Signs of Genuine Revival: Nehemiah #11
This is an exposition of Nehemiah 9:1-38. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, February 14, 2016.
Intro:
We hear a lot during times of national election, “We need to take our country back.” A common theme for the last 20 plus years in the evangelical church has been, “Take America back to God.” Any number of groups have called for concerted efforts in praying for “revival.” It is safe to say that those of us gathered tonight would welcome a fresh movement of the Spirit of God across our land…at least in principle. I say, in principle, because I’m not sure we know what we are asking for! I’m not sure we fully understand what a sweeping movement of the Spirit of God across our land would look like and what it would do to us. With revival comes change. Not minor change, not a simple adjustment but radical change. At the beginning of that change is a deep, overwhelming sense of sin and an accompanying deep sorrow. Before healing and blessing comes brokenness and humility. Do you remember what happened to the powerful and proud city of Nineveh when Jonah finally came with the message of God’s judgment?
Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s journey. And he called out, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!
And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them.The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes.
And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water,
but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.
Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.Jonah 3:4-9 (ESV)
I do long for revival. I want to see God move across our land again but understand when that happens it will not be business as usual. Things will change and the change will not be that America is great again but that America bows before the greatness of God! Our text this evening is found in the 9th chapter of Nehemiah.
Text: Nehemiah 9:1-38
The walls have been rebuilt and the gates are in place. After exile security and justice have been reestablished. Nehemiah is now governor and it is time to rebuild the nation. That rebuilding began with a solemn assembly. Nehemiah called the people together for a reading of the Law of God.
Ezra stood on a raised platform and the people stood for 6 hours while he read from the Law of God. They were struck with an overwhelming sense of their sin. The recognized that they had rejected the Word of God. They had disregarded God’s commands. They neglected to obey one of the 3 mandatory feasts. They had not observed it since the days of Joshua! Nehemiah, Ezra and the other leaders commanded the people to stop mourning and start feasting. This was not a time to mourn but a time to celebrate. They were to celebrate the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. They were to rejoice that God had brought them to this point. It was the grace of God that caused them to see their sin. The grace of God not only revealed their sin but pointed toward their cure.
As we approach the 9 the feast is ending and we discover that the sense of sin and sorrow has not diminished. That reminds me, did you note what Nehemiah did not do? When folks were vulnerable he did not capitalize on that and create a movement. Rather he pointed them toward the goodness and grace of God knowing that if God was really working in their hearts that sense of sin would not fade. Now three weeks later it is as strong as ever.
Let’s walk through this chapter looking for signs of genuine revival.
When God is at work – what does it look like?
How do we know it is a work of God?
3 Signs of Genuine Revival
- Revival brings a genuine sorrow over sin and produces the fruit of repentance. (9:1-3)
- Revival brings a profound sense of the greatness of God. (9:4-31)
- Revival causes us to rest wholly in the grace and mercy of our God. (9:32-38)
Conclusion:
I do long for revival. I pray that God grants us a fresh move of His Spirit. If and when He does we will cry out in our sin. Mourn the wickedness of our lives individually and as a nation. We then will come to understand in a new way the greatness of God that causes us to rest wholly in His mercies.