Soren Kierkegaard wrote, “What I really lack is to be clear in my mind what I am to do, not what I am to know. The thing is to understand myself, to see what God really wishes me to do. . .to find the idea for which I can live and die.”
Or as Robert Lewis rights in his awesome book The Church of Irresistible Influence, “More than by decades or centuries, history is marked by great ideas; that is, when someone, placed in a unique culture and circumstance, stands up and says, ‘What if we believed – and acted upon – this?’ Luther’s idea of grace. Ghandi’s idea of nonviolent resistance. Ford’s idea of efficiency. Hitler’s idea of nationalism. Einstein’s idea of relativity. Jesus’ idea of the church. An idea is more than a starting point; in a deep sense it is everything. An idea strong enough to spark imagination, inspire sacrifice, build faith, and encourage perseverance is the most powerful human force on the planet. It has the power to determine the future – for good and for bad.”
Have you found that idea? As we have explored the book of Nehemiah, and attempted to walk through a process together of focusing in on the vision God has for your life. . .what is that passion, that area of concern, that idea for which you can live and die?
You have heard me repeat over the past few weeks the desire to have you clearly define that vision for your life. I’ve talked about it possibly being for your marriage, your children, your career, or any other area of your personal life. I’ve also suggested that you define that vision for your role and ministry here at SWC. Like we talked about last week: not those good things that are out there, but that great thing that you will not be deterred from.
I want you to get that vision as clearly in your mind as you can today, because today is a day of commitment. It is a day when we are going to look at the reality of vision fulfillment, and then commit to paying the price to see God’s vision for your life fulfilled.
Because it is great to talk about vision. It is great to throw some things around as possible visions. But there comes a time when we have to commit to the vision. When we take an honest look at the sacrifices, the risks, the things that we will be called to give up in the realm of the “good” to pursue the great. Seeing God’s vision for your life fulfilled will require great courage and confidence that you are following His path for your life.
I have a list of 100 things I hope to do before I die. I’m not on a very good pace so far. Almost 37 years down, only three things crossed off the list. But I still intend to complete as many of them as I can. One of those items on my list is to sky dive. To jump out of a plane with a parachute. I don’t know if you realize this or not. . .but you don’t “sort of” parachute. You are either in the plane, or you are not. You do it, or you don’t.
That is how it is with fulfilling a vision. David didn’t “sort of” challenge Goliath. Peter didn’t “sort of” get out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water. Paul did not “sort of” head out on his missions trips to the Gentile nations. And Nehemiah didn’t get a wall built because he and the people “sort of” bought into the vision.
Look at Nehemiah 2:17 (read through verse 18). Another version says, “So they put their hands to the good work.” In other words, they committed to the vision.
Now, I know what it is like in 2005. It is easy for us to read a story like this, and take one of two approaches. The first approach is that we simply do not consider the human elements in the story. We never even think about these people that are building the wall. For example, did any of them have small children? What did they do with them while they were working? What happened when mom and dad were at the wall, and little Johnny’s diaper needed changing? What happened when mom and dad were building the wall and little Sam and Sarah got into a fight over a toy? We never even think about the implications of building this wall in the lives of those who are pursuing the vision.
Think about the life change for Nehemiah. He wasn’t getting criticized and taunted by Sanballat and Tobiah back in the palace. He didn’t have to guard himself against death threats. He didn’t have to deal with grumblers and complainers. Opposition and attack. But when we read a story like this in 2005, we rarely consider the human elements in the story.
So let me share some of them with you today. Let me help you consider the human elements in this story. Because I think you will see that the price that had to be paid to fulfill the vision back then isn’t all that different than the price we might have to pay to fulfill a vision today.
Nehemiah 5:1 (read). They are in to building this wall. The work is progressing. But then the reality of the price of vision sets in, and people begin to protest. And one of the first things they ask is. . .
1. WHAT ABOUT OUR SURVIVAL?
Seems like a legitimate question, doesn’t it? Have you ever stopped to think about what these people were doing before Nehemiah came along? Think about that for a second. Do you think they were just sitting around in the rubble playing Scrabble? No. They were making a living. Maybe farming. Maybe working with garments. Whatever it was, they were doing something that enabled them to feed their families, and survive.
But the vision for this wall was like parachuting. It required jumping in with both feet, and as time passed and the difficulties of fulfilling the vision became clear, people started to get concerned about how they were going to survive. How they were going to care for their families.
I remember asking myself that question when we were looking at going on staff with Athletes in Action. I knew we were going to be missionaries, and I knew from the missionaries I had met in my life that it wasn’t near as lucrative of an existence as regional management at Nationwide Insurance. In fact, we were entering into our support raising in Dallas, TX on the heals of September 11th. Dallas is the base of a number of airlines, and that industry along with technology start-ups is a major player in the local economy.
And just as we are entering into this missionary experience, counting on the support of others to feed our family, the economy is nose diving. I wondered if we were going to survive. And after stepping away from my job at Nationwide, jumping out of the plane with my entire family in my arms, I had a pretty good idea of what the people of Jerusalem must have been feeling like.
Verse 3 (read). They not only asked about their survival, they also asked. . .
2. HOW MUCH MORE IS THIS GOING TO COST ME?
You know, it was bad enough that they were trying to balance working on the wall, and caring for their families. But to top it all off, there was a famine going through the land. If you have ever looked at God, and asked, “Why now? On top of everything else, why now?” Then you have an idea of how the people of Jerusalem felt about this famine.
I had been away from my job at Nationwide Insurance for about 6 months. Our home outside Dallas was on the market, but not seeing much movement. As the economy plunged in D/FW, so did the housing market. Combined with the dropping interest rates nationally, it was truly a buyer’s market. . .and we were trying to sell.
We had traveled to Colorado for Campus Crusade staff training in Ft. Collins, and we got a call from our realtor that there was a potential buyer, but they were experiencing significant problems with the air conditioner. Now, if you have never been to Dallas, you may not understand the significant part that a working air conditioner plays in selling your home. Especially if you are trying to show your house in July and August when the temperatures are hitting triple digits.
It was already looking like we were going to take a bath on the sale of our home. . .to the tune of ten to fifteen thousand dollars, and now they were talking about three to four thousand more for air conditioning repairs. Without a Nationwide paycheck at our service.
I had already said good bye to my great management salary. I had already said good bye to a company car. I had already said good bye to great annual bonuses, expense accounts, health and life insurance benefits, 401(k) matches, and dental insurance. . .which once upon a time didn’t seem like such a huge benefit. . .but I’ve learned otherwise in the past couple of years. When was God going to let up? I was pursuing His vision for my life. How much did it have to cost me?
Verse 4 (read through verse 5). Here’s the deal: some of Nehemiah’s folks are saying, “We can’t afford to work on the wall – we have to feed our families.” Others are saying, “We have mortgaged our homes and farms and fields just to be able to live.” And a third group jumps in and asks. . .
3. IS THIS FAIR?
Some people are pointing out to Nehemiah that they have to pay a higher price than those around them. They have to sacrifice more. Endure more. Overcome more. This doesn’t seem fair. And you know what. . .that is just a reality of vision. Vision, much like life, isn’t always fair.
If you change the music in worship to a more contemporary style, the younger crowd will like it better than the more traditional crowd. If you change the function of elected leaders to being servant leaders, those who loved being in charge are going to feel pushed aside. If you design services and ministries around reaching those who aren’t in the church, those who are in the church will feel neglected. As the vision rolls out, people will ask, “Is this fair?”
The reality of vision is the same as the reality of life. . .it isn’t always fair. Like any missionaries looking to raise support, one of the areas we were really counting on for financial backing was our home church. McKinney Fellowship Bible Church was a very missions minded church. We had grown from just over 150 people in 1998 to well over 1500 by 2002. We were a very financially strong church, and a church that committed to making sure that at least 10% of their total income went to world missions.
So we were excited to present to the missions committee our appeal for support. We had been a part of this church. We led a Life Group at our home. We worked in the children’s ministries. We were committed with our time, our talents, and our finances. We knew this would be a major component of our support team. Not only the families of McFBC, but the support of the church’s mission’s organization itself.
What we didn’t know was that as we were making this major life decision to leave behind the corporate world, and follow the vision God had for our life. . .McFBC was making a major missions decision to get involved in church planting in China. A commitment not only of prayer and labor. . .but also major financial support. In fact, a commitment that would greatly minimize their focus on supporting national missionaries from within the church family.
It just didn’t seem fair. In fact, as friends and fellow AIA staff that we knew would share with us the role their home church was playing in their ministry, it became clear in our eyes that we sure had to sacrifice more than others. . .and that just wasn’t fair.
But we learned, that is not only a part of life. . .that is the nature of visions. They may not be “fair.” Poor Nehemiah had people that were feeling left out, overlooked, and mistreated. He had some workers who were not happy campers. As you pursue the vision God has placed on your heart, you might feel the same way. Others around you may voice the same concerns.
But visions don’t become reality until somebody is willing to jump in. Launching a vision always involves committing wholeheartedly to what could be. Did you hear that? Launching a vision always involves committing wholeheartedly to what could be. Not what is. Not what was. What could be.
There is always risk. There is always a sacrifice. But the people who shrink back from the challenge of the vision spend the rest of their lives wondering. . .what if.
Well, I said back at the beginning that we take two approaches to stories like this. First, we often don’t consider the human elements of the people involved. But as you can see, for this vision from God to be fulfilled required great sacrifice, commitment, and focus.
The second approach we take is to assume they didn’t have a choice. In fact, we assume it so much that you probably never even asked the question or gave it a second thought. Over almost two months time, you have probably never looked at this story and asked, “What would have happened if they didn’t do it?”
That is one of the challenges of the Bible. We know how the story ends. We know that they got the wall done, and survived Mr. Sin Gave Birth to Him. So we don’t even stop to ask the question, did they have a choice? But don’t assume they didn’t have the choice.
Because that’s the case with your life. You have a choice. You don’t have to pursue the vision that God has for your life. In fact, some of you may have even been spending the past few weeks trying to drown out the voice that God has put within your spirit. You don’t want to hear about the vision anymore. You just came today hoping that I was done with Nehemiah, and ready to give you some sloppy Agape Christmas time cheer.
But I would not be doing my job as a leader. I would not be faithful to my call, if I did not provide you the opportunity to make the choice. Knowing that a huge price may have to be paid, are you willing to commit to the vision God has for your life? Because you have a choice.
You can walk away from your marriage. You can separate yourself from your children. You can stay at that job that is sucking the life out of you. You can come to Stonewall week in and week out without ever really getting involved in the mission. Without ever really making a significant sacrifice. Without ever making yourself vulnerable to others, and to God as a part of this work. You can survive this series on Nehemiah, and leave completely unchanged or deterred to your current life path. You can stay in the palace, cupbearer to the king, and let that mess out there be someone else’s problem.
Or you can jump out of the plane. (Read “Visioneering” by Andy Stanley page 129 to 132, hardback version page numbering. . .story of Karen Bennett’s innercity ministry plant.)
I’m no Nehemiah. I’m definitely not a Karen Bennett. The sacrifices I have been called on to make are small potatoes compared to the price that others pay to be used mightily by God. But you know what? God doesn’t ask us to fly to the highest elevation. He doesn’t ask us to take the smallest parachute available. He doesn’t require that of all the skydivers in the world, we be the bravest, craziest, and must gun-ho. He just asks us to be willing to jump out of the plane.
He decides where it is flying, what we get to take with us, and where we will land. But we have to be willing to jump out of the plane. Or as the book title goes, “If you want to get wet, you have to get out of the boat.”
So what are you ready to commit to today? In your worship folder is a slip of paper that looks like this (show). The name part is optional. Fill it in if you want, leave it blank if you desire. But I’m going to give you a moment, and I want you to complete the two statements. . .
“The vision (call and passion) God has given me for my life is. . .” Maybe it is a marriage issue. A parenting issue. A career issue. What is that vision that God has given you for your life?
The second statement. . .”The vision (call and passion) God has given me for our church is. . .” Maybe it is an area of ministry. A financial burden. A focus. What is that vision that God has put in your heart for SWC?
I’m going to give you a moment to complete those. Then I’m going to pray. After I pray, the ushers will pass the plates, and you can just fold your sheet in half, drop it in the plate…and I will join you in praying that God will solidify the commitment to those visions in your heart and in your spirit. And that you will be willing to pay whatever price tag He may put on pursuing the vision He has for your life, and for His church. I’ll give you just a moment.
Let’s pray.
