Is There Hope for America #4-If My People

“IS THERE HOPE FOR AMERICA #4-IF MY PEOPLE…”

2 CHRONICLES 7:14

INTRO: Our nation is need of prayer. Our nation is in need of a spiritual

revival. If America is every to reclaim her greatness, it will not be

through the political process. What is needed is a renewed vision.

A vision of holiness and a vision of hope! PROVERBS 29:18 tells

us—“Where there is no vision, the people perish…”. Vision is the

world's most desperate need. There are no hopeless situations, only

people who think hopelessly. -- Winifred Newman. Leadership, Vol.

15, no. 3. Vision is merely hope with a blueprint. -- Anonymous.

Leadership, Vol. 15, no. 3.

The verse that best gives us the remedy for a nation which has lost

its way is 2 CHRONICLES 7:14—“If my people, which are called by

my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and

turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will

forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Friends, if revival ever

comes to our nation it will start with God’s people! Now is the time

for action. Our nation is in trouble and so few seem to care!

ROMANS 13:11 says—“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high

time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when

we believed.” Folks, it is time we awake out of our carelessness and

indifference and show compassion and concern for our beloved nation

which has lost her moral compass! We need a vision for what our

nation can be if God’s people simply have the courage to STAND UP,

SPEAK UP, and SHINE BRIGHTLY in a nation enveloped in darkness!

I want to speak today on the subject, “If My People…”. This challenge

given by God to the people after the building of Solomon’s temple is

just as applicable to us today as it was then. But to realize it we must

get serious with God and we must fulfill our responsibility to be what

God has called us to be which is salt and light—“Yearethesaltofthe

earth:butifthesalthavelost his savor,wherewithshallitbesalted?it

isthenceforthgoodfornothing,buttobecastout,andtobetrodden

under footofmen.Yearethelightoftheworld.Acitythatissetonahill

cannotbehid. Neitherdomenlightacandle,andputitunderabushel,

butonacandlestick;anditgiveth lightuntoallthatareinthehouse.

Letyourlightsoshinebeforemen,thattheymayseeyourgoodworks,

andglorifyyourFatherwhichisinheaven.”(MATTHEW 5:13-16). Salt

is intended to preserve and our nation is in need of preservation. Light

is intended to shine and dispel darkness and our nation sits in

darkness.

I would have you note five things with me in the message today:

(1) THE PEOPLE

2 CHRONICLES 7:14a—“If my people…”

A. A CALLED PEOPLE. These words are written to God’s people in ancient

Israel. Earlier God had called them to be His people here on earth.

DEUTERONOMY 14:2 tells us—“For thou art a holy people unto the LORD

thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself,

above all the nations that are upon the earth.” Friends, through the blood of

Jesus we are called to be His people. TITUS 2:14 speaking of Christ’s

sacrifice for us says—“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us

from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good

works.” We are CHRISTIANS—the name first applied to us was meant as

an insult, but yet we count it a honor and privilege to bear the name of the

One who loved us so much He willingly died in our place! We are His

people!

ILLUS: Our churches are in serious trouble today. There is virtually no

difference between the average church member and the person

who is not a Christian. God meant for the Christian to be

different, to live a different kind of life, and to be on a different

moral level from those who are not Christians. And yet, there is

practically no difference in lifestyle. - Jerry Vines (Bible Illustrator

I love what W. A. Criswell said, “This is the making of a true Christian: a

firm resolve in heart and soul to follow God's will what ever the cost. We

are not looking for a cheap religion and God is not looking for paper saints.

- W. A. Criswell (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright

B. A COMMANDED PEOPLE. The words of 2 Chronicles 7:14 are a great

command from God to repent. There is no doubt that the Israelites need to

turn back to God in faith and repentance. But that is not the only thing

this verse is saying. It says We need to repent. It says we need to turn from

our wicked ways, and then God will heal our land. “If my people,” God

declares. Jesus said, “Mysheephearmyvoice,and Iknowthem,andthey

followme.” (JOHN 10:27). We are His people and His sheep. We are the

ones who are commanded to repent and turn from our wicked ways. We

are told in TITUS 2:11-13—“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation

hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly

lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God

and our Savior Jesus Christ.” Friends, “the time is come that judgment must

begin at the house of God…”. (1 PETER 4:17a). We MUST REPENT because

then and only then will God heal our land!

(2) THE POSTURE

2 CHRONICLES 7:14b—“…shall humble themselves…”

A. HUMILITY GIVES US A TRUE PERSPECTIVE. We are living in a proud

nation. A nation which sees little necessity of relying upon God. We revel

in our prosperity and glory in our accomplishments never stopping to

realize that all we enjoy, all we possess, and all the freedoms of liberty

came to us by the grace of Almighty God! PROVERBS 16:18 tells us—

“Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Friends,

our beloved country is headed for a fall! Why? We, in our arrogance and

pride, have said, “God, we don’t need you anymore! We have arrived! We

can do it on our own!” “Of all the illusions and fantasies and farces of

human history, the biggest mirage of all is what we call progress. Just

because we split the atom and are back from the moon, we've given God

His walking papers. We have decided we can work out our own salvation,

and that science has the answer to sin. -- Vance Havner in On This Rock I

Stand. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 12.

B. HUMILITY GIVES US A TRUE PURPOSE. The SCRIPTURE gives us many

examples of pitfalls of pride.

“The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.” (PROVERBS 15:25).

“…him that hath a high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.”(PSALM 101:5b).

“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.” (PHILIPPIANS 2:3).

“…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”(JAMES 4:6b).

God’s people need to humble themselves. We need to acknowledge our sins

and confess our unworthiness. HUMILITY GIVES US TRUE PERSPECTIVE.

It helps us realize how reliant we are on HIM! We should ask God to give us

a humble spirit so we can offer prayer that is acceptable and pleasing unto

Him. Until we confess our sins and unworthiness, our prayers will bounce

off the ceiling. But if we humble ourselves and confess our sins, God will

hear from heaven, answer our prayers and forgive our sins.

ILLUS: President Abraham Lincoln warned Americans about the sin of

pride. He said, “We have been the recipients of the choicest

bounties of Heaven…but we have forgotten God. We have forgotten

the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and

enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the

deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced

by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with

unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the

necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to

God that made us. It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves

before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray

for clemency and forgiveness” (D. James Kennedy with Jerry

Newcombe. What If America Were A Christian Nation Again? p. 225).

We have looked at THE PEOPLE and THE POSTURE, thirdly I would have you note…

(3) THE PRAYER

2 CHRONICLES 7:14C—“… pray, and seek my face…”

A. THE INTERCESSION. We pray for many things as God’s people. We pray

for our families, friends, children, businesses, and our health. We pray for

our Church, the sick and afflicted, the bereaved, and countless others. But

how many of us prayer regularly for revival to spread across America? I

believe I am safe in saying that many who call themselves Christians do

not. Most of us do a fair job of offering a prayer of supplication but what

about a prayer of intercession? Paul wrote in 1 TIMOTHY 2:1-4—“I exhort

therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of

thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that

we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this

is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior; Who will have all men

to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” The word

intercession simply means “The act of interceding; entreaty or prayer on the

behalf of others.” (Funk & Wagnall’s Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 1, A-

M. p. 338). Friend, let me ask you, “Do you daily prayer for our president?

Our congressmen, our representatives, our state and local officials? Folks,

if God’s people would spend more time praying and less time complaining,

things would be different! God never gives us discernment in order that we

may criticize, but that we may intercede. -- Oswald Chambers. Leadership,

Vol. 16, no. 1. Intercession would change things. And this is no dream it is

God’s promise.

B. THE IMPORTANCE. Our land desperately needs the help of God and we

should pray for our Country on a daily basis! We need to ask God to heal

our land, to bring our Country’s heart and soul to Himself, to restore this

land to godliness, and make it once again “One NATION UNDER GOD!”

ILLUS: One day in nineteenth-century New York City, a man put up a

poster advertising a prayer meeting in that place (it was just a

rented room) on a certain day at noon. The following week he came

to the place at the appointed time, and nobody was there, so he

started praying. A half an hour later, somebody else came. Before

the hour was over six people were there. The next week there were

fifty people, and a hundred the week after that. And then prayer

meetings started all over New York City, and suddenly a quarter of

a million people were swept into the kingdom of God.

Friends, we must never underestimate the power of prayer! Real prayer is a serious concern, for we are speaking to the sovereign Lord of all the universe, who is willing to move heaven and earth in answer to sincere and reasonable prayer. Prayer is not a mechanical duty, but a wonderful opportunity to develop a loving and caring relationship with the most important Person in our lives. -- John Bunyan in Pilgrim's Prayer Book, edited by Louis Gifford Parkhurst, Jr. Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 10.

We have looked at THE PEOPLE, THE POSTURE, THE PRAYER but also let us see…

(4) THE PENITENCE

2 CHRONICLES 7:14d—“…turn from their wicked ways.”

A. AN ABSOLUTE. Friends, we are truly living in a world of which 1 JOHN

5:19 describes—“… the whole world lieth in wickedness.” The ungodly of

this world are so engrossed in their wickedness that many times we find it

hard to see the wicked ways in ourselves. One of the most neglected

doctrines in our Churches today is: REPENTANCE. But let me say this

morning that REPENTANCE IS AN ABSOLUTE. It is a NECESSITY! One of

the first words spoke by our Savior to those who would follow Him was,

“Repent:forthekingdomofheavenis at hand.” (MATTHEW 4:17). Jesus

began His public ministry with repentance and continued it with repentance

when He declared in LUKE 13:3—“…exceptyerepent,yeshallalllikewise

perish.” Repentance means “turning from all your sins and turning unto

God.” The word penitence means “contrition and confession of sin.” (Funk &

Wagnall’s Standard Desk Dictionary. Volume 2, N-Z. p. 484). PSALM 34:18

says—“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth

such as be of a contrite spirit.” 1 JOHN 1:9 says—“If we confess our sins,

he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all

unrighteousness.” True repentance then involves contrition and confession.

A Sunday School teacher once asked a class what was meant by the word

"repentance." A little boy put up his hand and said, "It is being sorry for

your sins." A little girl also raised her hand and said, "It is being sorry

enough to quit." --Donald Barnhouse (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version

Our Lord Jesus began His ministry with REPENTANCE, He continued His

ministry with REPENTANCE, and He ended His ministry here on earth with

REPENTANCE! In REVELATION 2-3 to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor,

Jesus commanded them eight times to REPENT. When Peter gave his first

sermon in ACTS 2 at Pentecost, the people were pricked in their hearts and

said, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (ACTS 2:37b), and Peter said,

“Repent.” Paul said Christ came that repentance and faith might be

preached unto the Gentiles (ACTS 26:17-18). Over and over and over,

God’s Word declares “REPENT! REPENT! REPENT!”

B. AN ASSESSMENT. LAMENTATIONS 3:40 encourages us—“Let us search

and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.” If we would all bend our

knees, bow our hearts and minds before God, and ask the Holy Spirit of

God to reveal those things in our lives which are displeasing to God, we

would all find out that there are more wicked ways in us than we ever

imagined!

ILLUS: Long ago Abraham Lincoln called our nation to renewal when he

said, “It is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their

dependence upon the overriding power of God, to confess their sins

and transgressions in a humble sorrow, yet with the assured hope

that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to

recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and

proven by all history that nations are only blessed who God is the

Lord” (D. James Kennedy with Jerry Newcombe. What If America

Were A Christian Nation Again? p. 227).

Friend, what about your need for repentance? What about the things you

watch, or the things you view on the internet, or x-rated movies, or cheating

on your job, or uncontrolled anger, or animosity toward another person?

God’s call is: REPENT! Paul said in 1 CORINTHIANS 9:27—“But I keep

under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I

have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Paul said he would

not be in bondage to anything. What about you, friend? Are you in

bondage? I don’t know your sin, but I do know this: whatever it is, God

knows it, and you know it, and right now He is speaking to you about it.

And saying, REPENT!

We have looked at THE PEOPLE, THE POSTURE, THE PRAYER, THE PENITENCE, and finally let us see…

(5) THE PROMISE

2 CHRONICLES 7:14e—“…then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive

their sin, and will heal their land.”

*GOD’S PROMISE IS THREE-FOLD:

A. I WILL HEAR. The Lord promises to hear the prayers of a penitent heart.

Friend, let me ask you, Are you a person of prayer? Have you humbled

yourself before God? Do you seek the Lord’s face daily? David said in

PSALM 63:1-4—“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul

thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where

no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the

sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall

praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy

name. “ Can those words be said of you? Do praise and adore God for His

glory and greatness, for His holiness, goodness, mercy and gracious in your

prayers?

B. I WILL FORGIVE. Forgiveness is available. Grace is abundant. Do you

seek His forgiveness when you sin? Jesus invited in MATTHEW 11:28—“