Revival in the Land

We've been going through our series here looking at the kings and going through the transitions.

Last time we got to the point there with Abijah, and as he had passed through, now passed on,

we're going to look today here at his son Asa, who comes to the throne and the things with that

on him. And then 2 Chronicles chapter 14 is where we're going to spend a little time. I encourage

2 Chronicles 14 · chapter mention

you to go ahead, if you don't know, when you get a Bible with a little ribbon in it, it's

a benefit. You can use that to mark something. And one of the things you can do that for is

when the preachers, because we're going to be bouncing between two books tonight, okay?

So you can put that one marker in 1 Kings chapter 15, and then you can put the other marker there

1 Kings 15 · chapter mention

in 2 Chronicles chapter 14, and that way it'll help you get back and forth a little faster

2 Chronicles 14 · chapter mention

here this evening, because we're going to be going back and forth on that. But the transition

is tonight, from Abijah, we know that he sought to honor the Lord God of his fathers and had

sparked some dynamics there within the people that want to worship God, but his heart was

not perfect before God, in that he spoke about it out of one side, but did other things off

the other? You know? When we realize that that has an impact upon everybody, it has an impact

on society, especially as leaders. When we do that, we're going to find his son Asa is going

to be different. A decade of peace and prosperity in the land was going to come. And we're going

to see the things that led up to that, and the things associated with that. And why did that

come about? Because really, as we're going to see Asa come on the scene here, there was going

to be a revival in the land. There's going to be some things changed for the good. And

some things that he did as a leader in this transition that made those things come to be.

That allowed God to work and to use those things, because we have a responsibility to the Lord. You know,

Asa had seen the results of trusting the Lord. If you remember just a few years before he became

king, his father had been at Mount Ephraim. And we know that Jeroboam and his forces had surrounded

him with a superior force, and they cried out to God. You know, it tells us in 2 Chronicles 13,

it says, and thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah

prepared because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers. You know, there was a quasi,

you might say, revival happening because God had their attention. But I want you to understand,

oftentimes, even as we see today, things will happen and God will get people's attention.

But our attention span gets pretty short if it doesn't have an impact on us as a person.

God wants us not to just understand the big picture, but understand the personal picture.

Because it's people that makes a difference. And the problem remained that Abijah outwardly

recognized the Lord, but was still just the God of his fathers. It was making recognition to what had

been. You know, and it's very easy to live off what others did, or what others accomplished,

and not realizing that it's our responsibility for where we are to do what we're supposed to do,

that others can look back at us and say, hey, we want to see God's blessing that they had because they

served the Lord. You know, not to live in the past, but to realize God's blessing and those things.

You know, they still just worshiping the God of their fathers, the God of David, the God of Solomon,

and God of Rehoboam. You know, we realize that even Rehoboam, if you remember, he saw what the

Lord had done through his father Solomon and recognized it, yet his problem was very simple.

We found in 2 Chronicles 12, where it says he did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek

the Lord. You know, in other words, he knew things about God. He knew what he ought to do,

but he made a choice that didn't prepare him to do what he ought to do. Because you don't do the

right things by accident. You know, you don't do the right things. They don't just happen by happenstance.

Right things happen because of purpose, because of direction. Now, evil, on the other hand,

you have to prepare to do evil. You know, evil usually finds you. You know, opportunity to do

evil shows up. That's when preparation to do right is important because it is right there among us.

And so we find here that this cause caused Abijah to not draw close to the Lord, but he honored the

Lord. It was more of a national God that they had. They worshiped God as a big picture. You know,

remember he said that, you know, we worship God. All the sacrifices are happening. All the things are

happening that ought to be happening, you know, according to the law, as far as the sacrifices and

the honoring him with the priests and all the different elements that were there. He ensured the

sacrifices were accomplished in the prescribed way, according to the law given by Moses. But now Abijah dies

and his son Asa now comes to power. And we're going to see that his reign is made a note that he has a

decade of peace that comes when Asa comes on the scene. And if you just read that part, you begin to

think, well, man, that was pretty good. God just put it at peace. I want you to understand there's some

decisions that Asa made when he became king that God could allow peace to come. Because he made a

decision in a direction of what direction he was going to take and what he was going to do. And so

we're going to pick up here this evening in 2 Chronicles chapter 14. Let's look here at verse 1 here

2 Chronicles 14 · chapter mention

tonight. And it says, And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David.

And Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his day the land was quiet ten years. You know, we know that

his father Abijah had been at conflict with Jeroboam, and they continued in conflict. But when Asa came on

the scene, there was something that changed, that God gave peace. In his days the land was quiet.

Ten years. That word there means there was a peace that lasted. There was not a conflict. There was a

time of prosperity that took place during this. And between the devastating defeat of the northern

tribes of Jeroboam, you know, some may say, well, Asa had enjoyed peace because his father destroyed

those that were trying to stir up the peace. But I believe that was only part of it when you look at

Scripture. It may have been the outward picture that you could put, but I think that whether his

father did that or not, because of the choices that Asa made, there would have been quiet in the land.

Because of the choices that he made, and the things that God was blessing them. And we're going to see

here that Asa began his reign with a different focus when it came to worship. It wasn't just going through

the steps of worship. Have you ever noticed we can get caught up in the process of worship?

We can get caught up in this is what we do. This is, you know, you come to church and what we have,

we sing some songs, we worship first, and then we listen to a message.

By human nature, we can get caught up in repetition of this is just what we do, and it's an expectation

of what we do, and the order that you do it in, and walking through those things, and we become very

just focused upon the process. But we're going to find here that Asa moved from just the process

to making it personal. Because true worship

happens as individuals.

Now we can worship God together, but it's a congregation of individuals

that are worshiping God.

God is not concerned because we gather together to sing songs to Him

as much as the individual hearts singing the songs.

And we're going to see here that Asa brings this out

because notice here in verse 2 of chapter 14 it says,

notice what it says,

And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord.

And notice that next phrase.

His God.

His father's comment was they were going to,

he wanted to follow the God of his fathers.

But now we find that Asa says that no,

he's not just the God of my fathers,

he is my God.

You know, that ought to be a desire as a parent

that our kids move from following the God

that you have presented to them,

the God that you have hopefully brought them up

in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

But you know, the danger is that sometimes

it can become just that, it's what they do.

It's a process and it hasn't impacted them personally.

You know, we want our kids to say,

you know, no matter what mom and dad do from here,

God is my God.

He's mine.

He's not just generic.

He's personal.

But Asa did that which was good and right

in the eyes of the Lord, his God.

Asa's desire to do what was both,

was right both personally and publicly,

we need to remember that he was now king of Judah

and had a responsibility to more than just himself.

You know, leaders have a great responsibility

and we're going to see this play out

because this position brought upon him

a responsibility to do that was not only just

right before the eyes of God,

the good and right in the eyes of the Lord.

What is that?

He was doing that with jest and right

along with restraining evil in the land.

You know, because remember,

we've been talking about government

on Sunday morning and Sunday school.

What's the primary purpose of government?

Is to do what?

To allow good to prosper and to restrain evil.

To remove evil from the land.

You know, we can apply this

even in the election from yesterday.

One thing that happened is

we restrained some evil in the land.

There's not, that's something to rejoice about

that evil is restrained,

but I want you to understand

that you cannot totally control evil.

That's the reason you restrain evil.

Because people will do evil things

no matter what.

You know, I always love when people say,

well, if we just had a better environment

for them to grow up in,

they wouldn't do bad things.

You know what?

If that was the case,

Adam and Eve would have never rebelled against God.

They were in a perfect environment.

In a perfect creation

that everything was good.

It was right.

Everything was operating correctly.

And yet they turned against God.

You know what that tells us?

That the environment itself,

environment helps,

but environment doesn't direct.

A godly environment will help you make right choices,

but it doesn't force you to make right choices.

You still have a personal application.

So we're going to see here,

first, Asa did what his grandfather did not to,

and that was prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

You know, knowing what God had established to do.

You know, I think that Asa may have done,

the Bible doesn't tell us,

but I'm wondering if Asa did

what the law said he was supposed to do as king.

You know, it's always interesting as you read through it,

do you realize that God gave instructions

to kings in Deuteronomy?

Now let me ask you a question.

Did they have kings in the time

when they wrote Deuteronomy?

No, there was not kings yet.

You've got to go through the time of the judges.

You have all these things.

But turn over quick to Deuteronomy chapter 17.

Deuteronomy 17 · chapter mention

Because you'll find this interesting.

Because I think if Asa did do this,

it may be one of those things

that led to what he did

and the decisions that he made.

Because look at what God commands him.

Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 17.

Deuteronomy 17 · chapter mention

Deuteronomy chapter 17.

Deuteronomy 17 · chapter mention

And we find here in Deuteronomy chapter 17,

Deuteronomy 17 · chapter mention

down there in verse 15.

Go over there to the right spot here.

Follow along.

It says,

Look at verse 17.

Neither shall he multiply wives to himself

that his heart turn not away.

Now remember,

what happened to Solomon?

His heart was turned away from what?

Or by what?

When he multiplied wives.

And his wives turned his heart

away from God.

Now it's interesting.

This is hundreds of years previous

that God gave him warning.

Notice what's next here

as we look at this.

It says in verse 18,

And when he,

it shall be,

when he sit up upon the throne

of his kingdom.

Now notice this,

that he shall write him

a copy of this law

in a book out of

that which is before the priests,

the Levites.

And it shall be with him

and he shall read therein

all the days of his life.

Now I want you to notice this.

What did God command the kings to do?

They were supposed to go into the temple

and make a personal copy

of the law.

Have you ever tried to copy something?

Do you get a better grasp on something

when you have to copy something?

But notice what the purpose

of this self-copy was,

was that he might take it back

and do what with it?

And read it, you know?

That he had his own copy

of the word of God,

you know?

That it shall be with him

and he shall read therein

all the days of his life.

Now notice this,

that he may learn

to fear the Lord his God

to keep all the words of this law

and these statutes to do them.

You know,

I want you to understand,

God knew what was going to happen

when the kings,

the time of the kings would come.

And I think, you know,

like I said,

the Bible doesn't tell us,

but from Ace's response here,

I think he might have actually done this.

Because we see his turn

for revival in the land,

because it wasn't just being,

let's go through the motions,

he says this needs to be personal.

And he took his responsibility personal.

And we see here,

it caused him to see the necessity

even to purge the kingdom

of the idols and the abominations

that had been allowed

by his fathers before him.

And even Solomon allowed them

after his wives turned his heart

away from the Lord.

They worshipped Ashtaroth

and they had all sorts of abominations

that they allowed in the land.

But we find here,

Asa sparks a revival

because, you know,

the one thing we understand

that the closer you get to God,

the clearer sin becomes.

And not just the sin of somebody else,

but your own.

Because it reveals our heart

when we draw close to God.

It reveals who we are

and who he is.

And so I think as Asa drew close to the Lord,

it impacted him, you know.

He understood that if he was going to be able

to deal with what was outside,

he had to deal with what was inside.

He had to deal with what was inside himself first.

Have you ever noticed

it's a lot easier to point out

somebody else's sin?

You know?

Have you ever noticed

that it's a lot easier

to point at somebody else's?

And look at them.

But it's a big difference

when we have to reflect upon ourself,

isn't it?

To understand,

who am I

before God?

What's my responsibility?

You know,

take a look at,

we'll look at a little application here.

Go over to Colossians chapter 3

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

for a moment.

Colossians chapter 3.

Colossians 3 · chapter mention

Because as a believer,

now I want you to understand

that you're going to find things

operated a different way,

some in the Old Testament

than it does today.

Because we are under the age of grace,

there's a little,

some different things that happen.

And as we're going to go through this,

you're going to see this come about.

Because I want you to remember

in the Old Testament,

the Spirit of God

would come and go off of people.

The Spirit of God

would come

and be upon somebody

and then the Spirit of God

could depart.

In our age,

what does God promise?

He says,

the Spirit is the earnest

of our salvation.

He says,

I will never leave thee,

nor what?

Forsake thee.

He says,

I am with you always,

even unto the end of the earth.

You know,

we live in a blessed generation

when it comes to even

our relationship with God.

That we have the Spirit of God

that indwells the believer.

Notice here in Colossians,

in chapter 3,

look at verse 1,

it says,

If ye then be risen with Christ,

seek those things which are above,

where Christ sitteth

on the right hand of God.

Set your affections

on the things above,

not the things of earth,

for ye are dead,

and your life is hid

with Christ in God.

When Christ,

who is our life,

shall appear,

then shall ye also

appear with him in glory.

You know,

look down at verse 8,

it says,

But now ye also

put off these things,

anger,

malice,

wrath,

malice,

blasphemy,

filthy communication

out of your mouth.

Lie not one to another,

saying that ye have put off

the old man with his deeds,

and have put on the new man

which is renewed in knowledge

after the image of him

that created him.

In other words,

how do we grow closer

to Christ even today?

It's by knowing

the Word of God.

To know what God has

and what he would have for us.

And Asa had a desire

to keep the law,

not in part,

but in whole.

Just as David did.

You know,

look up to 1 Kings.

1 Kings chapter 15.

1 Kings 15 · chapter mention

See,

if you had your little ribbon there,

or something,

note card,

you can find it quick,

see?

Look down at verse 11.

It says,

And Asa did that

which was right

in the eyes of the Lord

as David his father.

we see here

something very important here.

We see that he took it personally.

Just as David did.

Did David take his relationship

with God personally?

I mean,

I don't think you can read

through the things

that David wrote

and not say that God

didn't take his relationship

with God personally.

You know,

it was a personal

communication with God.

He wanted to restore

the joy of his salvation

even after he sinned.

That was his desire.

God,

take this away.

Restore that relationship.

Restore that connection

that we had.

But he did that

which was right

in the eyes of the Lord.

And we find here

that he took away

the idol worship

that had plagued

the kingdom

from his grandfather

Solomon on.

And what he had brought in

in the second part

we're going to see here

is Asa first took it personally

but then he took

a responsibility publicly.

There was a public

responsibility

that he did

that was even

partially personal.

Look back over

in 2 Chronicles chapter 14.

2 Chronicles 14 · chapter mention

2 Chronicles chapter 14.

2 Chronicles 14 · chapter mention

And we find down here

as we continue reading

in here in 2 Chronicles 14

down in verse 3

notice what he did

what his action was.

It says he took away

the altars

of the strange gods

in the high places

and break down the images

and cut down the groves.

You know his father

Abijah promoted

keeping the temple sacrifices

but where his problem was

is that was just

a religious function.

He also said

hey if you want to do

something else

go do it.

He allowed all the other

sacrifices to take place

all the other abominations

that we're going to see

here tonight

you know we understand

that his father

had promoted

you know this dual idea

it was not a personal

obligation towards God

which is what we're going

to find Asa

puts forth

and not allow

co-worship with false gods.

He says

you have to choose

who you're going to worship.

But he says

under my leadership

we're not going to allow

these things to be here

because it's

his responsibility.

What direction

is the nation going to go?

It was upon him

to make that decision

and we're going to find here

it starts not only

with him personally

but it starts in his household.

Because he does something here

that would probably

be pretty tough to do.

His first order of business

was going to remove

the idols

that officially sanctioned sin.

Abijah

his father

had allowed those things

to take place

he had not removed them

because of

Asa's grandmother.

His grandmother

was an open worshiper

of Ashtaroth.

Matter of fact

we're going to find here

that she made her own idol

that she worshipped.

In other words

it wasn't even incognito

it was blatantly public.

Everybody could see it.

He removed those things

and we're going to look at this

here in a little bit

but Asa

did so

and he's rising

to the occasion

because God

had first

moved within him

that he wanted to do right

in the eyes of the Lord

and he removed

and destroyed the idols

and removed

even the idols

his father had made.

He cleansed his household

from the false worship

and the things

that they had worshipped.

You know

look over in 1 Kings chapter 15

1 Kings 15 · chapter mention

and you'll find there

look down at verse 12

we'll get back

to the first part

of verse 12

a little later

but I want you to see

this note

of his household

because notice

what it says

in verse 12

he took away

the sodomites

out of the land

and removed

all the idols

that what

his father

had done what?

Made.

Remember his father

was trying to blend

all the worship together

no matter what you worship

you come together

you know

we see a lot of that spirit

today do don't we?

We can all get along

just worship

what you want to worship

the problem is

it doesn't work that way

a society doesn't

function that way

and we're going to see this

he removed his father's idols

but also his grandmother's idols

you know

that's stepping it up a notch

isn't it?

Because we're going to find here

what he did

you know

we find here

that he removed

those things

he removed the

high places

that were before him

and we're going to see here

as we look through here

in this passage

that

let's see here

put a note in here

that I wanted

see if that's

yep

over to

1 Kings

back to 1 Kings

1 Kings 15 · chapter mention

chapter 15

yep

verse 13

and also

Micaiah and his mother

which you remember

this is

his grandmother

remember we talked about

that last time

about how they

marked generations here

it was his

father's mother

and even her

he removed

from being queen

because she made

an idol in a grove

and Asa destroyed

her idol

and burnt it

by the brook

Kidron

now

this is important

to see what's

happening here

he takes and puts

that away

he took that

responsibility

very seriously

of what he would

God would have

for him

and he took that

responsibility out

even under the

public square

because we find

in 2nd Chronicles

14

in verse 5

he said

he also took away

out of this

all the cities of Judah

the high places

and the images

and the kingdom

was quiet

before him

remember it said

at the beginning

that he had

10 years of quiet

now we find out

why that peace

was in the kingdom

it's attached

to the decisions

that Asa made

the things that

Asa made

made a decision

why?

because he had

the authority

from his position

to make those

but he was

following God

first

and trusting

God in those

things

and he took

out from the

cities

the places

that drew

people away

from God

you know

he took away

out of all

the cities

of Judah

the high places

and images

what did he do?

he says

hey the things

that are going

to take people

away from God

I'm going to

take away

from them

I'm going to

destroy them

I'm going to

put them away

that we might

worship

and focus

upon God

the one

that we ought

to

he encouraged

others to

do so

and it was

not just

a superficial

change

but a personal

change

that was

needed

notice back

in 2nd

chronicles

chapter 14

look at the

verse before

that in

verse 4

he says

this

he commanded

Judah to

seek the

Lord God

of their

fathers

and to

do the

law

and the

commandments

remember

if you're

going to

find God

what do

you got to

do some

seeking

if you

don't want

to avoid

evil

you need

to seek

the Lord

that was

very clear

with Rehoboam

wasn't it

they did

evil in the

eyes of the

Lord

because he

didn't

seek

God

first

but what

does

Asa do

he understands

that he

cannot make

somebody else

worship God

but he

said he

commanded

them to

seek God

to be

aware of

who God

is and

what God

has done

and why

God is

doing it

because you

cannot make

somebody

become a

Christian

the same

is true

here

you can't

force somebody

to worship

something

you can

make them

go through

the actions

you know

and some

people go

through the

actions

well this

just makes

life easier

this makes

life simpler

if I just

walk through

and kind

of blend

in and

move with

the crowd

of whatever

direction

it's going

we need to

realize we

have to take

a stand

for what's

right and

to do

what's

right

you know

it's easy

to fall

into the

idea of

well if I

just go

with the

crowd I

can kind

of do

and nobody

really notices

but God

tells us

that we

ought to

take a

stand

just as

Asa did

and he

did this

very clearly

it was just

not a

superficial

change

but a

personal

change

that was

needed

in the

people

now we're

going to

talk just a

little bit

about

something here

because

Asa

made some

decisions

here in this

passage that I

know some

will come up

with

look in

1st Kings

chapter 15

and verse 14

what I'd

encourage you

to do

as we go

through this

I encourage

you to

read through

1st Kings

and read

through

Chronicles

there

and just

kind of

before we

talk about

it because

you'll probably

have some

questions

because it's

interesting

it says he

removed all

the high

places out

of the

cities

now look

down here

in verse

14

it says

but the

high places

were not

removed

you know

some people

oh

oh

the Bible

I want you

to understand

the difference

here

it says he

removed them

out of the

cities

but in

the

countryside

they were

still

present

and you

say why

did he

not remove

the ones

from the

countryside

because notice

the next

phrase there

of what it

says

and it says

nevertheless

Asa's heart

was perfect

with the

Lord all

his days

in other

words he

had sought

the Lord

and his

heart was

at peace

with God

but yet

he still

allowed

the high

places

to be

out in

the areas

around

the cities

good question

you know

what the good

thing is

the Bible

gives us

an answer

why those

things

why would

Asa

allow them

well this

is where

sometimes

tradition

and what

others have

done before

you can

get you

in trouble

because he

was following

and allowing

something that

had been a

tradition

turn over to

first kings

1 Kings 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

for a moment

because sometimes

people do

something and

have a make

a tradition

or make a

practice out

of something

that may be

practical for

the time of

where they

are or

what's happening

but it's not

a command of

God

and sometimes

we find

that what

we're doing

even in a

tradition

needs to

change

because it

doesn't line

up with the

word of

God

but why

would

Asa say

okay we're

going to leave

them in the

far reaches

of my

kingdom

and still

have his

right

it says

nevertheless

his heart

was perfect

before God

all his

days

how could

those two

things be

functioning

look what

happens here

in first

kings chapter

three what

happened

earlier

says only

the people

sacrificed in

high places

because there

was no house

built under

the name of

the Lord

unto those

days

in other

words what

were the

people doing

there was the

temple had

not been

established

in other

words this

practice began

sometimes this

while practices

begin well

intended in

other words a

place set aside

to sacrifice

or to give

praise unto

God or to

focus upon

God but

what had

happened is

people instead

of keeping it

just to focus

upon God

they started to

do the same

thing all the

other people

did why they

go to the

high places

to do this

because that's

what the

people in

the land

did now I

want you to

understand as

you see this

you're going to

find that God

didn't necessarily

have a problem

it's what the

people did with

it was the

problem but

Asa I believe

allowed this

because this is

what had been

a tradition

because notice

verse 3

it says

and Solomon

loved the

Lord walking

in the

statutes of

David his

father only

he sacrificed

and burnt

incense in

the high

places

Solomon had

a practice

of going

out to

the high

places upon

the hilltops

and giving

honor to

God at the

beginning of

his kingdom

before the

temple was

built because

remember David

never built

the temple

remember God

told him that

Solomon was going

to do it

and it

didn't just

have a

prefab

you know

they didn't

just move

it in one

day

you know

it took

years and

time processed

and so they

had a tradition

that they were

doing and I

think Asa left

those because he

wanted the people

to have a place

to do that

because of

tradition which

we get caught

up into pretty

easy don't we

but you know

what the problem

was is that he

left it for good

intention and

people would

continue to use

it for the wrong

thing use it to

worship the

false gods

look over to

Psalm 78 for a

moment because I

want you to

understand it's

not wrong to

worship God and

you can worship

God any place

I mean after all

everything every

place here is his

he's there he's

present but we

need to understand

God also gives us

direction for

purpose because not

for his sake but

for ours because

notice what

happened look down

verse 57 in Psalm

78 it says but

turned back and

dealt unfaithfully like

their fathers they

were turned aside

like a deceitful

bow and they

provoked him to

anger with their

high places and

moved him to

jealousy with their

graven images when

God heard this he

was wroth and

greatly abhorred

Israel in other

words they took

something that was

a tradition that

somebody did in

honor of God and

took it and

superficially

placed it as a

higher priority or

higher substance and

then they started

blending other

things in with it

we can very easily

do the same thing

that's the reason we

always have to go

back and filter things

through the word of

God are those things

lining up with what

scripture says or has

it began good and

migrated because you

know as people we

have a tendency to

migrate off the

chart don't we kind of

go go astray just as

the children of Israel we

can take something that

was intended for good but

outside the parameters of

God's instructions can

cause yourself or

others to sin we have

to keep it within the

confines of what God

has instructed and what

God has given us in God's

parameters in those

things and so as we

understand this he

brought he's going to

we're going to see how

Asa continues to bring

those things and to put

those things together in

his kingdom as we're

going to continue on

here because we're out

of time here tonight

you're going to get to I

get a five minute

reprieve so I get five

more extra minutes on

Sunday you know when

that'd be nice you know

preacher gets to bank

his time you know I

yield back but we're

going to pick up here

in Asa's life but I

want you to understand

that our time and our

purpose and our

connection with God needs

to be personal it can't

be abstract if something

you got from somebody

else it needs to be

yours in serving the

Lord let's pray

heavenly fathers we

come before you tonight

Lord we just thank you