SUCCESSFULLY LEADING FOR GOD

2 Chronicles 14:1-11

The kings of Israel and Judah give us a stockpile of good character traits and bad character traits. They give us a list of men of discipline and a list of men with weak morals. Most of the kings were evil; there was never a good king in the North, the kingdom of Israel after Solomon.

I. He did that which was good and right

14:2

In whose sight?

In God’s sight.

Too often we do what is right in our sight.

Our desire should be to do what is right in God’s sight.

We should earnestly take heed in our lives to look and to see what pleases God, and to analyze, with the help of the Holy Spirit, if our motives of doing things we do for God are because those things please us, or because they please God. Does what we do please God at all.

II. He commanded those under his authority to seek the Lord

14:4

Now he was a king of a nation, he had the ability and the authority to this.

You and I do not have such a right or ability.

But we do have a responsibility to point to the Saviour, to encourage others to seek the Lord and to follow him.

That is the best thing we can say or encourage others with, the fact that Jesus loves them and cares for them.

III. He took away the high places

14:5

2 Corinthians 10:5 KJV

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

IV. He built fences

14:6-7

Even at a time of peace.

For protection and separation

V. He improved his arsenals

14:8

A. Asa was not satisfied with the status-quo

Human nature wants to improve health, wealth, influence, but does not often put the care it should to spiritual things.

We become satisfied so quickly in our Christian lives with what we have, but did you know that if that if a Christian is not growing he is shrinking. If he is not building, he is tearing down himself.

If one is not seeking to improve, one is succeeding at falling into a state of disrepair.

Asa was not like this, he wanted more, to be more in this life for his God. Part of that is building up the arsenal

Now you and I are not build up a bunch of weapons stockpiles, that is not our job as Christians. The Bible says he that liveth by the sword dieth by the sword.

But we are to build up a:

1. stockpile of truth

2. stockpile of knowledge

3. stockpile of wisdom

4. stockpile of righteousness

B. Asa did not become complacent in his times of success and peace.

That can be the end of a Christian many times, they start to feel at ease and they let their guard done.

Many Christians have fallen, because they will stop reading their Bible, skip on church attendance, not be faithful to give or to witness, because all is well, they become complacent.

It is warring and fighting, hardships that cause us to seek God, and then when he gives us peace we become complacent

Asa did not become complacent, rather, he continued to build and to strengthen the arsenal for when the hard times come.

VI. Asa was a man of action

14:9-10

As wanted to be and remain productive in his life.

A. He did not just talk a good game

He was not a man that talked about doing something; he was the type of man that was going to do something.

When I traveled the U.S. seeking to raise funds to be a military missionary, I was surprised of how many churches had people that would say Amen, and get excited about the preaching, and then I would talk to the preacher afterward, and often they told me that the person is all words and no action.

We used to have someone here, that when the preacher would preach, that person agreed with everything, was excited about it, until you preach on their sin.

Now we all can be like that, but the person who sounded spiritual with amens was actually in deep sin in their own life.

The person sounded spiritual, but did not act spiritual.

B. Words do not impress

We do not to impress people with our words, rather, we need to show them with our actions.

VII. He depended on the Lord

14:11

Psalm 18:2 KJV

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psalm 115:9 KJV

O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: he is their help and their shield.

People are dependent on many different things these days.

When our dependency, our the reason for our contentment, the reason for our happiness, the security we have, is anywhere else than that of the Lord, it is in the wrong place.

You and I need to put our trust in the Lord and he alone.

He wants all to depend on him. It brings him sadness to know that we seek to trust in others, to gain their support for our sustenance. It brings him glory when we seek and trust in him, and look to him alone for support and sustenance.

It would make me very sad for any parent that their kids would go to another person for love and attention that I am offering and wanting to give.

God’s love is so much greater than a man’s love. His love is so much more wonderful and sustaining, yet we turn to man and depend on other men.

VIII. Asa took courage in the right things

15:1-8

A. The exhortation from the man of God

He didn’t get angry, but took courage.

B. The admonition of the Word of God

He put away idols and restored cities to Ephraim, descendants of Esau.

C. The encouragement from the promises of God

There is no way he would do these things except he trusted God.

IX. He led others to seek God with all their hearts

15:12

He led Judah specifically.

The sign of a truly great Christian or a great leader is when that person can lead others, and encourage others to seek God with all their hearts.

People have accomplished many great feats in our world, but the greatest and most wonderful thing that you and I can do is to use our lives to direct and encourage others to follow God with all of their hearts.

X. Asa’s lapse of faith

16:1-6

The amazing thing that you can I can gain from this is the fact that often times people will serve God faithfully for a good period of time, and the they allow something to come between them and the Lord to come between their following Christ.

That is what happened to Asa, he allowed something to come in and in the end of his life, to fall in the service of the Lord.

A. In hiring the Syrians

What is it that is endangering you to follow God, that is endangering you from successfully finishing this race of the Christian life.

For some it is pride

For some it is the idols

For some it is relationships

Others is their love fame or fortune

You and I must faithfully take heed in our lives and check our motives and hearts to be sure to be on the right track for God. Don’t assume that pass successes mean future successes, but rather it is a daily walk and soul searching that keeps us straight.

Herein Asa did foolishly – 16:7-9

B. In imprisoning the Seer

His dependence on the flesh of man, rather than the spirit of God

C. In not seeking the Lord’s help with his ailment

His dependence on physicians without seeking the Lord – v.12

My question to you is what are you depending on this morning.