The Obstacle of Sin

The Obstacle of Sin

Nehemiah 1

INTRODUCTION

The Church of St. Paul's Shipwreck in Malta during WWII - two bombs hit the church during mass. Neither bomb exploded.

Isaiah 54:17 ESV

17 no weapon that is fashioned against you shall succeed, and you shall refute every tongue that rises against you in judgment. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their vindication from me, declares the Lord.”

Satan is trying to destroy us. He wants you and this church to fail. He puts many obstacles in our way.

We are going to study Nehemiah over the next few months. Looking at how he overcame many obstacles.

In 586 BC the Babylonians defeated Jerusalem and exiled the Jews who remained.

This is when Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were taken to Babylon.

The Babylonians were defeated by the Persians by King Cyrus. (handwriting on the wall)

In 538 BC Cyrus frees the Jews and 42,360 return to rebuild the temple.

-Most of the Jews chose to stay in Babylon and make it their home.

Shashbazzar, son of Jehoiachim, heir of David- appointed governor.

-Jerusalem was not a safe place to live so most settle in rural areas around the city.

By 500 BC the Jews were in danger of being culturally assimilated into Persia.

-God sends Ezra and Nehemiah to rebuild the nation.

After Cyrus, Xerxes becomes King of Persia.

-This is the king Esther is forced to marry.- Esther saves the Jews from destruction.

After Xerxes, Artexerxes becomes King.

-In 458 BC Ezra, a scribe of the Law, led a group back to Jersualem. - Spiritual revival.

-In 444, Nehemiah is cup bearer to Artaxerxes.

-Esther/Ezra/Nehemiah- all part of saving the Jews.

-Nehemiah has the main task of restoring the walls of Jerusalem.

Nehemiah 1:1–6 ESV

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, 2 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. 3 And they said to me, “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.” 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. 5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.

The obstacle of sin.

-In the Garden- Satan tempted man to sin.

-Why? Because he wanted man to fail. Make them an enemy of God and they would certainly fail.

The people of Israel were in this situation because of their rebellion.

3 Reasons Sin Gets in Our Way

Sin Costs (1-3)

Nehemiah 1:1–3 ESV

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, 2 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. 3 And they said to me, “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.”

Romans 6:23a ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Sin has consequences

Eternal and Immediate

Sin Paralyzes (4)

Nehemiah 1:4 ESV

4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

Mourning, fasting, prayer

Nothing you can do about sin after you commit it. Then it is in God’s hands.

Response of someone who knew that God was the only way out of this problem.

ILL- Paralysis- Larry Beard- deacon at EHBC

quadriplegic - car wreck on Easter Sunday going to church to lead worship.

Taught middle school- last year taught typing.

He had to have help to do anything. Helpless on his own.

Nehemiah- Not self pity but a cry to God for help.

ILL- Nineveh’s response to Jonah’s preaching. Mourning.

Sin Is Personal (5-6)

Nehemiah 1:5–6 ESV

5 And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father’s house have sinned.

Personal against God.

Exodus 32:33 ESV

33 But the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book.

Jeremiah 33:8 ESV

8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.

Covenant God- If… Then…

Sovereign- Nehemiah could not fix this on his own.

Power and majesty.- God had the power to fix it.

3 Ways to Overcome Sin

Confession (7)

Nehemiah 1:7 ESV

7 We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses.

Confession is admitting what you have done is wrong.

1 John 1:8–9 ESV

8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Repentance (8-9)

Nehemiah 1:8–9 ESV

8 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples, 9 but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’

Repentance is surrender/ submission

Surrender to God’s way. His Word. His Truth. His direction.

Submission- Called himself and his people “servants”.

He had to place himself and the situation in God’s hand.

But he humbly came before God because God asked him to. It was asked at the dedication of the temple six hundred years before.

Deuteronomy 4:25–31 ESV

25 “When you father children and children’s children, and have grown old in the land, if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and by doing what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, so as to provoke him to anger, 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed. 27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 28 And there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from there you will seek the Lord your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice. 31 For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

Repentance is necessary

Luke 13:1–5 ESV

1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

Redemption (10)

Nehemiah 1:10 ESV

10 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand.

This is referring to God’s redemption of Israel from Pharoah.

Redemption= to buy the release.

Moses- the Plagues

Final Plague- death of the first born.

The applying of the blood of the lamb on the doorposts.

Our sin separates us from God- we cannot do anything to fix it.

God sent his son to die on the cross for our sin.

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

1 Peter 1:18–19 ESV

18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.

CONCLUSION

Sin is an obstacle in your life keeping you from the life God desires for you.

Psalm 30:5 ESV

5 For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

Experience the joy of forgiveness.

Sin does not have to ruin your life. Accept God’s forgiveness.