God's Invitation: Running After Revival

Objective

Every Salvationist should regularly consecrate themselves at the mercy seat to be ready for the blessings God has in store for them.

Key Verse

Joshua 3:5 NIV

Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.”

We

What are you running after?

Q at end of series: What is it that you are running after?

What is it that you are pursuing?

Where are you accepting invitations from?

Asked myself.

Do I run after:

The quick fix?

Self-help?

The next "in thing"?

When you think about holiness do you run after:

Doing more? The idea that somehow, by working yourself into the ground you will become the person God wants you to be?

Do you look to programmes and courses to teach you how to attain holiness?

Do you hope that somehow listening to me for 20m on a Sunday will make you holy?

What William Booth ran after

This is what WB ran after:

Wilbur Chapman once asked him, "General Booth, tell me what has been the secret of your success."

He hesitated a second, and I saw the tears come into his eyes and steal down his cheeks, and then he said:

"I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me to have. There have been men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William Booth. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life."

Wilbur Chapmans says, I learned from William Booth that the greatness of a man's power is the measure of his surrender.

That's what I want to run after: total surrender.

It's what God has been asking for from his people from the dawn of time:

God

Joshua 3:1-7, p.217

Joshua 3:1–7 NLT

Early the next morning Joshua and all the Israelites left Acacia Grove and arrived at the banks of the Jordan River, where they camped before crossing. Three days later the Israelite officers went through the camp, giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them. Since you have never traveled this way before, they will guide you. Stay about a half mile behind them, keeping a clear distance between you and the Ark. Make sure you don’t come any closer.” Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.” In the morning Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the Ark of the Covenant and lead the people across the river.” And so they started out and went ahead of the people. The Lord told Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you a great leader in the eyes of all the Israelites. They will know that I am with you, just as I was with Moses.

Imagine the river

Imagine the scene.

For 40 years, God's people had wandered through the desert after their miraculous escape from Egypt.

At the crucial moment, their faith in God had failed. They had refused to obey God and to conquer the land of Canaan he had promised them.

But now, finally, the next generation was ready to cross the river Jordan and to enter the promised land, led by Moses's faithful and courageous successor, Joshua.

Imagine the anticipation they must have felt as they stood at the edge of the river.

But perhaps mixed in with the excitement, was a certain amount of fear and doubt.

The river Jordan is not some quiet, babbling river you could just take a paddle in:

Joshua 3:15 NLT

It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,

This river was a flood.

A fast-flowing, swirling flood, probably about 10-12 feet deep.

Wading across is out of the question.

Even swimming would be impossible, however strong a swimmer you might be.

Rafts could not be provided for that number of people, and would probably break up in the river anyway.

There's no heavy machinery to build a tunnel under the Jordan.

There was no obvious way to cross the swollen torrent.

And yet God's people have to move forward, because God tells them to move forward.

So what was it that unleashed God's power?

It was consecration that would unleash the power

Joshua 3:5 NLT

Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”

The answer was for God's people to consecrate themselves.

They were to set themselves apart as holy.

They were to dedicate themselves to God in obedience and submission.

They were to renew their dependence on God.

In those days, consecration involved the washing of clothes as an outward sign of inner cleansing.

It signalled a new beginning with God.

In this case, the fulfilment of God's promise to help them cross over into the Promised Land, depended on God's people choosing to consecrate themselves.

Not to earn God's blessing, but by ensuring their hearts were ready to receive God's blessing.

You

Stop running and kneel

Do you long for God's blessing?

Do you want God to do amazing things amongst us?

Do you want to see his power unleashed in your life and in the life of the Church?

Are you running after revival?

Then maybe it's time to stop running and to kneel.

Did you notice that in this passage, God's blessing has a focal point?

Joshua 3:3 NLT

giving these instructions to the people: “When you see the Levitical priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God, move out from your positions and follow them.

The ark of the covenant was the symbol of the Lord's presence among his people.

It helped God's people to remember.

It acted as a focal point for God's people who had a tendency to forget.

It is no coincidence that TSA has it's own focal point.

We have our own symbol of the Lord's presence amongst us.

On top of the ark of the covenant was the mercy seat.

In our hall, as in many other TSA halls, the focal point is the mercy seat.

Here is where we can seek God's presence.

Here is where we can stop and kneel and let go of whatever helps us forget.

Here is where we can remember what matters most.

Here is where we can learn to walk with Christ.

Here is where we can consecrate ourselves.

Where we can ensure our hearts are ready for God's blessing.

We

In turn, you'll bless our community

If we consecrate ourselves, if we dedicate ourselves to God, if we ready our hearts for his blessing, then God promises to bless us.

But perhaps even more amazingly, God promises to bless others through us too:

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

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 I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

This land will be healed if we consecrate ourselves.

If we accept God's invitation to be holy as he is holy, then our community of Hednesford will be transformed.

Will you go for it?

Next Steps

The gift must be given again, and again!

Reign of Queen Victoria.

Punjab came under the British Crown.

Young Maharajah, a mere boy, sent offering to his new monarch, the wonderful Koh-i-noor diamond.

Placed in the Tower of London.

Several years later, the Maharajah, now full-grown man, came to England, visited Buckingham Palace.

Asked that he might see the Koh-i-noor.

Queen gave orders that the jewel should be sent for, brought under armed guard from the Tower to Buckingham Palace.

Arrived and was carried to the state apartments, and handed to the Maharajah.

Taking priceless jewel with great reverence in his hand, he walked to the window, where he examined it carefully.

Then knelt at the feet of the Queen.

"Madam," he said, greatly moved, "I gave you this jewel when I was a child, too young to know what I was doing. I want to give it again, in the fullness of my strength, with all my heart, and af­fection, and gratitude, now and forever, fully realizing all that I do."

My understanding of consecration has changed beyond measure since I first knelt at the MS at the age of 6.

That's obvious.

But my understanding of consecration has grown over the past 12 months, the last few weeks, even since yesterday.

Because the more I walk with Jesus, the more I realise there is more to surrender.

Consecration is a gift I must keep re-presenting to God.

I have to do it again and again.

Has God had all there is of you, yet?

Does he have all of your heart?

Have you given each and every ounce of your will to him?

Is he the one and only influence in your life?

At the end of this series, God invites you to consecrate yourself so that he can do amazing things in and through you.

A blank cheque

Blank piece of paper and pen.

Invite you to sign your name at the bottom.

Then let God fill it in with whatever blessings he has in store for you.

Let him write on it his purposes, his will for your life.

That's consecration.

SB 569 - All there is of me, Lord

All there is of me, Lord, All there is of me, Time and talents, day by day, All I bring to thee; All there is of me, Lord, All there is of me, On thine altar here I lay All there is of me. Sidney Edward Cox (1887-1975) © The General of The Salvation Army. Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 232358 Copied from The Song Book of The Salvation Army Song Number 569