As we approach the New Year together, I want you to be thinking ahead to the year 2015. I know that, during this New Year, there are a lot of things you can do … and many things you will do, but I also know … there’s one thing you must do—you’ve got to do! And it’s ‘that one thing’ that I want to talk to you about today. Now, ‘that one thing’ is going to be different for all of us. It’ll be based on what’s going on in your life right now—your life, your relationships, your finances, and so forth. I don’t know what that one thing is for you, but I do know this: If you were to focus on ‘that one thing’ in 2015, your life will be in a much better place in 2015. Now, I’m going to offer some suggestions … and then we’ll get into our Bible story for today—an Old Testament story that’s made a huge impact on my life … and continues to. But before I go there, here are some suggestions about what ‘that one thing’ might be for you… It might be:
- A habit you need to break…
- A goal you must accomplish…
- A project you must complete…
- A relationship you must restore…
- A relationship you must end…
- A debt you must retire…
Now, your one thing may not be on this list, but … if we were to sit down and talk, I’m sure you could tell me about ‘that one thing’ that’s hanging over your life right now—whatever it is. My prayer, today, is that today’s scripture will connect with THAT ONE THING you need to focus on this year; here’s the story of Nehemiah…
The story takes place in about 444 BC, during the reign of the Persian Emperor Artexerxes I. Artexerxes was King of Persia and lived in Sousa with Nehemiah—the cupbearer to the king, amongst other things…
Nehemiah was a Jewish man—a part of the diaspora (Babylonians)—and he served King Artexerxes. He was not only a servant, however, but a friend… So, he prays about it a lot first, but then he finally goes to King Artexerxes and says, ‘O King, things are bad with my people. I’d like to go back to the homeland—Jerusalem specifically—and offer some leadership, some direction, and some organization to my people back in the homeland.’ And the King says, ‘I’ll do better than that. I’ll make you the governor of Judea. And I’ll send you with resources … BUT, you have to come back!” And Nehemiah agrees… Folks, this was amazing, because Nehemiah was basically a servant or a slave of the king … so this really reflects their friendship, doesn’t it?
So Nehemiah heads down to Jerusalem … and personally sees the state of the city of Jerusalem. It is horrible! It is run down, to say the least. There was no security. It was overrun by criminals and low-lifes. Folks, no one who lives in Jerusalem now has ever known the city with erect walls and gates that were not broken, etc. There was no national pride at this time—that God is with us, etc. And this just breaks Nehemiah’s heart…
So, Nehemiah says to himself, ‘If I don’t get anything else done while I’m here, I have to get this wall built!’ That was his ONE THING… Focusing on ‘that one thing’ helped Nehemiah begin to turn things around in Jerusalem and with God’s people there—protection, national pride, etc.
As they began to make progress, those who lived around Jerusalem got upset; it was going to affect their economy … and the surrounding regions got very defensive. Enter Sanballat (great name for a puppy) … the leader of the opposition. Sanballat sent armed forces to attack those who were working on the city walls to rebuild them. They might have slowed them down some, but because Nehemiah was focused on ‘that one thing’ that he had to accomplish for God, he continued to offer leadership—to come up with ways to keep the city secure even during the construction, and the walls kept going up. And Sanballat realizes … this isn’t working! So, in Nehemiah 6, we run into the confrontation between Sanballat and Nehemiah. Listen…
“Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies found out that I had finished rebuilding the wall and that no gaps remained—though we had not yet set up the doors in the gates. 2 So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message…” – Neh. 6:1-2a (NLT)
So, they realize that there’s no way they’re going to stop the building of this wall (security of the city), unless they stop Nehemiah. So they send a messenger to Nehemiah, and he goes and rattles the ladder, and gets Nehemiah’s attention and asks him to come down. Then the messenger shares Sanballat’s message with Nehemiah…
“So Sanballat and Geshem sent a message asking me to meet them at one of the villages in the plain of Ono.” – Neh. 6:2b (NLT)
“Come. Let us meet together. Let’s have lunch! How ‘bout breakfast, or just meet for coffee?” But Nehemiah catches on quickly … and here’s what happens…
“But I realized they were plotting to harm me, 3 so I replied by sending this message to them:” – Neh. 6:2c-3a (NLT)
So, the message he sent to them is the verse that I want you to get today; this is the verse that has transformed my life (and still is) … and I want you to get it too… This is one of those verses that has absolutely jumped off the page of scripture for me and it will transform your life! Listen:
“I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come.”
I can’t come now. I can’t come down. I can’t deal with anything else right now. “I am engaged in a great work (right here!), so I can’t come.” Say that with me, would you?
There is something in your life… There is something in your life… There is a wall in your world … that you need to climb up on and make sure you complete whatever the task is—whatever God has called you to do, or you just know in your heart that you need to do. And you just need to say with Nehemiah, “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come.” I can’t be distracted right now… And here’s the rest of Nehemiah’s response:
…so I replied by sending this message to them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” – Neh. 6:3 (NLT)
How does spending time with you benefit the great work that I’m doing on the wall? How does that help accomplish what God has called me to do? And then he finishes up…
“Four times they sent the same message, and each time I gave the same reply.” – Neh. 6:4 (NLT)
So, they didn’t give up easy, did they? “Nehemiah, whenever it’s convenient for you, we’d just like a couple minutes of your time. We’ll meet you anywhere on the plain of Ono.” Yeah, right. Nehemiah saw right through their motives … and kept the people of God focused, as he stayed focused on ‘that one thing’ God had called him to do… Every time they invited him off the wall, he sent them the same message. But they didn’t give up easy, did they? And neither will others when they (even if it’s innocent) try and distract you from ‘that one thing’… Remember Nehemiah’s words: “I am engaged in a great work, so I cannot come.” Here’s why this is so significant for us…
If Nehemiah had come off the wall—made that decision to stop the work and come off the wall … if Nehemiah had accepted the invitation of Sanballat … they would have taken his life! Did you know that there are things in our lives—in my life and in your life—that if we don’t focus on them, if we don’t deal with them in a timely manner, they have the potential to ruin our lives as well…
- There are relational things in your life that if you don’t pay attention to those this year, they have to potential to destroy your life, to kill your family (relationally), to kill your marriage, to kill your relationship with your kids, and possibly even your grandkids…
- There are things that if you don’t decide to stay on this wall and complete what you know needs to be completed … have the potential to ruin you/kill you financially… You know that! Some of you are facing that right now, because you didn’t pay attention to a breach in the wall earlier … and this could apply to every level of our lives…
- Parents, what you might need to do—if you have smaller kids—is to go into your young children as they’re going to bed and sit on the bedside and stroke their hair or whatever and say … “I am engaged in a great work, so I cannot come.” And those of you with teenagers, you need to go into their rooms while they’re sleeping and look at those big ol’ bodies and wonder to yourself ‘how in the world did they get so big?’ … and say over them: “I am engaged in a great work, so I cannot come.” Look at them and say, this is my great work!
- And men, when you go to work and look at that picture of your family on your desk or in your wallet, you say to yourselves ‘this is my great work’! Yes, you could be gone more for work, you could make more money elsewhere, you could move ahead in the company if you made this decision or that decision, but this is your great work—your family! And know you’re doing what God wants you to do…
- And women, when you look at your husband, say to yourself (pause) … ‘he’s a piece of work’? I don’t know what women say when they think of their husbands; you probably feel sorry for us and know we can’t get along without you, but seriously… “This is my great work!”
- And students, the same thing… You’re getting ready for the rest of your lives, so know that your studies—at some point—are your great work!
Folks, here is what it all boils down to…
KNOW WHAT YOUR WALL IS! You know what you need to do; you’re smart enough to know what your wall is … and what the gap in the wall might be for you. Know what your wall is and stay there, no matter what. It may be like … “That’s important, but I’m not coming down right now” or “You’re cute, but I’m not coming down for you” or whatever the distraction is. There are all kinds of distractions that can take us away from ‘that one thing’ God wants us to center our attention on…
I’m pretty sure that I don’t even have to tell you today what ‘that one thing’ is. You already know what it is… Again: it may be a habit you need to break… You may be drinking too much; it may be a prescription drug problem; it may be an addiction to tobacco—all common habits today. And most people who have habits like this never intend to get there. But whatever it is, acknowledge your wall. Or it may be debt; that’s a common thing today too, unfortunately. Know what your wall is and acknowledge it before God. And then say to yourself (and to God), “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come!” Finally…
DETERMINE TO STAY ON THE WALL! Say to yourself, ‘I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come!’
Folks, it’s time to quit pretending … and acknowledge your wall! What is ‘that one thing’ you need to focus on this coming year? What is it that needs your attention right now? What is ‘that one thing’ that if you determined to stay on it, you’d experience a breakthrough this year like never before? You’d experience a freedom like never before—a freedom God so desperately wants for you! You have no idea what hangs in the balance of your staying on that wall—relationally, financially, and so forth … to look down and say “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come!”
My prayer for all of us is this—that this coming year, we’ll go out these doors, turn from distractions that are keeping us from God’s very best, and stay on our wall! Whatever ‘that one thing’ is in our lives, let’s determine to acknowledge it … then stay with it until the task is completed… Say it with me one more time: “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come!”