"Building People"
Nehemiah 1:1
Nehemiah was one of the greatest leaders of all time.
He took a task that seemed impossible, mobilized a team of people, and accomplished the task of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.
Today you and I have a task and that is to rebuild the lives of people.
Since we are God's Anointed Now Generation or task is specifically to rebuild the lives of hurting and devastated young people.
How many here desire to see hurting young people reached for the honor and Glory of Jesus?
Well lets take a look at how Nehemiah rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem and then maybe you and I can get some pointers on how we can rebuild the lives of hurting young people.
1. Nehemiah had a burden -
Nehemiah 1:4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned [certain] days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,
The way you and I are going to see God use us to rebuild hurting lives is to have a burden to see hurting young people reached for the Honor and Glory of Jesus.
Let me ask the G.A.N.G. God's Anointed Now Generation a question - do we have a heart to see hurting young people reached for the Honor and Glory of Jesus?
Do we feel the pain of the teen age mom, the run away, the drug addict, the lonely, the depressed, the young person who feels they have no hope?
We need to feel the burden of our city...
2. Nehemiah prayed about the need -
Nehemiah 1:4 - and prayed before the God of heaven.
Not only did Nehemiah hear about the need. He then began to pray to the God of heaven to do something about the need.
He didn't just pray for God to raise someone up, but he was willing to be used by God to make a difference in the need.
When is the last time that you and I prayed that God would use our lives to help meet the needs of hurting people.
Jesus even told His disciples - to pray to The Lord of the harvest to raise up laborers into His harvest field. He said the harvest is plentious, but the laborers are few.
Is the G.A.N.G. God's Anointed Now Generation willing to stand in the gap for this generation and allow God to use us to bring hope to a hurting generation?
Is there anybody here willing to be used by God to help me the needs of this generation.
That leads me to my next point.
3. Nehemiah had a great team:
Nehemiah Chapter 3
In chapter 3 we see all the people that helped Nehemiah get the job done.
If you and I are going to impact this generation we need to know that it is going to take everybody working together to accomplish the task.
This is not a one man show.
Nehemiah knew he couldn't do it alone. So he had a team and everybody contributed what they were good at.
Let me ask, how are you willing to help us impact this world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
What do you have to offer to the team and are you willing to help?
*** let me just share from my heart right here.***
Now when I say what do you have to offer to the team - I want to explain something.
Talents and Gifts are good. (rapping, singing, preaching, dancing, telling jokes, and so on) that's all great.
Abilities are good.
Lights, Music , and instruments are great!!!
Banners, Skits and decorations are awesome, but none of these are going to rebuild lives or build or youth ministry.
If you and I really want to see young people reached and changed it is going to take us reaching out to them.
*** Even now some of you are going through changes because you are used to having sound, lighting, banners, all kinds of decorations at youth night and don't get me wrong I like those things too, but those things will not build your youth ministry.
If you and I are going to rebuild lives and allow God to use our lives to touch hurting young people it is going to take good old fashioned discipleship.
That means spending time with young people, investing in their lives, finding out if they have needs and even putting them before yourself.
- See what can happen is you and I can depend on the Wednesday nights to build our youth ministry but that's only the crowd - the youth ministry is built throughout the week. When we are touching lives..
Like I said - visiting their house, praying for them, spending time with them..
- See a crowd comes and goes, but when we touch lives it takes longer but it is more effective.
The discipleship process is how you build a youth ministry
Imagine we all do our part in reaching hurting young people -
Oh this youth life group is rebuilding lives in this part of Mitchell's Plain, oh this Life group is rebuilding lives in this part of Mitchell's Plain, oh this leader is rebuild and touching lives in this part of Mitchell's Plain.
To build the Church we need to touch the lives of people.
4. Nehemiah endured opposition:
Nehemiah 4:7 - But it came to pass, [that] when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, [and] that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
Nehmiah 4:8 - And conspired all of them together to come [and] to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
If you and I are going to be consistent in touching lives and get the job done, then we need to know that we are going to face opposition.
We need to learn how to keep pushing and serving even in the midst of opposition.
Are there any young people that say even in the hard times I want to stay faithful to Jesus.
I don't want to be a quitter but I want to be a finisher?
5. Nehemiah rebuilt the walls
Nehemiah 6:15 - So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth [day] of [the month] Elul, in fifty and two days.
Nehemiah got the job done...
Fan The Flame, J. Stowell, Moody, 1986, p. 32
The Greeks had a race in their Olympic games that was unique. The winner was not the runner who finished first. It was the runner who finished with his torch still lit. I want to run all the way with the flame of my torch still lit for Him.
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