SERMON: A LESSON IN HUMILITY

 

11 November 2012

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 2 Kings 5:1-19a

2 Kings 5:1-19 (NIV)
1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.
3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.
5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."
9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.
10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
16 The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 "If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.
18 But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this."
19 "Go in peace," Elisha said.

-- in the summer of 2000, the Russian submarine Kursk had an accident during a military exercise and was crippled at the bottom of the ocean -- The Russians said they could hear sounds from inside of the sub -- and a massive rescue mission was undertaken to rescue the trapped sailors before the oxygen in the sub ran out
-- the U.S. was monitoring their exercise and we had subs and other assets in the area -- so when we learned of the accident, we immediately offered to lend assistance -- but the Russians refused.
-- The British offered -- and the Norwegians offered -- but all these offers were refused -- the Russians didn't want to admit they needed help -- they wanted to do it on their own
-- they tried and tried but there was nothing they could do to rescue the sailors --so five days after the accident, they finally agreed to let the Norwegians and British come and try to help -- subs and ships from these countries arrived and were able to made a solid connection to the entry hole of the Kursk, but it was too late -- The submarine was flooded and everyone inside was dead
-- Did the submarine flood as a result of the accident or was it a result of the sailors trying to make a desperate attempt at escape? -- to this day, we don't know -- we may never know what happened to the Kursk
-- but there is one thing we do know -- It was pride that put the final nail into the sailor's coffin -- it was the Russian's pride that refused to admit they couldn't do it on their own -- if they would have admitted they needed help and allowed the British and the Norwegians to come in on the day of the accident, some of those men in that submarine would still be alive today -- but they're not, because pride killed them -- and if we aren't careful, pride will kill us and our country, too

-- this morning, we're continuing on our sermon series on revival, using 2 Chronicles 7:14 as our main text -- hold your place right here and turn over to that passage and listen as I read it

"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 will heal their land."

-- as we've talked about over the last couple of weeks, in this verse we see the recipe for the revival of a nation -- God promises us here that if His people, who are called by His name -- in other words, if the church in America -- if WE -- would simply humble ourselves and pray and see His face and turn from our wicked ways -- then He would hear from heaven and forgive us our sins and heal our land
-- it all starts with us -- salvation for America is not going to come from Washington -- revival in America isn't going to start in Hollywood -- it's got to start with us -- God's people -- on our knees -- doing these four things and crying out to God for healing and restoration



II. The Problem of Pride (2 Kings 5:1-19a)
-- this morning, we're going to talk about the first of the four conditions of revival that God mentions in this verse -- humbleness
-- the opposite of humbleness is pride -- and if you think about it, you can make the case that pride was the very first sin ever committed -- the very sin that caused Satan to be cast out of heaven along with one-third of the angels
-- in Isaiah 14, we read how pride was Satan's downfall -- Satan started out as Lucifer, God's anointed cherub -- ordained with every precious stone -- beautiful in all his ways
-- but in his heart, he was prideful -- he desired more than he had -- and he said, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High."
-- Lucifer's pride led him to try to become higher than God -- to take God's place -- and so God cast him down from heaven and he became Satan
-- and, then, in the Garden of Eden, it was Adam and Eve's pride that made them take the forbidden fruit and disobey God -- just like Lucifer, they desired to become like God -- to know what God knew -- to be equal to Him -- and they took the fruit and ate it and brought sin into the world

-- it has been said that pride is the root of all other sins because pride makes us want to be God in our own lives -- that's why we read in the Bible that God hates pride so much -- in Proverbs 8:13, we read, "I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech" and in James 4:6, we read that God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble
-- God's desire is for us to be humble -- to have the attitude and mind of Christ and to choose to humble ourselves so that God might be exalted
-- that's why the very first step in revival is to humble ourselves -- to take ourselves off the throne of life -- to quit thinking that we can do it all on our own -- and to put God back on the throne where He belongs

-- here in this passage from 2 Kings 5 we see how pride almost kept Naaman from being healed and restored back to wholeness by God -- let's look at this in a little more detail and see what we can learn about pride and humbleness from Naaman's example

-- verse 1

1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

-- Naaman was an important man in Aram -- he was the head of the armies of Aram and had led them to victory in many battles -- and we read here that Naaman was a great man and highly regarded by the king -- by all accounts, he was a man of power, position, and prestige -- a valiant warrior -- a great hero for his nation
-- but -- but despite his power -- despite his position -- despite his prestige -- Naaman had a problem -- he had contracted the most feared disease in the middle east -- he had leprosy
-- from a reading of the text, it seems that this is a recent turn of events for Naaman -- it appears that he only had a few spots of infection -- but he knew what this infection meant -- as it spread and covered his whole body, he would soon lose his place in society -- his wealth -- his power -- his prestige -- everything -- would soon be meaningless in light of his affliction

-- Verse 2.

2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.
3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

-- At this time, Aram and Israel were not at war yet -- but Aram would send small bands of warriors to raid Israel and to plunder the villages and capture slaves -- during one of these raids this Hebrew girl was captured, and she ended up in the household of Naaman.
-- one thing to notice here is the faith of this Hebrew slave -- this girl had been taught at an early age to love the Lord, and when she was taken from her parents and her country, she continued to hold fast to her faith, even though she was captive in a foreign land -- this reminds us of Daniel, who also maintained his loyalty to God while living in a pagan and ungodly society, even though it got him thrown into a lion's den
-- and not only did this girl maintain her faith in God, but she spread the word about Him, even to her captives -- when Naaman got sick -- when he needed to be healed and restored, she told Naaman about the prophet Elisha, who was ministering in God's name in Samaria -- and said that if anyone could heal Naaman, it would be Elisha
-- we can learn something from her actions -- remember what 2 Chronicles 7:14 says -- "if My people -- who are called by My name" -- if we know that America needs healing -- if we know that America needs to be restored and made whole again -- then it's our responsibility as the people of God to spread that word and to offer hope and healing to our country

-- Verse 4-8

4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.
5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.
6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."

-- So Naaman went to the king and he asked the king if he could go to Israel and receive healing from this prophet of the Lord -- and because he was so well liked and because he was a good man, the king agreed and said he would even send along a letter of introduction to the king of Israel
-- Naaman loaded up everything he had -- ten talents of silver, that's 750 pounds of silver -- today's value would be about $20,000 -- he loaded up 6,000 shekels -- 150 pounds -- of gold -- about $50,000 worth in today's money -- and he loaded up 10 sets of garments -- now these were not everyday garments, but special ceremonial garments that would be worn for feasts and on other special days.
-- you see, Naaman is thinking based upon what he knows from the pagan gods that he worshiped -- he's thinking that in order to appease the gods and to be healed, he must pay them and win their favor -- he's thinking it's about what he can bring and what he can do -- but he's about to be introduced to a different way and to a different God -- a God who heals not because we pay Him to, but because He loves us and wants the best for our lives
-- it's interesting to note that when Naaman go to Israel, he went straight to the king -- he was still thinking worldly -- he went to the person of authority -- to the man in charge. Once again they were thinking worldly, not spiritually
-- where do we go for healing? -- where do we go for cleansing? -- when we're seeking revival and restoration and healing of our souls, do we turn to earthly ways or do we turn to God to heal us?
-- Now the king of Israel was not a holy man, but he recognized the power of God -- He knew God was the only one who could heal -- and when Naaman came up with a letter from the king of Aram asking him to heal Naaman, he thought the king of Aram was trying to trick him -- if the king didn't heal Naaman, it would have been a great insult and in that day, countries went to war over the smallest insults -- that's why the king of Israel tore his clothes -- he saw no way out of this problem with Naaman -- he didn't look to God for an answer either.
-- So Elisha sends word to the king -- "Why have you torn your clothes? Why are you so worried about yourself and this country? -- there is a God in Israel who has the power to heal and who will protect Israel -- send the man to me, and God will heal him through me."

-- Verse 9.

9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.

-- See Naaman is still thinking worldly here -- he is still thinking that his goodness and his power and his prestige will heal him -- he shows up with this massive entourage at Elisha's house, complete with horses and chariots
-- he thinks he needs to impress Elisha so he will heal him -- he thinks he needs to impress God so that God will heal him -- but God is not impressed with the things of man -- God is impressed with a humble and contrite heart.
-- In Psalm 51 it says, "You do not take delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."
-- the first thing we have to do is get off our high horse and humble ourselves if we want God to heal us

-- Verse 10.

10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

-- Do you see what happened here? -- Naaman shows up at Elisha's house with a huge entourage -- he's got all these horses and chariots -- he's loaded down with silver and gold and ten sets of garments -- and Elisha doesn't even bother to come out himself.
-- instead, Elisha sends a messenger out to him and tells Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan seven times for healing
-- for a man like Naaman, this would have been a great insult -- he would have considered it rude given his power and prestige and position -- but keep in mind what's going on from a spiritual standpoint -- yes, Naaman needs to be healed of his leprosy -- but that wasn't his biggest problem -- his biggest problem was pride -- and God was more concerned with this disease that had eternal significance than a skin disease that would soon pass away
-- all through this election, we heard about the problems in America -- we heard about the economy and health care and state of our military -- we heard about immigration and crime and all the other visible signs of disease -- but none of these are the real problem -- the real problem in our country today is pride -- and God's doing to do what He has to do to take care of it -- just like He did with Naaman
-- but Naaman didn't know all this -- all he knew was that he had been insulted and that made him angry

-- Verse 11-12

11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.
12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

-- Look at Naaman's thought here. "I thought that for me, he would come out." -- you can literally hear the pride and the arrogance -- you can hear the anger over the way he was dealt with by Elisha -- "How dare he send a messenger out to me -- I am Naaman -- I am second in command in Aram -- I have money -- I have clothes -- I have horses -- I have chariots." -- But, he was still unclean.
-- An ancient middle eastern superstition was that a holy man could come out and he could touch the skin or wave his hand over the place where the infirmity was and that it would magically disappear -- that's what Naaman believed -- he expected Elisha to come out -- wave his hands over the sores -- maybe say a few magic words or an incantation -- and that God would heal him
-- but God doesn't work in the ways of man -- He doesn't do what we expect Him to do -- God says, "My ways are not your ways -- My thoughts are not your thoughts." -- And so God told him to do something totally different.

-- He told him to go to the Jordan and to wash himself seven times in order to be clean -- Naaman got so angry -- you could hear his pride come out again -- he says, "why should I go wash in this little muddy warm river -- we've got better rivers than this in Damascus "

-- the rivers there were known for their purity and their coldness -- they were like the cold, clear rivers in north Georgia compared to the Withlacoochee -- so rather than bathing in a cold, clear mountain stream, Naaman is told to go bathe in the muddy Withlacoochee -- and that makes him angry, because God didn't do what he expected him to do -- his pride was wounded and he left in a rage.

-- verse 13-1413 Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"
14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

-- notice that his servant calls Naaman "father" here -- this says something once again about Naaman's character -- his servants thought so highly of him they went before him in his anger and they tried to get him to do what Elisha had said

-- they pointed out "if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinarily difficult, you would have done it -- and now he tells you to do something so simple, but you refuse to do it."

-- How like us is this? -- we're told that all we have to do is go before God and confess our sin, and we will be cleansed -- we're told to humble ourselves and turn to Him for healing -- but yet we won't, and America continues to suffer

-- why is that? -- it probably comes down to this -- we're prideful -- either we don't like to be told what to do or we refuse to do what God says because it isn't what we expected Him to do -- how many people refuse salvation because they think they must do some great thing to win God's favor? -- they refuse to do the one little thing that God requires -- to receive His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to repent of their sins

-- But Naaman was a man who listened to wise counsel -- and he finally humbled himself and did what God told him to do -- he went down to the Jordan River to wash himself seven times

-- but think about what that meant -- in order to do so, he had to take off his armor and all his magnificent clothing -- and by taking off his armor and his clothes, he had to show his leprosy to the world -- he had to take off his pride and humble himself and show himself the way he truly was -- but he did it

-- he got in that dirty muddy river -- and even though he didn't understand it, he dipped himself in the Jordan seven times -- and after the seventh time he emerged clean, whole -- the blemish on his skin was completely healed -- but more importantly, the pride that had so ruled his life was washed away, never to be seen again

-- Why seven times? -- why did God make Naaman dip himself seven times? -- you ever thought about that?

-- Despite Naaman's reluctance, it would have been no large feat to dip himself once -- but that would not have washed his pride away -- but because he had to dip himself seven times -- because he had to come out of that water seven times and show his sins to those watching seven times -- he lost a little of his pride every time -- until finally, on the seventh try, his heart was broken, his pride was washed away, and he emerged clean, with a broken and contrite heart.

-- sometimes it takes a little effort on our part to be cleansed -- sometimes we have to go before God seven times before He can remove the layers of filth and sin that have accumulated in our life

-- So if we go to God and He cleanses us and makes us whole, what do we do? --We do what Naaman did

-- look at verse 15-19a

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
16 The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
17 "If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.
18 But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also--when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this."
19 "Go in peace," Elisha said.

-- the first thing Naaman did when he was healed was to go back to Elisha's house -- remember, Elisha doesn't know that Naaman actually went to the Jordan River -- all he knows is Naaman threw a hissy fit and left in a rage

-- but the Naaman who left is not the same Naaman who comes back -- this new Naaman -- humbled and restored and cleansed of both leprosy and pride -- comes back in gratefulness and in true appreciation for what God has done

-- we need to remember this -- every day, we should come to God thanking Him for His many blessings -- for His healing -- for His salvation -- every day we should have a praise on our lips because of what God has done in our lives

III. Closing

-- praise and thankfulness flow from humble hearts that recognize the blessings they enjoy did not come from themselves, but from the very hands of God -- this is something America has forgotten

-- even now, as we are preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving, you get the sense that it's more about recognizing what we have done rather than what God has done for us -- we have forgotten the reason for this holiday

-- pride is the leprosy of America -- and, as Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goeth before the fall" -- God does not want to see America fall -- that would not bring glory to His name

--and so God calls us -- His people -- the men and women who are called by His name -- to humble ourselves before His throne -- to lay our pride by our side and to humble ourselves before we do anything else

-- America cannot solve its problems on its own -- we have to remember that there is a God and we are not Him -- and we have to turn to our God in humbleness and adoration before He will bring healing and restoration to our lives and our homes and our country

-- do you want to see revival in this country? -- do you want to see America healed? -- it can only happen when we put our pride aside and humble ourselves and submit to the majesty of God

-- let us pray

SERMON: TIME FOR A CHANGE

 

4 November 2012

I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 2 Chronicles 7:11-16

2 Chronicles 7:11-16 (NIV)
11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace,
12 the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.
13 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,
14 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 will heal their land.
15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

-- over the last two weeks, we have been talking about the need for change -- I guess it's a natural thought as we head into an election week here in our country with both candidates for president offering their plans to change our country for the better
-- but I want to impress upon you that there is another voice for change that is calling out in our land -- a better voice calling for the restoration of God in America again
-- a couple of weeks ago, we examined the question of whether God was judging America -- if God was allowing us to experience the many natural and economic disasters that have happened over the last decade so we will hear His voice and respond to His call to make Him Lord of our lives and our country again
-- as I reflect on what we have been going through in this country, I am reminded of what C.S. Lewis wrote: "God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world." (The Problem of Pain, 1940)
-- are these natural and economic disasters nothing more than God calling for His people to return to Him again?
-- and last week in the message, "Risen Church," we talked about the current spiritual state of the church in America -- how we seem to be an empty shell of what Jesus called His church to be -- a church in name alone -- devoid of the power and greatness of God and just going through the motions of religion without truly trusting and relying on God to lead us and do great things through us
-- just last night I read an article in World Magazine (World, November 3, 2012: Minority Report) which pointed out, for the first time in history, the percentage of Protestant Americans has dropped below 50% of the U.S. population -- not because they were converting to other religions -- but because they were turning away from religion and church in greater and greater numbers
-- but, as Russell Moore of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary wrote, the bigger problem is a large percentage of those who remain in church are nominal Christians who aren't truly born-again and who aren't living their lives in faith and trust in Christ
-- we have lost our way as the church of Christ in America

-- in his book, "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years," Donald Miller talks about seeing our lives as a story -- as part of a grand story written by God in which we have a major part
-- he talks about how all great stories have "turns" -- directions in which the character and the plot go to make the story interesting -- to give the story life -- all stories, he says, must have negative turns, in which events rise that divert the characters from reaching their goals -- obstacles that seem to come between them and their destination
-- but, in the end, there must be a positive turn, an event that moves the protagonist towards his ambition -- that propels a character to defy all the odds to obtain their ultimate goal -- to win the race they are running
-- a change -- in their thoughts -- their behaviors -- their actions -- their attitudes -- a change that causes them to truly want to be different -- that allows them to move the mountains in their way and to walk through the storms in order to reach the end
-- we are at this critical juncture in this country -- and as you head to the polls this week -- as you go back to work and school and life tomorrow -- I want you to be aware that this critical point we are at has nothing to do with politics or economics or the security of our country -- it has to do with our spiritual destination and our spiritual destiny -- it has to do with who we are going to be in the eyes of God
-- by all accounts, we need a positive turn -- we need a change -- if we are going to be the men and women that God called us to be -- if we are not going to just be happy at coming to church and warming seats on Sunday mornings -- if we are actually going to do what God called us to do and make a difference in the lives around us
-- we need a change -- and God has shown us here in this passage what it takes to make this change

II. Scripture Lesson (2 Chronicles 7:11-16)
-- this passage from 2 Chronicles occurs just after King Solomon has completed building the temple of God -- for seven years, Solomon had worked to build a permanent place where the people of Israel could meet with their God
-- and when it was finished, Solomon had the Ark of the Covenant brought into the Holy of Holies while the priests offered sacrifices and the people praised God for His goodness and glory -- the presence of the Lord filled the temple as a cloud as He met the people in that place -- and then Solomon prayed a prayer of dedication, setting aside this temple and the people of Israel for God -- promising to serve Him and no one else
-- later that night, God appeared to Solomon in a dream and answered his prayer with the words that we're given here in this passage

-- let's look at this passage again and think about how it might apply to our day and the times in which we are living -- while these words were certainly given for the ancient Israelites, the Bible says that our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and the promises that He makes to Solomon here can be the foundation for a spiritual revival in our hearts and our homes and our country

-- so, if you would, look back at verse 11-12

11 When Solomon had finished the temple of the LORD and the royal palace, and had succeeded in carrying out all he had in mind to do in the temple of the LORD and in his own palace,
12 the LORD appeared to him at night and said: "I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifices.

-- I don't think we should rush through these first words that God spoke to Solomon -- I think they're important to consider
-- think about the context of this passage -- the temple stood there empty in Jerusalem for seven years as it was being built -- but God was not there -- His power was not there -- God never graced it with His presence until Solomon prayed
-- we have many churches like this today -- empty of the presence of God because we've not invited Him in
-- churches that exist in name alone are useless -- all of our plans and all of our programs are useless -- unless God directs them and inhabits them -- it is God who chooses us -- it is God who directs our path -- it is God's power that allows us to do great and mighty things -- if God is not in them, then all our strivings will come to naught
-- revival begins when we recognize the emptiness of our lives and pray to be filled

-- verse 13

13 "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

-- why would God allow natural and economic disasters to fall on His people? -- why would He allow them to suffer?
-- the Bible tells us that these events happened when the people turned away from God -- when there was a negative turn in their life that led them to reject God and follow idols -- and it stands to reason that the same would hold true for us
-- as we reject God in our lives and in our country -- as we chase after the idols of self-sufficiency and exalt government and materialism and prosperity in the place of God, God allows natural and economic disasters to fall upon us
-- not to harm us -- as we read a couple of weeks ago in Jeremiah 29:11 -- but to prosper us -- to give us hope and a future as we recognize the direction we are heading and adjust our lives to God and return to Him
-- God tells Solomon here that these things are going to happen -- He doesn't say "if" -- He says "when" -- but He gives the recipe for revival in the next verse

-- verse 14

14 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 will heal their land.

-- this is the main verse I want you to focus on in this passage -- a familiar verse -- a verse many of us have memorized but few of us have done anything about
-- in this verse, God gives us the four steps to revival -- He tells us what we must do in order to make a positive turn in the story of our lives and our country

-- He begins by saying, "if My people, who are called by My name" -- who is that? -- that's us -- the people of God -- the people saved by His grace
-- regardless of what the politicians are telling us leading up to this election, change in this country is not going to come through the ballot box -- change is only going to come when God's people take responsibility and move into action
-- revival begins with us and no one us

-- next we see the four steps of revival -- I'm not going to go into great detail on these this morning -- but I plan on talking about each of these in messages over the next several weeks
-- step 1 -- if My people will humble themselves -- the very first thing we need to do in order to bring revival to our lives and our homes and our country is to step off the pedestal and put God back on it again
-- step 2 -- turn from their wicked ways -- another word for this: Repent -- make a positive turn towards God and away from sin
-- step 3 -- pray -- how often do we neglect the simple act of prayer? -- how often do we water down our prayer lives to no more than a few moments before a meal or right before bed? -- the words of Solomon's prayer of dedication take up almost four pages in my Bible -- yet we can only give God seconds or minutes in our daily lives as our world collapses around us?
-- step 4 -- seek My face -- look for God -- turn to Him and trust Him and not ourselves -- focus on God and His will and His ways -- not on the things this world says is important

-- and, if we do these four things, God promises that He will hear from heaven and will forgive our sin and heal our land -- why would we not do this? -- why would we not seek revival at this time in our country's history when God promises to act if we just turn back to Him again?

-- verse 15-16

15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
16 I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there

-- do you know what God is saying in these verses? -- I will never leave you or forsake you -- God has not gone away -- God is still on His throne -- and He's crying out to us through His megaphone of pain
-- He's allowing all of these natural and economic disasters to fall upon us -- not because of His wrath -- but because He is calling us home -- He is calling us to return to Him -- to make a change in our lives -- to turn back before it's too late
-- God's eyes are open and His ears are listening -- His Name is with us forever -- His very Spirit dwells within us -- and His heart longs for our presence

III. Closing

-- John MacArthur in his book “Can God Bless America” states that "America wants God's blessing but not God -- Our nation has systematically pushed Him out of the national consciousness -- rejecting biblical morality, ignoring His Word, and relying on the political and entertainment arenas for moral guidance."
-- The result is that we have become a bankrupt nation -- financially, morally and spiritually -- As politicians, economists, and sociologists scramble to find a cure for the nation’s woes, God has provided America with His prescription in His Word (From a sermon by Gerald Flury, A Bankrupt Nation, 8/9/2011)

-- God has promised to hear our prayers, to forgive our sins, and to heal our land -- if we would only do what He has called us to do in 2 Chronicles 7:14
-- but we have known this promise for over 2000 years -- we have had these words since the time of Solomon -- the problem is not in the knowing -- the problem is in the doing and the believing
-- do you believe that God can revive our land? -- do you believe we can make a difference in this country by simply humbling ourselves and turning from our wicked ways and praying and seeking God's face? -- do you believe that God still brings revival? -- do you believe He can bring revival through you?

-- In 1857, four young Irishmen began a weekly prayer meeting in a village school -- The next year, more prayer meetings started and revival was the common theme of the preachers -- and over 100,000 people were converted into the churches of Ireland in what is marked as the beginning of the Ulster revival of 1859
-- this spiritual revival was not contained in the churches, but affected the entire life of the 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 thing to hit 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)

-- all because four young men decided to turn to God in prayer and ask Him to heal their land -- four young men, empowered by God, turned their country upside-down and sparked the greatest revival in Ireland's history
-- if God can use four men to revive an entire nation, then is there any doubt that He can take the handful of us in this room and heal our country in the same way?

-- God is in the business of reviving people -- of reviving homes -- of reviving nations -- but it all starts with His people on their knees -- humbling themselves, turning from their wicked ways, praying, and seeking His face
-- are you ready to see this country turned upside-down for Jesus? -- are you ready to see God do a mighty move in our land?
-- then let's begin by praying
-- let us pray