We have our revival services beginning this evening and continuing throughout
this week, I look forward to seeing this size of crowd out here for each service
To give you some background information to better understand this passage of scripture. The walls of Jerusalem were lying in ruins and Nehemiah organized and rebuilt the walls while suffering much persecution from Sanballat, the Arabs, the ammonites and the ashdodites
And after the wall is finally completed Ezra in chapter 8 stands and reads the law of Moses to the people then all the men come together and want to study the law with the priests and the Levites. And they found in the law where it was written about the feast of tabernacles or feast of booths so they went out and celebrated this feast and then we come to chapter 9
What we are seeing in Nehemiah is a revival of the nation of Israel a revival of Gods people
The dictionary defines revival as, “to recover or return from a state of neglect.” Renewed and more active attention to religion, an awakening of men to spiritual concerns.
America needs revival our city needs revival our homes need revival
We need revival when families are not praying together
We need revival when we have to beg people to participate in church activities
We need revival when we only know truth in our heads but are not practicing it in our lives
We need revival when we would rather make money than give money
We need revival when our concerns our only about ourselves and making us happy and not the millions that dying without Jesus
We need revival when our lives our like the walls that were around Jerusalem in Nehemiah laying in ruins
I want you today to look at this passage of scripture in Nehemiah 9 to see what we must do to have revival
It says in verse 1 the people were assembled
In Order to have revival we must first call together an assembly
We are calling together a congregational assembly this week for the sole purpose of meeting God.
On the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came upon the New testament church the bible says in Acts 2:1, When the day of Pentecost arrived they were all together in one place.
It has been said that you can predict the future by studying the past. The Bible tells us that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. It was when the church came together that the Holy Spirit fell, it was when the church came together to pray for Peter that the Angel came into the prison and got Peter out, Jesus said where two or three are gathered together in my name that he would be in the midst.
That’s why the Bible commands us in Hebrews 10:25 to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.
In Nehemiah chapter 9 when the people came together the separated themselves from all foreigners. It was an act of separation, declaring to the world that they were the people of God
When we call together the church we are separating ourselves from the world for the purpose of worshipping God.
2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?
2Co 6:15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?
2Co 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,
Folks its time for the Christians to stop talking like the world talks stop walking like the world walks and stop trying to be like the rest of the world
1Pe 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
In order to have revival we must Repent Before God
2Ch 7:14 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.
The people in Nehemiah 9 assembled and fasted in sackcloth and with dirt on their heads, an act of true repentance and humility before God
Act 3:19 Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out,
Act 3:20 that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus,
The first step in true Biblical repentance is when we humble ourselves before God.
This means that we come as we are quit trying to be something your not, that we get real with God
Then they begin to confess their sins and the sins of their fathers in Verse 2
When we get real with God we stop playing to blame game. They acknowledged their fathers sins but at the same time they acknowledged their own sin and did not blame their fathers for their disobedience.
Too many people today play this game.
They say I am alcoholic because of my upbringing
Our I am a drug addict because I inherited an addictive personality from my family
Our I shop lift because I am poor
Maybe you didn’t have the best upbringing or maybe you’re not in the best economic situation but it must be your decision to break the cycle.
David after he sinned with Bathesheba had to say to the prophet I have sinned against the Lord
2Sa 12:13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
David tried to cover up his sin maybe even had the same type of thoughts and excuses that we would have had, well Bathsheba shouldn’t have been out taking a bath while I was on the roof or God gave me the desire for her or Im just not happy Bathsheba will make me happy I deserve it
In true repentance we must own responsibility for our sinful actions
A Fresh commitment to God
Look at verse 3 they read from the book of the law of the Lord for a quarter of the day for another quarter of it they made confession and worshipped the Lord.
A fresh commitment to God
It goes on and in Chapter 10 they made a commitment to walk in Gods law and to observe the commandments in verse 29
To honor the Sabbath Day in verse 31
To give to the work of the lord in verse 32 and verse 33
A fresh commitment during this week of revival services there needs to be fresh commitments made to the Lord
Commitments to read your bible, pray, attend church be faithful,
