Committed To A Great Work
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Turn to Nehemiah 6.
In Nehemiah chapter five, Nehemiah proved himself to be a man of character.
He was a man who waived what was rightfully his
He was a man who placed himself under the authority of God
He was a man who shared in the work
He was a man who was generous
He was a man who was motivated by eternal reward
These qualities altogether made Nehemiah a tremendous leader and a great man. He was A Man Of Character.
Introduction
Introduction
On August 24, 1759, a little boy was born into a wealthy merchant family in Yorkshire, England. He grew up living a privileged life, but faced early challenges, including poor health and the loss of his father at age nine. An aunt and uncle brought some exposure to evangelical Christianity and this shaped his moral foundation, but as he grew older, he drifted into a decadent, corrupt lifestyle at Cambridge University.
This young man was elected to Parliament at 21 years of age. He initially prioritized social status and political ambition. He enjoyed London’s high society and rubbing shoulders with the elites of his day. However, a spiritual transformation in 1784–85 changed his focus and he discovered a new purpose: to serve God through social reform, particularly the abolition of the slave trade. William Wilberforce would pursue this great work for the rest of his life.
Read Nehemiah 6:1-9
Chapter six begins with Sanballat and the rest of his cronies sending an innocent letter over to Nehemiah asking to meet him in one of the villages in the plain of Ono.
Next slide here: map of Ono
In essence, Sanballat was asking Nehemiah to drop everything and go travel 30 miles to meet together. Now don’t forget: these were the same guys that had conspired to attack Jerusalem and to kill the Jews back in Nehemiah chapter four.
Nehemiah knew that they were up to no good - look at verse two.
But notice what Nehemiah said in verse three in response: “I am doing a great work! I can’t come down.”
Work: occupation, business
Nehemiah told Sanballat “no, I have more important work that I am doing.” Nehemiah was saying, “I put a higher priority on what God wants me to be doing than on what you want me to be doing. The work God has me doing here is what matters to me.”
Verse four indicates that Nehemiah’s response wasn’t good enough. Altogether, Sanballat sent a requests four times to meet with Nehemiah. And four times, Nehemiah said “no, I’m not doing it.”
God had called Nehemiah to Jerusalem to get the walls rebuilt, not to pander to some people that hated God and His people. Nehemiah was Committed To A Great Work.
Next slide here:
A great work must be prioritized over little things - Nehemiah 6:1-4
At some point, Nehemiah had determined that whatever was a priority for God would be a priority for him. Nehemiah didn’t have time for the dinner parties of the ruling class. He didn’t have time to be distracted by these pointless meetings with Sanballat and the other governors of the surrounding region. God had given Nehemiah a great work to do and his mind was set to do it!
What was Nehemiah’s great work? Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem!
Hearing the desperate story of his fellow Jews had moved his heart!
That’s why he had gotten a leave of absence from the king.
That’s why he had travelled hundreds of miles from Shushan the palace in modern-day Iran all the way over to Jerusalem in Israel!
God’s plan for Nehemiah was clear! He was to lead this great work and Nehemiah got it! Nehemiah understood his priorities! God’s work was a great work in Nehemiah’s eyes! It wasn’t trivial. It wasn’t insignificant! It was everything!
Application: Christian, I ask you this morning: what is the great work that God has given you? What are you doing with your life? Are you wasting your life on little things or are you busy investing your life, your time, and your energy in things that matter to God?
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
God has a great work for every single born-again child of God. In other words, God has a plan for how He wants to get glory out of each one of our lives. He has a perfect will for your life.
Commit thy way unto the Lord; Trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
If you have not trusted Christ Jesus to save you from your sin, then you can’t do God’s plan for your life. You need a personal relationship with God first and that is only possible through His Son, Jesus Christ. Let me sit down with you privately and tell you how Jesus wants to save your soul!
Again I say, God has a great work for every single Christian. For Nehemiah, it was to build the wall and to govern Judah.
What is the great work that He wants you to be doing right now?
For many in this room, God’s great work is for you to be busy working a job, providing for your family, and serving in your local church.
For some in our church, God’s great work is for you to be caregiver to a loved one.
I don’t know exactly what God’s great work may be for you, but I know it includes actively loving God, actively loving others, actively telling others about Jesus, and actively serving in your local church.
Christian, what is the great work that God has for you?
I decided to write down what I believe is the great work that God has for me right now. In order of importance:
To pursue God passionately - this takes priority over everything else
To love my wife deeply
To raise my children biblically
To pastor this church devotedly
To engage our politicians intentionally
This is the great work that God has given me. This is what God wants me to be doing right now in this stage of my life.
Why does this matter so much today? Because I don’t want to live a meaningless life! I don’t want to get to the Judgment Seat Of Christ and hear the Lord say, “why did you waste the life that I gave you?”
Be committed to a great work. Be committed to doing what God wants you to do with your life.
How can you know that something is a great a work in the eyes of God? Several years ago I heard a pastor preach a message that he entitled “Four principles to do a great work.”
First, understand man’s greatest duty is to serve God - Ecc 12:13
Second, understand man’s greatest devotion is to love God supremely - Deut 6:6
Third, understand man’s greatest delight is to know God - Jeremiah 9:23-24
Fourth, understand man’s greatest decision is to trust God - Proverbs 3:5-6
If you live by those four principles, rest assured, you’ll be busy doing the great work that God has called you to do.
Application: What is the great work that He has for you? As long as God keeps you alive on planet earth, there is a great work that He intends for you to be busy doing.
If you’re a teenager/young adult: your great work is to be busy doing what you know is right while seeking to know the great work that God has for your life. Don’t get caught up with the wrong crowd. We have so many young people running around our cities these days living meaningless lives because they aren’t seeking the God that made them and made them with a purpose.
If you’re a working adult: God has a great work tailor-made for you. You best be about whatever that is.
If you’re retired: God’s not done with you yet. He has a great work for you until the day He calls you home.
Most of my dad’s working career was spent with the same company. First it was AMP, then it became Tyco Electronics, then finally, it was TE Connectivity over in Middletown. My entire life, my parents have always been busy in their local church, but they were such an example to me when my dad retired a few years ago. You see, when dad retired, he retired from a career, but not from serving God. Matter of fact, there have been times where they are busier in retirement than they were in their working career. Why? Because they are busy serving God! Whether its weekly Sunday ministries, projects at the church building, visiting people or hosting folks at their house, they are busy serving God in their retirement years. Why? Because God still has a great work for them to do.
Dear Christian: turn away from the little things filling your life and start making it count for God! Be busy about the things that matter to God because that is what matters for eternity!
That was Nehemiah. He had his priorities right.
First we see that a great work must be prioritized over little things. Secondly…
Next slide here:
A great work must continue even when others slander - Nehemiah 6:5-7
Read Nehemiah 6:5-7
When letters were written in ancient Persia, they were usually sealed with wax and opened only by the intended receiver, but not this letter. This was an open letter. There was no seal; it was meant for the public. The goal was simply to spread disinformation about Nehemiah.
As William Wilberforce fought against the slave trade in England, he endured a lifetime of slander and character assassination. Some political enemies spread rumors about his personal life. Others suggested that he was motivated by power and fame. He was even accused of being unpatriotic and disloyal to the British crown. Most of his political life was spent in this environment and it wasn’t until near the end of his life that the slander faded away.
Application: Perhaps, Christian, you are doing what God wants you to be doing this morning. You are committed to a great work. If that’s you, then I ask you this question: what is it going to take to stop you? Like we’ve seen with Nehemiah, you have an enemy that wants to discourage you. You have an enemy that want to isolate you. You have an enemy that wants to make you quit from the great work that God has called you to do. What will it take to make you quit?
Rob O’Neil was a Seal Team Six operator who played a leading role in the raid that found and eliminated Osama Bin Laden in 2011. I heard Rob share the story of how he survived eight months of grueling training to become a Navy SEAL. During those long days, an instructor said something like this to him,
He said,
“quit tomorrow. If you only quit tomorrow, you can do anything.”
My point is simply this: In the months that transpired from chapter one to chapter six, Nehemiah was tempted to quit many times, but he didn’t. He was Committed To A Great Work. If you are busy doing a great work for God, what will it take to make you quit?
Next slide here:
A great work requires the strength of a great God - Nehemiah 6:8-9
Read Nehemiah 6:8-9
When Nehemiah was tempted to quit, he didn’t look inside for strength. He looked up.
“Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.”
Nehemiah knew that he was doing a great work because he needed great strength. He needed the grace of God!
Application: Do you ever cry out to God for help? I don’t mean so much out of desperation, but rather out of humility. Nehemiah was like, “Lord, this slander is beyond me. I can’t stop this. I can’t clean up this mess. So Lord, I’m putting it into your hands. Strengthen me to continue this great work.”
Christian, when you are doing a great work, you need God to strengthen your hands. A great work always requires great strength. Quitting is not prevented by trying harder. Quitting is prevented by humbly relying on God’s strength.
Conclusion
Conclusion
In 1787, early in his political journey, William Wilberforce joined forces with other abolitionists. He became the parliamentary leader of the abolition movement, tirelessly introducing anti-slavery motions despite fierce opposition from economic interests profiting from the trade. His eloquent speeches exposed the horrors of the slave trade, but his early efforts failed. Resolutions in 1789, 1791, and others were defeated. It wasn’t until the Slave Trade Act of 1807 that the slave trade was abolished across the British Empire.
Wilberforce’s work didn’t stop there. He continued advocating for the full emancipation of slaves which was achieved with the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, passed just three days before his death.
His focus on a great work over personal gain or trivial pursuits ensured a lasting legacy. He was honored by being buried in Westminster Abbey alongside some of England’s greatest leaders.
What are you doing with your life? Are you busy doing what you care about? Or are you busy doing what God cares about as revealed in the Scriptures? Be like Nehemiah. Be Committed To A Great Work.
Invitation
Invitation
“I am not saved”
You need to be saved.
“I am not doing a great work for God”
You need to repent: change your thinking and your priorities. Start putting a priority where God puts priority.
“I am doing a great work for God, but I want to quit.”
You need the strength of God. Go to God in prayer, tell Him all about it. That’s what Nehemiah did. That what we find so often in the psalms. Tell him your soul. Then ask Him for strength.
