As we enter late winter and early spring, many assemblies are preparing for their ‘Gospel Meeting’; as some may say, ‘Revival’. Advertisements for their dates, time and place are sent out.
From past knowledge, how successful were these meetings? Some people come away saying their meeting did not seem too successful this year. Others question why bother holding meetings except for tradition. It seems no one, except the expected few, attends. Very few visitors attend except members of sister congregations. Why is this the apparent case?
Judah had done evil in the sight of God. Her king had caused the people to turn from worshipping their God. Attendance in assemblies perhaps had fallen off so bad the doors of the temple had been shut. The temple had come under disrepair.
Could we make an analogy of this in comparing assemblies today? Even though people still appear around a building each week, is the “building” in disrepair? I am using this term in the sense of the members being the “building” of the Lord. Is the Church of our Lord in disrepair?
Revivals or Gospel Meetings are to restore the “building” to the glory of God. It is to revive the zeal of the Church–its members–to do the work assigned to them in the Kingdom of God. The Church is to be the shining light unto the dark world. Society is becoming darker with sin because its leaders are shielding the Gospel from it; it is shutting the doors of the temple and bringing it into disrepair. This is what Ahaz, king of Judah had caused. Judah, the children of God had turned from God and had followed their king to do evil before God.
2 Chronicles 28:1-4. 28 Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father: 2 For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. 3 Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. 4 He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
Why was the leadership weak? Why did they turn from righteousness? They wanted to do as others they saw about them doing. They were caught up in the feeling of acceptance and belonging with their neighbors. Ahaz felt he needed protection from the nations around him he could appease. He forgot God. His leadership caused Judah to sin.
Why are revivals not reviving the Church? All too often its leadership is in fellowship with the world; but they attend assembly each week, therefore, they, in their own eyes, are not unrighteous and disobedient. Perhaps their doors are closed and their “building” is in disrepair.
What should a Gospel Meeting or Revival begin with? What should it teach?
2 Chronicles 29:1-8. 29 Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. 3 He in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord, and repaired them. 4 And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street, 5 And said unto them, Hear me, ye Levites, sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. 6 For our fathers have trespassed, and done that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord our God, and have forsaken him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord, and turned their backs. 7 Also they have shut up the doors of the porch, and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel. 8 Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and he hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.
Hezekiah began with cleansing the House of God. He commanded the Levites to first sanctify themselves to carry out the work which needed to be done–carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.
Before a Gospel Meeting can become a success the congregation must sanctify itself and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place. The members are the holy place. How do we begin to accomplish this? How can we reignite the lamps of God’s church for a dark world, along with former obedient believers to see?
Hezekiah continued his speech to the Levites and said, 2 Chronicles 29:10-14. 10 Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that his fierce wrath may turn away from us. 11 My sons, be not now negligent: for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him, to serve him, and that ye should minister unto him, and burn incense. 12 Then the Levites arose, (listed are all their names through verse 14)
The directive had been reestablished by a righteous leader over the people; you, the appointed leaders of God’s children, shall serve before God and burn incense–offer the scent of righteousness before God and the people. This is not a literal burning of incense in this analogy but our spirit, from our heart, wholly offering righteousness unto our Lord. What else must we do?
2 Chronicles 29:15-19. 15 And they gathered their brethren, and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king, by the words of the Lord, to cleanse the house of the Lord. 16 And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the Lord, to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the Lord into the court of the house of the Lord. And the Levites took it, to carry it out abroad into the brook Kidron. 17 Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the Lord: so they sanctified the house of the Lord in eight days; and in the sixteenth day of the first month they made an end. 18 Then they went in to Hezekiah the king, and said, We have cleansed all the house of the Lord, and the altar of burnt offering, with all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread table, with all the vessels thereof. 19 Moreover all the vessels, which king Ahaz in his reign did cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified, and, behold, they are before the altar of the Lord.
These leaders, with their brethren, sanctified themselves–they set themselves apart for the work of God in the job assigned to do. (carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place) To fully sanctify themselves, they needed to cleanse themselves from all iniquity and prepare for the duties assigned.
2 Chronicles 29:20-24. 20 Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the Lord. 21 And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven he goats, for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the priests the sons of Aaron to offer them on the altar of the Lord. 22 So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood, and sprinkled it on the altar: likewise, when they had killed the rams, they sprinkled the blood upon the altar: they killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. 23 And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them: 24 And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar, to make an atonement for all Israel: for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.
Sacrifices, offerings worthy of requesting God’s attention to the desire for repentance, sacrifices of God’s declared method for forgiveness, were offered. When we request forgiveness, we must make our request in the proper manner which God will accept; no other manner is acceptable. It must come from a sincere heart, sometimes with weeping and tears. It must come forth with repentance; vowing to never violate this statute again. And, it must come with a sacrifice or payment for the violation or harm it has done to the church.
Notice the example of old. Verse 21 says they brought their sacrifices for a sin offering for the kingdom, and for the sanctuary, and for Judah.
When we sin, we not only sin against God, we sin against ourselves, our neighbor, our congregation and our country. Sacrifices are required to redeem the injured. Our sacrifices will make reconciliation and atonement for the kingdom.
2 Chronicles 29:25-31. 25 And he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet: for so was the commandment of the Lord by his prophets. 26 And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. 27 And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the Lord began also with the trumpets, and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel. 28 And all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang, and the trumpeters sounded: and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished. 29 And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all that were present with him bowed themselves, and worshipped. 30 Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the Lord with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshipped. 31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the Lord, come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord. And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings; and as many as were of a free heart burnt offerings.
Singing and rejoicing is a sound of praise unto the God who can remove our iniquities. It can soothe the ‘savage beast’, as a saying goes. Even the wicked shall hear and see the praise unto God and perhaps repent. At the time of a precious soul returning to their God, all the righteous should rejoice and break out in singing praise for the lost sinner who has returned unto their God. (Luke 15:4-7)
A Gospel Meeting or Revival should first be preceded with the assembly consecrating itself before God. Every effort must be made to remove all filthiness from the congregation. The sound of rejoicing must be heard from the hills all around. Then may we come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord. (vs. 31)
2 Chronicles 29:32-36. 32 And the number of the burnt offerings, which the congregation brought, was threescore and ten bullocks, an hundred rams, and two hundred lambs: all these were for a burnt offering to the Lord. 33 And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep. 34 But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings: wherefore their brethren the Levites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the other priests had sanctified themselves: for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests. 35 And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the Lord was set in order. 36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.
The sacrifices brought were too many and more Levites were needed to handle them. Others came and sanctified themselves to the task of spreading the Gospel to the nation. The proper service of the house of the Lord was set in order. (vs. 35) Now a proper Gospel Meeting or Revival can be assembled.
Should a Gospel Meeting or Revival be a soapbox meeting where a preacher can launder their disdain or should it begin with the congregation carry[ing] forth the filthiness out of the holy place, sacrificing from their own gifts richly to God, and setting the house of the Lord in order?
Once a congregation is set in the order God ordained, preaching and teaching of the Gospel of Christ should be made which will prick the hearts of the unbeliever and unrighteous, strengthening the whole nation or kingdom. This is a proper Gospel Meeting or Revival atmosphere. God, with all glory and praise unto our Creator, is the manner of which shall bring lost souls unto the kingdom. In this, the house is set in order and all filthiness is removed. Great success will be observed in heaven and on earth.
Do you want a revival to take place in this country for Christ? Begin with the example of Hezekiah and Judah from long ago. Revive a people for the Lord.
