rebuilding broken lives nehemiah 9:30-38 page 412 in pew bibles

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Rebuilding Broken Rebuilding Broken Lives Lives Nehemiah 9:30-38 Page 412 in Pew Bibles

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Rebuilding Broken LivesRebuilding Broken Lives

Nehemiah 9:30-38Page 412 in Pew Bibles

Nehemiah 9Nehemiah 930. You were patient with them for many

years, and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples.

31. However, in Your abundant compassion, You did not destroy them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.

32. So now, our God—the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant—do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today.

33. You are righteous concerning all that has come on us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

34. Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings You gave them.

35. When they were in their kingdom, with Your abundant goodness You gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.

36. Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it!

37. Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.

38. In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.

What’s Going On…What’s Going On…

• The wall is completed • Now, the city is reforming…

and re-forming• In Chapter 8, the people got back to

the Bible• In Chapter 9, the people work the

process of repentance• As Chapter 9 continues, the people

continue to reconnect with God

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Reconnecting Reconnecting With GodWith God

Four Steps to Getting Close to God Again

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David WellsDavid WellsGod in the WastelandGod in the Wasteland

David F. Wells, God in the Wasteland, Leicester, IVP, 1994, page 30

Cited in The Message of Nehemiah by Raymond Brown, IVP, page 148

…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, and his Christ is too common.”

1. Rediscover the Greatness 1. Rediscover the Greatness of Godof God

• Vs. 5-6 “Praise Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host worships You.”

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1. Rediscover the Greatness 1. Rediscover the Greatness of Godof God

• This shifts your focus from yourself to the One who deserves it

• Connects you with the One for Whom you were created

• Gets you back on track to fulfill your life’s purpose, which is to know God and enjoy Him

• Orders your life around something big enough to be fulfilling

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2. Retrace the Hand of God 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Lifethrough Your Life

• God molds our lives:– By the new birth– By the Holy Spirit working in us– Through the Bible– By those we fellowship with– Through our life experiences

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2. Retrace the Hand of God 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Lifethrough Your Life

• BeginningsBeginnings– Vs. 7 “You are the LORD God who chose

Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans”

• DeliverancesDeliverances– Vs. 11 “You divided the sea before them,

and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone...”

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2. Retrace the Hand of God 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Lifethrough Your Life

• Times of Special GuidanceTimes of Special Guidance– Vs. 12 “You led them with a pillar of cloud

by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go.”

• ProvisionProvision– Vs. 21 “You provided for them in the

wilderness 40 years and they lacked nothing.”

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2. Retrace the Hand of God 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Lifethrough Your Life

• Divine RevelationsDivine Revelations– Vs. 13-14 “You came down on Mount

Sinai, and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions, and good decrees and commandments. You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them…”

– Vs. 20 “You sent Your good Spirit to instruct them.”

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2. Retrace the Hand of God 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Lifethrough Your Life

• BlessingsBlessings– Vs. 23 “You multiplied their descendants

like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it.”

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Rick WarrenRick WarrenThe Purpose Driven LifeThe Purpose Driven Life

The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan, page 247

If you really desire to be used by God, you must understand a powerful truth: The very experiences you have resented or regretted most in life—the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget—are the experiences God wants to use to help others. They are your ministry!

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3. Recognize the Correction 3. Recognize the Correction of Godof God

• A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle1. Blessed by God• Vs. 25 “They captured fortified cities

and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, rock-hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.”

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3. Recognize the Correction 3. Recognize the Correction of Godof God

• A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle2. Rejecting God• Vs. 26 “But they were disobedient

and rebelled against You. They flung Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them to turn them back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.”

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3. Recognize the Correction 3. Recognize the Correction of Godof God

• A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle3. Disciplined by God• Vs. 27 “So You handed them over to

their enemies, who oppressed them. In their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.”

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3. Recognize the Correction 3. Recognize the Correction of Godof God

• A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle4. Returning to God• Vs. 27 “…In their time of distress, they

cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.”

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3. Recognize the Correction 3. Recognize the Correction of Godof God

• A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle5. Repeat Process• Vs. 28 “But as soon as they had

relief, they again did what was evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who dominated them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your compassion.”

• History is the story of God’s tenacious loyalty and man’s persistent sin.

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John JohnsonJohn Johnson

Sermon on Nehemiah 9 http://i.b5z.net/i/u/720587/f/SermonNotes/commitment/Jan7-8.pdf

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3. Recognize the Correction 3. Recognize the Correction of Godof God

• Reaffirm the Righteousness of God Reaffirm the Righteousness of God in His treatment of youin His treatment of you

• Vs. 33 “You are righteous concerning all that has come on us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”

• Vs. 36-37 “Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it! Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins.”

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• Vs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

4. Redevelop Your Spiritual 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual

DisciplinesDisciplines

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• Vs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreementbinding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

4. Redevelop Your Spiritual 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual

DisciplinesDisciplines

HL >

4. Redevelop Your Spiritual 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual

DisciplinesDisciplines

• Vs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writingin writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

HL >

4. Redevelop Your Spiritual 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual

DisciplinesDisciplines

• Vs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed documenta sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

>

4. Redevelop Your Spiritual 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual

DisciplinesDisciplines

• Vs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the namesnames of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

. .

4. Redevelop Your Spiritual 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual

DisciplinesDisciplines

• Specific and Detailed

• Concerned both the institutions of the family and the “church”

• Put them back on the path to staying connected with God

• The key is not as much avoiding the sins we commit, as doing the things we omit

• 10:39 “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

Rebuilding Broken LivesRebuilding Broken Lives