Sunday, July 30, 2000   

I realize that II Chronicles 7:14 was written to the elect nation of Israel, but it easily applies to the elect, called out, of the local visible New Testament church today. If there is a revival in our day, it will be a revival through the church.

Back to the question can we expect a revival? Yes, IF! That's a big if.

     1. "If my people, which are called by my name...". The government cannot legislate revival. Revival will come if God's people, those who are called out, those who are called by His name shall:

           a. "Humble themselves" - there will be no revival as long as foolish pride is in the way.

            b. "And pray" - we can see revival if we pray. We will not see it if we do not pray (Jeremiah 33:3).

           c. "And seek my face" - Our very souls are going to have to seek after God if we are going to have revival.

            d. "And turn from their wicked ways." Remember this verse is written to God's people. God's people need to confess and forsake sin. God's people cannot live in and go on in sin and the church experience revival.

     2. "If' - we, God's people, meet the requirements of II Chronicles 7:14; then we can expect revival.

     3. If God's people repent then we can experience heaven sent revival. In Hosea 14:1-8, we are told what we can expect if we repent.

I. HOSEA 14:1, A PLEA OR INVITATION TO REPENT

      A. In this verse, we hear the plea of God to His people: "O Israel return unto the Lord thy God."

           1. The plea to Israel is the plea of God to us today: "Turn from your wicked ways."

           2. As Christians we are to turn away from sin and follow the Lord.

                a. The lost are not saved by turning from sin; they are saved by turning to God, by trusting Jesus after hearing the Gospel (I Thessalonians 1:9; Ephesians 1:13).

                b. I John 1:9 is written to the believer; it is for the believer.

      B. "Thou hast fallen by thine iniquity."

           1. Sin always takes you down not up. Don't be fooled; sin will ruin you.

           2. We fall into sin when we lose our first love (Revelations 2:4-5). Loss of our love for the Lord means:

                a. Loss of joy

                b. Loss of peace

                c. Loss of praise

                d. Loss of power

                e. Loss of passion.

           3. We need to be right with God. We need to be on fire. We need to return to God, to be close to him. Not cold and indifferent like the church of Laodicea (Revelations 3:15-16, 20).

                a. Ravenhill says: "We must be hot or cold, flaming or freezing, burning out or cast out. Lack of heat and lack of love God hates" (99).

                b. Most folks today are more concerned about air-conditioned churches then they are about prayer conditioned churches.

II. HOSEA 14:2-3, INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO REPENT

      A. Verse 2, Ask for forgiveness of specific sins. "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord."

           1. God wants to hear from you. He wants you talk to Him. Bring your heavy burden of sin to the Lord and leave it there.

           2. Pray, ask for forgiveness. "Take with you words," the scripture says: "Humble [yourselves] and pray."

           3. "Take away all iniquity." Don't give ground to Satan. Confess all your sins, even secret ones.

                a. Agree with God that you have sinned, and it is wrong.

                b. Sin is what separates us from fellowship with God.

           4. "Receive us graciously..." They are saying: "Do us good..."

                a. God wants to do us good.

                b. When God says to His children, get right, He is not holding out on them. He is protecting them from the guilt and shame of sin. He wants the best for us.

           5. "So will we render the calves of our eyes."

                a. God wants you more than He wants your material possessions.

                b. God wants us to pour out our hearts to Him.

      B. Verse 3, Repentance means trusting God not foreign alliances.

           1. God, not military might, is the key to our future.

           2. The work of our hands will not bring happiness or salvation.

                a. Grace not materialism.

                b. Grace not humanism.

           3. America needs to see that Psalms 9:17 is true: "The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that forget God."

III. HOSEA 14:4-5a, DIVINE RESPONSE TO TRUE REPENTANCE (3 "I wills")

      A. Verse 4 includes two "I wills."

           1. "I will heal their backsliding."

                a. Sick folks need healing. When people are sick they do not want to eat. When people are sin sick, they do not want to eat spiritual food.

                b. God in His sovereignty can say what doctors can not say: "I will heal their backsliding."

                c. God has the authority and the ability to heal us.

                d. Exodus 15:26 1am the Lord that healeth thee."

                e. Jeremiah 3:22, "Return, ye backsliding children and I will heal your backsliding."

                f. God is available; return to Him.

           2. "I will love them freely...."

                a. The love of God is an unending love. When we return to Him, His love is there waiting for us (Jeremiah 31:3). "I have loved thee with an everlasting love."

                 b. God loved us even when we did not deserve it (Romans 5:8) "God commendeth His love..."

                c. God's love is unfathomable.

      B. Verse 5a, This verse gives us the third, "I will."

           1. "I will be as the dew.

                a. The dew speaks of refreshment. It speaks of revival in a dry and thirsty land. God wants you to have a revival.

                b. God wants you to be refreshed. He wants to do you good. Refreshing in His presence-Acts 3:19.

           2. Facts about the dew.

                a. The dew forms at night. It is in the dark times that we are driven to our knees and it is there that we are revived.

                b. Dew forms heaviest in the valleys. The valleys of despair, heartache, and pain draw us to the bosom of God and to revival.

                c. Dew forms in the stillness. We need to get alone with God. We must come apart from the world if we are going to have the dew of heaven.

                d. Dew causes things to grow and to come alive. The prophet Isaiah calls it: "The dew of herbs." God wants you to grow.

      3. Dew does not come up or down. It is always in the atmosphere.

                a. That which is always there manifests itself when the conditions are right.

                 b. When we get right, then we can expect revival. Repentance brings revival.

IV. HOSEA 14:5b-8 DEFINITE RESULTS OF TRUE REPENTANCE

      A. If we repent, then we can expect the definite results of growth.

           1. "He shall grow as a lily" (verse 5b).

                a. This speaks of upward growth.

                b. Sin takes us down but repentance lifts us up so that our light is set upon a hill and not under a bushel. The new man in Christ has a new life, an upward life (II Corinthians 5:17). "Therefore if any man

           2. "Cast forth his roots as Lebanon" (verse 5b).

                a. This speaks of downward growth.

                b. The more the winds blow upon the cedars of Lebanon the deeper the roots go.

                c. The winds of the storms of life will strengthen us. No storm clouds mean no rain, and no rain means no harvest.

           3. Verse 6, "His branches shall spread...."

                a. This speaks of outward growth.

                b. The smell speaks of the influence that we can have for God if we repent.

      B. Verse 7, Dwelling under the shadow, authority of God.

           1. "Dwell" - this means to stay under the authority of god.

                a. Trust in Him for direction (Proverbs 3:5-6).

                b. When we trust in God and get under His authority, we will return to full fellowship with Him. If we refuse to get under His authority, we step out from under His protective umbrella and are subject to the fiery darts of Satan (I Samuel 15:23). "Rebellion is as the sin...."

           2. They shall revive as the corn...." This is the promise of God.

                a. Just as twisted corn that gets the needed moisture is straightened; so is the crooked child of God made straight through repentance. (Glen Cox).

                b. When we get the dew of God, we are revived.

           3. "Grow as vine." II Peter 3:18. As we get right with God, we grow.

           4. The child of God that is right with God has a godly scent or influence.

      C. Verse 8, When we are right with God, our idols mean nothing to us. The things that used to be important are not important anymore. "The things of this earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace."

            1. "I have heard Him " Repentance will mean that we can hear from God.

           2. "I have observed Him...." We see Jesus through spiritual eyes when we mean business with Him.

           3. God will be our fruit, our nourishment, when we are right.

CONCLUSION: Repent, return to the Lord, and experience the divine response of God and the definite results of repentance.