Josiah: The Man Who Responded To Light

Intro

1. Fear is a powerful motivator...

2. Jr. High Girls...kissing mirror...work for custodian...Woman’s dean brought all girls into restroom with custodian...see how much work it takes him to clean mirrors....custodian dips brush in toilet stool first...cures girls of kissing mirrors!

3. Fear of Germs...

4. Believers are also influenced by fear toward God

(1) fear of God (displeasure/discipline)

(2) fear of God’s will

---Beatitudes....Blessed are those (who do God’s will)

5. "Taste and see that the Lord is good..."

6. Important to know the will of God, important to do....

7. Moody Pastor’s Conference....we were bloated....walked

around...which, in turn, re-created an appetite...

8. Church/personal Bible study....food....Ministry: exercise

---no food, no spiritual energy; no service, spiritual cholesterol...

---many Christians have neither and are spiritually anorexic...

MAIN IDEA: If we begin to follow what we know to be

God’s will, that will create an appetite for more

knowledge and more service...

I. King Josiah: Mostly Ignorant of God’s Will, But Devoted (34:1-13)

1. Dark times is Judah (Dark Ages)

(1) Law lost--only a few "word of mouth" truths...

(2) Note: ignorance NOT by choice....

---No difference between a man who cannot read and who is able to read but chooses not to do so....READING is an important skill, and in our heritage, reading was taught with the express purpose of equipping people to read the Bible!

(3) America is choosing ignorance....

--typical week 1990--75% read for pleasure

--typical week 1997--40% read for pleasure (Barna)

(4) Christian world---trading Biblical/doctrinal literacy for emotion

---LEAP 2000 ---Get back on track...

2. But Josiah responded to what he did know! (3-13)

(1) he removed idols (3-7)

(2) he lead in the restoration of the Temple (8-13)

Josiah began to serve God by responding to what he did know. But did he stop craving more? Did he choose to remain in ignorance? No!

II. Since He Responded to the Light He Had, God Delivered More Light to Him (34:14-33)

1. The Romans 1 and 2 principle...

2. Priest Hilkiah found the Law (14-15)

3. Josiah eagerly reads it/tears clothes

--3 choices we all must make regarding the Word:

(1) remain ignorant of it (leave it to the experts)

(2)learn it but not be moved by it (no tearing of clothes..no socking)

(3) learn it and let it zap you!

4. Josiah is scared because he understood the angry nature of God...

(1) sends messenger to Prophetess Hulda

(2) because of his repentance, God’s wrath is postponed

(3) God’s wrath is never forgotten, just POSTPONED. In the case of OT believers, it was postponed until Calvary...

5. The Law is read to the LEADERS (29-31)

----A man may lead, but needs key followers....

6. Required pledge from the people (32-33)

If we respond to what we do know, we will hunger for more and God will get more to us.

III. When We Respond to Increased Light, We

Can Reach Great Heights (ch. 35)

1. Ark replaced (2 Chron. 35:3)

--last mention

--perhaps buried

2. Passover celebrated (6)

3. New levels of morale, team spirit, and self-sacrifice (7-8)

----like what we see in Acts 2 when believers voluntarily helped others...

Conclusion

1. Are you responding to the light you have?

2. Are you doing the will of God?

3. Do you have a reservoir of Biblical knowledge? Are you active in service.

4. Church is partly a school....a training time....we all are to serve...

5. If you practice the will of God, you will be blessed. Believe it.