The lost still have only to deal with sin and judgment!  (John 16)

• Salvation -HEAR THE WORD OF TRUTH - BELIEVE - TRUST - SEALED!  Ephesians 1:12,13  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise... -
• Change through conviction - I Corinthians 14:22-25 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?   But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.  That is what preaching will do!

The Greater Commission begins around Acts 7 - and continues up to Revelation 4, skipping Hebrews and James, remember - and we must also carefully apply I, II, III John spiritually as well!

Old Testament Vail
Paul says it very well in II Corinthians 3:12-18Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech:  And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished:  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away.  Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Even as a church family, we have some areas needing change in order be a better family - some 'new' mission fields will be tried this year - we have more conversations about the Book coming up - you are more willing than ever before to talk about the Book and probably even better prepared!

First of all, remember this:

Your desire to change will grieve the above list of people!
2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

They will laugh at you - despise you - they will accuse you of being 'anti-American!'
2:19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do?  will ye rebel against the king?

They will be wroth!
4:1 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation...

They will almost take it personal - indignation: Anger or extreme anger mingled with contempt disgust or abhorrence!
4:1b  ...and took great indignation...

4:1-3 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews. And he spake before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, What do these feeble Jews?  will they fortify themselves?  will they sacrifice?  will they make an end in a day?  will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?  Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they build, if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stone wall.

Response:  Pray seriously and have a mind to work!
4-6 Hear, O our God; for we are despised: and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them for a prey in the land of captivity:  And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before thee: for they have provoked thee to anger before the builders.  So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.

Purpose in your heart and stick to your decision! Daniel 1:8: But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
 

4:7,8  But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,  And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
Jeremiah 18:18  Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet.  Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words.

Response: Pray and set a watch!
4:9  Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
 

4:10,11 And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.  And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst among them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

Response: Get back on track - don't be distracted!  Remember 'why' and 'for whom 'you are doing what you are doing!
4:13-15 Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses.  And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.
 

5:1-5 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.  For there were that said, We, our sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat, and live.  Some also there were that said, We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn, because of the dearth. There were also that said, We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.  Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children: and, lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already: neither is it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our lands and vineyards.

Extortion - debt - riches have done their damage!
Proverbs 22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.
Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
I Timothy 6:9,10 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

Response: Get angry (and sin not) - understand what the world - the clerks - the banks - stores really want and then stop the situation to not let it happen again!  The T.V. doesn't have to tell you what you NEED!   Politics?

5:6-13 And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.  Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, Ye exact usury, every one of his brother.  And I set a great assembly against them.  And I said unto them, We after our ability have redeemed our brethren the Jews, which were sold unto the heathen; and will ye even sell your brethren?  or shall they be sold unto us?  Then held they their peace, and found nothing to answer.  Also I said, It is not good that ye do: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen our enemies? I likewise, and my brethren, and my servants, might exact of them money and corn: I pray you, let us leave off this usury. Restore, I pray you, to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye exact of them.  Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest.  Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise. Also I shook my lap, and said, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not this promise, even thus be he shaken out, and emptied.  And all the congregation said, Amen, and praised the LORD.  And the people did according to this promise.
 

6:1,2a Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;)  That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono...

They don't give up, either!  6:4 Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

Response: Understand the truth of it all - compromise still stops the work from being done!
6:2b, 3 ...but they thought to do me mischief. And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?
 

6:5-7 Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand;  Wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words.  And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words.  Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together.

Response:  Deny and tell them to their face and then get back with God in charge!  Be sure you ARE clean, though!  Don't give them any 'ammunition!'
6:8,9 Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done.  Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.
 

6:10-14 Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee.  And I said, Should such a man as I flee?  and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life?  I will not go in.  And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.  Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.  My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

Respond:  Know the consequences - and stop before it is too late!
13b... that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me.  My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

Remember, the family just doesn't seem to ever give up!
6:17-19  Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.  Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him.  And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

I Corinthians 10:1-11  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Ezekiel 16:49,50 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw good.
P.S.  Jude 7 shuts up those who say Sodom's issue was not sexual perversion!!!

Revelation 3:15-18+  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked...

Proverbs 12:24: The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Proverbs 12:27: The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting: but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

Proverbs 15:19: The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Proverbs 18:9: He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

Proverbs 21:25: The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labour.

Proverbs 22:13: The slothful man saith, There is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.

Proverbs 26:14: As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

Proverbs 19:15: Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Proverbs 31:27: She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

I Timothy 5:13: And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Don't let the enemy stop you from seeking those changes that are all part of the Greater Commission!  Your local church is about the word of God changing YOU - The outside world doesn't get it and won't get it until they change their own soul - and they won't change their own soul until they see your own lives changed - knowing that lives can be changed without first changing their soul!