I have been reading in the OT for my daily devotions lately. Usually when I preach out of the NT I am reading in the OT just so I make a distinction when I am studying and when I am spending time with God.
This morning I was reading in Nehemiah about how the Jews were granted access to rebuild the temple walls in Jerusalem. They were met with ridicule, insults, opposition, you name it! What’s interesting about this is that in Chapter 4:10 is says this:
“Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
It seems like in my Church planting experience that we go through seasons of this. Summer is getting ready to be over and I can think back to May, and I remember this exact thought! ”Lord, your people are tired and we have lost half our people because of the summer.” Opposition was high and it felt like a losing battle. I even contemplated stopping services for the summer. The devil had his plans to stop the work. I had so many reasons to stop “building the foundation and walls” over the summer.
Just like the Israelites, I felt like God telling me to “Keep on”. Take one section at a time and keep building. In chapter 4 it tells us that Men kept guard at night and worked during the day. It says that they had a hammer in one hand in a sword in the other. Wow…what a picture! This is what I felt like all summer. I felt like I was fighting the devil in one hand and trying to build God’s Church in the other!
I want you to notice that even though the people were “tired and worn out” they didn’t quit, they didn’t stop. In fact, MORE was asked of the people. They worked by day and kept guard at night. They worked in one hand and held a sword in the other.
Broadcast Church and it’s members! I just want to say “THANK YOU” for stepping up to the plate and keeping on. It would have been easy to quit this past summer. But let me tell you what we would have missed out on:
1. New people stepping up and getting into leadership
2. People taking more ownership of the ministry
3. We have actually added 3 to maybe 4 families this summer
4. We have had 1 salvation (If anything the summer “blues” was worth that)
5. Even though we had weeks in the low 30′s. We have actually averaged in the low 40′s and had 2 weeks in the 50′s this summer.
6. People have worshiped on a weekly basis and I don’t know if you can feel it in the service, but God has been with us EVERY week and we definitely have the Holy Spirit Momentum on OUR side!
7. LIVE IT PROJECTS this summer were fantastic. We ministered at PIN ministry and served a local pastor and helped him move and also put down Mulch at Tallwood Elementary School. Laying the Mulch has opened so many doors for me at the school already!
CHURCH if we would have given up and stopped building this summer, LOOK what we would have missed out on. Keep it up. The BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD OF US!
PASTOR JESS
