Class Lesson August 11, 2019

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

A common cry in our culture is: “I don’t have enough time!” We do live busy lives, but have you ever noticed we find time for what we really want to do?

Such as …

• . . . spending the afternoon leisurely shopping.
• . . . enjoying an evening at the movies.
• . . . going on a much-needed vacation.
• . . . watching TV or surfing the Internet for hours.

Most Americans who “regularly” attend church actually do so only two to three times a month. Unfortunately, even for those who do attend church weekly, the tendency is to limit their worship to just a few hours a week. So, if how we use our time is a statement about what’s important to us, what do our schedules say about the importance of worship?

We’re called to live our lives as an act of worship each day. As we weigh that truth, let’s see the role worship played in King Asa’s life.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Chronicles 15:10-15

10 They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. 12 They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. 13 All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

In our previous session, King Asa “repaired the altar of the Lord that was in front of the portico of the Lord’s temple” (15:8). Now Asa brought the people together for a great celebration. This occasion was likely the Festival of Weeks—also referred to as Pentecost—one of the three annual celebrations that required the people to return to Jerusalem.

The great number that had gathered was only matched by the offering they made to the Lord: “seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats” were to be sacrificed. This offering came from the plunder King Asa and his army had taken in their victory over the Cushites (2 Chron. 14:14-15).

Following the sacrifices, the people “entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul” (v. 12). God had already established a covenant with Moses and the people when they were still in the wilderness (Ex. 19:5-6); frequently in their history, however, the Jewish people failed to keep this covenant of loyal love. Now King Asa and the people made a public declaration—“with loud acclamation” (v. 14)—to return to and renew that covenant.

Our world today doesn’t fully appreciate the importance of a covenant. We make tons of promises that we never keep or even have an intention of keeping, but God does not lie, nor will He abandon what He promises. No covenant has ever had greater significance than the one God has given us through Jesus Christ. Christ shed His blood to bring us into a relationship with the Father. It is truly an eternal covenant.

The people of Judah were not to enter into this covenant lightly. Their worship and celebration of God required them to commit all they had to Him. They were to seek God with all their heart and all their soul—and not just for one day a week or a few times of year. This was to be the way they lived on a daily basis.

King Asa certainly did not take this covenant lightly. He was determined for his people to fully seek the Lord their God, and whoever would not abide by this covenant “were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman” (v. 13). While we may think that’s harsh, the king’s stance emphasized the great importance of living out a covenantal relationship with God.

It surely must have been a wondrous thing to hear the entire kingdom taking an oath together. The people of Judah declared their allegiance to worship God with their lives. While individuals may have renewed their own covenants with God as well, this is the first time Scripture records that the people as a nation renewed their covenant all together. The actions of King Asa and the people show us that authentic worship has two requirements.

1. Worship involves sacrifice. Worship is more than “sacrificing” an hour or two at church on Sunday. While we don’t need to bring hundreds and thousands of animals to the altar to sacrifice, we are to bring ourselves as a living sacrifice to the altar of God.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
2. Worship involves obedience. Speaking words of worship can be easy, but living them out requires action.

2 Chronicles 15:16-19

16 King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 17 Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 18 He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated. 19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

Asa would not let anything keep him from acting on his renewed covenant to seek the Lord wholeheartedly. He continued to wipe out all forms of idolatry. His loyalty to God ran deeper than even his loyalty to family. He even removed his own grandmother, Maakah, from her position as queen mother because she had also fallen away from following the Lord. Maakah was in a position of great influence, and her pagan practices were encouraging others to do the same.

Scripture does not tell us what became of Maakah. We would hope that after Asa “demoted” his grandmother, she took the same oath the people did to renew their covenant with God. No mention is made of her death, which most likely would have been the course for her if she had not sworn to renew the covenant with God. Some may think this was a drastic way to treat his grandmother, but when dealing with idol worship, we can accept no compromise.

Since King Asa was being so thorough, why did he not remove the high places, the places where pagan worship occurred? He had “removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah” earlier in his reign (2 Chron. 14:5), but their presence years later highlights the persistent pull of our fallen nature toward false worship. It’s possible that, in removing all the idolatry, Asa had repurposed these sites for better purposes. Other scholars note that  verse 17 refers specifically to the high places in Israel. Asa was king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, not the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Although he had acquired some of Israel’s land, he never took his reform further north into these lands.

In spite of this omission, “Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life” (v. 17). His commitment to seek after God in all things became his personal quest for the remainder of his life. Asa went to great lengths to restore the things that were taken from the temple during the time of Jeroboam; he committed the consecrated items from his own treasury and from his father’s treasury.

When we look at the life of King Asa, we can’t help but notice that his desire to remain focused on God was his top priority. We too cannot allow any distractions to pull us away from a lifestyle of worship. So how can we make Jesus Christ the top priority of our lives?

• Identify the distractions. We are sinners, constantly tempted to allow worldly things to distract us from where our focus needs to be. Honestly evaluate your life and identify those distractions that continually pop up as you go from day to day. Knowing where the distractions come from will help you avoid putting yourself in a position to be tempted by them.

• Understand to whom you belong. If you are a Christ-follower, you are a child of the living God. He has promised to meet your every need. Nothing that attempts to offer us satisfaction compares with the contentment we receive from God’s provision.

• 

  Pursue godly living at all costs. Seek to live a life that is pleasing to God in everything you do. It may be tough at times, but your ability to live out your life as an act of worship can be a reality when your focus is on Him and Him alone.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you live your life as an act of worship this week? Consider the following applications:

• 

  Memorize. Commit to memory Psalm 105:4: “Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.” Let the challenge of that verse become second nature to you.                                                                        
• Take inventory. During the coming week, take note of the things that distract you on a daily basis. Beside each item on your list, note practical steps you can take to avoid these distractions.                                                                                                                                                                              
• Share. Talk with a trusted friend about the things that tend to pull you away from wholehearted worship. Ask this friend to hold you accountable to stay away from away distractions and to covenant with you to pray.

Most of us live very busy lives. Too busy. But if we’ll learn to live our lives as an act of worship, we’ll find the right things at the top of our list—and some of the other things falling off the list altogether.

Hope to see everybody this Sunday!


In His Love,

David & Susan

Teacher's Notes:

Quick Review:

Pursue Godliness: How do we do this? 

1. Seek to live a life that pleases God.

2. Remove any barriers to godly living. 

3. Guard against temptations and spiritual attacks. 

If we make God the focus of our life, we will pursue Godliness!

The first phase of his tenure as king included a ten-year reign of peace during which he began a series of reforms to spiritually and militarily prepare Judah for potential future threats and challenges. 

Depend on God: What does this look like?

1. We begin by calling on Him. 

2. Then we must trust Him.

When we truly realize that God is greater than any challenge we face, we will depend on Him more!

The first major challenge came from Zerah the Ethiopian. Asa’s loyalty to the Lord led to a great victory. 

Act with Courage: We are going to have problems in life and this really calls for courage.

1. Each day we need to remain courageous in following God.

2. Our courage can and will inspire and encourage others too.

BE AN "AZARIAH" in someone’s life. Step in with a word of challenge or encouragement. As they face their problems, walk alongside them and remind them of the presence of Christ, that you know to be in your life is also in their lives.

The meaning of the name is “Yahweh has helped.”

Asa did not rest on that accomplishment. Urged on by the prophet Azariah, Asa stepped up his efforts at reform by continuing to eliminate idol worship and undertaking repairs to the altar in the temple. His influence was widespread, for people saw that the Lord was with him. Finally, he called the people of Judah and Benjamin together for some kind of covenant ceremony, an act of rededication and worship.

Worship Continually: Live your life as an act of worship. 

It is common, even among church attendees, to view worship as an event. It is right and needful to gather with others for times of worship, but worship is not limited to those times. Worship should be a lifestyle, something that infuses every aspect of our day. 

When and where does worship come most naturally to you?

King Asa gathered the people together for a time of worship, but his worship of God was seen in the things he continued to do, things that reflected his commitment to God. The day-to-day walk.

2 Chronicles 15:10-15

They assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. At that time they sacrificed to the LORD seven hundred head of cattle and seven thousand sheep and goats from the plunder they had brought back. They entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, with all their heart and soul. All who would not seek the LORD, the God of Israel, were to be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side.

Authentic worship includes being obedient to the Word of God, giving ourselves whole-heartedly to the Lord’s service, as well as giving sacrificially from the resources He has given to us. 

Giving Ourselves to God: What does this mean?

Romans 12:1-2

A Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

· The writer Erma Bombeck wrote, “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.’” That’s the point Paul makes in these two verses. He’s talking about using everything God gave him, giving his whole person—his all—to God.

We understand the idea of giving an offering of money at church. We put our cash or our check in an envelope and drop it in the plate. But most of us need some help with the idea of offering ourselves to God, giving our all to Jesus. We can’t put ourselves in an envelope. We can’t climb into the plate when the usher comes by and say; “My offering to God today is myself.” It would be easier to take out our checkbook and double our offering and put it in the plate than it would be to give our all to Jesus.

True spiritual worship is giving ourselves to God continually. Living godly in an ungodly world requires it.

1. Authentic worship includes both sacrifice and obedience.

• Worship is for God’s glory.
• Worship of God includes giving unto Him from all the resources with which He has blessed us.
• We are to have no other gods in front of the Lord God.
• In worship, we commit ourselves to be His people and honor Him as our God.
• Authentic worship calls for the full engagement of our minds and our hearts; it is a matter of volition and devotion, and a time for reflection and rejoicing.
• God honors the heartfelt worship of His people with His blessing.

What does sacrifice and obedience look like in worship today?

2 Chronicles 15:16-19

King Asa also deposed his grandmother Maakah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive image for the worship of Asherah. Asa cut it down, broke it up and burned it in the Kidron Valley. Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. He brought into the temple of God the silver and gold and the articles that he and his father had dedicated. There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.

What could have been one major, personal challenge Asa faced in carrying out his reform? Why was such action necessary? Have you had an encounter with a family member or friend that challenged your devotion and worship of the Lord? How did you handle it?

2. Authentic worship focuses on God alone.

• Devotion to and worship of the Lord may lead us to face challenges even from people close to us, family members and friends.
• We are to demonstrate our commitment to the Lord by ongoing efforts to remove those things from our lives that would dishonor Him.
• Authentic worship focuses on God alone.
• Even though we may falter from time to time, we are still to focus the desire of our hearts on those things that please the Lord.
• God will honor our sincere worship with peace of mind and heart.

How can we incorporate worship into our daily lives (beyond Sunday)?

How is worship part of your daily living beyond just “going to church” or having a “quiet time”? When was the last time you spontaneously worshiped the Lord? 

Board Activity: 

Conclusion: 

When we honor the Lord in worship and live lives dedicated to Him, the Lord will respond with blessing––blessing unmatched, unparalleled, and unavailable from any other source.

For many, worship is “going to church.” Certainly, we ought to gather with the church to worship, but persons can “go to church” and never worship. It has happened to the best of us. 

Authentic Christian worship is a personal encounter with God in which we experience: 

• deepening of faith, 
• strengthening of service, and 
• cleansing from sin. 

It is an intimate experience of the spirit, wherein we come to know the presence of the Holy Spirit, express adoration and praise to God, and affirm our commitments to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Appropriately, someone has described worship as recognition and response. In worship, we recognize God’s majesty and glory and respond with adoration and praise. We recognize His holiness and righteousness and respond with confession and repentance. We recognize God’s grace and love and respond with commitment and service.

God is worthy of our worship because He is God. No other reason is needed. He is the omnipotent One, the omnipresent One, and the omniscient One. He is Creator and Redeemer. No other is like Him. Thus, none other is worthy of worship.

Worship is not limited to a group gathering; neither is it restricted to a particular time or place. Worship can take place whenever the Holy Spirit creates the environment and when a spiritually sensitive person follows the Spirit’s direction. Therefore, the way we live our lives can be a legitimate expression of our worship of the Lord, much as it was for Asa and others in Scripture. This is not a justification for not attending worship services, but it is an acknowledgement that worship is broader than Sunday at the church. 

Consider these suggestions for developing a lifestyle of worship.

• Prepare yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually for a time of worship.
• Make prayer a regular part of your day, not just the quiet time each morning, but throughout the day seizing moments to talk to God.
• Read and study passages in the Bible that model a lifestyle of worship. For example, read from the Psalms regularly, and study Isaiah 6 and Revelation 4, both of which model God focused worship.
• Listen to the Holy Spirit who makes known the things of God throughout the day, if we are only attentive to Him.
• God often “surprises” us with daily manifestations of His presence. Look for them and worship Him. 

Class Lesson August 4, 2019

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. We’ve all heard that cliché. But let’s admit that it can be pretty discouraging when one failure follows another, and all doors seem to slam before us. Many people surrender to the discouragement and move on to other pursuits, but some keep going, no matter what. Consider:

• Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.1                                                                                              
• Steven Spielberg was rejected by a film school three times.                                                                                                    
• Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper for having no imagination.                                                                           
• Elvis Presley was fired after his first performance and told to go back to driving a truck.2

King Asa gave us an example of courage in the face of challenge. He knew that to succeed, he would have to continue the good work he was doing. He would have to keep at it if the people were to remain focused on God. When challenges persisted, he persisted more.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Chronicles 15:1-7

1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. 4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. 5 In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. 6 One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. 7 But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.”

When we complete a major project, it feels good to stop and take a breather. Perhaps that’s what King Asa did after the war in 2 Chronicles 14. In fact, many years may have passed between the war and Azariah’s arrival with a message from God. But then again, Azariah may have gone “out to meet Asa” right as he returned from battle. We just don’t know.

What we do know is what Azariah said, and that message was clear: Asa and the people were to continue to seek after the one true God. Azariah reminded them that the Lord was with them as long as they continued to walk in His ways. Azariah gave them a history lesson, reminding them that for many years Israel was away from the presence of the Lord or any word from Him. He was most likely referring to the time of the judges when lawlessness and faithlessness was a way of life for the Israelites. The people had no one to teach God’s law to them and no priest to uphold the ways of God before them. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out the correlation between the lack of instruction and understanding of God’s Word and lawless behavior. As a result, the people could not find peace—anywhere.

Azariah’s historical account included a call for them not to make the same mistake. They would avoid this grave error if they continued in their quest to find the Lord and live for Him. Asa had made progress, but he and the people still had much work to be done. They needed to remain steadfast in their pursuit of following God.

The people of Judah had carried off much plunder from their battle against the Cushites (14:13-14), but far more reward awaited them in the future. Those rewards were conditional, though. Asa and the people would have to remain courageous, steadfast in their faith, and not give up in their pursuit of the living God. Their faith must be resolute; they had no margin for distractions. If they were going to receive God’s rewards, Azariah warned, they would have to keep their focus solely on the Lord.

Many Christians know how hard it can be to remain strong and stand firm in their faith. For example, Linh Dao was only ten years old when her father was arrested for being a pastor in Vietnam. She knew why the authorities had come to their house, so she hid the Bibles in her school backpack. When questioned, Linh referred to the Bibles as books for children.

A year later, she was able to visit her father in prison, but only through a chain-link fence. Finding an opening in the fence, however, she stepped in to hug her father. The authorities didn’t stop her, since she was just a little girl. What harm could she do, after all?

The “harm” she did was to smuggle a pen to her father. With that pen, Pastor Dao was able to write passages and sermons on nothing more than cigarette paper. Those bits of paper circulated the prison, leading others to Christ.3 Linh Dao remained strong and acted with courage in the face of potential harm to herself and her family.

Just as Azariah told the king “your work will be rewarded,” (v. 7) God graces our work with reward. Our reward may not be immediate. God did not bless Linh Dao with an obvious reward, but she knew the blessing of obedience. Nothing we do for Christ escapes His attention.

2 Chronicles 15:8-9

8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple. 9 Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

King Asa didn’t need courage to face another war; he needed courage and persistence to finish the reforms he had started before they had defeated the Cushites (2 Chron. 14:2-5). It is amazing to see what Azariah’s words did in the heart of the king. Azariah’s words from the Lord were straightforward, reminding Asa and the people that God had been with them in the past and He would continue to be with them if they sought Him with everything they had.

Azariah’s words sparked a new fire in Asa to move forward in his quest to bring his people back to God. This reform had two aspects.

• Remove what’s wrong. With a renewed passion, Asa got rid of all the idols that were an abomination to the Lord. He sought to be thorough, not just removing idols from the nation he ruled, but from the cities he had captured as well.

Years earlier Asa had started out well, but now he needed to finish what he started. It’s not clear why Asa did not fully carry out this reform earlier, but it is reasonable to assume he faced opposition. He may have been the king, but kings can still face resistance from their own subjects. No doubt many of the people were fond of their idol worship and rituals. Here we see Asa removing idols again; Asa needed to be persistent in doing right, because the people were persistent in following their sinful human nature.

• 

  Restore what’s right. It’s not enough to remove the negative and harmful things from our lives; we must replace them with that which pleases Christ. Asa not only removed the idols and the altars the people used to worship those idols, he also renovated the altar of the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem. With renovations at the temple complete, King Asa put the altar to use.

Asa’s courage didn’t just benefit him or those in the Southern Kingdom. Others from the Northern Kingdom benefited as well. Because it was so obvious that God was with King Asa, ”large numbers had come over to him from Israel.” What a witness to God to have people coming to be with you because they heard God is with you. Here are some things that can help you in following God with persistent courage.

• Don’t do it alone. Before you even get out of bed in the morning, ask God to walk with you every step of the day. Lean on His lordship and the presence of His Holy Spirit in your life.                                                                                                                                                             
• Determine ahead of time that, no matter what problem or difficult situation you may face that day, you will not be deterred from focusing on your relationship with God.                                                                                                                 
• 

  Take time to read God’s Word. Spending time with God in His Word will bring encouragement and strength, and will continue to feed your passion for Him.                                                                   
• Look and listen for others that God might use throughout the day to give you a word of encouragement.                                                                                                                                                                 
• Don’t forget to thank those whom God has used to encourage and challenge you. Your words of gratitude could be the encouragement they need in that moment.

LIVE IT OUT

If we are to overcome persistent challenges, we must display persistent courage. Choose one of the following applications:

• Pray. Ask God to show you what things have become distractions in your life and are keeping you from seeking Him with a deeper passion. Confess those things and resolve to seek God with your whole life.                                                                                                           
• Memorize. Commit 2 Chronicles 15:7 to memory. “But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” Let that verse come to mind when problems persist.                                                                                                                                               
• Encourage. Be an “Azariah” in someone’s life. Step in with a word of challenge or encouragement. As they face their problems, walk alongside them and remind them of the presence of Christ in their lives.

Rather than becoming discouraged with problems that persist, we can ask for strength from God to face our challenges with courage. King Asa serves as a great example for how to do just that.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan


NOTE: We will be having a breakfast celebration for the Spencer's this Sunday in lieu of a lesson. Please see a summation of lesson # 3 below.

Act With Courage

What helps you to be able to live courageously for the Lord? How do you maintain spiritual courage? How do you restore it after a moment of weakness or a time of failure?

Following the great victory over Zerah the Ethiopian and his army, Asa and his army returned to Jerusalem with all the spoils of victory. In the interim, God had been at work to prepare Azariah to deliver an important message to Asa and the people. The verses to be studied in this lesson record that message and tell us how Asa responded. 

OUR CHALLENGE in this lesson is to remain courageous in following the Lord. Our courageous stand for Him can influence others to be drawn to Him because they see Him in and through us.

I. Remain courageous in following God.

2 Chronicles 15:1-7

The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. In those days it was not safe to travel about, for all the inhabitants of the lands were in great turmoil. One nation was being crushed by another and one city by another, because God was troubling them with every kind of distress. But as for you, be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded.” 

What are some lasting truths from 2 Chronicles 15:1-7?

• God calls out individuals to declare His message to His people.
• We are to be attentive to the proclamation of God’s Word.
• We are confronted with a choice: seek the Lord or forsake the Lord, understanding that our decision has a corresponding result.
• When we abandon God, we make ourselves subject to His judgment.
• A life lived apart from the Lord is chaotic and hopeless.
• When we repent, the Lord hears and restores.
• We are called to stand for the Lord with boldness and to carry out what He calls us to do with courage.

II. Our courage in following God can inspire and encourage others.

2 Chronicles 15:8-9

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took courage. He removed the detestable idols from the whole land of Judah and Benjamin and from the towns he had captured in the hills of Ephraim. He repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the portico of the LORD’s temple. Then he assembled all Judah and Benjamin and the people from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who had settled among them, for large numbers had come over to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

What are some lasting truths that come from 2 Chronicles 15:8-9?

• Obedience to the word from God includes removing whatever things become objects of worship instead of the Lord.
• We are to take actions that regularly enable us to renew our relationship with the Lord.
• We are to treasure opportunities to gather with others to worship the Lord and renew our vows to Him.
• When we show great courage and dedication to the Lord, others will be drawn to Him because they see Him in us.

Conclusion: God is good. His blessings are abundant and free. He gives us victory and hope, not just for today but for eternity. All that being true — and it is — then why does it take courage to live for Him?

And yet it does. We are constantly challenged by problems, struggles, and life issues. Satan works through them to weaken our resolve, to break us down, to put those things between us and our relationship with the Lord. Truly, persistent problems call for boldness of spirit and courage of heart, both of which are possible only when we remain devoted to seeking the Lord, heeding His word, and living by faith.


BE AN "AZARIAH" in someone’s life. Step in with a word of challenge or encouragement. As they face their problems, walk alongside them and remind them of the presence of Christ in their lives.

Class Lesson July 28, 2019

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

It’s great to have the right tools when you need them—those things you can always rely on to get the job done. But what if the “job” is just to get through life? What can you rely on when you face a challenging decision or everything seems to be going against you?

• Some people rely on a horoscope or fortune-teller to guide them in dealing with the daily struggles of life.
• Some people rely on alcohol or other drugs as a way to cope with challenges.

• Some people just look in the mirror and say, “I can handle this myself.”

• Some people let chance make their decisions. They gamble by flipping a coin while ignoring the words on that coin: In God we trust.

Instead, King Asa gave us the right model to follow. He knew and understood what it meant to fully depend on God and turn to Him first when facing an incredibly overwhelming challenge.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Chronicles 14:9-11

9 Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. 10 Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah. 11 Then Asa called to the LORD his God and said, “LORD, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, LORD our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. LORD, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”

King Asa had experienced a time of peace and his people had accomplished much good work, but the winds of change were coming. No one ever wants to go into war, but this battle especially looked like one Asa and his army would want to avoid.

Asa didn’t back away from the overwhelming odds in front of him. He and his army of 580,000 men (2 Chron. 14:8) lined up and headed into battle. We know little about his opponent, “Zerah the Cushite.” Cush is usually identified with Ethiopia, and Zerah’s army may well have been made up of mercenaries fighting on behalf of Egypt. With “an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots,” (v. 9) we can easily assume Zerah and his men would not have been afraid of attacking an army around half their size.

Anyone looking only at the odds knew Asa was seriously outnumbered and would probably face defeat. But Asa didn’t let the large army deter him from the task at hand. He marched forward into unfamiliar territory to take on an army nearly twice his army’s size. Why? Asa had God on his side.

Asa had learned much from watching his father’s success against Jeroboam, king of the Northern Kingdom. Asa’s father, Abijah, had faced Israel’s army when it was twice the size of Judah’s (13:3).

Asa had learned from his father that God is available to help no matter how big or small the challenge ahead may be. Asa knew the outcome of their battle was not going to be determined by man alone. So he cried out to God in prayer. He praised God for who He was and His consistent availability to help both those in positions of power and those who have no strength in themselves. Because Asa knew nothing was impossible for God, he asked God specifically to help them by providing the might and strength they needed.

“LORD, you are our God.” Asa declared his allegiance to God as his father had done. In declaring this, he committed himself and his armies to God. He declared that the battle and its outcome belonged to the Lord, the one against whom no one could stand.

We’re not going into a battle like Asa was facing, but we face challenging struggles every day of our lives. Many of those challenges confront us with odds that are not in our favor. Many of those battles and challenges look like impossibilities for us to overcome. Many of us would rather just stay within our own walls and pretend like the battles are not even there.

In those moments, we need to follow Asa’s example and cry out to a God who specializes in the impossible. God is there to help us, just as He was there to help Asa. It doesn’t matter to God what size the battle is. His desire is for us to cry out to Him who is our all powerful advocate.

The first step in any battle is to come to grips with the battle that is before us and acknowledge that we can’t do it alone. When was the last time you cried out to God about any crisis or challenging situation you were facing? Take some time to be alone with God, and in those moments of quietness, cry out to Him. Talk to Him. Share with Him about your struggles, your challenges, and the battles that threaten to consume you. Trust Him to help you just as He helped Asa.

2 Chronicles 14:12-15

12 The LORD struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, 13 and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the LORD and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. 14 They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the LORD had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. 15 They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

Asa and his army left the protection of their fortified cities to face an army twice their size. They had declared their commitment to God and had cried out to Him for help. They acknowledged they could not fight this battle in their own strength but were depending on Him. What did God do in response? Instead of preventing the battle, God brought the opposing army to Asa and his army!

Why didn’t God enable Asa and his army to just avoid the battle altogether? Couldn’t God have simply won the battle for them without them having to march off to face their enemy? God absolutely could have, but He chose to put them in a position where they would have to act on their faith. By marching out to face the Cushites in battle, Asa and his warriors had to trust completely in God to go before them. Their trust in God went beyond words; they had to demonstrate that trust on the battlefield. That trust was seen in fighting an army twice their size. But God was with them, and He wanted them to totally depend on Him as they faced this bigger than-life challenge.

Their trust was in God, but they still had their part to play. They had to go to battle in order to secure the victory. This step of trust and simple obedience led to a glowing defeat of their enemy. This victory was not just over the enemy right in front of them; they also attacked and defeated all those associated with the enemy in “villages” and seized “much plunder.” Asa and his army not only won every battle they faced, but their rewards from those battles were enormous. When Asa and his army marched into battle, they trusted God even though they didn’t know what the outcome would be.

The Judean army under Asa may have pictured something totally different from what the Lord had planned—but isn’t that how God often works? We trust in Him for victory from our challenges and battles, but we assume He will follow the plan we’ve laid out. However, God’s victories often come in unexpected ways. When we give the Lord our battles, challenges, and impossible situations, they become His, and He will give us the victories according to His plans.

Only after God had finished giving them full victory were they allowed to return to Jerusalem and the safety of their homes. When we face challenges and impossible situations, our greatest desire is to stay at home in the safety of our familiar surroundings. But God wants us to face those battles head on. It’s only when we face those challenges and battles head on that we can see just how mighty and strong our God is. When He gives us the victory, then and only then can we return home to share the victories God did in our midst.

While God gives the victory, He still expects you to march into the battles with Him by your side. Depend on God’s strength and might as you face each challenge. And when God brings the victories, let others know about it. Share your victories. With your words and by your example, be an encouragement to others as they face their own challenges and battles.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you depend on God to be greater than any challenge you face? Choose one of the following applications:

• 

  Share. Talk with your group about a challenge you are facing that, from your perspective, is an impossible challenge. Ask them to pray with you regarding that situation.

• Invite. Ask someone else to walk alongside you in a difficulty you’re facing. Invite this person to “check in” with you regularly and encourage your continued trust in God.

• Retreat. Take some dedicated time this week to have a personal prayer retreat. Get away from any distractions. Leave your cell phone in your car. Spend a few hours—or a full day—in dedicated prayer about the challenges you are facing.

We all face multiple challenges in a given week. If we’re not careful, we’ll try to carry the burden of those challenges all on our own shoulders. But it’s good to be reminded that we have a God who will be there for us to see us through.

Hope to see everyone this Sunday!


In His Love,

David & Susan

New Series Begins July 21, 2019

How can we live godly lives in this ungodly world?

Christians can look confidently toward a future with Christ that will be free of the grief and problems we face in this world.

But what do we do in the meantime? We live in a world that does nothing to encourage our walk with Christ; in fact, many times the world actively opposes anyone who seeks to live a godly life for Christ.

We can stand strong, though. In the Old Testament, the life of King Asa shows us how to face life head on. His example points to the value of focusing on God, living a lifestyle of worship, and persisting with courage and dependence on Him. We’ll also see how his example influenced those around him and the generation that came after. By studying his life, we will see that, even though we will face enemies and challenges, we can live godly lives.

Living a Godly Life in an Ungodly World

1.  Pursue Godliness 2 Chronicles 14:1-8

2.  Depend on God 2 Chronicles 14:9-15

3.  Act with Courage 2 Chronicles 15:1-9

4.  Worship Continually 2 Chronicles 15:10-19

5.  Remember God’s Faithfulness 2 Chronicles 16:1-13

6.  Leave a Legacy 2 Chronicles 17:1-13

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Every day we are faced with a multitude of distractions. Apps on our smartphones easily sidetrack us. Social media, text messages, and email after email vie for our attention too. Is it any wonder we might have a problem with keeping our focus on the task at hand?

• The average worker wastes 759 hours each year due to distractions in the workplace.1
• In 2015, 3,477 people were killed and nearly 400,000 more were injured in vehicle crashes that involved distracted drivers.2
• Ninety-two percent of college students have used their phones to send text messages during class.3

Any distraction can be dangerous, but being distracted from what really matters in life can have devastating consequences. In the Book of 2 Chronicles, we meet one man who kept his focus. King Asa made sure nothing distracted him from keeping his focus on God.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Chronicles 14:1-2

1 And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years. 2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

When a new president takes office, we watch closely to see what he will do during his first one hundred days. Moving beyond the campaign promises, we begin to see his abilities and character in action. The first one hundred days set the tone for the rest of his administration.

Asa was suddenly thrust into leadership simply because his father died. Perhaps the nation of Judah was watching to see, in a sense, what his first one hundred days would be like. Asa himself may have wondered what kind of king he should be. We don’t know how old he was when he became king, but he had observed how his father, Abijah, reigned. Abijah was only king for three years (1 Kings 15:2), so Asa also had the example of his grandfather, Rehoboam, to consider.

Asa had seen how both men responded to the challenges of leading. Both men had dealt with wars and conflicts, and each had failed to keep his focus on God and doing what was right in His sight. As a result, up to this point, the nation had little to no peace in the land, although Abijah did lead the Southern Kingdom of Judah to victory over the Northern Kingdom of Israel who had wandered away from God under the leadership of King Jeroboam.

When Asa assumed the kingship, the country had peace—and it remained in peace for ten years. But a king must still keep his focus in times of peace just as he does in times of war. Peacetime leadership also carries great responsibility.

The question remained: would Asa lead like those before him or would he choose a better path? Asa didn’t have to look very far back in history to see what happened when a leader took his focus off of God. Asa chose a different route: he chose to keep his relationship with God his top priority.

Asa would lead by example both in his actions before the people and in his relationship with God. He would need to depend on the Lord and in His direction. As he trusted the Lord to guide his actions and thoughts, he would lead the people to also follow the directions given by God.

How would King Asa be able to do all of this? He would have to make every decision as king in the right way no matter what situations or circumstances came up. “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God.” What made his leadership remarkable is that what he did was good and right in God’s eyes. It’s tempting for us to be “people pleasers,” doing what others consider good and right. People want us to do what is good and right for them. But such motives are often self-centered, and defining what is “good and right” can vary with each circumstance. Not so in God’s eyes. God’s standard of goodness and righteousness does not change. Asa wasn’t doing good and right things to please the people in his kingdom; he was doing them to please God.

2 Chronicles 14:3-5

3 He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. 5 He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him.

Once Asa became king, he didn’t waste any time in taking action to do what needed to be done. His actions centered on getting the people’s attention back on God.

Worship was abundant in the land, but it was the wrong kind of worship. For several years, those in power allowed the promiscuous worship of these false gods to run unrestrained in the land. Asa’s father, Abijah, did nothing to stop this national sin. His refusal to take a stand against idolatry likely encouraged the practice. It’s not clear if Abijah also engaged in false worship, but “his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God” (1 Kings 15:3).

Asa, however, was determined that he was going to do what was right in God’s eyes and destroy the places of idol worship. And he didn’t just want a few places cleaned up. He removed the places of false worship “in every town in Judah” (v. 5). Every plot of land over which he had authority was to be a place where God would be acknowledged and worshiped.

Asa was determined to point the nation back to God. He used his authority as king to remind the people to seek the God of their ancestors. We don’t know if the people objected to the destruction of these idols, but they certainly complied outwardly.

As a result of his actions, the land lived in peace for ten years. Imagine the impact we would have today if we sought God with the same passion and determination Asa had. Our idols may look different, but we too must make the Lord the focus of every aspect of our lives.

2 Chronicles 14:6-8

6 He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the LORD gave him rest. 7 “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered. 8 Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

Even though the land was experiencing a time of peace, Asa didn’t take time off to go on a vacation or nap under the nearest olive tree. He maintained his focus on doing what was good and right. He rallied the people to look down the road to a possible time when there wouldn’t be peace and they might be at risk of attack from their enemies.

When God gives us a time of peace, we often want to just sit back and relax. We must guard ourselves against temptations that pull our attention and focus away from God, however. We must continually seek after Christ. Thankfully, God has given us several things to help us stand strong and stay focused.

The church. The body of Christ—our brothers and sisters in Christ—are an incredible source of strength, not only during times of peace, but especially during times of discouragement and attacks from the enemy.

Spiritual gifts. God has given every believer spiritual gifts and He expects us to use them. When we “flex those muscles” by using the gifts that He has given us, we are strengthened—and we strengthen others. Even as other believers help us stand, we help them stand.

We stand strong and keep our focus on Christ when we stand together. Allow God to use you in the life of another believer even as you desire God to strengthen you through the gifts and ministries of others.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you pursue godliness this week and seek to do what is good and right before God? Choose one of the following applications:

• Memorize. Commit to memory Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Allow the truth of this verse to penetrate your heart and mind; let it be a driving force in your pursuit of godliness.

• List. Identify areas in your own life that have become idols and false gods. Develop a plan to purposely rid yourself of them. Enlist the help of your valiant warriors if necessary.

• Recruit. Enlist a small group of people to serve as your army of valiant warriors who will stand guard with you when attacks come from the enemy.

Pursuing godliness is not an easy thing to do in today’s world. But it is possible when you avoid the distractions and keep your focus on Christ.

Hope to see everyone on Sunday!

In His Love,


David & Susan