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Sunday 27 July 2003 - "Remain faithful to God"

(Summary of sermon by Erlo Stegen)

2Kings 20:14 & 15

14 Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country, even from Babylon.

15 And he said, What have they seen in thine house? And Hezekiah answered, All the things that are in mine house have they seen: there is nothing among my treasures that I have not shewed them.

King Hezekiah was an amazing man, who served and followed the Lord such that it's written that he trusted God like none before or after him. He followed in his father David's footsteps (although not his son, but a descendent).

Hezekiah's father closed the doors of God's temple so that no one could pray anymore. But when he came to power, he commanded the doors to be opened, the temple cleaned out and prepared so that the nation can pray again. Such things are not easy to do. It's not easy to turn the tide. We even see today that in America, president Bush finds it difficult to change the laws passed in the previous dispensation. So too Hezekiah found it difficult to change the things his father implemented. One can only love and honour such a child who turns against the precepts of his father that are against God's Word. Hezekiah also destroyed the idols and foreign altars his father built. Hezekiah had great wisdom and discernment - not like today, where people flock to anything without discerning whether it's good or bad. In Hezekiah's time the people worshipped the serpent Moses made in the wilderness to heal the people. Hezekiah then destroyed the bronze serpent, for the serpent was only a symbol of Christ who was to come (even Jesus used the serpent Moses made as a sign of how He would be lifted up from the earth and crucified for the healing of many), yet now the people were not pointed to Christ through it, but worshipped it.

The kings before Hezekiah no longer kept the Passover, just like they remove even Ascension Day from our calendar today. What do you Christians do about it? If Hezekiah and some other godless king of Judah stood for election today, whom would you vote for? Remember if you vote for a godless candidate, you must bear the consequences of your choosing.

The Assyrians attacked king Hezekiah and the other nations about him urged him to join forces so that they could withstand the Assyrians. However, he was a man of prayer, and trusted in God and not in man or the other nations and God gave him the victory over the Assyrians. After this he became ill unto death, and God sent Isaiah to tell him to set his house in order, for he will die of the illness. When Hezekiah heard these words, he turned his face to the wall to be alone with God. He cried to the Lord - his heart broke - that God would remember him and his service to God with all his heart from his youth. So before Isaiah had even left the palace, God heard Hezekiah's prayed, and spoke to Isaiah to tell Hezekiah that He would add 15 years more to his life. Hezekiah's prayer touched and moved God's heart, not like the prayers that just hit the ceiling and are never heard. God gave Hezekiah sign that He heard him - the sun moved back so that the shadow moved back 10 degrees as they watched.

Can you pray that God hears? Or when you pray do you just shout Amen and Hallelujah? Your neighbour hears it, but does God hear? Parents, can you pray that God saves your children? Or do your children still long for the world, and although they are not allowed to go to the disco, yet they bring the disco's into their rooms?

However, Hezekiah had no son to sit on his throne, and God gave him an opportunity to prepare the way that his reformation could continue after his death. This was his weakness, he just lived for his reign and did not prepare for the future that things would continue in God's way. This is the sad part. The king of Babylon sent ambassadors with gifts, when they heard that king Hezekiah had been healed. He received them and showed them his silver, gold, military equipment and everything else he had. He did it in a haughty way. God then spoke to Isaiah to ask the king where the delegation came from, what they wanted and what he did for them. He no longer consulted with God's prophet or asked counsel of God. He did things on his own, and this was his downfall.
When you first got converted, God's fire burned in your heart and you shared with others what God did for you, but what is it like today - do you do your own thing, go your own way and have fellowship with the world? Do you still know the fellowship of the saints, or do you have fellowship with those from Babylon? God sent Isaiah to ask him who those in his house were, for God was not consulted, neither His servant Isaiah. Do not be surprised if God asks you such questions, when you do not walk with Him anymore. Hezekiah showed them all the treasures God had given him, but showed them nothing of God.  Isaiah told Hezekiah that the days will come when all those treasures he showed them will be carried to Babylon, together with his descendents. They will be officials and slaves in the courts of the Babylonians. When Hezekiah heard this, he replied that it's good, for at least he will have peace and prosperity during his reign. He had no concern or feeling for his children. He became selfish.

He began so wonderful, yet his end was so awful. The Bible says he that endures to the end, will be saved. I want to ask you, are you like king Hezekiah? He was as sharp as a razor for God, but became blunt and without feeling for God's work. You could pray a prayer that moved God's heart, yet today your prayers are dry and does not even reach God. Will your life be like Hezekiah's, becoming lukewarm at the end of your life? What things do you allow to enter into your life. You attend service on Sunday, but what enters your house during the week? Only one thing will help you, that you repent and redeem the time. Get your house in order. Make right your life before the sun sets. If you've sinned against your parents, go to them and ask for forgiveness. Speak to your counselor and confess that you've just messed around, doing things half-hearted - confessing some and leaving others.

They said to the Lord Jesus in Luke 11:27, "blessed is the womb who bare You ...", but He replied, "blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it."