II Chronicles 31:1 - Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

I. Now when all this was finished.

A. Some fleshly person has to start broadcasting the need for revival.

1. The beginning of a revival doesn’t have to start with the pastor, preacher, or other leader.

2. True revival really needs to start in us.

3. It is okay is the need for revival is seen through chastisement, as Hezekiah saw Ahaz, his father, and all Israel, was chastised at least five times.

4. It is also true that God puts the realization for the need of revival in men’s hearts and minds.

5. When God puts the need for revival in the heart of a leader, he has already put that same need in the hearts of followers.

B. The results of the meeting happened when it was all over, not during the meeting.

C. There were many called to come to the meeting, but everybody did not come.

1. II Chronicles 30:6-13 – Every person must determine for themselves whether they will come to the revival services or not.

2. If people do not come to the revival services, they will not be revived.

3. It is up to you.

4. It seems to me that some people were ready for revival, while others were not ready.

5. Some were sick and tired of the way their lives had been going, and wanted something different.

6. They were ready.

7. Are you ready?

8. Are you satisfied with your life?

D. There is some preparation for true revival.

1. II Chronicles 30:14 – They got rid of all the false altars and altars for incense in Jerusalem.

2. They did this on their own.

3. There was no law passed, or anything that would motivate them to do to do this.

E. Why did the people decide to destroy the false altars?

1. They knew they could not have all these false altars and worship God, or have revival at the same time.

2. Sometimes there are things we do that we know hinders us from having true revival.

3. We will never have revival as long as those things are still in their places, as they hinder us from drawing near to God.

F. They threw the altars in the brook Kidron.

1. This was a place of refuse.

2. They put them there because they were not intending to use them again.

3. When we want revival, we will get rid of the things that hinder us.

4. We will not place them aside where we can return to them as soon as the meeting is over, but will throw them away, to a place where we can never get to them again.

G. There would be people who would try to stop them from destroying these false altars.

1. The people against revival did nothing at all.

2. This is a very personal matter.

3. When we do what we should do, God will make even our enemies to be at peace with us.

4. Proverbs 16:7 "When a man’s ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him."

H. II Chronicles 30:15 – "Then…"

1. The people killed the Passover after they had destroyed the false altars.

2. Not before.

II. That were present.

A. It is amazing to realize this very simple truth.

B. Only those present were revived, and only those present went into all the cities of Judah to destroy false idols.

1. Those people not present were not interested in being revived, therefore they were not revived.

2. Those people that was interested in being revived, was revived.

C. There was no law passed, or anything else that forced these people to do what they did.

1. They did this because they were revived.

2. One of the results of being revived is to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to all the world.

D. There might be those that object, but their objection is not stated in these verses, or any other verses.

1. God gave the revived people power.

2. God kept the un-revived people weak, so they could not even object.

III. How much time do we have left?

A. It is natural to think we have plenty of time left.

B. Comparing the following scriptures to determine how much time some of these people had left.

1. II Chronicles 29:3 – the first day of the reign of Hezekiah, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord, cleaned it all up, and on the 18^th day of the first month of his reign, he began to established true worship.

2. II Chronicles 30:1-4 – It was decided to kept the Passover in the second month of the year instead of the first month, because there was not time to get it done.

3. II Kings 18:9-12 – In the fourth year of the reign of Hezekiah, Shalmaneser, King of Assyria came against Samaria, which was about 30 miles west of Jerusalem, and after three years, took them captive.

a. We often think we have plenty of time, but we never know.

b. These Israelites in the nation of Israel simply did not they had only three more years to live as a free nation.

c. It might be you don’t have near as much time as you think you have.

C. Death is going to come to everybody.

1. It is not our place to avoid death.

2. It is our place to get ready for death.

3. Salvation is the gift of God.

4. After salvation, that is the time for service.

IV. The people went home.

A. There is a time to return to the ordinary duties of life.

1. There is never a time to return to the sins of the former life.

2. I would hope and pray their lives were changed from that time forward.

3. I would hope and pray the lives of their children and all their families were conscience of God from that day forward.

B. Special services must come to an end, but the effects of the revival meeting should continue all the rest of our lives.

1. If we have really dedicated ourselves to God during the time of revival, then the revival will continue, even though the series of meetings have ended.

2. One lady told me after a revival meeting that she was glad for the desert (the special speaker and the presentation, which was different from mine, but that she was glad to get back to the meat and potatoes, whereby she could grow. She remarked that what makes desert so special is all the good food before the desert.

C. As can be seen from II Chronicles 31:2-10, the people continued to be faithful to God in worshipping, giving and supplying the material necessities of the priesthood.

1. Because the priesthood was supplied for, they could devote themselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer. Acts 6:4.

2. They would not have to be overly concerned with supplying for their daily food.

3. It is certainly not wrong for preachers to work, but when the people can support them, they should.

4. Preachers and pastors should be constantly aware of the sacrifice their people are making to give them 10% of their gross wages, and should work according, always working unto the Lord, but realizing there are earthly consequences to all actions and reactions.