Rebuilding Broken Lives Nehemiah 9:30-38 Page 412 in Pew Bibles

Nehemiah You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit warned them through Your prophets, but they would not listen. Therefore, You handed them over to the surrounding peoples. 31. However, in Your abundant compassion, You did not destroy them or abandon them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.

32. So now, our God—the great, mighty, and awe-inspiring God who keeps His gracious covenant—do not view lightly all the hardships that have afflicted us, our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the Assyrian kings until today. 33. You are righteous concerning all that has come on us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.

34. Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings You gave them. 35. When they were in their kingdom, with Your abundant goodness You gave them, and in the spacious and fertile land You set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.

36. Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it! 37. Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.

38. In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.

What’s Going On… The wall is completed Now, the city is reforming… and re-forming In Chapter 8, the people got back to the Bible In Chapter 9, the people work the process of repentance As Chapter 9 continues, the people continue to reconnect with God >

Reconnecting With God Four Steps to Getting Close to God Again >

> David Wells God in the Wasteland David F. Wells, God in the Wasteland, Leicester, IVP, 1994, page 30 Cited in The Message of Nehemiah by Raymond Brown, IVP, page 148 …God rests too inconsequentially upon the church. His truth is too distant, his grace is too ordinary, his judgment is too benign, his gospel is too easy, and his Christ is too common.”

1. Rediscover the Greatness of God Vs. 5-6 “Praise Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them, and the heavenly host worships You.” >

1. Rediscover the Greatness of God This shifts your focus from yourself to the One who deserves it Connects you with the One for Whom you were created Gets you back on track to fulfill your life’s purpose, which is to know God and enjoy Him Orders your life around something big enough to be fulfilling. >

> 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Life God molds our lives: –By the new birth –By the Holy Spirit working in us –Through the Bible –By those we fellowship with –Through our life experiences

> 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Life BeginningsBeginnings –Vs. 7 “You are the LORD God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans” DeliverancesDeliverances –Vs. 11 “You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone...”

> 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Life Times of Special GuidanceTimes of Special Guidance –Vs. 12 “You led them with a pillar of cloud by day, and with a pillar of fire by night, to illuminate the way they should go.” ProvisionProvision –Vs. 21 “You provided for them in the wilderness 40 years and they lacked nothing.”

> 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Life Divine RevelationsDivine Revelations –Vs “You came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke to them from heaven. You gave them impartial ordinances, reliable instructions, and good decrees and commandments. You revealed Your holy Sabbath to them…” –Vs. 20 “You sent Your good Spirit to instruct them.”

Q > 2. Retrace the Hand of God through Your Life BlessingsBlessings –Vs. 23 “You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You told their ancestors to go in and take possession of it.”

. > Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan, page 247 If you really desire to be used by God, you must understand a powerful truth: The very experiences you have resented or regretted most in life—the ones you’ve wanted to hide and forget—are the experiences God wants to use to help others. They are your ministry!

> 3. Recognize the Correction of God A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle 1.Blessed by God Vs. 25 “They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took possession of well-supplied houses, rock-hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. They ate, were filled, became prosperous, and delighted in Your great goodness.”

> 3. Recognize the Correction of God A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle 2.Rejecting God Vs. 26 “But they were disobedient and rebelled against You. They flung Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets who warned them to turn them back to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.”

> 3. Recognize the Correction of God A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle 3.Disciplined by God Vs. 27 “So You handed them over to their enemies, who oppressed them. In their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.”

> 3. Recognize the Correction of God A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle 4.Returning to God Vs. 27 “…In their time of distress, they cried out to You, and You heard from heaven. In Your abundant compassion You gave them deliverers, who rescued them from the power of their enemies.”

> 3. Recognize the Correction of God A Vicious CycleA Vicious Cycle 5.Repeat Process Vs. 28 “But as soon as they had relief, they again did what was evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the power of their enemies, who dominated them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven and rescued them many times in Your compassion.”

History is the story of God’s tenacious loyalty and man’s persistent sin. > John Johnson Sermon on Nehemiah 9

. > 3. Recognize the Correction of God Reaffirm the Righteousness of God in His treatment of youReaffirm the Righteousness of God in His treatment of you Vs. 33 “You are righteous concerning all that has come on us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.” Vs “Here we are today, slaves in the land You gave our ancestors so that they could enjoy its fruit and its goodness. Here we are—slaves in it! Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us, because of our sins.”

HL > Vs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.” 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual Disciplines

HL > binding agreementVs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.” 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual Disciplines

HL > 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual Disciplines in writingVs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

HL > 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual Disciplines a sealed documentVs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

> 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual Disciplines namesVs. 38 “In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document containing the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”

. 4. Redevelop Your Spiritual Disciplines Specific and Detailed Concerned both the institutions of the family and the “church” Put them back on the path to staying connected with God The key is not as much avoiding the sins we commit, as doing the things we omit 10:39 “We will not neglect the house of our God.”

Rebuilding Broken Lives