Imagine: February 2023

Sunday, February 19, 2023

SERMON: DO YOU WANT A REVIVAL?

Naylor Community Christian Church

I. Introduction

-- turn in Bibles to 2 Chronicles 34:19-33

2 Chronicles 34:19-33

New International Version

19 When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes. 20 He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant: 21 “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that is poured out on us because those who have gone before us have not kept the word of the Lord; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.”

22 Hilkiah and those the king had sent with him went to speak to the prophet Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

23 She said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 ‘This is what the Lord says: I am going to bring disaster on this place and its people—all the curses written in the book that has been read in the presence of the king of Judah. 25 Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.’ 26 Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 27 Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. 28 Now I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.’”

So they took her answer back to the king.

29 Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 30 He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the Levites—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord. 31 The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord—to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book.

32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

33 Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

-- late in the year 1857, four young Irishmen began to meet every week at their village school to pray and study God’s word together -- people began to notice, and others joined their group, and by the end of 1858, 50 people attended the weekly prayer meeting

-- over time, more prayer meetings began, with similar results -- and in 1859, with prayer groups springing up throughout Ireland, a focus on revival became the common theme among the preachers in the country -- as a result of this time of intense prayer and the study of God’s word -- of small groups of people seeking God’s face and calling on Him to revive the nation of Ireland -- over 100,000 people were saved or rededicated their lives, marking the beginning of what came to be known as the Ulster Revival of 1859

-- this spiritual awakening was not just confined to the churches or in the Irish Christian communities, but it affected the entire country -- By 1860, crime was reduced to the point where judges had to cancel court because there were no cases to try -- One county in Ireland reported that their jails were empty because no crimes had been committed that year

-- the Ulster Revival was the greatest move of God in the nation of Ireland since the ministry of Saint Patrick -- Services were packed as the people returned to God -- there was an abundance of prayer meetings -- families began to pray together -- Scripture reading was unmatched -- Sunday Schools prospered -- people stood firm for their faith -- giving increased -- vice abated -- and crime was reduced significantly

(Illustration modified from original contributed by Jim Luthy, Sermon Central: http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/scripture/illustrations-on-2-chronicles-7+14.asp)

-- for the last couple of weeks, revival has been on my heart -- I think most of you are aware of what has been going on in Wilmore, Kentucky, at Asbury University -- similar to the revival that happened there in 1970, God began to move in a Wednesday chapel service on the campus a couple of weeks ago -- what was scheduled to be a one-hour service has now been going on non-stop, 24 hours a day, since -- and people’s lives are being changed through the power of the Holy Spirit that is sweeping through that place

-- when word of the revival began spreading, more and more people felt a calling to go -- college groups and Christians from all over the country felt an urge to go to Asbury and to experience this move of God

-- the original auditorium where the revival began reached capacity -- it was standing room only, and those who were coming couldn’t get in -- so, the university opened up another chapel on campus and simulcast the revival there -- that chapel quickly reached capacity, too -- so the university opened a third, which has also been filled as the Holy Spirit moved throughout the people gathered there

-- photos and videos from the event show groups of people worshiping and praying and studying God’s word on the steps of the chapels and in the areas around the buildings because there isn’t room for them to go inside

-- and now, almost two weeks after the start of this awakening at Asbury, there are reports of similar outpourings of the Spirit among other campuses and schools throughout the nation

-- where this revival goes -- how long it lasts -- no one knows -- but this is what we do know -- we are witnessing an extraordinary movement of God at Asbury University -- and seeing this move of God should be the catalyst in our lives and in our church to seek the same here

-- for why are we here if not to seek God’s very presence in our lives and in our churches and in our communities?

-- for this truth remains -- God is moving at Asbury right now -- and if He is moving at Asbury in such a mighty way, He can move like that in our hearts and in our community, too

-- it’s like the story I heard from a missionary who presented a Bible to a congregation of believers in Africa who did not have a Bible -- he gave the Bible to the pastor -- and the pastor proudly held the Bible up and showed it to the church -- and, as everyone began to praise God because they had a copy of His word in their presence, the missionary looked on with horror as the pastor began tearing the Bible apart

-- the pastor came down out of the pulpit and began passing parts of the Bible out to the believers in his church, so that each of them could have at least part of the word of God in their homes

-- the missionary watched the excitement of the church growing as parts of the Bible were being passed around -- one man near him was noticeably excited and jumping up and down and praising the Lord for the part he got

-- the missionary said, “what section did you get?” -- and the man replied, “I got a section from Jeremiah” -- the missionary was like, “Oh, man. Talk about a depressing book.” and he told the man, “Let me see if I can get you a better passage -- maybe something from one of the gospels”

-- but the man responded, “No, I don’t want another part -- look what it says here -- ‘The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah.’ -- if the word of the Lord can come to Jeremiah, then that means that the word of the Lord can come to me, too”

-- that is the truth we need to remember and hold onto -- if the Spirit of God can come to a small chapel service in Kentucky -- if the Spirit of God can come into a prayer meeting of four men in Ireland -- then the Spirit of God can come here, too

-- it’s all about preparing our hearts and our souls to seek God and His presence so that the Spirit is free to move in us and among us

-- so, for the next several weeks, we are going to be looking at what the Bible says about seeking God and His presence so that we might experience a revival and renewal of our faith in our lives, similar to what happened in Ulster, Ireland, in 1859 and what we see going on right now in Asbury

II. Scripture Lesson (2 Chronicles 34:19-33)

-- to begin focusing our thoughts on revival, I wanted to take a look at a revival that occurred in the nation of Judah under the reign of Josiah

-- Josiah was just eight years old when he became king -- and even though he didn’t have very good role models -- both his father Amon and his grandfather Manasseh are described in the Bible as doing evil in the eyes of the Lord -- the Bible tells us that Josiah began seeking the Lord while he was still young, and that he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord -- following the example of David, and not his father or grandfather

-- in the twelfth year of his reign, Josiah began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry, removing the high places, Asherah poles, and the carved images and idols that were prevalent throughout the country -- and, not only did he seek to purify the land, but he took steps to restore and purify the temple and to reinstitute the true worship of Yahweh

-- as the workers repaired and restored the temple and prepared it for worship again, they discovered the book of the Law of the Lord -- God’s word -- His holy scriptures -- which had been hidden in the temple through the long reigns of Judah’s evil kings

-- the priests brought the book to Josiah and read it out loud in the presence of the king -- which brings us to verse 19

-- look with me again at this passage, and let’s note what occurred to bring about the revival of the nation of Judah under Josiah

-- verse 19-21

-- when Josiah heard the word of the Lord, he was cut to the heart -- he recognized his sin and the sin of his nation -- he realized just how far he was from God -- and, in an act of repentance and sorrow, he tore his robes

-- when you read about the great revivals and awakenings in history, one commonality can be seen -- they all begin when people recognize their sin and how far away from God they truly are

-- the first step in revival is to realize who we are -- to admit that we are sinners -- to see our need for salvation and cleansing and renewal -- and then to turn to the Lord in repentance, just as Josiah does here

-- this happens when we start to let God speak to our hearts -- through prayer, as in the Ulster revival -- through worship, as in the current revival going on at Asbury -- or through God’s word, as we see here in this passage

-- when God’s truth is spoken into our hearts -- when the light of God’s word shines on our lives -- we begin to see ourselves as we truly are -- we being to see how far we are from God and from who God created us to be

-- revivals and renewals of heart begin when we recognize and confess our sin and allow God’s Spirit to begin transforming us into the people God has called us to be

-- Josiah’s recognition of how far he and the nation of Judah were from God’s holy standards caused him to dig deeper -- to seek out further revelation from God’s word about what needed to be done to heal and revive the nation -- so, he gave orders to Hilkiah, the priest, to inquire of the Lord to search this information out

-- verse 22-28

So they took her answer back to the king.

-- Hilkiah and the others went to the prophetess Huldah to inquire of the Lord and to see what message God had for the nation of Judah

-- and before we move on, I do want to call your attention to the fact that the priests went to a woman to seek a message from God -- in our day, a lot of people and a lot of churches teach that women are not allowed to speak or teach in their congregations -- but there are many cases in the Bible where God moves and speaks through devout women, such as Huldah here in this passage, Deborah in the Book of Judges, and Lydia and Priscilla in the Book of Acts

-- Huldah was a prophetess -- one of the few in Judah who still heard from God and who could receive and interpret His word for others

-- she told Hilkiah to let Josiah know that the Lord was going to punish Judah for its sins -- He was going to bring disaster on Judah and its people because they had turned away from Him and worshiped other gods

-- but, God said, because Josiah had responded to His word in repentance and humility -- tearing his robe and weeping in his presence -- God was going to withhold His wrath from the nation during Josiah’s lifetime

-- true repentance and faithful following of God changes things -- it not only changes our hearts -- it changes the fate of nations -- the revival in Ulster changed Ireland and led to a historical drop in crime and violence -- the great awakening that occurred under Wesley and Whitefield has been credited with saving England from the same violence that France experienced a few years later -- who knows what fruit this revival in Asbury might result in and what effect it might have on our country in the days to come

-- but, without a doubt, this truth remains -- when God’s people humble themselves and seek His face and repent of their wicked ways, it changes things -- it moves the heart of God -- and the fate and direction of entire nations change

-- verse 29-33

32 Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

-- when Josiah heard the word of the Lord through Huldah, he realized what needed to happen -- he realized that the nation needed to change -- that all the people needed to return to the Lord so that the wrath of God might not fall on them

-- so, Josiah called for a sacred assembly -- a gathering of all the leaders and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem -- he called them to the temple, where the word of God was read in their presence for the first time in decades -- and, in their presence and in the presence of God, Josiah renewed the nation’s covenant with the Lord -- pledging to follow the Lord and keep His commands and to obey the words of the covenant that were written in the Book of the Law of the Lord

-- he then called on the people to do the same -- to repent of their idolatry -- to repent of their sins against God -- and to pledge to follow only God and to keep His commands from that point on

-- and, for the rest of his life, that is exactly what the nation of Judah did as revival and restoration broke out that day and the nation once again became one nation, under God -- in truth and in spirit

III. Steps to Revival

-- as I said, for the next several weeks, we are going to be looking at what the Bible tells us about experiencing the presence of the Lord as we seek revival and renewal in our lives and our church and our community like the nation of Judah experienced in this passage

-- one thing I want you to note is that none of the great revivals in the Bible or in history are the same -- they are all different, for the Spirit moves differently in different places and in different times to accomplish His purposes in that place

-- we cannot control when and how the Spirit moves -- as Jesus told Nicodemus in John Chapter 3, “the wind blows wherever it pleases -- you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going -- so it is with everyone born of the Spirit”

-- God does as God wills -- and if He chooses to send His Spirit to us in an extraordinary way as He did in Ulster and at Asbury, we can guarantee that it will not look the same as it did in those two places -- God knows our hearts and He knows what we need -- and He will send His Spirit to accomplish His purposes in our lives and in this church as He knows best

-- sometimes, revivals and renewals of the heart are personal, intimate affairs -- unnoticed by the world -- but still result in life-changing transformations as people open themselves up to the presence and move of the Holy Spirit in their lives

-- one person repenting of their sins and responding to God in their lives causes heaven to rejoice

-- so, keep in mind that revivals and spiritual awakenings are always different and they don’t touch people in the same way

-- years ago, Kim and I went on the Walk to Emmaus -- a three-day spiritual retreat where you isolate yourself from the world with others to seek God and hear from Him in the quiet of that place

-- Kim will tell you that the Walk to Emmaus changed her life and deepened her walk with Christ

-- but it didn’t do the same for me -- it was a great weekend -- I learned a lot -- I experienced God -- but it wasn’t as life-changing for me as it was for her

-- for me, my personal awakening and revival occurred at a Promise Keeper’s event in Tennessee years earlier -- it was there I rededicated my life to God and committed to studying His word and following His commands -- and I will testify that that Promise Keeper’s event was the catalyst that eventually led me into the ministry, for it wouldn’t have happened otherwise

-- the point is that revivals and renewals and spiritual awakenings look differently and happen differently and are experienced differently -- you can’t just follow a formula or say a prayer in a certain way and expect revival to break out -- it doesn’t work like that

-- however, as we study scripture and look at how God began moving in other revivals and awakenings, we can identify some common steps that resulted in a new experience with God -- for instance, as we looked at this morning in the story of the revival under Josiah, all revivals and renewals begin with some aspect of repentance, humility, and a seeking of God, which can be through prayer, through the study of His word, or in worship

-- in the familiar passage from 2 Chronicles 7:14, God makes the nation of Israel a promise -- and we can assume that this promise holds for us, too

-- in this verse, God told Solomon, “If my people, who are called by My Name, will 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 heal their land.”

-- God promises that He will hear us and forgive us and heal our land if we will take the first steps to return to Him

-- these four steps here are the key to revival and are seen in all the revivals and awakenings in Scripture and throughout history -- so, we will be going over these in detail over the next few weeks as we seek a move of God in our own lives and in this church and in our community

-- the point is that until we truly begin to seek God in our lives and try to put aside all that is hindering God from moving and working in us, nothing is going to happen -- so, in a very real sense, revival begins with us and no one else, because we must respond to God’s call to repentance and worship before He will move in our lives in any transformational way

IV. CLOSING

-- as we close, I want to remind you of an incident that occurred in Jesus’ ministry that we read about in the New Testament

-- in John Chapter 5, we read of Jesus encountering a crippled man beside the pool of Bethsaida -- this man had been going to this pool for years because anyone who got into the pool after the angel stirred the water would be healed -- for decades, this man laid right there next to the pool, wallowing in self-pity because he claimed he couldn't get in the water fast enough to be healed when the angel stirred the surface of the water

-- but Jesus knew what his real problem was -- he was stuck -- he was stagnant -- he was happy being who he was and receiving the pity of those around him -- so the very first question Jesus asked him was, "Do you want to be healed? -- do you really want to be healed? -- are you willing to make a change in your heart and in your life so you can experience God in a new way?”

-- of course, the man said yes -- who wouldn’t when asked by Jesus? -- “Do you want to be healed?” -- “Of course, why do you think I am here?” -- why, indeed?

-- but when the man said yes, Jesus didn't heal him right away -- Jesus said, "If you really want to be healed, then get up and get going -- take a step, pick up your mat, and you will be healed" -- this man had been giving lip-service to God for years, and nothing changed in his life

-- so, Jesus tells Him that if he wants to be healed, he has to make a decision to truly respond to God’s word and obey Jesus’ command to get up and take his mat and walk, or nothing is going to change -- but if he believes and trusts Jesus at His word, and does what He says, then he would be healed

-- it's the same with us -- if we want to be changed -- if we truly desire revival and renewal in our lives -- then we have to get real with God -- and we have to do what God says in order to free up the movement of the Spirit in our lives

-- the Bible tells us that we can quench the Spirit through sin and disobedience and a lack of faith -- and, just like this crippled man by the pool, healing and renewal and revival will only come when we turn from our ways and choose to believe God’s word -- to surrender to Him and allow the Spirit to move in our lives

-- do you want a revival? -- we always say we do -- sometimes we even put it on the calendar and circle the date and call in a special speaker -- but that’s all we do

-- we don’t do anything to get ready for our hearts to be revived and renewed -- we don’t respond to God’s word and turn from our sins and get up from where we are and let God begin to work

-- we just lie on the side of the pool and complain as we watch others being revived while nothing happens to us

-- do you want a revival? -- do you really want God to revive and renew your life with Him?

-- that is the question Jesus is asking us today -- that’s the question that God asks us as we see Him move in places like Asbury and Samford and others

-- do you really want a revival? -- do you really want Me to move in your midst as I am moving in theirs?

-- spend some time this week pondering that question and deciding if you want to pick up your mat and walk and be healed or if you just want to stay where you are in your spiritual life

-- let us pray

Sunday, February 12, 2023

SERMON: LIVING IN THE LION’S DEN

Naylor Community Christian Church

I. Introduction

-- turn in your Bibles to Daniel 6

Daniel 6: 1 It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom, 2 with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss. 3 Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. 4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. 5 Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

-- a few years ago, I went through a major crisis at work -- I had an employee that worked for me who was in a term position that was ending -- we had hired him for a two-year period, and I reminded him that the term on his contract was coming to an end -- and I suggested that this would be a good time to start looking around for another position

-- this guy didn’t take the news well -- and so, he began a campaign against me in the hopes that he could get me fired and take my position -- this guy knew how to spin the truth in just the right way to make his case seem valid to our superiors and turn them against me

-- around that time, a few of us at work started a voluntary Bible study at lunch, with my boss’s permission -- several of the folks that worked for me were part of that Bible study, but this employee was not -- and I had mentioned it to him, but he said he was not interested, and I didn’t press it any further -- working for the Government, especially as a supervisor, you have to be careful about how you approach religion in the workplace

-- not long after I had my conversation with this employee about his term coming to an end, I got a call from the Equal Employment Opportunity -- EEO office -- on my base -- the employee had filed a complaint against me alleging that I was firing him as retribution because he wouldn’t join the Bible study -- there were other allegations as well, but the main one was that I was seeking to let him go because he wasn’t a Christian and that I was forcing him to attend religious studies in the workplace

-- so, because this employee was upset that his position was coming to an end and that he was losing his job, he came at me the only way he could -- he tried to get me fired, in hopes that the Government would then be forced to keep him on the payroll

-- the allegations were unfounded -- none of them were true -- but when EEO complaints are filed, the Government takes them seriously and investigates them fully -- and the consequences of such an action were high -- not only was my credibility and honor at stake, but I could be fired if the case went against me, destroying a 20-year career at that time -- and with an EEO complaint against me, it would be hard to get another position in the Government

-- to make things worse, the employee continued to work in my office after he began his campaign against me -- I had to see him and work with him and continue to supervise him daily -- which was difficult to do since I knew that anything I did or said would be twisted to provide more evidence against me -- I walked on eggshells around him for months, trying to keep from making the situation worse

-- finally, after legal depositions and additional investigations by the installation legal office and the EEO office, the matter was going to go to court -- thankfully, the employee found another job off-base, so he dropped the matter and the case was closed

-- my experience is not uncommon in this world today -- I have heard similar stories from others throughout the years, and it is becoming more and more commonplace for Christians to have conflicts with others in various ways because of their faith

-- the Bible says that in the end days, these types of conflicts will become greater -- and as we watch our culture change around us -- as we watch our society accept as normal, behaviors and lifestyles that the Bible condemns as sin, conflicts between Christians and society -- maybe even conflicts between Christians and the law of the land or the Government -- will become all too common

-- what do you do when you find yourself as a Christian in a place that has become increasingly hostile to your faith? -- how do you respond when you are attacked because of your faith?

-- one of the best examples of a situation like this in the Bible is in the familiar story of Daniel in the lion’s den -- so, let’s look together at this passage and see what we can learn from Daniel about living in the lion’s den

II. Scripture Lesson -- Daniel 6:1-28

-- to refresh your memory of the story of Daniel and how he came to be in Babylon, let me give you a brief synopsis of the history of Israel at that time

-- Shortly after the death of Solomon, King David’s son, the Kingdom of Israel was split into two separate kingdoms: Israel in the north and Judah in the south -- about 400 years later, as the Book of Daniel begins, the northern kingdom of Israel has been conquered and exiled to Assyria -- The southern kingdom of Judah, including the city of Jerusalem, survived for a few more years, until Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, attacked and destroyed Judah and Jerusalem -- destroying the Jewish temple and taking hostages back to Babylon with him

-- Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were some of the hostages taken into Babylon from Judah to be trained as servants in the royal court of Nebuchadnezzar

-- as time went by, the Babylonian empire fell to Media-Persia -- with Cyrus the leader of the Persian empire and King Darius of Medes ruling over the area of Babylon under Cyrus’ authority

-- so, as Chapter 6 opens, Daniel is now under the rule of King Darius and the Media-Persian Empire

-- as you may remember, Daniel had excelled in wisdom and knowledge and had been exalted under Nebuchadnezzar as a wise man and leader in Babylon -- Darius recognized the gifts and talents of Daniel, and appointed him the chief administrator of Babylon, which did not sit well with the other administrators or satraps in the empire

-- so, the administrators and satraps conspired against Daniel, seeking to have him removed from his position -- but Daniel was such a godly man -- holy and righteous in all he did -- and they were unable to find anything on which to indict him

-- finally, they realized that the only way to best Daniel was to have him persecuted for his faith

-- look down now at verse 6, and let’s continue the story

Daniel 6:6 So these administrators and satraps went as a group to the king and said: “May King Darius live forever! 7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den. 8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it cannot be altered—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” 9 So King Darius put the decree in writing.

-- it was common in Darius’ day for kings to assume they were descended from the gods -- that they were gods themselves -- we see that all the way through the New Testament as Romans regarded Caesar as god and prayed to him

-- knowing this, all of the administrators and satraps came before Darius and convinced him to make a formal decree that for the next thirty days, people could only pray to him -- and that if anyone prayed to any god but him, that they would immediately be thrown into the lion’s den

-- this appealed to Darius’ pride, and he readily agreed to the administrators and satrap’s recommendation and made a formal decree in writing that only he could be prayed to for the next 30 days -- this made the decree binding, and not even the king himself could reverse the decree once he signed it

-- the trap was set -- now all the administrators and satraps had to do was wait for Daniel to fall into it

-- verse 10

Daniel 6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before. 11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help.

-- as the chief administrator in the land, Daniel was well aware of the new law that Darius had made that effectively outlawed the Jewish religion for the next thirty days

-- but notice what Daniel did -- he didn’t panic -- he didn’t storm the capitol -- he didn’t protest in the streets or get on Facebook and complain for all to see

-- no, Daniel continued to do what he always did -- he continued to put his faith above all else -- and, just like he always did, Daniel continued to get on his knees three times a day, face Jerusalem, and pray to God in thanksgiving and worship -- and, this time, the text says, he asked God for help

-- everyone in Babylon was apparently aware of Daniel’s daily practices -- he had always been open in his faith and in Who he believed -- he was consistent and faithful in his spiritual practices -- and obviously, the administrators and satraps knew about it -- that’s why they got Darius to pass this unfair law in the first place

-- and now we read that once Darius signed the decree, they rushed into Daniel’s presence as a group to confront him -- to catch him in the very act of praying to God, as he always did -- only this time, it was illegal to do so

-- there’s a question that gets asked so often now that it’s almost a cliche, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good question -- if someone was to pass a law like this -- a law making Christianity illegal -- would there be enough evidence in your life to convict you? -- in other words, are you living out your faith on a daily basis like Daniel, to the point that someone could easily observe you doing so? -- if you’re not, what does that say about your faith and your practice of spiritual disciplines?

-- verse 12

Daniel 6:12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: “Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?”

The king answered, “The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.” 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him.

15 Then the men went as a group to King Darius and said to him, “Remember, Your Majesty, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”

16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”

17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed. 18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.

-- immediately after catching Daniel in the act of praying to God, the administrators and satraps rushed to the king to share the news -- “King Darius,” they said, “even though you favor Daniel and were going to put him in charge of your kingdom, he pays no attention to you -- he doesn’t respect you -- he ignored your decree and wouldn’t even pray to you -- in fact, he continued to pray to his God in defiance of your decree”

-- this greatly distressed Darius because he did favor Daniel -- and he tried to do what he could to reverse the decree -- but, in the end, he couldn’t -- because the Medes and Persians considered their kings to be equal to gods, any decree they made was binding -- just as if it was decreed by God Himself -- and so it could not be reversed

-- finally, in distress, Darius took Daniel to the lion’s den and told him, “May your God rescue you!” -- and then he gave the order to throw Daniel in and had a stone put over the mouth of the den, sealed with the king’s signet ring and the rings of his nobles

-- because of Daniel and his integrity and behavior, Darius had come to recognize God as being real, but he wasn’t fully a believer yet -- he did not yet believe that the God of Israel was the only God -- he considered Him as just another god to be added to all those who the Medes and Persians worshiped

-- still, he hoped that Daniel’s God was powerful enough to save him from certain death in the lion’s den

-- verse 19

Daniel 6:19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

-- the very next morning, Darius rushed to the lion’s den to see the fate of Daniel -- to his surprise, he found Daniel whole and hale -- completely unharmed -- even though he had spent the night in the presence of very dangerous predators

-- “How could this be?” he asked. -- Daniel replied that God had sent an angel who had shut the mouths of the lions, and kept them from hurting Daniel all through the night

-- the king ordered Daniel removed from the lion’s den and set free -- you see, here was an error on the part of the administrators and satraps -- their plan was to have the decree read that violators were to be thrown into the lion’s den, not that they were to be killed -- they never considered the fact that someone could go into the den and come out alive, but Daniel had just done that through the power of the Lord God Almighty -- so, since the punishments in the decree had been fulfilled, the king set him free

-- and then the king had the administrators and satraps thrown into the den, along with their wives and children, because they had falsely accused Daniel in this matter -- immediately, the lions killed all of them, and justice was served

-- verse 25

Daniel 6:25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!

26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.

“For he is the living God

and he endures forever;

his kingdom will not be destroyed,

his dominion will never end.

27 He rescues and he saves;

he performs signs and wonders

in the heavens and on the earth.

He has rescued Daniel

from the power of the lions.”

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

-- Daniel’s miraculous protection in the lion’s den changed Darius’ thinking about God -- he recognized Him as the living God -- he recognized His strength and His power -- and he proclaimed to all in his kingdom about God’s wonders and signs and how He rescued Daniel from the power of the lions

-- even though the original decree could not be rescinded, Darius issued a new decree that recognized and exalted the Lord God Almighty, making any recognition or worship of God legal in Babylon from that point on

III. Closing

-- so, what does this all mean for us today? -- as Christians living in a rapidly post-Christian world and in a society and culture that is turning away from traditional Christian values?

-- first, we need to recognize an important truth that runs counter to some teachings today -- God will not always keep us out of the lion’s den -- He may allow us to go into places that are dangerous -- to go into places that are not prosperous for us -- He may allow trials and conflicts and difficulties to come our way

-- remember -- just like God allowed Daniel to be thrown into the lion’s den, he allowed Daniel’s friends, Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego, to get thrown into the fiery furnace at Nebuchadnezzar’s command -- He may allow us to get thrown into the fire, too -- Daniel’s story is proof that sometime faithful Christians suffer unfairly for their faith

-- the farther away from God’s truth that our society and culture go, the greater the likelihood that we are going to end up in the lion’s den at some point -- some of you may be there today -- and you may be wondering why God has allowed this to happen

-- I’ve been there -- I’ve questioned that -- maybe you have, too -- when trials and troubles come -- when family members get sick and die -- it can cause us to cry out to God, “Why? - I have been faithful to you -- I have prayed to you -- why is this happening to me when all I have done is serve you and worship you and follow you?” -- this is a natural response -- more than likely, all of us have gone to God with those questions before

-- but while we may not know why God allows these trials to come into our lives, one great truth remains -- our God is a good God -- and in Romans 8:28, God promises that in all things -- in trials and tribulations -- in the good times and the bad -- in the lion’s den and in the fire -- God will work all things to our good for those who love Him -- who are called according to His name

-- not saying that these things are good, but that God brings good out of them -- and God will use these situations to strengthen our faith -- to mature us as believers -- and to bring glory to Himself, just as we see in this story of Daniel

-- if Daniel had not gone to the lion’s den, then Darius would never have witnessed God’s miraculous deliverance and would not have issued his decree to the nation to worship God as the Savior and Deliverer of all

-- another truth that we see in the story of Daniel is the promise from God that He will never leave us or forsake us -- we may go into the fire or into the lion’s den, but He goes with us -- those times that we think He has left us are the very times He is standing with us -- even though we may not see angels shutting the mouths of lions, we need to know and believe that He is with us in the fire

-- now, that’s not a promise that we won’t suffer in the trials and conflicts we go through -- that’s not a promise that God will always deliver us from harm physically like He did Daniel -- but it is a promise that we will always be with Him and that He will deliver us in accordance with His will -- if not by saving us from the mouths of lions like He did Daniel, then by saving us by bringing us into His presence forever

-- in this case, God protected Daniel from the power of the lions as a sign to Darius -- and because of this miracle, the glory of God was proclaimed by the king to all his citizens -- and God received honor and worship and praise from all

-- and, finally, we see in Daniel’s story that truth faith always shows -- that if you are a faithful Christian, trying to live your lives in integrity and in obedience to God’s law, others will see it and recognize it

-- in Philippians 2, we read that as children of God, “…we must become blameless and pure, without fault, in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as we hold out the word of life.”

-- Daniel’s life shone like a star against the corruption and injustice in his day and against those who were willing to do anything for power and prestige

-- how is your light shining today? -- are you faithful in your walk with Christ? -- are you faithful in the spiritual disciplines that keep you close to the Savior -- in the means of grace that let you experience His presence daily?

-- this week in our study in Ephesians, we looked at the verse in Ephesians 1:15, where Paul said that he had heard about the Ephesian’s faith in the Lord Jesus and their love for all God’s people -- what do people say about you? -- if I was to ask someone about you, would you be commended and recognized for your faith, as Daniel was?

-- I heard the story about this woman whose car broke down at a red light and wouldn’t start -- horns began honking and she got frustrated -- she started throwing a fit in her car -- banging on the steering wheel and throwing things around inside the car and cussing up a blue streak for all to hear -- in the midst of her little hissy fit, a police officer walked up and had her get out of the car and put her in handcuffs

-- after hearing her story, he let her go and explained, “Well, when I saw the Jesus fish on the back of your car and the bumper sticker that said, “Follow me to church,” and I saw how you were acting, I just assumed you had stolen the car because a Christian wouldn’t act like that”

-- our actions and our daily disciplines say more about what we believe in our hearts than any words we could ever say -- let’s remember Daniel’s example and strive to be people of integrity and holiness, who follow God above all

-- I like the way Bob Deffinbaugh sums up this story:

“Daniel’s testimony is awesome, his character and ability unsurpassed. His work is such that not even his enemies can bring a charge against him. His flawless faithfulness to the king and his obedience to the laws of the land forces his enemies to pass a new law aimed directly at him and his destruction. The only fault to be found with Daniel is that he is too godly. What Christian would not want to be regarded as highly as Daniel?”

-- I’ll close this morning with that very same question -- what Christian would not want to be regarded as highly as Daniel? -- who among us would not want to be recognized for our faith as Daniel was?

-- as we close in prayer, let us consider who we are and where we are in our walk with Christ -- if we are not living as shining stars -- if we are not living lives of integrity and faithfulness like Daniel -- then join me in prayer to God that He would mold us and make us into the people He has called us to be -- holy and sanctified and faithful followers of Jesus who shine like the very stars in the sky

- let us pray

Saturday, February 11, 2023

BREAKING NEWS: REVIVAL AT ASBURY COLLEGE, WILMORE, KENTUCKY (February 2023)

In their book, "The Ten Greatest Revivals," Elmer Towns and Douglas Porter define a New Testament revival as an extraordinary work of God in which Christians repent of their sins as they become intensely aware of the presence of God in their midst. They say that a true evangelical revival is characterized by a deepening of their individual and corporate experience with God and an increased concern to win others to Christ.

One of the revivals they cover in their book is the Asbury Revival. On February 3rd 1970, the students at Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, gathered for their regular morning chapel service. Since the speaker did not show up for the service, the leader that morning gave his testimony and encouraged the students to come forward and talk about their own Christian experiences

One student came. And then another and another. The entire altar filled up and students began to confess their sins and offer forgiveness to others for wrongs that had been done and offer their lives back to God

This wasn’t a normal chapel service. Everyone could sense that. Everyone knew that God was truly there.

The service was supposed to last 50 minutes. Instead, it went on non-stop for 185 hours -- 24 hours a day -- as students and faculty poured into the chapel and turned back to God with their whole hearts.

Just like on Palm Sunday, word began to spread about what God was doing and the revival grew and grew and grew. People started flocking to tiny Wilmore, Kentucky, seeking God and His presence in their lives.

They knew God was there. They knew He was doing something special, and they wanted to be a part of it.

By that summer, the revival had spread to more than 130 other colleges and seminaries and scores of churches. There were reports of revivals occurring from New York to California and even as far away as South America.

Lives were transformed and changed forever by this revival in 1970, to the point that we still talk about it today.

Amazingly, almost 53 years to the date, another revival has broken out in the chapel at Asbury College. What started on February 8th of this year as a normal chapel service has turned into a full-blown revival, reminiscent of the 1970 revival.

The chapel service that began on February 8th is still going strong today, with no signs of stopping. Eye-witness accounts of the Holy Spirit moving and touching hearts are spreading on social media. Other churches and college groups are flocking to Wilmore, Kentucky, in hopes that they, too, might experience this move of God.

This account was shared on Facebook by Jason Vickers:

"The Asbury Revival: A First Person Account

"I grew up going to revivals and camp meetings. I've seen people shout, run the aisles, and tightrope the backs of pews. I sometimes refer to this sort of thing as "swinging from the chandeliers." That isn't what is taking place at Asbury University in Wilmore, KY. I know, because I just left Hughes Auditorium.

"If you are following the revival on social media, you will know that it began on Wednesday morning. My office is directly across the street at Asbury Seminary. Despite this proximity, as of this morning, I had not put in an appearance. I was not avoiding doing so. I'm simply in a busy season of writing about sacramental theology.

"When it comes to the manifestation of God's presence, I am no skeptic. Quite the contrary. I am a straight up believer that, across space and time, in the most unpredictable of ways, the holiness of God becomes palpable - the enveloping darkness atop Sinai; Isaiah's woe is me; the light engulfing St. Symeon in his study; laughter in Toronto.

"Alas, around 2:30 this afternoon, I crossed Lexington Avenue and made my way up the stairs of Hughes Auditorium, slipping into a seat on the back row. I wanted to see for myself what was happening. The following is a blow by blow account of what I experienced for the next hour and a half.

"I had been seated in the auditorium for less than ten minutes when I came to, by which I mean to say when I suddenly found myself having conscious thoughts about my surroundings and about what I was experiencing. The best way I know to put this is to say that it was as though in just a few short minutes, I had completely zoned out.

"Upon the resumption of deliberative conscious thought, two things stood out to me. First, there was a noticeable lack of tension in my body. I was completely relaxed. There was also a complete lack of mental tension or distraction. My mind was at utter peace. And I had only been there for ten minutes.
The second thing I recall thinking is that I could sit here in this chair forever. The desire to linger indefinitely was quite unexpected. I had planned to pop in for a few minutes before returning to work.

Suddenly, work was the farthest thing from my mind.

"I wound up staying for well over an hour. In the time that I was there, I could not get over certain distinctive qualities about the atmosphere. The words that came to mind were: gentle, sweet, peaceful, serene, tender, still. Some people were singing. Others were talking. Many were praying. But there was something like a blessed stillness permeating the place. No one was swinging from the chandeliers. In fact, it was right the opposite. What made this so wild was just how un-wild the whole thing was ... is.

"So, why leave? After about an hour and half, a particular verse of Scripture impressed itself on my mind -- the one about the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment. Compared with those who have been there since Wednesday, I was a newcomer in the crowd. But the manifestation of God's holiness, which in this case was, to my mind, a manifestation of sheer peacefulness, was of such a quality that even the most fleeting contact with it is enough. Don't mishear me. I completely understand why so many people want to linger. I did, too. But the peacefulness in that place is so palpable that a mere ten minutes had made an impression that will last the remainder of my lifetime."

As more and more people testify to the move of God taking place in Kentucky, let us pray that God's Spirit would begin to move in our own communities and in our own hearts, that we would be touched by a fresh outpouring and anointing of the Holy Spirit, and that our lives and the lives of our communities would be revived, in turn.

I will be sharing additional eyewitness accounts of this revival from social media on our church Facebook page as they come across my newsfeed.