Pastor’s Weekly Note, January 20, 2012
Through our series in Nehemiah, we’ve defined vision as looking at what is and seeing what should be, what it could be. And we’ve stated all along that as a follower of Christ, one of the crucial parts of our vision needs to include the command to “Go and make disciples”.
We cannot be separated from that, and I’m praying through our series that we all would have a crystal clear understanding of our part in fulfilling the Great Commission.
How can you be used to influence people where you live, people where you work, people that you regularly rub shoulders with, people you come into contact with through the ministries we offer, for Christ?
Nehemiah has shown us the vision God placed on his heart… to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It was an enormous task, and yet he served an enormous God, so what is seen as impossible through earthly eyes is nothing but possible through the working of God in people that want to honor Him and rally around Nehemiah’s unifying vision.
Remember Nehemiah’s words to the people in Nehemiah 2:18: “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.’ So they strengthened their hands for the good work.”
The people have bought into the vision and move full steam ahead to complete it. That’s what chapter three is all about… that’s what we’ll see this Sunday.
I must admit, as I read though Nehemiah, part of me is in awe of what is accomplished. Here was a defeated people accomplishing something that is impossible.
The other part of me, at times, is filled with jealousy. I couldn’t think of a better descriptive word, so let me try and define what I’m going through as I read what happens.
Why isn’t that us?
Why aren’t we all involved in Connecting people with Jesus, Building disciples who follow Jesus, Cultivating leaders who walk as Jesus? Why are we all involved in the process of making disciples who make disciples?
Are we too busy?
Do we think we don’t have a part to play?
Do we not care?
Some have said I’ve been going through this series because of some of the possibilities of selling or leasing the community center. Some have said I’m doing this series because of our financial issues or commitment priorities we face.
None of that’s why.
I’m working through this series because it is where we should be. Yes, there are many similarities to what we’ve experienced with purchasing and renovating down the street. Yes, the buy-in factor demonstrated by the Israelites far outshines our buy-in level for ministry here. But what’s important to understand is this whole look at vision comes out of what we’ve been looking at prior… who we are in Christ and the work the Holy Spirit has done in us.
As we unify under the vision God has given to us here, we can’t but help express to any around, the change that has taken place in us through Christ. We’re not doing church simply because that’s what we’ve always done.
As people that are no better than anyone else, we gather together to worship our great God and to allow the Christ in us to minister to any we come into contact with. We all have our short-comings, our failures, our faults, and a common unifying factor that enables us to learn, love and share together… we are complete in Christ.
Nehemiah gives us a great picture of how the vision that God gave was used to unify a people to accomplish something thought to be impossible.
What we have going on at Calvary isn’t impossible… but is possible only through the working of almighty God in the lives of ordinary people.
Are you ready?
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Russ
