Have
you ever gotten lost trying to go somewhere because you didn’t follow
directions? Today there are GPS systems for your car that talk to you and show
you where to go. Mapquest.com, an
internet web site, can give you specific directions from the front door of one
place to the back door of another. If
you get lost, you are not really trying very hard or you are a guy who doesn’t
like to use directions.
Have
you ever gotten in trouble because you didn’t follow directions? Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket
because you refused to follow directions?
What would happen if you went to the doctor for an illness and didn’t
follow his/her directions?
Or
have you tried to program a DVD player; or a flat screen TV; or a remote, for
that matter; without following directions?
(Or do you really know what the word ‘program’ means? You have to read the directions.) Have you ever bought a cell phone that has
lots of gadgets and didn’t use most of them because you didn’t want to read the
directions? (“I can make a phone call
and that’s what I bought it for,” is a very good excuse for not reading
directions.) Whether we like them or
not, directions are very important to just about anything that we do.
Some
directions, however, border on the ridiculous.
Consider the following actual directions:
On packaging for an
iron: Do not iron clothes on body.
In a microwave oven manual: Do not use for drying pets.
In a microwave oven manual: Do not use for drying pets.
On a toaster: Do not use underwater.
On a mattress: Do not attempt to swallow.
One
of the reasons the Bible is written is for the purpose of providing direction
in our lives. But it is much more. If we look at the Bible only as a guide, then
we are missing the premise of Hebrews 4:12, which says, “For the word of God is
living and active; sharper than any double-edged sword, it
penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the
thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
The
word of God can change the hearts of man.
The word of God has changed the lives of many. The word of God comforts the soul. The word of God makes people whole. What other book has the power to miraculously
transform broken lives?
It
is for this reason that we can praise the Lord for His miraculous life changing
Spirit, even in the midst of human stress and strife. It is His loving grace
that picks us up from the junk heap of life and transforms us into His
likeness. But, as we follow His direction, we find that, through us, it is not
just the transformation of one life that the Lord wants to change. It is the lives of many. In His wonderful tapestry, the Lord picks up
the scraps of lives like ours, interwoven by unique and unusual circumstances,
and places them together in a colorful pattern to design a beautiful quilt of
significant purpose. As we embark on
this journey of faith and trust, it is important to understand that it is the
Lord’s direction that brings us together and it is the Lord’s direction that
will make His ministry complete.
The
Lord calls all of those who have accepted His saving grace. There are only a few, however, who truly
answer the call. Have you ever considered your disability as a call to
ministry? Recall the verse I Corinthians 12:8-10, which says: "My grace is
sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." I will all
the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”
When
we begin to look at our weaknesses as a conduit for God’s strength, then
amazing things begin to happen. Just like water flowing through a broken
vessel, His grace can flow more freely through you, bringing peace and joy not
just to yourself, but to all those who see your joy. These are His directions
to freeing, flowing, saving grace.
In
the book of Nehemiah, we see a clear example of someone the Lord called and the
process he went through to see his call to fruition. His preparation before addressing the people
of Jerusalem and the careful planning that was evidenced by his administration
of the rebuilding of the wall1 was an expression of his experience
and training as cupbearer to the king.
The
book of Nehemiah is a blueprint for those who are seeking God’s purpose in
their life and who are being challenged by the Lord to use that purpose to make
a difference in the lives of those around them.
Since ministries often evolve out of God’s purpose in the lives of
others, it is important to note the process that Nehemiah went through to
achieve planning success. Through this
document, we will learn how to 1) Prepare for Action; 2) Plan for Success; and
3)
Plant the Seed.
1)
Prepare for Action
I was cupbearer to the king. (Nehemiah
1:11b)
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one
gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone
who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown
that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man
running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my
slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be
disqualified for the prize. (I Corinthians 9:24-27)
To
run a marathon requires preparation. A
marathon is 26.2 miles. Though it is possible for someone to run a marathon
without any training, it is highly improbable that the runner would be standing
at the end. Running a marathon requires
months of preparation to finish, years of preparation to run it well.
There
is the preparation leading up to the marathon and the preparation immediately
before the marathon itself. The preparation leading up to the marathon is about
conditioning. Before the marathon begins, it is about flexibility.
Conditioning
The
word ‘condition’
means ‘a state of sound readiness; to make familiar through constant practice
or use.2’ To condition yourself means that you are prepared and
ready for the established goal.
Conditioning does not occur overnight.
It is a very disciplined approach.
In
the book of Nehemiah, the Lord conditioned him for the task at hand and he was
prepared to do the job. Nehemiah was
cup-bearer to the king. A cup-bearer was an officer of high rank
in royal courts. His confidential relationship with the king gave him a
position of great influence. The position of cup-bearer was greatly valued and
was given to only a select few throughout history.
Nehemiah
was a little captive Jewish boy, exiled in Persia, when the Medes and Persians
defeated King Nebuchadnezzar and took control of his empire. As an intelligent and loyal worker in the
court of Artaxerxes, Nehemiah rose through the ranks to become the cup-bearer.3 Besides
certifying that the wine served to Artaxerxes was safe, Nehemiah was
coordinator, confidant and counselor.4 The position placed
his life on the line every day but also gave Nehemiah great authority and high
esteem.
Nehemiah
had been prepared by God for the task at hand.
When the plight of his exiled Jewish brothers and sisters came to his
attention, he responded without hesitation.
In spite of the intensity of the moment, his position had conditioned
him to respond with poise and confidence.
No
eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him. (1
Corinthians 2:9)
For
we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephesians 2:10)….to prepare
God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.
(Ephesians 4:12b)
You,
too, have been prepared. Life’s
experiences, lessons and challenges have shaped who you are and what you
do. The depth of your relationship with
the Lord has given you a sense of direction and purpose. For this reason, you are bringing a set of
gifts and abilities that can be helpful to the task at hand.
Flexibility
The
word ‘flexible’
means ‘adaptable; yielding to influence; able to adjust readily to
different conditions.’ When preparing
for the start of a marathon, the runner goes through a set of stretching
exercises that can be both tedious and even painful, which gives the body the
flexibility it needs to adjust to the varying conditions that may occur during
the hard rigors of the run. The runner
goes to the source of his/her ultimate success and prepares the body for action. Once this occurs, the body yields to the influence of this preparation
and is ready to go.
Nehemiah
understood the source of his success when he went to his knees in prayer after
he had heard about the plight of his people, the Israelites. Instead of taking the matter into his own
hands, Nehemiah was being flexible in allowing the Lord to direct His path; he
yielded to the Lord’s influence by preparing his mind for action.
4When
I heard…I sat down and wept. For some
days I mourned, fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5Then I
said:
“O
Lord, God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps his covenant of love
with those who love him and obey his commands, 6let your ear be
attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before
you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I confess the sins we Israelites, including
myself and my father’s house, have committed against you 7We have acted very wickedly
toward you. We have not obeyed the
commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses.
8Remember
the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I
will scatter you among the nations, 9but if you return to me and
obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon,
I will gather them from there and bring them to the place I have chosen as a
dwelling for my Name.
10They
are your servants and your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength and
your mighty hand. 11O Lord,
let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer
of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting
him favor in the presence of this man.” (Nehemiah 1:4-10)
Nehemiah
understood the basic premise in life for those who follow the Lord; that God is
in control.
Nehemiah was a man of action. He knew that he had been prepared for this
very task and he moved forward knowing that he was the man of the hour. But he had one big problem. Humanly speaking, it would be impossible to
get permission to be away from the king, let alone for an extended period
time. Though Nehemiah was the King’s trusted servant, he was still a
servant. The king entrusted Nehemiah
with his life, and it would be the king’s life that would also be in jeopardy
if he granted Nehemiah’s wishes.
Nehemiah knew that there was no possible way that the king would ever
let him go.
When the situation seemed bleak and his
hopes were left for dead, Nehemiah went to the heart of the matter by going to
the Lord in prayer; he administered CPR.
Nehemiah had learned to:
C onfess:
He confessed his sins and the sins of
his ‘father’s house’. (Nehemiah 1:6b)
P romise: He stood on the foundation of God’s promises. (Nehemiah 1:9)
R equest: He requested
God’s action; to ready the mind of the king. (Nehemiah 1:11b)
There are two things that happen when we
pray: Heaven rains down and all hell
breaks loose. If this ministry is
directed by the Lord, which we believe it is, we must be prepared by the fact
that the enemy will do everything within his power to thwart our plans. But we also must expect that God will pour
his blessings on us as we diligently seek to do His will.
2)
Plan for Success
Come,
let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. (Nehemiah2:17b)
1Therefore, since we are surrounded
by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders
and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race
marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross,
scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
(Hebrews 12:1-2)
When you look at the face of it, running
a marathon doesn’t seem like something that anyone would want to do. Imagine how far 26.2 miles really is. It is over 460 football fields or over 46,000
yards; it is the equivalent of running through 15 average size shopping malls;
it is an average commute to work; it is a long bike ride.
What
is this craziness anyway? Why does any
one person want to challenge their bodies to run so far? For some, it is the challenge of being able
to say that they can. For many it is
more than that. It is a way of
distancing oneself from the norm, an opportunity to do something that most
people can and will not do. No matter
how you slice it, there has to be a reason, a goal, for running a marathon.
In
every race, there are three kinds of runners.
First, there are the elite
runners. Their bodies are like that of a
gazelle, slim and sleek and prepared for speed.
The elite runners have done this many times before and they are relaxed
and ready. Their goal is to win the race.
Then
there are the seasoned runners. These runners have been there before and have
worked their bodies to exact the best result.
Many of these runners are older and have no real chance of winning the
race. This is not what is
important. What is important is to run
strong and run well. Their goal is to get the best time.
Then
there are the novice runners. These are the first timers who have heeded
the runner’s call. Many of these runners
have fear and trepidation about whether they have done enough training. Their goal
is to finish the race.
…forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win
the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13b-14)
As
Christians, our goal is to give our lives over to the Author and Perfecter, our
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Though we
are all made in His image, like snowflakes, we are all unique, blessed with
different gifts and abilities, and through life’s circumstances, varying experiences
and challenges that ultimately define who we are. It is for this reason that, though our goal
is the same, it is our purpose that can be decidedly
different.
Purpose
The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD,
endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands. (Psalm 138:8)
The
word purpose
can be defined as ‘a certain
path’. It answers the question ‘why’.
It
is sometimes what is not so easily seen that can be the most telling. In the case of Nehemiah, it was the fact that
there were a total of four months (from November {Kislev} to March {Nissan})
between the time that he had heard the news of the Israelite people and the
time when he made his application to the king for leave to go to
Jerusalem. What was he thinking during
that time? He had prayed and fasted,
expecting a timely response.
After
Nehemiah prayed for God’s intervention regarding his countrymen, he did not sit
still and say, “Let God do His work. I
have done all I can do.”1 He was busy with his thoughts and consumed
by what should be done. Why had his
passion and sorrow not waned in the space of such a long period of time? It was because Nehemiah had been given a purpose.
Nehemiah, whose name means ‘comfort of
Jehovah’, was miserable not only because of his concern for his people, but
also because he had found his purpose
in life. He was like a runner, ready to
run the race but not being able to cross the starting line. Once he had received the news, his purpose was certain. To not respond would have been to ignore
God’s call in his life.
A purpose
is a call to leadership. Ministries that
are God-driven are begun by those with whom the Lord has given a clear purpose. This purpose
has been borne out of life’s circumstances that God has used for His ultimate
plan. He plants seeds and nurtures them
for the harvest, then gathers us to himself so that we will choose to yield to
his direction and REAP what He has sewn.
Our purpose is a higher
calling, a path that is fraught with challenges but where blessings
abound. To REAP means to:
R espond to His call
E xpect His
intercession
A ct on His promises
P assionately proclaim His victory
Mission
…to this very
day—you have not deserted your brothers (and sisters) but have carried out the mission the LORD your God gave you.
(Joshua 22:3)
The word mission can be defined as
‘a specific task’. It answers the question ‘what’.
A purpose is an inward reaction to God’s
direction in one’s life. A mission is an outward response to that
direction. As we come to understand the
Lord’s purpose, we also come to understand the mission that he has invited us to.
As followers of Christ, our mission
is always Christ-centered.2
o
He
Conceives it
o
He
Commences it
o
He
Completes it
When the Lord gives someone a clear
purpose, He also begins to open the hearts of those who will follow. A mission
is a concise explanation of the purpose that someone has been called to. (A mission
statement is a brief explanation of that purpose.) The mission
is used to ‘send forth the call’ so that those who are ‘tender in Spirit’ will
‘heed the call’.
"A candle loses nothing of its light by lighting
another candle."
For four months Nehemiah agonized about
what to do. The Lord had given him the
passion and the desire, the purpose, but not the means to carry out the
task. Though he was a trusted servant to
the king, he was a servant nonetheless.
How could he ever think about asking the king to release him to go
rebuild the city when he knew that to do so could put the king’s life in
jeopardy? Nehemiah had this burning
desire in his heart to assist the Israelite people, but it seemed hopeless that
he would ever be able to leave his current position to achieve his purpose.
Yet he was resolved. His mind was made up. Why would Nehemiah stick his neck out in
fear, perhaps incurring the king’s wrath, when he knew that the king had the
absolute power of life and death? It was
because he was a man with a mission.
In chapter 2, we see how Nehemiah shared
the mission, not only to the king
with a miraculous result, but to the Israelites and to his enemies as
well.
1) To
the king: “…3bthe city where my fathers are buried
lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire…5blet (the
king) send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so I can rebuild
it (the city)”.
2) To
the people: “17bJerusalem
lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem,
and we will no longer be in disgrace.”
3) To
the naysayers: “20aThe God of heaven will give us
success. We will start rebuilding.”
A mission takes a purpose and makes it
reality. When a mission is shared, it
means that we are taking a leap of faith, believing that others will believe.
Plan
The LORD said, "If as one
people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they
plan to do will be impossible
for them. (Genesis 11:6)
The
word plan
can be defined as ‘a course of action’. It answers the question ‘how’.
A strategic plan is a disciplined,
coordinated, systematic, and sustained effort that enables an organization to
fulfill its mission and achieve its purpose.
The purpose of the strategic plan
is to SORT the details. This means that
the plan has a:
·
S trategy:
An action toward the finished plan.
·
O bjective:
The specifics of the action
·
R esponsibility:
Who will do the action?
·
T imeline:
How long will it take?
In
Nehemiah, chapter 3, we find a finished example of a Strategic Plan.
To use SORT, here is a sample of verse 1.
Strategy Objective Responsibility
Timeline
Re-Build Sheep
Gate Build to Tower of Hundred and Tower of
Hananel Eliashib the high priest & other priests 3 months
A
good plan is:
o Realistic: It’s doable.
A good plan is a workable plan.
o Attainable: It’s achieved. The good plan
is done on time.
...anyone who comes to God must believe that He
is and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him" (Heb.11:6)
When running a marathon, there is
the plan for the training that leads
up to the race and the plan that occurs during the race. The plan before the race is called development. The plan during the race is
called implementation. The success of the race’s implementation is
usually achieved by of the success of the race’s development.
Sometimes things don’t go as
planned. When that occurs, it is
important to go back to the basics of our training. We must listen to our body by conditioning
ourselves toward a different result and we must be flexible in making the
change toward that result.
The same is true with our Strategic
Plan. Though the planning process is
usually regimented in fixing an end result, it is important to remember that
our plan is not always God’s plan.
Though we have been diligent in its development, we must not be rigid in
its implementation. As we condition
ourselves to being attuned to the Lord’s nudges and are flexible in following
His direction, we will find that God’s plan is so much better than any plan
that we could have ever imagined.
The End Result
These three actions, the purpose, mission and plan, create a
string of activity that shows the complete picture. To use Nehemiah as an example, we find that:
·
Nehemiah’s purpose was to restore the hope of the Israelite
people.
·
Nehemiah’s mission was to rebuild the gates and the wall of the
city,
thus restoring the hope of
the Israelite people.
· Nehemiah’s plan was to retain the labor of the Israelite
families,
to each rebuild a portion of
the gates and the wall of the city, thus restoring the hope of the Israelite people.
3)
Planting the Seed
“You are the Lord. You give life to
everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” (Nehemiah 9:6)
11I
guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. 12When
you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not
stumble. 13Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well,
for it is your life. (Proverbs 4:11-13)
When running a marathon, you need the right
equipment to assist you in running the race.
The right shoes are by
far the most important piece of equipment that you need. If you are running over 40 miles per week and
sometimes 15-20 miles at a time, you do not run in work boots. Not wearing the right running shoes is like
not having the right climbing equipment for rock climbing. Eventually, something is going to
happen. Running shoes give your body
ease and comfort as you pound the pavement.
Ephesians 6:15 states that our feet are to be fitted
with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. As we daily put on the full armor of God, the
shoes of peace give us the ease and comfort that we need to be able to walk
through each problem of the day. They
help us walk, or run, comfortably, one step at a time, in the peace that the
Lord gives us through his Word. How do
we put on the shoes of peace? It is
accomplished by daily standing on the promises of the Word of God.
How beautiful on the mountains are
the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good
tidings, who proclaim salvation and say "Our God reigns! (Isaiah 50:7)
If, through His living word, we know that:
n Our goal
is to proclaim this good news of Jesus Christ…and,
n Through
the living out of this good news, the Lord has placed on our hearts a clearly
defined purpose…and,
n Through
faith in this good news, we have written our mission and shared it with others…and,
n In
response to this good news, others have responded to assist in developing a
well-conceived plan…
If His living word has shown us the way…
…then,
we can go in the knowledge that the Lord will give us the provision that we
need to see His plan to fruition?
4The Table: A
Christian Community; http://www.thetablepdx.com/sermon/a-missional-life/
Soles of Faith #1
2013©KentRobson
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