WEBVTT 00:00:16.589 --> 00:00:18.269 Good morning, church. 00:00:19.149 --> 00:00:20.189 How are we doing? 00:00:20.910 --> 00:00:21.550 Good. 00:00:22.109 --> 00:00:22.670 Good. 00:00:23.550 --> 00:00:37.390 I realized this morning that seven years ago, this Sunday, I was, you know, it was my first Sunday here at 614, and this this place has been where I feel like I've grown up. 00:00:37.549 --> 00:00:49.390 I I came here as an 18-year-old and confused out of my mind, thought I had everything figured out, had no community, no real conviction in my life. 00:00:49.469 --> 00:00:53.549 I knew I loved Jesus and wanted to follow him, but I had no idea what that looked like. 00:00:53.709 --> 00:01:00.109 And I remember being in a room with a bunch of people who loved Jesus more than I did. 00:01:00.349 --> 00:01:02.750 And I saw the joy in their life. 00:01:02.909 --> 00:01:05.950 I saw the blessing in their life. 00:01:06.189 --> 00:01:07.790 And it challenged me. 00:01:07.950 --> 00:01:09.790 And I said, I want what they have. 00:01:09.950 --> 00:01:11.870 I want to know Jesus like they do. 00:01:12.030 --> 00:01:15.790 And seven years later, I can I can say I know Jesus a little bit better. 00:01:15.870 --> 00:01:18.909 And there's still people in this church who love him a lot more than I do. 00:01:19.069 --> 00:01:21.469 And it continues to challenge me. 00:01:21.549 --> 00:01:27.789 But I pray that if it is your first time here or you're you're new here, don't be discouraged. 00:01:27.869 --> 00:01:33.869 If you look around and you see these people see people loving Jesus maybe a little bit more than you do, lean in. 00:01:34.109 --> 00:01:36.109 There is so much more. 00:01:36.909 --> 00:01:39.069 There's so much more to this life with Jesus. 00:01:39.149 --> 00:01:42.269 And one day you'll see him face to face. 00:01:44.109 --> 00:01:50.109 And every moment of your life that you lived not for him, you'll want back. 00:01:51.069 --> 00:01:56.509 And everything you sacrificed to know him better will make total sense. 00:01:57.069 --> 00:02:01.789 Because he is beautiful and wondrous beyond all comparison. 00:02:02.030 --> 00:02:03.789 He's like the treasure in the field. 00:02:04.429 --> 00:02:06.189 He's the pearl of great price. 00:02:06.349 --> 00:02:10.670 It is worthy to sell everything else just to have him. 00:02:11.550 --> 00:02:19.710 So if you're here today and you're you're just checking out church, checking out 614, I pray that you would leave with this that Jesus is worth it. 00:02:19.950 --> 00:02:26.670 If you never step foot in this building again, you never hear me talk again, I pray that you would remember that Jesus is worth it. 00:02:27.310 --> 00:02:30.030 He's changed my life and he can change yours. 00:02:30.270 --> 00:02:35.950 He can give you meaning and purpose and community like nothing else. 00:02:37.390 --> 00:02:40.430 So I'm gonna read a scripture for us, and we're gonna get into the message. 00:02:42.270 --> 00:02:48.990 Matthew 5, 13 through 16, it says this you are the salt of the earth. 00:02:49.230 --> 00:02:53.230 But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 00:02:53.469 --> 00:02:58.830 It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. 00:02:59.150 --> 00:03:00.590 You are the light of the world. 00:03:00.830 --> 00:03:09.710 A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 00:03:09.950 --> 00:03:19.150 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. 00:03:19.550 --> 00:03:20.110 Amen. 00:03:20.270 --> 00:03:21.790 You can take your seats. 00:03:22.510 --> 00:03:23.950 Take your seats. 00:03:24.670 --> 00:03:36.430 Like Danny said, my name is Noah Shoti, my wife Abby and I serve on the leadership team here at 614, and it is truly a privilege to get to meet with you all today. 00:03:36.670 --> 00:03:42.670 I don't I don't take this lightly, the fact that we get to gather as a body and be encouraged. 00:03:44.350 --> 00:03:49.310 Has anyone ever discovered something that's totally changed your life? 00:03:49.630 --> 00:03:57.550 Changed you personally, and then changed uh other people's lives around you because you've talked to them about it so often. 00:03:57.790 --> 00:04:07.550 Um, one recent example for me, I guess not too recent, in the past couple years was realizing that cappuccinos in the morning are better than drip coffee in the morning. 00:04:09.150 --> 00:04:13.790 Little froth milk, a little espresso shot, fabulous. 00:04:14.030 --> 00:04:15.710 You know, get rid of that Mr. 00:04:15.950 --> 00:04:17.389 Coffee Pot thing. 00:04:17.550 --> 00:04:19.069 Get you a nice brevel. 00:04:19.310 --> 00:04:21.949 Get you a brevel, steam the milk. 00:04:22.029 --> 00:04:24.189 It's gonna be fabulous in the morning. 00:04:24.430 --> 00:04:26.990 Um yeah, who's with me? 00:04:27.149 --> 00:04:27.870 Who's with me? 00:04:28.110 --> 00:04:29.389 They're like 60 bucks. 00:04:29.469 --> 00:04:31.149 You can get a little espresso machine. 00:04:31.230 --> 00:04:31.949 It's nothing. 00:04:32.189 --> 00:04:33.870 Try it, just try it. 00:04:34.589 --> 00:04:35.629 Change your life. 00:04:35.870 --> 00:04:38.909 Secondly, I've been uh I've been on on this. 00:04:39.310 --> 00:04:40.589 You know, call me crazy. 00:04:40.750 --> 00:04:41.949 Kids are amazing. 00:04:42.109 --> 00:04:42.990 I love kids. 00:04:43.149 --> 00:04:45.310 Have a bunch of kids, as many as you can. 00:04:45.709 --> 00:04:46.589 I'm obsessed. 00:04:46.669 --> 00:04:47.789 I think they're so amazing. 00:04:47.870 --> 00:04:50.669 If you've met my daughter Asa, you probably understand. 00:04:50.750 --> 00:04:54.109 She's incredible, but um I I made this discovery. 00:04:54.269 --> 00:04:55.629 Now I just love telling everybody. 00:04:55.709 --> 00:05:06.029 So if you're like a young couple um and you you're you're not haven't decided to have kids yet, you don't want to hang out with me because I will convince you that kids are amazing and you should want them. 00:05:06.189 --> 00:05:21.229 Um but we're gonna we're gonna learn today what it looks like when when God reveals something to you and and how we ought to respond to that, how it should change our lives and how it should change the communities around us. 00:05:22.029 --> 00:05:26.269 In this series we're going through as a church, it's called The Era of the Kings. 00:05:26.430 --> 00:05:37.789 And so we're looking through the books of 1st and 2 Kings, and these these books were released at a very interesting time when Israel was scattered in foreign nations. 00:05:37.949 --> 00:05:45.069 They had been unfaithful to God for many years, and as a result, it led them to being exiled out of the promised land. 00:05:45.389 --> 00:05:50.109 And so these books are a sort of autopsy to ask the question, why? 00:05:50.269 --> 00:05:51.149 Why did this happen? 00:05:51.310 --> 00:05:57.310 Why did God's people who were supposed to be in his land end up exiled in a foreign land? 00:05:57.389 --> 00:06:00.430 And it was because they abandoned their covenants with God. 00:06:00.589 --> 00:06:06.269 They they worshiped idols and false religion and they abandoned the ways of God. 00:06:06.669 --> 00:06:13.549 But today, of the 44 kings in these books, we're going to study one of the only good ones. 00:06:13.709 --> 00:06:15.629 His name was Josiah. 00:06:15.789 --> 00:06:20.269 He's a great, great king, and we can learn so much from him. 00:06:20.509 --> 00:06:25.229 Josiah's father and grandfather were both evil in the sight of the Lord. 00:06:25.389 --> 00:06:36.509 They did things like establish nationwide idol worship, and they they shed a ton of innocent blood in their days, and ultimately led the nation away from God. 00:06:37.149 --> 00:06:43.949 And so Josiah comes to the throne because his father gets murdered by the servants of the house. 00:06:44.189 --> 00:06:46.669 And so he comes to the throne before he's ready. 00:06:46.750 --> 00:06:48.829 He's eight years old when he comes to the throne. 00:06:48.990 --> 00:06:50.990 Anyone know any eight-year-olds? 00:06:51.949 --> 00:06:53.789 Would you vote for them for president? 00:06:54.109 --> 00:06:55.389 Any eight-year-old boys? 00:06:55.629 --> 00:06:58.189 I love eight-year-old boys, but not as king. 00:06:58.269 --> 00:07:07.709 Um but Josiah comes to the throne through this traumatic series of events, yet he is faithful to God through it all. 00:07:08.430 --> 00:07:13.949 The Bible describes him as not turning to the left or to the right, but being faithful to the end. 00:07:14.189 --> 00:07:19.789 And he reigns for 31 years without any moral failings that the Bible records. 00:07:19.949 --> 00:07:22.589 So we're going to learn these two things from Josiah. 00:07:22.750 --> 00:07:29.629 First, revelation should lead us to change our lives and reform our communities. 00:07:29.949 --> 00:07:36.269 And second, Josiah will point us to the true king who's the redeemer of the world. 00:07:37.069 --> 00:07:37.389 Okay. 00:07:38.189 --> 00:07:42.189 So, Josiah, an eight-year-old, inherits the kingdom. 00:07:42.349 --> 00:07:48.990 And he he reigns for a little while, and when he he grows up, he gets the good idea to repair the temple. 00:07:49.149 --> 00:07:58.269 Um, he so he he sends workers to repair the temple, and as they're uh repairing it, they discover the book of the law. 00:07:58.430 --> 00:08:03.389 The book of Deuteronomy is discovered in the temple. 00:08:03.549 --> 00:08:14.669 So Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Bible, and it it records uh the teachings and the stories that had taken place in Israel's past by Moses. 00:08:15.069 --> 00:08:22.750 And so these would be encouragements and reminders to the people of God to be faithful to him, to remember his promises. 00:08:22.909 --> 00:08:26.109 And that this book had been lost and forgotten. 00:08:26.349 --> 00:08:31.789 And so this is what it says in 2 Kings 22, verses 8 through 10. 00:08:31.949 --> 00:08:40.909 It says, And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan, the secretary, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. 00:08:41.070 --> 00:08:43.870 And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 00:08:44.029 --> 00:08:56.110 And Shapon the secretary came to the king and reported to the king, Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it to into the hand of the workmen, who have the oversight of the house of the Lord. 00:08:56.269 --> 00:09:03.870 Then Shapon the secretary told the king, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book, and Shapon read it before the king. 00:09:04.429 --> 00:09:17.149 So the law is discovered, and it's like and it's likely, I think the scripture is telling us, that Josiah would have never heard these words before, and neither would have his father, his grandfather, and likely before that. 00:09:17.230 --> 00:09:24.669 So this is a series of generational decline where the word of God isn't just ignored, but it is lost, it's forgotten. 00:09:24.909 --> 00:09:34.269 And so I want us to put ourselves in the headspace of Josiah, as he's hearing these words from the book of Deuteronomy, in the context that he was in. 00:09:34.429 --> 00:09:36.429 These are some verses in Deuteronomy. 00:09:36.669 --> 00:09:48.590 Deuteronomy 27, 15 said, Cursed be the man who makes a carved or cast metal image, an abomination to the Lord, a thing made by the hands of a craftsman, and sets it up in secret. 00:09:48.829 --> 00:09:50.909 So don't make idols and worship them. 00:09:50.990 --> 00:09:55.710 And he looks out his window and he sees idol worship everywhere in his nation. 00:09:56.669 --> 00:10:13.710 Deuteronomy 18, 10 says, There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, and he realizes that child sacrifice has become far too common amongst God's people as a way to worship foreign gods. 00:10:14.110 --> 00:10:28.110 Deuteronomy 17, 17, it says, And he, talking about a king, shall not acquire many wives for himself, lest his heart turn away, nor shall he acquire himself excessive silver and gold. 00:10:28.269 --> 00:10:36.750 And he remembers his ancestor Solomon, who had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and was wealthy beyond all comprehension. 00:10:37.309 --> 00:10:39.789 And finally, I think this one's the most striking. 00:10:40.029 --> 00:10:42.829 Deuteronomy eleven, eighteen through nineteen. 00:10:42.990 --> 00:10:53.230 It says, You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 00:10:53.389 --> 00:11:01.549 You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you're sitting in your house, and when you're walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 00:11:01.870 --> 00:11:07.389 And Josiah has to come to grips with the fact that he's never even heard these words before. 00:11:07.629 --> 00:11:18.909 And likely no one in his nation that he's been charged to lead has heard these words, let alone constantly been reading over them and reminding themselves of these words. 00:11:19.230 --> 00:11:21.230 So now Josiah has a choice. 00:11:21.389 --> 00:11:26.990 He's been confronted by the Word of God and the fact that he and his nation are not living up to them. 00:11:27.149 --> 00:11:32.350 And he has really, in my mind, he has three options that he could choose for how he's gonna respond. 00:11:32.990 --> 00:11:35.230 The first would be defensiveness. 00:11:35.949 --> 00:11:37.629 He could challenge the word of God. 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:39.870 He could say, God, do you really know what you're talking about? 00:11:40.029 --> 00:11:41.549 Why is this such a big deal? 00:11:41.710 --> 00:11:42.669 Don't worry about it. 00:11:42.750 --> 00:11:44.590 We're just kind of living our life. 00:11:44.909 --> 00:11:48.189 Or the second option is he could choose shame. 00:11:48.509 --> 00:11:58.829 He could feel bad about himself and feel hopeless and irredeemable and kind of just sulk in the fact that he him and his nation have gone astray. 00:11:59.069 --> 00:12:04.029 Or thirdly, the correct option, repent. 00:12:04.829 --> 00:12:07.389 And what what does this this word repentance? 00:12:07.470 --> 00:12:14.269 It it involves really two things grieving your sin and turning to God. 00:12:14.750 --> 00:12:22.909 So you you recognize that your sin is evil and broken and it hurts the heart of God. 00:12:23.309 --> 00:12:26.829 But then you don't stay there, you turn to the Lord. 00:12:27.069 --> 00:12:28.750 You turn and seek Him. 00:12:28.990 --> 00:12:31.949 So we're gonna see what Josiah chooses here. 00:12:32.829 --> 00:12:35.230 2 Kings 22, 11 through 13. 00:12:35.470 --> 00:12:41.230 It says, When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. 00:12:43.309 --> 00:12:45.069 This phrase tore his clothes. 00:12:45.230 --> 00:12:51.069 This was uh a cultural practice that was done to show immense grief. 00:12:51.230 --> 00:12:56.029 It was done at funerals, it was done amidst tragedy. 00:12:56.350 --> 00:13:01.230 And here we see that Josiah's heart is breaking over his sin. 00:13:01.470 --> 00:13:06.429 He's grieving his sin and his nation's sin, just like you would grieve a loved one. 00:13:06.909 --> 00:13:15.389 It says the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahiaakim, the son of Shaphan, and Akbor, the son of Micaiah. 00:13:15.629 --> 00:13:18.909 Those are perfect pronunciations, everyone, just so you know. 00:13:19.069 --> 00:13:29.870 And Shaphan, the secretary, and Asiah the king's servant, saying, Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that have been found. 00:13:30.110 --> 00:13:39.389 For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us. 00:13:39.710 --> 00:13:46.669 So we see that Josiah chooses this third and correct option of repentance, and he tears his clothes. 00:13:46.990 --> 00:13:52.509 He doesn't just acknowledge that he is sinful, it crushes him that he is. 00:13:53.069 --> 00:13:59.629 He sees the beauty and the goodness of God and the fact that he is turned away and it crushes him. 00:13:59.949 --> 00:14:04.269 And that's going to be one of my questions for us today is does your sin crush you? 00:14:04.590 --> 00:14:06.189 Does it lead you to grief? 00:14:06.350 --> 00:14:08.909 Does it lead you to tear your clothes? 00:14:10.029 --> 00:14:12.509 Or is it just something that you're kind of okay with? 00:14:12.669 --> 00:14:16.669 That it's uh, you know, I wish I could be better, but I don't think it's that big of a deal. 00:14:18.110 --> 00:14:20.350 And then secondly, he seeks the Lord. 00:14:20.509 --> 00:14:24.829 He doesn't just sit in his grief and sulk and feel bad about himself. 00:14:25.069 --> 00:14:41.149 He goes and inquires of the Lord, and he he ends up sending his servants to the prophet Holdah, who stands as this prophetic voice to come alongside the word of God and speak it to Josiah in the nation in this day. 00:14:41.309 --> 00:14:49.470 See, though the book of Deuteronomy was written hundreds of years prior, so Josiah wanted to know how does this apply to us today? 00:14:49.629 --> 00:14:52.590 And so he sought the prophetic voice of the time. 00:14:52.750 --> 00:14:58.269 And this is the same thing that we have to do when the word of God is revealed to us. 00:14:58.509 --> 00:15:05.710 But we don't go to a pro a prophet like Holda, who's like own there, she's the one who carries the Holy Spirit. 00:15:05.789 --> 00:15:10.909 The Holy Spirit has been democratized, which means that we each carry the Holy Spirit. 00:15:10.990 --> 00:15:18.990 So when we when we read the Word of God and it's it confronts us, it challenges us, we go to the Spirit and say, what does this mean for me today? 00:15:19.230 --> 00:15:19.389 Right? 00:15:19.549 --> 00:15:24.669 These books were written thousands of years ago, but they still are applicable to us today. 00:15:24.829 --> 00:15:29.069 And that it's the Holy Spirit that can bring life to them. 00:15:29.949 --> 00:15:33.309 And so this is this is what Josiah does. 00:15:33.470 --> 00:15:38.509 He he sees the word and he invites the spirit to speak into it. 00:15:40.110 --> 00:15:44.429 And so when we're convicted by the word, we seek the Lord. 00:15:45.789 --> 00:15:51.949 In my own life, this uh this process, it goes, it goes on constantly, right? 00:15:52.029 --> 00:15:58.909 Um but I think uh a good example of this is in times when I'm maybe frustrated with my wife Abby. 00:15:59.149 --> 00:16:04.350 I can I can be a little bit, you know, get a little bit angry, mostly just because of me. 00:16:04.509 --> 00:16:06.829 Uh not really, usually anything she's done. 00:16:06.909 --> 00:16:13.789 Um but it leads me to kind of just, you know, either defensiveness or shame, right? 00:16:13.949 --> 00:16:17.389 Being like, she was mean to me, so I'm gonna be mean to her. 00:16:18.669 --> 00:16:25.230 Or maybe I'm like, I'm such a bad guy, I'm just gonna sit here and be sad, you know? 00:16:25.389 --> 00:16:28.269 Um but those aren't the right response. 00:16:29.470 --> 00:16:31.629 You guys were like not wanting to laugh at that. 00:16:31.710 --> 00:16:32.990 That was funny. 00:16:38.269 --> 00:16:40.110 Everyone was so quiet. 00:16:40.990 --> 00:16:43.549 You're allowed to laugh in church, everyone. 00:16:43.789 --> 00:16:47.549 Um not you, Justin. 00:16:47.710 --> 00:16:48.509 Not you. 00:16:48.909 --> 00:16:53.230 Um But you see, you can see it's just like it's all about me, right? 00:16:53.309 --> 00:16:54.029 Mm-mm-mm. 00:16:54.509 --> 00:17:08.350 Um But instead, then in those moments when I'm either being defensive, making it all about Abby and what she's done, or making it all about the how broken and lost and hopeless I am, the Lord will drop a verse in my mind. 00:17:08.509 --> 00:17:10.350 He'll drop something that I've been reading. 00:17:10.509 --> 00:17:18.829 And for example, he'll drop Ephesians 5, 25, where it says, Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 00:17:19.470 --> 00:17:21.470 And immediately it's not about me anymore. 00:17:21.629 --> 00:17:24.109 It's about how I've hurt my wife. 00:17:24.750 --> 00:17:29.549 And I have to ask the question, does this really grieve me that I've done this? 00:17:29.710 --> 00:17:31.309 Does it grieve me that I've hurt her? 00:17:31.470 --> 00:17:33.869 Does it grieve me that I've hurt the Lord? 00:17:34.109 --> 00:17:37.150 And I have to come to him and say, Lord, would you help me? 00:17:37.470 --> 00:17:40.190 Spirit, would you help me to love her well? 00:17:40.430 --> 00:17:43.789 Would you help me to be the man that you've made me to be? 00:17:43.950 --> 00:17:54.269 And he is faithful in that, to bring reconciliation, to take me out of my selfishness and my my sulking to allow me to love her well. 00:17:55.230 --> 00:17:57.309 And so, what does this look like in your life? 00:17:57.549 --> 00:18:04.670 Here's some questions for us to consider and for us to think about and discuss during life group this week. 00:18:05.230 --> 00:18:11.389 Firstly, are you tempted more by defensiveness or shame when you're confronted by the Word of God? 00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:18.109 Secondly, does the reality of your sin lead you to tear your clothes? 00:18:18.910 --> 00:18:21.789 What keeps you from truly grieving your sin? 00:18:23.629 --> 00:18:29.470 And finally, what does it look like for you to invite the Spirit to speak to you through the scriptures? 00:18:31.789 --> 00:18:32.750 So we carry on. 00:18:32.910 --> 00:18:42.269 The prophet Holda delivers a not, she does not hold back in letting Josiah know just how lost the nation of Israel is. 00:18:42.589 --> 00:18:46.029 And so now the the king, Josiah, he has he has a choice. 00:18:46.109 --> 00:18:50.670 How is he gonna respond to this this brokenness and this newfound repentance? 00:18:50.990 --> 00:19:01.549 Is he gonna pull away from the nation and seek to practice his religion privately and kind of get his own life in order and leave the brokenness of the outside world to itself? 00:19:01.789 --> 00:19:03.389 Or is he gonna lean in? 00:19:03.629 --> 00:19:12.109 Is he gonna lean into the brokenness of the nation, where he has influence and authority and seek to push the nation back to serving God? 00:19:12.750 --> 00:19:14.750 This is what King Josiah does. 00:19:14.990 --> 00:19:38.190 Second Kings 23, one through three, it says, Then the king sent, and all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem were gathered to him, and the king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the prophets, all the people, both small and great, and he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. 00:19:38.349 --> 00:19:56.269 And the king stood up by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statues, with all their heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book, and all the people joined in the covenant. 00:19:56.509 --> 00:19:58.509 So Josiah goes with the second option. 00:19:58.589 --> 00:20:04.670 He leans into the influence and authority that he has to push the nation back towards God. 00:20:05.389 --> 00:20:19.389 He makes a covenant with the Lord, and all the people join in, and from here on through where I'm going to read next, there's fifteen verses of him going around the nation and cleaning it up, getting rid of the idols, getting rid of the false religion, the false priests. 00:20:19.629 --> 00:20:31.629 And then we come to verse 21 through 24, and it says, The king commanded all the people, keep the Passover to the Lord your God as it is written in the Book of the Covenant. 00:20:31.789 --> 00:20:33.789 I'm going to skip to verse 25. 00:20:34.349 --> 00:20:47.069 And it says, Before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his might, according to the law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him. 00:20:47.950 --> 00:20:54.670 So Josiah fully leans into reforming the nation around him, because he has this great influence, this great authority. 00:20:54.910 --> 00:21:02.029 He removes the false beliefs, the false religion, and he establishes true beliefs and true religion. 00:21:02.750 --> 00:21:05.789 This story of Josiah reminds me of this group. 00:21:06.190 --> 00:21:09.230 They were around, they existed around the third century. 00:21:09.309 --> 00:21:10.990 They're called the Desert Fathers. 00:21:11.309 --> 00:21:30.670 There were these early Christian monks who lived in the desert and practiced prayer and fasting and solitude and humility and reading the scriptures, all to try, seek to just live this holiness and reform themselves to be truly in tune with God. 00:21:30.829 --> 00:21:32.990 And they never really ventured into society. 00:21:33.069 --> 00:21:36.750 They kind of just stayed out in the desert and did this on their own. 00:21:37.069 --> 00:21:39.150 And they did a lot of things that we love, right? 00:21:39.309 --> 00:21:41.710 Prayer, fasting, solitude. 00:21:41.869 --> 00:21:43.309 These are amazing things. 00:21:43.389 --> 00:22:00.910 And they these these guys were super smart, wrote a ton of incredible things, but I would humbly challenge them on one thing, and I think the story of Josiah would too, is how are you going to fulfill the great commission to seek and save the lost if you're only ever in the desert by yourself? 00:22:01.150 --> 00:22:08.829 If you only ever practice your religion in private, away from people, how are you going to seek and save the lost? 00:22:11.629 --> 00:22:25.950 And I think oftentimes we do what they do, but just in a much less We practice our religion in private, away from people, and then when we go into the city, when we go around people, we just kind of hide what we believe. 00:22:26.109 --> 00:22:27.309 We hide our convictions. 00:22:27.470 --> 00:22:29.950 We hide what we think to be true. 00:22:30.190 --> 00:22:41.549 You see, Jesus went up on plenty of mountains and plenty spent plenty of time in solitude with the Father, but he also came back down the mountain to seek and save the lost, to be with them. 00:22:42.269 --> 00:22:52.750 There's this retreatism that has corrupted the church today, where we believe these things, we have these convictions about the truth of the gospel and that the kingdom is the way. 00:22:52.990 --> 00:22:57.150 But when we're in public, we cower, we we hold back. 00:22:58.349 --> 00:23:02.910 We don't seek to reform and implement what we believe to be true. 00:23:03.710 --> 00:23:07.309 See, Jesus calls us to be salt and light. 00:23:07.389 --> 00:23:08.990 That's what Matthew 5 says. 00:23:09.150 --> 00:23:12.029 And this isn't a command, really. 00:23:12.589 --> 00:23:14.029 It's an observation. 00:23:14.269 --> 00:23:16.670 Jesus says, you are the salt of the earth. 00:23:16.910 --> 00:23:18.509 You are the light of the world. 00:23:18.670 --> 00:23:27.470 The command in these verses is to not cover your light, to not lose your saltiness, simply to be who you are in the world. 00:23:27.710 --> 00:23:32.029 You see, a light is meant to illuminate with the gospel. 00:23:32.269 --> 00:23:35.789 But a light that's covered with a basket is useless. 00:23:36.109 --> 00:23:41.869 Salt is meant to bring flavor and preserve a world that is desperate and dying. 00:23:42.109 --> 00:23:46.509 But salt on its on its own, away from things, is useless. 00:23:46.750 --> 00:23:52.029 I uh I to illustrate this, I have two meals that I want you guys to choose from. 00:23:52.190 --> 00:23:54.910 This, some lovely, this is expensive stuff. 00:23:54.990 --> 00:23:57.230 This is Himalayan pink salt. 00:23:57.389 --> 00:23:59.389 Who wants to take a big bite of that? 00:24:01.710 --> 00:24:02.990 Any any takers? 00:24:03.069 --> 00:24:05.150 Just a big old lick of salt. 00:24:06.910 --> 00:24:08.430 What about this next one? 00:24:09.069 --> 00:24:10.190 Oh yeah. 00:24:10.750 --> 00:24:12.109 Oh yeah. 00:24:13.309 --> 00:24:16.349 Nice, nice steak with some salt on it. 00:24:16.670 --> 00:24:17.629 Fabulous. 00:24:18.029 --> 00:24:23.309 You see, salt, it finds its purpose when it's clinging to something else, right? 00:24:23.549 --> 00:24:30.029 Imagine the the steak is a is our communities, our colleges, our workplaces. 00:24:30.109 --> 00:24:35.629 They desperately need you there to bring flavor, to preserve. 00:24:36.269 --> 00:24:40.269 Let's not just be a big block of salt that no one wants anything to do with. 00:24:40.829 --> 00:24:42.109 Let's enter in. 00:24:43.950 --> 00:24:46.829 So, what's our response in light of Josiah? 00:24:47.150 --> 00:24:48.589 You see, he was a king, right? 00:24:48.670 --> 00:25:00.589 So he had incredible authority and influence, something that we can't really relate to, but we do have some level of influence and authority in many areas in our lives. 00:25:00.829 --> 00:25:03.389 Maybe it's just with your family and your friends. 00:25:03.629 --> 00:25:04.349 Start there. 00:25:04.589 --> 00:25:06.910 People that you've built relationships with. 00:25:07.309 --> 00:25:13.309 Do you view them as too stubborn or too far gone, like they wouldn't listen to you? 00:25:13.470 --> 00:25:15.629 Or are you willing to have that conversation? 00:25:15.869 --> 00:25:22.109 To say, mom, dad, brother, sister, for the parents in the room, kids, this is what I believe. 00:25:22.430 --> 00:25:24.349 About Jesus, about the kingdom. 00:25:25.629 --> 00:25:27.869 Are we willing to have those conversations? 00:25:28.190 --> 00:25:31.230 What about your school or your workplace? 00:25:31.470 --> 00:25:37.470 Do you see the idols that are set up where people are running after things that aren't of God? 00:25:38.109 --> 00:25:42.029 And do you take a step back and say, man, I don't want to step on any toes. 00:25:42.990 --> 00:25:45.150 I don't want to offend anybody? 00:25:45.869 --> 00:25:49.069 Or we or do we actually believe our convictions? 00:25:49.309 --> 00:25:52.269 They aren't just true, but they're what's best for the world. 00:25:52.509 --> 00:26:04.509 The world desperately needs people to share the gospel, to share the truth that the kingdom of God is here and that it is full of life and freedom and liberty and goodness. 00:26:05.150 --> 00:26:15.230 So when you're on your campus and you see people running after other things, are you willing to stick out a little bit and be the salt of the earth that preserves kingdom values? 00:26:15.470 --> 00:26:17.470 I'm not saying to be a jerk. 00:26:17.710 --> 00:26:27.789 I'm saying to build the kingdom in your workplace and in your school and not just allow it to carry on as if as you and just be private. 00:26:27.950 --> 00:26:31.710 Step back and not try and change it. 00:26:33.629 --> 00:26:35.710 And finally, the church. 00:26:36.190 --> 00:26:42.349 And uh I know when I bring up the church like this, I want to acknowledge that the church is full of a bunch of broken people. 00:26:42.430 --> 00:26:48.190 So if you've been hurt in the past by a leader or someone else, I want to say sorry on behalf of them. 00:26:48.349 --> 00:26:53.309 But if you haven't been hurt yet, it's coming at some point because the church is broken. 00:26:53.629 --> 00:26:59.389 But when you get hurt or when you find fault in the church, what is your response? 00:26:59.629 --> 00:27:01.710 What is our response collectively? 00:27:02.269 --> 00:27:06.109 Is it to take a step back and say, man, I can do this on my own? 00:27:06.269 --> 00:27:07.789 I can follow Jesus on my own. 00:27:08.589 --> 00:27:09.869 I don't need these people. 00:27:10.109 --> 00:27:11.629 Or is it to lean in? 00:27:11.950 --> 00:27:19.549 Is it to lean in, to have that hard conversation, to seek unity with people you disagree with or people who have hurt you? 00:27:20.509 --> 00:27:24.430 And this is the most important one, and it's it's something we don't like. 00:27:24.670 --> 00:27:27.230 Are you willing to submit to authority? 00:27:28.029 --> 00:27:31.389 Authority that God has put in your life as a good thing. 00:27:31.549 --> 00:27:40.349 We are meant to be under godly authority, and those authorities are not perfect, but they're ordained by God for your goodness in your life. 00:27:41.150 --> 00:27:44.589 See, Jesus is not giving up on his church, so we shouldn't either. 00:27:44.750 --> 00:27:48.029 He's coming back in spite of all of its brokenness. 00:27:48.509 --> 00:27:58.670 And I uh I share this with with fear and trembling because I know there are there are people who have left this church that are some of my best friends. 00:27:58.829 --> 00:28:03.069 There are, and there are people in this church now who have left other churches to be here. 00:28:03.150 --> 00:28:07.150 And so I'm not addressing any person in particular. 00:28:07.309 --> 00:28:26.509 I think each each situation is nuanced, but I'm addressing a spirit that I, a spirit of the age, let's call it, of consumerism that I think that has corrupted the church in our day, where people, they go to the church that they're most comfortable at, that they like the best, they like the preaching and the worship the best. 00:28:26.829 --> 00:28:29.950 And that that's not the type of questions we should be asking. 00:28:30.109 --> 00:28:33.309 The questions we should be asking is where does God have me? 00:28:33.710 --> 00:28:34.990 Where can I serve? 00:28:35.230 --> 00:28:36.829 Where can I build? 00:28:37.950 --> 00:28:42.509 Where can I find godly community and leadership to submit to? 00:28:42.750 --> 00:28:45.069 And I try and have a good record on this. 00:28:45.150 --> 00:28:45.549 I really do. 00:28:45.710 --> 00:28:57.069 If anyone comes to me and they're saying, hey, no, I want to join 614, like, you know, I think this church is amazing, and I and I learned that they're coming from another church, I I many times have told them to go back. 00:28:57.470 --> 00:28:59.869 To go back and have that conversation. 00:29:00.029 --> 00:29:09.950 Because if you're running from something, rather than being sent here, like I want you to make well and be sent in faith if you're coming to join this church. 00:29:10.109 --> 00:29:18.910 Because I would want the same thing if you're if you're moving or you feel like there's another church that maybe God's calling you to, I want to have that conversation with you. 00:29:19.150 --> 00:29:25.549 Not to restrict or to keep you here against your will, but so that we can send you in faith. 00:29:26.190 --> 00:29:33.470 Because this is a body that the the eldership team here at this church, we believe that God has ordained us to shepherd this flock. 00:29:33.629 --> 00:29:36.829 And so if we don't want people to just slip out the back door. 00:29:37.470 --> 00:29:38.190 Is that okay? 00:29:38.430 --> 00:29:39.869 You guys understand what I'm saying? 00:29:40.990 --> 00:29:50.750 That if if you just slip out the back door and don't have that conversation, it's you're doing a disservice to yourself and to the church that God has called you to. 00:29:50.990 --> 00:29:59.230 And so this is the question: are we willing to lean in when we see brokenness, when we see offense, and have those hard conversations? 00:29:59.389 --> 00:30:00.509 Or do we just step back? 00:30:00.670 --> 00:30:02.750 Do we just retreat away? 00:30:03.309 --> 00:30:06.190 And so these are the questions for us to consider. 00:30:06.509 --> 00:30:10.829 What are the areas of your life where you have influence and authority? 00:30:11.069 --> 00:30:15.470 Have you used your position to share the word of God and bring reformation? 00:30:16.670 --> 00:30:24.029 And secondly, what about the broken world makes you want to retreat and practice your religion privately? 00:30:25.950 --> 00:30:30.910 We finish the story of Josiah, and there's a little bit of an unexpected twist. 00:30:31.150 --> 00:30:38.269 We expect the storybook ending where Josiah's faithful and they live happily ever after, but it doesn't exactly end that way. 00:30:38.990 --> 00:30:54.109 The last verses in 2 Kings 23, 26 through 27, it says this Still the Lord did not turn from the burning of his great wrath, by which his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked him. 00:30:54.269 --> 00:31:07.309 And the Lord said, I will remove Judah out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off the city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said my name shall be there. 00:31:07.629 --> 00:31:12.029 So we see all the reforms that Josiah implements, they weren't enough. 00:31:12.349 --> 00:31:16.109 God remembered their previous sins and was angry still. 00:31:16.349 --> 00:31:17.710 And you're probably asking, what? 00:31:17.950 --> 00:31:18.829 How could this be? 00:31:19.069 --> 00:31:22.589 I thought Josiah got rid of all that stuff and instituted the right things. 00:31:22.829 --> 00:31:35.389 He did, but the problem, if we read through the prophets, and I don't have time to read all the verses, but we see that even though Josiah was faithful, the people's hearts were still far from God. 00:31:35.869 --> 00:31:41.549 Josiah could institute at a national level, but he couldn't fix people's hearts. 00:31:42.109 --> 00:31:45.150 Their hearts were still far from the Lord. 00:31:45.629 --> 00:31:53.230 You see, it's not the leaders that established the heart posture of a nation, of a church, of any group. 00:31:53.389 --> 00:31:55.549 It is each individual's heart. 00:31:55.789 --> 00:31:57.869 Each individual turning to the Lord. 00:31:57.950 --> 00:31:59.389 And they didn't do it. 00:32:00.029 --> 00:32:06.990 And so we see that the nation of Israel ultimately it wasn't an institutional problem that they had. 00:32:07.230 --> 00:32:08.670 It was a heart problem. 00:32:09.309 --> 00:32:12.190 And it's the same heart problem that we all have. 00:32:12.670 --> 00:32:18.269 But in Ezekiel 36, this is what the Lord says to a people who have been exiled. 00:32:18.509 --> 00:32:26.430 He says, I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanliness, and from all your idols. 00:32:26.509 --> 00:32:44.269 I will cleanse you, and I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh, and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and be careful to obey my rules. 00:32:44.589 --> 00:32:49.470 You see, God is promising these people that he is coming to solve their heart problem. 00:32:50.029 --> 00:32:57.069 And it's not going to be by religious practices, it's going to be by him washing them clean. 00:32:57.309 --> 00:33:04.670 And it's not going to be their responsibility to chisel away at their heart of stone to try and get it to be in alignment. 00:33:04.990 --> 00:33:07.629 He's going to come and give them a new heart. 00:33:07.950 --> 00:33:14.750 A new one that is moldable and shapable by the Spirit of God that He's promising to give them. 00:33:40.349 --> 00:33:42.190 It's a receipt now. 00:33:42.430 --> 00:33:46.109 A receipt of God's faithfulness because he has accomplished it. 00:33:46.349 --> 00:33:47.470 He has done it. 00:33:47.789 --> 00:33:51.629 God has provided the solution for our heart problem. 00:33:51.789 --> 00:33:54.349 And it's not a program, it's a person. 00:33:54.670 --> 00:33:56.509 His name is Jesus. 00:33:56.990 --> 00:34:00.750 You see, Jesus, like Josiah, never turned from God. 00:34:01.150 --> 00:34:06.349 But he wasn't just convicted by the word of God, he was the word made flesh. 00:34:08.190 --> 00:34:13.950 Like Josiah, he didn't stay far off and allow his people to stray from God on their own. 00:34:14.190 --> 00:34:18.590 He left the comforts of heaven to come and be with us. 00:34:18.910 --> 00:34:26.829 And when he was here, he proclaimed the message that the kingdom of God is at hand and that there is hope for sinners to be saved. 00:34:27.070 --> 00:34:32.110 However, God didn't respond to Jesus' faithfulness like he did Josiah's. 00:34:32.269 --> 00:34:38.829 You see, with Josiah, God saw his faithfulness and chose to delay his wrath and his punishment. 00:34:40.429 --> 00:34:46.750 God saw Jesus' faithfulness and chose to bring his wrath immediately on him. 00:34:49.070 --> 00:34:55.550 You see, Josiah restored the Passover, but Jesus became the Passover. 00:34:55.789 --> 00:35:02.750 The Passover lamb, the one who was slaughtered so that our sins might be forgiven. 00:35:03.070 --> 00:35:11.789 You see, the wrath of God carried on after Josiah for generations and generations because of this heart problem, but it found its end. 00:35:12.349 --> 00:35:15.309 And its end was the cross of Christ. 00:35:15.630 --> 00:35:26.989 All of the wrath, for all of the sins, found its place on Jesus, the willing Son of God, to take away the sin of the world. 00:35:27.230 --> 00:35:35.389 And so Jesus offers us a new heart and a new spirit to be led by into eternal life. 00:35:39.469 --> 00:35:48.989 This great King, the true, the greater Josiah, who brings reformation, not just of the nation, not just of the institutions, but the heart. 00:35:49.789 --> 00:35:59.869 And if you're here today and you've been trying to follow God on your own, thinking you just need to establish better practices, I'm here today to say it's not going to work. 00:36:00.190 --> 00:36:01.789 You need a new heart. 00:36:02.190 --> 00:36:05.630 But the good news is that there is a heart giver. 00:36:10.590 --> 00:36:19.869 So I want to give us an opportunity for those who've never responded to this before, who've never knelt before the Lord and asked for a new heart. 00:36:20.190 --> 00:36:22.269 I want to give us an opportunity to do that. 00:36:22.349 --> 00:36:25.070 So if we could we could all close our eyes. 00:36:25.630 --> 00:36:27.710 Not that closing your eyes is spiritual. 00:36:27.789 --> 00:36:34.110 I just want to recognize how individual this is to respond to the Lord. 00:36:34.349 --> 00:36:39.230 And if you've responded to him before, I want you to just thank him. 00:36:40.030 --> 00:36:42.670 Thank him for the new heart that he's given you. 00:36:42.829 --> 00:36:45.070