"If My People"
II Chronicles 7:14
How many know there are people in our world today? There's hurting people in our city, there's hurting people in our schools, in our neighborhood, and even in our families.
These people are involved in different lifestyles and they are trying to fill that emptiness, they have in their hearts, with worldly things.
No matter how hard they try to fill that emptiness, they will always come up short, because that emptiness was created in our hearts, to be filled by God.
Acts 17:28 - For in Him we live and move and have our being.
Without God in our lives, we are empty.
Without God in our, lives there is no purpose.
Without God in our lives, we search for the meaning of life.
Without God in our lives, we are hurting.
That's why there are people: overdosing on drugs - why because they are hurting.
That's why people are giving up on life and feel they have no hope - why because they are hurting.
We can go on and on:people are running away from home, joining cults, involved in gang violence, involved in drug dealing, involved in crime, and involved in all kinds of stuff, to try and fill their emptiness.
There is a need today, to reach out to hurting people.
There is a need today, for hurting people to come to know Jesus.
There is a need for Revival in this generation.
Christmas Evans the Welsh revivalist once said ‘Revival is God breathing down to the dying embers of a fire which is just about to go out and breathing into it until it bursts into flames.’
How many want to see a revival in our land? How many want God to use you to bring someone into the Kingdom of God?
Tonight I want to talk about some things you and I can do, to bring about healing in our land.
Things we can do, to see the lives of hurting people reached, by the Power of God Almighty.
II Chronicles 7:14
1) If my people who are called by by name:
If you and I have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, then we are God's people.
What stands out to me about this passage of scripture is that, it is calling on God's people. Not those of the world to humble themselves and pray, but you and I God's people.
The scripture doesn't say, "if the unsaved call upon me, want to help themselves and turn from their ways, then will hear and heal their land."
No, God's Word says if my people who are called by my name and how many know we are God 's people?
Now notice it doesn't say: you have to be a certain age, you have to be saved for a certain amount of time, you have to have a lot of talent and gifts, but the Bible simply says My People.
See wee don't need alot of talents and gifts to bring forth healing in the land, but one thing each and everyone of us can do as God's people, is call upon the name of the Lord.
How many know if we are saved, then we are God's people?
2) humble themselves and pray and seek my face
If we as God's people will humble ourselves and pray and seek His face.
* To humble ourselves means, we our willing to put ourselves aside and be concerned about someone else's needs.
How many know sometimes you and I can be concerned about ourselves and only the needs we have, but when we humble ourselves we are willing to put others needs before ours.
Instead of humbling ourselves sometimes Pride will try and creep in and get us to focus only on ourselves and forget about those around us.
How many know pride will try and get us to only focus on I. As a matter of fact I is always the middle of Pride.
Yes you and I are going to have needs and we need to keep those needs in prayer, but we also can't forget our unsaved family members, our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends at school, our brothers, sisters, mom, or dad.
God wants to bring about healing in the land which includes our families, friends, and loved ones.
Here is a little test of humbling ourselves.
When is the last time we told someone "I've been praying for you",
Somebody say humility: When we are willing to put our needs aside and put someone else's needs before ours. We humbled ourselves.
Not only humbling ourselves and praying for others, but also spending time Worshiping God and loving Him for who he is.
Having that personal relationship with God and getting to know Him through prayer.
How do you and I get to know someone? We get to know them by spending time with them.
God wants a relationship with us.
He wants to know you and I personally.
When you know someone personally, what is one of the ways that you recognize them?
You recognize them by their face.
When you recognize someone for who they are you recognize them by their face.
If you see a friend at the store or a family member at a gathering, you usually know it's them for sure by their face.
Let me put it this way. When you and I need to show our I.D. at the bank or at the store, what is on the license so people can recognize you for who you are.
It is a picture of our face. Your face on that I.D. proves that it is really you.
You can say you are you, but you are recognized for who you are by your face.
We usually recognize people by their face. God desires for us to know Him for not only of what He can do, but also for Who He Is in our lives..., not only crying out to God when we need something, But He wants us to know Him for who He is.
We should be a people who seek his face.
Are we seeking His hand only (do this God - do that God) or are we also seeking His face.( By telling Him I Love you - You're Awesome)
3) and turn from their wicked ways
How many know that sometimes, you and I can get involved in things that we shouldn't be, even though we come to Church.
Once again God is talking to His people in this portion of scripture.
Let me ask us tonight "Is there anything that we need to repent of"
"Is there anything that we've been holding on to that isn't pleasing God?"
"Is there anything that we've been involved in, that we need to repent from?"
Now I am not just talking to those who aren't saved, but this can also be directed to those of us who are God's people.
Sometimes we can get involved in things we shouldn't be:
Jealousy Hatred
Gossip
If some of us prayed for the person, as much as we gossiped about them, they'd probably be on FIRE!!!
Unforgiveness Secret Sin
and on and on and on...
If that is you here tonight, we are going to have an opportunity to give it all to Jesus. You can give it all to God.
Maybe God has been convicting you and you say "tonight I want to leave it at all the altar."
You say I want to:
Turn my unforgiveness into love.
Turn my hatred into understanding.
Turn my gossip into praying for the person..
You say I want to turn from ways, that I know have and they have not been pleasing to God.
The last thing that I want to share is:
4) God says: then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land
It is awesome to know that we have a God who hears our prayers.
It is awesome to know that we serve a loving and a forgiving God.
It is awesome to know, that God can heal the broken hearted and set the captive free.
God desires to heal our land and reach out to the hurting people of our city, of our state, and of our World.
Are we willing to allow God to use us?
