Nehemiah Wrap up: "Remember Me, O my God, for Good"

Intro:

what are you going to be remembered for?

repairing of the wall (1-6)

assembling, reading, confessing, repenting (7-9)

reforming the people of God (10-13)

Outline:

Pray for Change: “The Good Hand of God was Upon Me or Repair the Wall” (1-6)

Position for Change: “Repent of sin” (7-9)

Promise of Change: “Reform the People” (10-13)

Summary:

Prayer:

Pray for Change: “The Good Hand of God was Upon Me” (1-6)

Personal Circumstances- Change (1-2)

Troubling news

Sadness of the heart

unknown future

During Opposition- the Work (4)

From existing leaders

Against the work God lead him to

Against the people doing the work

Stopping Oppressing your Brothers (5)

Outcry of the people and their wives against their Jewish brothers

How they were treating each other was not good

In the face of Fear (6)

open slander and lies from without

distraction

disqualification and misdirection from within- “give me a bad name in order to taunt me”

Application/Implications:

What has your prayer for change sounded like lately? Maybe the Holy Spirit is prompting you to pray for change this week!

“God, I feel that a change needs to be made. There is sin in my life that needs to stop. Help me to delight in you.

How does God want you to respond in the middle of your personal circumstances of troubling news, sadness of heart, or an unknown future?

“God, what steps do you want me to make this week?

Are you experiencing Opposition from other existing leaders, against the work that God has called you to, or conflict among the people you work with?

“God, I really need your strenth to continue.”

The prayer for change is always met with the action of faith

Do you want the “Good hand of God to be upon you”? Than pray for change and walk in faith.

Transitional phrase:

Position for Change: “” (7-9)

Geneology: God’s Family (7)

Do I belong to the family of God- there were some not listed in the geneology and were excluded from the priesthood as unclean!

Renew the Mind: Hear the Word (8)

All who could understand it

The ears of the people were attentative to the Book of the Law

blessed the Lord: lifted their hands, bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground

They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.” (v. 8)

Engage your Heart: Respond to the Word (vs. - )

Weep

Be calmed

Rejoice

Enlist the Body: Obey the Word (8)

Study the word: they went from hearing the word, understanding the Word, to studying the Words of God. Which led them to...

Dwell in booths

Greatly rejoice

Confess and worship: Repent (9)

Application/Implications:

Are you positioned for change?

Are you in the family of God?

Transitional phrase: Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing...

Promise of Change: “Reform the People” (10-13)

Written Covenant: Putting God first (10)

We will not mix marriages (relationships and community)

We will not buy on the Sabbath (Commerce)

We will forego the crops of the 7th year and the exaction of every debt (long-term planning)

Obligate ourselves to give

financially

Firstfruits of our ground and tree

Firstborn from family and flock

Firstfruits of our dough

We will not neglect the house of our God- after a time of being away, this is what it looked like to put God first.

Willing Leadership: Joyful Service (11-12)

All the people blessed all the men who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem

Generational faithfulness

Dedication of the wall with great rejoicing

Ongoing Reform: Returning to putting God first (vs. - )

Application/Implications:

After being away from the “church House”, what is it going to look like to put God first?

What areas is the Holy Spirit highlighting that may need to change in your life? Write them down! Keep it in front of you! Review it often!

Relationships and community- Teens, this is a big one for you

Commerce and business- College and Career

Long-term planning- Seniors and empty nesters

Giving financially- it is tax season, we all got a read out of how much we gave this last year. What does that paper or the lack there of indicate about your heart?

we have all been away from what things had looked like in years past, how does God want you to put God first in your life starting today, this week, this month?

Transitional phrase:

P4: “” (vs. -)

p1 (vs. -)

p2 (vs. -)

p3 (vs. - )

Application/Implications:

Transitional phrase:

Summary

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

?

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