Judah was strong, mighty, and blessed by God. But the people began to wander from God and sin. They worshipped false gods, sacrificed their children to those gods, married pagan Gentiles, and participated in prostitution. As a result God allowed king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to conquer the city of Jerusalem in 586 BC. The temple, gates of the city, and walls were burnt down. The nation known as God’s chosen people (Exod 19:3-6), the one he had led, guided, and been with for centuries had been conquered and taken away from God’s city, country, and promised land.
Fast forward 140 years and we meet Nehemiah. While the temple had been rebuilt by Zerubbabel, the city walls were still burnt to the ground and the gates were still destroyed. So Nehemiah gets permission from the king of Persia to travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls and gates of the city. He arrives in Jerusalem with the materials he needs.
Nehemiah surveys the city for three days then he decides to share his mission with the people of Jerusalem (Neh 2:1). Nehemiah had not told anyone about his plans for the city. Not even the priests, nobles, or officials of the city knew why he was there (Neh 2:12-16).
Nehemiah says to them: “You see the bad situation we are in, that Jerusalem is desolate and its gates burned by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach. . . Let us arise and build” (Neh 2:17-18, NASB).[1]
And as you may know, they did rebuild the gates and walls of the city in only 52 days (Neh 6:15).
THREE OBSERVATIONS OF NEHEMIAH’S PROCESS
1. He took initiative.
Nehemiah was heartbroken when he heard how poor the situation was in Jerusalem (Neh 1:1-4). So he took initiative to fix the problem. He asked the king if he could go to Jerusalem. He asked the king for the materials he needed to rebuild the walls and gates. He asked the king to provide protection for the travel. He went to the city. He showed the people living there what was possible. He told them how God had been so gracious to him in the presence of the king. Then he led them in rebuilding the wall.
2. He said “let’s.”
Nehemiah knew he could not rebuild the wall alone. He was going to rebuild the wall with the people. He knew that city transformation had to be done together. He invited them to join him saying “let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach. . . Let us arise and build” (Neh 2:17-18, emphasis mine). Nehemiah would work alongside them the entire time with his time and with his money. This was a cooperative effort.
3. He prayed.
Nehemiah was fervent in prayer for his mission. He prayed when hearing the news about the desperate situation in Jerusalem (Neh 1:3-4), when sharing his desire with the King of Persia (Neh 2:4), during the work in Jerusalem (Neh 4:9), and when the work was done (Neh 9:5-38).
TWO ESSENTIALS FOR YOUR MISSION
There are lots of great resources that can help you create a mission statement for your church or ministry. The Effective Church Group has two digital resources that can help you: “Developing your Church’s Mission”[2] and “Discovering Your Church’s Mission.”[3] While these are two great comprehensive resources, there are two essentials you need to have part of your mission that most people forget to include.
1. You Need to Make Your Mission Statement Short.
Nehemiah’s inspiring mission statement was short: “let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem so that we will no longer be a reproach” (Neh 3:17b). You too, need to keep your mission statement short so that the people you lead can memorize it and apply it. If you ask someone what your mission statement is and if can’t remember it, then it’s probably too long.
Here’s a great example of a short and memorable mission statement: “Our MISSION: Reaching Seekers and Building Believers.”[4]
2. You Need to Make Your Mission Statement Exciting
Show how you want to change lives and transform others in Jesus’s name. Nehemiah shared a mission that grabbed the excitement the people had for their city. And he worded it in a way that they believed they could do it
Because the people were motivated to end the disgrace they found themselves in, this mission was exciting for them. The people wanted the city back to the way it had been in years past.
YOUR TURN
I hope you can take some time to reflect on your mission statement that you have now. Is it something that excites your people? Is it short enough that they can memorize it and share it with others? Do you remember what the mission statement is for your church or ministry?
[1] Unless otherwise noted all Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.
[2] https://effectivechurch.net/store/developing-your-churchs-mission/
[3] https://effectivechurch.net/store/discovering-your-churchs-mission/
[4] Moses Lake Presbyterian: A Community Basin Church, https://www.moseslakepres.org/ Accessed February 22, 2022