Getting Vertical  Part 5  2 Chronicles 30

 

Intro: I was reminded this week of a conversation I had with a man – 16 yrs ago

A) It happened when I was Pastoring in Oregon – and a little Church in Corvallis – 25 pp, called – Pastor

 

B) I Know just the guy – Rob V. – CCCM –

1) How old is he ? 27, too young

 

C) Steve, here is the question: Do you want to be the one to stand before God – I wanted to do a work in Corvallis...you wouldn’t let Me – vessel was too young

 

D) Steve called Rob and the rest is History – today this is a thriving Church there of over 1,000 people

1) 56 Acres – new Church

 

Hezekiah was another young man that God used in a Powerful way.

A) Saw last time how he was used by God to spark a revival in Judah

 

#1 Repaired God’s house{ His father had closed it down – boarded up – He opened

 

#2 He challenged the Priests! –

He challenged them to get back to the work of spiritually leading and ministering to the nation.

 

#3 He reinstituted temple worship and sacrifice.

 

THE RESULT: Revival broke out!

As we come to Chapter 30- Revival is continuing

                           Read Verses 1-9

 

Reinstitutes the Passover – Salvation

 

Sends Messengers thru out all the land inviting those who are away to come!

A) Special burden for those who were lost –

 

B) Mark of Revival – Burden for lost souls

 

C) Hezekiah was not content – to have this stay in Judah – spread

 

Important for a Church to see beyond it’s own four walls

A) Youth Pastor - Bible studies on HS campuses

 

B) Tried a lot of things – some profitable some not

 

C) Our Lord’s heart – Came to seek and save the lost

 

How many of you Know someone who is backslidden?  Pray for them? – talk to them!

A) Hezekiah has an interesting name for  those who were backslidden verse 8  Stiff necked

 

B) Stubborn / rigid / pigheaded

 

C) Black Jack – He insisted on riding near the edge

1) Stiff necked – can’t be budged

That is the person who is resisting God !

A) Their necks are called "stiff" because they won't bend to God's will

 

B) The Problem is they don’t realize that He only wants to take them in a good direction { Baseball

1) God wants us to be yielded and bending – not stiff but easily turning

 

C) Hezekiah is pleading with those to come –

1) Enter the Sanctuary –God’s Presence –Fellowship

 

In the Book of 2 Samuel we have a Beautiful Story reflecting God’s heart

A) David came to the Throne – Son of Jonathan – Meph -  heard, afraid – nurse fled – stumbled

 

B) Accident left Meph – Lame in his feet – couldn’t walk

 

C) He hid out in this place called Lodebar – nothingness – barrenness

 

D) Perfect picture of what sin does to a life –

1) Lame and barren

 

David hears – Bring him here – Carried to the table

Restored – the rest of his life

A) Meph thought David was against him – after him

Destroy him – { So not TRUE

 

B) David wanted to bless him – because He was the son of his best friend – their Covenant

 

C) Jesus established a new Covenant – all who would humble hearts- believe – Saved

1) Invited to the table

 

 Verse 9 If you return, the Lord will be gracious and merciful –

 

So Hezekiah sends the runners everywhere to call

people back to God.

A) Reminded me of the parable of the wedding feast

 

Matthew 22:8-10

“Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'  10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.” 

 

Notice Verses 10-11 response

“So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them. 11 Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.”

 

 

A) Some laugh and mock

 

Aaron was younger & I were at McDonalds one day / he was playing on the play land / kids who were being kind of mean / Dad those kids being mean to me .

 

Go tell them that Jesus loves them !  He did it, came back & said dad it didn’t work they just laughed at me !

 

 

B) But notice that Some were humble and received

 

C) Reminds us that – the message is our job to get out there – The results are up to God !

 

Christianity Today largest Christian Publication polled it's readers:  Why believers are so reluctant to share their faith

A.) 87% agreed every Christian is responsible for evangelism/

 

But Only 52% said they were active in sharing ! They wanted to find out  - why?

 

43% said they were too timid,

40% were not confident in what to say.

 

B) Sharing can be scary: Street witnessing –

1) One guy Arrested – another thrown off peer

 

C) Oversees different – relationships

Tact and sensitivity: Macdonalds – long line

 

Rom.1:17 Faith comes by hearing & hearing by the word of God !

 

 I want to leave you w/ this thought ! God’s word is powerful / it does the work !

A) It is not our effectiveness in sharing the word that is the issue / in other words it is not how effective you communicate that matters

 

It is the word that is shared that matters / that is the issue ! – Lion out of it’s cage – don’t need to defend

 

B) Rock into a pack of dogs – One that barks the loudest is the one that was hit

 

C) Person who resist the most  The one God is dealing with!

 

Hezekiah had a burden for the lost – sent out his messengers – come – some did some didn’t –

A) The rest of the Chapter Chronicles how God met the ones who came – Poured out His spirit

 

B) Blessed them – Such an outpouring they didn’t want to stop – let’s go another 7 days

 

26 “So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.”

Great Joy in Jerusalem – they had not experienced in a long time….. days of Solomon

A) People are looking for Joy – looking for happiness

 

B) Search in all kinds of things- 

1) Joy found  in Jesus

 

D) Why are people lacking Joy

 

  4 characteristics mark  people's lives without Christ

A)#1 - Emptiness!  no matter how much money, success, power - void!

 

B.) I think Billy Graham described the emptiness that those living in the U.S. experience when he said America is said to have the highest per capita boredom of any spot on earth! We know that because we have the greatest number of artificial amusements of any country. People have become so empty that they can't even entertain themselves. They have to pay other people to amuse them, to make them laugh, to try to make them feel warm and happy and comfortable for a few minutes, to try to lose that awful, frightening, hollow feeling; that terrible, dreaded feeling of being lost and alone.

 

B) Billy was so right, our society is empty, bored ! /

 

 

C) The World is hurting/Just look at Hollywood - those people from an outward appearance seem to have it all ! Yet they are so empty !

 

D) A while back I was flying back from Oregon I was sitting / make up artist for the stars /  talking about the affairs / lifestyle that business

1) (emptiness / only Christ fills / hurt -Only  Christ can  heal)

 

E) No surprise – Suicides and DUI’s trouble –

1) Empty trying to find something to mask the pain

 

F) You tonight void !

 

 

2nd thing that every man apart from Christ is constantly dealing with Loneliness

A) A person can have  many friends; hit all the parties / yet deep down they are really  lonely !

 

I read about  an ad in a Kansas newspaper.  It read, "I will listen to you talk for 30 minutes without comment for $5.00."  , "Sounds like a hoax, doesn't it? 

 

The Person who placed the add received 10-20 calls a day

 

The pain of loneliness was so sharp that some were willing to try anything for a half hour of companionship."

B) Loneliness is the first thing that God's eye named not good.

    1) God doesn’t want people to be lonely -

 

James Lee was a man who was so grief stricken over the loss of his wife & daughter that – He shot himself in a Phone Booth -

   In his pockets they found a child's crayon drawing, much folded and worn. On it was written, "Please leave in my coat pocket. I want to have it buried with me."

 

The drawing was signed in childish print by his daughter, Shirley Lee, who had perished in a fire just five months before.

 

How many James Lees are there in this world? They don't wear signs saying "I'm lonely--will you help me?" Let's discover these in His name.

 

3rd thing people who don’t know Jesus / live with a sense of guilt!

A.) Head of a mental institution "release 1/2 my patients if I could find a way to  rid them of their guilt"

 

B.) As Christians we know guilt is a symptom of a deeper problem called sin

1.) People feel guilt because they are guilty / missed the mark !

 

C) They can’t do anything to get rid of those feelings !

 

C) Only Jesus can get to the root of the problem and forgive them their sins

          1.) Plagued by guilt today?  Jesus can set free

 

 

4th thing ……   There is a universal fear of death

A) People fear death - unknown what happens after they die!

 

B) Eats at them - Ignore it - put out of mind and live for moment - daily  confronted in news

 

C) But the Bible declares that in His presence is fullness of Joy!

 

Those who were away came into His presence and experience great Joy!

 

Backslidden – God doesn’t want you – not true

 

Come -