Introduction
This is a sermon on Nehemiah 11-12 even though we read Ephesians 4 together. The reason for that is that Nehemiah 11-12 is a great illustration of Paul's teaching on what ministry is in its broadest definition. It is appropriate to use the words ministry and minister in a historical sense to describe the ministry of word and sacrament. There is nothing wrong with using these words to describe what the pastor does. It would be, however, contrary to Scriptural teaching to limit those words to what the pastor does. I. The Pastor Is a Minister Who Equips Other Ministers to Ministry, 11-12. A. Jesus Christ himself, as the ascended Head of the Church, gave to his Church shepherd-teachers, 11. 1. For each stage of the development of the church, Christ gave her what she needed – first apostles and prophets, now evangelists and shepherd teachers. 2. Notice that not all in the church are called by Christ to be in these offices – some are given. B. These shepherd-teachers that are given to the Church by Christ have a very specific task, 12. 1. They are given to the Church so that they can equip the saints – those who have been set apart by faith in Jesus Christ. a. Equip – "to make someone completely adequate or sufficient for something—'to make adequate, to furnish completely, to cause to be fully qualified, adequacy." Louw-Nida b. It means to help someone to become thoroughly prepared for a task. 2. The task that the shepherd-teacher is equipping the Church to do is service. a. The shepherd-teacher is training the Church unto, toward,forthe work of the ministry. 1) The word translated ministryin the NKJV is the common word for service used throughout the NT. Mt. 20:28– … just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. 2) Notice that it is unto theworkof serving that the shepherd-teacher is to equip the saints. b. The best way for a pastor to serve the sheep in the church is for him to feed them well with the Word of God so that they can be equipped to do what God calls them to do. 3. When the saints are equipped to serve and start serving, the Body of Christ will be built up. C. The work of service that is executed by the saints is to last till we all become like Christ, 13. 1. As members of the Body of Christ, each one of us has a spiritual gift that is to be exercised for the building up of the body. 2. All of us, all of you, must have the mindset where each of you sees yourself as entrusted by God with a vital ministry for which you will give an account. 3. Nehemiah 11-12 will help us see the practical application of this truth. II. Why Are All These Names Here? A. Nehemiah 11 & 12 is another one of those portions of Scripture that you look at and think, "Why did God put this in his inspired Word?" B. From 11:3-12:26 there is a lengthy register of the names of the Jewish citizens. C. These two chapters include: 1. The families who repopulated Jerusalem, 11:3-24. a. Lay families in Jerusalem, 11:3-9. b. Priests in Jerusalem, 11:10-14. c. Levites, gatekeepers, and temple servants in Jerusalem, 11:15-24. 2. The families who lived in the cities of Judah and Benjamin, 11:25-36. 3. The priests and Levites of Zerubbabel's return, 12:1-9. 4. The high priests, 12:10-11. 5. The priests and Levites after Zerubbabel and Jeshua, 12:12-26. 6. The dedication of the wall, 12:26-43. 7. The organization of temple support, 12:44-47). D.All these names are here, recorded for all eternity, because these people had willing hearts to do whatever God wanted them to do, and each functioned in their own unique capacity. 1. As we examine the section that lists the names of the Jewish citizens, four factors emerge that help us define what service/ministry involves. 2. The section dealing with the dedication of the wall reveals four requirements for the person involved in service/ministry that should be evident in every believer. III. What Does Ministry Involve? A. Ministry involves a willingness to live where God wants you to live. 1. Nehemiah got the wall built, but there were not many people living in the city, 7:4. a. Reasons people may not have wanted to live in Jerusalem. 1) When the people returned from the exile, the walls were torn down and there was a lot of rubble from the previous destruction and it would have required a lot of work to clear the rubble and restore the city. 2) As the former capital, the restored city would have been a major target for enemies to attack. 3) At first there wasn't much economic opportunity there. 4) It was far easier to settle out in the country and farm your own plot of ground. b. So most of the people had been content to live in the surrounding villages scattered across the land. 2. But Nehemiah knew that if the city was to be strong and prosperous and if the worship in the temple was to thrive, the city had to be well populated with citizens who could defend it in case of attack. a. As 11:1 notes, the leaders lived in Jerusalem, but most of the people did not. b. So, they cast lots to pick one out of ten who would move to Jerusalem. c. It seems that some who were not chosen volunteered to move, either in place of or in addition to those who drew the lot, and those who stayed in the villages blessed those who were willing to move to Jerusalem, 11:2. 1) Those who moved had to pull up roots where they were already established, give up their plot of land in the country, and move into what quickly became a somewhat crowded city. 2) Based on the number of men who moved to the city (3,044), there were about 10,000, conservatively estimated, who moved into the city, with a total population of 100,000 Jews in the land. 3) Although it was inconvenient and less desirable in some ways to move from the country to the city, these people were willing to live where God wanted them to live in order to serve his purpose. 3. One of the first considerations that any servant of God should think about is, "Where does God want me to live?" a. Should I stay where I am? b. Should I move somewhere else? c. And the basis for these questions is, "Where can I better serve God and his church?" B. Ministry involves serving in the sphere in which God calls you to serve. 1. All the people listed in chapter 11: a. The heads of families in Jerusalem, 11:3-9; b. the priests, 11:10-14; c. the Levites, 11:15-18; d. the gatekeepers and temple servants, 11:19-21; e. various officials appointed by the king of Persia, 11:22-24; f. The people who lived outside the city, 11:25- 36. 2. Each of these groups served in his respective sphere for the effective operation of the city and the nation. a. Those who lived outside of the city had to farm the land to provide food for those in the city. b. Each had a different role, but each role was vital to the entire cause. 3. In the Body of Christ, God has gifted us in different ways, but every part is vital for the overall functioning and health of the body, 1 Cor. 12:12-30. a. We should learn to coordinate and complement each other without friction or rivalry. b. Problems often develop in the Body because the eye looks at everyone from the perspective of the eye only, and the hand views everything from the perspective of the hand. c. But the eye should value the hand and the hand should value the eye. 4. Someone astutely observed that the things in the church that people usually complain about reveal the person's area of spiritual gift. a. For example, if a person says, "This isn't a caring church," she is probably gifted in mercy. 1) The one who says, "This church doesn't emphasize outreach enough" is probably an evangelist. 2) The guy who says, "This church is a disorganized mess" is probably a gifted administrator. b. The solution is not for the gifted person to sit around criticizing others for not doing what probably is not their area of gift, but rather to get involved in the areas that he thinks need fixing! 1) The merciful person should help us all become more merciful by showing mercy. 2) The evangelist should show us how to reach the lost. 3) The administrator should help us get organized. c. God has made us all differently on purpose, and we only work as a body when we work in our sphere and affirm others in their sphere. C. Ministry involves a willingness to serve without acclaim. 1. Most of these names mean nothing to us. a. Some aren't even listed by name, but are lumped together with all of their kinsmen as a group, 11:12-14. b. Zabdiel is named, 11:14, although he means nothing to us, but 128 of his kinsmen go unnamed, except to say that they were valiant warriors. c. But 128 valiant warriors were no small part of a secure, safe city! 2. The church needs many people like that in order to function well. a. This place would shut down in a week if we didn't have many who labor faithfully behind the scenes. 1) You never see them up front, but they do what God has given them to do. 2) They are like your vital organs: you never see them, but when one of them shuts down, you are in big trouble! b. Note two things about these people: 1) Faithfulness, not fame, is the issue. a) Motive is what matters. b) If we serve to try to gain esteem and recognition, we are doing it for the wrong reason. c) We will get angry when others do not give us the strokes that we are seeking. d) If you desire fame and recognition, you will get exactly that and only that. Mt. 6:1– Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 2) God notices even if others do not. a) God saw fit to record these names that mean absolutely nothing to us. b) But they meant something to God, and that is what ultimately matters. c) If you are getting upset because no one in the church notices all that you do, your focus is in the wrong place. d) Look to the Lord, whom you are serving. e) And remember Hebrews 6:10: "For God isnot unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in thatyou have ministered to the saints, and do minister." D.Ministry involves people first and programs second. 1. These long lists underscore the importance of people to God. a. Each one of these strange, hard-to-pronounce names represents a person whom God loved and knew. b. Jesus said that the good shepherd "calls his own sheep by name" and that his "sheep follow him because they know his voice" (John 10:3, 4). c. The Christian faith is all about personal relationships, first with God, and then with one another (the two great commandments, Matt. 22:37-40). 2. Programs should always be the vehicle through which we minister to people. a. If a program is not doing that, we need to axe the program and replace it with something that ministers God's Word to people. b. Apart from programs, if you have the proper ministry mindset, you will seek to relate to people – ministry takes place though relationships. 1) That threatens some people. 2) It is safer to work in a program, or to be involved in maintaining the building, where you can keep your distance from people. 3) But God isn't saving buildings or sanctifying programs. 4) He is saving and sanctifying people, and He does that through His people reaching out in love to others. E. Thus ministry involves a willingness to live where God wants you to live; to serve in the sphere where God wants you to serve; to serve without acclaim; and to put people ahead of programs. IV. What Are Some Requirements for Service/Ministry? A. Do you need seminary training? Do you need to know Hebrew, Greek, and theology? 2. Those things may be helpful in some spheres of ministry. 3. But they are not the main thing. 4. The main requirement for being involved in ministry is that your heart is right before God. B. In the section describing the dedication of the wall (12:27-43) and the organization of temple support (12:44-47), there are four aspects of a heart that is right before God: 1. A servant (= minister) needs a pure heart, 12:30. a. Before they dedicated the wall, the priests and Levites purified themselves, the people, the gates, and the wall. b. The Old Testament rituals for purification symbolize the fact that our hearts are sinful and God is absolutely holy. c. Those who serve him must be cleansed from all known sin of thought, word, and deed. 1 Jn. 7-9– But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us oursins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 2. A servant needs a worshipful heart, 12:27, 31-43. a. The dedication of the wall was a time, not to praise Nehemiah, but to praise the Lord. 1) Nehemiah organized two choirs to walk in opposite directions on top of the wall until they converged at the temple. 2) They sang praises to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres. b. God doesn't want your work if he doesn't have your worship. 1) To worship God is to rejoice in and extol his great attributes and actions. 2) It is to reverence God above all else. 3) True worship is not just outward, but inward. It engages the mind, the heart, the will, and the emotions. 4) Whether you are cooking a meal for someone in the church or preaching a sermon, it ought to flow out of a heart of worship for God. 3. A servant needs a joyful heart, 12:43. a. As you read the account of this dedication service, you get the distinct impression that these people were enjoying themselves! b. Note the emphasis on joy in 12:43: it is mentioned four times in that verse, and again in 12:44. c. It says, "the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off." 1) It wasn't their song that was heard from afar, but their joy. 2) Outsiders heard their joy! a) We live close to Cheney Stadium where the Tacoma Rainiers play. b) We can hear from our house when the home team hits a home run or has a great defensive play. c) In the same way, people should be able to walk by the church and think, "Something good is going on in there!" d) We need to get so caught up with what God has done that his great joy radiates from this place! 4. A servant needs a giving heart, 12:44-47. a. These people gave joyfully so that God's work could go forward. 1) They saw the importance of worship at the temple and they were willing to give the necessary offerings to support the many priests, Levites, gatekeepers, and singers who served there. 2) The people did it because they "rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served," 12:44. b. Have you ever been attracted to a stingy, tight-fisted person? 1) No, we are all attracted to warm, generous people who freely share what is theirs with others. 2) If God is going to use you to minister to others, you need to have a generous heart. i. You will see the importance of supporting those who are called to serve God on the mission field. ii. You will see the importance of supporting the local church. iii. Just before Peter exhorts us to use our spiritual gifts in serving one another, he says, "Be hospitable to one another without complaint," 1 Pet. 4:9. Ministry/service should be the mindset of every Christian. If you know Christ as your Savior, you are in the ministry now! But may I ask, Are you ministry-oriented? Is that your mindset? Are there people in your schedule on a regular basis? When you gather with God's people, are you thinking about others and how you can show the love of Christ to them? I heard about the son of a pastor who also decided to become a pastor. The dad told the son, "Keep close to God, keep close to men. And bring God and men together." That's ministry! God's people should stay close to him and close to people and bring the two together.
http://olympiabp.blogspot.com/2018/10/a-ministry-mindset-nehemiah-11-12.html
|  | Send olympiabp blog feed to OBPC Podcast |  |
Unsubscribe from these notifications or sign in to manage your Email Applets.  |
