NEW SERIES BEGINS September 1, 2019

SIMPLICITY: FINDING CONTENTMENT IN A BUSY LIFE
When did things get so complicated? 

We live in a world where innovation is at an all-time high. It seems that every week a newer version of something you just purchased the week before is on the market. It's big! It's better! It's improved! And it fuels a feeling of discontentment.

How can we live with simplicity in a world that forever tugs at us to be discontent with what we have and to fill our lives with more? Thankfully, the Bible has a lot to say about contentment. In these six sessions, we will discover biblical principles for simplicity and contentment.

1. Simplicity and contentment begin with a focus on Christ.
2. A focus on Christ is to be pursued daily.
3. All we need is wrapped up in Christ.
4. Pursuing godliness in Christ gives us all the contentment we would ever desire.
5. Simplicity includes taking time for God-given rest.
6. Simplicity is expressed in the way we relate to others.

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

Worry. Can you relate to that word? A lot of us can. Two out of five Americans admit to worrying.1 And I’m in that group.

I worry a lot. I worry about church, family, health, my future, and lost people in my city. The list goes on and on. I’ve let worry consume me and even spiritually paralyze me for years. I play the “what if” game a lot. What if I make the wrong decision? What if the desires of my heart never come to pass? What if my father never comes to know Christ? 

Do you ever wish you could just stop worrying and fixating on things you can’t control? I do. Jesus gave us the key, and it all has to do with our focus. When our focus is on the world, worry is usually the result, but when we focus on Christ . . . well, that changes everything. 

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus called us to seek His kingdom and His righteousness first. After that, everything else falls into place.

Matthew 6:25-30

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?” 

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave us a sobering reminder of where the heart and mind of the believer could end up when our focus is on the physical rather than the spiritual. A wrong focus leads to a wrong state of mind which leads to anxiety and worry. 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life” (v. 25). Easier said than done, right? But it’s an important word from Jesus, and His use of “I tell you” is to get us to pay close attention to what He was saying. 

Let’s not lose sight of the fact that we are hearing these words from the mouth of the Creator. The Creator of the universe, the One who put the stars in place, the One who controls the oceans, the One who holds the world in the palm of His hand was telling us, “Do not worry!” You would think that would be enough to cure us of worry, but it often isn’t.  When we worry, it’s because we have allowed our minds to focus and live in disbelief. 

Problems begin to arise in our lives when we allow our concern for physical needs to take priority over our spiritual needs. Jesus was clearly telling us that life is more than that. 

So why shouldn’t we worry when life seems overwhelming with so many unmet demands? Verse 26 tells us why, and the reason is tied to the great value we have in the eyes of our Father.  

Sometimes it’s truly hard to comprehend that God loves us as His children. Some of us have not had the greatest father figures, and some of us have had no fathers at all. Others cannot understand why God would love them when they are so flawed and sinful. But Jesus painted a wholly different picture of our heavenly Father as One who takes care of the birds and adorns the flowers yet loves us so much more. In spite of our sinfulness, God loves and values us deeply. That wonderful truth should change our perspective and, therefore, cure any worry. 

Matthew 6:31-32

31 “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.” 

A lack of trust produces a life of worry. According to Jesus, worry is a “Gentile” mindset. While we may sometimes equate “Gentile” with anyone who is not a Jew, in other contexts—like this one—it refers to those who are outside the family of God. This group of lost people has every reason to worry about the essentials of life. They express no trust in God, who is the Source of all we need. 

Their trust is in their own ability to provide for themselves. 

Without Christ, our minds are consumed with living the American dream. Accumulation is the name of the game. We seek the things of this world to give us identity and value. 

Many of these things are not inherently bad—a nice home, a new car, a big salary—but we tend to let these things define us. Our trust is in our own ability to perform in order to get what we need or want.

But what do we actually achieve if we attain all these things? Sitting right next to us in our nice homes is a void, a hopelessness, and a lack of peace. None of these things truly satisfy; we’re left hungry and thirsty for more. It boils down to a matter of trust: without Christ, our trust is in the wrong place. 

Trust should be placed in God who does what is best for us. Consider how God provided for our greatest need. We are sinners in need of a Savior. God saw that need and sent His Son, His greatest treasure. God provided the perfect lamb for imperfect people. And we didn’t have anything to do with that provision!

When we place our faith in Jesus, we are trusting that our greatest need was met. And since God has taken care of our biggest need, we can trust Him to take care of all our needs! 

• God does not have a hearing problem. He hears our requests (Ps. 66:18-20).
• God does not have a providing problem. He owns “the cattle on a thousand hills” (Ps. 50:10).
• God does not have a timing problem. He provides what we need when we need it (Prov. 3:5-6). 

If there is a problem, it’s with us. It’s a faith problem. He called us “You of little faith.” Worry is simply a product of not trusting God. The good news is that we do not have to stay faithless!

Matthew 6:33-34

33 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” 

“Seek first.” The word Jesus used for “seek” is zeteo, which means to desire and pursue. We are not seeking something that is hidden; instead, we are pursuing the things of God with a passion wherein it’s our highest priority. 

Instead of being consumed with the temporary things of this world, we are called to be consumed with a desire for God and for the things of God. It’s not that the cares of this life are unimportant; even Jesus invited us to pray for these things: “Give us today our daily bread” (v. 11). As we focus on Christ and pursue Him with obedience, He takes care of everything else. 

This does not mean that if you seek God wholeheartedly, you will have whatever you want. Consider how that idea of prosperity plays out in other parts of the world. There are countless believers who live in poverty. Jesus’ words do not promise American prosperity but God’s provision. He takes care of His children. Seeking God gives us proper perspective. Jesus promised that each day will have enough trouble of its own. We cannot escape the troubled day, but we can escape worry. Today, focus on Christ. Make Him first. We can think about tomorrow . . . well, tomorrow.

Jesus was not speaking against planning or preparation for the future. My wife and I have four children and we are planning for their future. We have started college funds, we pray for their salvation, we pray for their purity, we pray for the right friends to enter their lives, and we pray for their spouses. After we plan, prepare, and pray, we leave the unknowns of the future in the hands of our Father. Without a focus on Christ, it’s easy to be terrified of what this world will do to our sweet children.

We have a decision to make: will we be paralyzed by fear of tomorrow’s unknowns, or will we choose to seek the kingdom of God? It’s a daily choice to trust the sovereign and loving God who sits on His throne.

LIVE IT OUT
How will you actively seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness? Consider the following applications:

• Confess. In order to overcome worry, confess the areas where you struggle to trust God. Admit your struggles with worry and allow God to begin working in you.
• Memorize. Hold strongly to the promises of God and memorize Matthew 6:33: “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Continually remind yourself of God’s promise to provide.
• Share. Find someone you trust and share the things that cause you to worry and the areas of your life where you lack a trust in God. Invite this friend to pray with you and for you. 

It may feel at times as if worry is inevitable and you’re drowning in anxiety. Worry may have a way of worming its ugly head into your life, but it doesn’t have to consume you. Make a daily decision to pursue the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

Hope to see everyone this Sunday!


In His Love,


David & Susan

Class Lesson August 25, 2019

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

We experience many of our greatest freedoms today because someone was willing to step out and do something that changed the world. We call those people legacy builders.

Sir Nicholas Winton was a legacy builder. In 1938, Hitler ordered his troops to march into Czechoslovakia. Word was already spreading that the Germans were mistreating Jews, and Winton chose to do something. Even as he continued his job as a stockbroker, Winton began raising money to fund the transport of Jewish children out of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia and Poland. Because of his efforts, 669 children escaped what would have been death in prison camps.1

Vera Diamant Gissing, one of the children rescued, pointed to his legacy. She said Winton did far more than save one generation; because he saved the lives of these 669 children, he also ultimately saved the lives of their children and grandchildren. Talk about leaving a legacy!

King Asa was another man who also left a legacy. In his life, we see a man who impacted the generations that followed him.

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Chronicles 17:1-6

1 Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. 2 He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. 3 The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals 4 but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. 5 The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. 6 His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah.

The reality is, we all try to imitate somebody. As kids, we might have imitated our mom and dad, or one of our siblings. Even as adults, some of us will try to imitate celebrities or public figures—even if they may not be the best examples to be imitating!

This was not the case for Jehoshaphat. Growing up, he had watched his father, King Asa, make some tough decisions as he led the kingdom. Asa had strived to follow God in most of his decisions. As a result, when Jehoshaphat took over the reign of the kingdom after his father’s death, he also sought to honor God in all of his decisions. Jehoshaphat was so diligent in this that the biblical writer even likened him to Israel’s highest ideal: King David.

Jehoshaphat followed the example of his father in two ways.

• Physical protection. Asa had gained a victory over the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Jehoshaphat followed through by strengthening their defenses. One victory is not a guarantee of no more attacks, and Jehoshaphat sought to secure Judah against any potential threats.

• Spiritual protection. The people had an ongoing tendency to follow their own ways, which led them down the path of worshiping the Baals. Like his father, Jehoshaphat was not going to have it in his kingdom. He once again set out to rid the kingdom of any of the places where worshiping false gods was taking place. No one can force others to change their thinking, but Jehoshaphat sought to protect them spiritually by removing “the high places and the Asherah poles” (v. 6) that encouraged false worship.

As a result of Jehoshaphat’s actions and his commitment to follow God’s ways, the Lord blessed him. In response, Jehoshaphat didn’t rejoice in the prosperity or blessings themselves; his worship was centered in the One who provided. We should learn to get our minds in a place where we are thinking constantly about doing what God wants us to do.

2 Chronicles 17:7-9

7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials Ben-Hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel and Micaiah to teach in the towns of Judah. 8 With them were certain Levites—Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah and Tob-Adonijah—and the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 They taught throughout Judah, taking with them the Book of the Law of the LORD; they went around to all the towns of Judah and taught the people.

Now the Jewish people needed a refresher course in the ways of God. After Jehoshaphat had fortified all the cities in his kingdom, he then turned his attention to strengthening the people by teaching them the Lord’s ways. Strengthening the people called for more than just removing the high places; it included building the right forms of worship in their lives—like studying God’s Word.

Jehoshaphat sent two distinct groups to carry out this task.

• His officials. The members of his cabinet likely oversaw the teaching of what we would call a civics class.

• The Levites and priests. The priests came from the tribe of Levites, but not all Levites were priests. They accompanied the king’s officials to focus on teaching the ceremonial law and the sacrificial practices at the temple.

This assembly of teachers covered everything the people needed to know to ensure proper obedience to the king, their country, and most importantly to God.

King Jehoshaphat initiated this refresher course to unify the nation in everything they did—and a unified nation would be a stronger nation. Learning and following the ways of God was vitally important for them as a nation and as individuals—and it is equally important for us. Studying God’s Word leads us to be productive in the kingdom of God. It gives us wisdom far beyond anything we’ll ever learn in school.

Jehoshaphat not only led by acting to make sure they heard God’s Word, but he lived it out in front of them. We benefit when we see living examples of God’s truth. For me, it was Jim, my sixth grade Sunday school teacher. He not only taught God’s Word to a bunch of rowdy sixth grade boys week after week, but his life was a living example of God’s Word outside the classroom. I want to do the same, and I hope you will too.

2 Chronicles 17:10-13

10 The fear of the LORD fell on all the kingdoms of the lands surrounding Judah, so that they did not go to war against Jehoshaphat. 11 Some Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and silver as tribute, and the Arabs brought him flocks: seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred goats. 12 Jehoshaphat became more and more powerful; he built forts and store cities in Judah 13 and had large supplies in the towns of Judah. He also kept experienced fighting men in Jerusalem.

It was obvious to others that God was at work in the Southern Kingdom. They expressed it by terror and by tribute. It’s hard to imagine nations fearing a nation solely because the people were in tune with God and living by His Word. By focusing on God’s Word, Judah’s people had unity and strength, and it was clear God was with the nation. These nations also responded by bringing gifts to Jehoshaphat.

Jehoshaphat’s influence within his own nation telescoped into an influence on the surrounding nations. You may not see yourself as a leader, but you do have influence. Your influence has the ability to help change someone’s future. What does that influence look like?

• Influencers have a genuine love for others. Influencers love with no strings attached.
• Influencers constantly look for ways to encourage others. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:11).
• Influencers willingly give their time to others. Influencers go beyond words that speak encouragement. An investment of time in someone’s life is a great encouragement.
• Influencers are people of integrity. Jehoshaphat was a person of integrity. His character was focused on the things of God, and as a result, people trusted him. To have influence in someone else’s life, we must first earn the right to be heard, and that calls for integrity.

LIVE IT OUT

How will you allow God to use you to impact and influence others?

Choose one of the following applications:

• Pray. As you begin each day, ask God to give you opportunities to be a godly influence to those you encounter.
• Thank. Who has modeled a godly life before you in such a way that you wanted to follow his or her example? Contact that person and say thank you for influencing your own walk with Christ.
• Invest. Meet with two or three others whom you can encourage and influence. Consider ways to teach them God’s Word. One option is to take them through a discussion of this same study from the life of King Asa.

Whether we will ever have the opportunity to save someone’s life, much less hundreds of people, is unclear. But all of us have the opportunity to impact others for Christ.

Hope to see everyone on Sunday!

In His Love,

David & Susan

Teacher Notes:

Leave a Legacy: Godly living impacts future generations.

Video: The Emperor’s Club

The movie The Emperor’s Club tells the story of a teacher and the impact he had on a group of students. In the opening scene, the teacher stated: “Great ambition and conquest without contribution is without significance. What will your contribution be?

How will history remember you?”

Good questions, aren’t they? What will our contributions be? How will history remember us? What will we leave behind? What will be our legacy?

We have been studying the life of Asa, King of Judah as our model for this series on Living a godly life in an ungodly world. And we have learned from Asa so far that:

We live a godly life when we:

1. First and foremost, make God the focus of our life. 

2. Secondly, when we call on Him first in all circumstances and trust Him with the outcome.

3. Courageously walk with Christ daily and remind others of His presence in their lives. 

4. Actually live our life as an act of worship with sacrifice and obedience and in last week’s lesson we…

5. Remember when God has been there for us and guided us in the past, He will guide us now and in the future. When we leave God out of our lives, even when we win, we lose. Please Remember that!

Today our series closes with how great leaders of history like King Asa left legacies that lasted through the generations.

2 Chronicles 17:1-6

Jehoshaphat his son succeeded him as king and strengthened himself against Israel. He stationed troops in all the fortified cities of Judah and put garrisons in Judah and in the towns of Ephraim that his father Asa had captured. The LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him. He did not consult the Baals but sought the God of his father and followed his commands rather than the practices of Israel. The LORD established the kingdom under his control; and all Judah brought gifts to Jehoshaphat, so that he had great wealth and honor. His heart was devoted to the ways of the LORD; furthermore, he removed the high places and the Asherah poles from Judah. 

What benefits did Jehoshaphat receive from King Asa’s legacy?

· Growing up, he had watched his father, King Asa, make some tough decisions as he led the kingdom. Asa had strived to follow God in most of his decisions. As a result, when Jehoshaphat took over the reign of the kingdom after his father’s death, he also sought to honor God in all of his decisions. Jehoshaphat was so diligent in this that the biblical writer even likened him to Israel’s highest ideal: King David.

Lesson said that Jehoshaphat followed the example of his father in two ways. What were they?

· Physical protection. Asa had gained a victory over the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and Jehoshaphat followed through by strengthening their defenses. One victory is not a guarantee of no more attacks, and Jehoshaphat sought to secure Judah against any potential threats.

· Spiritual protection. The people had an ongoing tendency to follow their own ways, which led them down the path of worshiping the Baals. Like his father, Jehoshaphat was not going to have it in his kingdom. He once again set out to rid the kingdom of any of the places where worshiping false gods was taking place. No one can force others to change their thinking, but Jehoshaphat sought to protect them spiritually by removing “the high places and the Asherah poles” (v. 6) that encouraged false worship.

As a result of Jehoshaphat’s actions and his commitment to follow God’s ways, the Lord blessed him.

We should learn to get our minds in a place where we are thinking constantly about doing what God wants us to do.

Paul J. Meyer in his book, Unlocking Your Legacy, says, “When all is said and done, each of us will leave only four things behind: 

1. Memories—thoughts that others have of us. 

2. Souvenirs—proof of our existence. 

3. Trophies—records of our achievements. 

4. Legacies—everything you are and possess today. 

Eventually, memories will fade, and souvenirs and trophies will disappear (be lost, stolen, or sold at garage sales)." Only our legacy will remain. 

What is a legacy?

A legacy is something handed down from one generation to the next. It can be a sum of money, a piece of property, a cherished memory, a lasting value, or a compelling vision. One powerful moment may constitute our legacy, or the repetition of tasks and service over a lifetime may be our legacy. Legacy is a value judgment resulting from our behavior and remaining in the minds of others. It is the cumulative, informal record of how close we came to the person we intended to be. In essence, everything we are and possess today, whether good or bad, is our legacy. 

The Bible does not use the word legacy. But God’s view of legacy is evident throughout scripture. Solomon wrote, “The remembrance of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot” (Prov. 10:7). Another proverb stated; “A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren, but the sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous” (Prov. 13:22). 

Leaving a legacy requires intentional effort, course adjustment, and relationship renegotiation. Here are some practical principles to live with the end in mind. 

1. Live by the compass, not the clock. (Psalm 43:3) The clock represents our commitments, appointments, schedules, goals, and activities—often they are urgent. The compass, on the other hand, represents our vision, values, principles, mission, direction, and destiny—the critical issues of life that we believe, but not usually screaming at us with urgency. Leaving a legacy is dependent on us choosing the important over the urgent. Dwight Eisenhower used to say, "The urgent is seldom important, while the important is seldom urgent." When we focus on the important, we establish a clear sense of direction that is the necessary foundation for a legacy.

2. Choose significance over success. (Acts 13:36) Social researchers indicate that we live our lives on one of three levels. 

1. Some live on the survival level with a primary concern for food, clothing, shelter, and physical wellbeing. 

2. Most live on the success level, having food, clothing, shelter, and relative physical well-being. Having achieved a small level of success, they discover that this level does not provide meaning and fulfillment. These first two levels offer the hope of purpose and satisfaction but always disappoint over time. 

3. The third level, significance, knows that life matters. People living on this level are making a difference and making an impact. They are making a contribution and doing something meaningful with their lives. They are giving themselves to that which is more significant than themselves. 

3. Be a giver, not just a taker. (Luke 6:38) In Israel, a striking picture of life is presented by looking at the two famous bodies of water connected by the Jordan River. In northern Israel, the Sea of Galilee flourishes like an oasis in the desert. This lake is vibrant and alive. The Jordan River flows into the lake and then flows out of it, dumping its water into the Dead Sea sixty miles to the south. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth and contains more than 25% salt. Because of the salt content, humans couldn’t sink if they tried. But the lake supports very little marine life. Here are two different bodies of water. One is alive, the other dead. Why? Because the Sea of Galilee takes but also gives while the Dead Sean takes in water but gives none away. The contrast is distinct: The Sea of Galilee gives and supports life; the Dead Sea only takes, and no life exists. 

Only in giving our lives away will we make a lasting contribution. God wired the universe so that we don’t find significance and even happiness in getting. We find significance and joy comes as a by-product when we give ourselves away. 

For this to happen, our focus must be turned outward instead of inward. Our ultimate goal is to give instead of to get. We desire to serve rather than to be served. Too many people spend an entire lifetime focusing only on themselves, on what they can get out of life, rather than what they can give. Significance comes not from success; but by serving others. Don’t confuse income with influence. 

4. Change your gaze to how you will finish from where you started. (Hebrews 9:27) 

Finishing well doesn’t happen by accident. A marathon runner knows that as he or she stand at the starting line, there is a finish line. Somewhere and someday there is a finish line for all of us. Most of us probably think the finish line is a few years down the road, maybe 10 years or 20 years or 30 years away. We have an appointment with death. We don’t know when or where or how, but it’s going to happen. That’s one appointment we won’t miss and can’t postpone. 

5. Begin today not tomorrow. (Psalm 119:60) We are called to live life today, not to dream about how history will portray us tomorrow. Leaving a legacy is too important to postpone till next week or when we have a little more time. Leaving a legacy begins today. 

What can you do today for God’s kingdom? 

What can you do today for your community? 

What can you do today for your church? 

What can you do today for your spouse? 

What can you do today for your children? 

We should live our lives in such a way that will ensure that we leave a good legacy. Our legacy is about the life we live now and the choices we make today. It’s not about preparing for posterity; it’s about living well today. If we live well today, we’ll leave behind something worth remembering.

Closing: If we were to continue Jehoshaphat’s story, we would learn that much like his father Asa, Jehoshaphat was not a perfect man or leader. He too had flaws. His is the story of all humankind; we continue to struggle with sin even as we strive to live godly lives. Nevertheless, the godly life Jehoshaphat lived would have positive implications for those who came after him. In that respect, we are no different. Every generation can affect the next generation––one way or the other. 

A legacy of faith is far better than a legacy of failure.

Who are you influencing for the Lord? How are you doing it?

How would you hope someone will assess your spiritual legacy?

Class Lesson August 18, 2019

THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE

For years I had the privilege of taking students on a week-long backpacking trip into the high mountains of the Sierra Nevada range in California. The terrain was incredibly rugged, but the views were incredible. Each year we highlighted the importance of watching your surroundings and being aware of where you were at all times. We stressed this because, in case someone got lost, he could find his way back to the starting place.

Without fail every year, a few students failed to listen to their guide and got lost. After a search, someone would personally guide them back to camp. When asked what happened, they told the same story: they couldn’t remember the right way to go.

Too often we do the same thing. We rely on God to do something in our lives only to forget the next time what it was He did for us. King Asa was no exception to this. Asa had been an exceptional ruler through most of his reign, but he hit a period in his life when he “forgot to remember.”

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

2 Chronicles 16:1-6

1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. 2 Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 3 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” 4 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah.

King Asa’s peaceful reign finally came to an end. For thirty-six years, the once united nation of Israel had been divided into the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Since the Lord had blessed King Asa and the Southern Kingdom, many Jews from the Northern Kingdom were migrating south (2 Chron. 15:9).

King Baasha, who ruled the Northern Kingdom, didn’t like that so many of his people were migrating to Judah. So Baasha built a fortress in Ramah five to six miles north of Jerusalem to stop his people from going south to King Asa in Judah. Ramah was on the border between the two kingdoms, but because it was actually in Judah, it wasn’t Baasha’s land to build on. However, Baasha was ambitious and built a military compound anyway.

King Asa must have felt intimidated when he saw the threat of his neighboring king and the encroachment upon his land. We might wonder if Asa panicked, since he devised his own plan: a bribe for outside help. Instead of depending on God, Asa looked to “Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus” (v. 2) to the north of Israel. Both Israel and Judah had treaties with Ben-Hadad, but Asa bribed him to break the treaty with Israel with the gold and silver from the temple’s treasury. From a human standpoint, Asa’s strategy was successful. It may have worked, but it came at a cost.

• The temple treasuries were dedicated to God, yet Asa gave away those things as a payment to another king.
• Asa failed to trust God.
• Asa’s lack of trust set a bad example for those who lived under his rule. The king had discredited trust in God, and his subjects would follow his lead.

Asa was about to learn the hard way that he would never be in any situation where it would not be necessary to depend on God—and the same is true for us.

2 Chronicles 16:7-9

7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

A price tag is attached to every decision we make, and King Asa was about to learn that hard lesson. Asa had thought it was a good decision to enlist Ben-Hadad, but it carried a heavy price tag. Judah’s king appeared to be victorious, but from God’s viewpoint, he was utterly defeated.

The king became aware of that defeat through a reminder by the seer Hanani, who was God’s prophet to speak God’s truth to the people. A seer was a prophet who was used as the mouthpiece of God to deliver truth to the people—and Asa was about to get an earful of truth!

Hanani reminded the king what God had done for him in the past. While the king had some great and valiant warriors, Hanani reminded Asa that it had not been those warriors who were victorious over the vast army of and Libyans; it was because he had “relied on the LORD” (v. 8). What a reality check that must have been for the king!

The outcome for King Asa wasn’t what he thought he would get. Hanani informed Asa if he had simply relied on God to deliver them from Israel, he would not only have gained the victory over Israel, he would’ve been victorious over Aram as well. Trust in God would have given Asa the victory he sought—and then some.

Remember the price tag? For Asa, the price was peace. Judah had experienced peace for much of King Asa’s reign, but that would no longer be the case. Hanani told Asa that God looks continually for those who remain faithful to Him. To those “fully committed to him,” (v. 9) God shows Himself to be strong and throws His full support behind them! Because Asa had failed in his commitment to God, he would “from now . . . be at war” (v. 9).

We can avoid Asa’s tragic mistake as we keep God’s faithfulness on our radar. He has taken care of us in the past, and He will do so now. Let’s be people “fully committed to him.” When we are, it doesn’t matter how big the army is that stands in front of us, we can trust Him to deliver us far beyond what we might accomplish on our own. God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20).

2 Chronicles 16:10-13

10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. 11 The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. 13 Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors.

The truth hurts. It’s hard for most of us to hear the truth about ourselves. We know, of course, that the right course of action is to accept the truth and respond accordingly. Unfortunately, our pride often gets in the way, and we react with anger and outrage. Or we look for someone else to blame. Everyone around us suffers because we don’t want to deal with the truth, especially when it has consequences we don’t want to hear.

That’s where we find Asa. It didn’t matter that Hanani was a prophet used by God to bring truth to him; Asa didn’t want to hear it, so he put God’s prophet in prison. Furthermore, in his rage, Asa even “oppressed some of the people” (v. 10). Everyone was going to suffer—including God’s prophet.

So how should we receive truth and act on it in a proper and fitting way?

• 

  Accept the truth and be thankful that someone was willing and courageous enough to tell it to you; trust that they delivered it out of love.
• Claim ownership of the truth that the person pointed out to you. Take time to evaluate it, digest it, and then develop a plan to act on it.
• Learn from your mistakes and move forward from them. Don’t waste time wallowing in guilt over them once you have sought forgiveness for them.
• Trust God to guide you as you move forward.

Asa’s sin was not in seeking medical help, but in not seeking the Lord. Asa should have looked to the Lord even as he looked to the physicians. The God who intervened to lead Asa’s army to victory is the same God who could bring healing. Instead, Asa let his pride and ego get in the way of turning to God.

In place of pride or self-centeredness, let’s walk in humility as we focus on Christ and experience the benefits of our obedience.

LIVE IT OUT

God will certainly guide those who look to Him. Choose one of the following applications:

• 

  Write. Make a list of truths from God’s Word you have learned recently. Evaluate how you responded to each one and, if necessary, what you could have done differently.
• Memorize. As a reminder of why you can always trust God, memorize 2 Chronicles 16:9a: “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”
• Speak. If you know someone who needs a course correction, ask God for direction in how to speak the truth in love to him or her. Consider carefully your words and pray for the person’s openness to hear the truth from God’s Word.

Just as one can get lost in the wilderness, we can get lost in life if we “forget to remember.” The God who guided us in the past, will lead us into the future.

Hope to see everyone this Sunday!!


In His Love,


David & Susan

Teacher Notes:

1. We Pursue Godliness when we make God the focus of our life. 
2. We Depend on God by calling on Him first in all circumstances and trusting Him with the outcome.
3. Each day we should act with courage in following Christ. 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.”
4. We should live our very lives as an act of worship.

Remember God's Faithfulness

George Santayana said: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” That statement reminds us to learn from the past. 

However, it implies what we did in the past was wrong. We also did some things correctly; we did right things that we need to remember and repeat.

Earlier in his reign, King Asa depended on God during a time of trial. God blessed him with victory. However, later in life, when facing another threat, he sought help from other sources rather than calling on the Lord. Sadly, his failure to rely on the Lord led to a season of despair. 

Asa had been an exceptional ruler through most of his reign, but he hit a period in his life when he “forgot to remember.”

Chapter 16 describes the latter days of King Asa. Alas, he had begun well as a man of faith, but in the end, he acted like anything but. Three major truths emerge for us. First, don’t depend on others for what you should be depending on God to do. That strategy will fail every time.

Second, don’t forget what God has done. What He has done in times past he can do again for those who are whole-heartedly committed to Him. And third, don’t let pride and self-centeredness dictate your behavior. Pride is the path to ruin.

2 Chronicles 16:1-6

In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.” Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim and all the store cities of Naphtali. When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. Then King Asa brought all the men of Judah, and they carried away from Ramah the stones and timber Baasha had been using. With them he built up Geba and Mizpah. 

King Asa devised his own plan: a bribe for outside help. Instead of depending on God.

From a human standpoint, Asa’s strategy was successful. It may have worked, but it came at a cost.

• The temple treasuries were dedicated to God, yet Asa gave away those things as a payment to another king.
• Asa failed to trust God.
• Asa’s lack of trust set a bad example for those who lived under his rule. The king had discredited trust in God, and his subjects would follow his lead.

Asa was about to learn the hard way that he would never be in any situation where it would not be necessary to depend on God—and the same is true for us.

1. Don’t depend on others for what you should be depending on God for.

What are some lasting truths from 2 Chronicles 16:1-6?

• Peace doesn’t last forever; someone is always out there to challenge our efforts to live faithfully as God’s people.
• When threats come, we are compelled to figure out how we will respond.
• We need to exercise caution that we do not grow dependent on ways or means that are counter to faithful living or that exclude the way of the Lord.
• Don’t be deceived that every win is a true victory; rather, consider what you may have given up to get it.

2 Chronicles 16:7-9

At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. Were not the Cushites and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”

The outcome for King Asa wasn’t what he thought he would get. Hanani informed Asa if he had simply relied on God to deliver them from Israel, he would not only have gained the victory over Israel, he would’ve been victorious over Aram as well. Trust in God would have given Asa the victory he sought—and then some.

Remember the price tag? For Asa, the price was peace. Judah had experienced peace for much of King Asa’s reign, but that would no longer be the case.

God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Eph. 3:20).

2. Don’t forget what God has done and can do.

What are some lasting truths that come from 2 Chronicles 16:7-9?

• As difficult as it may be to hear, we need persons who care enough to offer correctives to us when we fail.
• We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we can devise our own plans for dealing with life issues that challenge us.
• We are to avoid leaning on others and other things and failing to rely on the Lord during times of difficulty.
• When we leave God out of our lives, even when we win, we lose; for He has more in store for us than we can imagine.
• The Lord is ever-present, all-knowing, and all-powerful and desires to strengthen the faithful in our times of weakness.

2 Chronicles 16:10-13

Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people. The events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet. Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors.

The truth hurts. It’s hard for most of us to hear the truth about ourselves.

Asa’s sin was not in seeking medical help, but in not seeking the Lord. Asa should have looked to the Lord even as he looked to the physicians.

3. Don’t let pride or self-centeredness dictate your behavior.

What are some lasting truths that come from 2 Chronicles 16:10-13?

• Uncontrolled anger can lead us to irrational and unreasonable behavior.
• Pride, self-centeredness, and anger can become barriers to a right relationship with the Lord if we refuse to confront them and repent.
• Faithful followers of the Lord will seek Him in all situations because we know He is good, able, and does all things well. 
• Death is the way of all people; we need to prepare ourselves for it.

Closing: What a sad ending to Asa’s story. And it could all have been avoided had he maintained his focus on the Lord who had been so faithful to him. Asa’s story has been the story of many others. It could become our story if we choose to walk the same path of drifting from the Lord.

Just as one can get lost in the wilderness, we can get lost in life if we “forget to remember.” The God who guided us in the past, will lead us into the future.