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SUNDAY,
APRIL 14, 2002
Stepping
Up To The Plate
“Stepping
Up To The Plate”
Chris
McGowan, Pastor • Sunday, April
14, 2002
I.
Nothing happens until someone steps up
to the _____________.
II. Background To
Nehemiah’s Story
A. In 586 BC the city of
Jerusalem in Israel was destroyed.
____________ were deported over to
____________, which is now Iraq.
They were to be kept there for
____________.
B. Why are they in captivity in
the first place? It was because of the
________________________.
C. In 537 BC the
________________________ of Jews was
allowed to return.
D. In 516 BC the
________________________ was rebuilt.
E. In 458 BC ____________ led a
group back to Jerusalem.
F. The ____________ are very
important.
G. Nehemiah was in the city of Susa
(which is in modern day ____________).
H. Nehemiah’s occupation was a
________________________________________________.
I.
Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani, has
been on a trip to
________________________ and he comes
back. Jerusalem is about 800 to 1000
miles from Susa
(________________________travel on camel
and it’s all across the desert).
“The
words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In
the month of Kislev in the twentieth
year, while I was in the citadel of Susa,
Hanani, one of my brothers, came from
Judah with some other men, and I
questioned them about the Jewish remnant
that survived the exile, and also about
Jerusalem. They said to me, "Those
who survived the exile and are back in
the province are in great trouble and
disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is
broken down, and its gates have been
burned with fire." When I heard
these things, I sat down and wept. For
some days I mourned and fasted and
prayed before the God of heaven.”
- Nehemiah 1:1-4
J. Nehemiah’s reaction was four
things: ____________ ____________
____________ ____________.
K. How long did he do all
of this? Nehemiah had been praying,
weeping, fasting, and mourning for ____________
____________.
L. Nehemiah asks permission to
return to Jerusalem with a third group
to ____________ the city walls.
III.
WHY DID GOD _______________________
NEHEMIAH TO REBUILD THE WALLS?
A. Nehemiah truly turned to
____________ in the situation.
B. Nehemiah was sensitive to the
needs __________________.
C. Nehemiah was
________________________.
1. God will test your
________________________ and your
dependability.
"Whoever
can be trusted with very little can also
be trusted with much, and whoever is
dishonest with very little will also be
dishonest with much. So if you have not
been trustworthy in handling worldly
wealth, who will trust you with true
riches? And if you have not been
trustworthy with someone else's
property, who will give you property of
your own?”
- Luke 16:10-12
D. Nehemiah was
________________________.
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