"Church of Excellence: Prayer!"
2 Chron. 7:1-14
THE SINGLE GREATEST NEED IN OUR LAND TODAY IS HEAVEN SENT REVIVAL!
This is something we can do ourselves.
Programs don’t do it….preaching can’t do it…choirs…the type music can’t do it
ONLY GOD MOVING BY HIS HOLY SPIRIT CAN DO IT!
It’s because a sovereign God intervened in people’s lives
Church services will take on a new life….it won’t be like one man said "Start church at 11:00 sharp and end 12:00 dull."
Real revival is not built on emotions and sentimental thoughts or even eyes full to tears. That can all be brought up by emotionalism
THE WORD REVIVAL MEANS TO "LIVE AGAIN"…IT IS GOD’S PEOPLE COMING ALIVE AGAIN TO THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARD GOD…IT IS RETURNING TO A LIFE OF OBEDIENCE
There is a recipe for REVIVAL in the Bible, which we read this morning
This is part of Solomon’s dedication of the New Temple he has just completed for God
In the Chapter 6 there is Solomon’s prayer of dedication
When you read this prayer you’ll notice it has nothing to do with the temple, that is the building itself, but IT HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE PEOPLE OF GOD WHO WOULD COME AND PRAY IN THIS TEMPLE
Solomon knew that that God of Israel couldn’t be contained in a building…HE WAS MORE INTERESTED IN RESIDING IN THE PEOPLE’S HEARTS!
1Cor. 6:19-20 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
I. HOW WILL WE KNOW WHEN REVIVAL COMES TO OUR CHURCH?
A. WE’LL BEGIN TO SEE THE FIRE FALL!!! (
2Chr. 7:1 When Solomon finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.
We as the people of God are to offer our bodies/ourselves as living sacrifices to God…
Rom. 12:1-2 Therefore, 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. Do 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.
WHEN GOD THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT DESCENDS UPON US WITH AN OUTPOURING OF GOD’S GRACE…ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST THE FIRE FELL NOT ON THE ANIMALS IN THE TEMPLE…BUT ON THE BELIEVERS!!!
This is something only God can do!…AREN’T WE TIRED OF DEAD RELIGION?….DEAD PRAYING?….DEAD SINGING? AREN’T WE TIRED OF TRYING TO BE RELIGIOUS? WHERE’S THE FIRE?
ILLUS….There’s a product been out a few years now…it’s a video tape you can buy of a fireplace…just pop it in and you have an instant fireplace! PROBLEM IS IT’S NOT REAL…NO HEAT…
WE NEED THE REAL HEAT THAT COMES FROM THE FIRE OF GOD THAT CONSUMES THE SACRIFICES….WE ARE THE SACRIFICES!!!!!
Are we being consumed by God’s fire? God’s Anointing? WE ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD POINTING OTHERS TO JESUS…WITHOUT GOD’S FIRE, GOD’S LIGHT…WE DON’T DO MUCH SHINING.
B. When Revival comes we will witness the GLORY OF THE LORD
2Chr. 7:2 The priests could not enter the temple of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled it.
This wasn’t the first time this happened…other times the Shekinah Glory of God came down like this….When this happens everything else takes a back seat
What we once thought so important isn’t…OUR FOCUS WILL BE ON JESUS!
Eyes won’t be on the preacher
So much of what goes on will pale in comparison
C. Worship will be first priority
2Chr. 7:3 When all the Israelites saw the fire coming down and the glory of the LORD above the temple, they knelt on the pavement with their faces to the ground, and they worshiped and gave thanks to the LORD, saying, He is good; his love endures forever."
2Chr. 7:6 The priests took their positions, as did the Levites with the LORD’s musical instruments, which King David had made for praising the LORD and which were used when he gave thanks, saying, "His love endures forever." Opposite the Levites, the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing.
Praising God will take the place of much of what is currently at the center of our lives
We try and go to the Aldersgate meeting every year…one of the reasons is for the worship and praise time….
When the Spirit of God is moving so richly in a service of worship that he is tangible…Worship is easy
The singing has sometimes been well over an hour and it feels like just a few minutes have come and gone!
Why is it that worship so many times seems to be so heavy? Why is it that our hearts aren’t in it like they should be….where is the freedom and spontaneity and joy we read about in the Bible….
IT’S STILL AVAILABLE IF WE ALLOW GOD TO MOVE AND THROUGH US
THE FORM ISN’T AS IMPORTANT AS OUR HEARTS TUNED TO GODS…I’ve experienced God’s move in a high Church Catholic Mass and in a store front Pentecostal Church!
D. Another thing that always happens is giving is phenomenal….
The priest in the temple offered up 22,000 oxen, 120,000 sheep! WHERE DO YOU THINK THEY CAME FROM?
FROM THE PEOPLE OF GOD!!!!!
E. YOU’LL SEE ATTENDANCE PICK UP
Jesus said… John 12:32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
II. REVIVAL DOESN’T COME CHEAPLY…IT COMES WHEN…
A. THE PEOPLE OF GOD UNITE IN PRAYER
IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER THE PRAYER THAT THE FIRE FELL!
The early church experience Revival because they were constantly in prayer
WE CANNOT ESCAPE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PRAYER
Jer. 33:3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
B. PRAYER COUPLED WITH HUMILITY
There was nothing magical about Solomon’s prayer
We must come before God humbly… James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
C. PRAYER COUPLED WITH SEEKING GOD’S FACE
To seek God’s face means we abandon all self-seeking…we pray not to get God on our team…he’s already for us…but to get into God’s will
D. PRAYER COUPLED WITH REPENTANCE
Sin blocks our prayers….the trash has to hauled out of our lives so God can hear us.
II. WHAT ARE THE RESULTS OF REVIVAL?
A. GOD WILL HEAR US!…when the conditions are met God will hear from heaven
A great illustration of this is the church of Korea….PRAYER MT…largest 3 churches in the world are in Seoul….700,000; 500,000; 300,000 members
WHY….THEY ARE SERIOUS ABOUT PRAYER
B. GOD WILL FORGIVE US!
When God brings revival we will be more sensitive to sin in our lives
We will see more folks come to Jesus as they experience this forgiveness and see it in our lives
There will be an atmosphere of forgiveness rather than condemning and fault finding
The power of forgiveness will just explode and saturate the whole church
B. GOD WILL HEAL US…
We normally think of healing as being physical…and that is certainly part of this
But God here is saying he will heal our land….
Our churches….our marriages…the brokenhearted…the sin sick soul
WHEN REVIVAL COME TO A CHURCH IT DOESN’T STOP THERE. IT GOES HOME WITH FOLKS…IT GOES TO THE SCHOOLS, THE FACTORIES, THE BUSINESSES,
THE GREATEST NEED IN OUR LAND AND OUR CHURCH IS HEAVEN SENT…HOLY SPIRIT REVIVAL!!!
MAY GOD HELP US TO EARNESTLY PRAY, SEEKING GOD’S FACE FOR REVIVAL!!!!!!
