I. Intro
- We now have a computer program that recognizes faces, it takes attendance and sends cards to members that are missing – we no longer need to group meetings
- Will that work? No way. Think about why not…
- How would you feel receiving a card from this computer?
- I missed you at services on ______. I’m sorry to hear about your _____. I’m praying for you. Bzzt.
- If that’s too sci-fi for you…say we hire a secretary who does that
- Someone to: Visit sick
- Someone to: Teach the gospel
- So we don’t have to worry about those things
- Eph 4:11-16 – edifying itself, in love
- Conclusion: elders and preacher’s job is to equip US for the work
- Give us the tools
- Point us to the field
- That’s what group meetings are about
II. We have a great mission – edify the church
- We need to build up the body
- Strengthening the inside
- Growing from without
- At Thessalonica, a Jew said to a Roman friend: “They have turned the world upside down!”
- The impact was monumental…how can we make an impact?
- The Jews had some building to do as well…
III. Nehemiah had a tough job – he returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and hang the gates
- 687 BC, Babylon utterly destroyed Jerusalem under Nebuchadnezzar
- 536 BC, Zerubbabel returned with some Jews and, first things first, built the temple (about 20 years). They didn’t get to some things that weren’t as important to them.
- 425 BC, Nehemiah came back to build the wall and hang the gate (very big deal: stones bigger than men, no forklifts, surrounded the city, and not one stone was on another)
IV. The Plan
- The plan works – worked for Ken at 1st National Bank, Worked for Nehemiah, has worked here – and will work, if we hold to it in accordance with the New Testament truth revealed to us.
- 1. Nehemiah Cared (Neh. 1:1, 2:1)
- He asked about the city, he wept, he showed sorrow, he asked
- Monte Vista will not grow, until we care about growth
- God cares about our growth – and he wants us to care about it too
- The congregation, the people, the Chad Wagners, the David Cravens, the [name]s – we’ve got to care about the growth of this congregation, or it simply won’t work
- The Beth Sparks, the Bev Cravens, the Lisa Borins (women have a part!)
- The Jacob Borins, the Caitlyn Monacos, the Taylor Billingtons (the younger people have a part!)
- That’s one of the key missing parts in my alternate versions – the personal care is missing (they seem hollow)
- 2. Growth must be planned (Neh. 2:12)
- Nehemiah assayed (“viewed”) the situation, and prepared
- Plans much fit the current, unique situation
- It won’t happen automatically, nor just by wanting it (establishment of goals, working toward, and measurement)
- Churches that don’t plan to grow, by default, plan to fail
- The elders have presented their plans for us – they are our marching orders
- 3. Leaders must be men of prayer (Neh. 1-6, 4x leaders in prayer)
- Wisdom comes from God, James tells us
- We need leaders who to God for strength and courage
- Phil 4:13 – we can do all things through God who strengthens us
- Our leaders must do it – we must do it
- 19 Kids and Counting…are they teaching prayer better than we are?
- 4. We must encourage each other (Neh. 2, 4, 5)
- Nehemiah asked them to build, encouraged them with God, rebuked their abusing of each other
- Heb 10:24 – consider one another to provoke unto love and good works (humans provoke, alright…but few for this reason)
- Do you ever feel odd writing a card, or calling a person?
- Sometimes we ask during out meetings: “What’s going on with this person?”
- We need to earn the right to truly encourage – shortcuts like this give us a false kind of intimacy (and it won’t work)
- 5. We must not allow criticism to stop us (Neh. 2:19-20; 4:1-4)
- Nehemiah experienced criticism from Sanbalat and Tobiah
- We will experience criticism from without – and from within
- Without will not have as big an impact as those from within
- When we have those who will not participate because of some preconceived idea, or just plain laziness – it will affect our growth (little water IN a boat will sink it)
- 4:10-12 – their own criticized. We pray that if you’re one to criticize rather than participate, that ultimately your efforts will be unsuccessful
- 6. We will use every member (Neh. 3)
- Work was assigned to every family
- We will use everyone (use me, or lose me)
- The elders here will not only expect that its done, but inspect (expected things get done better when they’re inspected)
- When everybody is building, there are few left to tear down
- It’s hard to align what needs to be done, with what wants to be done – even by capable people!
- The work to be done does not always align with what each person would like to do… (Phoenix Suns, and team players)
- It’s not about you, it’s about God’s mission here – we will do what needs to be done (“get over it”)
- 7. We will not quit when others quit (Neh. 3:5, 27)
- Nehemiah experienced the Tekoite Nobles
- The big shots wouldn’t work – everywhere are people who consider themselves to be big shots
- Human Nature: The Domino Effect – we won’t succumb (imagine a set of people who have that attitude…”I’m not either”)
- If we do, it won’t get done. If no one had done that work, it wouldn’t have been done – but there was somebody! They did their own, AND that of the lazies.
- It isn’t exactly fair (maybe we think they can and should!), but it’s necessary! Growth is the goal. How would you like to face God – as a worker, or a shirker?
- 8. We will not go looking for a fight (Neh. 4:7-8, 16-18)
- Nehemiah was threatened with attack, but kept at the work
- There are certain people who aren’t happy unless they are causing trouble…when that happens
- We will keep our focus – not run away from a fight that needs to be fought, but stick to the work
- We will have opportunity at this congregation…continuously…to face those who will try to get us to stop our work by being troublemakers (Satan is our adversary, and he isn’t going to quit) – but what is that to you?
- Not callous or harsh, but head on facing things that need to be faced, with love – at the same time working in the vineyard.
- 9. We must remember that God fights for us (Neh. 4:20)
- Nehemiah reminded them that God fights for them
- Too many think that this is up to us alone…walk by sight, and not by faith
- We will not be a people who limit our plans to what we think we can accomplish by human means alone – “I can do all things…”
- There are people here who have become more mature, more effective spiritually than they ever thought possible…they did that through faith in the master
- 10. We will recognize that it takes hard work (Neh. 4:21)
- They didn’t relax until the job was done
- We hear people say “You sure are lucky to have a growing congregation, where people are becoming more spiritually active and mature”
- Luck has nothing to do with it – Frankly, Growth costs more than some are willing to pay
- Jesus said: John 9:14 – “I must work the works of Him that sent me”
- And we say – “If it’s good enough for the Master, it’s good enough for us!” We will work. If you are not the kind of person that is ready to do that…then this may not be the place for you.
- There’s more work here to do than we can get done – it starts to look like a part time job on top of our career!
- Well, that’s a problem – because it’s the full time job.
- Remember Mary and Martha? There are so many things to busy ourselves with, but there is one thing that really matters.
- I don’t really have the time to be a Vice President at Boeing, and serve the Lord as I ought. Others may, but it requires careful consideration
- 2Tim 2:4 – “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
- 11. We will not get careless (Neh. 4:23)
- They were ready for action – and so must we be
- Churches who are satisfied with the status quo, never grow
- Our spiritual armor has no protection for the backside – the Lord’s army is an advancing army!
- If we are not moving forward, we are losing!
- 12. We must solve internal problems when they arise (Neh. 5)
- Problems are not unusual – and not even harmful, unless they stop progress.
- Need not to be ignored…often they come from the same source, or from same troublemakers
- Prov 22:10 – cast out the scoffer and the contention will leave
- 13. We will love one another (Neh. 5:8)
- Will you sell each other?
- Love is our mark from Jesus (John 13:34-35)
- We must not be a people that believe the worst of each other
- People make mistakes, and will make mistakes – if we want forgiveness, we must be willing to offer forgiveness
- There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother – we all need to be that kind of friend to some people in this congregation. Network that cannot be broken
- How can we do this? Can we all be the best of friends? (see Ryan’s Sunday AM lesson for more)
- The more like Christ we are…the more we have in common!
- If Christ is a small part of our life, then we are going to have a tough time – rely on the earthly commonalities (won’t work much; cliques)
- We need to turn to each other, not on each other
- Love and sacrifice – not the same, but so often linked. Our love will require sacrifice, and that’s something we can all do.
- Nehemiah didn’t take governor’s rations, Lenders forgave all the debts
- Runner’s high – is there a servant’s high?
- Run until your body says you’re going to die
- Then keep going
- Eventually, your body gives up and you get your endurance wind
- Matt 6:33, 2Cor 4:16-16; 9:8-12 suggests there is
- 14. We must not get bogged down with trivia (Neh. 6:1-)
- Tried to get Nehemiah to stop because of trivial things
- Elders here are too busy for some things:
- Arguing about pew cushion color
- Consoling people unhappy with the thermostat
- They are busy building
- We won’t get sidetracked meeting instead of working
- A single phone call or card is worth a million group meeting talks about a person – they trick us in to thinking we actually did something!
- 2Tim 2:4 – “No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
- American Gothic with soldiers – isn’t this just so, so wrong?
- 15. Leaders must be men of faith and courage (Neh. 6:10-)
- Fear stops productivity, and Satan knows it
- When Elders stop their work because of fear, it’s sinful and cowardly – the same with the rest of us!
- Threats will arise and we must not back down and hide
- or we have no trust in God, no dedication to truth, no hope of salvation
V. Will we succeed?
- Theory, or practical?
- Think about
- How many years it was in ruins (262 years since destruction)
- How devastated – stones not one upon another
- Gates burned lying there for all that time (85 years since the temple was rebuilt!)
- So densely in disrepair Nehemiah couldn’t even ride!
- Neh 6:15
- 52 days!
- We couldn’t do it that fast today with a forklift!
- When the people around saw it, they knew it was God
- If we are faithful to the plan
- We sit at Jesus’ feet as a servant
- Put God at the top of our priorities
- People will see Him at work in us – here at the Monte Vista Church of Christ
- Are you up to it?
- I believe you are…we are
- Pray about it
- Strength
- Courage
- Memory!
VI. Jesus invites you to be a Christian
- Join the fighting troops, who will conquer in His Name
- Living for Him
- Building His church
- Secure in the hope of eternal reward
- He gave His life so it might be possible for you
