Earthing a Vision (Part 2 of 2)

It's not uncommon for a pastor's leadership to be met with opposition or apathy and disgruntled people can make for a disheartened pastor. So how should he approach his God-given task in the face of discouragement? Today on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg examines Nehemiah's leadership and outlines how to do God's work, God's way. We're in Nehemiah chapter 2. Then I said to them, verse 17, you see the trouble we are in?

And he just paused there for a moment. I think he's very generous. Is he giving them the benefit of the doubt? Is there an irony in this? You see the trouble we are in? The chances are they didn't see the trouble they were in. The fact of the matter is if you live in mess, You don't see it as a mess. And these people have been living like this for so long.

They've grown accustomed to it. Oh, the wall was broken down opposite their house, but they kind of liked the shape it had taken on. And the way the grass had grown into some of the spaces, there were wee weeds that had grown up. And although they were weeds, they were kind of attractive.

And in the mornings they get up and they look out and it was sort of nice. And now Nehemiah comes in and he says, do you see the mess you're in? And the fact of the matter is, a lot of them didn't see the mess they were in.

They had grown accustomed to disgrace. Now, we don't want to understate the challenge facing Nehemiah. It was going to take something really significant to overcome their apathy.

And when we come to people who have become tired, discouraged, disgruntled in the work, then we'll hear them saying all kinds of things, especially when we come along, maybe to a new opportunity, to a new charge, we come with fresh vision, we've been to a conference, something has stirred our hearts, and we come back and we're ready to go. And we'll be confronted by people, just as Nehemiah was, some of whom were doubtless thinking, as were they. Well, you know what?

This is out of our league. You know, I don't know where you got these big ideas. You must have got these ideas in the capital of Medo-Persia. Now you're coming back to Jerusalem, you're going to try and fill our heads full of all that Medo-Persian stuff. After all, they're pagans. You know, it's one of the hardest things for me to deal with is to be surrounded by a group of leaders who don't lead, who don't take time to relax, don't take time to discover the motivating principles of God's Word, don't take time for the examination, and are unprepared to respond to exhortation. And so we need to be much in prayer, and to pray that God will create that spirit, because there's so many people, and then the others would be saying, you know, this was done before, and it was done before.

That's what we find out in Ezra chapter 4. Hey, some guy says, excuse me, excuse me, we did this once before, it was a disaster. You ever come across one of those guys? And also the people who say no one's excited about this.

This is out of our league, we tried it before, it didn't work, and no one's excited about this. You ever get those letters? Hi, dear pastor, I want to write to you to let you know that I'm deeply concerned about A, B, C, D, and so on, all the way through the alphabet, and it may interest you to know that I am not alone in this, and there are a great number of people who feel the same way as I do. Yeah, well, fine, stand up and let me see you. And you see, what is the only thing that keeps you going in that situation? The only thing that keeps you going in that situation is that God has put it in your heart to do.

That's the only thing. There's not a salary can be paid, there's not a coastline to be enjoyed, there is no external incentive that anybody can give to me that is significant enough to overcome that. The only thing that keeps one to the task is that God has put it in our hearts to do. And when we find ourselves full of vision, full of hope, full of potential, and are met by, we tried it before, it didn't work, no one's excited, it's beyond us. You've got to hold fast. You've got to tie yourself to the mast. You've got to ride it out.

You've got to keep your foot in the door. If God hadn't put it in his heart to do, that was sufficient, right there, to head back to Susa. Now, the interesting thing is, how does he respond? Well, he responds with information, verse 18. In other words, he doesn't respond with cheerleaders. He doesn't go out and get into the hype and, we can do it, we can do it, you know, as if, you know, I know you're a little discouraged, but let me tell you.

No. He says, well, let me just give you some information here. You see the trouble we're in? Verse 18, I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the King had said to me.

Now, both of these elements were and are essential. If we go to people and say, you know, I just simply want to tell you about the hand of God upon me, they say, well, what does that actually mean? You know, how are you going to give any kind of earth to this subjective, sort of existential experience to which you're referring?

I mean, how can we quantify this? How can we know? So he doesn't simply talk to them, as it were, in these spiritual hidden terms, but he illustrates the sense of God's hand upon him by giving this description of what we just read in the first part of the chapter. I was very much afraid. I had been praying. I'd been asking God just exactly what I ought to do.

I'd been hoping for an opportunity. They're listening. And what happened? Well, I went into my boss just like a normal day, and my boss on this occasion says to me, you know, why do you look so sad?

You're not sick. Now, people are listening. You say, and what did you say then? Well, I said, you know, why shouldn't I be sad? After all, my people are in disgrace.

The walls are broken down. You said that to the guy? What did he say? Well, he said, how long do you want to be gone for? Oh, you mean like he wants you to go back? Yes. That's always a significant thing, incidentally.

Some of us are afraid to ask for a sabbatical in case it lasts for the rest of our lives. If it does, let it. And as a result of the information he provided concerning actual historical events, he recognized and reaffirmed for these people that God had moved in the heart of the king. The king had given his blessing to it all. He'd even helped out in the most practical of ways. He was able to describe all of this. And as a result of the accounting of these events, he inspired confidence in the people, and they replied in the second half of verse 18, let us start rebuilding.

There you've got it, you see. How do you earth the vision? How does he earth the vision? Well, he gives the word of exhortation, even in the midst of the challenges which will inevitably come, and when the people begin to ask him what's going on, he responds by giving them actual factual information. Why are we going to do this? Because God's Word says that we ought to. Why are we establishing this kind of ministry or this kind of outreach?

Because it is within the parameters and principles of God's Word. Why do you believe that it would be successful or right at this time? Because of A and B and C and D. You see, we're ready with the information as a result of having done the reconnaissance and as a result of having waited for 120 days on God in prayer before ever we launched into any of our strategies.

That brings us to the sixth word, which is application. There was going to have to be careful apportioning of tasks and responsibilities, and that comes later in the story, but for now they're into action. Plenty of rubble to clear, and so they get into the fray. You see, when leadership plants this kind of vision at the grassroots level, the change will become obvious.

I think if the vision is God-given and is humbly presented, then God will implant it in the hearts of people, and they will respond, let us start rebuilding. It's not, oh, we're delighted to hear that. Go on now, Maya, get it going.

No, immediately they personalized it. They said, this is us. Suddenly, our existence here makes sense. Suddenly, all of this rubble is a challenge for us. Suddenly, as we've been listening to you talk now, Maya, we understand that the real issue is not the gates and the walls. The real issue is God and His glory, and we've been settling down to this.

We haven't been lifting up our eyes and looking on the fields. We've been concerned about the food that we eat for now. What restaurant are you going to? Jesus says, I've got food to eat that you don't know anything about.

They're looking at one another going, what in the world's going on? The whole concern an hour ago was lunch. Now we come back with a lunch. He doesn't want the lunch. Now he's got food. They even looked at one another and said, could somebody have brought him food?

The woman didn't understand about the water, and they didn't understand about the food. And our church is, so many of us are preoccupied with that, which is now and earthly and transient, and not about the things which are unseen, which are, of course, eternal in their significance. Let us start rebuilding. And so they began this good work. One of the turning points, as some of you who've lived long enough will know, in the morale of the British population in the height of the Second World War, was when Winston Churchill delivered a speech from his little basement operation, his headquarters, down underneath the ground. And in terms of motivation and encouraging people to application, it has stood the test of time as a wonderful illustration.

I can't read it and do it justice, but I want to read part of it at least. Incidentally, Winston Churchill is a wonderful illustration of public speaking, is he not? Here is a guy who had two natural impediments—one a lith and two a stammer. And he became the greatest orator in the English-speaking world in the twentieth century. He turned them both into successes. People used to copy him, and they didn't realize that that was actually what was going on. They thought it was a style.

He should have been around now to do some marketing. But anyway, this is what he said. I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat. What is our aim? I can answer in one word—victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of terror. Victory, however hard and long the road may be. For without victory there is no survival. We shall not flag or fail.

We will go on to the end. We will fight in France. We will fight in seas and oceans.

We will fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills.

We shall never surrender. And even if, which I do not for a moment believe this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, would carry on the struggle until in God's good time the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and liberation of the old. And a beaten, bloodied, battered London began just to sit up. And the Clyde side of Glasgow, destroyed by German bombs, began to produce men and women with a spring in their step.

And folks who had not been able to enlist by virtue of their physical impairments began in significant numbers to identify themselves with the home front people who had a job in the city during the day and a uniform in the evening. And they would go out, and they would stand at various points with a whole rigmarole of implements of destruction, most of which could have done nothing to stave off a significant attack. Where did that come from? It came from visionary leadership.

They didn't have a musket to their defense. But they said, we'll do it. Some of us are berating our congregations. Oh, I don't know why nobody's volunteering. I don't know why no one's initiating ministry.

I don't know why this isn't happening, and that's not how. Let's take a good look at ourselves. Let's take a listen to some of our sermons. Let's consider our reaction and our counteraction. Let's consider ourselves. Let's start first with us. You want revival?

Do what Gypsy Smith said. Put a circle of chalk on the ground, stand inside it, and ask God to revive everything inside the circle. If our churches will be stirred and moved under God, we are crucial. Not because of who we are, but because of what God has determined as a pattern of leadership. Seventhly, despite all of that, there was opposition, and there always will be. They came around. What do you think you're doing?

You've got to be kidding. Sarcasm, mocking, ridicule, discouragement. Are you rebelling against the king?

How happy he must have been to be able to reach into his pocket and bring out the letters of approval from the king. Some of us here today will be undergoing great opposition. It is a real struggle, isn't it, in pastoral ministry? It's difficult to know what to do. I think I find myself retreating again and again to the verse that I mentioned in the first session.

2 Timothy 4 5. What should we do? Number one, keep your head.

Number two, endure hardship. Whoever said it was going to be fun? Fun's a bonus. We anticipate fun, but it's not always fun. I tell the guys on my pastoral team, hey, this is fun, isn't it? You say, well, it's disastrous. I say, I know it's disastrous, but it's kind of fun disastrous, isn't it?

You say, well, I don't know about that. Well, yeah, let me… See, because you have delightful days, you have disastrous days, but you don't have dull days. Dull is inside you. If it's dull, it's because you're dull. If your marriage is dull, it's because you're dull.

It's hard to face. It's true. And so he affirms it. It's the last word, affirmation.

There were eight of them. Verse 20, I answer them by saying, The God of heaven will give us success. Psalm 121, I to the hills will lift mine eyes, from whenceforth come mine aid.

This is the metrical Psalms now. My safety cometh from the Lord, who heaven and earth hath made. Hey, Nehemiah, what do you think you're doing? Do you think you're a big shot?

No. How do you think you're going to do this? God will do it. God will do it. Oh, he'll do it through us, but God will do it. The God of heaven will give us success.

God's work done in God's way, said Hudson Taylor, will never lack God's supply. And he says, by the way, you can clear off, because you don't have any part in this historic city. This is our place. You have no legal authority here. You have no right over it.

You have no claim to it. But our God will give us success, and we will go on. Can I ask you this final question? Let's ask ourselves this question. What are we trusting God to do that is so incredible that it cannot be achieved apart from his divine enabling? Is it right for us to think in those terms?

I think so. The disciples come to Jesus, and they say, Jesus, I think it's time to send this crowd away. They've been here for an awful long time.

The shops are closed. There's nowhere to get food. We're going to have a disaster on our hands. Please send them home. Jesus says, why don't you give them something to eat? Sorry?

Yeah. Well, we don't have anything. The only thing we've been able to rustle up, there's some kid, some wee guy who's here, and he's got five loaves and a couple of fish.

But what are these among so many? I mean, you can't possibly feed 5,000 men plus the women and the children with five loaves and a couple of sardines. Can you? Of course, you know the story. And you know the way it's taught at Sunday school. Right?

Application for the teacher. Wouldn't you like to be a little boy like this? Who gave his lunch to Jesus?

Wouldn't you like to be significant the way he was significant? Wouldn't you like to save the day for Jesus? There was Jesus with all those people, and all hungry, and nothing to eat, and just when he was at an extremity, in came the wee boy, and save the day. The miracle, of course, is not that the wee boy would offer his lunch. The miracle is that Jesus would use the wee boy's lunch. The miracle is not that Nehemiah would go 900 miles to the task. The miracle is that God would use Nehemiah in the task. The miracle is not that we give ourselves up in service to a great cause and to serve under a great king and commander. The miracle is that we have been given any part in the unfolding plan of God. He who could create ex nihilo, all kinds of lunch, Danes to use five poultry sandwiches and a couple of fish, and he who rose over all, Danes to look on the likes of you and me and say, Hey, I'm going to give you a part. What a great mystery. What a great privilege. May the Lord lift up our eyes, our gaze, establish a vision.

What was it? Wesley said, Give me a hundred men who hate nothing but sin and love God with all their hearts, and I will shake England for Jesus Christ. What are we trusting God to do that is so incredible that it can only ever be achieved as a result of his divine intervention? Now that's a question that should make all of us stop and think, maybe even pray, this is Truth for Life.

Alistair Begg will return in just a moment to close with prayer. Our message today reminds us that God works through us and he alone gives success. To that end, our passion at Truth for Life is to teach the Bible.

We know that God uses his word to do his work. When you give to Truth for Life, God works through you to help bring Alistair's Bible teaching to listeners all across the U.S. and around the globe. And to say thanks for your donation today, we'll send you a copy of Sinclair Ferguson's book titled Devoted to God's Church.

It's all about how we fit into our own church and how God wants to work in us and through us to serve within the local body. But today's the last day we'll be mentioning this book, so if you haven't already, request your copy now, tap the image in our app, or call us at 888-588-7884. Now here's Alistair with a closing prayer. Father, now we bless you again for your word. I pray that you would take out of all of these words of mine that which is of yourself and all of us, because we're peers here today, know the great danger of imagining that we're living at a level that we're not living at.

And as a result of our imaginings, we then preach at the level of our imaginings, and we make people think that we're actually doing stuff we're not doing, and so bring despite on ourselves and discourage others. Bring us back to basics, we pray. We want to commit ourselves to being men and women of your truth. We want to give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. Bless us now and give us grateful hearts for all that we share. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. I'm Bob Lapeen. Enjoy your weekend, time spent with your local church. Join us again Monday when Alistair explains how the fear of failure affects not only leaders, but also those who follow. The Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life, where the Learning is for Living.