Split Kingdoms

Well I have to apologize for those of you who have been at the church for awhile because you have probably heard this story before,

But for those of you who have not when Arika and I first got married we were really blessed where we were able to go to Jamaca for our honey moon,

And there were a ton of different things to do while we were there, but one thing we were able to do was you could get a sail boat and sail all by yourself

But on the last day we were there it was a really windy day and Arika told me she didn’t want to go out because it made her a little nervous

And so we went out and it was a blast!

And we ended up really far out in the ocean where the land started to look small and foggy

And I remember Arika telling me it was time to turn around and so I went to, however the issue was I turned the sail boat, but it got about halfway turned when the wind caught it and sent us back out

So I remember telling Arika I probably just messed up and so we tried again and we got about half way when the wind caught us and we kept drifting out to sea.

So keep in mind its just Arika and I on a small boat, land is far away and not just that, but we were coming to terms that no one could see us.

And so at this point Arika begins ugly crying and all I can think of is “Great, I have been married a week and I got my wife lost at sea”

But on a serious note there are times in our life where we feel kind of helpless

And we feel like we are drifting further, we feel like the situation is getting worse and we just feel like no one can see us and if we are honest the situation does not look hopeful

I mean have you ever felt that way?

If you have you are not alone, because really where we are in “The Story” today the nation of Israel is in a place like this.

Because if you were with us the past couple weeks we have seen the nation of Israel (that is supposed to be God’s people) split into two kingdoms

The Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom

And so we see this huge division and to make it even worse for the most part both of these kingdoms are living very different then God has intended.

And today because of this we actually see the Northern kingdom get captured and taken to another land.

So now all that is left in the southern kingdom called Judah.

But there is an issue, because the nation (called Asyria) that took over the northern kingdom is now wanting to take over the southern kingdom

And you really get this picture of this nation feeling hopeless, and feeling like the situation is out of control.

But out of this situation there is actually a king named Hezekiah who enters the scene and look what we are told about him is 2 Chronicles 29:1-6

2 Chronicles 29:1–6 NIV

1 Hezekiah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 2 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. 3 In the first month of the first year of his reign, he opened the doors of the temple of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He brought in the priests and the Levites, assembled them in the square on the east side 5 and said: “Listen to me, Levites! Consecrate yourselves now and consecrate the temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all defilement from the sanctuary. 6 Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him.

You know before we get into anything else I think it is so important for us to understand how when things just look bad and hopeless and maybe the world or even just our world seems dark, it only takes one person that is seeking God can turn things around.

Because we see Hezekiah saying we are not going to live the way we have been.

We are going to get rid of the alters to false gods

We are going to rebuild God’s temple

And ultimately we are going to turn back to the true God.

I mean it only takes one person to make a huge imapct on a large group and even society.

its kind of like the patriots they had Tom Brady (you bet your getting a football illustration on Superbowl Sunday) but if you know the patriots history before they had him (as much as I hate to tay it) they were not very good.

Then Tom Brady Joined the team and it seemed like they were in the Superbowl every year.

But then he leaves and this year they got knocked out at a wild card game.

But you know with all seriousness it only takes one person either seeking God or not seeking Him to make a huge impact (positive or negative) and my prayer is that each one of us will say I want to be a person who seeks God and makes a positive impact on the people around me.

Because imagine what happens when there a lot of people saying this.

So, so far this is great news, because there is a king who is bringing back the people of God to God.

However like I mentioned their is a challenge because while they are turning back to God, at the same time their is a nation that is more powerful then them which is wanting to take them over.

And So look what happens because this nation actually uses three different methods to attack Israel.

And the first two are in 2 Kings 18:31-33. And they are doing this from a warfar method, but there is also a spirirtual warfar aspect happening here that is really relevant for us. Look what it says, starting in verse 31:

2 Kings 18:31–33 NIV

31 “Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern, 32 until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The Lord will deliver us.’ 33 Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?

So I want you to notice what happens first, because one of the first ways the people of Israel get attacked is very suttle.

Because the king of Asyria, says loo if you guys just surrender I am going to give you a better life, there will be peace, you will have land, food, drinks, and prosperity!

And the best part is you guys will not die.

I mean he makes a good argument.

and really it would be easy to look at this guy and think wow maybe this is the right choice,

But here is the thing if they accepted this they would loose there identity and begin to worship the false god’s of Asyria.

But it starts with them not even thinking its an attack

But you know I just have to say this that in spiritual warfare in our personal lives and as a church this is one of the greatest attacks that comes our way.

Because so often we do not even realize we are being attacked and we are straying away from God without noticing it!

I mean it is hard to win a battle when you do not know you are even getting attacked.

Thats why you probably go to get an annual check up every year at the doctors, because they have the ability to look at you and do labs and see if there is a battle going on that they can treat now instead of waiting until its really bad.

You know we need to know when a battle is happening

A lot of times family’s do not fall apart over time, but its years of not taking a stand

We need to understand this so we do not suttely loose but can couragously make a stand against the things that pull us away from God.

And I want you to notice whats happening because not only is this happening, but while as they are suttley being persuaded to walk walk away, in the second half of verse 32 and then verse 33 we begin to see the Assyrian king begin to speak lies into the situation

Because He says the Lord’s not going to deliver you, we have taken over other nations and guess what? They have all fallen

Their gods did not deliver them so what makes your god special?

And really he begins to speak lies into the situation where he is belittling God and then inflating Asyria to look more powerful then god.

But really this is another way that we are often pushed away from God.

Because we get these doubts or lies in our head about Him and if we accept them they expand and a lot of times as the lie expands the greatness of God becomes smaller to us.

Its like if you have seen these little pills that you throw in water and they become sponges.

lets say the water represents our view on God, and the pill represents lies we give into about him.

And so what happens is we hear these lies and unfortunately we give into them.

Examples: (drop pill into water ever example)

Is God really with you always?

Is God really as good as He says?

Does God actually love you?

I bet He has abandon you!

But I want you to notice whats happening because as we embrace the lies our view of God appears to get smaller,

Which means its harder to follow Him, because to us the lies are bigger then god.

And we really need to do our best to not embrace the lies because its amazing how confidently we can approach different areas and challenges we face when our view of God is not sucked away by these lies (squeeze sponges?)

But heres the thing because all of this is happening on top of the threat that they will be taken over

And I want us to look at how Hezekiah responds in a couple areas.

And really one of the best ways we see Hezekiah respond is by praying to God in Isaiah 37:17-20. He says:

Isaiah 37:17–20 NIV

17 Give ear, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see; listen to all the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God. 18 “It is true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste all these peoples and their lands. 19 They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands. 20 Now, Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are the only God.”

So Hezekiah comes to God in this prayer which is a great step, but notice what he says in his prayer.

Because he recognizes the areas that are truthful.

He actually says: God this army is pretty scary!

Its true they have killed a lot of people and have burned their gods, but then he does not just stop at seeing them as scary or intimidating, but he recognizes the truth that God is bigger then the situation!

In fact he recognizes that the gods that were killed were fake and that the God they serve is real.

And you can picture just this confidence that came over Hezekiah, and this is the last thing he does, because He realizes God is bigger and you get all the way to 1st Chronicles 32:4-7 and it says:

2 Chronicles 32:4–7 NIV

4 They gathered a large group of people who blocked all the springs and the stream that flowed through the land. “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find plenty of water?” they said. 5 Then he worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall and building towers on it. He built another wall outside that one and reinforced the terraces of the City of David. He also made large numbers of weapons and shields. 6 He appointed military officers over the people and assembled them before him in the square at the city gate and encouraged them with these words: 7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.

You know they did not just say okay God is bigger lets go take a nap, but they said God is bigger, lets be a part of what He is doing!

And we see them repairing walls, making weapons, training people and they are preparing for this.

But you know we need to be prepared, Its true we serve a God that is bigger, but He wants us to partner with us!

I like the phrase (and you may have heard it), but it is pray and have faith like it all depends on God, but work in way where it depends on you.

And you know I believe that is where we want to be.

And I love how this story ends because the God moves in a mighty way and the Asyrians actually retreat and they do not even ending up fighting them.

And it took this whole sermon to say this but God was faithful, even in a situation that seemed a little hopeless.

And you know this morning as we close I imagine there are some of us here that might feel like we are in a hopeless situation and we feel like we are drifting out to sea.

What would it look like to turn around?

You know my favorite part about the story of Arika and I on the sail boat is there was a guy that seemed to come out of no where and asked do you need help?

To which we said yes!

And he led they way and was able to direct me in a way to get me to turn around.

You know this morning you might feel lost or feel like your stuck in a difficult situation and it seems like there is no way to turn around, but there is and it is only through Jesus that we are able too.

This morning he is calling you, and I can guarentee He is bigger then your situation

How will we respond? Saying yes or continuing the fight on our own.

Will you pray with me?