Jesus the King - 1 Kings 22v41-53

We, the people of Ireland, have had our say.

Local councillors and members of the European Parliament

have been elected.

A few more to go, but certainly some have already got their seats.

What can we expect?

What difference do you think they're going to make?

Well, if they keep their promises,

we are going to see greater local investment,

more jobs, better facilities,

new markets for trade and exports,

renewable energy,

protection of our sovereignty and neutrality,

parents first, children first,

equality and diversity.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

Well, at the risk of sounding pessimistic,

I don't think they're going to make much difference at all.

Now, don't get me wrong.

I voted, and I'm encouraged that we should vote,

and I think they will do good work.

But will they make much difference?

You see, in another few years,

we're going to be complaining that we need new leaders

who will deliver.

And there will be many who will offer to take their place.

And in a year's time,

there will be the same problems and new problems.

Well, I wonder if that sounds familiar to you.

Well, 1 Kings is a history of old kings being replaced by new kings.

From David to Solomon,

Rehoboam to Jeroboam,

Abijah and Bashar and Nadab and Ahab.

With every new king that has come,

the anticipation and the expectation has been

that things will get better.

There's a longing for something that is different.

Someone who can deliver on their promises.

Well, two big things we're going to see from our text this morning.

Here's the first.

New kings, same story.

The sad history of 1 Kings is that things get worse

rather than get better.

The once united kingdom is divided.

Instead of peace, there's war.

Instead of prosperity, there's a decline.

Not only do the kings repeat the same mistakes,

they begin to make new ones.

And we see all of this in our text.

First, let's look at Jehoshaphat,

king of Judah, king of the southern kingdom.

Verses 41 to 50 are a summary of his life.

Now, there's lots of good things that we see in his life.

Let's pick it up in verse 41.

Jehoshaphat, son of Asa,

became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab, king of Israel.

Jehoshaphat was 35 years old when he became king,

and he reigned in Jerusalem for 25 years.

So he certainly brought stability to the nation.

His mother's name was Azuba, daughter of Shili.

In everything he followed the ways of his father Asa,

and did not stray from them.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

I wonder if you remember his father, king Asa.

In chapter 15, we're told that Asa's heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life.

Asa was a good king.

And now Jehoshaphat, his son, is following in the father's ways.

In fact, his royal record proves it.

Look at verse 45.

As for all the other events of Jehoshaphat's reign,

the things he achieved, his military exploits,

are they not written in the book of the annals of the king of Judah?

He won lots of battles.

He did good things.

And he's concerned that people love God and worship God.

In verse 46, he rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes

who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa.

So these were shrines where prostitutes would have been,

and part of all that carried on was in some ways to enhance

or to bring fertility to the land for the rains to come and so forth.

But his father had left some of them behind.

And it's like, well, Jehoshaphat has done one better than his father.

He's got rid of them.

Loyalty, obedience, and a desire to keep the covenant

was a deep concern for him.

He's a good king.

But he's not good enough.

You see, Jehoshaphat overlooks sin in his life.

Let's pick it up again in verse 43.

Just the end of verse 43.

Asa did not stray from them.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.

The high places, however, were not removed.

And the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

The high places were pagan sites of worship.

It's not what God wants.

But the thinking was, well, at least it's not Baal worship.

It could have been worse.

And maybe it could have been worse.

But they still should have been removed.

Jerry Bridges, you will know him as an author,

wrote a book called Respectable Sins.

It highlights the sins that we think are acceptable.

The ones that we think are not too serious.

Things like anxiety and frustration.

Impatience and irritability.

Judgmentalism and unthankfulness.

Do you recognize any of those?

We put up with things like that, don't we?

We just say, well, that's just my personality.

It's the way I function.

And rather than deal with them and remove them,

we keep them.

Okay, it's not what God wants in my life,

but at least it's not Baal worship.

My life could be a whole lot worse.

At least I'm not getting drunk and having an affair.

Like Jehoshaphat.

We overlook our respectable sins.

And we point at the more serious ones and say,

well, at least I'm not like that.

Rather than remove them,

we hang on to them.

Well, he didn't just overlook sin.

He entertained sin.

Verse 44.

Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel.

Sounds good, doesn't it?

Building bridges with your neighbour,

keeping in with those who are close by.

But not all is as it seems.

Look down at verse 48.

Now, Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships

to go to Ophir for gold.

Ophir was way down south,

right down to the Red Sea,

and there was a port,

and there he got his fleet of ships

ready to sail across the Red Sea

to go looking for gold.

But they never set sail.

They were wrecked at the port of Ezion-Geber.

At the time,

Ahaziah, son of Ahab,

said to Jehoshaphat,

let my men sail with yours.

But Jehoshaphat refused.

What's all that about?

A bit of a strange kind of detail there

about building ships

that all got smashed up in a port.

Well, it seems Jehoshaphat

should not have been palling up

with the king of Israel

who had no time for God.

If you keep your finger there

in One Kings and just go forwards

past 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles

to 2 Chronicles chapter 20.

2 Chronicles 20 · chapter mention

So keep going, 2 Kings,

1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles chapter 20

2 Chronicles 20 · chapter mention

and verse 35.

We are given a little bit of detail

that helps us understand

what was going on.

2 Chronicles chapter 20

2 Chronicles 20:35

verse 35.

Later, Jehoshaphat, king of Judah,

made an alliance with Ahaziah,

king of Israel,

whose ways were wicked.

He agreed with him

to construct a fleet of trading ships.

After these were built

at Ezion-Geber,

Eliezer, son of Dodavahu,

of Merahesha,

prophesied against Jehoshaphat,

saying,

Because you have made an alliance

with Ahaziah,

the Lord will destroy

what you have made.

The ships were wrecked

and were not able

to set sail to trade.

back to 1 Kings.

You see,

he shouldn't have been

piling up

with a wicked king.

Not only was he

overlooking sin

in his own life,

he was beginning

to entertain it

and absorb it

into his own life.

Not only ignoring it,

but intentionally

desiring it.

Now,

isn't that a picture

of our life?

We choose

to do things

and watch things

and say things

that we know are wrong.

We know what God's word says,

but because we like it,

we indulge our desires.

Or am I the only one

like that?

Well,

maybe Jehoshaphat's son

would learn from his father.

Jehoshaphat was good,

but not good enough.

Maybe his son,

verse 50,

would do a little bit better.

1 Kings 22,

1 Kings 22:50

verse 50,

Then Jehoshaphat

rested with his ancestors

and was buried with them

in the city of David,

his father.

And Jehoram,

his son,

succeeded him as king.

Surely he's going to do better.

A change in leadership

is always good,

isn't it?

Well,

just have a flick

through to

2 Kings 8,

2 Kings 8:18

verse 18.

2 Kings 8,

2 Kings 8:18

verse 18,

we give

a little insight

into Jehoram.

2 Kings 8,

2 Kings 8:18

verse 18,

He,

that's Jehoram,

followed the ways

of the kings of Israel

as the house of Ahab

had done,

for he married

a daughter of Ahab.

He did evil

in the eyes

of the Lord.

new king,

same old story.

Well,

let's look now

at Ahaziah,

king of Israel,

in the northern kingdom.

Let's see what he was like.

back to 1 Kings 22,

1 Kings 22:51

verse 51.

Ahaziah,

son of Ahab,

became king of Israel

in Samaria

in the 17th year

of Jehoshaphat,

king of Judah,

and he reigned

over Israel

for

two years.

Ahab,

he did evil

in the eyes

of the Lord.

Ahab,

whom we've been

looking at

recently,

was infamous

for holding

the title

of being

the most evil king,

and he wore

that title

proudly.

Chapter 16

tells us

that there was

never anyone

like Ahab

who sold himself

to do evil

in the eyes

of the Lord,

urged on

by his wife

Jezebel.

But it seems

now that his son

Ahaziah

wants the title

for himself.

Let's read

verse 52 again.

He did evil

in the eyes

of the Lord

because

he followed

the ways

of his father

Ahab

and his mother

Jezebel

and of Jeroboam,

son of Nebat,

who had caused

Israel

to sin.

This is evil

tripled.

It's the evil

of Ahab

who had

encouraged

Baal worship,

added to that

the evil

of Jezebel

who killed

prophets

for a hobby,

and it's the evil

of Jeroboam

who had split

the kingdom

in the first place

and introduced

idolatry

to the nation.

You see,

when we think

that evil

has reached

its climax

in the case

of Ahab,

well,

it's only

just the beginning.

Things

only get

worse.

A few years

ago,

we went

to Dachau.

It was the

first concentration

camp set up

by the Nazis.

It was to

become a model

for others

like Auschwitz

and Belsen.

And in the

main courtyard,

as we walked

around,

is this memorial

to those

who were murdered

in the camps.

It's a large

bronze sculpture

of skeleton-like

figures

who are caught

up in barbed

wire.

And at one

end of the

memorial is a

plaque

with just

two words

written in

Hebrew,

French,

German,

Russian,

and English.

And the

two words

simply say

this,

never

again.

Never

again

will there

be such

evil

done by

man.

The problem

is,

it continues

to happen

again

all the

time.

Since the

liberation of

those concentration

camps,

Pol Pot

saw the

slaughter of

1.7

million

Cambodians,

Pakistan

has overseen

the murder

of over a

million in

Bangladesh,

raping close

to half a

million women

on the

way.

In Rwanda,

in just

100 days,

Hutu and

Tutsi tribes

bludgeoned and

slashed each

other to

death,

1 million

dead in

100 days.

and there

is the

hundreds and

thousands who

are bombed to

bloody pieces

in Bosnia,

East Timor,

Darfur,

Iraq,

and in

Yemen.

Never

again we

say,

never

again.

When we

think evil

has reached

its climax,

it's only

just the

beginning.

And so

today,

our wonderful

country,

Ireland,

boasts one

of the most

liberal abortion

laws that

has ever

come into

being.

Things are

only getting

worse.

Yes,

justice will

be done.

Verse 53,

we're told

that Ahaziah

served and

worshipped

Baal,

and because of

that he aroused

the anger

of the

Lord,

the God

of Israel,

just as

his father

had done.

God's

righteous,

controlled

anger at

such horrible

evil will

mean justice

will be

done.

Judgment

will fall.

fall.

But in

the meantime,

evil only

increases.

You see,

whether it's

Ahaziah or

Jehoshaphat,

both are

failed kings.

It doesn't

matter if it's

outright rebellion

or just

passive rejection.

New king,

it's the

same old

story.

And let's

not forget,

this is

our story.

You and

I are

really no

better.

We might

point the

finger at

all the

evil in

the world,

but the

problem is,

we are

simply not

good enough.

Each new

generation

adds to

the decline.

Left to

ourselves,

we spiral

out of

control.

And let's

not kid

ourselves and

think that,

well,

if I were

king,

then things

would be

different.

That's what

Adam and

Eve said.

If I'm

king,

then this

world would

be different.

The history

of mankind

is a

catalogue

of terrible

failure.

So,

new

kings,

same

story.

The second

big thing

we want

to look

at is

new

king,

different

story.

First

kings may

be history,

but it

is history

with a

purpose.

You see,

the kings

may fail,

but God

remains

faithful.

The

consistent

message

throughout

the book

is that

God

will not

fail.

He will

see to it

that his

promises

are fulfilled.

God

will not

be

promised.

Well,

remember

what Solomon

had prayed

to the

Lord.

I have

it here

on the

screen.

It's

back in

chapter

8.

This

is what

Solomon

prayed.

Lord,

the God

of Israel,

there is

no God

like you

in heaven

above or

on earth

below.

You

who keep

your covenant

of love

with your

servants,

who continue

wholeheartedly

in your

way.

Now,

Lord,

the God

of Israel,

keep your

servant

David,

my father,

the promises

you made

to him

when you

said,

you shall

never fail

to have a

successor

to sit

before me

on the

throne of

Israel,

if only

your

descendants

are careful

in all

they do

to walk

before me

faithfully

as you

have done.

And now,

God of

Israel,

let your

word that

you promised

your servant

David,

my father,

come true.

Well,

we've read

and we've

looked at

the story.

The king's

kept failing,

but God

has kept

his promise

that he

would always

have a

king,

and he

would provide

a true

and faithful

king who

creates a

different story

for us

to live.

Matthew records

for us

the coming

of that

king.

I want us

to look

together to

Matthew's

gospel,

chapter 9.

Matthew's

gospel,

chapter 9.

chapter 9.

Of course,

Matthew,

Matthew 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1,

opens by

telling us

the genealogy

of Jesus,

the Messiah,

the son

of David.

He was

God's

chosen

king.

So,

Matthew,

Matthew 9:35

chapter 9,

verse

35.

And as

we look

at these

few verses

together,

there's

three things

that I

want us

to see.

As we

look at

this new

king who

brings a

different

story.

First,

a king

who brings

good news.

Look at

verse 35.

Jesus went

through all

the towns

and villages,

teaching in

their synagogues,

proclaiming

the good

news of

the kingdom

and healing

every disease

and illness.

Jesus came

as God's

promised king,

proclaiming a

message,

announcing,

proclaiming

that I am

God's king,

the one with

absolute power

and supreme

authority.

I am the

one who is

going to

bring about

a glorious

new rule

in people's

lives,

going to

establish a

kingdom

where there

is peace

and where

justice

reigns,

where there

is forgiveness

and where

hope is

offered,

a kingdom

where lives

are renewed

and restored.

I am the

king.

I am the

one who has

come to

establish

God's

promised

kingdom.

What you

are longing

for,

the fresh

start,

the better

future,

is all

fulfilled in

me,

says Jesus.

And Jesus

proved it

all by what

he did.

End of

verse 35,

he went

about healing

every disease

and illness,

restoring

and renewing.

A king

who comes

to bring

good news

because this

world is

desperately

needing

good news.

Second,

the good

news of

a king

who shepherds

his people.

Verse 36,

when Jesus

saw the

crowds,

he had

compassion

on them

because they

were harassed

and helpless

like sheep

without a

shepherd.

You see,

the kings

were also

known as

shepherds.

That was

what God

called them.

He said,

you are to

shepherd my

people.

But the

kings and

every leader

since has

not shepherded

the way God

has called

them to be.

And so

Jesus comes

as the

true shepherd

because sheep

are stupid

animals.

They don't

know the

right way

from the

wrong way.

They don't

even know

when they're

in danger.

They wander

off.

They cannot

even see

where they're

going.

And that's

the picture

that Jesus

paints of

people as

he looked

out on

the crowds

of people.

People just

like you

and me

and saw

them as

harassed

and helpless.

Jesus saw

lives broken

and ruined

by sinful

behaviours

and selfish

choices.

He saw

how helpless

people were

heading towards

hell not

even knowing

the danger

that they

were in.

And just

like sheep

need a

shepherd to

lead and

direct them

and show

them a way

to safety

so we need

a shepherd

king who

will lead

us and

bring us

to safety.

And that's

what the

shepherd Jesus

did.

He had

compassion.

he was

moved in

deep love

and he

did something

about it.

He gave

his life

on the

cross

taking all

our failures.

He rose

again from

the grave

defeating

death for

us.

And he

calls us

now and

says follow

me.

Submit

to me.

Surrender

to me.

Come and

live under

my rule

and my

authority.

For I

am good

and what

I give

to you

is only

right and

what is

best for

you.

Jesus

is the

true

shepherd

king who

comes to

bring good

news to

a world

and a

people who

are harassed

and helpless.

A king

that we

can trust

with our

lives.

A king

who will

do what

is right

and best.

But the

story doesn't

finish there

because this

is a king

who sends

out workers.

Verse 37

Then he

said to his

disciples,

the harvest

is plentiful

but the

workers

are few.

Let those

words settle.

he said

to his

disciples,

the harvest

is plentiful

but the

workers

are few.

I wonder

how you

see the

community

of

Carragaline

when you

drive up

and down

the street

you do

your

shopping

or how

you see

the people

of Ireland

people you

work with

people who

live next

door to

you.

Well

Jesus said

they're like

sheep,

they're harassed

and helpless.

They're wandering,

they're in

danger.

But you

see what he

also says?

He says

they're like

a harvest.

A harvest

that is

plentiful.

They are

ripe and

ready for

harvest.

The people

around us

Jesus says

it's not

my perspective

it's his

perspective.

these sheep

that are

wandering

around

following

false

promises

and living

according to

their own

desires

they are

waiting

and longing

for someone

to tell

them a

true

and better

story.

A story

of a shepherd

king

who gives

them life.

A king

who will

not overlook

evil

but will

punish it.

a king

who will

forgive

and welcome

them into

his eternal

kingdom.

That's what

Jesus sees.

But there's

a problem.

The harvest

is plentiful

but the

workers are

few.

Now I

know

that you

serve well.

I know

your stories.

I know

what we do

together as a

church.

Don't get me

wrong this is

not a stick

that I'm

going to

take out

and beat

us with

and say

serve more

do more

work harder.

you do

serve.

But here's

the challenge.

There is a

need I

believe for

more evangelists

more

church

planters

and more

pastors

in the

nation of

Ireland.

Ireland

has the

lowest

number of

believers

in all

the

English

speaking

countries

in the

world.

He is

calling us

to say

I am

looking for

people

who will

make

radical

life

changing

decisions

to work

for me.

Well you

sit there

and you

go well

I'm a

little bit

old and

I can't

really do

that sort

of thing.

yes you

can.

Well I'm

just starting

out in

life and

well I've

got to get

my exams

and I've

got to get

my career.

Well yes

you may

do but

there are

other

paths.

You say

well I'm

not trained

I couldn't

do this

sort of

thing.

I couldn't

be a

church

planter.

I can't

be a

pastor.

Well we

can give

you training.

no problem

there.

Yes it

may mean

that you

have to

move

house.

It may

mean a

little less

secure

income.

It will

mean

hardship

and struggle.

But Jesus

is looking

out on

the nation

of Ireland

and upon

the peoples

of the

world and

he sees

sheep

harassed and

helpless but

he says

they're ripe

they're ready

for the

harvest.

All it

needs is

for people

who will

go and

tell them

the better

story of a

shepherd king

who comes

to give

life.

How is

this going

to happen?

Well look

verse 38

ask the

Lord of

the harvest

therefore

to send

out workers

into his

harvest

field.

We're going

to pray.

We're going

to pray that

prayer right

now.

And I

invite you

where you

are

to pray

that the

Lord would

raise up

people from

within this

church.

Sunday

school's

going on.

Pray for

those children

that some

will become

evangelists,

church

planters,

pastors,

will go to

other nations

where the

gospel is

not known.

It may

mean you

don't see

them as

parents.

It may

mean that

you don't

see them

for many

years.

It may

mean they

even lose

their life.

let's

pray.

Father,

we thank

you

for

people

you sent

to us

to bring

the good

news of

the shepherd

king.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.