Breaking The Cycle In A Land Misled-2

BREAKING The CYCLE In A LAND MISLED--II—

2Kings 16:01-18; 18:01-07, 14-16; 19:1-7, 14-20, 35-37

Overcoming Political Compliance/Acquiescence

Overcoming The Politics of Spiritual Acquiescence.

Attention:

President George Washington "And let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason & experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle."

•King Ahaz of Judah’s reign was marked/defined by political expediency, acquiescence, & compliance.

•A land defined by those things is misled & to be pitied.

•Why/How should the cycle of misleading be broken?

•18 reasons for breaking the cycle of misleading in our land.

*In a misled land there is much that is Wasted, until that cycle of mismanagement is broken.

This morning we found that...

The cycle must be broken in a misled land, due to it’s wasted...

1. PRIVILEGE(16:1)

2. RESPONSIBILITY(16:1)

3. YOUTH(16:2)

4. TIME(16:2)

5. CHOICE(16:2)

6. HERITAGE(16:2)

7—The cycle must be broken in a misled land, due to it’s WASTED...

DEPENDENCE(16:3-4)

Explanation:(16:3-4)

16:3-4—“But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel; indeed he made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the nations whom the LORD had cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed & burned incense on the high places, on the hills, & under every green tree.”

Ahaz depended on his physical sight alone...He depended upon his own abilities. He was dependent upon the recognition of false gods & their worship which prevailed in Ahaz’s world.

Look at the personal lifestyle(“walked”) & personal leadership of Ahaz in these two verses. It is testimony to someone who not only dishonors YHWH but lead others to do the same.

Likewise your actions—what & who you worship— are very telling about your belief system!

Application:

?Is there a Personal DEPENDENCE that has gone to waste in our/your Land’s Governance?

?Is the Cycle of our Land’s being Misled broken with you?

8—The cycle must be broken in a misled land, due to it’s WASTED...

CONFIDENCE(16:5)

Explanation:(16:5)

16:5—“Then Rezin king of Syria & Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to make war; & they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him.”

In what & who is your greatest confidence?

Your Momma, your family, your intellect, your abilities/skills, your income, etc?

It should & can be a confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ!

Argumentation:

Jn. 16:33—“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

1Jn. 4:4—“You are of God, little children, & have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

1Jn. 5:4-5—“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

Application:

?Is there a CONFIDENCE that has gone to waste in our/your Land’s Governance?

?Is the Cycle of our Land’s being Misled broken with you?

9—The cycle must be broken in a misled land, due to it’s WASTED...

EFFORT(16:6)

Explanation:(16:6)

16:6—“At that time Rezin king of Syria captured Elath for Syria, & drove the men of Judah from Elath. Then the Edomites went to Elath, & dwell there to this day.”

In Ahaz’s day Judah obviously possessed Elath(modern Eilat), which is a city located at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba(east coast of the Sinai Peninsula).

By the time of the completion of 2Kings(~550BC(?)), the Edomites had been dwelling in Elath almost 200 yrs.

What once belonged to Judah was now being whittled away by other nations.

Argumentation:

Hosea 4:19; 8:7a-b; —“The wind has wrapped her up in its wings, And they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices.”.....“They sow the wind, And reap the whirlwind.”

1Cor. 2:1-6—“And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ & Him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, & in much trembling. And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. However, we speak wisdom among those who are mature, yet not the wisdom of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”

The apostle Paul’s efforts were not wasted! His laborious efforts were expended by the power of God rather than in the flesh! Therefore they have eternal value rather than temporal/temporary value!