Suddenly!

2 Chronicles 29:35-36

35 And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order. 36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

[i]

After the Chinese bamboo tree is planted, there is no growth for 5 years. But, then it grows 90’ in 6 weeks! In some cases, it grows 6 ft. in 24 hours!

God delights in “suddenlies”!

A.)     The Bible says that Jesus Christ was “the lamb, slain from the foundation of the world”.

And yet, for 4000 years, or more, Jesus remained only a thought, or LOGOS in the mind of God.

But, when the time was right, and all conditions were in place, all criteria met, the LOGOS became flesh and dwelt among us!

And here’s how it was announced:

Luke 2:13

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, [ii]

When the right conditions were met, there was a suddenly!

B.)      Ezekiel was directed by God to take a trip to the boneyard one day.

And there he was asked an interesting question by God.

“Son of man, can these bones live?”

And Ezekiel answered the way most of us would answer, “Lord, Thou knowest!”

I FEEL STRONGLY BOTH WAYS!

I BELIEVE, HELP MY UNBELIEF!

But, when Ezekiel’s will finally matched the will of God, and he began to prophesy in faith, the Bible says that:

Ezekiel 37:7

7 So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. [iii]

It didn’t take 9 months for that fetus to gestate, or 30 years for the soldier to mature, what was once dead suddenly came back to life!

When man’s will got in line with God’s will there was a SUDDENLY!

C.)      The Bible tells us that those who heard the Divine edict from Jesus Christ himself to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high numbered about 500.

However, when the Holy Ghost was poured out, there were only 120 in attendance.

But, look at the conditions that existed after that 7^th day!

Acts 2:1

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. [iv]

There was unity in the spirit!

And when the will of man got in the right posture, the Bible says that:

Acts 2:2

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. [v]

We’re talking about the house of the Lord being set in order!

And when man’s will got in line with God’s will, there was a SUDDENLY!

D.)     Jesus was speaking to his disciples about His will for the harvest in the endtime.

And, this is what He said in John 4:35-36

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. [vi]

The disciples, being familiar with the natural order of things, understood that between the sowing of the seed and the reaping of the harvest, there was a 4 month waiting period.

So, to their natural minds, after the seed of the word was sown, there was a natural waiting period.

However, Jesus said, this last day is a season of SUDDENLIES!

The sower is going to sow, and imagine his surprise when he hears footsteps behind him, and turns to find that the reaper is hot on his heels, reaping the harvest as quickly as he’s sowing the seed!

IT’S REVIVAL NOW!

Not in 4 months, but NOW!

It’s a SUDDENLY season!

I.)                I DON’T BELIEVE IT’S THE WILL OF GOD FOR US TO WIN ONE SOUL PER YEAR!

Now, you may think me bold in saying that.

But, you wouldn’t plant an entire field of corn and just pick one ear each year would you?

§  God’s plan is for 120 to be filled at one time!

§  Then for 3000 to be filled at one time!

§  Then for 5000 to be filled at one time!

You might say that I’m a dreamer, but I’m telling you, that’s how it happened in the book of ACTS!

It happens in Ethiopia, the Philippines, etc., and I don’t believe for one minute that God’s will changes with geographical boundaries!

What changes is the hunger level of people, and the faith of the church!

§  Can we believe God for a suddenly?

§  Can we get our will in line with His?

§  Can we prophesy to our city as Ezekiel did?

When our will gets in line with God’s will, SUDDENLIES are in store!

II.)              BUT, BEFORE WE CAN SEE SOME “SUDDENLY HARVESTS” WE MUST GET SOME THINGS IN ORDER.

1.)    And also the burnt offerings were in abundance,

Before a suddenly, there must be sacrifice!

The word “sacrifice” is a word that’s not spoken often in our society.

SACRIFICE: To forfeit (one thing) for another thing considered to be of greater value.

Before we can see a suddenly, the church must sacrifice!

§  We must pray sacrificially!

§  We must fast sacrificially!

§  We must give sacrificially!

 

2.)    with the fat of the peace offerings,

 

The peace offerings were in abundance, and in other words, there was unity in the house of the Lord!

We must keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace!

Unity is not uniformity, it’s unanimity!

We don’t all look the same, act the same, have the same gifting’s, the same tastes, etc., but we must all be going in the same direction!

We’re pointed in the same direction!

3.)    and the drink offerings for every burnt offering.

The drink offering which the man or woman of God thought was too good for himself he poured out to the Lord.

This is the sacrifice of the thing that I feel is most precious in my life.

MARY’S ALABASTER BOX.

4.)    So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

36 And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly.

[vii]

CONCLUSION

When we get in line with God’s plan, SUDDENLY is going to come!