Sermon Tone Analysis

The Payer after the Service

Series: A Closer Look at the Book: NEHEMIAH

Pastor Steve N. Wagers

The Longest prayer in the Bible!

Neh Chapter 9 and 10

Outline

Sermon Outline

1. Lord, Redeem Us!

A) Immense Conviction

1) Humiliation

2) Separation

B) Intense Confession

1) Personal Confession

2) National Confession

A) A God who is Preeminently Sovereign

1) He Created it All

2) He Controls it All

3) He Completes it All

B) A God who is Patiently Sympathetic

1) Bountiful

2) Merciful

3. Lord, Renew Us!

A) A Commitment to Stewardship

B) A Covenant of Lordship

1) Obey the Word of God

2) Honor the House of God

3) Seek the Glory of God

Sam Jones was a fiery preacher of the past generation.

Born in Cartersville, Georgia, he was famous for what was known as "quit tin'" meetings.

His preaching was directed to Christians, and he urged them to give up any sinful practice in their lives.

His messages were very effective and many people had committed to quit swearing, drinking, smoking and gossiping.

I believe it would safe to title as a 'Quit tin' meeting.

neh 8 - Praise and revival

The wall is finished

The internal sins within the camp have been addressed publically

Taking advantage of the poor

Taxing beyond their ability to pay

Allowing the outside heathen to influence policy and doctrine

In , there was a Watergate revival.

It was a 7 day Bible conference, which highlighted Bible exposition at its finest.

he priest brought the Word, the preacher taught the Word, and the people caught the Word.

Today, we hold 3-5 day services and call them "revivals."

However, when the last service is over, things are still the same way they were before the first service started.

Thus, while we may have had a meeting, we did not have revival.

However, while the 7 day Bible conference had ended, in , the revival continued in .

there was a time of feasting;

there is a time of fasting.

was a time of celebration;

is a time of contrition.

This great chapter, the bulk of which is a prayer, reveals both the depravity of man and the majesty of God.

A vivid portrait is painted to depict awful sinners, as well as an awesome Savior.

It is a prayer that is marked by humility and honest; guilt and grace; pity and praise.

It is a prayer that reflects a people who are getting things right with God.

Lord, REDEEM Us!

contains the longest recorded prayer in the Bible.

It is not just a prayer marked by length, but by lamentation.

It's interesting that 3 of Israel's great 'national' prayers are recorded in , , and .

[1]

Behind these prayers is the promise of ,

I The first part of this prayer finds the people crying out to God for redemption and forgiveness.

For one thing, there is:

The first part of this prayer finds the people crying out to God for redemption and forgiveness.

For one thing, there is:

I IMMENSE CONVICTION

[9: 1] "Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them."

It is now 3 ½ weeks after the Watergate Revival, and a national day of repentance is called.

The Feast of Tabernacles had ended, but the people lingered to hear more of the Word of God.

As they did, feasting had turned to fasting, and meditation had turned to mourning.

They heard the Word of God, and they felt the immense heat of the Spirit's convicting fire.

Keep in mind, that these people asked Ezra to "bring the book of the law."

The people cried out, "Preach, preacher, preach!'

As a result, for 7 days straight, 5-6 hours a day, the people came and "stood" in reverence for the Sacred Scroll.

They longed for the Word.

They listened to the Word.

They desired the Word.

They devoured the Word.

And the result was immense conviction over their sin.

It resulted in:

a) HUMILIATION

"The children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them."

Fasting was a sign of utter dependence on God and desperation for God.

Sackcloth was a rough, coarse material.

It was made from the dark hair of the Oriental goat or camel, and worn in situations of sorrow and repentance.

[2]

Putting "earth" or dirt upon one's head was a symbol of great mourning or grief.

Simply put, when these people heard the Word of God, and when they encountered the God of the Word, they responded in utter humiliation.

W. G. Blaikie said, "In the new light of the higher truth, we suddenly discover that the 'robe of righteousness' in which we have been parading is but 'filthy rags.' Thus, our once vaunted attainments become despicable in our eyes."

[3]

As long as we see the picture of ourselves that we desire, we will never see our deepest need.

But, at the moment we see the picture of ourselves that God sees, there is only one response; and, that is utter desperation and humiliation.

Ladies and gentlemen, WE ARE SINNERS!

Every person in this room shares this one common denominator.

The only difference is that some may be saved sinners, and others may be lost sinners; but, nevertheless, all are sinners.

The determination does not come from man's estimation of man, but with God's estimation of man.

So widely accepted is the concept that man is not so bad off after all.

But, the Bible does not measure man by man; it measures man by the God who created him.

And, when the numbers are all plugged in, and the equation is worked out, it equals to the fact that the creature is measured by the Creator and is found wanting.

The evolutionist may debate it, the humanist may doubt it, the secularist may defy it, and the materialist may despise it; nevertheless, no one can DENY it, DOUBT it, or DISMISS it.

With humiliation came:

b) SEPARATION

Once these people got a clear picture of who they were, and what they were, they did something quite interesting.

This act of separation was quite significant at this time.

It represented the fact that the people of God distanced themselves from the people of the world.