Strength & Direction for Life Nehemiah 9:1-38 Paul J. Bucknell

Each of us cross significant paths which lead us either closer to God or to the world. Crossing Paths WorldGod

Three Guiding Points (Neh 9) Text (1)God creates intersecting paths of grace in our lives (9:1-25) (2)Failures of others are used to warn us, not to guide us (9:26-31) (3)God quietly works with us ahead of time to prepare us to make those right choices (32-38)

A) Who me? (Nehemiah 9:5-8) God seeks to work through people like me 1) Intersecting Paths of Grace (9:1-25) C) Where are we going? (Neh 9:19-25) God guides and helps us to accomplish His work B) How did He do it? (Nehemiah 9:9-15) God supplies our needs even when impossible

“7 “Thou art the LORD God, who chose Abram and brought him out from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name Abraham. 8 “And Thou didst find his heart faithful before Thee, And didst make a covenant with him to give him the land of the Canaanite...-- to give it to his descendants. And Thou hast fulfilled Thy promise...” (Neh 6:1). (NASB) 1a) Who me? (Nehemiah 9:5-8) ✦ Lord God chose Abram ✦ Gave him name Abraham ✦ God works with the faithful ✦ God promised and fulfilled God seeks to work through faithful people like me

“9 “Thou didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and didst hear their cry by the Red Sea. 10 “Then Thou didst perform signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants and all the people of his land” (Neh 6:1). 1b) How did He do it? (9:9-15) ✦ Cry out - no other option ✦ God heard them ✦ God miraculously supplied ✦ Don’t judge by resources God supplies our needs even when impossible

25 “And they captured fortified cities and a fertile land. They took possession of houses full of every good thing, hewn cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, were filled, and grew fat, and reveled in Thy great goodness” (Nehemiah 9:25). 1c) Where are we going? (9:19-25) ✦ Despite our failures (19-20) ✦ God has His purposes ✦ “Thou didst...” (22-25) ✦ The Lord desires to give us the best God guides and helps us to accomplish His work

1) Intersecting Paths of Grace (9:1-25) Chosen from eternity in Christ Redemptive Perspective “Just as He chose us in Him (Christ) before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him” (Ephesians 1:4). I belong to God and live for His purpose. Saved at some point in time Who? Who? How? How? Where? Where?

(2) Failures are Warnings (16-18,26-31) 16 “But they, our fathers, acted arrogantly; They became stubborn and would not listen to Thy commandments. 17* “And they refused to listen, And did not remember Thy wondrous deeds...” 26 “But they became disobedient and rebelled against Thee, And cast Thy law behind their backs And killed Thy prophets....” Failures of others are meant to warn us, not to guide us

(2) Failures are Warnings (16-18,26-31) God spoke but ‘they refused to listened (9:16-17). God worked marvelous miracles, but they did not remember them (9:17). God patiently worked with them (9:17-18), but they were not impressed. God sent prophets to speak and warn them, but they killed them (9:16). After God judged them to bring them back, they cried out and God delivered them (9:27). As soon as they found rest, however, they did evil again before Thee (9:28). Others have failed to obey. We do not need to follow. We can affirm in our hearts obedience no matter what!

(3) Deepening our Commitment (32-38) 36* “Behold, we are slaves today Now because of all this we are making an agreement in writing; And on the sealed document are the names of our leaders, our Levites and our priests.” God quietly works with us ahead of time to prepare us to make those right choices

Dangers lurk about Watch out! ✦ Other values ✦ Other assumptions ✦ Other confessions ✦ Other saviors Wrong commitments Wrong decisions

IN T E R V E N TI O N (1)God creates intersecting paths of grace in our lives (9:1-25) (2)Failures of others are used to warn us, not to guide us (9:26-31) (3)God quietly works with us ahead of time to prepare us to make those right choices (9:32-38) (1)God creates intersecting paths of grace in our lives (9:1-25) (2)Failures of others are used to warn us, not to guide us (9:26-31) (3)God quietly works with us ahead of time to prepare us to make those right choices (9:32-38) Summary

IN T E R V E N TI O N (1)Do you anticipate and welcome God to lead you? Have you kept track how He is working in and through your life?Do you believe God can lead you to success from where you are at?Is your life shaped by disciplines to help you quietly and publicly meet with God? (1)Do you anticipate and welcome God to lead you? Have you kept track how He is working in and through your life?Do you believe God can lead you to success from where you are at?Is your life shaped by disciplines to help you quietly and publicly meet with God? Application

Strength & Direction for Life Nehemiah 9:1-38 Paul J. Bucknell