The building project will succeed

This week we had a gathering time together that we call “Rest Stop.”  It’s an evening each month designed for the workers in ministry.  We stop, rest, worship, and are encouraged before going back into our day to day work of ministry.  I find myself looking forward to these meetings every month.  They help rejuvenate me as well.

Jesus called His twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. The Lord now chose seventy-two other disciples and sent them ahead in pairs to all the towns and places He planned to visit. (Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:1 NLT)

This month we were encourage by passages from Matthew 10 and Luke 10, where Jesus sends out the twelve and the seventy two to practice the kind of ministry they would be doing full time after the day of Pentecost. 

"But don't be afraid of those who threaten you. For the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all. What I tell you now in the darkness, shout abroad when daybreak comes. What I whisper in your ear, shout from the housetops for all to hear! "Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell. What is the price of two sparrows--one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. "Everyone who acknowledges Me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before My Father in heaven. But everyone who denies Me here on earth, I will also deny before My Father in heaven. (Matthew 10:26-33 NLT)

He empowered them with the Holy Spirit, gave them instructions (Read both chapters for a more complete picture), then sent them out two by two to do their part of God’s Plan.  That was what they did.  When they did their part of God’s Plan, they experienced success.

When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to Him, "Lord, even the demons obey us when we use Your name!" "Yes," He told them, "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy, and you can walk among snakes and scorpions and crush them. Nothing will injure you." (Luke 10:17-19 NLT)

When we go out to rebuild our cities into people who walk together with God, we are participating in God’s Plan.  When we do our part of God’s Plan, together with others in God’s Church, then we are being God’s Team (Christ’s Body).  We will succeed.  That’s because God will always empower us through God’s Spirit to do our part of God’s Plan.

So on October 2 the wall was finished--just fifty-two days after we had begun. When our enemies and the surrounding nations heard about it, they were frightened and humiliated. They realized this work had been done with the help of our God. (Nehemiah 6:15-16 NLT)

When we see success, the temptation is to let excitement turn into pride.  We can find ourselves wanting to recreate the “high” that comes from being a winning team.  We can get distracted by the details, even positive details, and forget the reason we were empowered in the first place.

But don't rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven. (Luke 10:20 NLT)

We are empowered by God to help one another walk together with God.

How about you?  Have you been a part of a God-led building project that succeeded?  What was it like?  What was your part?  Did you celebrate what God had done and thank God for letting you be a part of God’s Plan?

Keep ourselves pure and holy

Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained--though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But I realized they were plotting to harm me, so I replied by sending this message to them: "I am engaged in a great work, so I can't come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?" (Nehemiah 6:1-3 NLT)

Nehemiah was working with Israelites to build a physical wall around the city of Jerusalem.  We work together with God’s Church to build our cities back up into people who are walking together with God.  While we are doing this word, we can never forget the bigger picture.  We can never forget the real goal.

and this is what it said: "There is a rumor among the surrounding nations, and Geshem tells me it is true, that you and the Jews are planning to rebel and that is why you are building the wall. According to his reports, you plan to be their king. He also reports that you have appointed prophets in Jerusalem to proclaim about you, 'Look! There is a king in Judah!' "You can be very sure that this report will get back to the king, so I suggest that you come and talk it over with me."
(Nehemiah 6:6-7 NLT)

There will be people, like Sanballat, who are not walking together with God.  They have been deceived and taken captive by the enemy to do the enemy’s will.  While that person is not our enemy, that person can still do damage to God’s work through us.  That’s why we need to make sure we stay close to God.

Later I went to visit Shemaiah son of Delaiah and grandson of Mehetabel, who was confined to his home. He said, "Let us meet together inside the Temple of God and bolt the doors shut. Your enemies are coming to kill you tonight." (Nehemiah 6:10 NLT)

There will be false prophets, like Shemaiah, who will use God’s Name and God’s Word to try to convince us to do things that are simply not of God.  God promises to help us recognize them by their “fruit.”  Their lack of love for God and one another will become apparent.  They will try to influence us to do things that we know are not walking together with God.

I realized that God had not spoken to him, but that he had uttered this prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. They were hoping to intimidate me and make me sin. Then they would be able to accuse and discredit me. (Nehemiah 6:12-13 NLT)

When we walk together with God, we can help others do the same.  When we stray from God’s path, we help others stray as well.  We cannot build a city who walks together with God unless we start with ourselves.  We need to keep ourselves pure and holy.

How about you?  Do you walk together with God?  Have you encountered people who try to knock you off the path by lying about you?  Have you encountered people who try to knock you off the path by lying to you, even in the name of God?  How do you respond?  Do you keep yourself pure and holy?

What we need to succeed

The Israelites in Nehemiah’s day had learned how to successfully fend off their enemies so they could continue rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

About this time some of the men and their wives raised a cry of protest against their fellow Jews. They were saying, "We have such large families. We need more food to survive." Others said, "We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and homes to get food during the famine." And others said, "We have had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay our taxes. (Nehemiah 5:1-4 NLT)

It’s one thing to struggle against enemies that are “out there.”  It’s another thing completely to fight enemies when they are our own brothers and sisters in Christ.  What do we do when the person causing the trouble is sitting in the seat next to you at church services?

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. We have already sold some of our daughters, and we are helpless to do anything about it, for our fields and vineyards are already mortgaged to others." When I heard their complaints, I was very angry. (Nehemiah 5:5-6 NLT)

Anger is a natural first reaction, but anger does not produce the “Garden Walk” life that God desires for us.  We need to take a moment to back up, take a look at what’s happening, and ask God for the solution.  Often times, the solution is right in front of our face.  We just need to ask God’s help to see it.

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. At the meeting I said to them, "We are doing all we can to redeem our Jewish relatives who have had to sell themselves to pagan foreigners, but you are selling them back into slavery again. How often must we redeem them?" And they had nothing to say in their defense. Then I pressed further, "What you are doing is not right! Should you not walk in the fear of our God in order to avoid being mocked by enemy nations?  I myself, as well as my brothers and my workers, have been lending the people money and grain, but now let us stop this business of charging interest. (Nehemiah 5:7-10 NLT)

You see, God really does call us to be different in God’s Church.  The Church isn’t given enough resources to feed the whole world, but it certainly can make sure no one in the Church goes hungry.  It doesn’t have the political pull to redistribute all the wealth of an entire country, but it does have the ability to make sure there is no one in dire need within the Body.  God’s Church becomes a beacon of light to the world by first being the salt of the earth.  We need to care for one another in the Body of Christ so that the world sees the benefits and blessings that come from walking together with God.  When we see this, we start to see different solutions to the problems we face.  We also often realize that we have been a part of the problem, too.  The solution will require us to change as well.

You must restore their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and homes to them this very day. And repay the interest you charged when you lent them money, grain, new wine, and olive oil." They replied, "We will give back everything and demand nothing more from the people. We will do as you say." Then I called the priests and made the nobles and officials swear to do what they had promised. (Nehemiah 5:11-12 NLT)

You see, God’s economic systems throughout Scripture always give God’s followers everything they need.  In fact, when we live as God says, we start to realize that we have much more than what we need.  God doesn’t tell us to give each other unlimited free handouts.  That works against the sense of purpose we get from working.  God does teach us to set one another up for success, though.  We should give one another what we need to succeed.

How about you?  Are there systems, processes, or approaches in God’s Church that get in the way of God’s people living out God’s purpose for their lives?  Do you contribute to or participate in the problem?  Have you asked God to show you the solutions?  Are you being a part of the solution?  Do you set people up for success?  Do you give people in God’s Church what they need to succeed?

Fight the enemy together.

Nehemiah and the Israelites were working together as God’s Team to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.  Sanballat and the others in the surrounding area were not too happy about this rebuilding project.

They all made plans to come and fight against Jerusalem and throw us into confusion. But we prayed to our God and guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves. (Nehemiah 4:8-9 NLT)

The building project just got tougher.  The team, who are already working outside of their normal areas of giftedness to build this wall, now needs to protect itself from outside intruders.  They need to be prepared to fight their enemy.

Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, "Don't be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes!"  (Nehemiah 4:14 NLT)

When we are a part of a large building project like helping a city walk together with God, we will encounter enemies, too.  The enemies we face, though, are not the people we encounter.  They are the ones who influence people to fight one another.  These enemies require a different kind of training and battle on our part.

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. (2 Corinthians 10:3 NIV84)

As God’s Church, we are God’s Team.  The enemies we fight will be God’s enemies.  Those enemies, however, won’t be beaten with normal implements of war.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (Ephesians 6:11-18 NIV84)

As we rebuild our local city, we need to fight the real enemy together as God’s army.  When we do, the enemy will be kept at bay and God’s building project will continue to move forward.

During this time, none of us--not I, nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor the guards who were with me--ever took off our clothes. We carried our weapons with us at all times, even when we went for water. (Nehemiah 4:23 NLT)

How about you?  Do you equip yourself to fight your real enemy, the devil?  Do you fight the enemy and love God?  Do you fight the enemy and love people?  Do you fight the enemy together with others as God’s army?

Working Together as God’s Team

Nehemiah, an Israelite, was living in captivity when God prompted him to go back to his home town of Jerusalem and rebuild the wall that protected it.  Nehemiah was afraid, but asked permission from the king and God provided the way.  After surveying the job in secret, Nehemiah finally rallied the remaining people of Israel to take on this massive project.  They began building the wall.

Then Eliashib the high priest and the other priests started to rebuild at the Sheep Gate. They dedicated it and set up its doors, building the wall as far as the Tower of the Hundred, which they dedicated, and the Tower of Hananel. (Nehemiah 3:1 NLT)

Chapter 3 of Nehemiah details the individuals, families, and groups that participated in this building project.  Each one had their own part of the wall.  Each one took their own project.  That’s because large projects are nothing more than a large number of smaller projects that are connected.  There were nearly fifty projects detailed in this chapter that went into the bigger project of rebuilding the wall.

People from the town of Jericho worked next to them, and beyond them was Zaccur son of Imri. (Nehemiah 3:2 NLT)

When we read the list of names who participated, it gets interesting.  They included priests and Levites who’s primary concerns are normally focused on the Temple.  They had perfumers and gold workers on the team.  (Can you imagine someone from a perfume or jewelry counter at the store getting their hands beat up and dirty from building a stone wall?)  This project was big enough and important enough to make it “all hands on deck.”  Every person was important.  Every person was needed.

Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:27 NIV84)

The same is true for us in God’s Church today.  God has a vision for the Church.  God wants it to be healthy and growing and full of love (Ephesians 4:16).  God has a plan for getting it there.  God’s plan includes all of us.  We need to have all hands on deck.  We need to work together as God’s Team.

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. (Ephesians 4:16 NIV84)

How about you?  Are you a Christian?  Do you realize that it makes you a part of Christ’s Body, which is God’s Team?  Do you tear others down in the Church or do you build up God’s Team in love?  Do you work together with others as God’s Team?