Page 81 - Principles of Leadership - Nehemiah

Chapter 11: God Shows Up!

Connect…

When God’s people seek Him with all their hearts, God shows up. God is always FOR HIS PEOPLE! Look at
Romans 8:31-32:

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31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He that spared not his own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not also with him freely give us all things?

In response to hearing God’s Word, the people of Jerusalem began to seek God with a whole heart. They began
to fast and pray and began to turn from their wickedness. There were tears of repentance that gripped the
crowds. They began confessing their sins and the sins of their fathers. Wow! Revival broke out, and God
began to receive the glory due to His name. The people even drew up contracts that would ensure that
changes would be made.

Because of their response, the people began to learn more about their God. He began to reveal Himself and His
greatness, mercy, and love to them. It’s an exciting story to read about….

The Lesson ...

Nehemiah 9:1-37 But in Your Great Mercy

As we begin to read chapter 9, we will discover that Nehemiah rehearses all that God has done for them over
the centuries. The pattern that is followed is that they transgress the law of God, He allows His hand of
judgment to fall upon them, and they cry out for His mercies to fall once again upon them, and in His mercies,
He once again delivers them. Yes, God repeatedly deals with them in His mercies much the same as he deals
with us in His mercies today.

1. God reveals His nature (9:1-5)
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On the twenty-fourth day of this month (the 7 month), the Israelites assembled; they were fasting,
[wearing] sackcloth, [and had put] dust on their heads. Those of Israelite descent separated themselves
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from all foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the guilt of their fathers. While they stood
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in their places, they read from the book of the law of the LORD their God for a fourth of the day and [spent]
another fourth of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God. Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel,
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Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform [built] for the Levites and cried
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out loudly to the LORD their God. Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah,
Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said: Stand up. Bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Praise
Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

Spiritual leadership knows the importance of corporate prayer, repentance, and confession to help move God’s
people back onto God’s agenda for His glory. Sadly, corporate prayer and repentance are topics that are not
mentioned a lot in the Western church. David Earley says, “While rare in North America, such early-morning
prayer meetings are common in South Korea. For example, Peter Wagner tells of attending the early-morning
prayer gatherings at Myong-Song Presbyterian Church in Seoul. The church had daily prayer meetings at 4:00
a.m., 5:00 a.m., and 6:00 a.m. with a total attendance of twelve thousand!” 201 In a study done by John Franklin
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