Sermon Tone Analysis

What Happens When We Seek God?

! 2 Chronicles 7:14

 

Have you ever noticed that in every recorded instance when an individual discovers himself in the presence of the Living God, in the presence of the Lord of Glory, or even in the presence one of the angels on a mission of heaven, that the natural response of the individual is to fall down awe-struck?

If God is infinite, holy, dwelling in unapproachable light, such a reaction is not surprising.

The Risen Christ has likewise been transfigured and now reveals Himself whenever He comes to His people with unveiled glory.

Thus, the reaction of terror is not surprising.

Even the angels of God are represented as flames of fire, and thus the reaction to finding oneself in the unveiled presence of such a powerful being is terror.

The reason I mention this common reaction is to challenge us to consider carefully whether we want revival or not.

I confess that I long for revival; but knowing something of Holy God, I approach this request with a sense of terror.

How could it be otherwise in approaching One of whom every human description fails?

God can only be described from my human perspective as “Other.”

Should He not reveal Himself, how would I search Him out?

In mercy and by His grace, however, He has revealed Himself to each of us who are called by His Name, and we, in seeking revival, ask Him to reveal His full glory to us.

What happens when we seek God?

Perhaps the answer is given in part by the reaction of the three disciples who walked with Jesus to the top of the Mount of Transfiguration.

Matthew’s account reads as follows.

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

There he was transfigured before them.

His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.

Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.

If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said,

“"This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.

Listen to him!”

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.

But Jesus came and touched them.

“Get up,” he said.

“Don't be afraid.”

When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus [*Matthew 17:1-8*].

The immediate reaction to the presence of God is awe; those recognising His glory are struck dumb and left without strength.

John once more saw the glorified Christ when in exile on Patmos.

You will recall that his reaction was akin to that of Daniel in the presence of the archangel Michael: I fell at his feet as though dead [*Revelation 1:17*].

This common reaction being true, do we really want to see His glory in the church [*Ephesians 3:21*]?

Are we really willing to be controlled by One utterly foreign to our experience?

Will we truly permit this “Other” to direct our lives?

When we seek God, this is the outward experience of the saints.

However, there is another aspect of being in the presence of God which is nearer our expectation and which is revealed in our text today.

Join me in exploration of the elements of seeking—and finding—the Lord God.

God Hears Prayer — If my people … will … seek my face … then will I hear from heaven.

This is the first promise God gave His ancient people through Solomon.

Consequently, we do no violence to the text when we appropriate this text to ourselves.

And what a glorious assertion this is—that God hears prayer.

There is no other god who hears and answers prayer, though man has repeatedly attempted to produce formulae to manipulate authorities and powers to do his will.

The Living God, alone, hears prayer.

Of all the prayers God hears, the prayer of repentant saints is most assured to receive His prompt attention.

God ever delights to receive that soul who seeks His face.

You will perhaps recall the promise given through the letter to Hebrew believers.

In *Hebrews 11:6* we are informed: without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Those earnestly seeking God are promised His reward.

Again, we believers have received His rich promise given in *1 John 1:9*: if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

These are rich promises which speak of God’s delight to reward the seeking heart, and the reward given is God Himself.

I am compelled to encourage prayer by reminding you of some of the great promises from God’s Word.

In my previous message I reminded you of *Jeremiah 33:3*: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

Children of the Living God have also received the repeated promise of our Lord: I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father…  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.

Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name…  In that day you will no longer ask me anything.

I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name [*John 14:13*; *15:16*; *16:23*].

This singular promise which is repeated three times to the disciples is but an iteration of that promise which was given early in Jesus’ ministry during the Sermon on the Mount.

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you [*Matthew 7:7*].

Prayer will assuredly be heard, and how much more will that prayer be heard when the prayer offered finds its origin in the heart of God’s repentant child.

God does hear prayer.

Most of us are convinced that this is a true statement.

However, we appear reluctant to pray—if our prayers are any indication of our belief!

How can this be?

I suppose there are a variety of reasons we could give as to why we do not pray, but the bottom line is that we are a sinful people.

Though forgiven and called into the Family of God by His grace, we are yet in the flesh and thus we struggle against our own fallen natures.

Consequently, we imagine that we are capable of resolving any conflict, we think ourselves too busy to pray, or we realise that true prayer will require confession of sin and we rebel at the thought of such acknowledgement.

It is our pride which keeps us from praying as we ought.

All these statements are true in greater or lesser measure, but I wonder if perhaps we sometimes are uncertain how to pray.

The disciples asked Jesus on one occasion: Lord, teach us to pray [*Luke 11:1*].

It is uncertain whether they were asking Jesus to teach them the mechanics of prayer or whether they sought to learn the discipline of prayer, but from the Lord’s response it seems that they were actually inquiring about the mechanisms of prayer.

What is prayer?

What sort of prayer honours the Father?

What are the elements of true prayer?

This is the underlying concern of these disciples.

I will not attempt a thorough exegesis of this prayer at this time, but I will observe that several elements stand out in the prayer which are instructive to each of us.

The first element of note in prayer is the intimacy with which a disciple is to approach the Father.

We call Him *Father*.

There is no hint of manipulation or attempt at coercion, but instead there is an easy entrance into the presence of One who is loved and who loves.

The second element of note in this model prayer is the adoration or worship with which we should approach the Father.

God is so beyond us that were He to truly reveal His glory we would each be struck dumb!

We would be awed into silence.

What familiarity may be exhibited toward God results from His grace and not from our merit.

If we adopt this model prayer as the guide for our own prayers—as we should—we will never again barge into the presence of the Father without a time of worship or adoration.

Consequently, prayer life will be transformed forever after.

The third element of prayer noted in the Model Prayer is supplication—prayer.

Prayer is to include *prayer*, petition, asking.

However, I caution that the asking, while benefiting the petitioner, always seeks God’s glory whether in seeking His provision for daily needs, forgiveness of sin, or deliverance from evil.

I have often employed the little acronym ACTS as an aid to guide my prayer life.

*A* reminds me of the need for adoration.

*C* reminds me that I have need for confession.

*T* is a reminder of the need for thanksgiving.

*S* reminds me of the need for supplication.

*A*doration, *C*onfession, *T*hanksgiving, and *S*upplication are elements of prayer acceptable to the Father.

As we begin to pray it is good to take time to first adore the Lord our God—to worship Him first.

Knowing who He is, we are then conscious of our own sinful nature and we can confess that which He brings to our mind.

Because we are confident that He shall forgive sin which is confessed to Him we are prepared to engage in thanksgiving.

Then, and only then, save in rare instances, are we prepared to make our requests of Him; and these requests ought to be carefully considered to ensure that they are those which glorify Him and honour His Son according to His promises.

When we seek God, we know that He hears our prayer.

If we are unable to point to answered prayer, it must follow that we are the ones in error.