How To Get The Power of God On Your Life
2 Chronicles 14-16
Asa = King of Judah, the Southern Kingdom…. 2 tribes.
“Good King Asa” name = Healer
His country was healed… spiritually- lasted 150 years longer than Israel
The motto of his life is found in 14:2 “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.”
This was the defining characteristic of his life!
It shows up early in his life. When he came to the throne he was so intent on turning Judah to the Lord that he deposed his grandmother from her position as the queen mother because she was an idolater… she worshipped a false religion, an idol.
Even blood is not thicker than his love for God.
Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord no matter who did not like it… or who broke the law.
1 Kings also tells us that he did away with the homosexual prostitutes.
Then came the capstone of his reign as King when he MANDATED A NATIONAL REVIVAL.
Many use the saying, “You can not legislate morality.”
That is pure hogwash.
Asa proved them wrong because he passed a law, a decree that everyone who did not worship God would be executed.
There was a great national revival.
And because of Asa’s obedience, and the obedience of the people.. God blessed Asa and Judah.
They had not had any wars for the last tem years of Asa’s father’s life… and not they did not have any for 35 years.
They had peace… the desire of every king and national leader…peace.
LESSON: When a nation turns away from it’s idols and obeys the Lord… They will have peace.
There was one small problem… Even though Asa destroyed the idolaters and the idolatrous prostitutes and led the nation to turn to God in revival…
HE DID NOT DESTROY THE HIGH PLACES 15:17
He did not physically destroy the places where the idols had been worshipped… he let them stand.
But this was an oversight, an unintentional oversight… a mistake.
How do we know?
Because the next verse says NEVERTHELESS… “Asa’s heart was perfect before the Lord all of his life.” 15:18
So you get the picture of this obedient nation, led by this Godly man and they are blessed by the Lord.
SATAN IS NEVER HAPPY WITH THIS SITUATION.
So, Satan goes to work to mess it up.
First Satan tempts Baasha to try to put a blockade on Asa’s kingdom in order to weaken it so Baasha could defeat it.
Next, Satan tempts Asa to go to Ben Hadad and make a treaty with him to fight against Baasha.
Asa does… Ben Hadad does… and Baasha is done.
ENTER THE PROPHET HANANI…”Asa, you were disobedient and now God can no longer bless you and your people. Instead, He will punish you.”
The country entered perpetual wars. Asa became bitter and punished the prophet and mistreated his people. Finally, Asa died from a disease of the feet.
WHAT ELSE CAN WE LEARN?
1. GOD wants to show Himself powerful on behalf of His people.
2 Chron 16:9
Let me ask you a question…
“Does God desire to show Himself powerful on behalf of His people?
God wants to show Himself supremely powerful and particularly on behalf of His people.
2. Even though God is all powerful; Sometimes He can not show Himself powerful.
Some will say, “God can do anything He wants to do.”
Yes and no.
He has self-imposed limits on Himself and He MUST be true to those.
God has placed limits on His ability to bless His people. He can only bless those that met certain requirements.
Ps 78:41 puts it well… Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.
How in the world can a dying, decaying lump of flesh (us) limit the creator of all?
Mark 6:1-6 shows it too…
So does 1 Thess. 5:19 “Quench not the Holy Spirit.”
The people of Israel limited God… the Father
The people of Nazareth limited Jesus… The Son
The people of Thessalonica limited The Spirit
Listen to
DIS-OBEDIENCE!!!
Pure and simply…. Disobedience Limits God and His ability to use us, to bless us, and to fellowship with us.
How can the All-Powerful God be limited? DISOBEDIENCE!!!
3. When God does show Himself Powerful and Strong; He does so ONLY in regards to His own plans…..Not yours or mine!
God is not interested in making you look god!!!
He is only interested that HE be lifted up.
God is not interested in doing things your way!!!
He is doing things His way.
>>> Imagine that you go to an architect with your drawings. You think they are great. It id the 8th wonder of the world. And you say to the architect, “I want you to put your stamp on these plans of mine.”
He looks at the drawings, which is a small dog-eared corner of some scrap of paper, all smudgy from using a poor eraser, and caked over with white-out. He begins to point out several structural flaws in your design, materials and foundation.
But you get frustrated and say, “I did not come here for your criticism. I just need your stamp so I can get a building permit.”
I suppose he would say something like, “I am not in the habit of putting MY stamp on other people’s plans.”
And that is what God says to us when we come to Him asking Him to put his stamp of approval, his blessings on our plans.
You may not like His way.
You may think your way is better.
BUT HIS WAY IS THE ONLY ONE HE BLESSES!!!!
I like what Henry Blackaby said about being in God’s will.
“Find our what God is doing and join Him.”
Our prayer should be like this…
“O God don’t bless my plans, PLEASE don’t bless my plans. I’ll be in big trouble if you bless my plans. But God, show me your plan. Let me do your plan. Then, bless your plan.”
Unless your plans are His plans… they are doomed to failure.
Look at the great man Asa. What a Godly leader. What a great leader.
WHY THE FALL?
Let me venture a guess.
Asa comes to the throne, lost, overwhelmed and in need of God’s help.
In response…Leans on God for leadership and follows God’s plan
In response…God blesses him
Things go well for 35 years…the kingdom is growing thriving and has no war.
As a result… Asa does not need God
In response… does not lean on God
As result… drifts away from God.
Trouble comes.
Has not trusted God in a while. Has built trust in man.
Trusts Ben Hadad.
CRUSHED!!!
PEOPLE CAN NOT HANDLE PROSPERITY AND BLESSING.
4. No matter where you are, no matter how humble your place of service… IF YOUR HEART IS RIGHT WITH GOD…HE WILL FIND YOU!
You may think that your faithfulness goes un-noticed, un-appreciated, un-rewarded.
But the scripture is clear… 2 Chron 16:9
HE WILL FIND YOU and HE WILL SHOW HIMSELF POWERFUL ON YOUR BEHALF.
You may be a little boy named Amos… living in Judah, feeding the animals… but if your heart is right toward God… HE will find you and make you a great prophet.
You may be a little boy named David, runt of the litter, laughed at by others…. but if your heart is right toward God… HE will find you and you will slay the giants in your life.
You may be an outlaw, on the run, hiding in the desert, tending sheep… but if your heart is right toward God… HE will find you and use you to lead others to freedom.
You may be a young man named Billy, living in the hills of N.C., unknown to the world… but if your heart is right toward God… HE will find you and you will preach the gospel to the world and be the greatest evangelist the world has known since the Apostles.
You may be a poor boy living deep in the hills of Kentucky, born to an illiterate mother who would die when you were just 9 years old, Born to a father who was an illiterate drunk. And you may get just one year of education. But if your heart is right toward God… HE will find you and make you become the 16th President of the united States.
THAT IS A PROMISE…not from Rick… FROM GOD!!!
5. You will have war or peace in your life depending on whether or not your heart is right with God.
ACT I Asa did what was good and right in the sight of the Lord and led the people to do the same
“They sought God eagerly and He was found by them. SO THE LORD GAVE THEM REST ON EVERY SIDE. 15:15
ACT II Asa turns away from trusting God and places his trust in man.
“You have done a foolish thing, and from now on YOU WILL HAVE WAR.” 16:9
6. Don’t blame the preacher and don’t take it out on others if God chastises you.
“Asa became so angry with Hanani for saying this that he threw him into prison. At that time, Asa also began to oppress some of his people.” 16:10
Do what David did… Fall on your face in humble submission, confess your sin, and ask God to forgive you.
Then… like David… God can begin to bless you again.
Here is the $64,000.00 question…
Is there anything in your life, right now, that you know will limit God… that will limit God’s ability and desire to bless you… your family… your ministry… your friends?
Do you desire to have God’s blessings on your life, on your family, on your ministry, on your friends?
Are you ready to confess and repent?
Will you do it right now… today, in this place?
Rev. Rick Pendleton
Palm Harbor, Florda
randdp@peoplepc.com
Feel free to use any or all of this sermon without reference.
