Celebration Sunday
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Last week we ended with going public with our faith. We see the results of it.
POINT - Confession and Repentance Precede Spiritual Restoration
TEXT : Nehemiah 9:1-38
A. Key thought - we must confess our sins before true restoration can take place in our life and city
Upon hearing the law people are convicted
Then confess together - Then prayed together ***
“They enlarged their spiritual reservoir” says Chuck Swindoll
by:
A. Repent
Repentance – differing levels
There are three Greek words used in the New Testament to denote repentance.
(1.) The verb _metamelomai_ is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas.
Matthew 27:3 “3 Then when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that He had been condemned, he felt remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,”
(2.) Metanoeo,verb. meaning to change one's mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge.
(3) the cognate noun _Metanoia, noun, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.
Evangelical repentance consists of
(1) a true sense of one's own guilt and sinfulness;
(2) a grasp of God's mercy in Christ;
(3) an actual hatred of sin and turning from it to God; and
2 Corinthians 7:10 (NASB95)
10 For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation....
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You;
6 Therefore I retract, And I repent in dust and ashes.”
128 Therefore I esteem right all Your precepts concerning everything, I hate every false way.
(4) a persistent endeavour after a holy life in a walking with God in the way of his commandments.
The true penitent is conscious of guilt ,of pollution and of helplessness .
Psalm 51:4–10 “4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Thus he apprehends himself to be just what God has always seen him to be and declares him to be. But repentance comprehends not only such a sense of sin, but also an apprehension of mercy, without which there can be no true repentance (Ps. 51:1; 130:4).
B. Recalibrate ( adjust to the new standard) – we become out of adjustment
The Word awakens the conscience and brings readjustment
C. Remember - your salvation
True worship comes after reflection, confession repentance
D. Restoration
Sometimes this takes time and the right attitude
Then by: . Obedience, Purification and Celebration move us from mediocre to victorious individuals. 12:27-47
1. Obedience -
In The Cost of Discipleship, Dietrich Bonhoeffer penned the words, "Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate" (1959:47).
Cheap grace means living as though God ignores or condones our sins. But forgiveness means that sin is real, and must be dealt with. We cannot ignore it, because God does not ignore it. The denial of sin is not grace: it is a lie. Cheap grace means living without the demand of obedience upon us.
And where there is no call for obedience, then all things are tolerated.
2. Purification - consecrate yourselves and what God has given us to steward (12:30)
Remember it isn’t just you that belongs to the Lord- it is what he has entrusted to you.
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
3. Celebration - keep focused on the goodness of the Lord and what he has done for us
Leaders marched on top of the wall and sang praises to God
Praise Him with instruments, loud voices and a very public display
Children need to join into the celebration
There is a spiritual element to being on the wall
And everyone is to be on the wall
Proverbs 17:22 “22 A joyful heart is good medicine, But a broken spirit dries up the bones.”
13 A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, But when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken.
Challenge - Worship God so people recognize him not you.
Conclusion
We need a change in mindset and lifestyle
Right attitude, with the right people makes a plan and life succeed
Thanksgiving and praise - change past cycles and patterns that prevent us from overcoming obstacles and living a truly victorious life.
Question - have you stopped singing ?