A MASTERPIECE OF MINISTRY

Before an artist paints a picture on the canvas, he creates it in his mind. The shape of a sculpture takes form in the sculptor’s thoughts, before a hammer and chisel go to work in his hands. In the same way, God inspires a vision in the hearts of the pastors and the people to guide the church into the future. God wants to paint a masterpiece of ministry in His church. He wants the picture to form in our minds to move us forward together in achieving of the vision.

How do we get such a vision? How can we be sure that it is not just something we’ve dreamed up or borrowed from some other church, but is God’s will for us? What is required for a masterpiece of ministry? Nehemiah has lessons for us—timeless truths that still apply today.

A masterpiece of ministry is determined in part by THE NEED AROUND US.

“The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel, that Hanani one of my brethren came with men from Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who had survived the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. And they said to me, ‘The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.’ ”  ‬‬(Neh. 1:1-3).

This is THE SITUATION REQUIRING VISION. The people of God were in a bad way. The situation was bleak. God often shows us a need as the initial step in giving us a vision to meet that need. Although this principle transcends time and space, its application will be in time and space—a universal truth that has a local application.

What do I mean by that?

There is a reason God has placed a local church in a particular place. Its ministry is to be specific to the strategic opportunity presented in that spot of soil.

What needs do we see around our church field?

John Wesley said, “I look on all the world as my parish.” Indeed, the church’s mission involves a global mandate, but in reaching to the uttermost parts of the earth, we must not shirk our Jerusalem and Judea and shrink back from our Samaria near by. What particular needs are in your church community, crying out to be addressed? Your church family does not live at its current address by accident.

A masterpiece of ministry is inspired by THE GOD ABOVE US.

“So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said: ‘I pray, LORD God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘ “If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.” ’ Now these are Your servants and Your people, whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and by Your strong hand. O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear Your name; and let Your servant prosper this day, I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.’ For I was the king’s cupbearer.” ‬‬ (Neh. 1:4-11).

He is THE SOURCE INSPIRING VISION. Our tendency, oftentimes, when faced with a need, is to run away from it, because we think the need is too great, or we run out and try to fix it, thinking we can handle it. We should do neither, but instead run to God and hear from Him.

There are many things we can do after we pray, but nothing until we pray. The vision that God has for His church is not a product of our best reasoning or the expectation of others—rather, it comes down from above. Acts 16:6-10 gives us an example:

“Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Now, the vision we have for what God is calling us to do will not likely be so dramatic in its delivery as that, nevertheless, it will be the Holy Spirit guiding us through Scripture, summoning us to meet the need we have found in His direction and power.

Then, the masterpiece of ministry develops by THE PASSION WITHIN US.

“And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, that I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never been sad in his presence before. Therefore the king said to me, ‘Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart.’ So I became dreadfully afraid, and said to the king, ‘May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?’ Then the king said to me, ‘What do you request?’ So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ tombs, that I may rebuild it.’ Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting beside him), ‘How long will your journey be? And when will you return?’ So it pleased the king to send me; and I set him a time. Furthermore I said to the king, ‘If it pleases the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph the keeper of the king’s forest, that he must give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel which pertains to the temple, for the city wall, and for the house that I will occupy.’ And the king granted them to me according to the good hand of my God upon me.” ‬‬ (Neh. 2:1-8).

This is THE PASSION SUSTAINING VISION. What was in Nehemiah’s heart registered on his face. Even though it was punishable by death for a cupbearer to enter the king’s presence with a sad countenance, he just couldn’t help it. Not only did he disclose the need to the king, but he boldly asked for help to do the job.

He took a deep breath—a whispered prayer—and then he “spilled the beans.” Not for a moment did he waver. There was a fire in his soul—a passion for his God and his people that inspired Nehemiah.

If we are ever going to achieve what God has for us, it will be that a sacred fire burns within. We can’t just go through the motions. It can’t be business as usual. We can’t play church. The Spirit of God must stir us. He will, if we will but open the door and make Him welcome!

Creating a masterpiece of ministry requires a passion fueled by the needs of people and inspired by a vision from God because we will most certainly engage THE ENEMY AGAINST US.

“Then I went to the governors in the region beyond the River, and gave them the king’s letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me. When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.” (Neh. 2:9-10).

This is THE PROBLEM FACING VISION. Here we have the first, but not the last time, these two are found opposing the work of God. One way we can know we are moving forward in God’s will is that we run head on into the devil! When heaven is at work that’s when it may seem all hell breaks loose.

Satan knows there is only one force that can defeat him, only one power on earth that can set those free whom he holds in fetters of sin, dragging them down to hell. That power is the Lord’s army—the militant, triumphant church of the living God! We may wrongly conclude when facing problems that we are out of God’s will. The fact is that often confirms it. Every God-inspired vision is met with significant opposition.

Let us be cautious about running roughshod over church members who may be slower to catch the vision than those in leadership—being out in front and bringing people along are essential to what leaders do. Just because someone has questions and is wrestling with doubt doesn’t mean we should view them as “tools of Satan.” Yet, having said that—we must move forward in the face of opposition graciously, yet firmly, if the need is there, God’s Word aligns with the way to meet that need, and the Lord has built a passion in us to do so.

Let me expand on that by noting how a masterpiece of ministry comes to the canvas of our community via THE INVESTIGATION BY US.

“So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. Then I arose in the night, I and a few men with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; nor was there any animal with me, except the one on which I rode. And I went out by night through the Valley Gate to the Serpent Well and the Refuse Gate, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down and its gates which were burned with fire. Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King’s Pool, but there was no room for the animal under me to pass. So I went up in the night by the valley, and viewed the wall; then I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned. And the officials did not know where I had gone or what I had done; I had not yet told the Jews, the priests, the nobles, the officials, or the others who did the work.” (Neh. 2:11-16).

This is THE LEADERSHIP FORMING VISION. The vision first forms in the heart of one man who will lead the way: Nehemiah. He doesn’t consult with anyone else at first, for he has already heard from God. Instead, Nehemiah investigates the task at hand. He is forming a plan for how to get the job done. Once he gets direction, then he is going to influence some others who will help lead the effort.

John Maxwell has said—and every church leader needs to recognize—“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Churches can be crippled by failed leadership. “A leader knows the way, shows the way and goes the way,” (Maxwell). He or she will investigate the opportunities, know the resources, and come up with an action plan. He will then inspire others to follow. Getting “buy-in” from the people who will do the work is crucial at this juncture.

A masterpiece of ministry is painted by THE DEDICATION OF US.

“Then I said to them, ‘You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.’ And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?’ So I answered them, and said to them, ‘The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.’ ” ‬‬ (Neh. 2:17-20).

There must be THE LAITY EMBRACING VISION. Nehemiah challenges the people with the vision of building the walls of Jerusalem. They respond by dedicating themselves to the work. Despite the continued negativity of a few, they positively stated their belief in God and dedication to the vision’s fulfillment.

What do we see happening at our church when “the hand of God” is upon us? Can you see a worship experience where a church building is packed, as the people gather in an atmosphere saturated with the presence of God—a place of exuberant praise? Can you picture an evangelistic thrust that brings people to faith in Jesus and then brings them forward every service to confess their new faith? Could you visualize a fellowship that is so warm and winsome that deep friendships are formed that offer encouragement in overflowing measure? Do you dream of a day when people’s lives are genuinely transformed by the Word of God—disciples who mature and have an impact on their home and workplace and school? Have you imagined more people discovering and developing and deploying their spiritual gifts—a breadth and depth of leadership that moves the church forward as member after member becomes a minister? Do you dare conceive of a church where failing marriages are restored and struggling marriages are strengthened—where men become the spiritual leaders of their home and church, so that a generation of children and youth grow up to impact their world as new missionaries and pastors and church leaders?

Then, the church we attend will be a global impact church! That is the indisputable Great Commission our Lord has given and sent the Spirit to enable us to fulfill.

You might scoff and call me a dreamer. That’s okay. Nehemiah was, and look at his statement of faith that became fulfilled to the glory of God, “The God of heaven Himself is the One who will prosper us.”

Amen?

Amen!