Change Your World - Finish Strong

I had a roommate in college named Jimmy Carter - no not that Jimmy Carter - and we didn’t call him Jimmy.  Jim was in a program where to get his degree he had to write a major paper.  He had done all the research and had lined up all the quotes he was using and the books he was citing.  He had done everything except to sit down and write the paper.  The due date was a few weeks away and each day that went by, Jim got distracted.  What distracted him was how he was going to write his paper. 

He first decided to write down all his quotes on note cards and then write the paper by going from card to card.  I said, great - you should do that, get started.  Then a few days later he changed his mind and decided he would dictate his paper into a recorder and then transcribe what he said because he told me that he knew what he wanted to say and that this process would be easier.  I said, great - you should do that, now you really should get started.  Then a few days later he decided that wasn’t a good idea and he would write the paper in sections and then pull all the sections together at the end.  And I said - Jim, the paper is due in 2 days, why don’t you just sit down and write it. 

The closer the deadline got - the more distracted Jim got.  I think it was the day before the paper was due that he finally sat down and started to write.  He wrote non-stop through the night and only stopped to go and ask the professor for an extension, which he got.  He then came home and kept writing until he had to go and ask for a second extension, which he got, and then he finally finished the paper.  I had to laugh at Jim’s constantly changing ideas as the deadline got closer and closer. 

Maybe you have been there.  The closer the deadline comes - the more distracted we get.  The longer the project goes on - the easier it is to get pulled away into other things and maybe never finish it.  How many of you have half read books on your shelf?  I’ll be honest, when I looked at my bookshelf this week, I realized most of my books are half read.  Not novels, I finish those, these are books on theology, leadership, and church administration.  I like to think that they are half read because the author puts all the good stuff in the first few chapters, but more likely, it’s that the longer I read - the more distracted I get. 

The longer the project goes on - the easier it is for us to think about moving in a different direction.  It’s true with almost all activity and so today we want to talk about how to finish strong so that when we set out to change the world, or do what God has called us to do, we will be able to actually do it and not only cross the finish line but finish strong.

If you haven’t been with us this month, we have been using the story of Nehemiah to talk about how God uses ordinary people to change the world.  Nehemiah was an ordinary man who worked as a cupbearer to King Artaxerxes.  Nehemiah was Jewish, but had been born in Persia because 140 years earlier the people of Israel, his people, had been defeated and led into captivity.  Nehemiah’s brothers had travelled to Jerusalem and when they returned he asked them how things were going in the city and their response broke Nehemiah’s heart.

They told Nehemiah that the walls of the city still lay in ruins and that the conditions were really disgraceful.  Walls meant security, protection, and identity, and the people of God had none of that.  All of this burdened Nehemiah’s heart.  This is the first step in ordinary people changing the world.  We have to be burdened by something.  What problem do we see that no one else sees?  What burdens us so deeply that we say, something has to be done.  There are countless things in our world that break the heart of God and if we allow our hearts to be broken by these things, God might just use us to change that situation, and change the world. 

Nehemiah was burdened by the situation in Jerusalem so he
sat down to cry,
then he knelt down to pray and ask God for wisdom and direction,
and then he stood up to act. 
Nehemiah asked the king to send him to Jerusalem so he could rebuild the walls, and the king said yes.  Nehemiah went to the city with
a clearly defined mission, 
he did some careful planning,
and then he inspired the people passionately to join him in the work.

The work began, but with all good work, there were obstacles.  Nehemiah and the people faced discouragement both externally and internally.  He had to face the taunts and ridicule of people on the outside and then the discouragement of his own people who got tired and talked about giving up on the inside.  Nehemiah overcame it all by doing two things,
he prayed 
and he got back to work.  
He remembered the Lord his God who is great and awesome, 
and he got back to work.  
And the work continued, and now today we find Nehemiah just about finished.  The end is in sight. 
Nehemiah 6:1-2a

Nehemiah is almost done.  The stone walls are built and the wooden doors have been made but the doors have not yet been set into the gates.  Nehemiah is nearing the finish line - he can see the end in sight, and just as he is getting ready to complete the walls, the enemy comes and tries to distract Nehemiah and the work.  Hey Nehemiah, why don’t you stop the work and come meet us at the plain in Ono.  A good rule of thumb is to never meet your enemy in a place called Ono.  (Ono was about a 2 day journey from Jerusalem, which meant at least 5 days of not working - and was in dangerous territory.)

What this really is for Nehemiah, is a distraction.  We know that Sanballat and Tobiah are enemies of Nehemiah.  We know that they have ridiculed him, made fun of the work, and the workers, and have done everything they can to try and stop the walls from getting built.  Now their plan is to delay Nehemiah, and maybe injure him to delay the project even more.  We will distract him, they think.  Stop the work and come meet with us. 

One of the greatest threats to finishing strong isn’t a major failure but a series of minor distractions.  Just as a project at work is about to be completed, we are pulled away to handle an issue that could be dealt with by someone else.  Just as we are about to finish reading that book for a class, or to better our faith, life, or leadership, we turn on the tv to check the score of the game - but then get sucked into watching the end of the game, and overtime, and then the news conference after the game.  We are ready to spend quality time with our family, but first we will check Facebook quickly just to see what others are doing and before we know it, quality time is gone. 

During the Advent Season, David talked about how we need to diminish distractions because, he said, the devil doesn’t need to destroy you if he can distract you.  Because once you’re distracted, you’ll destroy yourself.  Sanballat, Tobaih, and now Geshem (notice that the enemy is growing) simply try to distract Nehemiah from finishing the work.  Going to a meeting at Ono, maybe being attacked there or on the way back, would have been a distraction that had the potential to destroy the work. 

Distractions keep us from finishing strong.  Distractions in and of  themselves are not bad: sports, entertainment, chores at home, and even social media are not bad in and of themselves, but they do have the potential to distract us from what God wants us to do and those things that we want to complete.  Overcoming distractions calls for us to have the courage to stay focused and say what Nehemiah said, Nehemiah 6:3-4. 

And when we get distracted, that is what we need to say.  I am carrying on a great project and I can not go down.  God is doing something wonderful in my life and I can not stop.  I am nearing the finish line and I’m going to keep going.  With a laser like focus we need to not get distracted but set our eyes on the great work God has called us to and keep going.

Jesus was relentless in his mission to change the world.  3 times the enemy tried to distract Jesus in the wilderness before he even started his ministry.  Satan tempted Jesus with wealth and glory and power, and each time Jesus said, I am carrying on a great project and I can not listen to you. 
When his ability to heal the sick and cast out demons made crowds flock to Jesus for help, he went off to pray and then came back and said, I am carrying on a great project and have to go to other towns to preach and teach. 

When Peter told Jesus that he would not allow him to die in Jerusalem, Jesus said, get behind me Satan because I am carrying on a great project and you can not stop me. 

Even in the garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was betrayed by Judas and the soldiers arrested him, some of his disciples wanted to fight, but Jesus said, put away your swords because I am doing a great work and I will see it through to the end. 

Jesus consistently said no to many things that often appeared good.  He said no so that he would not get distracted from doing what God wanted him to do, and there are times when Jesus calls us to have that same laser like focus.  In Luke 9 we find some of the most difficult words of Jesus.  People were coming to Jesus and asking if they could follow him, and what Jesus said was that to follow him required them to set aside all distractions and commit to doing God’s work.  Luke 9:59-62.

This is a difficult teaching because caring for our family is a good thing, and that’s one of the challenges of distractions - many times they are good.  Author Jim Collins writes, Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great. We don't have great schools, principally because we have good schools. We don't have great government, principally because we have good government. Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life.  We don’t change the world because our lives are good and we are doing good things and we settle for what is good instead of saying I am carrying on a great project and I can not go down. 

It takes courage and a lot of intentional prayer for us to say no to what is good so that we can focus on what is great, and then give ourselves to that goal.  To finish strong we have to have the courage to say, I am not coming down because I am doing something great. 

The enemy tried to stop Nehemiah through discouragement and ridicule and Nehemiah remembered God who was great, and he got back to work.  The enemy tried to stop Nehemiah by distractions and Nehemiah remembered the great work God had given him to do, and he kept on working.  So the enemy tries one last time to stop Nehemiah, this time he seeks to discredit him.  When all else fails, the enemy just lies.  Nehemiah 6:6-8.

Nothing that the letter said, and Geshem affirms, was true.  In fact, Nehemiah humbled himself before the people, assisted those who were poor and in need, and never tried to make himself the king.  But when all else fails, the enemy is willing to simply lie in order to stop the work.  When great work started to change the church I served in Altoona, and a vital afterschool program was running, rumors started that I was having an affair.  I loved what one of my leaders did when they said something to her about it.  She grabbed their hand and said, let’s go talk to Andy right now.  The rumor stopped that day.

In Lewisburg as we started to reach college students and change the focus of our congregation, all kinds of false rumors started about how we were spending money and what we included in worship.  The best lie came to me one day when I was accused of taking the cross out of the sanctuary.  I said, what??  How can I take the cross out of the sanctuary - it’s hanging from the ceiling. 

So they lied again and said, no not that cross, the one on the altar.  So I went back and got all the pictures we had of the sanctuary from before I was a pastor and I asked people to show me which cross I removed.  It was pretty quiet because there was no cross on the altar.  There never had been since they hung the one from the ceiling. 

When the enemy can’t stop the work through outside or inside discouragement, or last minute distractions, get ready to be discredited in some way, because if God wants to change the world there will be forces trying to keep that from happening.  When those forces come at us, here is what we do if we want to finish strong.  One final time, we need to pray. 
Nehemiah 6:9b - now strengthen my hands. 

God strengthen us.  Keep us focused.  Keep us committed.  Keep us working.  Don’t let us give in.  Don’t let us give up.  When we near the finish line and come close to seeing our goals completed, the power to stop us grows stronger, so our resolve to keep going must become greater.  We have to set aside the distractions, not give in to the lies, pray, and keep going.  The apostle Paul said,
Philippians 3:12-14

With prayer, faith, and courage, Nehemiah pressed on and finished what God had called him to do.  He changed the world and everyone knew it was the work of God because he did it all in 52 days.  Nehemiah 6:15-16

Nehemiah shows us that God uses ordinary people to change the world and we can do this when we turn our burdens into prayers,
our prayers into plans, 
and our plans into actions.  

We can change the world when we pray for strength to overcome the enemies plans to
discourage, 
distract, 
and discredit us.

We change the world when we ask God for the strength to finish strong.

We do all this and we can accomplish all that God asks of us.  We do this and God can use us to change the world. 




Next Steps
Finish Strong

1. What distracts you the most in life? 
● Sports, entertainment, social media, hobbies, work. 
● What is one way you can diminish the distractions this week?

2. What good things are keeping you from the great work God has for you?
● How has good been the enemy of great in your life? 

3. Where, and to whom, do you need to say, I am doing a great work and I can not go down! 
● Who can stand with you and help you keep saying this as you move forward?

4. How has God called you to change the world?  Where are you in this world changing journey?
• I am asking God, break my heart by what breaks yours.
• I am praying for direction.
• I am developing a clear vision of what God wants me to do.
• I am making plans and asking, what’s the next step?
• I am fighting discouragement through prayer.
• I am gaining strength by remembering God who is great and awesome.
• I am diminishing distractions and staying focused. 
• I am pressing on toward the finish line, the prize, and the goal!

5. Share your world changing call and journey with your small group, Sunday School class, family, or friends. 
● Ask them to help you keep going. 
● Pray for strength so that you do not give up. 

Change Your World - Defeating Discouragement

One of the reasons we don’t see more world changing activity is because when many people step out to change their world and face the first few problems, they quit.  The reason we can’t point to more world changing leaders is that too many of us give up at the first obstacle.  Nothing changes without some hard work, and God’s mission and plan will always face opposition.  If we are going to change our world we have to learn how to defeat discouragement, and overcome opposition.  Today we want to learn how to do this from Nehemiah - an ordinary guy who overcame opposition and changed his world.

Nehemiah was an ordinary man who worked for King Artaxerxes in Persia.  He was 1,000 miles away from his homeland of Israel, and while he had never actually been to Jerusalem, he heard that much of the city still lay in ruins.  140 years after the city had been defeated, the walls of the city, which would have provided protection and a sense of identity for the people of God, had not yet been rebuilt.  Nehemiah was troubled by this and wanted to do something to change the situation, so he prayed, and he planned, and set to work on accomplishing the vision God gave him.  He started to rebuild the walls. 

Over the past few weeks we have learned that to be the kind of leader who can change the world we have to first allow our hearts to be broken by what breaks the heart of God.  We have to sit down and cry.  We have to be moved by some problem that needs to be set right.  We then need to kneel down to pray, and pray often, before we stand up to act. 

Leading change then calls for us to define our mission clearly, plan carefully and inspire people passionately.  Nehemiah did all of this and work began on the walls of Jerusalem, and it moved forward quickly.  With all the ways Nehemiah was able to show people that God was a part of this work, we might think that it was going to be smooth sailing all the way, but it wasn’t.  Nehemiah faced opposition.  He had to overcome discouragement, and it is from Nehemiah that we learn this profound truth: 
We don’t face opposition because we are doing something wrong.  
We face opposition because we are doing something right. 

Too many people give up at the first sign of trouble because they think that the obstacle they face is a sign that God is against them.  We give in when we get discouraged because we think that we somehow heard God wrong, or that God is not with us in this, but many times this is simply not true.  Often the discouragement and opposition comes because we are doing exactly what God wants, but the enemy does not. 

There is a very real enemy that works against the will of God.  The Bible refers to this enemy as satan- which means opponent or accuser.  Satan is the one who accuses us of not being able to do what God has called us to do.  Satan often places obstacles in our path to keep us from accomplishing those things that God wants for us and for our world.  To think that God’s purpose and plan will never experience any obstacles, and that if God calls us to change our world, we will be able to do it without  any problems at all is not only foolish, we could call it fake news because it ignores the entire story of God that we find in the Bible

God called Abraham and said he was going to make him into a great nation, but he had to overcome famine and delays and disappointments along the way.  God called Moses to lead his people into the Promised Land and then faced opposition from Pharaoh, as well as discouragement from his own people.  David was called to be the King of Israel but then faced opposition and discouragement from his enemies and his own family.  Jesus was the son of God who came to usher in the kingdom of God and he faced opposition, problems, discouragement, and persecution. 

The people God called to change the world faced opposition and discouragement so if we want to step out and follow the dream God has for us, if we want to change our world, we have to be ready to face obstacles and problems.  If God has called us to step out for some great purpose, then the enemy will be right there trying to hold us back, and the enemy does this from both the inside and the outside.   Let’s look at Nehemiah 4:1-3. 

When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”

Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!”

Here we see Nehemiah discouraged from the outside.  Sanballat and Tobiah were two leaders from the region who didn’t want to see the walls of Jerusalem rebuilt, and they didn’t want Nehemiah to develop as a strong leader in Jerusalem.  Nehemiah’s presence, and his success in building the wall, threatened their position and power, so they discourage Nehemiah and the people by ridiculing the work they were doing.  They attacked them from the outside and anytime we step out to do something new and find some success, we will find discouragement and problems coming at us from the outside.  The first way we experience outside opposition is through obstacles.

Just as we begin to do some new work, or make plans to initiate a new pathway in life, our schedule changes at work, or our children’s schedules change in sports and school and the time we thought we had we no longer have.  Just when we begin to move forward with a plan, we run into a health issue that stop us in our tracks and set us back.  There is the sudden financial set back that gets us thinking maybe we can’t make this change or move forward in a new way.  Obstacles are always there, let’s face it, they are part of life, in many ways it they are life itself, but those obstacles are NOT always the work of God telling us to give up. 

Too often we see obstacles as God telling us to give up our dreams, or we see problems as God’s way of telling us to give up our plans.  The problems and setbacks we face in life are not always the work of God, or even Satan, so we have to be willing to face them head on with faith and perseverance.  When we face obstacles and problems coming at us from the outside, what we need to do is pray. 

When Nehemiah and the people were ridiculed, he prayed.  When obstacles were thrown their way, he prayed.  It is prayer that helps us define our situation and gives God the opportunity to lead us deeper into his purpose and plan, or change that plan all together.  Prayer emerges again and again as the foundation of how we become people who change our world.  So we need to pray.  When obstacles come we need to pray. 

The other way we get discouraged from the outside is through criticism.  Sanballat and Tobiah’s words were critical of Nehemiah, the people’s plan, and their work.  They made fun of everything they were doing and how they were doing it, and they tried to get them to give up the work.  Criticism also has the potential to destroy our work.  If we listen to it, and believe it, criticism has the potential to stop the life changing, world changing work of God. 

In case you haven’t experienced it yet, get ready, because criticism comes with just about every decision we make, big or small.  Critical words are all around us, and in a day when criticism can be leveled anonymously and online, our critical culture is growing.  When we don’t have to face someone to criticize their beliefs, plans, or actions, when we can do it anonymously from afar, it easier to hurl insults and put down people’s plans.

Critics are all around us to say that our not only are our ideas foolish but we are foolish for having them.  Critics tells us that our ideas are too radical or not radical enough.  They say our plans won’t change anything, won’t be supported, and won’t succeed.  Critics might also tell us the idea is great but that we aren’t capable of leading it, or don’t have what it takes to see it through.  Critics can come from those closest to us, to those far from us, those we know and those we don’t know.  Critics appear anytime there is a world changing idea, which means we need to be prepared for it and know how to fight it.

In the face of any criticism, there are two things we need to do:  Pray and Get Back To Work.  That’s what Nehemiah did.  He prayed and then he got back to work.  Nehemiah 4:9.  If we pray, God will help us overcome the obstacles and give direction to our plans.  When we get back to work, we are allowing God to shape His vision and direct His mission.  So in the face of criticism, and obstacles, we need to pray and get back to work.  We begin to defeat discouragement when we pray and get back to work. 

Not only do we face discouragement and opposition from the outside, but we also face it from the inside, look at Nehemiah 4:10.  The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.

Discouragement from the inside comes when we, and those who work with us, feel tired and insecure.  Let me clue you in to something important, all leaders get tired and feel insecure.  All leaders question whether or not they have what it takes to make it through.  All leaders have moments when they simply sit down and cry.  We all have those dark nights of the soul where we question our ability, our calling, the work we have already done, and the work we still have left to do.  Just as criticism will come, so will getting tired, feeling insecure, and doubting the plans we have made.  It happens to us all. 

When I was in seminary I was struggling to define God’s calling in my life.  I knew God wanted me to be involved in mission and ministry, but I couldn’t get a clear handle on what that looked like.  No one seemed to be able to help me figure it out, and I was floundering along with doubts, fears, and insecurities.  Had God really called me? 

During my second year of classes, I was in an internship at a church and I had the opportunity to preach.  I will never forget that day.  In my sermon I was reflecting on what it was that we were begging from Jesus.  Were we begging to follow him, or were we begging Jesus to leave us alone.  One way leads to life, the other to death.  As I was talking about our need to follow Jesus in order to find the fullness of life there was a voice that rang it out in my head that said, who are you to tell these people how to live their lives?  Who are you to tell people they need to believe in or trust Jesus? 

This was an internal voice of discouragement.  It was playing on my fears and insecurities.  It’s what all leaders hear and feel at times.  Who are you to be leading this venture, this mission, this work?  But immediately after that voice rang out in my mind another voice spoke out that said, but there is nothing I believe more.  There is no other message worth preaching.  There is no other truth more profound and life changing.  It’s this or nothing.  I am thankful for the clarity of that voice because it helped me defeat discouragement and it shaped God’s plan and purpose for my life. 

I have felt defeated and discouraged many times since that day, and when I do, I try and listen to that voice of God.  When I question what I’m doing and why I’m doing it, I am reminded that there is nothing else I believe in more passionately and there is no other truth worth proclaiming than the message of Jesus.  There is life in no other name.  There is truth, and peace, and power in no other way than the way of Jesus.  When inside voices try to defeat me I remember that voice of God.

When internal voices tried to defeat and discourage Nehemiah and the people, they did the same thing.  They remembered the Lord.  Nehemiah 4:14a - Remember the Lord who is great and awesome. 

What is it that we need to remember about God when we hear that inside voice tell us to give in or give up? 

If God is for us then who can be against us…  Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8:35-39

I can do everything through Christ who gives me strength.  Philippians 4:13

I will be with you always, even to the very end of the age.  Matthew 28:20

Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.  They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

These are the voices we need to hear when we get discouraged.  This is the messages we need to remember when criticism comes our way.  We need to remember the Lord, who helped his people overcome great obstacles in the past, who helped Jesus overcome criticism and persecution, and who defeated the greatest obstacles we know - sin and death.  If God can raise Jesus from the dead, and if God can forgive our sin, then God can do anything, and we can keep moving forward. 

Nehemiah says we need to remember the Lord and then we need to keep fighting for the cause.  Nehemiah 4:14b - fight for your brothers, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.  We pray and we get back to work.  We remember the Lord and we keep fighting for the cause.  If God wants to refine our work, redefine our mission, or even take us in a new direction, God will do that as we keep on working.  God can’t steer a parked car but he can guide a moving car so we need to keep on fighting, not just for ourselves, but for the cause. 

If God has laid a burden on your heart and you are defining a plan and getting ready to step out to act, know that obstacles will come and criticism will be part of the journey.  In those difficult moments, pray, remember the Lord, and then keep fighting.  Pray and get back to work.  No world changing action comes easy.  Every plan of God finds opposition from satan - the accuser - so don’t be surprised when it comes.  Don’t give up hope or give in to fear.  Instead remember the Lord who fights for us, and keep on fighting for the cause and the dream and the plan God has given.



Next Steps
Change Your World - Defeating Discouragement

We don’t face opposition because we are doing something Wrong.
We face opposition because we are doing something Right.

1. Outside Discouragement (Nehemiah 4:1-9)
● Obstacles: What obstacles are you facing today? 
○ How are these holding you back from what God wants you to do?
○ Which obstacles might be God telling you to go in a different direction?
○ Ask God to guide you to overcome obstacles.
● Criticism: What criticism are you facing today?
○ Is the criticism justified?  Can you learn from it?
○ If the criticism is false and unjustified, let it go.

2. Inside Discouragement (Nehemiah 4:10-12)
● Tired: Where are you feeling tired in your life and faith?  Ask God for rest and strength.
● Insecure: Where is doubt and fear causing you to pull back in the plans God has for you?  Ask God for courage and faith to see you through.

3. Defeating Discouragement (Nehemiah 4:14)
● Remember the Lord:
○ Identify a time in your life when God provided for you.
○ Read Romans 8:31-39. Philippians 4:13, Matthew 28:20, Lamentations 3:23-24
● Fight for the Cause: Keep moving forward in the cause God has laid on your heart.  Don’t give up. 

Change Your World - The Leader In You

Today we continue in a series called change your world based on the story of Nehemiah.  Nehemiah was an ordinary man who lived in Susa, which is in modern day Iran, 1,000 miles from Jerusalem.  Nehemiah was Jewish but was living in Susa because the people of Israel had been defeated and forced to live in captivity in Babylon.  While some Jews had been allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the Temple, the walls of the city had yet to be rebuilt, and so 140 years after the walls of the city had been torn down, they still lay in ruins. For Nehemiah, this was a disgrace.  The city needed to be rebuilt, settled, and made strong again and for all that to happen, strong walls were needed. 

The condition of Jerusalem troubled Nehemiah deeply and it was this burden that began to turn Nehemiah from an ordinary man into a world-changing leader.  Last week we saw that this transformation takes place when people:
● Sit down to cry
● Kneel down to pray
● Stand up to act.

Nehemiah did all these things.  He mourned for the city of Jerusalem and for the people of God.  He often prayed about the situation and what to do about it and after much prayer, he stood up to act.  Nehemiah told the king, whom he worked for, what was going on and asked if he could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls.  It was this process of crying, praying, and acting that changed Nehemiah and his world, and it will be this process that will change us and our world.   

Today we want to learn from Nehemiah how to be the kind of a leader who can turn our burdens into ministry, and our dreams into a reality.  The first step for a leader isn’t to jump into a flurry of activity, the first step is to define the mission clearly.  What - specifically - is God asking us to do. 

Nehemiah 2:4-5.  First we need to see once again Nehemiah’s commitment to prayer.  He knew what he wanted to say, and he knew what he wanted to do, but before he said or did anything, he prayed again because he knew that his dream and plan needed God.  If our dreams and plans don’t need God, then we aren’t thinking and dreaming large enough.  If we don’t need God to be part of what we hope to do, then what we hope to do isn’t going to change anything.  World changing actions need God and it needs leaders who are willing to pray. 

So Nehemiah prayed and then he defined the mission clearly.  Send me to the city of Judah, where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild the walls.  Nehemiah was clear.  He didn’t want to go and just check things out.  He didn’t want to go and see what might develop when he got there.  He wanted to rebuild the walls.  He was also clear that he didn’t want to be released to go, he wanted the king to send him and we will talk about that in a moment. 

Clearly defining the mission God has for us is important because if we can’t define the mission we can’t do it.  If we are too vague or too confused about what we are setting out to do, we will never accomplish anything.  For example, just wanting to help people who are hungry isn’t a clear vision, just wanting to help kids in need isn’t a defined mission, if we don’t define our vision more specifically we will never succeed in anything.  We have to dig deeper to define what it is God is asking us to do. 

When I was in Altoona, God placed a burden on our hearts for the children of our neighborhood.  At the end of a very successful week of VBS, Patti came to me and said, at the end of this week we will lose touch with all these kids.  It was a burden to her.  She mourned the loss of those relationships and God was moving in her heart to do something.  I said, what do you want to do?  Her response was, let’s keep VBS going one night a week for the rest of the summer.  That was a clear vision.  That was a defined mission. 

Jesus also shows us the importance of defining our mission clearly.  At the very beginning of his ministry, Jesus was known as a great miracle worker and healer.  People from all over the region heard that Jesus was able to heal people and drive out demons, so huge crowds gathered around him wanting his help.  Mark 1:32-34.

Jesus could have continued in this ministry of healing, and he certainly continued to heal many people, but was this his mission?  The next day, Jesus said to his disciples, Mark 1:38-39.

Jesus clearly defined his mission.  We will travel to various cities where I will preach about the kingdom of God.  Jesus understood the importance of having a clear vision and defined mission and what helped Jesus get all of this was his own time of prayer.  That’s what happened between those two readings.  Jesus was surrounded by people who wanted him to heal them, and then he told his disciples let’s leave them behind and go preach because that is my mission.  What stands in the middle is prayer.  Mark 1:35. 

We cannot under-estimate the importance and power of prayer in helping us define the mission God has for us.  Again, if we don’t need to pray, then our plans aren’t big enough.  If we don’t need to pray, then our mission will not change us, let alone the world.

To be a leader in a world changing mission we have to define our mission.  What is it that God wants us to do?  How does God want us to be involved in the world?  We need to narrow down the vague - I want to help people - into a specific vision, before we can move on to the second step which is to Make Plans Carefully. 

Once we have a defined mission, leaders begin to make plans.  Once we know what we are aiming for we can ask ourselves this important leadership question, what’s the next step?  In many ways, careful planning is all about determining that next step. 


Nehemiah had already done some careful planning because he didn’t just tell the king, I want to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, he asked the king to send him and to send him with two specific letters.  Nehemiah 2:7-8.

Nehemiah knew that if he was going to get to Jerusalem he needed safety on the 1000 mile journey, so he asked the king to send him with his protection.  Which the king did.  Nehemiah also knew that if he was going to rebuild the walls and set up new gates in those walls, he was going to need provisions, mostly lumber, so he asked for the king to help provide the wood, which the king did. 

Let’s just look at that request for lumber for a moment and see how Nehemiah again was an expert planning.  He knew that if he was going to rebuild the walls he was going to need stones and wood.  The stones were there.  They were lying on the ground from when the walls had been torn down.  The wooden gates, however, had been burned so new lumber was needed, and there was very little lumber in Jerusalem.  Nehemiah knew they were going to have to import wood quickly if they are going to rebuild the gates, so he asked the king for help.  His request for wood shows how Nehemiah was committed to planning.  What was going to be needed, and what was going to be needed next. 

But did you notice that Nehemiah specifically asked for a letter to go to Asaph, keeper of the king’s forest.  How did Nehemiah know his name?  Nehemiah was a cupbearer, a butler, a guy who worked in the kitchen and didn’t necessarily know all the leaders in the king’s palace or empire, but Nehemiah took the time to investigate and find out the name of the man who ran the king’s forest.  Nehemiah was planning.  He wasn’t going to Jerusalem with a dream and no plans, he had made specific plans and was working them wisely. 

Once Nehemiah got to the city he also had a plan.  He surveyed the walls personally, travelling around the city at night to see for himself the condition of the walls.  Why did he go at night and not during the day when he might be able to see more?  While we don’t know for sure, going at night meant he had fewer interruptions, fewer people telling him that his dream was foolish and unattainable, and fewer people pointing out all the problems. 

Nehemiah’s trip around the ruined walls also helped him formulate a plan for rebuilding the walls.  While travelling through the city, Nehemiah took note of who lived where and what leaders lived in which sections of the city.  This way he could enlist them to work on that section of the wall.  Nehemiah not only surveyed the wall but he surveyed the community, noticed where people lived, where they worked, what sections were important to people, and he formulated a plan of action.  His journey at night allowed him quiet time to plan and keep asking himself, what is the next step?

That is really the key to planning, what is the next step.  When Patti said we needed to keep VBS going through the summer we asked ourselves, what’s the next step?  We needed to see if the kids wanted to come back.  Would they return the next week?  She asked them and they all said, YES!  So then we had to line up teachers, so we went to all the volunteers to see who would be willing to give us one night a week for the rest of the summer, and we got the leaders we needed.  Then we had to find materials to use, so we contacted a resource center and found an old VBS we could use and began the planning.  And then we needed snacks, so recruited a woman who committed to providing all the snacks for the rest of the summer. 

One step at a time we made plans and prayed, and in the span of a few days we had a complete ministry planned out for the rest of the summer.  What is your next step?  Is it to define your mission and clarify a vision?  Is it to gather information?  Is it to recruit help?  What’s your next step?  We don’t have to have the entire project completed before we move forward, we just need to know the next step.   

Nehemiah took the next step and after he inspected the walls and had a well thought out plan he moved on and Inspired People Passionately.  No life changing mission is going to be accomplished on our own.  No God given plan that will change the world is going to be accomplished by ourselves, we have to enlist others who will not only catch our vision but will share our passion and help us in the work.  Leaders are really just those people who inspire others to work with them.  Nehemiah didn’t try to rebuild the walls by himself, he invited others to join him.  With passion, power, and a clear vision Nehemiah invited others to join him.  Nehemiah 2:17-18

Nehemiah reminded the people that the walls lying in ruins was a disgrace.  Something had to be done.  God wanted them to do something.  He was clear about the mission - let’s rebuild the walls - and he not only told them that God was with them, but he showed them how God had already been at work in providing for this moment.  Just Nehemiah’s presence with them was a sign that God was blessing this work because Nehemiah had chosen to make the 1,000 mile journey, had gotten there safely, and had letters of support from the king.  Nehemiah’s commitment and passion for this mission was clear and compelling and that inspired the people. 

At times it is simply our commitment to a cause, or our willingness to move forward no matter what, that inspires others to join us.  We begin to think that if someone else believes in something that much, and is that committed, and cares that deeply, then we want to join them.  If someone else is willing to go out on a limb for the sake of God’s will and God’s kingdom, then we’re willing to take the risk with them.

Nehemiah was not a professional speaker, he drank wine for a living.  He probably wasn’t the smartest guy around, he just cared the most,.  With a clear and compelling vision, Nehemiah inspired people to join him and they did.  Nehemiah 2:18b, they began this good work. 

The people joined Nehemiah and together they began to rebuild the walls and in 52 days those walls were finished and new wooden gates were hung.  The hand of God was seen and experienced by all the people, and their lives changed, their community changed, their faith changed, and the world changed. 

To turn our burden into a mission that can change our world, we don’t need to the smartest or the most talented or the person with the most resources, we just need to care the most and be willing to pray and ask God to help us become leaders who can define God’s mission clearly, plan carefully for each next step, and then with passion invite people to join us.  If we learn how to do this, we become the leaders God uses to change the world. 

Next Steps
Change Your World

Questions to help turn your burden into ministry.
1. Define the mission clearly.
● What is the burden God has laid on your heart?
● What, specifically, is God calling you to do about it?
● Who can help you clarify your vision and define your mission?

2. Make plans carefully.
● What information is needed for you to take the first step?
● What people do you need to help you take that first step?
● What will that first step lead you to?
● What obstacles have to be overcome?
● What fears have to be faced?
● What specifically do you need to pray for?

3. Inspire people passionately
● Why is this God given mission so vital?
● What will happen if the mission fails?
● How will lives be changed if the mission succeeds?
● How is God already working to make it happen?
● Who has God already led you to that can be a partner in this mission?
● What one thing can you do to enlist their help? 

4. Learn from others
● Read Nehemiah chapters 2 and3 to see how Nehemiah prayed, planned, and inspired others.
● How did Jesus define his mission?  In what ways did he make strategic plans and inspire others? 
● How has Jesus inspired you to change your world?

Change Your World

We are 5 days into the New Year… how many of you have kept your New Year's resolutions?  A lot of people make resolutions to lose weight and exercise more, which is why we see so many ads for Peloton and Nutri-System, but by now many of those folks have already given up on new habits and their lives haven’t changed.  But what if I told you that in 2020 we could not only change our lives but we could change our world?  What if I told you that in 2020 God wants you to change the world?  Yes you. 

I know what you are thinking, but I’m nobody.  I’m retired.  I’m just a stay at home mom or dad.  I’m wage payroll at Penn State.  I’m just a cog in a machine the produces goods and services for the community and world.  I have no great gifts or skills, and I have no connections to powerful and influential people.  I hear you - that’s me too, but I absolutely believe that God is here today to tell us that in 2020 He wants to use us, you and me, to change the world. 

God delights in using ordinary people to do great things.  Mary and Joseph were pretty ordinary people and look what God did through the them?  Nehemiah was an ordinary man, and this month we are going to look at how God used him to change his world.  God used Nehemiah to inspire the people of Israel to do something in 52 days that no one else had been able to do for 140 years.  If you don’t know the story of Nehemiah, it is found in the Old Testament and it may not be well known, but it is powerful, and it is one of my favorites because Nehemiah was an ordinary guy who changed the world.  If he can do it, then so can we. 

So here’s the setting… King David established Israel as a great nation and then his son Solomon built it into a true world power.  After Solomon, however, the nation divided and slowly drifted away from God.  People started to ignore God’s laws, they began to worship idols, and the kings, priests, and leaders placed their trust in the strength of other nations and other gods instead of in the power of God alone.  It wasn’t long before Israel was defeated by the Babylonians who destroyed the Temple, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, and took the people of Israel into Babylon as captives.  50 years later, the Babylonians were defeated by the Persians, and under a new Persian King, Cyrus, some of the people of Israel were allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.  70 years after the Jewish Temple had been destroyed, it was rebuilt and offerings and sacrifices once again returned to the Temple.  While a few people had returned to the city of Jerusalem to live, in many ways, the city still lay in ruins.

This is where we pick up the story in Nehemiah 1:1-3.

Nehemiah was living in Susa, which is in modern day Iran, about 1,000 miles away from Jerusalem.  Nehemiah’s brothers had just returned from Jerusalem so he asked them how things were going.  What they told him was that the walls of the city had still not been rebuilt.  That may not seem like much to us, but this would have been a disgrace to the people of Israel.  A city was only as strong as its walls.  Walls meant protection, but they also gave people a sense of identity and showed their pride.  The walls lying in ruin was a disgrace and while Nehemiah knew this had been the situation for 140 years, hearing it this time troubled him, but what could he do?  He was just an ordinary person.  Nehemiah 1:11 tells us that Nehemiah was the cup-bearer to the king.

A cup bearer was the person who not only gave the king his wine, but he had to taste it first to make sure it wasn’t poisoned.  Not a bad job until the day the enemy tries to poison the king.  You never know when the next day might literally be your last day.  The cup bearer didn’t have to be highly skilled but they did have to be highly regarded and trustworthy.  The king had to trust the cup-bearer completely because his life depended on him.  The cup-bearer may have had some other duties in the palace, acting like a butler, but they did not have to be highly skilled or talented.  They were simply loyal employees. 

Nehemiah was an ordinary man just doing his job when he heard about the situation in Israel.  He wasn’t thinking about changing the world, or even the situation in Jerusalem, but when he heard about the condition of the city, and the plight of the people, it moved him.  Hearing about the walls this time burdened Nehemiah and he suddenly said, enough is enough.  Something has to be done.  This is unacceptable.  It was this burden that began to turn Nehemiah from a cup-bearer into a world changer. 

Where God wants to use us to change the world is in those places that touch our hearts and burden our lives.  God wants to use us to change the world in those times and places where we say, this is not acceptable and something has to be done.  God will use us in those situations that like Nehemiah, move us to tears.  Nehemiah 1:4, When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. 

Ordinary world changers are those who first Sit Down to Cry.
If we want to change our world, if we want to make life better for our community, then we need to pay attention to what it is that burden’s our heart.  What moves us to tears?  What troubles us and disturbs us?  What pain or problem do we see that no one else seems to notice but causes us to say - this is not acceptable and something has to be done?  These are going to be areas where God can use us to bring about change. 

What moves you to tears?  We will all answer this question differently.  For some people the burden they have is for young girls and boys caught up in human trafficking, for others it is poverty and income inequality.  Some people are moved by the lack of clean water for people around the world, hunger (globally or locally), or the plight of refugees.  Some people are deeply moved by children in our own community who need foster care and forever families, or for families who need a house to call home.  Each one of us is moved in different ways and are troubled by different things and we need to listen to our hearts and the whispers of God because God may be showing us something that no one else is seeing.  If God is going to use us in 2020 to change our world, it is going to be in those areas that move us to tears. 

If it has been a while since you have sat down to cry, or been moved by the needs of our community or world, then I encourage you to pray this simple but life changing prayer.  God, break my heart by what breaks yours. 

Weeping, however, is not the end of the journey, we need to turn our weeping into praying.  Sitting down to cry has to lead to Kneeling Down to Pray.  That is what Nehemiah did.

Nehemiah 1:4. for some days I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 

When something breaks our heart we need to turn our tears into prayers.  Before we do anything, before we think about doing anything, before we make plans to do anything, we need to pray.  Prayer is important because it asks God to reveal to us his purpose and it allows God to share with us his power.  The world will only be changed for good if we are working for God’s purpose and relying upon God’s power, so to change the world we need to kneel down to pray. 

Nehemiah was a man who sought the purpose and power of God in prayer often.  Nehemiah turned to God when he was uncertain or when he was in need.  Nehemiah never seemed to take a step forward without prayer and our lives need this same commitment to prayer.  One of the rhythms in our relationship with God is prayer.  Prayer is simply: conversations with God that overflow into every area of my life.  If you are hearing God say, you need to grow in prayer, then I invite you to take part in the 3 relationship workshop on prayer being led by Pastor Kathleen Danely.  We cannot change the world, or our world, or even our lives, if we are not people of prayer.  But if we will pray - God will use us in ways we never thought possible. 

We sit down to cry, we kneel down to pray, and that is what gives us the strength and courage to then Stand Up to Act.  Nehemiah didn’t just cry and pray, he took a risk and did something about the burden he felt.  Nehemiah shared his burden with the king.  Nehemiah went to work one day and in the presence of the king he allowed himself to look sad.  Again, this doesn’t seem like much, but if the king didn’t like how you looked, he could have you killed.  Nehemiah could have painted a smile on his face and pretended like everything was ok, but through his prayer he decided to simply be honest and share his sorrow with the king.  He stood up to act, and when the king asked him what was wrong, before he opened his mouth, Nehemiah prayed again.  Nehemiah 2:1-5. 

Nehemiah didn’t have a well thought out plan at this point, he just knew he needed to do something.  He had prayed and so now, trusting God, he did something.  Many times this is all God is asking of us, do something.  We are not going to solve world hunger, but we can feed those who are hungry.  We can’t solve the problem of unclean water in the world, but we can help build one well.  We can’t solve the problems of orphans in our county, but we can help support one child.  We can’t do everything but we can do something, and that one simple step forward will lead to another, and it might inspire someone else to do something, and in time problems might be solved, people might be cared for, and our world will have changed. 

What would it look like if, in 2020, each one of us not only sat down to cry, and knelt down to pray, but also stood up to act?  How might our church and community change if we supported each other in working to make a difference? Think of what God could do in us and through us if together we shared our burdens, prayed together, then stood up together to act?  Our lives would change.  Our community would change.  Our world would change, and we would see that God can use ordinary people to be world changers. 

God used Nehemiah.  He stood up to act and in time King Cyrus allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem where, in 52 days, Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem.  52 days.  Walls that had been lying in ruins for 140 years were rebuilt in 52 days.  This was an act of God and it happened because one ordinary man allowed his heart to be broken by the heart of God, he was willing to pray, and then he stepped out in faith to do something.  God can change our world in 52 days if we will allow our hearts to be broken by the heart of God, if will commit ourselves to prayer, and if we will draw on the strength and power of God to do something - to stand up and act. 

Together let’s ask God to use us to change our world. 
 
Next Steps
Change Your World in 52 Days

1. Sit down to cry.
● What is it that breaks your heart? 
● How does this situation also break the heart of God? 
● Pray each day: God, break my heart by what breaks yours.
● Listen for God’s response.

2 Kneel down to pray.
● Daily pray about the burden that has touched your heart. 
● Ask God to reveal not only the problem but the solution, and how you can bring about change.
● Ask others to pray with you. 
● Share with your small group the things that burden your heart and commit to praying for each other for 52 days.

3. Stand up to act.
● After a season of prayer, what one step can you take to follow God’s leading in your life? 
● What one person can you ask to stand with you? 
● What is the first step in preparing yourself for God’s purpose and plan for your life in 2020?

4. Read Nehemiah 1-2.

Sign up for one of the 3 Relationships workshops on January 25.  Ask God to use this training to help you become the world changer he wants you to be.  Sign up at the connection table or online at bellefontefaith.com.