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Life Bridge Christian Church

Nehemiah - Week 18 // From Affliction To Joy

Nehemiah - Week 18 // From Affliction To Joy

Sunday Service - 1/30/22

Locations & Times

Life Bridge Christian Church

2496 Glendale Ave, Green Bay, WI 54313, USA

Sunday 9:00 AM

Description: One of the most essential parts of faith is trusting that God really does desire to do good to us. In Nehemiah 8, we find the people of Jerusalem in the pit of disillusionment. As they’ve rediscovered God’s law, they become increasingly aware of their failures. Will God’s promises still matter? Has it all gone sideways? Will God still love and desire His people? God’s answer is yes! As they understand God’s Word, Ezra and Nehemiah teach the people an important lesson. God’s Word is meant to lead us into
joy and celebration. When we make God’s Word prominent in our lives it does the same for us; it guides us from affliction to joy because it guides us to Jesus.
Two rebuilding processes are going on at the same time
• Physical reconstruction of the wall
• Spiritual reconstruction of the people
Observations of the assembly:
1. The form of their gathering
"The Bible tells the same story over and over, though never in exactly the same way twice."

— Peter Leithart
• Families gathered together in worship
• Under the authority of God’s Word
• To renew their commitment to the Lord
The form of their gathering was CHURCH
2. The PURPOSE of their gathering
The Bible's not meant to be an ACADEMIC FASCINATION
Or a RELIGIOUS ABSTRACTION
It’s street-level WISDOM for knowing and walking with God
The people gathered together to hear and UNDERSTAND God’s Word
3. The result of their gathering
TWO THINGS HAPPEN AS YOU UNDERSTAND GOD'S WORD
o The FIRST THING you'll understand is your SIN
o The SECOND THING you'll understand is God's KINDNESS
God's word AFFLICTS us in order to RESTORE US
What a difference it makes when God’s people “understand” God’s Word and apply it to their particular situations. Allowing the use of the Bible to become routine and ritualistic is a violation of its nature and message.

- Breneman, M.
When God's word is prominent in our lives, God transforms our AFFLICTION into JOY
How we understand Joy:
1. The source of joy is God Himself
Two things we experience in God’s presence:
• A deep experience of reverence at His holiness
• A transcendent experience of JOY
2. The best way to visualize joy is a FEAST
You were created to joyfully feast with others in the presence of the Lord
3. ATONEMENT brings us from AFFLICTION to JOY
Feast of Trumpets – REPENTANCE

Feast of Atonement - ATONEMENT

Feast of Tabernacles - DELIVERANCE
Faith is the determined choice to believe that the greatest possible hope for joy lies in hitching your wagon to Jesus Christ as savior and Lord
One Big Thing: God's word can bring us from AFFLICTION to JOY because it guides us to JESUS

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Listen to this Sermon + More

Were you unable to make it this past Sunday? Find this week's message and past Life Bridge sermons on our website.
http://lifebridgegb.org/resources/sermons
If you're ready to make a LIFELONG, LIFESTYLE decision to follow Jesus, please reach out to us or to someone you know at Life Bridge so that we can get in touch. To talk to one of our pastors, reach out to us by giving us a call at (920) 494-4042, emailing lbccgb@gmail.com or through our social media pages