Christians can get real good at showing up at church you know and putting on the
suit and dressing right and having their Bibles in hand they can amen and they
can nod their heads and they can say good sermon and they can walk right out
that door and do things that they know they ought not to be doing secretly and
think nobody knows it's a secret thing that I'm doing but guess what God knows
God gives this list of things that they did and the first thing he lists is they
did secretly those things which were not right against their Lord oh all those
things that they thought I didn't notice that's the first thing that he's
mentioning tells me that God knows the things that we think we're getting away
with the things that we think nobody else knows about God knows them they say
the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it from the world
that really doesn't surprise us but what's sad is when God's people adopt
this attitude they won't go so far as to say oh there is no God but they'll sit
there and say well God doesn't care God doesn't see what I'm doing God's gonna
let me slide on this no he's not that's why we harp on this beat this drum often
because God does see and if you think otherwise then you're stupid you're
especially stupid if you believe in the God of the Bible and then you sit there
and tell yourself oh but he doesn't see me yet they say the Lord shall not see
neither so the God of Jacob regarded understand you brutish among the people
and he fools when will you be wise he that planted the ear shall he not hear
God you know made man in his own image God gave you ears which means what the
God has ears and they're not there for decoration God uses his ears just as
much as you do probably more no God doesn't hear you're brutish he that
formed the eye shall he not see he that chastise at the heathen shall he not
correct he that cheats with man knowledge shall he not know it's not
just that God hears what you're listening to it's not just that God sees
what you're looking at God even knows what you're thinking the thoughts that
go through your heart in your mind the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man either
you believe that or you don't don't sit there and tell me you believe the Bible
if you don't believe that God knows your thoughts the Lord knoweth the thoughts
of man yeah but only some of them or the ones you don't want him to know that's
those are the ones he doesn't know no he knows all of them oh I know God sees but
he doesn't see everything he doesn't see the secret things he sets them in the
light of his countenance and says I see you eyes the Lord go to and fro in the
earth beholding the evil and the good and then so we're back in second Kings
chapter 17 it's only been a week or two since we were out of it of course we had
Pastor Anderson down here last week and I'm not gonna take a lot of time to go
over everything that we've been through so far of course in the book of second
Kings but I will say this second Kings chapter number 17 is a very important
chapter it's a very pivotal moment in Israel's history that we see here it's a
very significant chapter not that any are insignificant but obviously when it
comes to the topic of the nation's history and what you know what's going
to become of Israel second Kings chapter number 17 is a very significant chapter
and it's about it's kind of a long chapter it's you know I've got it's
probably really too much to cram into one sermon so I'm just going to tell you
right now there's going to be a part two on this one just because there's some
real good important doctrinal stuff that we can still apply today that I want to
get into but really I want to just deal with about the first half there about
the first 17 verses tonight and I think there's a lot of you know nothing really
new that we don't know but it's definitely something that we have to
learn and keep in mind all the time when it comes to this idea that you reap
what you sow in life whatever you sow in life that's what you're gonna reap if
you don't heed the warnings that are given you and you dismiss them you're
obviously going to suffer the consequences that's just the nature of
life and I feel like that's obviously something we bring up a lot from this
pulpit but that's a theme that's just repeated over and over and over in
Scripture that's just something you see emphasized in the Bible so if I sound
like a broken record it's because I'm really just repeating the broken record
so to speak of the Word of God and it's like God is trying to get something
across to us with all these examples of people not heeding the warning that
they've been given and eventually having to reap what they've sown as a result
and you see that again play out in a major way concerning the northern
kingdom of the nation of Israel there in 2nd Kings chapter number 17 begins there
in verse 1 it says in the 12th year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshia the son
of Elah to reign in Samaria over in Israel nine years and he did that which
was evil in the sight of the Lord so nothing new there it's just been a
succession of evil kings in Israel over and over again nothing new notice there
the detail at the end though it says but not as the kings of Israel that were
before him that's not really a high bar when you we would consider some of the
things that the kings of Israel had done before him you know saying that he
wasn't as bad as them isn't really saying that he's that great of a guy
he's obviously still doing evil in the sight of the Lord but he's just not as
bad as those that came before him and again Hoshia he's the last king he's
this is it Israel's going to be scattered among all nations they're
gonna be taken captive by Assyria and it's and it's coming down on him right
it's saying this is all happening during his reign but he's not as evil he didn't
do as badly as his father's were before him but it said was it really fair to
Hoshia then is it really is it really fair to him that he's you know gonna be
the one in whose reign all this you know this judgment of God is just coming down
on him is that really fair to him now obviously he did evil but he was not as
evil as his father's as the Kings came before him and the lesson we can learn
from that is that sometimes in life it's too little too late you know we might
say well I'm not as bad as other people are I wasn't as bad as my father's
before me but you know I wasn't as bad as I used to be but if we're not right
with God and then we can't just use that as an excuse and sometimes in a nation
or even in a person's life it gets to the place where it's too little and it's
too late where God is you're going to have to reap what you've sown in life
okay that's kind of the theme I want to focus in on here this evening because
that's kind of what we see here it says in verse 3 and against him Hoshia came
up Shalmaneser king of Assyria and Hoshia became his servant and gave him
presents and the king of Israel found conspiracy in Hoshia for he sent under
the king excuse me he had sent messengers to sow king of Egypt and
brought no present to the king of Assyria so he is being made Hoshia has
made subservient to Shalmaneser the king of Assyria after a period of time it's
found out by the king of Assyria that Hoshia is sending messengers he's trying
to he's trying to get help from Egypt this is something you often see them
doing they're trying to get out from under the hand of one oppressor by
appealing to you know another enemy of theirs and he's noticing hey where's my
present you're not bringing me any presents and he brought no present to
the king of Syria as he had done year by year so he kind of notices you know
you're not paying tribute anymore that's what it means by present it wasn't like
he was bringing him a little box with some pretty wrapping paper on it a
little bow and say you know to Shalmaneser from Hoshia there wasn't
like that it wasn't a nice gesture the present mean there basically is talking
about a tribute but he was put under you know tribute by this king and he's not
paying his taxes basically the king of Assyria notices and he starts to take
action therefore at the end the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in
prison and here's the thing and when it comes this idea of reaping what you've
sown is that if you just keep reaping or keep sewing long enough and you get to
this point of where it's too little too late where you're beyond the point of no
return where the judgment of God is going to come in your life there's
nothing you can really do but accept your judgment there's really nothing
else you can do but just accept your punishment you know when we break the
rules you know we have to suffer the consequences you know if we were to go
out and break you know some law somewhere and then got arrested and
hauled before the judge you know we should expect to be punished obviously
you know sometimes we leniency is given sometimes you know not the full weight
of the law is brought down upon us that we don't always have the book thrown at
us as they say but there's always some kind of a punishment isn't there you
know it's no different when you're dealing with the holy just and righteous
God like the God of the Bible and you can't say that God's coming down hard
look if you've been paying attention through this book God has been very
lenient this is this this this this inequity all the sin all the things
these things they've been doing it's just been going on for generations and
now you know it's the bill is finally coming due and it has to be paid and it
just happens that it's going to happen during Hoshia's time and look you can't
wiggle out of judgment when the king of Assyria came in and put them under
tribute Hoshia he's trying to you know find a way out of it he's trying to find
a way to kind of wiggle out of the punishment that they deserve as a nation
you know he's trying to find well maybe if I go to so king of Egypt he'll kind
of deliver me but here's what we need to learn is that when you know God begins
to judge us in our lives there's the really the only thing you can do is just
accept your punishment and just pray God in wrath remember mercy and you know
avail yourself to the long-suffering and mercy of God but you know if God
chooses to punish us for our sins which he often does in this life you know we
have to just sit there and accept it and and move on don't try to wiggle out of
what you got coming to you you know that's it just makes things worse a lot
of times he gets shut up in prison why because he's trying to wiggle out of the
punishment that was been brought to him by God through the form of the king of
Assyria it says in verse 5 then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the
land and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years so they just
makes things worse when he stops getting his tribute when he finds out he's
trying to wiggle out from you know that the the tax that's been levied on him
the punishment that's come upon him it just makes things worse you know when we
get chastened of the Lord what we should do is just get right we should accept
our punishment and and get right not try to avoid you know we should confess and
forsake our sin then we shall have mercy as the Bible says it says in the
ninth year for she a king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away
into Assyria and placed them in halah and in habor by the river of gozan and
in the cities of the Medes so it just makes things worse oh you don't want to
accept the punishment you don't want to pay the present you want to give the
tribute well I'm just gonna come up to your land I'm gonna put your king in
prison and then I'm just gonna carry your whole nation off into captivity and
you're gonna cease to be a people upon the face of the earth it's a very severe
punishment and of course we know the hand of God was in all of this but you
know the application that we can make tonight is that when God you know
punishes us when we were being chastened for our sins when God starts to work in
our life we better you know listen up to what he's doing because not doing so
trying to wiggle out of it trying to ignore what God is doing is just going
to make things worse in our lives that's what we see going on here in the story
and say well that's not a very encouraging sermon well here well
here's the secret right it doesn't have to be this way the secret is it avoid
putting yourself in this position to begin with avoid putting yourself in the
position where God has to start to deal with you God has to punish you God has
to chase in you I know we all have sinned we're all gonna have to be chasing
somewhat you know he chasing at every son whom he receiveth but you know that
that should not be the motto of our lives that shouldn't be you know our
defining characteristic in life you know what well what's that guy like oh
he's just somebody who's constantly getting dealt with by God he's
constantly you know being chastened of the Lord you know that's not what we
want to be the overarching theme of our lives however when we find ourselves in
that position trying to wiggle out of it is just gonna make things worse the key
is just to not put yourself in that position to begin with and I'll also
I'll point out and this might probably be something I develop more in another
sermon about this chapter but notice how it's all of Israel that's being carried
away that's you know the severity of the punishment but this is important
doctrinal point that needs to be made it says in verse 6 there it says in the
ninth year for she had the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel
away right then verse 7 for it was so that the children Israel had sinned
against the Lord their God which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt
from under the king of Pharaoh of Egypt and had feared other gods so it's saying
there that he took away all of Israel right and we'll see that again later in
the chapter I really don't want to belt that tonight that really needs to be its
own sermon but there's really you know not much if any of a remnant being left
at all in fact we see them that they're actually bringing priests back to teach
the people that are there that you know how they ought to worship the God of
land even though they don't do it right but notice here again what causes you
say okay I want to avoid this in my life how do I avoid being put in this
position where I just have to take the punishment of God to begin with right we
started out by saying look when God starts to punish when God starts to
chase him when God starts to judge and deal with his children as the Bible
promises us he will do when that begins to happen you know we need to accept it
okay but better than that you know is the alternative of not being in that
position to begin with right so how do you do that well don't do what they did
okay it says again in verse 7 for so it was that the children of Israel had sinned
against the Lord their God which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt
from under the hand from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt and it feared
other gods so he's appealing he's telling him why this happened and he's
saying look it's because they rebelled against the Lord their God who brought
them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh I mean this is he's
going all the way back to Moses he's going all the way back to the Exodus
right and reminding them that the reason this happened how did this happen how
did Israel get to this place it's because they forgot the God of their
salvation they forgot the God that redeemed them they got you know out of
Egypt the God that delivered them from the hand of bondage that's why it
happened that's why everything is turning out the way that it is is
because these people have forgotten that they've been delivered by a mighty hand
okay they've forgotten the God that has redeemed them they forgot the God of
their salvation and look that's what's gonna happen to us in our lives if we
forget the God of our salvation and this is what happens to Christians they get
saved and then the newness wears off and then living the Christian life you know
they start to find out it's actual work that it's actual discipline that it's
not all just fun and games that it's actually difficult and then they get
allured by the world they get pulled away by the world they go back to old
sins and they forget the God that delivered them out of bondage they
forget about their salvation and they go back and you know to the world they go
back to these other sins and then God has to come in and say well let me
remind you that I'm the one that bought you I mean isn't that what's happening
in the story I mean he could have said you know why did this happen he could
have listed so many other things that they did throughout their history of
Israel I mean we've been reading about it for weeks now just all the different
things that they've been doing leading up to this point even in the you know
the immediate history surrounding this time the immediate events that led up to
this but no he goes all the way back and says because they forgot the God that
brought them out of Egypt and that's the warning that we have to learn tonight is
that if we just kind of forget you know let our salvation become lackluster if
we start to forget what it means the fact that we're redeemed that we've been
bought with the price as the precious blood of a lamb that we've been
sanctified by the blood of Christ that we've been redeemed from all iniquity
through Christ that we forget you know the power of our salvation and it
becomes lackluster to us you know it's only a matter of time until we start to
get into these things until we start to say well you know the things of God just
don't really appeal to me anymore and you say I don't want to deal with God
you know judging me well you know this is what this is how people end up in
this position that's how this entire nation ended up under the cheat you know
the chastening hand of God because they forgot the God that brought them out of
Egypt which was a long time I mean nobody in this story has you know for
generations has been around but that's what God is appealing to in Scripture
that's what he's reminding us of they forgot the God of their salvation and
isn't it interesting in the story that Hoshia is seeking help from who from so
the king of Egypt he's going back to the the very nation that God delivered him
from and you know that's kind of the picture that we have there is that you
know when we forget the God of our salvation we go right back to the world
and we look for help there we look for you know fulfillment there we look for
you know satisfaction from the world again and that's what leads to all this
see I don't want to end up under the chasing hand of God well then don't
forget the God that bought you don't forget about your salvation don't forget
about the fact that you're saved through Christ you know there's no help found in
the old man is there you know people run into circumstances people go through
things in their life and they end up going back to the old habits they end up
going back to their old life they end up going back to these things that you know
that are sinful and what does that lead to I mean maybe there's some temporary
relief but ultimately what is legal what's happening in our story it just
leads to more judgment now God says well now not only do I have to chasing you
for that but now I've also got a deal with you because you've gone back to
these other sins because whatsoever a man so at that also shall he reap it's
the Bible promises us look at verse 8 it says and he so he goes back and they
feared other gods it says at the end of verse 7 and walked in the statutes of
the heathen whom the Lord cast out from before the children of Israel and of the
kings of Israel which they had made and we're just so used to hearing it we just
so used to hearing it in the Bible you know we have to really think about what
it's telling us when we should go back and read the story in Exodus and the you
know the plagues and the strong mighty and outstretched arm by which God
delivered this nation that were completely were on the brink of
destruction that we're going to be destroyed by the Egyptians God's
redeeming them and destroying Pharaoh's army it's it's a powerful story I mean
God really moved in these people's lives in this nation's life and now here they
are verse 8 they're walking in the statutes of the heathen they forsaken
the Word of God they forsaken the Lord who is what cast them cast them out
before the children of Israel and the kings of Israel which they had made and
the children of Israel did secretly those things which were not right
against the Lord their God then it gives this litany of things that they
did he gives us this list of things that they went ahead and did it says in verse
9 that they did secretly those things which were not right not against the
Lord their God they built them high places in all their cities from the
tower of the watchmen of the fenced City verse 10 and they gave them up and they
set them up images and groves and every high hill and over every green tree and
there they burnt incense all the high places as did the heathen whom the Lord
carried away before them they're doing the exact same things that that that the
people did that were in that land that God drove out that carried them away and
remember God said you know he warned them and said if you start doing what
they did the land will spew you out to I'll do the exact same thing to you if
you start doing what these heathen did because that's why he took all those
heathen out of land that's why he took all the Canaanite nations out because
the you know the abomination of the king of the the Canaanites was full and God
judged them judge the world through Israel coming in and driving them out
of their own land and now because they're behaving themselves just like
the world because they're behaving themselves just like the heathen the
exact same judgment is coming to them you know that's the warning to us if we
know we get saved you know we get born again and you know in Christ we're God's
people but if we just continue to live like the world then you know what we're
gonna be judged we're not gonna be condemned like the world we're not gonna
go to hell but we're still gonna face judgment in this life God will judge us
just the same that's what he's doing here with this people and it's you know
when you really think about what they're doing it's it's it's shocking that
people would even do this they serve verse 12 idols where of the Lord had
said of them he shall not do this thing but notice in this whole litany of
things that starts out and says that they did secretly those things that were
not right against the Lord their God obviously it's not just you know then
he tells us all these things you know so is it really a secret once he tells us
maybe that he's that's what he's referring to maybe it's the way they
weren't about doing it but it seems like you know it's these secret things the
things that they thought nobody else noticed you know and that's the thing
you know that that crew you know we today Christians can fall into because
you know Christians can get real good at showing up at church you know and
putting on the suit and dressing right and having their Bibles and hands they
can amen and they can and they can nod their heads and they can say good sermon
and they can walk right out that door and do things that they know they ought
not to be doing secretly and think nobody knows pastor doesn't know the
preacher doesn't know nobody else in church knows it's a secret thing that
I'm doing parents don't know my spouse doesn't know it's a you know but guess
what God knows you know God gives this list of things that they did and the
first thing he lists is they did secretly those things which were not
right against their Lord he's saying God's saying yeah I know even about the
secret things in addition to everything else that they did I the first thing he
lists is all those things that they thought I didn't notice that's the first
thing that he's mentioning tells me that God knows you know the things that we
think we're getting away with the things that we think nobody else knows
about God knows them okay go to Psalms 94 Psalm 94 you know Moses warns about
this very thing all the way back you know in the time of Moses he said thou
has set our iniquities before us our sick secret sins in the light of thy
countenance all those things that we think nobody else knows about God just
takes them out and just will set them right in the light of his countenance
and says I know all about him you say well I don't know about that you know
it's a really dumb thing to sit there and think that God doesn't know that God
doesn't see that God doesn't hear the secret things even that we think we get
away with you know and that's the warning here in this passage there's no
hiding anything from God why should I fear God because you can't hide anything
from him you can hide it from a lot of other people can't you you can hide it
from your pastor you can hide it from you know your parents you can hide it
from your spouse you can hide it from the other Christians you can hide it and
hide it and hide it but you'll never hide it from God who is you who's who
you know who's the one person you got to be more afraid of finding out than
anybody you know someone else might find out some secret thing that you're doing
and be upset with you but you know I can't judge you I mean obviously there's
certain sins that if they're found out will get you kicked out of the church
according first Corinthians chapter number five but that's not everything
you know not every single sin that you commit you know will get you kicked out
of church but that doesn't mean it's not good well if it's not a first Corinthians
five then I'm not gonna be upset about it you know I might get mad I make it
angry I might even preach against it but you know that's about the limit of my
power that's really all I can do you know unless it's something that has to
be brought before the church you know you might be doing something that if
your parents found out they'd be very disappointed in you and they might need
you know there might even be some punishments there might even be you know
a certain discipline you know discipline put into action and it might be
uncomfortable you might not like it but there's only so much that they can do
you know they're but here's the thing if God knows about these things I mean God
can do whatever he wants that's why the Bible reminds us that it's a fearful
thing to fall into the hands of the living God why because he knows
everything and there's no hiding anything from him right he sets it right
in the light of our countenance this is a very strong warning this is something
we have to constantly keep in mind okay Psalm 94 verse 3 Lord how long will
the wicked how long shall the wicked triumph it says in verse 3 Psalm 94
verse 4 it says how long shall they utter and speak hard things and all the
workers of iniquity boast themselves they break in pieces thy people the Lord
they afflict thine heritage they slay the widow and the stranger and murder
the fatherless I mean this is what the unsaved don't understand they just think
they're getting away with everything and that's kind of the what the Paul the
psalmist here is kind of lamenting is saying how long are they just gonna get
away with murdering how long are they just gonna get away with you know
slaying the widow and the stranger and murdering the fatherless how long are
they gonna get away with all this wickedness and oppression how are you
gonna you know put let them get away with it and why is it that they do these
things why are they so bold to commit such wicked sin and and behave
themselves in this way to where they're you know he's talking about murder and
afflicting the heritage of God why do they do that verse 7 yet they say the
Lord shall not see you know why the wicked are so bold to do the things that
they do in this world because they think God doesn't see me they say yet the Lord
shall not see neither shall the God of Jacob regard it the God of the Bible he
doesn't see he's not even real it's a superstition the God of the Bible that
old Stone Age archaic you know Bronze Age you know a book that was written by
a bunch of knuckle dragging Neanderthal go hurt you know all the things that
these atheists out there like to say you know they they need it they want to
convince themselves of that more than anybody else because they don't want
that to be true that the God of the Bible does see and does hold people
accountable I mean that's why they're so bold to do the things that they do why
is our nation so bold to just you know just put all of the most abominable
filth out there for the whole world to see because they think well you know
God's not gonna do anything about it there is no God they say God's not even
real we don't have to worry about this book they mock God yet they say the Lord
shall not see you know and this is when people are their most wicked aren't they
when they're convinced that God doesn't care what they do they just convince
them all yeah I could do whatever I want because you know I don't care if it
upsets the sigh you don't care if it upsets you know the people my of the my
life I don't care if it you know if I if I upset my parents or the church I don't
care and if I can upset other people because what are they're gonna people
gonna do to me anyway nothing I could do whatever I want I can do and they but
they're they're most bold because they think God doesn't see God's not gonna
hold me accountable for anything there is no God and you know that's that's the
devil's lie isn't it that's the lie the devil's been telling for so long and
look his message is strong isn't it and he's telling little kids and it's been
going on for decades hundreds of years oh you're just you just you know a
billion years ago you crawled out of the ocean billions of years ago it rained on
some rocks into some primordial ooze and then you know life slithered out of the
ocean and grew some feet and then climbed a tree and started eating
bananas and then it climbed back down and stood upright and you know it's all
just one big cosmic chance there is no God there is no righteous holy wrathful
vengeful God that's gonna hold you accountable children and they've been
telling the devil's been telling that the lie there is no God for so long and
then you look at society it's like well why are they so bold to do what they do
because that's what they've been told for so long that's their mentality there
is no God we could commit all the adultery and all the fornication we can
just be drunkards we can just be gluttons and wine bibbers we can just go
out there and we can just celebrate the sodomites of this world and if anybody
says anything against it you know we'll just we'll just cut them down too why
are people so bold to do what they do today because they think there is no God
that's what they think they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of
Jacob regard it we're gonna get away with everything but what's you know and
and from the world that really doesn't surprise us but what's sad is when when
when God's people adopt this attitude they won't go so far as to say oh there
is no God but they'll sit there and say well God doesn't care God doesn't see
what God doesn't see what I'm doing God's really not that interested God's
gonna let me slide on this no he's not
you know and that's why we harp on this that's why I you know beat this drum
often because God does see and if you think otherwise again this kind of
reminds me Sunday Sunday night then you're stupid you expect you're
especially stupid if you believe in the God of the Bible and then you sit there
and tell yourself oh but he doesn't see me I mean that's what he says here in
Psalms 94 verse 7 yet they say the Lord shall not see neither shall the God of
Jacob regard it verse 8 understand ye brutish among the people what's brutish
we went over that Sunday night means just it's stupid you're being ignorant
you're being stupid he's saying look understand you brutish among the people
and he fools when will you be wise he that planted the ear shall he not hear
oh yeah we believe here that God you know made man in his own image and oh
and God gave you ears which means what that God has ears and they're not there
for decoration they're there God uses his ears just as much as you do you know
probably more some probably some of us in the room probably don't years use our
ears as much as we ought to or we like to pretend that they're not working
right we like to just tune out the preacher when he gets like this and it's
just you know he's giving you this very important message this very important
warning oh here he goes again find another channel in that brain ears think
about something else tune it out you know but this is the warning shall he
that planted the ears shall he not hear no God doesn't hear you're brutish if
you think that he that formed the eye shall he not see he that chastise at the
heathen shall he not correct if God chastens the world how much more so his
own people the Bible says that judgment must begin in the house of God oh we're
and we gets and look and I'm all for God chasing the heathen we love that we
preach that that's what the Bible says but he also reminds us he that chastise
at the heathen shall he not correct us I mean he's talking about us is he gonna
correct us he that cheats at man knowledge shall he not know I mean it's
not just that God hears what you're listening to it's not just that God sees
what you're looking at God even knows what you're thinking God even knows the
the thoughts that go through your heart in your mind that's what it says in
verse 11 the Lord knoweth the thoughts of man either you believe that or you
don't don't sit there and tell me you believe the Bible if you don't believe
that God knows your thoughts because the Bible says in verse 11 the Lord
knoweth the thoughts of man yeah but only some of them oh oh the ones you
don't want him to know that's those are the ones he doesn't know no he knows all
of them oh I know God sees but he doesn't see everything he doesn't see
the secret things he sets them in the light of his countenance and says I see
you the eyes of the Lord go to and fro in the earth beholding the evil and the
good the Bible says you know this is the mistake that Israel made oh the God
of Jacob shall not regard and they got very bold didn't they to where they're
doing the exact same things that God judged those heathen nations for and
cast them out and destroyed them and now it's their turn they're gonna be chasing
just the same way and destroyed well what were some of the things they were
doing in verse 10 we get this list you know it starts out the secret things and
it says in verse 10 and they set them up grow images and grows and every high
hill and in every green tree and they burnt incense and all the high places as
did the heathen did as did the heathen whom the Lord carried away before them
and wrought wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger and look and you know
you've been paying attention the series if you know your Bible this isn't
something that they did all they did all this yesterday they've been doing this
for generations they've been doing this for a very for hundreds of years this
has been going on and then all and then it just God just came out of the blue
right then all of a sudden God's just like okay I'm done I'm just gonna destroy
him that that's that's not even true God you know still appealed to them God
still reached out to them and try to try to get them to change it says in verse
12 they served idols wherefore the Lord had said unto them you shall not do this
thing verse 13 yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah by all
the prophets and by all the seers saying turn ye from your evil ways and keep my
commandments and my statutes according to law which I have commanded your
fathers in which I sent to you by my servants the prophets it's not like God
just went from you know zero to hundred real quick you know God got he was
provoked and provoked and provoked he sent prophets he sent seers and he's
prophesying to them he's telling repent change stop you're doing I'm gonna judge
you I'm he's warning them for generations and this is what I'm trying
to get across tonight is that God sees everything God is you know and if you
don't like this sermon right now you know this is God admonishing you this is
this if you don't like this warning from the Word of God this is exactly what
he's talking about here in this passage you know the Prophet the seer is here
telling you God sees God hears God knows and God judges and will judge so get it
right or you know when the judgment comes just be prepared to accept it the
trick is to not even get there to begin with which is the point of him sending
all of the seers and all the prophets and taking that time to admonish them to
stop he doesn't want to have to do this but you know what God's long-suffering
comes to an end eventually the Bible says that God is long-suffering and
merciful and compassionate his mercies are new every morning but you know what
there is a point where you it's you cross that line and God's like I have no
other choice but to just judge you God does that to people I mean he appeals
doesn't he he warns you know and that's that's all I'm doing tonight and just
warning through the scripture I'm just I'm just in second Kings chapter 17
tonight I mean maybe this doesn't apply to anybody in the room hopefully not but
you know what if it does this is your warning and we hear it all the time in
preaching God judges God judges God sees God chases look you know get it right
all the time and preaching because it's in the it's just all over the Bible and
if we just ignore it and ignore it or eventually God's gonna say well my
long-suffering has come to an end I've been warning you and warning and
now you just leave me no choice I have to judge you just like the nation of
Israel here it comes to an end so you know the admonishment tonight is don't
ignore the warnings of God I don't like this preaching I don't like it well you
know this is biblical preaching you know this is this is why was this biblical
the Bible literally says in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 preach the word be instant in
season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long-suffering and
doctrine that's what the Apostle Paul told Timothy his protege his son in the
faith when he's saying hey you're gonna be a pastor you're gonna go out and
preach the Word of God here's how you're gonna do it Timothy you're gonna reprove
and you're gonna rebuke you know today you know most churches it's just all
exhortation it's just all you know do right and just you know hey God loves
you and God's everything's fine and look we preach that too but there's two
negatives there you know the exhortation is more you know the encouragement that
the positive that's one-third of the preaching that that Timothy was told to
do the other two-thirds of preaching were what reprove and rebuke you know
reprove is hey you're wrong rebuke is you're wrong it's a for it's a stronger
form of reproof you know that's what that's all the preaching is you know
that's what we're supposed to do that's what God's been doing with with Israel
and they ignored it don't ignore the warning of God's words don't ignore it
you know wise people if they're smart go to Proverbs chapter number nine book
market will be in Proverbs chapter 9 because again we're going to talking
about wisdom here you know wise people receive and welcome rebuke you know if
you were wise you know and this sermon or any sermon you know it was started to
hit home if you were wise you'd say you know what the Bible is true what's being
said is right I need to change that that's what a wise person would do not
just get mad at the person who's telling them that you're like if you're standing
on a train track and I'm like hey there's a train coming you might want to
get out of the way don't tell me what to do the train will move it's like no
really you you're gonna get annihilated you're gonna just get smeared all over
the rails we won't even be you know we want to be able to find the body we're
gonna be picking you up all over the place no you should really get out of
the way you're so mean you jerk I have his right to stand this trade track as
much as anybody else and so you're a fool you're an idiot you know it's funny
but you know that's what people do spiritually in their lives hey the
drunkenness the fornication the adultery it's gonna bring God's
judgment your life shut up preacher that's what the Bible says they get mad
at they get mad at the preacher it's like well you're really mad at this book
you're mad at God you don't like what the book says I'm just the messenger I'm
just telling you what it says I'm just trying to say look out there's a train
coming shut up leave me alone I'll do what I want yeah just get smeared don't
ignore a wise person would say hey I need to listen to that I need to do what
the Bible says Paul said first Corinthians I write not these things to
shame you and first Corinthians chapter number four and if you know your Bible
first Corinthians chapter number five gets pretty heavy there's some hard
preaching or he's calling out sin specifically I mean he's practically I
mean he names people in other places but he's saying hey whoever that guy is in
your church you need to kick him out for you know deliver him unto Satan for the
destruction of the flesh saying get that guy out of there and let Satan have his
way with him right I mean that'd be pretty harsh wouldn't it well I mean and
and you know in some instances that's what we're called to do with the local
New Testament Church and certain sins if it's found out it's like well you know
we have no choice but to take before the church and let everybody know that
you know so-and-so whatever is involved in this sin and we're kicking him out of
the church until he gets it right and if you know and he can go out and be judged
by Satan guy he can be judged in the flesh and like let the devil have his
way with them I mean what if we did that what if you what if you ever been in a
service like that because I have it's awkward it's not fun you know say you
guys do that yeah does that really go on yeah because we believe the Bible
Bible says in 1st Corinthians 5 if people are guilty of fornication
covetousness drunkenness you know and a list you know a few other things that we
are to put them out from you know up away from ourselves and to have no
fellowship with them that the soul may be saved you know for the destruction
the flesh that they would get right of course we know 2nd Corinthians you know
the guy got it right and he was they were he was told to receive him back
again lest he be over you know swallowed up with over much sorrow you
know that the reason why you do that is so people will repent of that sin and
and then they can come back once they get right but if they refuse to do that
deliver them unto the Satan for the destruction of the flesh for that's 1st
Corinthians 5 okay read it on your own but that's a hard thing isn't it but
notice how what Paul says in 1st Corinthians 4 I'll just read to you he
says I write not these things because he knows what he's about to write he said I
don't write these things to shame you but as my beloved sons I warn you that's
all Paul was trying to do is just warn these people look you don't want the
judgment of God to come down on all of you get that wicked person out from
among you I'm warning you guys you know wise people receive warning they hear
the warning and they go okay yeah you know they they pull their car up to the
train track the they see the the bells begin to go ding ding ding ding and the
red lights are flashing and the arms come down they go I think I you know a
wise person goes I better wait they don't go try to go weave through it
right or race the train they accept the warning Bible says in Proverbs chapter
9 look at verse 8 repute reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee reprove not a
scorner you know we don't go around preaching this to everybody out in the
world do we this is you know we're here tonight with God's people you know we're
here you know in church and the warnings being given right the reproof is being
given in church you know because hopefully the people in church tonight
they have a heart for this they want it you know hopefully you come to a church
like this because you want to be warned because you want to do right
reprove not a scorner lest he hate thee well why don't you go out and preach
never because they just hate it because they're their attitude as well God if
Jacob doesn't see God doesn't know the Lord doesn't see they would scorn you oh
yeah God's gonna judge me okay I mean that's what we hear all the time when
we're out there trying to get people saved try to preach in the gospel oh yeah
sure God's gonna throw me oh yeah you believe in a place called hell mm-hmm
yeah right okay
they're scoring you know the Bible says don't reprove a scorner but what does it
say rebuke a wise man and he will love thee you rebuke somebody that actually
has some wisdom thing man I'm so glad that I'm being rebuked and someone's
straightening me out on something I love that person I'm glad there's somebody in
my life that will tell me how it actually is they'll just say like it is
they'll just tell hey me you need to fix this man that's your friend you know
faith you know faithful are the wounds of a friend the Bible says but the
kisses of an enemy are deceitful
reprove a scorner and lest he hate thee rebuke a wise man and he will love thee
go to Proverbs chapter 29 you know and again just expect the consequences for
ignoring the warnings of that you're given if we just ignore the warnings you
know we should just expect the consequences Proverbs chapter 29 verse
1 he that being often reproved hardened at this neck shall suddenly be destroyed
and that without remedy keep something in Proverbs go back to 2nd Kings
he that being off to improve hard at this neck shall suddenly be destroyed
and that without remedy you know the guy who just keeps being reproved and
reproved and reproved and just and just stiff hardens his neck I mean that
that's the problem that we see with Israel verse 14 says again at the end of
verse end of 13 I commanded your fathers and which I sent to you by my servants
the prophets he's saying look I appeal to you I preach to you I told you to
turn from your evil ways I testified against all the Israel he says in the
beginning but they wouldn't listen says in verse 14 notwithstanding they would
not hear but harden their necks that's you know like having a stiff neck they
harden their necks like to the neck of their fathers and that that did not
believe in the Lord their God and that's what you know that's and eventually God
has to judge them why because they harden their neck you know harden and
stiff necks are what being rebellious go to Jeremiah chapter 17 Jeremiah
chapter number 17 having a hard neck is you know waste time as being stiff neck
that's another way that's put in the Bible and what he's saying is that they
were rebellious that's what being stiff necked or hard necked is related to it's
related to being a rebellious person I mean that's what you see there where we
just read 2nd Kings chapter 17 notwithstanding they would not hear but
harden their necks like the neck of their fathers and did not believe and
it's interesting you know it's interesting phrase they harden their
neck you know it always makes me think of somebody kind of like you know
sticking their chin up in the air we talk about you get tell me what to do
it's like this proud arrogant kind of just you know look that people get
because look you know if you approve somebody who's wise you know somebody
who has a meek is meek and humble and they and that something is pointed out
to them even even just gently sometimes even if it's just not even like a harder
be just a hey you know you should you need to deal with this this isn't right
you know they get their reproved rather than rebuked even when people are
genuinely ashamed of something that they've done wrong you know what a lot
of times they do is they drop their head don't they oh man right the head just
kind of drops right or if someone tries to get your attention you know you look
you're not just gonna ignore them you know but sometimes when people are
approved or told they're wrong they just you know they do this they get stiff
necked they're not gonna look the way they're supposed to look they're not
gonna turn their head and pay attention to what they're supposed to pay
attention to someone might come along and say you need to you need to look
over here and deal with this you know here's a problem over here you're not
dealing with I'm not gonna look at that I'm gonna put you know that doesn't
happen that's not really going on that's a hard neck it's rebellion so it means
to have a hard neck to be stiff necked it's a phrase the Bible uses look at
Jeremiah chapter 17 verse 21 it's gotta mean something I mean maybe you don't
agree you tell me what being hard necked means then the context it looks to me
like being hard necked being stiff necked is associated with not believing
the Lord their God being rebellious verse 21 Jeremiah chapter 17 thus saith
the Lord take heed yourselves and bear no burden on the Sabbath day nor bring
it in the gates by in by the gates of Jerusalem neither carry forth the burden
out of your house in the Sabbath day neither do any work but hollow ye the
Sabbath day as commanded your fathers right that's God commanded them to
observe the the Sabbath right they weren't doing it verse 23 but they
obeyed not so that's rebellion neither incline their ear you know you know what
does it mean to incline something you know like put an angle on it if you we
go up an incline you kind of tilt a little bit when you incline your ear I
mean I'll notice that sometimes when I'm preaching the people that are listening
sometimes they'll kind of they'll turn an ear you know they'll kind of turn
their head a little bit like what's he saying you know and if you're not doing
that I don't think you're not listening okay now everyone's going oh I'm
listening for you all right but that's what he's saying there you're like they
didn't climb their ear why cuz they have a stiff neck they can't turn their head
to listen they don't want to listen they don't want to hear they obeyed not
neither incline their ear but what but made their neck stiff that they might
not hear I'm not gonna turn my head to that I'm not gonna give that guy an ear
there's just stiff necked nor receive instruction I'm not gonna listen to what
the Bible says I'm not gonna listen to that preacher I'm not gonna listen to
this godly counsel I'm being given why cuz you're stiff necked you're hard
necked you rebellious you don't want to do what the Bible says I mean it's it's
it's associate you know rebellion and not obeying is associated with having a
stiff neck in the Bible Deuteronomy 31 for I know thy rebellion and thy stiff
neck and people get this idea of just well if I just ignore God you know I'm
not how am I really rebelling against God if I'm just ignoring him the Bible
says if you're if you're stiff neck and you're just ignoring God that's that's
rebellion and rebellion it says the sin of witchcraft did you keep something
there in Proverbs go to 22 Proverbs chapter number 22 says in verse 17 bow
down thine ear and hear the words of the wise and apply thine heart unto my
knowledge you know people if they really want to hear something sometimes they
you know they have to bow down this idea of you know bowing down your ear to
hear the words of the wise you can't do that if you have a stiff neck you can't
do that if you're rebellious you can't do that if you're not willing to incline
your ear and that's why you know being rebellious is associated with you know
having a stiff neck and what being proud and arrogant because bowing down your
ear that is talking about having humility you know humble people will bow
down their ear and listen you know this is and well I don't want to say that I'm
not gonna go there because anyway but people that really want to hear
sometimes you'll notice this when people are really paying attention to what
you're saying maybe you'll even catch yourself doing this if you're really
someone's giving you instruction that you really want to paint a lot of times
you might find yourself even kind of leaning in and doing that you ever
noticed that you kind of and it's just bowing down you're listening right
you're making yourself smaller you're kind of getting in there it's like
you're elevating them in a way it's like the subconscious thing that we do but if
you have a stiff neck you're not gonna do that this you're gonna puff up and
you're gonna tell me you know and that's rebellion and that's what Pete and look
people do this to God that's ultimately the problem that we're seeing here with
that's what Israel is doing to God in this chapter saying I sent the prophets
I sent the seers I repute reproved you I appealed to you I pleaded with you and
you got stiff necked you would not bow down you would you would not humble
yourselves this is what this nation did to God look even God's people can do
this to God they can do this in their lives you know they can come to church
and they could sit there and they can hear what the Bible says and get stiff
necked it happens all the time they can get rebellious which is as the Bible
tells us is it's a sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry stubbornness and rebellion go hand in hand go back to 2nd Kings 17 so
we're just going through this litany of all these things that Israel was guilty
of it says in verse 15 and they rejected his statutes and his covenant that he
made with their fathers and his testimonies which he testified against
them and they followed vanity and became vain you know that's the alternative you
know when you reject God when you reject his covenant we reject his statutes you
reject the testimonies reject the Bible all that's left is vanity all you're
gonna be is a vain person they went after the heathen that were round about
them concerning whom the Lord had charged that they should not do like and
like them verse 16 and they left all the commandments of the Lord their God
and made them molten images even two calves and made a grove and worshipped
all the host of heaven and served Baal which is Satan and they caused their
sons and daughters to pass through the fire they're literally burning their own
children alive in idol worship that's what the Bible saying and use divination
and enchantments and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of Lord to provoke
him to anger I mean God was just seeing it all God's just watching it all God's
just seeing them do all of these things and why were they so bold to do it
because they're just like well God doesn't see and of all the people that
should have known better it should have been them it's like don't you remember
the heathen that God drove out before you don't you remember everything that
God did with your fathers no they forget all those things and they just provoked
God to anger they left all the commandments it says there in verse 16
and look the other thing you have to be on guard in your Christian life is you
know obedience you know when it comes to obeying God it's all or nothing you
can't have this attitude the Christian life well I do some of the things that
God wants of me I do some of it I obey in certain areas but you know I have
these other secret things these other secret sins that you know that nobody
else you know I've got all this other stuff right but you know then there's
this other area in my life that's you know that's you know for me that's not
obedience you know it's like well you know we're we didn't we might have built
some calves you know we might have gotten into idolatry but you know we
weren't we weren't burning any children you weren't committing you know child
sacrifice oh we were sacrificing our children to bail but you know we were
doing it in the name of Lord you know it's like we did something notes they
left all the commandments of God and God into these things look obedience
with God it's all or nothing and obviously we're never gonna be perfect
but we strive for that and that's why Deuteronomy tells us and I know I got to
wrap it up it says in Deuteronomy 6 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
most of thine heart is that the commandment you know you shall love the
Lord thy God mostly you know as long as it's the majority of your heart that
loves God God's cool with that that's not what it says thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might
sounds to me like obedience is everything or nothing that's how God
sees it it's all of your heart it's all of your soul it's all your might it's
not just well I have a little soft spot for God you know that might work with
your crush or whatever it's not gonna work with God God's not interested in
you having a little soft spot well I have a cute little picture you know that
I have put on my nightstand and every now and then I think about him every
now and then I look at that picture go huh that's nice I just go by my God's
not interested in some little you know he doesn't want you to flirt with him
you see I'm saying God is not interested you just have a little soft spot like
ah oh yeah isn't that cute that God wants some things oh that's cute but God
wants your whole heart God wants all of it God wants all your strength all your
soul all your mind all of it your whole heart everything God wants all of your
obedience every single bit of it you know and I thought about this because it
goes on in Deuteronomy 6 is gonna have you turn there but I'll just read to you
he says thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soul
and with all thy might you know God wants that which is inward right your
heart your soul your mind your strength the things that come out of you your
effort your will that's what God wants from us and then he goes on and says in
verse 6 and these words which I have commanded these this day shall be in
thine heart and thou shalt teach them diligently children so on and so forth
and he says in verse 9 and thou shalt write them upon the post of thine house
so he starts out by saying look you're gonna love the Lord thy God with all
thy soul thy mind thy strength thy heart you know you're gonna teach these
things to your children diligently when you walk by the way when thou sittest
down when thou risest up you're gonna teach these things to your kid you're
gonna get you know you're gonna be all in for God and then verse 9 he says and
thou shalt write them upon the post of thine house and on thy gates and I'm not
against people doing this don't take this the wrong way I do this in my
house people get real good about putting up Bible verses don't they they look at
verse 9 thou shalt write them upon the post of thy house and they go you know
they they go to you know Walmart or wherever they get these things and they
have all the typical verses you know except the watchman you know keep the
keep the city they accept the Lord keep the city the watchman wake his butt
watch his butt in vain and I'm butchering it you know the Psalm 23 they
have that posted somewhere they have all that you know they have all these famous
verses that people put up on their walls don't they they love verse 9 but what
about the rest of it what about everything you know verse 9 is kind of
tagged on at the end and look I'm not against people putting up verses in
their house I think it's a good thing to do I mean that's what he's telling us to
do but you know this this having a soft spot for God not giving God you know
verses 6 not having all those other things that come before verse 9 you know
decorating with these encouraging verses and then you know and fervently hiding
the Word of God in your heart are two different things aren't they it's one
thing to just put a nice little decorative verse up say oh isn't that
nice and then fervently hiding the Word of God in my heart that I might not sin
against him thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee
the Bible says you know it's one thing to put up a nice little verse it's
another thing to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart mind soul and
strength so you know people love verse 9 and I love verse 9 too but you know
what's a whole lot more important verse 6 thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thine heart with all thy soul with all thy might and these words which I
command in this day shall be in thine heart he said not just on your wall not
just in a nice little decorative frame not just painted in there you know with
some calligraphy then I'm not against those things but just make sure they're
in your heart you know make sure you've written them where they really count it
starts there with your heart and then it comes out then it comes out on the walls
then when we actually look at those things you know we have a deeper
connection with the Word of God as a deeper meaning to us it's not just
decor you know it means something to us I mean that's what the command is thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soul and then
with all thy might you know your strength your strength is what is put on
display it's what the world sees your actions but where does it start it
starts with your heart it starts with your soul it starts with the inward and
works its way outward go to Galatians chapter number six we're gonna close
there because this is kind of the theme here that we're seeing in this chapter
you know God wants wanted all of their heart God was very long-suffering with
the nation of Israel God sent prophets to them God sent seers to them God
pleaded with them God was trying to get them to do right but they harden their
hearts they stiffen their necks and they would not listen and they did that
repeatedly for hundreds of years and eventually sorry oh yeah I know you
weren't as bad as your father's you're still evil but now that now you've gone
too far now you guys have to reap and what you're seeing in chapter 17 is
Israel's spiritual reaping okay and that's the lesson that we need to learn
you know why should I give God all my heart why should I give my God all my
soul my strength you know why should I go after the not leave all the
commandments of God why should I not go after you know vanity why should I not
forsake his testimonies and become vain because God sees and God hears and God
will judge you he will reap what you sow in this life that's what it says in
Galatians 6 you know all this is all Old Testament verse 7 be not deceived God is
not mocked for what's over a man soweth that shall he also reap look you either
believe that or you don't and whatever you're sowing is what your reap you're
gonna reap for he that soweth to his flesh all the flesh reap corruption
verse 8 you sow to the flesh that's what you're gonna reap you know you can't
plant you know potatoes and hope for tomatoes you're gonna get what you
planted whatever seed you put in the ground that's what's gonna spring up you
sow to the flesh that's what you're gonna reap in life but he that soweth
to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap light life everlasting you're gonna get
the opposite of corruption you're gonna get life so the admonishment is you know
love the Lord thy God with all thy soul thy mind thy strength sow to the Spirit
keep don't don't you know that we started out by saying hey look when the
judgment comes don't wiggle your way out of it accept your punishment but the
greater admonition is don't even put yourself in that position to begin with
don't reap or don't sow to the flesh you will reap of the flesh you cannot escape
this the best way to avoid that is to is to love the Lord thy God with all
thine heart with all thy soul with all thy strength all thy might and don't
think that well you know he doesn't see these secret things yes you he does and
you will still reap even those secret things the bill came doing Hoshia's day
didn't it it was a long time coming but it finally came due and this nation had
to sow had to reap for what had been sown for generations God's long
suffering eventually runs out it's gonna be the same way in our lives folks if
we're stiff-necked if we're hard-necked people if we're stiff-necked if we won't
listen to the admonishment the reproof and the rebuke of the Word of God it'll
be the same way in our life it's guaranteed it's a promise out of the
Word of God because whatsoever a man soweth that shall he reap it's a promise
in the Word of God mark it down let's go and pray