“HEZEKIAH CLEANS HOUSE”
II Chronicles 29:1-11
Hezekiah was a young man when he began his reign Jerusalem. Hezekiah
was a godly man, a man set and founded in the unmovable principles of his God.
Previous to the reign of Hezekiah was a man by the name of Ahaz, Hezekiah’s
father. Ahaz was a very wicked and shallow leader who brought idolatrous
worship into the house of God (Notice 28:23). Ahaz was a despised ruler, one
whom was not even given the privilege of being buried with the kings of Israel
(28:27). But Hezekiah, his own son, brought Israel back to God. I can imagine a
revival among the children of Israel took place when they were given opportunity
to worship Jehovah God once again without the distraction of the wickedness of
their heathen king to disparage them.
Let us notice this morning the valuable lesson for our own land. Notice again II
Chronicles 28:24. It seems that our very country that we hold so dear has
forsaken our roots and has bowed to those enemies that seek to destroy us just as
Israel. We could name several examples this morning by way of current events
that have recently taken place. Christianity mocked and despised, and Islam, the
worship of our enemies is praised and revered. Brethren, we must not fear
punishment in our vocal stance against the idolatrous and heathen religion that
soon will consume our land if we cower down as the wicked king Ahaz. This is
bad news, it was bad news in Jerusalem and it is bad news in America. But there
was hope in Jerusalem, just as I believe there is hope in our land as well, Ahaz
had a son. This son was no coward, he did not bow to the enemies of Damascus
and worship their gods, Hezekiah took a stand, Hezekiah cleaned house. Which
brings me to the subject matter of this message; Revival in the land begins in the
House of God.
I. Hezekiah Restored The House of God v.3
A. The doors had been shut by Ahaz
1. Ahaz wanted no part of the worship of Jehovah God
a. I suspect in part for fear of reproach from his heathen enemies so he
turned his back on God to appease a foreign enemy. A weak king with weak
principles who would rather be an accessory to the destruction of his land than to
wage war against his heathen foe.
b. But notice the last sentence of v. 23 “But they were the ruin of him, and of
all Israel.”
2. My friend, it seems that the doors of God’s house are being shut every day
a. Buckling to the pressures and the influences of the enemies of our land at
large. But we must take heed to v.23, when the doors of God’s house are
shut…the nation will be in ruin. I am not concerned with the ruin of one leader,
I am concerned with the ruin of our nation, and that can come by one leader
buckling to the whims of the enemy and as a result shutting the doors of the
House of God.
B. Hezekiah Repaired the Doors
1. Notice that this was the first act in restoration
a. How could God’s people be welcomed back into His House without the
doors being unlocked?
i. God’s House had been shut up. Much like our churches have, in essence,
been shut up today.
ii. No one exclaiming in the streets the gospel message for fear of the
oppression of the king. Fear of the heathen’s harsh response.
iii. Brethren, we must open the doors of our churches once again. Remove
the bars, welcome the people in and drive the gospel out.
2. This is the first act in restoring the power that the Lord’s church once had
a. Opening the welcoming doors of the House of God. So many have been
shut, so many have barred the doors to disallow the spreading of the gospel for
the sake of fear or rejection.
II. Hezekiah Reclaimed the House of God v.5
A. He sanctified it unto the priests once again
1. He took the authority from the king and gave it back to God’s men
a. Ahaz had removed the Lord’s priests and closed the doors and
established himself as the religious leader (v.23a)
b. I am reminded of Matthew 21:12-13 “And Jesus went into the temple of
God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto
them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have
made it a den of thieves.”
i. Christ had no patience for the wickedness of the world to saturate the
house of God. Likewise we should never allow the standards, the traditions, the
perspectives of the heathen world to dictate the manner of worship that goes on in
this house.
ii. Ahaz had no business casting himself into the position of authority in the
House of God. And likewise shall no one out there have any authority to dictate
what goes on in here. We cannot stand for it, we shall not allow it, and if the day
comes that our doors are forced shut by the whims of the leaders of this or any
other community, state, or nation, may God help us all to remain steadfast and
courageous; and rather than bend and bow to the adversaries idolatry, may we
fight back the falsities of the devil with the truth of righteousness. THIS IS GOD’
S HOUSE! Not yours, not mine, and certainly not Latonia’s, or Kentucky’s, or
America’s.
2. There will come a day when our position will be challenged
a. Just as these priests were forced out, and their manner of worship was
removed (v.24). The attempt will be made, one day, to remove us as well, and
our manner of worship will be jeopardized.
B. Thank God for Hezekiah
1. There was a man, who observed the wickedness of his predecessor and
reclaimed the House of God.
a. May God use this as a call to His churches to beware of Ahaz who seeks
to shut the doors of His House. May men like Hezekiah rise up and restore what
is now being damaged by the world.
b. You may say, Brother, there is no one that would seek to disarm the
House of God. I respectfully disagree. From the White House to the local
courthouse, America has become a secular nation. Corruption in politics,
humanism in education, hedonism in society, liberalism in religion add up to a
very sick nation which honors caprice over character, cowardice over courage,
profit over principle, and tolerance over truth. This is the plague that has slowly
been infesting the very house of God. IT’S TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE!
III. Hezekiah Reestablished the House of God v.6
Idols had replaced worship and vessels of God had been broken to create
altars to the heathen gods of Damascus.
A. Hezekiah brought the worship of God back to His House
a. So many churches today have abandoned the truth…have removed the
sanctifying moniker (the Baptist name), disarmed the men of God and given them
toy guns (the Word of God), pulled away from holy communion with God
(compromised ordinances), changed the truth of God into a lie (false doctrine and
political correctness) in order to appease the heathen gods of Damascus.
b. We must bring worship back to the House of God. True, uncompromised
worship.
c. Founded and rooted in the doctrines of the Word of God rather than
speckled by the whimsical fancies of the world.
IV. Hezekiah Renewed the House of God v.10
A. Hezekiah renewed his commitment to the Lord
a. Steeped in ungodliness and idolatry for the reign of Ahaz, Hezekiah sought
to commit Jerusalem to the Lord by renewing a covenant to serve Jehovah God.
b. This is the state of our nation as it stands:
i. Her Principles are ungodly
ii. Her Philosophies are humanistic
iii. Her Practices are idolatrous
iv. Her Persuasion is cowardice
1. Just as Ahaz led his nation into idolatry and hedonism, so is the route of
our nation as well.
B. We must renew our commitment to God’s House I
a. Revival begins in the House of God
i. The world should not influence the Church, the Church should influence
the world.
ii. Do we need to clean house?
Let us, in closing, observe the end result of the matter in chapter 29 verse 28-36.
The people of Israel returned to God. Brethren, I believe that we live in a wicked
town in a wicked state, in a wicked country. But I also believe that this should
not serve as an excuse to allow the filth and dirt from the world to infest God’s
House. Ahaz allowed that into his nation and the House of God was shut up with
no spiritual leadership, no example, no accountability. I believe that our nation
as well is clearly on track to shut up the doors of God’s House with the idolatries
and desires of our enemies. Let us strive to be as Hezekiah, restore the faith that
was once delivered to the saints, repair the damages done by the world, reclaim
the House of God for Him and His purposes, reestablish the right kind of
worship, and renew our promise to God that was made when we were graced
with His holy gift of salvation. Revival of America starts in the House of God,
and the House of God must be clean. Ephesians 5:26-27 “That he might sanctify
it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it
to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish.” I believe that God can revive our
country, but our churches must be clean from the world. It is a futile attempt to
revive the world when the House of God becomes more and more like it. Can the
Lord revive America? Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all
flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” Certainly, He can. But will He?
Only if His House is clean.
II Chronicles 29:1-11
Hezekiah was a young man when he began his reign Jerusalem. Hezekiah
was a godly man, a man set and founded in the unmovable principles of his God.
Previous to the reign of Hezekiah was a man by the name of Ahaz, Hezekiah’s
father. Ahaz was a very wicked and shallow leader who brought idolatrous
worship into the house of God (Notice 28:23). Ahaz was a despised ruler, one
whom was not even given the privilege of being buried with the kings of Israel
(28:27). But Hezekiah, his own son, brought Israel back to God. I can imagine a
revival among the children of Israel took place when they were given opportunity
to worship Jehovah God once again without the distraction of the wickedness of
their heathen king to disparage them.
Let us notice this morning the valuable lesson for our own land. Notice again II
Chronicles 28:24. It seems that our very country that we hold so dear has
forsaken our roots and has bowed to those enemies that seek to destroy us just as
Israel. We could name several examples this morning by way of current events
that have recently taken place. Christianity mocked and despised, and Islam, the
worship of our enemies is praised and revered. Brethren, we must not fear
punishment in our vocal stance against the idolatrous and heathen religion that
soon will consume our land if we cower down as the wicked king Ahaz. This is
bad news, it was bad news in Jerusalem and it is bad news in America. But there
was hope in Jerusalem, just as I believe there is hope in our land as well, Ahaz
had a son. This son was no coward, he did not bow to the enemies of Damascus
and worship their gods, Hezekiah took a stand, Hezekiah cleaned house. Which
brings me to the subject matter of this message; Revival in the land begins in the
House of God.
I. Hezekiah Restored The House of God v.3
A. The doors had been shut by Ahaz
1. Ahaz wanted no part of the worship of Jehovah God
a. I suspect in part for fear of reproach from his heathen enemies so he
turned his back on God to appease a foreign enemy. A weak king with weak
principles who would rather be an accessory to the destruction of his land than to
wage war against his heathen foe.
b. But notice the last sentence of v. 23 “But they were the ruin of him, and of
all Israel.”
2. My friend, it seems that the doors of God’s house are being shut every day
a. Buckling to the pressures and the influences of the enemies of our land at
large. But we must take heed to v.23, when the doors of God’s house are
shut…the nation will be in ruin. I am not concerned with the ruin of one leader,
I am concerned with the ruin of our nation, and that can come by one leader
buckling to the whims of the enemy and as a result shutting the doors of the
House of God.
B. Hezekiah Repaired the Doors
1. Notice that this was the first act in restoration
a. How could God’s people be welcomed back into His House without the
doors being unlocked?
i. God’s House had been shut up. Much like our churches have, in essence,
been shut up today.
ii. No one exclaiming in the streets the gospel message for fear of the
oppression of the king. Fear of the heathen’s harsh response.
iii. Brethren, we must open the doors of our churches once again. Remove
the bars, welcome the people in and drive the gospel out.
2. This is the first act in restoring the power that the Lord’s church once had
a. Opening the welcoming doors of the House of God. So many have been
shut, so many have barred the doors to disallow the spreading of the gospel for
the sake of fear or rejection.
II. Hezekiah Reclaimed the House of God v.5
A. He sanctified it unto the priests once again
1. He took the authority from the king and gave it back to God’s men
a. Ahaz had removed the Lord’s priests and closed the doors and
established himself as the religious leader (v.23a)
b. I am reminded of Matthew 21:12-13 “And Jesus went into the temple of
God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the
tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, And said unto
them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have
made it a den of thieves.”
i. Christ had no patience for the wickedness of the world to saturate the
house of God. Likewise we should never allow the standards, the traditions, the
perspectives of the heathen world to dictate the manner of worship that goes on in
this house.
ii. Ahaz had no business casting himself into the position of authority in the
House of God. And likewise shall no one out there have any authority to dictate
what goes on in here. We cannot stand for it, we shall not allow it, and if the day
comes that our doors are forced shut by the whims of the leaders of this or any
other community, state, or nation, may God help us all to remain steadfast and
courageous; and rather than bend and bow to the adversaries idolatry, may we
fight back the falsities of the devil with the truth of righteousness. THIS IS GOD’
S HOUSE! Not yours, not mine, and certainly not Latonia’s, or Kentucky’s, or
America’s.
2. There will come a day when our position will be challenged
a. Just as these priests were forced out, and their manner of worship was
removed (v.24). The attempt will be made, one day, to remove us as well, and
our manner of worship will be jeopardized.
B. Thank God for Hezekiah
1. There was a man, who observed the wickedness of his predecessor and
reclaimed the House of God.
a. May God use this as a call to His churches to beware of Ahaz who seeks
to shut the doors of His House. May men like Hezekiah rise up and restore what
is now being damaged by the world.
b. You may say, Brother, there is no one that would seek to disarm the
House of God. I respectfully disagree. From the White House to the local
courthouse, America has become a secular nation. Corruption in politics,
humanism in education, hedonism in society, liberalism in religion add up to a
very sick nation which honors caprice over character, cowardice over courage,
profit over principle, and tolerance over truth. This is the plague that has slowly
been infesting the very house of God. IT’S TIME TO CLEAN HOUSE!
III. Hezekiah Reestablished the House of God v.6
Idols had replaced worship and vessels of God had been broken to create
altars to the heathen gods of Damascus.
A. Hezekiah brought the worship of God back to His House
a. So many churches today have abandoned the truth…have removed the
sanctifying moniker (the Baptist name), disarmed the men of God and given them
toy guns (the Word of God), pulled away from holy communion with God
(compromised ordinances), changed the truth of God into a lie (false doctrine and
political correctness) in order to appease the heathen gods of Damascus.
b. We must bring worship back to the House of God. True, uncompromised
worship.
c. Founded and rooted in the doctrines of the Word of God rather than
speckled by the whimsical fancies of the world.
IV. Hezekiah Renewed the House of God v.10
A. Hezekiah renewed his commitment to the Lord
a. Steeped in ungodliness and idolatry for the reign of Ahaz, Hezekiah sought
to commit Jerusalem to the Lord by renewing a covenant to serve Jehovah God.
b. This is the state of our nation as it stands:
i. Her Principles are ungodly
ii. Her Philosophies are humanistic
iii. Her Practices are idolatrous
iv. Her Persuasion is cowardice
1. Just as Ahaz led his nation into idolatry and hedonism, so is the route of
our nation as well.
B. We must renew our commitment to God’s House I
a. Revival begins in the House of God
i. The world should not influence the Church, the Church should influence
the world.
ii. Do we need to clean house?
Let us, in closing, observe the end result of the matter in chapter 29 verse 28-36.
The people of Israel returned to God. Brethren, I believe that we live in a wicked
town in a wicked state, in a wicked country. But I also believe that this should
not serve as an excuse to allow the filth and dirt from the world to infest God’s
House. Ahaz allowed that into his nation and the House of God was shut up with
no spiritual leadership, no example, no accountability. I believe that our nation
as well is clearly on track to shut up the doors of God’s House with the idolatries
and desires of our enemies. Let us strive to be as Hezekiah, restore the faith that
was once delivered to the saints, repair the damages done by the world, reclaim
the House of God for Him and His purposes, reestablish the right kind of
worship, and renew our promise to God that was made when we were graced
with His holy gift of salvation. Revival of America starts in the House of God,
and the House of God must be clean. Ephesians 5:26-27 “That he might sanctify
it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it
to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish.” I believe that God can revive our
country, but our churches must be clean from the world. It is a futile attempt to
revive the world when the House of God becomes more and more like it. Can the
Lord revive America? Jeremiah 32:27 “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all
flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” Certainly, He can. But will He?
Only if His House is clean.
FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday's Message
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