PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD


A. HISTORIC BACKGROUND TO OUR TEXT
  1. Ancient Israel was in a state of continued backsliding: Hos. 11:7; Jer. 14:7
  2. God used corrective methods to turn His people toward Himself again: Jer. 7:28
B. "PREPARE TO MEET THY GOD, O ISRAEL"
  1. This is a message for God's people, and not for the world:
    1. "Cry aloud, spare not, show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." - Isa. 58:1
    2. "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel." - Matt. 15:24
  2. This message indicates a state of unpreparedness among God's people:
    1. The message to the Laodiceans supports my position - Rev. 3:14-17
    2. Too many of our prayers are unfit and indicate a state of unpreparedness to approach the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
  3. God is greatly concerned over the state of his people:
    1. Jesus wept over the condition of His ancient people - Luke 19:41-44
    2. What would He do over our present spiritual unpreparedness?
  4. The admonition of our opening text shows that there are certain things we can and must do for ourselves:
    1. We must purify ourselves even as He is pure. That means our personal life - 1 John 3:1-4; 1 Pet. 1:22
    2. Be cleansed or washed in the blood of the Lamb of God - Isa. 1:19; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19
    3. Put on the robe of Christ's righteousness - Isa. 61:10; 64:6
    4. It is the wedding garment - Matt. 22:1-22
    5. It is, in fact, a preparation of the heart - 2 Chron. 19:3; Ezra 7:10; Ezek. 36:25, 26
    6. How we need this message at this time! God's people are in an alarming state of lukewarmness - Rev. 3:16
C. GOD'S MEETING PLACE WITH HIS PEOPLE
  1. In the prayer closet:
    1. Here the suppliant may open his heart to His heavenly Father, who understands his every need best - Matt. 6:6
    2. Here he may make known to God what God alone should know.
    3. There are things in life which not even those close to us would understand if we would disclose them to them.
  2. At the family altar:
    1. "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." - Matt. 18:20
    2. This is a meeting place that God treasures, and we ought to. He considers it a sin not to have family prayer. Compare Josh. 24:15 with Job 1:1-3; Jer. 10:25
  3. In the church which is properly called "the house of prayer":
    1. It is the place where the Lord desires to meet with all His people - Isa. 56:7; Acts 3:1-3
    2. God gave special instruction for such a meeting - Joel 2:15-17
  4. But most and best of all, the Lord wants to meet us at the throne of mercy, the mercy seat:
    1. "Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." - Heb. 4:16
    2. How it must disappoint the Lord when we fail Him at the mercy seat!
    3. We do stand in great need to meet the Lord every day; I, personally, do not know what I would do if I were denied that privilege.
    4. Those, who refuse to frequent the throne of mercy, will cry to the rocks and the mountains to come hide them from the face of him who has left the throne of mercy, and sits on the judgment throne - 2 Cor. 5:10
  5. The message is to us: "Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel":
    1. Let us heed it and make the needed preparations to meet the Lord.
    2. If we do, we shall not be afraid to meet Him when He comes the second time to receive us.


Design © John Bryant 2011