Intro: This is an excerpt from the Daily Chronicle December 13, 1904 William Stead reports, “Employers tell me that the quality of the work the miners are putting in has improved. Waste is less, men to go their daily toil with a new spirit of gladness in their labour. In the long dim galleries of the mine, where once the hauliers swore at their ponies in Welshified English terms of blasphemy, there is now but to be heard the haunting melody of the Revival music. The pit ponies, like the American mules, having been driven by oaths and curses since they first bore the yoke, are being retrained to do their work without the incentive of profanity.
There is less drinking, less idleness, less gambling. Men record with almost incredulous amazement how one football player after another has foresworn cards and drink and the gladiatorial games, and is living a sober and godly life, putting his energy into the Revival. . . .
How came this strange uplift of the earnestness a whole community? Who can say? The wind bloweth where it listeth. Some tell you one thing, some another. All agree that it began some few months ago in Cardiganshire, eddied hither and thither, spreading like fire from valley to valley, until as one observer said to me, "Wherever it came from, or however it began, all South Wales today is in a flame."
This is a report of what the Holy Spirit did in the revival of the Welsh. With what we face in Carlisle, the US and the world we desperately need a movement of God. Know that we cannot manufacture, manipulate or market the movement of God’s Spirit. Our country as a whole has turned away from following God; there is failure across the board to obey His commandments and live by biblical principles. Why should we be surprised that the morality of the nation is declining? It should be no surprise that the financial condition of the country is in jeopardy.
Some would say that the prescription given in this passage was only promised to Israel. Remember that we are God’s people called by His name. We must stop allowing people to talk us out of and away from the principles of God. God’s principles do not change. Just because some prefer to live in rebellion to God doesn’t change God’s principles. Verse 22 and following of this chapter make it clear if God’s people disregard His direction hardship, trial and ruin would come to them.
Galatians 6:7-9 “Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you'll harvest. If you plant in [the soil of] your corrupt nature, you will harvest destruction. But if you plant in [the soil of] your spiritual nature, you will harvest everlasting life. We can't allow ourselves to get tired of living the right way. Certainly, each of us will receive [everlasting life] at the proper time, if we don't give up. (GWT)
I. God’s question to His people
“If my people will”
What should motivate us to pray?
A) The Call of God
B) The condition of our communities, nation and world
Natural disasters, economic instability, family dysfunction and destruction, terrorist threat, lack of Godly leadership.
C) Biblical warnings of judgment
Why does God allow bad things to happen to His people or any people for that matter? He does it to get our attention in hopes of us waking up! Deuteronomy 8:19-20 God clearly warns Israel and us that if we ignore His warnings we will be judged. Revelation 2:5 a clear word to churches that if we do not obey his commands he will remove the power of His Spirit and the influence of the local body.
II. God’s invitation to His people
What about God has changed? Absolutely nothing! Hebrews 13:8 tells us that Jesus is the same promise keeping God he was for Solomon, for the first great revival and He will keep His word about moving on behalf of His people. Is there something in His way?
A) Loose your pride (humble themselves)
Humbling ourselves is literally putting our lives under the controlling hand of Jesus. We must confess our absolute dependence on the living God. Pride says we have the answers and we can solve our own problems. Humility admits reality short of God’s intervention we are lost and undone. Short of us humbling ourselves and crying out to God Americas days are numbered. The great question is “If people will humble themselves.” Humility is the ability to understand we need God’s help.
B) Let’s get connected (pray and seek my face) 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 34:17, 19
Prayer is humility in action. In prayer we declare God’s worth, beauty and ability.
1) Prayer is conversation with our Heavenly Father
Jeremiah 33:3 – leads to revelation
Matthew 9:38 – leads to mobilization & salvation
Psalm 34:17-19 – leads to liberation
2) Prayer is activation of God’s power
God works through faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 through faith. God acts on our behalf when we trust Him.
Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask (pray) or think according to the power that works in us.”
Our Heavenly Father is waiting on us to trust Him enough to ask Him to do great things. We must learn to move beyond our own sphere of daily life. Pray for revival, strong marriages, godly parenting, honest and upright strong leaders. Pray for salvation of neighbors, friends, family, bosses, co-workers, congressman, Civic leaders. God desires to act on behalf. He simply is waiting for us to get desperate enough to cry out to Him.
It was when Moses was in God’s presence that His face glowed. It shows when we have been with Jesus. Seek my face is an invitation for a passionate pursuit of God.
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."
C) Learn to repent (turn from their wicked ways)
God has conditions for answering our prayers. Wicked ways include all willful disobedience. The biblical idea of confessing your sins always carries the idea of turning from what you confess. Confession is agreeing with God that what you are doing displeases Him and doesn’t belong in the life of His children. Repentance is leaving it behind so that you can lean toward God.
III. God’s intervention for His people
Some of you know what it’s like to say “we need an intervention.” It means unless we do something drastic damage and destruction is about to occur to someone. Our church, community, nation and world desperately need God’s intervention. If we will accept God’s invitation to lose our pride and get connected to our heavenly father and learn to repent God will intervene for us.
A) God will hear our prayers
God does not listen to us when we live in open rebellion and disobedience to Him. Psalm 66:18
Isaiah 59:1-2 God is not unable or disinterested in hearing and acting on our requests. However as long as we continue to live a life that does not line up with His character and person He will not listen!!
God promises to listen to those that confess and turn from a life of sin.
B) God will forgive our sins
God will forgive the decisions you have made against Him. If we cry out to God he will forgive the murder of 50 million babies. He will forgive adultery, hatred, lies, dishonesty etc. We must cry out.
C) God will heal our land
God is in the business of rescuing and restoring. In the lives of His creation and the nations that cry out to Him he promises to act. As we ask him to heal individuals it will spread across families, cities, nations.
Conclusion: Do we believe that God is the same today? Then we can cry out to our Abba and be honest and confess of our sins and repent and He will be true to His word. America may face judgment but we can be p
