If you will, open your Bibles
tonight with me to 2 Chronicles, Chapter 14. 2 Chronicles, Chapter 14, and I
want to read the first two verses. So Abijah slept with his fathers. and they buried him in the city
of David. And Asa, his son, reigned in
his stead. In his days, the land was quiet
10 years. And Asa did that which was good
and right in the eyes of the Lord his God." I want to say
three things before I get into the message to remind us, really,
of these three things. But the first thing that I want
to say is that these verses which I've just read are part of the
all scripture which was given by inspiration of God and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness. These two verses and the verses
we'll look at tonight, let's remember. that they are part
of the all scripture which was given by inspiration of God. Number two, let's remember this,
that these verses are part of the things the Apostle Paul said
in Romans chapter 15 and verse four, the things that were written
aforetime, that is the Old Testament scriptures, the things that were
written aforetime were written for our learning. And the third thing, this is
part of what the Apostle Peter referred to as the more sure
word of prophecy. And he said, where unto you do
well that you take heed as unto a light that shines in a dark
place. So let's keep that in mind as
we look at these Old Testament verses tonight. I have three
parts to the message. First, the place of God's sovereign
grace. The place of God's sovereign
grace. As you read through this part
of the Bible, through the history of the kings of Judah, We see,
we learn quickly that what is here recorded of Asa in verse
2 is not said of every king of Judah. What is it that is said
of him? Notice in verse 2, Asa did that
which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. You
don't read that about every king. You don't read that hardly about
any of the kings of Israel once the kingdom was divided. You
don't read it about all the kings of Judah, the place of God's
sovereign grace. What we know about Asa's parents
is that his father, and he was raised by his grandmother, they
were both idolaters. Asa's father and his grandmother
who raised him. They were both idolaters. Asa's father was King Abadium. He was the grandson of King Solomon,
but he showed none of the virtues that King Solomon had. But he followed, that is, Abadium,
Asa's father, He followed in the sins of his father, Rehoboam. And this is what is said about
Rehoboam in 1 Kings 15 and verse 3. He walked in all the sins
of his father, or rather about Abijah. He walked in all the
sins of his father, who was Rehoboam, which he had done before him. The place of sovereign grace.
We all recognize, or at least we should, that grace is not
produced from father to son. That sin is, there's no question
about that, but grace isn't. And I want to read you a comment
by Bishop Hall on this thought. And I quote, should not the children
of good parents sometimes be evil and the children of evil
parents sometimes be good? Virtue would seem natural. Now listen to this. Virtue would
seem natural. And the giver, who's the giver? God. The giver would lose thanks. We wouldn't give thanks unto
God. We would think it's just natural that a parent who serves
the Lord and loves the Lord, that his children would serve
and love the Lord. And a parent who is evil and
wicked, that his child would never serve the Lord, but sometimes
they do. And I want to show you a prime
example of this in the Old Testament concerning Samuel. Look back
with me and keep your places here. Mark this somehow with
a bulletin or something here in 2nd Chronicles 14. But I want
to turn back to 1st Samuel, 1st Samuel chapter 8 first, and
then we'll look at a few verses in 1st Samuel chapter 12. Samuel was a judge of Israel. We all know about Hannah taking
Samuel up to the temple when he was just a young man and dedicating
him to the Lord. And he served faithfully, served
that priest Eli. And then he became the judge
of Israel. Notice here in 1 Samuel 8, verse
1, And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made
his sons judges over Israel. Now the name of his firstborn
was Joel, and the name of his second Abiah. They were judges
in Beersheba, and his sons walked not in his ways, But I want you
to notice this. But turned aside after Lucre,
took bribes, perverted judgment. Then all the elders of Israel
gathered themselves together and came to Samuel unto Ramah
and said unto him, behold, thou art old and thy sons walk not
in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us
like all the nation. Israel wanted to be like all
the other nations. God was their king. God was their
king, but they would rather have a man to rule over them than
God. But every time I read this passage
of scripture when I see, now make us a king to judge us like
all the nations. Parents, do you ever hear that?
Your children want you to let them do something, and they say,
well, Mr. So-and-so, he lets his son do
this, or Mrs. So-and-so, they let their daughters
do this. You ever hear that? It seems
like it's natural, right, that we want to be like everyone else.
Israel wanted to be like all the other nations which had their
kings. But the point I'm making here
is, the men of Israel came to Samuel and said, your sons are
not like you. Your sons. And they were telling
the truth. Look with me in 1 Samuel chapter
12. Here in chapter 8, we just read
that his sons, that is Samuel's sons, walked not in his ways,
but turned aside after Luker, and took bribes and perverted
judgment. Now in chapter 12 of 1 Samuel,
verse 1, and Samuel said unto all Israel, now this is after
he had given them their desire, and remember God told him, Samuel,
they haven't rejected you, they've rejected me. They haven't rejected you, Samuel,
they've rejected me. But they set up a king. Saul
was his name, the first king. Samuel said unto all Israel,
behold, I have hearkened unto your voice and all that you said
unto me, and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the
king walketh before you. And I am old and gray-headed. And behold, my sons are with
you. And I have walked before you from my childhood unto this
day. Now notice this. Remember his
sons, what they were charged with was taking bribes and seeking
lucre, that is money, inordinate desire after the riches of this
world. Now Samuel calls them to witness.
Behold, here I am. I'm old and I'm gray-headed. Witness against me before the
Lord. Speak now or forever hold your
peace. And before his anointed, whose
ox have I taken? You just tell me, whoever it
is. Have I taken anyone's ox? Or whose hand have I received
any bribe to blind my eyes therewith? Anyone? He calls them to witness
against him. What I'm pointing out is his
sons did exactly what Samuel did not do because of who he
was and his sons were not Samuel. Samuel did that which was right,
which was good and right in the sight of the Lord. His sons didn't. And he called Israel to witness
to this truth. Of whom have I defrauded? Whom
have I oppressed? Or of whose hand have I received
any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore
it you. And here's their witness. The
Israelites, here's their witness. Thou hast not defrauded us, nor
oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand. And he said unto them, the Lord
is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day,
that you have not found aught in my hand. And they answered,
he is witness. So much for his father, that
is the father of Asa. He was an idolater. His grandmother
raised him, and she too was an idolatress, and we'll see that
in just a moment. But my point is the place of
sovereign grace. You read through the list of
these kings, and they don't all read the same. I want you to
keep your place here in 2 Chronicles, but look with me in John chapter
1. John chapter 1 and verse 11.
He, that is the Lord Jesus, the God-man, came unto his own, the
Israelites, and his own received him not. But as many as received
him, to them gave he power, the right, the privilege, to become
the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name, which
were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God." The place of sovereign grace. Every person who is saved is
saved by God's sovereign grace. Sometimes people ask this question. It's a very important question.
How may I know if I have been born again? The Lord Jesus Christ
said it is absolutely necessary. Verily, verily, I say unto thee,
except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
It's absolutely necessary, but sometimes people say, well, that's
kind of mysterious, that whole idea of being born again. Even
Nicodemus, he didn't understand that, did he? Can a man enter
into his mother's womb a second time and be born? He's not understanding
the Lord at all. Why? Because he could not see,
could not perceive the things of God and neither can any other
person who is not born of God. But how can we know if we've
been born of God? How may I know? Are there certain
feelings? Is there a list of feelings and
certain criteria that I must check off, check off, check off,
and now I know I've been born again? Look at this verse. It's
all right here, isn't it? To as many as receive them. That's what the verse of scripture
says. To as many as received him, to them, them who received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even
to them that believe on his name, which were born not of blood. In other words, a man doesn't
pass grace down to his children. Not born because they're not
saved, a person not saved because his dad was saved or his mother
was saved, nor of the will of the flesh. We can all get together and will
a person to be saved, but that doesn't mean God's going to save
them. Men are not born. It says it very clearly. of blood,
nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man. But who
is born of God, whosoever believeth in Jesus Christ, is born again. Whosoever receives him, to them
gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe
on his name. The place of sovereign grace.
That's my first point. God is sovereign. in exercising his grace. That's what the scripture says,
the children not yet being born, that the purpose of God according
to election might stand. It is written, the elder shall
serve the younger. And what is he speaking of there
in Romans chapter nine? He's speaking of Esau and Jacob,
isn't he? Jacob have I loved. Esau have
I hated. God's sovereign grace. Oh to grace, how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be. Can't you say the same thing
if you're one of his children tonight? Those words of Robert
McShaney, how much I owe. how much I owe. I think I have
those here. When this passing world is done,
when it's sunk, young, glaring sun, when we stand with Christ
in glory, looking o'er life's finished story, then, Lord, shall
I fully know, not till then, how much I owe. How much I owe
to God's sovereign, free grace. Now, let's go back to 2 Chronicles. I keep the words of that hymn,
as you probably realize, here in my notebook and just read
over them every once in a while. How much I owe. Nobody in this
room owes what I owe. I know that. And you probably
feel the same way if you're one of his children. All right, let's
go back now. Asa's life in four stages. That's what I want us to look
at. Asa's life in four stages. Stage number one, he began well. Notice here in 2 Chronicles chapter
14, beginning with verse three, the first stage of his life.
As far as what is recorded, he began well. For he took away
the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and break
down the images, and cut down the groves, and commanded Judah
to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and
the commandments. Also he took away Out of all
the cities of Judah, the high places and the images and the
kingdom was quite before him. He began well. And if you look
back the parallel passage, keep your place here, of course, but
look to first Kings. I want us to go here because
I want us to say, I mentioned he was raised by his grandmother,
but his grandmother was an idolater. What's he going to do? She worships
idols. She's his grandmother. She raised
him. What's he going to do? Notice
here in 1 Kings chapter 15 and beginning with verse 9. And in
the 20th year of Jeroboam, king of Israel, reigned Asa over Judah. And 41 years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name, this is
actually his grandmother, you can see that in the margin, was
Meaca, the daughter of Abashalom. And Asa did that which was right
in the eyes of the Lord, as did David his father. He took away
the Sodomites out of the land and removed all the idols that
his fathers had made. And also, now here's his grandmother,
America, his mother, even her, he removed from being queen because,
because she had made an idol in a grove and Asa destroyed
her idol and burned it by the brook Kidron. But the high places
were not removed. Nevertheless, Asa's heart was
perfect with the Lord all his days. He began well. And I just point this out, I'm
not going to take the time to take us to Romans chapter one,
but did you notice there the connection between the sodomites
and idolatry? They always go together. They
always go together. How many times in Romans chapter
one does the scripture said, and God gave them over? And what
was it? God gave them over because they
changed the image of the incorruptible God into the image of corruptible
man and worshipped and served the creature more than the creator.
And God gave them over, men working with men, that which is unseemly,
women with women, sodomy. They always go together, idolatry
and sodomy. He removed his grandmother. He
removed the idols. He removed his grandmother from
being queen and destroyed her idol. And one writer said, her
idol, God could not save itself from the fire or the water. He burned it in the fire and
then cast it into the brook, Kedron. What a God. What a God. Couldn't save himself. Don't we love that passage in
Isaiah 43, when God, who is the only true and living God, he
saves us in the water and in the fire. Stage number two, here back in
2 Chronicles chapter 14, stage number two, he prayed a wonderful
prayer. Asa did. Look down in verse 11. After a while, Judah was invaded
by the Ethiopians, and Zerah the Ethiopian, I suppose he was
the king of Ethiopia, he came against Asa with an army one
million strong. Now Asa had a large army, 500,000
men, but this army that came against him
was twice as large as his army. And you cannot read these words
here in verse 11 and not be impressed. At least,
I don't think you can. Because I see here how all of
us should be, and that is trusting God. Asa cried unto the Lord his God. This country's been invaded by
this large army. Statistically, they would defeat
his army. And Asa cried unto the Lord his
God and said, Lord, I love this. It's nothing with thee to help,
whether with many or with them that have no power. Isn't that
us? Isn't that man by nature powerless
to save himself, to help himself? Oh Lord, it's nothing with thee
to say, with thee to help, whether with many or with them that have
no power. Help us. You ever prayed a prayer like
that? Help us. Help us. I know you have. You're one of his children. God's
taken you through some, some of the water and some of the
fire, and that's all you could pray. Lord, help me. Help us. Help us. But notice
he's not finished. Oh, Lord, our God, for we rest
on thee. That's faith, isn't it? We rest
on thee. And in thy name we go against
this multitude. He put feet to his prayers. He
didn't just say, well, Lord, you fight the battle. We're looking
to thee. No, we're resting upon thee.
But then they go out to war against that great multitude, trusting
that God would give them the victory. And he did. Stage number three. He heard
And it would be wonderful if we could just put a period there
and that's the end of Asa's life, that's the end that we hear about
Asa. But it's not. Stage number three. He heard but did not believe
God's word. Look in chapter 15, 2 Chronicles
chapter 15. The spirit of God came upon Azariah,
the son of Oded, and he went out to meet Asa and said unto
him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah, and Benjamin, the Lord
is with you, while you be with him. And if you seek him, he
will be found of you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake
you. Now look in chapter 16, 2 Chronicles
chapter 16. In the sixth and thirtieth year
of the reign of Asa, Bashar, king of Israel, came up against
Judah. Now, what is he going to do now?
Is he going to cry to the Lord for help? The prophet told him,
as long as you are with him, he'll be with you. He's already
experienced this great deliverance from the Ethiopians, but now
the king of Israel comes up. Bashar, king of Israel, came
up against Judah and built Ramah. to the intent that he might let
none go out or come in to Asa, king of Judah. Then Asa brought
out silver and gold out of the treasures of the house of the
Lord and of the king's house and sent to Benadad, king of
Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, there's a league between
me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father. I've
sent thee silver and gold. Go break thy league with Bashir,
king of Israel, that he may depart from me." He heard the word of
God, but he did not believe the word of God. He results, or he
relies upon the flesh. He tries to buy by sending the
money to the king of Syria. and getting him to deal with
the king of Israel, so he would depart from him. And notice down
in verse 7 of that chapter 16. And at the time, Hananah the
seer came to Asa king of Judah and said unto him, Because thou
hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the Lord thy
God. At one time we saw he relied
upon God. What a prayer of faith, we rest
upon thee. But this time, this time he said,
for help from the king of Syria. And the prophet comes to meet
him and tells him, because thou hast relied on the king of Syria
and not relied on the Lord thy God, therefore is the host of
the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand. Were not the Ethiopians
and the Lubams a huge host? with very many chariots and horsemen,
yet because thou didst rely on the Lord, He delivered them into
thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run
to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong
in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein
thou hast done foolishly. Therefore, from henceforth thou
shalt have wars. Here's the third stage. He did
not believe the word of God, did not believe God, did not
believe God's word. And when this prophet came, prophet
from the Lord, came and rebuked him, what does he do? He takes
his vengeance, his hatred out upon the prophet. And Asa was
wroth with the seer, the prophet. Put him in a prison. All he had
done, all he had done is brought the message. He didn't make the
message. He didn't somehow work up the
message. He just brought the message.
Don't get mad at the messenger. If the message offends, don't
get mad at the messenger if the message is coming from the word
of God. And this was a message from God.
But this king, like most proud men, men who are raised up in
authority or given to pride, he couldn't take it. He wouldn't
take it. No, he shut him up. Shut him
up in the prison for he was in a rage with him because of this
thing. Now stage number four, he ended
his life sadly. Look down to verse 12. And Asa
in the 39th year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until
his disease was exceeding great. Yet in his disease, he sought
not to the Lord, but to the physicians. He ended his life sadly. Now,
you know, there have been those who have used this scripture
along with some others to teach that Believers, God's children,
shouldn't go to the doctor and shouldn't take medicine. But
that's not what this scripture is teaching at all. And in fact,
there's many scriptures to support going to the doctor. God uses
means. Yes, all healing comes from God.
There's no question about that. But God uses means. It wasn't
The fact that he sought to the physicians, and there's some
question about what kind of physicians these people were to begin with,
if there were some kind of soothsayers or people like that, witch doctors,
something along that line. But it was that he did not seek
the Lord. He was diseased in his feet until
his disease was exceeding great, yet in his disease he sought
not to the Lord. It was his seeking to the physicians,
it wasn't rather his seeking to the physicians, but it was
his not seeking the Lord first and foremost. That's sad, isn't
it? So I read through this a couple
of weeks ago. That brings me to my third point.
What lessons should we take away from the life of Asa? I asked
myself that question. What lesson do I want to take
from this that is recorded about Asa? He began well. He really
did. He demonstrated faith there at
one time, great faith. But then he refused to follow
through, to believe God. And then fourth, rather than
seek the Lord in his infirmity, he sought to the physicians. What lesson should we take away
from the life of Asa? As I said at the beginning, it's
part, it's part of the all scripture which is given by inspiration
of God and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness, that the man of God should be
perfect or mature. One lesson, this is what I want
to learn, every part, every part of the Christian's race is important. Starting, oh yeah, that's important,
that's important rather. Remember, our Lord gave that
illustration of the man who built his house on the sand, and the
other man who dug down to the foundation. And when the rains
came, and they're going to come, and the wind is going to come,
that man's house stood firm. Why? Because it was built upon
the rock, upon Christ. Yes, starting out in the Christian
race is very important. And running, looking unto Jesus,
who is the author and finisher of our faith, running day by
day is very important. And finishing is important too. It is. How many people have I
seen over the years as they've gotten older have Felt like coming
to the worship services, not near as important as it was when
they had children that they could bring to church, bring to Sunday
school class, something like that. And, you know, people,
after a while, they think, well, that'll never happen to me. I've
seen it happen to some people. I really have. They went out
from us because they were not of us. Now, they never intended
just to stop. They never intended just to quit.
But it happens. Here's the lesson for me. I hope for myself that it can
one day be said, when my life is ended, he put his hand to
the plow and he didn't look back. I want to finish this race well,
don't you? That's a lesson I take from the
life of Asa. Starting, that's important. Continuing,
that's important. But so is finishing. I want to finish this race looking
unto Jesus. May the Lord bless this word
to all of us here this evening. David's going to lead us in another
hymn and we'll be dismissed.