We are well aware of the fact that we live in a world where it is common for people to renege on their mortgages, their marriages, their children, their friendships, their churches, and their commitment to Christ. We talked about the terms of agreement from Nehemiah 10 last Sunday. For reasons you will understand later I want to return to chapter three today.

In a book based on Nehemiah, Chip Ingram asks: "How is it that a guy like Nehemiah walked into a situation where the walls were down, the gates were burned by fire, the people completely discouraged and yet accomplished one of the most significant feats in history? How did Nehemiah accomplish so much with so little?" Then Ingram answers, "The key was not that he built a wall - that was just an outward expression of a profound inward change. The turning point was personal commitment. Until that point, nothing in the setting has really changed. All the dislocating, brokenness, faith, and strategic planning hadn't actually moved a single stone, built a new gate, or cleared away any rubble. What Nehemiah did after laying all the groundwork and depending on God allows us to see how God works in our world."

Of course, what Nehemiah did was lead by modeling personal commitment. He did not just tell people what they ought to do. He showed them what they could do for God together through personal commitment. Along with that Nehemiah gave clarity to his challenge to commitment.

If you have been with us through this study of Nehemiah you may have noticed that the book of Nehemiah contains numerous names, and some of them are not very easy to pronounce. You may have also noticed that we have not included very many of those names in the Scripture readings in our Sunday services. I have come to realize that many people, including many who regularly read the Bible are not comfortable reading long lists of names.

Perhaps you also noticed that I skipped from chapter two to four. However, before we conclude this study in Nehemiah I want to come back to chapter three even though it includes genealogies and other names that are difficult to pronounce. My intention is not to frustrate you if you are reading this aloud or put you to sleep if you are reading it for your daily devotions.

What we may not notice quickly going over this list is that it has beautiful order and structure. Some key people are identified with each section of the wall, people like priests, rulers, merchants, goldsmiths, etc. Then this list takes us on a counterclockwise tour around the perimeter of old Jerusalem, noting who was building the wall, hanging gates, and repairing gaps in the wall. Notice the detail listing who is working on what and with whom and where the workers lived. I have read that some of these workers traveled from 17 or 18 miles away to work on this project. In our mobile society that may not sound impressive when some of you commute 20 or more miles to work each day. Remember, this was being done when traveling that distance was a day's journey.

Also, we might point out that much of the work focused on the gates and the wall near each gate. Of course, the gate openings were the most vulnerable areas in the walls from a defensive perspective. The gates also allowed access to sources of water, markets were set up near the gates, the gates were used for entrance and exit, and much activity took place by the gates.

When undertaking a large task it is helpful to have it well organized with people having a clear understanding of various responsibilities. Another great key to the success of this gigantic project is that Nehemiah used the concept of vested interest. I think the major reason this was such a great motivator for quality work. Wouldn't you want to make sure that the defensive walls of your living quarters or the living quarters of your extended family were well built?

Perhaps it also would be good to remind you that these outer walls were not like the walls of modern homes that are framed with 2x4s or 2x6s. These were wide walls built to support horse drawn chariots, sometimes they were 30 to 40 feet wide constructed of huge stones. Moving and placing these stones must have been a major task in those days, since it would not even be easy today.

Today I want to clarify three principles that I believe Nehemiah understood and used to sustain personal commitments so that they could accomplish the project to which God called them. We would do well to use these principles in the church today.

Introduction: Principles to sustain commitment

I. Cooperation

The work God gives us in the church is in the context of relationships. I believe that God made us this way. We might state this principle another way, "We will never get beyond where we are getting along." That is a power statement that conveys the major importance of cooperation and good relationships within the church if we are really going to carry out God sized tasks. Chip Ingram wrote, "One of the greatest tragedies in the church in America and around the world is that Christians spend a lot of time and energy getting at each other instead of accomplishing the will of God. We will never be better than when we work as a team." How true this is.

Another aspect of this cooperation was appreciating the part each person playing in getting the job done. While we may not like to read these lists we should realize that this was one way of noting the various people who helped make the job get done. Besides, these names may have been easier for them to pronounce. So we might do well to remember that personal commitments are encouraged when people feel like they belong.

II. Coordination

Historians would recognize Nehemiah as a master of coordination. Think of this great thing God allowed him to pull off. He utilized what we might call synergy today, but I doubt that word was coined back then. What we are talking about is that the combined efforts of the group are greater than the sum of its parts. This goes beyond the mathematics of one plus one equals two, but it really is true, even though it is hard for an old math teacher to swallow.

When God's people cooperate with each other and recognize that there is a unique job for each of us to do, we can accomplish more together than we could as individuals. So in the church God can do much through us, especially when our efforts are coordinated. We are not all the same, but many gifts, talents and abilities may be utilized in the church and I believe God would like each of us to be committed enough to participate in God's work through our local church.

Often when people look at the various ministries our church or another good church is doing they might think, "They don't need me." If they would ask those working, they would probably find out that we could make us of many more. In many churches a committed core of people often does much of the work, but think of how much more could be done if more were involved. Are you using your gifts, talents, and abilities for the Lord's work? Have you offered your service or are you waiting to be asked? Have you found your place to live out your faith?

Another principle to sustain commitment is

III. Motivation

I already mentioned that a great key to the success of this gigantic project was that Nehemiah used the concept of vested interest. This was a great motivator for quality work. You and I would want to make sure that the walls of our living quarters or the living quarters of your extended family were well built. If the project means a lot to us, we will mean a lot to the project. Having a sense of belonging can be a great motivation to us. So can knowing that we are needed. This way the vision of the group becomes their personal vision, too.

Nehemiah motivated people to get and stay committed by their sense of belonging, realizing they were needed and that this group project was also their project. I believe we need to develop this motivation in the local church to accomplish what God wants to accomplish through us individually and together.

Conclusion

As we have considered sustaining the commitment of those Nehemiah called together to accomplish a task that looked insurmountable, what about the tasks God has placed before us her in Adel? I believe we have some wonderful people committed to Jesus Christ and our church. We have been working together well to renew our building and last week the window installation was completed. While this work on our building is important to maintain a base of operations for our ministries, what about our commitments to our ministries? Are we working together to build up our Sunday School and youth ministries? Are we seeking to grow in our own relationship with Jesus Christ and the people of our church? Are we committed to weekly worship? Are we inviting those who may not be attending church to come with us? Are we sharing Christ's love in our area and beyond?

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