Revival Conference 2007 - Part 5

God can do that, you know. And there in the far country he came to himself, and he realized what he had done, and he decided to return to his father. He said, I will arise and go to my father. Oh, would to God today that a cry would sweep across the modern-day evangelical church like that. He said, we will arise and go to our father. And you know what happened when he made his way home, the father saw him while he was still far off, and the father formed a cold-hearted scheme, he said, I'll just wait till he gets here. I'll be able to spit out those delicious words, you see. I told you so. But no, while he was still yet a long way off, the father saw him and he ran to him, and he embraced him. And he said, bring a robe here, and put it around his shoulders, and put shoes on his feet, and put a ring on his finger. All of these things were simply the father saying, I'm receiving my son back as a son. The son said, I'm going to go back and offer to be a servant, but the father would have none of it. No, I'm not going to bring you back as my servant, I'm going to bring you back as my son. And ladies and gentlemen, that parable trumpets the wonderful truth that there is forgiveness with God. There is a way back to God. God can restore what the far country has eaten up. There would have been no point in these captives praying this particular prayer if they did not have the confidence that God can restore what is lost. That captivity was a very large problem indeed. The Babylonians were so very strong, and the people of Judah were so very weak. And if we could propel ourselves back through time and go back and interview these Jewish people in Babylon and ask them, what do you think are the chances you'll ever be released from Babylon? We would probably have heard them say something like, oh, it's impossible, the Babylonians have got everything on their side, there's no chance, there's no hope. This much is clear, ladies and gentlemen, that the problem was too great for the people themselves. There would have been no point in appointing a committee, say, let's appoint a committee and go to the King of Babylon. There would have been no point in signing a petition, that's what the church is doing today. But the problem was too large for that, and the problems we're facing today are too large for that type of thing. But ladies and gentlemen, the captivity was not too large a problem for God. The captives must have looked at that captivity and they must have said, this problem is as big as a mountain. But look there at your 64th chapter and your first verse, and you find that God can shake mountains. And the good news is that God brought these people out of captivity. He brought them back to their homeland. They rebuilt the temple. They rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. They rebuilt their own homes, and it's all because of the greatness of the heart of God to forgive people who repent. And those people did repent there in captivity in Babylon with a wholehearted repentance. They cried out to God, we have sinned, and God brought them out, and God restored them, and God renewed them. And this is the hope for the modern day church. When the church realizes what she has lost, and when she realizes what has produced the Bible, her own sin, then and then alone she can cry to God with the confidence that God will hear and God will restore. The Bible says, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Oh, there's forgiveness with God. There's restoration with God. There's a whiteness in the mercy of God, a whiteness to such an extent that even when his people have failed, fallen flat on their faces, if they will cry, he will receive. The question today is, are we crying? Have we come to the place yet where our hearts are broken before God? Are we crying? And if we're not crying, the question is, what will it take to make us start? Let's bow together for prayer. Father, impress upon us today the similarities between that ancient situation and our own. Help us to see the church today living in a time of loss and help us to be keenly aware of what has produced that loss. And may we begin to mourn over our sins with a brokenness of heart. And then, O God of grace, restore your people. Restore your people as only you can. We bless your name, and we pray these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.