Tennessee Couples Three Important Building Retreat Blocks Rebuild - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Tennessee Couples Three Important Building Retreat Blocks Rebuild and Restore Total Commitment/Intimacy Forgiveness Rebuilding and Restoration 1 1 2 2 The Nehemiah Guide to Restoration and Rebuilding of Your Marriage Your Nehemiah In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, 2 Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that had survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem. • Nehemiah 1: 5-11 3 They said to me, “Those who survived the exile and are back in the province – Jerusalem (a place where God desires to dwell) are in great trouble and disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire.” devastated by war 4 When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. 5 Then I said: – Families torn apart against their will “Lord, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 6 let – The protective walls of defense lay in ruin your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel. I – “Gates” had been burned confess the sins we Israelites, including myself and my father’s family, have committed against you. 7 We have acted very wickedly toward you. We have not obeyed the commands, decrees and laws you gave your servant Moses. – The enemy has free reign 3 4 4

What is going on? The Nehemiah Way • Prayer and Supplication • Virus has infected the host • Truthful Introspection • Unforgiveness, extreme disappointment, • Engage with others breach in trust, bitterness, unmet • Work Hard--expect opposition expectations, unfaithfullness, adultery, guilt, • Honor God ’ s Word deep regrets, resentment, jealousy, bad decisions, financial difficulty, failure to • Worship Him communicate • Establish a New Path--Maintain Purity 5 6 5 6 The Nehemiah Way Nehemiah 1 I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days 12 I set out during the night Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for • Prayer and Supplication 13 By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal[a] Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. 14 Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the • Reality Check King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; 15 so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. 16 The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work. • Humility 17 Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will • Accepting Responsibility and what the king had said to me. no longer be in disgrace.” 18 I also told them about the gracious hand of my God on me They replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. • Repentance 7 8 7

The Nehemiah Way The Nehemiah Way • Truthful Introspection • Engage With Others for Assistance • Assess the damage • Corinthians, Romans, Body of Christ • Where am I? • You need me....and I need you • How did I get here? • Accountability • Reality Check-vs-Denials • Mentor • How did I contribute to the problem? • Counselor • The greatest day in your life and mine is when we take total responsibility for our attitudes. That's the day we truly grow up." -John C. Maxwell. 9 10 9 10 The Nehemiah Way The Nehemiah Way What Work? • Rebuilding--Spiritual Intimacy--Making good decisions--Truthful Introspection • Prepare for Hard Work and Opposition • Renew commitments • Sanballat and Tobiah had a spirit of • Reframe your thinking opposition, ridicule, and discouragement • Make changes in your life • Establish boundaries • Stop, Start, Continue “ meeting ” • Honor God’s Word in Worship • New paths of purity 11 12 11 12

The Nehemiah Way The Nehemiah Way • Prayer and Supplication But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official and Geshem the Arab heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us. “What is this you are doing?” • Truthful Introspection they asked. “Are you rebelling against the king?” • Engage with others 4 [a]When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 2 and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews • Work Hard--expect opposition doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to • Honor God ’ s Word life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?” • Worship Him 3 Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down • Establish a New Path--Maintain Purity their wall of stones!” 13 14 13 14 The Nehemiah Way The Nehemiah Way • Prayer and Supplication Nehemiah 8 New International Version (NIV) • Truthful Introspection 1 all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. • Engage with others 2 So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. 3 He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law. • Work Hard--expect opposition 4 Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. • Honor God ’ s Word 5 Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. 6 Ezra praised the Lord, • Worship Him the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the • Establish a New Path--Maintain Purity ground. 15 16 15 16

The Nehemiah Way The Nehemiah Way 9: 6 You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in • Be Restored them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of • Let our churches, our “small groups” our heaven worship you. ministry provide the “hospital” of healing 12: 27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and the bruised and bleeding need to survive were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the • Regain, Restore, Reconcile dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres. 17 18 17 18