Enlightening Epitaphs of the Kings and Prophets (Page 2)
2 Chronicles 23, 24
Joash: “Because You Have Forsaken the Lord, He Has Forsaken You.” Introduction: Three weeks ago one of our Elders, Lynn Beckemeier, brought a powerful message on mentoring–the incredibly valuable practice of pouring one’s life into another person so as to produce another mature disciple of Jesus Christ. Most of the time this is a very effective process; after all, it was time tested by Jesus Himself. But once in a while the mentoring relationship fails to produce its desired result. Once in a while…
2 Chronicles 26
Uzziah: “His Pride Led to His Downfall.” Introduction: What do these four individuals have in common: Richard Nixon, Elvis Presley, Pete Rose, and Jim Bakker?[i] Well, for one thing each one reached the pinnacle of his profession–politics for Nixon, musical entertainment for Presley, sports for Rose, and religious television for Bakker. In addition, each one bent the rules; I won’t go into that because I think all of you are aware of the serious mistakes they made. And sadly, each one saw their careers…
2 Chronicles 28
Ahaz: “In Time of Trouble He Became Even More Unfaithful.” Introduction: Is anyone here in trouble today? Out of work or facing the strong possibility of unemployment? Financial problems? Relationship difficulties? Physical issues? Emotional problems? Temptation, or even addiction? I suspect nearly everyone is in one kind of trouble or another. Trouble, you know, can have various sources. Some is due simply to the fact that we live in a fallen world (West Nile virus, flat tires, crabgrass). Some trouble is due to sin in the lives of others (you…
2 Kings 17
The Ten Lost Tribes: “They refused to listen…. So the Lord removed them from His presence.” Introduction: For the past several months we have been studying the biographies and the resulting epitaphs of a number of the kings and prophets of Israel and Judah. For the most part these kings have been a discouraging lot. Jehoshaphat and Jotham had a heart for God, and a few like Amaziah and Uzziah, had a half-heart for God, but most had no heart for Him at all. And frankly,…
2 Chronicles 29-31
Hezekiah: “He Sought His God and Worked Wholeheartedly. And So He Prospered.” Introduction: Two weeks ago we examined the life of the worst of the kings of Judah. The Bible’s epitaph for Ahaz was, “In his time of trouble King Ahaz became even more unfaithful” (2 Chronicles 28:22). Thankfully the worst was succeeded by the best. Of all the kings of Judah and Israel since David himself, none had a heart for God like Ahaz’ son, Hezekiah. None was as faithful to his calling as a spiritual as well as…
2 Chronicles 33:1-20, 2 Kings 21:1-18
Manasseh: The King with a Nose Ring Introduction: The story of Manasseh, king of Judah, is an incredible story of rebellion, repentance, and restoration. Rarely has anyone fallen as far into sin and depravity as this man fell. Rarely has anyone been rescued and restored as thoroughly as this man. But it is also true that rarely have the lasting consequences of sin been so obvious as in the story of Manasseh, the King with a Nose Ring. We have enjoyed two very encouraging…
2 Chronicles 34, 35, 2 Kings 22, 23
Josiah: “I Have Found the Book of the Law in the Temple!” Introduction: Have you ever thought about the difference one good leader can make? We come today in our series on the kings and prophets of Israel to Josiah, the last good king of Judah. There were only eight kings out of 20 who could be called “good” in any sense of the word, but Josiah was one of the best. He was a remarkable exception to the ungodliness that characterized Judah during…
2 Chronicles 36:1-23, 2 Kings 23:31-25:30
The Nation of Judah: “They Mocked, Despised, and Scoffed Until There Was No Remedy.” Introduction: What happens to a nation whose leaders fail to set a high spiritual standard, and thus it abandons its spiritual foundation, pursues false worship, perverts justice, and practices every conceivable kind of sin? Today we are going to see the answer to that question. This morning we come to the conclusion of a six-month series of sermons that has been an eye-opener to me and to many of…
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