Having seen 'A New Vision of God' in our last talk we want to turn to ‘A New Vision of the Kingdom.’
What are the challenges that face us as the church in Scotland? Scotland is a spiritual desert. The church is weak and divided. The church has imbibed the ‘spirit of the age’. We have no theological moorings – our churches are not confessional – we have very few positions on anything. There are no ‘red lines.’ We lack resources – particularly people. Much of what is happening is un-coordinated and disorganised. Many people are suffering from burnout. There is a fragility about people’s mental health. It is hard not to despair and wring our hands. We are tempted to retreat, but we are called to engage. We are called to rebuild the ruins – to claim the great promises.
But how do we build the Kingdom in Lochee, in Dundee in Scotland?
Well, it’s interesting how little Nehemiah has. He doesn’t have a big team, he doesn’t have great power. But he trusts in a big God. So how does Nehemiah go about rebuilding the walls and what can we learn as we seek to have a vision for rebuilding the kingdom in Scotland?
1. Reverence 2 v 1-8
Nehemiah has a position of great responsibility and risk. The king clearly trusts him, and he is a diligent worker. But Nehemiah is a broken man. The city where God is to be worshiped, where his people are to gather to make sacrifices is in ruins. The people remain in exile – they are very comfortable in their Babylonian home. Nehemiah has ben mourning and fasting, and finally the king notices.
Nehemiah and Artaxerxes must have spent a lot of time in each other’s presence. The king notices that he is sad. How does Nehemiah respond? With reverence and respect.
Let’s pause and take that in for a minute. Nehemiah is in the inner court of a pagan king. But he doesn’t attack him, he doesn’t despise him, he shows him reverence. And that is what we are to. We are to respect those in authority over us. Romans 13 tells us that they are put there by God. We may violently disagree with them – but we work diligently, we show that we are trustworthy and we respect authority. We don't concede and we don't compromise but we are respectful.
Ultimately it was Nehemiah’s diligence and reverence that opened the way for favour when he laid out his request. We don’t want to get sidetracked with the relationship between church and state but why shouldn’t the state support the work of the church? As long as they don’t interfere with the spiritual authority of the church, we should welcome state support.
Nehemiah also uses tact and discernment. He knew that the King had forbidden Jerusalem to be rebuilt because it is a troublesome city (Ezra 4 v 11-16). Rather than mention the city Nehemiah tells the king about the desecration of the graves of his ancestors. This would have aroused sympathy in the Near Eastern Culture. Nehemiah was not deceptive, but he was very shrewd. He didn’t claim his ‘right’ but worked hard, respected the kings authority and, when the time came he asked for what he needed. The king granted him letters for supplies and protection.
Nehemiah prayed and planned before he put any spades in the ground.
McCabe, James Dabney, 1842-1883
2. Reality Like all great leaders Nehemiah starts with how things are not how he would like them to be. In verse 17 ‘You see the trouble we are in.’
Nehemiah has surveyed the city for 3 days. In his 2 months journey he had heard of the opposition:
· Sanballat the Horonite
· Tobiah the Ammonite
· Geshem the Arab
When he arrived, inspected the site and addressed the people, the murmurings were unleashed with outright mockery and despising. Nehemiah doesn’t sugar coat the situation. He doesn’t start with some bright and breezy choruses. He acknowledges that the situation is dire. All the attempts to build the walls had failed.
Nearby tribes felt threatened by a walled and presumably armed Jerusalem. Ezra 4 v 14 tells us that previous attempts were stopped because people said it was a threat to King Artaxerxes. If we were project planning and risk assessing this we would say – this is impossible!
Nehemiah acknowledges the challenge. ‘We are in a mess – the walls are broken down – and they have been for around 70 years.’
That is what we need more of today. There is far too much sugar coating, far too much man centred project planning. Scotland is a dark, dark place. We are in trouble v 17. This word is often translated evil, wicked, disaster. In 2 v 2 it is translated sad and sadness. As a nation, as a church, we are in a deep, dark pit. Unless God intervenes in a very mighty way, our nation faces a very bleak future. We cannot heal the disease until we diagnose the problem.
3. Remember
But Nehemiah doesn’t focus the people on the ruins. He points them to the God who is the only true architect. Nehemiah gives the people a compelling and energetic vision. ‘Come let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.’
How do we cast a hopeful, Christ centred vision today? Well, what does Nehemiah do? He reminds them of God’s dealings in the past and he looks for God's favour.
Looking Back
Nehemiah recounts God's dealings in the past - what we call providence. Nehemiah looks back and tells of God’s dealings with the king in Babylon. God was with him in a pagan and hostile environment. God’s hand was upon him (see v 8) Nehemiah stood alone among the Babylonians and yet the mighty hand of God was upon him. God’s hand here means God’s favour -God’s blessing. We lay hands on people to bless them, to anoint them.
‘You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand’ (Psalm 89 v 13). Ezra says in 7 v 28 ‘The hand of the Lord was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.’
You see its not the ruined walls we need to look at, or the lack of resources, it’s the mighty hand of God.
Is his hand up on us? Is his hand upon our preachers and our elders?Nehemiah says – ‘look at how God’s hand was upon me.’ Isn’t that what the Bible does so often? Isn’t that what the Psalms do? They force us to remember God’s dealings in the past. Singing is not just to stir up emotions or make us feel better – singing is meant to drive us back to God’s mighty deeds in the past. Psalms 104-107 recounts God’s redemptive acts. That is why singing must be full of God’s dealings with God’s people in the past.
Remembering God's Favour
Nehemiah shows the people that God’s hand had been upon him and that the King had shown him favour. God had not just blessed his servant but provided, via the king, all that the people needed. God provides what we need when we need it. Nehemiah was God’s man at God’s time. He casts the vision, he reminded them of God’s hand and favour and said follow me!
Without stretching things too far, don’t we see so much of Christ in Nehemiah? He intercedes for his people, he takes their sins on himself, he pleads for them, and he points them away from sin to God alone. Nehemiah was saying that this was a spiritual work. It was not cleverness or energy or inspiration, it was reminding the people of what they had forgotten, Jerusalem was God’s city and only God could rebuild it.
Nehemiah gave them a God-centred vision of renewal and rebuilding.
4 Rebuilding
Nehemiah’s brutally realistic vision leads to the people being energised to work. ‘Let us rise up and build.’ The best mission statement in history.
Decades of fear, defeat and decline are reversed by a God given vision infusing the people. We see the critical importance of spiritual leadership in the church. ‘So, they strengthened their hands for the good work.’
Good leadership strengthens drooping hands. It galvanises people for the task ahead.
Hebrews 12 v 12 ‘Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; and make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.’
When people sit under godly leaders and godly preaching they are motivated to see a bigger vision and they are encouraged and motivated.
We see this in three ways:
Coordination - to each his own. ‘And next to them.’ Neh 3 v 3, 4 and 5.
See how Nehemiah coordinated everything. Everyone knew where he belonged, there was clarity of purpose – expectations were clear. ‘Over against his house’ 3 v 21-23 and 28-30. No need for commuting – able to build and protect his family. Nehemiah’s vision for the kingdom, for the church is always interwoven with the family.
Cooperation - pulling together. Nehemiah inspired all sorts of different people to work together.
· Priests and Levites
· Rulers and common people
· Gatekeepers and guards
· Farmers
· Union Men – goldsmiths, pharmacists, merchants
· Temple servants and women
People ‘had a mind to work’ 4 v 6. They didn’t do as little as possible – they gave of their best. Isn’t this how the church should be? Every class, every nation, every age – all working together for a common purpose? As Thomas Guthrie said:
'If the world is ever conquered for our Lord, it is not by ministers, nor by office-bearers, nor by the great, and noble and mighty, but by every member of Christ's body being a working member; doing his work; filling his own sphere; holding his own post; and saying to Jesus, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?"
Commendation - the vital dimension. We all want to feel appreciated don’t we? Nehemiah commended his workers. He says they repaired another section (Neh 3 v 11, 19-21, 24-27, 30. Notice that Nehemiah commends everyone.
· Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired 1500 feet of wall v 13
· Malchijah repaired the Valley Gate v 14
Conclusion
Nehemiah was a great leader. Like all great leaders he was able to divide a complex task into something very simple and communicate it passionately. The wall was divided into around 40 sections – Nehemiah delegated very effectively.
We all have a part to play in rebuilding the walls. Whether its praying, making the coffee, offering hospitality, replenishing the pastors glass of water, leading the worship, supporting the tech – ‘Let us rise up and build.’
Do we have a mind to work? The people under Nehemiah certainly did.
There is plenty to do. As Guthrie says in 'The City its Sins and Sorrows':
'Let each select their own manageable field of Christian work. Let us thus embrace the whole city, and cover its nakedness, although, with different denominations at work, it should be robed, like Joseph in a coat of many colours.'
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