Renewal In Tough Times Series

Pursuing Renewal in Tough Times!

Thesis: We need to follow the call of God to be renewed and we do this by rebuilding and restoring that which was broken down and left destroyed by the evil one. We need to follow the “Re’s” that Nehemiah followed to get the vision for the building project started again and finished. This will require the “Re’s” of light called faith and hope to be put into action.

Scriptures:

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” - Isaiah 40:30-31

“Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16

Introduction

Renewal comes to those who pursue GOD and do The assigned divine mission they are given.

If I search through Scripture looking for leaders who had to lead and bring renewal through tough times to others my search would bring me too many Biblical leaders but there is one who stands out to me the most Nehemiah.

Nehemiah – the cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes – he as you know was the taste tester, his job was to see if the kings drink and food are poisoned – Great job right! But Nehemiah from his job knows about life and death and how his life could end at any moment. But he faces the challenge daily and performs his job for the king faithfully – yes, facing the risk of being poisoned each day. Can I make an observation - Nehemiah did not volunteer for this job or apply for this job. He was most likely was picked/drafted for the job – why because someone saw that he was trustworthy.

In the midst of his daily job for the king – he hears news of Jerusalem. The horrible conditions – the fear – the insecurity -the suffering and brokenness of the city.

His heart is wrenched – torn – broken – But from this position of brokenness and grief – He receives a mission from God – to go rebuild the walls of the city – by the way it was a dangerous mission, it was a life threatening mission, it seemed to be an impossible task because the building project had been shut down for 20 years, it was filled with opposition from the neighbors, not just opposition but threats, it required Biblical vision, faith (hope) to succeed. He had to step out take action and pursue the God given mission.

It’s challenging to complete a building project with construction delays. I know I ran my own construction company for a number of years - unexpected things surface in building projects. These unexpected problems can be caused by owners (the lady and the cabinets), by other contractors, building inspectors, neighbors, inspectors, subcontractors, suppliers, people in the community, or even by nature (the so-called “Acts of God”).

Building projects are a lot of work, hard work, dirty work, long hours of work. Nehemiah touched by God in a foreign land living life on the edge gets a call from God. He definitely had favor with his king and the queen – remember he receives a call from God to go rebuild and renew the walls of Jerusalem. Notice he is not rebuilding the temple that has been completed about 71 years earlier. But he is called to build a wall. A wall? A building project for the Lord? The Lord called Nehemiah to a distant land to do a building project! Do you mean to tell me God calls people to build walls for him? The answer is yes, He does!

Illustration: God calls some to even build canals!

For example: Teddy Roosevelt had a mission like Nehemiah He felt He was called to finish the Panama Canal project and overcome the unexpected obstacles that stopped it in the first place.

Story of Panama Canal: Chapter 6 from Bigger Faster Leadership “You did not expect this, did you?”

“At countless points in the story of the construction of the Panama Canal, optimism was shattered by reality!” (Chand page 89)

These realities stopped the project under the leadership of the French and lead it into bankruptcy! The cost of the project was so astronomical they spent their whole budget and then some while only having completed 40% of the project. The obstacles were the battle with the jungle, water-mud, sickness and death which ravaged the workers. The French lost 22,000 people to the incomplete project and the French people were shattered and stunned at the scope of difficulties and opposition to the project. So, they stopped! They quit!