2 Chronicles 15: 1-8

I’ve been the pastor of St Mark United Methodist Church for two years. Time really does fly. We’ve experienced together  things we never expected to see in our life times. We’ve done our best to move forward. We’ve tried things to inspire hope in our ranks, to show our community we’re open, always hospitable, a safe place, and everyone is welcome. A consultant could ask us how have we used our time most effectively?

The old story goes like this. An efficiency expert driving in the country saw a farmer in an apple orchard feeding a pig by holding it over his head so the pig could eat apples hanging from the trees. The efficiency expert stopped his car and went up to the farmer and said, “Hey, have I got a good idea for you!” The farmer turned to the man to listen to the idea. The expert said, “Put the pig on the ground, get a stick, knock the apples to the ground so the pig can eat his share, and you wouldn’t have to hold it over your head.” The expert then said, “This would be a more efficient way of feeding your pig, and IT SURE WILL SAVE A LOT OF TIME.” The farmer had a smirk on his face and said to the expert, “Ah shucks, mister, what’s time to a pig?”

Our scripture this morning from 2 Chronicles, chapter 15, teaches us “If you seek him, he will be found by you.” That’s an efficient use of our time. Azariah the prophet comes to King Asa of Judah and says, “If you seek him, he will be found by you . . . Be strong, do not give up for your work will be rewarded.” As we hear or read this, we’re led to consider what might be the particulars of seeking the Lord, of being strong, of the details of being rewarded, of what shall we do? Azariah the prophet just gives a word of encouragement from the Lord. That was all that was necessary.

King Asa heard the words of the prophet, and he was encouraged. The text says, “HE TOOK COURAGE.” The rest of the chapter is a success story of reforms in worship and governance. Asa removed idols from the land of Judah. He repaired the altar in the house of the Lord. He assembled all the nation, and they worshipped the Lord together. All of those gathered at that time made covenant together to seek the Lord. All those who didn’t join in the covenant were disposed of “whether small or great, man or woman.” This all took place in the fifteenth year of King Asa’s reign. He heard the prophet’s encouraging words, he acted on the words with courage, and he initiated reform. 

As a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, as one who knows what it is encounter his words of grace, truth and love, as one who knows what it is to experience the refreshing and empowering baptism of the Holy Spirit, I know what it is to be reformed, and I know what it is to initiate reform. I know what it is to experience the R word – REVIVAL, to be revived. I know what it is to initiate revival. And I know what it is as a pastor to encounter people who don’t what to be reformed, who don’t what to be revived. I WANT YOU TO KNOW REVIVAL, TO KNOW REFORM. I WANT US TO JOIN IN REVIVAL, IN REFORM. Our story today begins with a declarative, revelatory word of the Lord – “THE LORD IS WITH YOU WHILE YOU ARE WITH HIM. IF YOU SEEK HIM, HE WILL BE FOUND BY YOU.” King Asa acted on such a word (such words can and do come to us by virtue of the Holy Spirit) with courage (sometimes we must be brave on what the Lord may have told us), experienced revival (THAT’S A GOOD SIGN – HAS THE WORD BROUGHT US REFRESHMENT, ENCOURAGEMENT, NEWNESS OF LIFE) and wanted others to know what it was to experience the Lord being with them.

Asa’s story continued. In 2 Chronicles 16, in the 36th year of his reign as king of Judah (twenty-one years after Judah assembled to seek the Lord together and make covenant), Israel, the northern kingdom of Jews/Hebrews, attacked Judah. King Asa buys an alliance with a neighboring nation, Aram. Aram attacks Israel. A new prophet in Judah arises, Hanani (new prophets arise in the Old Testament – there’s always a word from the Lord). Hanani tells King Asa, “You didn’t rely on the Lord. The Lord looks to strengthen those committed to him. From now on, Asa, Judah will be at war.” Judah was at peace for those twenty-one years after the people of Judah pledged to seek the Lord together. King Asa then throws Hanani, the new prophet, in prison. King Asa doesn’t finish well as king of Judah. The reform and revival in Judah turns into history, history into legend, legend into myth.

What happens when we receive encouragement from the Lord? We are REVIVED, REFORMED, REFRESHED, RENEWED. King Asa lived in a day when prophets were the ones to bring a new word, a new message to kings and to nations. There are prophets today, but we live on this side of Pentecost. Peter declared afresh the prophecy from Joel fulfilled that day: “In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall see dreams. Even upon slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. . . Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” REVIVED, REFORMED, REFRESHED, RENEWED.

The time we have together is meant to be a time of seeking the Lord together, only to find him together. The time we have together is meant to be time to be REVIVED, REFORMED, REFRESHED, RENEWED together. How? We live in a day, in a time of Holy Spirit in us and around us. We live in a day, in a time when the Lord speaks to us to bring about his will in and through us. We live in a day, in a time when salvation is at hand – call on the name of the Lord, and you shall be saved. These are not the days and times of kings and sporadic prophets bringing a word from the Lord. The Lord speaks to you and to me, to us as a people. This is our time. This is OUR TIME.  If you seek him, he will be found by you, BY US. This is OUR TIME.

(Preached at St Mark United Methodist Church in Anniston, AL, 6-2-24)