We have been talking
about identification repentance, about confessing corporate sins.
I have often heard “I didn’t do those things, it’s nothing to
do with me!” But this is to fail to acknowledge that we have
corporate, as well as individual responsibility. God will judge the
goat nations, as nations (Matthew 245:31-40). And there is no doubt
in my mind, that over the last century we have become a goat nation.
The church has largely existed in splendid isolation, failing to be
salt and light to the nation, and becoming more and more irrelevant
in the process. We judge Christians in Nazi Germany for not speaking
up, yet in timidity we remained silent, as sin flourished and grew
in our nation like weeds in an unattended garden. In this way we
abdicated our corporate responsibility. Identification repentance is
Biblical. Daniel did not hesitate to identify with, and repent
on behalf of the nation. And this morning I am want to use his prayer
at a model of repentance, and so fulfill our part (humble ourselves,
pray and repent) in the 2 Chronicles 7:14 promise , that God would
forgive our sin, and heal our land. The prayer follows, please
join in, and agree with me in praying it.
“O Lord, great and
awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love
Him, and with those who keep His commandments. We have done wickedly
and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your
judgments. In the church we have allowed pride and self-righteousness
to taint the gospel, marginalizing and judging broken people, the
down and out, the drug addicts and the prostitutes. We have sung
“just as I am,” telling them to come, but we needed them to
clean up, before making them welcome. We have hated and feared
outsiders, and stepped back with a holier than thou attitude. It is
smoke in your nostrils. We have failed to hold grace and truth in
tension, either teaching truth without grace, or grace without
truth. In addition Lord, we have allowed pride of being right, as a
reason to separate from each other. In doing so we have failed to
cooperate with You in answering Jesus prayer that we be one (John
17:11).
As a nation Lord, even
when we have spoken to our leaders and rulers, we have not obeyed
Your voice to walk in Your precepts, which You set before us by the
Apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20). O Lord, righteousness
belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day. We have
treated our our indigenous peoples shamefully robbing them of their
culture and their land. And we have tried to solve the problems by
throwing money at them, but have failed to come alongside with the
compassion that brings healing. On the other hand we have engaged in
toxic charity, enabling a victim mentality, and justifying the poison of
bitterness and unforgiveness, establishing all problems as the fault
of others, and in the process voiding the need to take
responsibility for their own situations. But to You O Lord belong
mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against You.
And now O Lord,
please grant us true repentance, let our repentance
not be empty words Father, let it be heartfelt. And Lord
have please have mercy upon us according to Your promise to forgive and cleanse
us when we confess as we have today(1John 1:9). And fulfill now O Lord, the promise of Your Word to
hear from heaven and heal our land in Jesus Name Amen
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