I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline and questions for our meeting on May 9, 2010. The lesson is on 2 Chronicles 7:12-16 and continues the focus on revival from last week's lesson. In this lesson I consider what kind of people we would be if we reflected the brand God presents to Solomon in this passage. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!
What’s Our Brand?
What is our Reputation?
2 Chronicles 7:12-16
Introduction
Mascots and Brands
What was your high school mascot?
College?
What does your mascot say about your school?
Brands are all the rage today, everybody is “branding” or trying to brand their item, school, reputation, or business
Although modern concepts of brands and branding may not have been around in biblical times, there are similar ideas
Our passage today, in fact, indicates that God has a particular brand in mind for his people
He outlines for us what kind of people we will be, what kind of reputation we will have, if we want to participate in his brand
2 Chronicles 7:12-16
Background—Solomon’s Temple
What brand does God reveal here?
If we follow the advice of this passage, what will our reputation be?
1. We Will Be God’s People
We are known by the company we keep
“If my people” is the first phrase of this famous passage (2 Chron. 7:14, cf. 12, 16, God chose them)
If we are not God’s people, we need to become his by faith in Jesus and what he accomplished
If we are Christ followers, we have an intimate connection to God through what Jesus has accomplished on our behalf—Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 4:6-7; 1 John 3:1-2
It is a connection that identifies us—it should change the way we live, the way we interact with others, even the way we work or relate to others—a child should be like the parent
Our brand reveals our relationship
Are we branded by our Father’s image?
2. We Will Be Humble
We are known by the lives we live
If we are Christ followers, then our lives should be characterized by his attitude—an attitude of humility (Phil. 2:5-8)
This is a challenge to be dependent—we have to acknowledge that we cannot accomplish God’s purposes on our own, we have to have his help (Phil. 2:3-4)
You can’t be proud and humble at the same time because God hates pride but honors humility (Prov. 8:13; 16:18-19; 1 Peter 5:5; James 4:6)
Humility means to “bend the knee” or “to place one’s self under the authority of another”
Our brand reveals our character
Are we branded by humility or pride?
3. We Will Engage in Prayer
We are known by the prayers we pray (2 Chron. 7:12, 14)
What motivates us to pray?
“The church is dying on its feet because it won’t live on its knees.” Leonard Ravenhill
Do we pray around issues, offer wish lists, or spend our time on our own issues? (James 4:3)
James 5:16-18—where are the Elijah’s of God?
Story of D. L. Moody and Mary Adelard (Thanks to Alan Carr, who posted this story on-line):
Dwight L. Moody, a famous evangelist from Chicago went on vacation to England. He wasn’t planning to do any preaching; he was on a sabbatical. But he met a preacher there who said, "Mr. Moody you’re so well known, would you come and speak at our church?" So he went to preach the next Sunday morning.
That afternoon Moody wrote in his journal that they were the deadest crowd he had ever seen and that the only thing worse than preaching to those people was that he had promised to go back that night and preach again. But he went back that night, and about halfway through the sermon something happened.
The people started to come to life, and he felt compelled to ask if anyone there would like to become a Christian and a lot of people stood up. He didn’t know what to do. So he said, "Maybe you don’t understand what I am asking. So when we are dismissed if you want to become a Christian come over to this little room and meet with me." When the service was over, he went to the room and it was packed. Moody said to the minister, "What does this mean?" He said, "I don’t know. But I think you need to preach again tomorrow night."
The next day Moody got on a train and went to Ireland to continue his vacation. But when he got off the train there was a memo that said, "Come back. Revival has broken out." So Moody got back on the train, went back to that church and preached 10 straight nights. And 400 responded to the invitation.
Moody couldn’t understand. Those people were dead, and something changed it. What happened was that an 80 some year old invalid widow named Mary Ann Adelard had read one of his sermons in the newspaper and had started praying every day that God would bring D. L. Moody to her church. That is revival praying.
Effectual, fervent prayer is what we need
Where is our passion to pray?
Our brand effects our prayers
Are we branded by a reputation of prayer?
4. We Will Pursue God
We are known by the things we pursue, by our passions
Our passage reminds us that we should seek God’s face—it is a challenge to be devoted to the things of God
Revival does not come to folks who seek revival, it comes to those who seek God
Where do we spend most of our time?
What is our number one priority?
In our society of e-mails, tweets, and cell phones, we have lost a sense of the need for face-to-face communication
Are we pursuing a face-to-face time with God?
Or are we merely looking for “nice things” from our Father?
Is God our cosmic “e-Bay” where we bid for what we want?
John 1:1-3—Jesus was “face-to-face” with God
Our brand reveals our relationships
Are we pursuing face time with God?
5. We Will Repent
We are known by the things we refuse or turn away from
This passage challenges us to be different
Repentance is 180 degrees
It is going the opposite direction
It is a complete change of life
It is what Jesus preached
We need to search our heart and see if we have put anything in God’s place, in the place of a face-to-face relationship with God
What comes first? What do we put in God’s way?
Job, relationships, money, position, a bad habit, a pet sin, etc.
Our brand reveals our genuine, heartfelt desires
Are we branded by a desire to do things God’s way?
Are we marked by repentance?
6. We Will Experience Revival
If we follow the suggestions of our text today, we will be marked by the brand of revival
God will hear our prayers (2 Chron. 7:12, 14-16; 1 John 5:14-15)
God will forgive and heal us
This forgiveness and healing is not just individual, but it is national
What ills in this world will not be changed by a touch from God?
God will pay attention to us (“my eyes will be open and my ears attentive”)
We will have our Father’s full attention
The Father will hear our prayers
He will empower us to do his works
God will dwell with us
John 1:14-18
Like Solomon’s Temple, God will make his presence known and change us
Will we let God determine our brand?
How Should We Respond?
My heart’s desire
I pray that G.A.P. will be a brand that gives God’s name a good and praise worthy reputation
I hope G.A.P. will be known as God’s people, humble, praying, pursuing God, repenting when needed, and full of God’s presence and reviving Spirit
What can we do to get there?
This week
a. Take time to focus on God’s business—set aside a specific amount of time (at least 10 minutes a day) to get in God’s presence and seek his face—do business with God
b. Ask yourself the hard questions—Do I give priority to the things of God? What am I putting in the way of pursuing God? Where do I need to repent or learn humility?
Let God be your obsession
c. Take some time this week to pray for your friends, your church, your leaders—be specific in your prayers
d. Put others first—seek opportunities to show God’s love or grace to others
Remember, we are known by our brand
What do people know about G.A.P. from you?
What do people know about God from your life?
Thanks for reading!
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