Introduction:
A Opening Illustration
B Jonadab lived in a period of Israel’s history that should ring familiar with modern America & Western Church.
1 King Ahab & his queen, Jezebel, had turned the nation of Israel away from the God of their fathers, steering it down a course of perversion, spiritual & moral decline by infusing the worship of foreign God’s.
a Jezebel was from Tyre (in modern day Lebanon), her daddy was a priest-king who worshiped Baal, Melqart & other deities.
aa Brought 450 Baal prophets, 400 prophets of Asherah to Israel. (Ahab did nothing to stop it)
bb Ahab worshiped Yahweh, named his kids divine names, consulted God’s prophets, when Elijah slayed the prophets of Baal he didn’t interfere.
cc He also worshiped at the alter of other gods, didn’t obey God’s Word.
dd Why would he do such a thing? For political gain & increased commerce. (Money & power)
b Ahab’s spiritual apathy, religious co-mingling allowed Jezebel & her cronies to continue to spread paganism across the land of Israel after he died.
aa She lived 10 years longer as Ahab, reigned as Queen mother until she feel out a window & her body picked clean by the dogs.
bb When daddy dropped the mantel in his own home, it allowed the guard to be dropped nationally that caused the cultural to go into decline.
c This was the setting Jonadab lived in.
aa Not a prophet, general, king, judge. He was an average joe who happened to be an incredible daddy in the darkest of times.
bb Raised godly kids in the face of ungodliness.
2 During this time the key prophet was Elijah.
a He who named a man by the name of Jehu king over the rebellious people (1 Kings 10.17-18), but it would be Elisha who would anoint him king (2 Kings 9.1)
b King Ahab/ Queen Jezebeel had gutted God out the culture of Israel. (God was no longer in government, morals & society)
3 King Jehu starts his journey to bring Israel back to God (defeat God’s enemies/defend God’s people) and he stops to talk to man on his way to his mission.
a 2 Kings 10.15, “Is your heart right, as my heart is with yours?”
aa Do you feel like I do? Defeat/Defend?
bb Jehu was needing someone who was just as passionate about Yahweh as Baal worshipers were passionate about Baal.
b I believe there are American enemies who are passionate about their Anti-God/Christianity/religious freedom agenda in America?
c At the risk of offending of people, I do not think the greatest threat to religious freedom are Jihadist or Osamu Bid Laden, but rather they are from within.
PREACHING ALERT!!!
4 Perhaps one of the greatest threats is an organization known as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
a Org. supposedly began to ensure the Bill of Rights were secure for all but it appears their goal was to remove Christian influence from American culture from their genesis in 1920 by Roger Baldwin & Crystal Eastman.
b As early as 1931, the U.S. Congress were alarmed to hear the ACLU had strong ties to Communism in a report by the Special House Committee to Invistagate Communist activities:
aa “The American Civil Liberties Union is closely affiliated with the communist movement in the United States, and fully 90 percent of its efforts are on behalf of communists who have come into conflict with the law. It claims to stand for free speech, free press and free assembly, but it is quite apparent that the main function of the ACLU is an attempt to protect the communists.”
bb ACLU, like Communism, are opposed to very Spirit of our Judeo-Christian based government.
c Despite opinions against it, America was founded as a Christian nation. Period.
aa May 16, 1776, Continental Congress appointed a special day of prayer & fasting for the colonies. “The Congress . . desirous . . . to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God’s superintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely . . . on His aid and direction . . . Do earnestly recommend Friday, the 17th day of May be observed by the colonies as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewailed our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God’s righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon & forgiveness.
bb September 11, 1777, Congress ordered 20,000 Bibles for the American troops.,
cc On August 4, 1789, Pres. Washington signed into law was called “An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United States.” Article III. Religion, morality, and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall be forever encouraged.”“
d Okay, so what,preach?
aa After the ACLU won a suit overturning an amendment to the Nebraska Const. defining marriage as the union of one man & one woman (approved by 70%of Neb. voters) the ACLU was award $156,060.
bb ACLU sued Barrow County, GA, to remove a display of the Ten Commandments from the courthouse. Taxpayers had to pay $150k & remove the display.
cc Taxpayers were forced to pay ACLU lawyers a whopping $63K after they sued to remove a WWI memorial cross from the Mojave national Preserve.
dd Sued the BSA for requiring kids to promise to live a “morally straight” life. $790,000 awarded.
ee Literally could go on for an hour, but I won’t.
e The Enemy of God is our nation, time, culture is passionate about their cause. IT IS TIME THE BRIDE PITCHES A FIT!
aa MEN/WOMEN/STUDENTS TO GET AS PASSIONATE ABOUT OUR GOD, HIS TEACHING AS THE ENEMY IS ABOUT THEIR GODLESS PHILOSOPHIES.
bb Jehu is asking us, “Is your heart right?”
PREACHING ALERT OVER!!!
C Because Jehu & Jonadab were faithful, eradicated Baalism from Israel, returned to God, they bought Israel 120 more years before they would be judged & taken into captivity.
1 The Southern Kingdom of Judah would hold on longer, but soon, the tentacles that had engulfed Israel would wrap themselves around Judah. (Judgement would fall there too.)
a If the church does not put on the full armor of God, equip ourselves, we can become prey for what consumes our cultural.
b Churches that preach love w/o judgement, beauty of grace w/o brutality of the cross, self-improvement w/o dealing with sin.
2 Two & half centuries after Jehu & Jonadab had purged Israel of the Baal prophets, God raised up the prophet Jeremiah in the Southern Kingdom/Judah.
a Jeremiah went to the Temple & called for the descendants of Jonadab.
b Jeremiah 35.1,2
aa He brought them in, poured them wine.
bb Jeremiah 35.5-11
3 Apparently, Jonadab’s family made it through the Assyrian captivity (remember, they were from the Northern Kingdom).
a Daddy said don’t drink, don’t built a house, don’t plant a vineyard. (Daddy said that 250 years ago!)
aa Why no houses? Vineyards? He believed the words of the prophets would come to pass & that Israel would fall.
bb Travel light so as to flee destruction. (Sheep same story.)
b Can you imagine your family keeping your instruction 250 after you’ve gone on to be with the Lord? You should.
D Jonadab’s family learned to be faithful to God even during perilous times.
1 Obey the Word of God, listen to prophets & live as if their words were going to come to pass.
a He taught them to be ready to flee when destruction came.
b When they got to Judah (Southern Kingdom) still stayed ready to leave.
2 At the end of this brief story, there is a blessing God gives Jonadab’s family that is where I want us to be at months end.
a Jeremiah 35.18,19.
b There will always be someone from your family who stands with me.
aa Jonadab never lived to hear this blessing, but it was what he planted generations before!
bb Because he had built a godly family legacy in a time of cultural decline, the roots had driven themselves deep!
3 There is something in Jonadab’s story we need to decode as a Church, Christians.
a This whole month, we will be looking, learning at this obscure daddy of the Old Testament & we’ll learn his secret.
b Wouldn’t it be a great day if our kids said . . .
aa No thanks, I don’t drink because daddy told me not to.
bb No, I don’t talk like that because daddy said it doesn’t glorify God.
cc No, I won’t sleep w/ anyone other than my spouse because my daddy said not too.
dd No, I don’t believe we evolved because daddy taught me we we’re created by God.
ee No, I don’t approve of gay lifestyles because daddy taught me God’s Word said it was wrong.
ff No, I won’t get a divorce because my daddy said marriage is for keeps.
gg No, I won’t miss church this Sunday to go to St. Louis because daddy said to honor the Sabbath & keep it holy.
Conclusion:
Notice to Sermon Central Users:
My name is Mike Fogerson, and I pastor a Southern Baptist Church in Chester, Illinois. I have been a long-time user of Sermon Central and truly appreciate its content and contributors. Some of the best sermons I’ve ever preached have been reworked material from this website. As you use the material from my sermon bank, understand that it is work that has been done from not just myself, but from hundreds of other pastors as well. If you see part of your message, or a bunch of your message with my name on it and this upsets you, please email me and I will quickly respond and cite you as the main source. My intent is not to claim someone’s work as my own. I am disclaiming up front that I use the resources from Sermon Central and appreciate the tool. I simply want all those who use my work to know that some of these messages were inspired by the Holy Spirit working through other pastors. Because I do use the messages of other pastors I waive all claims of originality or origin of creativity for the messages posted under my messages. I pray God blesses your preaching ministry for the glory of His Kingdom.
Respectfully,
Mike Fogerson
