Bill Murray, the actor, once said that nothing can prepare you for being famous. He said that being famous is nothing like you would expect. "You think it will be a life of leisure. And there are moments of riding in limos and having someone carry your bag. But it's also a 24-hour-a-day job." He then goes on to say, "To people who want to be rich and famous, I'd say, 'Get rich first and see if that doesn't cover it.'"
Many people have this same misconception about leaders. They see the glory that politicians, movie stars, athletes, celebrities, and other types of public figures receive. They don't see the other side of glory--the late nights, the long days, the grueling work-outs, the rejection, the challenges, and on and on. There's more to leadership than meets the eye. This morning, as we continue our series in the book of Nehemiah, we're going to examine the part of leadership that is not recognizable to the untrained eye.
In our story, Nehemiah has arrived in Jerusalem with the intention of rebuilding the wall around the city, and he is taking the necessary steps to get the project underway. Before he can get started, though, he must first face the other side of glory, and deal with three aspects of leadership that are often overlooked. First of all, Nehemiah had to face...
1. ISOLATION
(v. 13) By night I went out thru Valley Gate...examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire.
For months Nehemiah had dreamed about returning to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls of the city. When he finally received permission from King Artaxerxes he began the 4 month journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. He did not storm Jerusalem with a band of mighty men; he entered the city quietly and all alone. He told no one of his plans.
After a few days he went out, under the cover of darkness, to inspect the walls. He began to realize that this was no longer a dream. Reality sank in. Nehemiah knew that he faced a tremendous challenge. The city of Jerusalem had been destroyed, nothing remained but piles of rubble. And while the city slept, a fire burned within Nehemiah to restore the glory to this great city.
This is the side of leadership most people never see. We see the leader in the spotlight, and we make the mistake of thinking that's all there is to it. The truth is, it's what goes on backstage, behind the scenes, that makes the leader.
If you want to be a leader because you like the spotlight, you might want to reconsider your ambitions. The spotlight is a very small percentage of the job.
Consider the captain of an ocean-liner. Late into the evening, into the blackness of the night, he is at the helm, navigating the treacherous waters of the North Atlantic. As he weaves the vessel past mammoth icebergs his guests sleep peacefully in their cabins. They have trusted him with their lives. As long as he is a captain, he will carry that awesome responsibility.
That's the isolation of a leader, and that's the overwhelming feeling Nehemiah experienced as he inspected the ruins that night.
A few years ago, when Kenny Adams of the Linton First Baptist Church was trying to buy their church property, he would go there 2 or 3 nights a week, sit on the steps on the old farmhouse, and pray for God to give them the land. He would visualize how great it would be someday--a parking lot full of cars and a building full of people. After they had moved into the building, and that dream had become reality, He was not overwhelmed with a feeling of success. He was overwhelmed with a sense of tremendous responsibility.
This is my feelings. This is why it is often difficult for me to sleep on Saturday night. I am accountable to God for what I teach. My words may make an eternal difference in someone's life, and I don't take that lightly. On Saturday night I feel the isolation of the ministry.
I don't mean to paint a gloomy picture, but the truth is that leadership is about 2% glory and 98% grind. Most of what leaders do happens backstage, away from the spotlight, where no one sees but God. That's the other side of glory. If you want to be a leader, you need to be aware of Isolation. Secondly, the other aspect of leadership Nehemiah deals with is...
2. MOTIVATION
When we look at leaders, we see how hundreds, or thousand, and sometimes even millions of followers align themselves with that individual--making his dreams their dream, and his goals their goal. People who are able to motivate others have tremendous power. Politicians who know how to motivate others get elected. Ministers who know how to motivate others build large churches. Businessmen who know how to motivate others becomes millionaires.
When a leader reaches that level--when he stands before thousands of adoring followers who hang on his every word--motivation looks quite simple. It is easy to inspire a crowded room filled with enthusiastic, supportive people. The real test of a leader's ability to motivate others is when he faces a situation where there is no momentum, where the crowds are small and unenthusiastic, and there is much work to be done.
Several years ago, Barry Alvarez, left Notre Dame to accept an offer as head coach of the University of Wisconsin football team. His friends thought he was crazy to take the job. The Badgers had a deep-seated losing tradition, the program was millions of dollars in the red, there was practically no Booster Club or Alumni support, and the school had never been able to recruit top players.
But Barry believed he could turn it around. In spite of these limited resources, he was able to inspire the players to play beyond themselves. He kept them motivated, even though they continued to lose at first, and little by little the team picked up momentum. Four years later, those seniors who played for Barry as freshmen, led their team to the Rose Bowl--and won.
Barry Alvarez was like Nehemiah. Nehemiah was able to start with nothing but rubble--no support, no momentum--and motivate scores of people to get involved. How did he do it?
Nehemiah was able to motivate others because...
a. He was self-motivated. Nehemiah didn't choose to rebuild the wall because he simply thought it was a project he might enjoy. He was consumed--absolutely obsessed--with the idea. It was all he thought about, day and night, and his enthusiasm swept everyone off their feet.
Sloan Wilson said, "Success in almost any field depends more on energy and drive than it does on intelligence. That explains why we have so many stupid leaders." I like that. You don't have to be a genius, but you do have to be consumed with a vision, to be a good leader. That's how you motivate other people to join you. They catch your vision. It's contagious.
Secondly, Nehemiah was able to motivate others because...
b. He focused on the big picture. Notice what he said...
(v. 17) "Come let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."
Nehemiah wanted the people to know they weren't just building a wall. They were restoring the city of God. It was more than just bricks and mortar, it was the glory of Israel In the same way, we need to be able to look beyond the mundane details of our jobs and see the big picture. Children's church teachers aren't just baby-sitting, they're building lives. Church musicians aren't just playing chords, they're helping people enter into the presence of God. Nehemiah was able to motivate others because he focused on the big picture.
Thirdly, Nehemiah was able to motivate others because...
c. He had credibility. People need a reason to follow a leader. When a politician runs for office, when an individual applies for a job, when a salesman makes a call, the first thing he must do is establish credibility. People are going to ask, "Why should we listen to you?"
Nehemiah didn't have an impressive resume in the field of labor management, construction, or public relations. In fact, he had only two things going for him, and he used them both to establish his credibility. He said...
(v. 18) "I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me."
If you want to be a leader, people have to be able to sense God's presence in your life. Otherwise, why should they follow you? Leaders don't have to be perfect, but they must be credible. How else will they be able to inspire others to give beyond themselves? That ability to start with nothing and motivate others to greatness is an aspect of leadership that is often overlooked--because it exists on the other side of glory. There is a third aspect of leadership that Nehemiah must deal with. It is...
3. OPPOSITION
(v. 19-20) But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. "What is this you are doing?" they asked. "Are you rebelling against the king?"
After Nehemiah had inspected the damage, formulated his plans, and recruited a group of people to help him begin this project--the inevitable happened. Anytime someone attempts to do something great for God, they must first endure opposition. There will always be those who would rather criticize than do anything worthwhile themselves.
There is a story of this pastor who started a new church and he tells this story. "When we started this church in the late 70's, the idea of a casual, non-traditional church was still a radical concept. There weren't many churches like it in existence. On many occasions sincere Christian people told me flatly, "Your idea will never work." They would say, "You can't have a church full of young people--who will pay the bills?"
They would say, "This informal governmental structure will never work--you have to elect a church board and establish rules and by-laws." They would say, "You can't start a church that doesn't have Sunday School, and choirs, and a sanctuary--and you can't create an atmosphere of worship wearing blue jeans and playing guitars." End of quote.
There will always be those who feel it is their duty to oppose any new idea. Nehemiah didn't argue with them, he just said...
(v. 20) I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success."
If you want to be a leader, you will be criticized. People will question your motives, they will challenge your authority, they will denounce your ideas, and they will try to sabotage your efforts. It shouldn't be that way, but it is that way. Every significant person in scripture--from Moses to Paul--faced opposition.
Throughout history, every person who has aspired to greatness has first had to endure the criticism of others. It is no different today.
It is hard to believe that a great man like Abraham Lincoln would have enemies, but he did. And they weren't just people from the south. Lincoln was criticized and ridiculed by Northerners, and even by his colleagues. It's hard to believe that Winston Churchill, after leading England through World War II, saw his popularity decrease and was eventually voted out of office. A leader has to believe strongly in what he is doing, because opposition is inevitable.
Most often we see only the adoration that leaders receive. We see only glory. Leaders, however, see the other side. They hear the complaints and the criticism. They must face the opposition.
CONCLUSION
I read a story the other day about a fellow named David who was a doctor in Gabon, West Africa. David had wanted to be a missionary to Africa just about all of his life. After he finished high school, he did 4 years of undergraduate work, then he spent 3 years in seminary, getting a Masters degree.
After seminary, he was accepted in medical school, which took him 3 years to complete. He then spent two years in Paris, studying tropical medicine. He was 36 when he arrived in Africa and began doing the work he had dreamed of his whole life.
He was the first doctor in the area, and one of only a few missionaries, so he had his work cut out for him.
He spent years there laboring in obscurity. His family couldn't believe that he would sacrifice the affluence of an American medical practice for the poverty of Gabon. The people in his village didn't trust Western medicine, and it was not easy to persuade them to let him treat their illnesses. He spent many nights alone, with nothing but a dream to keep him going.
Now, however, he has it all. He is one of the most respected and influential men in his village. He helps thousands of people a year who would die without his assistance. He is also the pastor of a large congregation. But success didn't come easy, and it didn't come without a price. David couldn't have accomplished what he has accomplished without encountering the other side of leadership.
God wants all of us to serve as leaders in some area of our lives. But He doesn't want us to go into it with the wrong impression. He doesn't want us to think that it is a life of privilege. Yes, sometimes leaders do receive recognition and applause. But not until they have been to the other side of glory.
