“Let us start rebuilding.” (2) (Nehemiah 2:17-18)

“Let us start rebuilding.” (2)

 

 

[Nehemiah 2:17-18]

 

 

Pastor Rick Warren, in Chapter 3 of his book “Purpose Driven Life,” “The Driving Force of Life,” says that hundreds of situations, values, and emotions can guide our lives, and he identifies five of the most common. said: (1) Many people are driven by a sense of guilt, (2) Many live by chewing on the bitter root of resentment and anger, (3) Many live by fear, (4) Many people are driven by material things, (5) Many people live for the approval of others (Warren).  If we add one thing besides these five wrong motives of life, we can say that Pastor Aiden Tozer said, 'Live led by wrong habits'.  In other words, the above five wrong driving forces of life have become a habit and are so accustomed to us that we are living in ignorance, not even knowing what we are being led to.  For example, even though we have been in the church life for a long time, are we living with a sense of guilt, chewing on the bitter root of resentment and anger, living with fear, living with material things, or living in church to be recognized by others.  It means that we have lost the ability to discriminate.  What is it that makes you and me come here today to worship God?  Guilt?  Are we worshiping with the bitter root of resentment and anger?  Is it because we are afraid that something will happen if we miss the Sunday service?  Do we want to receive material blessings?  Or are we here to worship God in order to gain the approval of others?  Or do we habitually come and worship?

 

Focusing on the words of Nehemiah 2:17-18, I would like to think about motivation under the title “Let us start rebuilding (2)”.

 

Second, we must be motivated.

 

Look at Nehemiah 2:17 – “Then I said to them, ‘You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire.  Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.’”  What is motivation?  Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Chonnam National University, Department of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Clinic, Chonnam National University Hospital, Young Choi says: ‘Motivation is something that causes a person to act.  It refers to an internal psychological state that initiates an action and continues the action once it has started.  All human behavior begins and continues because of this motive.  To put it simply, the spark of desire, ‘I want to do it’, is the motivation.  A motivating principle is to keep in mind that children hate pain and seek pleasure.  You need to give them a chance to solve the problem on their own.  If there is a problem in studying, rather than instructing students how to study, they should ask, ‘What would you like to do?’ and encourage them to find the answer themselves and put it into practice.  Encouraging independence builds motivation (Internet).  How did Nehemiah motivate the inhabitants of Jerusalem?  We can think of it in 4 ways (white):

 

(1)    Nehemiah made his fellow feeling known to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

 

Nehemiah's succinct and direct speech reveals that he considers himself to be one of the inhabitants of Jerusalem.  This is his use of the word “we” when addressing the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as seen in his intercession, identifying himself with his own people, “I confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s house, have committed against you” (1:6).  Look at 2:17 – “…  “You see the trouble we are in: ….’”  Nehemiah did not pretend to be an official dispatched from the palace of Susa and said, ‘I am here to help you, since you look so pitiful.’

 

(2)    Nehemiah made the inhabitants of Jerusalem face their trouble.

 

For example, as a pastor, I first look at the bad situation in our church in advance, and then challenge my church members to face this difficulty we are silently praying about.  But the scary thing is that if I live a religious life mechanically or habitually, I get used to bad situations in the church and don't feel the seriousness of them.  Pastor John White said: ‘The failure to act is not because we see difficulties, but because we do not see the resources to overcome them.  And the closest resource is the leader himself, who advances despite difficulties’ (White).

 

(3)    Nehemiah challenged the residents of Jerusalem to rebuild the city of Jerusalem together.

 

Look at Nehemiah 2:17 – “… Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace.”  This is my personal concern: How can I get the saints to take action?  Pastor White's words come to my mind: ‘They (people) act only when a vision sparks in their hearts an irresistible desire for something greater than themselves, or a desire to realize what they have never dared to do’ (White).  What is your irrepressible desire?  What is the desire welling up in your heart to realize what you have never even thought of?

 

(4)    Nehemiah shared his personal testimony with the residents of Jerusalem.

 

Look at Nehemiah 2:18 – “I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me.  They replied, ‘Let us start rebuilding.’  So, they began this good work.”  Nehemiah shared with the residents of Jerusalem how he had been helped by God's gracious hand through his encounter with King Artaxerxes before coming to Jerusalem.  Nehemiah shared with them that King Artaxerxes, who did not want to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, was not only happy to send Nehemiah to Jerusalem because of the gracious hand of God, but also enjoyed giving letters that Nehemiah demanded, so he is now in front of the residents of Jerusalem.  Nehemiah's personal burden for Jerusalem and his experience of God’s gracious hand persuaded the residents of Jerusalem that the time had come to rebuild the city of Jerusalem.

 

                     How did the residents of Jerusalem react when Nehemiah motivated them in this way?  Look at Nehemiah 2:18b – “…  Let us start rebuilding." So, they began this good work.”  This is it!  When the vision (rebuilding of Jerusalem) and motivation presented in the leader's sense of mission were given, those who followed the leader shouted, “Let us start rebuilding.”  Then Jerusalem could be rebuilt.  The same is true of the church, which is the body of the Lord.  The Lord builds the church, which is the body of the Lord, because the Lord inspires the leader with a sense of mission, and the leader gives vision and motivation to those who follow.  The Lord's word of promise to our church is Matthew 16:18: “… I … will build my church ....”  Our church is the Lord's church.  And the Lord's church is being built by the Lord.  Aren't you experiencing that the Lord is building His church?  Aren't you seeing church leaders who are being helped by God’s gracious hand like Nehemiah?  When I look at myself, I cannot deny the faithful and gracious hand of the Lord who is strengthening a weak person like me.  So, while talking to my wife this week, I confessed this: ‘Your husband is not strong.  I am quite weak, but the power of Christ is showing.’

 

                Pastor James Packer said, 'All true leaders are master motivators'.  An example is Winston Churchill of England during World War II.  Here is an example of his speech to the nation when France was falling and Britain's strength was at its lowest: ‘I have nothing to support.  Only blood, toil, tears and sweat. …  What are our goals?  I can answer in only one word: Victory – Victory at all costs, Victory in spite of all horrors, victory, no matter how long or difficult the road may be.’  And later, when the invasion was almost certain, he gave this speech: 'We must defend our island at all costs.  We must fight on the shore, we must fight on land.  We must fight in the fields and we must fight by the roadside.  We also have to fight in the hills. We must never surrender’ (Packer).