By Pastor Greg
Across the road from my Grandma's house there was a partially built home. The foundation had been dug, the basement walls had been built, but nothing more. The house stayed that way for years; poured basement floor and cinder block basement walls, nothing more. Eventually I asked Grandma Jones why the house was never finished. She told me that the person ran out of money and could not complete the project.
The image of that unfinished house always comes to mind when I read, But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!’ (Luke 14:28-30). Of course Jesus is talking about discipleship here; about the commitment and the sacrifice a person must make in order to truly be a Christian. But I believe the same can be said for those who have become a Christian. As a Christian, the Lord expects commitment and sacrifice on our part to do the work of the Kingdom as well.
One day, as Jesus was traveling through the land, He noticed how distressed the people were. They seemed lost and confused; a people without hope. So turning to His disciples, Jesus says, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields" (Matthew 9:37-38). In other words, Jesus points to the problem, then tells His disciples that they need to get involved. They should not just be praying for revival, but they should be praying that the Lord might call them to get actively involved in reaching and touching the lives of these people. Instead of sitting idly by doing nothing, Jesus tells His disciples to pray for an opportunity to become a player, not a spectator; to become a servant, not a consumer.
This calling and attitude is not something new. As God looked at the remnant of Jews living in and around Jerusalem, seeing their dismay and hopelessness, He planted the idea of service in Nehemiah’s heart. And after praying, Nehemiah was willing to make sacrifices, willing to submit, and willing to interrupt his life in order to be God’s servant. He was committed to follow wherever God might lead him. Nehemiah says of himself, “The former governors, in contrast, had laid heavy burdens on the people, demanding a daily ration of food and wine, besides forty pieces of silver. Even their assistants took advantage of the people. But because I feared God, I did not act that way” (Nehemiah 5:15).
I believe Nehemiah was one of those rare individuals whose commitment to God was greater than anything else in his life. Nehemiah was not someone who looked out after his own interests. He considered the needs of others as more important. Nehemiah was a servant, not a consumer.
As we wrap up this series looking into the leadership of Nehemiah, there is one last thing I'd like to point out about his ministry. As I said, Nehemiah was a rare individual, especially by today’s standards. Here was a man who made personal sacrifices in his life in order to accomplish what God had placed within his heart. He had counted the cost, yet was still willing to allow his life to be interrupted in order to fulfill what God was calling him to do. He was a giver, not a consumer.
Because of Nehemiah’s example of service and commitment, the people of Jerusalem came together and rebuilt the wall of that city in only 52 days. An incredible feat that happened, I believe, because the entire community joined with Nehemiah and got involved. The entire community was willing to make the commitment, make personal sacrifices, and allow their lives to be inconvenienced. But not only was a great work completed for the community, there was revival in the hearts of the people as well. (Read Nehemiah 9:1-4).
During Jerusalem’s six hour church service, no one seemed to grumble. No one seemed to be inconvenienced. How many confessing Christians do you know who would tolerate a six hour Church service? How many Christians do you know who are willing to inconvenience their lives for the good of others?
The Church in North America seems to be withering and dying. The life inside many congregations is parched and dry. Many Christians in America are thirsty for revival. There is a deep desire to see people become committed to God just like in the good old days. But why is revival so seldom seen? I believe it’s because most congregations are plagued with a consumer mentality instead of a servant’s heart.
Have you ever noticed how inconvenient Church has become to some individuals? Have you noticed the self-centered attitude of some Christians? They grumble and complain when their life is inconvenienced. When asked to serve, many Christians today complain about how they are far too busy to get involved. Of course, their schedule cannot be interrupted. Oh, they will participate in Church activities only if there is nothing else better to do. But don’t ask them to give up some of their time. The North American Church is plagued by Christian consumers; people who are involved with a church because of what THEY get out of it.
Paul called the Philippian Church to “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others” (Philippians 2:3-4). This, my friend, is the cost of discipleship; where we make sacrifices and commitments not just for the Church, but for those still living in darkness. However, instead of training disciples, today’s Church has been raising spectators. We know this is true because of what many Churches are doing today; creating an atmosphere that is attractive to those looking for a church to meet their needs or starts and ends according to their schedule; that offers the programs and a worship style THEY want. Some Christians even withhold their giving simply because THEY don't like what's happening in THEIR church. For many Christians in our land, Church has become a spectator sport. There is no sacrifice. There is no giving. There is no “doing for others”. There is only “me”. Is it then any wonder that the North American church seems to be dying? Is it any wonder that revival is seldom seen today? And why should we expect it to happen, especially when there are so many taking instead of giving? I believe this is why we don’t see revival. Few are willing to serve. Few are willing to give. Very few are willing to make any sacrifice at all. This is why the example of Nehemiah is so important for us. He reminds us that to be a Christian is to be a servant obedient to God when He calls us and where He sends us. And where there are servants, there will be revival.
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