"The Birth Of A Vision," Nehemiah 1:1-3

THE BIRTH· OF A VISION Nehemiah 1: 1-3 We are living in a time and land of great distress and trouble. The economy upside down and growing worst everyday. Political corruption springs up as the order of the day and is places least expected. Gangs ravage our neighborhood. Children are divorcing is their parents. Parents cannot stand one another any more. Spiritually, the law is turning against the church. The Ten Commandments and prayer are being removed. Families don't have time for table grace and Bible study. The enemy is side tracking us with all sorts of t;k gadgets, games, an d toys. S econ d C onnthitans 4: 8-9 puts it, "We are · 1 ce a re #0+ IIrfl:/;r{- t+ t!J>':'(kJ,/1 ANd_. '5'J,.{J'.L MTf-(A)4.r1-r1 1 i!ityf.Je-;r/bl side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed." Why not? Because we are "always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." (II Corinthians 4: 1 0) Sure, the wise man said, "Where there is not vision, the people perish," and we may feel and think we are at the end of our rope, but with God there is always hope. troubled on every This passage of Scripture was penned to speak to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem after the great captivity. The enemy has entered in and destroyed the walls, the gates, the graves, and everything sacred to the people of God. 2 Nehemiah is one of them but he is serving the king in a foreign land with only a remnant left in Jerusalem. That remnant is facing great distress. Nehemiah's life is a wonderful example of effective leadership and strong organization. He gave up the comforts and wealth of life to go back to a broken, fractured homeland to rally the people to action. His brother has dews that the come with bad people back home trouble. So Nehemiah saw the are in need, caught a vision, and committed to do something about it. There are two or three things we ought to understand about the birth of a . . VISIon. First, there must be FOR THE PEOPLE. 3 a CONCERN Although his own good and he is not personally or directly affected by what is happening situation is in Jerusalem, Nehemiah remembered where his roots are and is concerned about those back home. When his brother Hanani and the others shows up with their report, Nehemiah asked them about escaped, captivity, about his fellow Jews that had were left of the Jerusalem. He the people. concerns that himself about Like Jesus in the New testament, when He beheld the condition of Jerusalem, The Bible say He wept. "And when He was come near, he beheld the He city, saw and wept over it." (Luke 19:41) that they were tempted by the caught a vision of their need for salvation, and went -on to die on that old rugged cross. One hymn writer put it this enemy, 4 way, "He could have come down from just to save Himself, but he Jesus decided to die just to save me. the cross " sins yet He died for your and my faults and sins. Second, for a vision to be born there had no faults and no must be A CRAVE FOR THE PLACE. city is defenseless and the walls are destroyed. The gates are broken down The and burned. The enemy can enter at will. What is more, the graves have been s: toppled and memories are strained. The place that use to be rich with possibilities and dreams is now barren and dry. It is the same ground but it is fallow and hard. Finally, the birth of a vision requires a COMMITMENT TO PURPOSE. Nehemiah laid aside his 5 daily routine, his 1rl!, regular work, his every day responsibilities, so that he could go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls of purpose. Jesus prayed, "0 my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not my will but thine be (Matthew 26: 39) You have to commit yourself to God's divine done." purpose. You have to find a reason for living so that you will be fit to die. Without a direction. Jesus target, you was can shot in any born with his eyes wide His way to Calvary. They issued an order to kill him but he escaped open on Egypt because He had not gotten to Calvary. When He was twelve years old, He told Mary and Joseph, "I must be to about my Father's business" 6 on his way to Calvary. He went about doing good when the enemy tried to stone him and killed him but they couldn't find him because he Calvary. Even when Judas betrayed him, the soldiers didn't recognize Him until the kiss of betrayal because he had a vision of Calvary. When they tried him with false witness, He was on his way to Calvary. Finally, He got there and they was on His way to nailed his hands and he mumbling and he word. never said never said They pierced his a a side word. He died and said, "it is finished, into thy hands commit my spirit." 7 I