WEBVTT 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:01.679 Amen. 00:00:01.840 --> 00:00:02.959 You may have a seat. 00:00:03.200 --> 00:00:09.119 If you would open up your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.160 My name is Pastor Sammy, one of the pastors here. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:17.679 If I don't know you, glad that you are here and would like to get to know you after service. 00:00:17.760 --> 00:00:18.719 I'll be over in the back. 00:00:18.879 --> 00:00:24.879 But if you can open your Bibles to the book of Nehemiah, if you don't have a Bible, there should be one in front of you. 00:00:25.359 --> 00:00:31.440 And if you don't know where Nehemiah is, you can turn to your neighbor and they'll help you out. 00:00:32.880 --> 00:00:35.840 I want you to imagine this for a moment. 00:00:37.920 --> 00:00:43.759 There was a woman named Ida Scudder. 00:00:43.920 --> 00:00:51.280 She was a famous medical missionary who served most of her life in India. 00:00:51.759 --> 00:01:04.079 Actually, only a couple years ago we actually figured this out is that Mariah's maiden name is Scudder and was a great, great aunt of hers. 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:11.439 This is before we even knew that we were, this was after the fact that we had felt called and serving in South Asia. 00:01:11.519 --> 00:01:13.519 And so the way God works is incredible. 00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:29.280 But Ida Scudder's story is an incredible story where for generations and years she lived there as a medical missionary, caring for the physical needs of people, but sharing the gospel, sharing the love of Jesus with people. 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:32.480 But that wasn't her plan to begin with. 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:36.239 See, her plan, she was bright and she was smart. 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:39.439 Actually, the well-known preacher, minister D. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:45.040 Al Moody had offered her a scholarship to study in a school over in Massachusetts. 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:47.120 And when she was there, she loved it there. 00:01:47.200 --> 00:01:51.519 And she thought, you know what, I'm gonna live here and spend the rest of my life here. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:59.200 Well, her parents were missionaries in India, and she went to go and visit her parents and spend time there. 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:06.159 And while she was there in the day, one man knocked on the door. 00:02:06.560 --> 00:02:20.479 It was an Indian local there, a Hindu man who had come and who came to the father's door and said, My wife is sick and she's pregnant and we need help. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:27.680 And so Ida's father said, Okay, well, I can go and see her and try to help. 00:02:27.759 --> 00:02:35.360 And the man denied him and said, You cannot see or touch my wife. 00:02:35.919 --> 00:02:39.919 That was the norm there in that culture for that. 00:02:40.159 --> 00:02:47.919 And some time went on, and that man went home, and so after some time, another man came and knocked on the door. 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:49.680 Now, this was a Muslim man. 00:02:50.400 --> 00:02:55.039 He said, I have my wife, she's pregnant, and she's sick. 00:02:56.000 --> 00:03:03.199 And Ida's father made the same request, and he said the same thing. 00:03:03.520 --> 00:03:03.840 No. 00:03:05.199 --> 00:03:09.520 I would die before I would let you see my wife. 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:12.080 Well, guess what happens? 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:14.960 Sometime later in the night. 00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:19.120 A third knock for the same thing. 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:26.879 And the man went home and didn't let Ida's father, who was a doctor, see what to help. 00:03:28.159 --> 00:03:44.159 Later that day, Ida would hear the bad news that those babies and women passed away and died. 00:03:45.919 --> 00:03:53.199 And in response to this, there's a quote I want to read for her maybe on the screens, but if not, listen to this. 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.240 She said, I could not sleep that night. 00:03:57.039 --> 00:03:58.800 It was too terrible. 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:05.919 Within the touch of my hand were three girls dying because there was no woman to help them. 00:04:06.240 --> 00:04:10.159 I spent much of the night in anguish and prayer. 00:04:10.479 --> 00:04:15.759 I went to bed in the early morning after praying much for guidance. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:20.959 I think that was the first time I have ever met God face to face. 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:25.839 And all that time it seemed that he was calling me into this work. 00:04:27.199 --> 00:04:35.759 Ida Scudder would leave her dreams and ambition and the nice life in the States to serve there. 00:04:38.160 --> 00:04:50.160 See, just like we've been seeing in our text last week and starting the series in Nehemiah, Nehemiah had started with a burden with a brokenness to do something, but it didn't just stay there. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:55.600 It led him to prayer, to broken, real prayer. 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:06.959 And so the question that the text will answer for us this morning is this how do we pray for renewal within us and around us? 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:16.079 How do me and you pray for renewal, for new things, restoration, peace in us and around us? 00:05:17.839 --> 00:05:24.079 And so what I want us to do is stand in this moment, as is custom here in reverence for the word of God. 00:05:25.199 --> 00:05:30.560 That when we stand, we are declaring that we are standing upon God's word, that we are ready to receive it. 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.720 As we stand, I want you to turn to your neighbor and ask them, Are you hungry? 00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:35.839 Can you do that? 00:05:37.040 --> 00:05:37.439 Right? 00:05:37.600 --> 00:05:42.800 Not for physical food, not for physical food, but spiritual food. 00:05:43.040 --> 00:05:46.399 When this book is open, God is speaking. 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:50.000 And we need to come ready to receive his word. 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:52.240 Not just to receive it, but to obey it. 00:05:52.800 --> 00:05:59.120 This is the word of God, Nehemiah chapter 1, verse 4 through 11. 00:05:59.600 --> 00:06:10.800 Says, 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. 00:06:11.120 --> 00:06:22.800 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. 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:39.519 Let your ears be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayers 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. 00:06:39.920 --> 00:06:43.279 Even I and my father's house have sinned. 00:06:43.600 --> 00:06:52.000 We have acted very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you have commanded your servant Moses. 00:06:52.639 --> 00:07:00.000 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 00:07:00.240 --> 00:07:18.800 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. 00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:26.959 They are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power and by your strong hand. 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:46.399 O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servant who delights to delight to fear your name and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man. 00:07:46.720 --> 00:07:49.920 Now I was the cupbearer to the king. 00:07:50.160 --> 00:07:52.240 Let's pray, Lord Jesus. 00:07:53.519 --> 00:08:03.360 We give you praise and honor and worship because you are great and you are awesome and you are worthy and you are incredible and you are high and lifted up. 00:08:06.800 --> 00:08:10.720 And you are holy, but God, we are sinners. 00:08:11.839 --> 00:08:14.160 God, forgive us of our sins. 00:08:14.720 --> 00:08:17.920 God, forgive us of the sins we committed this moment. 00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:24.879 Today, yesterday, tomorrow, God, we are broken people and we need your help. 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:25.920 We need renewal. 00:08:26.079 --> 00:08:27.199 We confess it. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:32.000 Lord God, we thank you for your word. 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:37.360 That you promised that you would be here with us, you would never forsake us. 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:44.559 And that your spirit would come for us and give us power to obey your word, Lord God. 00:08:44.799 --> 00:08:52.720 So, God, we ask right now that you be here right now. 00:08:53.200 --> 00:08:57.039 Lord Jesus, be here and renew us. 00:08:58.240 --> 00:08:59.759 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:00.720 Amen. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:18.639 I think it's valuable before we jump in to chapter one to do a brief uh recap of last week because we started a new series and so we spent a lot of time uh going over the context of this book of Nehemiah. 00:09:18.879 --> 00:09:21.600 Um and actually I want to provide a resource for you guys. 00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:29.600 This might be on the screen, but actually, we have uh a podcast of the sermons and messages on Spotify and on Apple Podcasts. 00:09:29.679 --> 00:09:37.440 So for ever any reason where you uh missed a Sunday due to just life circumstances, you can listen and find the message there. 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:48.240 If you are jumping into the series, I would encourage you to listen to the first message because then you'll be able to hear more of uh the context and what's going on in Nehemiah. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:56.879 Uh so before we jump into verse four, um, just a quick uh reminder of what's going on here. 00:09:57.120 --> 00:10:00.080 See, God had made a covenant with his people, okay? 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:01.600 He made a promise with them. 00:10:01.840 --> 00:10:09.120 He said, if you would follow me and obey me, then I will bless you and I will have a place for you. 00:10:09.279 --> 00:10:20.320 This place was the promised land, the land of Israel, and so God would do that and he would establish a nation, a kingdom in Israel, if they obeyed his commandments and followed him. 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:33.679 Eventually, over time, they would run from God, disobey God, and so this caused the nation of Israel to split into kingdoms, a northern kingdom and a southern kingdom. 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:43.279 Okay, over time, these kingdoms, eventually, the north and the south, would be taken captive by different nations. 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:45.360 Because that's what God promised. 00:10:45.519 --> 00:10:49.519 God promised them, he said, if you disobeyed me, I will scatter you. 00:10:49.679 --> 00:10:50.720 And so he did that. 00:10:50.799 --> 00:11:06.720 They were scattered to different parts all over the world, and Jerusalem, the city, which was the place where God was worshipped, where God dwelled and stayed, where people can see his glory and counter him, the temple was destroyed. 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:09.679 The walls were in ruin. 00:11:10.720 --> 00:11:14.480 And now it's been a hundred and forty years since then. 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:18.480 And God is getting ready to bring his people back. 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:31.360 And it starts first in the book of Ezra with some people coming there to rebuilding the temple, and then now Nehemiah feeling a call and a burden to rebuild the walls. 00:11:32.000 --> 00:11:34.639 So that's where we are in the first verses. 00:11:34.879 --> 00:11:38.559 Nehemiah hears this news about the walls being destroyed. 00:11:38.720 --> 00:11:41.919 And who was Nehemiah, like we learned last week? 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:50.559 Nehemiah wasn't a priest, he wasn't a prophet, he wasn't a king, he was a regular person. 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.840 A regular person who God used to do something incredible. 00:11:56.159 --> 00:12:03.039 And so we pick up on verse 4, Nehemiah hearing this bad news of the walls still destroyed. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:14.799 It says, 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. 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:22.639 See, before Nehemiah touched a brick to rebuild a wall, he was filled with a burden. 00:12:23.200 --> 00:12:24.080 This is important. 00:12:24.159 --> 00:12:25.919 We talked about this last week, right? 00:12:26.080 --> 00:12:34.720 You will struggle to do anything great for God if you are not burdened about what's going on in your life and the life of others. 00:12:34.960 --> 00:12:41.279 And so what I want us to do, and what we're gonna do today, is just walk through Nehemiah's prayer, verses 5 through 11. 00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:49.039 And what I think is so valuable about this prayer is really this is gonna teach us how to pray. 00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:54.000 It's a beautiful model, it's a beautiful example to teach us how to pray. 00:12:54.080 --> 00:13:10.480 I don't know if you've ever had a moment where you were finally like, okay, I'm gonna pray and spend time in prayer, and you close the door and you get ready, you get on your knees, or you take your seat, and you begin to pray, and after only a couple seconds, you're like, what on earth do I pray for? 00:13:11.600 --> 00:13:13.759 Or how do I pray? 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:15.440 Where do I start? 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:23.519 Well, here I wanted to give you a model, a tool that would really be helpful for you to know how to pray. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:29.600 Verse 5 starts with this, this prayer. 00:13:29.759 --> 00:13:31.679 And I said, I prayed. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:44.320 This is Nehemiah, Lord, 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. 00:13:44.559 --> 00:13:49.759 Nehemiah, in his prayer to God, starts with praise. 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:52.240 He starts with praise. 00:13:52.799 --> 00:13:57.120 So, going back to that question, how do we pray for renewal within us and around us first? 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:58.879 Pray with praise. 00:13:59.039 --> 00:14:00.159 That's the first point. 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:02.240 Pray with praise. 00:14:02.399 --> 00:14:05.360 Notice the first words of Nehemiah's prayer. 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:08.080 He doesn't start with the problem. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:11.120 He starts with praise. 00:14:11.360 --> 00:14:17.840 He starts with praise to God, recognizing who God is and giving him worship. 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:18.879 What is praise? 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:26.720 Praise is to honor someone, to speak of someone highly, to recognize someone for their worth, for who they are. 00:14:27.039 --> 00:14:29.360 And he says, Oh Lord. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:30.960 Let's start there. 00:14:31.120 --> 00:14:37.840 If you look in your Bibles, it's Lord with capital L, capital O, capital R, capital D. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:39.440 Why is that? 00:14:40.559 --> 00:14:42.559 There's a reason that's there. 00:14:43.120 --> 00:14:46.879 The reason that it's there is because this was the personal name of God. 00:14:47.200 --> 00:15:00.879 This was God's name, Yahweh, and back then that name was so holy that the people who would write down and transcribe these words of the Bible would not even write his name. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:10.960 But they would use this as a substitute of writing his holy name and just put Lord all caps. 00:15:11.360 --> 00:15:20.159 This was the name that the Lord revealed to Moses when Moses asked, Who do I say sent me? 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.440 Say, I am sent to you. 00:15:26.320 --> 00:15:33.360 Really, there is no better word to describe who God is than I am. 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.879 It is a statement that God is. 00:15:38.159 --> 00:15:40.240 God will always be. 00:15:43.919 --> 00:15:47.279 You and I are dependent on God. 00:15:48.240 --> 00:15:58.240 That our hearts are breathing, that our ears are hearing, that our eyes are seeing, that our lungs are breathing, we are dependent. 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:10.720 God is holding everything together, he is sustaining everything together, and we are utterly dependent on him, and he is utterly independent and not needing anything. 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:11.600 He is. 00:16:12.559 --> 00:16:14.159 I am who I am. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:19.279 So how important is that when the walls are breaking down in life? 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:30.159 When everything's falling apart, when we hear the bad news, to know God is who he is and he never changes. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:31.360 Look at this. 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.480 Verse 1, it says, the Lord God, but also Lord God of what? 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:35.600 Heaven. 00:16:36.399 --> 00:16:41.279 Nehemiah starts with the name of God, then he moves to the position of God where God is. 00:16:41.519 --> 00:16:44.879 The Lord God of heaven. 00:16:46.080 --> 00:16:47.759 God is on the throne. 00:16:48.000 --> 00:16:49.120 He's above all. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:51.600 Just like the Father who says, What? 00:16:52.399 --> 00:16:55.279 Father who art in heaven. 00:16:56.000 --> 00:16:58.320 He starts his prayer in that same way. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.480 That God, you are on your throne. 00:17:00.639 --> 00:17:01.679 You are above all. 00:17:01.840 --> 00:17:04.160 You are a position high. 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:06.319 You are over everything. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:08.960 He gives them praise. 00:17:09.359 --> 00:17:10.960 This is your personal name. 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:11.920 You are Lord. 00:17:12.079 --> 00:17:13.359 You are in heaven. 00:17:13.680 --> 00:17:15.119 But look out what else he says. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.359 He says, the great and awesome God. 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:20.559 He says, God, you are great. 00:17:20.960 --> 00:17:22.240 You are big. 00:17:23.519 --> 00:17:24.799 He says, you are awesome. 00:17:25.039 --> 00:17:27.440 This word awesome is to be amazed. 00:17:28.240 --> 00:17:30.799 In some translations, it says to fear. 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:34.720 That you're just so stunned. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.119 You are just blown away. 00:17:37.440 --> 00:17:39.759 That God, you are incredible. 00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:41.519 You are amazing. 00:17:42.079 --> 00:17:44.880 And not only that, but God, you are to be feared. 00:17:44.960 --> 00:17:51.839 You are to be in all of when we think of you, when we see you, but God, you also keep your covenant. 00:17:52.079 --> 00:17:54.000 It says, God, you tell the truth. 00:17:54.880 --> 00:17:57.839 And you don't lie and you don't go back on your word. 00:17:58.400 --> 00:18:00.160 You're trustworthy. 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:03.759 Not only do you keep your covenant, you keep your what? 00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:05.680 Stead fast love. 00:18:05.839 --> 00:18:07.119 Do you see it there? 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:09.359 In verse 5? 00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:16.000 Your steadfast love to those who love you. 00:18:16.480 --> 00:18:20.000 His kindness, goodness, and mercy towards you. 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.440 This is incredible, but don't miss this. 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:36.799 That this God who is high and lifted up, who sustains all things, who created all things, who is the great I am, loves you. 00:18:39.039 --> 00:18:40.559 He loves you. 00:18:42.160 --> 00:18:43.599 This is who he is. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:45.759 This is incredible. 00:18:47.440 --> 00:18:48.559 You see this? 00:18:49.039 --> 00:18:50.960 He starts with praise. 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:53.920 He starts with recognizing God. 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:56.640 This is who you are, God. 00:18:57.039 --> 00:19:10.880 And so for us, this is a way that I would just encourage you when you're in prayer and your time with God to just start with worship, to recognize Him for who He is, to give Him the praise He deserves. 00:19:11.119 --> 00:19:13.599 So how do we pray for renewal within us and around us? 00:19:13.759 --> 00:19:15.119 Pray with praise. 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:16.720 Pray with praise. 00:19:16.880 --> 00:19:18.960 But let's keep looking at verse 6. 00:19:19.279 --> 00:19:31.599 Nehemiah says, 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. 00:19:32.240 --> 00:19:39.599 Confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you, even I in my father's house we have sinned. 00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:42.160 How do we pray for renewal within us and around us? 00:19:42.319 --> 00:19:43.599 First, pray with praise. 00:19:43.759 --> 00:19:45.599 Second, pray with purity. 00:19:46.160 --> 00:19:47.200 Pray with purity. 00:19:47.359 --> 00:19:48.880 Look, he confesses sin. 00:19:49.039 --> 00:19:50.480 You see that in verse 6? 00:19:50.880 --> 00:19:53.359 Confessing the sins of the people. 00:19:53.839 --> 00:19:56.720 See, Nehemiah goes into the root of the problem. 00:19:57.039 --> 00:20:04.960 The problem was not the Babylons and these other Babylonians and the Assyrians or these other nations coming and taking them captive. 00:20:05.039 --> 00:20:06.319 The problem was sin. 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:09.279 It was disobeying God. 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:14.799 And it was in them disobeying God that this was the consequence that happened. 00:20:15.119 --> 00:20:16.480 He said that this would happen. 00:20:16.559 --> 00:20:18.319 And Nehemiah knows this. 00:20:18.480 --> 00:20:19.839 That this is the problem. 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:23.119 We have sinned, and he's confessing it. 00:20:24.799 --> 00:20:27.759 But notice he says the word we here. 00:20:30.240 --> 00:20:33.119 Nehemiah confesses the sins of the people. 00:20:34.079 --> 00:20:36.559 But Nehemiah doesn't say they have sinned. 00:20:37.200 --> 00:20:38.799 I want you to remember that. 00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:45.680 It was 140 years ago that the captivity happened, that the walls were destroyed, that Jerusalem was destroyed. 00:20:46.319 --> 00:20:53.599 And he could have said, Yeah, their sin that they did 140 years ago in a place I've never been, yeah, forgive them. 00:20:54.559 --> 00:20:56.240 Is that what Nehemiah says? 00:20:56.960 --> 00:21:00.559 No, he says, We have sinned. 00:21:00.799 --> 00:21:02.160 And he moves it even further. 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:03.920 You see that last part in verse 6? 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:05.759 Look at that in verse 6. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:13.359 It says, Even I and my father's house have sinned. 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:19.599 And Nehemiah took personal responsibility for his sin and the sins of the people. 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:24.240 He didn't shift the blame to others. 00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:38.559 Here's the thing: you will struggle to build the broken walls and restore what needs to be restored in your life and around you if you do not take personal responsibility for your sins. 00:21:39.599 --> 00:21:40.400 You can't. 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:41.599 You can't do it. 00:21:41.680 --> 00:21:46.079 You can't build the things around you until you take ownership and your part in it. 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.079 Of our sin. 00:22:05.519 --> 00:22:11.920 Now, what I want you to understand is I'm not saying all the things that happen in your life are because of your sin. 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:16.319 Or because of the brokenness that's going on. 00:22:16.559 --> 00:22:20.480 But I'm saying there are things that we do play a role in. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:22.000 That we do. 00:22:22.799 --> 00:22:23.119 Right? 00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:24.720 And we try to shift the blame. 00:22:24.960 --> 00:22:29.039 We say, oh, the reason my marriage is messed up is because of my spouse. 00:22:29.920 --> 00:22:35.200 The reason my child is run from God is because of them and their ignorance. 00:22:35.759 --> 00:22:40.319 The reason why this is going on in the workplace is because X or Y person. 00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:45.200 Or why that happened in that conflict in our church or the church split or the herd. 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:48.960 And I'm not saying there's responsibility in other parts. 00:22:49.039 --> 00:22:50.559 What I'm saying is in other people. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:54.000 Nehemiah is saying, I've played a role. 00:22:54.240 --> 00:22:56.319 And it's recognizing that. 00:22:57.200 --> 00:23:00.640 Say, I've sinned against God. 00:23:01.200 --> 00:23:04.000 And asking the Lord, God, where is it? 00:23:05.039 --> 00:23:12.960 Is there a place that I don't even realize in the situation where there's brokenness around me that I may be playing a part in it? 00:23:13.440 --> 00:23:16.160 That I need to take responsibility over. 00:23:18.000 --> 00:23:30.160 And again, I want us to be be careful with this because for those of us who've ever been hurt or abused or taken advantage of, that is in no way, in any shape, way or form your fault. 00:23:30.480 --> 00:24:00.400 Okay, I'm not talking about those sins of what people have caused to you, but what are the things in your life that you know if you examine and think through and let this and asking the Holy Spirit to search that have happened because your pride and your greed and your lust that's led to brokenness, that you need renewal from, and that you cannot start rebuilding and renewing until you confess your sin to God. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:03.440 Verse 6, it starts this. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:04.880 Look at this here. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:08.720 Why does Nehemiah mention the ears and eyes to God? 00:24:08.799 --> 00:24:14.559 He says, Let your ears be attentive, let your eyes open to hear the prayers of your servant. 00:24:15.920 --> 00:24:16.240 Right? 00:24:16.400 --> 00:24:29.759 We know that the Lord, the creator of all things, knows everything that has happened, that will happen from eternity past to eternity future. 00:24:31.359 --> 00:24:32.400 He knows. 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:34.240 So what does Nehemiah mean? 00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:38.799 Let your ear be attentive, let your eyes be open. 00:24:40.480 --> 00:24:43.599 Look at Isaiah 59, verses 1 through 2. 00:24:43.759 --> 00:24:46.960 It helps us understand what Nehemiah is asking here. 00:24:47.200 --> 00:24:53.920 It says, Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save, or his ears dull, that it cannot hear. 00:24:54.160 --> 00:24:55.119 But your what? 00:24:55.519 --> 00:25:08.319 Iniquities, which was sin, have made a separation between you and your God, and your sin have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:14.160 You ever try to talk to someone and they can kind of hear you, but they're not listening? 00:25:15.599 --> 00:25:16.079 Right. 00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:19.119 Me and my wife were just talking about this, right? 00:25:19.359 --> 00:25:23.839 Where the the go-to is the uh right? 00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:25.039 Uh-huh. 00:25:25.680 --> 00:25:28.240 And I would say I don't do it so much while I'm on my phone. 00:25:28.319 --> 00:25:31.119 It's more when I'm like falling asleep. 00:25:31.759 --> 00:25:33.279 And I'm just like, uh-huh. 00:25:33.440 --> 00:25:34.160 Yeah, uh-huh. 00:25:34.319 --> 00:25:41.920 Because she's a night owl, I'm not, and so like I'm ready to go down, and she's ready to start partying late into the into the night. 00:25:43.200 --> 00:25:45.200 But you've experienced that. 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:56.240 And that's what sin is like, where God is is there sitting and we've sinned against him, and he's hid his face towards us, and he loves us, he's for us, he wants to. 00:25:57.920 --> 00:26:01.279 And we're asking God, hey, God, uh, I can you help with this? 00:26:01.359 --> 00:26:03.599 And and here's what's going on, and God's saying, uh-huh. 00:26:05.599 --> 00:26:12.160 He knows what you're saying, but he's waiting for you to do what Nehemiah is doing and saying, God, I've sinned. 00:26:13.359 --> 00:26:14.640 We've sinned. 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:17.920 And confess, God, we need you. 00:26:18.960 --> 00:26:19.359 Right? 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:21.599 This isn't only in the Old Testament. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:22.720 I want to give one example. 00:26:22.799 --> 00:26:29.119 There's so many passages we can go to, but it's also in 1 Peter in the New Testament, chapter 3, verse 7. 00:26:29.440 --> 00:26:42.240 It says, Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. 00:26:43.759 --> 00:26:53.519 Nehemiah is saying, God, let your ears hear, let your eyes see, because he knows that if he does not confess his sin, his prayers will be hindered. 00:26:53.920 --> 00:26:57.279 So he confesses, God, we're broken. 00:26:58.480 --> 00:26:59.359 We need you. 00:26:59.519 --> 00:27:00.559 So what was that sin? 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:02.000 Look at verse 7. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:14.240 It says this, we have acted very corruptly against you and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, and the rules that you commanded your servant Moses. 00:27:15.200 --> 00:27:22.160 See, Moses was given the law, the Ten Commandments, and the other laws that the people of God were supposed to obey. 00:27:23.680 --> 00:27:24.960 And they were given. 00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:27.920 Look at this, Exodus 19, 7 through 8. 00:27:28.160 --> 00:27:33.920 This is a moment in Exodus in the Old Testament where the law is given and Moses is giving it to the people. 00:27:34.079 --> 00:27:35.440 Look what the people say. 00:27:36.480 --> 00:27:43.599 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 00:27:43.759 --> 00:27:51.200 All the people answered together and said, All that the Lord has spoken, we will do. 00:27:52.960 --> 00:27:56.240 And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 00:27:56.960 --> 00:28:00.000 So Moses gets the law and the commandments of God. 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:04.720 He goes before the people of God and they say, Yep, we got it. 00:28:05.279 --> 00:28:06.319 We'll do it. 00:28:07.039 --> 00:28:08.079 But what happens? 00:28:09.119 --> 00:28:10.240 They fail. 00:28:11.440 --> 00:28:23.599 And they do the same thing in Exodus 24 and Deuteronomy 5 and Joshua 24, over and over, failing and coming back with this similar moment of Lord, you've spoken, we're gonna do it. 00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:27.680 And so here Nehemiah is quoting the Bible. 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:33.920 He's saying, We've disobeyed what the people said they would do. 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:40.559 They heard the command. 00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:43.279 They said to obey it, but they didn't. 00:28:57.119 --> 00:28:58.400 You can't. 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:03.039 Second Timothy, I want to go here. 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:05.440 2 Timothy chapter 2. 00:29:10.559 --> 00:29:11.839 Verse 20. 00:29:12.079 --> 00:29:19.519 This is what Paul is saying to Timothy, this young man in the faith, training him up to be a minister. 00:29:19.599 --> 00:29:21.039 And he says this in verse 20. 00:29:21.200 --> 00:29:29.599 Now in a great house they are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. 00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:41.119 Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. 00:29:42.799 --> 00:29:44.400 What is it saying here? 00:29:46.000 --> 00:29:54.160 See, in a house, like ours, me and Mo, we don't have fine china, nice plates, right? 00:29:54.319 --> 00:29:58.720 What we have is we have our plastic plates and then maybe our regular plates. 00:29:59.039 --> 00:29:59.359 Okay. 00:29:59.759 --> 00:30:00.079 Right. 00:30:00.160 --> 00:30:02.319 The plastic plates, those are disposable. 00:30:02.880 --> 00:30:03.200 Right? 00:30:03.519 --> 00:30:05.359 Use them, throw them away. 00:30:05.519 --> 00:30:07.680 Don't have to do dishes, it's great. 00:30:08.480 --> 00:30:17.759 And then you have the plates that when people are coming that we want to put out and make it look nicer, we'll use those plates. 00:30:18.559 --> 00:30:25.680 See, that's what Paul is talking about here, that there's two types of vessels, two types of instruments or plates. 00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:31.839 There's one that is for dishonorable use and one for honorable use. 00:30:32.480 --> 00:30:38.960 And he's saying to Timothy, he's saying, Timothy, you need to be pure. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:44.559 If you are gonna allow God to use you, you need to set yourself apart. 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:46.960 That's what holy means. 00:30:47.119 --> 00:30:53.680 To be set apart, to say, my life is not gonna be used for filth and sin. 00:30:53.839 --> 00:30:59.279 My life is gonna be set apart, pure and clean for God to use. 00:31:01.440 --> 00:31:03.519 And so you cannot be used. 00:31:03.680 --> 00:31:12.960 You cannot be used to rebuild the brokenness around you, the brokenness in your marriage, the brokenness in your family, the brokenness in your community. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:22.559 You cannot begin to be a Nehemiah until you confess to God of your sins. 00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:27.200 And I don't mean generally, I mean specifically. 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:31.119 I mean, God, here is where I've sinned against you. 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:33.680 Forgive me of my sin. 00:31:33.839 --> 00:31:35.279 I want to be used. 00:31:36.240 --> 00:31:39.920 And I know it, I know it, I know it, I know it with all my heart. 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:51.200 That there are people in here that you have such a desire to serve God, to share the gospel, to be a light, to be filled with the Spirit, to be that vessel. 00:31:51.440 --> 00:31:55.119 But you are in bondage to sin and shame. 00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:00.000 I know it because that's what I wrestle with. 00:32:02.559 --> 00:32:07.920 Where you feel it, you feel this call and this tug of, yes, I want that. 00:32:08.319 --> 00:32:11.200 I want that, I want to live for God. 00:32:14.160 --> 00:32:19.279 But then you're not willing to just sit before God and say, God, I've sinned. 00:32:20.559 --> 00:32:23.440 Truly and really be broken over it. 00:32:24.720 --> 00:32:30.559 To confess it to him and to confess it to others so that you may be healed. 00:32:32.720 --> 00:32:35.119 Here's the good news, 1 John 1.9. 00:32:36.240 --> 00:32:38.960 If you don't know this verse, I encourage you to write it down. 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:40.720 1 John 1.9. 00:32:41.359 --> 00:32:52.480 It says if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 00:32:55.039 --> 00:32:58.880 He's faithful to forgive us, to cleanse you. 00:32:59.039 --> 00:33:01.119 And you don't have to hold on to that. 00:33:02.079 --> 00:33:10.880 But you can be like Nehemiah and confess it and see the brokenness around you and say, Jesus, I've sinned. 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:17.119 I've done some things that have broken down these walls. 00:33:18.319 --> 00:33:21.519 My family has done these things that have broken down the walls. 00:33:21.680 --> 00:33:23.920 There are people who have broken down the walls. 00:33:24.240 --> 00:33:26.720 God, start with me. 00:33:27.519 --> 00:33:28.720 I need renewal. 00:33:29.680 --> 00:33:33.680 He needs to do something in you before he can do something through you. 00:33:34.799 --> 00:33:38.000 So, how do we pray for renewal within us and around us? 00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:39.359 First, pray with praise. 00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:41.359 Second, pray with purity. 00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:43.599 Third, pray with promises. 00:33:44.079 --> 00:33:45.200 Pray with promises. 00:33:45.279 --> 00:33:45.839 What does that mean? 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:46.960 Look at verse 8. 00:33:47.200 --> 00:33:55.839 Remember the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, if you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the peoples. 00:33:56.160 --> 00:33:59.359 Nehemiah here, he's quoting the book of Deuteronomy. 00:34:00.880 --> 00:34:05.200 He said, I'm giving you this command, and if you obey them, I will bless you. 00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:07.519 If you disobey them, I'll scatter you. 00:34:07.759 --> 00:34:10.480 Look at Deuteronomy 4.27. 00:34:10.960 --> 00:34:20.239 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. 00:34:20.480 --> 00:34:28.719 This hasn't happened yet, but if you look at the verses surrounding there, the Lord is saying, Hey, if you disobey me, this is what will happen. 00:34:30.000 --> 00:34:36.159 And now they're living in the consequences of that, where they now are scattered. 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:42.079 Nehemiah is quoting the Bible to God in his prayer. 00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:44.800