Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

Nehemiah: Restoring A Nation:

Beginning the Restoration Process

INTRODUCTION

This morning I would like to begin a series of lessons on the book of Nehemiah.

This series follows our previous series on the church well.

The book of Nehemiah is a book about Nehemiah leading a restoration among the remnant who returned from captivity.

He, with the help of the LORD, helps the people to rise above their fears and their shame to do a great work for the LORD.

He, along with Ezra, also help the remnant to see the changes that needed to be made so they could be revived spiritually also.

We closed our series on the church last Lord’s day looking at the responsibilities that we have to one another.

We talked about our need to bring restoration, our need to build each other up, and our need to even help one another physically as the circumstances in life can leave us discouraged and downcast and in need of the help of God’s people.

All of these ideas fit into this topic of restoration.

Before we get into the text, let’s review the historical context of this book.

As we saw in our final three lessons on the Minor Prophets in the beginning of the year, the people had returned from captivity by the decree of Cyrus, the king of Persia.

They returned to the land under the leadership of Zerubbabel and Jeshua and rebuilt the altar, and they also began building the temple.

They got the foundations built, and then they got discouraged by enemies and stopped the work.

The work on the temple was abandoned for over 15 years, but then God sent two prophets to them.

As we saw in our study of Haggai and Zechariah and as we reviewed the historical information in the beginning chapters of Ezra’s book, the remnant repented and returned to the work during the reign of Darius and finished the temple with the LORD’s help during the 6th year of Darius’ reign.

THE BOOK OF NEHEMIAH

We are introduced to Nehemiah during the 20th year of King Artaxerxes of Persia — around 445BC.

About 70years has passed since the temple was finished.

At this point, things were not going well for God’s people, especially those in Jerusalem.

There were problems among the people physically and spiritually that are mentioned in the book.

Here is what we are told in verse 3 of ch1.

“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.”

(1:3, ESV)

According to , Artaxerxes had earlier stopped the Jews as they were building the walls of the city.

They were almost finished with the walls at the time, but after the decree is given by Artaxerxes to stop the work until further notice, the enemies of GOd’s people came and undid much of the work that was done.

They broke down sections of the wall, leaving heaps of rubble.

So God’s people are now without protection, and are in shame because the circumstances made it seem like God’s hand was not with them.

TITLE SLIDE FOR LESSON 01

So God’s people needed help.

They needed restoration and revival.

There were some reformations that Ezra had brought about, but there was still much work to do by Ezra, Nehemiah, and others to get God’s people where they needed to be.

For our lesson today, I would like to consider how to begin the process of restoration once it is seen that it is needed.

RESTORING CARS

This concept of restoration is well-known by those who like to restore automobiles.

What is the purpose of restoration?

It is to get a vehicle that has suffered the consequences of time — a vehicle that looks it’s age — and to make it look as good as new — like it was when it was first designed and built.

Years are spent on one vehicle, and after the care is restored, it is continually cared for by the owner to keep it in tip-top shape.

The main is touched up.

It is washed and waxed multiple times per year, and the interior is cleaned up often.

It is kept spotless.

It is constantly being prepared for the time in which it will before the eyes of others in a show, where judges will examine it to see just how well the work has been done, and hopefully rewards will be given for a job well-done.

This is what we are aiming for as God’s people — to be restored to what God first intended at the creation of mankind — that we would be individuals who submit to His role as those who are made in His image.

We are being transformed into the image of Christ, and it is safe for all of to say that we have not achieved this goal yet.

There is still work to do for all of us in being restored to what God originally intended for us.

It is a life-long process for us.

And it is a life-long mission for God’s people to help others be restored to God.

Hopefully this series will help us in aiming for and achieving restoration in our lives so we can be prepared for the Judge of Judges to examine our lives and the work we have done.

Let’s go ahead and get into the text of Nehemiah. .

For our lesson today, I would like to begin by sharing with you three things that are needed in our lives if we are going to begin and continue the process of restoration.

1.

A CONCERN FOR OTHERS

The first thing — or better — character trait that is needed in our lives if we are going to begin restoration is a concern for others — a concern for souls.

We see Nehemiah’s concern for his people in verses 1-2:

“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, 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.”

(, ESV)