The Business of Heaven (Part 1): The Work You’re Called To

May 13, 2021 Jake Bryant

what’s your problem?

When something’s not right with you, the people closest to you tend to take notice. They’ll usually say something about how you “seem off” or they’ll ask, “what’s up with you”? And many times, we’re quick to answer back with some surface-level response.

We’ll complain about how sick of our job we are. Or talk about the lack of sleep we’ve been getting. All true things, of course. But sometimes those things are scapegoats, they’re only symptoms of a much deeper problem. And sometimes, when we’re willing to look beyond the pain of our problem—

we find purpose.

Take for instance, the book of Nehemiah, where we find a man wrecked by some troubling news. Nehemiah Ch. 1 (NLT) tells us that a group of men arrived with a status report concerning the Jews living in the province of Judah. These Jews were former captives, who were permitted to go back to Judah & rebuild. Nehemiah, the cup-bearer to King Artaxerxes, is given the following status report:

“…Things are not going well for those who returned to the province of Judah. They are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem has been torn down, and the gates have been destroyed by fire.”

After hearing the news, Nehemiah says “for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven”. Nehemiah goes on to confess his sins & the sins of the Jewish people to God. He asks God for forgiveness, and asks God to remember His Promise to restore those who return to Him in repentant obedience.

A short time later, we find Nehemiah serving wine to the king, taking care of business as usual. But for the first time, Nehemiah is found to appear “sad in the presence of the king”. King Artaxerxes takes note & essentially asks Nehemiah what his problem is.

Nehemiah goes on to explain the terrible conditions of the city & his people. And with God’s supernatural favor, the king grants Nehemiah the authority to go back & rebuild the city.

As it always does, God’s purpose prevailed. God took one man’s burden & converted it into a blessing. Nehemiah called out to God for restoration, and God called on Nehemiah to rebuild. That’s the business of heaven. A business that finds it origin with God.

God Himself had a burden, He “so loved a broken world”. So what did He do? He “sent His one & only Son Jesus” to restore the people of this world. In Jesus, we find the cornerstone, the foundation to God’s great rebuilding project. We find that God’s burden of love still stands today. And through the Spirit of His Son—

He now sends us.

your stage

"...let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

There are so many obstacles that attempt to drive a wedge between you & God’s plans for you. This series of posts will be dedicated to uncovering our issues, taking them to God, so we can confidently take our next step of faith in God’s rebuilding process.

The mission is to get back to business, God’s business. And that starts by identifying what “stage” of the process you’re in. Recognizing, by God’s Spirit, what season of life you’re going through. When you know what you’re going through, you’ll know what to do.

1. A Good Place

Nehemiah was in a relatively good place when he learned of the poor state of his people in Judah. As the cup-bearer to the king, he held a high position of trust & influence. By bringing his concern for Judah to the king’s attention, he risked losing the very things he’d worked so hard to earn.

Nehemiah could have said, “that’s too bad, they’re there & I’m here. Not my city, not my problem”. But instead, he embodied the example that Jesus shared about in Luke 12:48 (NLT):

“…When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.”

Nehemiah recognized what he’d been entrusted with. He knew that his good fortune wasn’t to simply indulge himself, but to serve God & His people. He understood that his good position—

Served God’s mission.

In times where the natural tendency is to grow spiritually stale or indifferent, we have to be reminded of all that God has entrusted to us. To take things as seriously as He does. The conditions are often high-risk, unfavorable, and require selflessness. They’re typically anything but convenient. But God’s call is unquestionably—

A risk worth taking.

2. A Rough Place

Looking around at the world today, it’s hard not to be overcome by the immeasurable amount of problems you see. But one of the peculiar things about God is, He often brings out the best in us when things are at their worst.

Instead of being discouraged by the conditions, we should be encouraged by the undeniable need for us to step in & make a Godly difference. We should be encouraged knowing that “God’s strength works best in our weakness” (2 Corinth. 12:9). We all experience moments of despair—

we just cant afford to stay there.

Even Nehemiah had his moments. During the process of rebuilding the walls & restoring the city, he was under constant threat by many enemies. Time after time, they tried to force Nehemiah to abandon God’s work. But in faith, he told them:

“I am doing a great work and I cannot come down…” Nehemiah 6:3 (ESV)

That should be the anthem that we live by. Even in the face of opposition, disappointment, or even staggering odds.

“...Be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

1 Corinthians 15:58 (NLT)

In his hands

God’s call isn’t a concept to contemplate, it’s a life to live. As Jesus taught us with the Lord’s prayer, we’re called to bring heaven to earth:

"Your [God’s] kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

Our confidence isn’t in ourselves, it rests solely in His hands. In God’s enduring character:

“I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it…” Ecclesiastes 3:14 (ESV)

When God’s given you an assignment, He’s equipped you to complete it. You can do what you’re supposed to do, because it’s in God’s hands. You can pray & obey even when you don’t understand, because it’s in God’s hands. You, as an adopted child of God, are in God’s hands. Your business is God’s business.