“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” - 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
Today we begin a series of messages based on 2 Chronicle 7:14, God’s promise concerning revival. In fact, in this promise from God, we are given a “Road to Revival” by which we can see renewal come to the hearts and lives of God’s people and spiritual awakening come to those who do not yet know Christ.
These two terms that are often used together - “Revival” and “Spiritual Awakening.” Revival refers to believers recognizing afresh their need of God; while Spiritual Awakening refers to unbelievers recognizing for the first time their need of God. Understandably, revival precedes spiritual awakening. Believers must be right with God and live right before men before unbelievers will be moved to get right with God.
Therefore, the Road to Revival begins with those who are the recipients of revival, who are described in this verse as “My people, who are called by my name.” Let’s reflect on three thoughts reflected in this phrase, “My people, who are called by my name.”
1. We have a relationship to cherish - “My people”
Through faith in Christ, we have become somebody special! We have become children of God! We who have Christ as our Savior now have God as our Father! We have a special relationship with God!
“‘Father’ is the most significant name of the God of the Bible. It is the name that sets Christianity apart from all the other religions of the world. Other religions invite us to worship their gods, allahs, creators, or metaphysical forces, but Christianity invites us to believe in a Son and to enter into an intimate family relationship with a loving Father. Jesus, the Son of God, came so that we could meet His Father, be adopted into the family of God, and relate to the almighty God of the universe in an intimate, personal, concrete way as sons and daughters.” - Mary A. Kassian
The fact that we are the children of God is something which we should cherish!
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” - 1 John 3:1 (NIV)
But sometimes God’s people forget who they are. When we forget who we are, we lower ourselves to the world’s level; we accept things into our lives which we otherwise wouldn’t; and we live in such a way that is inconsistent with our family heritage.
It has been said that it is expected that a son will resemble his father. Even so, we who are the sons and daughters of God should seek to resemble our heavenly Father. When the world looks at you and me; when they look at the members of our church family; do they notice a “family resemblance?” Oh may the privilege of being a child of God be accompanied by a passion to live like a child of God! The kind of passion displayed by the Apostle Paul, who said:
“I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”- Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)
A devoted follower of Socrates asked him the best way to acquire knowledge. Socrates responded by leading him to a river and plunging him beneath the surface. The man
struggled to free himself, but Socrates kept his head submerged. Finally, after much effort, the man was able to break loose and emerge from the water. Socrates then asked, “When you thought you were drowning, what one thing did you want most of all?” Still gasping for breath, the man exclaimed, “I wanted air!” The philosopher wisely commented, “When you want knowledge as much as you wanted air, then you will get it!”
That’s the kind of passion you and I should have to live like a child of God, and when revival comes, that’s the kind of passion that will consume God’s children!
2. We have a reputation to uphold - “who are called by my name”
Ford motor company once had the slogan, “The quality goes in before the name goes on.” They understood something that we as God’s people need to understand today.
As those who have taken upon ourselves the name “Christian” we have also taken on an obligation to uphold the reputation of that name.
“And wherever they went among the nations they profaned my holy name, for it was said of them, ‘These are the LORD’s people, and yet they had to leave his land.’” - Ezekiel 36:20 (NIV)
The people of God in Ezekiel’s day had become a target of ridicule among the nations of the world. Because they lived like the heathen, the Lord scattered them among the heathen. The result being that the unbelieving world laughed at both Israel and their God.
Does this happen today? Sadly yes. Every time God’s people forget who they are and whose they are, they lose sight of what a privilege is theirs to bear the name of Christ.
Most of us are familiar with the third of the ten commandments:
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”- Exodus 20:7 (NIV)
We commonly think of profanity as the way in which we violate this command. But we need to understand that the third commandment is not only violated by profanity; but by hypocrisy! When we fail to live up to the righteous standards exemplified by the name of Christ, we are guilty of taking His name in vain.
It is good to be a Christian and know it; but it is even better to be a Christian and show it.
“Live in such a way that when others discover you are a Christian, it will confirm their suspicions, rather than surprising them.”
What would lose your life for? If you made a list of those things, it wouldn’t be very long, would it? Many of us would say we would be willing to lose our life for our spouse or family. As Christians, we would probably say we would lose our life for the Lord’s sake.
But I would suggest that what we would lose our life for is revealed more by our lifestyle than our lips. Many who say they’d lose their life for Christ’s sake are deceiving themselves. They are losing their life, but it’s the life of blessedness Christ has for them they’re losing; and they are losing it for the sake of habits they refuse to break, friends they refuse to leave, sin they refuse to forsake.
“For whoever wants to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.” - Matthew 16:25 (NIV)
Conclusion: On the door of one of the rooms in Walker County Medical Center in Jasper, Alabama, was an amazing sight. On Saturday night, April 9, 1983, Joel Naramore stood outside the third floor room of his critically injured son, Charles. The boy had been hurt in a motorcycle accident, and his fever had risen to 107 degrees. So Naramore stood outside the room and prayed.
“All at once,” he said, “it’s like I’m looking at two eyes.” He studied the door and began to realize it bore an uncanny image of Jesus on it. Jim Armour, hospital administrator, agreed with him that there was definitely an image on the door.
In the first week, 6000 people came to see the door. The hospital had to hire additional security guards to handle the crowds. All came because they believed the door contained a divine image of Jesus. The website, Roadside America.com reports that people were still seeing the image as recently as 2004, but that they believe the hospital has removed the door to reduce visitor traffic.
Why would people travel far distances and endure large crowds in a cramped environment just to see an image on a door? Because they want to see Jesus. This situation is both encouraging and tragic - encouraging, because it points out that thousands of people still want to know what Jesus is like; tragic, in that an image on a door will never tell them.
God’s plan is not for people to be drawn to Jesus by seeing His likeness in a hospital door, but only by seeing His likeness in my life and yours.
“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” - 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
The next time you pass by an unbeliever, remember that if you are not seeking to live a life which measures up to the name you bear as a Christian, you could very well be the reason they are still lost!
Whenever God’s people forget who they are and whose they are; whenever they fail to represent their Lord well; we are in need of revival. It is time to set apart Christ as Lord in our hearts!
