Prayer for the Renewal of the Church (Isaiah 64:10-12)
Rev. Myung-Sin Choi
10 Your holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 11 Our holy and beautiful temple, Where our fathers praised You, Is burned up with fire; And all our pleasant things are laid waste. 12 Will You restrain Yourself because of these things, O Lord? Will You hold Your peace, and afflict us very severely?
Introduction
Last week we had a meeting with the Southern synod and church leaders. Due to this event, we discussed what we will do for the future and the future plans. As for our church, we held a meeting within our church. Within our church, we had a meeting with the elders and discussed our future plans for church. I realized that we need to do what will make God happy and we need to restore prayer the most. I also discussed the decision of our church and we decided to pray. I realized that we need to pray, have repentance, and allow for renewal for our church. Thankfully, our Southern synod accepted our church’s decision and to pray at 9:00 PM until December 31st. So, please join us in prayer. Those who cannot join in this prayer meeting, then pray by yourself. In Korea, it also decided to start the repentance prayer movement. All of the churches and church members decided to participate in fasting prayer on December 15th. I am very thankful for this resolution. I truly believe that this has made God very pleased and He will pour more blessings for us. The reason why we must pray is not to waste time but for us to go before God and restore prayer. We need to find the reason for prayer and repentance today through today’s sermon.
1. The Destruction of Judah
1) The desolation of Jerusalem
Verse 10 - Jerusalem became utterly destroyed to the point where Jerusalem became a desert, a wilderness. Why did this land of Judah, Jerusalem, a chosen nation become destroyed and a wilderness? What is absolute is that this did not happen because they were economically or militarily weak. They forgot that God was their Father. I told you last week that they forgot who their potter and Creator was. Why did God create you? They forgot their purpose and plan. They fell into materialistic things and idols. They didn’t think about God’s purpose and will at all, and were only focused on their own will. We need to hold onto what determines success is finding out what God wants from us and what God determines as success.
2) The unique method which must be restored
Verse 11 - This was what Isaiah was saying. Our own hope and God who is our Creator, our only place of worship became destroyed. The place where they worshiped and prayed to God became destroyed. The point that Isaiah was pointing out was their temple of God was destroyed. Why is a temple important?
1 Kings 8:16 “Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.” - This is important. The first thing is that the reason why God sent the Israelites to the land of Canaan and out of Egypt was to make God a House in His name. This was why God chose David and made him king. The reason why God raised David as king was so that David could build the temple of God and the place where God’s name can be. The place where God’s name is, where is that? It is where the name of Jesus Christ is proclaimed, which was the Holiest of Holies. Inside of the Holiest of Holies was the ark of the covenant. Inside the ark of the covenant, the 2 tablets that contained the 10 commandments, Aaron’s rod, and manna. What was the meaning of these items? They all represented Jesus Christ. The 2 tablets represented the word of God. Aaron’s rod represented the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Manna reprinted the life of Jesus Christ. God’s place was where Jesus Christ was. There was a cover over the ark of the covenant. It was the mercy seat, the place of atonement. The mercy seat was where sins were covered. When man committed a sin, God prepared a place where man can cover their sins. Anyone who disobeyed God and committed sin, they had to face judgment against God but there was a place where man can receive forgiveness of their sins. How could they receive forgiveness of their sins?
Leviticus 16:15 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.” - On the mercy seat, God, Himself, revealed His word to the Israelites. How did man meet God?
Exodus 25:22 “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.” - The mystery on how to meet God was when man’s sins were scattered over the mercy seat. The method on how to meet God is when you repent before God and blood is shed. After that, God proclaimed that He will fulfill all things. We have been talking about repentance but repentance is so important.
Romans 8:33 “Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” - No one can tell you if you are right or wrong, only God can. This is the power of repentance. If God forgives you, then no one can say anything else.
2. New Renewal
1) The effect of prayer of repentance
Verse 12 - We are repenting but why are there no answers? This was what Isaiah was asking God. Isaiah knew that if they repented then God will cleanse them as white as snow. This was astounding. There is something that I don’t quite understand yet in the Bible. Why was Bathsheba’s name written in the Bible? She was supposed to be stoned to death. It talks about the repentance of King David but it doesn’t speak about the repentance of Bathsheba. Bathsheba was someone who seduced King David. King David was always on the rooftop and praying to God, and Bathsheba, always knowing this, would be naked and bathe in front of where King David would pray. I think that Bathsheba was crazy for this. When you look at this legalistically, of course, King David committed sin but Bathsheba also deserved to be stoned to death. But this Bathsheba who needed to be stoned to death, her name was written in the genealogy of Jesus. Not only that but her son was Solomon. Why was Bathsheba considered blessed? Solomon was blessed by God and was considered the wisest king. God poured health, wealth, and wisdom onto King Solomon. How can you interpret this? You can only interpret this by understanding the power of repentance. In other words, God did not remember the wrongdoings and sins of Bathsheba. If God did remember Bathsheba’s sins, then He wouldn’t have poured these great blessings to Bathsheba. Why didn’t God remember the sins of Bathsheba?
Micah 7:19 “He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea.” - This is why it is so important for us to repent. The moment you repent, then God said that He will subdue all of your inquiries and cast all of your sins into the depths of the sins. If you repent, God will forget about all of your sins. When I read this, I realized that Bathsheba repented a lot. Truly enjoy these blessings. Understand how important repentance is.
2 Samuel 16:5-8 “Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 6 And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David. And all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. 7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: ‘Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 8 The Lord has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the Lord has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!’ ” - King David killed Uriah in a battle in order to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba. But King David ended up repenting before God. God did not leave King David alone and bought judgment upon King David. God made it where King David’s own son, Absalom, tried to kill King David. King David was so astonished that he ran away. But an incident arose. There was a man named Shimei that appeared before King David. Shimei ran after King David and cursing at King David, and cursing that God will curse him. Imagine how much embarrassment King David faced when Shimei ran after him and cursing him. All of the soldiers of King David was furious and was about to kill Shimei but King David stopped them. King David said that he deserved his judgment and punishment from God. A man named Barzillai came before King David and prepared a king’s table to King David. Who do you think did the right? Shimei or Barzillai? What God did was the opposite of what most did. Later on, Shimei ended up dying and Barzillai was blessed, and his children became blessed. This is the power of repentance.
Romans 8:34 “Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” - It is God who makes the final judgment. Shimei decided that King David was wrong and condemned King David in the end. But how did God respond? God is the one who condemns. Jesus Christ continues to pray for us and continues to intercede for us. Our Lord God is sitting on the throne of God and Jesus is interceding for us, but yet, we are judging others. We need to hold onto something important here. How did God call King David and why did God call King David? God called King David so that he could build the temple of God. All of the sins that King David committed happened before God called King David. God’s plan was to build the temple of God. If God has a plan and David dies, then God’s plan would not be built. That is why God raised Solomon to finish the temple of God. Then, God calls King David to heaven. God’s plan is world evangelism. God’s plan is to save the 237 nations and 5,000 tribes. If God determines this plan, then no one can block it. Through incidents, God gives us renewal, restoration, and strength. This is what we must hold onto. Isaiah prayed to God for a new beginning, a time of renewal.
2) A new beginning
Isaiah was praying for the Israelites who were in agony and suffering. This is important. The temple of God was in ruins but it was all part of God’s plan. Why was that? God wanted a new start. God’s new temple was to build a temple that will never be destroyed. Many people believe that God will build a new temple and think that this new temple is an actual temple. But this is a wrong interpretation.
They don’t understand Matthew 16:16 “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ ” - Those who confess this confession, God will build a temple through them.
Matthew 16:18-19 “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” - In other words, God gave us a new start and church through Jesus Christ. What is God’s plan? We need to open our spiritual eyes. Don't be like Shimei but be like Barzillai. That is why we have decided to pray. There will be a great renewal. Why is that? Jesus Christ is the answer to our life problems.
3. Christ is the Answer to Life
1) Christ who bore the sin
Philippians 2:7-8 “But made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” - Jesus Christ died on the cross and finished all curses, sins, and power of hell.
2) Christ, the Name above all names
Philippians 2:9-10 “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth.” - Jesus Christ resurrected and rose back from death. Jesus Christ fulfilled the law of God, and it also was written in the Bible that Jesus Christ’s name was written inside the ark of the covenant. The fact that the name of Christ was there inside of the ark of the covenant means that Jesus Christ truly lived and resurrected. You had to sprinkle the blood of Jesus Christ to have God’s presence in your life but now we have Jesus’ presence inside of us. All we have to do is call out the name of Jesus Christ who solved all of our problems. May you call out the name of God.
3) Christ who is the Lord
Philippians 2:11 “And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” - What makes God most pleased? When we make Christ our master of our lives. When we make God the master of our lives, then He will have complete responsibility over our lives. Do you have a problem? Make Jesus the master of your life then God will give you renewal.
Conclusion
Philippians 2:5 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” - What is the secret to blessings and success? It is to be inside the name of Jesus Christ. Be inside of Jesus Christ. This means to love Jesus Christ with all of your heart, mind, and soul. Hold onto this as your bartizan and great blessings will come upon you.
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