Learning to Lead - Mission is Accomplished Through Planning

I heard a quote a couple of weeks ago that stopped me in my tracks.

· “Make every major decision in the cemetery.”

o It helps determine what really matters.

o It helps give clarity to what we really want to accomplish in life.

· Steven Covey puts it this way – “The 7 Habits Of Highly Successful People” 25 million copies sold

o “Begin with end in mind.”

o What do you want people to say at your funeral?

§ “The head could only take in what the seat could endure”

· This is the only thing a son could say about his mom at her funeral – one of the saddest funerals I was ever a part of

§ He/She had a nice truck

§ Kept the house clean

§ He had a nice lawn

· These are great things, but I pray your mission in life is greater than those things!

What do you want to accomplish in life?

More importantly,

· What does God want to accomplish through you?

My mission has never changed since I was 16 years old

· “I want everyone who gets to know me, to grow in their relationship to the Lord”

o Relational

o Growth

What is your mission/Vision

· How are you going to make it happen?

Vision (mission) comes from Passion – Nehemiah Wept

· What makes you cry?

· What makes you angry? - godly anger

Vision is confirmed by Provision.

· The King Released Neh and paid for the project!

Vision is accomplished Through Opposition

· Overcoming Opposition by praying and practical

Today…

Vision/Mission is accomplished by Planning & Partnering.

· You won’t get there without a plan

o Fail to plan - Plan to fail

· You won’t get there without a partner or more!

o You want to go fast – go alone

o You want to go far – go with others

Nehemiah 2:11–20 (NLT)

11 So I arrived in Jerusalem. Three days later,

12 I slipped out during the night, taking only a few others with me. I had not told anyone about the plans God had put in my heart for Jerusalem. We took no pack animals with us except the donkey I was riding.

13 After dark I went out through the Valley Gate, past the Jackal’s Well, and over to the Dung Gate to inspect the broken walls and burned gates.

14 Then I went to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but my donkey couldn’t get through the rubble.

15 So, though it was still dark, I went up the Kidron Valley instead, inspecting the wall before I turned back and entered again at the Valley Gate.

16 The city officials did not know I had been out there or what I was doing, for I had not yet said anything to anyone about my plans. I had not yet spoken to the Jewish leaders—the priests, the nobles, the officials, or anyone else in the administration.

1. Be Discreet –

· Don’t share every thought or plan until it is developed

o It is a sure way to lose credibility

o If you say it – you have to do it

§ Therefore, don’t say it until the time is right and other pieces are in place

· He didn’t come in with a parade of a hero

· He didn’t go out right away

o 3rd day

o Take your time for big decisions!!

· He didn’t go out in daylight

o People will have questions that are unanswerable

o Some will answer their own questions.

§ With the wrong answers

· He didn’t go out to investigate with fanfare or many people

o He went with just a few -trusted people

17 But now I said to them, “You know very well what trouble we are in. Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and end this disgrace!”

2. Define the Problem

· This is one of the most important jobs of the leader – some would say the most!

· Make sure you are solving the right problem

o Wife – you never take the garbage out

o Husband - I just took it out yesterday.

§ He thinks – she’s obsessed with the garbage

o Wife – turn that stupid game off.

§ Husband – I just turned it on

· He thinks – she hates sports

· NOPE!!

o The real problem is - He has not been paying proper attention to his wife!

§ He has been out too many nights

§ When he is home – he is not really there.

§ She is carrying to much of the responsibilities of the home.

o Then he wants to have special time

§ She is like no way

· He is angry

My kids never listen.

· Do they know what they are supposed to do and the consequences of not doing it?

· Have you carried out stated consequences?

· Are you always yelling?

· Do you take time to play?

· Do you listen when they speak?

My kids never listen.

· Might be a parent issue?

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

· Nehemiah

· We are in trouble –

o Jerusalem is in ruins

o Gates have been destroyed by fire

§ Anyone can see what is wrong.

· Not everyone can fix the problem with the proper solution.

o This is what defines a leader

§ Anyone can say

· We should prayer more – we haven’t been praying enough good but not the solution

· We should have a meeting – good but you have met and nothing has been done is decades

· We should take a vote –

o Fine but your track record of voting as a nation is not good.

§ Thousands vs. Aaron and Moses – let’s go back to Egypt

§ 10-2 - don’t go into the promised land its too hard

· Let’s form a committee –

o “Giraffe is a horse built by a committee”

o Nehemiah says - The wall must be rebuilt.

§ That’s the Problem that needs to be fixed

18 Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Yes, let’s rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work.

· Here is how I got here.

· God has been good.

· He gave me the Passion

· He proved His will by Provision

· Now I have a plan

3. Develop the plan

· All the families must work on the wall where they live

· If each does their part

· The wall will be finished in no time.

4. Delegate the workload

· Did Nehemiah start building himself?

o NO – there is too much work to be done

· Clearly define expectations.

o This is what you need to do.

19 But when Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem the Arab heard of our plan, they scoffed contemptuously. “What are you doing? Are you rebelling against the king?” they asked.

20 I replied, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall. But you have no share, legal right, or historic claim in Jerusalem.”

The mission God has given you is always too big for you!!!

The God of Heaven will help us Succeed!!!

Winston Churchill was a superb motivator, yet he seems never to have promised anything external—not prosperity, not leisure, not the return of good times. He offered only the satisfaction of having done the difficult task well. Churchill 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 all terror; victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory there is no survival.

We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight in the seas and oceans, we shall 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 the liberation of the old.

Jesus says, I have offered my blood, sweat and tears.

· I died that you might live

· Receive the Holy Spirit

· Be empowered by the Spirit

· Go and do the work I have called you to do

Matthew 28:18–20 (NLT)

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.

19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”