Sermon Central
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Who Is Going To Follow God? Series
Contributed by Jim Butcher on Aug 12, 2022 (message contributor)
Summary: King Ahaz provides a surprising contrast to the kingdom of Israel as we see a dramatic example of the limits of our traditional morality.
IT'S OBVIOUS, RIGHT? “Good people” are more likely to follow God.
- We have a traditional morality with “good people.” The respectable citizens are more likely to follow God.
TWO EXAMPLES:
1. KING AHAZ HAD A GOOD HERITAGE BUT TERRIBLE BEHAVIOR.
- 2 Chronicles 28:1-4, 16-25.
- Came from a series of ancestors who had (at some level) obeyed the Lord.
2. THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL HAD A TERRIBLE HERITAGE BUT GOOD BEHAVIOR.
- They’d been consistently horrible since the division of Israel into two kingdoms. Yet in this moment, they show surprising faithfulness to God.
WHAT DOES AHAZ'S REIGN TEACH US? You never know who is ready to listen to God.
- We want to divide the world into “good people” and “bad people” according to our reckoning, but you never know who is ready to listen to God.
- It’s important that we don’t presume who is ready to obey God and who isn’t.
- Consider the book of Jonah.
WHAT WE PREACH: We preach amazing grace, not traditional morality.
- Traditional morality looks more like building up credits because you’re a good person and God loving you because you earned it.
- Amazing grace looks more like us receiving forgiveness in our desperate condition, then living for God in thanksgiving.
- The ironic truths of the New Testament about grace and mercy and who is coming into the kingdom first.
- Look up Matthew 21:28-32.
