2 Chronicles 7:14
GOD'S METHOD FOR REAL REVIVAL
Intro: I suppose no other passage in the Bible has been used more often to
preach about revival than this verse. That is because it is a revival verse.
You will to whom the verse is addressed: "My people, called by My
Name!". God is speaking to people who have identified themselves with
Him and His work. He is speaking to people that we would call saved.
This verse was given to Solomon at the dedication of the Temple. God
had warned the people that their disobedience to His Word and commands
would bring with it dire consequences, v. 13, for their land. Now, He sets
forth the conditions necessary to reverse His judgment and to being revival.
Since we have scheduled a week of meeting, beginning tonight, and
since we are in desperate need of revival, I felt led to preach from this verse
this morning. I just want to point out God's Method For Real Revival. This
is not a recipe! But, if the conditions are all met God's way, then the stage
will be set for real revival. Friends, we need a revival! This verse tells us
how to go about getting one. Notice with me God's Method For Real
Revival.
I. REAL REVIVAL DEMANDS REAL REQUIREMENTS
(Ill. Before revival can ever become a reality, the people of God must
meet the four demands mentioned in this verse. Meeting these four
demands does not guarantee that revival will happen, but it does create
an atmosphere in which it becomes possible and far more likely.)
A. A Call To Preparation - Humility - This word has the idea of being
"under another". One of the things God's people must do is
remember Who is Lord! When we humble ourselves to the Lord, we
are acknowledging His Lordship and headship in our lives. We are
admitting our weakness and reaching out for His power. We are
saying I can't, but you can! (Ill. This is the picture seen in Joshua
5:13-15. Joshua is told to remove his shoe. This was an ancient
way of symbolizing the relinquishing of control to another. It was a
way of saying "I can't, but you can." It is also seen in Ruth 4:5-8.)
Those who willingly humble themselves under the hand of the Lord
open their lives to His blessings - Matt. 23:12; James 4:6; James
4:10; 1 Pet. 5:5-6. Please note that our humility is to be voluntary!
If we do not humble ourselves, there may come a day when the Lord
will do it for us. His methods are not always the most pleasant!
B. A Call To Prayer - Prayer - This word means just what it says -
pray! It is, in essence, humility in action. The praying person sees
his own inability and recognizes God's ability. This causes him to
come before the Lord to seek the help he needs. Prayer is an
essential ingredient in the mystery of revival! In fact, our praying
may seem weak, but it will yield far more fruit than the effort
demands!
(Ill. "Pastor John Ramsey had grown accustomed to someone
providing him with a rose boutonniere every Sunday. That routine
took on dramatic new meaning when a young boy approached him
after the service and politely asked if he could have the little rose.
Ramsey knew the flower was destined for the trash so he offered it
to the boy and asked what he planned to do with the used rose. The
little guy replied, "Sir, I'm going to give it to my granny. My parents
got divorced last year. I was living with my mother, but when she got
married again she wanted me to live with my father. I lived with him
for a while, but he said I couldn't stay so he sent me to live with my
grandmother. She is so good to me. She cooks for me and takes
care of me. She has been so good to me that I want to give that
pretty flower to her for loving me." Ramsey said tears filled his eyes
as he listened to the little boy. He then told the compassionate boy,
"You can't have this flower because it's not enough." He pointed to
the large spray of fresh flowers at the altar and said, "Please take
those flowers to your granny because she deserves the very best."
The little boy lit up with excitement and said, "What a wonderful day!
I asked for one flower but got a beautiful bouquet." Our approach to
God is not unlike what took place that day with this child and Pastor
Ramsey. We come in our pain seeking a small response to our
situation, but God points to a greater answer and invites us to take
that instead.")
Therefore, let us determine that we will pray for revival! Pray in
your homes, in your cars, at you jobs, in the prayer rooms, in the
altars. Let us determine that we will take every moment of life as an
opportunity to pray! James 4:2; John 14:13-14; Phil. 4:6; 1 Thes.
5:17. More could be said about prayer, but instead of talking about
it, we should just do it!
C. A Call To Passion - Devotion - The third requirement is that of
"seeking His face". This word means to "desire something". This
idea here is that we come to the place where God is the number one
priority and desire of our heart! That is, nothing in life is more
important, more precious or more needful to us than having God and
all He has to offer.
(Ill. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180) said - "The true worth of
a man is to be measured by the objects he pursues." What has
your attention this morning? Whatever it is, that is your priority! It
is, in effect, your God! May we determine that we will "have no
other gods before Him." May we determine that our love for Him
will drive us to pursue Him with every fiber of our beings. When we
do, we open the door to His best just a little bit wider.)
(Ill. A.W. Tozer said, "If we yearned after God even as much as
a cow yearns for her calf, we would be the worshiping and
effective believers God wants us to be. If we longed for God as
a bride looks forward to the return of her husband, we would be
a far greater force for God than we are now.")
One of the problems with the modern
church is that we have ceased to desire God. Often we have many pursuits in life
and are so fragmented in our devotions that we have no place for a first place
in our lives. May that attitude die the death it has long deserved! May the
people of God once again fall in love with God to the point that He becomes the
focus and the driving force of all of life!
D. A Call To Purity - Repentance - The phrase "turn from their
wicked ways" is self explanatory! God wants His people to stop
their sinning! We are to examine our lives, identify anything that
does not please the Lord or line up with His Bible, and we are to
eliminate that from our lives! It sounds harder than it is, because as
we humble ourselves, pray and seek His face, our sin will become
increasingly clear.
(Ill. Gordon MacDonald offers the following thoughts on repentance,
"Repentance is not basically a religious word. It comes from a
culture where people were essentially nomadic and lived in a world
with no maps or street signs. It's easy to get lost walking through the
desert. You become aware that the country side is strange. You
finally say to yourself, I'm going in the wrong direction. That's the
first act of repentance. The second act of repentance is to go in an
alternate direction. It implies that you not only do this but you admit
it to your companions.")
We do not like words like repentance. They have the tendency
to make us feel as though our lives are lacking in some area or the
other. The fact is, before revival can come to a people, that people
must be clean! They must be practicing repentance at every level.
This is God's command, Isa. 55:7; Eze. 18:31; Acts 17:30.
Friends, we might as well acknowledge the truth that we are guilty,
1 John 1:8-10. That is, after all, the first step in getting right with
God!
(Ill. This was the command to the church at Ephesus, Rev. 2:1-7,
and it is still God's will for you and me today!)
II. REAL REVIVAL PROVIDES REAL REWARDS
(Ill. If we will meet the requirements, then we create an atmosphere in
which we can experience some tremendous spiritual rewards from the
hand of the Lord.)
A. God
Will Hear Us - Sin hinders prayer, Psa. 66:18.
However, when sin is taken care of, prayer can flow unhindered to
and from the throne of God! There is no more powerful force in the
world than an unhindered prayer life! Why? Because it has the ear
of God and is used by Him to accomplish His will upon the earth. Ill.
Luke 11:2.
B. God Will Help Us - God also promises to "forgive our sins". This
means that not only is the prayer line restored, but it means that we
can be in close fellowship with Him. Nothing in this world compares
with being able to have close communion with God Almighty! The
ability to come into His presence, to worship Him, to sense His
power, His peace, His joy and His presence is priceless! (Note: If
you have allowed a cancer of sin to grow in your life, you need to
know that it can be cut out and destroyed. If you will come before
the Lord and deal with your sin His way, He will respond in
forgiveness and restoration, 1 John 1:9. Like the Prodigal Son, you
will find that your Father will receive you and restore you through His
amazing grace, Luke 15:11-24.
C. God Will Heal Us - This great verse was given to Israel. They were
warned that their sins would be answered by the Lord through
drought. This would devastate their land and their population.
However, the Lord's promise to them is that repentance equals rain.
If they will honor Him, He will honor them! If they will open their
hearts, He will in turn open the heavens. In a sense, we are in the
same situation today. Our homes, communities and nation have
been devastated through a drought of spiritual blessings and power.
If God's children will come back to Him in genuine repentance and
faith, we will see our nation impacted for and by the glory of God.
We need that kind of revival!
III. REAL REVIVAL YIELDS REAL RESULTS
A. Notice that the condition and the promise are given to "God's
people". However, when the refreshing comes it would reach the
entire nation. The implication is clear: Genuine revival affects those
revived and all those around them!
B. If we, as a people, experience a true move of God in revival, we will
see God's power touch this world in a tremendous way! Revival in
our hearts and church will create a spiritual dynamic that will impact
our homes, our communities, our schools, our neighbors, our nation
and our world for the glory of God!
C. I don't know about you, but I am tired of seeing what sin is doing to
our homes, our churches and our nation! Would to God that His
people would get a real vision of what He could do for us and
through us in revival. Would to God that we would pay the price to
see that take place! If real revival ever came to our lives, we would
never be the same! It would change us and everything we touch
too! (Ill. It might be any type of need you can think of, but real
revival can remedy that need through the power of God. He
promises to "heal YOUR land".)
Conc: Revival is a real possibility! However, while genuine revival is always
sovereign in its origin, we can create an atmosphere where it becomes more
likely. In that atmosphere, while genuine revival is not a guaranteed event,
at least on a corporate level, it will become a reality on a personal level! The
key word in this verse is the word "If". Everything hinges on us being in that
place that God desires for us to abide in. If we will meet the requirements
on our end, we can be sure that God will move on His end. Revival will
happen to us as individuals "if". Are you willing to consider a few questions
before you leave today?
1. Are you His people? If not you can be!
2. Are you willing to come before Him humble yourself, pray, seek His face
and turn from your wicked ways?
3. Are you willing to be and do whatever it takes to see real revival came to
your life, your church, your family, your community and your nation?
If the Lord has spoken to your heart today about your need for personal
revival, or the need for revival in our church, please come before Him right
now and get about the business of meeting the requirements!
