Repentance And Restoring A Covenant Of Faithfulness Series

Repentance and Restoring a Covenant of Faithfulness

Nehemiah 9:1-10:38

Rodeo Road Baptist Church

November 2, 2014

Disclaimer: Each sermon in this series on Nehemiah was written with both commentary help and referencing from time to time information from sermons and illustration found on Sermon Central. In most cases I tried to be faithful in giving credit to the author but I acknowledge that I was not consistent in that endeavor. So any similarity to other older posted sermons on this web site are due in part to the quality of their work and the timelessness of the truth they shared originally. There was no intentional intent to use without credit any material in these sermons that were first delivered by other pastors.

Introduction

Nehemiah 9:1-3 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Putting First Things First by Brian Bill

Nehemiah 9 records an extended prayer, which is in fact, the longest prayer in the Bible outside the Psalms. This prayer is a brilliant mosaic of biblical quotations, recollections, images and phrases. The Levites, who led the people in this prayer of confession, knew Scripture by heart and relied on the language of the patriarchs, prophets, priests and psalmists. This confession accurately expresses the people’s disappointment with themselves and their confidence in God. In other words, this declaration of guilt has two elements ­ they confess who God is and they confess their sins.

Let’s Shine!

Pastor: Let your face shine on your servant; save me in your unfailing love. – Psalm 31:16

All: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. – Psalm 37:6

Pastor: Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock; you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth – Psalm 80:1

All: Restore us, O God; make your face shine upon us, that we may be saved. – Psalm 80:3

Pastor: Make your face shine upon your servant and teach me your decrees. – Psalm 119:135

All: even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. – Psalm 139:12

Congregation Stands

Pastor: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. – Isaiah 60:1

All: For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. – 2 Corinthians 4:6

I. A Prayer of Worship and Repentance

a. You are God Alone!

Nehemiah 9:4-6 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, "Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. "You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.

"You Are God Alone"

You're not a God created by human hands

You're not a God dependent on any mortal man

You're not a God in need of Anything we can give

By Your plan, that's just the way it is

You are God alone, from before time began

You were on Your throne, You are God alone.

And right now, in the good times and bad

You are on Your throne, You are God alone.

b. You are a God who has chosen us!

Nehemiah 9:7-10 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. "And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day…”