All right, and as you're getting yourselves settled, let me add to your settling, take out your copy of God's Word, and turn to the Old Testament.
Throughout this summer, most of you would be probably a more fair assessment of that, but I'm going to work to catch you up and show you where we've been so that you can really grasp hold of where we are now in the book.
Just in brief, the nation of Israel was sent into captivity. This was a judgment brought on them by God, first with the Assyrians and then the Babylonians.
This was something that was promised to them by the prophets, and because they didn't turn from their wicked ways and turn back to God, God brought this judgment upon them.
And where we are now is post-exilic Israel. They've now been sent back.
The world power has shifted from the Babylonians to the Persians, and they have given them permission to go back to their homeland.
Some 90 years that starts the process before where we are now in Nehemiah.
Nehemiah serves here. We see him serving as the governor as he was appointed by the king of Persia.
Prior to that, he was serving as the cupbearer to the king, and it was Nehemiah that was brought this news that the wall had yet to be rebuilt around the city.
And that grieved him because it was evidence that the people of God were not in a good place.
The city, the capital, was still in ruins.
And as such, that was an affront to the majesty of God.
The state of God's people showed the world, the nations around them, how good God was, in fact, to them.
And so here we see God returning his goodness to the people and using the man, Nehemiah, to accomplish that work.
So we've been working through this. We've seen opposition to the work.
He goes back. He gets this opposition. They work in spite of that.
They complete the wall in 52 days.
And we can see now that there's this revival beginning to happen, a returning to, a rejuvenation of the people of God,
wanting to follow the goodness of God.
We've come now to chapter 8.
And this is where many would say that the real revival begins,
although I would argue that it's been happening all along,
but it certainly seems to kick into high gear at this point.
There's a fervency that picks up in it as they come together for a feast called the Feast of Trumpets.
Rosh Hashanah was taught in the Old Testament that they should do this thing.
And it was a celebration meant to celebrate the coming Day of Atonement,
which would happen nine days later.
I think it's actually eight days later.
I'd probably say eight days later on the ninth day of the month,
which was the great day that the high priest went to the Holy of Holies
and made sacrifice for the people of God.
The whole thing meant to foreshadow the coming of Christ
and the full and final sacrifice for the church.
This is what they were coming together to celebrate.
So all the Israelites were estimating 30,000 to 50,000 gather,
and they asked Ezra, the priest-scribed, to come and open up the Word of God,
and he reads from it for half of a day.
And we see a structure set out where it's explained.
This is where we've been spending our time the last two weeks.
I intended to do it in one,
but we talked about if revival is to come on God's people,
there will be some evidences of that,
and that they will be praying.
We can see that Nehemiah is a book of prayer.
Nehemiah was certainly a man of prayer,
beseeching God to work on behalf of His people.
And it will be continued in prayer.
We also saw that the people of God will reestablish the Word of God
as the ultimate authority in their lives.
And that's what we see happening in chapter 8.
They no longer make excuses.
They no longer try to justify their way.
But they say, God's way is the right way,
and His Word is the authority over our living.
The proper response to that is you see them mourn.
They recognize how far removed their lives are
from the holy standard that God has set up for them.
They see this and they begin to mourn.
You can see this beginning in verse 9 of chapter 8.
But because of the special nature of this day,
what this day was meant for in Jewish culture,
they're encouraged to rejoice.
And they do.
We see verse 17.
And there was very great rejoicing.
So the Word of God now has been established as the ultimate authority.
And we see now coming back into chapter 9,
a new season of repentance.
A new level of contrition on their part.
Before we get there though,
I want to say to you that the things I'm presenting to you
are not formulaic.
It's not that if we as the people of God
will get these four things I'm presenting
that we're going to observe here right,
then we will be in a state of revival.
Or God will bring revival to us,
a special close visit of His Spirit.
But certainly these are things that should be true
of the people of God.
Recall that Ezra has been here for 14 years,
faithfully teaching the Word of God,
calling the people back to His way.
Revival wasn't happening for him, was it?
But suddenly the Spirit comes,
sovereignly works in the hearts of men,
and things take off.
They take on a new fervency.
Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones,
a man I would commend to you,
he died in 1981,
but for almost 30 years
he was a minister of Westminster Chapel in London.
A wonderful man to read.
Some of you may be familiar with his daughter,
Sally Lloyd-Jones,
who wrote the Jesus Storybook Bible.
Said this of revival,
you cannot revive something that has never had life.
So revival by definition
is first of all
an enlivening and quickening and awakening
of lethargic, sleepy church members.
Suddenly the power of the Spirit comes upon them.
They are humbled.
They are convicted of sin.
Then as a result of their quickening and enlivening,
they begin to pray.
New power comes into the preaching of the ministers,
and the result of this is large numbers are converted.
So a revival is not something we can put on a calendar.
It's not a thing to schedule
that belongs on a sign
out in front of a building.
It cannot be advertised in that way.
A revival is a visiting of the Spirit of God
in a new way,
in a freshening way,
in a way that causes us to return.
As religion seems to be on the decline,
I think that America is primed for this thing.
If you look at the history of revivals,
I believe we're primed for that to happen once again.
So keep in mind,
these are not formulaic,
but if revival is God sent,
God's people will be praying.
They will reestablish the Word of God
as the ultimate authority in their lives.
And we can observe from chapter 9,
the people of God will recognize
their defiance of God
and view His chastisement
or His punishment as just.
This is a particularly remarkable mark
of revival.
So, we see here,
and I'm going to give you a quick summary
at the beginning of chapter 9,
on the 24th day of the month,
so first day of the month,
Feast of Trumpets,
Ezra reads from the Law,
24th day of the month,
they come back together
and we can see that they've been driven
into a deep repentance for their sins.
There's three hours again
of reading of the Word of God
and three hours of confession
and of worshiping.
You can see in verse 1
that they come together
with fasting and sackcloth
and with earth on their heads,
which were all signs of this contrition.
The sackcloth would have been
cloth bags made of goat hair.
It would have been very, very coarse.
It was worn to remind them
of how terrible their sin was.
The earth on their heads
was more than likely,
typically done was ashes.
So it represented the sacrifice
that needed to be made
on their part.
So it's this visible outward,
we are sinners.
We have offended God.
And they were publicly
displaying this with one another.
They had come to realize
through reestablishing the Word of God
as the authority in their lives,
having it read and taught to them,
we see it again here
on the 24th day,
being read to them,
that God is infinitely holy,
and so His law is infinitely holy.
Therefore, any transgression,
any transgression,
from what in your mind
might be the greatest transgression
to what in your mind
might be the very littlest transgression,
right?
For God, they are all
an infinite offense.
This ought to cause us
to repent.
This ought to cause us
to mourn.
Because true repentance recognizes,
first and foremost,
that sin is primarily
vertical in its offense.
Our good God,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
the One that lavishes on us,
abounding love,
is the One who's primarily offended
by our sin.
We certainly sin against others.
There certainly is
a horizontal process of that.
And repentance ought to appropriately
make reparations for those types of things.
You've sinned against a brother,
you should go to him
and make those things right.
But firstly,
we should make ourselves right with God.
True repentance can be seen,
as Charles Spurgeon said,
and I quote,
when a person's repentance
becomes as notorious
as his sin.
Everybody knows of your sin,
everybody should know
of your repentance.
One person knows of your sin,
that person should know
of your repentance.
Your sin was a private matter,
there's no need for the repentance
to go beyond.
And here we see
the nation of Israel
publicly displaying
to everyone,
everyone should know
how very, very, very
offensive my sin is
to God,
clothing themselves
and sackcloths,
fasting,
putting ash or earth
on their heads.
That's what they're putting
on display.
We are a wretched,
sinful people.
We have offended
God.
if you don't feel this
for your sin,
your view of God
is too small.
You need to have your vision
expanded for God
and His holiness.
You need to see
that He has a standard
that we have all
failed to live up to.
Even as those
who have been delivered
by Christ,
who have the Spirit of God
working within us,
the ability now
to not transgress the law,
we have failed
at so many points.
Now, properly,
we see here,
there's a traditional
understanding
in Reformed communities.
We would all
probably agree to this.
It's an altogether
biblical
understanding
that confessions of faith
are necessarily
preceded
by deep contrition.
That people need
to recognize
their transgression
of the law.
That ought to be
a reality.
I have sinned
against the most holy God
and this grieves me.
My end is destruction.
Because of my status,
I am cut off from Him.
I worship the devil,
is what Jesus said.
And therefore,
we're broken by that,
but then we're turned
to joy
because of the work
of Christ.
And we've seen this
happen already
back in chapter 8.
We see the mourning
and then they're instructed
to don't mourn,
be joyful.
There's this
day of atonement
that's coming
on your behalf.
Be filled with joy
as a result.
But I think
what we often neglect
is that the Christian life
is going to run
in cycles
of contrition
and joy.
Repentance
and joy.
That is the
life
of the believer.
And here we see
the evidence of that.
Right?
It's now 24 days later.
They've been filled
with joy.
The record there
in verse 17
of chapter 8.
And there was
very great rejoicing.
And then it doesn't say
and then they went
about their merry way
and their life
and did their
American thing.
Right?
No.
They continue to study
the Word of God.
They continue to have
new revelation
of how very sinful
they were.
And they were moved
back into a cycle
of repentance.
So that cycle is
a cycle of deeper
repentance
and increasing joy.
Deeper repentance
and increasing joy.
And so on.
Have you ever
stopped to reflect
on what Jesus said
in Matthew 5.
4?
Blessed are they
that mourn.
Some have understood
this to mean
those who mourn
say over a lost person.
Right?
That we're so sad
of the sin of the world.
Or somebody who dies.
They mourn.
And this is a promise
of God
to come close
and comfort
in those times.
In fact,
it finishes
for they shall be
comforted.
But we've come
to understand
that what Jesus
is actually talking
right here
is the state
of a person.
Not a time
somebody dies
I mourn at that time.
But who they
actually are.
So catch that.
If you're a Christian
your life is going
to run
in these cycles.
What we mourn
over
is our sin.
That we still
carry around
the baggage
of our flesh.
That our flesh
has been spoiled
by this.
We have a new
nature.
That's what we're
going to talk about
with baptism.
We can walk
in that new nature
and yet
we still
fall back
into this sinful
state as Paul
laments in
chapter 7 of
Romans.
Oh, I do
the things I
don't want to
do.
But what does
he say here?
That we are
blessed.
We are
filled with
an abiding
joy even
as we
mourn.
This is coming
off the hip.
I don't remember
who said this.
You've heard me
and Wes quote
this before,
but a man
who I owe
credit to
and I can't
give it,
once said
that the gospel
all at once
both gladdens
and abases
the soul.
That's what it
ought to do
to you.
You ought to
feel pretty
crummy
about your
performance,
but you ought
to be overjoyed
that God is
working in you
to bring about
perfection.
This should be
the process
that goes on
in your life.
I want people
to leave
on Sunday
morning
so overjoyed,
but I want
them to leave
because they
know that
Christ is at
work in them
to accomplish
his goodwill,
not because I
give you some
kind of a pep
talk and make
you feel pretty
good about what
you accomplished
this week.
That the
particular sin
we addressed
that week,
you handled
well,
and so you
can walk out
and say,
good,
gold star
for me.
Gold star
for Jesus,
right?
He's the one
working in you
to accomplish
these things.
Man, I say
some weird stuff
off the hip.
So we're going
to read.
Here we go.
So remember,
if the Bible
is God sent,
God's people
will recognize
their defiance
of God
and view
his chastisement
as just.
We're going
to begin
in verse 5b.
So the gathering
has happened,
they've been
reading,
they've been
confessing,
and then we
see a group
of the Levites,
we've got a
couple of
different groups
of Levites
here,
say to them,
stand up
and bless
the Lord
your God
from everlasting
to everlasting.
Blessed be
your glorious
name which
is exalted
above all
blessing
and praise.
Then we
launch into
a prayer
together.
The
Septuagint,
the Greek
translation
of the Hebrew
Old Testament
adds at this
point,
and Ezra
said.
So,
possibly,
I don't know
where that
comes from,
but possibly
Ezra is
leading this
prayer.
I don't
think it
really
matters
at this
point
though.
So,
beginning
in verse
6,
you are
the Lord,
you alone.
You have
made heaven,
the heaven of
heavens,
with all
their hosts,
the earth
and all
that is on
it,
the seas
and all
that is
in them,
and you
preserve
all of
them,
and the
host of
heaven
worships
you.
They
praise
God
as the
God
of
creation.
Verse
7,
you are
the Lord,
the God
who chose
Abram,
and brought
him out
of Ur
of the
Chaldeans,
and gave
him the
name
Abraham.
You
found his
heart
faithful
before you
and made
with him
the covenant
to give
to his
offspring the
land of
the Canaanite,
the Hittite,
the Amorite,
the Perizzite,
the Jebusite,
and the
Girgashite.
And you
have kept
your promise,
for you
are righteous.
They
praise him
as the
God of
Abraham.
Verse
9,
And you
saw the
affliction
of our
fathers
in Egypt,
and you
heard their
cry at the
Red Sea,
and performed
signs and
wonders against
Pharaoh and
all his
servants,
and all the
people of
his land,
for you
knew that
they acted
arrogantly
against our
fathers.
And you
made a
name for
yourself,
as it is
to this
day.
And you
divided the
sea before
them,
so they
went through
the midst
of the
sea on
dry land,
and you
cast their
pursuers
into the
depths as
a stone
into mighty
waters.
By a
pillar of
cloud you
led them
in the
day,
and by
a pillar
of fire
in the
night,
to light
for them
the way
in which
they should
go.
You
came down
on Mount
Sinai,
and spoke
with them
from heaven,
and gave
them right
rules and
true laws,
good statutes
and commandments.
And you
made known
to them
your holy
Sabbath,
and commanded
them commandments
and statutes
and a law
by Moses
your servant.
You gave
them bread
from heaven
for their
hunger,
and brought
water for
them out
of the
rocks for
their thirst.
And you
told them
to go in
to possess
the land
you had
sworn to
give them.
They praised
him for
being the
God of
the Exodus,
the people
of Israel.
Verse 16,
But they
and our
fathers
acted
presumptuously
and stiffened
their neck
and did not
obey your
commandments.
They refused
to obey,
were not
mindful of
the wonders
that you
performed
among them,
but they
stiffened
their neck
and appointed
a leader
to return
to their
slavery
in Egypt.
But you
are a
God
ready to
forgive,
gracious
and merciful,
slow to
anger,
and abounding
in steadfast
love,
and did
not forsake
them.
Even when
they had
made for
themselves a
golden calf
and said,
This is
your God
who brought
you up
out of
Egypt,
and had
committed
great
blasphemies,
you and
your great
mercies did
not forsake
them in
the wilderness.
The pillar
of cloud
to lead
them in
the way
did not
depart
from them
by day,
nor the
pillar
of fire
by night
to light
for them
the way
by which
they should
go.
You gave
your good
spirit to
instruct
them,
and did
not withhold
your manna
from their
mouth,
and gave
them water
for their
thirst.
Forty
years you
sustained
them in
the wilderness,
and they
lacked
nothing.
Their
clothes did
not wear
out,
and their
feet did
not swell.
And you
gave them
kingdoms
and peoples,
and allotted
to them
every corner.
So they
took possession
of the land
of Sihon,
king of
Heshbon,
and the land
of Og,
king of
Bashan.
You
multiplied
their
children
as the
stars of
heaven,
and you
brought
them into
the land
that you
had told
their
fathers
to enter
and possess.
So the
descendants
went in
and possessed
the land,
and you
subdued before
them the
inhabitants
of the
land,
the
Canaanites,
and gave
them into
their hand
with their
kings and
the people
of the
land,
that they
might do
with them
as they
would.
And they
captured
fortified
cities and
a rich
land and
took possession
of houses
full of
all good
things,
cisterns
already
hewn,
vineyards,
olive orchards,
and fruit
trees in
abundance.
So they
ate and
were filled
and became
fat and
delighted
themselves in
your great
goodness.
Praise
him for
sustaining
them,
the God
of the
sustenance
in the
wilderness,
and the
conquering
of
Canaan.
Verse 26,
Nevertheless,
they were
disobedient,
and rebelled
against you,
and cast
your law
behind their
back,
and killed
your prophets,
who had
warned them
in order to
turn them
back to you,
and they
committed
great
blasphemies.
Therefore
you gave
them into
the hand
of their
enemies,
who made
them suffer.
And in
the time
of their
sufferings
they cried
out to
you,
and you
heard them
from
heaven.
And
according
to your
great
mercies
you gave
them
saviors
who
saved
them from
the hand
of their
enemies.
But after
they had
rest,
they did
evil again
before you,
and you
abandoned
them to
the hand
of their
enemies,
so that
they had
dominion
over them.
Yet when
they turned
and cried
to you,
you heard
from heaven,
and many
times you
delivered
them according
to your
mercies.
And you
warned
them in
order to
turn back
to your
law.
Yet they
acted
presumptuously
and did
not obey
your
commandments,
but sinned
against
your
rules,
which if
a person
does
them,
he shall
!
Praise
him as
the God
of the
judges
and of
the
prophets.
Now,
catch at
this point,
they're getting
fairly caught
up to speed.
Ezra,
if he's the
one praying
at this
point,
has covered
the Old
Testament
narrative.
Praise
God all
along the
way for
the great
things he
has done
for the
people of
Israel.
And I
want you
to hear
this
carefully.
This is
not a
history
that's
removed
for us.
This is
God's
special
people,
his called
ones,
which we
are now
that,
the church.
The gospel
has advanced
that out
beyond the
borders of
a nation,
of a
bloodline.
And this
now belongs
to us.
This is
our history.
These are
our people
that were
let out,
that acted
wickedly,
that God
was good
to just
the same.
The promises
here and
the praises
are ours
as well.
Now here's
the request
beginning in
verse 32.
Now
therefore,
our God,
the great,
the mighty,
and the
awesome God
who keeps
covenant and
steadfast love,
let not all
the hardship
seem little to
you that has
come upon us,
upon our
kings,
our princes,
our priests,
our prophets,
our fathers,
and all your
people since
the time of the
kings of Assyria
until this
day.
Yet you
have been
righteous in
all that
has come
upon us,
for you
have dealt
faithfully,
and we
have acted
wickedly.
Our kings,
our princes,
our priests,
and our fathers
have not kept
your law or
paid attention
to your
commandments and
your warnings
that you gave
them.
Even in
their own
kingdom and
amid your
great goodness
that you
gave them,
and in the
large and
rich land
that you
set before
them,
they did
not serve
you or
turn from
their wicked
works.
Behold,
we are
slaves this
day in
the land that
you gave to
our fathers
to enjoy
its fruit
and its
good gifts.
Behold,
we are
slaves,
and its
rich yield
goes to
the kings
who you
have set
over us
because of
our sins.
They rule
over our
bodies and
over our
livestock as
they please,
and we are
in great
distress.
Because of
all this,
we make a
firm covenant
in writing.
On the
sealed document
are the
names of
our princes,
our Levites,
and our
priests.
So see
the recognition
here on
their part.
They see
that they
have defied
God.
They have
stated that
now over
and over
again.
But they
also see
that God
is right
and just
and good.
Notice the
praises that
they give
Him all
throughout
this.
First in
verse 6,
you are
righteous.
Then in
verse 6,
you are
the Lord,
you alone.
Verse 8,
you are
righteous.
Verse 17,
but you are
a God
ready to
forgive,
gracious,
merciful,
slow to
anger,
abounding
in steadfast
love.
Verse 25,
they praise
Him for
His great
goodness.
Verse 32,
you are
God,
our God,
the great,
the mighty,
the awesome
God who
keeps covenant
and steadfast
love.
And I
think kind
of the
hinging
verse for
us here
that wraps
this up
for us
in such
a nice
little neat
package
is verse
33.
Yet you
have been
righteous
in all
that has
come upon
us,
for you
have dealt
faithfully
and we
have acted
wickedly.
In spite
of all
these good
things that
you have
done for
us,
look at
this great
history
that we
have as
the people
of God.
We look
back across
it and
we see
your
consistent
faithfulness.
You're
never
changing.
Your
loving
kindness
is
abounding
to us.
You just
keep on
being good
and we
keep on
rebelling
against you.
And we're
so quick
in our
arrogance
to look
at them
and say,
those foolish
Israelites,
what was
their problem?
I mean,
he records
here the
work of the
golden calf.
They were
not very
far out
of Egypt
having been
delivered.
An ocean
split in
front of
them.
They walked
through it.
It crashed
behind them
and destroyed
an army.
They were
being led
by a
pillar of
fire and
a pillar
of cloud
which existed
when they
cast the
golden calf.
Doesn't
that not
just in
some way
seem insane
to you
that they
were doing
this thing?
That they
were saying
this image
that we
created,
this is
what led
us out
of Egypt.
But we
are the
same way.
We are
equally
foolish
because we
have this
history and
we have
our own.
Study church
history.
Look at the
faithfulness of
God.
The very
fact that you
have sitting
in your lap
or opened
up on some
device the
words of
God translated
in your
language is
a mighty
work of
God.
This thing
has been
tried to
be killed
throughout
the ages
and yet
it perseveres.
Men have
died bringing
this book
to us
this morning.
We have
such a
rich,
rich history.
How about
your own
life?
If you're
truly a
believer,
you've
experienced
repentance.
You've
experienced
how very,
very ugly
your sin
is.
You've
felt the
depth of
that.
You've
seen God
in His
holiness
and you
know
there was
no way
you could
measure up
to that.
And yet
in Christ
you've
been
delivered.
You've
experienced
the kind
of joy
that comes
from that.
You've
been
!
You've
been
delivered.
Eternal
end was
destruction
and yet
someone
paid the
price fully
for you.
You just
believe in
that.
You place
faith in
them and
you've
been
delivered.
You've
been ushered
back into
the kingdom.
You are
now a
son of
the living
God.
Why does
that history
not come
into our
minds?
Right?
Look at
the amazing
things God
has done
on our
behalf and
yet here
we are
just like
the
Israelites
turning
back away
back to
our
sin.
Look at
these
important
words.
Verse 16
and 17.
There are
two rather
incredible
buts in
the text
and I
say it
that way
on purpose
because I
want you
to remember
it.
There's
some
incredible
buts
in this
text.
Two of
them.
Verse 16
but they
and then
verse 17
but you.
Those are
precious
words.
God has
been good
to us
but we
but then
right back
we can
say but
you.
God is
God.
We don't
affect who
he is and
how he
operates.
He is
self-existent.
His very
title he gave
to Moses
to tell
the people
tell them
I am
has sent
you.
The very
thought of
that word
is that
he is
self-sufficient.
You've
heard me say
before that
everything plugs
into him
but he
plugs into
nothing.
This is
the but
you that
we get to
bank on
when the
but we
is playing
out in
our lives.
Two
incredible
buts.
We continue
to sin
against our
God even
though he's
shown us
so much
goodness
but he
continues to
be good
and faithful
to us.
This should
move us
to repentance
beloved.
This should
move us
to hate
our sin
and to
love him
more.
To not
be
complacent.
To not
make excuses
but to
see that
the word
of God
is the
authority.
It is
the authority
whether you
recognize it
or not.
But to
begin to
recognize it
in your
life.
And begin
to arrange
your life
accordingly.
because you
know your
God loves
you and
your
appropriate
response
is a
love for
him in
keeping
his
commands.
The
American
church
and ours
has much
room
for repentance.
We were
putting together
a preaching
schedule for
Thursday night
and this
year
October 31st
falls on a
Thursday night
and so
most of
you
immediately
think of
Halloween
but it's
also
Reformation
Day.
It's the
day that
Martin Luther
nailed the
95 theses
on the door
of the
Wittenberg
church.
And I
was just
thinking about
that like
how we
probably should
do something
that night
for that.
And the
thought that
came into
my head
was that I
probably
needed to
write my
own
thesis
and put
it on
our
door.
There
wasn't
another
church
that needs
what I
have to
say about
it but
there's
plenty of
work to
be done
here
amongst
we do
some things
really well.
I think we
have some
things right.
We try to
be faithful
in the way
we arrange
church.
Some of
you will
say this
is a
strange
church.
It's a
lot
different.
We
just try
to line
up with
what we
see the
Word of
God
telling us
we ought
to do.
Good
for us.
Right?
But boy
do we
fail at
so many
points as
a congregation.
This work
of revival,
this type
of repentance,
this level,
this depth
of contrition,
is going
to show
up when
God sends
it amongst
us.
And my
question is
do we
long for
that type
of thing?
Do we
want our
sin exposed?
If we
could put it
on the
screen,
use the
technology,
would you
want it
exposed up
on the
screen?
Everything
that you
thought,
every emotion
that you've
had,
played,
for all
of us
to see?
It's what
the Israelites
were doing.
They were
putting on
sackcloth.
They were
fasting,
ashes on
their head.
They knew
that the
people of
God needed
to see,
I'm a
sinner too.
I am in
desperate need
of God's
grace in
my life.
Would we
be willing
for this
type of
thing to
happen?
Jay turned
me on to a
book this
week by
Jonathan Edwards
called The
Surprising
Work of
God.
I had
never heard
of it
until Jay
showed it
to me.
Sadly,
I'm going
to give
his copy
back and
I'm going
to buy
my own
soon to
continue
reading it.
Listen to
what he
said as
he observed
what was
going on
during the
Great
Awakening,
which he
was one
of the
major
leaders in,
a catalyst
for this
near work
of God.
He's
speaking of
converts.
He says,
there's a
great deal
of difference
in the
distinctness
of these
awakenings.
Genuine
God-sent
revival
awakenings.
Some people
who have
not had
such a
clear sight
of God's
justice
in their
condemnation
still mention
things that
plainly imply
it.
They develop
disposition to
acknowledge that
God is just
and righteous
in declaring
that he will
inflict punishment
on those
who sin.
They know
that they are
undeserving of
his comforts.
Many times
they did not
have such a
clear sight
of it
at the
beginning.
They have
very clear
discoveries
of their
unworthiness
soon after
their conviction
along with
being made
humble in
the dust
before God.
So let me
just sum up
for you
what he's
saying.
As a man
who observed
a genuine
God-sent
revival,
people who
were converting
to Christ
during this
time reacted
in this way.
They saw
the depth
of their sin
and they also
saw that God
was just
and right
and holy.
Just like
the people
in Nehemiah's
day recognized
that it was
proper that
God should
punish them.
It was the
right thing
for him to
do because
their sin
was great
and grievous.
This is the
thing that we
ought to also
do.
Many of us
grew up in
good Christian
homes and
were moral
and have
yet to really
see fully
unfolded before
us the depth
of our sin.
We really
act in a lot
of ways as
if God
owes us
something.
I've lived
a good
life.
I've done
my thing.
I've gone
to church.
I've done
on the
mission trips.
God owes
me.
God owes
you nothing.
You're a
sinner.
You're an
enemy of
his.
Cut off.
He doesn't
owe you
anything.
He freely
gives you
the gift
of grace
because he
loves you.
This is
that attitude
that should
be set
amongst
us.
Recognizing
the depth
of our
sin,
it's an
offense to
this holy
God.
Why would
he ever
forgive me?
Why would
he ever
do anything
good for
me?
Look at
what I
have done
against
him.
And that's
when we
turn to
Christ.
We see
that God
poured out
his wrath
for our
sin on
Christ.
The punishment
has been
played and
we place
our faith
in him.
We recognize
that the
person,
the work
of Christ
is the
way in
which we
get back
in right
standing
with God.
Our
righteousness
is found
in Christ.
This is a
supernatural
work of
the Spirit
of God.
When the
Spirit of
God draws
the Word
of God,
we see this
happening here,
draws the
Word of
God from
its
scabbard and
begins to
apply it
to the
hearts of
men.
Slices it,
dices it,
julian's fries,
gets in there
and starts
working in
our hearts.
This is what
happens.
This is the
evidence that
will take
place.
So we can
say,
yeah,
we're repentant
people.
Sure,
yeah,
we get the
depth of
sin until
we begin to
see this
kind of
repentance
happen.
The kind
that Spurgeon
spoke of.
The repentance
is as
notorious as
the sin
itself.
It's not
the work
that's taking
place in our
lives.
I'm going
to show you
two New
Testament
examples of
genuine
God
wrought
repentance.
The first
being the
prodigal son.
Don't turn
here.
I'll have you
turn to the
next one.
The first
being the
prodigal son,
Luke 15
21.
This is the
parable that
Jesus told.
You see the
return of the
son.
He's gone.
He said to
his dad,
I wish you
were dead.
Give me my
share of the
inheritance.
He's gone.
He's lived
lavishly.
He's wasted
it all.
He's gone and
lived as one
contrary to the
way his father
would have him
live.
But he
returns to
him and he
says,
Father, I
be called
your son.
I get that.
I'm not
coming to you
because I
expect anything
of you
whatsoever.
The second
one, 2
Corinthians
chapter 7.
Please do
turn here
with me.
So I
hope you
get that
2 Corinthians
is the
follow-up
letter to
1 Corinthians.
The second
letter that
Paul wrote
to the
Corinthian
church.
He was
pretty hard
on the
Corinthian
church in
his first
letter.
He was
setting
straight a
lot of
things that
needed to
be set
straight.
Listen to
what he
says here
beginning in
verse 8.
For even
if I made
you grieve
with my
letter,
I do
not
regret it
though I
did regret
it for I
see that the
letter grieved
you though only
for a little
while.
So catch
that.
He says
even if I
made you
grieve with
my letter,
I don't
regret it
now even
though I
did because
it grieved
you.
That saddened
him, these
people that
he loved.
But he
recognized it
only was for
a little
while.
Verse 9.
As it
is, I
rejoice not
because you
were grieved
but because
you were
grieved into
repenting.
For you
felt a
godly
grief.
So that
you suffered
no loss
through us.
For godly
grief produces
a repentance
that leads
to salvation
without regret
whereas worldly
grief produces
death.
For see what
earnestness this
godly grief has
produced to you
but also what
eagerness to
clear yourselves,
what indignation,
what fear,
what longing,
what zeal,
what punishment.
He's
overjoyed.
He's
happy that
it brought
about grief
because the
grief led
to repentance.
It's the same
picture of what's
happening here
to the Israelites
in the book of
Nehemiah.
Broken,
weeping over
their sin.
Visibly displaying
how distraught
they are over
this and then
calling on God
for the
deliverance of
their souls.
praise God
that even when
the but they
and the but we
exists,
the but you
is quick to
come along
behind it.
Join me in
prayer.