2 Chronicles 30:21-27 “Celebrate”

2 Chronicles 30:21-27  “Celebrate”

The King led the Priest and Levites back to God.  The religious leaders had gone along with evil kings and the desires of the people afraid to stand up for what was right, or perhaps they also wanted to do evil.  Hezekiah calls them on their sin and calls the people back to God.  Some probably thought they would lose the support of the people.  I am sure many thought a revolt was coming.  It says the couriers were scorned and ridiculed.   

The American church has gone along with the sin of the people, lies and deceit in business, government and the church.  The church has excused divorce and any and every kind of sex outside of marriage.  It has gone along with the crowd, lost its power and made its self irrelevant.   All around us we see denominations dying. 

PROVERBS 14:12 “There is a way that seems right unto man but it ends in death”

Matthew 7:13 &14 “Wide is the path to destruction, but narrow is the way to eternal life.”

100 years ago the titanic sank and musicians played music as the boat sank and people drowned.  The priest and Levites of Israel were to be life boats but they ended up being the band, playing comforting music and giving comforting words while the people around them drowned.  The American church has also taken up the position of the band, providing entertainment, calming music, and comforting words while the people drown all around them.  But we were meant to be life boats.

A. CALLING PEOPLE BACK TO GOD

a.  A CALL TO REPENT

While Hezekiah called them to repent from their sin he focused on God’s acceptance of their repentance.

While Hezekiah had a heart for doing what was spiritually right before God, He was even more concerned on bring the people back to God.

The church needs to call people back to the Lord, not in a judging way but in an encouraging way.  We DON’T need to tell people how horrible their sin is, we need to tell them how good their life can be. 

b.  A PRAYER FOR FORGIVENESS

            Hezekiah prayed for their forgiveness.

            Hezekiah took a risk going to God for them. 

Dawsman Trotman the founder of the Navigators died when he dove into a lake to try and save the life of someone else.  When Hezekiah prayed for the forgiveness of the people he dove in not knowing how God would respond.

c.  BELIEVED IN THE PEOPLE

            Believed the people could change

            Believed they wanted change

            The people returned to God

            The people rejoiced

Ken grew up with “Christian “ kids in his neighborhood.  He went to VBS and even Sunday school.  But in his Jr. High years he made friends who got him involved in things he knew was wrong.  One by one the Christians stopped spending time with him.  As he was shunned by the Christians he grew up with, he drew farther away from God.  One day a teacher who had known him for a long time sat down with him listened to him and invited him back to Jesus.  Ken with tears in his eyes told the man “I didn’t think anyone cared what happened to me.”

CONCLUSION

The transformation of our world of the lives we touch every day starts with our determination not to go along with the crowd away from God but to lead them back to God.

We cannot change all the churches and communities in America, but we can change ours.  Like Hezekiah we can call the people back to God, not focusing on how bad they are but how good they can be.  When we pray for their forgiveness and tell them of the transforming work God can do in their lives we may find a celebration happening all around us.

“All of heaven rejoices when one person repents”

Will you risk it, to see your friends and family come to Jesus?  Will you believe Jesus can save them, that God can change them and that they are worth the price you pay?  Perhaps they are waiting to see if you care.