9/5/10 Nehemiah 1

September 5, 2010 Speaker: Matt Reed Series: 5 Walls

Passage: Nehemiah 1:10–

  1. Background Nehemiah 1 (found on p. 472 of the pew bible)
    1. Written around 430B.C.
    2. Jerusalem (and all Judah) was conquered and destroyed by Babylon
    3. Babylonians took most of the Jews away in exile
    4. Persia conquered Babylon; then an edict allowed people to return to their homeland
    5. Many Jews already returned and rebuilt the temple (Ezra) 20 years before Nehemiah’s account
    6. Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book
  1. The Man (Nehemiah)
    1. Cupbearer to the Persian king; not one of the returned exiles
    2. Privileged position; could advise the king
    3. Not a minister; but a layperson
  1. The Dilemma
    1. Reported to Nehemiah the city walls were in ruins
    2. Walls offered protection but also a symbol of identity and strength (to not have a wall was a disgrace)
    3. The people had seemed to accept situation (a defeated or complacent attitude)
  1. The Prayer
    1. Began with a passion—Nehemiah cared and it led him to pray (v. 4)
    2. His prayer was persistent—4 months of prayer and fasting (months of Kislev to Nisan; v. 1:1, 2:1)
    3. His prayer was God-centered: begins with who God is (v.5)
    4. His prayer included confession—both personal and corporate (vv. 6-7)
    5. He remembers God’s works and promises of the past (vv.8-10)
    6. His general prayer for the people included his willingness to be used by God (v. 11b)
  1. Rebuilding Our “Walls”; God’s Vision for Our Church
    1. Important Note in Applying this Text to Our Time:
      1. O.T. Israel—Come and see religion
      2. N.T. Church—Go out and make disciples
    2. Building upon the foundation of Scripture and Prayer
    3. Outreach focus: meeting the needs of the community
    4. Rebuilding the Children’s Ministry
    5. Rebuilding the Youth Ministry
    6. Building a Small Group Ministry
    7. Building a Music Ministry and worship service that reflects the old and new (The Ancient-Future path)

More in 5 Walls

November 21, 2010

11/21/10 Nehemiah summary

November 14, 2010

11/14/10 Nehemiah 12

November 7, 2010

11/7/10 Nehemiah 10