The “The Corner Gate Message 5”
The Spiritual Application of the Gates
2 Chronicles 25:21-24 Monte T. Brown
August 17, 2014 Sunday Morning
Stapp Zoe Baptist
Prelude
King Am-a-zi’ah was not such a good king in that his leadership was a disastrous for Jerusalem.
King Am-a-zi’ah hired a large army from the kingdom of Israel to help him in a war against the Edomites.
However, afterwards, arrogantly dismissed them.
The Israelites were offended and tension grew between Judah and Israel.
King Am-a-zi’ah had been victorious over the Edomites, and had become over confident by the success and arrogantly challenged Jo-ash King of Israel to battle.
Because of his pride and arrogant leadership he introduced Judah to the idolatry of the Edomites, which lead to God forsaking Judah.
The Israelite’s took King Am-a-zi’ah into captivity and the Jo-ash King of Israel took Jerusalem by hitting the weakest point of the wall, at “The Corner Gate.”
Between “The Corner Gate” and “The Ephraim Gate” was located on the north wall of the city.
“The Corner Gate” stood at a remarkable angel in the city wall and was the easiest place to breach the wall of the city.
Therefore the Jo-ash King of Israel easily accessed the city of Jerusalem by breaking down the wall between “The Corner Gate” and “The Ephraim Gate” and seized the spoils of Jerusalem.
King Uz-zi-ah, King Am-a-zi’ah’s son repaired the breaches in the wall and had towers built at the “The Corner Gate” and “The Valley Gate.”
They fortified Jerusalem unto the broad wall—or, "double wall," extending from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits in length.
It was made it so strong that the Chaldeans, finding it difficult to demolish, had left it standing.
When Nehemiah came to rebuild the walls and gates, the wall between “The Corner Gate” and “The Ephraim Gate” did not have to be rebuilt.
Scripture
21So Jo-ash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Am-a-zi’ah king of Judah, at Beth-she’mesh, which belongeth to Judah.
22And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.
23And Jo-ash the king of Israel took Am-a-zi’ah king of Judah, the son of Jo-ash, the son of Je-ho’a-haz, at Beth-she’mesh and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
24And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with O’bed-e’dom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. 2 Chronicles 25:21-24 (KJV)
Prayer
Be Aware of the Danger of the Enemy
You can try to make a pet out of a rattle snake, however when you least expect it, it will bite you.
Why because that is their nature, they are a snake.
Islam is not a friend of America, and will never be.
Trying to make friends with the enemy will always come back to bite you.
When you ease expect it your “Corner Gate” will be taken and your walls breached.
Satan is like that he will tell you anything to get you to like him, but he sees nothing wrong with lying, because you’re not his friend, you are deserving to be destroyed.
He attacks in very clever ways, as we can see when we look around us today and see all the immoral acts taking place.
Be Aware of the Danger of Prosperity
Daniel 4:4 "I, Nebuchadnezzar, was living in my palace in comfort and prosperity.
Daniel 4:30 As he looked out across the city, he said, 'Just look at this great city of Babylon! I, by my own mighty power, have built this beautiful city as my royal residence and as an expression of my royal splendor.'
Like King Nebuchadnezzar our nation’s leaders are puffed up with self indulging pride.
It is all about them and no concern about others.
So how do you define success?
What is success?
Gaining wealth!
When is enough wealth to say that you have complete success?
The world would say: “A little more than I have now.”
The world has an EGO problem. What is EGO?
Edging
God
Out
EGO shows up in:
• In your thinking
• Your prayer life
• Your time
• Your giving and tithes
What does the Bible say about success? Joshua 1:7 Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do.
How would you define success? Success is:
• Knowing and fulfilling your purpose in life!
• Growing to reach your maximum potential.
Genuinely Renounce your Sin and do what is right.
Daniel 4:27 "'O King Nebuchadnezzar, please listen to me. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past by being merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.'
Why do we resist God’s calling? PRIDE
Our nation’s leaders greatest sin is pride.
They believe that they are not accountable to anyone.
Humbly Honor God in all Your Success.
Daniel 4:37 "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honor the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble those who are proud."
Isn’t God good! “Something beautiful of my life” by Bill Gaither.
Something beautiful, something good
All my confusion He understood
All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife
But he made something beautiful of my life
If there ever were dreams
That were lofty and noble
They were my dreams at the start
And hope for life's best were the hopes
That I harbor down deep in my heart
But my dreams turned to ashes
And my castles all crumbled, my fortune turned to loss
So I wrapped it all in the rags of life
And laid it at the cross.
Jesus is the master of putting the pieces together. Remember this, whatever you have you will only have for a short time.
Conclusion/Invitation
So how is your “Corner Gate?”
Spiritually speaking has Satan knocked down your wall and breached your “Corner Gate?”
It is time to set aside our selfish pride and turn to God.
As a nation, as a people we need God back in America Again. Listen to the words America Again by Carman.
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson
Samuel Adams, First Chief Justice John Jay
Names synonymous with the spirit of our country
Founding fathers of the U.S.A.
Over 200 years ago they shook off the chains
Of tyranny from Great Britain, by divine call
Citing 27 biblical violations, they wrote the declaration
Of Independence with liberty and justice for all
But something happened
Since Jefferson called the Bible the cornerstone
For American liberty then put it in our schools as a light
Or since "Give me liberty or give me death", Patrick Henry said
Our country was founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ
We eliminated God from the equation of American life
Thus eliminating the reason this nation first began
From beyond the grave I hear the voices of our founding
Fathers plead "You need God in America again"
Of the 55 men who formed the constitution
52 were active members of their church
Founding fathers like Noah Webster who wrote the first dictionary
Could literally quote the Bible chapter and verse
James Madison said, "We've staked our future on our ability
To follow the ten commandments with all our heart"
These men believed you couldn't even call yourself an American
If you subvert the word of God
In his farewell address, Washington said, "You can't have
National morality apart from religious principle," and it's true
'Cause right now we have nearly a 150,000 kids carrying guns
To these war zones we call public schools
In the 40's and 50's student problems were chewing gum and talking
In the 90's, rape and murder were the trend
The only way this nation can even hope to last this decade
Is to put God in America again
The only hope for America is Jesus
The only hope for our country is Him
If we repent of our ways, stand firm and say
We need God in America again
Abe Lincoln said The philosophy of the schoolroom
In one generation, will be the philosophy of government in the next
So when you eliminate the word of God from the classroom and politics
You eliminate the nation that word protects
America is now number one in teen pregnancy and violent crime
Number one in illiteracy, drug use and divorce
Everyday a new holocaust of 5,000 unborn die
While pornography floods our streets like open sewers
America's dead and dying hand is on the threshold of the church
While the spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah vex us all
When it gets to the point when people would rather come out
Of the closet than clean it, it's the sign the Judgment of God is gonna fall
If there's ever been a time to rise up Church it's now
And as the blood bought saints of the living God proclaim
That it's time to sound the alarm from the church house
To the White House and say, We want God, in America, again
We need God in America, God in America again
I believe it's tie America to stand up and proclaim
That One nation under God is our demand
And send this evil lifestyle back to Satan where it came from
And let the word of God revive our dying land
For Jesus Christ is coming back again in all his glory
And every eye shall see him on that day
That's why a new anointing of God's power's comin' on us
To boldly tell the world You must be saved
Because astrology won't save you, your horoscope won't save you
The Bible says these things are all a farce
If you're born again you don't need to look to the stars for your answers
'Cause you can look to the very one who made those stars
History tells us time and time again
To live like there's no God makes you a fool
If you wanna see kids live right, stop handing out condoms
And start handing out the word of God in schools
The only hope for America is Jesus
The only hope for our country is Him
If we repent of our ways, stand firm and say
We need God in America again
The only hope for America is Jesus
The only hope for our country is Him
If we repent of our ways, stand firm and say
We need God in America again
We need God in America
We need God in America
We need God in America again
America again
