Daily Archives: December 26, 2020

Meditation is Vital

Sunday Evening Sermons


Meditation is Vital

Pastor Don Carpenter

Chew Your Cud! / 2 Corinthians 10:4–5

The Hebrew word translated “meditate” speaks of what a cow does after grazing all day. As she chews the cud over and over again, she extracts every nutrient. In other words, to meditate means to ponder a section of the Word day and night, extracting more from its inexhaustible supply each time (Jon Cursor).

We are to memorize God’s word for the transformation of our minds. These verses are telling us to read it, teach it, speak it, and live it. We are to do this in the morning, night, through our day. The way to do this is have the Word stored in your heart. When you are presented with certain situations through your day, the Holy Spirit will pull these words out of your memory bank for you to help you asses the options.

MEDITATION — the practice of reflection or contemplation. The word “meditation” or its verb form, “to meditate,” is found mainly in the Old Testament. The Hebrew words behind this concept mean “to murmur,” “a murmuring,” “sighing,” or “moaning.” This concept is reflected in Psalm 1:2, where the “blessed man” meditates on God’s law day and night. The psalmist also prayed that the meditation of his heart would be acceptable in God’s sight (Ps. 19:14). Joshua was instructed to meditate on the Book of the Law for the purpose of obeying all that was written in it (Josh. 1:8).

The Greek word translated as “meditate” occurs only twice in the New Testament. In Luke 21:14 Jesus instructed His disciples not “to meditate beforehand” in answering their adversaries when the end of the age comes. The word may be understood in this passage as the idea of preparing a defense for a court appearance. Paul, in 1 Timothy 4:15, urged Timothy to meditate, or take pains with, the instructions he gives. The idea of meditation is also found in Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2.

Meditation is a lost art for many Christians, but the practice needs to be cultivated again.

Ronald F. Youngblood, F. F. Bruce, and R. K. Harrison, Thomas Nelson Publishers, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1995).

Tonight as we begin our Series “Chew Your Cud: Learning Biblical Meditation” we will discover, not how to empty our minds like the eastern practice of transcendental meditation, but how to focus our thoughts and bring them into captivity. Thought control is vital to be able to live a successful Christian life. Too often we focus on the do, do, do, rather than the mindset behind the actions. If we force ourselves to STOP!…       WAIT…… THINK…..  THINK AGAIN…. THINK ANOTHER TIME… let that thought sink deep into our very being, we will be able to spiritually get the nutrition out of the spiritual meals we are eating. I found a great definition of Biblical Meditation:

“Meditation is the activity of holy thought, consciously performed in the presence of God, under the eye of God, by the help of God, as a means of communion with God.”

Tonight we will take a Biblical Survey and discover together why Meditation is Vital.

Meditation Draws Us Into an Intimacy With God

Psalm 19:14 KJV

Let the words of my mouth, And the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

 • Filter every thought to be acceptable like a living sacrifice to God.

 • Focus on God as your strength

 • Focus on God as your redeemer

Psalm 63:5–6 KJV

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; And my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: 

When I remember thee upon my bed, And meditate on thee in the night watches.

 • Take emotional satisfaction in your relationship with God.

 • Praise should flow from a constant meditation on the sweet person of God.

 • Meditation should be the go to discipline if you cannot sleep.

Psalm 104:33–34 KJV

I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. 

My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD.

Meditating on God’s Character Helps Us Serve Him Wholeheartedly.

1 Samuel 12:23–24 KJV

Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way: 

Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words To See, Perceive

ra?ah (?????, 7200), “to see, observe, perceive, get acquainted with, gain understanding, examine, look after (see to), choose, discover.”

 • This is more than considering God’s immensity or power, but also His personal dealings with you!

 • What has God done with you today? How has His hand been manifest in the last few hours?  

 • He is working out our good all the time. We must stop and consider that on purpose.

2 Timothy 2:7 KJV

Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Meditating on God’s Word Brings Stability.

Psalm 1:1–3 KJV

Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. 

And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

 • Meditation in God’s Word will train your palate to desire the good stuff.

 • Meditation in God’s Word will train the believer to delight in it.

 • Meditating in God’s Word should become an obsession.

 • Meditating in God’s Word will bring stability.

Psalm 119:48 KJV

My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved; And I will meditate in thy statutes.

Psalm 119:97–99 KJV

MEM. O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day. 

Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: For they are ever with me. 

I have more understanding than all my teachers: For thy testimonies are my meditation.

The concept of meditation, or thinking on purpose, is all through out the Bible. In our externally focused society, we often skip right over this concept. In 2020, God has providentially given the world some time to stop and reflect on purpose. Tonight we have learned that meditation will foster a deeper intimacy with God, a stronger passion for God and a greater understanding of God.

Consider the difference between a strong and a weak cup of tea. The same ingredients water and tea are used for both. The difference is that the strong cup of tea results from the tea leaves’ immersion in the water longer, allowing the water more time to get into the tea and the tea into the water. The longer the steeping process, the stronger the cup of tea. In the same way, the length of time we spend in God’s Word determines how deeply we get into it and it gets into us. Just like the tea, the longer we are in the Word, the “stronger” we become. That is why Meditation is Vital!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:14 PM December 26, 2020.

Revival By The Book

Sunday Morning Sermons

Revival By The Book

Pastor Don Carpenter

Revival Stronger Than Ever / 2 Chronicles 34–35; 2 Chronicles 34:1–8; 2 Chronicles 34:14–19

Revival — If?

If all the sleeping folk will wake up,

If all the lukewarm folk will fire up,

If all the dishonest folk will confess up,

If all the disgruntled folk will cheer up,

If all the depressed folk will cheer up,

If all the estranged folk will make up,

If all the gossipers will shut up,

If all true soldiers will stand up,

If all the dry bones will shake up,

If all the church members will pray up…

Then we can have a revival!

— R.G. Lee

The book of 2 Chronicles has been called The book of Revivals. Because from chapter 15 to chapter 35, Ezra records five revivals that each transformed the people and brought them back to God.

We’ve already walked through a couple of them together but here is a full list before we get to today’s teaching. 

REVIEW

The first revival took place under King Asa. God let Asa know that the eyes of the Lord roam throughout the earth to strongly support those whose hearts are fully committed to Him. 

Revival requires commitment.

The second revival took place under Jehoshaphat, who humbly admitted, “We do not know what to do, but we look to you.” 

Revival requires prayer.

The third revival took place under King Joash who reinstituted passionate giving and rebuilt the Temple with it. 

Revival requires a place.

The fourth revival took place under Hezekiah, who when he discovered that God required the Jews to hold a feast called Passover every April.

So, the people gathered for the Feast and revival broke out.

Revival requires God’s people to gather for worship. 

As the people gathered, they realized they hadn’t been serving the Lord faithfully. So they confessed and repented.

Revival requires repentance.

REVIEW

– Commitment

– Prayer

– A place

– Corporate worship

– And Repentance.

CONTEXT

People sometimes ask why God was so harsh in the Old Testament. Why did He punish people by allowing foreign armies to overtake them?

Let me read you a little bit about Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah from 2 Chronicles 33:2-6 says…

2 Chronicles 33:2–6 KJV

But did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like unto the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel. 

For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for Baalim, and made groves, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them. 

Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever. 

And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 

And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Passing your children through the fire was a way of worshiping the god of the underworld. The child was passed through the fire as a sacrifice to the god Molech. If the child died, it meant your sacrifice was accepted. No wonder God was angry with them.

King Manasseh reigned for 55 years. His son Amon succeeded him for 2 years. Amon was so wicked, the people assassinated him.

Amon was succeeded by his son Josiah. 

I told you that Israel experienced 5 revivals. The 5th revival comes during Josiah’s reign. It’s his story we want to learn from today.

At the time Josiah comes to power, the kingdom is at an all-time low. 

– God is forsaken. 

– Baal is worshiped. 

– Witchcraft is practiced. 

– Mediums are consulted. 

All that is right is forsaken, and all that is wrong is exalted. 

Today we also face a culture that is at war with God. We also desperately need to see God raise up a revival to sweep through our churches, our towns, our states and our nation. Ezra wrote about this revival to encourage folks who have reaped the bitter fruit of consequences and judgement. He wrote to folks who needed to see that God can turn things around when we quit trying to follow our own formula for success. We can see the mighty Hand of God when we like Josiah seek Revival By the Book.

Do Right

2 Chronicles 34:1–2 KJV

Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years. 

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

 • Start be getting right – righteous or justified

Romans 5:1 KJV

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 • Once you are justified by faith, follow righteousness.

1 Timothy 6:10–11 KJV

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. 

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

 • Stick with God’s word, don’t deviate into legalism or license.

Proverbs 4:27 KJV

Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: Remove thy foot from evil.

Seek After God

2 Chronicles 34:3 KJV

For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

 • Josiah was 16 when he started his passionate pursuit.

 • Seek His presence in prayer

 • Seek His wisdom in Counsel

 • Seek His power and protection in fellowship

2 Corinthians 6:17–18 KJV

Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Clean Your Household

2 Chronicles 34:4–7 KJV

And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces, and made dust of them, and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them. 

And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem. 

And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about. 

And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

Matthew 6:24 KJV

No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

 • Do a fearless moral inventory.

 • Confess sinful actions or attitudes 

 • Confess idolatry

 • Get rid of anything that would help you hang on to these sinful habits and choices.

 • Make your commitment public.

Acts 19:18–20 KJV

And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. 

Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. 

So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

Care For God’s House

2 Chronicles 34:8 KJV

Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

1 Timothy 3:15 KJV

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

Hebrews 10:24–25 KJV

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: 

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Get Back to the Book

 • Sometimes the Bible can get lost in the rubble of sin and idolatry

2 Chronicles 34:14–15 KJV

And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses. 

And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

 • Read it and weep

2 Chronicles 34:18–19 KJV

Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. 

And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

2 Chronicles 34:27 KJV

Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

1 John 1:9 KJV

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Make a Public Commitment to God.

2 Chronicles 34:30–31 KJV

And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD. 

And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

 • Make the commitment to the Book

 • Make the commitment public

 • Take the lead.

2 Chronicles 34:32–33 KJV

And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. 

And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

As we finish a very turbulent year remember, God has designed every event to draw us closer to Him. He wants to lead us to and through personal and church wide revival. This will not happen by following our own clever formula. The steps are the same for us as they were for Josiah.

 • Get right and stay right

 • Seek after God

 • Clean your household.

 • Care for and get back to God’s House

 • Get Back to reading and living the Book

 • Make your commitment public

This is the final Sunday morning message of 2020. It is your chance to start the move toward revival. It is your chance, with God’s help to see personal restoration and to enter into 2021 Stronger Than Ever!

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 11:12 AM December 26, 2020.