Revival: The Importance of God's Presence and Repentance

Devotional

Day 1: The Subtlety of Idolatry

In the story of the Israelites crafting a golden calf, we see a profound lesson about the subtlety of idolatry. Idolatry is not just about worshiping physical objects; it is about allowing anything to take the place of God in our hearts. This can manifest in distorted beliefs or misplaced priorities, where we create a version of God that suits our desires rather than submitting to His true nature. The Israelites' quick turn to idolatry after their deliverance from Egypt serves as a warning of how easily we can stray from true faith. It challenges us to examine our lives for any idols we may have unknowingly erected, whether they be material possessions, relationships, or even our own ambitions. [11:09]

Isaiah 44:9-10 (ESV): "All who fashion idols are nothing, and the things they delight in do not profit. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Who fashions a god or casts an idol that is profitable for nothing?"

Reflection: What are some subtle idols in your life that you may have placed above God, and how can you begin to dismantle them today?

Day 2: The Weight of Sin

The narrative of God's decision to withdraw His presence from Israel highlights the weight and seriousness of sin. Sin is not just a personal failing; it is a breach in our relationship with God that has profound consequences. The Israelites' experience serves as a reminder that sin separates us from God and diminishes our spiritual vitality and effectiveness. It is a call to recognize the gravity of our actions and the impact they have on our relationship with God. This understanding should lead us to a place of humility and repentance, acknowledging our need for God's grace and forgiveness. [13:12]

Psalm 51:10-12 (ESV): "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit."

Reflection: In what ways have you experienced the consequences of sin in your life, and how can you seek God's forgiveness and restoration today?

Day 3: The Incomparable Value of God's Presence

The Israelites' realization that God's presence is more valuable than any blessing challenges us to prioritize our relationship with Him above all else. In a world that often equates success with material gain, this narrative reminds us that without God's presence, all other achievements are ultimately hollow. The Israelites mourned when they understood that God's presence would not accompany them, highlighting the deep longing for divine companionship that should characterize our spiritual journey. This calls us to seek God's presence earnestly, recognizing that it is the source of true fulfillment and purpose. [33:45]

Exodus 33:15-16 (ESV): "And he said to him, 'If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?'"

Reflection: How can you intentionally seek and prioritize God's presence in your daily life, even amidst the busyness and distractions?

Day 4: The Transformative Power of Repentance

True repentance involves a deep awareness of our sinfulness and a commitment to change. It is not enough to merely acknowledge our shortcomings; we must actively turn away from sin and seek to align our lives with God's will. The Israelites' mourning and repentance in response to God's pronouncement demonstrate the transformative power of genuine repentance. It is a process that requires humility, honesty, and a willingness to be changed by God's grace. This narrative invites us to examine our hearts and take steps toward true repentance, allowing God to transform us from the inside out. [27:31]

Joel 2:12-13 (ESV): "'Yet even now,' declares the Lord, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.' Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster."

Reflection: What specific steps can you take today to demonstrate true repentance and align your life more closely with God's will?

Day 5: The Journey to Revival

Revival begins with a recognition of our spiritual need and a heartfelt desire for God's presence. It requires us to strip away anything that hinders our relationship with Him, leading to a renewed dedication and consecration. The story of the Israelites serves as a powerful illustration of the journey to revival, as they moved from idolatry and rebellion to repentance and a longing for God's presence. This journey is not just a one-time event but a continual process of seeking God and allowing Him to renew and revive our hearts. It is an invitation to pursue a deeper, more vibrant relationship with God, marked by a passion for His presence and a commitment to His purposes. [42:30]

Hosea 6:1-2 (ESV): "Come, let us return to the Lord; for he has torn us, that he may heal us; he has struck us down, and he will bind us up. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him."

Reflection: What are some specific areas in your life that need revival, and how can you invite God to renew and restore your spiritual passion today?

Sermon Summary

In reflecting on the profound narrative of Moses and the children of Israel as depicted in Exodus 32 and 33, we uncover a timeless lesson about the nature of revival and spiritual awakening. This episode in Israel's history is not just a story of rebellion and idolatry but a mirror reflecting the spiritual state of the church today. The Israelites, having been delivered from Egypt, quickly turned to idolatry, crafting a golden calf to worship in Moses' absence. This act of disobedience and false worship is a stark reminder of how easily we can stray from true faith, creating gods of our own making, whether through distorted theology or misplaced priorities.

The heart of the matter lies in God's response to their sin. He declares that while He will fulfill His promise to lead them to the Promised Land, His presence will not accompany them. This divine withdrawal is a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin and the importance of God's presence above all else. The Israelites' reaction to this pronouncement is crucial; they mourn and repent, realizing that no blessing or success can substitute for the presence of God.

This narrative challenges us to examine our own spiritual condition. Are we content with outward success and blessings, or do we yearn for the presence of God in our lives? True revival begins with a deep awareness of our spiritual state, leading to genuine repentance and a stripping away of anything that hinders our relationship with God. It is a call to prioritize God's presence over all else, recognizing that without Him, all other gains are meaningless.

Key Takeaways

1. The Danger of Idolatry: Just as the Israelites crafted a golden calf, we too can create idols in our lives, whether through distorted beliefs or misplaced priorities. True worship requires us to submit to God's revelation rather than fashioning a god of our own making. [11:09]
2. The Consequences of Sin: God's decision to withdraw His presence from Israel highlights the seriousness of sin. It serves as a reminder that sin not only separates us from God but also diminishes our spiritual vitality and effectiveness. [13:12]
3. The Necessity of God's Presence: The Israelites' realization that God's presence is more valuable than any blessing challenges us to prioritize our relationship with Him above all else. Without His presence, all other gains are ultimately hollow. [33:45]
4. The Call to Repentance: True repentance involves a deep awareness of our sinfulness and a commitment to change. It is not enough to acknowledge our shortcomings; we must actively turn away from sin and seek to align our lives with God's will. [27:31]
5. The Path to Revival: Revival begins with a recognition of our spiritual need and a heartfelt desire for God's presence. It requires us to strip away anything that hinders our relationship with Him, leading to a renewed dedication and consecration. [42:30]
** [42:30]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Introduction to Moses and Israel
[00:50] - Significance of Exodus 33
[02:00] - Old Testament and Revival
[03:06] - Steps to Revival
[05:41] - Israel's Decline and Idolatry
[08:01] - Modern Parallels in the Church
[12:43] - God's Judgment and Call to Separation
[14:59] - Moses' Intercession
[16:47] - God's Response to Israel
[18:04] - Realization and Awakening
[26:34] - Repentance and Mourning
[30:11] - Understanding Sin's Seriousness
[33:45] - The Importance of God's Presence
[39:02] - Evidence of True Repentance

Sermon Clips

"Now here what we are told about the way in which Revival comes is brought before us in a particularly instructive manner with regard to this point that there are generally speaking stages and steps in the coming of Revival. You will never find practically in all the histories of Revival that the church suddenly in one move as it were in one step passes from her condition of lifelessness and almost mariban State immediately into a condition of Mighty power and Revival and influence." [00:04:28]

"Now this is the significant thing God's reply to Moses was to this effect he said I have given this promise to these people that they shall go to that land of promise that land of Canan which is flying with milk and honey and therefore I tell you now lead them up take them to the land of promise in view of what they've done I'm no longer coming up with you." [00:16:40]

"Now then this is the first stage always in Revival you see the position they were in the Sin God's pronouncement God's judgment upon it what is the first stage the first step in Revival well here it is our realization of the position these people who rebelled and turned their backs upon God and had blasphemed his name and had criticized his servant Moses and had caused Aon to make the cough and worship him and would suddenly they're arrested they realized something at inate of the situation in which they were." [00:18:04]

"It is an Awakening I say to the situation it is a consciousness of the seriousness of the situation it is an awareness of the implications of what God has said that he is going to withdraw his presence from them and that he has done so the cloud disappeared the pillar of fire was no longer in evidence God had sent it with withraw and God had withdrawn the visible signs and symbols of his presence had gone and furthermore there was a Consciousness and a realization of his displeasure." [00:19:39]

"Now all this of course is but repetition of this study there they did it in a very crude way they actually fashioned and made a cal out of gold these Golden Earrings and so on and set up some objective God but in principle there is no difference whatsoever it's man making his own God deciding and determining what he like and who is to be believed and what is to be believed and then they proceed to offer some kind of worship to their own creation." [00:11:01]

"Repentance you can't of course repent unless you face the facts but having faced the facts the question is do you go on to repentance there is a cursory superficial facing of the facts that is of no value at all isn't that the difference really between remorse and repentance the man who suffers remorse is a man who in a sense looks at the facts but he doesn't spend much time about it oh he says I was a fool I shouldn't have done that and I'm suffering now because I did forgets it goes on that's remorse it's of no value repentance is a much much deeper thing." [00:26:34]

"Now that is a perfect definition of what is meant by true repentance but look at it in the case of these children of Israel where it is Illustrated so perfectly what does repentance mean well it doesn't mean that you just are pulled up under a word that things are not as they ought to be and that there is something seriously wrong no you go on to a realization of the seriousness of it all and of its appalling character they hated themselves for it." [00:28:49]

"Ah but still more important than that they realize the seriousness of sin in God's sight they said if it's this to us now that we've come to ourselves what must it be to God oh The Prodigal Son knew that didn't he he thought he was wonderful until he found himself in that field with the swan he came to himself and the first thing was he saw himself what a fool he'd been and he kicked himself he hated himself he condemned himself and then he thought of his father if I see it like this what must it have been to father when in my arrogance I asked for my share of the goods and left home and spurned all that he and home had represented to me." [00:30:11]

"Do we ever think of what our sin is like in the sight of God I know realization of sin makes us feel uncomfortable and we want to get over it quickly so we ask of forgiveness do you go through the stage of realizing what it must be to God that we his creatures his people for whom he has done everything should turn our backs upon him and in our Folly and selfishness make make our own Gods and go our own way." [00:31:00]

"Now that's the essence of spiritual understanding and that's the thing my dear friends that you and I have got to come to you see here were the people who suddenly awakened came to this tremendous profound realization that to be give every given every other blessing is of no value if God doesn't with you what's the value of Canaan what's the value of milk and honey what's the value of having possessions if you are not with us they saw that the realization of the presence of God having his fellowship and Company was infinitely more important than everything else." [00:34:45]

"Christian people I'm not asking you this morning whether you're living a good life I'm not asking you whether you're happy I'm not asking you whether you read your Bible and whether you pray I'm not asking whether you're active in church work or in some other form of Christian activity what I'm asking you is this do you know God is he with you is he in your life is he in the camp or are you traveling on with God as it were somewhere in the distance given strength and power by his Angel and by his leader and so on but the question is what of you in your person personal relationship and your personal dealings with God." [00:37:48]

"Repentance is something that is so profound that it affects a man's will as the Apostle again puts it in 2 Corinthians 7 in the verses read to you it leads to action you put things right says Paul you did something about it and a man has never repented until he has done in practice what he feels he ought to do and these people did it here it is and when the people heard these evil Tidings they mourned and no man did put on him his ornaments for the Lord had said unto Moses say unto the children of Israel ye are a stiff necked people I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee therefore now put off my ornaments from thee that I may know what to do unto thee and the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount horb." [00:39:02]

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