A. Opening illustration: Wal-Mart. Needs vs. Wants. Yard sale, some things that you thought you needed?
B. Background to passage: Asa demonstrates how his kingdom/God’s people grew over his 41-year reign. He was the third king after Solomon to reign. He was the first king of Judah that walked in the ways of David, whose “heart was wholly true to the Lord all his days.” Guess the third time is truly the charm.
C. Main thought: Let’s talk about what’s truly necessary for success at WHBC this fall
1) Holiness (v. 9-14)
a. Asa came in like a lion, taking sweeping and aggressive steps to rid Jerusalem and Judah of the sins that his father and grandfather promoted. He removed all the immorality from false religions, threw out the idols his fathers had made, and he even kicked his mom out of the palace because she had made an idol, then he cut it down and burned it. He was preparing for a long and productive reign.
b. Argumentation
c. Illustration:
d. 1) God will bless abundantly when we are holy. He can bless our efforts in spite of our lack of it, but normally uses clean vessels. So, if we are going to truly make any impact in the kingdom making disciples, we must deal with our own holiness. There are things in our lives individually that will hold back the church corporately. 2) The planks in our own eyes need to be removed before we can call out the sin that is rampant in the culture today. Self-righteousness and pride because you think that others are not as good as you; God resists the proud. Idols that we erect in our high places supplant God from his rightful place. The Holy Spirit is grieved when we do not listen to his voice. Immorality is not only a problem outside the church. 3) Holiness isn’t simply about avoiding sin, but about pursing Christ. Making him a priority, the priority. Forgiving others, loving one another, giving of himself, ministering to others, sharing the good news. We have to get serious about rooting out sin in our lives. As with every point this morning, 4) we should not rely on our own strength to do it but let Christ and his word dwell richly within us, abide in him, and he shall bring the fruit and cause the conformation of Christ to come.
2) Strategy (v. 16-21)
a. Even though his reign was long, they did have a war. It was with the king of the northern kingdom of Israel, Baasha. Baasha carried out an effective blockade of the Judah on the main N-S road through the city of Ramah, which was about 5 miles outside of Jerusalem, so that no one could go in or out of Judah. So, he had to come up with a strategy to overcome. So, he gave a large gift to the king of Syria to attack Israel from the north. Syria took three crucial cities to trade routes throughout all the Mediterranean. These cities were more important than Judah, so he retreated to defend the north.
b. Argumentation
c. Illustration:
d. 1) If we are to poise ourselves to achieve the mission that we are given by Christ, we must think, plan, prepare, promote. God will reach his people. He will grow his church, but that doesn’t mean that we sit back with some popcorn and see what happens. We are not passive observers. Many of you have ministry leadership positions; 2) what are your goals? How are you going to accomplish them? When? You may object, “that’s a business model.” I would say that we are about the Father’s business. 3) If the corporate world takes their mission seriously, how much more should we? We have been entrusted with resources, and we should plan how we are going to use them that we be counted faithful and given more to oversee. Budgets are upcoming: do more with less. Ministries are upcoming, need some of you to step up to the plate. This is not in our own power, but we seek the leadership of the Holy Spirit, believing that he will speak to us, having a mindset that we will trust and obey. 4) We ask God to give us the plan, then we go. It is not unspiritual to strategize.
3) Total Corporate Commitment (v. 22)
a. After peace had come, Asa exhibited some clear leadership. The text doesn’t say this, but like Nehemiah that would come later, and Jesus, he probably picked up the first stone. His proclamation was that no one in Judah is exempt from the furtherance of the kingdom. He decreed that they would take back the land lost, repair the trade routes, pick up the stones and timber and carry them north, advancing into enemy territory, and build two cities that would be fortified defenses. This needed to be done quickly, efficiently, and corporately for morale’s sake. So, it was going to take everybody.
b. Argumentation
c. Illustration: Hebrew exemptions from war: 1) built a house, 2) planted a vineyard, 3) married a wife, 4) is a big chicken. Church in Atlanta where membership requires two things: a small group and one place of ministry in or outside the church. Jeff’s TIN ministry is done almost completely outside of these walls with boys outside of our church. The men on board with him are from this church, serving Christ.
d. The normal rule in the church is 80% of the service is done by 20% of the people. Asa would have flipped his lid. This may or may not be true in this church, 1) there are definitely many of you who come here, take up oxygen and waste space with your only contribution being that you are here in body. Some of you don’t serve in a ministry, contribute financially, and don’t even come consistently. In fact, probably quite a few that need to here this message that aren’t here. But 2) I am pleading, Jesus is pleading, God will empower you, the Spirit has already gifted you to make His light shine in this church and out. We need some to serve within, and some to serve without. This is not something that we do in our own strength, so we cannot boast. I want your motivation to do all these things to be pure, to be a heart pursuing hard after Christ. Christ gave, so we give. When we had nothing to offer, Christ offered everything. When we were unlovable, He loved us. When there was a chasm between us and God, He bridged it. 3) Conform to his likeness, but out of love and desire for the treasure. Don’t let guilt alone manipulate you into doing things that are burdensome, ask God to help make you willing to be willing, and to give you a pure heart and deep love. Then step up, take up a rifle, and man your post.
A. Closing illustration: Adoniram Judson: “I have now to ask whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world? Whether you can consent to her departure to a heathen land, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of a missionary life? Whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean; to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death? Can you consent to all this, for the sake of Him who left His heavenly home and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion and the glory of God? Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with a crown of righteousness brightened by the acclamations of praise which shall resound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?”
Judson wrote to missionary candidates in 1832:
Remember, a large proportion of those who come out on a mission to the East die within five years after leaving their native land. Walk softly, therefore; death is narrowly watching your steps. (Adoniram Judson, “Advice to Missionary Candidates,” Maulmain, June 25, 1832)
The question, brothers, is not whether we will die, but whether we will die in a way that bears much fruit -Piper
