Delivered Nov. 12, 2006
by Pastor Eric Henderson
I was cup bearer to the king and a Jew. Not just any king, not even a Jewish king in the line of David, but the great Persian king Artaxerxes I who ruled the vast region from the Mediterranean Sea to Afghanistan.
About 130 years ago armies from Egypt overcame our small nation, then Babylonians were victorious over the Egyptians and recently the Persians ruled our small nation. Many of God's people had been taken into captivity in Babylon. So here I am, at a young age, given the great responsibility of serving the king and queen wine, listening to them, and sometimes advising them in matters of the kingdom.
During this time of year, my brother came to me in the palace and told me the sad news from Jerusalem. The city and people are in great trouble and disgrace. Fire charred gates lay on the ground. Stones in piles replaced the once strong walls. A city must have a wall for protection. Any attempts to rebuild the walls were thwarted by neighboring leaders who sent raiding parties to break the dressed stones.
The news was rather depressing. I was affected so deeply that I mourned, fasted, and prayed four long months.
"What happened to God's promise to protect Jerusalem?"
"What happened to God's promise to always provide a king in the line of David?"
The prophets said it was because of our sin. The sin of rebelling against God's covenant. I knew it to be true. We had worshipped other gods, ignored the Sabbath, cheated in business, and failed to obey so many other laws that I confessed my sins and the sins of my people day after day. During those four months of praying, fasting, mourning and confessing a plan started forming in my mind.
The plan seemed far-fetched and impossible to carry out, so I didn't tell anyone. Until the day the king asked why I looked so sad. That scarred me speechless. My plan risked more than my comfortable position as cup-bearer, more than a few days vacation or a raise. I risked being accused of divided loyalties-even treason which has gotten many people's head chopped off. But if the king asks-you better tell. So I told him. Jerusalem was the home of my people for centuries. And Jerusalem was in shambles-in ruins.
Instead of ordering my execution, he asked what I wanted. After a deep breath and prayer I gave him my shopping list that would help me fulfill the plan God had put in my heart.
Being a king with lots of power and wealth, and a big nudge by Yahweh-the king of all, Artexerxes gave me what I requested, plus an escort.
During the long journey I prayed some more and wondered what I would find when I finally reached Jerusalem. There was no way I could carry out God's plan by myself. Others in the past had tried and failed. Would the rulers help or hinder? Would the people that lived in Jerusalem laugh and throw stones at me, or get to work?
We finally arrived. After resting for 3 days several trusted companions and I went to take a look. I got on my donkey at night and headed out. What a mess! Piles of rocks all over, instead of walls. Burned wood mixed in with the rocks, so my donkey couldn't find a place to walk. We had to turn around, and go down the valley and back up the mountain to look at all parts of the wall. All twelve gates and beams were useless, stones from sections of wall and the towers were scattered inside and outside where the walls had once been, some stones thrown off the edge into the valley.
Looking at the mess was hard enough, but now I needed to do the hard work of telling other leaders about the plan God had placed in my heart. After sleeping a few hours in the morning I met with some key leaders and said,
You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates burned. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no longer suffer disgrace. Then I told them about God giving me a plan and the king giving permission for me to come, and letter of passage, plus all the timber. To my amazement and relief they said, Let us start rebuilding!" They committed themselves to get the people working on the walls.
But not everyone was ready to help. Some of the leaders from cities about 10 miles away started making accusations of rebellion against King Artenxerxes. Well, after 4 months of preparation with God, the king's blessing, gathering materials and traveling 4 years, and the cooperation of most everyone in Jerusalem, I replied,
The God of heaven is the one who will give success, and we his servants are going to start rebuilding; but you have no share or claim or historic right to Jerusalem. In short, God is on our side, we're determined, get busy or get lost! They did-get lost for awhile, and people got to work.
The priest kicked things off by rebuilding the Sheep gate and consecrating it. Then momentum took over. People from Jericho, Gibeon, and the surrounding area came to help. Merchants, goldsmiths, perfumers, rulers, Levites, women, temple servants, relatives from all around came to help make repairs. Stone, mortar, wood, hinges, became walls, towers, beams, and gates. People working together for the common good to erase the disgrace and fulfill the plan God had placed in my heart.
400 years later John the Baptist had a plan and went around shouting, "Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." People listened, believed and were baptized.
Jesus came with a plan and declared, "The Spirit of the sovereign Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Jesus told the disciples to go and make disciples of all nations, to feed the hungry, cloth the naked, give water to the thirsty.
Paul had a plan to preach good news to the Gentiles in all places declaring that God's plan was to unite everything in heaven and earth together under one head-even Christ.
About 150 AD years later, Iranaeus of Lyons, France had a plan that people should know God as a shepherd who lovingly leads and cares for people-so that is what he taught.
Some 50 years later, Clement of Alexandria had a plan to witness to pagan intellectuals by showing them how Plato and other philosophers support Christianity.
About 400 years after Jesus lived, the Catholic Church and the powers of the world joined forces. Church leaders lived in luxury and sought positions of prestige and power. Anthony and others had a plan to live the life Jesus taught. So they left the cities and the established church, gave away their possessions, and lived simply, often in poverty, serving God and others.
Conrad Grebel wrote in the early 1500's Now everybody hopes to be saved by a superficial faith, without the fruits of faith, without the baptism of trial and tribulation, without love or hope, and without truly Christian practice. Grebel, George Blaurock, and other met for prayer. After earnest prayer Blaurock, believed God's plan was that people old enough to have a knowledge of following Jesus be baptized. They baptized each other beginning the group who became known as Anabaptists-or rebaptizers. They pledged to live as true disciples of Christ to live separated from the world and to teach the gospel and hold the faith.
Lynn Nolt, a young woman in her early 20's believed God had placed a plan in her heart. She shared with others the idea to gather young adults for worship, teaching, and fellowship one evening of the weekend. The gatherings started small, but word spread and there were often 200 plus young adults gathered in a church gym.
What plan has God placed in our hearts that will meet the needs of others?
How many of us are willing to unite our efforts to fulfill the mission God is placing in our hearts?
Since God created humanity, people throughout the world have been given plans, ideas, thoughts, visions of God's mission on earth. Some have served meals, constructed buildings, bandaged lepers, dug wells, treated the mentally ill, made comforters, visited prisoners, cleaned mud out of basements, taught squirming children or calloused adults, wrote music or cleaned a house.
God will reveal his plans to us as we listen. Join me in prayer. After we sing #38, let us be in silence for the next 3-5 minutes listening for God's plan for us. During the silence notice the thoughts or images that come to you. You will be given opportunities to share what God brings to mind later. I will end the time by saying Amen.
Petitcodiac Mennonite Church