Sermon Central
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Repentance That Resulted In Judah's Revival
Contributed by Donnie Martin on Jan 12, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: Revival always begins with recognizing one’s neediness. Repentance of sin must then follow, along with resolute commitment to God and His righteousness. Such was the case during the reign of King Asa.
Repentance That Resulted In Judah’s Revival
Text: 2 Chron.15: 1, 2, 8-15
Intro: In the text under consideration today, we have the wonderful story of man named Asa, who was the king of Judah. Though Asa loved God, he found himself the leader of a nation that was spiritually perverse, and therefore far from the blessings of God. Just prior to Asa’s reign, the kingdom of Judah was steeped in the worship of the false god Baal, and his consort Asherah. These were the Canaanite gods of fertility, and were worshiped with the most base and vile practices.
In light of these depraved and deplorable conditions, it’s easy to see why righteous King Asa realized the need for Judah to turn from its idolatry and sin, and return to God. It is so often the case that when God seeks to do a work among His people, he calls out a man (or woman for that matter), who will seek the Lord with all their heart, and cooperate with His plan. God’s people were in dire need of spiritual revival. So He sought out Asa, a man who would be the instrument through whom He would work His plan and purposes.
God still seeks for men and women with tender hearts, who will yield themselves totally to His will and work. God, through the prophet Ezekiel, said, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezek.22: 30). In the situation of backslidden Judah, God found a willing vessel in King Asa. But as God pleads and beckons today for men and women to surrender to His will and stand in the gap for the United States of America, does He find in you a heart ready to do his bidding? Does God find in you one who is not only disturbed about the wickedness of our nation, but one who is also determined to seek the Lord until He answers your prayers for revival?
I am convinced that if God’s people would honestly repent of their spiritual coldness and carnality, God would still send revival to this country; even as rebellious and ungodly as she has become. May God burden our hearts with that possibility today.
Theme: Even in Judah’s despicable situation we see…
I. GOD’S PREREQUISITE FOR REVIVAL
A. Notice God’s Forthright Promise.
2 Chron.15: 1 “And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 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.”
NOTE: [1] Please understand that God did not make this promise lightly. I believe the basic rule of thumb in the Bible is simply this: God commits Himself to those who commit themselves to Him. The basis for that statement is found in the Gospel of John:
John 2: 23 “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”
[1a] Asa, from the time he began to reign in Judah, showed that he was committed to God.
2 Chron.14: 2 “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:”
[1b] One of his first acts as king was to instigate religious reforms.
2 Chron.14: 3 “For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:
4 And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.
5a Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images…”
[1c] When facing Judah’s enemies, Asa clearly placed his trust in God alone.
2 Chron.14: 11 “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.
12 So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.
13b …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.”
