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Nehemiah Chapter Two Sermon Page 751

Be Organized and Unified

April 27^th 2008

(Originally done September 16^th 2001)

Introduction: Who here likes to do jig saw puzzles? Guess what my response would be? There are a few traits required for jig saw puzzle building. A person needs to be organized, committed, task directed, and have an attention span of longer than 2 minutes. They have to look at the situation and see the next piece…but there is only one, 999 wrong ones and only 1 right one!

I understand the challenge. Take something that is chaotic and make order out of it. That is a challenge open to all of us.

Last week: The principle for taking on huge tasks was "Be committed from the heart."

This week the principle is "Become organized and unified"

Let’s get to the text:

There are two scenes in chapter two.

Scene one: After he has prayed for this conversation to work out we see him in Babylon in front of King Artaxerxes doing his job of cupbearer.

NE 2:1 In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king. I had not been sad in his presence before; 2 so the king asked me, "Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart."

The condition of Jerusalem affected his whole manor.

I was very much afraid, 3 but I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

His fear did not stop him, he admitted it and faced it.

His step is to get to the point of what needed to happen.

NE 2:4 The king said to me, "What is it you want?" Then I prayed to the God of heaven, 5 and I answered the king, "If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it."

He prays first and then tells the king what he has worked out.

He starts with the general item. I need a stronger marriage… etc

NE 2:6 Then the king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, "How long will your journey take, and when will you get back?" It pleased the king to send me; so I set a time.

Now Nehemiah has to set the specifics.

What specifics do we need to consider? What about you?

NE 2:7 I also said to him, "If it pleases the king, may I [One] have letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates, so that they will provide me safe-conduct until I arrive in Judah? 8 And [two] may I have a letter to Asaph, keeper of the king's forest, so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy?"

He knows what he needs to accomplish the task.

And because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.

He gives the credit to God, knowing it is God directed.

9 So I went to the governors of Trans-Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king had also sent army officers and cavalry with me.

The king sees the effort and adds his touch.

Effort draws attention, even if the results are not the best.

NE 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were very much disturbed that someone had come to promote the welfare of the Israelites.

Introduce the bad guys!

Scene Two: At the walls of Jerusalem.

NE 2:11 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night with a few men. 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.

The statement "I went to Jerusalem" does not take into account the 500+ mile trip!

He is convinced that God is directing his heart and so that is how things will be done.

NE 2:13 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.

As a leader, he confronts the brutal reality before he recruits others.

With his commitment first then he involves others in the work that needs done.

NE 2:17 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."

He calls others to action after committing himself.

18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work.

The people took the task and his word to heart.

They commit themselves individually.

NE 2:19 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?"

There is a challenge rising and the same thing had stopped the work for Ezra.

NE 2:20 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."

He knows that this is the Lord’s work and by his power it will be done but he makes the mistake of alienating the people around him (Ezra 4:1-5).

Not only does our heart need to be committed when we take on big tasks but as we move ahead we need to be organized in becoming a healthy church and we need to be unified in the general direction while allowing participation at different levels according to people’s SHAPE.

Here are my thoughts on how we can apply today’s message:

	When you take on big tasks you need be organized so connect with someone who has that gift.
	Take time to educate yourself on knowing what needs to be done. Foreknowledge is forearmed.
	Set steps of completion and monitor your progress.
	Don’t forget to pray. Give the task to God in the beginning, middle, and end.
	Don’t just sit back and wait for God to work. Take a step of faith and see what God does with your initial efforts. He wants to see a wet foot before he parts the Jordan!
	Get as much ready as you can so that God has room to work. Join God in His work.
	As you see progress in the changes that you wanted to see take specific time to give him the credit and glory personally and publically because others want to know how to take on big tasks. They need a God of victory just as much as we do.

Next week we will be looking at handling opposition from outsiders.