Can You See It?

In a speech that he delivered to a Join Session of Congress on May 25, 1961, then President John F. Kennedy, cast one of the most challenging, yet clear and concise visions our nation had ever heard. In one sentence, the visionary President declared, “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” It’s rumored that later that year, while touring NASA head quarters, President Kennedy came upon a janitor mopping the floors late one evening. According to legend, President Kennedy asked the man, “Why are you working so late?” to which the man replied, “Mr. President, I’m helping put a man on the moon.” This interaction demonstrates how Kennedy’s vision captured the hearts and imaginations of everyone working at NASA. Andrew Carton, a professor of management at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, conducted extensive research about America’s first landing on the moon. In his report he writes, “people who were quite far removed from the famous goal of landing a man on the moon reported feeling an incredible connection to this ultimate goal. Rather than talking about, ‘I’m fixing electrical wiring’ or ‘I’m stitching space suits’ or ‘I’m mopping the floors,’ they would actually identify their work as ‘I’m putting a man on the moon.” Kennedy’s vision captured the imaginations of every employee at NASA. It did not matter how daunting the task was, the goal was to take a human being 240,000 miles away from the earth and place him on the moon. And that is exactly what everyone worked toward until the vision became a reality. Kennedy’s vision and his ability to motivate people to accomplish it, was so invigorating to the men and women at NASA, that it drove them toward the goal even after the President’s tragic death. In fact, it wasn’t until almost six years after Kennedy’s assassination that the Apollo 11 crew landed on the moon. At 10:56 p.m. on July 16, 1969 half a billion people watching on television heard Neil Armstrong proclaim, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Kennedy’s vision became reality.

As I said last week, vision is a must for any and all successful organizations, including and especially the church. That is because vision fuels passion.

Super Bowl winning Head Coach Tony Dungy puts it best, “The first step toward creating an improved future is developing the ability to envision it. VISION will ignite the fire of passion that fuels our commitment to do WHATEVER IT TAKES to achieve excellence. Only VISION allows us to transform dreams of greatness into the reality of achievement... ” -Tony Dungy

Monaghan Baptist Church, we exist to Magnify God, Multiply Disciples, and Mobilize for Missions. For us to fulfill these purposes, we must have the same type of drive those working at NASA had when they heard President Kennedy announce his vision for putting a man on the moon and returning him safely home.

Last week, we started a six week series in the Book of Nehemiah as we focus on vision. Over the coming weeks, we are going to learn how Nehemiah led the Jewish people in Judah to rebuild the security wall around Jerusalem. Last week, we talked about how the vision must be inspired by the Holy Spirit and grounded in faithful prayer.

When we left Nehemiah last week, he’d just spent four months praying for God’s help as he planned to approach king (Art-a-zerk-sees) to ask permission to return to Jerusalem and begin restoring the walls. The first eight verses of chapter 2, inform us that God positively answered Nehemiah’s prayer and (Art-a-zerk-sees) granted him permission to return to his home. In fact, not only did (Art-a-zerk-sees) allow Nehemiah to return to his homeland, but he also provided a security detail to help him arrive safely.

READ NEHEMIAH 2:9-20

I. Nehemiah’s Unyielding Focus (2:9-12)

Nehemiah doesn’t tell us what he did the first three days in Jerusalem, but based on his previous commitment to prayer, I do wonder if he didn’t spend those days seeking God’s direction as to how to begin. Again, this is just me wondering because the Bible doesn’t tell us what he did, but remember, He’s just spent the previous four months praying and fasting and seeking out what God wanted him to do. So, it only makes sense that upon his arrival, he would spend a few days saying, “Okay Lord, you’ve allowed me to come here, now, how do you want me to go about rebuilding these walls?” Also, notice in verse 12 where Nehemiah says that he’d “told no one what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem.” No one, except Nehemiah and the Lord knew why God had sent him there, and exactly how God was going to use Nehemiah to rebuild the walls. But here is what we do know. We know that at that point, God had given Nehemiah a task to accomplish and because Nehemiah wanted to please His Heavenly Father, he was totally focused on getting the job done. God had given Nehemiah the ability to see the possibility of restoring the wall.

Our primary focus at Monaghan Baptist Church is to Magnify God, Multiply Disciples, and Mobilize for Missions. I believe that is why this church exists and I believe it is what God has called us to do. Now, it is up to us to begin fulfilling those purposes by following God with laser-like focus as He makes the vision of a better future for our church and community become a reality.

A second aspect about having an unyielding focus on God’s plans is this; we must follow God’s vision, not people’s opinions. (X2)

Look back in verse 10 for a moment. Nehemiah tells us there that “when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, it displeased them greatly that someone had come to seek the welfare of the people of Israel.” What is it that they’d heard? They’d heard that king (Art-a-zerk-sees) had sent Nehemiah back to Jerusalem to help the Jews.

Now, jump down to verses 19-20. After Nehemiah begins casting the vision God had given him to the Jews, he records that once again, “Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they jeered at us and despised us and said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing? Are you rebelling against the king?’ Then I replied to them ‘The God of heaven will make us prosper, and we his servants will arise and build, but you have no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem.’”

Folks, the more we attempt to accomplish God’s vision, the more people will attempt to criticize us or even tell us that what we’re trying to do cannot be done. We must respond to those people the same way Nehemiah responds here. Other wise, we’ll listen to this person’s opinion, but then someone else will have a different opinion, and so on it will go. Like Nehemiah, we must remain focused on God’s vision for us both personally and as a church.

Years ago, when I was a teenager, my youth group attended a summer camp sponsored by the South Carolina Baptist Convention called SummerSalt. SummerSalt was held the White Oak Conference center just north of Columbia. During the afternoons, during our free time, they would allows us to go down to the lake and go out in the peddle boats. Now, understand this, these were not the best peddle boats on the market. Quite often, you may find yourself stranded in the lake because the rudder on the peddle boat stopped working. So instead of heading straight ahead, you would peddle and do nothing but turn in circles.

Whenever a person or an organization revere people’s opinion’s over God’s vision, then all they will do is turn around in circles. God has a plan and purpose for you personally and for Monaghan Baptist Church, therefore, we must pray that God never allows us to lose our focus.

II. Nehemiah Discovers the Facts (2:13-16)

Nehemiah describes what he was doing as he rode around the city of Jerusalem during the night. He starts by investigating the Dragon Spring and the Dung Gate. Then he checks out the walls of Jerusalem and other gates that were burned up during their destruction. From there he rides over to check out the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was so much debris that he and his horse could not pass through. So, he headed to another section of the wall and returned home passing back through the Valley Gate.

Nehemiah had to understand the lay of the land. He had to go and see for himself what he was up against. Then and only then could he begin to formulate a plan to repair the wall and fulfill God’s purpose for sending him there.

As I have continued working on my Doctorate degree in church revitalization, one lesson that has been drilled into me from day one is this; as the Pastor, you have to know where the church has been and where they are now before trying to lead them toward the future. That is why I am so grateful that God allowed me to spend eleven months with Rob White prior to the Lord bringing us to Monaghan. Please understand, Rob and I both believed eleven months prior to your bringing us on board that God was calling us here. But we never assumed it was a guarantee. But during those eleven months, I was able to learn about Monaghan’s past and where you were while Rob was here. God used that time to allow me to get a lay of the land before bringing us to where we are today.

Here’s the deal, it is vital that we know where we are before laying out any plans for the future. Nehemiah understood that to be the case and we must understand it as well.

That is one reason that we try to keep you as informed as possible about what is going on here at the church. My goal is for you to know our financial health, what our children’s ministry is doing, what our worship ministry is doing, what our student ministry is doing, and what our adult ministries are doing. I want you to be aware of decisions that are being made, and what led to those decisions. I want you to feel as informed as possible about Monaghan Baptist Church. Why? Because you have to know where we are, so we can dream together about what might be in the future.

III. Nehemiah Forms A Fellowship (2:17-18)

He’s just returned from surveying the ruins of the wall, and now is the time to make known what God has laid on His heart. His goal is to build a coalition of people who are willing to work along side him to accomplish the goal. Nehemiah paints a picture of their current situation.

1. He Tells Them Why (2:17a)

He says, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins with its gates burned.”

Nehemiah doesn’t jump over their present condition to telling them what they need to do and how they are going to do it. He starts with challenging them to notice their current circumstances. He says, “Look around. It is no secret that the walls that were meant to protect our great city lie in ruins and our enemies are making fun of us because we look foolish to them, and they can attack us whenever they want.”

2. He Tells Them What (2:17b)

He says, “Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer suffer derision.”

After laying out their present circumstances, Nehemiah offers them an answer to their problem. Essentially, Nehemiah is laying out their only option. If they were tired of being seen as fools and if they were tired of living in fear of being attacked by their enemies, then the only answer is to come together and rebuild the wall.

3. He Tells Them How (2:18)

He says, “‘And I told them of the hand of my God that had been upon me for good, and also of the words that the king had spoken to me.” And they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’”

Finally, after informing them of what must occur to rectify the situation, Nehemiah tells them how God’s hand had been upon him from the moment he’d been burdened about the status of the city’s wall. To help them understand exactly how God’s hand had guided him, he tells them about how God allowed him to find favor with the king. I’m sure that he told them, that not only did the king grant him his request, but that he provided horses and soldiers to protect him along the way. And how the king had given him letters that explained who he was, where he was going, and what he was going to do.

Imagine the excitement that must of swelled up in the hearts of the Jews as they began to see the possibility of the future. Some of them have returned from exile, their Temple has been rebuilt, and now God has sent someone to help them rebuild the wall around the city.

Listening to Nehemiah’s testimony about all that God had done to bring them to that point along with being able to see what their lives would look like once the wall was totally rebuilt led to a swelling of excitement so great that the people exclaim, “Let us rise up and build.”

Now, please understand that we’re not looking to build any new structures. We do need to do some renovations in some areas that will help us move forward with accomplishing our vision, but the point of this morning isn’t about building buildings. The point of this morning’s message is to ask you, Can You See? Monaghan Baptist Church, can you see how different our worship would be each day if we not only Magnify God when we’re here on Sundays, but if we Magnify Him every day? Can you see how different our church would look when Multiply Disciples? How different our community would look if we were to rise up and spread the Gospel to those who are far from God? Because if you can see it, then you’ll understand the excitement Jews had when Nehemiah showed them what their future would look like if they rebuilt the walls around Jerusalem.

To help us see the possibilities of our future, let’s take answer the same questions that the Jews answered as Nehemiah laid out the vision to them.

1. What is Our Why?

What is our present condition? Currently, we are a church that is going through the process of being revitalized. As it stands right now, we are much healthier than you were prior to Dr. White coming last year. Currently we are averaging 86 people a week during our in-person worship time. That’s in-person only because it’s hard to determine how many people are watching online. Since August, though, we’ve averaged 95 people per week here on campus. Those are all positives because it shows that people are no longer leaving the church, in fact, God is blessing us with new people and even families who are returning. That is a great indicator of growth.

Another fact is that we are seeing our Children and Student Ministries growing. So much so, that just last week Rita Green was able to start a Children’s Church for our 1st through 3rd graders. Chip has seen an uptick in students on Sunday nights during Back 2 Basics.

Another positive indicator is that our giving has not only remained strong, but we continue to run ahead of the budget in overall giving and in our spending. Currently we are $9,657.93 ahead of the 2020 budget and we’ve spent close to $15,000 less than the budget.

But there is so much more to be done.

While all of these things are wonderful and we will always celebrate them, one number is missing that we must see a rise in if we are going to fulfill everything God wants us to be. That number is our baptisms. To date, we haven’t baptized anyone since I arrived in June, but I firmly believe that will change.

2. What is Our What?

To continue getting stronger we must focus on fulfilling our three purposes of Magnifying God, Multiplying Disciples, and Mobilizing for Missions. We Magnify God when we allow Him to take the lead in our personal lives and here in our church. For this to happen, we need to see that worshiping God takes place every moment of every day and not just on Sundays. When we begin spending time on our own in worship of the Lord, then what we do here in the church will be an outflow of our daily worship. The closer you grow to the Lord personally, the closer we will grow to the Lord corporately.

To Multiply Disciples we need mature believers who are willing to rise up and begin mentoring new Christians and helping them grow in their spiritual journeys. I would love to see every new believer partnered with a mature believer for the first six months of their spiritual journey. Someone to help them learn how to study God’s Word and pray. We need strong M-Groups meeting here at the church for those who prefer a traditional Sunday school environment, while also offering M-Groups in the home to meet the needs of those who desire a more small group environment.

An AWANA Ministry that will help us teach 2-year-olds through 5th grade how to memorize God’s Word and understand why mission are vital to the spreading of the Gospel.

A stronger partnership with the Monaghan En Espanol Church in order to help reach the hispanic community.

An intentional evangelism and missions plan to help us learn how to share the Gospel with those we encounter in our daily lives.

A Celebrate Recovery Ministry to help us minister to those who are struggling with addiction, grief, divorce, etc.

An Academy that meets weekly here in our church for children 2-years-old through K5 and a completely free after school program that will help at-risk elementary aged children with their reading and math skills, while also teaching them the truths of God’s Word, culminating in them being sent home after enjoying a hot meal.

An intentional plan to help struggling churches in our association to return to vitality while also planting new churches all across our State, Nation and World.

Can you see it? Can you see how God can use Monaghan Baptist Church, not just to benefit Monaghan Baptist Church, but His entire Kingdom? Can you see it? Can you see how different things would be if we faithfully carry out these goals? Can you see how many more people we will baptize and how many more people we will help grow in their relationship with the Lord? Can you see it?

3. What is Our How

Just as Nehemiah was convinced that God’s hand was upon him, I firmly believe God’s hand is upon Monaghan Baptist Church. Think back to all this church has been through and see how God has moved even when things were dark. And while we are not yet where He wants us, I believe His hand is on us, guiding us, and as long as we are willing to remain faithful to Him, then I believe we will see Him do greater things through us than we can see today!