Sunday Morning April 4, 2010
Bel Aire Baptist Church
Series: “Royalty” [#13]
GETTING IT RIGHT
2 Chronicles 34:1-35:19
Introduction:
I often think about days like today and wonder why we make them more important than others. I wonder why we dress differently, do bigger things, etc… Now if you think I’m going to “hammer” people for that you are wrong. I think that some of the reason this happens is we have forgotten the point of Church.
We have been talking about different Kings of Judah over the last 12 weeks. This week we are studying King Josiah. He was the son of King Amon who was an evil King. This 8 year old king got it right. We know that he wasn’t perfect, but the Bible tells us that he got it right.
2 Chronicles 34:2 (NIV)
“He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”
[Song: “Thank You For The Cross”]
[Song: “Raise Up the Crown”]
[Song: “The Wonderful Cross”]
This morning, regardless of why you are here, regardless of what is going on in your life, regardless of your challenges; I pray that you leave here with the desire to get it right. What is “it” that needs to be right in you?
[Song: “At The Cross Medley”]
[Children’s Play]
[Children’s Choir: “Were You There”]
[Children’s Choir: “Grace Flows Down”]
At age 16, King Josiah began to seek God and by the time he was 20 he began to start doing things that was evidence that he had found God. He cleansed the land of everything that was bad. He tore down the idols and started repairing the Temple.
During this time, the people had been bringing their tithes and offerings to the Temple as they had been instructed. The high priest was told to distribute the money to the workers and while they were bringing the money out that they had collected, the high priest found the Book of the Law. This was the portion of the Bible that they had at the time and when it was read to King Josiah he tore his clothes. He did that because he was told that because of their disobedience that they would be destroyed and later they were. So what did he do? Did he give up? Did he say never mind?
If you are serious about getting it right, then you must…
1. Look inward.
I want you for a moment to picture a cross, but instead of putting Jesus on it; I want you to imagine that it is you. See, Jesus hung on the cross and became sin in order that we could be saved from eternal death. Jesus had to humble Himself and allow them to put Him on the cross. It is because of sin that you and I should have been the people hanging on that cross, but Jesus took your spot.
It is easy to find what is wrong with others, but you can’t change others. If something needs to change, the change needs to happen in you. King Josiah realized that they had messed up and he decided to find out how to solve the problem.
If you are serious about getting it right, then you must…
2. Look upward.
King Josiah sent the high priest and others to speak to a prophetess who was known to hear from the Lord.
2 Chronicles 34:26-28 (NIV)
“Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, `This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before God when you heard what he spoke against this place and its people, and because you humbled yourself before me and tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the LORD. Now I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place and on those who live here.'" So they took her answer back to the king.”
Again, I would like you to look at the cross. The cross was made of 2 beams- 1 horizontal and 1 vertical. The vertical beam of the cross represents to us a relationship that will decide your eternal destination. This morning you need to realize that God isn’t out to get you. He simply wants you to realize that on your own, you will be destroyed; but with Him you will be rescued from destruction.
When Christ died on the cross, we are told that His soul went to Hell. How is that possible that God’s only Son went to Hell? Wasn’t He perfect? He had been perfect until on the cross, then He became sin for us. The penalty for that was Hell; but that is why we are celebrating today- After 3 days He arose from the dead.
It is because of what Jesus did on the cross and His victory over the enemy that we can go to God. If you want to get it right, you’ve got to go to God for the answers.
If you are serious about getting it right, then you must…
3. Look outward.
One of the greatest differences between King Josiah and many of the other kings we have studied was that he not only served God; but he made sure the people were taken care of.
As you look at the cross one more time; notice the horizontal beam. This beam represents our relationship with others. When Jesus changes us, it should change how we deal with others.
Conclusion:
This morning, I hope that you will personally take care of things with God and man.
[Invitation: “Jesus Messiah”]
After the people had gotten things right between themselves and God; it was time to celebrate. King Josiah had the people celebrate Passover with him. They were celebrating the fact that God had rescued them through the blood of a spotless lamb.
That’s exactly what we are doing today also. We are celebrating that we have been saved through the blood of our spotless Lamb- Jesus.
[Offering: “Hosanna”]
[Baptism]
[“Victory In Jesus”]
