What Precedes Revival? 2 Chron 5:1-14, 7:1-3

What Precedes Revival?

July 5, 2014

2 Chron 5:1-14, 7:1-3

READING

• 2 Chron 5:1-14

INTRODUCTION

• Last week I mentioned a dream I had a couple of months ago
• In this dream, I saw Mt Susanville erupting, and boulders rolling down its sides
• A couple months before that someone came and asked me about a dream she had had, where once again boulders were rolling down the hill, through a mist and yet no one was being hurt. At the time I did not know what this dream meant.
• I now believe both dreams were about the Kingdom of God increasing territory in Susanville, in other words, revival.
• As in Dan 2 – the stone cut out of a mountain without hands, and then filling the whole earth
• But what is it that prepares the way for revival?
• What are the conditions like when revival happens?
• Today we are going to talk the conditions that precede revival.

KING SAUL – PROUD AND DISOBEDIENT

• Saul was the first king of Israel. He was a Benjaminite, he believed in God's guidance, and he had a low estimation of himself
• 1 Samuel 9:1-14 – searching for donkeys, servant encourages Saul to enquire of God
• God tells Samuel to anoint Saul to be king
• And the donkeys have been found
• Saul depends heavily on Samuel to pray and intercede for him, does not seem to have had a close personal walk with God
• He starts seemingly humble, but his position goes to his head and he is proud and disobedient, finally even seeking guidance from a fortune teller
• King Saul was definitely not leading the people into revival
• It was Saul's choice – it grieved God that he had made Saul king – 1 Sam 15:35

KING DAVID – HUMBLE, WHOLEHEARTED, OBEDIENT AND REPENTANT

• King David however, was different
• 1 Sam 16:13 – David anointed king
• David was humble
• David was the youngest brother, he had a humble heart
• God looks at the heart
• Humility is important to God, it helps us keep our roles in perspective
• Prov 29:23, Isa 57:15, Isa 66:2
• David was wholehearted
• Ps 9:11, 111:1, 119:2, 10, 34, 58, 69, 145, 138:1
• It was important to David to worship with all his heart, no divided loyalties
• David was obedient
• We know about David's relationship with God, through the Psalms
• God tells of David that He could trust David to do his will – Acts 13:22
• David was repentant
• David sinned. He sinned big time
• Satan tries to destroy David's relationship with God, by tempting him with a beautiful woman, Bathsheba. David commits adultery, and ends up murdering her husband, to have this lady as his wife
• David's reaction is to repent, once again with all his heart
• His prayer of repentance is recoded in Psalm 51
• So, David was humble, whole hearted, obedient and repentant
• It was this David who desired to build a house for God, a temple, to have God close to him

KING SOLOMON – HUMBLE AND TEACHABLE

• God told David the temple would be built by his and Bathsheba's Solomon
• So we see God making something good turn out from a terribly sinful experience in David's life
• Solomon started his reign with a humble and teachable heart
• 1 Kings 3:1-15 Solomon asks for wisdom
• verse 7-9 – He shows his humility
• He asks God for wisdom
• During this period of his life, Solomon was still right with God
• And it was during this time, that Solomon builds the temple
• The Ark is brought into the Holy of Holies
• The Levites sing praise to God accompanied by trumpets
• The glory cloud fills the temple!
• Solomon leads the people in a prayer of dedication of the temple – 2 Chron 6:1-40
• Fire falls from heaven on the altar, and consumes the offerings presented to God, and God's glory fills the temple afresh
• God appears to Solomon in a dream again, and accepts the prayer of dedication - 2 Chron 7:1-16
• verse 14 – heal their land
• Finally, God warns Solomon to stay obedient, or consequences would happen

CONCLUSION

• If we are to see Revival, or an Awakening, in this nation, in this county, in this city, or in our personal life, these qualities should be evident:
• Humility
• Wholeheartednes
• Obedience
• Repentance
• This is why, tomorrow, we are going to fast 7 hours, to ask the Lord to hear our prayers this week, and bring change in our nation
• From the president on down
• As Christians, we are humbling ourselves in fasting and prayer
• We are doing this with all our heart
• We are repenting of disobedience, and setting our course to be obedient in the future
• This is what precedes God's coming to his people
• This is what precedes revival