1 THE PATH OF REPENTANCE (2 Chronicles 7:13-14) (2011 Congregational Theme: Daily Disciples: Repentance) A. To take up our cross daily to follow the Lord (Luke 9:23-24) requires that we be constantly changing repentance that we be transformed (Rom 12:2). 1. We may already know many of the changes we need to make. But if we do NOT know 2. God said because He loves us He will intervene to help us change (Heb 12:6, 11; Rev 3:17, 19). a. For whom the Lord loves He chastens, & scourges every son whom He receives." B. The path of change or repentance seen in (2 Chron 7:13-14) 1. This was God s response to Solomon, in the evening after the dedication of the Temple, after the King prayed on behalf of the nation. 2. There are a few things to keep in mind: a. This WAS a promise to Israel, bases on the covenant God previously made with them. b. This IS NOT a promise to America or to any other country or government today. c. If there is an modern day application, it is in regard to the new Temple of God: church, Christians (1 Cor 3:16: 2 Cor 6:16); & that application is about personal change: repentance. [In verse 14 God shows us 4 steps that lead down the path of repentance to a place of spiritual renewal.] I. THE PATH TO REPENTANCE A. Humble Yourselves (7:14). If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves 1. The word humble means to bend the knee or neck in submission to another (2 Chron 7:1-3).
2 2. To be humble is to acknowledge that God is always right & we are wrong when we do not agree with Him. 3. It is to acknowledge that He has all power & we have no authority that does not come from Him. 4. There are several good examples of humility in the Old Testament. a. Josiah was humbled by hearing the Law of the Lord Israel had not kept (2 Chron 34:19-21, 27). Because your heart was tender, & you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place & against its inhabitants, & you humbled yourself before Me, & you tore your clothes & wept before Me, I also have heard you," says the Lord. b. Like Manasseh Josiah s grandfather after being disciplined for his sins (2 Chron 33:12-13). Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, & humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 & prayed to Him; & He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, & brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God. c. Like Daniel upon considering the plight of his people & the reason for it (Dan 10:2-3, 12). Then he said to me, "Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, & to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; & I have come because of your words (prayers). d. Like Nebuchadnezzar after being struck with madness for exalting himself (Dan 4:30, 37). Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise & extol & honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, & His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. e. Like David after his adulterous affair (Psa 32:3-4; 51:17). When I kept silent, my bones grew old through my groaning all the day long. 4 For day & night Your hand was heavy upon me; my vitality was turned into the drought of summer. 5 I acknowledged my sin to You, & my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord," & You forgave the iniquity of my sin. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken & a contrite heart these, O God, You will not despise. - God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Prov 3:34; Jas 4:6; 1 Pet 5:5). [For the Christian, the 2 nd step on the path of repentance:]
B. Pray (7:14). If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray 3. There is also a connection between our spiritual warfare & prayer (Eph 6:12, 17-18; Exo 17:8-16). 1. There is a connection between humility & prayer (Dan 9; Neh 9). a. Daniel was first humbled by the sins of his nation, & then he prayed. b. A good way to gauge our level of humility is by noticing how often we pray about sin. a. As we wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this age (governments & many institutions of higher learning) & the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places (religious error), we must be praying always. b. When Moses held out the rod of the Lord toward the Red Sea & when Israel fought the Amalekites, Moses was making an appeal to the Lord for His strength in battle. c. Humility without prayer is despair. And prayer without humility is arrogance (Luke 18:9-12). 2. There is also a connection between forgiveness & prayer (Acts 8:20-22; 1 John 1:8-9). a. When Simon sinned, Peter assumed Simon s humility & commanded him to pray for f giveness. b. We don t just walk around & feel God s forgiveness; we must seek to obtain it through prayer. [The 3 rd step on the path of repentance toward spiritual renewal:] C. Seek God s Face (7:14). If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face 1. To SEEK God s face does NOT mean to SEE His face (Exo 33:20), but rather to desire & strive after His approval. 3
a. Think about what children do when they want their parent s approval; they seek their faces they want to be seen by them, they want their approval. 2. It didn t take long for the Kings of Israel to stop seeking God s face. a. Rehoboam did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the Lord (2 Chron 12:14). - This was Solomon s son to & for whom the Book of Proverbs was written (Prov 1:7). b. The Lord told Jeremiah, You will seek Me & find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart (23:13). c. David gave us this wonderful promise, Delight yourself in the Lord, & He shall give you the desires of your heart (Psa 37:4). - Oh how much a Father is willing to do for a child who seeks His approval there is no end. [The 4 th & final step on the path of repentance:] D. Turn From Your Wicked Ways (7:14). If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways 1. If there is no turning from sin (repentance), then the most humble prayer & the most diligent effort to seek the face of God will be all for nothing. a. That s why Peter commanded Simon to REPENT of this your wickedness & pray God (Acts 8:22). b. The Psalmist stated the obvious, If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear (Psa 66:18). c. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, & His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil (1 Pet 3:12). d. Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, & the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, & He will have mercy on him; & to our God, for He will abundantly pardon (Isa 55:6-7). 4
e. the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: "The Lord knows those who are His," &, "Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity (2 Tim 2:19). [This path of repentance is certainly a challenging one, but no other path can lead to such wonderful results.] b. For through Him we have access by one Spirit to the Father (Eph 2:18). c. We have access to One in Heaven who can forgive us when we fail Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy & find grace to help in time of need (Heb 4:16). II. 5 THE RESULTS OF REPENTANCE A. (2 Chron 7:14). If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and will heal their land. 1. What does a promise like that mean to the Christian? a. We have access to One in Heaven who will hear us Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God (Rom 5:1-2). d. We have access to One in Heaven who can give us a land that is healed Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens & a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot & blameless (2 Pet 3:13-14). This is the path of repentance for a Christian. For those of you who are not Christians, your path of repentance begins with Your belief in the gospel about Christ, the power of God for salvation. Upon your belief, you must repent (change your mind & direction), confess your faith in Him & be baptized to allow the cleansing power of His blood to wash away your sins.