Sunday Morning January 10, 2010
Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: “Royalty” [#3]
ARE YOU FIRED UP OR FIZZLED OUT?
2 Chronicles 14:1-16:14
Introduction:
I remember as a child my mother telling me this as she dropped me off for school. “You better act right, because if you don’t I will find out and when I do it’s going to be bad.” Guess what? Every time I did something wrong, mom knew. I’m not really sure how she knew, but she did.
Jesus said to the lukewarm Church of Laodicea, “I know your works…” Jesus knows everything about us. He knows this Church and our attitude towards Him. He knows if we are “fired up” or “fizzled out”.
What is your attitude toward God? Today we will examine the reign of King Asa. As we do this, I want us to look at 2 distinct attitudes found toward God and His work. Then ask yourself, “Which one of these best fit my life today”?
Are you…
1. Fired up?
2 Chronicles 14:2-6
King Asa started strong. He first got rid of the false gods and the places of worship for them. Then he let the people know that it was time to repent and start living in obedience to God. What was the result of this? God gave them rest from war.
2 Chronicles 7:14
Asa found the key to success as a king.
> Humbleness.
> Prayer.
> Seek God’s face.
> Turn from wickedness.
A person who is “fired up” for God cares enough about God and those around them that they will strive to be obedient to God. If we will pray, seek, and turn; God will do what He promises.
> Hears.
> Forgives.
> Heals.
Revival had broken out in Jerusalem. When an enemy attacked, Asa would call upon God and rely upon Him to win the battle for them and God came through for them every time. With God, nothing was impossible for them. This is no different for us. God never said we wouldn’t be attacked or be in battle; but what He did say was if we will allow Him to fight our battles for us He will. No matter how bad it is, nothing is impossible for God!
2 Chronicles 15:1-7
If you underline in your Bible, you need to underline three phrases. If you will live by these 3 phrases, you can’t help but be a “fired up” believer.
> “The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”
> “But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them.”
> “… be strong and do not give up, for you work will be rewarded.”
Are you “fired up”? If not, then you are…
2. Fizzled out.
Asa had lived a life of obedience to God, even to the point that when his grandmother made an Asherah pole, he removed her from her position. But, just like anyone else Asa seemed to tire of life’s everyday pressures. He got to the point where he didn’t care.
2 Chronicles 16:1-6
Israel threatened war again; but this time Asa made decisions without consulting God. Baasha, King of Israel, fortified Ramah so that no one could go in or leave the territory of Asa. What did Asa do? He went and took the silver and gold out of the Temple and his palace and sent it to the King of Aram so that Ben-Hadad would break his treaty with Baasha. How did God feel about this?
2 Chronicles 16:7-14
God had warned Asa earlier. “If you follow me things will be good; but if not, things will fall apart. Earlier we looked at 3 phrases of success. Now let me show you 3 phrases of failure.
> “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God,…”
> “Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.”
> “In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his fathers.”
Conclusion:
Where had Asa’s “fire for God” gone? What happened? Things went bad because Asa stopped following God, he would not repent, he took his anger at God out on everyone else, and he died a hardened and unhappy man.
Christians, which is it? Are you “fired up” or “fizzled out”? Do you want to die being hardened towards God or do you want to make a difference in this world? Remember what God told Asa, “If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”
