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Series Code: WHO
Program Code: WHO200024S
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00:26 Hello and welcome to 3ABN Worship Hour.
00:29 I'm Jill Morikone. 00:30 And we're so glad that you have tuned in today, 00:33 as we open up the Word of God 00:35 and we study together. 00:37 Today's message is titled "Restorative Repentance." 00:43 That might be an interesting title. 00:44 But hopefully by the time we get 00:46 to the end of the message, 00:47 you understand the restoration that takes place 00:52 when we come before God and repent. 00:54 What is repentance? 00:56 Someone once said that an apology 00:59 with no change in behavior is simply manipulation? 01:05 Have you ever felt like you were manipulated? 01:07 Have you ever experienced it? 01:08 Has someone ever maybe apologized to you, 01:11 but there was no corresponding change 01:14 in their behavior? 01:15 Or maybe you've done that through the Lord Jesus Christ. 01:19 I asked a few people, friends, what is repentance? 01:22 And what does repentance mean to you? 01:24 And here is some of their definitions. 01:27 Repentance is a sorrow 01:29 and turning away from something. 01:33 Here's another. 01:34 Repentance is turning 01:36 and walking away from something. 01:39 Those are both very similar. 01:41 That person later said repentance starts with a heart. 01:46 It's not just sorrow and turning away, 01:48 but it begins initially with a heart. 01:53 Another definition. 01:54 Sincerely saying you were wrong 01:56 with a commitment and desire to change, 01:59 recognizing your need for forgiveness, 02:01 going to the Lord with a sincere heart, 02:04 to ask Him to forgive you of your sins, 02:06 and give you strength to turn away from it. 02:10 Here's another one I like. 02:11 Sorrow and regret so deep, 02:14 brought about by a full understanding 02:16 of the hurt I have caused, 02:18 that drives me to beg God to change me, 02:22 since I'm powerless to change myself. 02:25 Another one. 02:27 Change of mind 02:28 that results in a 180 degree turnaround, 02:33 actions and attitude headed in one direction. 02:36 And then repentance turns you around, 02:39 headed toward God, 02:41 repentance being a gift from God. 02:45 Here's another one. 02:47 To think and act differently after your mind is changed. 02:53 There's some common elements and themes in here. 02:56 There's a turning away or 180 degree turn. 03:00 There's something that happens in the heart, 03:03 something that happens in the mind and the attitude. 03:07 We're going to talk today about restorative repentance. 03:10 Now we could do a complete Bible study on that 03:12 and give many scriptures, 03:14 but we're going to look at it from the Book of Nehemiah. 03:17 Nehemiah Chapter 9. 03:19 Repentance involves change, yes, 03:21 but repentance also involves restoration. 03:26 A previous message 03:27 when I shared on the Worship Hour, 03:28 we talked about how grace is a gift. 03:30 Ephesians 2:8, 03:32 "We are saved by grace through faith." 03:34 Faith is a gift. 03:36 Salvation is a gift. 03:38 The works that you and I do, 03:40 the good works that we were created 03:42 in Christ Jesus to do. 03:44 Those are gifts as well. 03:46 I'm here to tell you today that repentance is a gift. 03:51 And restorative repentance is truly a gift. 03:55 Our opening scripture is not Nehemiah 9, 03:57 although we will be turning there shortly. 03:59 It's actually in Proverbs. 04:00 So if you want to turn there, Proverbs 28:13. 04:06 Proverbs 28:13, 04:08 "He who covers his sins will not prosper, 04:13 but whoever confesses 04:15 and forsakes them will have mercy." 04:19 Let's pray. 04:20 Holy Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus, 04:23 thanking You for the gifts of grace, 04:25 the gifts of Your Spirit and Your Word. 04:29 And right now would You open up our hearts and minds 04:33 to receive what You have for us. 04:37 And we thank You 04:38 in the precious and holy name of Jesus. 04:41 Amen. 04:43 I was two years old and my sister Lynn was four. 04:46 I do not remember this story. 04:48 I probably can't remember anything 04:50 before the age of four or five. 04:52 But my mom has told it to me many times. 04:55 When I was two, 04:56 I was playing with my sister 04:58 and I don't know if I got mad at her 05:00 or I decided I was going to play 05:02 a practical joke, I'm not sure. 05:04 But I decided 05:05 I was going to lock her in a closet. 05:08 So, now remember, I'm two and my sister's four. 05:12 So I have no idea how I succeeded in doing that. 05:16 But I opened up the door, pushed my sister in the closet. 05:20 Now this was not like a clothes closet. 05:23 This was like a linen closet, 05:25 you know, the kind with the shelves, 05:27 you have a low shelf 05:28 and then a medium shelf, higher shelves going up. 05:31 So I pushed my sister 05:33 underneath the bottom shelf in the closet, 05:37 and I shut the door. 05:39 My mom says that I toddled off to find her in the kitchen 05:43 because she had no idea what was going on. 05:45 And I told my mom, "I locked sissy in the closet." 05:50 So, of course, 05:52 I have a feeling I got a spanking, 05:54 I just kind of don't remember that portion. 05:56 And she never really told me that portion. 05:58 But my sister 06:00 obviously could not have gotten out 06:01 if my mom had not gone 06:03 and opened up the door and let her out. 06:06 You know, as we grow up, we begin to hide sin, 06:13 we begin to cover sin. 06:16 Or on the flip side, 06:18 we begin to harden our heart 06:21 against the prompting of the Holy Spirit. 06:25 You see, when we're older, 06:26 we don't necessarily go running up to God and say, 06:29 guess what? 06:31 I just did such and such. 06:33 We might not even necessarily go 06:35 to a friend or a neighbor and tell them, guess what? 06:38 I messed up and I'm coming to apologize. 06:42 We begin to keep secrets. 06:44 We don't want people to know our sins. 06:46 So we begin to hide that from maybe other people 06:49 or hide that from God. 06:51 Or sometimes 06:53 we just harden our hearts and say, 06:56 "I don't want to hear from you, God. 06:57 I don't want to hear from Your Word. 07:00 I don't want to open up my heart 07:02 to what You have for me, " 07:04 and we harden our hearts. 07:07 This passage Nehemiah 9, 07:09 you can turn with me to Nehemiah 9. 07:12 Nehemiah 9 might be a hard book to find, 07:15 Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms. 07:18 So it's a little bit before the Book of Psalms. 07:20 Nehemiah Chapter 9. 07:21 I believe there's many passages 07:23 in the Word of God on repentance. 07:25 But Nehemiah 9 07:27 is one of three great passages 07:31 in the Old Testament of intercession 07:35 for not only their own sins, but the sins of the people. 07:40 We see Nehemiah 9, Ezra 9, and Daniel 9, all Chapter 9, 07:45 all dealing with intercession for the sins, 07:49 not only their sins but the sins of the people. 07:52 Before we read it in Nehemiah 9, 07:54 of course we know in Daniel 9 and Daniel 8 07:56 there had been the vision 07:58 and Daniel's concerned and fasting and praying 08:01 and seeking understanding. 08:03 And then in Daniel 9, 08:05 he mourns with fasting in sackcloth, 08:08 ashes, prayer, 08:09 confession of sin and repentance. 08:11 And he identifies with the sins of the people 08:16 who are in bondage. 08:17 At that time the Israelites were in bondage 08:20 in Babylonian captivity for those 70 years. 08:24 And during that time, 08:25 he was identifying with the sins of the people 08:27 that had caused them 08:29 to be carried away captive in the first place. 08:31 And Ezra 9, we won't turn there, 08:33 but in Ezra 9, 08:35 Ezra discovers 08:36 that the Israelites had intermingled 08:38 and intermarried with the pagans. 08:41 Now they were not supposed to do that. 08:43 And Ezra tore his garment 08:46 and pulled out his hair and beard, 08:48 and he sat down astonished, 08:50 and he mourned and repented with prayer, 08:54 confession of sin and repentance and again, 08:56 identification with the sins of the people. 09:00 Now we're in Nehemiah Chapter 9. 09:03 Now just context, remember, 09:05 the Israelites went into captivity. 09:08 Daniel and his friends went as young men, 09:10 remember the long march 09:12 across the desert into Babylonian captivity, 09:15 and many of the children of Israel, 09:18 Judah, from Jerusalem 09:19 were taken captive into the land of Babylon. 09:25 And then after the 70 years, 09:27 after the time was accomplished, 09:28 then they were allowed, 09:30 the Lord miraculously opened up the doors 09:33 for them to return. 09:34 We have the first return under Zerubbabel, 09:36 many people returned to Jerusalem. 09:40 We have the second return under Ezra. 09:42 Now we're at the third return. 09:43 That's the context for the Book of Nehemiah. 09:45 The third return 09:47 and they are there rebuilding the walls. 09:52 We're in Nehemiah Chapter 9. 09:54 I see in Nehemiah 9, 09:55 six lessons for repentance really found in this chapter. 10:02 Lesson number one. 10:05 True repentance acknowledges sin. 10:09 True repentance acknowledges sin. 10:12 We are all prone to sin. 10:13 Nehemiah 9 and we will read it in just a moment. 10:16 It recounts the sins of God's chosen people 10:19 starting from the very beginning. 10:21 They went out of Egypt, 10:22 remember Moses led them out 10:24 and they had the golden calf experience 10:25 and time after time after time, 10:28 you see this turning away from God following other idols, 10:33 turning their back on God and saying, 10:35 I want to do things my own way. 10:38 You see, they were not just any people, 10:41 they were God's chosen people. 10:44 He had made a covenant with them. 10:48 He didn't just choose them 10:49 and then let them go on their way. 10:52 He loved them. 10:53 And as we will see in Nehemiah 9, 10:56 the mercy and faithfulness and forgiveness of our God 11:03 is astounding to me. 11:05 But instead of acknowledging sin, 11:09 often we compare ourselves with other people. 11:13 Have you ever done that? 11:14 Oh, I don't think my sins is bad and so and so. 11:17 Well, maybe I told a little lie or maybe I gossiped. 11:20 But truly, I didn't go out and kill someone. 11:25 Maybe I'm harboring hatred in my heart, 11:27 but I didn't pull the trigger 11:29 or I didn't go sleep with my neighbor, 11:31 we justify ourselves. 11:35 2 Corinthians 10, Paul talks about this. 11:37 2 Corinthians 10:12-13, 11:40 "For we dare not class ourselves 11:43 or compare ourselves 11:45 with those who commend themselves. 11:48 But they, measuring themselves by themselves, 11:51 and comparing themselves among themselves, 11:54 are not wise." 11:56 Let's look at Luke Chapter 18. 11:58 Luke Chapter 18, 12:00 we'll look at verses 11 through 13. 12:02 This is the parable, of course, of the Pharisee 12:04 and the Publican. 12:06 And as you read the parables of Jesus, 12:08 as exhibited in the gospels, 12:10 we find many times that these parables are given. 12:14 Jesus gave them to answer a question 12:16 and to deal 12:17 with some sort of unrighteous attitude. 12:21 And you can see that over and over again. 12:23 But in Luke Chapter 18, 12:26 this parable was specifically given 12:28 for those who had a self righteous attitude. 12:32 For those who were filled with pride, 12:34 for those who thought, 12:36 I got this, I'm trusting in myself 12:38 and I can do this on my own. 12:41 So Luke 18:11, 12:44 "The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 12:47 'God, I thank You that I am not like other men, 12:52 extortioners, unjust, adulterers, 12:56 or even as this tax collector. 12:59 I fast twice a week, 13:01 I give tithes of all that I possess.'" 13:04 Have you ever met anyone like that? 13:06 God, I just, I'm so grateful. 13:07 And they might not even be saying it to God, 13:09 they might be saying it to you. 13:10 So grateful that my gifts are so extraordinary. 13:14 And you know, I really give tithe in, 13:16 you know, I eat right, 13:17 and I dress right and I do things right. 13:21 I'm not saying any of that is wrong. 13:24 But if the heart comes at it 13:27 from a motive of self righteous, 13:30 it's still sin, 13:32 even if we're engaging in even proper or good behavior 13:35 or good works, 13:37 it's sin if the heart's motive is wrong. 13:41 By contrast, we see the tax collector 13:44 and what did he say in verse 13? 13:46 He couldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, 13:49 but he be on his chest and he said, 13:52 "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." 13:57 That is repentance. 14:00 True repentance acknowledges sin. 14:05 It's difficult sometimes, I don't know about for you. 14:08 But for me, sometimes it's difficult 14:10 to acknowledge that. 14:11 I remember I was in a meeting discussion 14:14 with someone and we engaged, 14:19 we will call it a discussion. 14:20 We engaged in this discussion. 14:22 I'm saying things, they're saying things, 14:24 I'm saying things. 14:25 But I knew in my heart that my spirit was not right. 14:29 You ever been there? 14:30 Maybe the word said might be accurate. 14:33 Maybe the principle you're trying to portray 14:36 or the thing you're trying to achieve 14:37 might be right. 14:39 But you know in your own heart that the spirit is not right. 14:43 And I knew this, 14:45 and I left that meeting just sick. 14:48 My heart, my spirit, 14:50 knowing that I had disappointed Jesus, 14:52 knowing that I wanted to represent Him. 14:55 I wanted to follow Him and yet I had messed up, 15:00 and I remember going home, and God's saying, 15:02 "Jill, you could come to Me and just ask for forgiveness." 15:07 You know, repentance is a gift, and we will get to this later. 15:10 But Romans 2:4 says, 15:12 "It's the goodness of God that leads us to repentance." 15:17 It's not me trying or thinking. 15:19 No, if you even desire to repent, 15:22 that is the goodness of God. 15:23 It is the gift of God. 15:25 It's the drawing power of the Holy Spirit. 15:27 And that's what the Holy Spirit was doing on me 15:30 and in me that night. 15:32 As He brought conviction to my heart, 15:34 Jill, you have sinned, 15:36 not in what you said, 15:38 but in the spirit and the heart, 15:41 what you felt, 15:42 and probably even in the way the words came out 15:45 the manner that they were conveyed. 15:47 So I asked God for His forgiveness. 15:50 And the next day I went back in and I went to this person 15:54 and I said, "Would you forgive me?" 15:57 And they said, "What for?" 15:59 And I said, "My spirit and my heart were not right. 16:03 And the way I dealt with you. 16:05 And I am so sorry, would you forgive me?" 16:08 True repentance acknowledges sin. 16:10 Number two. 16:12 True repentance springs from the Word of God. 16:17 Now, in Nehemiah 8, 16:18 there is some measure of repentance. 16:20 If you read that chapter, there is some repentance. 16:23 Nehemiah 8:10, it says, 16:24 "The joy of the Lord is your strength." 16:26 Joy always follows repentance. 16:29 And then, of course, 16:30 they celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. 16:32 There is great rejoicing and joy. 16:35 Then a few days after the Feast of Tabernacles, 16:38 we see what happens here in Nehemiah Chapter 9. 16:42 Nehemiah 9. 16:43 Let's pick it up in verse 1. 16:45 "Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month 16:47 the children of Israel were assembled 16:48 with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. 16:52 Then those of Israelite lineage 16:55 separated themselves from all foreigners." 16:57 Now you might say, why in the world 16:59 were they separating themselves? 17:00 Because these other nations and groups 17:03 were not responsible for the sins of Israel 17:05 that had caused them to be carried away captive, 17:08 and now they're coming back to their land. 17:10 They were not responsible for that. 17:11 But the Israelites knew that the sins of their fathers, 17:14 their grandpas, 17:15 their great grandpas 17:17 had caused this Babylonian captivity. 17:21 And so in a special way, 17:22 they were repenting before the Lord. 17:26 They stood and they confessed their sins, 17:28 and the iniquities of their fathers. 17:30 Verse 3, 17:31 "And they stood up in their place 17:33 and read from the Book 17:34 of the Law of the Lord their God 17:35 for one-fourth of the day." 17:38 That's a long time. How many hours in a day? 17:40 Twenty four. 17:41 Four times six is 24, 17:43 six hours, one fourth of the day. 17:46 And for another fourth, 17:47 they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. 17:52 True repentance springs from the Word of God. 17:57 I believe their reading of the Word of God. 18:01 The Holy Spirit used that to convict their heart 18:05 and to bring about this repentance 18:08 that we would discover in Nehemiah Chapter 9. 18:11 The Word of God, Hebrews 4:12, is what? 18:14 Quick and powerful or living. 18:17 The Word of God is alive, living and powerful, 18:20 sharper than any two-edged sword, 18:23 piercing even to the dividing asunder 18:26 of soul and spirit, 18:28 joints and marrow 18:29 and is a discerner of the thoughts 18:31 and intents of the heart. 18:34 The Word of God shows us our heart. 18:37 James 1:25 says, 18:39 "He who looks into the perfect law of liberty 18:41 and continues in it, 18:43 is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. 18:47 This one shall be blessed in what he does." 18:51 I was at a board meeting, this was several years ago. 18:55 It was a school board meeting. 18:56 And when I used to teach over at the school, 18:59 I had the privilege of sitting on the board there 19:01 for several years. 19:04 And I sat through an entire, it was a two hour meeting, 19:07 and there's many people around the table. 19:10 We had this whole discussion and I was talking, 19:13 not a great deal, but some, smiling at people. 19:16 I went to the restroom 19:18 at the end of the board meeting 19:19 before we were going home, and I walked in, 19:23 and when I went to wash my hands, 19:26 I looked in the mirror, 19:27 and I had broccoli stuck right in my front teeth. 19:31 And I thought you're kidding. 19:32 I spent two hours 19:34 with a whole group of people talking, smiling, 19:38 and they saw the broccoli, 19:40 and I did not know about it till I looked in the mirror. 19:46 The Word of God reveals to you and I, 19:50 the broccoli that's going on in our heart. 19:52 It reveals those sins 19:54 and even in the hidden places of our hearts. 19:58 The word of true repentance acknowledges sin. 20:01 True repentance springs from the Word of God. 20:05 Number three. 20:06 True repentance recognizes our need of a Savior. 20:11 We are always in need of a Savior. 20:15 Nehemiah 9 is not really as we read it. 20:18 It's not a mirror to someone else's heart. 20:22 It's a mirror to my own heart. 20:25 God brought Israel out of much. 20:28 And we'll see that as we read Nehemiah Chapter 9, 20:31 out of slavery. 20:33 As soon as they hit a trial, what happened to them? 20:35 They murmured and complained and wished, 20:38 God, please, 20:39 would you let us go back to Egypt? 20:42 Let us go back to bondage. 20:44 Let us go back to slavery. 20:47 We're not happy in this desert wilderness 20:50 You brought us to. 20:52 We're not happy 20:53 with the manna You provided for us. 20:55 We're not happy. 20:57 God, let us go back to Egypt. 20:59 And for many years, 21:01 when I would read those passages of scripture, 21:04 I would think what is wrong, God, 21:05 with the Israelites? 21:07 Clearly, if I had lived in that time, 21:11 I wouldn't have done that. 21:12 I would have been true and faithful 21:14 and I would have recognized Your blessings. 21:16 What I have, 21:18 I'm sure I would not have 21:21 because how many times do I want to follow Jesus 21:25 and I encounter some sort of trouble, 21:28 some sort of trial, not maybe not manna, 21:32 or leaving Egypt, but some modern day trial. 21:36 And what happens? 21:37 I begin to moan. 21:39 And I question why. 21:41 God gave abundant blessings to His people. 21:45 And yet they became stiff necked 21:48 and they walked away from Him. 21:50 God gave them over to their enemies. 21:53 Yet when they cried out to Him, 21:56 He heard them and He delivered them. 22:00 And yet, I'm no different. 22:02 In spite of God's abundant blessings, 22:06 sometimes I too turn my back 22:09 and choose to walk away from God. 22:13 You know, Paul, 22:14 this is written, this is 1 Timothy. 22:18 At the end of his life, of course, prison epistles, 22:20 1 and 2 Timothy, 22:22 he's writing to his son in the faith, Timothy, 22:25 right at the end of his life. 22:27 He's walked with Jesus his Messiah for years. 22:33 1 Timothy 1:15, Paul writes, 22:36 "Christ came into the world to save sinners 22:39 of whom I am chief." 22:41 Now if I were writing it, 22:42 I might have written 22:44 of whom I used to be chief, right? 22:46 Years ago, he killed people. 22:48 He was a murderer. 22:49 Years ago, he oppressed 22:51 the early Christians years ago, 22:53 but yet he had been converted. 22:55 He had been changed. 22:57 He had met Jesus 22:59 on the Damascus Road experience. 23:01 He had given his life 23:03 to the proclamation of the gospel, 23:06 and yet at the end of his life, what does he say? 23:10 Not Christ came into the world to save sinners 23:13 of whom I used to be chief. 23:15 He says, of whom I am chief. 23:19 You see, we are always in need of a Savior. 23:24 The closer you and I come to the Lord Jesus, 23:28 the more clearly we discern the beauty of His character, 23:33 the more we will feel, wow, I have a lot of sin. 23:39 My righteousness is nothing. 23:41 God, would You change my heart 23:43 the more we will realize our need of a Savior. 23:47 Number four. 23:49 True repentance is activated by the goodness of God. 23:55 Our God is rich in mercy. 23:59 Now's when we really jump into Nehemiah 9. 24:02 This is the prayer. 24:03 We already talked about, 24:05 they separated themselves from the foreigners. 24:07 They were repenting with confession of sin 24:10 in sackcloth and ashes. 24:12 They read the Word of God for hours during the day. 24:18 Now we see this amazing prayer break forth. 24:23 So let's pick it up. We're in Nehemiah 9. 24:26 The first section of the prayer deals with praise, 24:29 and let's see what they praise God for. 24:31 Let's pick it up in verse 6. 24:35 "You alone are the Lord, You have made heavens, 24:40 the heaven of heavens, with all of their host, 24:42 the earth and everything on it, 24:44 the seas and all that is in them." 24:47 What are they saying? 24:48 God, You are our creator. 24:52 You see, we're not here because of a big bang. 24:54 We're not here 24:55 because of some evolutionary theory. 24:58 We're not here by random chance. 25:01 You and I are here by design, 25:03 because we have a God that loves us. 25:06 And that made us, 25:08 created the world, created you and I, 25:11 and we have a God that redeems us. 25:13 But this passage, 25:14 they begin this beautiful prayer with God, 25:18 You are our creator. 25:22 Second, verse 7, 25:25 "And you preserve them all. 25:28 The host of heaven..." 25:29 We're still in 6, I'm sorry, 25:30 the end of verse 6, 25:32 "You preserve them all. 25:33 The host of heaven worships you." 25:35 Not only is God our creator, 25:38 some people believe that He created this world, 25:41 and He let it spin out there in the galaxies. 25:45 And you and I are just on our own. 25:48 But that's not what the Word of God teaches. 25:50 He is our creator. 25:52 He is our preserver. 25:55 He's the one who keeps the world going, 25:57 and spinning, and life and air 26:00 and everything we have, 26:02 everything we are, God is our preserver. 26:06 Now we're in verse 7, 26:08 "You are the Lord God, Who chose Abram, 26:11 and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans." 26:13 So now they're beginning to share 26:15 a bit of the history of the children of Israel, 26:19 of course, beginning with Abraham. 26:21 "And gave him the name Abraham, 26:24 You found his heart faithful before You, 26:27 and made a covenant with him." 26:29 God is our covenant keeper. 26:32 He made that covenant with the children of Israel. 26:35 And as we go 26:36 throughout this chapter of Nehemiah 9, 26:39 we will see that he kept his end of the bargain. 26:43 And he even kept his end of the covenant 26:45 when the people broke theirs, He kept his end. 26:51 God is our covenant keeper. 26:54 And there's a whole bunch of names 26:55 we won't read, 26:56 but the land was given to the descendants. 26:58 "You have performed your words, for you are righteous." 27:04 God is our covenant keeper. 27:06 He keeps His promise. 27:09 Have you ever met someone who did not keep their promise? 27:12 It makes you 27:14 not want to trust them in the future. 27:15 Would that be true? 27:17 Maybe you talked with someone and shared something, 27:20 and maybe all of a sudden, they didn't keep their end. 27:23 You were supposed to meet them for dinner, 27:25 and they never showed up, 27:26 and they never called and apologized. 27:28 Maybe they said, "Oh, yes, I'll never tell anybody." 27:31 And then they told the whole world. 27:32 Whatever it is, 27:34 if a person somehow breaks their promise to you, 27:37 what happens? 27:39 You begin to lose trust in that person. 27:43 But God is not like that. 27:44 He always follows through. 27:47 He never goes back on a promise that He has made. 27:53 Now let's go through quickly, 27:54 we're going to go through verses 9 through 25. 27:57 Not reading them all in depth. 27:59 But this is history of the children of Israel 28:03 and God's workings. 28:05 And what I want to see is pick out those words 28:08 that describe God 28:10 and what He was to the children of Israel, 28:13 and what He is to you and I today. 28:16 Verse 9, "You saw the affliction 28:18 of our fathers in Egypt, 28:19 and heard their cry by the Red Sea. 28:22 You showed signs and wonders against Pharaoh 28:25 and the servants and the people. 28:27 For You knew they acted proudly against him. 28:30 So You made a name for Yourself, 28:32 as it is this day. 28:33 You divided the sea before them." 28:35 So God is our... 28:37 We already said He's our creator. 28:39 He's our preserver. He's our covenant keeper. 28:41 God is our deliverer. 28:44 Did you catch that? 28:45 They were in bondage in Egypt, 28:48 and God heard their affliction. 28:52 He saw them and He heard their cry, 28:56 saw their affliction. 28:58 And He delivered them out of Egypt. 29:00 And then He divided the Red Sea, 29:02 so that they could cross on dry ground. 29:04 The persecutors, 29:06 they were just thrown into the deep. 29:08 "Moreover," verse 12, 29:09 "You lead them by day with a cloudy pillar, 29:12 and by night with a pillar of fire." 29:14 God is our guide. 29:17 He leads and guides us. 29:19 Verse 13, 29:20 "You came down also on Mount Sinai, 29:22 and spoke with them from heaven, 29:24 and gave them just ordinances and true laws. 29:27 God is our law giver. 29:31 "You made known to them Your holy Sabbath, 29:34 and commanded them precepts, 29:35 statutes and laws 29:37 by the hand of Moses, your servant. 29:39 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, 29:42 and brought them water 29:44 out of the rock for their thirst." 29:45 God is our provider. 29:48 Do you need provision? 29:49 Are you in a place where you say, 29:51 "God, I don't know what I'm going to eat. 29:53 I don't know what my next meal is. 29:55 I don't know how I can provide for my family. 29:57 God, I need you." 29:59 God is your provider. 30:03 Verse 16, "But they," 30:06 this is still recounting the history, 30:08 this is back just coming out of the Egypt. 30:11 They're in the wilderness. 30:12 "They and our fathers acted proudly, 30:15 hardened their necks 30:17 and did not heed Your commandments. 30:20 They refused to obey. 30:23 They were not mindful of Your wonders 30:25 that You did among them. 30:27 They hardened their necks in their rebellion. 30:28 They appointed a leader to return to their bondage." 30:30 Now, of course, 30:32 this is the golden calf experience, 30:33 which it explains in just a moment, 30:35 where they appointed Aaron, Moses is up on the mount. 30:38 They said, "Truly, Moses has forgotten us. 30:41 God has forgotten us. 30:42 And so we're going to have Aaron make him our leader, 30:46 and the golden calf experience 30:48 and we want to go back to Egypt." 30:50 But You are God. 30:52 I love that word but. 30:53 What does but mean? 30:55 It means that there was something before 30:56 and now something what? 30:58 Opposite is going to take place. 31:04 They stiffened their necks, they were hardhearted, 31:07 they rebelled against God, 31:09 but You are God, ready to pardon, 31:14 gracious and merciful, slow to anger, 31:18 abundant in kindness and did not forsake them. 31:22 God is our forgiver, God is our restorer. 31:27 God is our Savior. 31:30 Verse 18 31:31 talks about the golden calf they made. 31:33 Verse 19, "Yet in Your manifold mercies 31:36 You did not forsake them in the wilderness. 31:39 The pillar of the cloud 31:40 did not depart from them by day, 31:42 to lead them on the road, 31:43 nor the pillar of fire by night, 31:45 to show them the light, and the way they should go." 31:47 Again, reiterating, God is our guide. 31:52 Verse 20, "You also gave Your Spirit 31:54 to instruct them, 31:55 did not withhold manna from their mouth, 31:58 and gave them water. 31:59 For 40 years You sustained them in the wilderness." 32:02 God is our sustainer. 32:06 They lacked nothing. 32:08 Their clothes did not wear out, their feet did not swell. 32:12 And then it goes on about God dividing the kingdoms 32:15 and the nations 32:16 and then taking possession of the land of Canaan. 32:19 This is after the 40 years of wandering, 32:20 when they actually made it to the Promised Land. 32:23 Verse 23, 32:24 "God multiplied their children as the stars of heaven." 32:27 Remember the promise that God had given Abraham, 32:31 way back in the beginning in Genesis and said, 32:34 "Look up at the heavens and see the stars 32:37 and your descendants are going to be 32:40 as vast as that." 32:42 And God is our promise keeper. 32:46 He kept His word and His covenant. 32:49 "So the people," verse 24, 32:50 "went in and possessed the land 32:52 and You subdued." 32:53 God subdued it before them. 32:55 God is our defender. 33:00 Verse 25, "They took strong cities 33:02 and a rich land and possessed houses 33:04 full of good cisterns, dug vineyards, 33:07 olive groves, trees in abundance." 33:09 God is our benefactor. 33:13 "So they ate and were filled and grew fat, 33:19 and delighted themselves in Your great goodness." 33:21 What we see here 33:23 is when they began to take for granted, 33:26 the goodness of God, 33:28 the grace of God, the deliverance of God, 33:33 the provision of God, the sustenance of God, 33:37 when they began to take for granted 33:40 the things that He had done in their lives, 33:44 we see disobedience begin to crop up. 33:49 Now of the entire chapter, 33:50 this next section is my favorite part. 33:54 This is what I term restorative redemption. 33:59 What we're going to look at here 34:01 is a picture of sin, 34:04 but a picture of grace, mercy, and restoration. 34:11 So there's five parts here, and it happens three times. 34:15 Hopefully, this does not confuse you. 34:17 But there's a five step cycle 34:19 that takes place with the children of Israel. 34:22 And I think often it can take place 34:25 in my life, in our lives today. 34:27 So the first step is disobedience. 34:30 We'll put it over here. 34:31 Disobedience is the first step. 34:33 The next one, judgment. 34:35 Now there might be a long time from the disobedience 34:38 to the judgment, 34:39 but we will, as we will see, God brought judgment. 34:42 This is a corrective judgment, 34:45 to bring about step three which is repentance. 34:49 So they started, they were disobedient, 34:51 then, God brought judgment. 34:55 They repented. 34:59 God extended mercy. 35:02 And then finally He brought deliverance. 35:05 Now did you get that five steps? 35:07 We start over here, we have disobedience, 35:10 then we have judgment from God, we have repentance, 35:14 which truly is a gift from God too. 35:16 We have God extending mercy to His disobedient people. 35:22 And we have the deliverance that God brought. 35:26 So let's take a look at that that happens three times. 35:28 The first time is in verse 26. 35:30 Nevertheless, 35:32 remember that just said they had sat down 35:33 and gotten fat 35:34 because they had delighted themselves 35:36 in God's goodness. 35:38 They had maybe become spiritually complacent. 35:44 So we're here at number one, we see the disobedience. 35:46 Verse 26, 35:48 "Nevertheless they were disobedient 35:51 and rebelled against You, 35:54 cast Your law behind their backs 35:57 and killed Your prophets, 36:00 who testified against them to turn them to Yourself, 36:03 and they worked great provocations." 36:07 Did you catch that? 36:08 The disobedience. 36:10 They were disobedient. 36:12 They rebelled against God. 36:13 They cast His law behind their backs, 36:15 meaning they said, 36:16 God, we won't listen to what You tell us. 36:19 We don't want to walk in the way You want us to walk. 36:23 And not only that, 36:25 they killed the prophets that God sent to them, 36:29 to warn them of their sin. 36:31 So we're talking years of disobedience, 36:35 years of turning their back against God. 36:38 And here comes the judgment of verse 27. 36:41 "Therefore You, that's God, 36:44 delivered them into the hand of their enemies, 36:47 who oppressed them." 36:51 I always like to say, 36:52 God uses the gentlest 36:55 means possible to get our attention. 36:59 What does that mean? 37:01 He is rich in mercy and love. 37:03 And if all it takes is a tap on the shoulder, 37:05 okay, Jill, turn this way just a little bit. 37:08 You're starting to walk into something 37:10 I don't want you to walk in. 37:12 If I turn and say, 37:13 "Yes, God, I want to follow You. 37:15 Guess what happens? 37:16 That's the only judgment or correction necessary. 37:19 But if I turn my back 37:21 like the children of Israel did, 37:23 and they rebelled for years, 37:25 and they cast His law aside for years, 37:29 and they killed the prophets, 37:31 who had been sent to them, to warn them of danger, 37:36 to warn them 37:38 that they had turned their back against God. 37:40 Then God brought a stronger judgment. 37:43 And He delivered them into the hand of their enemies 37:45 who oppressed them. 37:47 Now we see repentance, this is number three, 37:49 repentance spring forth. 37:52 "And in a time of their trouble when they cry to you." 37:56 So they cried out to God, 37:58 they're in distress, they're in trouble. 38:00 God, please, where are You, God, help us. 38:03 God save us. 38:05 Here's where we see mercy. 38:07 "You heard from heaven, 38:10 and according to your abundant mercies, 38:13 You gave them deliverers 38:15 who saved them from the hand of their enemies." 38:18 So you see, they were disobedient. 38:20 They cast God's law aside. 38:23 They did their own thing. They killed the prophets. 38:25 God sent judgment for them against them. 38:30 This was a corrective judgment to lead them to repentance 38:33 and it did, 38:34 because they cried out to God, 38:36 and He heard from heaven, and according to His mercies, 38:41 there we see that word mercy. 38:42 Hang on to that word, we're going to come back to it. 38:44 According to the mercies, He delivered them. 38:48 Now we're in verse 26. 38:50 We go all the way back to disobedience again. 38:54 "But after they had rest, 38:57 they again did evil before You." 39:01 Do you catch that? 39:03 God had just delivered them. 39:04 Do you hear that? 39:06 According to His abundant mercies, 39:07 He had compassion on them 39:09 and He sent them deliverers 39:10 who brought them out from the oppression 39:13 and the bondage and what they had gone through. 39:15 But after they had rest, 39:18 after they sat down 39:20 and became complacent again, what happened? 39:23 They again did evil before God. 39:26 What step number two after disobedience is judgment? 39:29 "Therefore you left them in the hand of their enemies, 39:33 so that they had dominion over them." 39:36 Now we see repentance. 39:39 "Yet when they returned, 39:43 repentance and cry to You, 39:47 You heard from heaven." 39:49 Here is mercy and deliverance. 39:51 And many times, many times, 39:54 You delivered them according to Your mercies. 40:00 Not once, not twice, not three times, 40:04 but many times they were delivered 40:07 according to His mercies. 40:10 Hang on to that word mercies. 40:11 We're going to come back to it in a moment. 40:16 Yet, couple lines into verse 29. 40:21 We go all the way back here to disobedience again. 40:25 "Yet they acted proudly, 40:28 and did not heed Your commandments, 40:32 but sinned against Your judgments, 40:35 'Which if a man does, 40:36 he shall live by them.' 40:38 And they shrugged their shoulders 40:40 and stiffened their necks, and would not hear." 40:46 Did you catch that? 40:47 They were disobedient. 40:49 For years 40:50 the prophets had appealed to them. 40:53 God brought judgment. 40:55 They reacted with repentance. 40:58 God showed mercy and delivered them 41:00 and yet after some time of rest, 41:01 they went right back and did it again. 41:04 God brought judgment again. 41:06 There was repentance, 41:09 and God delivered them many times, 41:11 according to His abundant mercies. 41:15 And yet the third time that it talks about here, 41:19 they shrugged their shoulders and stiffened their necks 41:21 and would not hear. 41:23 Verse 30. 41:24 "Yet for many years, 41:27 You had patience with them, 41:30 and testified against them 41:32 by Your Spirit in Your prophets, 41:35 yet they would not listen." 41:42 That's heavy to me. 41:45 Yet they would not listen. 41:50 For years, God had patience. 41:53 For years, He called to their hearts. 41:55 For years He said, 41:57 "Come, I want to redeem you. 41:59 I want to restore 42:02 your broken relationship with Me. 42:05 Bring you back into unity and right relationship." 42:10 Yet they would not listen. 42:14 "Therefore," here's the judgment, 42:16 "You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands, 42:19 nevertheless in Your great mercy." 42:22 Now, did you catch that? 42:23 There's no repentance mentioned there. 42:25 All the other times there's the same concept. 42:28 We have disobedience, judgment from God, repentance, 42:34 deliverance, and because of God's mercies, 42:37 but in this case, 42:39 there's no mention of repentance, 42:41 this judgment, this third time, 42:43 the judgment that God brought 42:45 against the children of Israel was the Babylonian captivity. 42:49 That's the 70 years of captivity in Babylon. 42:53 That's where it says, 42:55 You gave them 42:56 into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 42:58 31, "Nevertheless, in Your great mercy, 43:00 You did not utterly consume them, 43:03 nor forsake them, 43:04 for You are God, 43:06 gracious and merciful." 43:08 And we see the repentance comes in just a moment. 43:11 And they asked forgiveness corporately 43:15 for the sins of Israel that caused them 43:18 to be carried away captive into Babylon. 43:21 That word mercy. 43:22 It occurs so many times in this chapter. 43:25 According to the mercies of God, 43:26 He brought deliverance, 43:28 according to His mercies. 43:30 That word mercy means compassion, 43:32 tender love, by extension, the womb. 43:37 So it's literally the love the compassion 43:41 that a mamma would have for her child. 43:45 It reminds me of Isaiah 49. 43:47 And the fact that same Hebrew word 43:49 is used here too. 43:50 Isaiah 49:14 and 15, 43:52 "Zion said, 'The Lord has forsaken me, 43:54 and my God has forgotten me." 43:56 And then he reminds his people. 43:59 "Can a woman forget her nursing child 44:01 and not have compassion, " 44:04 There's that word mercies, "on the son of her womb? 44:07 Surely they might forget. 44:09 Yet I will not forget you. 44:12 See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands. 44:16 Your walls are continually before me." 44:19 So we see here if we jump down in Nehemiah 9:33. 44:23 It says, "You are just" 44:25 meaning God is just and all that has befallen us, 44:28 "for You have dealt faithfully, 44:31 but we have done wickedly." 44:35 There we see that repentance taking place. 44:39 True repentance is activated by the goodness of God. 44:43 Our God is our creator, and our preserver, 44:46 and our covenant keeper. 44:48 He is our deliverer and law giver, 44:51 provider for givers, sustainers, Savior God. 44:55 He is our promise keeper and defender, benefactor, 44:59 judge and deliverer. 45:01 He is our covenant keeper. 45:04 God demonstrated Romans 5, I love this passage. 45:08 God demonstrated His own love toward us 45:10 and that while we were yet, 45:13 even now, still stuck in the sin 45:17 and the mire of my own junk, 45:20 He gave His Son Jesus to die for me, 45:23 so that I could be restored 45:27 to rightful relationship with Him. 45:30 You ever noticed that love begets love 45:34 if you love someone natural. 45:35 Not all the time, 45:37 but they would love you in return. 45:38 You ever noticed that? 45:40 Mercy begets repentance or sorrow for sin, 45:44 that compassion brings compassion, 45:47 forgiveness brings forgiveness, but on the flip side, anger, 45:52 it can bring hatred. 45:54 Selfishness brings out selfishness. 45:57 Arrogance breeds arrogance. 46:00 Unforgiveness and bitterness brings unforgiveness 46:03 and bitterness back. 46:05 Selfishness brings selfishness. 46:08 Ecclesiastes 11. 46:09 You know that verse, Ecclesiastes 11:1, 46:12 "Cast your bread upon the water, 46:13 and you'll find it after many days." 46:15 Now we always refer to that as the Word of God. 46:18 When we cast the Word of God out, 46:20 what happens? 46:21 People come to find Jesus and a knowledge of His Word. 46:24 And that is definitely true. 46:26 But I think what we cast out as in my attitude, 46:31 my heart, my behavior 46:35 that will come back many fold 46:38 to either bite me or bless me. 46:42 Jesus said, "Give 46:43 and it shall be given to you good measure, 46:45 pressed together, 46:46 shaken together and running over." 46:49 Now, we think of that in terms of finances, 46:51 and that's probably true. 46:52 But what if it were in terms of the way 46:54 I treated other people? 46:56 If I give something into the life of someone else, 46:59 will it then be poured back into my life? 47:04 Galatians 6:8, 47:05 "He who sows to the flesh 47:07 will of the flesh reap corruption, 47:08 but he who sows to the Spirit 47:11 shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." 47:15 I need to move along here. 47:16 Number five. 47:17 True repentance involves corporate confession 47:21 and intercession. 47:24 They mourn and confess. 47:26 Did you catch that when we read Nehemiah 9? 47:28 The sins of their parents, and grandparents, 47:31 and great grandparents. 47:33 Today, often we only mentioned 47:35 the sins of our parents to excuse us. 47:37 Oh, that's why I act this way 47:38 or the pain they inflicted 47:40 from my childhood the damage I had. 47:42 This causes me to behave the way I do. 47:47 But they identified with the sins of the people 47:49 and said we have done wickedly. 47:53 Finally, number six. 47:55 True repentance accepts responsibility for sin. 48:00 And it does not blame God. 48:04 They said in Nehemiah 9:33, 48:06 "You are just in all that has befallen us, 48:10 for you have dealt faithfully. 48:14 True repentance acknowledges my sin. 48:17 It springs from the Word of God. 48:19 It recognizes my need for a Savior. 48:22 It is activated by the goodness and love of God, 48:26 and evolves corporate confession 48:28 and intercession. 48:30 And it accepts responsibility for sin 48:32 and does not blame God for what was my own issue. 48:38 It was one of those really hot days 48:40 and I stepped out into the garage 48:41 and the heat just hit me in the face. 48:44 It was probably 100 degrees in our garage. 48:49 And Greg and I were going out to visit a church member. 48:52 And just as we were about ready to get in the car, 48:56 I looked up and there was a bird 48:58 in the rafters of the garage. 49:00 Now if it's 100 down where we were, 49:02 you got to know it's even hotter up there. 49:04 And it was one of those little hummingbirds, 49:07 ruby throated, the little red throat. 49:10 And so we opened up the garage door 49:12 and I thought maybe he's gonna fly out. 49:14 Come, well, he didn't want anything to do with that. 49:17 And so then, 49:19 I got the hummingbird feeder and it's bright red, 49:22 and I thought maybe the redness will attract him, 49:25 but he didn't want anything to do 49:26 with that either. 49:28 So Greg got the ladder out, put some old work gloves on, 49:32 and he climbed the ladder 49:34 until he was even with the rafters up there. 49:36 And I kind of held my breath 49:38 as he stepped from rafter to rafter 49:41 until he was directly underneath the hummingbird. 49:46 He reached up his hands, gloved hands, 49:49 grab the hummingbird and it began to squawk in a way 49:52 that I have never heard before in a hummingbird. 49:56 And he gingerly stepped from truss to truss 50:00 and then began to descent down the ladder. 50:06 We went outside, 50:07 I was holding the hummingbird feeder. 50:09 And he just opened up his hands 50:11 and the bird had no strength to fly, 50:14 no strength to fight, no strength to do anything. 50:19 Just opened up, it's a little beak. 50:22 And it began to drink. 50:24 And it drank and I just watched in wonder. 50:27 It's the closest I've ever been to a hummingbird. 50:30 And I watched in wonder as it drink 50:32 and then it got enough energy. 50:34 And it lifted off, and it was gone. 50:39 And I thought of how often in my own sin, 50:45 in my own refusal, disobedience, 50:49 to do what God had called me to do, 50:51 I had turned my back on Him. 50:55 And I had gotten trapped up in the roof, 50:58 with no way out, 51:00 no way of escape, no way of getting help. 51:05 I'd refused the easy way home, the open door. 51:10 And yet, how often had my Savior 51:14 climbed the ladder 51:16 of my own stubbornness and pride, 51:19 reaching out scarred hands to pick me up, 51:24 exhausted from the struggle and desperate for a way out. 51:29 How often I had cried against the very thing 51:34 that was leading me home. 51:36 That was the hands, the nail scarred hands 51:39 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 51:41 And yet, as soon as we got out of that pit, 51:44 that spot of danger, 51:46 He had opened up His hands in mercy, 51:52 in love and said, Jill, my daughter. 51:55 I'm letting you choose again. 51:58 God is calling us today to lay aside our sin, 52:04 to lay aside those things that beset us, 52:07 those addictions and to come to Him, 52:11 to turn to Him with a heart of repentance. 52:16 Listen as Ryan sings. 52:24 I regret the hours 52:28 I have wasted 52:31 And the pleasures I have tasted 52:36 That you were never in 52:43 And I confess 52:45 That though your love is in me 52:49 It doesn't always win me 52:54 When competing 52:55 With my sin 53:01 And I repent 53:06 Making no excuses 53:11 I repent 53:15 No one else to blame 53:19 And I return 53:24 To fall in love with Jesus 53:29 I bow down on my knees 53:38 And I repent 53:49 I lament the idols 53:53 I've accepted The commandments 53:57 I've rejected 54:00 To pursue my selfish end 54:06 And I confess 54:08 I need you to revive me 54:13 Put selfishness behind me 54:17 And take up my cross again 54:24 And I repent 54:28 Making no excuses 54:32 I repent 54:37 No one else to blame 54:40 And I return 54:45 To fall in love with Jesus 54:49 I bow down on my knees 54:56 And I return 55:00 To fall in love with Jesus 55:10 I bow down on my knee 55:21 And I repent. 55:33 Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, Tim. 55:36 Do you want to repent today? 55:38 Do you want to come before Him not making any excuses, 55:45 not having anyone else to blame? 55:48 Being able to fall in love with Jesus? 55:53 Do you want to come before His feet, 55:56 the cross of Jesus and say, 55:57 "God, I come before You right now, and I repent." 56:02 Let's pray. 56:04 Holy Father, we come before You in the name of Jesus. 56:08 Thank you, God, 56:09 that You are the one who gives us 56:11 the gift of repentance. 56:13 Thank You that You are the one who changes us, 56:18 molds us, makes us into the image of Jesus. 56:22 We cannot restore ourselves. 56:25 We cannot bring ourselves back into unity and harmony 56:29 with the Father. 56:30 But You have done that 56:32 through the blood and mercy of Jesus. 56:37 Thank you, God, that You looked for me. 56:44 Thank You that You found me. 56:46 And I just want to pray right now 56:48 for my brothers and sisters who are watching, 56:51 those who might feel like they are lost and alone. 56:55 Those who feel 56:56 that they don't know where to turn. 57:00 God, I ask right now that You would come to them, 57:03 that You would draw them with Your cords of love, 57:06 that You would reveal Yourself 57:08 and grant them the gift of repentance. 57:12 Grant me that precious gift. 57:16 Thank you, God. 57:18 Thank You for what You have done, 57:21 and what You will do in our lives and hearts. 57:24 And we ask all this 57:26 in the precious and the holy name of Jesus. 57:29 Amen. |
Revised 2020-10-17