Worship and work.
1/ In Its Proper Perspective.
It’s His Glory over Our Work.
People say that it’s His work but we need to understand that it’s our work for His glory.
Think of Adam in the garden::
God created the garden but it was
our gardening may not be tilling the ground or taking care of the plants and trees, or cutting the grass, but our work in the ministry is nevertheless our act of worship before God for His Glory.
and because of that we must be carful to not lose sight of our main function, which is to tend the flock of God (our garden of Eden).
We must till the ground I.e., Prepare the way for the seed that we will be planting. It’s not just turning up on a Sunday morning and throwing out seed, but making sure that we sow on prepared ground for that’s where the seed has the best chance of survival.
Society would like us to believe that we can accomplish whatever we put our mind to and if we work hard enough we can be successful.
And while it may be true, it’s usually not a good idea to rush into things.
A vision begins as a concern, but we also need to realise that,
A vision does not necessarily require immediate action
We’re going to be talking tonight about what to do during the period of time where you are waiting to see what God wants you to do next.
Visions can die during this stretch of inactivity while you are waiting.
It’s discouraging to continue dreaming about something that appears to have no potential of ever happening.
After a prolonged period of waiting, a vision of what could and should be, can if we are not carful slip into the realm of what won’t ever be.
So what do you do in the meantime to keep your dream alive?
When Nehemiah heard about the condition of Jerusalem, there was nothing he could physically do. It seemed as if he was in the wrong place, with the wrong job, working for the wrong guy.
But Nehemiah wasn’t inactive. The months between hearing about the condition of the walls and finally being able to do something about it was a productive time for Nehemiah.
He did two things to prepare for the time when God would lead Him to pursue his vision.
1. He prayed:-
Prayer is critical to vision development. Why?
Often we miss what we don’t expect to see.
Prayer keeps our eyes and our hearts in expectant mode. When God begins to move, we are only going to see it when we are ready and watching.
Notice that Nehemiah didn’t pray for God to rebuild the wall. He prayed for an opportunity to go rebuild it himself.
That is the difference between a dreamer and a visionary.
Dreamers dream about things being different. Visionaries envision themselves making a difference.
Dreamers think about how nice it would be for something to be done. Visionaries look for an opportunity to do something.
1. He prayed:-
2. He planned:-
Nehemiah thought about what would be needed to accomplish this vision (or at least get started). If God has given a vision, we need to go ahead and start developing a plan.
Assuming you had the resources, what would you do?
Assuming you had the time, what would you do first?
Nehemiah laid out steps of how to pursue this vision. He made sure that if he got an opportunity to present his vision to the king, he was ready.
We need Pray for opportunities, and plan as if you expect God to answer your prayers.
The problem is that many of us fail to pray and fail to plan.
If the person you have been praying for were to ask you about your relationship with Christ, do you know what you would say?
If you suddenly had the opportunity to switch jobs or careers, do you know what steps you would need to make the transition successfully?
You probably have a vision for how you want your children to turn out, but do you have a plan?
You probably have a vision for your marriage, but do you have a plan?
When God puts something on our hearts, it always seems out of reach (because it is). God ordained visions are always too big for us to handle.
There are always more questions than answers and more obstacles than solutions.
Nehemiah no doubt felt like he was in the wrong place doing the wrong thing at the wrong time. But God knew what He was doing. He had Nehemiah in the right place doing the right thing at the right time.
God had maneuvered him through the ranks of influential Persian officials untill he was recommended to the king and appointed to the position of cupbearer.
God gave Nehemiah a job and a relationship that gave him an inside track to the king. God was working behind the scenes putting everything in position.
3. God is using your circumstances to position and prepare you to accomplish His vision for your life.
Just as this was true for Nehemiah, it’s also true in your life. This is easy to see when we are looking back, but it always takes faith when looking ahead.
We can’t see any connection between our circumstances and the vision God has given us. It may not make sense to us on the surface, but we can rest assured that God is working behind the scenes to position everything needed to accomplish the vision He has given.
The “what” of the vision, always precedes the “how”.
You will always know what God has put in your heart, long before you know how He intends to bring it about.
Nehemiah definitely knew what God had called him to do, but he didn’t have a clue as to how or when God would pull it off.
God not only knew how to secure Nehemiah’s release from service to the king, but he also knew how to finance the project.
Many visions die in the time between what and how.
We know what God has called us to do, but over time, not knowing how causes us to lower our sights, and we settle for a lesser vision than we can accomplish.
We must remember that divine vision requires divine intervention.
What God originates, He orchestrates.
When God speaks to us we always ask how, but how is never a problem for God.
Mary in Luke chapter 1? An angel appears to Mary and tells her the vision that God has for her life…to give birth to the Saviour of the world.
How does Mary respond? She asks “how can this be, since I am a virgin?” To which the angel replies “nothing is impossible with God.”
Our job is simply to do what we know to do and then wait for God.
Think back for minute. Can you remember one story anywhere in the entire Bible where God gave the responsibility of figuring out how a vision would be fulfilled to the person that the vision was given to?
Did Moses have to come up with the plan to get the Israelites across the red sea?
Was it David’s responsibility to figure out how to get Saul out of the way, so he could have the throne of Israel?
When Jesus told the apostles to feed the five thousand, did they have to figure out how to make five loaves and two fish go that far?
No! How the vision would be accomplished was not up to them. They just did what they knew to do, and never lost sight of the vision.
Are you beginning to see how these things relate to each other in relation to vision?
Helping people have the faith to follow God’s plan for their lives is something that I’m really passionate about.
And although Nehemiah’s arrival in Jerusalem didn’t go unnoticed, notice, he didn’t tell anyone right away, about the vision that God had given him.
Why? Well, maybe it was because he knew what came next.
We need to learn that we need to Walk before we talk; and investigate before we initiate.
Luke 14:-
28 "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
When God lays something on your heart for you to do, it’s probably a good idea not to say anything right away.
1/ Chances are, nobody is going to be nearly as excited as you are.
2/ There is usually some background work that needs to be done before you go public with your idea. (Remember a vision does not necessarily require immediate action).
Nehemiah didn’t go on the midnight ride because he was having second thoughts about the vision.
He didn’t investigate the walls in order to decide whether or not to go ahead with the project.
He wanted to have a better picture of what they were up against, so he could be prepared to answer as many questions as possible, when he announced the vision to others.
As with all visions; there comes a time to share them with others.
After examining the walls, Nehemiah knew that it was time to let the people of Jerusalem know the purpose of his trip.
There are four things that Nehemiah talked about as part of his vision, and these four things are what communicate our vision.
1. The problem
Nehemiah says in verse 17 “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.
The problem is often very obvious, but over time many people don’t recognize it anymore.
The problem is not actually part of the vision, but gives reason for presenting the vision.
2. The solution
“let us rebuild the wall of
Stating the problem engages the mind, but the solution engages the imagination. Stating the vision invites us to imagine the future in a way that demands change in the present.
3. The reason
“and we will no longer be in disgrace.”.
Stating the problem and solution is not enough you have to give the people an incentive. People need to be motivated.
Nehemiah knew that they were an embarrassment to God.
Israel was a nation chosen by God, but nobody would have guessed it looking at them now. Nehemiah’s vision wasn’t just about rebuilding the wall, as much as it was re-establishing a context for God to demonstrate His power and fulfill His promises to the nation.
Stating the problem engages the mind, stating the solution engages the imagination, but compelling reason will engage the heart.
4. The timing
Can’t you imagine a heckler in the back of the crowd calling out “hey mate, what’s the hurry? These walls have been down for over a hundred years. Relax! We’ll get around to fixing them.”
It’s important to explain why the vision needs to be pursued at this time. 18“also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.”
Nehemiah’s timing was based upon how God had worked to bring all of the circumstances together.
As far as they knew up to this point, God had forgotten them.
We should only cast our vision to the appropriate people at the appropriate time.
People will give sacrificially toward a vision that bears the marks of God’s involvement.
There will always be needs, but when an opportunity comes along to invest our time and resources in something God is up to, it’s amazing how much more time people are willing to invest.
When Nehemiah finished casting the vision, the people responded “Good! Let’s rebuild the wall.”
It sounds easy doesn’t it?
Remember that sharing and launching a vision is only the beginning.
It’s another thing to see it through to completion.
The enthusiasm associated with starting something, never provides enough momentum to complete it.