2 Kings 23, Prepare For A Personal Revival
1. Do What God Says In His Word (v21)
2. Obey God As Soon As Possible (v22-23)
3. Remove All Obstacles To Obedience (v24)
4. Turn To The Lord With All Your Heart (v25)
5. Listen To God Any Way He Speaks (v29)
Well, as we look at Second Kings Chapter 23, we are looking at the final days of the nation of Judah.
There's really not much time left before the nation as a whole is going to be invaded by Babylon conquered and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem will be moved.
Out of the city out of the nation and carried off into captivity.
And so this is going to be happening very soon. We're in, you might think about it this way. It's the final 40 years as Josiah becomes King after Josiah's death, around 608 BC. There's only about 22 years left before.
Before Babylon conquers them, and so during his time it's kind of like the last opportunity.
D For the nation to get right with God.
It's the last opportunity.
It's a revival that takes place during his reign, and so you can see Josiah there, right towards the end of the Southern Kingdom before Babylon comes and conquers them.
And Judah has experienced a few revivals like.
What's happening here with King Josiah?
In fact, on Sunday we talked about Hezekiah right, and we saw some of the reforms and revival that took place under his reign, and that was about 60 years before Josiah takes the throne, and so now he comes back on the scene.
Things are bad again, he.
Is a great king though, and he turns to God fully and completely and he leads the nation in doing that as well as we look at the example of Josiah here in Second Kings chapter 23. I've titled the message prepare for a personal revival.
Prepare for a personal revival and and I want to encourage you to consider the the personal side of the things that we're looking at here tonight because.
Although Josiah is king and he enacts great reform for the nation as a whole and he commands everybody they engage in the Passover feast together as a nation.
And even in the area that was conquered already by Assyria in the northern Kingdom, some of them come and participate in this.
Passover feast as well, and so there's a lot of people involved, and yet at the same time there's a very personal nature to this revival that takes place, and you can see that really clearly in verses 26 and 20.
11 because after Josiah does this great feast, and this great revival that takes place, it tells us in verse 26.
Nevertheless, now nevertheless, sometimes can be a good word right where like things are terrible and bad and bleak and dark.
Nevertheless, and then, there's going to be the hope that God brings in right.
Sometimes it can be a word.
Of great hope as you understand that in the midst of difficulty God is going to do something.
But here in this case it's the reverse.
It's this incredible revival is going on this incredible work of God is happening.
Nevertheless, although all this good stuff is happening and there is this focus and commitment on the Lord, nevertheless the Lord did not turn from the fierceness.
Of his great wrath, with which his anger was aroused against Judah.
God is looking at this situation and he's incredibly pleased with Josiah and his heart for the Lord.
But at the same time, Josiah's heart for the Lord.
Is not enough.
To save the nation.
From the destruction that is coming because of the rebellions against God.
For Josiah, it was a real revival.
For the people.
We have to know and understand.
There were many people impacted right and many people experienced personal revival as well, but for a lot of people it was just a new king giving commands and they were following along with those things.
But their hearts were not in it.
There wasn't real repentance each.
Individual within the nation didn't experience personal revival, they just experienced the external reform of a king who was on fire for the Lord.
Commentator FB Meyer puts it this way, though these reforms were carried through by the King Stronghand, the generality of the nation remained idolatrous and corrupt and yielded a feigned or fake rather than felt repentance.
They had a fake repentance, a feigned.
They were, they were just going through the motions because that was the command they were participating in it, along with the people around them.
But but there.
Wasn't real revival in in the individual hearts as a whole?
For Josiah it was a personal revival, and you would hope you would expect that there were many in the nation that experienced personal revival in that time, but but it was not collectively that the the individuals, the families.
Were revived and renewed in their relationship with God and because of that.
They continued on the path.
To judgment.
To me, this highlights this, underscores the need that we have for a personal relationship with God, and as we look at Josiah, let it encourage you to have personal revival, personal connection to God, a personal obedience to God.
You know we can talk about judgment.
And I'm not going to get into that really tonight, but.
There was a judgment, the wrath of God that had been mounting upon the nation because of their rebellions and wickedness against God, and that's something that we can relate to.
As you look at the decline of the nation of Judah, there's some strong parallels to looking at the decline of the nation that we live in and.
The departure from God that has taken place and the things that result as that continues on more and more and more.
And so as you look at that as you look at or perhaps frustrated by the decline of society and the decline of our nation, and the corruption that is going on.
Let it be.
A call to personal revival to understand that even in the midst of that, there can be a great work.
But but it is really upon you think about all the people in the Kingdom under the.
Reign of Josiah.
That didn't experience a personal revival.
You know this is a reminder for us.
Nobody else can experience revival.
On your behalf.
Nobody else can be revived and and set on.
Fire by the Lord.
For you in in your place.
Like it is incumbent upon each of us to.
Draw near to God and to invite him to work in our lives in such a way.
That we each.
Have that radical experience with God.
Think about what the Lord spoke through the prophet Ezekiel and the Prophet.
Ezekiel was on the scene in Babylon a little bit after Josiah, but not too much longer after Josiah and.
And here's what he said about the condition of the nation and where they were headed.
He says to Zechiel, son of man.
When a land sins against me, by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out my hand against it.
I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it and cut off man and beasts from it.
Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and job were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.
Says the Lord God.
Here's what the Lord is saying there.
There comes a point where a nation as it progresses in unfaithfulness to God, reaches the point of no return, that it is going to experience judgment.
There's points prior to that where if the nation turns back then there will be a salvation from that judgment.
A turn from from that judgment, but but that persistent unfaithfulness continues and and brings a nation to the place.
Of deserving and bound to experience the judgment of God and when it reaches that point, here's what God.
That's the three most noteworthy righteous men in the scriptures.
Noah, Daniel, and job.
Even if they were in it.
They would only deliver themselves.
The nation could not be saved by three guys.
The nation could be saved, perhaps by the nation as a whole.
Turning and getting right with God, but three people, people on behalf of other people could not save them.
It was by their own individual righteousness.
Notice what God says, though they would deliver only themselves.
And so here's the thing.
Personal revival can't.
Really save anybody else.
They can't revive anybody else, but it's still worth it because it impacts your life and your life is radically transformed and there is influence and there is impact on other people.
It's just that it can't take the place of each person experiencing their own personal revival.
And so as we consider Josiah this evening, and think about these things.
I would invite you.
To ask this question, how much of my relationship with God?
Is my own personal desire, desire and decision.
How much of my relationship with God is my own personal desire and decision?
You know we don't live in the Bible belt here in Southern California, right?
We would never call this the Bible Belt.
And yeah, I would suggest it's.
Probably pretty easy for us to fall into.
A pattern where.
The relationship with God that we have is kept up.
In some regard, because it's easier to continue in the path that we're on.
Than to go against.
The expectations.
Of the people around us.
Sometimes it's easier.
To keep going to church because I know I'm supposed to.
That's one thing, and I know if I don't, then Richard is going to call me up and say, hey, I notice you haven't been at church.
You know where you've been?
Are you doing OK?
And I I don't want that kind of conflict.
Or you know your spouse is going to say.
Honey, you know you haven't been going to church.
And so you go to church because it's easier than fighting with your wife.
It's not so much your personal desire and decision.
It's not because you know you, just you really want to.
I really want to be at church.
It's because I really don't want to have that fight again.
And so I'll just go to church is an hour and a half.
Just sit through it, I'll be OK.
And you know, it'll be.
Good enough, and that's easier than having the fight.
With the spouse.
How much of your relationship with God is your personal active desire and decision?
Here Josiah.
Has a personal revival and from his example we can learn some really important things.
Some valuable things to help us to do the same, but it has to be our personal desire and decision.
We need to choose these things, embrace these things and engage with God in.
The way that he's called us to.
And So what are these?
Things, well, let's walk through them.
Five points 5.
Ways that we can prepare for a personal revival from the example of Josiah Point number one do what God says.
In his word.
Here's how to prepare ourselves. Here's how to set ourselves up for a personal, radical work of God in our lives. Verse 21 then the king commanded.
All the people saying.
Keep the Passover to the Lord your God as it is written in this book of the covenant.
Now, a little bit of background here that we read as we're reading through this book this past week. In Chapter 22, we find that the book of the law, that is, the scriptures, had been lost.
And they were found as Josiah had initiated a repair of the temple, and so they're they're cleaning it up.
They're putting things back in order and then all of a sudden out there about whoa.
What is this?
Oh, this is the scriptures that they were really far from God.
They had lost the scriptures.
And so they had to dust off the book of the law.
And open it again and discover it once again, well, as they do that they come across the passage.
Talking about the Passover, they're reading through Exodus.
They're looking at chapter 12 and God says this shall be the first of your month.
And here's how you're to prepare the Passover meal.
This is how you're to celebrate the.
Passover year to.
Do this annually in this way follow this manner.
And Josiah.
Hearing the words of exodus, hearing the word of the Lord now announces.
To the people.
We are going to do this.
Everything that got outlined here.
All the things that got instructed here in Exodus for us, we're going to put these things into practice.
Keep the Passover to the larger God as it is written in this book of the covenant.
He's reading the scriptures.
He's going through what God has said and and not just doing that for information, not just educating himself about history, not just learning about you know things about God, not just learning good morals and good points, he's.
Spending time in the scriptures so that he and.
Those that he is in charge, of those that he has authority over, will be able to then put it into practice.
Pastor David Guzik points out that the Great Reformation in the days of Josiah is an example of simply going back to the word of God and seeking to base all thought.
And practice.
On what God has revealed in his word.
It was an Old Testament example of the Reformation principle of sola scriptura.
His example here.
Is a great example for us.
To take the word of God and use it as an evaluation for everything that we think and everything that we do.
To use it as a filter for.
Our behavior and our conduct and our decisions to to use it as an inspiration and to allow the Lord to speak to us that that it's not just a book that helps us know what happened.
You know, sometimes we can get caught into this trap where.
Our time in the word.
Is just for inspiration.
We can get caught in the trap where our time in.
The word is just.
Legalistic dedication.
We can get.
Trapped in the the pattern where the time in the word is just for information now inspiration is important.
Information is important.
Learning about God, being educated on the scriptures and the history and what God did and how things happen.
All of that is really important.
But but we also need to make sure that we take the next step and work our way to the application, right?
James tells us to not be hearers of the word and deceive ourselves like yours only.
He says do what it says.
We can't do what it says if we don't have information and education right like those are important components.
You can't just dive into Second Kings chapter 23 all by itself without any context and understand then how to apply it right? Spending time.
With understanding the Scriptures and doing that that work and learning about the scriptures and what God has said and the history that happened, that's all really important and vital.
But but sometimes we can fall into the pattern where.
That's where it stops.
It's just education, it's just information.
Sometimes we look at the scriptures and we're just.
Looking for like.
Inspirational pick me up.
You know we're just looking for some kind of feeling.
We're just looking for some kind of encouragement for the moment and and that's the limit of it.
But but we need to involve ourselves in the scriptures to a much greater degree where we're learning the information we're being educated about God and his work and how he works, and the way that he's worked throughout the years and and all of these things that God says.
But then we work our way to OK now today.
What does this look like for me and how do I take it from here to impact my life in a way that I can put it into practice?
How can I process the news that's coming to me?
You know, the the words that are going around through the filter of what God has said and the truth that he has revealed.
How can I take those things and and apply them to what we find God revealing of himself in the scriptures and and to understand what God wants to do and what God wants to say and?
How God wants me to think about these things?
The classic
Acronym for Inductive Bible study is OA.
Observation, interpretation, application, and all three of these are really important for us as we spend time with God in his word.
Observation is just reading the passage.
And paying attention.
This can be hard sometimes. I know reading comprehension is not always the easiest thing or everybody's best skill but but stopping to take note.
There's a lot of interesting things about the scriptures.
When Moses was out in the wilderness and he saw the Bush that was on fire but not consumed.
He said to himself, I'm going to go check out this Bush that is on fire but is not consumed and it always cracks me up when the Bible repeats itself like that, right?
Moses saw a Bush that was on fire but was not consumed, so Moses said, I'm going to go look at this Bush that is on fire but not consumed.
The same thing is repeated.
I think that's a good example of observation.
Sometimes you're reading a passage and you go.
That's an interesting verse.
Let me check out this verse that is interesting because this is an interesting verse.
It says something really interesting that I need to think about and consider and and there's that double take, you know that.
That little bit.
Extra, OK, that's interesting.
That stands out.
What is happening here and why is that there and what does the Lord want to reveal in that?
So there's observation, understanding the different components and and things that are happening in the passage.
That we're working on.
There's interpretation.
Now as we look at the Bible, we need to understand there's a little bit of effort required to understand.
Just what is happening there in the passage.
You can't take Second Kings chapter 23 and just rip it out of the rest of the Bible and just have that and have a real great understanding of it, because, well, there's all this history, and that's one of the reasons why I often show these kinds of timelines.
And things that there's, there's all.
This that builds up to this point.
In Israel, history that.
That brings Josiah to this place at the right time and it helps us to understand and interpret what the Lord is saying, to whom he's saying it, why he's saying it, and what it means.
And so interpretation takes some effort to evaluate the context, to understand what kind of passage it is.
And it's this is all.
Accessible to any believer, any person filled with the Holy Spirit can observe what's happening in the text.
Can interpret it doesn't happen necessarily automatically or on your first try, but.
You can interpret.
You can understand the context.
You can understand what God is saying, not perfectly.
There's some passages that we will never understand fully and be able to interpret accurately, right?
But generally speaking we we can observe what's happening.
We can interpret the scriptures.
But again, we need to then take that next step.
Oh, a observation, interpretation and then application.
Does God want me to change my life?
What steps does God want me to take?
What decisions must I make?
What what must be done?
As a result of my new understanding, my fresh perspective on what God is saying in his word.
One of the ways that I've encouraged people to consider application throughout the years is with the acronym pieces.
And this was something that we developed when we put together the equipped to walk course and so it fit with that idea, right?
They cook to walk and and so we're.
Taking steps.
Taking paces and so.
Here's something to think about as you observe as you interpret and seek to apply, you can walk through paces promises to believe if there's a promise contained in the scripture that you're studying.
There's an action to take, and that is a deliberate I choose to believe this promise.
That God is made, that is an action that is something for us to do.
It's not just something for us to memorize or to remember, but but to choose to.
What I believe this is what you've said, and so this promise I'm going to hold onto and and believe this thing that.
You have promised to me.
Attributes of God for us to consider.
God is revealing himself through his word.
Jesus said the volume of the book.
It's written about me right, and so there's a lot for us to understand about the Lord about his nature, his character, how he works.
But we don't absorb those things and understand those things at first glance.
Because God is infinite.
As high as the heavens are above the earth, God says that's how high my ways.
Are above your weights right?
And so when.
We encounter attributes of God.
It takes a little bit more effort than just.
Recognizing he that's an attribute of God, OK, next verse, but.
Requires a little bit of consideration, a little bit.
Of time of.
Understanding the implications of this is how God is.
This is who God is.
This is the way that God works and thinks.
And so there's attributes of God for us to consider.
There's commands to obey the scriptures, filled with commands for us, especially as you get into the New Testament, right?
But even there in the Old Testament, there's a lot of things that God just directly wants to say.
You need to do this and you must not do that.
And so those commands as we look at them, they're action oriented things.
You know that things that we are to start doing, or things that we are to stop doing.
We look at east for examples to follow again, like Josiah or like Hezekiah on Sunday.
That that we can look at and learn principles from these guys, even though they're not always perfect, right?
We can.
Learn the best attributes of them and see what God commended and and encourages about them and.
Find ways to follow their examples and then finally is there sin to confess is there?
Things that are declared sinful by God.
That we as.
We look in the mirror of the word.
See in our own lives.
We have the application now.
The action to confess that send to repent and turn from it.
To experience a personal revival.
We must do what God says in his word.
I understand it's going to be personal.
Nobody else.
Can do what God says in his word for me.
I have to do that.
I have to do that for myself.
My wife can't do it for me.
My parents can't do it for me.
Rick can't do it for me.
I have to get into the word of God and observe and interpret and apply and seek to then do what God has declared.
In the scriptures.
This is something that is given to all of.
US as believers.
To not be hearers only.
Maybe you could even take it a step back from their right.
To not be ignorant of the word.
To not be here is only of the word, but instead.
To be students.
Of the word.
To dig in.
To spend some time understanding what God is saying and.
And be working on how he wants these things to impact our lives.
Now I want to give you a little bit of an easy example to consider and so would you turn with me.
We'll come back here to 2nd Kings in just a moment, but turn.
With me to Ephesians chapter 4.
Ephesians chapter 4 this is just one of 1000 passages that have some easy commands. Easy instruction for us to follow so that we can do what God says in his word and so just want to share these as an exhortation.
Of things to do, but also as an example of how we can take God's word and apply.
It so Ephesians chapter 4 we're going to look.
At verses 25 through 32.
The first verse, verse 25, says therefore putting away lying, let each of you speak truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. And so here in Ephesians Chapter 4, verse 25, you can think about this.
Action put away lying stop.
And that may apply to you in different ways.
The scriptures are amazing at that, that there's different kinds of lies and different kinds of ways that we might be not speaking the truth.
Maybe that's in our exaggerations, maybe that's in our concealing things that we don't want to be found out.
There's lots of different ways that we might be engaged in this, but here we have this very clear and simple command.
Listen, you need to put away lying, not just understand that God wants you to put that away, but you need to actually do it like to take lying out of your life to put it away from you and to speak the truth.
Verse 26 be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil.
So here's command #2 in this passage. Be angry and don't sin.
And perhaps this is a command that some of us directly need to take and put into action right now.
To stop sinning and letting anger be provoking towards sin.
Verse 28 but him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands. What is good that he may have something to give him?
Who has need?
So stop stealing.
And again, this can happen in a variety of ways.
Sometimes it's taking advantage of situations.
Sometimes it's in the workplace, sometimes it's at the grocery store, sometimes it's at the mall.
It could be a variety of things that ways that God wants to.
Get our attention and call us to stop stealing.
But here we're instructed, and so we need to consider.
How to apply? This is a direct command. Let him who stole steal no longer verse 29. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. But what is good for necessary edification that it may impart grace to the hearers.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom.
You were sealed for the day of redemption.
I've summarized it as speak only what builds up.
This is a command, just start doing.
Personal revival, you want that start doing what God has said.
What God has commanded us in his word and only use your words to build people up.
Stop using your words to tear people down.
Stop allowing corruption and decay to come forth from your mouth and just use.
Your mouth to build.
Up and further the work of God in the Kingdom of God.
Verse 31 that all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.
So he lists a variety of things.
Summarize it as put away sinful behavior.
Sinful attitudes.
Notice these are a lot of internal things, right?
Put away these attitudes that this mentality.
This behavior that is going on put it stop it, put it away and do not continue in those things.
And then finally verse 32. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you. And so here's the final command here in this passage. Be kind and forgiving.
And so these are some good commands for us to consider easy for us to look at our lives and evaluate where we're at and understand.
These are things that we need to do.
Actions we need to take behaviors that need to change.
Decisions that need to be made.
But again, I would ask you.
As you look at this list.
How much of your relationship with God?
Is your own personal desire and decision?
King Josiah instituted reform for the nation.
And he gave lists of commands like this.
All right, everybody do these things.
This is what God says.
In his word.
And a lot of people.
Followed along.
But it was not their personal decision, it was just because it was the social expectation.
It's what.
An authority commanded.
Them, it was what was expected of them.
But it wasn't their own desire.
Do you look at this list and go?
Man, I really that's my desire.
That's what I want.
I want to put these things into practice.
Do what God says in his word.
If you want to experience.
Revival personal
Then you need.
To take God's word personally and start to live.
It out and.
Put it into practice and seeking how God wants to instruct you and teach you through the scriptures.
Well, that's just the first point. We need to keep going now. Verse 22 and 23 back in Second Kings gives us point #2 and that is obey God as soon as possible ASAP. Obey God as soon as you can. Check out verse 22 and 23.
Such a Passover surely had never been held since the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in the days of the Kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, but in the 18th year of King Josiah this Passover was held before the Lord in Jerusalem.
He held he holds a Passover like has never been before or since.
It's the Passover of all passovers this feast that he holds stands above the rest.
As faithfulness unto God, as glorious in all that it is now, Hezekiah had kept a Passover.
But apparently it was not like this.
David had kept the Passover, but not like this.
Solomon had kept the Passover and remember Solomon had infinite wealth and you know all that could be imagined, but his Passover.
Celebrations were not quite like this.
This was a Passover.
That had been like no other.
Going back to the time of the judges, so maybe the passovers that would compete would be the Passover.
The Passover celebrations that were led by Moses and Joshua right in the wilderness like like those Passover celebrations.
Or perhaps the only ones that rivaled this one that Josiah holds at this point in his reign.
But what I think is interesting about this Passover is not how great it is compared to the rest.
But when did it take?
Place and verse 23 it tells us it was in the 18th year.
Of king Josiah.
In the 18th year.
He held this Passover.
Why not year 17?
Why not your 16?
Why did he wait so long?
To hold the Passover feast.
Well, we find out why.
Again, as we go back a little bit and understand the context.
Josiah became king at 8 years old.
He became king.
After a long reign of a very wicked King Manasseh.
Had a son Manasseh Hezekiah was a good king. Manasseh reigned for 55 years. He was a wicked and evil king.
And the nation as.
A whole was continuing to decline, so they had forgotten.
Much of what God had said.
And they were not invested in and they were.
Not familiar with the.
Scriptures and the word of God and the instruction of God.
They had.
They had really declined.
To a really bad place in their departure from God.
So he's 8 years old when he becomes king.
Not a lot of life experience, right?
Not a lot of information.
Pretty much other people are ruling the Kingdom for him until he's old enough.
To begin to understand and step into the role of authority.
Well, we find out from second chronicles, Chapter 34.
The parallel passage that also deals with the reign of Josiah.
That it was.
In the eighth year of his reign that he began to seek the God of his father, David.
He started at 8-8 years later he's 16 and that's when he really begins to seek out and pursue a relationship with God.
And so he takes that step. But then it tells us also here in second Chronicles 34 three in the 12th year, he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places.
So in the 12th year, he begins to purge idolatry.
He's been walking with God for four years now, so.
He's kind of a baby.
In the relationship with the Lord in the spiritual things.
He's just starting to again.
They've lost contact with in connection with.
The word of God and the work of God.
Sometimes we go through these passages and it just feels like you know all this.
Amazing stuff happened overnight, but there's a process of.
Time, he's he's.
Seeking God and learning how to relate to God and know God and walked with God and he spends 4 years doing that before he's starting to realize, OK, we need to get rid of all this idolatry.
So in the meantime, God is working and growing and developing him until finally the 18th year of his reign.
So now he's been walking with God.
For 10 years.
And he says, you know what we
Need to do.
Is we need to repair the temple?
Not just get rid of all the idolatry, but but give back to the temple that God has established for us, and so as they're cleaning up the temple after he's been on the throne for 18 years, he's been walking with God for 10 years. They find the scriptures, it tells us in Second Kings chapter 22.
They're cleaning it out.
Hilkiah the high priest says.
I found the book of the law.
Ah, this is amazing and they read it and they're.
Astounded, they go read it to.
Josiah, and he's astounded.
And he's like, Oh my goodness, we are so far off base we've so far.
And you know.
Drifted from the things that God has said.
Now back to the question, why did Josiah wait 18 years to hold his first Passover?
Because he didn't know about it.
This was the first time he had clear understanding.
This is what God says about how his people Israel are to participate in the Passover.
They found the Bible in the 18th year and so in the 18th year he held his first Passover.
It's not that he.
Found the Bible 18 years prior and he finally got around to it.
Right now this is his first opportunity.
He's like, OK, look, it's this.
It's the first of the year.
It's time right now like we get to actually do what the Bible said and so he calls everybody and says alright, let's do it.
And so he's not just obeying God.
And what God has said.
In short, he's obeying God as soon as possible.
First opportunity, first chance.
Let's do what God says.
And I would suggest.
You want a.
Personal revival, you want God to work radically in your life.
Take this approach.
Read the scriptures, observe, interpret, apply.
Walk through your paces.
And then don't put it far out to.
Well, one day I'm going to stop lying.
And start telling the truth.
One day I'm going to start being kind and forgiving.
One day I'll get to that no, as soon as possible, I'm going to seek to do this right.
And the very next time I become angry, I'm going to obey this and be angry and not sin.
And the very next time I have an opportunity to take something that doesn't belong to me to take advantage of a situation I'm I'm not going to do it the the very next conversation I have.
I'm going to only speak what builds up.
I'm not going to use my tongue to tear down.
But I'm going to.
Put this into practice right away as soon as possible and seek to live this out.
Well, thirdly we go on in verse 24. Here's point #3. Remove all obstacles to obedience, so we're obeying what God has said in his word.
We're doing it as soon as we can, and we're clearing the path so that there's nothing to hinder us and hold us back from doing the things that God has instructed us. Verse 24.
Moreover, Josiah put away those who consulted mediums and spiritists the household gods and idols, all the abominations which were seen in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that hilkiah the priest.
Found in the House of the Lord.
Josiah says all right.
I started cleaning up idolatry earlier, but I realized I didn't go far enough, but there's all these obstacles, these mediums, these spiritists, these gods, these idols, these other things that are just they're just holding us back.
God is said to get rid of these things.
And so he goes to work and he removes all obstacles.
We don't want anything in our way.
Anything causing us to stumble, keeping us from seeking God the way that we should.
And so he's showing great passion and zeal.
For the Lord, by removing anything that would get in the way, anything that would hinder as we talked about on Sunday, those weights, and the sin that so easily ensnares us from Hebrews chapter 12 that that we need to remove those things from our lives.
Jesus put it this way in Matthew 18.
If your hand.
Or foot causes you to sin.
Cut it off and.
Cast it from you.
It's better for you to enter into life Mimedx or lame remained rather than to having two hands or two feet to be cast into the everlasting fire.
Now Jesus is not instructing you to physically harm yourself, but he is using hyperbole to illustrate the point you need to take a radical position.
On any obstacles in your life, is there anything in your life that is an obstacle that is keeping you from putting away lying?
Is there anything that's just it's a stronghold because you've got this obstacle there and you can't stop lying because there's this issue.
There's this thing that provokes you to lie or.
Keeps you from telling the truth.
Maybe in your home.
You need to have a.
There is no.
Hidden accounts policy.
Maybe you need to.
Share with your family all of your passwords and add your family to the find my friends so that they always know where you're at and they can find you at any time.
Maybe there's a obstacle, maybe there's a hindrance there that.
Ah, you can't.
Get rid of those things because then.
The truth will be no no.
Start dealing radically.
With obstacles with sin.
Are there things that provoke you to anger?
That cause you to stumble that keep you from.
Being angry and not sinning, and instead you get fired up even more, maybe you need to stop listening to some things or stop watching some things or stop having those conversations, or stop hanging out with those people.
Are there obstacles?
What are they clear him out?
Josiah clears the path.
So that there is no hindrance.
No stumbling blocks.
So that they're able to be devoted to the Lord. You want personal revival, clear the obstacles that are in the way that are holding you back from obedience. #4.
Turn to the Lord with all your heart. Verse 25 now before him there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might according to the law.
Moses, no after him did any arrives like him.
Josiah stands apart from all the other kings.
Now there were some other good kings for Judah.
They all had different qualities in different aspects, different things that.
They were good.
At we saw on Sunday, Hezekiah was unique in that he trusted the Lord like nobody else.
Josiah he stands apart because he turned to the Lord like nobody else.
Now we can learn so much from both.
There is the need for trusting God in times of crisis and we all need to learn from Hezekiah's example in that.
But we also need to learn from Josiah example to seek God to the fullest extent possible to not be satisfied with half hearted, mediocre halfway relationship with God.
But to go all out, all of our hearts or soul our might is what it says here in verse 25.
Jesus said it's the greatest commandment, right? Matthew 22 love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul, with all your mind.
That we are to be fully invested.
Nothing holding us back.
No things distracting us but but God is first and foremost.
You want personal revival?
This is what you need.
To turn to the Lord with all your heart with all your mind.
With all your soul.
Well, finally.
Verse 29 point #5 listen to God.
Anyway he speaks.
We've been talking a lot about the word.
Taking the word, applying it to our lives.
But Josiah ends his life in an unfortunate way.
God was still speaking to him, but not through the scriptures in this case, and he failed to hear that it was of the Lord. Verse 29.
It says in his days Pharaoh Necho King of Egypt went to the aid of the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates and king Josiah went against him, and Pharaoh Neco killed him at Megiddo.
When he confronted him.
Now again, this relies on us looking at the parallel passage second chronicles, Chapter 35.
Tells us very clearly.
A little bit more about this interaction that as the Pharaoh is going up there coast to coast of Judah.
Josiah goes out to meet him and Pharaoh says, hey don't bug me, God, God sent me on this mission.
You're not to stop this.
This is you, know you coming to meet me and try to stop me.
That's not from God.
Stop meddling with God.
But it tells us in second Chronicles 3522.
That Josiah did not heed the words of Niko from the mouth of God.
The Pharaoh was speaking God's word.
But Josiah didn't listen.
When it came to.
The word of God, he was all.
Ears, he was excited.
He was attentive.
He wanted to hear it.
But when it came to an enemy state.
It was still the word of God that was being brought to him.
But he wasn't open to receiving it.
This is important for us and we understand first of all, that personal revival doesn't put us in a position where we can't do dumb things and can't totally miss something that God wants to say and do.
No, we can and we need to constantly be taking.
The things that are being spoken to us, the words that are being given to us, checking them with the word of God and giving God an opportunity to confirm those things if.
Just I had given God opportunity to confirm God would have said yes what Pharaoh is telling you is correct.
Don't meddle with him.
Let him on.
It he needs to keep going.
That's not your role.
You don't need to participate in this.
But it was an enemy.
So Josiah didn't listen.
He was convinced.
I, I know we got once.
This is what God wants.
I'm gonna do what go on said this is it?
The Holy Spirit gives us.
The indication it's not what God wanted.
We need.
To be seeking the Lord, but not just from the scriptures.
God might want to speak to you through an enemy.
Through a pharaoh through an ungodly unbeliever.
On a mission to go to battle with, you know someone else.
Like God, God me speak to you.
Doesn't mean we just take anything anybody says.
Again, it's measured by the word of God and we give God.
Opportunity to confirm those things.
But we need to give him that opportunity and not just assume I know what's what.
'cause I know the Bible, just I knew the Bible now.
Man, he still made mistakes.
And he still ignored when God was trying to speak to him because it wasn't.
The avenue, the source that he was accustomed to.
So we can learn a lot from the example of Josiah about personal revival.
It doesn't preclude us from making mistakes, and we can find ourselves in the trap of not listening to God.
We need to be attentive.
Hearing from Lord checking with him, confirming with him, running to him frequently.
Praying always in all occasions about all things.
Letting the Lord lead us and guide us.
It starts by doing what God says in his word as soon as possible.
Our next opportunity we take what God has said and we put it in practice at anything that's in the way.
Get it out.
Of the way, remove it, cast it out of your life.
Remove from you the things of.
The flesh and turn to the Lord with all of your heart.
Let's pray, Lord, we pray that you would help us to experience this kind of personal revival.
May we each know you in this way and hear your voice and have your word and have your instruction and experience your radical transformation that you want to accomplish in us.
God, I pray.
That you would do this.
Draw us nearer to you.
Help us personally individually.
To make a decision to trust you, to follow you to obey you.
And Lord, may we make that decision again tomorrow and then the next day?
Lord, that ourselves, not somebody else, that we wouldn't be just resting on somebody elses relationship with you.
Lord, that we would know you that we would be on fire for you and passionately seeking you.
I pray this in Jesus name.