The Best Year Yet (Part 2)

Introduction

Once the walls were completed the work of God continued to develop and we begin to see some great results among the people of Israel.

Shortly after the walls were rebuilt a great multitude of the people of Israel returned to Jerusalem.

In the days and months following the completion of the walls there were some wonderful results that were produced among the people.

The results we see in the restoration of Israel are the same results we desire to see in the ministry of High Plains Baptist Church.

When God does a great work, it is never without purpose. God not only wanted to see the walls rebuilt but His desire was to see the people return to Him.

In the days following the completion of the wall around Jerusalem we see:

Many Heard and Responded to the Word of God ()

Once Israel had been restored the Word of God quickly regained prominence and was proclaimed in the hearing of all the people.

The people were very attentive to the Word of God as Ezra read it to them and then explained its meaning and application.

This provoked a response among the people as they gave heed to the Word of God and began to make personal application of it in their own lives.

(Vs. 12-17) the people understood the Word of God and began to implement what they had heard.

This provoked a response among the people as they gave heed to the Word of God and began to make personal application of it in their own lives.

Nehemiah 9:1-

The results we are looking for are not simply greater numbers, we could easily attain that by making a number of compromises to draw people in.

I want God to work mightily at HPBC so that the people in our community will have the opportunity to hear the Word of God and respond to it.

Some may need to respond the the gospel message and trust Christ as Savior.

Some may need to respond to the scriptures concerning baptism and church membership, some may need to respond to the scriptures concerning sanctification and separation.

One goal we should have for 2020 is that more people would hear the Word of God and respond to it.

God was Exalted ()

The people continued to read the Word of God and to respond to what they found within the scriptures.

The people then began to worship the Lord, exalting and praising His name. The Levites stood up and instructed the people in their worship of God.

The people began to praise God for what He had done in the past among the nation of Israel as well as praising Him for what He had done in the present.

One reason we should want to see God work in a mighty way at HPBC is so that more people will come to know the Lord and will have the opportunity to worship Him!

Our primary goal as a church should be to worship the Lord and what a joy it would be to see more people in Clovis take part in the worship of the Lord.

Imagine our sanctuary filled to capacity with people who have a desire to worship God as we sing songs of praise to Him.

It had been some time since such a great multitude had worshipped God in Jerusalem. How exciting it must have been for Nehemiah to see so many people lift their voices to praise and to worship the one true God.

Another goal we should have for 2020 is that God would be exalted in our church to a greater extent. We should desire to see many come to God and then we should lead them to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

Many Committed Their Lives to God ()

The people worshipped God praising Him for HIs goodness, His mercy, and His grace. As their worship comes to a close they recognize the failures of the previous generation. They recognize that God is worthy of their service to Him and that the previous generation failed to serve God.

The people then make a commitment together to serve God.

God was Exalted

Ultimately the people rejoiced in what God had done in Jerusalem and worshipped

One thing we need desperately in our day is that Christians would commit themselves to serve the Lord. One reason we should desire that God would work mightily at High Plains Baptist Church is so that there may be many who commit themselves to the service of the Lord.

We desperately need more preachers, more missionaries, more pastors, more evangelists… but it is up to us to reach more people with the gospel and to faithfully teach and preach the Word of God to them. In doing so there will undoubtedly be some whom God calls to full-time service.

How many people might there be right here in Clovis, NM whom God is calling to serve Him. How many might commit themselves to serve the Lord in various ways if we will do our part in working to win people to Christ and helping them to grow in their knowledge and understanding of God’s Word.

What a great difference would be made in Clovis, NM if there were suddenly a great number of people who committed themselves to live for God.

What difference would me made in Clovis, NM if there were a number of people who decided to separate themselves from the world and its influences to live in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Basically the entire nation committed to be full time servants of God in the sense of living full-time a life that was pleasing to the Lord.

Another goal we should have for 2020 is to see a number of people in our community commit themselves to the service of the Lord. For some this may mean pursuing full-time ministry, while for others it may mean serving the Lord in their workplace and in their home.

Would it not be a wonderful thing to see people commit their lives to God in such a way?