WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.759
 We've been going through our series here looking at the kings and going through the transitions.

00:00:06.020 --> 00:00:13.120
 Last time we got to the point there with Abijah, and as he had passed through, now passed on,

00:00:13.200 --> 00:00:20.820
 we're going to look today here at his son Asa, who comes to the throne and the things with that

00:00:20.820 --> 00:00:27.960
 on him. And then 2 Chronicles chapter 14 is where we're going to spend a little time. I encourage

00:00:27.960 --> 00:00:35.060
 you to go ahead, if you don't know, when you get a Bible with a little ribbon in it, it's

00:00:35.060 --> 00:00:39.679
 a benefit. You can use that to mark something. And one of the things you can do that for is

00:00:39.679 --> 00:00:43.060
 when the preachers, because we're going to be bouncing between two books tonight, okay?

00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:50.679
 So you can put that one marker in 1 Kings chapter 15, and then you can put the other marker there

00:00:50.679 --> 00:00:55.880
 in 2 Chronicles chapter 14, and that way it'll help you get back and forth a little faster

00:00:55.880 --> 00:01:01.280
 here this evening, because we're going to be going back and forth on that. But the transition

00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:09.420
 is tonight, from Abijah, we know that he sought to honor the Lord God of his fathers and had

00:01:09.420 --> 00:01:16.320
 sparked some dynamics there within the people that want to worship God, but his heart was

00:01:16.320 --> 00:01:22.859
 not perfect before God, in that he spoke about it out of one side, but did other things off

00:01:22.859 --> 00:01:29.560
 the other? You know? When we realize that that has an impact upon everybody, it has an impact

00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:36.700
 on society, especially as leaders. When we do that, we're going to find his son Asa is going

00:01:36.700 --> 00:01:43.239
 to be different. A decade of peace and prosperity in the land was going to come. And we're going

00:01:43.239 --> 00:01:50.960
 to see the things that led up to that, and the things associated with that. And why did that

00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:55.719
 come about? Because really, as we're going to see Asa come on the scene here, there was going

00:01:55.719 --> 00:02:01.719
 to be a revival in the land. There's going to be some things changed for the good. And

00:02:01.719 --> 00:02:08.459
 some things that he did as a leader in this transition that made those things come to be.

00:02:09.000 --> 00:02:16.359
 That allowed God to work and to use those things, because we have a responsibility to the Lord. You know,

00:02:16.360 --> 00:02:22.260
 Asa had seen the results of trusting the Lord. If you remember just a few years before he became

00:02:22.260 --> 00:02:31.240
 king, his father had been at Mount Ephraim. And we know that Jeroboam and his forces had surrounded

00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:37.640
 him with a superior force, and they cried out to God. You know, it tells us in 2 Chronicles 13,

00:02:37.760 --> 00:02:42.620
 it says, and thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah

00:02:42.620 --> 00:02:50.740
 prepared because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers. You know, there was a quasi,

00:02:51.159 --> 00:02:58.620
 you might say, revival happening because God had their attention. But I want you to understand,

00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:03.060
 oftentimes, even as we see today, things will happen and God will get people's attention.

00:03:04.520 --> 00:03:09.840
 But our attention span gets pretty short if it doesn't have an impact on us as a person.

00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:14.819
 God wants us not to just understand the big picture, but understand the personal picture.

00:03:16.020 --> 00:03:22.300
 Because it's people that makes a difference. And the problem remained that Abijah outwardly

00:03:22.300 --> 00:03:28.860
 recognized the Lord, but was still just the God of his fathers. It was making recognition to what had

00:03:28.860 --> 00:03:35.900
 been. You know, and it's very easy to live off what others did, or what others accomplished,

00:03:35.900 --> 00:03:42.640
 and not realizing that it's our responsibility for where we are to do what we're supposed to do,

00:03:42.939 --> 00:03:48.840
 that others can look back at us and say, hey, we want to see God's blessing that they had because they

00:03:48.840 --> 00:03:56.240
 served the Lord. You know, not to live in the past, but to realize God's blessing and those things.

00:03:56.340 --> 00:04:01.620
 You know, they still just worshiping the God of their fathers, the God of David, the God of Solomon,

00:04:01.620 --> 00:04:08.379
 and God of Rehoboam. You know, we realize that even Rehoboam, if you remember, he saw what the

00:04:08.379 --> 00:04:14.539
 Lord had done through his father Solomon and recognized it, yet his problem was very simple.

00:04:14.640 --> 00:04:20.280
 We found in 2 Chronicles 12, where it says he did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek

00:04:20.280 --> 00:04:25.319
 the Lord. You know, in other words, he knew things about God. He knew what he ought to do,

00:04:25.319 --> 00:04:33.159
 but he made a choice that didn't prepare him to do what he ought to do. Because you don't do the

00:04:33.159 --> 00:04:40.639
 right things by accident. You know, you don't do the right things. They don't just happen by happenstance.

00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:47.159
 Right things happen because of purpose, because of direction. Now, evil, on the other hand,

00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:55.480
 you have to prepare to do evil. You know, evil usually finds you. You know, opportunity to do

00:04:55.480 --> 00:05:03.440
 evil shows up. That's when preparation to do right is important because it is right there among us.

00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:09.760
 And so we find here that this cause caused Abijah to not draw close to the Lord, but he honored the

00:05:09.760 --> 00:05:16.140
 Lord. It was more of a national God that they had. They worshiped God as a big picture. You know,

00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:21.620
 remember he said that, you know, we worship God. All the sacrifices are happening. All the things are

00:05:21.620 --> 00:05:27.740
 happening that ought to be happening, you know, according to the law, as far as the sacrifices and

00:05:27.740 --> 00:05:33.019
 the honoring him with the priests and all the different elements that were there. He ensured the

00:05:33.019 --> 00:05:40.159
 sacrifices were accomplished in the prescribed way, according to the law given by Moses. But now Abijah dies

00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:48.000
 and his son Asa now comes to power. And we're going to see that his reign is made a note that he has a

00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:55.380
 decade of peace that comes when Asa comes on the scene. And if you just read that part, you begin to

00:05:55.380 --> 00:05:59.540
 think, well, man, that was pretty good. God just put it at peace. I want you to understand there's some

00:05:59.540 --> 00:06:11.540
 decisions that Asa made when he became king that God could allow peace to come. Because he made a

00:06:11.540 --> 00:06:17.460
 decision in a direction of what direction he was going to take and what he was going to do. And so

00:06:17.460 --> 00:06:23.280
 we're going to pick up here this evening in 2 Chronicles chapter 14. Let's look here at verse 1 here

00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:28.439
 tonight. And it says, And Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David.

00:06:28.839 --> 00:06:39.039
 And Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his day the land was quiet ten years. You know, we know that

00:06:39.039 --> 00:06:47.199
 his father Abijah had been at conflict with Jeroboam, and they continued in conflict. But when Asa came on

00:06:47.199 --> 00:06:52.839
 the scene, there was something that changed, that God gave peace. In his days the land was quiet.

00:06:53.279 --> 00:07:00.179
 Ten years. That word there means there was a peace that lasted. There was not a conflict. There was a

00:07:00.179 --> 00:07:07.859
 time of prosperity that took place during this. And between the devastating defeat of the northern

00:07:07.859 --> 00:07:14.399
 tribes of Jeroboam, you know, some may say, well, Asa had enjoyed peace because his father destroyed

00:07:14.399 --> 00:07:19.979
 those that were trying to stir up the peace. But I believe that was only part of it when you look at

00:07:19.980 --> 00:07:25.620
 Scripture. It may have been the outward picture that you could put, but I think that whether his

00:07:25.620 --> 00:07:30.900
 father did that or not, because of the choices that Asa made, there would have been quiet in the land.

00:07:31.860 --> 00:07:38.819
 Because of the choices that he made, and the things that God was blessing them. And we're going to see

00:07:38.819 --> 00:07:47.839
 here that Asa began his reign with a different focus when it came to worship. It wasn't just going through

00:07:47.839 --> 00:07:53.259
 the steps of worship. Have you ever noticed we can get caught up in the process of worship?

00:07:54.759 --> 00:07:58.839
 We can get caught up in this is what we do. This is, you know, you come to church and what we have,

00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:02.279
 we sing some songs, we worship first, and then we listen to a message.

00:08:02.279 --> 00:08:10.859
 By human nature, we can get caught up in repetition of this is just what we do, and it's an expectation

00:08:10.859 --> 00:08:17.979
 of what we do, and the order that you do it in, and walking through those things, and we become very

00:08:17.979 --> 00:08:26.199
 just focused upon the process. But we're going to find here that Asa moved from just the process

00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:31.360
 to making it personal. Because true worship

00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:33.899
 happens as individuals.

00:08:35.220 --> 00:08:39.600
 Now we can worship God together, but it's a congregation of individuals

00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:42.120
 that are worshiping God.

00:08:43.220 --> 00:08:47.179
 God is not concerned because we gather together to sing songs to Him

00:08:47.179 --> 00:08:51.259
 as much as the individual hearts singing the songs.

00:08:51.259 --> 00:08:56.700
 And we're going to see here that Asa brings this out

00:08:56.700 --> 00:09:00.200
 because notice here in verse 2 of chapter 14 it says,

00:09:00.539 --> 00:09:01.299
 notice what it says,

00:09:01.419 --> 00:09:05.919
 And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord.

00:09:07.419 --> 00:09:09.019
 And notice that next phrase.

00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:11.899
 His God.

00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:14.379
 His father's comment was they were going to,

00:09:14.559 --> 00:09:16.879
 he wanted to follow the God of his fathers.

00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:21.480
 But now we find that Asa says that no,

00:09:21.539 --> 00:09:23.279
 he's not just the God of my fathers,

00:09:23.399 --> 00:09:24.240
 he is my God.

00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:26.360
 You know, that ought to be a desire as a parent

00:09:26.360 --> 00:09:29.460
 that our kids move from following the God

00:09:29.460 --> 00:09:32.000
 that you have presented to them,

00:09:32.100 --> 00:09:35.139
 the God that you have hopefully brought them up

00:09:35.139 --> 00:09:37.059
 in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

00:09:37.980 --> 00:09:40.039
 But you know, the danger is that sometimes

00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:42.139
 it can become just that, it's what they do.

00:09:42.139 --> 00:09:46.899
 It's a process and it hasn't impacted them personally.

00:09:48.100 --> 00:09:50.039
 You know, we want our kids to say,

00:09:50.419 --> 00:09:53.059
 you know, no matter what mom and dad do from here,

00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:54.379
 God is my God.

00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:55.360
 He's mine.

00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:57.299
 He's not just generic.

00:09:57.539 --> 00:09:58.299
 He's personal.

00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:01.939
 But Asa did that which was good and right

00:10:01.939 --> 00:10:04.559
 in the eyes of the Lord, his God.

00:10:05.179 --> 00:10:07.139
 Asa's desire to do what was both,

00:10:07.460 --> 00:10:10.000
 was right both personally and publicly,

00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:15.159
 we need to remember that he was now king of Judah

00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:18.159
 and had a responsibility to more than just himself.

00:10:19.620 --> 00:10:21.580
 You know, leaders have a great responsibility

00:10:21.580 --> 00:10:23.700
 and we're going to see this play out

00:10:23.700 --> 00:10:25.679
 because this position brought upon him

00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:28.899
 a responsibility to do that was not only just

00:10:28.899 --> 00:10:31.679
 right before the eyes of God,

00:10:31.919 --> 00:10:33.419
 the good and right in the eyes of the Lord.

00:10:33.480 --> 00:10:33.860
 What is that?

00:10:33.899 --> 00:10:36.399
 He was doing that with jest and right

00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:39.519
 along with restraining evil in the land.

00:10:40.000 --> 00:10:41.019
 You know, because remember,

00:10:41.139 --> 00:10:42.259
 we've been talking about government

00:10:42.259 --> 00:10:44.379
 on Sunday morning and Sunday school.

00:10:44.460 --> 00:10:46.100
 What's the primary purpose of government?

00:10:46.220 --> 00:10:46.840
 Is to do what?

00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:52.580
 To allow good to prosper and to restrain evil.

00:10:53.500 --> 00:10:55.919
 To remove evil from the land.

00:10:57.519 --> 00:10:59.379
 You know, we can apply this

00:10:59.379 --> 00:11:01.460
 even in the election from yesterday.

00:11:01.600 --> 00:11:02.679
 One thing that happened is

00:11:02.679 --> 00:11:05.320
 we restrained some evil in the land.

00:11:05.320 --> 00:11:10.260
 There's not, that's something to rejoice about

00:11:10.260 --> 00:11:11.640
 that evil is restrained,

00:11:11.720 --> 00:11:13.180
 but I want you to understand

00:11:13.180 --> 00:11:15.840
 that you cannot totally control evil.

00:11:15.920 --> 00:11:17.480
 That's the reason you restrain evil.

00:11:18.620 --> 00:11:21.120
 Because people will do evil things

00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:21.860
 no matter what.

00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:24.440
 You know, I always love when people say,

00:11:24.540 --> 00:11:26.120
 well, if we just had a better environment

00:11:26.120 --> 00:11:27.120
 for them to grow up in,

00:11:27.160 --> 00:11:28.340
 they wouldn't do bad things.

00:11:28.600 --> 00:11:29.060
 You know what?

00:11:29.059 --> 00:11:30.259
 If that was the case,

00:11:30.319 --> 00:11:32.519
 Adam and Eve would have never rebelled against God.

00:11:34.019 --> 00:11:35.739
 They were in a perfect environment.

00:11:37.059 --> 00:11:40.319
 In a perfect creation

00:11:40.319 --> 00:11:41.859
 that everything was good.

00:11:42.279 --> 00:11:43.099
 It was right.

00:11:43.179 --> 00:11:44.679
 Everything was operating correctly.

00:11:46.500 --> 00:11:48.079
 And yet they turned against God.

00:11:48.159 --> 00:11:48.959
 You know what that tells us?

00:11:49.000 --> 00:11:50.059
 That the environment itself,

00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:53.259
 environment helps,

00:11:53.439 --> 00:11:54.899
 but environment doesn't direct.

00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:58.019
 A godly environment will help you make right choices,

00:11:58.179 --> 00:12:00.120
 but it doesn't force you to make right choices.

00:12:00.959 --> 00:12:03.279
 You still have a personal application.

00:12:03.439 --> 00:12:04.279
 So we're going to see here,

00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:08.079
 first, Asa did what his grandfather did not to,

00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.139
 and that was prepare his heart to seek the Lord.

00:12:11.740 --> 00:12:14.360
 You know, knowing what God had established to do.

00:12:14.959 --> 00:12:18.639
 You know, I think that Asa may have done,

00:12:18.740 --> 00:12:19.919
 the Bible doesn't tell us,

00:12:19.980 --> 00:12:21.620
 but I'm wondering if Asa did

00:12:21.620 --> 00:12:24.639
 what the law said he was supposed to do as king.

00:12:24.899 --> 00:12:28.500
 You know, it's always interesting as you read through it,

00:12:28.579 --> 00:12:30.539
 do you realize that God gave instructions

00:12:30.539 --> 00:12:32.179
 to kings in Deuteronomy?

00:12:34.059 --> 00:12:35.299
 Now let me ask you a question.

00:12:35.399 --> 00:12:37.120
 Did they have kings in the time

00:12:37.120 --> 00:12:38.100
 when they wrote Deuteronomy?

00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:39.779
 No, there was not kings yet.

00:12:39.919 --> 00:12:41.459
 You've got to go through the time of the judges.

00:12:41.600 --> 00:12:42.360
 You have all these things.

00:12:42.759 --> 00:12:45.299
 But turn over quick to Deuteronomy chapter 17.

00:12:46.840 --> 00:12:48.279
 Because you'll find this interesting.

00:12:48.379 --> 00:12:50.620
 Because I think if Asa did do this,

00:12:50.620 --> 00:12:53.580
 it may be one of those things

00:12:53.580 --> 00:12:54.980
 that led to what he did

00:12:54.980 --> 00:12:56.279
 and the decisions that he made.

00:12:57.340 --> 00:12:59.200
 Because look at what God commands him.

00:12:59.320 --> 00:13:01.080
 Turn to Deuteronomy chapter 17.

00:13:02.019 --> 00:13:03.440
 Deuteronomy chapter 17.

00:13:03.799 --> 00:13:06.340
 And we find here in Deuteronomy chapter 17,

00:13:06.539 --> 00:13:07.960
 down there in verse 15.

00:13:08.220 --> 00:13:09.759
 Go over there to the right spot here.

00:13:10.100 --> 00:13:10.519
 Follow along.

00:13:10.580 --> 00:13:10.740
 It says,

00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:40.080
 Look at verse 17.

00:13:40.740 --> 00:13:42.980
 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself

00:13:42.980 --> 00:13:44.480
 that his heart turn not away.

00:13:45.519 --> 00:13:46.519
 Now remember,

00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:47.560
 what happened to Solomon?

00:13:47.820 --> 00:13:49.680
 His heart was turned away from what?

00:13:50.560 --> 00:13:51.379
 Or by what?

00:13:53.000 --> 00:13:54.860
 When he multiplied wives.

00:13:56.560 --> 00:13:58.680
 And his wives turned his heart

00:13:58.680 --> 00:14:00.320
 away from God.

00:14:01.799 --> 00:14:02.379
 Now it's interesting.

00:14:02.379 --> 00:14:05.100
 This is hundreds of years previous

00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:07.620
 that God gave him warning.

00:14:08.600 --> 00:14:10.100
 Notice what's next here

00:14:10.100 --> 00:14:11.340
 as we look at this.

00:14:11.420 --> 00:14:12.519
 It says in verse 18,

00:14:12.659 --> 00:14:12.980
 And when he,

00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:14.300
 it shall be,

00:14:15.200 --> 00:14:17.320
 when he sit up upon the throne

00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:18.100
 of his kingdom.

00:14:18.740 --> 00:14:19.320
 Now notice this,

00:14:19.379 --> 00:14:20.580
 that he shall write him

00:14:20.580 --> 00:14:22.259
 a copy of this law

00:14:22.259 --> 00:14:24.259
 in a book out of

00:14:24.259 --> 00:14:26.519
 that which is before the priests,

00:14:27.480 --> 00:14:28.279
 the Levites.

00:14:28.779 --> 00:14:30.320
 And it shall be with him

00:14:30.320 --> 00:14:31.659
 and he shall read therein

00:14:31.659 --> 00:14:32.980
 all the days of his life.

00:14:33.379 --> 00:14:34.519
 Now I want you to notice this.

00:14:34.580 --> 00:14:36.200
 What did God command the kings to do?

00:14:36.200 --> 00:14:37.860
 They were supposed to go into the temple

00:14:37.860 --> 00:14:40.940
 and make a personal copy

00:14:40.940 --> 00:14:43.440
 of the law.

00:14:43.720 --> 00:14:44.920
 Have you ever tried to copy something?

00:14:45.220 --> 00:14:47.259
 Do you get a better grasp on something

00:14:47.259 --> 00:14:48.220
 when you have to copy something?

00:14:49.879 --> 00:14:51.259
 But notice what the purpose

00:14:51.259 --> 00:14:53.100
 of this self-copy was,

00:14:53.540 --> 00:14:55.660
 was that he might take it back

00:14:55.660 --> 00:14:56.600
 and do what with it?

00:14:58.379 --> 00:14:59.740
 And read it, you know?

00:14:59.980 --> 00:15:01.700
 That he had his own copy

00:15:01.700 --> 00:15:02.920
 of the word of God,

00:15:03.259 --> 00:15:03.580
 you know?

00:15:04.680 --> 00:15:06.180
 That it shall be with him

00:15:06.180 --> 00:15:07.540
 and he shall read therein

00:15:07.540 --> 00:15:08.720
 all the days of his life.

00:15:08.780 --> 00:15:09.500
 Now notice this,

00:15:09.780 --> 00:15:10.980
 that he may learn

00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:12.560
 to fear the Lord his God

00:15:12.560 --> 00:15:14.540
 to keep all the words of this law

00:15:14.540 --> 00:15:16.300
 and these statutes to do them.

00:15:16.560 --> 00:15:16.740
 You know,

00:15:16.759 --> 00:15:17.620
 I want you to understand,

00:15:17.780 --> 00:15:19.520
 God knew what was going to happen

00:15:19.520 --> 00:15:20.259
 when the kings,

00:15:20.259 --> 00:15:21.960
 the time of the kings would come.

00:15:23.320 --> 00:15:24.080
 And I think, you know,

00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:24.440
 like I said,

00:15:24.500 --> 00:15:25.580
 the Bible doesn't tell us,

00:15:25.660 --> 00:15:27.379
 but from Ace's response here,

00:15:28.180 --> 00:15:30.480
 I think he might have actually done this.

00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:33.759
 Because we see his turn

00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:35.580
 for revival in the land,

00:15:35.800 --> 00:15:37.480
 because it wasn't just being,

00:15:37.740 --> 00:15:39.019
 let's go through the motions,

00:15:39.159 --> 00:15:40.740
 he says this needs to be personal.

00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:45.320
 And he took his responsibility personal.

00:15:45.779 --> 00:15:47.060
 And we see here,

00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:49.000
 it caused him to see the necessity

00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:51.060
 even to purge the kingdom

00:15:51.060 --> 00:15:53.060
 of the idols and the abominations

00:15:53.060 --> 00:15:54.539
 that had been allowed

00:15:54.539 --> 00:15:57.399
 by his fathers before him.

00:15:57.460 --> 00:15:59.580
 And even Solomon allowed them

00:15:59.580 --> 00:16:01.259
 after his wives turned his heart

00:16:01.259 --> 00:16:01.980
 away from the Lord.

00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:03.600
 They worshipped Ashtaroth

00:16:03.600 --> 00:16:06.360
 and they had all sorts of abominations

00:16:06.360 --> 00:16:07.920
 that they allowed in the land.

00:16:09.680 --> 00:16:10.820
 But we find here,

00:16:10.900 --> 00:16:13.379
 Asa sparks a revival

00:16:13.379 --> 00:16:15.540
 because, you know,

00:16:15.580 --> 00:16:16.740
 the one thing we understand

00:16:16.740 --> 00:16:18.600
 that the closer you get to God,

00:16:18.700 --> 00:16:19.900
 the clearer sin becomes.

00:16:21.580 --> 00:16:23.580
 And not just the sin of somebody else,

00:16:23.660 --> 00:16:24.220
 but your own.

00:16:24.220 --> 00:16:27.519
 Because it reveals our heart

00:16:27.519 --> 00:16:28.940
 when we draw close to God.

00:16:29.680 --> 00:16:31.240
 It reveals who we are

00:16:31.240 --> 00:16:32.279
 and who he is.

00:16:33.160 --> 00:16:35.540
 And so I think as Asa drew close to the Lord,

00:16:35.800 --> 00:16:37.420
 it impacted him, you know.

00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:39.840
 He understood that if he was going to be able

00:16:39.840 --> 00:16:41.420
 to deal with what was outside,

00:16:41.639 --> 00:16:42.980
 he had to deal with what was inside.

00:16:44.040 --> 00:16:46.899
 He had to deal with what was inside himself first.

00:16:46.899 --> 00:16:48.819
 Have you ever noticed

00:16:48.819 --> 00:16:50.079
 it's a lot easier to point out

00:16:50.079 --> 00:16:50.980
 somebody else's sin?

00:16:53.079 --> 00:16:53.379
 You know?

00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:54.500
 Have you ever noticed

00:16:54.500 --> 00:16:55.340
 that it's a lot easier

00:16:55.340 --> 00:16:56.539
 to point at somebody else's?

00:16:56.539 --> 00:16:57.199
 And look at them.

00:16:58.879 --> 00:16:59.879
 But it's a big difference

00:16:59.879 --> 00:17:01.539
 when we have to reflect upon ourself,

00:17:01.620 --> 00:17:01.919
 isn't it?

00:17:03.360 --> 00:17:04.200
 To understand,

00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:04.940
 who am I

00:17:04.940 --> 00:17:06.460
 before God?

00:17:08.000 --> 00:17:09.379
 What's my responsibility?

00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:11.240
 You know,

00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:11.740
 take a look at,

00:17:11.779 --> 00:17:13.119
 we'll look at a little application here.

00:17:13.180 --> 00:17:14.660
 Go over to Colossians chapter 3

00:17:14.660 --> 00:17:15.259
 for a moment.

00:17:16.140 --> 00:17:17.360
 Colossians chapter 3.

00:17:17.980 --> 00:17:19.240
 Because as a believer,

00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:20.420
 now I want you to understand

00:17:20.420 --> 00:17:22.840
 that you're going to find things

00:17:22.840 --> 00:17:24.880
 operated a different way,

00:17:25.019 --> 00:17:26.080
 some in the Old Testament

00:17:26.080 --> 00:17:27.960
 than it does today.

00:17:28.340 --> 00:17:30.400
 Because we are under the age of grace,

00:17:30.540 --> 00:17:30.920
 there's a little,

00:17:31.000 --> 00:17:32.340
 some different things that happen.

00:17:33.259 --> 00:17:34.660
 And as we're going to go through this,

00:17:34.700 --> 00:17:36.519
 you're going to see this come about.

00:17:36.600 --> 00:17:37.620
 Because I want you to remember

00:17:37.620 --> 00:17:38.620
 in the Old Testament,

00:17:39.259 --> 00:17:40.380
 the Spirit of God

00:17:40.380 --> 00:17:42.240
 would come and go off of people.

00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:44.880
 The Spirit of God

00:17:44.880 --> 00:17:45.400
 would come

00:17:45.400 --> 00:17:47.220
 and be upon somebody

00:17:47.220 --> 00:17:48.380
 and then the Spirit of God

00:17:48.380 --> 00:17:49.039
 could depart.

00:17:50.500 --> 00:17:52.660
 In our age,

00:17:52.779 --> 00:17:54.039
 what does God promise?

00:17:55.539 --> 00:17:56.180
 He says,

00:17:56.299 --> 00:17:57.440
 the Spirit is the earnest

00:17:57.440 --> 00:17:58.500
 of our salvation.

00:17:59.099 --> 00:17:59.480
 He says,

00:17:59.559 --> 00:18:00.640
 I will never leave thee,

00:18:00.700 --> 00:18:01.299
 nor what?

00:18:02.440 --> 00:18:03.079
 Forsake thee.

00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:04.039
 He says,

00:18:04.079 --> 00:18:05.000
 I am with you always,

00:18:05.079 --> 00:18:06.319
 even unto the end of the earth.

00:18:08.120 --> 00:18:08.620
 You know,

00:18:08.720 --> 00:18:10.359
 we live in a blessed generation

00:18:10.359 --> 00:18:11.279
 when it comes to even

00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:12.639
 our relationship with God.

00:18:14.339 --> 00:18:15.779
 That we have the Spirit of God

00:18:15.779 --> 00:18:17.639
 that indwells the believer.

00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:19.000
 Notice here in Colossians,

00:18:19.219 --> 00:18:20.240
 in chapter 3,

00:18:20.299 --> 00:18:21.039
 look at verse 1,

00:18:21.079 --> 00:18:21.319
 it says,

00:18:21.419 --> 00:18:23.139
 If ye then be risen with Christ,

00:18:23.699 --> 00:18:25.339
 seek those things which are above,

00:18:25.479 --> 00:18:27.179
 where Christ sitteth

00:18:27.179 --> 00:18:28.419
 on the right hand of God.

00:18:28.819 --> 00:18:29.839
 Set your affections

00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:30.939
 on the things above,

00:18:31.179 --> 00:18:32.379
 not the things of earth,

00:18:32.439 --> 00:18:33.299
 for ye are dead,

00:18:33.359 --> 00:18:34.479
 and your life is hid

00:18:34.479 --> 00:18:36.299
 with Christ in God.

00:18:36.639 --> 00:18:37.500
 When Christ,

00:18:37.619 --> 00:18:38.500
 who is our life,

00:18:38.559 --> 00:18:39.199
 shall appear,

00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:40.680
 then shall ye also

00:18:40.680 --> 00:18:41.900
 appear with him in glory.

00:18:42.500 --> 00:18:42.700
 You know,

00:18:42.720 --> 00:18:43.720
 look down at verse 8,

00:18:43.779 --> 00:18:44.140
 it says,

00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:45.799
 But now ye also

00:18:45.799 --> 00:18:47.039
 put off these things,

00:18:47.120 --> 00:18:47.440
 anger,

00:18:47.620 --> 00:18:48.039
 malice,

00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:49.000
 wrath,

00:18:49.120 --> 00:18:49.440
 malice,

00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:50.000
 blasphemy,

00:18:50.140 --> 00:18:51.059
 filthy communication

00:18:51.059 --> 00:18:51.819
 out of your mouth.

00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:52.819
 Lie not one to another,

00:18:52.920 --> 00:18:53.880
 saying that ye have put off

00:18:53.880 --> 00:18:55.319
 the old man with his deeds,

00:18:55.680 --> 00:18:57.240
 and have put on the new man

00:18:57.240 --> 00:18:58.480
 which is renewed in knowledge

00:18:58.480 --> 00:18:59.680
 after the image of him

00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:00.920
 that created him.

00:19:00.940 --> 00:19:01.420
 In other words,

00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:02.779
 how do we grow closer

00:19:02.779 --> 00:19:03.840
 to Christ even today?

00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:04.360
 It's by knowing

00:19:04.360 --> 00:19:05.160
 the Word of God.

00:19:05.980 --> 00:19:07.400
 To know what God has

00:19:07.400 --> 00:19:08.759
 and what he would have for us.

00:19:09.200 --> 00:19:11.039
 And Asa had a desire

00:19:11.039 --> 00:19:12.240
 to keep the law,

00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:13.900
 not in part,

00:19:14.180 --> 00:19:14.940
 but in whole.

00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:17.740
 Just as David did.

00:19:17.819 --> 00:19:17.960
 You know,

00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:19.319
 look up to 1 Kings.

00:19:19.580 --> 00:19:21.299
 1 Kings chapter 15.

00:19:22.220 --> 00:19:22.360
 See,

00:19:22.420 --> 00:19:23.559
 if you had your little ribbon there,

00:19:23.920 --> 00:19:24.200
 or something,

00:19:24.279 --> 00:19:24.680
 note card,

00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:25.600
 you can find it quick,

00:19:25.680 --> 00:19:25.799
 see?

00:19:26.059 --> 00:19:27.200
 Look down at verse 11.

00:19:29.140 --> 00:19:29.539
 It says,

00:19:29.660 --> 00:19:30.759
 And Asa did that

00:19:30.759 --> 00:19:31.580
 which was right

00:19:31.580 --> 00:19:32.860
 in the eyes of the Lord

00:19:32.860 --> 00:19:34.640
 as David his father.

00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.259
 we see here

00:19:37.259 --> 00:19:38.900
 something very important here.

00:19:38.980 --> 00:19:40.440
 We see that he took it personally.

00:19:41.780 --> 00:19:42.860
 Just as David did.

00:19:42.900 --> 00:19:44.259
 Did David take his relationship

00:19:44.259 --> 00:19:45.180
 with God personally?

00:19:46.680 --> 00:19:47.160
 I mean,

00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:48.140
 I don't think you can read

00:19:48.140 --> 00:19:48.759
 through the things

00:19:48.759 --> 00:19:49.600
 that David wrote

00:19:49.600 --> 00:19:50.500
 and not say that God

00:19:50.500 --> 00:19:51.420
 didn't take his relationship

00:19:51.420 --> 00:19:52.340
 with God personally.

00:19:53.620 --> 00:19:53.940
 You know,

00:19:53.960 --> 00:19:54.860
 it was a personal

00:19:54.860 --> 00:19:56.640
 communication with God.

00:19:56.700 --> 00:19:57.860
 He wanted to restore

00:19:57.860 --> 00:19:59.160
 the joy of his salvation

00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:00.320
 even after he sinned.

00:20:00.319 --> 00:20:01.460
 That was his desire.

00:20:01.579 --> 00:20:01.779
 God,

00:20:01.879 --> 00:20:02.799
 take this away.

00:20:03.319 --> 00:20:04.720
 Restore that relationship.

00:20:05.019 --> 00:20:06.179
 Restore that connection

00:20:06.179 --> 00:20:07.619
 that we had.

00:20:08.599 --> 00:20:09.500
 But he did that

00:20:09.500 --> 00:20:10.159
 which was right

00:20:10.159 --> 00:20:11.460
 in the eyes of the Lord.

00:20:11.980 --> 00:20:13.019
 And we find here

00:20:13.019 --> 00:20:13.799
 that he took away

00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:14.859
 the idol worship

00:20:14.859 --> 00:20:16.740
 that had plagued

00:20:17.659 --> 00:20:18.240
 the kingdom

00:20:18.240 --> 00:20:20.039
 from his grandfather

00:20:20.039 --> 00:20:21.720
 Solomon on.

00:20:22.139 --> 00:20:23.599
 And what he had brought in

00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:24.599
 in the second part

00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:25.740
 we're going to see here

00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:27.439
 is Asa first took it personally

00:20:27.439 --> 00:20:28.599
 but then he took

00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:30.220
 a responsibility publicly.

00:20:31.319 --> 00:20:32.460
 There was a public

00:20:32.460 --> 00:20:33.279
 responsibility

00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:34.980
 that he did

00:20:34.980 --> 00:20:35.619
 that was even

00:20:35.619 --> 00:20:37.439
 partially personal.

00:20:37.619 --> 00:20:38.159
 Look back over

00:20:38.159 --> 00:20:40.079
 in 2 Chronicles chapter 14.

00:20:40.639 --> 00:20:42.539
 2 Chronicles chapter 14.

00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:44.039
 And we find down here

00:20:44.039 --> 00:20:45.059
 as we continue reading

00:20:45.059 --> 00:20:46.539
 in here in 2 Chronicles 14

00:20:46.539 --> 00:20:48.139
 down in verse 3

00:20:48.139 --> 00:20:49.119
 notice what he did

00:20:49.119 --> 00:20:50.319
 what his action was.

00:20:50.779 --> 00:20:51.779
 It says he took away

00:20:51.779 --> 00:20:52.460
 the altars

00:20:52.460 --> 00:20:53.720
 of the strange gods

00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:54.639
 in the high places

00:20:54.639 --> 00:20:56.439
 and break down the images

00:20:56.439 --> 00:20:57.939
 and cut down the groves.

00:20:57.940 --> 00:21:00.380
 You know his father

00:21:00.380 --> 00:21:01.580
 Abijah promoted

00:21:01.580 --> 00:21:03.460
 keeping the temple sacrifices

00:21:03.460 --> 00:21:05.380
 but where his problem was

00:21:05.380 --> 00:21:06.019
 is that was just

00:21:06.019 --> 00:21:07.160
 a religious function.

00:21:07.580 --> 00:21:08.460
 He also said

00:21:08.460 --> 00:21:09.360
 hey if you want to do

00:21:09.360 --> 00:21:09.880
 something else

00:21:09.880 --> 00:21:10.420
 go do it.

00:21:10.660 --> 00:21:11.840
 He allowed all the other

00:21:11.840 --> 00:21:13.580
 sacrifices to take place

00:21:13.580 --> 00:21:15.080
 all the other abominations

00:21:15.080 --> 00:21:16.600
 that we're going to see

00:21:16.600 --> 00:21:17.299
 here tonight

00:21:17.299 --> 00:21:18.140
 you know we understand

00:21:18.140 --> 00:21:19.380
 that his father

00:21:19.380 --> 00:21:20.200
 had promoted

00:21:20.200 --> 00:21:21.940
 you know this dual idea

00:21:21.940 --> 00:21:24.200
 it was not a personal

00:21:24.200 --> 00:21:26.420
 obligation towards God

00:21:26.420 --> 00:21:27.100
 which is what we're going

00:21:27.100 --> 00:21:27.980
 to find Asa

00:21:27.980 --> 00:21:29.460
 puts forth

00:21:29.460 --> 00:21:30.640
 and not allow

00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:32.460
 co-worship with false gods.

00:21:32.559 --> 00:21:32.860
 He says

00:21:32.860 --> 00:21:34.160
 you have to choose

00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:35.779
 who you're going to worship.

00:21:36.860 --> 00:21:37.680
 But he says

00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:38.620
 under my leadership

00:21:38.620 --> 00:21:39.720
 we're not going to allow

00:21:39.720 --> 00:21:40.980
 these things to be here

00:21:40.980 --> 00:21:41.720
 because it's

00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.940
 his responsibility.

00:21:44.420 --> 00:21:45.460
 What direction

00:21:45.460 --> 00:21:46.920
 is the nation going to go?

00:21:47.460 --> 00:21:48.580
 It was upon him

00:21:48.580 --> 00:21:49.680
 to make that decision

00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:51.220
 and we're going to find here

00:21:51.220 --> 00:21:52.220
 it starts not only

00:21:52.220 --> 00:21:53.000
 with him personally

00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:54.400
 but it starts in his household.

00:21:56.360 --> 00:21:57.900
 Because he does something here

00:21:57.900 --> 00:21:58.380
 that would probably

00:21:58.380 --> 00:21:59.480
 be pretty tough to do.

00:21:59.799 --> 00:22:01.440
 His first order of business

00:22:01.440 --> 00:22:02.460
 was going to remove

00:22:02.460 --> 00:22:03.220
 the idols

00:22:03.220 --> 00:22:05.080
 that officially sanctioned sin.

00:22:05.420 --> 00:22:05.960
 Abijah

00:22:05.960 --> 00:22:06.960
 his father

00:22:06.960 --> 00:22:08.480
 had allowed those things

00:22:08.480 --> 00:22:09.500
 to take place

00:22:09.500 --> 00:22:11.779
 he had not removed them

00:22:11.779 --> 00:22:13.299
 because of

00:22:13.299 --> 00:22:15.580
 Asa's grandmother.

00:22:16.019 --> 00:22:16.779
 His grandmother

00:22:16.779 --> 00:22:18.400
 was an open worshiper

00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:19.220
 of Ashtaroth.

00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:21.320
 Matter of fact

00:22:21.320 --> 00:22:22.000
 we're going to find here

00:22:22.000 --> 00:22:23.600
 that she made her own idol

00:22:23.600 --> 00:22:24.580
 that she worshipped.

00:22:24.840 --> 00:22:25.360
 In other words

00:22:25.360 --> 00:22:26.920
 it wasn't even incognito

00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:28.259
 it was blatantly public.

00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:30.620
 Everybody could see it.

00:22:30.880 --> 00:22:32.259
 He removed those things

00:22:32.259 --> 00:22:33.259
 and we're going to look at this

00:22:33.259 --> 00:22:34.700
 here in a little bit

00:22:34.700 --> 00:22:35.440
 but Asa

00:22:35.440 --> 00:22:36.820
 did so

00:22:36.820 --> 00:22:37.920
 and he's rising

00:22:37.920 --> 00:22:38.880
 to the occasion

00:22:38.880 --> 00:22:39.759
 because God

00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:40.380
 had first

00:22:40.380 --> 00:22:42.420
 moved within him

00:22:42.420 --> 00:22:43.440
 that he wanted to do right

00:22:43.440 --> 00:22:44.600
 in the eyes of the Lord

00:22:44.600 --> 00:22:45.299
 and he removed

00:22:45.299 --> 00:22:46.560
 and destroyed the idols

00:22:46.559 --> 00:22:47.839
 and removed

00:22:47.839 --> 00:22:48.659
 even the idols

00:22:48.659 --> 00:22:49.899
 his father had made.

00:22:50.299 --> 00:22:51.399
 He cleansed his household

00:22:51.399 --> 00:22:52.579
 from the false worship

00:22:52.579 --> 00:22:53.200
 and the things

00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:54.099
 that they had worshipped.

00:22:54.599 --> 00:22:54.740
 You know

00:22:54.740 --> 00:22:56.579
 look over in 1 Kings chapter 15

00:22:56.579 --> 00:22:58.079
 and you'll find there

00:22:58.079 --> 00:22:59.240
 look down at verse 12

00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:01.399
 we'll get back

00:23:01.399 --> 00:23:02.119
 to the first part

00:23:02.119 --> 00:23:03.019
 of verse 12

00:23:03.019 --> 00:23:03.639
 a little later

00:23:03.639 --> 00:23:05.259
 but I want you to see

00:23:05.259 --> 00:23:05.779
 this note

00:23:05.779 --> 00:23:06.579
 of his household

00:23:06.579 --> 00:23:08.639
 because notice

00:23:08.639 --> 00:23:09.339
 what it says

00:23:09.339 --> 00:23:09.919
 in verse 12

00:23:09.919 --> 00:23:10.440
 he took away

00:23:10.440 --> 00:23:11.240
 the sodomites

00:23:11.240 --> 00:23:11.919
 out of the land

00:23:11.919 --> 00:23:12.899
 and removed

00:23:12.899 --> 00:23:14.139
 all the idols

00:23:14.139 --> 00:23:14.679
 that what

00:23:14.680 --> 00:23:15.299
 his father

00:23:15.299 --> 00:23:16.019
 had done what?

00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:17.500
 Made.

00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:20.420
 Remember his father

00:23:20.420 --> 00:23:22.259
 was trying to blend

00:23:22.259 --> 00:23:23.600
 all the worship together

00:23:23.600 --> 00:23:25.900
 no matter what you worship

00:23:25.900 --> 00:23:26.640
 you come together

00:23:26.640 --> 00:23:26.900
 you know

00:23:26.900 --> 00:23:28.019
 we see a lot of that spirit

00:23:28.019 --> 00:23:28.900
 today do don't we?

00:23:30.420 --> 00:23:31.759
 We can all get along

00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:32.299
 just worship

00:23:32.299 --> 00:23:33.160
 what you want to worship

00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:35.820
 the problem is

00:23:35.820 --> 00:23:36.820
 it doesn't work that way

00:23:36.820 --> 00:23:38.120
 a society doesn't

00:23:38.120 --> 00:23:39.039
 function that way

00:23:39.039 --> 00:23:41.960
 and we're going to see this

00:23:41.960 --> 00:23:43.700
 he removed his father's idols

00:23:43.700 --> 00:23:45.519
 but also his grandmother's idols

00:23:45.519 --> 00:23:46.740
 you know

00:23:46.740 --> 00:23:48.819
 that's stepping it up a notch

00:23:48.819 --> 00:23:49.319
 isn't it?

00:23:50.660 --> 00:23:52.160
 Because we're going to find here

00:23:52.160 --> 00:23:53.620
 what he did

00:23:53.620 --> 00:23:53.880
 you know

00:23:53.880 --> 00:23:54.720
 we find here

00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:56.080
 that he removed

00:23:56.080 --> 00:23:57.180
 those things

00:23:57.180 --> 00:23:58.720
 he removed the

00:23:58.720 --> 00:23:59.860
 high places

00:23:59.860 --> 00:24:01.480
 that were before him

00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:02.539
 and we're going to see here

00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:05.860
 as we look through here

00:24:05.860 --> 00:24:07.440
 in this passage

00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:07.700
 that

00:24:07.700 --> 00:24:09.000
 let's see here

00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:10.080
 put a note in here

00:24:10.080 --> 00:24:10.740
 that I wanted

00:24:10.740 --> 00:24:13.620
 see if that's

00:24:13.620 --> 00:24:15.480
 yep

00:24:15.480 --> 00:24:16.019
 over to

00:24:16.019 --> 00:24:16.900
 1 Kings

00:24:16.900 --> 00:24:19.380
 back to 1 Kings

00:24:19.380 --> 00:24:20.440
 chapter 15

00:24:20.440 --> 00:24:21.039
 yep

00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:21.799
 verse 13

00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:23.039
 and also

00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:24.220
 Micaiah and his mother

00:24:24.220 --> 00:24:25.200
 which you remember

00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:25.720
 this is

00:24:25.720 --> 00:24:26.740
 his grandmother

00:24:26.740 --> 00:24:27.779
 remember we talked about

00:24:27.779 --> 00:24:28.480
 that last time

00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:29.039
 about how they

00:24:29.039 --> 00:24:30.920
 marked generations here

00:24:30.920 --> 00:24:31.420
 it was his

00:24:31.420 --> 00:24:32.599
 father's mother

00:24:32.599 --> 00:24:33.279
 and even her

00:24:33.279 --> 00:24:34.400
 he removed

00:24:34.400 --> 00:24:35.579
 from being queen

00:24:35.579 --> 00:24:36.559
 because she made

00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:37.940
 an idol in a grove

00:24:37.940 --> 00:24:39.360
 and Asa destroyed

00:24:39.360 --> 00:24:39.960
 her idol

00:24:39.960 --> 00:24:41.500
 and burnt it

00:24:41.500 --> 00:24:42.240
 by the brook

00:24:42.240 --> 00:24:43.019
 Kidron

00:24:43.019 --> 00:24:44.640
 now

00:24:44.640 --> 00:24:46.039
 this is important

00:24:46.039 --> 00:24:46.900
 to see what's

00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:47.500
 happening here

00:24:47.500 --> 00:24:48.519
 he takes and puts

00:24:48.519 --> 00:24:49.279
 that away

00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:50.500
 he took that

00:24:50.500 --> 00:24:51.400
 responsibility

00:24:51.400 --> 00:24:53.539
 very seriously

00:24:53.539 --> 00:24:54.460
 of what he would

00:24:54.460 --> 00:24:55.279
 God would have

00:24:55.279 --> 00:24:55.799
 for him

00:24:55.799 --> 00:24:57.080
 and he took that

00:24:57.080 --> 00:24:58.320
 responsibility out

00:24:58.320 --> 00:24:58.940
 even under the

00:24:58.940 --> 00:24:59.820
 public square

00:24:59.820 --> 00:25:01.259
 because we find

00:25:01.259 --> 00:25:02.180
 in 2nd Chronicles

00:25:02.180 --> 00:25:02.820
 14

00:25:02.820 --> 00:25:03.620
 in verse 5

00:25:03.620 --> 00:25:03.960
 he said

00:25:03.960 --> 00:25:04.880
 he also took away

00:25:04.880 --> 00:25:05.320
 out of this

00:25:05.320 --> 00:25:06.900
 all the cities of Judah

00:25:06.900 --> 00:25:07.860
 the high places

00:25:07.860 --> 00:25:08.560
 and the images

00:25:08.560 --> 00:25:09.740
 and the kingdom

00:25:09.740 --> 00:25:10.600
 was quiet

00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:11.440
 before him

00:25:11.440 --> 00:25:13.960
 remember it said

00:25:13.960 --> 00:25:14.560
 at the beginning

00:25:14.560 --> 00:25:16.259
 that he had

00:25:16.259 --> 00:25:17.580
 10 years of quiet

00:25:17.580 --> 00:25:20.200
 now we find out

00:25:20.200 --> 00:25:21.280
 why that peace

00:25:21.280 --> 00:25:22.100
 was in the kingdom

00:25:22.100 --> 00:25:24.560
 it's attached

00:25:24.560 --> 00:25:25.420
 to the decisions

00:25:25.420 --> 00:25:26.560
 that Asa made

00:25:26.560 --> 00:25:29.280
 the things that

00:25:29.280 --> 00:25:30.080
 Asa made

00:25:30.080 --> 00:25:30.900
 made a decision

00:25:30.900 --> 00:25:31.240
 why?

00:25:31.380 --> 00:25:31.820
 because he had

00:25:31.820 --> 00:25:32.580
 the authority

00:25:32.580 --> 00:25:33.620
 from his position

00:25:33.620 --> 00:25:34.380
 to make those

00:25:34.380 --> 00:25:36.800
 but he was

00:25:36.800 --> 00:25:37.800
 following God

00:25:37.800 --> 00:25:38.360
 first

00:25:38.360 --> 00:25:39.960
 and trusting

00:25:39.960 --> 00:25:40.880
 God in those

00:25:40.880 --> 00:25:41.280
 things

00:25:41.280 --> 00:25:41.860
 and he took

00:25:41.860 --> 00:25:42.920
 out from the

00:25:42.920 --> 00:25:43.340
 cities

00:25:43.340 --> 00:25:44.420
 the places

00:25:44.420 --> 00:25:44.940
 that drew

00:25:44.940 --> 00:25:45.760
 people away

00:25:45.760 --> 00:25:46.500
 from God

00:25:46.500 --> 00:25:48.140
 you know

00:25:48.140 --> 00:25:48.960
 he took away

00:25:48.960 --> 00:25:49.540
 out of all

00:25:49.540 --> 00:25:50.000
 the cities

00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:50.300
 of Judah

00:25:50.300 --> 00:25:51.200
 the high places

00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:51.880
 and images

00:25:51.880 --> 00:25:53.860
 what did he do?

00:25:53.940 --> 00:25:54.220
 he says

00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:54.940
 hey the things

00:25:54.940 --> 00:25:55.220
 that are going

00:25:55.220 --> 00:25:55.740
 to take people

00:25:55.740 --> 00:25:56.720
 away from God

00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:57.280
 I'm going to

00:25:57.280 --> 00:25:57.780
 take away

00:25:57.780 --> 00:25:58.200
 from them

00:25:58.200 --> 00:25:59.640
 I'm going to

00:25:59.640 --> 00:26:00.320
 destroy them

00:26:00.320 --> 00:26:00.640
 I'm going to

00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:01.280
 put them away

00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:01.899
 that we might

00:26:01.899 --> 00:26:02.359
 worship

00:26:02.359 --> 00:26:03.579
 and focus

00:26:03.579 --> 00:26:04.519
 upon God

00:26:04.519 --> 00:26:05.220
 the one

00:26:05.220 --> 00:26:05.759
 that we ought

00:26:05.759 --> 00:26:05.899
 to

00:26:05.899 --> 00:26:06.599
 he encouraged

00:26:06.599 --> 00:26:07.200
 others to

00:26:07.200 --> 00:26:07.839
 do so

00:26:07.839 --> 00:26:08.920
 and it was

00:26:08.920 --> 00:26:09.339
 not just

00:26:09.339 --> 00:26:10.079
 a superficial

00:26:10.079 --> 00:26:10.839
 change

00:26:10.839 --> 00:26:11.599
 but a personal

00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:12.079
 change

00:26:12.079 --> 00:26:12.399
 that was

00:26:12.399 --> 00:26:12.819
 needed

00:26:12.819 --> 00:26:15.180
 notice back

00:26:15.180 --> 00:26:15.599
 in 2nd

00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:16.019
 chronicles

00:26:16.019 --> 00:26:16.839
 chapter 14

00:26:16.839 --> 00:26:17.319
 look at the

00:26:17.319 --> 00:26:17.899
 verse before

00:26:17.899 --> 00:26:18.299
 that in

00:26:18.299 --> 00:26:18.859
 verse 4

00:26:18.859 --> 00:26:19.740
 he says

00:26:19.740 --> 00:26:19.980
 this

00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:20.839
 he commanded

00:26:20.839 --> 00:26:21.680
 Judah to

00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:22.160
 seek the

00:26:22.160 --> 00:26:22.819
 Lord God

00:26:22.819 --> 00:26:23.160
 of their

00:26:23.160 --> 00:26:23.639
 fathers

00:26:23.639 --> 00:26:24.420
 and to

00:26:24.420 --> 00:26:24.819
 do the

00:26:24.819 --> 00:26:25.160
 law

00:26:25.160 --> 00:26:25.480
 and the

00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:25.899
 commandments

00:26:25.899 --> 00:26:26.619
 remember

00:26:26.619 --> 00:26:26.940
 if you're

00:26:26.940 --> 00:26:27.139
 going to

00:26:27.139 --> 00:26:27.960
 find God

00:26:27.960 --> 00:26:28.200
 what do

00:26:28.200 --> 00:26:28.519
 you got to

00:26:28.519 --> 00:26:29.259
 do some

00:26:29.259 --> 00:26:29.639
 seeking

00:26:29.640 --> 00:26:31.520
 if you

00:26:31.520 --> 00:26:31.860
 don't want

00:26:31.860 --> 00:26:32.300
 to avoid

00:26:32.300 --> 00:26:32.740
 evil

00:26:32.740 --> 00:26:33.040
 you need

00:26:33.040 --> 00:26:33.400
 to seek

00:26:33.400 --> 00:26:33.900
 the Lord

00:26:33.900 --> 00:26:34.520
 that was

00:26:34.520 --> 00:26:35.180
 very clear

00:26:35.180 --> 00:26:35.960
 with Rehoboam

00:26:35.960 --> 00:26:36.340
 wasn't it

00:26:36.340 --> 00:26:36.880
 they did

00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:37.560
 evil in the

00:26:37.560 --> 00:26:38.100
 eyes of the

00:26:38.100 --> 00:26:38.240
 Lord

00:26:38.240 --> 00:26:38.759
 because he

00:26:38.759 --> 00:26:39.180
 didn't

00:26:39.180 --> 00:26:39.600
 seek

00:26:39.600 --> 00:26:40.540
 God

00:26:40.540 --> 00:26:41.100
 first

00:26:41.100 --> 00:26:41.740
 but what

00:26:41.740 --> 00:26:41.920
 does

00:26:41.920 --> 00:26:42.560
 Asa do

00:26:42.560 --> 00:26:43.540
 he understands

00:26:43.540 --> 00:26:45.020
 that he

00:26:45.020 --> 00:26:45.860
 cannot make

00:26:45.860 --> 00:26:46.660
 somebody else

00:26:46.660 --> 00:26:47.400
 worship God

00:26:47.400 --> 00:26:47.680
 but he

00:26:47.680 --> 00:26:48.000
 said he

00:26:48.000 --> 00:26:48.340
 commanded

00:26:48.340 --> 00:26:48.759
 them to

00:26:48.759 --> 00:26:49.440
 seek God

00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:50.060
 to be

00:26:50.060 --> 00:26:50.940
 aware of

00:26:50.940 --> 00:26:51.380
 who God

00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:51.800
 is and

00:26:51.800 --> 00:26:52.320
 what God

00:26:52.320 --> 00:26:52.700
 has done

00:26:52.700 --> 00:26:53.120
 and why

00:26:53.120 --> 00:26:53.580
 God is

00:26:53.580 --> 00:26:54.100
 doing it

00:26:54.100 --> 00:26:55.820
 because you

00:26:55.820 --> 00:26:56.540
 cannot make

00:26:56.540 --> 00:26:57.080
 somebody

00:26:57.080 --> 00:26:57.580
 become a

00:26:57.580 --> 00:26:57.900
 Christian

00:26:57.900 --> 00:26:58.600
 the same

00:26:58.600 --> 00:26:58.940
 is true

00:26:58.940 --> 00:26:59.100
 here

00:26:59.100 --> 00:26:59.540
 you can't

00:26:59.539 --> 00:27:00.299
 force somebody

00:27:00.299 --> 00:27:00.759
 to worship

00:27:00.759 --> 00:27:00.980
 something

00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:01.240
 you can

00:27:01.240 --> 00:27:01.460
 make them

00:27:01.460 --> 00:27:01.779
 go through

00:27:01.779 --> 00:27:02.420
 the actions

00:27:02.420 --> 00:27:04.259
 you know

00:27:04.259 --> 00:27:05.839
 and some

00:27:05.839 --> 00:27:06.279
 people go

00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:06.639
 through the

00:27:06.639 --> 00:27:07.000
 actions

00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:07.339
 well this

00:27:07.339 --> 00:27:07.740
 just makes

00:27:07.740 --> 00:27:08.379
 life easier

00:27:08.379 --> 00:27:10.579
 this makes

00:27:10.579 --> 00:27:11.180
 life simpler

00:27:11.180 --> 00:27:11.599
 if I just

00:27:11.599 --> 00:27:12.159
 walk through

00:27:12.159 --> 00:27:12.940
 and kind

00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:13.339
 of blend

00:27:13.339 --> 00:27:13.920
 in and

00:27:13.920 --> 00:27:14.240
 move with

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:14.799
 the crowd

00:27:14.799 --> 00:27:15.240
 of whatever

00:27:15.240 --> 00:27:15.680
 direction

00:27:15.680 --> 00:27:16.259
 it's going

00:27:16.259 --> 00:27:16.940
 we need to

00:27:16.940 --> 00:27:17.440
 realize we

00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:17.740
 have to take

00:27:17.740 --> 00:27:18.220
 a stand

00:27:18.220 --> 00:27:18.700
 for what's

00:27:18.700 --> 00:27:19.099
 right and

00:27:19.099 --> 00:27:19.379
 to do

00:27:19.379 --> 00:27:19.659
 what's

00:27:19.659 --> 00:27:19.960
 right

00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:21.399
 you know

00:27:21.399 --> 00:27:21.799
 it's easy

00:27:21.799 --> 00:27:22.299
 to fall

00:27:22.299 --> 00:27:22.819
 into the

00:27:22.819 --> 00:27:23.839
 idea of

00:27:23.839 --> 00:27:24.159
 well if I

00:27:24.159 --> 00:27:24.559
 just go

00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:24.859
 with the

00:27:24.859 --> 00:27:25.379
 crowd I

00:27:25.379 --> 00:27:25.759
 can kind

00:27:25.759 --> 00:27:26.059
 of do

00:27:26.059 --> 00:27:26.460
 and nobody

00:27:26.460 --> 00:27:27.319
 really notices

00:27:27.319 --> 00:27:28.240
 but God

00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:28.740
 tells us

00:27:28.740 --> 00:27:28.980
 that we

00:27:28.980 --> 00:27:29.259
 ought to

00:27:29.259 --> 00:27:29.660
 take a

00:27:29.660 --> 00:27:30.120
 stand

00:27:30.120 --> 00:27:31.339
 just as

00:27:31.339 --> 00:27:32.099
 Asa did

00:27:32.099 --> 00:27:32.880
 and he

00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:34.059
 did this

00:27:34.059 --> 00:27:34.920
 very clearly

00:27:34.920 --> 00:27:35.400
 it was just

00:27:35.400 --> 00:27:35.799
 not a

00:27:35.799 --> 00:27:36.240
 superficial

00:27:36.240 --> 00:27:37.079
 change

00:27:37.079 --> 00:27:38.000
 but a

00:27:38.000 --> 00:27:38.559
 personal

00:27:38.559 --> 00:27:39.200
 change

00:27:39.200 --> 00:27:39.620
 that was

00:27:39.620 --> 00:27:40.039
 needed

00:27:40.039 --> 00:27:41.079
 in the

00:27:41.079 --> 00:27:41.460
 people

00:27:41.460 --> 00:27:42.200
 now we're

00:27:42.200 --> 00:27:42.380
 going to

00:27:42.380 --> 00:27:43.019
 talk just a

00:27:43.019 --> 00:27:43.339
 little bit

00:27:43.339 --> 00:27:43.700
 about

00:27:43.700 --> 00:27:45.079
 something here

00:27:45.079 --> 00:27:45.559
 because

00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:46.680
 Asa

00:27:46.680 --> 00:27:47.539
 made some

00:27:47.539 --> 00:27:48.200
 decisions

00:27:48.200 --> 00:27:50.180
 here in this

00:27:50.180 --> 00:27:50.940
 passage that I

00:27:50.940 --> 00:27:51.339
 know some

00:27:51.339 --> 00:27:51.819
 will come up

00:27:51.819 --> 00:27:51.980
 with

00:27:51.980 --> 00:27:52.759
 look in

00:27:52.759 --> 00:27:53.240
 1st Kings

00:27:53.240 --> 00:27:54.019
 chapter 15

00:27:54.019 --> 00:27:54.859
 and verse 14

00:27:54.859 --> 00:27:56.479
 what I'd

00:27:56.479 --> 00:27:56.979
 encourage you

00:27:56.979 --> 00:27:57.179
 to do

00:27:57.179 --> 00:27:57.559
 as we go

00:27:57.559 --> 00:27:58.079
 through this

00:27:58.079 --> 00:27:58.519
 I encourage

00:27:58.519 --> 00:27:58.779
 you to

00:27:58.779 --> 00:27:59.240
 read through

00:27:59.240 --> 00:27:59.979
 1st Kings

00:27:59.979 --> 00:28:00.879
 and read

00:28:00.879 --> 00:28:01.119
 through

00:28:01.119 --> 00:28:02.579
 Chronicles

00:28:02.579 --> 00:28:02.939
 there

00:28:02.939 --> 00:28:03.279
 and just

00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:03.619
 kind of

00:28:03.619 --> 00:28:04.559
 before we

00:28:04.559 --> 00:28:05.539
 talk about

00:28:05.539 --> 00:28:05.979
 it because

00:28:05.979 --> 00:28:06.539
 you'll probably

00:28:06.539 --> 00:28:06.879
 have some

00:28:06.879 --> 00:28:07.279
 questions

00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:07.799
 because it's

00:28:07.799 --> 00:28:08.099
 interesting

00:28:08.099 --> 00:28:08.479
 it says he

00:28:08.479 --> 00:28:09.059
 removed all

00:28:09.059 --> 00:28:09.419
 the high

00:28:09.419 --> 00:28:10.019
 places out

00:28:10.019 --> 00:28:10.240
 of the

00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:10.559
 cities

00:28:10.559 --> 00:28:12.159
 now look

00:28:12.159 --> 00:28:12.759
 down here

00:28:12.759 --> 00:28:13.219
 in verse

00:28:13.219 --> 00:28:13.779
 14

00:28:13.779 --> 00:28:15.219
 it says

00:28:15.219 --> 00:28:15.519
 but the

00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:16.299
 high places

00:28:16.299 --> 00:28:16.719
 were not

00:28:16.719 --> 00:28:17.299
 removed

00:28:17.299 --> 00:28:18.179
 you know

00:28:18.179 --> 00:28:18.439
 some people

00:28:18.439 --> 00:28:18.639
 oh

00:28:18.639 --> 00:28:18.859
 oh

00:28:18.859 --> 00:28:19.439
 the Bible

00:28:19.439 --> 00:28:20.139
 I want you

00:28:20.139 --> 00:28:20.599
 to understand

00:28:20.599 --> 00:28:21.099
 the difference

00:28:21.099 --> 00:28:21.279
 here

00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:21.659
 it says he

00:28:21.659 --> 00:28:22.139
 removed them

00:28:22.139 --> 00:28:22.500
 out of the

00:28:22.500 --> 00:28:22.879
 cities

00:28:22.880 --> 00:28:23.640
 but in

00:28:23.640 --> 00:28:23.820
 the

00:28:23.820 --> 00:28:24.320
 countryside

00:28:24.320 --> 00:28:24.880
 they were

00:28:24.880 --> 00:28:25.100
 still

00:28:25.100 --> 00:28:25.540
 present

00:28:25.540 --> 00:28:26.040
 and you

00:28:26.040 --> 00:28:26.540
 say why

00:28:26.540 --> 00:28:26.900
 did he

00:28:26.900 --> 00:28:27.580
 not remove

00:28:27.580 --> 00:28:27.980
 the ones

00:28:27.980 --> 00:28:28.260
 from the

00:28:28.260 --> 00:28:28.680
 countryside

00:28:28.680 --> 00:28:29.780
 because notice

00:28:29.780 --> 00:28:30.240
 the next

00:28:30.240 --> 00:28:31.060
 phrase there

00:28:31.060 --> 00:28:32.360
 of what it

00:28:32.360 --> 00:28:32.820
 says

00:28:32.820 --> 00:28:33.640
 and it says

00:28:33.640 --> 00:28:34.400
 nevertheless

00:28:34.400 --> 00:28:35.560
 Asa's heart

00:28:35.560 --> 00:28:36.180
 was perfect

00:28:36.180 --> 00:28:36.580
 with the

00:28:36.580 --> 00:28:36.980
 Lord all

00:28:36.980 --> 00:28:37.500
 his days

00:28:37.500 --> 00:28:38.460
 in other

00:28:38.460 --> 00:28:39.200
 words he

00:28:39.200 --> 00:28:39.720
 had sought

00:28:39.720 --> 00:28:40.160
 the Lord

00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:40.500
 and his

00:28:40.500 --> 00:28:40.880
 heart was

00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:41.360
 at peace

00:28:41.360 --> 00:28:41.880
 with God

00:28:41.880 --> 00:28:42.220
 but yet

00:28:42.220 --> 00:28:42.620
 he still

00:28:42.620 --> 00:28:43.020
 allowed

00:28:43.020 --> 00:28:43.480
 the high

00:28:43.480 --> 00:28:43.960
 places

00:28:43.960 --> 00:28:45.560
 to be

00:28:45.560 --> 00:28:45.920
 out in

00:28:45.920 --> 00:28:46.940
 the areas

00:28:46.940 --> 00:28:47.420
 around

00:28:47.420 --> 00:28:48.280
 the cities

00:28:48.280 --> 00:28:49.120
 good question

00:28:49.120 --> 00:28:51.040
 you know

00:28:51.040 --> 00:28:51.320
 what the good

00:28:51.320 --> 00:28:51.640
 thing is

00:28:51.640 --> 00:28:51.980
 the Bible

00:28:51.980 --> 00:28:52.360
 gives us

00:28:52.360 --> 00:28:52.800
 an answer

00:28:52.799 --> 00:28:53.619
 why those

00:28:53.619 --> 00:28:54.019
 things

00:28:54.019 --> 00:28:54.899
 why would

00:28:54.899 --> 00:28:55.359
 Asa

00:28:55.359 --> 00:28:56.200
 allow them

00:28:56.200 --> 00:28:57.319
 well this

00:28:57.319 --> 00:28:57.639
 is where

00:28:57.639 --> 00:28:58.119
 sometimes

00:28:58.119 --> 00:28:58.799
 tradition

00:28:58.799 --> 00:29:00.279
 and what

00:29:00.279 --> 00:29:00.779
 others have

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:01.500
 done before

00:29:01.500 --> 00:29:02.139
 you can

00:29:02.139 --> 00:29:02.440
 get you

00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:02.839
 in trouble

00:29:02.839 --> 00:29:03.579
 because he

00:29:03.579 --> 00:29:04.220
 was following

00:29:04.220 --> 00:29:04.879
 and allowing

00:29:04.879 --> 00:29:05.599
 something that

00:29:05.599 --> 00:29:05.980
 had been a

00:29:05.980 --> 00:29:06.419
 tradition

00:29:06.419 --> 00:29:07.139
 turn over to

00:29:07.139 --> 00:29:07.619
 first kings

00:29:07.619 --> 00:29:08.259
 chapter 3

00:29:08.259 --> 00:29:08.799
 for a moment

00:29:08.799 --> 00:29:09.819
 because sometimes

00:29:09.819 --> 00:29:10.740
 people do

00:29:10.740 --> 00:29:11.419
 something and

00:29:11.419 --> 00:29:12.220
 have a make

00:29:12.220 --> 00:29:12.859
 a tradition

00:29:12.859 --> 00:29:13.460
 or make a

00:29:13.460 --> 00:29:14.159
 practice out

00:29:14.159 --> 00:29:14.659
 of something

00:29:14.659 --> 00:29:15.700
 that may be

00:29:15.700 --> 00:29:16.659
 practical for

00:29:16.659 --> 00:29:17.379
 the time of

00:29:17.379 --> 00:29:17.720
 where they

00:29:17.720 --> 00:29:19.000
 are or

00:29:19.000 --> 00:29:19.700
 what's happening

00:29:19.700 --> 00:29:20.240
 but it's not

00:29:20.240 --> 00:29:20.960
 a command of

00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:21.480
 God

00:29:21.480 --> 00:29:22.480
 and sometimes

00:29:22.480 --> 00:29:23.079
 we find

00:29:23.079 --> 00:29:23.380
 that what

00:29:23.380 --> 00:29:23.799
 we're doing

00:29:23.799 --> 00:29:24.339
 even in a

00:29:24.339 --> 00:29:24.740
 tradition

00:29:24.740 --> 00:29:25.259
 needs to

00:29:25.259 --> 00:29:25.660
 change

00:29:25.660 --> 00:29:26.079
 because it

00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:26.579
 doesn't line

00:29:26.579 --> 00:29:27.000
 up with the

00:29:27.000 --> 00:29:27.279
 word of

00:29:27.279 --> 00:29:27.539
 God

00:29:27.539 --> 00:29:28.299
 but why

00:29:28.299 --> 00:29:28.680
 would

00:29:28.680 --> 00:29:30.079
 Asa say

00:29:30.079 --> 00:29:30.579
 okay we're

00:29:30.579 --> 00:29:31.059
 going to leave

00:29:31.059 --> 00:29:32.120
 them in the

00:29:32.120 --> 00:29:32.900
 far reaches

00:29:32.900 --> 00:29:33.539
 of my

00:29:33.539 --> 00:29:33.980
 kingdom

00:29:33.980 --> 00:29:34.980
 and still

00:29:34.980 --> 00:29:35.400
 have his

00:29:35.400 --> 00:29:35.740
 right

00:29:35.740 --> 00:29:36.299
 it says

00:29:36.299 --> 00:29:36.700
 nevertheless

00:29:36.700 --> 00:29:37.420
 his heart

00:29:37.420 --> 00:29:38.079
 was perfect

00:29:38.079 --> 00:29:38.799
 before God

00:29:38.799 --> 00:29:39.180
 all his

00:29:39.180 --> 00:29:39.440
 days

00:29:39.440 --> 00:29:39.799
 how could

00:29:39.799 --> 00:29:40.140
 those two

00:29:40.140 --> 00:29:40.740
 things be

00:29:40.740 --> 00:29:41.940
 functioning

00:29:41.940 --> 00:29:44.559
 look what

00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:45.100
 happens here

00:29:45.100 --> 00:29:45.440
 in first

00:29:45.440 --> 00:29:46.059
 kings chapter

00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:46.559
 three what

00:29:46.559 --> 00:29:46.860
 happened

00:29:46.860 --> 00:29:47.299
 earlier

00:29:47.299 --> 00:29:49.660
 says only

00:29:49.660 --> 00:29:50.320
 the people

00:29:50.320 --> 00:29:51.380
 sacrificed in

00:29:51.380 --> 00:29:52.100
 high places

00:29:52.100 --> 00:29:52.880
 because there

00:29:52.880 --> 00:29:53.660
 was no house

00:29:53.660 --> 00:29:54.220
 built under

00:29:54.220 --> 00:29:54.640
 the name of

00:29:54.640 --> 00:29:55.000
 the Lord

00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:55.600
 unto those

00:29:55.600 --> 00:29:55.960
 days

00:29:55.960 --> 00:29:57.820
 in other

00:29:57.820 --> 00:29:58.140
 words what

00:29:58.140 --> 00:29:58.400
 were the

00:29:58.400 --> 00:29:58.980
 people doing

00:29:58.980 --> 00:29:59.480
 there was the

00:29:59.480 --> 00:30:00.000
 temple had

00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:00.420
 not been

00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:01.059
 established

00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:02.120
 in other

00:30:02.120 --> 00:30:02.779
 words this

00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:03.880
 practice began

00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:04.759
 sometimes this

00:30:04.759 --> 00:30:05.440
 while practices

00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.720
 begin well

00:30:06.720 --> 00:30:07.480
 intended in

00:30:07.480 --> 00:30:07.980
 other words a

00:30:07.980 --> 00:30:09.100
 place set aside

00:30:09.100 --> 00:30:10.000
 to sacrifice

00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:11.099
 or to give

00:30:11.099 --> 00:30:11.880
 praise unto

00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:12.599
 God or to

00:30:12.599 --> 00:30:13.380
 focus upon

00:30:13.380 --> 00:30:14.339
 God but

00:30:14.339 --> 00:30:14.680
 what had

00:30:14.680 --> 00:30:15.259
 happened is

00:30:15.259 --> 00:30:15.839
 people instead

00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:16.559
 of keeping it

00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:17.299
 just to focus

00:30:17.299 --> 00:30:18.019
 upon God

00:30:18.019 --> 00:30:18.720
 they started to

00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:19.180
 do the same

00:30:19.180 --> 00:30:19.680
 thing all the

00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:20.079
 other people

00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:21.859
 did why they

00:30:21.859 --> 00:30:22.259
 go to the

00:30:22.259 --> 00:30:22.940
 high places

00:30:22.940 --> 00:30:23.579
 to do this

00:30:23.579 --> 00:30:24.119
 because that's

00:30:24.119 --> 00:30:24.359
 what the

00:30:24.359 --> 00:30:24.740
 people in

00:30:24.740 --> 00:30:25.099
 the land

00:30:25.099 --> 00:30:25.779
 did now I

00:30:25.779 --> 00:30:26.119
 want you to

00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:26.839
 understand as

00:30:26.839 --> 00:30:27.420
 you see this

00:30:27.420 --> 00:30:27.759
 you're going to

00:30:27.759 --> 00:30:28.619
 find that God

00:30:28.619 --> 00:30:30.279
 didn't necessarily

00:30:30.279 --> 00:30:30.980
 have a problem

00:30:30.980 --> 00:30:31.420
 it's what the

00:30:31.420 --> 00:30:32.059
 people did with

00:30:32.059 --> 00:30:32.440
 it was the

00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:33.920
 problem but

00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:34.799
 Asa I believe

00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:35.500
 allowed this

00:30:35.500 --> 00:30:36.259
 because this is

00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:36.720
 what had been

00:30:36.720 --> 00:30:37.220
 a tradition

00:30:37.220 --> 00:30:38.779
 because notice

00:30:38.779 --> 00:30:40.259
 verse 3

00:30:40.259 --> 00:30:42.059
 it says

00:30:42.059 --> 00:30:42.700
 and Solomon

00:30:42.700 --> 00:30:43.299
 loved the

00:30:43.299 --> 00:30:44.039
 Lord walking

00:30:44.039 --> 00:30:44.359
 in the

00:30:44.359 --> 00:30:45.019
 statutes of

00:30:45.019 --> 00:30:45.500
 David his

00:30:45.500 --> 00:30:46.639
 father only

00:30:46.639 --> 00:30:47.559
 he sacrificed

00:30:47.559 --> 00:30:48.240
 and burnt

00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:48.899
 incense in

00:30:48.899 --> 00:30:49.200
 the high

00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:49.599
 places

00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:50.980
 Solomon had

00:30:50.980 --> 00:30:51.559
 a practice

00:30:51.559 --> 00:30:52.099
 of going

00:30:52.099 --> 00:30:53.079
 out to

00:30:53.079 --> 00:30:53.519
 the high

00:30:53.519 --> 00:30:54.399
 places upon

00:30:54.399 --> 00:30:55.240
 the hilltops

00:30:55.240 --> 00:30:56.460
 and giving

00:30:56.460 --> 00:30:57.139
 honor to

00:30:57.139 --> 00:30:57.940
 God at the

00:30:57.940 --> 00:30:58.359
 beginning of

00:30:58.359 --> 00:30:58.779
 his kingdom

00:30:58.779 --> 00:31:01.220
 before the

00:31:01.220 --> 00:31:01.819
 temple was

00:31:01.819 --> 00:31:02.940
 built because

00:31:02.940 --> 00:31:04.339
 remember David

00:31:04.339 --> 00:31:04.940
 never built

00:31:04.940 --> 00:31:05.359
 the temple

00:31:05.359 --> 00:31:06.980
 remember God

00:31:06.980 --> 00:31:07.639
 told him that

00:31:07.639 --> 00:31:08.440
 Solomon was going

00:31:08.440 --> 00:31:08.880
 to do it

00:31:08.880 --> 00:31:10.240
 and it

00:31:10.240 --> 00:31:10.660
 didn't just

00:31:10.660 --> 00:31:11.039
 have a

00:31:11.039 --> 00:31:11.880
 prefab

00:31:11.880 --> 00:31:12.160
 you know

00:31:12.160 --> 00:31:12.460
 they didn't

00:31:12.460 --> 00:31:12.920
 just move

00:31:12.920 --> 00:31:13.360
 it in one

00:31:13.360 --> 00:31:13.620
 day

00:31:13.620 --> 00:31:15.720
 you know

00:31:15.720 --> 00:31:16.120
 it took

00:31:16.120 --> 00:31:16.880
 years and

00:31:16.880 --> 00:31:18.140
 time processed

00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:19.120
 and so they

00:31:19.120 --> 00:31:19.960
 had a tradition

00:31:19.960 --> 00:31:20.600
 that they were

00:31:20.600 --> 00:31:22.500
 doing and I

00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:23.840
 think Asa left

00:31:23.840 --> 00:31:25.019
 those because he

00:31:25.019 --> 00:31:25.700
 wanted the people

00:31:25.700 --> 00:31:26.480
 to have a place

00:31:26.480 --> 00:31:26.980
 to do that

00:31:26.980 --> 00:31:27.460
 because of

00:31:27.460 --> 00:31:29.460
 tradition which

00:31:29.460 --> 00:31:30.019
 we get caught

00:31:30.019 --> 00:31:30.680
 up into pretty

00:31:30.680 --> 00:31:31.299
 easy don't we

00:31:31.299 --> 00:31:31.799
 but you know

00:31:31.799 --> 00:31:32.279
 what the problem

00:31:32.279 --> 00:31:33.660
 was is that he

00:31:33.660 --> 00:31:34.440
 left it for good

00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:35.240
 intention and

00:31:35.240 --> 00:31:35.720
 people would

00:31:35.720 --> 00:31:36.860
 continue to use

00:31:36.860 --> 00:31:37.440
 it for the wrong

00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:38.539
 thing use it to

00:31:38.539 --> 00:31:39.160
 worship the

00:31:39.160 --> 00:31:39.920
 false gods

00:31:39.920 --> 00:31:40.600
 look over to

00:31:40.600 --> 00:31:41.759
 Psalm 78 for a

00:31:41.759 --> 00:31:42.539
 moment because I

00:31:42.539 --> 00:31:42.840
 want you to

00:31:42.840 --> 00:31:43.500
 understand it's

00:31:43.500 --> 00:31:44.340
 not wrong to

00:31:44.340 --> 00:31:45.059
 worship God and

00:31:45.059 --> 00:31:45.600
 you can worship

00:31:45.600 --> 00:31:46.620
 God any place

00:31:46.620 --> 00:31:49.080
 I mean after all

00:31:49.080 --> 00:31:49.880
 everything every

00:31:49.880 --> 00:31:50.920
 place here is his

00:31:50.920 --> 00:31:53.720
 he's there he's

00:31:53.720 --> 00:31:54.420
 present but we

00:31:54.420 --> 00:31:55.000
 need to understand

00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:56.120
 God also gives us

00:31:56.120 --> 00:31:56.920
 direction for

00:31:56.920 --> 00:31:58.360
 purpose because not

00:31:58.360 --> 00:31:59.340
 for his sake but

00:31:59.340 --> 00:32:00.299
 for ours because

00:32:00.299 --> 00:32:00.860
 notice what

00:32:00.860 --> 00:32:01.420
 happened look down

00:32:01.420 --> 00:32:02.740
 verse 57 in Psalm

00:32:02.740 --> 00:32:04.100
 78 it says but

00:32:04.100 --> 00:32:05.100
 turned back and

00:32:05.100 --> 00:32:06.920
 dealt unfaithfully like

00:32:06.920 --> 00:32:08.440
 their fathers they

00:32:08.440 --> 00:32:09.440
 were turned aside

00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:10.360
 like a deceitful

00:32:10.360 --> 00:32:11.420
 bow and they

00:32:11.420 --> 00:32:12.340
 provoked him to

00:32:12.340 --> 00:32:13.200
 anger with their

00:32:13.200 --> 00:32:14.240
 high places and

00:32:14.240 --> 00:32:14.880
 moved him to

00:32:14.880 --> 00:32:15.680
 jealousy with their

00:32:15.680 --> 00:32:17.480
 graven images when

00:32:17.480 --> 00:32:18.620
 God heard this he

00:32:18.620 --> 00:32:19.500
 was wroth and

00:32:19.500 --> 00:32:20.519
 greatly abhorred

00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:24.360
 Israel in other

00:32:24.360 --> 00:32:25.620
 words they took

00:32:25.620 --> 00:32:26.460
 something that was

00:32:26.460 --> 00:32:27.360
 a tradition that

00:32:27.360 --> 00:32:28.279
 somebody did in

00:32:28.279 --> 00:32:29.460
 honor of God and

00:32:29.460 --> 00:32:30.039
 took it and

00:32:30.039 --> 00:32:30.920
 superficially

00:32:30.920 --> 00:32:33.680
 placed it as a

00:32:33.680 --> 00:32:34.779
 higher priority or

00:32:34.779 --> 00:32:35.779
 higher substance and

00:32:35.779 --> 00:32:36.259
 then they started

00:32:36.259 --> 00:32:36.940
 blending other

00:32:36.940 --> 00:32:37.720
 things in with it

00:32:37.720 --> 00:32:38.740
 we can very easily

00:32:38.740 --> 00:32:39.660
 do the same thing

00:32:39.660 --> 00:32:41.559
 that's the reason we

00:32:41.559 --> 00:32:42.299
 always have to go

00:32:42.299 --> 00:32:43.440
 back and filter things

00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:44.099
 through the word of

00:32:44.099 --> 00:32:45.720
 God are those things

00:32:45.720 --> 00:32:46.700
 lining up with what

00:32:46.700 --> 00:32:48.099
 scripture says or has

00:32:48.099 --> 00:32:49.700
 it began good and

00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:51.460
 migrated because you

00:32:51.460 --> 00:32:52.240
 know as people we

00:32:52.240 --> 00:32:53.160
 have a tendency to

00:32:53.160 --> 00:32:54.079
 migrate off the

00:32:54.079 --> 00:32:55.440
 chart don't we kind of

00:32:55.440 --> 00:32:58.660
 go go astray just as

00:32:58.660 --> 00:33:01.180
 the children of Israel we

00:33:01.180 --> 00:33:02.019
 can take something that

00:33:02.019 --> 00:33:04.099
 was intended for good but

00:33:04.099 --> 00:33:05.659
 outside the parameters of

00:33:05.659 --> 00:33:07.619
 God's instructions can

00:33:07.619 --> 00:33:08.719
 cause yourself or

00:33:08.719 --> 00:33:12.019
 others to sin we have

00:33:12.019 --> 00:33:12.859
 to keep it within the

00:33:12.859 --> 00:33:14.059
 confines of what God

00:33:14.059 --> 00:33:16.240
 has instructed and what

00:33:16.240 --> 00:33:17.919
 God has given us in God's

00:33:17.919 --> 00:33:19.980
 parameters in those

00:33:19.980 --> 00:33:21.699
 things and so as we

00:33:21.699 --> 00:33:22.740
 understand this he

00:33:22.740 --> 00:33:24.619
 brought he's going to

00:33:24.619 --> 00:33:25.619
 we're going to see how

00:33:25.619 --> 00:33:27.799
 Asa continues to bring

00:33:27.799 --> 00:33:29.339
 those things and to put

00:33:29.339 --> 00:33:31.539
 those things together in

00:33:31.539 --> 00:33:32.559
 his kingdom as we're

00:33:32.559 --> 00:33:33.519
 going to continue on

00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:34.759
 here because we're out

00:33:34.759 --> 00:33:35.740
 of time here tonight

00:33:35.740 --> 00:33:37.259
 you're going to get to I

00:33:37.259 --> 00:33:37.899
 get a five minute

00:33:37.899 --> 00:33:38.980
 reprieve so I get five

00:33:38.980 --> 00:33:40.059
 more extra minutes on

00:33:40.059 --> 00:33:40.940
 Sunday you know when

00:33:40.940 --> 00:33:41.619
 that'd be nice you know

00:33:41.619 --> 00:33:42.399
 preacher gets to bank

00:33:42.399 --> 00:33:43.599
 his time you know I

00:33:43.599 --> 00:33:47.539
 yield back but we're

00:33:47.539 --> 00:33:48.299
 going to pick up here

00:33:48.299 --> 00:33:49.940
 in Asa's life but I

00:33:49.940 --> 00:33:50.759
 want you to understand

00:33:50.759 --> 00:33:52.259
 that our time and our

00:33:52.259 --> 00:33:52.940
 purpose and our

00:33:52.940 --> 00:33:53.980
 connection with God needs

00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:57.099
 to be personal it can't

00:33:57.099 --> 00:33:58.379
 be abstract if something

00:33:58.380 --> 00:33:59.440
 you got from somebody

00:33:59.440 --> 00:34:02.120
 else it needs to be

00:34:02.120 --> 00:34:03.980
 yours in serving the

00:34:03.980 --> 00:34:05.360
 Lord let's pray

00:34:05.360 --> 00:34:06.160
 heavenly fathers we

00:34:06.160 --> 00:34:06.960
 come before you tonight

00:34:06.960 --> 00:34:07.900
 Lord we just thank you