How Do We Know Our "Sorry" Means Something? - Nehemiah 9

Introduction for Group Setting:  Confession and repentance is not just for those who needed to come to Christ, it is for Christians.  Jesus kept on repeating this message "repent" to the 7 churches in Asia minor.   Even the promise of forgiveness in 1 John 1:9 is for believers.   Encourage your church to confess by leading your men to examine their hearts.  Private confession is ideal.  Public confession (outloud) and stating "our" sins as a group is biblical and encouraged.  

How can we pray confession:  

  1. Pray on your own and state to God what sins you are confessing
  2. Let me ask three people.  Please lead us in confession and confess to God our sin of pride, sin of worry, and the sin of disunity (these are examples).
  3. Let me lead us in a prayer of confession.   Dear Father, just like the children of Israel, we cry for your mercy and grace.  Forgive us because we have sinned against you.  Oftentimes, we as a church trusted on our own. We trusted in programs, people and money.  Forgive us for not being obedient and getting the gospel out to people.  We confess our inability to do anything apart from you.   In Jesus Name. Amen.


Lesson: 
We say sorry in many ways to each other.  When was the last time you said I'm sorry to someone?  How did you say it?   How did you know you meant what you said?  

  • "I'm sorry I forgot"
  • "I'm sorry I got caught"
  • "I'm sorry we don't see eye to eye"  
  • "I'm sorry you're hurting"  
  • "I'm sorry I acted like that"
  • "I'm sorry I hurt you" 

We say sorry to God in many ways. 

  • "I"m sorry I spoke when I should have kept silent"
  • "I'm sorry I went there"
  • "I'm sorry I didn't honor you as Lord" 

Nehemiah 9 is about God's people trying to understand what it means to honor, respect, and obey God. They knew they had sinned and they needed to open their heart to Him - to say "I'm sorry God because..."  Let's look at how they processed confession. 

First, They Saw God for who He is 

As you read this section, underline how many times God is referred to here (e.g. underline the word "You", and encircle the titles, pronouns, and other nouns for God) 
  1. God is glorious and exalted (9:5)
  2. God made the heavens all in it (9:6a)
  3. God is worshipped by those whom He made "the multitudes" (9:6b)
  4. God kept his promise through Abraham (9:7)
  5. God felt the pain of Israel in Egypt (9:9)
  6. God proved Himself through miracles (Pharaoh, 9:10; Red Sea, 9:11; Cloud, 92)
  7. God revealed Himself and spoke through the commandments (9:13-15)
  8. There's more in vs. 19-25

Second, They Saw Man For who He is: 

As you read this section, underline how many times man has failed God
  1. (They were) Man is arrogant, stiff-necked, and disobedient (9:16)
  2. (They) Man refused to listen, rebelled, and replaced God  by following another leader (9:17)
  3. (They) Man made an image of their God, an "awful blasphemies"  (9:18)
  4. (They) Man killed God's messengers (9:26)
  5. (They) Man did evil over and over (9:28)
  6. (They) Man ignored His word and paid no attention to God (9:29, 30)

Confession is owning sin


It is not blaming someone else, but being broken because you identify yourself with rebellion and disobedience.   To confess is to change "THEY" to "I".   
  1. I am arrogant, stiff-necked, and disobedient (Heb. 3:13-15)
  2. I refuse to listen, I rebel and replace God  by following another leader (Rom. 8:7)
  3. I make an image of my God (Is. 44:9-20)
  4. I mock (kill) God's messengers (2 Pet 3:3)
  5. (They) I do evil over and over (Rom. 7:15-20)
  6. (They) I ignore His word and pay no attention to God (1 John 1:6)
Do you really mean what you say when you say "I'm sorry God because...."?   You can genuinely be forgiven by God.  Read this verse aloud, Nehemiah 9:17b:  


Make a post below on how you understand confessing to God.   
 

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