Sermon Passage: Nehemiah 4:1-23; 6:1-14

Celebration Preparation–Passage To Ponder:  “ “When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” (John 13:12–15 NIV84) “

Celebration Invitation–Scripture Reading: Adapted from: Isaiah 53:1-6; Phil 2:5-11 NIV84

Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered Him stricken by God, smitten by Him, and afflicted.

But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,

but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name,

That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.