Natural Evangelism Series
Sermon for: Improve Your Serve (Together!)
Module 3
Sermon title: Improving Your Serve Together
Bible Passage: Nehemiah 2:17-3:4
It was a beautiful fall morning in the little town of Oakleigh. It was the kind of crisp fall morning where you could see your breath in the early morning hours. The leaves were turning into a mixture of rustic brown and bright orange on the trees that lined the roads of the little community. This was an important day for one family in particular. Neighbors from several homes were coming to pay a visit for the day. They had a job to do that everyone was looking forward to…it was time to build a barn.
With proper planning and a solid effort by everyone participating, the Jones family would have a standing barn by the end of the day. Remarkably, the carefully leveled ground that had been prepared would have a fully standing structure by sundown. Some brought wood, some brought tools, and others brought nails, while others contributed food to enjoy throughout the day. From sunup to sundown, a few dozen people struggled, and sawed, and nailed, and worked together to build something that would take one family weeks, if not months, to construct. All through the morning and into the early afternoon, teams worked busily on the ground crafting the four walls. In a magical moment, in the mid afternoon, one wall at time was slowly raised from the ground into a vertical position. Within moments, four walls of a brand new barn were standing secure and strong for all to see and admire. The firm beginnings of a barn had been raised.
It is truly a thing of beauty to watch a dedicated group of people harness their collective strength in the accomplishment of erecting a barn in a single day. Barn-raising parties are filled with sweat, teamwork, fun, and the satisfaction of knowing that a good deed has been accomplished for someone in the community. Tight-knit communities like Oakleigh have understood a guiding principle over the decades: a group of people can accomplish more good in a shorter period of time than a single person can. The synergy of people serving together has a wonderful way of multiplying blessings.
Stop and consider for a moment:
Have you ever experienced something like barn-raising before in your life? It could have been in school, at work, in your community, or in church. Can you think of a time when you joined hands with a group of people to accomplish something big or small? Remember what it was like to give yourself away to be a blessing for others…
For those of you who can remember a “barn-raising” story, I want you to keep that thought in the forefront of your mind this morning. For those of you who don’t have a story, I hope to persuade you this morning that there is a “barn-raising” story waiting to be born through your life.
Last week we considered the notion of improving your serve. The message today is entitled Improving Your Serve Together, or it could have very easily been called Barn Raising Together. By way of review, let me retrace a few of the ideas we have already covered. Performing acts of kindness is one of the most significant and tangible ways to share the Good News with those around us. In our series on Natural Evangelism we are considering fresh and authentic ways to help people who need God actually move closer to Him. We have discussed how coming to faith in Christ is a process just like moving a golf ball down a fairway. Our role though, as God’s instruments, is to choose the right club to use depending on our understanding of where someone is in their spiritual journey. God simply encourages us to ask the question: “How can I help this person move the ball down the fairway toward the hole?”
As we consider people who are far from God, whose “spiritual ball” is still in the tee box, our actions will speak louder than words. In fact, our words about God, Christianity, and the basic Gospel message will most likely fall on deaf ears until we have won the right to speak. Compassionate and thoughtful acts are sure-fire ways to melt the icy resistance of someone you know who’s in the tee box area.
As we take a look at what the Bible has to say about Improving Our Serve Together, consider for a moment these questions…
· What made Jesus choose to have a group of twelve to do ministry with?
· Why did Jesus send the disciples out in two’s on their first ministry trips?
· Why did the early church send out missionary teams?
· Why did Paul have a number of co-workers whom he even mentioned by name in his New Testament letters?
The answer to each of these questions is simply, ministry is better together. Both Jesus and Paul knew that working with and through others was more effective all the way around. In other words, barn-raising is better together. With this in mind, let’s turn to an Old Testament version of barn-raising which is found in the book of Nehemiah.
Before we turn to the passage, let me give you a little background. The book of Nehemiah continues the history of the Jews upon their return from exile in Babylon. As a city, Jerusalem was lying in ruins. Nehemiah was eventually commissioned to go back to Jerusalem to lead the people in repairing the protective walls around the city. We pick up the action in chapter two as Nehemiah is addressing his fellow Israelites and he makes a passionate plea for help in rebuilding the walls of the once great city.
*Read the passage out loud – Nehemiah 2:17-3:4
As you can get a sense in chapter three, there were scores of people who decided to get involved in this restoration project. We’ve simply read a few of the verses in the chapter to give us a taste of the “barn-raising” effect that was taking place in the passage.
In fact, most of chapter three is devoted to describing the various parts of the project that different people and families tackled. We are told later in the book that the rebuilding of the walls was completed in a remarkable period of time… 52 days!
Let me make a few observations about this passage and our theme for today of improving our serve together.
First, this service project in Jerusalem was rooted in a spirit of compassion. Earlier in chapter one, Nehemiah was moved to tears when he first heard about the condition of Jerusalem. Then we see him in 2:17 sharing with others about how bad the situation had become. We need to ask God to open our eyes to the needs around us that we could see our communities the way that He sees. The cry of hearts should be, “Lord, show me the broken walls.” God will reward that kind of prayer. He longs to help us see the world as He sees it. He longs to have us feel what others are feeling.
Next, we can see from the book of Nehemiah that a group truly can accomplish more than an individual. Nehemiah knew this instinctively as a leader. He began recruiting workers once he assessed the needs of the project. The collective strength of many individuals was needed. When we reach out together, we reinforce the idea that we need each other. It’s a beautiful example of the Body of Christ in action, where different parts work together for the Kingdom.
Third, we can note from this passage that a group can overcome obstacles with tenacity. We’re told in other parts of the book that the rebuilding campaign was under serious opposition. Nehemiah had to have some workers stand guard with their swords while others continued the restoration work. When the going gets tough, it’s easier to weather the storm when you have others by your side. We can pick each other up, cheer each other on, and support one another when unforeseen obstacles come our way.
And finally, let’s not forget that improving our serve together can be a lot of fun. Day 52 at Project Restore The Walls must have been quite a day for these folks. In fact, at the end of the book, we’re told that the people had a joyous celebration as they rejoiced in what God had helped them accomplish. When we serve together, there is a deep sense of satisfaction that few experiences in life can replicate.
So, let me ask you - What is God stirring in your heart through this message? Whose barn is God asking you to raise? What walls is He asking you to rebuild? What will you do as a result of being here today?
To make it practical, let me encourage you to consider one of these four “P” words:
· a project (a short-term opportunity to bless others)
· a place (in our community that needs help)
· a person (someone that a group could reach out to)
· a party (a fun way to be a blessing to others you are trying to reach out to)
May the Lord lead you and guide you as you consider creative and authentic ways to improve your serve together.
Close in prayer.