Grace! Grace! - Lessons from Nehemiah

— In the book of Nehemiah, we find a powerful narrative of restoration and repentance.

— Nehemiah 9, provides profound insights into the Christian journey, emphasizing the importance of restoration, repentance, and renewal.

— Grace, Grace, Grace is the call of God in relation to us as humans

— Our God is and was about “covenants” or promises. — — There are sets of promises that explains what God wants wants from us… His humans.

— So before we can explore these “lessons” and “instructions” from scripture and how they relate to us, we need to understand a bit better

— Grace…

— And Covenants

— And how they fit together here in Nehemiah 9. And for us some 2500 years later

Grace! Grace!

— We need to start at the beginning

— Here is a definition that might help

God’s Grace is His unmerited favor, a favor from which comes many gifts.

— Listen to this quote from J. Gresham Machen.

“The very center and core of the whole Bible is the doctrine of the grace of God.” - J. Gresham Machen

— The works of God in creation as well as his covenants, his promises, his word, and his work of redemption all spring from His Grace.

— Grace should be the lens that we view the world and our world through

Covenants, By God for His People

— So… what, who and how did God create “Covenants?”

“Covenants are relationships God establishes on the basis of his promises.”

— The covenants are a series of treaties or agreements that God has made with his people.

—Israel turned away from God many times, not least by rejecting salvation in Christ, but they are never abandoned by God.

— From Gen 9.

Genesis 9:9–11 ESV

9 “Behold, I establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

— God promises or His covenants are usually made to a single person representing a larger group

— These covenants are part of the living active nature of our relationship with God.

— God, here is very clear what He will do

— “that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

— But we, by our standing with Christ are a part of the NEW COVENANT

The NEW COVENANT, was INITIATED by of Christ, it SECURES the gift of the Spirit, it TRANSFORMS hearts, and it BRINGS TO COMPLETION the entire divine plan of redemption.

— The New Covenant completes the thread of redemption that was initiated in the deepest parts of the OT.

— Back in Jer 31.

— Here some biblical passages that describe the New Covenant, the one that Jesus initiated on earth.

Jeremiah 31:31 ESV

31 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

1 Corinthians 11:25 ESV

25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”

Hebrews 9:15 ESV

15 Therefore he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant.

— Christ is identified as the mediator of the NEW COVENANT.

— Why? So that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance

— Humanity has an opportunity to have a relationship with God through Jesus.

— Open your bibles, apps or however else you access God’s Word. If you are unfamiliar with this you can find Nehemiah, Chapter 9 on page 404 of the bible in the rack in front of you.

"The Covenant of Grace: Lessons from Nehemiah 9"

— I’m going to point out several verses of importance but I encourage you to read the whole chapter today.

— First up

Nehemiah 9:2 ESV

2 And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

— Confession, repentance and redemption is the first step in participating in the Covenant of Grace

— After confession… Their hearts are clean

Application: Participation in the NEW COVENANT is dependent on our willingness to confess and repent. But the reward is GREAT!

— Are you willing to confess and repent to be apart of the NEW COVENANT?

— With participation in the New Covenant we have some responsibilities.

Nehemiah 9:5 (ESV)

5 “…Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

— Our “payment” to God for what he has done for us, is this, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God — forever!

— But does GOD want us to bless him?

God called His people to honor Him by Worship. The Law of Moses instructed people to worship and bless the Lord.

— The Psalms are filled with commands to bless the Lord: "O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD! O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!"

—WE are called to “BLESS THE LORD!”

—Don’t shoot me I’m just the Pastor

Application: Stand up and “Bless The Lord” by raising your hands, by worshipping Him, by holding him in reverence. He is our God and we are His people!

— We are going to transition now to the second part of the message this morning

— We are going to be looking at Chapter 9, verses 6-15

— The people, the Israelites, got it. They turned to God.

Nehemiah 9:6 ESV

6 “You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

— You are the Lord alone

— You made the heavens, earth and everything

— You made the seas

— You sustain all of them

Application: Acknowledge the power of God to make EVERYTHING around us. Pray for God to sustain and preserve you!

— So in your prayer-life do you honor God for His creation, for everything you see around you, including yourself?

— Do you pray for God to sustain and preserve you.

— Ask him… he’ll will do that.

What the Lord has PROMISED and FULFILLED

Nehemiah 9:7–8 ESV

7 You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous.

— God of course is a Promise Keeper.

— For the next several verses the Israelites reflect back to God their worship and adoration.

V.8 - God found Abraham’s heart faithful

V.10 - God performed signs and wonders to urged Pharoah… To let them go

V.11 - God divided the sea

V.12 - He provided the “pillar of cloud”

Even after all of this...

Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV)

17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.

But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

— They continued a part of your covenant relationship with them. Even when they turned your back on Him.

— We too have the privilege of continuing in His covenant; even if we have sin in our lives

Nehemiah 9:33 ESV

33 Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly.

— Nehemiah in the final word here admits he has a lot of work to do… to respond to his people who have acted wickedly.

Application: Acknowledge and give thanks to God for His faithfulness and everything that we enjoy. Repent and turn away from your sin.

— Now we are going to look at New Testament connections.

— You will hear lots of familiar words; Repentance, salvation, transformation

New Testament Connections for us!

— We are a New Testament people, our tie to the Old Testament is found in the Grace and Mercy exhibited by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. Prophecy fulfilled and delivered by Jesus.

— This awareness of the story of the Israelites and their continued rebellion

— Reminds us that we are continually need for our own

Repentance That Leads to Transformation

2co7.10

2 Corinthians 7:10 ESV

10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

— Repentance is not merely feeling sorry for our sins but turning away from them.

— Let genuine repentance lead to a transformed life through the power of Christ.

Application: We are all a work in progress… just show some progress. Don’t stay suck!

— Experience God's Transformative Grace

— He also knows that we need an understanding ear to get the process of Grace, and compassion moving in His direction.

— God does show the people of Judah, who are rebuilding His temple Compassion in the midst of their rebellion.

— This verse bears repeating

Nehemiah 9:17 (ESV)

17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.

But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

— God's compassion transcends our rebellion. His love and mercy are the foundation of our renewal.

— Obedience to God's Word is the path to renewal. He desires a covenant relationship with us, and obedience is the expression of our love for Him.

— What’s the solution; what’s the fix

Ephesians 4:22–24 ESV

22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

— Embrace the renewal offered through Christ's sacrifice. Walk in obedience, allowing His transformative grace to shape your character and actions.

Application: Our new/renewed relationship with Jesus begins with the “putting off the old self” and to be “renewed” by His Spirit.

— Today we have covered lots of ground…

Grace and The Covenant of Grace

The New Convenant initiated by God clear back in Jer 31. Fulfilled by Jesus

Give thanks for God - ALWAYS!!

New Testament Connections

Finally… Put off your old self and be renewed by His Spirit

— Nehemiah's leadership in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem showcases the power of grace in the face of adversity.

— His determination and grace in leading the people to restore what was broken serves as an inspiring example for us to extend grace to others and work towards restoration in our own lives and communities.

== Let’s Pray