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Chapter five. Today, picking up in verse 14 and what we’re going to be talking about this morning is about passion, but not just passion. It’s also a passion of influence. See some there are some people in this world like Richie who’s not with us this morning. Hopefully he listens to this message later, but who are passionate? Richie, being passionate about Ohio State football because you’re passionate doesn’t mean that you’re also influential. Passion in particular. Things could be seen as crazy in a lot of ways, and I consider being an Ohio State fan somewhat crazy. Likewise with the guy on the screen this morning. You can tell from his desire to run that he was either pretty proud or pretty passionate about what he was interested in in life. But being passionate is one thing, but being able to be influential with your passion is another. And I think that’s God’s desire for our lives is to be influential with the passion and the desire that he’s given us to be close to him and encourage other people along with that walk. Nehemiah was one such man who was passionate about the desire that God had put in his life. So much so that his passion began to have an outward countenance and appearance as he went before a king, and declared to the king the passion that God had placed in his heart. And he went to the nation of Israel and declared that passion and that passion began to influence.
Nehemiah felt a passion to rebuild the city of Jerusalem, a city that had laid desolate for 140 years. He was so moved by his passion that it tells us. For months Nehemiah fasted and he prayed, and he wept for the city of Jerusalem. He carried God’s heart for that city in Nehemiah chapter five, beginning in verse 14. It is an interesting point within the text of Scripture, because within the first five chapters of Nehemiah, all that we’ve examined in the life of Nehemiah is within the span of one year. And here in chapter, chapter five, it begins to reflect within this chapter towards the end of Nehemiah’s ministry in Jerusalem. I believe Ezra is the one who wrote the book of Nehemiah, and Ezra took excerpts from from the diary of Nehemiah. He placed this book together, and in this chapter it gives us an interesting insight into the desire and heart of Nehemiah as he went forth to the city of Jerusalem with the desire of rebuilding after Babylon had conquered and destroyed the people there. And so, reflecting back on Nehemiah’s passion and his influence as a leader, it begins to reveal to us through this narrative some characteristics that we can examine as people ourselves. If we’re interested in being influential with the passion that God has placed within our hearts. The first thing that we want to note this morning, and according to the text we’ll see in just a moment, is that the influential person, as a person who is consistent over time, the influential person is a person who is consistent over time.
It’s a person that understands what the gift of time is all about. And Psalm chapter 90 and verse 12, it says this teach us to number our days, alright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. It’s a prayer that comes from the Psalm asking God for us not to take advantage of the time that he’s given us, but to live for that moment. Henry David Thoreau said this as if it could, as if you could kill time without injuring eternity. See, time to us is a gift. We’re always complaining that our days are few, but acting as if they have no end with the raw material of time, anything is possible. But without it, nothing is possible. There was a survey done by Mutual Life Insurance Company asking parents to rate their inability to spend enough time with their children as the greatest threat to the family and all the family surveyed. Nearly half of the families in that survey suggested that the amount of time that they spend with their children is the threat to their family. But they went on to ask the family if those families were to receive a pay raise that would require them to be further away from the home, would they take of it? And of those 50% of the people who who said they didn’t spend enough time with the family, two thirds of them said they would spend even less time with the family if that meant a pay raise.
Time is important, and how you influence within that time that you have is important. So an influential person understands the power of a moment in time. You see, in this passage of Scripture in verse 15 and 16 of chapter five of Nehemiah, it’s an understanding the value of time. It’s not about just what you do with your time. It’s about what you choose not to do with your time as well. In verse 15 it says, but the earlier governors, those preceding me. This is Nehemiah speaking. He said these governors placed a heavy burden on the people and took 40 shekels of silver from them, in addition to food and wine, their assistants resistance also lorded it over the people. And so the leaders previous over the city of Jerusalem, previous to Nehemiah, came in. And he, he they taxed the people to death. And they took both food and wine, and they took the silver from the people. And not only the leaders, but also the leaders. Assistants did the same thing. And it says, but out of reverence for God, I did not act like that. And those moments of time where Nehemiah had the opportunity to take advantage of the people, his choice was to not do so, because Nehemiah’s focus was the concern of what God wanted to accomplish on behalf of the nation of Israel.
He says in verse 16, instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All my men were assembled there for the work, and we did not acquire any land. Nehemiah tells us that the business of governing this area, governing even, is a word. Nehemiah chose not to take advantage of the people with food and wine, without with taking their silver. But he also chose not to buy the land, to dive into taking care of, of real estate. But what Nehemiah focused his attention to was what was important in that moment in time. And that was building the wall for the nation of Israel. It’s about what he did and what he did not do. It tells us in verse 15 and 16. Not only did Nehemiah see the importance of just that moment in time. He saw the the long term of things. It’s not just about the moment of influence in which we have. It’s about being faithful to the day to day call that God has given us. It’s about being influential over the duration of time because it tells us in verse 14. Moreover, from the 20th year of King Artaxerxes, when I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, until this 32nd year, 12 years. Neither I nor my brothers ate the food that allotted to the governor. Nehemiah became an influential person because he was willing to pay the cost over the duration of time He was influencing the lives of people because he was using time on the side to think about in our particular lives.
God has called us to specific ministries, and during those opportunities of ministries, there’s many times where we face adversity, and in those moments, we’re faced with the opportunity to stand the test of time or to tuck tail and run for the first five chapters of Nehemiah. We’ve seen plenty of opposition in the moments of those times, and in the duration of the time of Nehemiah. Could have just packed up, took his ball, and gone home. He had to come before a king who literally held the life of Nehemiah in his hand. So much so that Nehemiah declared in chapter two of the book of Nehemiah that he was very afraid. He goes into the city of Jerusalem after the king’s approval. When he arrives into Jerusalem, he receives opposition from those who surround the city of Jerusalem. When he gets and begins to minister actually with the within the people of Jerusalem, the people of Jerusalem begin to oppose one another and the cause of building the wall, because they’re taxing one another and they’re charging enormous amount of interest upon one another. And so he’s he’s fighting battles both inwardly and outwardly in a moment. Within that time, Nehemiah could have given up. But a person of influence stands the test of time.
And think about where we are in our relationship with God today. The opportunities that we have to come and worship. The only reason we’re allowed before the presence of God. The Bible tells us, is because God is long suffering towards us, not wishing any would perish, but all would come to repentance. And God’s heart for you and his ministry to you is seen over the duration of the time, as he is patient in your lives. See, God is about conforming us to the image of Christ and that is a process in our lives. Bible tells us to walk in the spirit in Galatians chapter five. It’s a journey in which we take with him and understanding how God works within our hearts and our lives, and I consider being an influential person for Christ what it needs. My understanding is the ministry that God calls me to need to be persistent in the moments of time, and consistent over the duration of time and the area in which God has led me to lead. Ephesians 516 says this to all believers, make the most of your time, because the days are evil. Not only do we need to look at the influence that we have as persons over the course of time, and the understanding that we need to carry that in the middle of opposition? We must be faithful throughout time to see God at work in the hearts and lives of people.
Nehemiah was also a man who made sacrifice. An influential person understands that sacrifices need to be made repeatedly. We talk about coming into the city of Jerusalem, and we talk about meeting the needs of the people and rebuilding the wall. We’re talking specifically about the ministry that you’re involved in, in your life. What it’s going to call and require you to do is to make sacrifice, but not a sacrifice one time only. It’s a sacrifice that remains consistent throughout your life. This week I was watching Christian News on television and they were interviewing George Clooney. And George Clooney is a fairly good looking man, so I had to look how I needed to look and see why George Clooney was on Christian TV for a minute. And so they’re interviewing George Clooney over Sudan, and they begin to ask George Clooney why he was in in Sudan and what was the need there that he felt so obligated to go. And he was happened to be in the same area that these Christian news reporters were filming in the area of Sudan. If you know anything about the country of Sudan, the country of Sudan is torn between the north and the south. It’s a war torn country and the north is a muslim part of the the country of Sudan and the south is a Christian part of the country of Sudan and the northern part of the Sudan runs the government of the whole country.
At one point it became so bad that the the northern part of the country, the Muslim side, told the northern people that if you go to the South and you capture these Christian people, the South will allow you to have their homes and you can sell them as slaves or keep them as slaves for yourself. And so the country began to feud and go into war, and some of that has since died down a little bit. But the country is again reaching tension. Another war is about to break out. And George Clooney was there because he wanted to raise awareness for the cause before massacres and genocides started to take place, so that we could go in and be a part of that. But George Clooney, upon his interview, began to share about people of sacrifice and the influence that people have sacrificed was making, even in his own life. I don’t know if George Clooney is a Christian or not, but he began to share about the Christian American missionaries who were there in Sudan. He said, you know, I came to Sudan for a week and I kind of lived a little bit luxurious while I was there compared to most people. But after that week was up, I got to leave. And here I am on this platform, declaring to you the need that we have to to be a part of Sudan to stop this genocide from taking place. But there are Christian missionaries that are there each and every day, and their faith is so real, it can be so evidenced in their lives, and it becomes so real to us because they are enduring the consistency over time of making the sacrifice to be there for the people of Sudan.
He specifically mentioned a 21 year old girl who was in a town with no running water, no electricity. He said, Today I’m leaving this place, but tomorrow she’s going to be here for this cause. Her sacrifice he talked about meant something to her. It wasn’t a sacrifice that she’s made once. It’s a sacrifice that she makes every day, repeatedly. It’s a sacrifice that even as we sit in the luxury of this building this morning, she’s making at these very moments. An influential person is a person who makes repeated sacrifice over the course of time. It’s a person who gives up what they’re entitled to. You look in verse 15 and just recognize what Nehemiah was able to receive as a leader in this position, it says. But the early governors, though preceding me, placed a heavy burden on the people and took 40 shekels of silver from them. In addition to food and wine, their assistants also lorded it over the people. But one of the one out of reverence for God. I did not act like that. Instead, I devoted myself to the work on this wall. All men were assembled there for the work.
We did not acquire any land. Furthermore, 150 Jews and officials ate at my table, as well as those who came to us from the surrounding nations. Each day, one ox, six choice sheep, and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor, because the demands were heavy on these people. We talk about sacrifice. It’s about giving up what you’re entitled to. So the world’s perspective on leadership says this. If I want something, I have every right to get it because I deserve it. After all, I’m entitled to it. I’ve earned the respect, so I demand it. I’ve earned the parking spot so no one’s going to stop me from having it. It will pay me according to my education and experience. I’ve been here for 20 years, so you’ll have to do what I say. I’ve earned the right to be heard. I’ve earned the right to do certain things while you can. Leadership model from the world. What Nehemiah shares in this passage of scriptures. Though he has every right to do certain things. He gives up those entitlements for the sake of the cause that God has called him to do. Nehemiah gave up his rights of having his financial needs met by taxing the people, not only to give up his rights by having his financial needs met.
He also began to pay for the ministry in which he was conducting out of his own pocket. In verse 17, it tells us Nehemiah is working, but not only is he working, he’s paying himself from his his own financial account to do the work. And not only is he paying his own self to do it, he’s also paying other people, other leadership people in leadership positions. He says, these people are coming to my place and out of my own pocket. I’m paying them because of this sacrifice, and the cause that God has brought us to is worth it. Sacrifice happens without personal gain. Nehemiah understands that the glory of God is a greater cause to live for than his own personal needs. We talk about being an influential person in the place that God has called us to do. One it takes a devotion of our time, but two it takes the sacrifice out of our own personal gain to begin to influence the lives of other people. I’ve noticed. Oftentimes, I’ll turn on my television set and I’ll see some garbage Christianity on my screen. Just because somebody calls it Christian doesn’t make it Christian. But I’ll listen to these people share with a congregation. And everyone who’s listening on television is, if you just pay me and have enough faith, then everything will be happy. All your needs will be met. You give 10% to God, and God’s going to bless your life with 100% of those finances.
If you empty your bank account this morning, then God’s going to fill you with all all the things that you need. You’re going to have health, wealth, and prosperity for the rest of your life. And can I just let you guys know that that’s garbage? And if that were true, Jesus’s example for our lives carries no weight for us. And Jesus was born in lowly Bethlehem. He was born in a manger and he lived in Bethlehem. Excuse me. No. He didn’t. Nazareth. Excuse me. Born in Bethlehem. Lived in Nazareth as a poor man. The Bible tells us that when he went to the Garden of Gethsemane, he carried stress upon his shoulders. So much so that he began to sweat the drops of blood. Jesus, literally on a few occasions in his ministry, carried a broken heart when he went to the tomb of Lazarus. It says Jesus wept when he went into the city of Jerusalem, and he saw people who weren’t following him. It tells us that Jesus wept. He even had to have occasions where he told his own friends, get behind me, Satan! Jesus endured hardships. A leader of influence understands that the position that God has placed him in might cause them to carry hardships. The Apostle Paul, on many occasions in declaring Christ and following after him with everything that he had, was beaten and thrown into prison at one point. It tells us in Scripture that he was sick, almost to the point of death.
Sacrifice happens out of personal gain. Nehemiah knew in order to be a leader of influence and not just look passionatly crazy. As we saw the runner up on the screen, he had to make that sacrifice, and he had to spend that time on behalf of the people to begin to influence them. Not only do we have to become people of sacrifice, we also have to become people of compassion. If we know anything about our lives is that life can be hard, life can be messy, and we as people need something to lean on at some particular time in our lives, if not all the time. Someone who understands our needs. Can I tell you one of the things that draws us so closely to Jesus is that Jesus being the God that he is becoming flesh, becoming a man living here on earth understands our needs. It tells us in Hebrews chapter four and verse 14, for we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who is tempted in every way, just as we are. Yet he was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. An influential person is a person who carries compassion. He understands the needs of others, tells us in Exodus 34.
Compassionate and gracious God, he is slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. One of the beautiful things about drawing near to God is that with open arms, he’s ready to receive us. We have a compassionate leadership. It becomes an influential leadership because when you’re leading people and they understand that you’re a person that cares for their very well-being and for their heart, you begin to to reach out and minister to them because they draw near to you and understanding that you care for their needs. An influential person compassionately understands that the the needs of the people are more important than the task at hand. We look at building the walls of Jerusalem, the city of Jerusalem. We see in the life of Nehemiah as Nehemiah understood the importance of getting that wall built. But God just wasn’t building a wall there. He was building a people who were to carry forth the glory of his name into the future. And so Nehemiah had compassion upon their needs. In verse 18, it tells us this about Nehemiah and understanding compassionately for them each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some poultry were prepared for me, and every ten days an abundant supply of wine of all kinds. In spite of all this, I never demanded the food allotted to the governor. He says this because the demands were heavy on these people. He had compassion this morning, considering the influence that you should have for Christ.
The Bible tells us in Matthew chapter seven that there are false prophets going around in sheep’s clothing, covering themselves up, who are living as wolves. It’s scary to think about. There are people in this world that are attempting to declare truth, but are describing are described in Scripture as innocent little sheep. Sheep look loving, don’t they? Very compassionate and caring. And yet the Bible tells us they live as wolves. How much more important is it for the church to carry the attitude of compassion in order to influence the people that are around them, to understand their needs and to take a stand? The influential person is consistent. Over time. The influential person is willing to make sacrifices. The influential person carries compassion, but the influential person walks in humility. A person of humility can’t have true compassion without having true humility. Humility isn’t about doubting the power that God is working within you. It’s not about making yourself smaller. It’s about standing next to someone who is greater. Think about what it takes to walk in true humility in our lives. It’s not to look at ourselves and to look at people in need and to lower ourselves to them. But it’s to look at a God who is so much bigger than us. And in that, continue to love us. And Titus three, it tells us, remember where you were. Remember who you were before Christ came along and saved you in your position, and show that same grace towards others.
In Titus chapter three, the purpose of bringing that forth and recognizing our own life is that we as people, could respond with the same humility towards us that Jesus brought into this world as he made the sacrifice for our lives. John Flavel says, they that know God will be humble, and they that truly know themselves cannot be proud. The Apostle Paul wrote this about his ministry when he understood his humble position before God. He said in first Corinthians 15, I am the least of all the apostles, and Ephesians three I am the very least of all the saints in first Timothy one I am the foremost of sinners. Paul was an influential leader. Paul was an influential leader because he understood his position of humility before God. An influential leader and person remembers that humility and seeks the good of others above their own needs. It tells us in verse 15 of this passage, but out of reverence for God, I did not act like that. Nehemiah is referring back in the passage of Scripture to people who were taxing the people in Jerusalem, the leadership who were taxing the people of Jerusalem. He says, but out of reverence for God, I chose to act with humility. See, Nehemiah was led and had the right perspective according to who God was. Nehemiah was able to be passionate in a godly way and influence everyone because he had a right perspective of who God was.
And rather than serve his own needs, he served the needs of others out of his own pocket. An influential leader, if I can add just this morning, is passionate about the right thing. He’s not. He can be passionate about running. He may be able to be passionate about Ohio State as long as he can find it according to God’s will. A leader is passionate and influential in his passion. It tells us in verse 19, Nehemiah gives us the explanation as to why. He says, remember me with favor, O my God, for all I have done for these people. Nehemiah is able to reflect back in chapter five and answer this question, how was I able to influence the life of these people? What is it that made the ministry in which I conducted so special? How did we see this city of Jerusalem and the walls around Jerusalem literally rebuilt within 52 days? It tells us in this verse, because Nehemiah was focused on who God was in his life, and he was able to say, because he was consistent over time, he was making the sacrifice. He had compassion. He was able to walk with humility that he was able to make this statement before God. Look at this verse for our lives and say, are we ever in a position? Have we ever been in a position, or will I ever be in a position where I can say to God, God, remember me for what I’ve done for your cause? God, remember the goodness that we’ve given to you.
Verse 19 is the challenge for us this morning. We talk about being an example for other people, but an example that’s not just passionate, that looks crazy, but passionate that’s influential. It starts with verse 19 where we can say to God, God, remember what I’ve done for you. And then recognizing God in the foremost of our lives, we begin to influence according to the will of God. Over time, consistently remaining with him and in that time sacrificing for him as the need bears having compassion for others because he’s had compassion for us, and walking with humility because we know that God looks over us. Let’s close in a word of prayer. God, I just want to stop in these moments and say thank you for working in our lives. Thank you for working in the heart of Nehemiah that over 2000 years later, we were able to go back and reflect on his leadership. God, we as people, we need to be leaders that follow an example like that. Help us in our lives to influence those around us, Lord, because we understand the importance it is to walk with you and to give of ourselves for the greater good and cause God for your glory. Lord, we thank you for this morning. We pray that you bless our week and it’s in Jesus name, Amen.