Steps to Success
Nehemiah 2:1-10
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/Steps2Success.html
Nehemiah heard the sad news of Jerusalem and her walls lying in ruins, and he was heartbroken, asking God to use him to fix the situation.
Many of us pray to God to fix things and what we mean is, I’d like to see change God, and I’m hoping you will send someone else or just magically make it happen.
ill.--VBS is a busy time in our home, esp. for my wife. The house suffered for it, and I suggested, "Someone needs to clean up around here." Big mistake. I finally got it finished yesterday!
Here we find some principles of success in one of the most successful building projects ever undertaken. How did it go from vision to fruition in 52 days? And how will these same principles help us build a church, or a good home, or a business?
Christians should not be afraid of the word success ["prosper" in KJV].
Psalm 1 tells us if we shun the world and sin we will be like a tree, fruitful, and whatsoever we do shall prosper.
In Joshua 1, Joshua is about to take over for Moses in leading God’s people. God tells him, if you’ll build your life on my Word, then you will be prosperous and then you will have good success!
I love our Charismatic friends, and am not trying to bash them. But we should not allow the ’excesses’ of some to rob us of Biblical truth.
ill.--A few decades ago when the tongues movement was so big a lot of churches in our circles stopped preaching on the filling of the Holy Spirit at all, because they wanted to distance themselves from being labeled as fanatics. But, that’s allowing yourself to be robbed of a blessing...and of the truth!
Prosperity gospel is not what we’re all about, but God does want us to be successful...not for our glory, but for His, and not by the world’s standards, but by His!
ill.--Trump wants his name on towers, and to glorify himself. We want to make a name for Jesus, and to build Him a kingdom, not us a compound!
Nehemiah didn’t want to build his personal kingdom, but something for God! And he had much better hair than Trump, no doubt! [you’d think he could afford implants rather than having that mother of all combovers!]
Last time we saw how -
1. Nehemiah Verbalized his Goal...
...at the proper time, right when God opened the door to discuss it w/ the king.
Many times we rush ahead of God, impatiently wanting our way, and wanting it now, and we make a big mess of things.
Then there’s the danger of waiting too long to launch out w/ what God has told us to do. Some people are like the guy who waited at the end of his driveway for every stoplight in town to turn green before he would go. You don’t go anywhere that way!
ill.--Here comes the bride, white of hair, stooped over her cane, her footsteps uncertain need guiding / Down the other church aisle with wide toothless smile, the groom in his wheelchair comes riding / Who is this elderly couple thus wed, you’ll find when you’ve closely explored it / This is that rare, unusual pair, who waited ’til they could afford it!
...with a prayerful spirit. Even as he talked w/ the king he was silently talking to the King of kings, and he had bathed it all in prayer for 4 months already!
...with a powerful statement. It was all boiled down to those 5 words, "That I may build it." v. 5b You need clearly spelled out goals...a mission statement, and put it on paper.
And now Nehemiah has already made the impossible happen, for the king had decreed that the walls would not be rebuilt, and yet his heart is taken in and changed because Nehemiah prayed for the impossible and put it in such a powerful way at the proper time ... and God holds the heart of the king in His hand!
2. Nehemiah Mobilized the Means.
Wishful thinking never achieves goals. You have to know in advance what it’s gonna take to reach a goal and you have to ask God to give you direction.
Jesus taught in Luke 14, "What man builds a tower w/out counting the cost?" He went on to make the same point about a king planning to go to war...you have to do some planning first.
In every area of life we must count the cost, and mobilize the means. "People don’t plan to fail...they fail to plan."
But Nehemiah spent 4 months praying and planning. He has thought through every detail, and now when he finally has the ear of the king he knows exactly what to ask for. Look what Nehemiah asked for:
• Permission. - vv. 5-6
This was government service. You don’t just walk away. You’d be going AWOL! Plus, he needed permission to build the walls.
So, why do we need permission to do what we know is God’s will? Because the Bible teaches that God’s people, above all people, should be subject to authority as good citizens. As much as possible we ought to work w/in the framework of our society. We should have respect and obey the rules of human government. The exception of course is when man’s law conflicts w/ God’s law. Then we ought to obey God rather than men as they did in Acts. Even Jesus paid His taxes and He was under a wicked Roman rule.
ill.--the IRS has what they call a ’conscience fund’ where you can send monies you owe from many years back which are no longer able to be audited. One man sent a check w/ a note that said, "I truly hope this helps my guilty conscience a little. If it does, maybe I’ll send the rest!"
Permission...
• Passage.
v. 7 Crossing the border is a tense moment, and the most difficult part of the journey. Can you see how Nehemiah has carefully considered all the details of this undertaking? He wasn’t caught flat footed. He was ready! He was a man with a plan.
• Provision.
v. 8 Nehemiah is so well researched that he already has the name of the guy who runs the king’s forest, the lumber yard.
And spiritually, we need the provision of God if we’re gonna do anything for Him. We need a heavenly fuel to get us all the way. We need some checks from the bank of heaven to pay our way all the way.
Interesting, Nehemiah got his supply ’out of’ the king’s riches. But my Bible says I get my supply not out of my King’s riches, but ’according to’ His riches!
Philippians 4:19
19 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
What’s the difference between ’out of’ and ’according to’? If you were a street beggar and Bill Gates walked by and gave you a 20 dollar bill he would be giving ’out of’ his riches. But if he gave you a blank check and told you to fill it in, he would be giving ’according to’ his riches! And we serve a God that makes Bill Gates look like the beggar!
God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He owns the hills, and the gold in them. The sky is NOT the limit w/ Him...His riches extend throughout the universe, and there’s nothing you’re facing that isn’t very small for Him to supply!
v. 8b "The good hand of God" We can trust that good hand, and we can sing, "God is so good!"
Nehemiah gives God the glory...he didn’t write a book and start the speaking circuit on "How to get what you want from the king!"
Truly the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord! Throughout history we see that God is the one on the throne and in full control. It doesn’t matter who sits in the Oval Office or who presides over the UN. God used Pharaoh to demonstrate His power in Egypt, and King Cyrus to deliver His people from captivity, and Caesar to send Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem so one verse of prophecy could be filled, and God used 2 Roman Centurions to save the Apostle Paul’s life.
What has God put into your heart to do? Quit wishing for it and looking at why it CAN’T happen and start praying that God will move heaven and earth if it be His will for your life!
My future is as bright as the promises of God...I’ve gotta wear shades! And I want to make the most of His plans for me!
He verbalized his goal, and he mobilized the means...
3. Nehemiah Galvanized Against the Enemy.
v. 10 Once you set your heart on accomplishing what God has put in your heart to do there’s no looking back, and no fearing the enemies the devil will put in your path. The world will not be your cheerleaders! Much opposition will rise up if you want to go forward in your life!
ill.--a lady told John R. Rice she had never met up w/ the devil. He said, "Maybe you’re both heading in the same direction!"
If you never have opposition from the devil, it may be because he’s got you right where he wants you!
When you say, "Let us rise up and build" the devil will raise up some to blast! Galvanize your soul against all enemies and keep your eye on the goal and don’t give up for nothing!
Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl,
One was an optimistic soul;
But the other took the gloomy view,
"I shall drown," he cried, "and so will you."
So with a last despairing cry,
He closed his eyes and said, "Good-bye."
But the other frog, with a merry grin
Said, "I can’t get out, but I won’t give in!
I’ll swim around till my strength is spent.
For having tried, I’ll die content."
Bravely he swam until it would seem
His struggles began to churn the cream.
On the top of the butter at last he stopped
And out of the bowl he happily hopped.
What is the moral? It’s easily found.
If you can’t get out -- keep swimming around!
Author Unknown
Nehemiah had a cushy life, but God put a great vision for more in him, and he allowed it to galvanize his heart, and he wouldn’t let go or give in until those walls were built!
http://gbcdecatur.org/sermons/Steps2Success.html
