2 Chronicles 7:14
THANKSGIVING SUNDAY
Covenant for Life
On a Friday morning, April 21, 1747, to be exact, John Wesley rode
his horse into the village of Thirsk, about 25 miles north of York, in
beautiful north Yorkshire, England. John Wesley came intending to
preach and conduct religious services. But if the countryside there is
beautiful, the spirit of the town, as, indeed, the spirit of much of
the entire nation, was ugly.
Wesley wrote in his Journal that night: "I called at Thirsk; but
finding the town full of holiday folks, drinking, cursing, swear¬ing,
and cockfighting, I did not stop at all, but rode on to Boroughbridge,
and in the afternoon to Leeds."
In Thirsk, as well as in all of Britain, Wesley and his Christian
contemporaries faced a sea of evil. The people were scripturally
ignorant and illit¬erate. The living was hard. The character of the
average man in the street was coarse. What could one man, or a few
people, or even a few hundred people do to stem such a de¬generate
tide?
WHAT COULD GOD'S PEOPLE DO?
THEY COULD RESOLVE TO BE HOLY.
They could live to please God!
And THEY COULD MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO GOD.
And a relatively small number of people set out to do exactly
that. They had no delusions of grandeur, but they knew that they
served a great God. And they determined to live to please Him. AND
GOD, THROUGH THOSE RELATIVELY FEW PEOPLE, BROUGHT ABOUT A SPIRITUAL
AWAKENING!
Perhaps it is not possible to make parallels between our modern
culture and early 18th century England, and draw spiritual and moral
conclusions. But I feel challenged by what I perceive to be almost
identical spiritual confrontations. I have no way of knowing whether
our pornography and abortion and political corruption are worse or
better than the brutality and prejudices and class discrimination
which Wesley faced. BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE ARE IN DANGER OF SIMPLY
ACCOMMODATING THE WAY WE LIVE TO THE TENOR OF THE TIMES.
We go home from our worship service, where we all agree that sin is
bad and God is good-- and we tell ourselves that we are on God's side
with all we have. And maybe we are. But I also do perceive that
UNLESS MORE HAPPENS TO STEM THE FLOODTIDES OF EVIL IN OUR DAY THAN IS
HAPPENING NOW, THEN WE SHALL SINK QUICKLY and quietly into a
post-Christian, hedonist, Godless society that will swallow up our
children and our own faith as well!
I believe I sense some of the same frustration that Wesley may have
felt as he rode his horse into Thirsk that spring morning. I believe
that he was at least tempted to say, "What can one person do against
such emboldened evil!" I know that I am tempted! But WE KNOW AS
CHRISTIANS WE MUST TO DO SOMETHING!
[Transition:]
I'm sure that it is natural to think first of all about doing; and
particularly about acting politically. It seems natural to see the
sinful conditions of society and begin by attacking those evils,
wherever and however we are able. It might do us well, instead, TO
LOOK TO Wesley for a working model, and beyond Wesley, to THE
SCRIPTURAL PRINCIPLES WESLEY USED in the spiritual awakening which
came during his lifetime.
These principles come into sharp focus in the words of our text:
(2 Chron. 7:14)
THIS IS A COVENANT STATEMENT.
It is not "contractual;" it does not give service rendered for value
received, and in no way can a spiritual awakening ever be earned,
merited, deserved, or "prayed down." But it is a covenant statement.
GOD SAYS "I'LL BE RESPONSIBLE AND DO CERTAIN THINGS, IF YOU WILL
BE RESPONSIBLE AND FOR YOUR PART, YOU WILL DO CERTAIN
THINGS!"
I. THE PART WHICH FALLS TO GOD'S PEOPLE IS CLEARLY OUTLINED:
(1) IF MY PEOPLE, which are called by MY name
I have made this phrase a separate "condition" even though it isn't
something to "do;" but it DOES tell WHO is called to be the agent of
God's healing. The call of God is not first of all to militancy
against the evils of society, but to the people called by His name,
that they will come to Him. The call is not to reform the terrible
conditions we see on the outside (although we must do what we can when
and where we can.)
GOD'S CALL IS TO SEEK HIS FACE, and His promise is that if HIS people
will hear and believe Him, then HE will heal the land. This task of
land healing is too big for any of us, and it is too big for all of us
put together! But it is NOT too big for God!
[Somehow I see Abraham standing on the edge of the mesa
over¬looking the valley of the Dead Sea below. I hear him
interceding to God for Sodom and Gomorrah, and hear God saying,
"If there are 40 righteous, I will spare the city! If there are
30 righteous, I will not destroy the people!"]
[And somehow I wonder who is holding back the fire and brimstone
of God's wrath on a society that has absolutely no time for any
god but pleasure and convenience and comfort?]
(2) SHALL HUMBLE THEMSELVES
This means putting ourselves into the "servant role." We see
ourselves as the agents of God's work; 'any great awakening depends on
US!' BUT GOD SAYS HUMBLE YOURSELVES!
Recognize the helplessness of all flesh apart from God! Cry out in
desperation to God! WE'RE so "cool!" WE know so "much!" Just a few
more seminars-- a few more hard prayers-- a little more sweat and
busy-ness-- and we'll bring in the New Jerusalem all by ourselves! WE
THINK!
God says: Either I do it-- or it won't get done!
(3) "Humble yourselves . . . AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE"
This means giving God TIME and giving Him ATTENTION for AS LONG AS IT
TAKES, until we get ourselves lined up with His good, and acceptable,
and perfect will.
It isn't a matter of praying to change God's mind. God is not
reluctant to help us against the forces of evil. He is ready and able
right now to move in and change our world under our feet. But our
problem is praying, without mixture, "I delight to do YOUR will, O
God!" Your kingdom come! In YOUR way!
God says: "Pray and seek my face until your whole being is on the
stretch for more of ME!"
(4) AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS
And how will we know when we are coming near to praying and seeking
God's face enough? The answer is: WHEN WE ARE WILLING PUT THE WAY WE
LIVE ON THE LINE, WHATEVER IT COSTS US TO OBEY GOD'S WILL! We think
of "wickedness" as violence and impurity and flagrant greed and denial
of God. But GOD SAYS WHEN HIS PEOPLE STOP PUTTING OTHER THINGS FIRST
AHEAD OF HIM-- WHEN THEY ARE WILLING TO PUT COMFORT AND SECURITY AND
LEGITIMATE PLEASURES WAY DOWN THE LIST OF THEIR LIFE PRIORITIES, and
absolutely put God FIRST-- THEN GOD'S PEOPLE WILL BE LEAVING THEIR
WICKED WAYS!
[This is 'our' side of the covenant. But God Himself has made a
promise of what He will do for His part of the covenant!] And
WHEN IT IS GOD THAT MOVES IN, then the dynamic, and the wisdom,
and all the glory are HIS!]
II. AND THE COVENANT PROMISE OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY IS CLEAR: THEN
WILL I:
(1) HEAR FROM HEAVEN
YOUR PRAYERS WILL "CONNECT!" Did you ever have a prayer "connect?"
I'm not sure how to describe "praying through." And I know that we
are called upon to pray in faith no matter how we "feel," and I am
also sure that some of our most effective prayers are "embattled
prayers." We are to "be instant in season and out of season."
(2 Timothy) BUT IT IS GREAT WHEN PRAYERS "CONNECT!" It makes all the
difference when, beyond mere emotional feeling, there is the
assurance, the certitude that God is not just "aware" of what you have
prayed, but that God has heard!
(2) WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN
WHOSE SIN? The sins of the abortionists and drug pushers? Not yet--
THE SINS OF HIS OWN PEOPLE! The sins of NEGLECT-- of BROKEN ALTARS
and NEGLECTED BIBLES and UNKIND ATTITUDES and PRAYERLESS DAYS and
WEEKS. THIS FORGIVENESS IS KEY!
WHAT SIN? Once again-- THE SIN OF BEING "DISCONNECTED" from the
Source of Goodness and Life and Light. The connection once again will
be established. God will have a voice in the land. God's Word will
be heard in its glory!
(3) HEAL THEIR LAND
If the job is too great for us-- and the sickness too profound, it is
not for the great God we serve. This is a covenant statement! AND ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER, GOD WILL HEAL THE LAND OF THE PEOPLE WHO KEEP COVENANT
WITH HIM! And make no mistake, we will have a part, and an important
part to DO. For THERE DOES COME A TIME FOR "DOING!" GOD WILL ASK US TO
PUT OUR LIVES ON THE LINE! But it begins with HUMBLING, and continues
in PRAYER, and SEEKING GOD'S FACE, and TURNING FROM SELFISH WAYS!
Because God does the healing does NOT mean that we will not have any
part in the healing process. John Wesley was certainly an instrument
in the awakening of His day. GOD WILL USE HUMAN INSTRUMENTS IN THE
AWAKENING WE SEE. But remember: THIS COVENANT PROMISE CLEARLY DOES
MEAN THAT THE HEALING WILL COME FROM GOD.
Conclusion:
Wesley was dismayed and temporarily dismissed in Thirsk and a number
of other places because of the prevailing spirit of lawlessness and
sin in his times. But Wesley went back to Thirsk another day..and
another and another! There are 14 entries in his Journal that record
visits to Thirsk. After 1747 there are entries like June, 1755:
Thirsk: a little society; June 1763: intended to preach by a
house, but asked by gentlemen to preach in the marketplace; to a
large, deeply attentive congregation;
June 1764 "exceeding large congregation"
May 29, 1766 I preached in the new House (chapel) at Thirsk.
And Wesley kept on recording visits to Thirsk until 1788, a year
before his death! And if you go to Thirsk today there stands what to
Americans is a very old, substantial chapel built of brick, built by
the people called Methodists. Indeed, in just about every hamlet and
village in Britain there is a Methodist chapel that testifies to the
truth of our text,that: "if God's people . . ."!!
It is past time for another awakening in our world! And we are
frustrated-- we are helpless. We cannot begin by starting out to tilt
against the windmills of evil in our own righteousness and our own
strength and power. WHAT CAN WE DO AGAINST THE CURRENT OF DEGENERATE
TIMES?
WE CAN RESOLVE TO BE HOLY. We can live to please God. And WE CAN
MAKE OUR¬SELVES AVAILABLE TO GOD.
Prayer: Lord God, The task is too large! And we are so very small!
But we are NOT alone! Together with Your people today all over this
world we pray! Heal our land! Your kingdom come! In US as it is in
heaven! Amen.
An audio copy can be found (20 minutes long) at:
http://russellmetcalfesermons.nazarene.nl/AudioSermons/If%20My%20People.mp3
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