I wanna read the first eight
verses. Now in the 18th year of King
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, reigned Abijah over Judah. Three years
reigned he in Jerusalem. His reign didn't last very long.
And his mother's name was Mekah, the daughter of And he walked
in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him.
And his heart was not perfect with the Lord, his God, as the
heart of David, his father. Nevertheless, that's a good word
in the scriptures. Nevertheless, for David's sake,
Did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem to set up
his son after him and to establish Jerusalem? Because David did
that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not aside
from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life,
save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And there was war
between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Now
the rest of the acts of Abijah, And all that he did, are they
not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam, and Abijam slept
with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David. And
Asa, his son, reigned in his stead." And as we're going to
see, Asa was a good king. Let's pray together. Lord, we ask in Christ's name. That we would have your presence.
And your blessing. And that you would speak in power
to our hearts for the sake of thy dear son. Lord, we ask that we might be
found in him. Having his righteousness. We
ask that our sins might be forgiven and cleansed for his sake. And
Lord, we ask that you would order our steps in your word and let
not any iniquity have dominion over us. Cause your gospel to
be preached for the glory of your name. Lord, be with all
your people wherever they meet together. We give thanks. Oh Lord, we're so thankful for
who you are, for the revelation of your person, for all your
glorious attributes. In the blessed name of thy son
we pray, amen. Now this man reigned for three
years. And I guess you would say he's
a very unremarkable man. He reigned for three years and
then he died. And he walked in all of the sins
of his father. Look what was going on under
Rehoboam's reign. Look in chapter 14, beginning
in verse 22. This is what Rehoboam led Judah
to do. And Judah did evil in the sight
of the Lord. And they provoked him to jealousy
with their sins, which they'd committed above all that their
fathers had done. For they also built them high
places. and images and groves on every
high hill and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites
in the land. And they did according to all
the abominations of the nations, which the Lord cast out before
the children of Israel." Now, this is what happened under Rehoboam's
reign. And the thought of having in
their worship, they actually had sodomites, they had temple
prostitutes involved in worship. Now, I want you to think of how
base and evil and depraved that is. What if we had prostitutes
involved in this? You'd say, what a wicked, evil
thing. Yes, it is. And that is what
was going on under Rehoboam. He brought Judah to this, all
these idols set up, this sexual perversion involved in the worship
of God. It was a mess. And Abijan, he
was on board with it. He walked in all the sins of
his father, Rehoboam. But look what verse three says,
he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done
before him in his heart was not perfect with the Lord, his God,
as the heart of David, his Father, actually his great-grandfather,
David had a perfect heart. I'm interested in this, aren't
you? I want to know what it means to have a perfect heart. David
had a perfect heart before the Lord. Now, your heart, we know
that the heart of the natural man is perfectly evil. We know
that, don't we? That's God's testimony of our heart. But when
the scripture speaks of the heart, it's talking about the whole
man. It's talking about the understanding. It's talking about the affections,
and it's talking about the will. That's what's being spoken of
when the scripture speaks of this heart, that David had this
perfect heart. Now, you and I both know that
David committed many, many sins. One of them is even mentioned
here, the sin of murdering Uriah in order to cover up his own
sin. He had many, many sins, but yet, God says he had a perfect
heart. Now, what David did not do, and
he would have done it apart from the grace of God, but if you
look at David, just at his life, what the scriptures revealed
about him, he did not commit idolatry. You never read of him
doing that the way these other fellows did. The bad kings, they
would always set up groves. Look what David said. Turn to
Psalm 115. Now, the Bible says he had a
perfect heart. Psalm 115. David is a man after God's own
heart. Psalm 115. Not unto us, Lord, not unto us,
but unto thy name give glory for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake. Wherefore should the heathen
say, where is now their God? But our God is in the heavens.
I love his reply to the heathen. Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Their idols, the idols
of the heathen, are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak
not. Eyes they have, but they see not. They have ears, but
they hear not. Noses have they, but they smell
not. They have hands, but they handle not. Feet have they, but
they walk not. Neither speak they through their throat." To
look at the sarcasm he's using. They that make them are like
them. So is everyone that trusteth in them. Now, he's talking about
a false concept of God. Now, what is idolatry? It's not
just idols, images, man-made things. An idol is ascribing
anything to a God who is not God. That's idolatry. God is. And
to worship a God who is not the God that is, is to worship, as
David says, a God that really doesn't exist. It's a man-made,
man-concocted God. Now, David, the man after God's
own heart, he understood that God is God. He had some understanding
of the holiness and righteousness of God, the sovereignty of God,
the justice of God, the grace of God. He had some understanding
of this intellectually. He understood God is God, but
not only did he understand this, he loved it that way. He loved
how God is. He loved God's sovereignty. He
loved God's holiness. He loved God's power. Every attribute
of God, David loved. Not only did he have some understanding,
not only did he love, but this is the way he wanted it. He wouldn't
want God to be any other way than he is. He was a man after
God's own heart, but not Abijam. Abijam didn't care anything about
God and he walked in all the sins of his father. Now, if you
read the Chronicles account, he said and did some good things.
But still, all that's recorded of him here is that he had no
love for God, he reigned three years, he ends up dying, nothing
remarkable about him. Verse four of our text, here
we have the gospel. Here we have the gospel. It's found in the word, nevertheless. Nevertheless. For David's sake. Not for his sake, for David's
sake, did the Lord, his God, give him a lamp, a light, a candle
in Jerusalem. Not for his sake, but for David's
sake, to set up his son after him to establish Jerusalem. And
Asa, as we're gonna see, was a very good king. And the gospel
is found in this word, nevertheless. Now, there was one reason given
for this lamp continuing in Jerusalem. One reason. For David's sake. That's the
only reason. There wasn't anything good about
this man. This man was a pervert. This man was an evil man. He
was a wicked man. Did God destroy Jerusalem and
Judah? No. Why? For David's sake. Nevertheless, for David's sake. This man deserved nothing but
wrath, but for David's sake, Jerusalem was spared." Now, you
know as well as I do that what this is referring to is for Christ's
sake. Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving
one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven Nevertheless, nevertheless, now
think with me. What's the one reason God forgives
your sins? Is it because you were sorry?
Is it because you asked for forgiveness? He forgave your sins for one
reason, for Christ's sake. And you take any other aspect
of the gospel Why are you justified? For Christ's sake. Why does God give you love to
himself? For Christ's sake. Why do you
have faith? He gave it to you for Christ's
sake. Why do you repent? Because he gave it to you for
Christ's sake. Why are you sanctified in Christ Jesus? There's one
reason for God's salvation. It's for Christ's sake. Nevertheless,
even though Abijam was such a, whatever it was he was, I mean,
he was terrible. Nevertheless, that lamp was not
removed for David's sake. Now, every aspect of salvation
is for Christ's sake. Can you say amen to that? You
really believe it? Now let me ask you this. Do you
love this? I'm not only asking if you believe
it, do you love it? Let me ask you this, if you had
your choice, is this the way you'd want it to be? salvation
altogether for Christ's sake. Now, the good King Asa that came
after him was for David's sake. The deliverance of Jerusalem
was for David's sake. No other reason was needed. Look in verse five, because David
did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord and turned not
aside from anything that he commanded him all the days of his life,
save only the matter of Uriah the Hittite. Now, why is that
mentioned? In the previous chapter, it says he was always perfect,
never did anything wrong, and that's the way God sees every
believer in Christ Jesus. Why is this brought up? It's
to remind us that it's really not for David's sake, it's for
Christ's sake. It's for Christ's sake. Now,
verse six, and there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam
all the days of his life, now the rest of the Acts of Abijam.
And all that he did, and are they not written in the book
of the Chronicles and the Kings of Judah? And there was war between
Abijam and Jeroboam. And Abijam slept with his fathers
and they buried him in the city of David. And Asa, his son, reigned
in Isaiah." That's what we'll consider next week. But I want
us to consider this word, nevertheless. Nevertheless. Now, every aspect
of God's salvation is for Christ's sake. God doesn't reward us on
account of anything we've done. Because anything we've done doesn't
have any merit anyway. Everything we have, we have for Christ's
sake. And we love it that way. And that's the way we want it. Now, turn with me to Psalm 31.
I'm going to look at six or seven scriptures where this word nevertheless
is used. Nevertheless, the light wasn't
taken for David's sake. Verse 22, for I said in my haste,
I'm cut off from before thine eyes. Now you think of how the
Lord delivered David time and time and time again, and here
he is making this statement of unbelief. I'm cut off, I'm cut
off. Nevertheless, even though I made
this horrible statement of unbelief, nevertheless, thou heardest the
voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee. Nevertheless. How often in our experience is
there a nevertheless? Nevertheless. Look in Psalm 73. Now this is that psalm where
David was envying the wicked. They were unbelievers and he
saw where they had so much health, so much prosperity, so much wealth. And he says, I'm plagued every
day. I've got health problems. I've got enemies. I've got people
on me all the time. He said, I was envious when I
saw the prosperity of the wicked. And then we read beginning in
verse 19, where verse 17. Now he had been envious until
verse 17, until I went into the sanctuary of God, then understood
I therein. These people that I'm jealous
of and envious of, surely that don't have any problems, surely
thou did set them in slippery places. Thou castest them down
into destruction. How are they brought into desolation? And as a moment, they're utterly
consumed with terrors as a dream when one awaketh. Oh Lord, when
thou wakest, thou shalt despise their image. Thus was I grieved
and I was pricked in my reign. So foolish was I and ignorant. I was as a beast before thee.
How could I think things the way I did? Nevertheless, nevertheless. I am continually with thee, even
though I think all these stupid things and become jealous of
the wicked when the Lord has set them in slippery places and
I'm not having a proper appreciation of his grace and his mercy to
me. Nevertheless, I'm continually with thee. Psalm 89. Verse 26, or verse 29, I'm sorry. His seed
will I make to endure forever in his throne as the days of
heaven. Now he's talking about Solomon, but he's also talking
about the church. That's really who he's talking about. His seed,
the seed of the Lord Jesus will I make to endure forever in his
throne as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law,
and walk not in my judgments. If they break my statutes and
keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression
with the rod and their iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless, my loving kindness
will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness
to fail. It's talking about Solomon, but
it's talking about every believer. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that's gone out of my lips. Once have I spoken
by my holiness that I'll not lie unto David. His seed shall
endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. There's
a nevertheless. Turn to Psalm 106, beginning in verse six. I love this confession of sin.
By the grace of God, you and I could confess our sin like
this. We've sinned with our fathers. We have committed iniquity. We have done wickedly. Our fathers understood not thy
wonders in Egypt. Charles Spurgeon said of this,
they were spiritually stupid people. Anybody in here like
that? They remembered not the multitude
of thy mercies. They were an ungrateful people. They provoked him at the sea,
even at the Red Sea, they were a provoking people. Nevertheless, there's that glorious
word. This is the word of grace. Nevertheless,
in spite of all that, and that was the truth regarding them.
Nevertheless, he saved them for his namesake, that he might make
his mighty power known. Turn with me to Proverbs 19.
This is so comforting. Proverbs 19. Verse 21, there are many devices in a man's
heart, plans, aspirations, things that he thinks he's going to
do, things he thinks he's going to carry out, many devices in
a man's heart. Nevertheless, the counsel of
the Lord, that shall stand. All the stuff that you think,
that I think, that everybody else thinks, everybody's got
plenty of devices, don't they? But isn't it a comfort to your
heart to know that the counsel of the Lord shall stand? It always does, always has, always
will, no matter what anybody's thinking. God's sovereign, and
his counsel, his purpose is always going to stand. Turn with me
to 2 Timothy. Verse 17, and their word, the
words of these men speaking profane and vain babblings, their word
will eat as doth a canker. of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus,
who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection's
passed already, and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless, there's the word. Nevertheless, the foundation
of God standeth sure. Having this seal, the Lord knoweth
them that are his. That's the foundation of God. My salvation is completely found
in his knowledge of me. The Lord knoweth them that are
his, them that are in Christ. Look in chapter one of this same
book, Verse 11, whereunto I am appointed
a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which
cause I also suffer these things. He was homeless, he was persecuted,
he was hated. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed. I'm not ashamed of this, for
I know whom I have believed. and I'm persuaded that he's able
to keep that which I've committed to him against that day. Now
here's the biggest nevertheless. Turn with me to Matthew 26. Verse
36. Then cometh Jesus with them into
a place called Gethsemane, and said unto his disciples, the
disciples, sit ye here while I go and pray yonder. And he
took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to
be sorrowful and very heavy. Then said he unto them, My soul
is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. Tear ye here and
watch with me." Now, at this time, the Savior knew he was
going to be made sin. He wasn't sorrowful so much of
the physical pain. Yes, he was sorrowful of that.
Who wouldn't be? I mean, who wants to be nailed to a cross?
But that's not what was making his soul exceeding sorrowful
even unto death. It was the thought of being made
sin and no longer having the presence of his father. He'd
always had his presence and delighted in his presence. And now he knew
that he was going to be cut off and not experience his father
to be left alone. You know, the worst thing I can
think of for me and for you is for us to be left alone, left to ourselves. And that's
what the Lord was Saying my soul is exceeding sorrowful, it's
very heavy. This is the son of God saying
this. How much do we understand this? Not at all. Not at all. You know, sin, it bothers us,
but we're used to it. It's not something that, I hate
it that we're so hardened and desensitized toward it, but the
Lord wasn't. The Lord wasn't. Verse 39, and he went a little
further and fell on his face and prayed saying, oh my father,
if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Now I know what
was in that cup, the sins of the elect. And he was given a view of it.
And that's what made him so exceedingly sorrowful that he was going to
have to drink of that cup. And the thought of it made him
cry. If it'd be possible, he knew
it wasn't possible, but just being so overwhelmed, the son
of God, so overwhelmed at the thought of this. To be made sin,
to be cursed, to be under the father's displeasure and the
father's awful frown and no longer have the love of God. as far
as the way he felt. The father didn't stop loving
him. No, he's all the father love with the son. And there
was never a time when the father loved him more than this. Look what he says. Oh, my father, if it be possible,
let this cup pass for me. Nevertheless. Nevertheless, aren't you thankful
he said that? Nevertheless, not as I will,
but as thou wilt. This is the greatest nevertheless
of all. And the reason you and I are
saved and know God and have his spirit. is because nevertheless, nevertheless. Now, Abijah, he
was a worthless king, humanly speaking. He only reigned three
years. He was a wicked man, yet the light was not taken out of
Jerusalem. Why? Nevertheless, for David's
sake. And here we're given a beautiful
picture of why God saves sinners for Christ's sake.