A 63 Word Prayer That Changed A Nation-Part 1

1 Kings 18 

The people of God have for the most part turned their backs on the Lord and have gone after the Canaanite god Baal. It is against this backdrop of apostasy and idolatry that the prophet Elijah strolls onto the scene. He is introduced in 1 Kings 17:1. When he makes his appearance, he comes with a message from the Lord. It is a clarion call for repentance and for a renewal to loyalty to Jehovah.

In chapter 18 things have come to a head. On the one hand there is Ahab, Jezebel, the prophets and priests of Baal, and a fallen nation. On the other, there is Elijah and God. The odds may looked stacked in the favor of evil, but the truth is that one plus God is a majority.

4 things come to mind concerning our world today in comparison with this scripture:

-There is a desperate need for spiritual heroes today who will stand against the tide of heresy and apostasy.

-There is a need for the people of God to gage their allegiance to the Lord and to determine where we really stand when it comes to being on the Lord's side.

-There must be a willingness to flee the evil that surrounds us and be a separate people for the glory of the Lord.

-There must be a desire to renew our commitment to the Lord and place Him above all other pursuits, interests, and loyalties.

Verses 21-24 

Israel enjoyed their name as God's people, but they loved the sensual, fleshly appeal of Baal worship. They were torn between two ideas and as a result they were at a stand still. Baal was the principle deity of the Canaanites. He along with Ashtoreth were worshiped through human sacrifice and sexual immorality. In some places, women were forced to serve as prostitutes in the temples of false worship.

God's people had fallen a long way from the nation that had entered and conquered Canaan hundreds of years before. Now they were a politically divided and apostate nation. Whether we like to admit it or not the church today is in the midst of apostasy and waywardness. However, the Lord said that things would be this way before He returned. When we see denominations and churches grapple with issues like abortion and homosexuality or we see them turn from the proclamation of the truth and begin to produce error isn't it plain to see that we are living in an age of apostasy?

Elijah's admonition is direct and to the point. He tells them that they have to make a choice. Elijah tells them that they must choose which side they will be on since they cannot serve 2 gods.

Although hundreds of years have elapsed since Elijah faced the Bail prophets on Carmel many things have changed. Culture is vastly different now than it was then, religious practice has changed, the world itself is nothing like it was back then. However, one thing remains the same, God. If a man is going to be right with God, then he must take his stand apart from the world. No one can have both. It is either God or it is the world. There can be no compromise.

Preach It-Part 4

-What do we preach?

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine." 

a. It reveals the hearts of men, the nature and will of God, and the way of salvation through faith in Christ. 

b. It is authoritative and persuasive because it is based on the Inspiration of God.

c. It is foundational and harmonious with truth.

d. It is simple, practical, and reveals the whole counsel of God. 

e. It proclaims and clarifies God’s intended purposes  and will for His people. 

Romans 1:16"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation-to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

Preaching the Word provides the power of God to save them that believe. Man may consider preaching the Word foolish and he may ridicule the one preaching it, but it is God's power to save man. Man must put self behind, discard his human wisdom, humble himself at the cross and accept the preaching of the Word-the cross, that he may be saved.

-I may trust in my wealth, but it cannot save. 

-I may trust in my wisdom, but it cannot save.

-I may trust in my popularity, friends, prestige and station in life but they cannot save. 

But God can save, and He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."

  

He wants all to be saved, but His power to save is in and through the Preaching of the Word.

1 Timothy 2:4 "Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth."

Preach It-Part 3

Why do we preach?

2 Corinthians 5:11 "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences."

-Preaching the Word means the proclamation of the authoritative/persuasive news of God’s sovereign grace. 

-Preaching the Word is the exposition, illustration, and application of God’s authoritative, inspired Word to daily living. It involves proclaiming the living Word of God by those called of God and controlled by the Spirit of God. 

-Preaching the Word isn’t just about information, but transformation through illumination and conviction which leads to repentance by faith. 

-Preaching involves an attempt to persuade individuals to change their lives.                                                                     

Acts 26:28 " Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian."

-Preaching the Word doesn’t consist in Excellency of speech, human wisdom or worldly power, but it involves the testimony, wisdom and power of God transmitted through His Word and Spirit. 

1 Corinthians 2: 1-5 "And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."

Preach It-Part 2

The preaching of the Word was regarded as foolish and absurd by worldly minded men. 

Acts 4:13 "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."

The world esteems it as foolish. Who can believe that we can live or have life through one who died? That we can be blessed forevermore by one who became a curse? That we can be justified by one who was Himself condemned? That we can be saved by one who could not save Himself? That is foolishness to many who think they know better.

Not many of the men of wisdom and eloquence were employed by God, just a few unlearned and ignorant fishermen. Yet the power of deliverance they preached about was not in man's ability, but in the message and the one from whom the message came. They had been with Jesus. They could not be discounted as just ignorant and unlearned men. Even the elite of the day marveled and took note of them.

Many still today scoff at the gospel of Christ, ridicule the preachers, and disapprove the precepts of God's Word. However, once they see the beauty of the cross and understood the delivering power of the Word of God it changes their perspective.

Preach It-Part 1

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God."  

1 Corinthians 1:21 "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." 

These are very beautiful verses indeed because they show God's power and His wisdom in the carrying out of His plan in spite of man. 

Man has always prided himself with his wisdom. That's why the learned men of Paul's era, the philosophers of the day, with all of their investigations and experiences, knew not God. 

a. Some denied His very existence. 

b. Some represented Him under some idol form showing that they had no real acquaintance with the true God.

The same is still true today. Our society is almost education mad. We pride ourselves with our greater learning. We think we know so much that we are self-sufficient. To many the Bible is outdated and useless. They say it was fine for the ignorant people of times past, but not for our enlightened age." Men are still denying God or mocking Him even today.

God chose His plan and He is well pleased with it. It is simple. This, of course, involves His only begotten Son, who left the riches of heaven and made Himself a little lower than the angels and became as man to suffer and die the cruel death on a Roman cross. All of this because you and I were sinners, and this was God's means of saving us from our sins. 

It involves the teaching of God's Son, that is recorded for us to read and understand and then do, so that we may be pleasing to the One who loved us so much and gave His grace unto us. It may not be like man would have done it, and man may think he can improve upon it, but it is according to the wisdom of Almighty God and it pleases Him. Therefore it should please us as we hear the Word of God preached.

A Dying Church and A Dying Faith-Part 2

Jesus gives an urgent command in Verses 2-4:

“ Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.”


-Be watchful.

Jesus wants the church to be vigilant about spiritual death among Christians. Apathy, laziness and indifference result in spiritual death. Believers need to stay awake.

Foreign armies had captured the city of Sardis twice in it history because of its failure to watch. These believers now have an opportunity to avoid a parallel spiritual destiny.

-Strengthen. 

The works of the church appeared wonderful to those on the outside, but they were not complete in the sight of God. Jesus does not accuse them of heresy, but neither had they offended the Romans or unbelieving Jews. They were not being persecuted, but they had offended God by emphasizing formality over reality.

-Remember. 

Part of the remedy was for this church to remember its glorious past, when it had been spiritually alive. When the believers at Sardis were first converted, they had received something important. Not only had they received salvation, but life in the Holy Spirit. They had forgotten to obey the Spirit’s prompting and the command to be filled with the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18



-Hold Fast.

The church at Sardis knew what it took in their past to get to where they once were with God. It was not because of a man or a ministry, but a deep hunger within their hearts to see a move of God and to reach a lost and dying generation with the gospel of Christ. Jesus calls for them once again to stabilize their faith and not just go through the motions of having church.

-Repent.

Jesus had threatened to judge the unloving church at Ephesus by removing its lampstand if they did not repent. He promised to judge the heretical teachers in Pergamum by fighting with his sword against them if they did not repent.

 Now he threatens to judge the lifeless church of Sardis by coming against them like a thief at an unexpected time. Spiritual deadness gives people a false sense of security. 

Thieves come when we do not expect them. They don’t call ahead and make an appointment. In the same way Jesus will come unexpectedly and believers out of fellowship will be totally unprepared.



Repentance is more than just turning around. It is coming to God with a submissive heart. Repentance is more that emotion. It is a change of attitude. Repentance is more than fire insurance. It is the transformation of one’s life.

 Now, is it possible for a dead orthodox church to change?

In the case of Sardis, the answer is yes, because a few people had remained faithful. They had not soiled their clothes by not assuming that the appearance of religion was a substitute for the real thing. Jesus does not ask these faithful to leave the majority, but to maintain their presence as a witness. They will have a difficult time doing it, but He commends them as worthy of special praise. These believers will appear dressed in white one day, revealed as truly righteous. Their righteousness was based on Christ’s death for them, which resulted in righteous living.


A Dying Church and A Dying Faith-Part 1

Revelation 3:1-6 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.  He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

 

Churches are dying daily in America, closing at the rate of 14+ per day. In the past 4½ years it is estimated that over 10,000 American churches have closed due to the lack of attendance, lack of young parishioners and families, a lack of finances, and a general lack of confidence in the relativity of its necessity. Many believe the church must yeild to modern culture and society or it's no longer social acceptable to attend or support.

Well, let me tell you about a church that had the appearance of being a great church. They had at one time been a dynamic church on fire for God, but something changed and when it did spiritually the church begin to die. The Bible says it was in a town known as Sardis.

Sardis was about thirty miles south of Thyatira, at the foot of Mount Tmolus that rose about 1,500 feet above the valley of the Hermus River. The Turkish town of Sart now occupies the site.

 Sardis had been a great city. Seven hundred years before this letter was written Sardis had been one of the greatest cities in the world. It was the capital of the kingdom of Lydia. Its wealth was legendary, even the river that flowed through the city was said to be lined with gold.

 Croesus was the most famous Sardian king. He built the city to the point that no one thought it was vulnerable. In 546 BC Cyrus, king of Persia, laid siege to the city and captured it. His men had watched one of the Sardian guards come down and pick up the helmet he had dropped. That night Cyrus’ men went in through the breach in the wall and found no one on watch.

 Three centuries later, the army of Antiochus III used the same tactic to conquer the city and again no one was on watch.

 Excavations have unveiled much information about the city. They found an ancient Christian church building next to the temple to Artemis as well as the largest synagogue ever found with seating for 1,000 people.

Did you know that the light from the polar star takes thirty three years to reach the earth. That star could have died thirty years ago and its light would still be pouring down on earth. It would be shining today as if nothing had happened, living off the light of its past. That’s the story of Sardis.

Verse 1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.”

Jesus declares to the church in Sardis that He holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. The seven spirits is simply another designation for the Holy Spirit. The seven stars are the seven pastors of the churches.

The lifeless church in Sardis desperately needs the life giving power of the Holy Spirit. What could be more exciting than for the Lord to bring his hands together so that the churches today are overflowing with the Holy Spirit.



Two things we must see about the church at Sardis.

-There are those in the church that have remained faithful, but the church is not complimented at all. 


-There is also a lack of persecution from outside sources because it apparently was more concerned about being fashionable rather than taking a stand.



The complaint Jesus lodges against this church is that its reputation is faulty. Evidently, others regarded the church at Sardis as a lively church. This church had gained a reputation for being an outstanding church, but it had lost its spiritual punch. The Sardis church is spiritually dead. Even today churches can be full of ministries and activity and have a reputation as a spiritual giants, while at the same time be spiritually dead inwardly. Harvard and Princeton stated out as Bible Schools., but do we hear from the men and women that graduate from these schools biblically today? 

How about your church? Is there spiritual power there?