Series - Re-new in 2021
Power point: 1
Thesis: We need to be renewed by connecting or re-connecting with the Lord this year in 2021. To do this requires a renewed mind, a renewed soul and a renewed passion for Jesus. We need to access and go renew/remodel the temple of the Lord (our bodies) because of any neglect or abandonment of our temples.
Last week we introduced our theme for the year “Re-new” and I reminded you of how I see many abandoned churches, temples, and bodies for Christ neglected and abandoned for the Lord across our great country.
Power point: 2-3 – When I look at these pictures, I think of what Hezekiah saw when he looked at the Temple of the Lord!
Key Scripture Verses for the year:
Power Point 4: Isa text
Isaiah 40:30-31: “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
1 Corinthians 3:16-17: “16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
The Challenge for 2021: We need to decide to commit to Renewing our temples this year – we do this by renewing the mind, refreshing the soul and reviving or reigniting a passion for Jesus again.
These three keys to spiritual renewal and revival are essential ingredients if we want to be renewed!
Scriptures which direct us to Spiritual renewal:
• “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2
• “Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” - 2 Corinthians 4:16
• “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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
The keys explained:
1. We need to renew our minds – stop believing the lies, we need to change our perspectives about sin, re-connect our minds with God’s Word, and regain a Biblical World view! (Romans 12:2)
a. How is your mind?
b. Has it been repaired?
c. Has it been kept clean?
d. Has your mind been polluted by the world’s belief system?
e. Do you think God has changed His mind on what is sin?
2. We need to refresh our souls from within by connecting with the Holy Spirit – by being honest with where we are at spiritually! (2 Corinthians 4:16)
a. How is your soul?
b. Is your soul healthy?
c. Is your soul refreshed or worn out?
d. Is your soul toxic?
3. We need to re-ignite our passion for Jesus! We need to fall in love with Jesus and re-connect with Jesus daily and weekly through prayer, worship, the Word and meditation on the Word (2 Chronicles 7:14)
a. How would you rate your passion for Jesus?
i. On a scale of 1-10- How is your passion for Jesus?
Power point 5 – Renew is a verb which means to make whole again, to restore to a perfect state!
The plan and focus at CHC in 2021 is to: renew – redeem – regenerate – revive – rebuild – restore - replenish – renovate – rejuvenate – refresh!
Power point 6 – These are before and after pictures of a building rehab. Question: Are you getting a vision of what could be?
This process of renewal works great with a building, a temple, a church and home, but we also need to do the same with our own physical buildings – our Temple’s as Paul calls them in I Corinthians 3:16-17. Yes, these too need to be remodeled – rejuvenated – restored – renewed.
Question: Have you ever seen people who go through physical make overs?
Power point 7: Yes, our temples need renewed too – just like rundown buildings! Are you getting a vision of what could be in 2021?
Power points: 7-8: This happens every year in the USA, people make New Year’s Resolutions and decide it’s time for a physical makeover – so losing weight, eating right, exercise, getting healthy and even changing their looks become a focus. We need to do the same spiritually!
Sermon 2: Renew pt. 2
Thesis: The Body of Christ in America needs to be renewed in 2021. They need to follow the example of King Hezekiah and do the three crucial steps common to all revivals or renewal movements. Repair the temple, clean the temple and renew our covenant contract with Jesus!
Introduction:
We have entered into a New Year, a chance at a new start, yes, a new beginning with our lives and journey’s. It’s a new chapter in your book of life. So, what are you going to write about in this new chapter? By the way, You, hold the pen to this chapter in your life it is yours to write. Will it be a chapter filled with fear, hopelessness and despair? Will it be a chapter filled with repentance, renewal and revival of your heart? Will it be a chapter filled with the same ho hum life of the previous chapter of life? Will it be a year filled with adventures in God? Or will it be a life with no adventure, no risk taking or faith walking?
Illustration: I am reminded of a movie about a guy named Walter Mitty – have you seen the movie? “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” It’s about a man who never did anything adventurous in his entire life – never went anywhere – never took any risks – he had lived a safe life working for Life Magazine, but the day came where he had do something to save his job. So, he set out on an adventure around the world! It transformed his life – he lost his job anyway but his life was changed and transformed! He started living!
Back to your new chapter of life. Will it be an exciting chapter in your life or a sleeper chapter? Will people get excited when they read this chapter about your life or will they think this is boring? Will it be a chapter filled with the awe of miracles and revival like the ones written about by Charles Finney the father of American revival? Will it include faith and risk taking? A life making a difference for the Kingdom of Heaven and renewing this world we live in.
Power Point 10: The lessons from Hezekiah for spiritual renewal!
Scripture Texts: 2 Chronicles 29-31
2 Chronicles 29:1-11; 20-30; 35, 36:
1Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father David had done.
3In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the LORD and repaired them. 4He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the LORD, the God of your fathers. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6Our fathers were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the LORD our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the LORD’S dwelling place and turned their backs on him. 7They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 8Therefore, the anger of the LORD has fallen on Judah and Jerusalem; he has made them an object of dread and horror and scorn, as you can see with your own eyes. 9This is why our fathers have fallen by the sword and why our sons and daughters and our wives are in captivity. 10Now I intend to make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. 11My sons, do not be negligent now, for the LORD has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.” …
20Early the next morning King Hezekiah gathered the city officials together and went up to the temple of the LORD. 21They brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven male lambs and seven male goats as a sin offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary and for Judah. The king commanded the priests, the descendants of Aaron, to offer these on the altar of the LORD. 22So they slaughtered the bulls, and the priests took the blood and sprinkled it on the altar; next they slaughtered the rams and sprinkled their blood on the altar; then they slaughtered the lambs and sprinkled their blood on the altar. 23The goats for the sin offering were brought before the king and the assembly, and they laid their hands on them. 24The priests then slaughtered the goats and presented their blood on the altar for a sin offering to atone for all Israel, because the king had ordered the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel.25He stationed the Levites in the temple of the LORD with cymbals, harps and lyres in the way prescribed by David and Gad the king’s seer and Nathan the prophet; this was commanded by the LORD through his prophets. 26So the Levites stood ready with David’s instruments, and the priests with their trumpets. 27Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. 28The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed. 29When the offerings were finished, the king and everyone present with him knelt down and worshiped. 30King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. 31Then Hezekiah said, “You have now dedicated yourselves to the LORD. Come and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the temple of the LORD.” So the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all whose hearts were willing brought burnt offerings…So the service of the temple of the LORD was reestablished. 36Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.
2 Chronicles 30:6-9 (Hezekiah sent this out to all the Jewish nation challenging them to come home to celebrate Passover to the Lord. He and the leadership had experienced a personal revival now he invited the entire people of Israel to come home to the Temple to experience revival themselves.) 6At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
“People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him.”
2 Chronicles 31: 1, 2; 20, 21:
1When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property…20This is what Hezekiah did throughout Judah, doing what was good and right and faithful before the LORD his God. 21In everything that he undertook in the service of God’s temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so, he prospered.
T.S. - We must do right in the eyes of the Lord for a revival or spiritual renewal to sweep across America today and in this new year of 2021. We need to learn how to be spiritually renewed like King Hezekiah was in the OT era of Israel. How do we do right like King Hezekiah did and receive a personal revival which leads to a national revival?
Here are keys to spiritual renewal I see through the example of Hezekiah.
I. We must commit to repair the Temple of the Lord from all of the previous years of neglect and abuse.
a. We must re-dedicate ourselves to the Lord and choose to make the necessary repairs to our heart, soul and minds.
i. How do you remodel the Temple – where do you start? You may be thinking? Good question!
1. You start with being honest about the condition of your Temple and you get a vision to restore it – of what it could be this new year.
a. You do the same in any remodel project! You picture what it will look like when you are done renovating – you be honest about its condition, no denial.
b. Hezekiah faced reality and said our temple is a mess-look at it! Listen to what he observed about His nation and the condition of The Temple of the Lord. We and our fathers were unfaithful to the Lord!
i. He did not make excuses – He said look they were unfaithful to God and His Temple!
ii. They walked away from God and His Temple – it lies in ruins – windows are broke out, the floors collapsing, the doors are broken off the hinges – the place is ram-sacked – the furniture is broken, the place is filthy and broken down.
iii. Just as the temple was a literal place in the OT era which they had let deteriorate - their souls, minds and hearts had also abandoned God and closed God out – they did this by allowing idols to take over their focus in life – their minds – their souls and hearts - therefore the temple of the heart was also left in ruins and a mess.
1. Warning: Idols will cause you to abandon your relationship with the Jesus: Idols - like sexual immorality will warp your minds and cause you to abandon God and the worship of Him – these idols are homosexuality, transgenderism, orgies, porn, adultery, fornication, sodomy, rejection of God’s Truth, but so will the idols of greed, child sacrifice, self-centeredness, materialism, lying, and deceit ways – they will cause your minds to walk away from God and His presence.
c. Hezekiah stated, “They did evil in the sight of God by forsaking God and serving other god’s.”
i. Hezekiah faced the reality of his nation’s spiritual condition: they were apathetic toward the Lord, some just did down right evil! But the new leaders of Israel were shocked at the spiritual condition of the nation and decided to take action – no more sin instead - renewal.
ii. Hezekiah simply said to Israel: We must re-commit (renew) ourselves to God We must re-focus what is to be our priority in life! We must come to the realization of the actual condition of the Lord’s temple! We must come back out of the darkness of denial and face the reality of our sin of forsaking God and His ways.
iii. In essence he said, “The Temple is a mess and we are a mess as a nation!”
iv. How would you access the spiritual condition of the USA today?
1. No seriously?
2. Are we moving closer to the Lord and His ways or further away?
a. With the rejection of the ways of God and the walking away from Church by many people, denying the worship of Jesus, no Prayer, the embracing of sinful lifestyles has resulted in a messed up nation.
3. Would you agree?
v. The birth of revival or renewal starts when we admit that we are a mess because we have turned our backs on God. It starts with you and I!
1. Are you willing to admit that today?
a. Seriously!
b. Are you willing to remodel and rebuild the Temple?
d. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17: 16Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? 17If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.”
i. When we accepted Jesus into our hearts and lives - God entered into our hearts, souls, minds and set up residence.
1. In the O.T. era the Temple was where God’s presence dwelled and resided.
ii. The temples we have is where God dwells – in you - If they are opened and maintained as holy – we are healthy – if not we are a mess.
iii. Paul tells us that Jesus sanctified our lives and made all things new and our bodies became His residing place upon our conversion.
iv. In the O.T. era the temple was the only sanctified place were God resided.
v. It was sanctified because of the offerings that were done on a daily basis to atone for sins and trespasses against God.
vi. Today Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice of sin, but we still have the responsibility to maintain the temple and keep it holy - uncontaminated by the world.
vii. So, what does your temple look like today is God still reigning in it? Is your mind centered on God or self and sin? What do you focus on all day?
1. Lust for others?
2. Greed – more money over worship of God?
3. Sin – has your mind and heart?
viii. Are the doors in need of repair to your temple? Does, your mind need to be repaired and renewed? What’s coming in your doorway – I am talking about your eyes and ears?
e. An awakening or renewal movement like what Hezekiah brought to the nation of Israel (A revival) happens when a heart experiences and chooses deep repentance toward the Lord and His ways.
2. You access and commit to pay the cost to remodel the Temple and gather a team to do the work.
a. In any rehab you have to decide what needs to be renovated! And what is in the budget!
b. You also need to assemble a team to do the construction and demolition!
3. You decide not to take shortcuts but do the job right to meet the Creators code.
a. You look behind the walls and in the hidden places and fix the problems.
b. You decide all unforeseen issues will be fixed and you pay the extra cost.
4. You do the demo necessary for the rehab.
a. Yes, its dirty, messy and hard work – all the construction debris needs removed.
b. Yes, walls need removed – rotten wood ripped out.
c. Romans 12:1, 2 “1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
i. Do you want revival to come to you today - to your family - just like Hezekiah did in his day?
1. Then break out the spiritual tools and begin repairing the Temple. It’s time for a remodel – a rebuilding – repair work and restoration work to begin – demo needs to happen to make way for the new to be built.
2. Keys you need to know about demo:
a. The debris has to go somewhere – it cannot stay!
b. Demo starts early goes late – it will take time and effort!
c. There will be dust in the air and pollution and it will be filthy!
d. Sometimes there is no easy solution you just have to work it through to the end.
5. You access the infrastructure and go to work – you get the right material, tools to rebuild and restore the old with the new.
a. You work the project through to the end – you don’t quit half-way through the project because it’s hard and long days of work.
b. I have seen many people give up in the middle of projects.
6. Eventually you see the light at the end of the project.
a. The remodel is taking shape and looking like the vision you saw.
7. The completion of the remodeling is completed – but you still have the cleaning to do!
Power Point 11: The process of renewal takes vision, teamwork, demo, hard work and commitment!
T.S. – Not only do we need to repair- remodel the temple we also have to clean the temple out – we have to get rid of the filth – the waste – the debris – the toxic germs and clean house!
II. We must commit to cleaning out the Temple.
a. You may be thinking how do I clean out the temple?
i. Decide to go to work and get a big dumpster to throw the debris, waste, junk in and have it hauled away – don’t store it anywhere.
1. This happens through the whole project by the way.
ii. Decide to get the necessary cleaning products to clean the house and temple completely and deeply.
1. You need a Shop vac or Vacuum but not a dirt devil – instead get a clean angel - no more devils.
a. You need good suction to get out the dirt devils! They like to hide in the corners in the closet so go after the closets too.
i. Are you with me?
2. You need a mop, rags and or a Swiffer – to swiff things out – yes, push out the dust and debris of the world – push it out of the temple – remove all of it.
a. God can use your old rags to clean the house with the right solution.
i. Solution Formula:
1. 1 part God the Father
2. 1 part Holy Spirit,
3. 1 part Jesus and some good – living water.
a. Has to be Hot not cold water – and a lot of Holy Water to sanitize the temple.
3. You need some Mr. Clean – cleaner so to wash down the temple.
a. You need the solution of:
i. 1 part repentance
ii. 1 part confession
iii. 1 part Jesus clean
iv. 1 part faith.
1. Yes, you need to use Mr. Clean – Jesus clean!
4. You need some Pine sol which is good for the cleaning of the soul.
a. Don’t forget to clean the soul with some refreshing Pine-sol – when you are cleaning with this solution you will smell the sweet fragrance of a cleaned and healthy soul. By the way, a dirty soul gives off an odor too!
5. You need Clorox Bleach to kill the germs and whitewash everything to purify it.
a. Yes, you have to penetrate into the filth with bleach to white-wash and germ free everything – bleach it until it’s white as snow!
6. You need glass cleaner like Windex – which will make you streak free of dirt and sin.
7. You need Lysol to tackle the filthy toilet and waste from the world – spray it, sanitize it and scrub it clean! Get on your knees and address the filth!
8. You need to sanitize everything in the Temple!
a. When you sanitize you bring sanity to the Temple – it becomes pure and germ free! We need to Spic and Span the temple of the Lord.
i. Are you with me? Let’s become clean freaks for Jesus!
1. Have you ever heard the phrase, “Cleanliness is next to godliness!”
2. Being clean is a sign of spiritual purity or goodness, as in Don't forget to wash your ears—cleanliness is next to godliness. This phrase was first recorded in a sermon by John Wesley in 1778.
b. We must remove everything that is defiled, dirty out of the Temple of the Lord like Hezekiah instructed the Levites and Priests to do.
i. We have to clean the house of the Lord he said – we too have to clean house – so what needs removed from your mind, soul and heart? Be honest how dirty is your temple? What cleaning products of Heaven do you need to get the job done?
1. Do you need to sanitize you mind and purify with some Jesus clean!
2. Some people get use to the dirt and filth and they cannot even see how bad their living condition is. Case in point hoarders on TV show:
a. The Urban Coalition job and the filth, smell, and dirt.
i. The guy had no clue!
b. We hear in the News of filthy homes and other people intervening to save children and others from the filth – it comes and goes in the news time and time again:
i. Would like to see some pictures of filthy homes? – yuk!
3. We need to clean off the altar of sacrifice in the Temple too!
a. We need to put it back into action and offer up new sacrifices for the Lord.
b. We need to polish make it look as good as new!
i. Come on use the Pledge (Jesus pledge) to polish it up again!
c. We need to clean off the years of dust and neglect – many of your Bibles are filled with dust and have not been opened in years or months.
i. Get the dust buster out! Let the pages start to flow again!
4. We need to clean the holy of holies and invite God to come back in and live.
a. This means it must be purified and made holy again.
i. Bleach it down people!
ii. Break out the dawn to get the grease off and cleanse the utensils needed for sacrifice – See the work of the new dawn break down the grimy grease!
b. The filth of the world needs cleaned out – we need to whitewash our inner chambers of our lives if we want to experience God’s fresh and new this year.
5. We need to remove anything that is un-holy – impure from the temple.
a. Scriptures on the must of purity:
i. Ephesians 5:3: “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints”
ii. Ephesians 5:5: “For be sure of this: no immoral, impure, or greedy person—for that one is [in effect] an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God [for such a person places a higher value on something other than God].”
iii. Romans 1:24: “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.”
iv. 1 Corinthians 6:18: “Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.”
v. Hebrews 13:4: “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”
vi. 2 Corinthians 7:1: “Therefore, dear friends, since we have such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every impurity of the flesh and spirit, completing our sanctification in the fear of God.”
vii. Romans 13:3: “Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.”
viii. Jude 1:7: “Just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the adjacent cities, since they in the same way as these angels indulged in gross immoral freedom and unnatural vice and sensual perversity. They are exhibited [in plain sight] as an example in undergoing the punishment of everlasting fire.”
ix. Revelation 22:15: “Outside are the dogs [the godless, the impure, those of low moral character] and the sorcerers [with their intoxicating drugs, and magic arts], and the immoral persons [the perverted, the molesters, and the adulterers], and the murderers, and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying (deception, cheating).”
1. Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Impurity
b. Things that are contaminated with sin and self are un-holy and impure and cannot be allowed to stay in the temple – or even allowed in the temple.
i. No more idols, no porn, no more evil thoughts and plans – no more embracing horror and fear – no lying, stealing, cheating or sexual immorality! No rejection of the truths of God and His Word.
6. We need to clean off the instruments of praise and worship and start playing them to the Lord again – like Hezekiah did.
a. We need to institute praise and worship times in our temple again.
i. This will encourage and revive our hearts.
ii. We need to do this daily not just weekly!
iii. We need to sing to the Lord – play to the Lord – dance before the Lord!
b. Some of you need to use the instruments God blessed you with for His service!
i. Musical Instruments
ii. Your voices
iii. Your gift of hospitality
iv. Your tech talents
c. It took 16 days to clean out the temple because of all the filth and years of neglect. But they did it and God showed up again. How about taking a 16 day challenge – to revive/renew your temple?
i. They worked hard at it, they got on their knees and scrubbed and they accomplished the deep cleaning task.
1. They purified the temple and restarted the worship of the Lord with sacrifices, offerings, worship and praise.
2. God prospered Hezekiah and the nation for their commitment to this renewal process!
T.S. - We can do this too – but you have to be willing to do the repairs and clean the house – the remodeling and cleaning of your spirit, soul and body! It’s your temple and you have to commit to getting it done – I believe you could see it down quicker than you think.
Power Point: 12 Summary of message
Conclusion:
What do we need to know from this message?
Answer: We need to learn from Hezekiah that we have to check out our temple and see it is in need of repair – does it need remodeled – does it need restored – then do the demo and do the building that needs done to restore it. We also need to clean out the temple – this takes us getting on our knees and scrubbing! But it can be done quicker than we think.
Why do we need to know this?
Answer: We need the encouragement to know that God can help us rejuvenate the temple and provide what is necessary to get it remodeled. We need to know he can provide the cleaning supplies needed to whitewash and disinfect our temples it just requires us getting on our knees and scrubbing and removing the debris out and burning it!
What do we need to do?
Answer: Simple – Restore the temple – do the demo and work – clean the temple!
Why do we need to do this?
Answer: If we do this, we too can restore our temples – we can re-connect again with the presence of God – we can be renewed in the body, mind, soul and spirit! We can see our church renewed – our school and community- renewed and it can even impact our country! So, let’s commit to a 16 day make over by the Holy Spirit!
Highlight Covenant contract and station where you can still do this – we are having a burnt offering ceremony this week so get it done!
