967. The Way of Renewal

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 by the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where the focus will be on Christ established daily chapel services today. That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University Chapel platform today on the daily life Dr. Steve Pettit, long time evangelist and now president of Bob Jones University is continuing a study series entitled run the race, which is a study of the book of Hebrews chapter 12 is now listen to today's message were Steve will show how God commands us to get back in the contest.

Even if we been discouraged when I ask you to take your Bibles this morning a term with a place in the book of Hebrews Hebrews chapter 12 yesterday evening I was privileged to preach at a church up and Ellisville Indiana in the evening and we had a group with us. They are from the school here that was singing had a wonderful time. As a first time that they've ever had a representative from Bob Jones University in this particular church there was such a blessing to me graduates.

There were members of this church is about 5 miles north of Indiana University and the church has a number of people that work at IU, many of them are believed to be GU grads, and also I met some of your parents last night and so I just a joy and delight for the Lord opened up fresh new opportunities into people's lives that are interested in the ministry here Bob Jones and I just want to share that thought with you. And as we continue to go out and promote the school. There many people that are interested in the education that we have here but really don't know a lot about the school so let's pray this prayer for the Lord allow us to have positive influence in the lives of people. Well, we have been working through our theme this semester. Run the race in our runner is making his way to the end and started out over there and I think as we move through this semester as we began I told you we have about 100 days, and in the semester and now we're down to probably 3435 days left. Somewhere is maybe a little bit more than that close to 40 days left and it shows you the progress you can make if you persevere if you stick it out and stay with it. If you quit, you don't get the blessing are the fruit of that endurance. And that's really one of the things that were learning the semester about the Christian life that it is a life of persevering faith that you run a race. The race is the Christian life of faith begins with salvation. It ends with glorification in the process. In between we have the, the issue of sanctification, our spiritual growth.

Our maturity is not something that's instantaneous I wish it was. I wish I wish we can make a decision and were spiritual like that doesn't work that way. It takes a lot of growth this morning as we look in Hebrews chapter 12 the rider has been explaining that the purpose of chastening. The idea chastening is not that God is mad at us and he beats us is not the idea that it's the idea of training is getting us in spiritual shape and spiritual condition. Should a Christian be discouraged and feel rejected because he's going through difficulties. The answer is absolutely not. It's not because God is against this is because God the God loves us and he's taking us through this process. So based on the truth that we have learned thus far. The author now brings us back in verses 12 through 14 to the original idea of running the race.

It's like he took a little sideline and exit went off and talked about chastening now is coming back to what he originally said in the beginning let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

So now we come to verse 12 and notice what he says beginning here. He says wherefore lift up the hands which hang down now. Those of you that understand chastening understand what's going own, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble or the weak knees and make straight paths for your feet less than that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed. Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. So what is he doing here he is giving us three very clear and direct commands to those who have been discouraged.

He was struggling there in the race that they're not out of the race there in the race, but you're not sure you go to make it so what you do.

He lays out these exhortations as a way of personal revival by message this morning is entitled the way of renewal in the way of spiritual revival, for whatever reason, it seems like the word revival has almost like passed off the topic of conversation among Christians. I remember when I was a student here between 1978 and 80. It seemed like revival was always a part of our conversation. We read books on revival.

We talked about the reality of revival.

We prayed for revival. We went to revival meeting for almost 30 years I traveled as an evangelist and we would have weeklong crusades and we we called them revival meeting, but it's almost as if people don't even know what revival is all about today and I think this is very important because revival historically has been a major means through which God has advanced the gospel in these advanced the church. The church is grown in the state of revival. Probably the greatest rider on revival is an American. He lived in the early 1700s. He was primarily the main figure with with one other exception is the main figure in the great awakening in the United States of America's name is Jonathan Edwards, probably the greatest American theologian history and he was saying he was a theologian of revival and he said the statement. He said the way in which the greatest things have been done in the church have always been by remarkable effusions or remarkable outpourings of the Holy Spirit at special seasons of mercy. In other words, God has worked in a unique and a special in an unusual way that he is poured out his blessing on the church. Something is happening. God is on the move and we talk about revival. We talk about about the idea of the church declining the church drooping, perhaps even at a point of death, because that's what revival is it means to live again and we talked about revival. We talked about God doing something within the church to stimulate in the stirrup life bringing it back and I think in my lifetime of ministry. Now at 40 years, if there's ever been a time in my life where there seems to be a need up of real revival. It's today and Jonathan Edwards said that their five distinguishing marks of revival. One of those marks number one when there is revival the true Christ is highly esteemed people are coming to love and to enter into esteemed the Lord Jesus more than ever key it's preeminent in our life. He is the most important. Secondly, when there's real revival. The kingdom of Satan is attacked.

The church is on the move. The gates of hell will not prevail against it. Satan's kingdom encourages sin and encourages men to cherish our worldly lost, but the Holy Spirit does not do that when the spirit of God is working men see the ugliness of sin and the emptiness of this world. And when God is on the move. Idols are forsaken cars are close down churches thrive in good works, a bail, the number three when there's real revival.

The Scriptures are love more. By God's people very easy for Christians to become dull when it comes to spiritual things.

But when there's real revival. There's a hunger to know the Scripture, because we know God through his word. There's a confidence in its authority.

I believe in the inspiration of the Bible there is a willingness to trust the promises of God to believe in and to depend upon God and what he says in the work when there's real revival.

The Scriptures are love more than anything else in the number four when there's real revival people are led away from falsehood into the truth. Jonathan Edwards said. For example, if people become more aware that there is a God or that God is a great God, who hates sin or that their lives are short and may end at any moment, or that there is another life may have immortal souls. We can be sure this is the work of the Holy Spirit. He awakens and arouses people's thinking when men realize that they will have to give an account of God, of themselves to God that they are very sinful in nature and practice when they understand they are helpless in themselves. When in short, they are brought to sound doctrine that we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is at work in their hearts, and the number five when there's a real work of the Spirit of God. There is an increase in love to God in man. When people begin to love God. They began to love one another and we can be sure that the Holy Spirit is it work. This is called revival now. When asked you a question this morning.

Do you believe we need revival today yes or no gray.

I got one enthusiast. I would ask you, do you believe do you believe sitting right where you are right now. Do you believe that there is a need for revival today within your generation yes or no benefit for fifth air there is going to be a revival. Where is it going to come it always begins in the church in it in and then it goes out into the world. You cannot revive that which is dead. Revival is always a work of the Holy Spirit within the heart and the life of the church and then there's a movement of grace among the unconverted God works in here before he works out. There is so my hearts desire. This morning is to lay out this way of revival because it is a work of God, but it doesn't mean that believers are passive that there are things that they are actually actively doing a lot of those things.

This is what the writer of Hebrews lays out for us and he gives us three direct commands of what it is that we are to do to experience revival and let's go back and notice the first can't command in verse 12, when he says wherefore, that is, in light of these things, lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. The first thing or the first commandment is a resolve, he says, left up the hands their fallen word lift up means to set something straight. The primary word here is used for the word orthopedics means to set straight or corrupt or correct deformed bones or muscles.

The idea here is your running a race as you run the race and you understand this when you start running a race at some point in the race.

You get really tired. There's real pain in your hands begin to arms begin the troop you feel like your legs are weak. Your worn out your discouraged you're ready to quit the race. What is your need is you need to quit now you need is to be restored unity new fresh strength you need to be reinvigorated. You need a second wind. So the rider gets this image of lifting up the hands and the MNEs that are weak and he uses that to show us that we need to make a resolution to get back in the race and run very interesting that this verse he uses here in verse 12 is actually a direct quote from the book of Isaiah, he reaches back in the Old Testament and in the Old Testament the Jewish people had been in bondage they had been in slavery because of their sin, but instead of leaving them in bondage. The writer, Isaiah comes back any encourages people with the promise of God, he says in Isaiah 35 in verse three strength and he the week hands and confirmed the feeble knees say to them that are of a fearful heart. Be strong, fear not, behold, your God will come, he is encouraging us that God will bring fresh strength, that strength is found in the promises of God in his experience through our obedience. They were my favorite stories in the New Testament is in acts chapter 3 will not read it, Peter and John are going into the temple in Jerusalem to pray as they enter into the beautiful gate. The front gate. There's a lame man sitting there knees begging for money and Peter stops and he looks at him he makes the statement, silver and gold have I not I don't have any money, but what I do have. I will give you any looks at the lame man and he offers them something better than money. He offers him healing and listen to what Peter says. He says in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

I think with me moment if you're the lame guy sitting there. I got says to you.

Rise up and walk what what would you do would you go yeah right. Who are you dude what you been smoking me really.

I mean you're sitting there and he tells you to rise up and walk. How can you get more. You haven't been able to do this, how can you stand up and assess what the man had to do was to believe his word, his promise and respond and listen to what acts three verse seven says, and the lame man took Peter by the right hand and lifted him up and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. The lame man was given the strength to stand and the ability to walk. When he made the choice to stand and walk and walk. Let me say this way spiritual strength is not imparted until you are willing to stake out step of faith. It's almost like we will zap first in the obedience later. God give me power now so that I can obey what God is really wanting you to do is to believe his promise in own faith and when you act on faith. The promise is that the strength will calm peers where many of you are.

It's not that you don't know the promises of God. It means you're not acting on the promises of God not stepped out by faith. You not trusted the Lord and without faith it is impossible to please God. Dr. Les Ola said it once I heard them say the hundreds of times he would say revival is obedience. God empowers the obedience with divine power you're going to have to stress God and step out and believe… I'm trusting you now.

So what is the way of revival. It begins with you willing to trust God to seek God to believe his word and to obey his word. Then to get the second command that command is found in verse 13. Notice what it says and he says make the straight paths for your feet less than that which is lame be turned out of the way but let it rather be healed. The second command. You could say here is not only to resolve to obey but to remove anything in your life that would hinder you from running the race. If you've ever been injured. You know this, that when you get hurt. You can just get back out on the court of the field and play because you been hurt so what you have to do you have to go through a period of rehabilitation rehab you have to go through a therapy.

You break your leg. You tear your ligaments you dislocated joint. You have to go through the process of rehab and the client and in the therapy is precautionary because the one thing you don't want to do is reinjure yourself again and as you go through rehab. You would also be very careful to not let anything get in your way. For example, if if you're going to go out on a course to Ron and you got all kinds of things laying on the course like rocks and stuff you want to clear it out.

When the Bible says make straight paths it means to remove obstacles, remove things that are in your way. Get them out of the way so that you can run the race it means to make the running surface as smooth and as straight as possible so the author calls us to clean up to straighten out the race track.

What is the issue he's dealing with here. He's talking about things that are like that are stumbling blocks things in our life that calls you are could cause you to stumble back in the sin and I think he's referring back to what he says in verses one and two, when he says when he tells us to lay aside every weight in the sand that does so easily beset us, he said look decent if if if you want to really live for God and run the race. You gotta get these things out of your life that are making you stumble.

So let me ask you question this morning. One of the stumbling blocks in your life right now, right where you are, whether you're a freshman or senior. One of the things you probably know what they are. When I came to the Lord at 19 years old. My first year my Christian life and the Lord had to do major housecleaning.

The first and the most important decision I made after I got saved was I had to change my friendships not dealing here with stumbling blocks.

I I had I had to change. I had to change my peer group and folks.

I wasn't in a Christian college I was a college of 2000 males and a handful that I handful of them were Christians and the rest were not and I had to go through a major transformation in my whole way of thinking about about my identity as a person. What I found identity and I grew up playing sports.

That was my identity and so I hung out with athlete is nothing wrong fact is my best friends were athletes, but they were athletes that were committed to the Lord and I had to change my peer group and let me say, for many of you right now the number one stumbling block in your life are the wrong kind of friends that are negative influence. How can two walk together except they be agreed. He that walk with wise men shall be wines if the kinds of friends that you are with or encouraging you in a negative direction. You need to remove stumbling blocks what your stumbling blocks are the entertainment, is it an undisciplined is an area of your life. It's like for example laziness and these are the things in your life that are really hindering you from spiritual maturity is not that you can't grow. It's not that you can't thrive is that you've got these things these obstacles that need to be removed and so renewal comes as the people of God clear the track focus on the goal and run the race and then there's 1/3 and a final thing and that's found here in verse 14 when he met gives the last command. He says follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. The third command. Here is the command to pursue her to follow. So what we do, we have to remove obstacles we have to make a resolution. I want to seek God.

I want to live for God make the decision, but now he says to pursue some things in the work pursue is very interesting word. It meaning of the word follows very interesting word means to persecute I said earlier, persecute people with kindness when the apostle Paul before he was converted was a persecutor of Christians. He was very zealous and passionate and he went out after Christians. He tried to find them and throw them in jail. That's the idea of the word follow you heard of some.

I say he's a stalker. He stalks you and Instagram think on idea. It means that it means to follow.

It means to be intense in this case. He said something interesting.

He says follow peace what is peace its relational harmony is a wellness, wholeness, a soundness in relationships with people. It's the way that you treat people. It means to resolve conflicts and not close conflicts but even go beyond that and learn how to be kind and gracious and generous in your spirit towards people fussing at once. I've seen it scored a time whenever there is a real revival among the people of God, you always see a brokenness over bad relationship. If God ever brings revival to the campus of Bob Jones University.

I can tell you right now. One of the things is going to happen. Many of you will start pursuing relationships that have been broken by going to people and making things right. That would include your parents. That would include the people that you are associated with in the way that you reacted to them. For example, some of you just just a simple thing for some of you like, let's say in a society game out on the field you when you play sports you don't get a pass to be carnal and some of you on a field act like you're not even a Christian, I mean I use I played when I played intercollegiate soccer everybody up late about against work were unbelievers and they cursed all the time and I decided if you're that accursed.

I would appraise.

I have guys go blankety-blank out on the field. I say praise God I'm talking about unbelievers and all the team members.

I know my team are ugly. I got that Jesus Christ went on, my cities, Lord, to you knowing. Whenever there's real revival.

There is always a brokenness when I got right with God. I went back to my dad and got right with my dad.

I went back to two individuals where I've done things wrong and I'd ask forgiveness if revival ever comes to the campus of Bob Jones University there's going to be a deep level of brokenness over the way you have reacted and responded when you reacted in carnality and you really did not act like the Lord you pursue you, persecute you go after peace and secondly you go after holiness. What is holiness, it's a life devoted to God. It's a life that is given over to the Lord is set apart to serve the Lord and it is set apart from sin. Holiness is not something I can create is something that God does for me through the blood of Jesus and the death of Christ on the cross, when he sanctified us by cleansing our conscience from sin and giving us access into its present we pursue holiness. We seek after service to God.

We seek after cleanness as we pursue these two things. What is the result it says without these things no man shall see the Lord. Some people interpret. That means you will go to heaven I think is another way to look at it and see ideas you the Lord you will see the Lord in your life when you walk with God. When you run the race what's good be set before you, the very vision of God himself.

Revival is the quickening of the spiritual life of the believer is a new fresh beginning of obedience to God.

It brings the believer back to running the race like a second win in the same manner as when he began the race so I want to challenge our student body. All of the only challenge you to pray for about the best way to pray for revival is the old preacher said is take a piece of chalk drawing of a circle on the floor stand in the middle and pray that God would rather revive everybody in the middle of the circle start with you and pray for us that God will give revival to Bob Jones University father, thank you for your word.

Bless your people with your presence and power in Jesus name, amen.

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