While we are concerned with terrorism, and rightly so, there is a greater threat from within. We are witnessing the rapid deterioration of a nation before our eyes. But an exciting resurgence is happening in our nation.
Last summer I had the privilege of speaking to some Congressional staffers in Washington, D.C. The message was from 2 Chronicles 7:14, which says, “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
God’s call is not to Hollywood, Washington or the media, but to us. If “My people” turn back to Me I will heal and restore. Four things are required:
1. IF MY PEOPLE HUMBLE THEMSELVES: The process of restoration must begin with humility. “Pride must die in you, or nothing of heaven can live in you” (Andrew Murray).
2. IF MY PEOPLE PRAY: Jesus said, “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matt. 21:13). When was the last time a church dedicated as much time to prayer as to preaching? When was the last time we spent more time in prayer than with social media?
While 5-minute devotionals and prayers are good, they aren’t going to cut it in these dire times. We need powerful times of prayer, devotion and worship. “Without the heartbeat of prayer, the body of Christ will resemble a corpse. The church is dying on her feet because she is not living on her knees” (Al Whittinghill).
3. IF MY PEOPLE SEEK: We have a form of microwave Christianity. Service times are cut to just over an hour, prayer is glanced over, and worship is designed to entertain the masses. “People are bored,” they say, “so our services need to be more appealing.”
Church is boring because the power of God has vanished from many congregations…there is a lack of desire to pursue Him in the pulpit as well as in the pew. Like Samson, they “know not that the Spirit of the Lord has departed” (cf. Judge 16:20). But there is hope. We can once again position ourselves to seek God—”You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).
To seek in this context means to “find what is missing.” The Hebrew word for seek, baqash, has a very strong meaning. Imagine losing your child in a crowded mall. Your entire heart would be engaged. How would you spend your time? Where would your energy be concentrated? Now parallel this with seeking God.
In hindsight, remember when …
… the church sought God in an upper room for days until fire fell.
… we were not in a hurry and extended worship services drove us to our knees, now they’re “too radical … too emotional.” We’ve got church services down to a few songs, announcements and a tantalizing message designed not to convict.
… seeking God through prayer drove the church. Now methods, marketing programs and potlucks lead the way.
… prayer and seeking God were assets and excessive media was a liability. That’s been reversed.
… when people were excited about seeking God rather than making excuses as to why they can’t attend church.
4. IF MY PEOPLE TURN FROM WICKEDNESS: We can humble ourselves, pray, and seek His face, but all this will fall on deaf ears unless we turn from our wicked ways. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Is. 59:1-2).
We must turn from our rebellion, including idols that have diverted our passion for Christ. He came that we might be free from the bondage of sin, not continue in it. Surely we understand that we cannot flaunt sin in the face of God without consequence.
Facebook is filled with jealousy and envy; a competitive spirit permeates our lives. Self indulgence is rampant in the church. Sexual sin has reached an epidemic. Some churches allow unrepentant porn stars to speak from the platform in attempt to reach the culture. The pulpit is to be sacred not secular. And we wonder why the American church has drifted off course…why we’re not experiencing powerful moves of God? Most churches resemble a social gathering rather than a powerful worship service.
The truth is that we have “perverted the words of the living God” (Jer. 23:36) by not warning and challenging people to turn from their sin. Pastors, as the church falls deeper into self-reliance and further from reliance on God, our need for bold leadership has never been greater.
Life-changing sermons must come from a man whose life has been changed by God. Change will only occur in America when there is a strong conviction of sin and sincere repentance—may God grant us the wisdom and strength to proclaim these truths.
We must stop confusing God’s patience with His approval and preach with conviction from the pulpits again. God help us, and our children, if we do not take seriously His call to return. Repentance is our only hope.
Hear the Sermon, Sexual Sin – Legal Is not Lawful.
Want to know more about the next great move of God? Click here to see Jennifer LeClaire’s new book, featuring Dutch Sheets, Reinhard Bonnke, Jonathan Cahn, Billy Graham and others.
Shane Idleman is the founder and lead pastor of Westside Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, California, just North of Los Angeles. He just released his seventh book, Desperate for More of God. Shane’s sermons, articles, books and radio program can all be found at wcfav.org, Follow him on Facebook.
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