Week 2, Nehemiah 2:1 8 - Hook

Week 2, Nehemiah 2:1–8 - Hook Main Point: Prepare to lead well by serving well. Current Event: How does a subordinate lead a supervisor? Mike Bonem a...
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Week 2, Nehemiah 2:1–8 - Hook

Main Point: Prepare to lead well by serving well. Current Event: How does a subordinate lead a supervisor? Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson’s book Can You Lead from the Second Chair? speaks to the relationship between first-andsecond-chair leaders: Some first chairs are a pleasure to work with, and some are not. Some are concerned about the personal lives and careers of their subordinates, and others seem detached or self-absorbed. Some give their second chairs ample room to lead while others are much more controlling. At the end of the day, the second chair can do little to change the first chair. A second chair leader’s most valuable tool for promoting change is his or her own attitudes and actions. 1 Discussion Questions: Name some people who have influenced you from a subordinate or peer position. What are the character traits they exhibited that gained your respect? How does attitude affect the potential of a second-chair leader to make an impact? Personal Story: Share a personal experience when someone influenced you from the second chair. How did the experience change the way you view leadership? How did this experience change the way you view following?

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Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson, Leading from the Second Chair (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005) 25.

Nehemiah 2:1–8 - Book Main Point: Prepare to lead well by serving well. Background: Nehemiah 2:1–16. Nehemiah gains permission to return and inspects Jerusalem’s walls. Nehemiah makes his petition to the king and is allowed to go to Jerusalem (vv. 1–8). He surveys the walls, finding them in very poor condition (vv. 9–16). 2 Nehemiah 2:1-2 (Read) Sub Point: Be faithful in the moment and trust in God’s timing. Nisan spans parts of what we know to be March and April.3 Four months have gone by since Nehemiah first received word about the news of Jerusalem and this is by no means a small detail.4 This opening sentence gives such weighty detail to Nehemiah’s character. Nehemiah has been praying and planning now for four months. During these four months he has continued to serve the king faithfully. He stayed focused. He didn’t remove himself from his post. He continued with the task at hand and did what was expected of him. Nehemiah was waiting for the right time. He was trusting. He was dependent upon how God would move. The servant chose not to rush, be anxious, or act irrationally. The brokenness Nehemiah expressed back in chapter one hasn’t disappeared, it’s been with him for four months. But Nehemiah continued to serve the king well and to trust God’s hand and His timing for how he would act and bring about movement. It’s hard to stay servant-minded and fully invested when your heart is somewhere else. But we see in Nehemiah a certain kind of trust and patience that keeps him calm and keeps him present. Nehemiah knew that God was calling him to help and to serve the cause for Jerusalem, but he waited. We can all think of instances when we were sad and distracted in a time of mourning. How were your tasks and responsibilities during that time affected? Were you able to stay focused? Were you able to continue to serve others around you well? For four months Nehemiah had prevented his sorrow from affecting his work. How do you know where and with whom you can be transparent? How do you remain faithful in a job knowing that you will not be there long term?

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Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 825. Mervin Breneman. The New American Standard Commentary: Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. (Nashville: B&H Publishing, 1993). 4 Nehemiah 1:1 3

How would you respond to someone who claims that prayer is an excuse for inaction? Nehemiah 2:3–6 (Read) Sub Point: Develop a reputation of humility. The king notices Nehemiah’s sad demeanor. When he inquires to Nehemiah about his condition, Nehemiah addresses the king respectfully and responds honestly. In a moment of transparency, Nehemiah reveals the situation his people are in. His heart continues to break for the state of Jerusalem. When the king asks Nehemiah what he requests, Nehemiah begins each request with, “If it pleases the king...” Nehemiah came to the king with his requests in humility. In verse 6 we learn that it pleased the king to grant Nehemiah’s requests. The king’s endorsement of Nehemiah’s mission is a great lesson for us all as we lead and serve in various contexts. Great leaders are great servants. It would not have pleased the king to grant Nehemiah’s requests if Nehemiah had not been a gracious and humble servant and had not served the king well. Note the language in the king’s response. The context isn’t, “I asked the king and he said, ‘Eh, I guess so.’” It pleased the king. Also, Nehemiah’s requests weren’t small requests. Nehemiah was an honorable man and a gracious servant. How does humble service prepare one for great leadership? What other Biblical examples can you think of in which an individual was a servant before he became a leader? Are some personalities more prone to humility? How does someone cultivate humility? Why would a king care about the happiness of a servant? How much transparency is too much transparency in the relationship between a subordinate and leader?

Another Perspective: The Bible Knowledge Commentary Obviously Nehemiah had prepared for this moment he had prayed for. Besides seeking God’s help in prayer, he utilized all the human resources available, including his intellectual capabilities, his past experiences, his accumulated wisdom, his role and position in life, and people with whom he came in contact (in this instance, the king of Persia). 5

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Gene A. Getz, “Nehemiah” In The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), Ne 2:4b–6.

Another Perspective: The New American Commentary No doubt when Nehemiah began to pray about the condition of Jerusalem, he had no idea that he would be the one to do the work. But such is God’s way of working. Perhaps while Nehemiah was praying he realized that he should go. Now he presented the petition to the king. Nehemiah’s concern and submission resulted in his action. “If it pleases the king” indicates that he was also submissive to the king.6 Discussion: How do you know when it’s time to take action and when it is time to wait? The king granted Nehemiah’s request, how should you respond when you feel it is time to take action and doors close?

Nehemiah 2:7–8 (Read) Sub Point: Give all glory to the Master. After receiving the king’s blessing, Nehemiah could have walked out of his presence and filled himself with pride. He could have looked back over the course of the previous four months and said to himself, “You know what, I served the king well. He owed me this and he knows just what a great servant I am to him.” Nehemiah does nothing close to that. Rather, he gives all the success and credit back to the One whom he knew was responsible. Nehemiah said in the end of verse 8, “And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.” Nehemiah knows his ability to serve the king well and the king’s support and favor of him is all wrapped up in God’s hand and ultimately God’s favor. Nehemiah knows he was responsible for nothing and that God was responsible for everything. Does success pose a threat to a believer’s spiritual walk? Why or why not? Explain/describe a time when it was easy for you to give God the credit and point back to Him for something great that happened to you. What about a time when it was more difficult to do so? What made these instances different? What safeguards can we place in our lives to prevent pride?

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Breneman, Mervin. Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther. Vol. 10. Electronic ed. The New American Commentary. (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1993).

Nehemiah 2:1–8 – Took

In Today’s Culture: Jess Moody relates the story of Rose Kennedy’s journey of faith: I once taught a Bible class at the home of Barbara Holmyard, the Champion Spark Plug heiress. Princess Alexandra of Greece was invited to come, and she did. Rose Kennedy came with her. When I saw that Rose was present, I immediately changed my subject for the day to a little homily on death, making three points: 1. You can fight it. 2. You can take flight from it. 3. You can make a deal with God. After the class, Rose whispered in my ear, “I made that deal a long time ago. “I was a spoiled young bride of a strong-willed man, a socialite who attended every function possible,” she began. “We were expecting a child and elated at the prospect. The day came when our child was born. She was a beautiful child. “But it wasn’t long until we realized that there was something terribly wrong with her. We took her to the doctor, who confirmed our fears. She was retarded, and nothing could be done. “Anger grew within my heart,” Rose said. “How could God do such a thing to this child—to me? I turned my back on God, my husband, my closest friends and became a recluse. One evening a major event was happening in the city. I wanted to go, but I was so filled with wrath that I thought I might create a scene. My husband feared it, too, so we decided to stay home. A lovely woman, who was one of our maids, gently said to me, ‘Please excuse me, Mrs. Kennedy, but I’ve been watching you the last few weeks. Ilove you very much, and I hate to see this destroy your life. Mrs. Kennedy, you’ll never be happy until you make your heart a manger where the Christ child may be born.’ “I fired her on the spot! Yet later that night my mind ruminated relentlessly, keeping me awake. I could not forget that lovely face, the sweetness of the maid, the joy in her spirit, and especially her words. “I have loved Christ all my life, and tried to be a good Catholic, but now I knelt beside my bed and prayed, ‘Dear God, make my heart a Manger where the Christ-child may be born.’ I felt a fresh new divine entry into my life, and there was born in me a love for retarded children.

“Oh, by the way, I rehired the lovely maid. She was with us until her death.” 7

Discussion Questions: Have you failed to see opportunities to lead from the second chair? Who are some people God has placed in your life who need to be influenced for good and introduced to Christ? What have we learned from Nehemiah that will help us lead from the second chair? Challenge: What might you do to build trust? Who do you need to learn to serve before you can lead them? How will you go about earning the right to lead?

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Jess Moody, Club Sandwich, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishing Group, 1999)

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