Spiritual Maturity Is Missional Series

Well I am glad to be here. A lot of anticipation waiting for this day. I'm grateful to be with you

folks.

I just want to welcome those folks that are online. Thank you for being with us today. We're

grateful that you're joining online. I want to ask you to do something. In the YouTube Live,

would you just comment your name. Ben's on there waiting to give you an announcement. I've

got one for now, but don't go away. Some other people are going to need them. If you would like

one of these booklets online, just contact the office at GraceWay and we'll send one out to you so

that you can keep track of what we're doing in the study of Nehemiah.

How many of you are here today who are sixth grade up to twenty-five? Would you please raise

your hand. Sixth grade up to twenty-five. Okay. I want to make sure you get one of these

booklets. So if you didn't get one, then Fornell and the rest of the ushers, could you give those?

Hold up your hand. I want to make sure you get one. Because I want you and others to be able to

take notes in this journal. It's like a spiritual journal for you for the next twelve weeks. We're

going to study the book of Nehemiah. On the one side of the page is actual text of Nehemiah and

then the other side you can take notes and write notes. So you can draw on it. You’re going to see

the first word is Chislev. What is Chislev? You might circle it and say I'm going to look that up

later. Or the Susa, where is that? So you can kind of take notes. And then on the other side write

down the kinds of things you're learning and what God is saying to you. I want to tell you

something today. God is going to speak. I don't know whether He's going to say something big or

He’s going to say something small, but we want to listen.

I want to say a special welcome to my friend, Ed Miller. I just can't believe you're here, Ed. Ed

had a stroke last Sunday and he's been in ICU all week. Yesterday he was in ICU. Today he’s at

church. I'm just honored that you would come to church, Ed. So no excuses for not coming to

church now! Okay? Welcome, Ed. I'm glad that you're here.

Would you please stand with me as we read God's word? I'm going to read it to you. Nehemiah

1. The words of Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah. Now it happened in the month of Chislev (that’s

the November/December timeframe), in the twentieth year, as I was in Susa (that’s the capital of

Persia), that Hanani, one of my brothers, came with certain men from Judah. And I asked them

concerning the Jews who escaped, who had survived the exile, and concerning Jerusalem (850

miles away). And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile

is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed

by fire.”

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued

fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, “O Lord God of heaven, the great and

awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his

commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open, to hear the prayer of your servant

that I now pray before you day and night for the people of Israel your servants, confessing the

sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Even I and my father's house have

sinned. We have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the

statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. Remember the word that you

commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the

peoples, but if you return to me and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts

are in the uttermost parts of heaven, from there I will gather them and bring them to the place

that I have chosen, to make my name dwell there.’ They are your servants and your people,

whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. O Lord, let your ear be

attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear

your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this