Series: TAKING STEPS TOWARD REVIVAL.
(2 Chronicles Chapters 29-32)
Part 2: “REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE WHEN WE…”
2 Chronicles 29:1-2 - 1 Hezekiah began to reign when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. ESV The first two steps toward revival from Hezekiah’s story - 1)Revival Is Possible When God’s People Clean Out The Junk In Their Lives. 2)Revival Is Possible When God’s People Re-Center Their Lives On Scripture.
3. REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE REFOCUS ON THE GOSPEL.
2 Chronicles 30:1-18a
A Kingly Command to Remember and Celebrate God Redeeming You! 2 Chronicles 30:1-2 - 1 “Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. 2 For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month—…”. ESV Revival is possible for God’s People WHEN WE ARE FAITHFUL TO WORSHIP AND FAITHFUL IN REMEMBERING AND CELEBRATING WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US!
A Hinderance to Remembering and Celebrating God Redeeming You! 2 Chronicles 30:3 - “…for they could not keep it at that time because the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem—…” ESV
In the New Testament we are told THAT EVERY BELIEVER IS TO BE A PRIEST UNTO GOD! Question: How are you hindering revival?
A Willingness to Remember and Celebrate God Redeeming You! 2 Chronicles 30:4-8 - 4 “…and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly. 5 So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed. 6 So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, "O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to the Lord God of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see. 8 Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord and come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve the Lord your God, that his fierce anger may turn away from you.” ESV
JUST MAYBE WE CAN EXPERIENCE REVIVAL IF WE WILLINGLY REFOCUS UPON THE GOSPEL!
The Possible Results of Refocusing Upon the Gospel (Returning to the Lord)…
Through Our Refocusing Upon the Gospel, Others Are Helped. v9a - “For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your children will find compassion with their captors and return to this land.”Through Our Refocusing Upon the Gospel, We Experience God’s Grace, Mercy and Face! v9b - “For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you, if you return to him.”Through Our Refocusing Upon the Gospel, The Message Goes Out to Many! v10a - “So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun,…”
When We Refocus Upon the Gospel…Some will Reject…But Some Will Respond! v10b-12 - “…but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them. However, some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord.”When We Refocus Upon the Gospel…When We Return to The Lord…REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE! v13-18b - 13 “And many people came together in Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great assembly. 14 They set to work and removed the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for burning incense they took away and threw into the Kidron valley. (The valley of decision…considered the place of final judgment) 15 And they slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. And the priests and the Levites were ashamed, so that they consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings into the house of the Lord. 16 They took their accustomed posts according to the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests threw the blood that they received from the hand of the Levites. 17 For there were many in the assembly who had not consecrated themselves. Therefore the Levites had to slaughter the Passover lamb for everyone who was not clean, to consecrate it to the Lord. 18b For a majority of the people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than as prescribed.” ESV.
ONCE AGAIN, REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE REFOCUS UPON THE GOSPEL AND REMEMBER WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR THEM! MAY OUR REFOCUSING UPON THE GOSPEL CAUSE MANY WHO HAVE NOT TRUSTED CHRIST TO DESIRE HIM!!!!)
4. REVIVAL IS POSSIBLE WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO INTERCESSORY PRAYER.
2 Chronicles 30:18a-20 - For Hezekiah had prayed for them, saying, "May the good Lord pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, the God of his fathers, even though not according to the sanctuary's rules of cleanness." 20 And the Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people. ESV
IF WE DESIRE REVIVAL, LET US ALSO DEVOTE OURSELVES TO INTERCESSORY PRAYER!
If we develop such attitudes and practices of intercessory prayer, SPIRITUAL REVIVAL AND RENEWAL WILL FLOOD OUR OWN HEARTS! REVIVAL HAPPENS WHEN GOD’S PEOPLE DEVOTE THEMSELVES TO PRAYER!
LOOK AT THE CONTINUED RESULTS OF REVIVAL AFTER THE ANSWERED PRAYER OF HEZEKIAH - 2 Chronicles 30:21-27 - 21 And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord. 22 And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers. 23 Then the whole assembly agreed together to keep the feast for another seven days. So they kept it for another seven days with gladness. 24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 7,000 sheep for offerings, and the princes gave the assembly 1,000 bulls and 10,000 sheep. And the priests consecrated themselves in great numbers. 25 The whole assembly of Judah, and the priests and the Levites, and the whole assembly that came out of Israel, and the sojourners who came out of the land of Israel, and the sojourners who lived in Judah, rejoiced. 26 So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27 Then the priests and the Levites arose and blessed the people, and their voice was heard, and their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven. ESV.
OUR KING JESUS HAVE HIMSELF FOR US ON THE CROSS!!! And Our King Jesus wants to ENCOURAGE US!How much more should we desire to see revival occur and keep it going???
REVIVAL WILL AFFECT THE SOJOURNERS OF OUR DAY TO COME TO CHRIST IF WE WILL REFOCUS UPON THE GOSPEL AND PRAY FOR THEM!
Hezekiah’s renewal and revival in the land BROUGHT GREAT JOY! This revival had been a long time coming! But now THEIR VOICES WERE HEARD…THEIR PRAYERS WERE HEARD IN GOD’S HOLY HABITATION IN HEAVEN! MAY IT BE SO WITH US!!!!
– Jonathan Edwards, who led in the First Great Awakening, said ”extraordinary prayer characterized the Great Awakening.” “There is no awakening, apart from prayer. Prayer doesn’t bring the awakening; prayer is the awakening.”
– James Frazier, (1886 -1938) a British missionary in China during the great revivals there, said,“I used to think that prayer should have the first place and teaching the second. I now feel it would be truer to give prayer the first, second, and third places and teaching the fourth.”
– Apostles in Acts prayed for 10 days, then they had one service where Peter preached and pentecost revival occurred.
– Do you pray daily for our church? Our city? Your own kids? Do you pray for our nation? Our political leaders? God tells us to do so Paul’s writing to Timothy! Are you praying for revival…in your own life…in your family…in our church?
– If God answered all your prayers in one, fell swoop…what would look like…or not look like???
PRAY TO REFOCUS YOUR LIFE AND THE LIFE OF OUR CHURCH UPON THE GOSPEL. PRAY AND DEVOTE YOURSELF TO INTERCESSORY PRAYER! TRUST IN CHRIST…GIVE YOURSELF TO HIM IF YOU HAVE NOT!
2 Chronicles 31:1 - Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah and broke in pieces the pillars and cut down the Asherim and broke down the high places and the altars throughout all Judah and Benjamin, and in Ephraim and Manasseh, until they had destroyed them all. Then all the people of Israel returned to their cities, every man to his possession. ESV