2 Chronicles 7:14-15 If you really want it you can have it – Renewal

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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 sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

I. Renewal: A promise

A. If His people will

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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. Begins with God’s people

2. Personal renewal precedes corporate renewal / national

3. Personal renewal precedes renewal of others in our sphere of influence

4. Personal renewal is the way God reveals Himself to others

B. God will

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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 sin and heal their land.

1. When conditions are met God responds

2. Certain response

3. When God is real to His people, He becomes revealed to others

C. He invites a response

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 7 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

1. He awaits a response / inviting us to respond

2. Why do we see so little of God at work - The issue is not with God

3. Why do we not respond

II. Renewal: If we will

A. Humble self

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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. Often military term – to be placed in subjection – turn over sword

2. Reflexive - something that one must do themselves

3. He is supreme – Submit self / Come on His terms

4. Manasseh – one of worst kings – humbles self – God hears

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 33 12 Now when he (Manasseh) was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

5. NT

(NKJV) James 4 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

B. Pray

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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. Opposite of self sufficiency / Dependency

2. Ask of God

3. For self / For others – word most often used for intercession

(NKJV) Ezekiel 22 30 So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.

4. NT – problem is we don’t take it to Him

(NKJV) James 4 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

C. Seek Him

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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. Seek His presence – Desire Him – a Relationship

2. Not just His blessing / Not just enough to make you happy

3. Like a lover – growing up look all over town for that special one – content to find that person and just look in their face

4. Center point of our life – from which everything else emanates

5. Is found when He is looked for

(NKJV) Deuteronomy 4 29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the LORD your God and obey His voice 31 (for the LORD your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

a. Seriously look for Him

b. He is faithful to respond

6. NT – simple

(NKJV) James 4 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

D. Turn from sin

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 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. Turn to Him from own way – sin

2. Can’t have own way and God – Must choose

3. The cry of the prophets / John / Jesus / Peter – repent / turn

(NKJV) Ezekiel 18 30 “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord God. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of one who dies,” says the Lord God. “Therefore turn and live!”

a. Not an impassionate God – cares that we turn

b. But will judge if not

4. NT desires our response

(NKJV) 2 Peter 3 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

a. Wants all to turn to Him

III. Renewal: Then God will

A. He will hear

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 7 14 …, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

1. If we respond He will respond

2. He will listen / and respond

(NKJV) Hebrews 4 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

B. He will forgive

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 7 14 … then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

1. If we respond He will forgive

2. Has already done the work – will apply to us

3. Will work in others’ lives

(NKJV) 1 John 1 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

C. He will restore

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 7 14 … then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

1. Bring restoration

2. Give / Restore blessings

(NKJV) Romans 8 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

D. He awaits

(NKJV) 2 Chronicles 7 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.

1. Invites us / Anxiously waits

(NKJV) Matthew 11 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.