Are you feeling distant from God? It does not have to be this way. God’s presence is experienced in community. But what does this even look like? Let’s find out together as we explore Jesus’ unexpected, diverse family described in Ephesians 2:11-22.

“Go and make disciples of all people” –Mt. 28:19-20.

11 Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews... –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

14 For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

15  ...He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

17 [Christ] brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

20 Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21 We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

22 Through [Jesus] you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. –Ephesians 2 (NLT)

This is the final story in 2 Chronicles. It’s one of Exile and Return where God works in the midst of the unthinkable to bring about the unimaginable.

I was seven years old, barely keeping pace as my father strode purposefully through the woods, the dry brush crackling under our feet. August was rarely pleasant in the deep South, but this year had been especially hot; especially dry. Walking the densely forested stand of timber that day, young as I was, I was acutely aware of my father’s mood. The month-long drought our area was experiencing had him worried. I watched in silence as he broke dry twigs from seemingly lifeless trees and examined the wilting, dull color of the new growth under them. We hiked through the dust of the parched creek bed, following it to the beaver pond where our family often came for picnics. The pond was nearly empty and the beaver lodge, usually a site of frantic activity, stood abandoned on dry land. Without warning, the wind shifted. And with the change in direction came a rapid increase in velocity and a perceptible drop in the temperature. It became cool within a matter of seconds, as the wind, whistling above, threatened to send branches crashing down around us. Lightning and thunder worked the atmosphere almost simultaneously, creating explosions of light and sound that terrified me. My father, his arms wrapped around me tightly, was also afraid...and grateful. He was grateful for this violent performance of nature and the hope of water that came with it. As the trees bent with the wind and the thunder covered my cries, my father sat down, pulled me into his lap and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll be all right. Something good is going to come out of this. Be still. Be patient.” While he was comforting me, the rain came. Not with the gentle drops I had seen in the past, but in wild, silver sheets bursting all around us. It wound through the limbs and leaves, over rocks and deep into the tangled thickets leaving nothing untouched. And then, as suddenly as it had begun - it was over. The thunder and lightning and wind and rain were gone, their energy exhausted. It was still again, but even at my young age, I noticed a difference. The forest wasn’t just still...it was calm. With his hand, my father wiped the drops of water from my face. Only my deep sobs betrayed the presence of tears, not raindrops, on my cheeks. Then he smiled, wrung out the front of his shirt, and motioned toward the pond. “It’ll fill back up now,” he said, “and those beavers will be able to spend the winter here like they’d planned.” We turned in time to see a doe and her fawn drinking from the already flowing creek. The frogs had started their own chorus as we headed for home. “Ahh,” my father breathed deeply, “everything just smells clean, doesn’t it?” And it did. The very air, which only a short time ago had been hot and dirty, now seemed almost sweet. “Let’s sit down by this big oak, Son,” he said quietly, “I have something to tell you.” I snuggled in beside him, and in very nearly a whisper, he began. “You know,” he said, watching me from the corner of his eye, “you weren’t the only one scared a little while ago. Those deer were afraid, too. The squirrels squirrels huddled together as close as they could get and what with all the crashes and booms, well, I’m pretty sure the rabbits were worried. But now, something important has happened. The very event that frightened everyone in the forest turned out to be exactly what they needed.” Do you hear the birds?” I nodded. “Remember how quiet they were before the rain? Now they’re hopping around, chirping, drinking from puddles, and feasting on the worms that come out only when the ground is wet. The fish in the pond have more oxygen to breathe and cooler water to swim in. The dust that was on all the plants has been washed away so they are much cleaner for the rabbits and deer to eat. Nobody likes dirty food.” “In fact, Son, all of us are better off now than we were an hour ago. Just because of the storm. What looked like the worst – turned out to be the best. It was a storm of perfection.”

We’re looking at the very last verses that were ever written

They are recalling what most Jews considered the worst event in their history.

It was truly awful.

This event was what made them never again be tempted by idols.

This event paved the way for that Messiah, Jesus,

In many ways,

God finally removed his protection

Look at 2 Chronicles 36, vs. 17.

17 So the Lord brought the king of Babylon against them. The Babylonians killed Judah’s young men, even chasing after them into the Temple. They had no pity on the people, killing both young men and young women, the old and the infirm. God handed all of them over to Nebuchadnezzar. –2 Chronicles 36:17 (NLT)

God was like,

I invited you and your ancestors to be my people.

I promised to protect you and sustain you.

But over and over, you rejected me.

And so now, you will face the consequences

And immediately Judah realized that on their own,

The nation of Babylon was on a mission of conquest.

But then, the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar,

Going where even Jews were forbidden to go,

18 The king took home to Babylon all the articles, large and small, used in the Temple of God, and the treasures from both the Lord’s Temple and from the palace of the king and his officials. –2 Chronicles 36:18 (NLT)

19 Then his army burned the Temple of God, tore down the walls of Jerusalem, burned all the palaces, and completely destroyed everything of value. –2 Chronicles 36:19 (NLT)

This was their identity.

...This was likely to be the end of their existence as a people.

20 The few who survived were taken as exiles to Babylon, and they became servants to the king and his sons until the kingdom of Persia came to power. –2 Chronicles 36:20 (NLT)

Their exile in Babylon lasted decades.

And it was awful,

The prophet Ezekiel was one of the exiles

In Babylon he prophesied,

...that though the people of God were like dead bones,

12 ... I will open your graves and cause you to rise again. Then I will bring you back to the land of Israel. –Ezekiel 37:12 (NLT)

Jeremiah wasn’t forced to leave.

He wrote to encourage God’s people to stay faithful

10 ... “For I will bring you home again from distant lands, and your children will return from their exile. Israel will return to a life of peace and quiet, and no one will terrorize them. –Jeremiah 30:10 (NLT)

The writer of Chronicles lived over a hundred years later.

And that this prophecy was fulfilled,

And so he continued...

21 So the message of the Lord spoken through Jeremiah was fulfilled. The land finally enjoyed its Sabbath rest, lying desolate until the seventy years were fulfilled, just as the prophet had said. –2 Chronicles 36:21 (NLT)

So, after decades of exile,

Babylon was conquered by the emerging kingdom of Persia,

22 In the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord fulfilled the prophecy he had given through Jeremiah. He stirred the heart of Cyrus to put this proclamation in writing and to send it throughout his kingdom: –2 Chronicles 36:22 (NLT)

And here is the proclamation,

23 ...“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has appointed me to build him a Temple at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Any of you who are his people may go there for this task. And may the Lord your God be with you!” –2 Chronicles 36:23 (NLT)

So, the foreign king,

Becomes their Savior,

But in contrast to God’s own people,

Cyrus was the one who recognized

I think the writer of Chronicles

And while the New Living Translation

...in this case it glosses over the intended awkwardness

The English Standard Version follows the Jewish tradition

Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up.’” –2 Chronicles 36:23 (ESV)

The book literally ends with an incomplete sentence.

The story was not over.

Messiah had not yet come.

But like a great Hollywood movie,

...the somber story ends in a way that leaves the Jews encouraged

He could not find relief for himself.

And after begging the Lord to take it away three times,

9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” –2 Cor 12:8 (NLT)

And Paul had grown to trust the Lord,

Paul could say,

9 ...So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. –2 Cor 12:9 (NLT)

10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. –2 Cor 12:10 (NLT)

Because Jennifer had died, I was always waiting for the shoe to drop.

After many months of praying and letting God know that we would not be okay if he allowed for my kids’ death. His response...

Do you not know that I love them more than you?

Maybe mention trump is not the bringer of the KOG.

Our hope is not in our security and affluence.

In fact, Doubt leads to the seeking of truth.

Life, whether it be easy or hard,

All of this is periphery to one thing.

Because he is the God who designed and created us.

This is why we trust Jesus when life seems to be crashing around us,

We trust because he promises that there is hope.

12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. –1 Corinthians 13:12 (NLT)

Are you living fearful?

Jesus invites you to trust him.

That,

And that God works in all things, good and bad,

...conformed to the image of his Son. –Romans 8:29 (NIV)

Devotion: Trust by Jaci Velasquez

Prayer

Join us we look at the story of Josiah in 2 Chronicles, seeing how when they hear the truth about how far they have fallen, the entire nation repents. It's never too late!

As long as you have breath,

It’s never too late

Story – Palace pizza employee who said the walls would cave in.

This is a series looking at stories in the book of Chronicles

Where people’s lives turned around

Before jumping into today’s Scripture,

I always believed in God, but that didn’t translate to anything in my life. For me, God was just a higher being you prayed to, requesting his blessings. You tried to earn his favor by performing ceremonies and reciting prayers. The concept of a holy or personal God was not something that I understood.

I considered myself a good and moral person. I had my smoking habit and occasional drinking, but I thought I was a good guy. I lived life carefree and the way I wanted.

It was in my first year of college that I felt God’s sovereign hands working.

It was one of the top engineering schools in Manila, but my grades were bad. So, they kicked me out. I remember spending the entire semester break applying to different schools hoping they would accept me. For a long time, none of them did. It was only my first year of college and I was already desperate, feeling worthless and helpless.

The coming semester was about to start when I was finally accepted by a school. I barely made it in. I changed my major from Engineering to Architecture, and looking back now, I truly believe that God was orchestrating those events in my life.

It was in Architecture School where I met Ron, who became my best friend. Ron is a very friendly guy and there was something very different about him.

He invited me to attend a small group gathering called “student fellowship” where I met people who loved studying the Bible and worshipping Jesus. I met people who were full of love and joy, and who were very sincere and bold in their faith. They were different than anyone I had me before.

I liked hanging out with these people. Through them, God slowly started to work in my heart. I started to read the Bible and join in worship services. I had not yet fully committed my life to God, but there were changes happening in me and the way I thought about God.

Then, at a student summer camp in 1986, I put my faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s also when I met Norma, my wife-to-be.

It was that week at camp where I recognized my sinfulness. I felt so broken. Romans 3:23 says – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

The Lord showed how holy he is, and how my sins were an offense to his holiness. I needed His forgiveness and His grace. I needed to humble myself and pray and ask for His forgiveness.

All these years later, I cannot imagine how my life would have been if I didn’t have God in my life. God’s love and forgiveness have given me purpose and direction.

God found me and saved me in His perfect time. He revealed His great love and forgiveness for me even when I wasn’t looking for Him.

He used one person to reach me just by being there as a friend. It wasn’t any deep theological revelations that touched me, it was that sincere and patient love of a friend.

I know that my story is not unique. God can touch a person no matter what stage or situation in life they are in. God immeasurable love can reach any person’s heart.

Now I live my life with my beautiful family under God’s amazing love and grace.

Ron Culibao

But we want to be in control.

We want to be God.

And we face the consequences of our brokenness.

But sometimes, our eyes are opened.

When we realize how selfish we can be,

It’s in those moments we are faced with a choice.

...Do we submit to a higher authority?

...Do we die to self,

What do we do when we’re shown who we really are?

It starts...

2 He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right. – 2 Chron. 34:2 (NLT)

Remember, 2 Chronicles was one of the last books

The writers had perspective.

The days of Abraham and Moses were ancient history for them,

King David was 500 years earlier.

Since King David they had seen,

...Their nation split into 2, North and South.

2 weeks ago, we looked Josiah’s grandfather, Manasseh,

The writer of Chronicles saw all this,

...And how it led to the destruction of the Northern Kingdom.

The writer saw how the prophets kept promising

...the nation,

So when the exiled Jews living in Babylon

...everyone thought that the prophecies

But the return was a letdown.

Most of the Jews stayed in Babylon.

And Jerusalem was still in ruins.

And this is why the book of Chronicles is so important.

It was written with perspective

They looked back and recognized that God was NOT done.

...Isaiah’s prophecies of the coming Messiah

The Messiah had not come.

But this king from the line of David was coming.

... only better!

He would upright and holy.

He would like a Son of Man,

...God’s King,

And that had not happened yet.

So the writers of Chronicles are looking forward

we see that in his 8th year as King,

...King Josiah began to seek...

Then, around the age of 20,

...And so he purified Judah and Jerusalem. –2 Chronicles 34:5 (NLT)

And what’s so cool is that

...Who Jim talked about last week,

...Josiah wanted to include the N. Kingdom.

Then, after 6 years of cleaning up,

...And this is where the story gets interesting.

14 While they were bringing out the money collected at the Lord’s Temple, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of the Lord that was written by Moses. –2 Chron 34:14 (NLT)

They found a scroll.

...They knew it was something special,

So they brought the scroll and read it to the king.

19 When the king heard what was written in the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. –2 Chron 34:19 (NLT)

Can this scroll be right?

Josiah needed help understanding what the scroll said.

21 “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for all the remnant of Israel and Judah. Inquire about the words written in the scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger has been poured out on us because our ancestors have not obeyed the word of the Lord. We have not been doing everything this scroll says we must do.” -2 Chron 34:21

Josiah was saying,

“We need to pray and seek the Lord.”

And ladies, you’re going to love this.

22 So Hilkiah and the other men went to the New Quarter of Jerusalem to consult with the prophet Huldah. She was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, the keeper of the Temple wardrobe. –2 Chron 34:22 (NLT)

Of all the prophets at their disposal,

So, who were the prophets at this time?

Prophets available to Josiah:

Josiah and his priest had these incredible prophets at their disposal,

...Not because a man wasn’t available,

And Huldah confirmed the scroll was God’s Torah.

She informed Josiah that judgment was coming,

But then she spoke for God,

27 You were sorry and humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this city and its people. You humbled yourself and tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.

28 So I will not send the promised disaster until after you have died and been buried in peace. You yourself will not see the disaster I am going to bring on this city and its people.’ ” –2 Chron 34:27-28 (NLT)

And as a result of Huldah’s explanation,

Josiah summoned all of the leaders of the nation

And...

30 ...There the king read to them the entire Book of the Covenant that had been found in the Lord’s Temple. 31 The king took his place of authority beside the pillar and renewed the covenant in the Lord’s presence.

He pledged to obey the Lord by keeping all his commands, laws, and decrees with all his heart and soul. He promised to obey all the terms of the covenant that were written in the scroll. –2 Chron. 24:30-31 (NLT)

...And throughout the rest of his lifetime, they did not turn away from the Lord, the God of their ancestors. –2 Chron 34:33 (NLT)

...the 5th book of our Bible.

And what we see is that the people

Reading it opened their eyes to how far they had strayed

...from their God,

The people had no idea what was in the scriptures.

And instead of being light and hope to the world,

But once they heard,

And that’s the message for us.

...Some listening were raised by godly parents.

We have no control how we were brought up.

...Our propensity to be selfish;

Sometimes this moment of clarity

Sometimes it’s a conversation with a friend.

...or reading the Scriptures,

But when those moments of clarity come,

...Do you do nothing?

...Because it probably will?

Or do you respond?

...Just like Josiah did?

He was only in his 20’s.

So, he sought counsel from wise people he respected.

Hilkiah the priest.

They affirmed it was the Lord who was speaking.

And in response, Josiah submitted.

He repented.

In last week’s story we read,

9 ...For the Lord your God is gracious and merciful. If you return to him, he will not continue to turn his face from you.” – 2 Chron 30:9 (NLT)

King David, who is in the background

Was caught in the unspeakable sin of adultery and murder.

16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering. –Psalm 51:16 (NLT)

17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God. –Psalm 51:17 (NLT)

You see we are all sinners.

They were hesitant.

They said they picture an elder

...having this perfect relationship with God,

...and who doesn't struggle with the same sins

And I smiled and asked,

“Jesus!”

Becoming like him is our desire and goal

I asked,

“You know what a real elder looks like?

It’s a person who recognizes their everyday need for Jesus,

It’s a person that when Jesus reveals

...They humble themselves and repent

It’s a person who continually seeks to submit to the Lord

God desires humility and brokenness.

That when confronted in our sin,

“Yes, Lord.”

Help me follow you.

So in the moment of clarity,

How do you respond?

Prayer

In this message, we continue our series learning together from the life of King Hezekiah and how it is never too late, especially when we pray for the lost.

Maresea Blackwell – The grace of Jesus Christ and Maresea’s compassionate concern, persistent prayer, obedient outreach

Today we continue our series, Never Too Late (changes of heart in the book of Chronicles) as we learn together from the life of King Hezekiah.

Please go ahead and find 2 Chronicles 29 in your Bible.

The division of the kingdom into Judah and Israel was an act of grace by God to all mankind – to you and me – to protect the dynasty of David -- the lineage from which Jesus would come – from the horrendous idolatry in Israel.

Hoshea was the last ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel, for in his day (722 BC), the Assyrians invaded the land, deported many of the citizens, and repopulated Israel with Gentile peoples, usually prisoners, from the lands Assyria had conquered.

The kingdom of Israel became Samaria, named after the capital city, and it was a nation whose citizens were not pure Jews but a comingling of many ethnic strains.

We hear about “the ten lost tribes of Israel,” but the Bible never uses that phrase.

But they definitely lost their identity as they were deported and dispersed or assimilated with the peoples brought into the land by the Assyrians to become the hated Samaritans of Jesus’ day.

Sadly, the manmade religion of Israel had infected Judah and it was only by the grace of God that a faithful remnant remained after their own exile to keep the bloodline to Jesus the Messiah intact. But that’s a different story.

Last Sunday, Don told us about Manasseh, whose gross sins likely led to the eventual invasion and exile of Judah.

Manasseh’s grandfather was Ahaz who imitated the wicked kings of Israel and the pagan practices of Assyria.

Sandwiched in between these two is Hezekiah, a man glad to have made it past the sacrifice of his brothers.

He was a teenager or young adult when the Assyrians invaded the northern kingdom in 722.

But Hezekiah was one of the good guys. When he became king, good and right things started happening right away.  29:1-5

The Levites consecrated themselves and set about to purify the temple. 29:16-17

Once done, they told King Hezekiah who gathers the city’s officials together and made some serious sin offering for the kingdom, the sanctuary and for Judah. 29:21

Who thinks of interceding for their rebellious, sinful, disrespectful “brother?”

Hezekiah values the sinful Israelites of the north because they are still part of the nation (family)

And then they humbly worshiped. 29:29

And then the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings – which almost overwhelmed them. 29:33-34

In the end “the service of the temple of the Lord was reestablished.”  29:35-36

Three times each year, the Jewish men were required to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts of Passover, Pentecost and Tabernacles – and Hezekiah intended to celebrate Passover.

Unfortunately, the prescribed time for Passover had occurred while the temple – and the priests, for that matter -- were still being cleansed.

Passover commemorated the release of the Jewish people from Egyptian bondage, so it was a national celebration.

For this reason, Hezekiah invites the Jews from both Judah and Israel (now Samaria) to come to Jerusalem for the feast. He goes out of his way to extend the invitation to come get right with God. 30:1, 5

Here is the proclamation. Hear the heart of Hezekiah as he appeals to remnant of Israel to come repent with Judah.

He is obviously aware of their sin but tries to communicate that their sin is not bigger than God’s grace. Note the words about God’s grace. 30:6-9

Sadly, the remnant in bondage to Assyria were just as stiff-necked as their ancestors. 30:10

Here was an opportunity to make a new beginning and glorify the Lord by seeking and accepting his compassion, grace and mercy

But most of the people outside of Judah rejected the invitation.

However, there were some people who had the courage to disagree with their families and friends – and the courage to face their own rebellion and sin –  and go to Jerusalem for the feast. 30:11

So Passover happens – but not without some big problems. 30:15-17

But worse, the brave souls from the north were not purified – they had not been able to perform all the rituals required in the Law.  30:18a

This was one of the reasons for the exception in Numbers to delay the Passover to the second month if people were not purified in the first month.

However, Hezekiah accepts them as they are and intercedes for them to God about not being purified when they partook of the Passover

Hezekiah knew that God was concerned about the hearts of the worshipers and not the details of meeting ceremonial requirements. 1 Samuel 15:22

So Hezekiah prayed God would cleanse and accept them.  30:18b-20

This is grace.

What’s happening here is often compared in the Hebrew scripture to marriage

God desired to relate to the nation of Israel, so much so that he “marries” her

Grace is more than just leniency and unconditional acceptance; and much more than mere tolerance.

Divine grace is God’s relentless and loving pursuit of His enemies, who are unthankful, unworthy, and unlovable.

We might be tempted to focus on Hezekiah, a legitimately good king whose efforts resulted in a return to proper worship of God.

But let me share some insights from Dr Preston Sprinkle in his recent book, Charis:

We tend to read the Bible, especially the Hebrew scriptures, morally.  That is, we look for human characters to emulate – perhaps Abraham, Moses, Gideon, Joseph or David – while others are examples of lifestyles and choices to avoid – maybe Cain, Judah, Samson, or Manasseh. 

However, an honest reading of scripture reveals that these people were all flawed, some horribly. And while there are moments of faith and obedience, for the most part, they are terribly disappointing, and we really don’t want to be anything like them.

This moment bleeds grace. And the assembled congregation knew it.

They partied for seven days – and then seven days more – just like Solomon had when the temple had first been dedicated.

And there was great joy in Jerusalem.  30:26

Apparently, none in the assembly were upset or offended that God had poured his grace on those who had offended them or were “horrible sinners.”

Let me bring this full circle this morning by reminding you of Maresea’s testimony.

Maresea, our modern day Hezekiah

The apostle Paul describes it like this:

Never Too Late is the theme of this series.

We learned from Maresea that it is not too late at 96 years of age.

Here is my two-fold challenge to you today: 

God desires to relate to your grandfather, your mother, your brother, your friend.

Put the name of one person who needs to know Jesus on a 3x5 card taped to the bathroom mirror, or used as a bookmark in the book you’re reading, or a daily reminder on your phone that will prompt you to pray every day for that person’s salvation.

For some here or watching online today, your name is on someone’s prayer card.

I prayed this morning for you – not by name but to a gracious God who knows your name and calls you from darkness and despair into a relationship with him through Jesus Christ.

Let’s pray.

Manasseh was the worst king the kingdom of Judah had ever seen. Yet, God was not done with him. Let’s dive into this truly “Never too late” story that gives hope to all of us!

Stories of the heart change that led to a huge impact

Intro Rian.

Elder

Rian’s story is intriguing

They were still oppressed by other nations.

It was like they were still in exile.

Though Chronicles ends the OT story looking for a conclusion,

...It is a story that was intended to offer hope.

...That he would send the Messiah,

...Who would be better than David!

So today we’re going to look at the story

Probably the worst king

The story takes place in 2 Chron.33.

There was no Congress to slow him down.

There were no protestors who could do anything about it.

Where he went, the country went.

The only one who could stop him,

3 He rebuilt the pagan shrines his father, Hezekiah, had broken down. He constructed altars for the images of Baal and set up Asherah poles. He also bowed before all the powers of the heavens and worshiped them. – 2 Chron. 33:3 (NLT)

These included the sex gods and temple prostitution.

There was some awful things people did

So for 55 years,

...just in case.

In doing so,

He forgot God’s promise to Abraham,

...Bringing a child to a couple that could not have kids,

He forgot the slavery in Egypt,

...And how God raised up Moses,

...And witnessing God’s power

16 ...these people will soon prostitute themselves to the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake me and break the covenant I made with them. 17 And in that day I will become angry with them and forsake them; I will hide my face from them, and they will be destroyed. –  Deut 31:16-17

Manasseh forgot how he got there,

That his great, great, great grandfather David,

...That YHWH God was the ultimate ruler,

Instead,

4 [Manasseh] built pagan altars in the Temple of the Lord, the place where the Lord had said, “My name will remain in Jerusalem forever.” 5 He built these altars for all the powers of the heavens in both courtyards of the Lord’s Temple. – 2 Chron. 33:4-5 (NLT)

6 Manasseh also sacrificed his own sons in the fire in the valley of Ben-Hinnom. He practiced sorcery, divination, and witchcraft, and he consulted with mediums and psychics. He did much that was evil in the Lord’s sight, arousing his anger. – 2 Chron. 33:6 (NLT)

Manasseh’s Father was Hezekiah

Manasseh completely rejected his family... his heritage.

...till eventually he sacrificed some of his own children

He practiced sorcery and witchcraft

Sometimes, we keep taking one bad step after another,

...Until one day we look back

And how wide the wake of destruction trailing behind us.

Verse 7.

7 Manasseh even took a carved idol he had made and set it up in God’s Temple, the very place where God had told David and his son Solomon: “My name will be honored forever in this Temple and in Jerusalem—the city I have chosen from among all the tribes of Israel. 8 If the Israelites will be careful to obey my commands—all the laws, decrees, and regulations given through Moses—I will not send them into exile from this land that I set aside for your ancestors.” 9 But Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem to do even more evil than the pagan nations that the Lord had destroyed when the people of Israel entered the land. –2 Chron.33:7-9 (NLT)

Manasseh was arrogant.

This is what Moses warned about:

...God asked,

...You said you would follow me,

...And I promised that I would bless you

...A land through which I would bless all nations through you.

But if you forget me,

...You will lose my protection,

In other words,

But don’t ever become so arrogant

I’m not looking for a super-power kind of people.

...the Super-Power God!

But like every king in the N. Kingdom,

Manasseh forgot.

...And God warned him.

Vs. 10,

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. –2 Chron.33:10 (NLT)

In the 2 Kings version of the story,

...There's a lot of detail about what will happen.

I will wipe out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14 I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. – 2 Kings 21:13-14 (NLT)

Bottom line,

...If you want to play in the same arena

...You’re gonna lose.

...And it wasn’t.

But you wouldn’t know that in 2 Kings.

But Chronicles was written hundreds of years later.

Chronicles was pointing towards a future Messiah,

...Who would be a king like none other before him,

This king would be from the line of David.

So the story continues,

10 The Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they ignored all his warnings. 11 So the Lord sent the commanders of the Assyrian armies, and they took Manasseh prisoner. They put a ring through his nose, bound him in bronze chains, and led him away to Babylon. – 2 Chron. 33:10-11 (NLT)

Don’t rush past this.

Manasseh was led 900 miles

He knew he was going to die,

Foreign powers would often

Often after making him watch

The tactic inspired fear.

And it made the newly conquered people

But look at verse 12,

12 In [Manasseh’s] distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his ancestors. 13 And when he prayed to him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God. – 2 Chron.33:10-13 (NLT)

How did he know the Lord was God?

He prayed and God listened.

...and he experienced God’s forgiveness.

It’s the example of the verse from last week.

If my people humble themselves and pray,

You can pray to the Baals.

But they’re deaf to your cries.

It is the Lord who seeks you out.

...And desires you to return.

Like a loving Father longing for his lost son,

That’s the hope of Chronicles.

Stop trying to do life on your own.

... who loves you

Remember who this story is written to...

The writer of Chronicles blames Manasseh

Yet, In Babylon, Manasseh Repented

Perhaps the same is available to all of us.

...The way God showed love and mercy,

His life was changed.

14 Afterward he rebuilt the outer wall of the City of David.... 15 He got rid of the foreign gods and removed the image from the temple of the Lord, as well as all the altars he had built on the temple hill and in Jerusalem; and he threw them out of the city. 16 Then he restored the altar of the Lord and sacrificed fellowship offerings and thank offerings on it, and told Judah to serve the Lord, the God of Israel. 17 The people, however, continued to sacrifice at the high places, but only to the Lord their God. –2 Chron 33:14-17 (NLT)

Salvation – Never too late

AvalonChurch.org/Stories

The Old Testament is a story desperate for a conclusion. This introductory message to the book of Chronicles demonstrates that the story finds its fulfillment in Jesus.

Her and her husband Rich have done so much

Audrey’s story is powerful,

During this time, my dad also had a friend who claimed to have supernatural power. He called it a “third eye” on his forehead, and said he could see and do supernatural things. This man’s daughter and I played together and pretended to have “third eye” power.

When I was around 13, my mom began practicing a new cult religion emphasizing the supernatural. I was innocent and naïve and would join my mom and practice this for fun.

However, when I was around 15 years old, I began hearing a voice and had destructive, evil, even suicidal thoughts. I tried to resist, but the voice and the thoughts tortured me. I felt so helpless. I couldn’t sleep at night because my heart beat so fast. I read lots of psychology and philosophy books. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I thought it was a battle of my will... and I was losing. It was much later I learned that this was a spiritual battle between good and evil.

When I went to college, I chose English as my major. Part of learning western culture was reading the Bible. I was even invited to a bible study, and that’s where I decided to become a Christian.

That summer I was invited to stay with an American friend, Hannah, who was living in China. One night I shared with her my experiences of hearing that voice and fighting against those evil thoughts; how I felt this spiritual oppression and was scared. She noted that “I couldn’t even look her in the eyes.” We prayed in Jesus name that God would free me.

Hannah called a friend of ours, Pauline, an American who was a Christian psychologist. Pauline invited me to kneel and confess my sins; to forgive those in my life who hurt me. I prayed and invited the Holy Spirit to come and occupy every area of my heart. We prayed for 2 hours. I was shaking and felt this battle inside me. Pauline asked for the demon’s name and I heard a voice inside say an English name that none of us recognized. We looked it up in the dictionary and the word meant “the third eye,” that supernatural power I practiced as a child. It was then when that power left me.

It was an immediate change. I looked at the mirror and saw the light in my eyes return. And I could look straight to my friends’ eyes. I felt so free. God set me free and broke the chains on me. I had been tortured by evil for 7 years. I had no hope, but now God had saved me. He had a great plan for me and I could now live for him and tell his story so others would know God could change their life, too.

For the next 5 weeks, we’re going to look at some stories

...where God unexpectedly got a hold of someone’s heart,

My hope is that some of your stories will be shared, too.

...We have some great stories in our church-family.

Whether you write them out or record a video,

I think it would be encouraging for all of us

...of how God has transformed,

We’ve set up a webpage for you to share your story.

Whatever you want.

...and I’d like to share a story each week

...Because every story leads to a singular purpose,

You may be aware that in our OT,

...and to the frustration of many readers,

...And after 9 chapters of genealogies,

So often, when people realize they’ve already read

...they just skip these books.

Because Chronicles is doing something very different than

Which is much more obvious to Jewish readers.

...Because the books in our OT

In our Bible, Chronicles is right in the middle of all the historical books.

But in the Hebrew Bible,

The reason is that Chronicles is one of the

The books of 1-2 Chronicles were always read as 1 book;

But they couldn’t fit on just 1 scroll,

Chronicles summarizes the entire story of God.

...Starting with Adam and Abraham and Moses,

And when Israel split into 2 kingdoms.

And it touches a little on the N. Kingdom’s destruction,

...but really focuses on the S. Kingdom, David’s kingdom,

. eventual destruction of the North

Why do I tell you all this?

Because when Babylon captured Jerusalem

...It looked like the end of the Jewish people,

Yet, God, through his prophets,

Exiles returning was unprecedented.

But the prophets promised

...Jerusalem would be restored,

And that God would again live among them,

...that he would take back what they had lost

This was the promise as Jerusalem lied in rubble.

So around 50-60 years later,

...And when Cyrus, King of Persia

They saw the beginning of the fulfillment

And that is what the book of Chronicles is all about.

When it was written,

Yet, none of the other promises had been fulfilled.

There was no Messiah.

And they were still under foreign control.

So the writer of Chronicles

They wanted to rekindle hope for the future,

So the focus of Chronicles is exclusively

Every story is a story pointing towards hope.

That David was a good king,

...But even better!

Everything was written to help the Jewish people

...To prepare themselves for the coming Messiah.

This is true even to the very last line.

It’s a quote from Cyrus, The Persian king,

He said,

“Whoever is among you of all his people, may the Lord his God be with him. Let him go up...” (2 Chronicles 36:23, ESV).

And it literally ends with an incomplete sentence.

Of course, the writer of Chronicles knew what happened

He knew the book of Ezra about rebuilding the 2nd Temple

But clearly these were not seen

For the author, hope is set on another return from exile

...when the temple will be rebuilt,

The book of Chronicles,

...end by pointing forward.

The OT story is a story that is incomplete.

...It’s like a show that is “to be continued.”

And Chronicles wants the people to know:

God is not done.

And like he did in the past,

This is a theme that occurs over and over in the book.

We see it in the famous passage

...Where the Lord appeared to Solomon

...and said...

“13 At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you. 14 Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 15 My eyes will be open and my ears attentive to every prayer made in this place. --2 Chronicles 7:13-15 (NLT)

It’s never too late.

You have freedom to run from me.

...But I will always be here.

...always willing to restore our relationship,

That’s good news!

And that’s the promise that Chronicles points to,

...That God will finally bring peace and restoration to the world

That’s why the Gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy.

1This is a record of the ancestors of Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David and of Abraham: --Matt 1:1 (NLT)

It’s saying,

The One you’ve been waiting for,

...He is here.

The Messianic King from the line of David.

This is why the Gospel of John begins:

1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.... 14 So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. –John 1:1,14 (NLT)

The disciples of Jesus knew their Hebrew Bible.

And they wanted to make sure everyone knew

Were all fulfilled in Jesus.

You, too, are made for a purpose.

...And that he came, suffered, died, and rose again,

You have not gone too far.

God used the writer of Chronicles to spread hope.

...he wants you to do the same... NOW.

So during this series,

...I pray you will share your stories

But tell God’s story.

Share how it’s never too late to say yes to him,

(Pray)

Salvation.

Mention Connection Card and Prayer Team

Sabbath is the key to understanding real joy and rest. But what does that actually mean for those who follow Jesus? Join us for the last message and most important message in our Staycation series.

He couldn’t wash his car.

Nothing.

Why?

Even today in Israel,

...of last minute shopping

Families come from wherever they are

...followed by a good meal, laughing, talking.

It’s a beautiful tradition.

The next morning, many wake and go to synagogue,

Sabbath often ends with a celebratory meal

...Welcoming the 8th day,

...not just “A” bible story,

...how things begin.

But I’m going to share the story through a very different lens,

...that may just reveal why

The story begins in Genesis 1.

In the beginning,

...For 6 days.

“And there was evening and morning.”

Finally, on the 7th day,

He Shabat, the Hebrew word for stop or cease.

2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested [Shabbat] from all his work. – Gen 2 (NIV)

It never says there was evening and morning.

The work was done.

God’s presence now filled his creation.

As God appointed people to join him

God dwelling with humanity, forever.

This is God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.

...When all is right between God and people,

In the Jewish mind, this is what the # 7 represented.

But human beings were deceived by a dark power

We call this the Fall.

...When Adam and Eve decided

They wanted to rule under their own authority

And this story is perpetuated every time we put ourselves first.

That’s what sin is.

And as a result of their sin,

...they were exiled into the wilderness.

Separated from God

That was never God’s design.

Yet, in the midst of their rebellion,

...And always intended to restore humanity

And you see, that’s the story from Genesis chapter 4

God chooses a people, the family of Israel,

...offering an opportunity to walk with God

...so they can share it with others.

God rescues them from the darkness of slavery in Egypt,

...And walks the long journey with them,

Every journey on this side of Eden

And like all of us,

And God never stopped inviting them

...to start living as if they were already in the promised land.

That was the blessing of the Sabbath.

Every 7th day they are to stop working,

To rest.

You’ve done good work all week.

...To enjoy God’s good world

...To take a whole day

And it didn’t stop there.

The weekly Sabbath is just one of 7 festivals

Like Passover

Each festival anticipating the future return

But there’s more.

In addition to the weekly Sabbath,

Every 7th year was called the “Sabbath Year.”

...where the land was to remain at rest,

It was a year where,

...forgiveness  was to be extended,

A year where they experienced his kingdom come

But wait, there’s more! :)

Every seven times seven years, Every 49 years,

...where every debt was cancelled.

Everything was restored.

Jubilee was the ultimate Sabbath expression

...of living out God’s promised rest,

But like we all do,

And they continued to live in oppression,

And eventually,

And though it looked impossible,

Isaiah prophesied,

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor... –Isaiah 61:1-2 (NIV)

God is going to send someone

He’s talking about the eternal 7th Day,

...When God’s kingdom is reestablished

Where brokenness is restored

And for 500 years the people waited.

No rest.

Just these promises that were

As empire after empire continually oppressed them.

It’s at this dark point in the story

And he launched his public ministry on the Sabbath

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” – Luke 4 (NIV)

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” –Luke 4 (NIV)

And then he dropped the mic. 

That 7th day Sabbath rest;

He was sitting in front of them.

And immediately,

...Jesus left that synagogue

He freed people from sickness, sin, even death itself.

As Isaiah prophesied,

In Jesus, Everything broken is made right;

...And everyone, regardless of their sin,

Jesus’ entire ministry pointed to that day.

And it seemed that the darkness had won.

Yet, Jesus’ death took place at the end of the week.

It was Resting.

And then what happened on Day 8?

Jesus rose from the dead.

God’s light had broken into the darkness.

The power of sin had been broken,

Yet, as Jesus walked through the wilderness,

We still struggle.

But Jesus invites us to experience a taste of real rest

Jesus said,

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” –Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

Jesus gives rest. Sabbath.

And what was so beautiful and life-giving,

Rabbi’s and religious leaders argued about Sabbath

This is the exact opposite of Sabbath.

So Jesus was redefining Sabbath

Stopping to rest in the Lord.

Sabbath pointed to a day when God’s mercy would fall

...And in Jesus, that day had come.

And in this wilderness as we walk with Jesus,

Until then,

And create moments to recognize that he is Lord,

We discipline ourselves to disconnect

...And to extend his rest and invitation

One thing is for sure,

No, Sabbath rest is an invitation to practice for eternity.

It’s the discipline of stopping and resting,

...so we can experience God’s presence,

Like running a marathon,

...Sabbath is not natural.

Sabbath is living the reality

That God is my provider,

That this is God’s world,

A story in which he has invited us to participate!

Dallas Willard, one of the great spiritual writers of our time,

Hurry is not compatible with meaningful relationships.

Loving someone

...is extremely time-consuming.

It takes an enormous amount of time to love well.

All of my worst moments as a father and husband,

God walks slowly with us because love is slow.

...Love is patient.

...Where we are quiet.

And everyone should also create regular, rhythmic periods

...eating,

Just fully in the moment

This is the discipline of Sabbath.

God’s peace,

...Living as the anticipation of God’s kingdom coming.

Do you have regular, rhythmic periods like this?

For some, it’s time to make Jesus Lord.

His story is rest, and joy, and peace.

So live your life trusting that this is his story,

Maybe it’s just beginning to discipline yourself to STOP.

To observe and listen.

You may be shocked at how long 5 minutes is.

Maybe you’d like some practice.

There’s a great 5-day YouVersion devotion called

AvalonChurch.org/HurryDevo

I went through this twice before writing today’s message.

And maybe you’d like to find out more about Sabbath.

BibleProject.com/explore/what-is-the-sabbath

The Bible Project has a great video along with study materials.

May we grow to be a people that live as the anticipation of God’s Eternal 7th Day.

(Pray)

Pastor Jim Groves, in this final lesson on James, leads us in our midweek study of the Book of James. This week the study is on James 5:7-20, discussing patience and prayer. The study was held & recorded on Zoom.

Praising the Lord is not the default setting at birth. Once we have full awareness of our "default settings" we learn how to have joy in the everyday. Join us as we challenge ourselves to change our default settings.

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;

In 2005 the brilliant author and professor David Foster Wallace offered the commencement address at Kenyon College in Ohio in which he spoke about default settings:

“Here is just one example of the total wrongness of something I tend to be automatically sure of: everything in my own immediate experience supports my deep belief that I am the absolute center of the universe; the realist, most vivid and important person in existence. We rarely think about this sort of natural, basic self-centeredness because it's so socially repulsive. But it's pretty much the same for all of us.

"It is our default setting, hard-wired into our boards at birth. Think about it: there is no experience you have had that you are not the absolute center of. The world as you experience it is there in front of YOU or behind YOU, to the left or right of YOU, on YOUR TV or YOUR monitor. And so on. Other people's thoughts and feelings have to be communicated to you somehow, but your own are so immediate, urgent, real.”

He continued:

“[And so] petty, frustrating [stuff] like traffic jams and crowded aisles and long checkout lines in the grocery store give me time to think, and if I don't make a conscious decision about how to think and what to pay attention to, I'm gonna be [upset] and miserable every time I have to shop.

"Because my natural default setting is the certainty that situations like this are really all about me. About MY hungriness and MY fatigue and MY desire to just get home, and it's going to seem for all the world like everybody else is just in my way.”

Wallace followed that with a clear statement to the seniors gathered that it’s a matter of choice to do the hard work of somehow altering or getting free of the natural, hard-wired default setting which is to be deeply and literally self-centered and to see and interpret everything through this lens of self.

Wallace, who was raised by parents who were atheists, spoke of one more default setting:

“In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And the best reason for choosing a God to worship is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things—if they are where you tap real meaning in life—then you will never have enough. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you. Worship power—you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart—you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. And so on. The insidious thing about these forms of worship is that they are unconscious. They are default settings.”

Our message series, Staycation, is subtitled, “Chasing Joy in the Everyday.”

Three years after his commencement address, at the age of 46, David Foster Wallace committed suicide

King David pens Psalm 103 with a full awareness of default settings. Look at how he begins:

Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

“Bless the Lord” or “Praise the Lord” is not the default setting at birth

Praise should be but is not very often natural

The Hebrew word for bless is barak and has a distinct meaning of expressing joyful gratitude as an enrichment of God

That is, the praise (however expressed) will make more people aware of the person and works of the Lord, and so God’s reputation will be enriched

“All that is within me” (all my inmost being)

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV):One of the teachers of the law asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” 29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’   [Deuteronomy 6:4-5]

What does it look like to bless and praise with all that is within me?

I don’t know -- David doesn’t tell us

I would guess that our immediate response to this question would include enthusiastic singing, perhaps even a little dancing or shouting

Doris caught up in Hillsong concert

I would suggest that certain widow “blessed and praised the Lord”

Luke 21:1-3 (NIV):  As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others.

Let me additionally suggest that “all that is within me” changes over time

I loved Debbie with all that was within me when I was 20 and we got married

So, while I cannot give you specifics, I can assure you that blessing and praising the Lord involves aligning all of who I am in intentional, God-centered adoration

With an audience of one

“And forget not all his benefits”

This is more than a mental activity – like “it slipped my mind”

It has to do with actions – intentionally make the effort not to forget

David goes on to list so many things that God had done

But more to reveal God’s character than make a list of deeds

God forgives – and heals – and redeems – and crowns with love and compassion

David is so correct

But David can only recite what he has seen in the past

David implores himself and all of us to do the hard work of changing our default settings so blessings and praise flow freely from within

Like John Molloy’s jelly-filled donut

Let me close by reminding you of a Kay Warren quote that Pastor Don shared last Sunday:

Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things. 

“Bless the Lord, O my soul; all that is within me bless his holy name!”

My challenge to you this week – work on changing your default settings. Memorize and meditate on Psalm 103:1-2, them make the choice to praise the Lord.

In a world of social distancing you may not feel comfortable coming forward to ask for prayer or talk more about Jesus

But we really do want to hear from you and speak with you

Pastor Jim Groves leads us in our midweek study of the Book of James. This week the study is on James 4:11 - 5:6, discussing more about words, planning without God, and the ungodly rich. The study was held & recorded on Zoom.