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Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord
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Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Dec 14, 2015

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Kurt Nay
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Page 1: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Nehemiah

Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord

Page 2: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Something’s Missing Here

•“Four walls and no roof do not make a house.”

•Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge of God does not make a strong city.

Page 3: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

The Word Of God Forgotten

70 years since the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon.

No public worship in all that time.

No reading of the word of God. Largely forgotten.

Page 4: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

A Famine For Hearing The Word

• Amos 8:11 -- “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God,“When I will send a famine on the land,Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water,But rather for hearing the words of the Lord.

Page 5: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Fighting The Mundane

• Have you ever…

• Found the Bible to be boring?• Wished the preacher would sit

down so you could go home?• Realized your Bible is covered

in a heavy layer of dust?• Felt like worship is a waste of

time?

Page 6: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Does Familiarity Breed Contempt?

• Can there be too much of a good thing?

• Think about how many different Bibles you have.

• Does that make you appreciate the word of God more?

Page 7: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Nehemiah 8:1-6

• People ask Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses.

• Ezra read from it from “early morning until midday” – about 6 hours

• The people “lifted up their hands” “bowed low” and “worshiped…with their faces to the ground.”

Page 8: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Discovering The Joy Of The Lord

• Grief and shame when they first heard the word.

• Realized how far they’d fallen.

• Illustration: asthma and breathing.

• Illustration: the frog in the hot water

Page 9: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

A Day Of Rejoicing

• Nehemiah 8:9 -- “Then Nehemiah…said to all the people, ‘This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.”

Page 10: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Feasting On The Riches

• Nehemiah 8:10 – “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who

has nothing prepared;

for this day is holy

to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the

joy of the Lord is your strength.”

Page 11: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

We Are Commanded To Rejoice

• Philippians 4:4 – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!”

• Revelation 19:7 – “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”

Page 12: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

1 Peter 1:6-8

• “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith…may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory….”

Page 13: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

Celebrating The Feast

• Restored the Feast of Booths.

• Nehemiah 8:13-18• Celebrating the

goodness and provision of God.

• Count your blessings.

Page 14: Nehemiah Part 7: The Joy Of The Lord. Something’s Missing Here “Four walls and no roof do not make a house.” Strong walls and strong gates but no knowledge.

And There Was Great Rejoicing!

• Rejoice because we have been freed from sin.

• Rejoice because we have been freed from death.

• Rejoice because God is good.

• Rejoice just because!