We’re in the midst of studying through the book of Nehemiah on Sundays. I’m really enjoying it immensely because I sense that God is speaking to our congregation through this book. God knows well what we’ve been through as a church, what condition we are in, and to where He wants to take us. Someone asked me the other day, “What is our vision as a church now as we move forward?” I simply replied that the vision that God had given to NCFC from the beginning still remains the same, “Make disciples of all nations and glorify God.” No matter who’s at NCFC, the original vision that was given by God to NCFC should continue on because the head of NCFC is always Jesus Christ. People change but Jesus never changes.
Yes, we’ve been experiencing some glitches recently, and some portions of walls and gates have been broken down in the city of NCFC. But God says He will restore the broken down walls and gates of NCFC. Then, how does He want to do it? I truly believe that God is revealing to us how He wants to restore us through the book of Nehemiah. It’s almost like He is giving us a manual which provides step by step procedures which we can follow to resolve problems.
What really fascinates me is that Nehemiah was a layperson like you who lead the task of rebuilding the broken wall of Jerusalem which seemed to be an insurmountable task. How was he able to do it as a layperson? Nehemiah caught God’s vision because his heart was focused on God’s heart. And he cared so much about the wellbeing of Jerusalem that he was weeping and praying for the restoration of Jerusalem. His heart was so focused on it.
Do you see the broken walls and gates of NCFC? Can we do the same as Nehemiah has done? I would really like to invite all of you to come out to our Saturday morning prayer and monthly praise and prayer meetings to come together and cry out and pray to our God for the restoration of our church. As Nehemiah began to cry out to God, He began to move and opened the door. Do you know our prayer can move God? Prayer moves God because it is partnership with God. It is not an act of forcing God to do what is against His will. But as we ask for what He wants to carry out, He begins to move. Does God want to restore NCFC? Is it His will? I have no doubt it’s indeed His will. Then, let us cry out together and reach out to Him.
God also mobilized everyone to do the work of restoration through Nehemiah. God knows one person cannot do the restoration alone. Can you imagine Nehemiah and a few others trying to do all the repairs of the broken walls and gates of Jerusalem? God wanted everyone to come and work together. Everyone needs to be involved. I talked about “divide and conquer” last week. Everyone gets an assignment. It’s much easier and faster to do it together.
When we work together, everyone feels they played a part in the restoration and contributed to make a difference. Also, God’s blessings and rewards are shared. God wants to bless as many people as He can. And in fact, if one or a few people do everything, those few may end up taking God’s blessing away from others. In the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-7) describes God’s desire to bless as many people as He can. A landowner went out again and again to hire workers for his vineyard from early in the morning until the late afternoon. Verses 6-7 say, ‘“And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, “Why are you standing here all day without work?” They said to him, “no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You go and work in the vineyard too.””
How about you? Are you still standing without work because no one asked you? The vineyard at NCFC is in need of many workers who are willing to come and work. The harvest is plentiful, and workers are few. Come and let us work together!
From Pastor Neil’s Heart
March 16, 2014