A MASTERPIECE OF MINISTRY

“So I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.’

I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, ‘Let's start rebuilding,’ and they were encouraged to [do] this good work.” (Nehemiah 2:17-18 HCSB)

Before an artist paints a picture on the canvas, he creates it in his mind. The shape of a sculpture takes form in the sculptor’s thoughts, before a hammer and chisel go to work in his hands. In the same way, God inspires a vision in the hearts of the pastors and the people to guide the church into the future. God wants to paint a masterpiece of ministry in His church. He wants the picture to form in our minds to move us forward together in achieving of the vision.

How do we get such a vision? How can we be sure that it is not just something we’ve dreamed up or borrowed from some other church, but is God’s will for us? What is required for a masterpiece of ministry? Nehemiah has lessons for us—timeless truths that still apply today.

A masterpiece of ministry is determined in part by THE NEED AROUND US.

“The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: During the month of Chislev in the twentieth year, when I was in the fortress city of Susa, Hanani, one of my brothers, arrived with men from Judah, and I questioned them about Jerusalem and the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile.

They said to me, ‘The remnant in the province, who survived the exile, are in great trouble and disgrace. Jerusalem's wall has been broken down, and its gates have been burned down.’” (Neh.1:1-3)

This is THE SITUATION REQUIRING VISION. The people of God were in a bad way. The situation was bleak. God often shows us a need as the initial step in giving us a vision to meet that need. Although this principle transcends time and space, its application will be in time and space—a universal truth that has a local application.

What do I mean by that?

There is a reason God has placed a local church in a particular place. Its ministry is to be specific to the strategic opportunity presented in that spot of soil.

What needs do we see around our church field?

John Wesley said, “I look on all the world as my parish.” Indeed, the church’s mission involves a global mandate, but in reaching to the uttermost parts of the earth, we must not shirk our Jerusalem and Judea and shrink back from our Samaria near by. What particular needs are in your church community, crying out to be addressed? Your church family does not live at its current address by accident.

A masterpiece of ministry is inspired by THE GOD ABOVE US.

“When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for a number of days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

I said,
Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant with those who love Him and keep His commands, let Your eyes be open and Your ears be attentive to hear Your servant's prayer that I now pray to You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins we have committed against You. Both I and my father's house have sinned. We have acted corruptly toward You and have not kept the commands, statutes, and ordinances You gave Your servant Moses. Please remember what You commanded Your servant Moses: ‘[If] you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. But if you return to Me and carefully observe My commands, even though your exiles were banished to the ends of the earth, I will gather them from there and bring them to the place where I chose to have My name dwell.’ They are Your servants and Your people. You redeemed [them] by Your great power and strong hand.

Please, Lord, let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant and to that of Your servants who delight to revere Your name. Give Your servant success today, and have compassion on him in the presence of this man.

[At the time,] I was the king's cupbearer.” (Neh.1:4-11)

He is THE SOURCE INSPIRING VISION. Our tendency, oftentimes, when faced with a need, is to run away from it, because we think the need is too great, or we run out and try to fix it, thinking we can handle it. We should do neither, but instead run to God and hear from Him.

There are many things we can do after we pray, but nothing until we pray. The vision that God has for His church is not a product of our best reasoning or the expectation of others. Rather it comes down from above. Acts 16:6-10 gives us an example:

“They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas. During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, ‘Cross over to Macedonia and help us!’

After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.”

Now, the vision we have for what God is calling us to do will not likely be so dramatic in its delivery as that, nevertheless, it will be the Holy Spirit guiding us through Scripture, summoning us to meet the need we have found in His direction and power.

Then, the masterpiece of ministry develops by THE PASSION WITHIN US.

“During the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was set before him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had never been sad in his presence, so the king said to me, ‘Why are you sad, when you aren't sick? This is nothing but depression.’

I was overwhelmed with fear and replied to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should I not be sad when the city where my ancestors are buried lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire?’

Then the king asked me, ‘What is your request?’

So I prayed to the God of heaven and answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor with you, send me to Judah and to the city where my ancestors are buried, so that I may rebuild it.’

The king, with the queen seated beside him, asked me, ‘How long will your journey take, and when will you return?’ So I gave him a definite time, and it pleased the king to send me.

I also said to the king: ‘If it pleases the king, let me have letters [written] to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates River, so that they will grant me [safe] passage until I reach Judah. And [let me have] a letter [written] to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so that he will give me timber to rebuild the gates of the temple's fortress, the city wall, and the home where I will live.’

The king granted my [requests], for I was graciously strengthened by my God.’” (Neh.2:1-8)

This is THE PASSION SUSTAINING VISION. What was in Nehemiah’s heart registered on his face. Even though it was punishable by death for a cupbearer to enter the king’s presence with a sad countenance, he just couldn’t help it. Not only did he disclose the need to the king, but he boldly asked for help to do the job.

He took a deep breath—a whispered prayer—and then he “spilled the beans.” Not for a moment did he waver. There was a fire in his soul—a passion for his God and his people that inspired Nehemiah.

If we are ever going to achieve what God has for us, it will be that a sacred fire burns within. We can’t just go through the motions. It can’t be business as usual. We can’t play church. The Spirit of God must stir us. He will, if we will but open the door and make Him welcome!

Creating a masterpiece of ministry requires a passion fueled by the needs of people and inspired by a vision from God because we will most certainly engage THE ENEMY AGAINST US.

“I went to the governors of the region west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent officers of the infantry and cavalry with me.

When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard that someone had come to seek the well-being of the Israelites, they were greatly displeased.” (Neh.2:9-10)

This is THE PROBLEM FACING VISION. Here we have the first, but not the last time these two are found opposing the work of God. One way we can know we are moving forward in God’s will is that we run head on into the devil! When heaven is at work that’s when it may seem all hell breaks loose.

Satan knows there is only one force that can defeat him, only one power on earth that can set those free whom he holds in fetters of sin, dragging them down to hell. That power is the Lord’s army—the militant, triumphant church of the living God! We may wrongly conclude when facing problems that we are out of God’s will. The fact is that often confirms it. Every God-inspired vision has met with significant opposition.

Let us be cautious about running roughshod over church members who may be slower to catch the vision than those in leadership—being out in front and bringing people along are essential to what leaders do. Just because someone has questions and is wrestling with doubt doesn’t mean we should view them as “tools of Satan.” Yet, having said that—we must move forward in the face of opposition graciously, yet firmly, if the need is there, God’s Word aligns with the way to meet that need, and the Lord has built a passion in us to do so.

Let me expand on that by noting how a masterpiece of ministry comes to the canvas of our community via THE INVESTIGATION BY US.

“After I arrived in Jerusalem and had been there three days, I got up at night and [took] a few men with me. I didn't tell anyone what my God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem. The only animal I took was the one I was riding. I went out at night through the Valley Gate toward the Serpent's Well and the Dung Gate, and I inspected the walls of Jerusalem that had been broken down and its gates that had been destroyed by fire. I went on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but farther down it became too narrow for my animal to go through. So I went up at night by way of the valley and inspected the wall. Then heading back, I entered through the Valley Gate and returned. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, for I had not yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, officials, or the rest of those who would be doing the work.” (Neh.2:11-16)

This is THE LEADERSHIP FORMING VISION. The vision first forms in the heart of one man who will lead the way: Nehemiah. He doesn’t consult with anyone else at first, for he has already heard from God. Instead, Nehemiah investigates the task at hand. He is forming a plan for how to get the job done. Once he gets direction, then he is going to influence some others who will help lead the effort.

John Maxwell has said—and every church leader needs to recognize—“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Churches can be crippled by failed leadership. “A leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way.” (Maxwell) He or she will investigate the opportunities, know the resources and come up with an action plan. He will then inspire others to follow. Getting “buy-in” from the people who will do the work is crucial at this juncture.

A masterpiece of ministry is painted by THE DEDICATION OF US.

“So I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been burned down. Come, let's rebuild Jerusalem's wall, so that we will no longer be a disgrace.’

I told them how the gracious hand of my God had been on me, and what the king had said to me. They said, ‘Let's start rebuilding,’ and they were encouraged to [do] this good work.

When Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard [about this], they mocked and despised us, and said, ‘What is this you're doing? Are you rebelling against the king?’

I gave them this reply, ‘The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success. We, His servants, will start building, but you have no share, right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.’ (Neh.2:17-20)

There must be THE LAITY EMBRACING VISION. Nehemiah challenges the people with the vision of building the walls of Jerusalem. They respond by dedicating themselves to the work. Despite the continued negativity of a few, they positively stated their belief in God and dedication to the vision’s fulfillment.

What do we see happening at our church when “the gracious hand of…God” is upon us? Can you see a worship experience where a church building is packed as the people gather in an atmosphere saturated with the presence of God—a place of exuberant praise? Can you picture an evangelistic thrust that brings people to faith in Jesus and then brings them forward every service to confess their new faith? Could you visualize a fellowship that is so warm and winsome that deep friendships are formed that offer encouragement in overflowing measure? Do you dream of a day when people’s lives are genuinely transformed by the Word of God—disciples who mature and have an impact on their home and workplace and school? Have you imagined more people discovering and developing and deploying their spiritual gifts—a breadth and depth of leadership that moves the church forward as member after member becomes a minister? Do you dare conceive of a church where failing marriages are restored and struggling marriages are strengthened—where men become the spiritual leaders of their home and church, so that a generation of children and youth grow up to impact their world as new missionaries and pastors and church leaders?

Then, the church we attend will be a global impact church! That is the indisputable Great Commission our Lord has given and sent the Spirit to enable us to fulfill.

You might scoff and call me a dreamer. That’s okay. Nehemiah was, and look at his statement of faith that became fulfilled to the glory of God, “The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success.”

Amen?

Amen!