HOLY: The Return
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Reflect
Reflect
Isaiah 6:1 “In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, and the hem of his robe filled the temple.”
Wk 1: The Holy Fear of God
Understanding Fear and the Holiness of God
Wk 2: Beyond Me
Realization that God’s holiness is beyond me
Wk 3: Due Reverence
The extension of Grace and obligation to find reverence of His Grace
Wk 4: Get Over It
Awakening to your and my identity in Christ - the ability to be freedom-makers, and release a false identity based in our fears, anxieties, and doubts.
Wk 5: Return to Me
The Return: to come back, or go back to, a place or person.
Psalm 50 & 2 Chron 26
Who is King Uzziah?
Who is King Uzziah?
Ascension to the Throne: Uzziah became king of Judah at the age of 16 after the death of his father, King Amaziah. According to 2 Kings 15:1-7 and 2 Chronicles 26:1-3, he reigned for 52 years, making him one of the longest-reigning kings in the history of Judah.
Religious Reforms: Uzziah is often remembered for his commitment to the worship of God. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and sought guidance from the prophet Zechariah. During his reign, he worked to strengthen the religious practices of the kingdom, repairing and fortifying the walls of Jerusalem, and improving the military's equipment and training.
Military Achievements: Uzziah was successful in expanding the territory of Judah and consolidating its borders. He defeated the Philistines, the Arabians, and the Meunites, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 26:6-8. His military successes helped secure the safety and prosperity of the kingdom.
Wealth: During his reign, Israel and Judah’s kingdom territory expanded, her fame was renowned in the known world and, and some scholars believe Uzziah’s reign was third or even second in prosperity behind Solomon.
Pride and Punishment: Despite his many achievements, Uzziah's reign took a turn for the worse when he allowed pride to overcome him. According to 2 Chronicles 26:16-23, he attempted to offer incense in the temple, a role reserved specifically by God for priests. The chief priests confronted him, and when he refused to back down, God struck him with leprosy. Uzziah had to live in isolation for the rest of his life, with his son Jotham acting as regent.
Death and Succession: Uzziah died while still afflicted with leprosy, and his son Jotham took over the throne as regent during his father's later years.
2 Chronicles 26:16–18 (CSB)
But when he became strong, he grew arrogant, and it led to his own destruction. He acted unfaithfully against the Lord his God by going into the Lord’s sanctuary to burn incense on the incense altar. The priest Azariah, along with eighty brave priests of the Lord, went in after him. They took their stand against King Uzziah and said, “Uzziah, you have no right to offer incense to the Lord—only the consecrated priests, the descendants of Aaron, have the right to offer incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have acted unfaithfully! You will not receive honor from the Lord God.”
THE RETURN
THE RETURN
We talk about the come back to, the go back to as the definition…but its also the RETURN button the keyboard...
In the days of the type writer, it was the button that finished one line and returned to the beginning the page again.
It’s the point at which something new begins - a fresh opportunity. The introduction of thought, or in this case, a response.
Uzziah, with a firepan in his hand to offer incense, was enraged. But when he became enraged with the priests, in the presence of the priests in the Lord’s temple beside the altar of incense, a skin disease broke out on his forehead. Then Azariah the chief priest and all the priests turned to him and saw that he was diseased on his forehead. They rushed him out of there. He himself also hurried to get out because the Lord had afflicted him. So King Uzziah was diseased to the time of his death. He lived in quarantine with a serious skin disease and was excluded from access to the Lord’s temple, while his son Jotham was over the king’s household governing the people of the land.
GOD as Judge
GOD as Judge
God is the Judge of the Return
-The opportunity
-The response
-The repentance
-The come back
1 Samuel 16:7 “...for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.””
The announcement of God as Judge, needs no introduction, but the Psalmists do their best:
The Mighty One, God, the Lord, speaks; he summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting. From Zion, the perfection of beauty, God appears in radiance. Our God is coming; he will not be silent! Devouring fire precedes him, and a storm rages around him. On high, he summons heaven and earth in order to judge his people: “Gather my faithful ones to me, those who made a covenant with me by sacrifice.” The heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God is the Judge. Selah
God is looking at His own people to judge.
We need to remember that we will all, one day, stand before God and be judged.
Those who chose not to believe in Christ and follow Him will be judged with eternal damnation
We, who believe and are faithful, will stand before God and be judged for what we’ve done for His Name and Glory. Revelation 20 speaks very clearly to this affect.
Revelation 19 says He is the One called Faithful and True and whom in righteousness judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
He is the One, with all majesty, glory, and splendor, is calling out to you and me today:
“Listen to Me...”
If you’d just listen to Me, listen to My Words.
There is LIFE in My Words. Don’t abandon my instruction, don’t neglect my wisdom.
God sees what you do
God sees what you do
I see your devotion:
Psalm 50:8-14
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or for your burnt offerings, which are continually before me. I will not take a bull from your household or male goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird of the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it is mine. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Offer a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, and pay your vows to the Most High.
I see you honoring me with doing the righteousness, and keeping all the ceremonial habits, and observing the holy things.
I see you giving your offerings, I see you making sacrifices.
I see your contributions in the Church-house.
I SEE WHAT YOU DO.
But don’t think for one second that those things are what save you.
Don’t think for one second that if you do enough of these things, you earn my favor.
Don’t think for one second that God’s favor and salvation can be bought.
He paid out of the abundance of His own love for you…you do what you do because of Whose you are.
And here’s what’s different - here’s what’s different about all this faith activity
Call on me in a day of trouble; I will rescue you, and you will honor me.”
The one who speaks with Me, who makes time for Me, who calls out to Me, who seeks Me...
That’s the real one.
The one who loves Me - obeys My commands.
The one who knows Me - knows to seek Me with all of their heart.
God’s holiness is relational. The holy triune God - the holy Trinity is the perfect union and relationship.
God’s salvation is relational.
God goes on to say:
But God says to the wicked: “What right do you have to recite my statutes and to take my covenant on your lips? You hate instruction and fling my words behind you. When you see a thief, you make friends with him, and you associate with adulterers. You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue for deceit. You sit, maligning your brother, slandering your mother’s son. You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But I will rebuke you and lay out the case before you.
You thought I was like you.
You thought I was like you.
You thought I was like you.
You thought I thought like you.
You thought your intentions were my intentions.
You thought your ways were the ways I followed.
You thought I - (description of God as we know) - was like you.
“Understand this, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to rescue you. Whoever offers a thanksgiving sacrifice honors me, and whoever orders his conduct, I will show him the salvation of God.”
God doesn’t mince words. And He’s the only real authority that gets to speak about Himself in the 3rd person.
He’s the Real One.
He is HIM.
He is the One creates light and casts out darkness.
He is the One that all that exists is held together, simply because He wills it.
And there’s no stopping God willing to do anything.
THE COME BACK
THE COME BACK
Jeremiah 15:19 “Therefore, this is what the Lord says: If you return, I will take you back; you will stand in my presence. And if you speak noble words, rather than worthless ones, you will be my spokesman. It is they who must return to you; you must not return to them.”
Whatever it takes for you to get back to God…that’s what you need to do.
Isaiah 30:19 (CSB)
...he will show favor to you at the sound of your outcry; as soon as he hears, he will answer you.
Fear Him. Love Him. Seek Him.
With all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
You need to get filled with His Spirit, and filled with His Word.
And you need to get around people who are filled with His Spirit and filled with His Word.
There’s a war raging right now - for your mind, for your attention, for your focus, for your faith.
Jesus warned Peter that Satan asked to sift him like wheat…and we are no different.
And this why we need the Church!
The ecclesia- the gathering together.
And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.
I’ll say it again, you need to be filled with God’s Spirit, and be soaked with God’s Word.
And you need to be surrounded by people who are filled with God’s Spirit, and soaked with His Word.
We need to come together under the Spirit, and God’s Word.
Submitting to one another, serving one another, under the Spirit and God’s Word.
Completely knit-together, connected together, doing life together, with Spirit-Filled, Word-Soaked people who see the time and the time counting down.
Wake...Up. It’s time for the Return.
Because ultimately...
Jesus’s return is almost here.