Matt Hagee - One Gate at a Time
Today, we’re going to look at what the Bible shows us in the rebuilding phase, «One gate at a time». God gave Nehemiah a divine plan. And it started at the sheep gate and it ended at the inspection gate. Each and every gate was hung by God’s divine design with a purpose and an intent. And today, I want to show you, gate by gate, why God showed Nehemiah how to do what he did. Because the same way that he rebuilt his holy city in Jerusalem is the same way he has designed your life to be rebuilt. God has a blueprint for your future, because the God that we serve is in the rebuilding business.
Often times, we think the things in our life have gotten to the point where nothing good can come of it. Our God is the God who does all things well. And he has a plan for you. I want you to read with me Nehemiah 6:15. If you’re there, say, amen. Let’s read: so the wall was finished on the 25th day of Elul, in fifty-two days. Read that again, «In fifty-two days». «And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was done by our God».
Heavenly Father, today in this sanctuary, let us be commissioned like the men in Jerusalem under Nehemiah: that as we rebuild our lives, as we rebuild our families, as we rebuild this nation, that those who see it would declare that God has done great things. We ask these things in faith believing. And all of God’s children said, amen.
You may be seated. Our text today says that Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of an entire city, not just a little section of fence or a little stretch of road, but the walls of an entire city in 52 days. Just a little under eight weeks, less time than we’ve been in quarantine, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of the whole town. I wish that he would have gotten the contract on i-10. It was done so well and so quickly that the people who said Nehemiah couldn’t do it, and those who said that Nehemiah shouldn’t do it, when they saw what Nehemiah did, they immediately declared God did it for him. It has to be a miracle, because there’s no way that cupbearer came over here and was able to construct this entire wall at this time.
If you’ve ever been to the City of Jerusalem, it’s not an easy place. Everything is on an elevation. It’s not someplace where everything that was going to be done was just one, two, three, and we’re finished. Fifty-two days, how did Nehemiah accomplish such a fete? Was God favoring him? Absolutely. Did God anoint his effort? You bet. But in 52 days, Nehemiah did real hard work. The point is, if you want to rebuild anything in your life, you have got to commit your heart, soul, mind, and body to doing really hard work. Physically, if you want physical health, guess what it takes? Say it with me. Really hard work. It’s easier to stay in shape than it is to get in shape, predicated on what shape you want. Spiritually, we act like God’s blessings are going to be just poured down on our lives like Santa Claus throwing gifts down the chimney.
But do you know what God’s blessings require? Really hard… In your family, if you have a family of faith, if your children believe in the Lord, if they walk in his ways, if they’re raised in the fear and if admonition of his truth: do you know what it took as a parent to raise your children in the faith, especially in the world that we live in? Really… We celebrate anniversaries of people who’ve been married 40, 50, 60. The other day, I heard about a couple that was married 75 years. Do you know what 75 years of marriage takes? Say it with me: really… Boy, y’all really got after it on that one. There will always be people that look at your success in life. And immediately, they’ll say, «There’s no way you did that. God must have done it for you». Whenever they say things like that, give God the glory, because no doubt everything you did, he helped you do. But don’t ever allow this thought to leave your mind. If you’re going to get it done, it’s going to take really hard work.
Now the question is, «Whose plan are you working hard on»? Are you working hard on your plan or God’s plan? Because when his plan becomes your purpose, then you can do more in 52 days than others can in a lifetime. As long as you’re working on your plan, it’s going to take really hard work. But all you’re going to be filled with a frustration and disappointment. But when you start working on his plan, everything you do will prosper. What is God’s plan for your life? He’s got one. Nehemiah says in Nehemiah 2, «I didn’t tell anyone what God had laid on my heart to do at Jerusalem». Right there in that verse, Nehemiah 2:12, what Nehemiah is telling us is that the plans to rebuild the wall came from God, not from him.
If Nehemiah would have walked into Jerusalem and said, «I, Nehemiah, am here to rebuild the wall. And I, Nehemiah, will lead you all. And I, Nehemiah, have all of the wisdom and knowledge and strength to accomplish this,» Nehemiah would have killed himself in that construction project. But because he let God give him the plans, he was able to do it in 52 days. How many people in this sanctuary, how many people watching over television, how many people are literally killing themselves trying to build their life without God? Build their life on their plan? Killing themselves trying to build a business when it is the Lord who gives you the power to get wealth? Killing yourself trying to build a marriage, when the Bible says, «Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it»?
Killed yourself chasing your dream, trying to fulfill your purpose, pursuing your will, instead of doing what Proverbs says, which is to honor the Lord and acknowledge him, and he will direct your path. Whatever needs to be rebuilt in your life today, you need to know that if you’ll humble yourself, and you’ll get God’s plan in your heart, God will make a way where there seems to be no way. God will open up windows of heaven and pour out upon you blessings that you cannot contain, because the God that we serve is in the rebuilding business. What has he been doing? Look at his resumé in scripture. From Genesis 3, when man fell in sin until the day that Jesus Christ died, God was diligently rebuilding the relationship that we lost with him in eden.
Century after century, generation after generation, he was weaving his redemptive plan through the lives of men, so that when Jesus cried, «It is finished,» all that we lost in the fall was restored, in his mighty name. What has he been doing since he poured out his spirit upon all flesh in the upper room and he birthed the New Testament church? He’s been rebuilding ruined lives. Every individual who has come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, their life was ruined by the surgeons of sin. But today, whom the son sets free is free indeed. What is he doing in the Book of Revelation? Revelation 21, John says, «I saw a New Heaven and I saw a new earth. And the former things have passed away». He’s rebuilding.
What’s he doing while we’re sitting here in this sanctuary? Right now, he’s not idle. He does not slumber. He does not sleep. He’s rebuilding. He’s taking the rubble of your past and he’s rebuilding it into the promises of your tomorrow. He’s taking the torment that you’re sitting in and he’s rebuilding it into peace that surpasses understanding. He’s taking the tears that you’ve cried in frustration. He’s catching them in a bottle. And for every tear you’ve cried, he’s going to give you a shout of joy. He’s taking a ruined marriage, and he’s rebuilding it into your future family. He’s taking a ruined business, and he’s rebuilding it into a prosperous fortune. He’s taking your hopes and your dreams that have been destroyed, and he’s rebuilding them, because our God does all things well! Give him a handclap of praise!
Fifty-two days, Nehemiah says in Nehemiah 4:23, «We didn’t take off our clothes except to wash them». Some of y’all been doing that in quarantine for no reason at all. But day and night, one crew was working on the wall, while another crew was standing with swords and spears, making sure nobody attacked the wall. And it was because of God’s plan and really hard work. What is God’s plan for your life? How does he expect you to rebuild? Gate by gate, he told Nehemiah exactly what to do. And Nehemiah went and did exactly as the Lord told him. And what you need to understand about gates is that gates speak about authority, because they signify a kingdom. And you and I are a part of a kingdom. And our king is the king above kings and the Lord above Lords. And it’s through the gates of his kingdom that he offers you his blessings.
If you’re inside the gates of his kingdom, all of the promises that he has in this book are yours. If you’re outside the gates of that kingdom, then none of these promises are yours. Gates not only speak of a kingdom and they speak of authority, but they speak of power. And when you look at what Nehemiah did, gate by gate, and you consider your life, you can identify the gate that you need to walk through in order to get into the blessings, and the promises, and the power of God in your life. Let’s look quickly at these gates.
The first gate is the sheep gate. Nehemiah 3:1, it says, «The high priest rose up, he and his brethren, and they built the sheep gate». Now there is plenty of room to preach an entire sermon on that one verse. Why? Because the high priest was the only one who could offer the sacrificial lamb for the sins of Israel. The high priest, getting up to do work in this situation, is absolutely remarkable, because it wasn’t their responsibility. But they knew that in order for the restitution of lives to be made, they had to get up and hang the sheep gate. Why? Because the sheep gate is where everyone brought their sacrifice to the temple. To this day in Jerusalem, there is a sheep gate. It’s not a huge ornamental exterior gate. It’s a gate that leads into the temple. And as a Pilgrim, when you traveled to Jerusalem in the time of the Bible, you would have brought your lamb, because you could not go into the temple unless you made a sacrifice for sin.
This is what the Bible says, «Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin». And there were thousands of people, who would come, and hundreds of thousands during the holidays. Passover, the day of atonement, Yom Kippur, they would all come from all over the known world. And each of them would bring a spotless lamb. Now just consider the logic of this. If thousands of people are all bringing a white lamb for a sacrifice, and you have to check it in at the temple, how many of you would know that it could get a little bit confusing whenever it comes time to claim your white lamb? So you would enter into the temple after you had gone to the sheep gate. You would take your sacrifice there and check it in. You would say, «This is the lamb for the Matthew Hagee family». And they would take your lamb and give you a claim ticket.
And then you would walk into the temple and say, «I’m here to claim lamb 10,486. That one right there is mine». And then they would take your lamb and they would sacrifice it on the altar for your sins. Why did they start with the sheep gate when God told Nehemiah to rebuild the walls? Because until you have an acceptable sacrifice for sin, you are not in the kingdom. You cannot enter the kingdom unless you come through the sacrifice of the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus said this, «I am the door for the sheep». He was saying there’s only one way into the kingdom of my father in heaven and that’s through me and through my sacrifice.
In John 5, the first time he entered Jerusalem in his adult ministry, he came to the sheep gate. Why? If you read the gospels, you would think he came there because there was a lame man by the pool of Bethesda. But I believe that the first time he came in his adult ministry, he came to the sheep gate because he was checking himself in as the sacrifice of sin for you, and for you, and for you, and for you, and for me. He came as the spotless Lamb of God. John the Baptist said, «Who takes away the sins of the world».
He came as a sacrifice for my sin. He came as a sacrifice for your sin. He came as a sacrifice for our healing. He came as a sacrifice for our joy. He came as a sacrifice for our peace. And now, we no longer have to go before God with the blood of lambs, and goats, and Bullocks. But because of his son, who shed his blood as my sacrifice, I have been let into the kingdom! And now I am an heir and a joint heir with Jesus Christ! I have peace that surpasses all understanding, because the price has been paid! And who the son sets free is free indeed! Give the Lord a handclap of praise!
Your first priority is to become one of his sheep. If your life is ruined today, ask yourself, «Have I been to the door and become one of his sheep»? Because if you’re in the kingdom, then we can fix it. If you’re outside the kingdom, the Bible says, you’re dead already. There’s only two types of people in this world, saved and lost, sheep or goats. And in order for your life to be rebuilt, it has to start with a foundation of faith. And the only place that that faith can stand in Jesus Christ. What should be the highest priority of the church in America today? To preach about the Lamb of God, to preach about the one who died to set sinners free. Every other message pales in comparison. Just listen to Paul, «God forbid that I should boast save in the cross». Why? Because when you go to the cross, he’ll rebuild your life, he’ll rebuild your marriage, he’ll rebuild this nation. How? One heart at a time, one life at a time, one soul at a time.
The second gate that they rebuilt was the fish gate, Nehemiah 3:3. The Bible says that they built the fish gate and they hung its doors, bolts, and bars. Why did they do this, «Bolts and bars»? Because the fish gate is there to stay. Now why is this important? Because right after you become one of God’s sheep and you enter his kingdom, the next thing that he expects you to do is become a fisher of men. Luke 5, he told the disciples, «Follow me and I’ll make you a fisher of men». In Luke 5, he had gone to four fishermen, Peter, James, and John. They were all there, having fished all night and caught nothing. And that describes many people in the church today.
We’ve been in the church a long time and we’ve caught nothing. 95% of the people who attend church on a regular basis claim that they’ve never led anyone to Christ. But the fish gate has been hung with bolts and bars. It’s there to stay. You might not feel like soul winning is your spiritual gift. That’s because it’s not a spiritual gift: it is a Bible command. The Bible says, «He that winneth souls is wise». But rather than go fishing for men, we’ve become keepers of the aquarium. God doesn’t need spectators in the pews. If God’s going to rebuild this nation, he needs soul winners in the streets. If this nation is going to be one nation under God again, we have got to do the hard work of winning the lost. Why? Because when the lost come to Christ, that’s when old things have passed away, and behold, all things have become new.
When the lost come to Christ, that old addiction now becomes a craving for God’s presence. That old attitude is replaced by the fullness of joy. That old heart is broken for the things of God. Your old ways are gone. And the Bible says, «You’re a new creature in Christ Jesus». You need to know that education won’t do that. A government program can’t create that. Money will not buy that. Pleasure will not cause that. But when one soul professes Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, old things have passed away, captives are set free, because whom the son sets free is free indeed! Give the Lord a handclap of praise!
You want to do something for God? Win the lost. As one of his sheep, when you move in the neighborhood, every demon in hell should know that revival’s coming to that neighborhood, because the one who saved you, lives in you. And there isn’t any reason why everyone around you shouldn’t know it. Win the lost. The next gate that Nehemiah hung was the old gate. What’s the message of the old gate? The Bible says, «The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of the Lord endures forever».
One of the things that people do when they come to the kingdom is they think that they’re going to create a new way. But what you need to know is that there is no new way: there’s just that old-time religion. The one thing that can change the world is the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It doesn’t matter if it’s from a pulpit, or it’s online, or it’s over the phone, or it’s face to face, or it’s in a sermon, or it’s in a song. But without the preaching of the gospel, we’ve lost! The old path is the best path. God’s children don’t need some post-modern, culturally-irrelevant, politically-correct, socially-acceptable message.
We need that old-time religion that says, «Thou shall have no other Gods before me. Remember the sabbath and keep it holy. Honor your father and mother. Thou shall not commit murder. Thou shall not lie. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not commit adultery». Those are not ten suggestions: those are Ten Commandments. And he said, «If you’ll follow those commandments, he’ll make you the head and not the tail, he’ll make you above only and not beneath. You’ll be blessed in your going in and blessed in your coming out». Your children and your grandchildren will be blessed. Your business will be blessed. Whatever you put your hands to, it will be blessed. How? By getting on the old path!
Jeremiah 6:16, it says, «Ask for the old path, and walk in it». Say that with me. «And walk in it». There’s lots of people who ask for the old path. And then when they hear what it cost, they say, «No, thank you». «Ask for the old path, and walk in it. And then you shall find rest». There’s an old path in the Bible for rebuilding an economy. It says, «Six days you shall work». There’s an old path for rebuilding families. It says, «Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church». «Wives submit to your husband». «Children obey your parents». How complicated is that? «Children obey your parents».
You want the definition of obedience? Yes, sir: no, sir: yes, ma’am: no ma’am. There’s an old path for rebuilding the church. It starts by preaching the word, the word that will not return void. It continues with fighting the good fight of faith, taking a stand in the evil day. There’s a path for rebuilding a nation. It says, «When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice». So why are we not walking in this path? Because the Bible says, «Faith without works is dead».
The next gate that Nehemiah hung was the valley gate. In Nehemiah 3:13, it says that the citizens of zaNoah repaired the valley gate. Now, here’s what you need to understand about the valley gate: a valley is someplace that you will go in this life that you never wanted to be. And everybody goes through a valley. In life, you’re going to have a valley of tears and sorrow. You’ll have a valley of trouble and trial. You’ll have a valley of conflict. And in every life, we’re going to walk through the valley of death. This is what Psalm 23 says, «Yea, though I walk through the valley of death, I shall not fear because you’re with me».
What you need to know about the valley gate is this: no matter what valley you’re in, God has put a gate there: that whenever you’re ready to walk out of the that valley, you can go through that gate and back into his presence. It doesn’t matter what valley you’re in today. You didn’t choose to go there. Nobody chooses the mountaintop of success for the valley of failure. But some time in your life, you’ll experience the valley of failure. Nobody chooses to leave the success of joy for the valley of sorrow. But at some point in your life, you’re going to walk through the valley of sorrow. Nobody chooses to leave the valley of life and health to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but you’re going to walk through the valley.
Don’t worry about the valley: just rejoice in the fact that God has put a gate there that gets you right back into his presence if you’re willing to walk through it. In the valley of trial, there’s a gate that says he’s a friend that’s closer than a brother. In the valley of conflict, there’s a gate that says he’s the banner in your battle. In the valley of sorrow, there’s a gate that says he’s the glory and he’s the lifter of your head. In your valley of tears, there’s a gate that says, «Weeping my endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning». And church, I’ve got good news. In the valley of death, the light of the world, Jesus Christ, has put a gate that says death cannot touch you, the grave cannot harm you, «O death, where is thy sting. O grave, where is thy victory». My Savior has the keys to death, hell and the grave!
The next gate that Nehemiah hung was the refuse gate. And «Refuse» is a fancy way to talk about garbage. «Refuse,» look at the letters of the word, R-E-F-U-S-E, re-fuse. They just fancied it up. It’s «Refuse». And what you did at the refuse gate is you threw out your trash. God is a very practical God. And when he rebuilt the City of Jerusalem, he knew that the inhabitants, if they were going to stay healthy, they needed a place to take out the trash. And so Nehemiah put this gate there so that all of the things that they refused to keep in their life, they could put at the refuse gate. Your life, the health of it, the quality of it, the purpose of it, all of it is going to be determined by what you are willing to refuse into it. It’s going to be determined by what you throw out and who you keep in.
And we live in a generation that seems to be throwing away the best of things and retaining the worst of it. We throw away God’s promises every day that we do not take time to read his word. We throw away his power every day that we do not bend our knee and humble ourselves in prayer. We throw away an hour or two every day that we do not ask God, «What do you have for me to do in this moment»?
Some of us are refusing our wedding vows and throwing our family away. Some of us are refusing to raise our children for the sake of convenience. Some of us are throwing away our health, because of the habits that we’ve endured. Some of us are throwing away our wealth, because we refuse to manage money in God’s plan and God’s purpose. What you refuse to allow in your life will determine the quality of it. What are you throwing out of your life today? What are you keeping in it? Today I encourage you to throw away everything that is less than God’s best, and keep his promises, meditate on them day and night. Keep them in your heart, in your mind, in your mouth, because what you speak, God will bring to pass.
The next gate is the fountain gate. And there’s two gates that you read about in Nehemiah. One is the fountain gate and one is the water gate. Both of them dealt with water, but the water was for different purposes. The fountain gate is where the people came for their drinking water. The water gate is where they came for their irrigation water. When we read in Nehemiah 3:15 that they hung the fountain gate, what Nehemiah was talking about is the source of life. In the desert climate where Jerusalem is, if you don’t have water, you’re dead. When you’re besieged by an enemy, if you don’t have a fountain in the middle of your city, he can dry up your water, and you go, and you will not last long in that fight. Here’s what Jesus said about a fountain. He said, «Drink from me and you’ll never thirst again».
It doesn’t matter how much you endure in this life. You can be surrounded by an enemy, who has the ability to destroy you. But if you’ve got the presence of God inside of you, then there’s a living stream that can flow out of you and overcome every enemy, and every weapon, and every foe that you face. He is our fountain! He is our protector. He is our provider. He is our refuge and strength. He is our shepherd.
David said, «The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want. I shall not want for joy, because in his presence is the fullness of joy. I shall not want for peace, because he is the Prince of Peace that surpasses all understanding. I shall not want for protection, because my God is a refuge, and he is a strength, and he is an ever-present help in a time of trouble. I shall not want for provision, because he shall supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory. I shall not want for a friend, because he’s the friend that’s closer than a brother. I shall not want for counsel or guidance, because he goes before me and he makes a way where there seems to be no way. I shall not want, because God is on my side! And if God be for me, who can be against me»? If you’re thirsting today, come to that living fountain. Drink and you’ll never thirst again.
After the fountain gate comes the water gate. The water gate is where they got their irrigation to grow their crops and to manage their fields inside the city. And the water gate speaks to us about the Word of God. You cannot come to Jesus Christ unless you come through the sheep gate. But once you come through the sheep gate, you need to start drinking from the fountain. And as you drink from the fountain of his presence, which gives you life, you need to read his word, which grows you up. We talk about living a life of faith. But do you know what the Bible says? «Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by», what? «The Word of God». The Word of God is what gives you the spiritual strength to thrive. I can’t tell you how frustrated I’ve been in the last eight weeks, listening to God’s people talk fear. «I’m afraid of going out. I’m afraid of staying in. I’m afraid. I’m afraid. I’m afraid». «God has not given you a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and a sound mind».
Then there’s the horse gate. You don’t have to know me longer than five minutes to know I love a horse. The Bible says in revelation that Jesus is coming back mounted on a white horse. In the time of the Bible, whoever had the most horses, had the strongest army. And when Nehemiah hung the horse gate, what he was telling each and every one of us today is that at some point in our spiritual life, we are going to have to engage in spiritual warfare. Paul said it to the New Testament church this way: «You wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities in heavenly places».
Many of us don’t engage in spiritual warfare because it’s hard work. But let me tell you something. Until you engage in spiritual warfare, you’re not going to rebuild much of a life at all, because we have a very real enemy. And what he’s trying to do is he’s trying to disrupt, he’s trying to take, he’s trying to destroy every promise, every blessing, every good and perfect gift that God wants in your life. And only when you engage in spiritual warfare can you put him back where he belongs. So you’re going to have to learn how to enter through the horse gate. You’re going to have to learn how to get on your knees and go into heavenly places where the Bible says, «What you bind on earth is bound in heaven, and what you loose on earth is loosed in heaven».
You’re going to have to learn to lift your hands and give God a sacrifice of praise on the day when your heart is breaking and it seems like to world is lost. You’re going to have to learn to speak in faith believing when your natural eyes cannot see the answer coming. You’re going to have to learn to endure hardness as a good soldier and fight the good fight of faith, because whenever you’re engaged in warfare in heavenly places, God sends down his blessings on his earth. And child of God, you were not ordained for defeat: you were born for victory!
The second to the last gate is the east gate. Every other gate has a specific name, but this one has a certain direction. And it’s the second to the last gate for many reasons. Even to this day, in Jerusalem, it’s called the Eastern gate. Why? Because it is the Messiah’s entrance to the temple. In the time of the Bible, the Eastern gate is where the king would walk up into the temple. And it’s hung close to the end of the building project, because here at the end of the age, do you know what’s going to happen on this earth? The king, our king, the Messiah, is going to put his foot on the Mount of Olives, and he’s going to split the Kidron Valley. And he’s going to walk up into the temple. And there, on that Temple Mount where Solomon built a building and dedicated it unto the Lord: where Abraham laid his son, Isaac, on an altar: where God Almighty gave us Jesus Christ: that same Jesus is coming back to put his throne on that mountain. And of his kingdom, there shall be no end!
What am I telling you, child of God? I’m telling you this: Jesus is coming back! He’s coming back for those who have been bought by his blood. He’s coming back for those who are counted amongst the faithful. He’s coming back for those who have been to the door and become one of his sheep. He’s coming back for those who have fought the good fight of faith. He’s coming back for those who are cleansed by his word, who’ve walked through the valley of the shadow of death and come out victorious as soldiers in the army of the living God. He’s coming back! Don’t give up! He’s coming back! Don’t give in! He’s coming back! Don’t back down! He’s coming back! Give the Lord a handclap of praise!
The last gate is the inspection gate. And it’s something that you need to be aware of, because when this life is over, and it will end for us all, we’ve got one more gate to walk through. «For we must all appear before God in judgment: that each one of us receive the things that we’ve done in our body,» whether they be good or bad. There will be a day of inspection in your future in which every thought, every word, every deed is going to be judged by God’s refining fire. And the apostles in 2 Corinthians stated, «And because we know the terror of the Lord, we persuade men». No matter what needs to be rebuilt in your life, the one thing I want to ask you today, «Are you ready for inspection»?
If tomorrow you woke up standing before God in judgment, would he say, «There’s one of my sheep. They’ve come through the door of my son Jesus Christ»? Would he say, «There’s one who’s been tested and tried in the valley of tears and they never lost their faith»? Would they say, «Here comes a soul winner who’s gone through the fish gate and brought many souls to Christ with him»? «Here’s one that’s walked in the old path, who refused to allow the things of this world to turn them to the right or to the left». «Here’s one of my warriors, who engaged in spiritual warfare». Or if you stood before God in judgment, having come through the inspection gate, he would say, «Depart from me: I never knew you»?
You see each and every one of these gates gives you access to his blessings and his promises. But the one gate you cannot walk through without him and live in eternity is the gate of inspection not washed in the blood of the lamb. Can we stand? You’re in this place today and you say, pastor, I’m not ready for inspection. I haven’t been to the cross. I haven’t accepted the sacrifice. I haven’t given my heart and life to Jesus Christ. And today, I want to change that. If that’s you, I want to see your hand right where you are. Hold it high.
There are thousands of you, who are watching all across this nation and around the world. And I know that the Holy Spirit is with you right where you are, just as he is here in this sanctuary. We’re getting ready to say a prayer that’s going to change the lives of those who are receiving Christ. And he will begin rebuilding the broken pieces of their yesterday into the promise of their tomorrow. And I know that he’ll do the same for you. I want everyone in this room to raise their hands and repeat this prayer with me:
Lord Jesus Christ, today I humbly come before you and I receive you as my Savior. Today I am asking you to accept me as one of your sheep. And I’ll follow you as my shepherd. Lord today, I’m asking you to rebuild in my life…
Now I just want you to take a moment and talk to God. You’re here in his presence. You’ve entered through the gate of the name of Jesus Christ. If it’s your business, ask him to rebuild the broken pieces of your business. If it’s in your marriage, if it’s in your family, whatever it happens to be, take a moment and speak to the Lord today. He knows what you need. And he’ll answer you and show you great and mighty things that you know not. Now I want you to continue in this prayer with me.
Lord Jesus Christ, I thank you that you have heard me: that your blood has cleansed me, and your word has revived me. From this day forward, I will live heart, soul, mind, and body for you, in Jesus' name. Amen.