DON’T EVER GIVE UP! #72

We’ve all been there.  The land of discouragement.  The winding road that seems to have no end in sight.  Your task seems too great and there are just too many obstacles and distractions to overcome. 

This edition of Finish Strong is designed to inspire you to keep going.  Brian, Terry and Dan take an in depth look at the book of Nehemiah and reveal the secret to finishing the task at hand.  

Nehemiah learned how to overcome all of the obstacles and distractions and focus on finishing a huge project that the Lord laid on his heart.  He kept his eye on the Captain of his ship and resolved to keep going until he reached the finish line.

The episode will truly inspire you to never give up until you Finish Strong!

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Transcript

Dan Wheeler: 0:01

Do you ever feel like you just can't go on you can't take another step. You can't finish the chore or the task at hand. Well, we're going to talk about it today in this edition of finished strong, because our title is never, ever give up. I'm Dan Wheeler, I'm joined by Brian Rowland and Terry Steen. And our producer is John Matarazzo, the incomparable one I like to call him, he does such a great job. But guys, I think we've all been there. I mean, have you ever just felt like I just want to throw in the tile of the towel? Not the time. Maybe you want to throw in the towel

Terry Steen: 0:38

and the tile? You ever been there? Yeah. Wanted to change tile out a number of times.

Dan Wheeler: 0:46

So did you put up this instead?

Terry Steen: 0:48

This is going to be a good one. Because you're right, we all face it. Hopefully we can kind of encourage each other in this process.

Dan Wheeler: 0:56

Yeah, we're taking our text from the book of Nehemiah. It's a book that we don't quote a lot. But it has some great stories. And Brian, would you go ahead and read a Nehemiah starting in chapter six verses one through four to give us a feel about what we're going to talk about?

Brian Roland: 1:15

Yeah. It says there, this is for Nehemiah speak. And it goes when word came to Sanballat, Tobiah Geshem, the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it. Though, up to that time, I had not set the doors in the gates Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message. Come let us meet together and one of the villages on the plane of Ono. But they were scheming to harm me. So I send messages to them with this reply. I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you? Four times they sent me the same message. And each time I gave them the same answer.

Dan Wheeler: 1:58

Wow. So that kind of sets the the story here. Nehemiah was building a wall and he wanted to keep his enemies out. And yet his enemies were trying to disguise themselves as friends and say, Hey, let's have a meeting. Let's talk about this what's going on? But he wasn't falling for it? Was he Terry?

Terry Steen: 2:19

No, he wasn't. And, you know, I would encourage everybody to go back and read the first six to eight chapters of the entire book because it is a phenomenal story that takes Nehemiah from being a cup bear in the foreign land, and gives him opportunity to have this vision of rebuilding the wall. And it had been tried two to three times over multiple years and was never successful. Nehemiah comes does it in 52 days. So it's he's he's a great example for us to think and talk about as we look at not giving up.

Dan Wheeler: 3:03

Yeah. And you know, when you look at today's world, and I know in my own life, when I'm really trying to get things done for fearless faith or for this podcast or other things I'm working, it seems like there are so many things that call from my attention that wants to distract me just like these guys. Were trying to distract Nehemiah, they wanted to get him off his game. We have cell phones and news feeds and Facebook and Twitter. And you know the old bite of the apple knowledge. There's so much knowledge available to us. But so much of it is a time waster. And I think the real the key message of this chapter Nehemiah is keep your eye on the ball. Keep doing what God has called you to do.

Brian Roland: 3:52

Yeah, it's like you're just keep your eye on the ball. I really was there's a guy named Coach Charlie used to be on Kiss FM, he was the sports announcer there that that was his tagline. Keep your eye on the ball. And how true that is. Because most people if they keep their eye off the ball or don't continue on what they're doing, they forget why they're there and forget why they're really doing it. And it becomes mundane. And it's just like, well, Sunday, just repetition. I'm just doing this over and over. But what's the meaning behind it? Why am I supposed to be doing this? Or why did I start this and when they start having these questions, distractions come in. And Satan especially will always try to distract you off your game. But other distractions will try to come in and take you off what you're supposed to be doing. And that's why you got to keep your like you said eye on the ball.

Dan Wheeler: 4:38

You know, our minds move in so many directions. I remember when I had to go downtown and follow the ambulance because Beth her platelets has dropped terribly. It was like you know, people were flying around it was like emergency and I'm driving in the night, wondering what's ahead and the verse in Isaiah 26 Three came to mind It says, I will keep that man in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on V on God, we have to keep our mind on God at all times through all the distractions through all the hard times. And we have to remember that God is the captain of our ship. And when we're not looking to him for direction that we're trying to steer our own ship, and we know that that can lead to a shipwreck.

Terry Steen: 5:27

Yeah, it was hard enough that Nehemiah had to do this construction, and lead all the others men in this construction. And that was his focus. That's where he was looking. That's what God told him to do. That was the voice he needed to listen to. And just like the enemy, to bring these other voices in to try to pull you away and pull us away, even to you know, we have weaknesses in our life, whether it's lust, whether it's lying, whether it's materialism, and it's so interesting that the enemy knows what those weaknesses are, and he'll throw those voices or he'll throw those, whatever pictures or situations or money in our path, to try to divert us. And that's what those men those enemies were trying to do to Nehemiah. And as he kept God's voice in his head is that was the only one he listened to. He wouldn't dare listen to the others. He told the other people not to even talk to these guys just ignore them. We have one voice. That's what we need to be listening.

Brian Roland: 6:36

Did you notice though to during that time, when they were coming to him and trying to distract him? How close he was to the finish line? I don't think they completely he got it done as fast as he could. And he even he knew what was going on. So he had the people, the workers working with their weapons on them and protecting each part of the wall. Even the people that were living outside of the city because there wasn't there was more people outside the inside. They were responsible for that area, the wall that they live by. But he had that all set up already, so they wouldn't be distracted. I think that's just amazing that he had that much foresight. Yeah.

Dan Wheeler: 7:09

But that's interesting, because he did when we pick up the story he said he had the wall was just about finished. But he had to what he had to set some rules against some of the doors in the gates. Yeah, that's all they had left to do. So yeah, wasn't protected. Till then. Yeah, Tara, you said listening to the right voices, reminds me of Hebrews 12 Two that says, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, we had the example of Jesus, he was going to go through that cross and do what he was sent to earth to do. And he scorned at shame. And he sat down at the right hand of the throne of God tells us to fix our eyes, and fix our heart. And what's God's called us to do. And, you know, we go through some of that here with fearless faith. I mean, there are times we get discouraged when, you know, on Facebook, when we don't have as many views, or we don't have as many comments, but we know what God's called us to do. And we know that it's not always about numbers, is it guys? It's about one person right being changed for the better because we're being faithful to what God told us to do, which is fearless Faith Ministries.

Brian Roland: 8:30

How many times have we read a comment and said, Oh, my gosh, this is what it's all about, isn't it? Yeah. To set you back when you think, Oh, I've just it's been repetitive, which is something Am I doing it again. And then you pray about the same Lord just as long as it's reaching one person, and then that one person comes out and another one in another one? It's like, wow,

Terry Steen: 8:46

yeah, sometimes we look at the big picture too often. And don't look at that little task, that one day, that one person that God is leading us to impact. And like, like Brian just said, that one person, and then another person. And that multiplies to create the big picture. But we get distracted sometimes, and not looking at the day to day chore of building our

Dan Wheeler: 9:15

wall. And you think about what are the distractions keeping you from not only from doing the tasks that God's given to us, but it keeps us from him from spending time with him, which is what He desires. He wants us to come to Him with our needs, but also to spend time with Him and be in His presence and praise Him. And that's where we get our strength. That's where we're still and we know that he's God, and we know that he is with us. And we need to pray often. Philippians four six and everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God and that's what we need to focus on whenever we want to give up is that we just have to come back to God and sink his seek his strength and remember that we all have a great calling. That's so important. We, you know, so many times I have to go back to six and a half years ago, seven years ago when we had that lunch, and we all knew. And we felt that this was the direction we're gonna go. We didn't know what fearless faith was going to look like, what it was going to be. But we knew God was calling us to do something to minister.

Terry Steen: 10:27

Yeah, yeah. When you think back to the example in Nehemiah, when he first turned it back into the first chapter of Nehemiah. That's when he heard that the wall was torn down that Jerusalem was a mess. He was so distraught, he was so upset. But that's when he got that calling in his spirit. And you talk about persevering in prayer. If you read that first chapter and hear what Nehemiah said in the prayer. It was an ideal, it was a great model prayer because he recognized God's holiness. In the fifth verse, he confessed the sins of himself and his people in the sixth, he reminded god of his promises in the eighth verse, and then he asked for the specific help and the favor and verse 11, because he knew his plan was to go before the king asked for what was required to begin this process of building the wall. And that's where the great calling began in that fervent prayer. And in hearing God's voice,

Brian Roland: 11:30

I think I think of Jonah and how he had his own mindset, what he wanted to do, but he knew what his calling was and where God wanted him. So what does he do, he goes in the opposite direction, who of course, the great fish takes them. And he throws them up on the shore, where he's supposed to be, water him to go to is able to fulfill what God wanted him to do. And one, that he over to the kingdom at that time, because he told them what was coming. He fulfilled his great calling. As we

Dan Wheeler: 11:59

read through Chapter Six, I'm jumping ahead to verse nine, it says, they were all trying to frighten us, thinking their hands will get too weak for the work and it will not be completed. But I prayed now strengthen my hands. You know, guys, sometimes, when we run into problems, we run into technical problems. Satan wants to put fear in us and say, You can't do it. And why go on. And nobody, you're not making a difference. But you have to come back, we often forget what we're doing. Because we forget why we're doing it, we have to come back to why. And remember all the miracles God has done. And it's even a good idea to write those miracles down. So we don't forget,

Terry Steen: 12:35

yeah, another thing is that God doesn't give us sometimes we discount ourselves. And God doesn't give us a vision to fulfill that he hasn't equipped us for or positioned us for. And he prepared Nehemiah that way. Nehemiah was the cup bearer to the king, that positioned him to get before the king to get favor to begin to fulfill this calling. So if someone's out there today thinking they're even wondering if they have a calling, or if God's telling them something that they keep beating themselves up, if your sense in hearing God's voice, and that's what you feel is a call in your life, he didn't put that there, if he didn't give you the position to do it and equip you to do it. So listen to God's voice, and move forward

Dan Wheeler: 13:24

with that song by the Imperials just popped into my head. He didn't bring us this far to leave us just thinking of it, that he's good. He didn't bring us this far to stop either. We've come this far by Faith is an old song we used to sing to leaning on the Lord. And I think at some point, you know, we have to come back at Fearless faith, often to our mission statement, which is to go hard for the Kingdom of the Lord to use our final days, however much time we have to do all we can to spread the gospel to tell people that Jesus loves them that he died on the cross for their sins. And when you look at the Bible, everything points to Jesus in the Old Testament leading up to him. Yeah, the New Testament about his life. And then after that, how the church grew and the mission that God has for the church and for Christians. And we have to keep coming back to our mission statement. That's what it is. And we didn't say, hey, let's take it easy and go to the golf course and spend all of our time working on our golf game, which we all golf here and there, but none of us are like out there. You know, seven days a week. No?

Brian Roland: 14:34

Well, it's true after one time I'm done. Which reason

Dan Wheeler: 14:37

which leads me to our next point, recognize your limits. I don't think I don't think I'm ever gonna make the senior tour. Do

Terry Steen: 14:45

you know not this year? Well, we know what Philippians 313 says, Brothers and sisters, I don't consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. This is Paul who was an incredible man of God. But one thing I do forgetting what's behind, straining toward what's ahead. So we know our limits, yes. But God can still use us and move us forward to fulfill what He wants us to do.

Dan Wheeler: 15:14

Do you guys think a lot of people have trouble moving ahead with God and for God, because they can't forgive themselves and they can't forget the past. I mean, hear that verse Paul's saying, forgetting what's behind and pressing forward. And I think that's another good point and accomplishing our mission. We have to realize that was our old life, that the Lord has truly changed us. And the concept of repentance means turning and going the other way and sending no more. Now we all know we're human, but we need to resolve right to fight temptation. I mean, Terry, let's, you mentioned our phones, pictures, are there things that are I shouldn't be seeing, you know, the Bible says, I will set a no wicked thing before my eyes. That's what we have to do. And you know, we fight that because with technology, I mean, it's it's everywhere. Right, Brian, it's just, it's right there. You have to turn the other way.

Brian Roland: 16:11

Yep, turn the other way. But what you said to is important that people don't forgive themselves, as easily as God forgives them when they confess. And they carry this with them. And it's not just doing what they think God wants them to do. It's everyday life. I mean, they can ruin their lives and runer their associations with people just because they can't forgive themselves. And they have to learn to do that. Because if God has forgiven you, it's forgiven. Move on, you know, and it's just Satan playing with your mind trying to get you to think he can't drive a car looking in the mirror the whole way. You got to keep gotta keep your eyes ahead.

Dan Wheeler: 16:44

Yeah. John Matarazzo is our producer. And I'm going to a make sure he's awake. And be bring him in a little bit on this conversation. Because John, I know you've worked in Christian ministries, you've done missions work, you've worked in Christian television, now you're working in Christian podcasting. And I know that, like us, you get tired, you get discouraged. How do you keep yourself motivated? Is this discussion we're having about Nehemiah in his focus? Is that resonating with you?

John Matarazzo: 17:14

Well, Nehemiah is one of my favorite characters in the Bible, I, that's one of my favorite books to read. Because of, you know, he had a heart for what was going on, back in his homeland, you know, for me, that's like, that's part of his calling, whether he realized that or not, that was part of his calling. And, you know, God puts those desires of our heart. You know, I forget exactly where in Psalms but it says, The, you know, the Lord gives us the desires of our heart. But really, what that means is that he places within us the desires for our heart. And so like God can install that for us. And so the and Maya has been somebody that I've always looked up to, in the fact that he wasn't deterred by the things that were surrounding him by Sanballat and Tobiah, that were trying to distract him from what God was calling him to do. And just be able to look at that, at that man in the Bible, and they were able to do some amazing things in 52 days, or 58 days, whatever, I forget exactly what 252 52 Yeah, but they were working but they had their swords at the same time. And you know, they were they had to be armed while they were building. And well, somebody was building somebody else was protecting and so he was able to get people to work together for that. In regards to the how we're talking about it here with with finish strong for me, it's like not giving up what God's called you to do you stick to it until it the mission is completed. Because if you give up halfway through the walls aren't complete, the enemy can come can take over again pretty easily. So for me, that's just whenever i Whenever there's a project in front of me, there's, I feel like there's a call of God on my life and God's given me a goal. Nehemiah is one of the books that I'll turn to just turn back to that and say, Okay, God, use me the way that you use Nehemiah.

Dan Wheeler: 19:12

While such a young guy had so much wisdom, hmm. We you know, Brian Terry and I like working with John because he sees a young guy still has so much ahead of him and he kind of reminds us of ourselves, although he's better looking than all three of us put together. But, you know,

Terry Steen: 19:29

that's unfortunate. Unfortunate for us.

Dan Wheeler: 19:33

But it's true. You know, I I always considered myself a hard worker in life and always wanted to persevere through but you know, you don't see a lot of that today in young people. I know. When I was at QVC I felt like so many people would come out of college and get a job in the studio and within a month, they were bored and they wanted to be making you know 150 $200,000 And sit in a corner office and weird Like a youngster, get up that ladder and clean that line. Okay. You know, when I started TV, Brian, you remember you do anything to get ahead. I mean, the producer, the director told you to do something. You were running to do it.

Brian Roland: 20:12

It wasn't just doing anything. He was doing everything. We were official gophers.

Dan Wheeler: 20:18

Yeah, yeah. And, Terry, I know you. You had a career in bridge building at one time that you were very excited about, and you've learned to really have good balance and walk over amazingly high structures, right? Well, you

Terry Steen: 20:35

it was, it was quite a job, actually. And back then, like you say, hard work was just part of life. And yeah, you know, Nehemiah did the same thing. He was, he was such an administrator, you know, God pick just the right guy for that. And so he knew exactly what he needed to do. And he was a person of action. And he took the action. In a John, I think you had something Yeah,

John Matarazzo: 21:01

as Brian was talking about. And Dan, were talking about being in the TV studio, you know, that's, I did the same type of a thing. Like, I left the mission field, I knew that God was calling me to be at the TV station, and there was no jobs available. I literally volunteered, wrapping cables, you know, helping the camera guys doing whatever I could, until they finally said, Do you want to get paid for what you're doing? It was kind of like, and I was almost like, is that? Okay? I just was there because I knew that God told me to be there. And he was going to open the doors for me. And eventually he did. And I worked there for nine years, and ended up producing the daily program for six years of that.

Dan Wheeler: 21:48

And that's how you and I met. And that's how we got to involved. You taught us you were doing podcasting. And we thought, hey, that's something we can do. And so it's been quite a team effort. Okay, it's it's resolved to keep building and finish strong. And that is our goal here. But you know, whenever you're going to do a project, you first count the cost, right? And in Luke 1428, and says, suppose one of you wants to build a tower, will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it, for if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it? Everyone who sees it will ridicule him saying, This fella began to build and was not able to finish, you have to count the cost and realize that you're committing until the job is done, you have committed to do that task, until the Lord calls you to something else.

Brian Roland: 22:41

And it's a great example what they did using the Bible there. I mean, it's a good visual, how many times we've seen buildings are incomplete, and just sitting there. And it's like, they ran out of money. You know, it's okay. Or housing developments. They ran out of money. Yeah, it happens.

Terry Steen: 22:56

Yeah. And it's a neat point that long after the feelings of excitement are gone. That's usually when people fade away when the feelings are gone, instead of knowing what the calling is, and stick into it. And that was the difference between the other guys and Nehemiah. He didn't let the feelings overtake him. He didn't let all the disruptions he didn't let all the enemies overtake him. He didn't listen to the complainers he just confronted when he needed to, and he never avoided the extra work and he just got the job done.

Dan Wheeler: 23:36

Nehemiah 615. So the wall was completed on the 25th of Elko in 52 days, which was amazing. I believe, Terry, your pastor said this, we achieved supernatural goals when we partner our grit With God's grace. Yeah. Isn't that true?

Terry Steen: 23:54

That's good. What is it?

Brian Roland: 23:55

The Bible at The Living Bible says that, that date the 25th is actually September. Well, we figured that out. Yes, September. That wall was finally finished in early September, just 52 days after they'd begun.

Dan Wheeler: 24:09

Wow, we're at the end of our time, Terry, I'm wondering if you could pray for all of us and all our listeners, that they can stay focused on what God is calling them to do and that we can do the same.

Terry Steen: 24:21

Amen? Sure, Lord, for everyone that's listening to this podcast finished strong, we know that you have a purpose and a plan for them. And maybe some are discouraged. Maybe some are excited and moving forward and then the different season in a different phase. But maybe there's someone that's really discouraged and doesn't feel like going on. We pray right now that you would just allow these words that we've spoken to enter their hearts enter their minds, and help them realize God that you can supply and give them everything they need to fulfill this test that you by the power of your Holy Spirit in their life can be like a Nehemiah that can stand strong they can persevere through prayer Lord, that can remember this great calling that won't allow the enemy to distract them father, but that they will continue Lord to move forward and only listen to your voice Lord. So we we pray that right now for everyone listening that that you will keep us from never ever giving up. Father, let us rely on your power and strength. And we just know that as we do that we can accomplish great things for your kingdom, as we do our best to finish strong. In your name we pray, amen. Amen.

Dan Wheeler: 25:48

You know, it's kind of like the story about Winston Churchill. A university paid him buku bucks to come and give a commencement speech. And he got up in front of all these students. And he said, Never, ever, ever, ever give up. And he went back. But I guess he thought that was the most important thing you could tell those students and that's our message to you. Yeah, powerful. God's called you to do it. He will see you through it. Never, ever give up. Our thanks to John Matarazzo. And I think my cohorts Terry and Brian, a great episode of finished strong, inspiring us all to finish the task that God has called each of us to do. God bless. I hope you'll join us for the next edition of finished strong.

John Matarazzo: 26:45

Thank you for listening to finish strong. For more information about finished strong and fearless faith. Check out their website, F faith.org. Make sure that you rate and review this podcast to help more people accomplish their God given purpose so that together we can finish strong