The Need For Revival

The Need for Revival

2 Chronicles 29-30

I am convinced that America needs revival now more than ever!

2 Chronicles 29:1-2 (NKJV)

1 Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. 2 And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.

If we are going to talk about revival, I can’t think of a better example than the one we find in chapters 29 and 30 of 2 Chronicles.

Hezekiah is a pastor’s dream when it comes to talking about revival. His story is one of the best examples I have found in all of Scripture.

And there is a need for revival in the church of Jesus Christ.

I’m not talking about the coat and tie slick talking evangelist who comes to town and gets everyone all whooped up then leaves after fleecing the flock of their money either.

And I’m not talking about the taking care of all the needs in order to put bodies in the seats either!

I am talking about the need for people’s lives to be changed and souls to be saved with the pure Word of God!

You and I need revival!

We need to turn our backs on feel good religion and get back to what’s important.

Will you be the one?

WILL YOU BE THE ONE WHO DOES WHATS RIGHT IN THE EYES OF THE LORD?

Hezekiah was the one who turned it around for Judah.

In order for revival to happen, it only takes one person in order for it to take off.

2 Chronicles 29:3-6 (NKJV)

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them: "Hear me, Levites! Now sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. 6 "For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the LORD our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the dwelling place of the LORD, and turned their backs on Him.

Hezekiah was a whole lot better than the king who was before him.

His father King Ahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord and basically made a mockery of the Lord’s temple.

And Israel paid the price for his idolatry.

He was responsible for leading an entire country down the wrong path. (Much like a certain president is doing now.)

Hezekiah wasn’t like his father.

He knew what needed to be done in order for the bleeding to stop.

Hezekiah knew that a knife wound wasn’t going to be healed with a band aid and a kiss on the forehead.

Hezekiah knew that the only way to get Judah right again was to make things right with the LORD.

Israel under poor leadership had turned its back on the Lord and paid a steep price for its disobedience and idolatry.

The house of worship had to be made clean again.

He called upon the Levites, who were responsible for the temple to get themselves consecrated to the Lord.

In other words, they needed to set themselves apart for service to the Lord and put their focus on Him only.

Once that was done, Hezekiah told them that they needed to take out the trash in the temple.

Apparently Ahaz had really trashed the temple and used it for junk storage.

The temple, just like any other building will be in need of repairs if it’s neglected.

Hezekiah recognized something some 700 years before Christ that we need to recognize today.

In order for Revival to come,

1st point

I. We must clean up the temple of the Lord.

Some of you may be thinking “well the church looks pretty clean to me.”

And for all intents and purposes, I would have to agree with you.

The cleanliness of this building is one of many things that Cheri and I found so attractive when we first came here.

But I’m not talking about the building.

1 Corinthians 6:19 says:

19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

We are all temples of the Holy Spirit and we could all use some house cleaning!

If you are holding anger and hatred in your heart, you need a spiritual house cleaning

If you are putting anything of the world ahead of your relationship with the Lord, you need a spiritual house cleaning