Sermon: Build to Last Build to Last Nehemiah 2:11-20 11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I
had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. 17 Then I said to them, You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace. 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me and what the king had said to me. They replied, Let us start rebuilding. So they began this good work. 19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. What is this you are doing? they asked. Are you rebelling against the king? 20 I answered them by saying, The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right to it. I. Introduction Last week we began reading about Nehemiah, an Israelite living in Babylon during the exile and about 140 years after Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the walls of Jerusalem and deported thousands of Israelites to other countries. While serving as the King s cupbearer in Susa, Nehemiah received news from travelers that Jerusalem s walls were still in ruins and the remnant who had returned to rebuild the Temple under Ezra s leadership were in desperate trouble. This news drove Nehemiah to despair, because it seemed the exile would continue. But then Nehemiah turned to God in his grief, repented of his sin and that of his countrymen, and asked God to remember his covenant with Israel and give him success as he sought favor
from Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon. As chapter 2 opens, we find Nehemiah preparing to enter into the king s presence to ask him for the favor he prayed about. Now, as the royal cupbearer, Nehemiah would have been a highly trusted companion to the king. They would have spent significant amounts of time together, so it is no surprise that Artaxerxes noticed something was wrong with Nehemiah when he brought the king some wine. When he was questioned about what was bothering him, Nehemiah gathered up his courage and shared his distress over the situation in Jerusalem. And because he sought out God s blessing first, the king agreed to help him accomplish his dream. He sent Nehemiah to Jerusalem with all that he would need to travel safely, to gather supplies, and to do the work of rebuilding the city. II. How Not to Build Have you ever started an ill-conceived project that ended in disaster? I have on several occasions. I ve mentioned before that I m not what you would call skilled when it comes to building things, so it probably won t surprise you that my attempts to construct ideas from scratch haven t always gone as I hoped. While I was thinking about it this week, one particular event from my past jumped out at me that should serve as a cautionary tale for all the would be procrastinators here this morning. When I was in eighth grade, my history teacher gave us an assignment in the spring that was intended to be a major project demonstrating what we had learned about history that year. We were given the flexibility to choose any theme and style of project that we wanted, so long as we ran it by him first, and we were give ample time to plan and implement our ideas successfully. But since I had plenty of time before the due date, once I got my concept approved I decided not to
worry about it for a while. I have always been fascinated by large ships, and since we had talked about explorers traveling the globe in giant multimasted ships that year, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to build one. But there were a few problems with my idea, from the start. First, I didn t know anything about how ships were constructed and didn t consider it necessary to read up on the subject. Second, I didn t make any actual plans for how to go about building the thing. I didn t have any drawings or instructions, I had no idea what materials would be best to use, and there was no such thing as an Internet where I could look these things up easily. And third, I was a terrible procrastinator, so I waited to get started until the day before my project was due. Needless to say, I was in over my head from the beginning. After begging my mom to take me to a local craft store to buy some supplies, I decided to build my three-masted ship out of dowel rods, Popsicle sticks, and hot glue. Unfortunately, constructing a complex object like a ship requires more than simple guesses and a rushed assembly. And apparently, hot glue does not hold together different types of wood very well. My idea was not planned out, I was rushed in the implementation, and I didn t have the appropriate tools available to me to do the work well. The pieces of the ship kept falling off, the design looked terrible, I wound up having to switch to a slow drying glue that was still wet the next day, and by the time I got to school my project was a complete disaster. My teacher was not pleased, and he was not fooled either. He knew what had gone wrong, and the grade I earned was a strong warning to be more careful in the future. Have you ever had an experience like mine, either on a small scale or a large one? The fact of the matter is that it takes a lot of planning, a clearly defined goal, and the right tools and people to build
something that lasts. When we don t take care to construct things well, they are ultimately doomed to failure and our efforts are wasted. III. How to Build a Healthy Church That Will Last Nehemiah s desire was to build a healthy city for God s people, so that they could return from their exile and worship God in the land he had given them, but the lessons we learn from his leadership can also be applied to the life of the church. So this morning, I would like for us to consider what is necessary for us to build a healthy church that will last. First, let s define what it means to be a healthy church. A healthy church is one that keeps Jesus at the center of all life and worship, that seeks to grow spiritually under the care and guidance of the Holy Spirit, and that engages thoughtfully in the Great Commission, so that God the Father will be glorified by our witness. But healthy churches don t just happen on their own. Fortunately, the Bible gives us some great examples that demonstrate for us how to go about the important work of building a healthy church that will last. Through Nehemiah s leadership we can identify five things that are critical to building the church. 1. First, building a healthy church that lasts requires us to seek God first, and trust him to fulfill his purposes in our midst (Ch. 1). If we were building a house for someone, it would make absolutely no sense to begin drawing up plans, purchasing supplies, or committing labor to the task until we first speak to the owner of the house, right? How could we possibly know what is needed or what the end result should look like if we haven t consulted with the one who will approve of the work.
The first thing Nehemiah did in chapter 1 was to sit down and begin fasting and praying to God for direction about what to do next. And after seeking God s blessing and protection, Nehemiah trusted God to see him through it (2:4, 20). In verse 4, he prayed to God for strength to speak plainly to the king, and in verse 20 he confirmed his belief that God would give him success. Before, during, and after Nehemiah began his quest to restore Jerusalem, he sought out God in prayer and trusted God to carry him through. Nehemiah recognized that his efforts would be wasted, unless they were blessed by God, and he understood the only approval that mattered would come from his Heavenly King. Why, then, do churches so often set off on a course of action when they haven t yet consulted the head of the church about his desires for it? If we are to build a healthy church that lasts, we have to begin on our knees, praying to God for his direction, his blessing, and his protection. At the same time, we need to cultivate a deep trust in God that he will continue to build his church where we are faithful to follow him. So, have we, as a church, been seeking God s direction and desires for us? 2. Building a healthy church that lasts requires us to evaluate ourselves with humble honesty. Nehemiah didn t just jump into action the moment he got the go ahead from the king to rebuild Jerusalem. Verses 11-16 tells us that before he began any work or made any announcements about what he was going to do, Nehemiah took stock of the present situation. He took just a few men with him and surveyed the damage that had been done to the walls and gates of the city. He took time to carefully consider what needed to be done to ensure that his work would be laid on a solid foundation.
Every healthy church is built with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. One reason churches sometimes fail in their mission is that they have substituted other things in the place of Jesus. When we create programs that don t point people to Christ, when we do justice ministry that isn t founded upon the love that only Jesus can put in our hearts, and when we fail to preach, teach, and give witness to the good news of Jesus in our halls of worship, we are building on a shaky foundation that will not last. The church is the bride of Christ, and when we don t stay by his side and take our lead from him, we become like an unfaithful spouse, prone to wander and forsake the one we love. So, one question we need to ask ourselves is this: have we allowed Jesus to take his rightful place at the center of our church? While we are asking that question, maybe you sense the need to make it more personal. In order for us to recognize Jesus as the center of our church, we first have to recognize him as Lord of our lives. So, Have you ever taken that first step and received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not, you can take care of that right now. There is no need for you to wander aimlessly through life, wondering what God s purpose is for you and your family. When you receive the forgiveness that Jesus offers through faith, he will give you _his_ purpose and _his_ plan. And you can have both right now, if you just confess him as Lord and believe that he is the Son of God, who died and was raised from the dead for you. Or maybe you received Christ long ago, but lately, he hasn t taken the front seat in your life. Maybe you ve gotten so busy with work or kids or life in general that you haven t been spending time with Jesus. Maybe you haven t been seeking him in scripture and prayer, and he s become something of a stranger in your house. That can end today, too, if you ll confess your weakness to God and as Jesus to take his rightful place as Lord in your life and home.
If we want to build a healthy church that lasts, we have to start by humbly evaluating ourselves, both personally and corporately, to discover whether we are building on shaky ground, or the only foundation that will endure. So, Have we, as a church, taken the time to honestly and humbly evaluate ourselves lately? 3. Building a healthy church that lasts requires us to understand our mission and share a common vision. Once Nehemiah took the time to seek God s blessing and evaluate his present circumstances, he communicated his vision to the people of Jerusalem. He didn t mince words when he told them You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire (v. 17). But neither did he hesitate to share his plan of action. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace (v. 18). Notice what Nehemiah didn t do here. He didn t linger on the negative. He was honest about the present situation, but he didn t get caught up in complaining or worrying about it. Instead, he saw God s vision as sufficient enough to answer their need. And he encouraged everyone to get on board with him. The mission of the global church is found in Jesus charge to his disciples in Matthew 28:19-20, Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And the vision of Union United Methodist Church is to be a people who are Praising God, loving all people, growing in Jesus, and seeking disciples for him.
Are we, as a local congregation, accomplishing the mission and vision of the church? 4. Building a healthy church that lasts requires us to take risks. Nehemiah took some huge risks in order to accomplish his vision of rebuilding Jerusalem. He risked his life when he spoke to the King and asked for his help. He took a risk when he traveled to a land he had never before seen. He took a risk when he told the people of his plans, and in verse 19 we see that he risked being mocked and ridiculed by those who didn t understand what he was doing. Nehemiah was even willing to risk the possibility that others would think he was being disloyal to the king. He was willing to risk everything to rebuild God s city. If we would build a healthy church that lasts, we must be willing to take risks. We must be willing to risk our time, our efforts, our finances, our reputations, and anything else God asks of us for the sake of our mission and vision. What are we willing to risk in order to build God s church? 5. Building a healthy church that lasts requires us to get to work. When Nehemiah was honest with the Israelites about their current situation, and shared his vision for rebuilding with them, their response was immediate. They replied, Let us start rebuilding! and verse 18 says that they began this good work. When we have sought out God in prayer, evaluated our situation honestly, and listened to his direction, the next step is to act. All the planning in the world won t benefit the church one bit, if we never put those plans into action. Fear causes us to hesitate sometimes, but faith gives us the courage to
begin the good work God has given us to do. IV. Application All five of these things are needed, but a truly healthy church requires one more critical component. It requires the full participation of the Body of Christ. Nehemiah chapter 3 spells this out well, when it describes the work that each individual contributed to the rebuilding of Jerusalem s wall. Each person s contribution is not only valued, but also necessary. Had any single individual decided that they didn t want to get involved, the wall of the city would have remained weak and vulnerable to attack. The same is true of the church. Every person here is necessary to the life of the Body, and each person outside the walls of this building is cherished by God. God has sought out each and every one of us, because he loves us as his precious children, and has invited us to become part of this holy mystery that we call the church. And, hear me when I say this, friends God doesn t make mistakes. This past week there has been a lot of international media coverage about Christians in the Middle East. This coverage hasn t come because of some special international relief effort, or because of some other ministry of the church. Middle-Eastern Christians have been in the news, because just a few days ago 21 Egyptian Christians, who were working in Libya to feed their families by helping with reconstruction efforts there, were kidnapped by ISIS terrorists and were killed on camera for their faith. The terrorists said this was done as a warning to the nation of the cross ; it was a warning to Christians. These 21 men died, because they would not deny their faith in Jesus, even though they knew it would lead to their death. Jesus was more important to them than their own lives. When I hear about stories like this, I find myself asking if I
would have the strength to give my life for Jesus and his church? Do I love him enough to give anything for him? What about you? Do you truly love Jesus? Because you can t truly love him without also loving the church that he died to establish. If we want to truly show our love of Christ s church, then we have to work to build it up. What are you willing to do, in order to build the kind of healthy church that lasts in the face of hardship, persecution, or even death? Are you willing to commit yourself to seeking God together in prayer? Are you willing to do the hard work of honestly and humbly evaluating your life and the ministries of the church to make sure that Jesus is at the center? Are you willing to work together toward a common mission and vision? Are you willing to take some risks, even if they lead to failure, in the hopes of reaching just one more person with the good new of Jesus Christ? Because the Church is not a building, friends it is the body of Christ, made up of people who love him and profess Jesus as Lord. If we would build a church that lasts, we must invest in bringing people to meet him. So, are you ready to get to work? Every one of us is vital to the health of the church. God has led each of us here to this place, and he has given us the collection of gifts and abilities that we need to successfully follow wherever he is leading us as a congregation. But when anyone decides to sit on the sidelines the whole team suffers. You are each needed, you are each wanted, and you are each vital to the Body of Christ. Let s get to work! V. Closing Prayer Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, we thank you that you
have not left us to build your church on our own, but that you have given us the Holy Spirit to guide us. We can trust that your church will grow healthy and that it will last wherever your people are faithful, because you have built it upon Jesus Christ, the only foundation that will last. Thank you for loving us so much that you sent him to die for our sins, so that we might become free from guilt and shame. And thank you for calling us together as one Body to be your hands and feet in the world. Would you make us faithful to complete the work you have given us to do? We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.