"the Big If"

“The Big If”

2nd Chronicles 7:11-16

Tomorrow we will celebrate the 246th anniversary of our great country. On July 4, 1776 we cut our ties with Great Britain and became an independent nation. 13 years later we selected our first president George Washington and we began to shape a nation founded on Christian principles. Great men like George Washington, John Jay our first chief justice, John Adams, Patrick Henry and later Ben Franklin were all known as men of God. America was by far a Christian nation; not perfect, but believers were placed in office to lead our nation. And that is God’s way. The selection of godly men and women to lead our country has always been God’s desire.

As we turn to the Bible, many men and women chose to take a stand for God; in many cases a stand that could cost them their life.

• Daniel refused to bow down to the authorities and stated clearly he would never bow down to anyone other than His Lord. Knowing he could cost him his life.

• Moses went to Pharaoh to demand the freedom of the Hebrew people.

• In the gospels we find the amazing story of a woman; no name given, we just know she was a widow and had very little authority in any matter. But she had one thing on her side, persistence! We don’t see a miracle — we just see a woman who just won’t give up. The judge finally says, “Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!” (Luke 18:4-5) The judge appears to be afraid of this woman.

World history is filled with men and women who have stood for Christ in difficult times and as a result our country has been blessed, especially when we choose to follow the biblical principles God has given to us. Now, fast forward to 2022. And ask the question, how far have we come? How are we doing as a nation? As a Christian nation, how far have we come? Nearly 3000 years ago the temple was dedicated. Scripture records that Solomon finished praying, fire flashed won from heaven, consumed the offering and the sacrifices and the presence of the Lord filled the temple. Because the presence of the Lord was so great, not even the priests were allowed to enter; instead God’s people fell to their faces and worshipped the Lord. God’s response to all of this is found in this passage----- 2nd Chronicles 7:11-16. Let’s turn our focus to verse 14. One of the most quoted verses in all of scripture. “if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”

There are over 7000 promises we find in the word of God. Some are conditional. Some are unconditional. For instance, Jesus said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Paul said that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.” These are unconditional promises. In other words there is nothing we need to do to receive them. They are promises based on God’s love for his people. At the same time there are also conditional promises to be fulfilled and they require us to meet certain conditions. For instance, Jesus said, “if any man will hear my voice and will open the door, I will come in.” The requirement/condition is simple. Open the door. Listen. Jesus said “ask and it will be given to you.” What’s the condition? Ask.

And that is the case with this passage today. It all begins with the word if. You may have said before that a certain situation you are in is a bit ‘iffy.’ Meaning I might get the job, I might not. If I ask her to marry me, she may say yes, she may not. There’s a big “if.” And there is a big if in this passage as well, but if God’s people meet his conditions there will be a huge result; a huge blessing for all of us. So, let’s look at verse 14, phrase by phrase. “If God’s people who are called by my name.” God’s people were first called Christians in the book of Acts in the city of Antioch. Acts 11:26. We only see this word 3 times in scripture; mostly we are known as believers. ? It started in the first century and has continued to this day. For over 2000 years. But along the way, we also began to identify someone not only by what we believe but also by how we behave. In other words, there are things a Christian should do and there are things a Christian should not do. Our behavior matters. Here is the first thing God says we must do to fulfill this promise: