Real OT 1

2 Chron 2 14

+2 Chron 7: Invoking God’s Response

Jamey / General

Good morning, my name is Jamey Mills and I am one of the staff members here at Northside Church In Albany. It’s awesome to be with you all today… It’s one of the things I look forward to most every week.

And what a week it’s been. I am sure that I’m not alone… but if I were to tell you where I’m at today… it's this… “ I am not okay”.

I’m just not. And to be brutally honest, my heart is broken by so much that’s going on in our world right now… brokenness, hate, accusations, drawn lines, violence, disrespect, destruction, name calling… unending opinions…

And this week as many of you have heard… the wife of one of our local pastors suddenly passed away… a guy I look up to and I believe in many ways is a flag bearer here in our community for the big C Church.

There is this flood of emotion… sadness, hurt, frustration, empathy, anxiety… and even anger… Not trying to say any of those emotions are right… I’m saying they’re real... that really is where I am at.

It’s unreal… this season of life is just… unreal… Between not being able to meet as a Church, a brand new Church, No Tp, Covid, economic stuff, and now the hurt… and anger… and violence… division

and I know so many have tried and keep trying to keep a positive attitude… ALL OF YOU THAT LIVE THAT… I need more of you in my life… You are the cowbell of life… I need more of it.

And today I am going to ask you to do something hard…and even if you don’t want to, I’d ask you to humor me… and you can even make fun of me after if you need to.

Today, even if only for the next 30 minutes, can we tune everything else out. Put away distractions, put away our own opinions, and put down our defenses and can we with open hearts and hands… Consider God.

Not seeking to be right… Not seeking to be heard… Not looking to fix anything outside of ourselves… can we STOP… LISTEN… and CONSIDER HIM?

We live in a broken world… and while that’s nothing new… I think it feels a little more tangible and visible.

And it reminds me so CLEARLY… of an important truth… and the urgency of that truth…

That in the midst of the brokenness around us… there really is only one hope. Throughout history…and all of the injustice and brokenness within it... there really has only been one hope.

And we need to deal with things like hate, racism, miss use for force, blaming, stereotyping, anger, past sin… Those are real and ugly things that impact every single one of us... that I think… point to the real issue of brokenness in us and in the world around us.

All of it… breaks my heart. And I am afraid that in saying it like that… there will be some that think I’m sweeping it under the rug… and nothing could be further from the truth…

I believe these things grieve God’s heart… big time… and I think He would also tell us… that all of these things point to the real issue…

which is brokenness… in me… in us… within the church… within our nation… within our world… and I say that 100% without pointing fingers… or trying to fix…

I want to thank Pastor Steve for preaching last week… if you guys didn't catch it… please go online and check it out. Probably the best teaching on financial stuff I have ever heard…

And within it Steve made a statement that’s been echoing in my head all week.

A statement that speaks not only into the way we do money… but really… all of life. It’s a life changing, foundational statement that… at least for me speaks into the very heart of EVERYTHING going on in our world…

and it is something I think we have seen not only in the Bible… but lived throughout history… and honestly… I think we are seeing it lived out right now…

Life Goes better when we listen to God and follow His instructions.

Literally with a grieving heart… I would look every one of you in the face… out of love and concern… and echo what I believe history has taught from the very beginning… which is… Life goes better… when we listen to and follow the one that created it.

That we would do what Ps. 34:8 says… that we would taste and see… that God is good… that His way is good… its for us… that real life… FULL and FREE… is found there.

I believe that… and I believe so much of what we are seeing right now… The root issue that manifests itself in things like hate, pride, arrogance, fear, violence, mistrust, blame, flawed and unfair assumptions… and even truths we may not understand about ourselves…

I know I’m not alone in my feelings, but I’m also not alone in my desire to see real healing…

I want to see healing… where hurt lives. I want to see peace where hostility is. I want to see love, respect… kindness… value… where so many things are BROKEN… and they are… I want to see healing…

But what can I do?

This week I was working on a new sermon series… and two days ago, felt the need to throw it out…. And I feel like this is what was laid on my heart.

… realizing that there is a role… God has for you and I to play. THERE IS A ROLE… the CHURCH is to play…

He doesn’t call us simply to endure… or to silence… in fact I think he calls us to lead but keep in mind, HIS leadership… His definition differs from ours… it looks different.

In the face of hard times… sometimes even hard times that God allows for our own good… and growth… and learning to depend on Him in the face of hurt, hate, and brokenness, betrayal, … God spoke this amazing and timeless truth to His people… which today… is HIS Church.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

God is saying that in the face of hardship… in the face of things just like this… IF… that is a big little word… IF… MY PEOPLE… Church that is us… who are called by MY name…

There is a role… something that God has in mind for HIS church… for you and I when we face things like this in our lives, communities, state, nation, world…

4 things… for ways we are called to action…

God says...

IF my people Humble themselves:

It means to acknowledge the brokenness in me me and around me. To lament and mourn.

In a sense, humility is to sit in the brokenness… in a healthy way… and acknowledge the brokenness in me… and it’s hard. To acknowledge the brokenness around me… and to lament… there is a work that God does in us… in our lamenting.... Our mourning… you see it throughout scripture… in fact there is an OT book named after it… Lamenting… morning… aching… lowering ourselves… and that’s really where I am right now.

Humility… is the word God put on my heart when we were praying about planting Northside. It literally means to have an accurate view of yourself… in the light of God… Realizing all we aren’t and all God is…

It means putting ourselves UNDER Him… our views, our opinions… our lives...under HIM…

Not in weakness but in willingness… knowing that the cure for brokenness… is here.

Humility is like saying God not my will but yours… not my way… but yours… not my thoughts but yours… not my peace but yours… not my opinions, but yours.. not my solution… but yours… not my wisdom… GOD BUT YOURS. NOT MY VOICE… but yours… in me!

I know it sounds horrible… I’m not saying it’s right… but it’s honest… my heart… I don’t really want to hear any more opinions…

I’m not advocating for silence… I’m advocating for open handed humility before the author of life.

Humility doesn’t take your voice away, it informs it. It tempers it. It clears your vision and changes your posture.

Humility doesn't take your voice away… it informs it. It tempers it… It clears our vision… and changes our posture…

Humility… is no more pointing fingers. No more promoting my agenda or opinion… humility… is the willful submission of those things… realizing our inability and recognizes that real change… comes from God and starts in me.

Humility… on our knees… praying out to God what David did thousands of years ago…

Psalm 139:23–24 (NLT)

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

More than a desire to be heard or right… it's the desire to hear and be right with Him.

IF my people will Pray:

In times of brokenness and pain… in times of suffering and confusion God calls his people to pray… He is saying in the midst of this stuff… CALL out to me… CRY OUT TO ME… regularly…

This particular passage comes from a point of desperation, with humility in mind... in lament and in brokenness we seek His intervention.

Prayer is one of the greatest yet most under-utilized resources we have…

It would be hard for me to know what to say to someone who says they are broken and wanting to see real change… but yet… has not in their brokenness cried out to the only one who can bring the change they seek.

1 Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our worry and anxiety on Him… take it to Him in prayer… because HE cares for you.

When your world isn’t right… when my world isn’t right… and when our world isn’t right... God cares… and I truly believe that not only are the real answers to all of this found in Him… He is the only one… who can do anything… substantial.

Part of what God was doing in this 2 Chron Passage is telling the people… I WILL LISTEN to you… I will hear you. In all of this… if you want to be heard… take it there… In humility.

3. IF my people will Seek my face.

Jeremiah 29:13–14A NLT

If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.

Those are God’s words to a divided nation… held captive… which is how I feel at least.

1 Chronicles 16:11 NLT

Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

a. What does it say the result of honestly seeking God is? Finding Him. God wants to be found by you. Keep in mind, in all of this… it’s not God that’s lost! And that’s why humility is so incredibly important… WE are… and that’s nothing new… it just feels more tangible in this season.

b. Seeking Him… God where are you… where are you and what are you doing in all of this? It is not just trying to find him, but seeking His presence, His heart, His truth, His acceptance… His wisdom… His way… His invtervention

c. Jesus Himself told us what effective prayer looked like…

Matthew 7:7–8 NLT

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

It’s consistency, knocking seeking asking… and FINDING.

Because everyone who asks… Receives…

EVERYONE who seeks… FINDS…

And to ALL who knock… The doors of heaven are open… TO ALL… who knock.

Seeking God only makes sense if we believe He has something to offer… and if He does not… we are in trouble… But thank God He does.

4. IF my people will Turn from their wicked ways

It’s not my favorite truth… but the bible seems to make a connection in turning from sin… and being heard by God.

James 5:16 (NIV)

16b The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

And you can compare that with passages like…

1 Peter 3:12b (NLT)

12b The LORD turns his face against those who do evil.

And keep in mind… God is not talking about perfection here… but honest hearts… humbly seeking Him… Honestly…desiring to honor Him… and hear from Him… and see Him move.

And here is the thing I noticed… these four things… Humility, prayer, seeking His face, and repentance… are connected… even in their actual definitions they are woven together…

In humility we pray and seek God…

You will never seek God well without praying and humility.

Prayer without humility and seeking Him… is not effective…

And all of those things… in authenticity… lead to change… in us… and through us.

I stole a post from a friends FB page this week… Here is what it said…

1 Thessalonians 4:16 says, “The Lord himself will come down from heaven with a loud command.” Have you ever wondered what that command will be? These are the first words Jesus will speak as He brings His kingdom to its fulfillment. Perhaps His first words will be this command: No More!

No more loneliness.

No more pain.

No more sin.

No more tears.

No more death.

No more sadness.

No more racism.

No more brutality.

No more blaming.

No more murder.

No more hate.

No more riots.

No more protests.

I would add… No more finger pointing. No more political exploitation… starting with US. No more blaming…No more ignoring…

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble ...”

But a time is coming when He will declare ... No More!

(adapted from Max Lucado)

and for me…

When Jesus tells us that His church is to be salt and light… He’s saying that we preserve His truth… and shine HIS light… bring HIS flavor to a broken world.

NO MORE… sounds like heaven… oh wait… haha.

And I believe it… that these no more statements… we will never live them out fully until we get to heaven… but I do know this…

IF… HIS people that are called by HIS name… will HUMBLE themselves… PRAY… if they will SEEK MY HIS FACE and TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS…

It says… HE WILL HEAR YOU… HE WILL HEAR YOU and heal our land.

Church, do you want lead in ways that matter… you want to make a difference… you want to see real and lasting change…

God says it starts with you… and I… He doesn’t call politicians or protestors… he doesn’t call the powerful nor the powerless… He doesn't call the influential…

He calls the church… You and I… to lead. Not in the way you might think… and that leadership starts in humility… in prayer… in Seeking Him… and in turning from sin.

So… right now… as you hear this… I am at North Albany Park… waiting for you… Rain or shine… It’s time to lead… the way God taught us.

Today… 11:30 North Albany Park… I am waiting for you all there!

So… Today, Sunday June 7th… at 11:30 AM… Join us for 30 minutes of praying into these things… as well as another Church and family who is hurting right now.

You are welcome whether your a part of northside or not.

I hope to see you there.