Tabor Baptist Church

Intro

• First six chapters: about a physical situation
• Jerusalem with broken walls and gates burned down
• People are down with no hopes or desire
• Nehemiah comes along to encourage the Israelites
• Walls built in just 56 days
• The city was demoralised and the city a laughing stock
• God brought in a man from outside
• Second six chapters: the reformation of the people of God
• It took a short while to rebuild the walls but
• Took many years to see the Israelites reformed and purified

• How would you describe the church of Great Britian today?
• What parallels do you see?
• What needs to be done to affect change?
• The word of God was neglected but Ezra brought the word to the people
• Nehemiah had to deal with sabbath breaking, intermarriage, tithing
• The people needed reforming
• The Church today
• Is there a disregard for the Lord's day?
• Do church people accept morality that they would not previously accepted?
• Is the church preaching and standing on the word of God?
• Nehemiah was real before God

Nehemiah and his burden (v1-4)

• 446BC
• Living far away in Sushan, in Southwest Iran, in Persia (v1)
• Had a very important position as cup bearer to the king [of Persia] (v1)
• He wanted to know news (v2)
• Wept on hearing the report of the Jews (v4)
• He was more concerned about the people of God rather than material wealth
• Are we that concerned about the church?
• Moses left all the splendors of Egypt and joined the reproach of the Israelites
• Other examples: Joseph, Esther, Daniel
• He mourned, he fasted, he prayed (v4)
• How do we react within the church?
• Is there a burden to bring everything to the Lord in prayer?
• How much do God's people matter to you?
• Ezekiel wept for 7 days
• Nehemia wept
• Let us bring our burden to the Lord

Nehemiah and his prayer (v5-9)

• He has a high view of God
• We need to be intimate with God, cry Abba Father
• We cannot be casual to God
• We must reference Him as the awesome and great God
• How do you view God?
• He has a high view of the Covenant of God
• God has bound Himself to His people
• Prayed day and night
• He realised he was part of the answer
• We should be specific in our prayers
• Confesses his sin (v6)
• Revival and reformation comes with prayer
• That prayer always involves confession of sin
• Not hiding or pretense, but being open and honest before God
• He acknowledges the depth of his and his people's sin (v7)
• God will return to us if we return to Him (v8-9)
• Nehemiah is presenting the people to God
• Do not stand on the providence of God but on the promises of God

Nehemiah and his vision

• Written in all probability by Erza the scribe but effectively Nehemiah's memoirs
• Had a vision that the people would be restored
• What part do you see yourself in the Church?
• Nehemiah was above all concerned about the people of God
• Prayer must always be accompanied by action