Sunday Words of Encouragement March 24, 2024 - Worship our God!

Pastor continued his preaching from Nehemiah noting the overall theme: Rebuild and Revive.
Believes this is prophetic message for our church (the church). Today’s message is from Nehemiah Chapter 9.
Five elements of spiritual revival expressed here:
1. Humility – they fasted, dressed in sack cloth and put dirt on their heads. Nehemiah 9:1; 2 Chronicles 7:14.
2. Separate from foreigners. Nehemiah 9:2; 2 Corinthians 6:17-18 - separate from sin. Allow God to transfer your nature.
3. Confession/repentance. Nehemiah 9:2-3. Confess inequities of ancestors and recognize our own sin. 1 John 1:9-10. Do we love the sin more than we love God?
4. Worship. Nehemiah 9:3-5. God created us to worship Him. Seek the Lord and He will be found. It is our gift to Him.
5. Listen to the Word of God. Nehemiah 9:3. They read for a quarter of the day! The Word of a God is a mirror to our behavior. The God of the universe has given us instructions how to best live our lives.

Remainder of the chapter gives examples of how to worship, what to say.
Acknowledge His greatness, who He is. Talk about His attributes. Nehemiah 9:6-7.
Worship Him for all He has done – creation, history, provision, healing; Nehemiah 9:8-11.
Worship Him for guidance, the Spirit that instructs, convicts, directs. Nehemiah 9:12-13.
Worship Him for His Word. Nehemiah 9:13-14.
Worship Him for miracles of the past and miracles of your current life. Nehemiah 9:15-17.
Worship Him for His forgiveness and steadfastness. Nehemiah 9:17-19.
Worship Him for the promises He has fulfilled and for His compassion. Nehemiah 9:20-30.
Worship Him for His presence, grace and mercy. He will never leave you. Nehemiah 9:31.
Worship Him for His greatness and His righteousness. Nehemiah 9:32-34.

When we worship, He shows up. He has come to seek and save those who were lost.

We sang a wonderful ‘older’ praise song this morning: To Him Who Sits On The Throne”… be Blessing and Glory and Honor and Power forever. That is a great song but I chose this song today: Greater Things.

Verses for Today:
Nehemiah 9 NIV
1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth and putting dust on their heads. 2 Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners. They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors. 3 They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

Heavenly Father my creator, Christ my Savior, Holy Spirit my Guide – May I share your Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence with those I come in touch with.

Additional Verse:
2 Chronicles 7:14
…[I]f my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.