Repairing The Breaches

Text: II Kings 22:1-7

Place Preached - (Mississauga International Baptist Church)

Date Preached - (11/01/98)

Introduction:   

Explain (1st part) passage briefly.

Josiah commissions the repair of the temple which had fallen into an awful state of neglect and disrepair.

Definition of breach – break, gap, fault

They went to repair physical breaches and discovered spiritual ones.

ILLUS: There may be nice looking buildings, but the church is not a building.  There may be millions put into the structure but still be breaches.

I. A Breach in Hearing God’s Word

Josiah is hearing the Word of God for the first time in his life.

A. Lost in the House of God. Vs.8

PASTORAL RESPONSIBILITY

When the Word is no longer preached

II Timothy 4:1-2 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;

2  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

I Timothy 3:15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

When there is confusion over where God’s Word is.

To many God’s Word is no more accurate than an unscientific Gallup Poll with the disclaimer “This poll is accurate within 6-8 percentage points 19 times out of 20”

Psalm 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

Medical science is constantly changing.  Not 100% accurate in all areas.

Psalm 12:6-7 The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

7  Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

God’s Word has been lost in the Bible Colleges & Seminaries, it’s been lost in the House of God.

B. Lost in the Homes vs.13

PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY

“because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.”

1. Josiah’s Wicked Fathers

Father Amon & Grandfather Manasseh

Read II kings 21:1-9

2. Emphasis on living, not teaching

What is taught is not as important as what is caught.

Deut. 6:6-7 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:

7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

3. It only takes one generation for a family to go wrong

Hezekiah to Manasseh

Josiah to Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36 – the King with his pen-knife)

C. Lost in the Hearts vs.13

PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

Vs. 13 “Go ye enquire of the Lord for me”

In other words “What is the application of God’s Word for me, for us?”

Explain briefly vs.14-18

Vs.19 reveals a right heart attitude toward God’s Word.  This is our personal responsibility when we hear God’s Word.

1. Tender Heart

Openess to God’s Word

Acts 17:10-11 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

2. Humility

James 2:6-10

3. Repentance

Meaning of repentance – A change of the mind (mind referring to the seat of moral reflection).  Used almost exclusively of repentance from sin.

Absolute necessity in salvation.  Repentance comes as a result of conviction.  Conviction comes by the Holy Spirit as a result of hearing the Word of God.   Repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin.  One is turning from sin, the other is our turning to Christ

ILLUS: Going wrong way on a one-way street.

Verses on repentance:

Matthew 3:2 And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Acts 26:20 But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

Revelation 2:16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

ILLUS: When people say “I don’t want to go to church and be a hypocrite”, what they are really saying is I love my sin too much to change.

II. A Breach in Worship of the True God

A. The High Places

Baal, & Ashtoreth, Molech (also sun, moon, stars and planets)

Abominations of gross immorality and child sacrifice.

B. Solomon’s foolishness.  I Kings 11

It all began here!

C. Good kings who did not destroy the high places. (even in the best of times)

I Kings 15:11,12,14

I Kings 22:42-43

II Kings 12:2-3

II Kings 14:1,3-4

II Kings 15:1,3-4

II Kings 15:32,34-35

WHY?

See II Kings 17:9-11

The high places were the place of secret sin.

The place of appeasing the world.

The place of accommodating idolatry.

Conclusion: