A Sermon from the Badlands and the Prairie of Western South Dakota

Marvelous weather views in western South Dakota

www.scatteredchristians.org

M Paulson
Kadoka, South Dakota

June 6 , 2010
Audio sermon
Video sermon

A mature Christian is not tossed about by winds of doctrine...
A prudent Christian is cautious; circumspect; practically wise; careful of the consequences of enterprises, measures or actions; cautious not to act when the end is of doubtful utility, or probably impracticable.

My illustration group is home-schoolers, but 'this' can happen to all of us - and actually, I believe it is.
What is 'this'?  COMPROMISE!

My observations of homeschooling families:

• 1)  willing to compromise with the school districts - if not now, soon!
• 2)  are blowing their freedoms to teach their own kids
• too busy
• not taking it seriously
• want them out of public school but won't do what it takes to teach them
• kids hate it by the time they are done!
• 3)  not much time left and I see how the public sector will bring the kids back to school - through the very parents who 'say' they want to homeschool their kids!
• 4)  It is part of the bewitching, being deceived, hindered to do right, beguiling.

• 1)  I have been involved with public schools for many years and have presently returned.
• It is the kids that are being called the change agents today - it was the teachers a few years ago.
• The "No Child Left Behind" should be "No Child Kept Behind!"
• 2)  We home schooled our two kids through to graduation (we, meaning my wife)
• 3)  I have been involved with homeschooling families for many years.
• 4)  I have tried to encourage and help homeschooling families for years.
• offended them because of their pride
• saw a huge lack of involvement from the parents
• dad had no understanding for how much time and work it takes to homeschool, so wife had to 'keep up' her home duties
• they still tried to have the kids involved in the public school sector in activities
• used worldly curriculums, if any curriculums at all
• moms were:
• too worldly
• too busy
• too selfish
• trying to do too many home-making projects
• too much desire for easy way - pleasures, etc.
• many really don't know how / many can't read themselves... but not willing to accept help from the right folks, if any folks at all.
• 5) This sermon is not about homeschooling!
• I have learned it won't do any good.
• I would only get frustrated if I thought it would help, knowing what I have seen...
• can't buck the trend
• part of the falling away
• part of Gentiles not looking to the goodness of God
• part of parental unnatural love in these days
• part of kids being disobedient as life approaches the tribulation
• kids have been dummied down in the schools AND in the homes - will not be able to read and understand a Bible - just like mommy and daddy!
• The tool of this trend?  Compromise!

• They are changing their approach - they are welcoming the parents back to the school.  They are insisting they all be a team.  They flatter the parents for trying what they have tried over the years.
• Parents are so tired - so burnt - kids so hateful, etc. the parents will be glad to get 'help' from the 'professionals!
• Sad to say, I have also seen some horrendous homeschool situations - they deserve to not be teaching their kids / grandkids, but sorry to say, what the public school will teach them will damn them to hell for eternity.

• Now, for those serious church baptist, etc. families, they will stand strong and continue to teach their false unrightly divided gospel to their kids - and will do it in their homes, still.
• Many of the serious homeschoolers are getting more and more involved in community activities such as sports and music, thus STILL giving the kids the taste of the world way too soon and all the influence that comes with it.
• Boys and girls will be all taught the opposite roles in life...
• Everyone wants to be 'friends' again!
• Everyone is still susceptible to:
• being bewitched
• subtlety
• deceiving
• vain words
• fair speeches
• flatteries
• peace desires
• pleasures
• flesh and fun together!

Are we in the last stages of the attack on Nehemiah as he was rebuilding the wall?
Will any of us make it to the end without compromising and giving in to the slander and push to do wrong?

Galatians 5:7 - who are the Sanballots and Tobiahs in your lives?  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Nehemiah couldn't keep away from those who tried to hinder him!
He didn't let them get to him or his people.  He got the job done!  But it wasn't easy!

If you have not read those chapters, please do so.  It is a great place to learn about how the enemy works as they try to keep YOU from please God in your following of Paul, the KJB and the Risen Saviour's words in Romans to Philemon.
Listen to the many sermons I have preached in detail of Nehemiah 1-6.

Are you bothered by things in your life - the world, etc.

• 1:3 - And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.

• 1:4 - And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,

• 1:5-11

• 2:12

• "They" despised them
• "They" falsely accused them of being against the 'system.'
• 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" took great indignation!
• "They" mocked them!
• 4:1,2 - 1: 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?

They are envious - (that's another sermon)

Nehemiah and his people 'had a mind to work.'

• DID YOU BEFORE?
• DO YOU STILL NOW?

• 4:7,8 - Conspiracy!
• 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.
• Today:
• against KJB
• against Paul
• against rightly dividing
• against us and our changing / changed lives
• Nehemiah's response!
• 4:9 - Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.
• have you done that?

• 4:10 - 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.
• They sneak in while we are caught up in our rubbish!
• 4:11-14
• Opens the door for them to enter into our lives and hinder our growth!
• stop the rubbish
• 4:14 - 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.
• get back to work with your lives pleasing God- and keep your weapon closer this time
• 4:15,16 - 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. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.
• Stay in the Book!
• 4:17,18 - They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded.  And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

• Chapter 5
• Do you?
• Both spouses working now?
• Debt?
• Toys?
• Pleasures are seldom free!
• Have you fallen in love with money, etc.?
• I Timothy 6:10

They may appear to be willing / listening / interested in you, etc. but don't let them fool you!

• 6:2 - That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.  But they thought to do me mischief.
• Is this your answer, too?
• 6:3 - 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?
• They said it four times to Nehemiah, too!
• 6:4 - Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.
• During this attempt at compromise, they tried to lie and slander Nehemiah to his people!
• 6:6,7 - 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. That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.  But they thought to do me mischief.
• Is this your answer, too?
• 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.
• Does all this weaken your hands?
• 6:10-14
• Do you want to give up - tired?
• You haven't dealt with the compromisers yet!  They WILL WEAR YOU DOWN and make YOU feel bad about it all!

• 6:15-16 - So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.
• You will 'win' if you stay with it!  It is a work wrought by God!
• DON'T GIVE IN TO COMPROMISE!

• 6:17-19
• note: it will even come from the relatives!

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Mike Paulson
Trying to do the work of an evangelist by teaching Paul's gospel of the Risen Saviour!
www.scatteredchristians.org

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The entire King James Bible is written FOR us, but it is not all written TO us!
We learn from the "For" and we learn to apply the 'TO!"