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“From the Heart to the Head”
Text: Nehemiah 2:1-10
September 3, 2006

Introduction to the Scripture Lesson

God’s servant Nehemiah shows us how the renovation of all the broken places in life starts with the heart. Last week we noted that he let his heart be broken – as God’s heart was – over the ruinous state of his people. But instead of rushing out to do something, his first response was to drop to his knees in prayer. And he modeled for us, an effective way to pray: Adore God for his greatness and goodness, Confess your sins, Thank God for His faithfulness, and Supplicate (or ask) God for whatever will be needed to accomplish God’s will.

This morning, Nehemiah shows us a few more creative principles and practices that will be needed if we are to be “builders of eternity.” Let’s turn to chapter 2:1-11.

Sermon

Every great renovation or renewal movement starts with the heart – with a passion to make a change, right a wrong, or respond to a need. However, the greatest change-agents will channel their passion through the mental disciplines of patience, planning and tact. God begins by igniting our heart’s desire to be part of His creative, compassionate work – in the home, the school, the marketplace, city, church, or public square. But our passion won’t accomplish much if it’s allowed to flame out of control in some wild display of anger or brainless enthusiasm. Our passion needs to be channeled from the heart to the head. In this chapter of Nehemiah’s story, he models for us, the mental disciplines of patience, planning and tact.

Consider first, the enormous PATIENCE Nehemiah shows before embarking on his mission. The Bible says, “In the month of Nisan in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was brought for him, I took the wine and gave it to the king.” Note the time frame here: Chapter 1 tells us that it was “in the month of Kislev” or November when Nehemiah first heard of the needs in Jerusalem. But he didn’t approach the king with his request to be released from his duties, until the month of Nisan – about four months later. Why the delay?

I think I can imagine why – you see, my own faith journey required patience and waiting for God’s timing. I first surrendered to the call to ordained ministry when I was on my Walk to Emmaus back in the spring of 1992. It happened right here in this sanctuary! After resisting for years, I knew I finally had to say yes – to DO something. Now in my fervent desire to be obedient, I may have been tempted to pack my bags and head off to seminary immediately. But I had to be patient – there were many things that I needed to “set in order” before I could move forward.

First, I wanted and needed my husband’s full support, which didn’t happen overnight! It took time for David to recover from the initial shock of my announcement that I planned to pursue seminary and ordination. Our daughter, Sarah was entering her first year of middle school, and David was still so young – I needed to be home with my children a while longer. We had suffered a tremendous financial setback the year before, and were forced to sell our home in Troy and move into the parsonage in Huntington Woods.

With so many changes all at once – I knew we needed time to “regroup.” So for the next 18 months, I tried to get things in order at home. I took a few seminary classes at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary here in Detroit and learned from my best teachers – the pastoral staff here at Metropolitan. Meanwhile, I intentionally took time to cultivate a deeper intimacy with God in prayer.

The point is, some changes are too important to just jump in with a knee-jerk reaction. We need to be wise in the way we respond. When that is the case, godly patience isn’t a matter of ignoring or forgetting what needs to be done – it is a matter of arranging your heart, soul, mind, and relationships, so that when you DO act, your movement is focused and your actions bear fruit. Sometimes, the best course of action is to patiently await God’s perfect timing!

Alongside patience, builders of eternity need a PLAN OF ACTION. Jesus said, “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?” And Nehemiah understood the benefit of careful planning. In order to safely travel to Jerusalem, he needed diplomatic clearance – documents authorized by Artaxerxes. He also required military protection – an army of soldiers to accompany him – because traveling between Susa and Jerusalem would take him through territory that was akin to modern-day Beirut or Lebanon.

There were other challenges to plan for, as well. The book of Ezra chapter 4, tells us that Artaxerxes had once halted the renovation of Jerusalem, fearful that the Jews could pose a serious threat to his rule there. So Nehemiah knew he would need to convince the King to reverse his previous position. He would also need to secure a staggering volume of building supplies and workers to complete the task. In short, Nehemiah needed a plan of action.

We all do! As you discern how God is calling YOU to be a “builder of eternity,” you might ask yourself these questions: “What planning is needed for me to address the need to which God is calling me? Who are the key people from whom I will need approval or alliances in order to go forward? What specific protection or assurance will be important? What policy changes may be required? What resources need to be gathered or mobilized in order to make a good start?”

I’ve been asking those – and lots of other questions since I was appointed to Metropolitan in July. As I explored your recent history, I discovered that you’ve completed three different “visioning processes” in the last 12 years! Each time, you hired a consultant to help you gather information. Each time, you conducted focus groups and polled the congregation. Each time you produced a mission and vision statement, along with a list of core values, which were posted for everyone to see – “This is who we are. This is what we hold dear.”

It’s no surprise to me that they are all remarkably similar. They all talk about valuing our diversity and being committed to the city. They declare that we are Christ-centered and open to the movement of the Holy Spirit; that we value our Wesleyan heritage; that we appreciate a strong music ministry, are committed to local and world missions and are dedicated to developing mature disciples of Jesus Christ.

What does surprise me is how infrequently those vision/mission statements have been used to shape the life and ministry of this church! I’m convinced that if we are to be effective builders of eternity, it won’t be enough to know who we are – we’ve also got to know where we’re going and we need a strategic plan how to get there!

Jesus has given us our destination – with his “Great Commission.” He says that our purpose as a church is to “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.” Jesus also reminds us that the communal life of his disciples should be ordered in the spirit of the “Great Commandment,” which is to “love one another. Just as I have loved you. . . ”

Friends, I hope to see the day when the Great Commission and the Great Commandment become the standard by which we measure every decision, every action, every program, every staff position, every dollar we spend and every strategic plan we make. There is no greater purpose, no higher vision than to “develop mature disciples of Jesus Christ and send them out to share Christ’s love with the world.”

But if we are going to be effective in carrying out our purpose, there’s one more thing we’re going to need: PERSONAL TACT. God’s servant, Nehemiah would never have gotten his mission underway, were it not for his tactful approach to the king. He knew it wouldn’t be enough to get Artaxerxes’ half-hearted permission to leave Persia – Nehemiah needed the King’s active and generous sponsorship. And how he got that, is a study of courage and grace.

FIRST, Nehemiah sought a heart connection with the King, before he asked for anything. During the course of his work, his countenance showed Artaxerxes that Nehemiah was feeling a profound burden. He wrote, “I had not been sad in his presence before; so the king asked me, ‘Why does your face look so sad when you are not ill? This can be nothing but sadness of heart.’" Nehemiah says, “I was very much afraid.”

Now, it’s always a bit frightening to reveal your innermost concerns, but for Nehemiah, it was downright dangerous! In those days, to bring unhappy feelings into the presence of the King was punishable by execution. No wonder Nehemiah was afraid – yet despite the danger, he took courage and shared what was breaking his heart.

Then, note that Nehemiah showed profound respect for the king BEFORE he asked for help. You and I are more likely to try to convince others of our importance when we need something; we try to “sell” the significance of our agenda. But Nehemiah showed respect for his listener before pushing his agenda.

Then he sought to link his heart’s concern, with the inherent concerns of the King. Nehemiah appealed to the relationship that most anyone feels for their hometown and relatives when he asked, “Why should my face not look sad when the city where my fathers are buried lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?"

After the King knew Nehemiah’s heart, had received his respect, and understood that Nehemiah’s concern was reasonable, Artaxerxes asked, and “What is it you want?” It was only after he was invited to do so, that Nehemiah dared make his request: “If it pleases the king and if your servant has found favor in his sight, let him send me to the city in Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it." He then went on to share his entire plan – and what he would need to accomplish it. And Artaxerxes granted every single one of Nehemiah’s requests. Instead of being an obstacle to Nehemiah’s mission, the king became an ally in fulfilling it.

You and I have the great privilege and opportunity to help God carry out his purpose and plan – to build his eternal kingdom on earth. As we move into the future together, let us learn from the great builder, Nehemiah, who opened his heart to the things that break God’s heart; who mourned the magnitude of human need and prayed for the magnificence of holy supply; who waited patiently, planned thoughtfully and conducted himself tactfully as God’s purpose and plan was accomplished through him. Then let us recommit our WHOLE energy as a church, “to develop mature disciples of Jesus Christ and send them out to share Christ’s love with the world.”

Rev. Tonya M. Arnesen

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