Sunday September 4, 2016

Of our Ministry Year! Next Sunday at Grace! Communion in both Services !

You Say You Believe in God... So Stop Living Like an Atheist! A new sermon series coming to Grace Sunday September 18 th !

In Pursuit of Glory King Josiah (2 Kings 22:1-23:30) (2 Chronicles 34-35) TODAY – Final King, Final Message

Fast Facts about Josiah His name means “Yahweh has healed” or “Yahweh will support.” He is the 16 th king (20 total) to rule over Judah, the 8 th and last of the godly kings. He became king at age 8 (after his father, Amon was assassinated), began to seek God at age 16, and ruled over Judah for 31 years.

Fast Facts about Josiah Josiah was the grandson of Mannaseh (most evil – 55 years) and the son of Amon (very evil – 2 years).

How “most” evil was King Manasseh? 2 Chronicles 33:9 Manasseh led Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem astray, to do more evil than the nations whom the L ORD destroyed before the people of Israel. 2 Chronicles 33:6a And he burned his sons as an offering in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom...

How “very” evil was King Amon? 2 Chronicles 33:22-24 And he did what was evil in the sight of the L ORD, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them... Amon incurred guilt more and more. 24 And his servants conspired against him and put him to death in his house.

Fast Facts about Josiah Josiah was the grandson of Mannaseh (most evil – 55 years) and the son of Amon (very evil – 2 yrs). In a striking contrast to his grandfather and father, Josiah was perhaps the most godly king of Judah (even more so than Hezekiah, his great grandfather!

How godly was Josiah? 2 Chronicles 34:1-3 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. 2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his father; and he did not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet a boy, he began to seek the God of David his father, and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the Asherim, and the carved and the metal images.

How godly was Josiah? 2 Chronicles 34:4-5 And they chopped down the altars of the Baals in his presence, and he cut down the incense altars that stood above them. And he broke in pieces the Asherim and the carved and the metal images, and he made dust of them and scattered it over the graves of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He also burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem..

Fast Facts about Josiah Josiah was the grandson of Mannaseh (most evil – 55 years) and the son of Amon (very evil – 2 yrs). In a striking contrast to his grandfather and father, Josiah was perhaps the most godly king of Judah (even more so than Hezekiah, his great grandfather!

Fast Facts about Josiah Josiah was the grandson of Mannaseh (most evil – 55 years) and the son of Amon (very evil – 2 yrs). In a striking contrast to his grandfather and father, Josiah was perhaps the most godly king of Judah (even more so than Hezekiah, his great grandfather! Josiah was the fourth and final king known as “The Four Reformers” (Asa, Jehoshophat, Hezekiah, Josiah).

Josiah’s reforms?  Purged the land of idols!  Repaired and restored the Temple!  Repented at the reading of the lost Law of Moses..

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, 20 that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.

2 Chronicles 34:19 And when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his clothes. And when this lost Book of the Law was read to Josiah, how did he respond?

2 Chronicles 34:26-27 (Huldah the prophetess) And she said to them, “Thus says the L ORD, the God of Israel: ‘Tell the man who sent you to me, 24 Thus says the L ORD, Behold, I will bring disaster upon this place and upon its inhabitants, all the curses that are written in the book that was read before the king of Judah. 25 Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.”

2 Chronicles 34:26-27 (Huldah the prophetess) But to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, 27 because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.”

2 Chronicles 34:28 “Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, and your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring upon this place and its inhabitants.”

Josiah’s reforms?  Purged the land of idols!  Repaired and restored the Temple!  Repented at the reading of the lost Law of Moses.  Had the Book of the Covenant read to all the people.  Renewed the covenant with God and led the people to do the same.

2 Chronicles 34:31-32 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 all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. 32 Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin join in it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

Josiah’s reforms?  Purged the land of idols!  Repaired and restored the Temple!  Repented at the reading of the lost Law of Moses.  Had the Book of the Covenant read to all the people.  Renewed the covenant with God and led the people to do the same.  Observed the Passover as had not been done since the days of Samuel the prophet.

2 Chronicles 35:18-19 No Passover like it had been kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet. None of the kings of Israel had kept such a Passover as was kept by Josiah, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 19 In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah this Passover was kept.

Josiah’s reforms?  Purged the land of idols!  Repaired and restored the Temple!  Repented at the reading of the lost Law of Moses.  Had the Book of the Covenant read to all the people.  Renewed the covenant with God and led the people to do the same.  Observed the Passover as had not been done since the days of Samuel the prophet..

Fast Facts about Josiah He died (age 39) as a result of wounds sustained in a battle with Pharaoh Neco of Egypt.

2 Chronicles 35:20-21 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Neco king of Egypt went up to fight at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to meet him. 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.”

So to which god was Neco referring ? Some false god of Egypt OR Jehovah, the true God of Judah? 2 Chronicles 35:22 Nevertheless, Josiah did not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to fight with him. He did not listen to the words of Neco from the mouth of God, but came to fight in the plain of Megiddo.

2 Chronicles 35:24-25 So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in his second chariot and brought him to Jerusalem. And he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah. 25 Jeremiah also uttered a lament for Josiah; and all the singing men and singing women have spoken of Josiah in their laments to this day. They made these a rule in Israel; behold, they are written in the Laments.

2 Kings 23:25 Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him.

Today’s Takeaways 2 Kings 22:2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Today’s Takeaways 2 Kings 22:2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Josiah’s reforms?  Purged the land of idols!  Repaired and restored the Temple!  Repented at the reading of the lost Law of Moses.  Had the Book of the Covenant read to all the people.  Renewed the covenant with God and led the people to do the same.  Observed the Passover as had not been done since the days of Samuel the prophet..

Today’s Takeaways 2 Kings 22:2 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #1 How about YOU? Do you have this kind of passion for God? If you do people around you will know it! “Words speak louder than actions.”

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #1 How about YOU? Do you have this kind of passion for God? If you do people around you will know it! “Words speak louder than actions.” “Actions speak louder than words.”

Today’s Takeaways What do your actions (think “life style”) say about your passion for God and the things of God? It is so easy to say in this place - “Yes, I am committed to God!” Yet go out and walk away! This is what the people of Judah did!

Today’s Takeaways 2 Kings 23:3 And the king stood by the pillar 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 all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people joined in the covenant.

Today’s Takeaways 2 Chronicles 36:14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise were exceedingly unfaithful, following all the abominations of the nations. And they polluted the house of the Lord that he had made holy in Jerusalem.

Today’s Takeaways 2 Chronicles 36:15-16 The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. 16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord rose against his people, until there was no remedy.

Today’s Takeaways I am thinking that if we (including me) were half as passionate as we say we are about God, we could turn this world upside down! But all too often we allow other things (think: shopping, clothing, careers, sports, golfing, crafting, and even family) to grab hold of our hearts!

Today’s Takeaways So it may very well be time for all of us to take inventory of our lives. Are we as passionate about God as we say we are…as we should be? Or do other passions rule our hearts and fill our minds? “Do you begin with God and his rights and goals? Or do you begin with yourself and your rights and wishes?” (Solid Joys Devotional)

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #1 How about YOU? Do you have the kind of passion Josiah did for God? If you do people around you will know it!

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #2 The only proper response to God’s Word is to KNOW it, LIVE it, and GIVE it away!

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #2 The only proper response to God’s Word is to KNOW it, LIVE it, and GIVE it away!

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #2 The only proper response to God’s Word is to KNOW it, LIVE it, and GIVE it away!

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #2 The only proper response to God’s Word is to KNOW it, LIVE it, and GIVE it away!

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #2 The only proper response to God’s Word is to KNOW it, LIVE it, and GIVE it away! And when Josiah forgot this as he prepared for battle with Pharaoh Neco … he paid with his life!

Today’s Takeaways 2 Chronicles 34:21 Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is poured out on us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the Lord, to do according to all that is written in this book.

When Pharaoh was claiming to speak for God in warning Josiah to turn back from engaging him in battle (a claim which was, as we saw, legitimate), WHY did God have to warn Josiah thru the mouth of a pagan ruler? Was it because he failed to inquire of the Lord before going into battle?

Today’s Takeaways Takeaway #2 The only proper response to God’s Word is to KNOW it, LIVE it, and GIVE IT AWAY!

Today’s Takeaways Are you trying to KNOW God’s Word? (in it every day?) How about committing an extra hour of your Sunday morning to get connected in an ABF? Reading the Bible with your kids? … grandkids?) Are you seeking to LIVE God’s Word? Don’t be a mere hearer of the Word … be a DOER as well! How are you seeking to GIVE it away?