A Show of Strength
Revival: Stronger Than Ever • Sermon • Submitted
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Revival: Stronger Than Ever
Increasing God’s Power in Your Life
2 Chronicles 14:8-15
INTRO -
What kind of encouragement does a nation need when it emerges from a national crisis?
That’s the question Ezra is answering for us in the book of Chronicles.
And what kind of encouragement do you need when you’re facing a personal crisis?
That’s the question Ezra is answering for us in the section of Chronicles we’ll be looking at today.
First, a little context:
The book of Chronicles covers a 400-year period of time, called “The Kingdom Period,” because from 1000 B.C. to 600 B.C., Israel was ruled by kings.
Saul was its first king. He didn’t do so well. Ezra doesn’t spend much time on him.
David comes next. David was human in his sins, and amazing in his heart. The author of Hebrews calls him, “A man after God’s own heart.” Two weeks ago, we saw God ask David to build Him and altar. So he built the altar. But first, he bought the field for the altar, and the animals for the sacrifice, and the field in which he built the altar. He said, “I will not offer to the Lord my God that which cost me nothing.”
Next in the line of kings was Solomon. Last week we learned how his gift of wisdom endowed an entire nation.
2 Chronicles 10-13 tell the story of Solomon’s son, whose name was Rehoboam. Rehoboam was not a wise king. When the people asked him to lower their taxes, he raised them instead, which split the kingdom forever.
From that time on, Israel was a divided kingdom. The ten tribes in the north were known as “Israel.” And the two tribes in the south were called “Judah.”
Throughout its history, 19 kings ruled the kingdom of Israel, and not one of them followed the Lord.
And 20 kings ruled in the kingdom of Judah, and many of them tried to follow the Lord.
PURPOSE
Ezra, who is writing to a distressed people, is looking for positive examples to teach uplifting lessons. So Chronicles majors in the kings of the south.
After David, Solomon, and Rehoboam, come two kings whose names both start with A. The first one is Abijah. Abijah reigned for three years, so we’re going to skip him and go on to the second king whose name starts with A. His name is Asa.
FORECAST
Asa was not perfect, but he was one of the good kings.
Ezra is going to use the life of Asa to teach us three lessons on the power of faithfulness today.
Asa is going to show us that when we are faithful to God, God is unfailing to us.
He’s going to teach us that the faithful may have setbacks, but never full-on failures, because God is faithful to His faithful ones.
And all that God has is strongly available to the person who is strongly available to God.
OVERVIEW
Around 900 B.C., the king of “Cush,” which is modern day Ethiopia, was powerful enough to conquer the kingdom of Egypt. The country north of Egypt was Judah, which happened to be ruled by young king Asa.
Strength Against All Odds
Strength Against All Odds
Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.
And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.
So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.
And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.
They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.
Listen: when you work, you get what you can do.
But when you pray, you get what God can do. And God can do anything.
- He can route a million-man army.
- He can supply all your needs, according to His riches in Christ Jesus.
- He can supply your financial needs. Your physical needs.
- He can give you a job in the midst of a pandemic.
- He can give you a friend.
- He can encourage you.
- He can keep you from falling.
- He can lead you not into temptation but deliver you from evil.
Sometimes He will let you feel outnumbered… so you can know that you count on Him.
The Lesson of the Route is, when you’re in a mess, be faithful to pray, so that God can be faithful to answer.
I hope you’re praying for a miracle these days. Because we need one! Don’t we?
We need a cure for the Coronavirus.
And if God can defeat a million-man army, He can defeat a single-cell organism, can’t He?
Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 2018 In the Nick of Time
I am never tired of pointing out that the Greek phrase translated, “In the time of need,” is a colloquialism, of which the “nick of time” is the exact equivalent: “That we may have grace to help in the “nick of time.” ” Grace just when and where I need it. You are attacked by temptation, and, at the moment of assault, you look to Him, and the grace is there to help in “the nick of time.” No postponement of your petition until the evening hour of prayer; but there, man, there in the city street, with the flaming temptation in front of you, turn to Christ with a cry for help, and the grace will be there in “the nick of time.”
—G. Campbell Morgan
APPLICATION
So what are you going to do first thing tomorrow morning? – Pray.
And what are you going to do as soon as this sermon is over? – Ask a prayer partner to pray with you.
Strength Against Backsliding
Strength Against Backsliding
When You Wander From the Truth
When You Wander From the Truth
And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The Lord is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
Learn From God’s Grace
Learn From God’s Grace
And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
Protect The Ground You Recovered
Protect The Ground You Recovered
And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the Lord, that was before the porch of the Lord.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the Lord his God was with him.
So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
And they offered unto the Lord the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
● When David was asked to build an altar to the Lord, he did more than he was asked.
● When Solomon was seeking God’s favor, he sacrificed more than was expected.
● When Asa and his people make a sacrifice, they do 1,000 times more than they were asked.
They took an oath. And not a quiet one. There was shouting, and trumpets, and ram’s horns.
This was a revival! – Everyone rejoiced, because everyone was all in for God.
And they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.
And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the Lord gave them rest round about.
TRANSITION
Here’s an interesting bit of trivia for you. Do you know where the concept of Revival comes from?
It comes from right here: the book of 2 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles is the book of Revivals. It has five of them in it, and this is the first.
Revival happens under Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joash, Hezekiah, and Josiah – and we’re going to look at all of them.
Ezra is teaching us that the renewal of a nation comes when its people seek the Lord together.
People are fearful and frustrated because of a virus and because of inequality. The solution to this frustration is a Savior who loves them.
Only God can change a human heart.
TRANSITION
So Asa assembles the people for Pentecost, and it’s so powerful that people come from outside the nation – from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh and Simeon. And they get serious about God.
The chapter ends with this comment: There was no war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign. 2 Chronicles 15:19
For 25 years, there was peace. When you find God, you find peace.
APPLICATION
Will you pray with me for revival in our land?
Will you pray with me for revival in our city?
Revival has to start somewhere. Why couldn’t it start with us?
TRANS
Well, Ezra has a third lesson for us.
God gives Strength Against All Odds
God Gives Strength Against Backsliding
and in Chapter 16 we see God give
Strength Against Pride
Strength Against Pride
Because even though Asa was fervent for God in chapter 15, he let his temperature cool down.
25 years after the Revival, the Northern Kingdom, under a king named Baasha, begins to threaten the Southern Kingdom.
In order to stop the migration of his people into Judah, Baasha starts to build a border wall. His wall isn’t to keep people out, it’s to fence people in.
Chapter 16:1 says…
In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah, and built Ramah, to the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.
Ramah was just 5 miles north of Jerusalem. It was on the main road that everyone had to travel if they wanted to get into the Kingdom of Judah.
If you’ll remember, years earlier, when the Cushites came against Judah, Asa turned to God and prayed for His help. This time he doesn’t. Instead…
Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the Lord and of the king’s house, and sent to Ben-hadad king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying,
There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent thee silver and gold; go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.
Where once Asa was filled with fervor, now he’s lulled by leisure. Instead of trusting God and leading his people in battle, he pays somebody else to do his fighting for him.
And it worked. Baasha withdrew his forces from Ramah. And you’d like to say, “And Asa lived happily ever after.” But he didn’t. Instead, God sent another prophet to him. This prophet says…
Don’t Forget Who Won The Past Battles
Don’t Forget Who Won The Past Battles
And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.
Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand.
God Is Always Ready To Act On Your Behalf
God Is Always Ready To Act On Your Behalf
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
“Asa, when you’re in trouble, call on me, and I’ll fight for you.”
Asa, what happened to your commitment to me?”
Asa, what happened to that covenant you signed? I was ready to rescue you. But you turned your head away from Me.”
“Asa, what happened to your faith?”
Friends, without a doubt, one of the greatest promises in all of Scripture is 2 Chronicles 16:9 - The eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to show himself strong for those who are wholeheartedly devoted to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9
Listen, listen: God is looking for fully devoted followers. And when He finds them, He fortifies. He adds strength to them. He does great things for them.
- Moses saw this when his back was against the Red Sea.
- Daniel saw this when God closed the mouths of the lions so he could live.
- Peter saw this when the angel opened the prison door.
You will see this when you commit your ways to Him fully. Not half-heartedly. But fully. When you say, without reservation, “All that I have is Yours. All that I am is Yours.”
Church, the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth, looking for people whose hearts are fully devoted to Him! And when He finds them, He fortifies them. He goes before them. He prepares a way for them. He brings down mountains and raises up valleys.
Throughout all of history, God has been building a family. It’s a family of people who have placed their trust in Him, who believe He is a good God, and is for them. God is building that family every day. And fortifying its members every minute.
God has laser-like focus and X-ray vision that looks right through flesh and straight into hearts. Place yourself under His shield of power and protection and fortification by giving your heart to Him fully, every day. When enemies come against you, resist the temptation to turn to the Ben-hadads of your world. Turn to the Lord and trust Him. Enter the battle with Him.
SUMMARY
He fights and He finds, and He fortifies. This is our God!
Church, renew your faithfulness in the One who has always been faithful to you. – For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those who are wholeheartedly devoted to Him.