Nehemiah

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Nehemiah

• Gods Servant

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• Examples to follow
• (1) What one man can accomplish
• (2) What a group can accomplish with a mind to
  work and a unity of purpose
• Time
• 445 BC
• Conditions
• Persia was in control. The Jews were surrounded
  by those who despised them, while they struggled
  to follow God. Jerusalem had no walls or gates.

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• Status of Nehemiah
• King Artaxerxes (Persia) cupbearer wine taster
  checked the Kings drinks before he drank them
  very important, responsible position
• Accomplishments
• Rebuilt the walls and gates in 52 days.
• Caused Israel to repent and restored worship
  according to the Law of Moses.

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His Prayers of Faith

• Nehemiah 14 - 11
• 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I
  sat down and wept, and mourned for many days I
  was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
• 5 And I said "I pray, LORD God of heaven, O
  great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant
  and mercy with those who love You and observe
  Your commandments,
• 6 "please let Your ear be attentive and Your
  eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your
  servant which I pray before You now, day and
  night, for the children of Israel Your servants,
  and confess the sins of the children of Israel
  which we have sinned against You. Both my
  father's house and I have sinned.

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His Prayers of Faith

• Nehemiah 14 - 11
• 7 "We have acted very corruptly against You, and
  have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor
  the ordinances which You commanded Your servant
  Moses.
• 8 "Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded
  Your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are
  unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations
• 9 'but if you return to Me, and keep My
  commandments and do them, though some of you were
  cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet
  I will gather them from there, and bring them to
  the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for
  My name.'

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His Prayers of Faith

• Nehemiah 14 - 11
• 10 "Now these are Your servants and Your people,
  whom You have redeemed by Your great power, and
  by Your strong hand.
• 11 "O Lord, I pray, please let Your ear be
  attentive to the prayer of Your servant, and to
  the prayer of Your servants who desire to fear
  Your name and let Your servant prosper this day,
  I pray, and grant him mercy in the sight of this
  man." For I was the king's cupbearer.

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His Prayers of Faith

• Praised God 15 Psalm 4211
• Humbled himself 16 James 410
• Realized own weakness and the need for Gods help
  16, 7 James 516
• Asks in faith and according to Gods will 111
• Did not ask God to do the work
• Did not ask for selfish reasons James 42, 3

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His Works of Faith

• Nehemiah 21 6
• 1 And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in
  the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine
  was before him, that I took the wine and gave it
  to the king. Now I had never been sad in his
  presence before.
• 2 Therefore the king said to me, "Why is your
  face sad, since you are not sick? This is nothing
  but sorrow of heart." So I became dreadfully
  afraid,
• 3 and said to the king, "May the king live
  forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the
  city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste,
  and its gates are burned with fire?"

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His Works of Faith

• Nehemiah 21 6
• 4 Then the king said to me, "What do you
  request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.
• 5 And I said to the king, "If it pleases the
  king, and if your servant has found favor in your
  sight, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the
  city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild
  it."
• 6 Then the king said to me (the queen also
  sitting beside him), "How long will your journey
  be? And when will you return?" So it pleased the
  king to send me and I set him a time.

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His Works of Faith

• Attitude was good 21
• Action was immediate 22 6
• Had courage to talk to the King
• Used wisdom before the King
• Did not act rashly
• Obtained letters from the King 27, 8
• Left Persia to go to Jerusalem 211
• Convinced others to go and help 217,18

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His Accomplishments

• Rebuilt the walls in 52 days 46 615
• Worked under adverse conditions
• Ridicule 219, 20 41 5
• Threats 47 - 22 (8, 13, 17, 18) 619
• Internal strife 51 - 13 (5)
• Attempts to compromise 62 7
• False prophets (teachers) 610 13
• Without luxuries (the basics) 423 51419

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His Accomplishments

• Resettled the city of Jerusalem 111 2
• Resettled the country 1125
• Re-established the priests 121 - 47
• Showed the enemies the power of God 616

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His Influence

• Public and private study of Gods Word 81 3,
  7, 8, 9
• Had respect in worship (assembly) 93
• Worshipped according to Gods will 814, 17
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• Spent much time in worship
• Morning to midday 93

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His Influence

• Confessed their sins 91 - 3
• Obeyed Gods law about separation 131 - 3
• Removed evil from Gods house 1349

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His Influence

• Restored the support for the Levites 1310 - 14
• Kept the Sabbath 1315 22
• Mixed sinful marriages were dissolved 1323
  26 Ezra 103, 4

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Summary

• What caused these changes?
• Prayer 1 Thessalonians 517
• Strong faith Hebrews 116
• Good leadership Titus 15
• Zealous people 2 Corinthians 91, 2
• Knowledge of Gods Word 1 Peter 315

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Conclusion

• Do we have the courage to make changes in our
  lives?
• Have you obeyed God?
• Its time to make a change!!

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