Revival In The Land

Revival In The Land

2 Kings 18:3-8

• Today, more than ever we need revival in our land.

• Just consider for a moment the attitudes and actions that are seen in our day:

1. Abortion -

From 1973 through 2000, more than 39 million legal abortions occurred.

Today, an estimated 46 million abortions occur worldwide. Of these, 20 million procedures are obtained illegally.

Each year, 2 out of every 100 women aged 15–44 have an abortion… 48% of them have had at least one previous abortion.

An estimated 43% of women will have at least one abortion by the time they are 45 years old.

2. Same Sex marriage -

New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, and New Hampshire & DC has legalized gay marriage.

Across the country more states are fighting to legalize Gay marriage

3. Crime Is Out Of Control

Just turn on the TV or Internet, or open a newspaper and you will hear of wickedness & crime.

Mothers killing their children.

Fathers molesting their children.

People drinking & driving

Drug & alcohol abuse

Domestic Violence

Mass shootings

Burglary

Rape

Murder

4.. Churches & Baptisms Declining-

Southern Baptists reported 5% fewer baptisms in 2010 than in 2009

Total membership was counted at 16,136,044, a drop of 0.15 percent and the fourth straight year of membership losses.

The SBC baptisms were the lowest reported since the 1950’s

George Barna reported that 3500 to 4500 protestant churches close their doors every year in America.

5. Pastors Quitting and Failing Morally -

It is reported that 1500 ministers leave the ministry every month..

An overwhelming majority say that they would quit if they could make a living in the secular world.

Countless clergymen are involved in extramarital affairs and pornography.

6. Divorce Rate -

All Adults - 33%

Atheist or Agnostic - 30%

Professing Christians - 32%

7. Controversy & Conflict in the Church -

There are churches all across this country that have more scandals than Congress.

Just recently there was a pastor in our state who punched a deacon during a business meeting.

Staff members are embezzling money from the church treasury.

Then there are the petty things that church people argue about:

The types of music or translation of the bible to use.

Whether I get to sing a solo or if the preacher shook my hand.

I heard of a church that almost split because someone moved a chair off of the stage!

Things are bad and they seem to be getting worse.

We cannot blame the condition of our country on the lost, we have been promised by God that if HIS PEOPLE will repent He will hear, forgive & heal!! - 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.

The things we have seen are not to be blamed on Political parties or leaders, or the lost world. Nor can they be changed by them!

We must own up to our own issues and take a long hard look in the mirror.

- Edmond Burke said that “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”

- Vance Havner said “Today there is anarchy in the world, apostasy in the church and apathy in the pew.

(Apathy is defined as a Lack of emotion, lack of interest; Indifference)

- Someone said that a Christian is, “someone who feels repentance on Sunday for what he did on Saturday and is going to do again on Monday.” - Truly, we need REVIVAL IN OUR LAND!

Many will say that “I don’t believe that we will ever see another great revival” What they are really saying is “I don’t believe that God is powerful enough to send another great revival”

The answer is not found in a political party ...It is not going to be found in a televangelist, it will not even be seen in a series of church meetings that we call revival. If songs and sermons could bring revival we would have seen revival a long time ago! Revival will begin when God’s people (as individuals) get right with Him! It starts with the Christian, then spreads to the church, to the community, to the town, to the state, to the country and across the world.

Evangelist Gypsy Smith was known to draw a circle around himself with a piece of white chalk and pray, "Lord, send a revival, and let it begin inside this circle."

In our selected text we find an example of a man who had a desire to do what was right in the Lord’s sight. - v3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD…. If we will do what Hezekiah did, I believe it could spark a revival. Let’s look at his story and consider the thought “Revival In The Land”