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Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

FIRST THOUGHTSA quote from David Wells:

God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. • His truth is too distant• His grace is too ordinary• His judgment is too benign• His Gospel is too easy• His Christ is too common

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s WayThe truth? We marginalize God:

We “domesticate” Him to serve our purposes

The situation in Nehemiah 9:• They are finished with the Feast of Booths and are ready to take two more steps• Chapter 9 is step 1, chapter 10 is step 2• They discover the nature of

true repentance is a balance of grief and gladness

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s WayA review of where we are in Nehemiah:• Chapters 1 – 7 focus on reconstruction• Chapters 8 – 13 focus on reinstruction• Chapter 8 – Rediscovery of God’s Word• Chapter 9 – Rediscovery of God’s Grace• Chapter 10 – Recommitment

to follow God’s Word •

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

TRUE REPENTANCE IS PROMPTED BY THE WORD AND

WORK OF GODThe world makes too much of man and too little of God, and so continues lost on a path to ruin• God’s Word must do the work of convicting minds and hearts• We will never know the truth without it!

The people of Israel understood how they had failed God from the reading of

the law by Ezra (Nehemiah 8)

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

TRUE REPENTANCE IS CHARACTERIZED BY

GENUINE SORROW – V 1The nation’s first response was fasting, not fun• When they fasted it hurt!• The purpose was to recognize the depth of their sin• Isaiah 6:1-5 reveals the God we sin against2 Questions:• How do I show how serious I

am about my sins?• What do I call repentance?

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s WayTRUE REPENTANCE FACES THE UGLY TRUTH

OF SIN HEAD ON – V 2They confessed their sins past and presentThey identified with sins they did not commit. Why?• They acknowledged these actions were sinful• They recognized their potential to do the same

The nation’s prayer of sinfulness (lostness) – vv 5-37• Note it’s specific nature• They considered how their sin affected/offended a holy God

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

This comes through “between the lines”• Repentance recognizes I am undeserving . . .• . . . and yet God is willing to extend grace to me• These truths should rid us of the thoughts . . .• . . . that we “deserve” something from Him • . . . that we are “OK” apart from His grace

• The truth: we are lost without Him in our lives!

TRUE REPENTANCE ACKNOWLEDGES

THE UNWORTHINESS SIN PRODUCES

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

TRUE REPENTANCE THROWS ITSELF UPON THE

AMAZING GRACE OF GOD – VV 5-37It acknowledges the true character and nature of God• The nation is told to “stand up and praise Him” – v5• The nation is told He is sovereign – vv 7-8• The nation is told of His care for them – vv 9-10• The nation is told of His provision – vv 11-12• The nation is told of His Word to them – vv 13-15• The nation is told of His faithfulness in contrast to their

sinfulness (lostness) – vv 16-37

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

LAST THOUGHTSThe repeated truth in Nehemiah 9?

We (Israel) have messed up and You have always graciously forgiven when we repent. Grace can . . .• Meet a woman caught in adultery and . . .• Meet a man who has wasted his life and . . .• Meet a woman at a well with a dark past and . . .• Meet a condemned man and . . .• Meet you and I today and . . .

Nehemiah Rebuilding God’s Way

LAST THOUGHTSThe final word?

True repentance walks a new path by the grace of God through salvation in Jesus Christ• We need Jesus Christ as Savior because we are lost, not because we are bad• We need Him as Spiritual Guide (the Holy Spirit) so we can grow in

understanding & obedience

of Him and the Word

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