The following talk was given at the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship, National Pastors Conference which was held in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia on August 26 -27, 2009. I used the lives of Nehemiah, Jesus and Joseph to highlight four important lessons - transformational prayer, authentic relationship, intentional mission and developing a culture of honour as ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The Spirit of God is among the people of God. What this means is that all the answers to the questions of how to be God’s people in a particular time and place are among the ordinary people in our local churches. This means mission-shaped leaders need to develop the skills to call forth what the Spirit is up to among the ordinary people and in the neighbourhoods where they live, work or attend school.
Intentional means on purpose, deliberate, specific and premeditated.
It comes out of hearing God.
Twice, Nehemiah said "God put it in my heart."
First, it was to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Second, it was to gather the nobles, rulers and all the heads of families to verify their genealogy.
If Nehemiah had only prayed, and not listened to God, Jerusalem's fate might have been vastly different.
Nehemiah demonstrates what it is like to be a godly and decisive leader.
God IS always speaking. Are we listening?
He wants to do so much through us. The God of heaven is intentional!
Nehemiah was an intentional leader.
Effective communication with others, which can mean adapting your style of communication as appropriate for the individual results in understanding and action,
Confidence, both as self-confidence and projecting a sense that you have confidence in the ability of God to call others to carry out assigned tasks.
If you’ve ever felt the mission of the church was overwhelming or you’ve felt inadequate to meet a challenge, you’ll be able to identify with Nehemiah.
He struggled with the same issues that are still with us today: motivation, apathy, fatigue, criticism and opposition.
But the story of Nehemiah offers inspiration and vision.
Without neglecting the practical, Nehemiah shows us how to tackle God’s difficult assignments and survive both the opposition that comes our way and the apathy in some of those we lead.
Out of prayer Nehemiah prepared for the mission ahead of him with holy passion.
He not only shared the vision of a restored Jerusalem with the King but also with the leaders and people of Jerusalem.
He was able to lead them by example and thereby influence others to work alongside of him.
He understood the nature of opposition and was trained as a diplomat to handle conflict correctly.
Nehemiah is purposeful, deliberate, specific and highly organized because he knows, as a leader, the importance of rallying entire families to ‘work and to war’ all at the same time along the entire length of the wall.
Imagine the sense of joy in their hearts, as a people, rebuilding the walls and gates that were so special to them.
The by product of this action was the rebuilding of their identify as the people of God.
Every gate was significant to restoring their dignity as God’s people once again.
He sets in motion his ‘intentional mission’ of rebuilding the wall and restoring the 10 different gates that give entrance to the Temple and its grounds.
Ten is the number of completion of God’s “divine order.”
We are definitely part of the ten since it is the number of completion based on God’s order AND human responsibility.
The number ten is built into our very anatomy. For instance, we have ten fingers to do God’s work and ten toes to walk upright before God.
As we see Nehemiah’s ‘Intentional Mission’ unfolding, see if there is a parallel to today’s church.
He starts where we need to start and finish - at the Sheep Gate.
The Sheep Gate (Neh. 3:1-2) ...is the gate through which sheep were brought into the city to be sacrificed at the altar. Restoring this gate restored their ability to worship God prophetically. It signified the Lamb of God and the starting point, for all of us, at the cross. This is where we die to self-effort and learn to live for Him and through Him. Nehemiah 3:1 - "Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors.”
The Fish Gate (3:3-5) ...is where the fish market was situated. Restoring this gate restored their ability to earn a living. In the ministry of Jesus His primary purpose was to seek and to save that which is lost. We are called to imitate Him and be fishers of men. Is this wall up or down in your life as a leader? Nehemiah 3:3 - "The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate."
vs 5 the nobles of the Tekoa would not stoop to serve the Lord!
The Old Gate (3:6-8) ...refers to Truth that has been established a long time ago - the Word of the Living God that has endured for centuries. Jeremiah the prophet said, "Thus says the Lord: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’" Isaiah prophesied of great ones who would build again the old waste places and restore the old paths. The old way was a good way. All God's original works should speak to us continually. Never dismiss the lessons of your forefathers. Nehemiah 3:6 - "Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate."
The Valley Gate (3:13) ...refers to our trials and tribulations as valleys. But David said, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me." Valleys humble us. Nehemiah understood that unless the Lord builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Nehemiah 3:13 - "Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah repaired the Valley Gate."
The Refuse Gate (3:13) ...each gate that Nehemiah repaired seemed to have a symbolic message for us. Such is true about the dung gate. The people of Jerusalem carried their trash, refuse, and dung out to the Valley where there was a garbage dump. In every one of our lives, there are things that must be disposed. This is the message of repentance. Repentance not only renounces sin, it puts it away. "Dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." Nehemiah 3:14 - "Malchijah repaired the Dung Gate."
The Fountain Gate (3:15) ...Nehemiah repaired the fountain gate near the pool of Siloam. A fountain is a spring. Jesus said, "Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive." The baptism of the Holy Spirit is to the NT what the fountain gate represented in the OT. Nehemiah 3:15 - "Shallum, ruler of the district of Mizpah repaired the Fountain Gate.”
The Water Gate (3:26) ...the water gate required no repairs. That is keen typology for the Word of God. "All the people gathered themselves together ...before the water gate; ...And Ezra the priest ...brought the law before the congregation ...And he read therein ...before the water gate from the morning until midday." Paul said that Jesus Christ sanctifies the church, in part, by the washing of water by the word. The Word of God NEVER needs repair. It is forever settled in heaven. Not one jot or tittle of it will fail. Nehemiah 3:26 - "Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate.”
The Horse Gate (3:28) ...Jeremiah prophesies a day when this gate will be holy unto the LORD and will never be thrown down again. That could only occur in the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ. Anciently, horses represented warfare. Prophetically, four evil horses patrol the earth in the end-time until Jesus returns on His white horse to conquer all armies at Armageddon. The horse gate presupposes a church militant. Child of God, fight on! Nehemiah 3:28 - "From above the horse gate repaired the priests."
The East Gate (3:29)... The east gate, at the temple entrance, welcomes Jesus Christ to return. As Israel went into captivity, Ezekiel saw cherubims carry the throne of God from the temple across the east gate. He prophesied that the eastern gate would later be shut until the Prince returns and enters it. (It has been shut since 1541 AD.) "His feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, ...before Jerusalem on the east," (Zechariah 14:4). The Shekinah glory of the LORD will return to Jerusalem through the east gate as Jesus enters, following Armageddon.
Nehemiah 3:29 - "...the east gate."
The Muster Gate (3:31-32)... "Miphkad" is variously translated "muster, gather, assign, appoint." Merchants gathered in the nearby markets. Workmen aggregated there when David prepared materials for the new temple. Most significantly, crowds of Roman soldiers carried out harsh judgments on Jesus there. The greatest "muster-gathering-appointment" of all is our final judgment. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." What have you profited, if you gain the whole world and lose your soul?
Nehemiah 3:31 - "...the gate Miphkad."
Any attempt for us as followers of Jesus to live a whole, satisfying and coherent life, that is full of ‘intentional mission’, must be centered in the truth that all of life is sacred.
He completes his assignment, celebrates before God and man, and remembers that it is God at work in him and through him.
Our lives are to be lived to the glory of God in all we do.
As pastors, we can easily fall into the trap that our work is sacred but the labourers, businessmen, and professionals in the church are just doing secular work.
All labour that is done by the believer is as unto the Lord and is holy!
Just think of the work being done by the people of God in rebuilding the walls and gates. By it’s very nature, it is holy unto the Lord.
Nehemiah is a government official, a cup bearer in the employ of a foreign king. Then he becomes a project manager and building contractor.
He is appointed and anointed by God to do all of these jobs for the glory of God and the restoration of Israel.
Even though he worked with stones and mortar, his call was to vocational holiness.
Ezra worked as a scholar, a scribe and a teacher of the Scriptures yet it took both of them to restore Jerusalem. Neither job was more or less important or holier than the other.
Nehemiah needed Ezra and Ezra needed Nehemiah.
We need everyone at their station on the wall doing all that they can to rebuild and restore all that is in God’s heart for His church today.
It starts with intentional mission. Living as leaders who are led with purpose, are deliberate in what they do, are specific in their accomplishments and strategic in their thinking to advance the Kingdom of God on earth today!
FOUR QUESTIONS
What do I want you to know?
That ‘intentional mission’ is the expression of God’s heart for every family and part of our community.
Why do I want you to know that?
Because Jesus’ life and ministry was to seek and to save that which was lost. People are eternally lost outside of Jesus Christ.
What do I want you to do?
Compare your model of ministry to the Master. Are you intentionally making disciples, who will make disciples, who will make disciples?
Why do I want you to do it?
Because the church alone is the hope of Malaysia!
ONE THING: Intentional Mission means living your life fully committed to the high calling of being a disciple of Jesus Christ.
