Untitled Sermon (9)
Nehemiah • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.
Now it happened in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa the citadel, 2 that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
Chislev - nov/Dec
12 years after Ezra returns. They have been there about a 100 yeasr. There was no facebook. So news few and far between. But they said, hey still not good. Walls are broken down, the people still hate them.
Gates and walls were more important than an army
4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
He mourned - last week we saw mourning becaes of sin. This wasn’t becaues of sin. This was just life. Someonetimes, we mourn has nothing to do withour wrong doing but rather becaues we live in a fallen world.
for days -
800 miles aways from Jerusalem.
The response was the same - prayer and fastings.
Notice, he was fine. Persoanlly hsi life was fine. In fact it was likelyl pretty good. Great tasting food. etc..but he was more concerned for what God was was doing than his personal comfort.
LETS BE MORE CONCERNED OVER WHAT GOD WAS DOING THAN WAHT WE NEED.
The rest of hte time today will be in His prayer:
PRAYER:
5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,
Lord God of Heaven - He acknowledges God.
Keeps covenat - Reminds his of wis word and promises.
love wiht those who love him and keep his commandedments. - Do you pray like this?
I love that before we get into the story, before he makes a plan before anything, He prays! The first reaction is to prayer.
PRAYER SHOULD BE THE FRIST RESPONSE.
6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.
After he praises God, he then goes to ask day and night.
Confesses sin - It wasn’t even his sin directly. He still confesses and is bother by it.
7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.
We - he includes himeself.
very corrupltly. - He keeps ackwoleding that he was part of it and they sinned.
8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’
He calls God to remember His Word. God is always true to his words. So must be conforming ourself to that.
He tells them, - I will scatter you.
But if they return to God,
To make my name dwell there -
10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.
11 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
He finally gets tot he point of the prayer - give me mercy when I talk to this man.
CONLUSION: