Rev. Don Campbell
Nehemiah 1-5
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019
“A MIND TO WORK”
Nehemiah had received news from Jerusalem that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its gates had been destroyed. He fasted and prayed for days before receiving a commission from King Artaxerxes to go to Jerusalem to lead in rebuilding the walls. God had laid it on the heart of a committee to motivate the people. He had laid it on the heart of one man, Nehemiah 2:12.
The people did not need a better method of wall-building, but a leader who was willing to put everything on the line and a people who had a mind to work Nehemiah 4:6. As with any restoration project or movement, an assessment of the task must be done, and the “vision” must be communicated (2:11-18). The method was simple: each in front of his own house, but not just in front of his own house (3:28-29; 7:3). It was not without opposition that they built, but with God’s blessing, Nehemiah’s leadership, and the willingness of the people to work, the wall was completed in 52 days (6:15-16).
E.M. Bounds asserts: “Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men” (Power Through Prayer). Many “methods” that have been “sold” to the church as the surefire way to evangelize the world. Some of these methods were better suited to peddling magazines door-to-door, but some of them produced some results. However, any method, no matter how good it is, if the men and women using it do not have hearts-on-fire for the Lord, there will be little success.
Some have asserted that the Lord’s commission the apostles to go into all the world and preach the gospel is a commandment for every Christian to practice organized personal evangelism. Often following a door-to-door sales pattern, one was to make X number of calls, secure X number of Bible studies, close X number of sales. We may them for their zeal, but not for their handling aright the word of truth. Consider Nehemiah’s approach and how it harmonizes with Paul’s teachings.
First, we look at Nehemiah: Enemies tried to frustrate the work of rebuilding the wall, so Nehemiah wisely organized the people, assigning half of them to build and half of them to stand guard: “When our enemies heard that we knew of their plans and that God had frustrated them, we all returned to our work on the wall. But from then on, only half my men worked while the other half stood guard with spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. The leaders stationed themselves behind the people of Judah who were building the wall. The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon. All the builders had a sword belted to their side. The trumpeter stayed with me to sound the alarm. Then I explained to the nobles and officials and all the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. When you hear the blast of the trumpet, rush to wherever it is sounding. Then our God will fight for us!” (Nehemiah 4:15-20).
Second,Consider Paul’s description of the church: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:3-5).
Nothing could be clearer: We do not all have the same function. On the other hand, nothing could be clearer: We all have a function. One thing we must all have is a mind to work.
CONNECTIONS
1. Could one do more harm than good if one tried to perform a function for which they were not equipped—in other words, an arm trying to do the work of a leg or an ear trying to do the work of a mouth?
2. In one sense, all are personal evangelist, for we are lights—or should be—shining in a dark world. By what did Jesus say God is glorified and how did Dorcas practice this? (See Matthew 5:16 and Acts 9:36)
