The Values of a Godly Leader / Nehemiah 5

This past week I have been thinking about godly leaders who have influenced me. Guard the deposit. Who has invested in you?

Mr. Rogers practice. Take 30 seconds to remember a leader who made an investment in you.

Who or what made them who they were? What were their values?

In the book of Nehemiah, we witness the contrast of selfish and godly leadership. Today, through the example of Nehemiah, we will consider the values of a godly leader and the secret motivation that keeps them focused.

Firstly, we will see that…

Godly leaders value people over profit.

1 Now there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their Jewish brothers.

Last chapter, the people of Judah faced threats from an external army and overcame by working together. This chapter begins with an internal fight among themselves, and notably, little work is mentioned. And what was the outcry about?

2 For there were those who said, “With our sons and our daughters, we are many. So let us get grain, that we may eat and keep alive.” 3 There were also those who said, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our houses to get grain because of the famine.” 4 And there were those who said, “We have borrowed money for the king’s tax on our fields and our vineyards. 5 Now our flesh is as the flesh of our brothers, our children are as their children. Yet we are forcing our sons and our daughters to be slaves, and some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but it is not in our power to help it, for other men have our fields and our vineyards.”

The Nobles and Officials, leaders with power and wealth, leveraged the building of the wall for profit. The majority of the community was busy building the wall, hindering their ability to farm the land. To make matters worse, there was a famine and a heavy tax. The outcry of injustice was not the complaint of the lazy. These were hardworking people who had environmental and external factors that resulted in temporary poverty. Instead of helping them, those in power took advantage of their hardship for personal gain. But there was a leader who cared.

6 I was very angry when I heard their outcry and these words.

Why was Nehemiah angry? His initiative was to return a people from exile and slavery in order to establish security. When that work officially began, there was a group who were too prideful to join in the work. Nehemiah 3 mentions that the Nobles wouldn’t stoop to serve their Lord. To serve, to lead, you must stoop. And this group was too prideful to join the labor of the people. And as they watched from the sidelines with their arms crossed, they used the exhaustion of the people as an opportunity to get land, hired hands, and profit. Those who were once enslaved are now enslaving their own. So Nehemiah, is angry. And his anger is justified.

Theodore Rosevelt once wrote,

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong

man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is

marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who

comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and

shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows

great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy

cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,

and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that

his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know

victory nor defeat.”

Friend, if you’re not in the arena. You have no right to criticize or take advantage of those who are. Refuse to be a cold-hearted soul who uses the people of God for personal profit.

I want you to consider this question, “why am I here this morning?”

Is it to build your business reputation?

Is it to put community service on a resume?

Is it to receive the praise of man?

If so, you’re focused upon personal gain, not the people of God. Leave those motives behind today. Choose to be a co-laborer for God’s kingdom and not your comfort.

One of the most thought provoking questions I was asked in my ordination counsel was, “If the church had to meet in secret and you were no longer paid as a minister, would you still teach the word and shepherd people?”

Let me ask you, if your business didn’t grow, if you never meet your spouse in the church, if you didn’t receive personal benefit from coming to church - would you still come out of a love for God and his people?

Nehemiah’s life was a resounding yes. For him, service and leadership were synonyms. And we witness this as he…

Godly leaders value accountability over apathy.

7 I took counsel with myself, and I brought charges against the nobles and the officials. I said to them, “You are exacting interest, each from his brother.” And I held a great assembly against them 8 and said to them, “We, as far as we are able, have bought back our Jewish brothers who have been sold to the nations, but you even sell your brothers that they may be sold to us!” They were silent and could not find a word to say.

Four steps of biblical accountability.

He took counsel with himself, but he didn’t take it personally. (This will protect from gossip)

He faced the problem head on and privately.

He involved others.

He focused the charges on the facts.

Kyle teaching correction (mirroring these steps)

Now, you may be thinking to yourself. ‘Leaders with this level of courage are inspiring. But that’s not my personality.’ Verse 9 reveals that there was a motive deeper than personality which motivated Nehemiah’s accountability.

9 So I said, “The thing that you are doing is not good. Ought you not to walk in the fear of our God to prevent the taunts of the nations our enemies?

What was Nehemiah’s secret? How did he have this courage? He feared God more than he wanted to please people. He knew that their internal fighting harmed the reputation of God’s family so he challenges them to repent. He holds them accountable.

Dad’s quote, he would rather die than cause scandal in the church. That is a leader I am willing to follow. One who chooses accountability over apathy.

10 Moreover, I and my brothers and my servants are lending them money and grain. Let us abandon this exacting of interest. 11 Return to them this very day their fields, their vineyards, their olive orchards, and their houses, and the percentage of money, grain, wine, and oil that you have been exacting from them.” 12 Then they said, “We will restore these and require nothing from them. We will do as you say.” And I called the priests and made them swear to do as they had promised. 13 I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, “So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied.”

Empty pockets - you will be removed from the house if you do not change. Seems harsh? Imagine a spoonful of shoe smith dump in the sourdough. I’m not going to feed that to my family. I’ll through it out of my house for the wild animals. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Amazingly! The people actually change. And it’s not apathetic. They don’t hug it out. They return what was taken. And they do it immediately.

If you’re living in perpetual unrepentant sin. Stop immediately and restore what is broken.

If you’ve stolen from your family, apologize and return the money.

If you’re an alcoholic, remove the bottles from your house and apologize to those who’ve been impacted.

If you’re jealous, confess and begin to cheer on the successes of those around you.

Share the story of when my hall leadership began to confess jealousy towards one another.

What happens when people repent?

And all the assembly said “Amen” and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.

The Lord is praised. And it’s well deserved because he alone can empower people to confess and change.

Let’s start holding one another accountable because we fear God and want him to be honored.

Lastly,

Godly leaders value generosity over greed.

14 Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. 15 The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God.

As governor over Judah, Nehemiah had the right to raise taxes for personal use. Previous leaders took advantage of this leadership privilege. But not Nehemiah. He was more interested in honoring God than building his bank account.

Bedrock forest example: Biblically, they have a right to have their physical needs taken care of for the spiritual benefit they are providing. 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” But in their church of mostly poor college students, they are choosing to surrender this freedom to support their people. They are more interested in building the church than their own bank account.

What freedom is God calling you to surrender for the sake of his kingdom? What needs does the church have that you possess? Money? Time? Energy? Out of love for God, join us in the work.

16 I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work. 17 Moreover, there were at my table 150 men, Jews and officials, besides those who came to us from the nations that were around us. 18 Now what was prepared at my expense for each day was one ox and six choice sheep and birds, and every ten days all kinds of wine in abundance. Yet for all this I did not demand the food allowance of the governor, because the service was too heavy on this people.

There is an old pastor from Colonial Heights who was legendary for his service. One time after preaching a message, he came to do yard work still wearing his suit. Christians are called to serve in our suits.

What power do you have? What responsibility or leadership has God given you? Use that power to serve.

Be thankful that your name is written in the lambs book of life. Anything extra is icing on the cake.

Godly leaders serve people, seek accountability, and practice generosity.

And lastly, Godly leaders leave the results in the hands of God.

19 Remember for my good, O my God, all that I have done for this people.

You can control how you lead others, but you cannot control how they will respond.

Are you able to echo this payer for the people that you minister to?

What was Nehemiah’s leadership secret? Nehemiah was leading before an audience of one.

Paul once wrote, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.”

If you want to be a godly leader, live for an audience of one.