True Confession - Nehemiah 9:1-38

Tension is a reminder of personal corruption and guilt I believe is one author said the average Christian is in need of reliable because they have learned how to manage theirs rather than repentant others staying with them, man. There are no charades here in this model of confession sin was exposed for what it was.

And God was clad with to be forgiving and merciful and gracious, once again, that problem admitting that you are the problem is really it's not easy to humble yourself and engage in shrewd confession of sin, as Stephen mentioned a moment ago. We prefer managing our sin to confessing our sin.

That's why today's lesson will be so helpful for us.

This is wisdom for the heart and today Stephen Davey takes us to Nehemiah 9 where we see a prayer of confession. This prayer will serve as a challenge and a model for us today. Whenever God's word exposes us for who we truly are and we respond by confessing our sins to him. That's when our hearts find restoration Stevens calling the lesson you're about to hear shrewd confession love the story that I read just this past week of a rather single-minded a true story of self-confident businessman who who always seem to have it together.

Jonassen in this article talked about the spelling I work 70 to 80 hour weeks. He was a man who seemed organized and planned this article said he built a cottage on a lake to use as a weekend retreat and make his plan even more efficient. He learned how to fly and kept another car for we can transport the airfield near select that plan wasn't quite efficient enough so he further fine-tuned his plans by fitting his playing with pontoons so he could land on the lake and actually taxi right up to his newly constructed peer on his first trip in the newly rigged plane. He flew by force of habit straight to the rural airport where he started his descent what are you doing. His wife suddenly yelled. There aren't any wheels on this plane.

It was just enough time for the man with the plan to pull out before touching down somewhat shaken, he flew on to the lake and made a perfect landing and as the plane drifted to a stop at the pier. He turned to his wife and said I'm sorry dear, I didn't know what I was doing just lost my thought for a moment there I should've plan more carefully and build in reminders about the change in flight plans. It won't happen again. Then he opened his door and hopped confidently out of the plane and directly into the left is the moral of the story is let anybody see who you really are. Even your spouse come across as a person who is always in control. For your information, and I'm sure preaching to the choir here. That happens to be a self-centered, naturally depraved philosophy of life and it happens to inhibit communion with God and with others.

Another word for Christianity is exposure you became a Christian after being exposed as a sinner you when I grow up in Jesus Christ as we are exposed as being infantile in areas of our lives. Another word for Christianity is exposure.

One of the chief obstacles to revival in our own personal lives is that we are encouraged by our culture and our sinful nature to cover up to fake it to walk into a church and to put on airs and most of all, never exposed to anyone and certainly never to God who we really are, what our true thoughts and intentions are.

But suddenly our lives are intersected with the living word of God which is alive.

It is powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, and it is capable of pulling off the mask. It is capable of cutting through and penetrating the true thoughts and intentions of the heart the Scriptures so there is no room for charades if revival will ever come to our personal lives. The word of God has a way of pulling us off the stage and taking away our façades and demanding radical change in our last discussion we observe the Jewish people hearing for the first time. Imagine the first time in their lives.

The law of God, they begin to weep begin the morn they lamented their states. No need to fake anything. The law of God's word was a plumb line and as it were, they held it up to themselves and discovered how crooked and how sinful they were.

It was true then and it is true today. True revival comes from an encounter with God's revelation when God's word exposes us for who we truly are.

Maybe that's why we have such difficulty are natures rebel against getting in here because this has a way of getting in here. Well it's time to rediscover the truth of the word of God when revival comes, there's a radical application to our lives. Revival is indeed a time when a person is read Bible that would Nehemiah chapter 8 is you remember the process had already begun, but a Nehemiah chapter 9 Something Interesting Took Pl. that was not part of the Jewish calendar verse one. Now the 24th day of this month, the sons of Israel assembled with fasting in sackcloth and with dirt upon them know what struck me about this action was learning that this was not a prescribed moment of of worship. It was not commanded by Nehemiah or Ezra the priest, high priest.

This was the outflow of true revival. What I discovered in this chapter is nothing less then a model of confession. If you want to be real.

If you want to stop pretending if you want to cease the charades. If you want to be read Bible there are lessons here to teach you how one of the wonderful things about God. Our teacher is that he rarely gives us truth without rubbing it in flesh and blood so that we can see how it works. Chapter 8 is sort of the telling and in chapter 9 is the showing so he has for us to show them tell it, I was immediately struck as I study this passage to get a phone call from a lady lives across the street from us her nine-year-old son and our six-year-old daughter play together quite often pretty much the two kids on the street. He was having his the end of the year party at school which involve ice cream and cake and other things and also a show and tell. When his mom asked him what he wanted to bring for show and tell. He thought a moment and then said I want to bring charity.

He wanted to bring my daughter for his show and tell him his dream.

I didn't know what to say no, actually was a nice complement. She got ice cream cake that was great for the people of Israel are God's show and tell.

And if you want to know how to confess if you want to know how to be revival, he says here watch them though show you how. So let's begin the first characteristic of true confession is a humble approach to God's presence. You notice in verse one, they came, clothed in sackcloth and with dirt on their heads and shoulders. There is no charade of saintliness here. No pretending. In fact the dirt on their head and shoulders was an illustration themselves. The dirt on the outside was an illustration of exposure toward God is if they were saying there is dirt on the inside.

They are willing to expose the dirt on the inside to God and are making sure that everyone around them knows that there's dirt by putting dirt on her shoulders as an act of contrition before God verse to the descendents of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confess their sins and the iniquities of their fathers, by the way men and women. One of the characteristics of true confession is that we do not blame our sin on our parents, we may confess both parties as sinful and admit that both parties have sin, but here is no blaming of well that's the way my father raised me, or that's the way my mother was there is an admission of sin on both parts. The second quality of true confession for us to model as this. There's a completed mission of personal sinfulness might go without saying, but that's exactly what they did verse three while they stood in their place. They read from the book of the law of the Lord their God, for 1/4 of the day. That's three hours and for another fourth or three hours they confessed and worshiped the Lord their God. James Montgomery Boyce was asked a few years ago. If he believed America was experiencing revival. You hear things about there being 40 million believers. Such high numbers. He was asked that and he wrote my answer was and always has been no, the reason I say no is quite simple. He wrote there is no national consciousness of sin. In fact, there isn't any consciousness of sin, but he goes on when revival sweeps over of people. The first evidence is a profound awareness of sin and sorrow for.

In other words, confession involves admission, and admission is an evidence of revival. I love the way GK Chesterton put it, is a philosopher, theologian, now the Lord he was reading a series of articles entitled what's wrong with the world put out in the secular newspaper by the editor.

What's wrong with the world. Chesterton sent a short letter to the editor and it said this dear Sir, regarding your article.

What's wrong with the world. I Yours truly GK Chesterton John 18 says if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us first to and if we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar in his word is not in us.

However, verse nine and you know it. If we confess our sins, go we say the same thing about it that God says. Then God is faith to forgive us. On the way. I believe that the most miserable person on the face of the earth is a believer unrepentant sin.

Why, because you can have either world can fully enjoy his sin because of his guilty conscience in the cannot enjoy the fellowship of God either. I want you to hear from the diary of a believer caught in the guilt of sin and the misery of refusing to confess it, we just read you what David wrote when I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long for day and night your hand God was heavy upon me.

My vitality was drained away. As with the fever heat of summer is refusing to confess his sin and he saying I just wasted away. Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and my iniquity. I did not hide. I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave all my guilt. Here are the people of Jerusalem being led by priests who for three hours verse for the latter part says they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God of the third quality of true confession includes a clear acknowledgment of God's greatness prayer of Nehemiah begins by elevating God. Although verse five. May thy glorious name be blessed and exalted above blessing and praise thou alone art the Lord see this is this is putting the Lord in his proper place.

It is a lot harder for us to pray to him as if he were a doting grandfather or a genie who will give us our three wishes. If we put him in his proper place. He is a God who reigns in the heavens. He is majestic in splendor. He is sovereign all things, this mirrors. By the way, the Lord taught us to pray in Matthew chapter 6, he told us to begin praying by saying our father who art where in heaven that is in his address as we have said that's really a reference to his attribute.

It's a reference to acknowledging the greatness of God that he is above. He is sovereign. He is transcendent.

He is majestic. All that we come to a loving father we come to an awe-inspiring holy God. So you begin your prayer with the words heavenly father.

You're actually saying majestic sovereign all mighty great awesome God through prayer, especially the prayer of confession does not trivialize God. It pays tribute to God, thou you notice this prayer of Ezra is the one I believe.

Praying it acknowledges all of these things.

First, in his superb creation of the universe. Verses five and six second lien is sovereign calling of Abraham.

Versus 7 to 8.

Third, in his supernatural conquest over Egypt versus 9 to 12 in his scriptural commands from Mount Sinai. Verses 13 to 18/5 and his satisfying covenant with Israel. Verses 19 to 25 and finally his steadfast compassion towards his people versus 26 to 38 enjoying the scene as much as possible showing all play the part of Ezra and simply read is prayer and you play the part of the congregation, so I want you to stand with me as they did might leave your Bibles in your seats. They didn't have a copy to read from and he certainly didn't read it. You may close your eyes. If you wish, and I will simply read the prayer of confession. Oh.

May thy glorious name be blessed and exalted above all blessing and praise thou alone art the Lord that was made the heavens, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. Thou dost give life to all of them in the heavenly host bows down before the thou art the Lord God who chose Abram and brought him out from the Chaldees and gave him the name Abraham and thou didst find his art faithful before the end does make a covenant with him. Give him the land of the Canaanite of the Hittites and the Amorite of the parasite of the Jebusite and the girlish guide to give it to his descendents, and thou hast fulfilled thy promise for thou art righteous, thou did see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and didst hear their cry by the Red Sea, then thou that's perform signs and wonders against Pharaoh, against all his servants, and all the people of his land without it snowed that they acted arrogantly toward them, and didst make a name for thyself as it is this day, and thou didst divide the sea before them so they pass through the midst of the sea on dry ground and their pursuers. Thou didst hurl into the depths like a stone into raging water and with the pillar of cloud. Thou didst lead them by day and with the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go, then thou didst come down on Mount Sinai and did speak with them from heaven, thou didst give to them just ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments. So thou didst make known to them by holy Sabbath and its laid down for them, commandments, statutes and law through thy servant Moses, thou didst provide bread from heaven for them for their hunger, thou didst bring forth water from a rock for them for their thirst, and thou didst tell them to enter in order to possess the land which thou did swear to them to give them what they are fathers acted arrogantly. They became stubborn and would not listen to thy commandments and they refused to listen and did not remember thy wondrous deeds which thou has performed among them, so they became stubborn and appointed the leader to return to their slavery in Egypt but thou art a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. Thou didst not forsake them even when they made for themselves a calf of molten metal and said this is your God who brought you up from Egypt and committed great blasphemers, thou, and thy great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness, the pillar of cloud did not leave them by day to guide them on their way or the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way in which they were to go without its give thy good spirit to instruct them thy manner. Thou didst not withhold from their mouth, and thou didst give them water for their thirst. Indeed, 40 years that it's provide for them in the wilderness, and they were not in want their close did not wear out nor did their feet swell. Thou didst also give them kingdoms and peoples and out. It's a lot them to them as a boundary and they took possession of the land of C and the King of henchmen in the land of Og the King of the Sean and out. It's make their sons numerous as the stars of heaven and that it's bring them into the land which God's told their fathers to enter and possess. So there sons entered and possess the land and doubted subdued before them. The inhabitants of the land of the Canaanites and doubted to give them into their hand with their kings and the peoples of the land to do with them as they desired and they captured fortified cities in a fertile land they took possession of houses full of every good thing human cisterns, vineyards, olive groves, fruit trees in abundance, so they ate were filled and grew fat and reveled in thy great goodness, but they became disobedient and rebelled against the and cast dialogue behind their backs and killed by prophets who would admonish them so that they might return to the and they committed great blasphemers. Therefore, thou didst deliver them in the hand of oppressors who oppress them, but when they cried to the in the time of their distress.

Thou didst hear from heaven and according to the great compassion that it's give them deliverers who delivered them from the hand of their oppressors, but soon as they had rest. They did evil again before the.

Therefore, thou didst abandon them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them when they cried again to the thou didst hear from heaven, and many times that it's rescue them. According to thy compassion and admonish them in order to turn them back to thy law, yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to thy commandments, but Cindy can sign ordinances by which of the man observes them, he shall live. And they turn the stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not listen.

However, thou didst bear with them for many years and admonished them by thy spirit through thy prophets that they would not give ear, therefore, that it's give them into the hand of the peoples of the lands.

Nevertheless, in my great compassion. Thou didst not make an end of them or forsake them. For thou art a gracious and compassionate God now, therefore, our God, the grade the mighty and the awesome God who thus keep covenant in lovingkindness.

Do not let all the hardships seem insignificant before the which is come upon us are kings or princes or priests are prophets are fathers in all thy people from the days of the kings of Assyria. To this day.

However, thou are just and all that is come upon us, for thou has dealt faithfully, but we have acted wicked for our kings, our leaders or priests and our fathers have not kept by law or paid attention to thy commandments, and nine admonitions with which thou hast admonish them, but they in their own kingdom with thy great goodness, which thou dost give them with the broad and rich land which thou didst set before them did not serve the Lord turn from their evil deed book Lord we are slaves today and as to the land which thou didst give to our fathers to eat of its fruit and its bounty, behold, we are slaves on it and it's abundant produces for the kings whom thou has set over us because of our sin. They also rule over our bodies and also over our cattle as they please. So we are in great distress now because of all this, we are making an agreement in writing and on the sealed document are the names of our leaders are Levites and I priests may be seated. There are no errors in that prayer no disingenuous words or actions. It is true confession, but to give a couple of thoughts by way of application to what we have just heard number one confession is important because it is a reminder of personal corruption and guilt.

I went through this prayer several times and just underlined in my mind the sins they admitted to blasphemy, stubbornness, arrogance, refusing to listen to the Scriptures, stiffening their necks and disobedience closing their ears becoming disobedient, rebellious, scorning the wall, refusing to pay attention to the lawn commandments and ordinances of God, refusing to serve God, refusing to repent that there are no charades here in this model of confession sin was exposed for what it was. And God was applied with to be forgiving and merciful and gracious, once again, confession is a reminder of personal corruption and guilt I believe is one author said the average Christian is in need of revival because they have learned how to manage their's, rather than repentant others understand what that means man. We can live with a little here and a little there and we manage it until we become too guilty.

We learn to sugarcoat our selfishness and we rationalize our disobedience and we justify our arrogance.

We excuse our lack of obedience to the law and commandment of God. We manage it we do not confess it. We have forgotten how heartbreaking, how greasy is sin in the life of the believer is to our heavenly father and we have forgotten how vile our sin.

I you found this interesting and rather humorous insight sent by a pastor how this article talked he was in Oregon. They were having a problem that I thought of this passage in taking a good look at what reality is there ever a problem in a middle school in Oregon. A number of girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on the girls bathroom and after they put on their lipstick. They would press their lips to the mirrors, leaving dozens of little (finally, the principal decided something had to be done, she came up with a rather ingenious plan and told her custodian exactly what to do.

She called the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the school custodian. She then explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian's time and effort with the clean the mirrors every day to demonstrate how difficult it was to clean the mirrors.

She then asked the custodian to show the girls how he'd been cleaning them. He took out a long handled brush dipped it into one of the nearby commodes and then scrub the mirror. Since then the lip prints have disappeared. The pastor then applied in this way, said try thinking of that story when you are tempted to manage sin that you could only see what you are really kissing up to you might not be attracted to it. After all, that's good. Confession is the fresh realization that sin is corruption and filth and you shudder to think what you have been embracing the justification stops in the rationalization stops in the believer mourns and laments simply needs to be rescued. Sin is alluring sirens no longer looks appealing, but that's all the confession was my friends, it would be depressing. In fact, it would lead to despair if all we ever did was in our introspection looked at our guilt and our sin we would be led to despair so confession is not just that, not just a reminder of personal corruption and guilt. It is also a reminder of God's character and grace. Verse 17 the latter part thou art a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

Verse 28 and many times we read his prayer.

Thou didst rescue them according that I compassion down to verse 30 thou didst bear with them for many years. Verse 33. However, thou art Justin all that is come upon us, for thou hast dealt faithfully, but we have acted wickedly anyone into room with God's strike by guilt and corruption but move to the character and grace of God that is well. I hope this time in God's has challenged and encouraged you today and I hope you'll find some quiet time to be able to examine your own heart. In light of the truth that we've heard this is wisdom for the heart with Steve and Davey, we'd love to hear from you, and learn how God's using the lessons you here to encourage you. You can send Stephen a note if you address your card or letter to wisdom for the heart PO Box 37297 Raleigh, NC 27627. Have a great weekend and join us Monday for more wisdom for the heart