1. SETTING YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER

2. 2 Kings 20:1-6, “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death
2 Kings 20:1-6, “In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.   Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying, I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.  

3. And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying, Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.   And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.” 
This is also recorded in Isa. 38:1-6.

4. In 701 BC, Hezekiah and all of Judah faced a crisis
In 701 BC, Hezekiah and all of Judah faced a crisis. The Assyrians, the dominant world power at the time, invaded Judah and marched against Jerusalem.
In their threats against the city of Jerusalem, the Assyrians openly defied the God of Judah, likening Him to the powerless gods of the nations they had conquered (2 Kings 18:28–35; 19:10–12).

5. Faced with the Assyrian threat, Hezekiah sent word to the prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2). The Lord, through Isaiah, reassured the king that Assyria would never enter Jerusalem. Rather, the invaders would be sent home, and the city of Jerusalem would be spared (2 Kings 19:32–34).
In the temple, Hezekiah prays a beautiful prayer for help, asking God to vindicate Himself: “Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you alone, Lord, are God” (2 Kings 19:19).

6. God, faithful as always, kept His promise to protect Jerusalem
God, faithful as always, kept His promise to protect Jerusalem. That night the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp (2 Kings 19:35).
“So the Lord saved Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem He took care of them on every side” (2 Chronicles 32:22).
Shortly after the Assyrians were slaughter, Hezekiah became sick.

7. Our focus today is on Hezekiah being told to get his house in order seeing that death was near.

8. I. HOW NOT TO PUT ONE’S HOUSE IN ORDER?

9. Not everyone puts his house in order the right way.
Concerning Ahithophel, the Bible states, “And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose, and gat him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulchre of his father (2 Sam. 17:23).” 

10. 1. Some Concern Themselves With Possessions

11. 2 Kings 20:12, 13, “At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah: for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.   And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not.” 

12. After all the good that Hezekiah did, his stupidity of showing all his wealth to the Babylonian envoy became his downfall.

13. God alone is the only being in the universe to possess without first receiving something.
We, on the other hand, must receive something extra nos (“outside of ourselves”) before possessing anything.
Haggai 2:8, “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.” 

14. 2. Some Concern Themselves With Privileges
Somehow we believe that the privileges we enjoy come with our position in life.
What young person has not dreamed of being rich and famous?
Jer. 2:26, “As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets.”

15. 3. Some Concern Themselves With Position & Power
Jas. 3:1, “My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.”
3. Some Concern Themselves With Position & Power

16. Jas. 4:1, 2, “From whence come wars and fightings among you
Jas. 4:1, 2, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?  Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” 

17. II. HOW DOES ONE PUT THEIR HOUSE IN ORDER?

18. 1. IT BEGINS WITH SELF-EXAMINATION
Psa. 26:2, “Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.”

19. 2 Cor. 13:5, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”

20. 2. SELF-AWARENESS
Matt. 24:50, “The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of.”
Being told that he was going to die from his illness, Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed.
The one thing we are all aware of this morning is our mortality (Heb. 9:27).

21. Eccl. 3:19, 20, “For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.  All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.”

22. Make a list of things you are lacking, need to work on, or need to change.
It took a lot of maneuvering to land the first rocket on the moon. Your goal is not the moon, BUT HEAVEN!
3. SELF CORRECTING

23. Jer. 10:24, “O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing.”

24. Many are hesitant in saying they are wrong and need to make changes.

25. In Luke 18:10-13, the publican recognized his wrongness and repented
In Luke 18:10-13, the publican recognized his wrongness and repented. The Pharisee did not!

26. CONCLUSION
Hezekiah’s warning to put his house in order encouraged him to humble himself before God. In turn God added fifteen years onto his life.

27. Three Things of Importance
Prepare: The five foolish virgins of Matt. 25.
Persistence: “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).
Passion: “intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.” How much passion do you have for Christ and the church?
All three are necessary to set your house in order!