Revival God's Way: Part 2

What I would like to do today is finish the message I did not finish a couple of weeks back before Easter Sunday.

I would like to return to this wonderful text from 2

Chronicles chapter 7. We're going to be reading only two verses, two verses of Scripture.

This is Revival of God's Way. This is the second part, the conclusion of this message.

I'm praying it's the conclusion. I'm going to do my best to get everything in. So this section is almost all unique to 2

Chronicles as you turn in there, it actually features the conditions for national forgiveness of Israel's sins,

God's remedy, God's word, God's conditions for revival.

Israel, hear the word of the living God. Verse 13, if I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land or if I send pestilence among my people.

Verse 14, if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will

I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

May God bless the reading of his word that is all sufficient to our hearts this morning.

Let's seek the Lord's face and pray. Our Father in heaven, we do thank you for your holy word.

It is as eternal as you are. Father, this is the all holy, sufficient, inerrant word of God.

May we be trembling before it this morning. May we be bowing to it and receiving it gladly as the

Christians at Thessalonica did. Father, may we receive it by faith, for it is not the word of mortal men.

This is your word from heaven. This is your mind. This is your voice speaking to us.

And Father, we pray that you would give us ears to hear this morning what your holy spirit is saying to the church.

Father, help us not to be dull of hearing and Lord, I pray that you would give us eyes to see only one this morning and it is the one that John the

Baptist pointed to and he said, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Father, we thank you for your word. And Father, our utmost desire this morning is to give you all the glory.

And Lord, we would pray only you could do this. Only you could send us a revival.

Only Lord, you can intervene. But Father, there are conditions that we must meet.

And Father, I pray that you would help us meet these conditions as you have given us the instructions, the road map to do exactly what you have commanded us to do.

So Father, once again, quicken us according to your word, by the power of your holy spirit we pray in Jesus' name,

Amen. I would like to begin by saying the key to understanding any verse of scripture, as you well know, is the context.

And I was taught this in seminary and it is so true. Context is king when it comes to interpretation and interpreting verses of scripture.

There is the immediate context, the verses before and after it, as well as the larger context of scripture.

And how the verse was understood by the original audience in light of their history and culture as well.

Because context is so critical and so important, a verse whose meaning and application seems straightforward when quoted in isolation may mean something significantly different when it is taken in context.

We looked at this part, and looking at the overall picture of what happens from verse 13 and 14 in part 1,

Revival God's Way, like I said a couple weeks ago, and when we looked at the verse, and the verses,

I should say the chapter, chapter 6 of 2

Chronicles, Solomon addresses the people of Israel and there is an awesome prayer that was made by Solomon and in the temple, and how

God's glory came down from heaven and filled the temple. There was the sacrifice and then we saw that there was the celebrations.

And now, as we approach this awesome verse of scripture, after Solomon dedicates the temple, we read that the

Lord appeared to him and gave him some warnings and some reassurances in his word.

If you look at verse 12, it says this, and I am reading from the Old King James Authorized Version this morning, and the

Lord appeared to Solomon by night and he said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and I have chosen this place to myself for a house of sacrifice.

And then we come up to verse 13 and 14 as I just read. Now the immediate context of verse 14 shows that this verse is tied up with Israel and the temple and the fact that from the time to time,

God might send judgment upon the land in the form of a drought, or even sending the locusts, and even sending pestilence.

That is judgment. Then a few verses later, in verse 19 through 22, notice verse 19 through 22, but if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments which

I have set before you, you shall go and serve other gods and worship them. God gives them another warning, then

I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them, and in this house which

I have sanctified for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

And God says, and this house which is high shall be an astonishment to everyone that passeth by it, so that he shall say, why hath the

Lord done thus unto this land and unto this house? In verse 22,

God says, and it shall be answered, because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them, therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.

Now by reading all this, we can understand what is God meaning by verse 13 and 14.

Now as it goes, there's very, very important words here.

No doubt Solomon would have recognized this warning, and what he does, he is given account of, he's reiterating

Deuteronomy chapter 28. Now we don't have time to read the whole chapter

Deuteronomy 28, but let me kind of just tie this in real quick. This is what

I believe Solomon is reiterating here, and God speaks to him, but he would account of this,

God had entered into a covenant with Israel and promised to take care of them and cause them to prosper as long as they obeyed

God. He also promised to bring curses upon them if they failed to obey him.

Now because of the covenant relationship, there was a direct correspondence between their obedience and their prosperity, and their disobedience and their hardships.

This is very important. You see, Deuteronomy 28 basically spells out for us the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience.

You see this in this whole chapter 28 of Deuteronomy. In your devotional time, please read it.

It's very critical to understanding this text and this context. Again, divine blessing and divine punishment on Israel were conditional on their obedience or disobedience.

For example, we see this blessing and cursing under the law played out in the book of Judges.

If you read the book of Judges time and time again, especially chapter 2, it is often referred to as the cycle of the

Judges. There's a cycle. Israel would fall into sin and disobedience, and God would send another nation to judge them.

Israel would repent. They would return back to the Lord, call upon the name of God.

The Lord would raise up another, a judge, a leader for Israel to deliver them.

Time and time again, we see this. We see Deborah, and God used

Deborah at that time period, probably because there was such a decline in the nation that there were no men to come to the forefront and be the leader.

Then you see Samson, then you see Gideon. You see all these judges that God raised up.

God always raised up a leader. Israel would serve the

Lord for a while, and then fall right back into sin again. This was the vicious cycle, and the cycle would continue.

So when we read 2 Chronicles 7, the Lord simply reminds Solomon of the previous covenant agreement.

Basically, if they disobeyed, they would be judged. That simple. God is always right to the point.

The judgment is meant to bring Israel to repentance. That's the purpose of the judgment, is to bring them to repentance.

To humble the land, to humble the people, to harden hearts.

God knew exactly what he was doing. God assures Solomon here, and remember this is conditional, if they will humble themselves and pray and seek my face, then, there's the condition, then

God said he would hear from heaven. If they repented, he would hear from heaven and heal their land by forgiveness and divine restoration would take place and God would deliver them from judgment.

Now those were the great conditions that God set forth before King Solomon. Now in this context, in verse 14, we see it's a promise to ancient

Israel. Now let me say this, and perhaps even modern day Israel as well.

Now if they will repent and return to the Lord, he will receive them.

But let me set a question before you, and I don't know if you've ever thought of it this way, but the question is this.

Does this verse, verse 14, 2 Chronicles chapter 7, apply to the

United States of America? Now I want you to think of this, because there are many, many

Christians and I've heard this since I was a young man and this has been going on for a long, long time.

Many Christians in our land have, in the United States I say, have taken this verse as a rallying cry for America.

Now in this interpretation of the verse that we have before us, if Christians, those are the ones that are called by God's name, the

Christians, will humble themselves and seek God's face and repent, then God will heal their land.

Would there be a national revival? Would it be often they would be thinking on a moral and a political level and bring healing to America in view as well as an economic healing?

People seem to be very concerned about what's going on among our governors and the

White House and the people that are voted in there, but as the nation goes, beloved, as should

I say, let me back up a little bit, as the family goes, so goes the nation. The problem is the family is torn down in our nation and one of the reasons why the family is torn down and broken and the nation is broken because the family is broken and it's obvious that God's people need to be broken because of this.

So the question is whether or not, or not I should say, is this a proper interpretation to apply to this text that America is here?

Let me answer this question by this, and I'll let you basically weigh it out.

The first problem that we see in this modern day culture of ours, our postmodern culture, we've been westernized, we've been westernized.

Interpretation encounters, the United States does not have the same covenant relationship with God that ancient

Israel enjoyed. There's a completely different relationship that America has that Israel has.

God has a very unique relationship with Israel.

It is a covenant relationship. It's unique and it's exclusive that America does not have.

The covenant with Israel was unique and the terms that applied to Israel simply did not apply to any other nation.

I'm saying that first and I've got another point to bring. So in that, saying that, it is improper for these terms to be co -opt and applied to a different nation.

So when 2 Chronicles 7 .14 is applied to Christians in the United States, or any other modern nation

I should say, it is usually with the misunderstanding that the Christians in the nation, the true believers in Jesus Christ who have been born again by the

Spirit of God, will comprise the righteous rendement. God has always had a rendement, no matter where you go, in what nation,

God has a people and that is His people. That is the elect of God. That is the holy rendement.

I don't know about you, that encourages me because God always has a people that the righteous, they are the righteous in Jesus Christ that are the light of the world and the salt of the earth to hold, actually it is because of them that things are not worse than they are.

So God really never promised, now I want you to get me here, God never promised that if a righteous rendement repents and prays for their nation that the whole nation will be saved.

You know I like what John MacArthur says, he said, you don't hear of Christian nations in the Bible. There are individuals,

Christians are the individuals, not the nation. So to say that this nation is

Christian is far from the truth. Now does America need to repent, absolutely they need to repent, but look at the sins that this nation is engulfed in and believe me, it is before God and God has brought judgment.

Judgment is here beloved. Now, this is one of the reasons why we are on this text, is because we as God's people long to see and have revival, but doesn't revival first begin with us?

It must begin with God's people. So perhaps if a national repentance did occur then

God would spare the modern nation as He spared Nineveh, but actually in the preaching of Jonah in chapter 3, but that is really a different issue.

Now having said that, I believe it is never wrong to seek the

Lord and to confess our sins before God and to pray more earnestly than ever before and God has definitely got our attention by sending all this among us, pestilence and evil.

It's just not the pestilence, brothers and sisters in Christ, we are living in Romans chapter 1,

God has abandoned this nation. Now that may sound very doom and gloom, but it's the truth, read

Romans 1, we're there. And in fact, as a born again

Christian, it is our duty before God and for men as born again believers to continuously confess and to intercede and to forsake our sins and to pray and to intercede for the nation and those who are in authority.

It may be that God in His grace will once again have mercy on us in Jesus Christ, but in order for the

United States to truly be blessed, as everybody says, God bless America, God's not going to,

He turns a deaf ear to that. Not until America repents, but we know that the whole nation is not going to repent, that's just the way the word is and that's the way the truth is.

But can we have people come to Jesus Christ in these times, absolutely. There must be a forsaking of sin, a turning back to God, in Psalms 9, 17 and 18, listen to this, this is an extremely powerful verse, the wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget

God. You can bank on that, nations that forget God will be turned into hell.

And then God says this, and He doesn't just leave it there, there's a hope that He gives, for the needy shall not always be forgotten.

Who are the needy? That's the poor in spirit. Listen to this, the needy shall not always be forgotten, but the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

Then He prays, arise O Lord, let not man prevail, and then

He says, let the heathen be judged in thy sight. And then He says this wonderful prayer, put them in fear

O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men, Selah.

It means meditate on it, ponder what He just said. Now back to our text, the conditions that God gives for revival is actually given to us right here.

And I'm going to try to hit four points as fast as I can, but first of all you have a rebellion, second there is a restitution, third there's a repentance, and fourth there is restoration.

You have those four, keep those four before you. There's rebellion, restitution, repentance, and restoration in our text.

Let's look at the rebellion. First of all, there's a rebellion. What is rebellion?

I'm not going to give you Webster's dictionary definition on it, I'm going to give you the word of God's definition.

In 1 Samuel chapter 15, if you go with me very quickly to 1 Samuel 15, it says this in the word of God, 1

Samuel 15, look at verse 22 -23. This is a very familiar story with those who are studied in the word of God, and the word of God says this, and Samuel said, he's speaking to Israel, King Saul, specifically

King Saul here, hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the

Lord? Then he says this, behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fad of rams.

And then in verse 23, God gives us the definition for rebellion. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, or divination.

It's demonic. And then he says this, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

And then he says this, because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, speaking to King Saul, he hath also rejected thee for being king.

Now I want you to think of this, again God set forth conditions of blessings that would be for the nation, and also he said it before King Saul, and King Saul failed.

Those conditions were given in chapter 12. Turn back with me to chapter 12, to 1

Samuel, and please look at these verses, verse 13 -15.

This is very, very important to understand the conditions that God sets before Saul.

He says this, now therefore, verse 13, behold the king whom you have chosen.

Now he's basically speaking to Israel, and they said, you know Israel wanted a king, right, like everybody else.

So they wanted to be like everybody else, like the world, so God gives them what they want. And he says this, whom you have desired,

God says you have desired this, I'm going to give it to you. Behold the Lord has set a king over you.

And then he says, now keep in mind, this is what they wanted. So God gave them what they wanted.

Then verse 14 says, here's the condition, and he says this, of the conditions of blessing, if you will fear the

Lord, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the

Lord, then, did you see that? If then, if then, then you shall, both ye and also the king that reigneth over you, continue following the

Lord your God. It didn't happen that way, right? But notice in verse 15, but if you will not obey the voice of the

Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you, as it was against your fathers.

So that's the conditions that was set before Israel and the king, and king Saul. And Saul failed in that, we know the story, right?

He failed in obeying the voice of God. His rebellion and his stubbornness of heart was the reason why he disobeyed

God's voice. And at the root of that rebellion, beloved, was his pride. His pride was the root of his rebellion.

Because, why? Because he wanted to capture King Agag for himself to be a trophy so that he can display him before Israel and all other nations in order that he may see how, that they may see how great and powerful he was.

So, in other words, he wanted the glory. He wanted the preeminence.

So he was taking that from God. So at the heart of his rebellion and not obeying the voice of the

Lord was his pride. You see, for this reason of his pride and rebellion,

God removed him as a king. God says, I've rejected you because you've rejected me.

The conditions, the conditions. And God rejected him. He disqualified him.

He said, you've been removed. And he was speaking through the prophet Samuel. Now, this is a universal principle, and let me bring this out very quickly, that is given here that those who continually reject

God will one day be rejected by him. You see this all the way through scripture. God offers it.

He gives the blessing, but we always must come God's way. You see, that was the problem with Cain.

Cain wanted to offer his sacrifices before God. He wanted to bring, hell, he gave sacrifices, but he didn't give the sacrifice

God wanted. He wanted to give the kind of sacrifice he wanted. So he brought produce and grain and vegetables.

And he brings that. And I got into a debate one time about this, and he basically told, this was a

Baptist Sunday school teacher teaching people in a church. He says, well, it really wasn't the sacrifice that was the problem.

I said, oh, brother, I said, I totally disagree with you that right there, because God required and commanded a sacrifice of blood, and it's always been so.

But you see, the sins of Saul caused God to immediately dispose

Saul and his descendants forever from the throne of Israel.

This is serious. Now listen carefully. After Samuel the prophet told

Saul in verse 24 of chapter 15, he said this. Now I want you to get this.

Then Saul said to Samuel, I have sinned. I have transgressed the commandment of the

Lord and your words. Now it sounds like he's being very sincere. He was sincere, but let me tell you something.

His motive was wrong. How do we know this? Now he says, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

Now he's confessing this. It's interesting that King Saul confessed his sin, but confession doesn't mean that he was really repentant.

His confession was overdue, long overdue. So he confessed.

He was sincere, but he was sincerely wrong, beloved. How do we know this? It appears to be generated more by a concern over the consequences.

He was caught. He was more interested in himself than what God was interested in.

In other words, the regret. Don't you know people like this? They get caught, their hand is caught in the cookie jar and you catch them in their sin and they say, oh,

I'm so sorry. I have sinned. But they're more sorry because of their own self -centered ways.

They really are not sorry that they obeyed and hurt the holiness of God and their heart of God.

They disobeyed. So the sorrow that Saul had was really what

Paul would say worldly sorrow, not godly sorrow that leads to repentance.

So Saul's repentance was not genuine because he had worldly sorrow, not godly sorrow.

Now let's look at another example who had godly sorrow, King David. We know that King David sinned against the

Lord, didn't he? He committed adultery. He committed murder. He killed Uriah, Bathsheba's husband.

He committed adultery with her. He took her. Nathan the prophet came to him and spoke the parable of the ewe lamb and he pointed out his sin.

And what did Nathan say? Thou art the man. After he brought him into a parable and a story and he knew exactly what he was doing because David was a shepherd and he spoke of an ewe lamb.

Now we know that David confessed and he says, I have sinned. But can

I say this? He lamented. He was sorry that he hurt the heart of God.

You see, we read this in Psalm 51 that David understood true repentance. Psalm 51 for, he says this, against thee and thee only have

I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest.

What's David saying? In other words, David's saying he deserves justice. He deserves to be punished because he hurt the heart of God.

You see, God is a just judge and David cries out for mercy.

God have mercy upon me according to your loving kindness, your tender mercies, have mercy.

And then notice in Psalm 51, 16 and 17, he says this, for thou desirest not sacrifice.

The complete opposite of Saul, a complete different heart.

Here's the man after God's own heart. He says, else what I would give it. Then he says, thou delightest not in burnt offering, but the sacrifices of God or a broken spirit and a broken and contrite heart,

O God, thou will not despise. You see, a complete total difference than Saul's fake repentance.

Saul rebelled, Israel rebelled. Well, we have rebellion and a stubbornness and a haughtiness, pride and vanity.

But next we see in 2 Chronicles 7, 14 that God calls for restitution, restitution.

You see, look at verse 14, if the condition, if my people, that's the blessing, the condition of blessing.

If my people, which are called by not my name, then, then, later on he says, there was obedience on the part of the nation of Israel.

The kingdom would be established and they would have a man as a ruler, but their disobedience was legendary, right?

And so was the destruction of the kingdom and at their dispersion.

You see, that's why, that's what happened eventually. But the conditions that God sets forth is restitution.

If my people, Israel, or God's people, as you could bring it right down to where we are today, is called by my name, by God's name, the name of God.

It's about his reputation. It's about his character. And you know, we need to keep that in mind.

We bear the uniform, don't we? We bear the name of Jesus Christ. And Paul even says, if you're in sin, he said, let all that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

We always need to remember that we represent the most holy in heaven.

Hallowed be thy name, Jesus said. Well, true Christians are the my people, the elect of God, which are called by his name.

You know, God expects that if his people who are called by his name, if they have dishonored his holy name, profaned his holy name, blasphemed his holy name by their iniquity,

God's people are now to honor God's name, accepting the punishment of their iniquity, and they are commanded to repent.

You see, this is the first step to healing and forgiveness. You know, everybody wants healing and forgiveness and restoration, but they don't want to go through the process the way

God says. It comes, restitution comes by repentance. Transgressions against the

Lord is blotted out by, first of all, doing exactly what God has told us to do.

We first of all must realize that we have sinned against a holy God. You know, that's people's problem, isn't it?

They don't recognize their sin, realizing and recognizing how sinful we are before God.

And that's the purpose of the law of God, isn't it? And the law of God is another way of, that God has revealed himself in his holiness, his character.

He exposes our sin. He shows us our sin and how desperately wicked our heart is, so that we would go to Calvary's cross and be washed in the blood of Jesus Christ.

That's the purpose of it. You know, you don't hardly hear anything about this today because the pulpit has softened their voice and compromised and have not preached the law of God.

They preach so much on the love of God that people have become so watered down that they think that the love of God, and like I said about context earlier, they have misinterpreted the love of God.

God's love is hatred towards sin. God's love is him pointing out the sin in our hearts.

That's God's love. You know, a lot of people say, what are you talking about, Pastor? That's foreign to me. Well, yeah, it's foreign to you.

You never hear it. But you know something? That's exactly what Jesus preached. He said, repent and believe the gospel.

What about John the Baptist? Turn with me real quickly to Luke chapter 3.

I'm going to try to hit this real, very fast. But I want you to notice, and you know,

God basically is saying this is what we are to do. What shall we do? Well, did you know that's not the first time that people have said, what shall we do?

You know, you think of this, and you know that's strong preaching. That's when the Holy Spirit has taken his word and has taken it, driven it to the hearts of God's people and the people there.

But notice in chapter 3, look at verse 7. John the

Baptist is God's man. He's a man sent from God. He's the forerunner of Jesus Christ.

Now everybody was basically saying then, maybe he's the Christ, and so he was such a powerful preacher.

But he did not hold back, beloved. Verse 7, then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him.

And now listen to this, old generation of vipers. He called them snakes.

Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? When's the last time you hear a preacher say something like that?

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance. See what he's preaching? Repentance.

And begin not to say within yourselves, we have Abraham to our father, or say unto you that God is able.

And then he says, for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto

Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

And now notice how the people responded, and the people asked, saying, what shall we do then? Wow. There's the question.

Notice what he says. He gets very specific about repentance here. He answered and saith unto them, he that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none.

And he that hath meat, let him do likewise. Notice this.

Now that was the people that came to him. And then, after that, in verse 12, then also came the publicans to be baptized unto him.

And they said unto him, Master, what shall we do? Boy, wouldn't you love if people come to you and ask you, what shall we do?

Well John tells them what to do. And he said unto them, exact no more than which is appointed.

Basically be content. Don't overdo it. And then he says, in verse 14, the soldiers likewise.

Now the soldiers come, demanded of him, saying, what shall we do? All these people coming to him, what shall we do?

And he said to them, do violence to no man, neither accusing any falsely, and be content with your wages.

You see, he basically told them exactly what they need to do, and they were asking and replying to what he preached.

He preached repentance, and he was talking about bring forth, therefore, fruits worthy of repentance.

That's the fruits of repentance. He basically told them, these are the fruits of repentance.

Well, what shall we do? That's the question. What shall we do? Well, if you go back to 2

Chronicles, now you know where I'm going, right? My people which are called by my name, what's the first thing he says?

Shall humble themselves. Shall humble themselves. Let's look at this real quick. This is, in order for restitution to take place, we must humble themselves.

I want to give you some scriptures. Job 511, to set up on high those that be low, that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

Job 22, 29, when men are cast down, then thou shalt say, there is lifting up, and he shall save the humble person.

Job 25, 5 and 6, behold, even the moon, and it shineth not, yea, the stars are not pure in his sight.

How much less man that is a worm, and the son of man which is a worm.

Psalm 9, 12, he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

Psalm 10, 17, Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart, and thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.

Isn't that beautiful? God causes it to happen. See it's

God that does this. See, Psalm 22, 6, again, this is the psalmist.

Not only Job spoke about being a worm, the psalmist talked about being a worm.

This is a humble person. But I am a worm, and no man, a reproach of men, and despised of people.

Verse 26, the meek shall eat and be satisfied. Psalm 25, 9, the meek he guides in judgment, and the meek he will teach his way.

Psalm 37, 11, the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

You see, Jesus said the same thing, didn't he? He's echoing what is said in the psalm.

Jesus constantly read the scriptures. Even though he was the living word, he went to the written word, because it was the word of God.

Psalm 69, 32, the humble shall see this and be glad, and your heart shall live that seek

God. Psalm 86, 1, bow down thy ear,

O Lord, hear me, for I am poor and needy. See, that's the cry of the humble person.

You know, I remember when I was in seminary, I spoke about these verses about the worm, that we are like a worm.

He said, so you believe in worm theology, huh? I said, yes sir, I sure do.

And I almost want to say, sir, do you have a problem with it? If I had to do it again,

I would, but it sounds like he didn't like it. But yeah, I believe in worm theology because that's what we are before God.

We're nothing. God's everything. Now listen to the verses of scripture.

Psalm 138, 6, though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly.

Psalm 147, 6, the Lord lifted up the meek. Psalm 149, 4, the

Lord, he will beautify the meek with salvation. Proverbs 11, 2, with the lowly is wisdom.

Proverbs 15, 33, before honor is humility. Proverbs 22, 4, by humility and the fear of the

Lord are riches and honor in life. Listen to Isaiah the prophet, 57, 15.

This is God speaking through the prophet. And I think this is pretty important. I would dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and a humble spirit and to revive the spirit of the contrite ones.

You know what contrite means? To be broken. To be broken before God. God promises to revive the spirit of those that are broken before him.

Isaiah 66, 2, listen to what he says. To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and tremble it at my word.

Micah 6, 8, what doeth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy

God? Jesus our Lord, the most humblest man, the most meekest man that ever walked this earth,

God in the flesh said blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.

And Jesus in his perfect person was characterized by his perfect meekness. He even came into this world in a lowly manger, born in a feeding trough.

All the way to the cross he who was rich became poor that we who are poor might become rich in him.

You see Matthew 29, 11, 29 speaks of Jesus. He gave the invitation, he said this, take my yoke upon you and what did he say, learn of me.

And what does he say about himself, listen real carefully here, yeah come on, I am meek and lowly in heart.

If we want to be like Jesus we got to be meek and lowly and then he says you are going to find rest for your souls when you come unto him and humble ourselves before his mighty hand.

Matthew 23, 12 and I am only touching a few verses, there were so many verses on humility it just staggers the imagination.

Matthew 23, 12, whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Luke 18, 13, the publican standing afar off would not even lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven.

He smote upon his breast and he said God be merciful to me a sinner.

You see Jesus basically said this, I tell you this, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other that was lifting himself up and bragging that he gives more tithes and more prayers than this publican.

But Jesus said for everyone that exalts himself shall be abased and he that humbles himself shall be exalted.

You see restitution belongs to people who humble themselves before the mighty hand of God.

We saw that in James, James speaks humble yourself before God, Peter said humble yourself before God, Solomon says humble yourself before God, all the great prophets and the prophets and the apostles and even

Jesus himself taught humility. J .C. Rowell said this is the crowning virtue of the

Christian life is humility. Now next we don't only see, first that's the first step, we must humble ourselves.

That leads us to praying, if my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and what does he say next?

And pray. God's people has got to pray. Acts 9 -11, after this and he's speaking about Ananias, Jesus is saying, and this was after the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, Jesus goes to Ananias and he's praying by the way and then this is what he says, and the

Lord said unto Ananias, arise and go into the street which is called straight and inquire in the house of Judas for the one called

Saul of Tarsus. He was a new convert at this time. And what does he say, for behold, he prayeth.

You know, that's like a newborn cry of a baby into this world when we're born again into the kingdom of God.

Behold he prays. That's the language of the saint, beloved, is he prays.

All the way, you know, there's so many verses on this I don't have time to hit it but read it all the way from Genesis to Revelation.

Who's the kind of people that God uses? The humble and those who pray.

Those who pray. Now listen to this, God's people must take time to pray.

I've quoted this before, I'm going to say it again, S .D. Gordon said it best, the greatest thing anyone can do for God and for man is to pray.

It is not the only thing but it's the chief thing. The great people of the earth are the people who pray and I do not mean those who talk about prayer nor those who say they believe in prayer nor yet those who can explain about prayer but I mean those people who take the time to pray.

Ravenhill said this, the secret of praying is praying in secret. You see, we got to take time to pray.

We humble ourselves, we pray. If we want revival, it must begin with us and we must seek

God's face and that's where we're going next. Humble ourselves, pray.

Now when we pray, what is the thrust? Seek my face.

God says seek my face. What about the scriptures on this? Oh beloved, there's thousands of scriptures about seeking

God's face. Let me just give you a few. Psalm 24 6, this is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, oh

Jacob, Selah. And then after that it says lift up your heads, oh ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors and the king of glory shall come in.

Who is the king of glory? The Lord strong and mighty in battle. The Lord mighty in battle.

He is the king of glory. You know, the missionary Hudson Taylor said this about prayer.

I love this man, but notice what he said about prayer and I love this and I have to share this with you.

The prayer power, this is Taylor, the prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity.

If we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer

God's standing challenge. Call unto me and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not.

That's the challenge and I like what he says there. The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity.

May God help us to pray. Now, 1 Chronicles 16, 11, seek the

Lord and his strength. Seek his face continually. Psalm 27, 4,

David cries out, one thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the

Lord all the days of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.

That's exactly what Brother Keith talked about in Psalm 23. Verse 6, surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in the house of the

Lord forever. That's what David, why? Was it the house? No, he wanted to be with God.

You know, Edwards, Jonathan Edwards said this, if we cannot live with God here and love

God here, how can we expect to love him for all eternity? It's now.

And the kingdom of God has come within us. So if we're changed by people, by the spirit of God, then we love

God here. And then it goes on into eternity. Ravenhill said this life for a

Christian is a dressing room for eternity. You see, Psalm 34, 10, listen to this, the young lions do lack and they suffer hunger, but they that see the

Lord, seek the Lord, shall not want any good thing. You know, you think of it, why?

Why does he want it? Does not want any good thing because he's got the best. He has the best.

He has the Lord. He, if you have God, you've got everything. If you have Jesus, you got it all. Oh wow.

Isaiah 56, 6, listen to this, seek you the Lord while he may be found. Call you upon him while he is near.

Hosea 10, 12, sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy, break up the fallow ground for it is time to seek the

Lord. Sounds like a resolve, doesn't it? It's time to seek the Lord till he come and reign righteousness upon you.

Amos 5, 4, for thus saith the Lord unto the house of Israel, seek ye me and you shall live.

Zephaniah 2, 3, seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment.

Seek righteousness, seek meekness. It may be you shall hide in the day of the

Lord's anger. Let me say that again. Seek righteousness, seek meekness, that it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the

Lord's anger. You want to be hid on the day of God's wrath? In Jesus's righteousness, in Jesus's meekness.

See that's the safety because Jesus said 633 in Matthew, but seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things shall be added unto you.

Don't, in other words, you don't have to worry about it. God will take care of you. Hebrews 11, 6, this is

Brother Keith's, one of his favorite verses, but I love it too and I love the old authorized version. But without faith, it is what?

Impossible to please him, to please God. You want to please God? It's by faith. For he that cometh to God, now when we come to God, we must believe that he is, that he is

God, right? And that he is a rewarder of them that, what?

Diligently seek him. There you have it. Well, I got to hurry up through this.

The conditions of restitution is humility, praying, seeking

God's face and what else? Repentance, repentance. God's people are to repent.

We humble ourselves, we pray, we seek God's face and we turn from our wicked ways. Hosea 6, 1, come and let us return unto the

Lord, for he hath torn and he will heal us. He hath smitten and he will bind us up.

Isaiah 6, 10, speaks to Isaiah the prophet, you know, when he saw the Lord high and lifted up and basically says to Isaiah, make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes.

They shall see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart.

Listen to this, and convert, that's repentance. And be what?

Healed. If we want healing and restoration, we got to do exactly what

God has commanded us to do. Lamentations 3, 40, Jeremiah the weeping prophet says, let us search and try our ways and turn again to the

Lord. Proverbs 28, 13, here's a familiar verse, but it's so powerful.

He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh, that's the repentance, that's the turning away from the sin to the

Lord. He shall have mercy. Not just confessing, that's part of it, but it's also forsaking that sin.

J .C. Ryle said, for sin to be forgiven, sin must be forsaken. Isaiah 55, 6, and 7, let the wicked forsake his way and let him return unto the

Lord and he will have mercy upon him, to our God, and he will abundantly pardon.

The last is restoration, that then the condition will be met.

God will heal their land. Let me ask you a few questions. Have you humbled yourself before the hand of God today?

Can you call to remembrance a time when you have humbled yourself before the almighty hand of God?

Am I quick to recognize and to agree in confession and turning against sin?

Am I quick to admit to others when I'm wrong? Do I rejoice when others are praised and recognized and my accomplishments go unnoticed by men?

Do I esteem all others as better than myself? Do I have an obedient heart?

Do I consistently obey what I know God wants me to do? Do I consistently obey the human authorities that God has placed over my life?

What about pure heart? Do I confess my sin by name and do I repent and call them out and agree with God?

Do I keep short accounts with God, confessing and forsaking as he convicts us?

Am I willing to give it up all for God? Do I have a clear conscience today?

Do I consistently seek forgiveness from those I have wronged or offended? Is my conscience clear with every man?

Can I honestly say that there is no one I have ever wronged or offended in any way and not gone back to them and sought their forgiveness and made it right?

We also got to have right priorities. Does my schedule reveal that God is first in my life?

Does my checkbook reveal that God is first in my life? Next to my relationship with God, is my relationship with my family a high priority?

What about values? Do I love what God loves and do I hate what

God hates? Do I value highly the things that pleases God? Are my affections and my desires and my goals fixed on eternal values?

You see, those are the kind of questions we must set before us. There's many more, but then and only then will

God be eager to manifest his reviving presence and power in every generation, but we must take steps to prepare for the release of his fullness in our midst.

You know, Joshua said it in chapter 3 verse 5, sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the

Lord will do wonders among you. You see, this is the way God wants us to go,

Psalm 85, 13, righteousness go before him and shall set us in the way of his steps.

You see, this is what God desires, but we must go by God's direction.

We must go by his steps. I want to close with one thing, one more thing.

Go with me to Daniel chapter 9 and I want to show you a godly man's prayer. This is in closing.

Listen to Daniel. I'm just going to read the verses of scripture and let God speak through this because it's not what

I have to say that counts. It's what God has to say. But listen to this godly

Daniel, this man of God pray. Chapter 9 of Daniel, one of the great chapters.

Verse 2, in the first year of his reign, Daniel understood by books the number of the years whereas the word of the

Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet and he would accomplish 70 years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

Notice what he says. And I set my face unto the Lord God, I set my face unto the

Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

And I prayed, there it is, I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession and said

O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant in mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his commandments.

Notice what he says, we have sinned and have committed iniquity and have done wickedly.

See he's interceding but he's including himself. I have and have rebelled, there it is,

I've rebelled even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments. Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets which spake in thy name to our kings our princes and our fathers and to all the people of the land.

O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion effaces as at this day.

To the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all of Israel that are near and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them because of their trespass and they have trespassed against thee.

And notice how he prays, O Lord to us belongeth confusion efface to our kings and our princes and to our fathers because we have sinned against thee.

To the Lord our God belong mercy, mercies and forgiveness though we have rebelled against him neither have we obeyed the voice of the

Lord our God to walk in his laws and sit before us by his servants the prophets.

Yea all Israel has transgressed thy law even by departing that they might not obey thy voice.

Therefore the curse is poured upon them and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God because we have sinned against him.

And he hath confirmed his words which he spake against us and against our judges that judged us by bringing upon us a great evil.

For under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses all this evil has come upon us yet made we not our prayer before the

Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand thy truth.

Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil and brought it upon us for the

Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth for we obeyed not his voice.

And now O Lord our God that hath brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and hath gotten thee renown as at this day we have sinned and have done wickedly.

Notice how many times he mentions that. O Lord according to all thy righteousness

I beseech thee let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city

Jerusalem thy holy mountain for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers

Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us.

Now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate for the

Lord's sake. And then he says this O my God incline thine ear and hear open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the city which is called by thy name for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercies.

O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and do defer not for thine own sake

O my God for thy city and thy people are called by thy name.

The psalmist said it like this in Psalm 85 6. Wilt thou not revive us again that thy people thy people may rejoice in thee.

Let's pray. Father we thank you Lord for your word. Time and time again you have warned with such great love and tender mercies how patient you are toward us

O Lord. Lord we deserve hell we deserve justice forever in thy sight.

It's only because of the grace that you've showed through Jesus Christ that we are who we are.

We're nothing without without being in Christ. And Lord may we take heed to these instructions you have given us.

May we obey your voice Lord give us a heart and enlarge our hearts

Lord that we may have a greater desire to love you first and foremost and seek first the kingdom of God your righteousness and let everything else be secondary.

Lord may we fall at the feet of Jesus and learn at his feet for he has revealed your ways.

Father may we humble ourselves and pray and seek your face and turn from our wicked ways then and only then will you hear from heaven forgive our sin and heal our land.