Traillblazer Ministries - Missionary to China

We will all be faced with problems as a group and we will need to face the fact, how can we work together to achieve Gods vision for the local Church the Universal Church and the vision for the lost?

Nehemiah had a burden on his heart to rebuild the walls and gates of Jerusalem. At this point in time I think he wasn’t thinking of cost or people to carry out the work he only wanted God to move.

Nehemiah 1:3 And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire.4 And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, 5 And said, I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: (KJVA)

Q2/ Nehemiah prayed that God would help his people. (True or false)

Nehemiah demonstrates towards the King the attitude of submission and the King responds by giving Nehemiah the leadership for this project.

Nehemiah 2:2 And the king said to me, Why is your face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing but sorrow of heart. Then I was very much afraid. 3 And I said to the king, Let the king live forever. Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire? 4 And the king said to me, For what do you ask? So I prayed to the God of Heaven, 5 and I said to the king, If it please the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, I pray that you would send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, so that I may build it. 6 And the king said to me (the queen also sitting by him), For how long shall your journey be? And when will you return? So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time. (MKJV)

Q3/ The attitude of submission is not powerful. (True or false)

Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem and stayed there for three nights before he made any move. He rose at night keeping his thoughts to himself until the time was right to tell the others. He had found the right people and took them around the city.

Nehemiah 2:11 And I came to Jerusalem and was there three days. 12 And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me. And I did not tell to a man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem. And there was no animal with me, except the animal that I rode upon. (MKJV)

Q4/ Nehemiah keep his vision close to his heart not telling anyone. (True or false)

A good leader knows the right time to release the vision and the method Nehemiah used was a question. “Do you see this”? The chosen servant of God will see the need and agree but not always knowing what to do.

Nehemiah 2:17 And I said to them, You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem is wasted, and the gates of it are burned with fire. Come and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, so that we may no more be a reproach. 18 And I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, and also the king's words that he had spoken to me. And they said, Let us rise up to build. So they made their hands strong for good. (MKJV)

Q5/ The people saw with their own eyes and caught the vision too. (True or false)

A leader knows that he or she can’t do all the work and they know the importance of cooperation (Teamwork). Statements come out of their mouth like;

* Let us,

* We can do this,

* You are more than capable,

* God’s hand is on you life,

* I believe in you,

* I have always believed in you,

* I need your help,

* Would you help me,

* Let’s work together,

* Can you take responsibility for that?

* I know God is with you,

* It’s a good idea, let’s work on it.

* Excreta all positive and constructive

Q6/ the way the leader speaks in very important. (True or false)

A team is only as strong as the weakest player so we need to be able to identify them and come along side of them to bring them to a new level of confidence.

Many years ago I came out of teachers college and didn’t have a full time position at a school; therefore I was sent a school to help in teaching duties. The headmaster asked me if I would help with the sporting teams and I agreed. Our school had never won any of the sporting competitions and had finished last every time.

I went about the organization of the team and made sure we had people for every event but it was hard to get someone to run in the Girls 1500meters.

We had two sisters in our school one tall and athletic the other shorter and a little over weight.

We came to the 1500 event and we needed someone and I asked the students who would like to run in the event so we could get One point for having a competitor in the event, the shorter girl said, “I will” but she didn’t have running shoes and she only had her uniform on.

I said to her don’t try and run just walk the distance which she did and she received the ONE point.

We won the sports by one point, this girl step forward in the most defining moment and we didn’t even know it at the time it was after I said to her, “you did it, you won for us”. We won all the sporting events for the next five years and there wasn’t another defining moment like this again, she turned us around because she said, “I will try”.

Every one can play a part in a team as long as they try.

Weakness is not a personality type but a behavior pattern or an undisciplined attitude towards leadership or a non-cohesiveness attitude towards others.

Q7/ A good team player will do everything themselves. (True or false)

Here we see in Joshua, that when everything is done in cooperation (Teamwork) God send a blessing.

Joshua 6:20 And the people shouted when the priests blew with the ram's horns. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the ram's horns, and the people shouted with a great shout, the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, each man straight before him. And they took the city (MKJV)

We see in Joshua that when an individual (Achan) moves in an independent way his actions have a collective consequence. Achan sinned before the battle at Ai by keeping what he had been told not to take.

Joshua 7:12 And the sons of Israel could not stand before their enemies. They will turn their backs before their enemies, because they have become cursed. I will not be with you again, unless you destroy the one who is cursed from among you.13 Up! Sanctify the people and say, Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. For thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, A cursed thing is in the midst of you, O Israel. You cannot stand before your enemies until you take away the cursed thing from among you. (MKJV)

Q8/ Sin in the team of God will not produce the fruit desired. (True or false)

Teamwork is not the absences of individual creativity, but the in-corporation of it.

The leader needs to identify creativity and not be threatened by it and then incorporate it into the plan.

The creative person needs to identify this gifting in themselves and then to submit their ideas to the leadership to be incorporated and gain assistance.

By the correction of certain attitudes it is much easer to develop teamwork. Nehemiah didn’t have the means to build the walls and gates, but he had a powerful God.

Q9/ He had everyone build the wall in front of their home or place of responsibility. (True or false)

Nehemiah 3:1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up its doors, even to the Tower of Meah they sanctified it, to the Tower of Hananeel.

# And next to him the men of Jericho

# And next to them Zaccur

# But the sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate,

# Next to them

# And next to him and his daughters repaired

# After him

# And the temple-slaves who lived in Ophel repaired

# The priests repaired

# The keeper of the East Gate, repaired

# The goldsmiths and the merchants repaired.

Q10/ A team works closely and cooperatively. (True or false)

Every team has a leader.

God takes an individual giving him or her vision and then they take it to others and infecting with it. Once others have caught the vision they will be willing to work on it.

Nehemiah 4:6 So we built the wall, and all the wall was joined together to the half of it. For the people had a mind to work. (MKJV)

Q11/ A leader initiate and starts things and the people follow. (True or false)

God is an initiator; He births in the heart of man a dream, desire and a vision for thing of His Kingdom. Then man under the unction of the Holy Spirit set off to bring about the things of God.

The Devil is a reactor and it is only after he sees the thing of God happen he then try to steal and destroy the things of God. He is always late and we need to have the resolve not change direction because if the plan is of God it will come to pass.

Nehemiah 4:7 And it happened, when Sanballat and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem had gone up, and that the breaks were being filled, they were very angry. 8 And all of them conspired together to come and fight against Jerusalem and do harm to it. 9 But we made our prayer to our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. (MKJV)

Q12/ The devil is always late and only reacts. (True or false)

We the servants of God need to pray and watch. The Holy Spirit can bring a revelation to a believer about what is about to take place and also possible changes that may be needed, but this should not be embarked upon without conveying any thoughts to the leadership.

Nehemiah 4:17 the ones who built on the wall, and the ones who carried burdens; with those who were lifting, one a worker in the work, and one held a weapon.18 For of the builders, each one had his sword tied by his side, and built. And he who sounded the trumpet was beside me.

God never bypass the leader, but if the leader is not listening God may talk to one who is listening, but never is it for that person to operate independently.

Q13/ While one is preaching the other can pray quietly and not for the sick. (True or false)

Q14/ God selects the leader. (True or false)

In a team of God the leader has to give an account about all that happens, where the team member is only responsible for themselves. The leaders concern is for the big picture as well as your own wellbeing.

Hebrews 13:16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.17 Yield to those leading you, and be submissive, for they watch for your souls, as those who must give account, that they may do it with joy and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you. (MKJV)

Q15/ A leader has to give an account to God. (True or false)

I led a team of people to India on a missionary journey, while one of the team was preaching in a small Church a well meaning brother started praying for the people at the back of the room which cause a commotion.

It is easier not be the leader, but it is God who puts people in positions. The plan for the service had been discussed and was being followed up to this point. The aim was to bring teaching, preaching and healing as to the format that Jesus followed. We would conclude with an alter call for salvations and then a call for prayer for healing.

Q16/ Things are done decently and in order. (True or false)

Q17/ There would be time to pray after the teaching. (True or false)

As the leader I had to ask the man to stop praying and wait to the end of the preaching. He had no understanding that God doesn’t change the plan mid flight and that he was bringing disorder.

Q18/ The leader must exercise authority when needed. (True or false)

Above I have stated three main point’s one salvation followed by healings but the teaching which preceded these was so that people could hold onto what blessing they may receive.

Q19/ Jesus went about teaching preaching and healing. (True or false)

1Thesolians 5:12 And, brothers, we beseech you to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and who admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves. (MKJV)

The well meaning man, a team member needed to understand that he would receive a judgment for his actions and that he may have caused someone to miss out on their blessings.

Q20/ If we fail to plan we plan to fail. (True or false)

A team is based on the need to surrender ones own wish for greatness for the greatness of the whole. We each have a part to play and each part is very important.

Failing in teamwork can come into two areas one a lack of teaching on how to function in a team the second is selfishness wanting to be the main person taking all the credit. This is the sin of Idolatry.

A champion team can beat a team of champions.

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