What if what we need is not more religion, but renewal?

Renewal: “The refreshment, release and advancement that individuals, groups, churches and cultures experience when they are realigned with God’s presence….

The resumption of our God-given purpose to partner with God fully, participating in His plan to flood the world with His presence.” 

Mark Sayers

2 CHRONICLES 29 – A KEY RENEWAL MOMENT

2 Chronicles 29:1-2 - ¹ Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. ² He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. (NIV)

RENEWAL PATTERN: CRISIS PRECEDES RENEWAL

RENEWAL PATTERN: REOPENING AND REPAIRING THE DOORS

2 Chronicles 29:3 - ³ In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. 

Being aligned with God’s presence starts with opening the doors of your life to Him

Revelation 3:20 - ²⁰ Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. (NIV)

RENEWAL PATTERN: REMOVING WHAT IS DIRTY

2 Chronicles 29:4-5 - ⁴ He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side ⁵ and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 

RENEWAL PATTERN: REJECTING DESTRUCTIVE CYCLES 

2 Chronicles 29:6 - ⁶ Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him.

RENEWAL PATTERN: PRESENCE OVER PROGRESS 

2 Chronicles 29:7 - ⁷ They also shut the doors of the portico and put out the lamps. They did not burn incense or present any burnt offerings at the sanctuary to the God of Israel. 

RENEWAL PATTERN: FAITH TO SEIZE KEY MOMENTS

2 Chronicles 29:11 - ¹¹ My sons, do not be negligent now, for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him and serve him, to minister before him and to burn incense.”

RENEWAL PATTERN: INTENTIONAL GATHERINGS

2 Chronicles 29:15-16 - ¹⁵ When they had assembled their fellow Levites and consecrated themselves, they went in to purify the temple of the Lord, as the king had ordered, following the word of the Lord. ¹⁶ The priests went into the sanctuary of the Lord to purify it. They brought out to the courtyard of the Lord’s temple everything unclean that they found in the temple of the Lord. The Levites took it and carried it out to the Kidron Valley.

RENEWAL PATTERN: REVERENT WORSHIP

2 Chronicles 29:28 - ²⁸ The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the musicians played and the trumpets sounded. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed.

2 Chronicles 29:34-36 - ³⁴ The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their relatives the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been. 

³⁵ There were burnt offerings in abundance, together with the fat of the fellowship offerings and the drink offerings that accompanied the burnt offerings. So the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished. ³⁶ Hezekiah and all the people rejoiced at what God had brought about for his people, because it was done so quickly.

Acts 5:32 - ³² We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” (NIV)

WORSHIP TEAM

1 Corinthians 6:19 – do you not know your bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit?(NIV)

Psalm 139: 23-24 - ²³ Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. ²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (NIV)

Dear Lord Jesus, I am sorry that I have excluded You from my life. I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite you to come into my heart and life. Today Jesus, I have decided to follow you as my Lord and Saviour. Amen.