beside her and go i don't understand what he's saying.

And that person was able to lean up and go come here baby.

If that actually happened i'd be okay with that.

Seriously.

Pastor john's sitting here.

There's melanie and now here's someone from guys she don't understand anything.

Probably

guys it's okay.

Listen.

Ministry doesn't happen on that pulpit.

It happens between believers down here.

Okay.

You don't go to church.

At least that is a state of being.

It's not a location.

If someone's struggling in here and they say i don't understand this then explain it to them all.

Right.

So as they're walking around god's word people who didn't understand they're translating it but

they're also explaining.

So we have god's word.

And god's word will always lead to conviction.

Watch with me real quick.

Verse eight.

They read out the book of the law translating giving the meaning.

So the people couldn't understand what was read.

I want to tell y 'all something you want to be proud not of me.

I'm a thorn.

But you ought to be proud of your associate pastor in this place.

You got a 23 year old.

You got a 22 year old.

You realize we have an associate pastor a youth minister and a youth staff

that only one of them could actually rent a van to drive when they took the youth to florida.

That's how young they are.

That's how young they are.

You know what's amazing about that is i have been working

in churches now for 30 years.

I preach and speak all over the world.

I have pastors.

I literally have three pastors right now.

One from docksville one from atlanta and one from pack estate that i talk with

every week.

Most of them most pastors today they have a minimum of a master's degree.

Most of them a phd or dm administered.

It's hilarious guys our sunday school teachers are more educated scripturally than most pastors

are today.

I'm not joking.

I'm not kidding.

You realize when you hear a sermon at this church or teaching at this church it has been

retranslated back into the original languages as much as possible to not just be able to

give a three -point but to give you a meaning and an understanding.

Because that's what the lord has commanded us to do.

God says that you teachers you teachers are going to be held to double accountability than

everybody else.

I don't know about you but i actually believe what's written in the word of god.

And that gives me awe.

You are blessed guys.

God's word will lead to a conviction.

But that has to start with a proper understanding.

Number two.

Watch this conviction.

Always come here.

Conviction.

Watch what this does.

Conviction can lead to change if there's repentance in between.

Okay.

I actually had a guy call me a couple weeks ago.

Can you start stop using such big words.

These aren't big words guys.

They're bible words.

Okay i'm using god's word.

If you want to change first have to be convicted.

But watch this.

Unless there's repentance nothing is going to change.

Look here.

Look here.

Verse nine.

This is this day is holy to the lord your god.

Do not mourn or weep for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.

How many of you have ever walked down the aisle and asked jesus christ into your heart.

Both four people really give me a break.

How many of you have ever felt convicted.

Walks down here and cried and

prayed some prayer.

And he walked out that door and nothing changed.

Come here.

There is nothing wrong with mourning and weeping.

There is nothing wrong with a conviction feeling the burden of sin.

But don't let it happen at the moment when god's trying to destruct you.

Listen it says right here for there to be real change from god's word.

You've got to hear it too many times.

Churches preachers and pastors and people measure the reality of conviction

based upon the emotional response.

I don't know how i got saved.

Guys.

I'm a crack addict.

Right.

The chick i was living with came home and said i got saved.

I know what's that mean.

She goes oh i talked to this preacher i got saved.

I'm like what are you talking about.

So i called church up.

I said yeah i need to talk to that preacher dude.

Hey.

No sure.

Come on down.

So i drove out the fisherville baptist church back in 1988 with my big

old mother my ass in stonewashed jeans my hair in a ponytail my

shades on my metallic and black t -shirt with sleeves rolled up cigarette hanging out of my mouth

walked up in that church smoking and said i'm here to talk.

Pastor see i was fit to set that boy straight.

45 minutes later i'm on my knees and i said

this god.

I couldn't even get the word god.

And i broke broke every day coke or crack and eating.

I've been sober for 30 years.

Listen to me for a second.

Listen to me for a second.

That emotion and that power didn't change my life.

The causality of that was a conviction and a desire to change.

I .e repent of my sins.

Repentance isn't a verbal or emotional decision only.

You see it's a changing of one's mind from a changing of one's heart which will lead to a changing of

one's actions.

When someone sits there and says well i'm a christian.

You are really what's changed in your life since.

You've been saying nothing.

How long you've been saying.

20 years.

You are not a christian.

And then they say this every time.

Judge not.

Let you be judged.

You're an idiot.

And your arrogance and pride are going to send you straight to hell in the handbasket.

And you think that i'm joking.

You think this is something that you'll be laughed away.

You're going to be standing before god one day not in the church.

He ain't some misty white dude with a long beard and the reality of the creation of the universe.

You're going to come face to face with the holy god that you have spurned and rely on a prayer or an emotion

or a church membership to get you into heaven.

Matthew chapter 7 will say people will come to me that day.

Say lord lord jesus welcome to hell.

Who are you.

And this is what they will say.

Listen to what they say.

Lord we fed the poor lord we healed the sick.

Now listen to this one.

This thing chills up his spine.

Lord we cast out demons in your name.

Jesus will turn and look at them and say depart from me worker of iniquity.

For i never knew you.

Some of you people are playing religion church games and you're wanting to come to jesus christ on your terms.

That is not repentance.

It's not repentance.

You do not deal with god.

You do not give him half the sin of your life and keep the other half.

Because you are not submitting to the lord jesus christ.

You're submitting to jesus christ.

You're having an emotional church decision rather than a full surrender and a change

that will be evident by the power of the holy spirit.

Now i know some of you in here.

This finds this offensive.

You are the one i'm talking to.

More importantly you are the one god's talking to.

You are so inundated within the control of the aspect of your religious understanding that you are

going to condemn yourself and your family to eternal lake of fire based upon your arrogance and

pride.

Conviction leads to change.

Last thing conviction also does this.

Here's the good news.

It leads to glory.

Guys

i will never share with you.

I've never shared with my wife nor my children nor any

except those guys over there things that steal things back

in your never will never will.

I don't have to celebrate sin to prop up grace.

And i'll be honest with you.

It's a little bit embarrassing it really is.

But let me tell you something about joy.

Christians listening.

And i know there are people that say man what's the story.

Uh who was who was the girl about that guy that yells.

You were telling me a story about someone said the church.

Oh angela somebody.

She was cutting their hair and she she was all excited about the her new church family and

she was like man my preacher yells and she goes oh you gotta wait

guys.

Oh yeah.

Is candace here today.

No she's in her great is in her robert's parents church.

Guys i know.

Is there a problem.

Um watch this.

Let me tell you something about conviction.

I know i yell and preach hard.

Okay.

And it's just because of this i'm passionate about truth and trying to wake the church up out of

the 150 year hiatus.

We've given up for religion.

Right.

Because i've seen religion kill and send more people out.

Okay.

And i'm passionate about that.

But understand this i also yell about this.

The joy of the lord gives you strength.

Y 'all focus right here.

I don't know.

We got people that promise you the safe place in memphis.

Relax.

Listen to me for a second.

You should have more knowledge of the grace of god in your life.

If you do the failures of your life.

Okay.

If you are constant looking at your failures you and i need to have a conversation.

Because you're never going to know the power of being a strong christian.

If you're always looking at your past mistakes now there are still things that i sit there and i mean i

do it all the time.

You know i'm laying in bed at that twilight moment right before sleep and i think about something i did and i

literally go.

Oh can i believe i did that.

Yep.

Maybe y 'all don't do that.

But i do.

You know i sit there.

I'm like my god shifting.

What were you thinking.

You're an idiot god.

And if that's all i ever did i would never be able to get under your guys.

Some of you doubt your salvation.

Not because you doubt the power of god.

Because you're so focused on your failures and your problems.

You cannot see the grace of god in your life.

Stop it.

Now there's a time for mourning.

If you go to chapter nine verses one through three you see the very next chapter.

You see them repenting.

But it's not always a time to live in the sorrow of a past sin.

Once you've repented let it go.

Watch this it says right here in verse 10.

Listen verse 10 uh it says this.

Go and eat what is rich and drink what is sweet.

And send portions to those who have nothing prepared.

Since today is holy to our lord.

Do not grieve because the joy of the lord is your stronghold.

Guys walking around in sackcloth and ashes and fighting the sting of past

failures is never going to matriculate you.

Or it's never going to allow you to be sanctified to another maturity level.

Okay guys it's hard.

If you really had the discipline of god it's not just simply a bad boy

man.

It hurts.

Trust me i got the scars to prove it.

I get it.

But you've got to start living in the grace of god.

God's word does bring conviction.

Oh but the word of god brings joy.

In the morning there might be a pain and a suffering.

Today the sting of god's belt may be bruising that ego of pride of your

area.

But in the morning listen to what god's word says.

It says this.

I do not frustrate the grace of god.

For if righteousness comes by the law then christ died in vain.

God's word is simply this.

It is at the lord's mercies that we are not consumed his compassions fail not praise god.

They are new every morning.

And great is our faithfulness.

Understand it is the joy of the lord which is our strength.

It's not our legalistic coherence adherence to something.

It's not.

The church doesn't need to be known for what we're against.

It needs to be known for what we're for and what we are for is loving the brothers and sisters in christ in the ministry of

reconciliation bringing about maturity in god's people.

And in that there is no greater joy on this earth.

I'm here to tell you this church if you feel bored in life you need to get into ministry.

If you are in a place where your life your spiritual life is stagnant it won't be by a song or a

sermon.

It's going to be by repentance and then ministering to something else.

If you're looking for that joy of the lord to be your strength start serving something else other

than yourself.

And i promise show up in spain.