Confession and Obedience BSF Global Lecture 26

In Nehemiah 9-10, the people read the Word of God and remembered the goodness of the Lord.Sometimes, we just don't realize how really good our lives are by God's gracious hand, because we're so busy thinking about what we don't have or how much more we still want. Instead of entitlement and dissatisfaction, God calls us to remember the very goodness of God's heart to us.In this study, we see an affirmation to obedience. not by force or threat, but by a profound recognition of how wonderfully God created us for His purposes. How centrally devoted He is to our Salvation and Restoration. And how much He desires us to receive more and more of His goodness to the glory of His Name.He shaped our minds and hearts for the purpose of knowing Him. Theologian J.I.Packard says the weakness of the modern church lies in its pervasive ignorance of the God they claim to serve. The modern mind has put God far off in the distance, while happily making things up about God from ungrounded guesses. Our best guesses about God never advances our relationship with God. We must know and remind ourselves of the marvelous God we serve. If we do not know how to know God, how can we enjoy and delight in Him? AIM: Causes the audience to learn that God’s faithfulness in pursuing us compels our daily repentance and sincere participation in His Will with glad obedienceGOD'S FAITHFULNESS, OUR FALTERINGI. Sincere Remembrance and Confession (Neh 9)A.) Posture of Sincerity 9:1-6B.) Prayer of Remembrance 9:7-30 (Formation, Liberation, Chastening)C.) Plea for God’s grace 9:31-38P1: Relationship with God comes through surrender, not self-righteousness.II. Sincere Recommitments (Neh 10)A.) Personal Recommitments 10:1-29B.) Promises before God 10:30-39P2: Remembering God’s faithfulness fuels faithful obedience.