Hezekiah-The King who cleaned house (Part B)

All throughout here in the God who answers fire is God and his God answered. Unfortunately, we respect the wrong people sometimes they tell us how to go about preaching the faith. You know many of the great revival started in places with people that intelligent intelligently want that educated they were just hungry for God.

They just wanted change in their lives. My point is, that's all we need. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Genesis. Please stay with us after today's message more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick with part two of this study called the king who cleaned house in second Chronicles chapter 29 listen to this. Therefore, the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem. And he has given them up to trouble to desolation to Gery and you see it with your eyes mocking us they are laughing at us. They are hissing at the people of God and serving him but yet we still have the same sense for indeed. Because of this, our fathers have fallen by the sword in our sons and daughters and their wives are in captivity Syria had just made sport that the Edomites had made sport.

Also, you might seriously when Babylon had not yet come to power. These two nations were just coming into the land taking people captive may enslaving them and Hezekiah was right in associating this with what his father had framed for the nation by making God's word irrelevant. His father, a has gone up to Damascus was so taken and thrilled by the things he saw there that he brought them back to Israel. I got rid of the things that come to his people through Moses and through David so many other righteous people. So today there filling pews and withholding what the Bible calls the word of life.

That's what the Bible calls God's word. The New Testament calls it the word of life. Peter says you have the words of life. Nobody else but that's not relevant anymore because we now meet more people. This tribal God, you know, this is our God and we don't care about anybody else with their make-believe goddess.

That's gotta go away. Gotta become more friendly with every body make them all feel good. That is what they're doing at what point do we not the dust off of our shoes at what point do we say I don't want this contaminant on me at what point do we call apostates what they are. At what point do we say when we get this right you go to church with the word is not preached what everybody there is quick to say that there saved and that Jesus as their Savior, but they're not interested in what God has to say. At what point do I say to you, this is apostasy or this is heresy for this is unacceptable or this is the kind of rubbish in God's house that needs to be taken out and if you're not there yet. You're running with the pack. Is there already. I love you Shipe for this sort of behavior. Second Chronicles chapter 31 verse one. Now, when all this was finished all Israel who were present. Went out to the cities of Judah and broke the sacred pillars and pieces cut down the wooden images and threw down the high places and the authors from all Judah Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned to their own cities every man to his possession. In other words, after Hezekiah began to reform the nation and to the image that God had set before them to be the people got up and they did something about all the fake worship in the land they confronted.

Now this was a theocratic nation, and thereby law they had the right to physically go and remove this stuff that's not how we conduct business physically but spiritually in our minds is identical. The weapons of our warfare are not physical. They are spiritual. They are mighty in God. They are mighty in God. They are mighty in God. Do you believe it or do you not learning how to engage those who are trampling the word of God in the name of God is a skill.

There are some that are absolute waste of time, you will know that the Lord shows it to you. And there are others that you must invest in. Regardless of whatever happens, but in all cases we have to do so with truth with fearlessness with gentleness when needed.

When firmness is necessary, which is all the time and sometimes we even have to be a little harsh, that's what it takes. Jesus said to Capernaum you think you big stuff.

But if the people of Tyre and Sidon heard the messages that I've been giving. If they saw the miracles that I've been giving Sodom and Gomorrah sought they would've turned, because you throw it down on the ground like a common thing your judgments going to be fierce. Do you believe these words of Jesus or do you think that they were just for those around Capernaum. I believe them where I struggle is how do I deliver them. I will never be able to cookie cut my delivery.

I will never be able to put it in bullet points and follow it. I must be led by the Holy Spirit of God, and I cannot just depend on him to leave me when I need to evangelize and stand up for the faith. I need him to lead me all the time today while I was preparing this message, which I wasn't too thrilled about. Until maybe the last 40 minutes before it came out but I sense this is where God wanted me to go while I was repairing it. The whole like Word documents crash and I couldn't get it back was all gone except for 500 words usually have it up to about a thousand outline and it's okay Lord, I'll just do something else about to start again. That's what you want. I know I'm not wild about this, but okay the document back to and here I am. My point is to be led by God is not child's play. But what is what is is an adult. What is Giles what comes easily when one stays easily. What does not require maintenance.

You know it's mowing season is it's coming down like I got a mole every chance I get.

But that's what life is by the sweat of your brow. Whether you are reaping the harvest 2 feet from or whether you are maintaining the simple things of life caulking around windows and other such things as life except that they would not back down from all this standing for God cost something.

It cost Hezekiah something were told in second Chronicles 32 in verse one. This is about Isaiah tells us, actually it's 14 years after he had become king. Remember in the first year of his reign as king he starts cleaning house and that last for some time, but then in the 14th year so neck around the Syrian king, whom Hezekiah said take a hike when I pay you anything else) from the temple that my father cut up and gave to you in the gold or silver so that you could come help him and then you backstabbed them. Well anyway you both deserve each other on the bank another sent to you and so so neck arrived he was busy with Babylon.

Another business buddy turn. Finally, towards Judah there in 32 we read it after these deeds of faithfulness. So neck correct king of Syria came and entered Judah.

He encamped against the fortified cities thinking to win them over to himself. He doesn't win them over by speeches he was going to kill them to submission. But after these deeds of faithfulness as a righteous king doing the right thing. Come on God. How about a little flake defense. How about that guy get a rash or something that made him too itchy to come in my territory.

God let him come and we know there were at least hundred and 85,000 of them sizable force. That's how many of the Angel killed and one night there were others that in all thy but back to what I'm saying about this.

Here is a man of God cleaning out the rubbish from the house of God and with the passage of time, all the city that he had built up all the expansions that he made. He had to rip much of it down to fortified against this king see the writers of the Chronicles were trying to say this to the Jew. This is our house of God, these are the good kings. These are the bad kings. These are the prophecies of the false prophets, but this is God's house. This is its ritual and it must be maintained and when they wrote this, they had history enough to say after all the good deeds of this righteous man, and his faithfulness. He still has to fight is never in the clear purification is an enemy of Satan without exception purification is an enemy to the world and it is an enemy to our own flesh. Romans chapter 8 verse seven, the carnal mind is at war against God's word is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. This New Testament we are still under the law of God. Moral law absolutely ceremonial law fulfilled in Christ with the law of grace is just as demanding as any of the law has ever been. The differences is that God energizes us even when we fail we go back to the time that he starts the Passover, the pathos will be the first month of the Jewish new year. They are so dirty they took so much time to clean house that the first month went away so they have it in the second month God permits.

What does that tell me about God's grace that he is bigger that he is greater than my inability to be right on time. He is greater than my inabilities. All of them love me. Nonetheless he did for them.

Now that the blood of Christ is on me. He's doing it for me to. Why would anybody want to mess with Christianity. Why would anybody want to say I've been a pastor for 20 years in the Bible is not relevant. Why what they can't understand is that it is a take it or leave it. I am not going to line up with your Hinduism or your Buddhism or your bloodthirsty Islam. I'm going to stay where I believe I'm going to make the offer to you, you take it or you leave it back to our text second Chronicles chapter 30 but this time verse 10 he dispatches the runner so the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun pause there. You see Hezekiah's vision was for all the people of God to come to the house of God. It been 215 years there about since the time that they had the joined nation the joint nation the north. What was left of the north and the south shoulder to shoulder praising God.

It was his vision to bring his brothers from the north that started with Jeroboam's prohibition to let them come and worship you wanted to bring them back and this is some of their response, but they laughed at them and mocked them something want to hear it is not relevant anymore.

We come down there to you so neck around the Assyrians domestic Christianity is the Judaism of the word Job is not on the throne we are cynical rabbits continues in verse 11. Nevertheless, some from Asher Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders word of the Lord Islam with the Scripture.

Why these guys out there trying to bury it.

Why are they using it as their shovel. I believe Jesus is the only way then proceed to contradict everything. That statement said what they do that because they know that well-meaning people are going to be dumb enough to fall for in the line their pockets with and the get a name for themselves and they get on shows that want to talk about cutting edge. They are what magnificent things that they're doing and how open-minded they are. Purification is provocation of war against the enslavement of man by his own impurity, our own sinful nature. God says sinlessness is true freedom we now flesh that is flesh side does not know freedom to indulge.

If this sin were just legal with God. Life would be speed as you crazy. The spirit says your own spear success craziness stick to the Lord when Joshua said hey you go whichever direction you going to the word of God is taken leave it. I decided to take it.

So is my house if you want to leave it does when you come back to the Scripture.

Knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. First Peter chapter 2 verse 11 beloved, I urge you as sojourners and pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul. And so we have this king, his refusal to settle for the inheritance of a nation corrupted by his own daddy sweetly said now it's time to look a little bit at a has second Chronicles chapter 29 now it is a lot of places we can go with this person.

Ahaz was king for 16 years. Verse five. This read about some of the things that he did because after all the gods of Damascus were better second Chronicles 28 verse five. Therefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria.

They defeated him and carried away a great multitude of them as captives and brought them to Damascus, then he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who defeated him with great slaughter and the story continues but the get to the point of it, we turn to verse 19 of second Chronicles 28 for the Lord brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he encouraged moral decline in Judah and had been continually unfaithful to the Lord.

We cannot encourage moral decline in less you first attacked spiritual righteousness, spiritual highness, that's how you get to moral decline by going at what God has said and putting in its place. What you think is best and he is one of the problems noticed over the centuries, those who were borderline heretics. Their generation me slip through the skin of their teeth as it says in Joe, but the next generation doesn't have a chance is even in a house of God with the word is adhered to and held strong that next generation is going to have to fight for themselves like little turtles on the beach, trying to make the water. God is either going to become real to them or he's just their parents. God now in the time of his distress. King Ahaz became increasingly unfaithful to the Lord. That's opposite of his son. When pressure was on him. He went further away from God.

Look for other measures.

Other means. Whereas when Hezekiah came under pressure, he turned more to the Lord.

So in splendid contrast to Ahaz this man Hezekiah invites the people to the house of God, and he gave them the word, which is our text encourage the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the Lord in the food that they ate. Incidentally, in our text recess and they ate throughout the feast seven days as the people what does a section where he said listen, you have got to support the men who are your spiritual leaders. This would Paul dealt with in his letter to Timothy and Titus. Otherwise, it all collapses. The government protected idolatry for 16 years under Hezekiah the people were free to roam. Satan was free to loot in the promised land, the lives and times were destabilized because the corrupt methods of integration and starvation. They went together they starve them from the word of God and then they mixed in with the name of God, all the false teachings that were outside of God. Sound familiar sound like what's happening today.

This just reduce the Bible to something that goes on a coffee mug or T-shirt.

But this just tickles sections that make us feel good. The stucco any further than that. Now, not by any means. Is this all of Christianity not by any means.

There are great many of Christians fighting against this, but there is an alarming and alarmingly increasing amount who are being seduced, how they being seduced civility they want to stand up in dialogue with them. You don't dialogue with an apostate, you condemn you preach the word of God.

Let it condemn rather we don't condemn except outside the state would preach the word of God and we move on in this stuff about well, you know, you don't have to say all that about all year. I do that's how they win they win by dictating to us how we are supposed to carry on the battle I'd return back to the IDF this little piece of ground is too precious to us to let you fight over it where we are going to fight you are not a let you in. That's one of the lessons from Eve she got too close to the tree Mena doing the same things doctors don't think that this is deceives issue when we deal with false teachers.

We are under no obligation to hear them out. The minute they turn to the right to the left is the minute we don't need to hear anymore. There are some that are gifted enough, they are able to stomach what they have to say. I didn't see Eliza debating with the profits of bowel euros you set up will you go Mao Carmody cemented was the day up here right up here where Elijah stood totally disinterested in a civil debate we going to put an altar out here in the God who answers by fire. He is God and his God answered.

Unfortunately, we respect the wrong people sometimes they tell us how to go about preaching the faith. You know many of the great revival started in places where the people want that intelligent lunacy intelligently want that educated they were just hungry for God. They just wanted change in their lives. My point is, that's all we need, regardless of how intelligent we are amongst men were not we need is to be hungry for God to want what he has. The reality of it all is that Hezekiah did cleanse the house of God, because God to him, the God of truth is real God. I want to take that from Isaiah chapter 39.

This tells us about the days in Hezekiah's life.

Once a Necker rep came and the angels came and save them from of the also talks about the sundial being turned back in time.

Another miracle of the Lord scientist consider around that sundial until the purple to never figure it out because it was a miracle and a miracle is something that grates on the mind of carnal man because the carnal man thinks the reason is going to satisfy everything but a miracle stands outside of reason, yet it never violates reason here in chapter 8 of Isaiah 39 since Hezekiah said to Isaiah, the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good for he said, at least there would be peace and truth in my days and that's what there was, that's how Isaiah ends the story of Hezekiah.

What happened here is Hezekiah had taken men from Babylon and sold off the treasury of the Lord and Isaiah comes us and what did you do this is why Sheldon everything is got emotionally got excited. He was so happy with what it got it done. His intention wasn't wrong but he was a little bit to Jim Harrison as being a host and Isaiah said, let me take was going to happen.

These guys going to come back to take it all with them and with us.

When Hezekiah had so Hezekiah said Isaiah the word of the Lord which you have spoken is good is not going to happen in his day. That Isaiah ends at four. He said for at least the peace and truth in my days in that is what characterizes they have Hezekiah will close this verse from second Chronicles 30 verse 27 during the beginning of this Reformation as he's cleanse the house of God, then the priest, the Levites arose and bless the people and their voice was heard in their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place to heaven. The priest in Hezekiah's day were restoring true ministry to a people who had not seen it for 16 years. They were following numbers chapter 7. Listen to what God God directs Moses to direct and to direct the priest spiritual leaders and the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, speak to our own, and his son, saying, this is the way you shall bless the children of Israel say to them, the Lord bless you. The Lord keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you, loving grace. Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace so they shall put my name on the children of this I will cringe part of being anyone outside of Jesus Christ. You've been listening to cross reference radio daily radio ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel in Mechanicsville, Virginia.

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