The project is always about the people
But you and I, as humans, can get lost in the project
…lost in the PROFITS
…lost in the politics
…lost in the praise
…and forget about the people
No matter what you're doing… or what you want to do…
PEOPLE will have something to do with it
You might not think of yourself as a leader, but you influence someone
Einstein of delegation
Eliashib the high priest and his fellow priests went to work and rebuilt the Sheep Gate…
Above the Horse Gate, the priests made repairs, each in front of his own house. 29 Next to them, Zadok son of Immer made repairs opposite his house…Next to them, Meshullam son of Berekiah made repairs opposite his living quarters. Nehemiah 3:1,28-30
Genius!
People work best when they care most
Obvious, but easy to miss…
Their homes/families…
If you want to put this scripture into practice, do what Nehemiah did…
Care about people’s PASSIONS
(Engage)
Honor people by knowing what matters to them
So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12
Don’t be a user
Be an empowerer
Everyone unique
Not just you… everybody else too
Honor them, motivate them by being aware of their uniqueness and caring about what they care most about
What if you get the job done but break your team’s heart in the process? What if you accomplish the goal but crush everyone in sight? Does your end justify your means? Probably not.
The project has always been about the people. The people sacrifice in the process, but are not crushed.
The people work hard, but they know that the progress is leading to their prosperity.
They know that Nehemiah understands them… what matters to them—their homes, their families… fears… dreams
Ask:
“What’s most important to this person?”
If you can get on board with that, they’ll get on board with you
The project is always about the people
Care about people’s passions… and
Care about people’s PROBLEMS
If you have people problems it might be because you don’t care about the problems of your people.
family members
teenagers
employees
employers
constituents
Nehemiah 5:1-7
About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. 2 They were saying, “We have such large families. We need more food to survive.”
3 Others said, “We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine.”
4 And others said, “We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. 5 We belong to the same family as those who are wealthy, and our children are just like theirs. Yet we must sell our children into slavery just to get enough money to live…”
Clarify
6 When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. 7 After thinking it over, I spoke out against these nobles and officials. I told them, “You are hurting your own relatives by charging interest when they borrow money!” Then I called a public meeting to deal with the problem.
key: he dealt with the problem of the people
did it take away from his focus on the wall? YES
was it pain the butt? YES
did Nehemiah like drama? NO
would he rather not have been dealing with this? YES
Nehemiah is obviously motivated by love for the people
This is not a political project
He is not making a name for himself
He is helping
He actually cares
He knows this project is about the people
God is interested in more than just the walls going up
Project not just about blocks…
…but a better way
The people need a wall, but they really need a new way of life—a new standard: this is how we live
Practical help leads to spiritual healing
You’ve heard it said:
No one cares what you know until they know how much you care
From a faith perspective:
No one cares what you believe until they’re inspired by how you live
“winning the right to be heard”
when you love people well you don’t have to convince anyone about anything you believe… they will ask you questions
Jaime—helping women transition out of the sex industry
job interview training
safe place to live
counseling, care
Mother Teresa: “I thirst”
Jesus: “When gave… you gave to me”
There is someone in YOUR LIFE that doesn’t need convincing, they don’t need preaching, they just need you to CARE for them.
In Psalm 72, King Solomon says, "God I want you to give me more wealth and more power and more influence." That sounds egotistical and selfish… But Solomon goes on to say what "the king" will do with this influence... "He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them… He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him."
The purpose of influence is to speak up for those who have no influence—the poor, the neglected, the widowed, the orphans, the homeless, the helpless, the “outsiders” of society, the desperate in our community… those who have no education, those who can't speak for themselves.
It’s more than a wall… more than a project.
This is part of a larger redemption story.
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Stories in OT point to Jesus—give us insight into who God is
Then Jesus reveals who God is precisely
JESUS cares about PEOPLE
not just popular people, poor people
not just successful people, struggling people
He cares about the details of their lives
1st miracle: turning water into wine
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not very “spiritual” on the surface
until you understand that Jesus came to bring GOOD NEWS
…Until you realize that practical help leads to spiritual healing.
Then, before Jesus went to the cross, sacrificing his life for the sins of the whole word, he did something incredibly practical.
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vision over a meal
everyone needs to eat… he used food—most of eat three times a day—to create a practical symbol with spiritual significance
“Do this and remember me”
Do this practical thing that represents a spiritual miracle
Remind yourself that Jesus came to bring GOOD NEWS
“I came to seek and save the lost”
“I did not come into the world to judge the world but save the world”
Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
Just like we need this most practical, basic thing—food—we need Jesus
And when you meet the most practical basic needs for someone else, you show them Jesus
That’s what Jesus taught… and what Nehemiah showed us
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Question for the car ride:
What practical need can you meet this week?
Only God can change and heal hearts. But you and I play a role when love people in practical ways.
