1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:03,560 Second Kings chapter 14. And I know that our brother 2 00:00:03,560 --> 00:00:06,000 beautifully prayed, but I would love for us to pray once more 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:08,920 before we unpack this precious text together. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,640 Lord, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts that you've 5 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,480 allowed us to gather on this evening to seek your face in 6 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,440 your word. And Lord, we know that this word 7 00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:22,480 carries so much power. And so we do pray that you would 8 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:25,200 sustain the weary heart through your word. 9 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,560 And we ask, O God of peace, the one who brought again from the 10 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:33,520 dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, that you 11 00:00:33,520 --> 00:00:36,840 would equip us with everything that is good, that we may do 12 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:41,200 your will, that which is pleasing in your sight, through 13 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:45,440 Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory forever and ever. 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:49,880 Amen. This Bible study tonight will 15 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:54,560 focus on one main thing. We will be looking at a 16 00:00:54,560 --> 00:01:00,000 particular man who had so much potential, who had incredible 17 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:05,600 opportunities in his lifetime to bring glory to God, but was 18 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:09,800 unfortunately ruined because of his pride. 19 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:15,200 There are many things that the Scripture tells us that can lead 20 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:20,480 someone to becoming proud. There is physical beauty. 21 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:26,280 There is one's ethnic heritage. There is the accumulation of 22 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,120 wealth, there is the accumulation of knowledge and 23 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:35,760 many areas, including spiritual truths that can inflate the 24 00:01:35,760 --> 00:01:38,640 heart and cause and create self adulation. 25 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:42,000 But if there is one more category that we can add to 26 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:46,760 these familiar pitfalls concerning pride, it is the 27 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:52,200 wrong response to our success. And I'm not speaking primarily 28 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,560 about financial success. Any achievement, whether it's 29 00:01:56,560 --> 00:02:02,000 sudden or gradual, that feeds our egos and causes us to feel a 30 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,360 sense of superiority. And this success, which is 31 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:13,560 something most of us strive for in our unique context, led to 32 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:19,520 the undoing of a man who was a king named Amaziah. 33 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,320 And this is going to be our case study tonight. 34 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:30,200 Amaziah is going to help us because when we are introduced 35 00:02:30,200 --> 00:02:33,160 to him, we don't find a blatant idolater. 36 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:35,600 We don't find a man who is committed to despicable 37 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:37,240 practices. No, no, no, no, no. 38 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:41,920 The first few verses actually present him as a decent man, a 39 00:02:41,920 --> 00:02:47,040 good man in fact. And we should take the time to 40 00:02:47,520 --> 00:02:50,640 identify some of these noble characteristics, because I'm 41 00:02:50,640 --> 00:02:53,840 persuaded that doing so will reinforce the sobering truth 42 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,560 that any of us can be infected with pride. 43 00:03:00,920 --> 00:03:02,680 There is not one person in this room. 44 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:06,880 There is not one person in this world, for that matter, who is 45 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:15,560 naturally immune to pride. It is a parasite always ready to 46 00:03:15,560 --> 00:03:21,480 latch on the heart and suck the life out of it to our own 47 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,040 destruction. So the Bible says much about 48 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:30,040 pride and we have a real life example of how it destroyed a 49 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:34,920 man again who had so much promise to do the will of God 50 00:03:34,920 --> 00:03:38,320 and bring him much praise. And so let's begin here by 51 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:45,320 looking at the 1st 4 verses. In the second year of Joash the 52 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:50,800 son of Joy as King of Israel and Messiah, the son of Joash, King 53 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:54,920 of Judah, began to reign. He was 25 years old when he 54 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:59,360 began to reign, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem. 55 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,200 His mother's name was Johadan of Jerusalem. 56 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,880 And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 57 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:12,600 Yet not like David his father, he did in all things as Joash 58 00:04:12,600 --> 00:04:16,680 his father had done. But the high places were not 59 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,959 removed. The people still sacrifice and 60 00:04:18,959 --> 00:04:22,840 made offerings on the high places. 61 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,360 So let me remind you what we're doing here with the first few 62 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:28,960 verses of this chapter. We're looking at specific 63 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:32,360 characteristics that are praiseworthy in a Messiah. 64 00:04:32,840 --> 00:04:35,480 And the reason why we're doing this is so that by the end of 65 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:39,920 it, we can realize that if a man like this can become proud, who 66 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,320 am I to think that it it can never tempt me? 67 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:46,000 Who am I to think that it's not a potential problem for me? 68 00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:49,480 And the first thing to note here from these first 4 verses is 69 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:56,080 that a Messiah was a man who had genuine concern for the House of 70 00:04:56,080 --> 00:05:00,320 God. Look here again, we're told here 71 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:03,440 in verse three that I am Isaiah. He did what was right in the 72 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,320 eyes of the Lord. However, he was not like King 73 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,160 David. David was a consistent standard 74 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,760 in the Book of Kings for other kings to measure up to. 75 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:17,800 Why is that? Because the Bible testifies that 76 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:20,960 David was a man after God's own heart. 77 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:26,720 Imperfect, yes, but the direction of his heart was 78 00:05:26,720 --> 00:05:31,200 something to strive after. And in Acts 1322, you don't have 79 00:05:31,200 --> 00:05:33,360 to turn there. But we're told what qualifies a 80 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:35,960 man or a woman who is after God's own heart. 81 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:41,000 And it is this that they do all that God has revealed concerning 82 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,080 His will. Not necessarily that they 83 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:48,720 perform it perfectly, but they long to achieve all that God has 84 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,560 revealed concerning what pleases Him. 85 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:53,440 And that could not be said of a Messiah. 86 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,760 However, He was not a flagrant Sinner. 87 00:05:58,760 --> 00:06:01,480 He was not somebody who was out there creating havoc. 88 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,960 No, we're told here that He did what was right in the eyes of 89 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,520 the Lord. And there is a particular part 90 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:11,800 that tells us how He walked and pleasing God. 91 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:14,960 Look again at verse three. He did in all things as Joash's 92 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:19,480 father had done. Hopefully you remember who Joash 93 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:20,760 was. I know there's a lot of names 94 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,040 with the letter J here in in the Book of Kings a couple of 95 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:28,920 chapters ago, we studied how Joash was spared from this 96 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:31,520 bloody massacre that targeted his family. 97 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,920 There was a priest and his wife who rescued him as an infant. 98 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,560 Do you remember this? And he was kept in the temple of 99 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,320 the Lord. At the ripe age of seven, he was 100 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:44,520 made king in the Kingdom of Judah, and when he got a little 101 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:48,800 bit older, he took on the passionate role of revitalizing 102 00:06:49,800 --> 00:06:53,040 the temple in Jerusalem that was desecrated for so long. 103 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:58,720 That's who Joash is. And this concern that he had for 104 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:01,920 the House of God was a badge of honor that he was recognized 105 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:04,080 for. And when we come down to chapter 106 00:07:04,080 --> 00:07:07,920 14 and realize that his Son did the things that his Father did, 107 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:10,560 then we can assume that he shared in a similar conviction 108 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,920 that he actually had a heart for the House of God. 109 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:18,840 Now, if that's true, then we have our first lesson about 110 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:25,640 pride, that it's possible to be preoccupied with God's house, to 111 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,080 contribute to corporate worship, to be invested in many 112 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:33,760 ministries, and still allow pride to gain a foothold. 113 00:07:34,760 --> 00:07:38,320 Listen very carefully. Spiritual activity does not 114 00:07:38,320 --> 00:07:42,560 shield you from pride. Fact, if you're not careful it 115 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:49,560 can be the cause for pride. What keeps us for from being 116 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,840 arrogant is not what we do for God, it's how you view God. 117 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,960 Big difference. What you do for God will not 118 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:02,160 protect you from pride. It's a proper view of God that 119 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,800 will keep you grounded, that will keep you low, that will 120 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:09,080 keep you humble, because as you view God the way he wants you to 121 00:08:09,080 --> 00:08:11,280 see him, you will see yourself the way you're supposed to see 122 00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:14,520 yourself. And we're going to find out very 123 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:20,360 soon that Amazon did not have a strength, at least a complete 124 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,560 strength in his relationship with the Word of God. 125 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:30,360 So #1 he had a concern for the House of God, but #2 as a king, 126 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:33,400 he did not allow his position to corrupt him. 127 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:38,640 Let's look at verse 5 and 6. And as soon as the royal power 128 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,280 was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants, who 129 00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,600 had struck down the king, his father. 130 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:48,080 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers. 131 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,840 According to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses, 132 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,160 where the Lord commanded, fathers shall not be put to 133 00:08:54,160 --> 00:08:57,520 death because of their children, nor shall children be put to 134 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:02,120 death because of their fathers, but each one shall die for his 135 00:09:02,360 --> 00:09:07,280 own sin. So remember, Joash is the father 136 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:10,560 of Amaziah. And though Joash had this 137 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:13,360 passion for God's house, he did not finish well. 138 00:09:14,680 --> 00:09:18,440 He became corrupt himself. And the main reason for that is 139 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,600 because Jehoiada, the priest who raised him and who counseled 140 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:26,800 them and who guided him, passed away, proving that Joash did not 141 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:31,000 own his faith. And so he was easily let into 142 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:34,880 idolatry. And because of his persistent 143 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,680 rebellion and the constant rejection of prophetic warnings, 144 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:43,000 and the sin in his life got so heinous that he actually killed 145 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,640 the son of his mentor. God allowed something to happen 146 00:09:47,640 --> 00:09:50,480 to Joash. He himself was murdered by 147 00:09:50,480 --> 00:09:52,800 betrayal. Go to chapter 12 of Second 148 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:54,200 Kings. And let's just remind ourselves 149 00:09:54,200 --> 00:10:01,400 here in verse 20, it says here his servants arose and made a 150 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:05,680 conspiracy and struck down Josh in the House of Milo on the way 151 00:10:05,680 --> 00:10:10,400 that goes down to Sila. Josh was an evil man. 152 00:10:10,960 --> 00:10:14,800 He brought a lot of trouble into the Kingdom, but it was not 153 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,840 allowed for anyone to take it into their own hands to deal 154 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:19,400 with him. That's God's prerogative. 155 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:24,920 So these servants murdered the king, and though they might have 156 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,160 had righteous ambition, it was evil. 157 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:30,240 Therefore they would be punished for it. 158 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,600 And as soon as the son of Josh MSI came into power, one of his 159 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:40,400 top priorities was to kill and to punish these murders. 160 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:42,920 Question for you, is this an act of vengeance? 161 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:47,400 It is. Is it an act of vengeance for 162 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,640 somebody who has killed another unjustly to be killed by the 163 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,120 government? It's not. 164 00:10:52,920 --> 00:10:56,040 This is justice. This is in complete accordance 165 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:00,160 to the will of God. This is capital punishment, and 166 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,280 it was wrong for the king to enact enact it. 167 00:11:02,640 --> 00:11:04,720 He had the right, if anybody had the right to do so. 168 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:10,760 But this man's executive order is not mentioned for us to just 169 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:15,160 see how justice was served. It's the righteous restraint 170 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:20,320 that he had that's highlighted. Because what we're told here is 171 00:11:20,320 --> 00:11:24,120 that although he found and he punished the murders of his 172 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,880 father, he did not go above and beyond what the law demanded. 173 00:11:30,160 --> 00:11:32,280 Go back to verse 6 again of Second Kings 14. 174 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:35,200 But he did not put to death the children of the murderers, 175 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,480 according to what is written in the book of the Law of Moses. 176 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:40,520 And then the historian quotes Deuteronomy 2416. 177 00:11:42,520 --> 00:11:48,360 How tempting it must have been for a man who lost his father 178 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,720 and who had unlimited power and even the power to pardon 179 00:11:53,720 --> 00:12:00,480 himself, to not go above and beyond to send a message to 180 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:03,200 those who took something so precious from him. 181 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:08,960 This is so commendable. This is so unlikely. 182 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,440 This is unexpected, especially in a culture with neighboring 183 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:13,960 nations that would have easily slaughtered the entire household 184 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,920 of those that took away somebody so valuable to you. 185 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,000 But he did not allow himself to go to that point. 186 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:22,960 Now what does that tell you about Amaziah? 187 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:30,560 If Deuteronomy is quoted in this passage showing how he honored 188 00:12:30,560 --> 00:12:33,720 this law, what does that say about this man in relationship 189 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:39,960 to the law? He knew it, he read it, he 190 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,760 studied it. He was governed by it to some 191 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,920 measure. And this is one of the rare 192 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:52,080 occasions in our study of kings where you have a royal dignitary 193 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:57,160 honoring one of the foundations being a king in Israel. 194 00:12:58,200 --> 00:13:01,280 Remember what God demanded of his kings in Deuteronomy 17, 195 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,160 that they were to write a copy of the law, that it was to be 196 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:06,040 reviewed and approved by the priest. 197 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:09,160 And let me read to you what the king was to do with the law in 198 00:13:09,160 --> 00:13:12,760 Deuteronomy 1719. And it shall be with him. 199 00:13:13,960 --> 00:13:15,760 You know how you carry your Bible around when you come to 200 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:16,440 church. I hope you do. 201 00:13:16,440 --> 00:13:19,200 At least that's what a king was to do with the Word of God. 202 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:23,640 It was to be with him, it was to be on his night stand, it was to 203 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:26,280 be in his office. It was to be with them. 204 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:29,680 And he shall read it in all the days of his life. 205 00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:33,240 This is a a wonderful text to advocate the discipline of 206 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,960 reading your Bible every day. The kings would do it. 207 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,880 He shall read it in all the days of his life, that he may learn 208 00:13:41,880 --> 00:13:46,280 to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this 209 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:50,080 law and the statutes and doing them. 210 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:55,960 This is impressive because we have a king here who is informed 211 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,960 by God's Word and chose not to manipulate it, chose not to 212 00:13:59,960 --> 00:14:03,040 ignore a particular law that he could have easily ignored in 213 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:09,440 order to satisfy his flesh. Instead, he submits to it and 214 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:13,000 it's becoming increasingly more difficult to digest how this man 215 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,760 is going to ruin his life because of pride. 216 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:21,120 And we're only really getting started. 217 00:14:22,080 --> 00:14:25,280 But it's important to have this careful evaluation because it 218 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:29,080 will help us again see the power of pride. 219 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:35,600 It can sabotage anyone. So it's one thing to say a 220 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:39,040 Messiah became proud. What I want us to be able to say 221 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,520 is a man like a Messiah became proud. 222 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,600 So how much more do I need to be depended on His daily grace? 223 00:14:48,280 --> 00:14:49,720 So what do we learn at this point? 224 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:52,640 I know we haven't seen how He became proud just yet, but we're 225 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,400 getting there. What can we learn here? 226 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:57,920 It's simple. You and I can't rely on 227 00:14:57,920 --> 00:15:01,400 yesterday's obedience to keep us grounded against tomorrow's 228 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:07,440 temptations. It requires a humble daily walk 229 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:13,240 with the Lord, moment by moment. You can't even rely. 230 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:15,000 Listen, please. You can't even rely on a rich 231 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:21,720 history with God's Word. You can't Once Upon a time have 232 00:15:21,720 --> 00:15:24,480 memorized Scripture, have been devoted to Scripture. 233 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,160 You must love it today. You must love it tomorrow. 234 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:33,000 You must abide by it day by day and allow the life in it to 235 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:36,960 surge into your soul and for all the nutrients of it to keep you 236 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,920 where God wants you to be. And so although this man did 237 00:15:40,920 --> 00:15:43,920 honor God's word at one time, you get the sense if you're 238 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:49,800 reading carefully, that he maybe didn't have a holistic embracing 239 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,880 of the Word of God. Because yes, he did honor God in 240 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:57,320 this particular manner, but what did we read earlier that he did 241 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,480 not remove the high places. So even under a messiah's reign, 242 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:03,880 he did not allow reform to go to that extent, just like his 243 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,480 father. So we're thinking, OK, this is 244 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,440 this is a crack in his foundation. 245 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:12,600 That being said, there's still things that are good about him. 246 00:16:13,520 --> 00:16:14,880 He had a relationship with God's Word. 247 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:17,240 It is commendable, but it was not consistent. 248 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:21,000 It was not complete. And that's going to lead to 249 00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,880 greater dangers. Here's a Third Point concerning 250 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,600 a Messiah's commendable character. 251 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:30,560 This is probably the most shocking. 252 00:16:31,840 --> 00:16:34,840 He was willing to receive correction. 253 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:37,560 He was willing to receive correction. 254 00:16:37,920 --> 00:16:45,280 Look at verse 7 of chapter 14. He struck down 10,000 Edomites 255 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:50,320 in the valley of Salt and took Selah by storm and called it 256 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:55,200 Jock Theal, which in its name, which is its name to this day. 257 00:16:57,520 --> 00:17:01,960 Now you read this and you think, OK, how do you get humility from 258 00:17:01,960 --> 00:17:05,079 a verse like this? Well, it helps to know that this 259 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:08,359 is a summary of a much larger account found in a different 260 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,960 part of our Bibles. And when you go to Second 261 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:14,960 Chronicles 25, you get the whole back story to this particular 262 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,280 war that Amazon engaged in with the Edomites. 263 00:17:18,319 --> 00:17:21,040 And it's worth looking into if we're going to dig deeper into 264 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:24,319 this fascinating case study. So let's turn to Second 265 00:17:24,319 --> 00:17:28,000 Chronicles chapter 25 and begin in verse 5. 266 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:31,240 The beginning of Second Chronicles 25 reads similar to 267 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:35,480 what we read in Second Kings 14, but when we look at verse 5, it 268 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:42,000 expands what we read in verse 7. Second Chronicles 25, verse 5. 269 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:47,920 Then Amazon assembled the men of Judah and set them by fathers 270 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:51,360 houses under commanders of thousands and of hundreds for 271 00:17:51,360 --> 00:17:55,520 all Judah and Benjamin. He mustered those 20 years old 272 00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:00,600 and upward and found that they were 300,000 choice men, fit for 273 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,760 war, able to handle spear and shield. 274 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:10,600 He hired also 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for 100 275 00:18:10,800 --> 00:18:15,560 talents of silver. But a man of God came to him and 276 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:19,120 said, O King, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for 277 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:23,520 the Lord is not with Israel with all these Ephraimites, but go, 278 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:28,600 act, be strong for the battle. Why should you suppose that God 279 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,520 will cast you down before the enemy? 280 00:18:30,760 --> 00:18:34,240 For God has power to help or to cast down. 281 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,800 Oh, so much can be said from this one passage. 282 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:39,080 Let's just touch on a few things. 283 00:18:39,120 --> 00:18:45,480 Number one, it's evident here that Amaziah in this great plan, 284 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:51,440 did not seek the Lord for it. He'd not take the time to 285 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:54,480 approach the Lord in prayer and to inquire, should I go to war 286 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,000 with Edom Now? Why is he going to war with Edom 287 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,280 anyway? Well, here's just a reference. 288 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:01,480 You don't have to turn the second kings. 8/20. 289 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:05,320 At one point Edom, who was under the rule of Judah, broke free 290 00:19:05,320 --> 00:19:07,200 and they came up with their own Kingdom. 291 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,040 And so MSI wants to bring them back under their rule and their 292 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,880 dominion. That's the political reason. 293 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:17,560 But our focus here is on his approach. 294 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:22,920 He did not seek the Lord, and we know that because God sends a 295 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:26,760 prophet. This was his first mistake, his 296 00:19:26,760 --> 00:19:28,760 first major mistake at least. And it's a mistake that many 297 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,920 Christians make. We'll soon discover that Amazon 298 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:36,840 could have spared himself a lot of headache and trouble if he 299 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,960 had just taken the time to get before his God. 300 00:19:41,400 --> 00:19:43,040 And that's something you and I have to keep in mind. 301 00:19:43,040 --> 00:19:46,320 It's no different. It will cost you and I much more 302 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:52,760 if we move ahead of the Lord than if we delay and pray before 303 00:19:52,880 --> 00:20:02,640 we pay or respond or execute or move or build. 304 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:07,960 Develop the discipline to inquire of God, to invite God, 305 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,600 to seek God. Our tendencies to just do things 306 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:15,320 in our own wisdom, especially when we think we're experts in 307 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,960 something. A Messiah should have sought 308 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:20,960 God, and we're going to see how he's going to pay a price for 309 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,120 that. But secondly, a Messiah's folly 310 00:20:24,120 --> 00:20:26,440 is not just seen in his independence, it's also seen in 311 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:28,600 his distrust of the clear will of God. 312 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,040 So look back at verse 6. It says here that he hired 313 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,360 100,000 mercenaries from Israel to join him in this war. 314 00:20:35,360 --> 00:20:37,920 Why is that wrong? Well, the prophet tells us why 315 00:20:37,920 --> 00:20:41,760 it's wrong. God wasn't with Israel being the 316 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:47,240 Northern Kingdom, He wasn't with them, and Amazon didn't need a 317 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:48,960 prophet to enlighten him about it. 318 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,680 History testifies on what happens when the people of God 319 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:56,480 yoked themselves with those who are opposed to God. 320 00:20:57,600 --> 00:20:59,200 I mean, didn't he not think of Jehoshaphat? 321 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,080 Remember Jehoshaphat who married into the family of Ahab? 322 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:04,720 All the generational problems that came with that. 323 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:08,400 And God's word from the beginning of this book tells us, 324 00:21:08,920 --> 00:21:13,720 He warns us about partnering with those who hate him, who 325 00:21:13,720 --> 00:21:17,200 don't honor him. And so, and as I should have 326 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:21,160 known, he should have understood that from the beginning, but he 327 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:23,920 assumed, he thought that he can move ahead. 328 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:27,800 He was under the impression that the more numbers I have, the 329 00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:29,280 more likely I will be successful. 330 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:30,880 That's not how God works, though. 331 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,000 We're told here that he is the one who enables somebody to 332 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:38,480 succeed or to fail, and he should have understood that from 333 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,040 the beginning. So here's the truth about how 334 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,840 God works. His empowerment rests on 335 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:50,320 obedience, not on numbers, not on resources that's accessed by 336 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:53,920 compromise. Here's another thought. 337 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:56,560 Do you see the grace of God in this passage? 338 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:00,680 I do. Where do we see it? 339 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,880 Does a Messiah make a last second call to a prophet to make 340 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:07,280 sure that what he's doing is God's will? 341 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,080 No, he doesn't. God sends a prophet to a Messiah 342 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:12,680 even though he failed to seek him. 343 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:17,640 What do you call that? Grace, Grace, God's grace. 344 00:22:17,840 --> 00:22:21,160 That's what you call it. And the Lord love this man 345 00:22:21,160 --> 00:22:25,160 enough to intervene and to give him a final warning before he 346 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:29,800 makes this decision. I want you and I to consider a 347 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:34,680 gift from God when a man or a woman of God love you enough to 348 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:37,920 approach you when they see that you're about to make a wrong 349 00:22:37,920 --> 00:22:46,920 choice and rebuke you, redirect you, and encourage you to go 350 00:22:46,920 --> 00:22:50,600 back to God's Word, to trust God's Word on the matter. 351 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:56,680 Don't silence such people. Don't allow offense to creep 352 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:58,280 into your heart because of such people. 353 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:02,720 See them as an extension of the mercy of God. 354 00:23:04,360 --> 00:23:06,720 No matter how inconvenient it is, no matter how painful it may 355 00:23:06,720 --> 00:23:10,360 be, if it aligns with God's Word, don't shut it down. 356 00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:15,360 Don't ignore it. Don't you dare see God in it. 357 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:22,440 That's what a Messiah does, though initially it's met with a 358 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:26,000 hesitancy that's very common to you and I when it comes to 359 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,440 obedience. Look what he says here in verse 360 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:31,640 9. And a Messiah said to the man of 361 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:35,520 God, But what shall we do about the 100 talents that I have 362 00:23:35,520 --> 00:23:38,880 given to the army of Israel? The man of God answered. 363 00:23:38,880 --> 00:23:42,240 The Lord is able to give you much more than this. 364 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:45,720 Then MSI discharged the army that had come to him from 365 00:23:45,720 --> 00:23:49,120 Ephraim to go home again, and they became very angry with 366 00:23:49,120 --> 00:23:51,480 Judah and returned home and fierce anger. 367 00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:55,520 There are a lot of reasons why people remain in disobedience 368 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,960 and MSI gives us a very common reaction. 369 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,560 People often feel like they are too invested in something to 370 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:07,680 back out and make a change. That can be seen in so many 371 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,360 avenues of life. You know, there's some people 372 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:12,720 who are in an ungodly relationship. 373 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:14,680 You know why they're an ungodly relationship, even as a 374 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:15,920 Christian? Because they didn't pray about 375 00:24:15,920 --> 00:24:19,440 it to begin with. And God's now convicting them. 376 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:21,200 But what are they wrestling with? 377 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,400 Why? I'm so caught up in this. 378 00:24:23,400 --> 00:24:26,240 I'm so tied to this person. I'm so invested. 379 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,280 I can't even fathom ending something that God's telling me. 380 00:24:29,280 --> 00:24:34,440 The end. You have others also who are so 381 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:38,760 entrenched in a particular sin. I've talked to them after 382 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:42,240 hearing a message that points out that very sin that they're 383 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:45,360 engulfed in. And here's how they've reasoned 384 00:24:45,360 --> 00:24:48,080 with themselves. Well, I've already tainted my 385 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:50,560 body. I've already damaged my mind. 386 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:53,720 I'm already steeped in this. So what's the point of changing 387 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:54,800 now? I'm scarred. 388 00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:59,640 That's how Amaziah is thinking. I've already paid a price for 389 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:05,600 this, so why change now? And here's how you and I have to 390 00:25:05,600 --> 00:25:08,920 understand this. Whatever the price tag obedience 391 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,840 may be, to remain disobedient is always, always, always more 392 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:15,960 expensive. Always. 393 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,160 Some are convinced that obedience is more costly than 394 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:22,840 disobedience. You're dead wrong. 395 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:28,240 Dead wrong. Yes, to obey God is going to ask 396 00:25:28,240 --> 00:25:30,720 you to surrender something. But as the man of God said, the 397 00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:34,560 Lord will give you much more than this. 398 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,600 That's not just for Amazon, that's for all of us. 399 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:41,000 And that's one of the reasons why repentance is a joyful 400 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:43,600 thing, because it's an invitation into something 401 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:48,440 greater. To turn from this to God is not 402 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,200 you really sacrificing anything. You're letting go of something 403 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:55,200 inferior for something superior, something impure for something 404 00:25:55,200 --> 00:25:57,640 pure, something that lies to you, something that will 405 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,880 guarantee you. That's what repentance is all 406 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,480 about. That's why I love to say, I love 407 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:05,080 to preach it. Repent. 408 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:11,880 People think that those who preach repentance are just 409 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:14,760 people who can't figure out how to enjoy life, so they want to 410 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:19,120 make other people miserable. You know, John the Baptist, as 411 00:26:19,120 --> 00:26:22,440 much as he was a fiery preacher, yes, he preached repentance, But 412 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:24,680 one of the first things that we know about him is while he was 413 00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:26,560 in his mother's womb, he leapt for joy. 414 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,880 Those who really understand what true repentance is, they'll be 415 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:34,600 joyful people, and they call people to repent so that they 416 00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:37,560 can share in that joy. Yeah, I know that there is 417 00:26:37,560 --> 00:26:40,000 legalistic people out there who love to bash people with that 418 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:41,840 word repent. I'm not one of them. 419 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,680 God forbid. Now, when you understand that 420 00:26:44,680 --> 00:26:47,120 it's an invitation into something greater, something 421 00:26:47,120 --> 00:26:51,160 that will deliver you and save you and preserve you, He 422 00:26:51,160 --> 00:26:53,240 responds to this correction. That's the main point. 423 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:58,480 He actually says OK fine, I paid, I paid a lot for this, but 424 00:26:58,480 --> 00:27:01,480 he looks through these 100,000 soldiers and he says go back 425 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:05,960 home. I love how realistic the Bible 426 00:27:05,960 --> 00:27:08,600 is. I'm so happy the Bible doesn't 427 00:27:08,600 --> 00:27:11,560 sugarcoat anything because something's about to happen now 428 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:16,000 he obeys God. He initially disobeyed, he 429 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:19,000 learned his fault. He makes a change, he sends them 430 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:22,240 home, but something happens. Scroll down to verse 13. 431 00:27:23,600 --> 00:27:28,440 But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting 432 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:33,040 them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah from 433 00:27:33,040 --> 00:27:38,280 Samaria to Beth Horon and struck down 3000 people in them and 434 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:45,080 took much spoil. How's that? 435 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:50,320 This man obeyed God. God told him, send them away, 436 00:27:50,320 --> 00:27:52,600 send them back home, and he complies. 437 00:27:53,520 --> 00:27:57,080 So how is it then that as these men make their way back to their 438 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:03,720 Kingdom, they're so angry, they feel so cheated that in rage now 439 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:06,760 they destroy some of the cities of Judah and actually kill 3000 440 00:28:06,760 --> 00:28:11,160 people and take spoil. Here's a lesson. 441 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:16,160 Sometimes there are consequences even for forgiven sin. 442 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:23,600 We have to be realistic here. I love to preach the message of 443 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:25,360 God's grace. I love to sing about it. 444 00:28:26,240 --> 00:28:30,440 I love to counsel with it. I need to preach it to my own 445 00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:34,080 heart. And we should never hesitate to 446 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:38,520 help those who are heavy laden and broken hearted for them to 447 00:28:38,520 --> 00:28:42,200 learn God is a God of many chances and for them to 448 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:45,280 understand that He is able to rewrite your story. 449 00:28:46,120 --> 00:28:48,040 That being said, we have to be honest. 450 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:54,080 There are consequences for sin, and as eager as we might be to 451 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:57,280 preach about God's grace, you and I also have to be just as 452 00:28:57,280 --> 00:29:04,240 eager to tell people to not sin, to not sin, because to preach 453 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:06,920 the grace of God to the degree that people hearing it think 454 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:11,440 that there are no problems in sin, it's problematic, it's 455 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,920 dangerous. Some consequences for sin 456 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:18,600 linger. It reminds me of one of the 457 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,160 plagues in Egypt where the frogs were everywhere, in pots and 458 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,680 beds and shoes, and after Pharaoh wanted reprieve, he 459 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:27,760 asked Moses. Moses provides it after 460 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:29,840 interceding. And we read there an interesting 461 00:29:29,840 --> 00:29:33,280 commentary that the frogs were remained and they were piling 462 00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:37,600 together, cleaning up the land, and the land stank for some 463 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:39,440 time. What does that teach us? 464 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:44,280 That sometimes the consequences to our sin linger, and it's no 465 00:29:44,280 --> 00:29:48,160 different here. So just don't sin to begin with. 466 00:29:48,680 --> 00:29:52,800 And if you do, there is grace. But sometimes there are scars 467 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:56,120 that remain. Heard a testimony from a beloved 468 00:29:56,200 --> 00:29:58,400 brother at a state who was testifying to that when he was 469 00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:00,040 getting baptized. And he said something that 470 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:02,640 struck me because he was honest with his story. 471 00:30:02,800 --> 00:30:06,080 He was excited that God had changed him, that he made a 472 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:07,800 decision not to fully commit to the Lord. 473 00:30:08,600 --> 00:30:11,520 But in the same testimony, he realized that he's later in life 474 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:14,400 and that he will never be able to get his younger years. 475 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:16,960 Now all those years he lived in compromise, he will never be 476 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,960 able to regain. That's a man who understands the 477 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:23,200 consequences of sin. God will forgive you. 478 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:27,320 God can rewrite your future, but He's not going to rewind time 479 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:29,280 for you. And that's just one of the 480 00:30:29,280 --> 00:30:35,120 consequences of sin. So shut it, avoid it, be fearful 481 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:40,640 of it because it does have ramifications even if it's 482 00:30:40,640 --> 00:30:43,800 forgiven. Let's come to our last thought 483 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,160 about Amazon before we get into the turning point of his life. 484 00:30:49,280 --> 00:30:55,080 Second Kings 14 verse 7 again. He struck down 10,000 Edomites 485 00:30:55,080 --> 00:30:57,920 in the Valley of Salt and took Sila by storm and called it 486 00:30:58,360 --> 00:31:02,480 Jokthiel, which is its name to this day. 487 00:31:03,320 --> 00:31:06,840 So we get this impression that after this victory, God blesses 488 00:31:06,840 --> 00:31:10,320 him for his obedience, he does gain victory over the Edomites. 489 00:31:10,320 --> 00:31:15,880 He decides to pay tribute to the Lord and he decides to actually 490 00:31:16,000 --> 00:31:19,920 name this region of his conquest, something that's quite 491 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,040 telling about his heart posture, that word there. 492 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,280 There's this, there's debate about what it really means, but 493 00:31:25,320 --> 00:31:28,480 a common definition that is agreed upon is that Jock, the Al 494 00:31:28,480 --> 00:31:34,280 means the blessedness of God. So what does that tell you about 495 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,720 a Messiah? It tells me, at least initially. 496 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:39,880 And here's our final point about his character. 497 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:41,920 He was willing to give God glory. 498 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:49,200 He was willing to give God praise for his success. 499 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:54,040 How different is this? And Saul? 500 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:57,560 Remember when Saul was told to go and eradicate the Amalekites 501 00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:01,760 in First Samuel 15? He thinks he did obey God. 502 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:04,120 He actually didn't completely obey the Lord, but he is so 503 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:07,880 puffed up in his success. Then in First Samuel 1512, we're 504 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:13,360 told there that he built a monument unto himself, not unto 505 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,400 the Lord, but with his name on it. 506 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:20,920 So let's recap here. Amazon was a man who had a 507 00:32:20,920 --> 00:32:24,320 concern for God's house. He was a man who didn't allow 508 00:32:24,320 --> 00:32:26,800 his position of power to corrupt him. 509 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,400 He was somebody who was willing to receive correction and he 510 00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:35,280 even initially gave God glory for some of his greatest 511 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:39,280 achievements. So then how do you explain verse 512 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:42,440 8 down to verse 12? Let's read it together. 513 00:32:44,560 --> 00:32:50,520 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Joash the son of Joash, son of 514 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:55,640 Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in 515 00:32:55,640 --> 00:32:59,200 the face. And Josh king of Israel, sent 516 00:32:59,200 --> 00:33:03,760 word to Amazon, king of Judah, a Thistle on Lebanon, sent to a 517 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:07,880 cedar on Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a 518 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:11,120 wife. And a wild beast of Lebanon pass 519 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:13,520 by and trampled down the Thistle. 520 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:18,760 You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted 521 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:22,520 you up. Be content with your glory and 522 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,200 stay at home. For why should you provoke 523 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:29,120 trouble, so that you fall, you and Judah with you? 524 00:33:30,280 --> 00:33:34,400 But Amaziah would not listen. So Jayash, king of Israel, went 525 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:37,840 up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in 526 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:40,880 battle at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah. 527 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:46,880 And Judah was defeated by Israel and every man fled to his home. 528 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:52,240 It's like reading about a completely different person. 529 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:59,280 Same in and then the verses that we just read and a little bit 530 00:33:59,280 --> 00:34:04,480 beyond. I believe there are 5 truths 531 00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:11,360 related to pride that will help us know its potential danger and 532 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:16,920 its potential devastation. So we looked at 4 things 533 00:34:16,920 --> 00:34:21,600 concerning Amaziah the person. Now let's look at 5 things 534 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:30,480 concerning pride #1 The temptation of pride greets us 535 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:35,600 after success. And where does it greet you 536 00:34:35,600 --> 00:34:40,920 first in your heart? Jesus tells us in Mark 721 and 537 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:46,880 22 that pride, among other vices, come from within, from 538 00:34:47,000 --> 00:34:53,320 our own hearts. And our flesh is very capable of 539 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:57,040 taking credit away from God and attributing it to yourself, 540 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:03,600 robbing Him of the glory and convincing you that you were 541 00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:06,720 able to achieve something that really was a blessing and a gift 542 00:35:06,720 --> 00:35:12,200 from above. So the heart, the heart lies to 543 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:13,960 us. The heart persuades us. 544 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:19,960 But more than just your heart, there is the danger of outside 545 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,680 voices that fuel the pride in our hearts. 546 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:28,120 And if we're not guarded, if we're not careful, that can 547 00:35:28,120 --> 00:35:32,800 create a forest fire in our souls that cannot be contained. 548 00:35:34,760 --> 00:35:38,960 So we read here that Amaziah mustered up the courage now to 549 00:35:38,960 --> 00:35:41,640 actually approach the northern Kingdom of Israel and say, hey, 550 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:46,280 want to fight. But when you look at the 551 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,360 parallel account, you get a different vantage point. 552 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:53,280 So go to Second Chronicles 25 and look at this commentary in 553 00:35:53,280 --> 00:36:01,680 verse 17. Then a Messiah, king of Judah, 554 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:05,720 took counsel and sent to Josh, the son of Jehoiah, son of Jehu, 555 00:36:05,720 --> 00:36:08,680 king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the 556 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:10,880 face. What's different from second 557 00:36:10,880 --> 00:36:13,880 kings? The first part, a Messiah king 558 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:18,560 of Judah took counsel. So this tells me that a 559 00:36:18,560 --> 00:36:24,440 messiah's foolish ambition was affirmed by flattering men. 560 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:29,040 They should have told them. Messiah, you have no idea what 561 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:30,880 you're up against. Edom is one thing. 562 00:36:31,560 --> 00:36:35,720 The Kingdom of Israel. If you're going to do this, you 563 00:36:35,720 --> 00:36:39,080 got to see God and you got to ask yourself why you want to do 564 00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:41,200 this. There's none of that. 565 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:44,680 I can only imagine what they told a Messiah. 566 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:49,600 Go for it. There's no king like you. 567 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,200 Oh, I'm sure that they are shaking in their sandals, 568 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:55,320 realizing that you overtook the Edomites. 569 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:02,160 And so whatever these men said I'm sure was exaggerated, only 570 00:37:02,160 --> 00:37:04,680 added gasoline to the arrogance of this man. 571 00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:11,760 A man is tested by his praise. Proverbs tells us be very 572 00:37:11,760 --> 00:37:15,760 careful what you do with the compliments and the 573 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:20,720 appreciations and the flowers that are placed at your feet, 574 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:23,280 because it can make all the difference. 575 00:37:23,840 --> 00:37:27,000 And accepting how men flatter you can lead to God flattening 576 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:33,080 you and me. The temptation of pride greets 577 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:37,200 us after success, and it's usually just around the corner. 578 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:40,840 For some preachers, it's as they make their way after their 579 00:37:40,840 --> 00:37:46,920 sermon to the Pew that they sat at before they preached #2 Pride 580 00:37:47,480 --> 00:37:50,960 is easily discerned by others and rarely by the one who 581 00:37:50,960 --> 00:37:54,480 possesses it. Let's go back to 2nd Kings 14 582 00:37:54,480 --> 00:38:00,440 and verse 9. Jeremiah, king of Israel, sent 583 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,000 word to Amazon, king of Judah. So he's going to respond to this 584 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:04,240 challenge. And he provides a parable. 585 00:38:04,240 --> 00:38:07,800 And this parable essentially diagnosis what's really going on 586 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:10,240 here. He talks about this Thistle in 587 00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:12,440 Lebanon and how it speaks to the cedar in Lebanon. 588 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:15,560 And then he goes on to say how this Thistle will ultimately 589 00:38:15,560 --> 00:38:19,880 trampled by a wild beast. But notice here what he says in 590 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:22,320 verse 10, what the king of Israel says to the king of 591 00:38:22,320 --> 00:38:25,480 Judah. You have indeed struck down 592 00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:29,360 Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. 593 00:38:31,520 --> 00:38:35,720 So the king of Israel was able to recognize that this man is 594 00:38:35,720 --> 00:38:42,200 challenging him in pride. And it's so fascinating to me 595 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:46,480 how a wicked king was able to discern that and MSI's own 596 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:51,960 counselors couldn't. But such is the nature of pride. 597 00:38:53,360 --> 00:38:56,840 Those who have it usually fail to see that they do. 598 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:01,760 And everybody else has and recognizes you got it, at least 599 00:39:01,760 --> 00:39:04,920 honest people. And you would think that such an 600 00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:10,840 honest assessment would have caused Amazon to think and to 601 00:39:10,840 --> 00:39:12,160 reflect. It doesn't. 602 00:39:12,920 --> 00:39:14,400 But here's what we can learn from this. 603 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:17,200 One of the most terrifying features of pride is, again, it 604 00:39:17,200 --> 00:39:20,320 blinds us. There are many sins that are 605 00:39:20,320 --> 00:39:24,000 obvious to us as we participate in them, as we keep it a secret. 606 00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,200 But pride is one of those sins that actually convince you, you 607 00:39:27,200 --> 00:39:30,240 don't really struggle with it. So what's the antidote? 608 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:34,080 At least one antidote is to invite people into your life who 609 00:39:34,080 --> 00:39:36,040 are willing to speak into your life. 610 00:39:37,440 --> 00:39:39,800 Don't just get anybody but people who love you enough to 611 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:41,560 say, I'm noticing this in your attitude. 612 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:44,920 I see how you're acting in this way and it concerns me. 613 00:39:44,920 --> 00:39:47,320 And I'd love you enough to say what's going on. 614 00:39:47,880 --> 00:39:52,120 Let's talk about this. Such people are wonderful 615 00:39:52,120 --> 00:39:54,080 assets. They are gifts from the Lord. 616 00:39:54,440 --> 00:39:57,360 And we should be at this point, while our hearts are tender, 617 00:39:57,360 --> 00:40:00,760 open and invite people and give them a license to speak to us in 618 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:03,360 such a way. Because if we're not quick to do 619 00:40:03,360 --> 00:40:08,200 so, pride is a way of callousing our hearts and leading us to 1/3 620 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:14,040 troubling ingredient about it #3 pride refuses to consider 621 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:17,160 warnings or correction, at least over time. 622 00:40:17,840 --> 00:40:23,840 But back at verse 11 of chapter 14, but Amaziah would not 623 00:40:24,760 --> 00:40:28,440 listen. You know you've crotched crossed 624 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:34,000 the dangerous line when you are unable to listen to others 625 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,800 advices. And that was this man. 626 00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:40,600 He did not listen. And it wasn't just the 627 00:40:40,600 --> 00:40:44,160 criticisms of others, it was also the counsel that comes from 628 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:47,680 God's Word. I'm persuaded that the same 629 00:40:47,680 --> 00:40:51,560 Amaziah who saw God's law and how to deal with murderers 630 00:40:52,840 --> 00:40:57,360 honoring it down the road deviated from the Scriptures, 631 00:40:57,960 --> 00:40:59,840 which was a contribution to where he is today. 632 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:07,760 How am I convinced of that? Go back to Deuteronomy 17 and 633 00:41:07,760 --> 00:41:11,200 notice what a regular interaction with God's Word for 634 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:16,400 kings offered them. Not just guidance, not just how 635 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:21,520 to orchestrate and execute justice, but Deuteronomy 1719. 636 00:41:21,800 --> 00:41:24,400 And it shall be with him, and he shall read in all the days of 637 00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:28,640 his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God. 638 00:41:28,640 --> 00:41:30,480 Pause. How do you learn to fear God, 639 00:41:30,520 --> 00:41:32,440 which is synonymous with standing in awe of God? 640 00:41:33,160 --> 00:41:35,840 You have to have God's Word. It can't come from your own 641 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:39,120 imagination. You leave your view of God to 642 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:41,520 your own imagination. You're going to be making idols. 643 00:41:42,760 --> 00:41:47,320 It's God's Word that accurately portrays Him, and if you honor 644 00:41:47,320 --> 00:41:51,520 it for what it is, will inspire and awe in your heart for Him. 645 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:55,200 And here's one of the byproducts of fearing God. 646 00:41:57,040 --> 00:41:59,600 Learn to fear the Lord His God by keeping all the words of this 647 00:41:59,600 --> 00:42:01,240 law and the statutes and doing them. 648 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:04,760 Look at verse 20, that his heart may not be lifted up above his 649 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:08,120 brothers. What did the king of Israel say 650 00:42:08,120 --> 00:42:10,440 to Amaziah? Clearly your heart has been 651 00:42:10,440 --> 00:42:13,240 lifted up. It has lifted you up. 652 00:42:14,640 --> 00:42:16,960 But what is a regular engagement with God's word? 653 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:21,040 Promise that you would fear him so that your heart would not be 654 00:42:21,040 --> 00:42:24,120 lifted up against your brothers. So let's do the equation. 655 00:42:24,760 --> 00:42:28,320 If this word promises such a purifying effect. 656 00:42:28,920 --> 00:42:34,960 And MSI, who was supposed to engage with God's Word, is not 657 00:42:35,120 --> 00:42:37,640 humble but proud. It tells me that he stopped 658 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:42,720 interacting with God's Word. And that's a dangerous thing 659 00:42:44,160 --> 00:42:46,320 because this book will keep you from becoming proud. 660 00:42:48,760 --> 00:42:51,120 And if you're not careful, pride will keep you from this book. 661 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:57,400 So this man was confronted for his heart being lifted up. 662 00:42:59,560 --> 00:43:02,200 And I think the problem started long before the king of Israel 663 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:05,160 pointing it out. He stopped meeting with God. 664 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:11,200 His view of God got fuzzy, and because he stopped hearing from 665 00:43:11,200 --> 00:43:14,080 God's Word, he stopped God's Word from speaking into his 666 00:43:14,080 --> 00:43:20,400 heart, His own heart and the counts of others were louder and 667 00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:25,160 they deceived him. And now he is picking fights 668 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:28,120 that he shouldn't be picking and entertaining things that he 669 00:43:28,120 --> 00:43:31,240 shouldn't be entertaining. What you're about to discover. 670 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:35,680 This man stopped inquiring of the Word and it led to something 671 00:43:35,680 --> 00:43:41,160 dangerous. His downfall #4 Pride will lead 672 00:43:41,720 --> 00:43:46,000 to yours and my downfall. Verse 12 What do we read? 673 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:51,080 And Judah was defeated by Israel, and every man fled to 674 00:43:51,080 --> 00:43:56,480 his home. James tells us that God opposes 675 00:43:56,480 --> 00:43:59,720 the proud. He gives grace to the humble, 676 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,760 but he opposes the proud. That word oppose in the Greek is 677 00:44:02,760 --> 00:44:07,280 actually a military term. It means to set up rank against. 678 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:09,240 So here's how you translate that. 679 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:13,720 God goes to war with the proud. Doesn't matter what you're proud 680 00:44:13,720 --> 00:44:18,240 about. If you persist in it, if you 681 00:44:18,240 --> 00:44:21,160 refuse to reject it, if you're deceived by it, after people 682 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:25,280 have warned you, God will go to war with such a person. 683 00:44:25,360 --> 00:44:26,760 He will find a way to humble them. 684 00:44:27,120 --> 00:44:29,440 And nobody can be God. Nobody can win against God. 685 00:44:29,680 --> 00:44:32,680 Yeah, we see here that Israel defeated Judah, but in reality 686 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:36,320 it was God who defeated Judah. And he uses different means to 687 00:44:36,320 --> 00:44:38,800 do it, and that's what we find here. 688 00:44:40,560 --> 00:44:42,240 But the arrogant being humbled, right? 689 00:44:42,240 --> 00:44:48,360 The conceited being brought low is not always because God 690 00:44:48,360 --> 00:44:50,880 directly involving himself in that person's life. 691 00:44:51,520 --> 00:44:55,600 Here's what I mean. Pride can lead to other sins, 692 00:44:55,600 --> 00:44:58,280 and those sins can be the means of bringing somebody low. 693 00:44:58,640 --> 00:45:02,320 Does that make sense? And what you find in Second 694 00:45:02,320 --> 00:45:05,600 Chronicles 25 is that a Messiah chooses to do something after 695 00:45:05,600 --> 00:45:08,440 his victory over the Edomites. That's just mind boggling. 696 00:45:09,480 --> 00:45:14,400 I'll be honest, when I read it, I didn't get it for for a while 697 00:45:14,520 --> 00:45:19,320 I could not understand why he chose to adopt A certain habit. 698 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:21,840 I want you to see it for yourself. 699 00:45:22,200 --> 00:45:25,600 Go to Second Chronicles 25 and look at verse 14. 700 00:45:32,000 --> 00:45:35,120 After Amazon came from striking down the Edomites, he brought 701 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:39,000 the gods of the men of Sere and set them up as his gods and 702 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:44,160 worship them, making offerings to them that shock anybody else. 703 00:45:44,160 --> 00:45:47,360 Or is it just me? So you defeat these people, the 704 00:45:47,360 --> 00:45:49,560 Edomites. Clearly their gods could not 705 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:51,600 help them. And here's how you respond. 706 00:45:51,840 --> 00:45:54,680 I want to worship those gods. Hello. 707 00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:57,600 They could not deliver the Edomites. 708 00:45:57,600 --> 00:46:02,320 Why do you want to worship them? That's a reasonable question, 709 00:46:02,320 --> 00:46:03,840 isn't it? And that's one that a prophet 710 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:05,080 asked. Look at verse 15. 711 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:08,120 Therefore the Lord was angry with Amaziah and sent him a 712 00:46:08,120 --> 00:46:11,480 prophet who said to him, Why have you sought the gods of the 713 00:46:11,480 --> 00:46:14,960 people who did not deliver their own people from your hand? 714 00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:22,080 Anybody home, Amaziah? Pride is scary. 715 00:46:24,920 --> 00:46:28,840 Are we any wiser? Here's how this becomes 716 00:46:28,840 --> 00:46:31,640 relatable. Is it possible that we have 717 00:46:31,640 --> 00:46:35,680 committed the same sins that we've seen destroy other 718 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:40,040 people's lives? Now it's resonating, isn't it? 719 00:46:41,000 --> 00:46:43,160 Because here's how we see it. He took these statues and he 720 00:46:43,160 --> 00:46:44,600 brought them to Jerusalem and he worship them. 721 00:46:45,000 --> 00:46:49,680 No, idols are not just statues. Anything that you love more, 722 00:46:49,680 --> 00:46:53,320 anything that you're devoted more to than God is an idol. 723 00:46:54,440 --> 00:46:58,800 So ask yourself this. Have you ever indulge in 724 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:03,280 anything, pursued anything? Have I ever, even after seeing 725 00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:05,960 it, fail to deliver somebody else? 726 00:47:08,440 --> 00:47:12,200 How many people have we seen, especially online, especially 727 00:47:12,200 --> 00:47:15,520 with celebrities and people of power who have, who have 728 00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:20,200 sacrificed so much for fame and money and sex? 729 00:47:21,000 --> 00:47:24,120 Are they happy people? How many of them have killed 730 00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:26,480 themselves? How many of these people in the 731 00:47:26,480 --> 00:47:30,240 rock industry, in the hip hop industry die early? 732 00:47:31,160 --> 00:47:33,080 Why? Because their idols could not 733 00:47:33,080 --> 00:47:35,000 deliver them. And yet how many people even in 734 00:47:35,000 --> 00:47:40,400 the church make money their God? Still, it's no different than a 735 00:47:40,400 --> 00:47:42,040 Messiah. You're taking the idols that 736 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:44,480 fail to deliver these people and bring them into your own heart. 737 00:47:45,560 --> 00:47:49,880 What about sexual immorality? OK, what about things like like 738 00:47:49,880 --> 00:47:56,080 gossip, adultery, pornography, lying, slander? 739 00:47:56,440 --> 00:47:57,800 We've seen how it's ruined marriages. 740 00:47:57,800 --> 00:47:58,920 We've seen how it's ruined friendships. 741 00:47:58,920 --> 00:48:00,400 We've seen how it's toppled ministries. 742 00:48:00,560 --> 00:48:03,720 And what do we still do? We adopt them. 743 00:48:05,680 --> 00:48:11,320 We still pursue them. And Amazon gives US1 reason why 744 00:48:11,320 --> 00:48:12,760 we do that. Pride. 745 00:48:15,240 --> 00:48:17,560 Pride in what sense? Well, for some people, they 746 00:48:17,560 --> 00:48:20,240 don't think what these pursuits are really idols. 747 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:27,480 I'm just a hard working man. I don't know for you to abandon 748 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:31,920 serving God, loving God, meeting with God, that's an idol my 749 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:39,040 friend. I'm just a very caring person. 750 00:48:39,040 --> 00:48:41,840 No, you just want to find out dirt on people so you have 751 00:48:41,840 --> 00:48:43,880 something to talk about at lunch tomorrow with your girlfriends. 752 00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:48,200 All these different examples that we can use. 753 00:48:48,280 --> 00:48:53,040 Pride tells us this isn't really sin or if it is sin, we convince 754 00:48:53,040 --> 00:48:56,400 ourselves those they went too far. 755 00:48:57,320 --> 00:49:01,920 They went too far with alcohol. I, I, I know how to clearly you 756 00:49:01,920 --> 00:49:05,520 don't have control. Now it's an idol. 757 00:49:06,880 --> 00:49:09,360 And so we say I can, I can handle this in moderation. 758 00:49:10,080 --> 00:49:12,440 I don't know what went through Amazon's mind to think that he 759 00:49:12,440 --> 00:49:16,800 can bring these gods and worship them without any problem. 760 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:20,080 But we do the same with sin. God help us. 761 00:49:22,280 --> 00:49:25,640 So sometimes the downfall that comes from pride is not 762 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:29,520 necessarily God humbling us directly, but allowing what 763 00:49:29,520 --> 00:49:33,480 pride leads us to, and that's further sin to destroy us. 764 00:49:37,000 --> 00:49:43,720 Last point, pride not only harms us, but others. 765 00:49:44,920 --> 00:49:49,200 Second, Kings 14. Let's look at verse 13. 766 00:49:51,680 --> 00:49:55,440 And Joash king of Israel, captured and Messiah king of 767 00:49:55,440 --> 00:50:00,240 Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Isaiah Ebechemesh, and came 768 00:50:00,240 --> 00:50:05,920 to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits 769 00:50:05,920 --> 00:50:09,120 from Ephraim gate to the corner gate. 770 00:50:09,480 --> 00:50:12,360 And he sees all the gold and silver and all the vessels that 771 00:50:12,360 --> 00:50:15,280 were found in the House of the Lord and in the treasuries of 772 00:50:15,280 --> 00:50:20,040 the King's house, also hostages. And he returned to Samaria. 773 00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:24,880 And Messiah's pride didn't just hurt him, it hurt Judah and 774 00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:29,040 Jerusalem. The wall was breached, spoil was 775 00:50:29,040 --> 00:50:31,160 taken. There's vulnerability now. 776 00:50:31,320 --> 00:50:33,880 There's greater insecurity than ever in this time. 777 00:50:38,160 --> 00:50:41,760 Depending on who you are, pride promises collateral damage. 778 00:50:44,400 --> 00:50:47,320 Think about Pharaoh and how much destruction he allowed in Egypt 779 00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:50,400 because he refused to submit to God's call to repent. 780 00:50:52,120 --> 00:50:55,160 Now let's bring it to our world. How many homes have been 781 00:50:55,160 --> 00:51:03,560 ravished because a father stubborn, proud? 782 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:07,880 What happens to spouses? What happens to children who 783 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:09,600 live under such abuse and selfishness? 784 00:51:10,880 --> 00:51:12,840 Well, apart from the grace of God, they don't turn out too 785 00:51:12,840 --> 00:51:16,880 well. What about ministries that have 786 00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:20,160 proud leaders in it? Does the pride of those leaders 787 00:51:20,160 --> 00:51:23,560 only affect the leaders? No, it impacts that church. 788 00:51:24,080 --> 00:51:30,800 It affects the community. Pride is atomic and it's power 789 00:51:32,120 --> 00:51:35,280 not just in the person's heart, but in the persons that are 790 00:51:35,280 --> 00:51:38,920 around that person. And one way that we can 791 00:51:39,000 --> 00:51:42,200 recognize, if we still have the ability to discern that pride 792 00:51:42,200 --> 00:51:45,720 has overtaken us, is that people, Not just some people, 793 00:51:45,800 --> 00:51:49,280 but most people gradually want nothing to do with us. 794 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:55,400 They don't want a fellowship. They surely don't want to serve 795 00:51:55,400 --> 00:51:59,080 with you in ministry. They avoid you. 796 00:51:59,080 --> 00:52:03,840 And that's illustrated in Amazon his life as we read the final 797 00:52:03,840 --> 00:52:07,200 verses of this section. Let's Scroll down to verse 18. 798 00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:12,000 Now the rest of the deeds of Amazon, are they not written in 799 00:52:12,000 --> 00:52:14,240 the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? 800 00:52:15,160 --> 00:52:17,920 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he 801 00:52:17,920 --> 00:52:20,920 fled to Lahish. But they sent after him to 802 00:52:20,920 --> 00:52:22,640 Lahish and put him to death there. 803 00:52:23,560 --> 00:52:26,320 And they brought him on horses. And he was buried in Jerusalem 804 00:52:26,320 --> 00:52:28,040 with his father's in the city of David. 805 00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:32,080 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was 16 years old, 806 00:52:32,080 --> 00:52:34,280 and made him king instead of his father, a Messiah. 807 00:52:34,920 --> 00:52:38,840 He built Elath and restored it to Judah, after the king slept 808 00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:44,160 with his father's. So when this man was restored to 809 00:52:44,160 --> 00:52:48,120 the throne, we don't know who they were who conspired against 810 00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:50,440 them, but it's likely that there were people who were under his 811 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:53,960 administration and they thought themselves, we're not going to 812 00:52:53,960 --> 00:52:58,080 deal with this man. And it's ironic, isn't it, that 813 00:52:58,080 --> 00:53:00,960 the same king who brought justice to those who conspired 814 00:53:00,960 --> 00:53:04,760 against his father was also murdered by betrayal. 815 00:53:08,040 --> 00:53:10,440 It's quite heavy of a Bible study, isn't it? 816 00:53:11,760 --> 00:53:14,760 So let me end on a more cheerful note. 817 00:53:17,360 --> 00:53:19,120 Is there any way that we can know that we can remain a 818 00:53:19,120 --> 00:53:21,000 perpetual humility? Is there any way we can know 819 00:53:21,000 --> 00:53:27,680 that we can secure ourselves from this, this Slytherin poison 820 00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:29,520 of pride? Yes, it's in the New Testament. 821 00:53:30,000 --> 00:53:32,680 Let's go to John chapter 3. And this is where we'll end 822 00:53:32,680 --> 00:53:40,640 tonight. I mentioned John the Baptist. 823 00:53:40,640 --> 00:53:52,240 Let's end with John the Baptist. John 325 Now a discussion arose 824 00:53:52,240 --> 00:53:56,120 between some of John's disciples and a Jew over purification, And 825 00:53:56,120 --> 00:53:58,960 they came to John and said to him, Rabbi, he who is with you 826 00:53:58,960 --> 00:54:01,920 across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness, look, he is 827 00:54:01,920 --> 00:54:04,200 baptizing, and all are going to him. 828 00:54:04,920 --> 00:54:07,680 So pause. Here you have students of John 829 00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:12,040 the Baptist, the fiery revivalist, who didn't just 830 00:54:12,040 --> 00:54:15,080 preach repentance, by the way, clearly when the disciples 831 00:54:15,080 --> 00:54:17,320 asked, Jesus, Lord, can you teach us how to pray like John 832 00:54:17,320 --> 00:54:20,440 taught his own disciples? John had his own little school. 833 00:54:21,200 --> 00:54:23,720 So yes, he told the Pharisees and everybody else, you better 834 00:54:23,720 --> 00:54:26,160 repent. But with his own disciples, he 835 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:28,520 taught them different things, including how to pray, how to 836 00:54:28,520 --> 00:54:33,920 fast. And people were now going to a 837 00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:37,040 new Bible study on Friday nights. 838 00:54:38,400 --> 00:54:43,480 Jesus is Bible study and the disciples were concerned 839 00:54:44,320 --> 00:54:48,960 everybody's going to Jesus now and this concerned them and they 840 00:54:48,960 --> 00:54:52,280 thought John was unaware of it. So they wanted to bring it to 841 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:55,680 his attention. Brother John, if if you've been 842 00:54:55,680 --> 00:54:58,240 wondering why there's less and less people at our meetings, 843 00:54:58,240 --> 00:55:00,120 it's because everybody's going to the one that you bore witness 844 00:55:00,120 --> 00:55:02,040 to. And notice how John responds. 845 00:55:02,040 --> 00:55:06,280 John answered in verse 27. A person cannot receive even one 846 00:55:06,280 --> 00:55:09,080 thing unless it is given him from heaven. 847 00:55:10,920 --> 00:55:13,560 You yourself bear me witness that I said, I am not the 848 00:55:13,560 --> 00:55:15,160 Christ, but I have been sent before Him. 849 00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:17,840 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom, the friend of the 850 00:55:17,840 --> 00:55:20,960 bridegroom who stands and hears and rejoices greatly at the 851 00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:24,240 bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is 852 00:55:24,240 --> 00:55:27,400 now complete. What a response. 853 00:55:28,800 --> 00:55:32,680 But this response was possible because of a revelation John 854 00:55:32,680 --> 00:55:33,640 had. What is it? 855 00:55:33,920 --> 00:55:38,080 There is not one thing I have that wasn't given to me from 856 00:55:38,080 --> 00:55:42,760 heaven. My preaching, my success in 857 00:55:42,760 --> 00:55:47,920 ministry, the audience that I had, the life that I have, the 858 00:55:47,920 --> 00:55:54,040 abilities that I have, Anything and everything I realize came 859 00:55:54,040 --> 00:55:58,040 from God. And so if it came from Him and 860 00:55:58,040 --> 00:55:59,400 He wants to take it, He has every right. 861 00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:02,240 It doesn't belong to me anyway. It's not mine. 862 00:56:02,240 --> 00:56:05,000 And I'll tell you what that will unlock in your life. 863 00:56:05,000 --> 00:56:09,000 Not only will it protect your heart from becoming proud, it 864 00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:11,640 will encourage you to rejoice at other people's success. 865 00:56:13,320 --> 00:56:14,960 So more people are now flocking to Jesus. 866 00:56:14,960 --> 00:56:19,200 And what does he say? I rejoice greatly because Christ 867 00:56:19,200 --> 00:56:22,520 is being glorified. He's being honored. 868 00:56:24,720 --> 00:56:32,400 So if you want to avoid Amaziah's mistakes, I think John 869 00:56:32,400 --> 00:56:35,240 the Baptist gives us the secret, at least a major one. 870 00:56:37,160 --> 00:56:42,000 Believing that all that I have, from how I look to what I know, 871 00:56:42,400 --> 00:56:46,160 to what I have, what I'm able to do, to how people are blessed, 872 00:56:46,680 --> 00:56:49,600 all of that has been given by God. 873 00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:55,240 And you stay there in the way you're reminded us this word you 874 00:56:55,240 --> 00:56:58,720 regularly confronted on a daily basis of who God is and who you 875 00:56:58,720 --> 00:57:02,880 are, what He has done and what you need from Him, what He can 876 00:57:02,880 --> 00:57:05,040 do and what you can't do apart from Him. 877 00:57:05,800 --> 00:57:09,640 And you will be more than safe. You will know a life of joy and 878 00:57:09,640 --> 00:57:14,440 success in that joy, perpetual victory even over something as 879 00:57:14,440 --> 00:57:19,560 vicious as pride. Unfortunately, a Messiah did not 880 00:57:19,560 --> 00:57:22,880 have this revelation. We do. 881 00:57:24,160 --> 00:57:27,640 God is for us, and He loves us enough to warn us with stories 882 00:57:27,640 --> 00:57:30,920 like this so that we can avoid it for ourselves. 883 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:48,800 Let's pray. Father, our response to this 884 00:57:48,800 --> 00:57:57,000 Bible study is that we acknowledge that everything we 885 00:57:57,000 --> 00:58:02,480 have, all that we are, is because of you. 886 00:58:03,440 --> 00:58:08,640 You permitted it, You fashioned it, You provided it, and we give 887 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:13,080 you all the glory for it. Lord, if there's any area in our 888 00:58:13,080 --> 00:58:20,000 lives, whether that be a skill or a unique feature, could even 889 00:58:20,000 --> 00:58:24,520 be a personality, if there's anything in our lives that we 890 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:29,360 think has something to do with us, Lord, may it die tonight. 891 00:58:29,360 --> 00:58:34,600 May that lie, shrivel up and die in the sanctuary. 892 00:58:34,800 --> 00:58:41,360 In light of these truths that we heard, Lord, we don't want to be 893 00:58:41,360 --> 00:58:44,560 like MSI, who had so much potential but wasted it, spoiled 894 00:58:44,560 --> 00:58:47,080 it because success got to his head. 895 00:58:48,040 --> 00:58:52,880 If you so choose to use any of us in a way that blesses others, 896 00:58:54,080 --> 00:58:57,880 help us be like this man. John the Baptist always 897 00:58:57,880 --> 00:59:01,080 reminded, fresh at the top of his thinking and meditation, 898 00:59:02,360 --> 00:59:05,400 It's because of God. It's because of the Lord. 899 00:59:07,720 --> 00:59:09,440 We want to live in that truth, Lord. 900 00:59:10,400 --> 00:59:15,960 So tonight we take our time to sit in your presence to allow 901 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:18,600 these truths to wash away anything that is collected in 902 00:59:18,600 --> 00:59:20,560 our hearts. I shouldn't be there. 903 00:59:24,040 --> 00:59:28,680 Give us ears to hear. Always help us trust you, Lord. 904 00:59:30,000 --> 00:59:33,320 Help us be sensitive even to correction when it's right. 905 00:59:35,480 --> 00:59:39,880 We want to be successful the way you want us to be successful. 906 00:59:40,960 --> 00:59:43,120 In Christ's name we pray. Amen. 907 00:59:44,360 --> 00:59:46,320 Praise him can come help us worship the Lord. 908 00:59:46,680 --> 00:59:48,760 Can I encourage you to do some Let's not rush and stand up and 909 00:59:48,760 --> 00:59:51,120 sing right away. They'll come and they'll they'll 910 00:59:51,120 --> 00:59:53,880 set things up in a minute here, but just respond to this Bible 911 00:59:53,880 --> 00:59:56,600 study tonight. Ask the Lord to renew a sense of 912 00:59:56,600 --> 00:59:59,720 awe of him. Ask him to always keep you in 913 00:59:59,720 --> 01:00:06,920 that place of viewing him as your boast and that everything 914 01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:10,800 around you, everything before you, you're not greater than 915 01:00:10,800 --> 01:00:13,320 that. If there's any greatness, if 916 01:00:13,320 --> 01:00:16,320 there's any goodness, again, it's because of a good God. 917 01:00:16,960 --> 01:00:20,160 May the Lord help us, and then we'll stand together and sing 918 01:00:20,160 --> 01:00:24,000 because He loved us enough to speak to our hearts and to keep 919 01:00:24,000 --> 01:00:24,720 us in His will.