Sun 10 Sep 2006
September 10, 2006 - You Can Make a Difference
Posted by Chuck Holton under Sermons
Pastor Halsey preached this morning on “The perspective of a difference-maker.”
Nehemiah 1
The Perspective Of A Difference Maker
Nehemiah 1:1-4
”You Can Make A Difference” is the new series.
”The Perspective of a Difference Maker” is today’s message.
Let’s turn to the OT book of Nehemiah. (I & II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah)
Nehemiah 1. Read verses 1-4.
One day while I was a seminary student in Tennessee, I received a call from a pastor friend in. There was a young man in his church who had recently graduated from a university, and was considering the call of God upon his life. He was considering—among other options— vocational ministry…full-time Christian service.
My friend called to let me know that John was going to be visiting our seminary in a few weeks, and asked if I would show him around campus, introduce him to the dean.
As we walked together on campus, I discovered that this bright young man was engaged. His fiancée was more than a little uncertain about the idea of full-time ministry. In fact, she had asked him:
“John, when you become a man of God, will we still have fun?”
I’ve put a statement on the screen. I want you to tell me if it is “true” or “false.”
YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE.
*True or false?
*What are the implications of a recent survey that found that 86 percent of
Americans say that are dissatisfied and unfulfilled in the vocation or career
they have chosen?
*How does knowing Jesus impact the way you answer it?
The last decade has brought an avalanche of Christian books on the subject of calling. One of the best is, “The Call,” by Os Guinness. He defines “call” like this…
“A call is the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that
everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have, is invested
with a special devotion to his summons and service.”
Rick Warren has contributed to the discussion with an acrostic, “SHAPE.”
He says, there are five factors that influence who you are.
S— Spiritual Gifts—I. Cor 12:4, 7- What am I gifted to do?
H— Heart—Phil 2:13; Rev 17:17— What do I love to do?
A— Abilities—Exo 31:3; I Cor 12:6— What natural talents and skills do I
have? They often differ from spiritual gifts.
P— Personality—I Cor 2:11—What does my personality and dominant
temperament best suit me to do, and to serve?
E— Experiences—
1. What spiritual experiences have I had? Heb 5:12-13
Times with the Lord…spiritual background…training…expertise.
2. What painful experiences have I had? Prov 20:30; II Cor 1:4
These should impact your life, your ministry, your perspective,
even your career choice:
Who can better relate to an alcoholic than a person who has
been an alcoholic… someone who has been through
…a Still Birth
…miscarriage
…a business failure
…traumatic disappointment
…or success.
God says, “I never waste a painful experience.”
3. What educational experiences have I had? Prov 4:13
Specialized training? (Computers)…accounting…vocational
training.
4. What ministry experiences have I had? II Cor 9:13
This helps you to find your ministry in and through your church.
Some of you have had years of experience in ministry in former
churches. Others, you just getting plugged in…beginning to
grow…The are just getting your arms around the idea of ministry.
I want to make three statements about your calling.
1. Calling is bigger than vocation.
It is all encompassing; It deals with the questions, “What is God’s purpose
for my life?” How am I going to fulfill that purpose?”
Calling isn’t nullified by unemployment, sickness, disability or retirement.
2. Calling gives your life direction.
You don’t waste time on the bench trying to figure out where you fit in the
game.
3. (A sense of) calling gives you perseverance when life gets tough.
*William Wilberforce, a devote Christian, devoted his life to the abolition of
slavery in Britain. Through years of opposition, intimidation and threats
on his life from the slave trade, Wilberforce endured because he knew he
had been given this task by God.
*…Moses, Job, Mr. Lincoln, Winston Churchill, endured incredible stress
and opposition because of a clarion sense of God’s purpose and calling.
These three statements are a roadmap to the life and calling of Nehemiah,
a Jew living and serving in the court of Artexeres I, the King of Persia.
He isn’t a preacher, or a missionary; he is a government employee. He says in verse 11, “For I was the king’s cupbearer…”
That was much more than an attendant or a butler. , the king placed his very life in his cupbearer’s integrity and taste buds. Quality control wasn’t the issue. In that culture, poisoning food was a very common means of rubbing out one’s enemies. It still is.
Some time ago, ABC News honored King Hussein, of Jordan, as their “Man of the Week.” The report noted how fortunate the King has been through the years to escape many assassination attempts—Including poison placed in his food, and acid in nasal spray!
If the wine or pizza was tainted, the cupbearer would be the first to know it. Nehemiah’s wife never asked “how did your day go,’ when he got home from work. If he came home, it had been a great day!
He was the king’s confidante; in fact, we know of one incident in the ancient times where the Cup Bearer was actually in the Number 2 position in the Empire.
What is the lesson? The first principle: God has his people in unbelievable times. And the more difficult the times, the more impacting the testimony.
Nehemiah had a risky job, but the upside is: can you imagine what his package and perks must been? One can imagine…
…A six-figure salary
…8 weeks vacation
…Government retirement
…A two-wheeled limo- with drivers
…Government housing with a bevy of servants
…body guards
In terms of security and power, Nehemiah had it made in the shade! Nehemiah is comfortable!
One day, Josephus says, he is taking an evening walk when he meets his brother, Hanani, and his friends who had just returned from the Holy Land.
Underscore three words in the middle of verse 2, “I ask them…”
Why should he care? Why would he be interested?
…He’s 800 miles away!
…He wasn’t responsible for the problem.
Nehemiah asked because…
…When you love God, you love what God loves—God loved his people
languishing in Jerusalem.
The venerable old preacher Vance Havner told about how his mother loved cats but his father couldn’t stand them. After she passed away, one night the family was sitting in front of the fireplace talking. The old cat came in, tail up in the air, very happy, and started rubbing against everyone in the room. When he got to dad, he picked him up, held it in his lap and stroked him all during the conversation. Havner said,
“Dad still wasn’t fond of cats but mother had been fond of them and dad
loved mother.”
Nehemiah loved God, and he loved what God loved!
Second, when you know God, you are a part of The Mission—To further
God’s purposes in lives, in the church, in the world!
Nehemiah couldn’t “do his own thing,” because he knew he was connected to these people… he in deep community with them.
Third, Nehemiah cared because…
…He knew that God had a purpose in giving him a position of
influence. He could do something, when most people couldn’t.
Influence and resources are never accidental or incidental. When these are placed in your hands— kingdom advancement and impact must never be taken lightly.
Then, Nehemiah cared because…
(fourth) Difference Making Often Begins with a sense of “Holy
Discontent.”
One of my heroes growing up was this guy: Popeye the Sailor Man. Popeye had a saying. When things were going wrong…
…When Brutus was harassing Popeye’s girl friend Olive Oyl
…When Wimpy was in trouble
…When Sweetpea was being menaced
Popeye might be passive for awhile, but then he would say,
“That’s all I can stand, and I can’t stand no more. I’ve gotta do something,
and I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll eat spinach, if that’s what it takes.”
I read this week that in the 1930s, when Popeye made his début, spinach sales went up 33 percent. Popeye is credited with single-handedly saving the spinach industry, because he said:
“I’m done sitting around. I’ve got to do something.”
*In verse 3, Neh cared enough to ask
*In Verse 4—He cared enough to weep
*In verses 5-10—He cared enough to pray
*He cared enough to volunteer—V11.
I have been pleading you all summer to join with the staff in deepening the infrastructure—the foundations of our ministry. Why is this important? Let me cite some examples.
Technology is now moving us from cassettes to CDs. Paul has pleaded for help to make the transition. I see him at the office on Mondays making CDs.
It’s a ministry that could be in the hands of 200 other people. The tape ministry isn’t about Cassettes vs. CD, it about vision. Who cares enough o ask? And then to be apart of this ministry beyond the four walls…!
Did you see this picture in the local newspaper? A local, prominent attorney planting flowers out in front of his church.
The August issue of WV Executive magazine, featured an article titled, “Building Faith In The Capitol City.” It about the growth and vision of a Charleston church, which God is using in significant ways to be make a difference for Christ.
Maybe you’ve heard of it—Bible Center Church. The senior pastor, Shawn Thorton and his family are former members of our church.
*In 9 years, the church has grown from 900 Sunday morning attendance to
nearly 2000. Many precious people have been saved.
*Some time ago, the church purchased 96 acres, by faith, in the Southridge
area, and is in phase one of a building program—a 2,500 worship center, to
be completed in December 2007. The total project is: $14.2 million dollars.
* The essence of the article is an interview with the associate pastor of
administration, Lee Walker, a former chairman of the GBCS board, and
long-time friend of our church. Quote:
“The church has grown rapidly in the past nine years and we have a
saying around here that we adopted: ‘as fast as we grow big, we must
grow small….We understand that there is a possibility of people
becoming just lost in the crowd,” says Walker. “Our goal is not for people
to come to church, sit for an hour, listen to a sermon and go home and
not hve their lives affected by a church experience. So we try to provide
many opportunities for people to get plugged into small groups…There
are many advantages of having the resources of a large church but we
don’t want to lose the intimacy and the accountability that comes with
being connected to a small group of people.”
One of our families, who has close ties with Bible Center told me recently of some of the visionary things the people are doing in the city. Earlier this summer there was a big race held in Charleston. A group from the church got cases of bottled water and just handed it out at the race to runners and spectators. “Thank you. Where are you from? We’re from Bible Center Church, out on Corredor G.”
Something happens in their family and they pick up the phone, or they are looking for a place to go to church on Easter, and someone says, “Remember at the race. What was that church those guys were from? Bible Center Church. Let’s check it out.”
I have been driving the same route between my home and the church for almost 18 years. I pass several churches. Each summer for maybe twelve to fourteen years, I have passed an older man mowing grass at one particular church. I don’t know his name. But at some point over the years, when he is mowing near the road, we started throwing our hands up at each other.
Several years ago, I was having my truck serviced—When low and behold—who was there, but the grass mowing brother!
I introduced myself. I mentioned seeing him mowing grass (a large area) each summer. “Yes,” he said with a smile, ““That’s my ministry.”
As I talked to him, I recognized that he’s not one the pastor would call on to fill the pulpit, he probably wouldn’t be comfortable teach a class or singing in the choir. But he found his nitch; he has found his ministry.
And when he’s rewarded at the judgment seat of Christ for making a difference by mowing grass, I’ll be the guy in the back cheering the loudest!
My friends, God has called us to be a congregation of difference makers! He wants us to break bearers of…
…apathy
…indifference
…the status quo
…to embrace new ministries
…new people
…new ways and methods of reaching people
…To be possessed (I mean that!) by a “Star trek,” spirit, to go “where we
have never gone before.”
Imagine circles, three feet in diameter all over the platform. There is one around the podium, which represents kingdom ministry we are now involved in; all the circle represent ministries we have envisioned or embraced yet. Ministries, like MOPS, that are waiting to be birthed by a team of people who care enough to ask! People possessed by a holy discontent!
Have you bothered to look around in Beckley lately?
Have you walked through our buildings during the Sunday school hour?
Commander Matt has been very specific about the needs in AWANA this year.
Have you asked about the needs of the Sunday school?
Have you ask about children’s church and the nursery—So mom’s and dads
can come and hear the gospel, and to listen without distraction. Do you
care?
Have you asked about the youth ministry, the music ministry?
Do you care that we need people to do the work of God?
Ignorance is not bliss…it’s ignorance! An adage says, “What you don’t know won’t hurt you.” What you don’t know is hurting all of us!
Nehemiah cared enough to ask!
He cared enough to weep!
He cared enough to fast!
He cared enough to pray!
That’s always the starting place when you want to be a difference maker..
…you ask God what he wants done.
…You ask God to allow you to be a part of what he wants done.
…You commit your self to do it!
…You do it!
There came a day when Neh asked for a leave of absence, packed up his stuff, and headed down the road toward Jerusalem.
A new judge was just elected in a county election. He got up before a small crowd to make his acceptance speech. He said,
“I wish to thank the 424 people who promised to vote for me. I wish to
thank the 316 people who said they did vote for me. I wish to thank the
47 people who came out last Thursday to vote. And I want to thank the
26 people who actually did vote for me.”
Of the 424 townsfolk, how many were difference makers?
As important as it is, Nehemiah’s question is not the most important question. You find a man asking that question in the midst of an earthquake in the Book of Acts. He came to Paul and his friend Silas and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved.”
And Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved…and your house.”
God is interested in families be saved, and going to heaven. Has you asked that question? The answer is the same: If you will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, you will be saved.
The Perspective of a Difference Maker.