We have made it. We have reached the end of our look at what really amounts to just the first third or so of the book of Nehemiah. In the middle of the book you obtain some names and listings related to the building and completion of the wall around Jerusalem, and then in the second half of the book you see some activities and actions related to post-vision completion.
Read on. Study on your own. Grow from what you see in the rest of this book. There is some good stuff there that we may come back and look at down the road, once we have seen some of our visions fulfilled and come to fruition.
Our focus during this series has been on obtaining a vision. Finding that place of passion and concern in your life, which Nehemiah discovered for his life. And I thought it would be good, as we wrap up this series, to ask you a question that I’m sure you are ready to answer. With 13 more shopping days until Christmas, gifts to buy and wrap, items to ship, parties to attend, cards to address, and countless other things to do. . .I couldn’t think of any better time to stop and ask, “What New Year’s resolutions have you made for 2006?”
All right, I know most of you are thinking, “You have to be kidding me.” Right? “You don’t really think I have even given 2006 a thought yet do you? New Year’s resolutions? Sure, let me list them for you.” Is that pretty close to what you are thinking?
This is why I ask that. Last week I was thrilled to receive 20 “Ready to Pay the Price” inserts from you, naming out more than 40 different vision statements, areas of concern and passion that are burning in your hearts. If you didn’t have a chance to complete one, and you would still like to let me know how to be praying for you in the coming year as you pursue God’s vision for your life, raise your hand and we’ll get you a copy of one. I would love to pray for those with you.
However, those visions, those Nehemiah like callings, will not simply come in to being on their own. They will take diligence, faithfulness, and planned pursuit to see them happen. So as we sit just a few weeks away from a New Year, what resolutions have you made to make sure that those visions that God has for your life are fulfilled?
There is a simple truth. A simple fact of life. As you reach this point in each and every year, the pews are filled with people who are feeling things like, “Man, where did the year go? I never got this done. I never reached that goal I was striving for. It’s like my life is just passing me by.” But in most of those cases, those same people were sitting in those same pews in the year prior, and the year before that, and the year before that. . .and have never made any specific plans to pursue their passion. Never laid out any specific, life changing resolutions.
You may remember that I shared with you near the beginning of the year a few of my resolutions. I wanted to run 600 miles. I am proud to report that with about three weeks still to go, I am at just over 643 miles. Mission accomplished. I wanted to lose some weight. As long as I don’t blow it over the next three weeks, which is highly possible, I’ll be down about 10 to 15 pounds for the year.
I shared that I wanted to read through the entire Bible during the year via the Chronological Bible. Today is December 11th, and I’m proud to report that I am currently on December 13th of my One Year Bible. Right on track. Would be a good resolution for many of you in 2006.
I have learned in my life that if I want to achieve things, especially those things of passion that I sense a call from God to. Those areas of vision and concern that God gives me. I have to set some goals, make some resolutions, put some plans in place to make sure that I stay focused and stay on track. So with 2006 just 20 days away, let me ask you again, what New Year’s Resolutions have you made?
Now, truth be told most people don’t even believe in making New Year’s resolutions anymore. In fact, many people are so tired of coming up short, not achieving the goal, breaking the resolution that they just figure why even bother. I won’t ask you to show hands, but if I asked how many of you had some resolutions in place, there would be very few. . .and if I asked how many intended to make some, there wouldn’t be a whole lot more.
That was partly reflected in your response last week. I was thrilled to receive 20 sheets, but I did know a couple of other realities. For instance, I knew three of the 20 were from my own family. I knew that meant that only 30 to 35 percent of those children, teens and adults present were ready to share a vision. Ready to commit to paper that call they are sensing from God. I also knew that on one of our highest attended days in the past six months, there were only 15 people outside our home ready and willing to communicate a vision for our church.
It’s kind of like New Year’s resolutions. Most of us haven’t made any yet, and many of us have no intentions of doing so. But I still want to take one more shot at helping you come fully into focus on the vision that God has for your life, and for our church. There is still time for us to obtain some wisdom and advice from Nehemiah on how to see our visions come in to view, and to completion. Nehemiah 2:11.
Nehemiah has received word at the palace that Jerusalem is in a disgraceful condition. He has sought God’s will for his life. He has approached the king, and laid out his plan before him. And then he heads to Jerusalem. Nehemiah 2:11 (read through verse 20).
Let me give you some thoughts about what to be doing over the next two or three weeks to either spark a fire within you, or fan into flames the embers that are already burning. First. . .
1. SPEND SOME TIME ALONE WITH GOD.
Verse 11 tells us that Nehemiah came to Jerusalem, and was there three days before he goes out on this ride. I know there is some speculation involved in this, but let’s see if we can’t draw some logical conclusions about those three days.
First, we know that Nehemiah has not told anyone else about this vision that God has put in his heart. According to this passage he has been there three days, but no one else knows why he is there. It says down in verse 16, the Jews don’t know. The priests don’t know. The nobles don’t know. Nobody knows why Nehemiah is there. He has yet to tell anyone. To share the vision with others.
Second, we know that Nehemiah is a man of prayer. Over and over again we have seen in the early chapters of this book that he turns to God, he cries out to God, he communicates with God. Nehemiah is a man of prayer.
Third, we know that Nehemiah is a man of great passion for this call. It has evoked all kinds of emotions in him. Tears of sorrow. Drive to do something. Anger towards Sanballat and Tobiah. It has been peculating in him for months now. Through the entire 1,000 mile journey to Jerusalem. He had to be excited. He had to be just bursting at the seams to tell what God had already done, and what God was going to do as his vision came into focus.
When God gets a passion burning in me, I can’t wait to share it with other people. The other day Josh and I had lunch together, and he got me all riled up with some prospects for ministry to the UK campus. I was ready to go. I was ready to recruit. I was ready to put a plan in place, and start chasing the vision. Nehemiah must have felt the same way.
So how does a man of great passion and concern for Jerusalem, a man of great prayer and reliance upon God, a man who has not told a soul about his vision spend three days on the edge of the moment? If you put all the pieces together, this is my hunch. My hunch is that Nehemiah spent those days in prayer, with God, alone. Preparing for the moment. Fits the man, doesn’t it?
How about in the year 2006? 365 more days of your life. I don’t know if you realize that, but that is a pretty significant chunk of time. If you are Allie Joy, Cara, Morgan, or Jamie. . .that is 10% of your life. If you are Jay or Natalie, that is about 5% of your life. And I know the percentage gets smaller as you get older, but so do the number of years left to do something for God. So I don’t think there are many of us in this room ready to give up a year of our lives. To just say. . .”God, whatever age I was going to die at. Take one off it, and take me a year earlier.”
In fact, for some of you, this will be a pretty pivotal year. Think about some of our congregation. Kevin and Heidi will head out on their first full-time, active duty, chaplaincy deployment. Chopper and Andrea, with Caleb and Lukas will take their first pastoral position. Some of you may change jobs. Retire from jobs. Relocate to other states. Not to even mention those of us that will experience major, unexpected life changes in 2006. Surprises of reality.
Don’t you think that in light of that, it would be wise to do like I believe Nehemiah did and take some time alone with God to pray and reflect on the year that lies ahead? I know most of us could never find three days in the next three weeks, but what about a day? Impossible as that might sound, doesn’t it just make sense? On the doorstep of a year of your life, doesn’t it just seem logical to set aside some time with God to seek His face, and direction for what is about to unfold?
I will beg with you, because I know how important it is. . .set some time aside with just God over the next few weeks. Take a day in a library. Send everyone else in the house away for a day. Trade days watching the kids with your spouse. Find a comfortable chair and a quiet corner at a bookstore, or a coffee house. Utilize a church sanctuary. Get alone with God, and seek His face and direction for your life in the coming year. His plan and provision for your passion. His grace and generosity for your calling. Do like I believe Nehemiah did, and even though your vision may be about to burst inside of you. . .take one more opportunity to breathe in the goodness of God, and breathe out all the cares and worries of the world, and hear from Him.
I could speak to this one for hours because I know how unlikely it is that many of you will be willing to do it. To set aside all the business of life, all the hustle and bustle of the many hats you wear, and allow God to speak to you. Every great character in the Bible did it, including Jesus. . .but we somehow think we don’t need to. To develop some really awesome, eternal life resolutions for 2006, spend some time alone with God. Second. . .
2. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH SOME PASSION PROTECTORS.
You see, there are people around you who will douse out your passion, and those that will fire up your passion. People that will take that fire burning inside of you, and pour a big bucket of cold water on it. Others who will add some nice dry kindling to the pile, and help it roar. You need to make a decision of which ones you are going to surround yourself with.
Notice, even though Nehemiah hadn’t shared his vision with anyone, he still had some guys with him. He still had some passion protectors. Did you see that in verse 12? (read through 15).
A little reading between the lines here. These guys go with Nehemiah out on this little night reconnaissance journey, but they don’t know what he is up to. It tells us that he hasn’t told anyone what is going to happen. So what do they do?
Thankfully, they don’t appear to do what a lot of people around you and me would do. “Yo, what are we doing out here, just riding around? Man, I could be sleeping. Dude, what is up with you? Why do you just keep starring at all this mess?”
No, these guys aren’t passion dousers, they are passion protectors. Don’t know why Nehemiah wants to get up in the middle of the night, and ride around the city. . .but hey, if that is what he feels led to do, I’m with him. Don’t know why he didn’t tell the officials where we were going. These are kind of dangerous times to just be sneaking around. But were with him.
They don’t have a clue what is going on, but I can almost see them sitting on their horses, almost circling Nehemiah. Protecting him. Guarding him. And completely unbeknownst to them, protecting a great vision from God.
Let me ask you a question. . .what kind of people are surrounding you? Passion dousers, or passion protectors? People that tell you why you can’t do it, or people that encourage you to go for it? People that tell you why it won’t work, or people that can’t wait to see you defy the odds? People that live life safely, or people who anticipate miracles from the hands of God?
Are you looking at your vision? Riding around, getting a good look at your area of calling surrounded by people that just want to go back to bed, or surrounded by people peacefully observing, awaiting word, and then ready to dive in? If you want to see your vision fulfilled, you better decide who you are going to hang out with.
I absolutely love this picture. I don’t know if a movie has been made of it, but if not, it would be a great scene. They are riding through the rubble. Touring the city. It’s the dark of night. No one is saying a word. Nehemiah has the lead, should be played by a John Wayne like character, and his band of supporters are close behind. They make this big loop around the city, see all the damage, have a real good picture of what kind of shape things are in, and then you get the great speech. Verse 17 (read through verse 18).
Passion protectors. Surround yourself with some passion protectors. Third. . .
3. GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE VISION.
Josh and I rode around the wall on Monday night. We headed up to UK, and were a couple of flies on the wall at a campus ministry service. We sat at a dinner table with two students that shared the needs of students at a secular university. We began to take a good look at the vision that is in front of us.
I spend some time riding around the wall at Garden Springs Elementary school. I’ll go have lunch with Allie and Jamie in their cafeteria. Talk to other kids. Find out what kind of things they are interested in. What kind of things they are passionate about. What kind of things would attract there attention. Getting a good look at the vision that is in front of me.
If your vision is to see the Word of God shared with lost people. . .you need to get out and ride around in the midst of some lost people. If your vision is to have a godly marriage. . .you need to get out and ride around in the midst of some godly marriages. If your vision is to raise Godly children. . .you need to get out and ride around in the midst of parents who have experience teaching their children the things of God, and raising them as children of God. If your vision is to be an example of Christ. . .you need to ride around the life of Christ. Study His word. Investigate His heart. Learn what really made Him tick. Get a good look at the vision.
Jamie has a passion for Christian comics. Not some little kid, passing fancy. Hours upon hours each day you can find him riding around, getting a good look at his vision. Reading Christian comic books. Watching DVDs on how to draw certain characters. Checking books out of the library and filling sketch books with attempt after attempt after attempt to develop characters and story lines. Saving his allowance to buy certain types of art instruments, and guide books. Riding around, getting a good look at his vision.
Allie’s vision is to have a bigger children’s ministry by seeing kids invite other kids. So she rides around her vision. Finds friends that don’t have a church home. Invites them to come. Offers her mom as a taxi driver. Prays that God will direct her to friends who need a church. Talks to her friends about church and Jesus.
Get a good look at the vision. Take some time to ride around the wall. And you know what? This process will really tell you where your focus is. Think about it. By most people’s standards, this should not have been an inspirational journey. Nehemiah is riding in and out of gates. You aren’t supposed to be able to do that. That means the city is in such bad shape that it is completely unprotected. Then there is another place where a gate should be hung, but the rubble is so deep, and so heavy that they can’t even ride through it. What a mess!
And if you want to find out where your vision is focused, go ride around it for a while. Because if you are focused on you. Focused on what you can do. What gifts you can lend to the situation. What abilities you bring to the table. Then no matter how self confident or egotistical you are. . .you will finish your ride discouraged, and thinking, “Maybe this isn’t such a good idea. I don’t think this can happen.” You will become your own passion douser.
But if you are like Nehemiah. . .you will do the fourth thing, and. . .
4. RECOGNIZE GOD’S ABILITY TO PROSPER.
Verse 19 (read through verse 20). I like how it is put in Habakkuk, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come.”
We have emphasized from the beginning, vision fulfillment is in the hands of God. A Godly vision will require Godly intervention. If the vision is from God, the how is God’s problem, and for God. . .how is never a problem. Recognize God’s ability to prosper your vision.
I started this message asking you to think about New Year’s Resolutions for 2006, and I started this series 8 weeks ago saying that everybody ends up somewhere in life, those with vision, end up somewhere on purpose.
God has placed before you opportunities and responsibilities that are filled with divine significance. He has given you gifts, talents, and relationships that are waiting to be exploited on behalf of His kingdom.
You will have detractors. You will experience criticism. Opposition. The opportunity to compromise. There will be times when you feel like you are making little if not “zero” progress. Whether your vision is your family, your ministry, your business, or whatever. . .it will require your focus. Your ability to say, “I am doing a great work, and I cannot come down.”
If you are consumed with the tension between what is and what could be, if you find yourself emotionally involved. . .frustrated. . .brokenhearted. . .maybe even angry. . .about the way things are, and if you believe God is behind your anguish, then chances are you are on the brink of something divine. Something too important to walk away from.
And in the midst of all that, remember that if God put the vision in your heart, there is divine potential inherent in the vision.
Pay the price. Embrace the vision. Everybody ends up somewhere in life. End up somewhere on purpose.
