So they're in 2nd Kings chapter number 18
I'll just tell you right now. I'm only gonna get through the first six verses, but I don't know that I'm gonna be preaching
A whole lot more out of this chapter going through this series
I might get another sermon or two, but as I was going through this the first thing I'll point out there
Regarding Hezekiah is in verse 5 where it says he trusted in the Lord God of Israel
So that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah nor any that were before him
That's a very profound statement there in the scripture when you think about what it's saying there that about Hezekiah because you know when you read
about Hezekiah
That might not be your first impression you you read some things about Hezekiah and at least for me
I know when I read it
I didn't I didn't that kind of shocked me because that wasn't really something that I would have said about Hezekiah, you know, but
and with having said that
How profound a statement that truly is that there are none like him among all the kings of Judah nor any that were before him
really makes you kind of have to step back and look at the life of Hezekiah and what kind of a person he was and
Really examine that and maybe do some comparing and contrasting with some of the other kings
Which is kind of beyond the scope of this sermon
So I'm probably gonna end up preaching a series on that on the life of Hezekiah perhaps this summer
So I'm just gonna focus on one thing really this evening and it's there in verse 4 where it talks about
Everything that Hezekiah was doing
He says he removed the high places and break the images and cut down the groves and break in pieces the brazen serpent
That Moses had made for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it and he called it
Nahushtan, okay, so I really just want to focus in on this brazen serpent
I think there's a couple things we can learn about this brazen serpent. First of all, what is this brazen serpent?
You know if we've read our Bibles
We probably already know the story and we know that this is the brazen serpent that Moses made if you want to keep something
there and second Kings 18 go back to Numbers chapter 21 where we see the
When the brazen serpent is first made when it first comes into the light of Scripture
The first thing I want to point out about this brazen serpent is its antiquity how old it is
Okay, I think there's something to learn about from from this just from the fact that it's old
I don't didn't take a lot of time to study it all out
But if you kind of get a general idea about when Moses lived and when Hezekiah is alive, you know
It's this serpents about 700 years old
So this is an ancient artifact at this point several centuries have gone by and they've still managed to hang on
To this brazen serpent now
Well, I won't take the time to go through of it right now
But when you look at Numbers chapter 21, you don't see God ever commanding them to hang on to the serpent
This is something that Israel did on their own
this is something they decided to do after that brazen serpent was made and
We the miracle is performed that we'll read about here in a second
You know, it obviously it would appear that they then, you know kept that thing close and eventually it became
Something that they would worship notice and I'll just read to you if you're not there
But in 2nd Kings 18, it says unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense unto it
So it wasn't something that they started doing in the days of Hezekiah
It says unto the days unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense
How long before Hezekiah they had already begun worshiping this brazen serpent the scripture isn't you know explicitly clear
but it seems like it's something that's been going on for a long time because of the fact that it's been around for a long
Time and there's just something about when people kind of get set in their ways when they kind of just keep doing things that they've
Always done that things can just kind of get passed along generationally
Can't they for better or for worse, you know
even sinful things things that they shouldn't be doing can get passed along for generation to generation and that's kind of how this
Brazen serpent came to be even in the days of Hezekiah this thing is still sticking around now
Obviously when it's when it was first made there was nothing sinful about it
God commanded that that it was made but then it became an idol unto them
Okay, and that's something that took place over that long span of time. You're there in Numbers chapter 21 verse 4
When we're talking about its antiquity, we're gonna look at its origin
Where did this thing come from this brazen serpent and says in verse 4 and they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea
To compass the land of Edom and the soul of the people was much discouraged by the way
So this is when they're getting ready to come into the Promised Land and it says in verse 5 and the people spake against God
And against Moses wherefore have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness for there is no bread neither
Is there any water and our soul loatheth this light bread? Okay, so they're complaining to the man of God about their situation and
Obviously, you know we if you've read the story
You've read any of the the journeyings of Israel in the Old Testament one thing you know about God is that he hates complaining
He hates murmuring and disputing and you say how much does he hate it?
well verse 6 and the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and
They bit the people and much people of Israel died
Okay
We talked about last week how the heathens that came into the land of Israel that northern kingdom when God was displeased with them
He sent lions amongst them right and here we see that God is sending serpents and again
I don't want to re-preach everything I preached last week
But it just goes to show you that God has all these different ways that he can chase his people
I mean, it's it's always the last thing you might expect
And what did he chase them for? I mean really when you think about what they're complaining about it almost seems, you know
Kind of reasonable you say hey, there's there's no bread neither
Is there any water and our soul loatheth at this light bread, you know, they're saying we're gonna starve
You know, you would say well that seems like a legitimate complaint
But really what it's showing is a complete lapse in faith. It shows that they are lacking faith in the Lord
That's a whole nother sermon. Okay, but this is kind of the backdrop, right?
So they're complaining and God is sending fiery serpents among the people people are dying verse 7
therefore the people came to Moses and said we have sinned for we have spoken against the Lord and against thee pray unto the
Lord that he taketh away the serpents from us and
Moses prayed for the people and the people excuse me
the Lord said unto Moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that everyone that
Is bitten when he look at the pond it shall live. So he's saying here's how you're gonna fix it
You're gonna make this fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and then when people look at it, you know
If they're bitten they're gonna it's basically gonna be the antidote. They're gonna live
They're not gonna die from this from the the bite of the serpent
Okay, and think about the fact that God again could have done anything here
He could have he could have just miraculously healed them and sent the serpents away
Serpents remained, you know, it was just that when you were bitten then you look to the pole, right?
You look to the brazen serpent
And again, there's there's a whole lot there
but I got to move along it says and Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole and it came to
Pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived
okay, so this is the origin of
This brazen serpent that we're reading about all these hundreds of years later in the days of Hezekiah
This this is where it first started. And again, this is something that God commanded them to make this wasn't something that was
Sinful in and of itself when it was first, you know made when in its origin, but eventually became a source of sin to them
Okay
Now another significant thing about the fact that God could have done anything the way reason why he chose to make a
Serpent this brazen serpent is because this is a great picture of Jesus Christ in the Bible in the Old Testament
The Bible says that to him give all the prophets witness
That when he began to teach his disciples after the resurrection
He began expounding them all the things concerning himself in the law and in the Psalms and in the prophets
I mean he went all the way through the Old Testament. He's like, this is me. This is me. This is me
He very well may have turned to this passage and said or reminded them as of this passage of hey
Remember the serpent in the wilderness? Okay, because again, this is a great picture of Christ
Why does God choose a serpent because it does picture Christ if you want to keep something in numbers
We'll reference that later go to John 3 John chapter number 3, of course
The serpent should be pretty obvious what that represents, right? It represents sin
Okay, think about the fact that the devil when he first comes into the garden is what he's a serpent. Okay?
And what did Jesus do for us? Well, the Bible says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 5
He says he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in
Him so God or has made the Father has made Christ to be sin for us. Okay, and
You say well, what's that got to do with Jesus and the serpent? Well think about the pole, right?
How was this serpent put on display? It was put on a pole and held up for everyone to see right?
You're there in John chapter 3
Verse 14 unless you think I'm reaching a little bit here unless you think I'm stretching a little bit to make this
You know application with the serpent in Christ. I'll just remind you the fact that that's exactly what Jesus said
Okay, he refers to this thing
He says and as Moses verse 14 lifted up the serpent in the wilderness even so must the Son of Man be lifted up
So he's referring back to the same serpent and saying just like the serpent was lifted up by Moses
Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up
What's he talking about when he's saying being lifted up?
He's talking about the fact that he's gonna be lifted up above the earth upon the cross right upon the tree
so you could see how this
serpent is a great picture of Jesus Christ in the Old Testament one because the serpent is a picture of sin and
Jesus Christ became sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God. When did that happen when he was?
Lifted up from the earth upon the cross just like the serpent was lifted up upon the pole, right?
He was lifted up. That's when he became sin for us. That's why he said from that cross my God my God
Why hast thou forsaken me? Okay, because God cannot look upon sin. He became sin for us
Then he goes on and says that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life going to John chapter number six
John chapter number six
So not only is this a great picture of Christ
But this is also a great picture of salvation in Christ how we get salvation from Christ
How do we receive that salvation by faith? Okay?
The Bible says in 1st Peter 2
Whose own self bear our sins and his own body on the tree when Christ was on the tree
He bear our sins on his body. He took all upon him the sins of the whole world. Okay?
Look at John chapter number six verse 40 it says and this is the will of him that sent me that
Everyone which see it the Sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day
So what does Jesus say he says that everyone would see it the Sun and believeth on him
So again, this is a great picture
I believe of this story in numbers chapter 21 or rather the story number 21 is a great picture of Christ
Becoming sin for us being lifted up from the earth that all men
Might be saved and not only that how were you saved in numbers 21 from the snakes bite?
Okay, which is a picture of you know, man's fallen nature. We are bitten by the serpent. We are cursed, right?
We had to behold the brazen serpent back then they had to look upon it. And of course that salvation was physical
Okay, they were they would but how would they behold it? They would look upon it. They would see it, right?
That's all they had to do and that's an important detail to remember here in a minute because we're gonna get into
You know some some false teaching, you know when it that that it leans upon this
Brazen serpent. Okay, but notice in numbers 21
All they're doing is beholding it and they're healed
That's it
And Jesus is saying this is the will of him that sent me that everyone that see it the Sun and believeth on him
May have everlasting life
So it's a great picture he becomes sin for us people see that they behold him they believe they're healed from that
That death, okay
So that's the first couple things that we see about this brazen serpent in
Second Kings chapter number 18 one. It's antiquity. It's been around for hundreds of years
It's it's originated all the way back with Moses
Okay, and it's been around for a long time and eventually it became sin unto these people
It did start out that way. It was just it just served a purpose back then God never commanded them to hang on to that
That was something that they did
Out of their own volition. That's something that they wanted to do themselves. That's something they chose to do and eventually
Generation after generation that thing eventually became an idol. Okay began to worship it and you know
And I'll make some application about that here in a minute as well
but the first thing I want to address when it comes to
This serpent is how not just its antiquity and its application but its
Misapplication how it's used wrongly. Okay, and
I'm going to point talk specifically tonight about Catholics because the Catholics will use this text and numbers 21 to support
their worship of
Idols, basically, they use it to support idolatry now. They don't call what they do idolatry
Excuse me, but that's what it is
Idolatry, they have some clever ways to kind of squirm out of that but in numbers 21
They'll actually lean upon this and it's ironic that they use numbers 21 and specifically the brass serpent to
You know support their false doctrine and lest you think I'm just making it up
I have here with me tonight the catechism of the Catholic Church second edition. I think this is like the latest edition
So you think the Bible is a big book? All right, so I've got the catechism
We're gonna read right from the catechism and this is probably the most catech of most of the catechism
Most Catholics or former Catholics will have ever read right who here is a former Catholic who actually read the catechism
See, that's what I'm saying
Yeah, so we you know the reading the catechism I don't blame you it's not exactly a compelling read here
But it's great to good at right from the horse's mouth
it's great to go right to it and find out you know what they believe and what they teach and
We're gonna see tonight that it's actually quite ironic that they use numbers 21 to support
the false doctrine
In a in idolatry they they use this to say no what we're doing. It's okay bowing down and worshiping these Saints
So in numbers 21, of course
They're they're saying look it's okay for us to use images and worship because God commanded
Images to be made and you know what that is true. God did command. I mean can't really deny it
we just read it right from the Bible that God commanded a
Molten image a brazen serpent to be made and then to be lifted up on a pole and then have everybody look at it
I want to get ahead of myself. Okay, so they say that here in in the catechism
It says nevertheless already in the Old Testament and this is paragraph
2130 okay in the Old Testament God ordained or permitted the making of images that pointed symbolically toward salvation by the incarnate word
Referring to Jesus so it was with the bronze serpent the Ark of the Covenant and the cherubim and that is correct
I mean what they just said there is correct that there were images made that pointed symbolically toward salvation
Isn't that what I just preached is now we often hear that passage preached. Isn't that exactly what Jesus said?
It was you know that as the serpent was raised up in the wilderness by Moses
So also must the Son of Man be lifted up
He's saying that was symbolic of me and had a very practical application at the time
But God did that in his foreknowledge to point us towards Christ
But were they what the irony is is that that they then use this to support
for his full-blown idolatry because they go on and say that the Christian veneration of
Images is not contrary to the first commandment. I shall have no other gods before me which prescribes
Idols indeed the honor rendered unto an image passes to its prototype
So they're saying here that when a person bows down and worships an image that that honor is then passed on to
The one that it represents its prototype, okay
So they're saying you know when you go and you bow down to that statue of Mary
That somehow when you when you venerate it and they're very careful to use that word venerate aren't they because they don't want to say worship
Because if they're worshipping it then they can be accused of idolatry and look this is what Catholics do
They always try to weasel their way out of this by saying oh, we don't we don't worship
venerate, okay
We venerate it. We did certainly no. No, we wouldn't worship it, but we definitely venerate it
We have just a deep respect and the reason why is because when we worship well, I mean venerate that that idol
I mean that image we are it's passed on to its prototype or the one that it represents
You know, it's kind of thinking maybe this is kind of a silly point, but I'm I'm sitting there thinking well
one, you know
There's only one meteor between man and God the man Christ Jesus gave himself ransom for all to be testified in due time
There's one mediator and it's not Mary
Okay
so why why anyone needs to go to any you know statue of Mary or any saint to kind of get
As a mediator between them and God is unbiblical first of all, but that's you know
But then also this idea that that this this image that they're worshipping is a prototype. Okay, it's funny to me
It's like well, how do you know which one which which Mary?
Prototype or excuse me, which Mary statue is the one that's actually some, you know resembles the Mary in heaven. Is it the Chinese Mary?
Because there's a Chinese Mary and guess what she looks like she looks Chinese
She looks Asian or is it the is it the Mary that's over here or what on st
Mary's and and grand and that's that mural over there by st. Mary's Hospital. That's a brown Mary
You know, I know, you know Hispanic people say that's the right Mary, right?
Which actually might not be too far from the truth. I mean Mary being, you know from the Middle East, you know
She she probably was Brown
Or you know if we were to go back to the northern climes of Michigan where I'm from and go into one of the many
You know
Polish communities out in the woods, you know and in these small towns and see all their Mary statues, you know
It'd be a white Mary
You know, she'd be she'd be white and blue-eyed and all that
So which you know, which Mary statue is the one that's you know properly depicting the Mary in heaven
and I understand that's that's kind of a silly point, but it's silly to sit there and think that if I you know
Venerate a statue that somehow that veneration is going to get passed on to some saint or some other figure in heaven
Okay, you know the Bible says we have access to go boldly before the throne of God
You know, we can just go straight to the Lord
you know, we don't need to sit here and and set up an image and say this represents the God of heaven and
Then somehow me worshipping or venerating this thing is gonna get passed on it. Just it's it doesn't make any sense
Okay
And what's really funny about this whole thing where they're always going on about?
Oh, we don't worship we venerate is that in the catechism here?
It quotes this right or it explains itself here
The Christian veneration of images is not contrary the first commandment which prescribes idols
Indeed the honor rendered to the image passes to its prototype and whosoever venerates an image
Venerates the person portrayed in it the honor paid
To sacred images is a respectful veneration not the adoration due to God alone
So they're being you can see how they're being real careful to say it's veneration. It's veneration. It's veneration
Well, first of all, just pull out a thesaurus and look up veneration. You know what another word that's synonymous with veneration is
Worship, it's like it's literally just another word for worship is veneration. Okay, but what's funny is that they then quote
St. Thomas
Aquinas, I know I'm saying it wrong. I really don't care. It looks like Aquinas, but I know that's not right Aquinas
I think it's how they say it, but it's a he said religious religious worship is not directed to images themselves
So they explain their doctrine saying hey, we're venerating these things
You know because they're up there a picture of that saint in heaven that's honors getting passed on to the prototype
Right and we're venerating it that's veneration
It's not worship, but then they quote one of their early Church Fathers and he says religious worship worship
Right out of his own mouth religious religious worship is not directed to images in themselves
So wait a minute your Church Father calls what you do
Religious worship. So which is it? You can't really wiggle out of it when your Church Father
You know is calling it worship, but now all of a sudden it's changed of change to veneration
Because back then, you know, the the good old boys and the Catholic Church understood that what they were doing was worship
And they weren't ashamed to admit it
He says religious worship is not directed to images in themselves
Considered as mere things but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us to God on to God incarnate
Look, you don't need those things to get to God incarnate. You don't need those things to worship God. That's just something that they do
The other things I'll kind of point out here is think about how Catholics
Venerate right or as Saint Thomas Aquinas said
Worship, okay as their Church Fathers would put it. How do they do? What do they what happens when you see a Catholic?
Venerating, you know worshiping it would be another word for venerate. What do you see them doing when they're doing that?
See a lot of bowing down, don't you?
What else do you see them doing?
Burning incense
I mean don't Catholics burn a lot of incense in church? They sure do. Good night. I hate to get that bill
You know
You got to work that into the budget, you know, we got to burn some incense in here
I mean they go in there they you know, they they fog up the place with incense
I mean they're waving it over here. They're waving it over there. They got incense everywhere, right?
But isn't it ironic that to support their false doctrine of idol worship
They'll go back to Numbers chapter 21 and say see
Moses made a brazen serpent
God commanded it there, you know ipso facto every every image we make as long as it's you know
Some Bible figure is okay, right?
But what what passage do they not turn you to when it comes to this brazen serpent the one we're in tonight
They're not going to turn there
They're not going to go to second Kings 18 where Hezekiah is smashing that thing because they're doing what?
burning incense unto it
What are they doing? They're burning incense
Right, and it's like well, what are you what why why did he do that? Because they're worshiping it
It's an idol
So what's what's involved in idolatry?
Burning incense, right? That's what they're doing. And isn't that exactly what the Catholic Church does today?
They burn incense and they're worshiping they can call it venerate all they want
It's just another word for worship what they're doing is
Bowing down to them right and they are burning. I mean just google it Catholics bowing down. I
Mean they're bowing down all the time. They're bowing down to this statue. They're bound down to that statue
That's worship. The Bible cult considers that a form of worship and
They burn incense
And that's how the Bible describes Israel's worship of the brazen serpent in second Kings 18
You see them burning incense, isn't that what it says there if you're still there verse 4
For unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense unto it and he called it nahushtan. Okay
So, you know this one's for free. Let me just throw this in there, but
Let me you know you say well, I don't get it. Why why would Catholics do that? Why would they do something? That's just so brazenly
against the Bible
Because of the fact that they're not Christians
Catholics are not and it's important to make that distinction because today we're living this ecumenical world where everyone's a Christian
That's not you know, but yet you go to
You go to an old Catholic neighborhood here in Tucson and you ask some of these old Catholics. Are you a Christian?
They'll say no, I'm a Catholic, right?
Because even if there was always a time when they consider themselves not be Christian they understood the difference
You know, what makes a Christian a Christian?
Jesus said if you continue my word, then you're my disciples indeed
You know if we follow God's Word, that's what makes us Christians, you know and Catholics they don't believe the Bible
And I've got the catech. I mean, I've got their book right here to prove it. They don't believe the Bible
It says here in page 26 paragraph 82 as a result the church
Does not derive for certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures alone
That's their doctrine
They say they do not derive a certainty about all revealed truths from the scriptures alone
And look that's what we believe here that the scripture alone is our sole source
Of all things in matter of faith and practice if it's not Bible, we don't believe it
That's the difference between Baptists and Catholics
If it's Bible, it's Baptist if it's Baptist is Bible least it ought to be right
Catholics they say oh, yeah, they'll they'll give lip service to the Bible
But then when they do there's something in there that conflicts with what they practice in their church tradition
Then they're just gonna rest the Bible. They're gonna lay it aside. They're gonna say nope
We well, we're gonna go with the writings of the Church Fathers. We're gonna go with the decrees of the Pope above the Bible
They put the writing of the Church Fathers. They put the decrees of the Pope above the teachings of Scripture. This is not their authority
This is why it's so hard sometimes to get these dyed in the wool Catholics saved
Because they'll just because of that they can just they can whistle right out of it
You try to pin them down on something. It's like well, you know the Pope said something else
It's like well, then you don't believe the Bible
Traditions can be retained modified or even abandoned under the guidance of the church's magisterium
That's they can just on a whim just from one
You know council to the next just one papal decree to the next just whatever they believe can just change just like that
That tells me they don't believe the Bible
Okay, so they're not Christians and it's just kind of ironic that they have this
They have they'll real quick to go to back to Numbers 21 and say hey look the brazen serpent
It's like okay. Well now let's go to second Kings 18 and look at it there and
It's what's the difference between?
Numbers 21 and second Kings 18 what happened? Well, it went from being just you know
Assum a symbol of Christ
That God yes
Commanded to be made for a greater purpose to then becoming a literal idol and what were they doing?
When they were worshiping in his eye literally burning incense
So that's what we're looking at tonight the brazen serpent its antiquity its application its misapplication and and its Association and
So you kind of wonder why is how is it that Israel came to worship?
This
Brazen serpent, you know, and what is it? You know, what can we apply?
We kind of picked on the Catholics tonight and amen
but you know, how can we maybe get something out of this tonight that we could apply more to ourselves and
It's kind of interesting here the way the Bible phrases it and I know it's just a statement of fact there
it says in verse 4 and he removed the high places and break the images and cut down the groves and break in pieces the
Brazen serpent that Moses had made I mean, is there any other brazen?
I mean it obviously the Bible is just stating a fact here that this is the serpent that Moses had made
But you know, we would kind of just assume what other brazen serpent when we'd be talking about here
Right and it and maybe you know
Does it matter to them that Moses made it?
Does it Matt? Maybe that's kind of what led to this worship. Well, it came from Moses. It's old and Moses made it
This is kind of human nature, right they'll just start to do things because it's associated with a man
You know some some mighty man some great man of God some power and it's no fault to the man of God
It's no fault to Moses that they did this. What was it? Just doing what he's told to do
Moses was just setting that thing up and you know in the process giving us a great picture of Christ in the Old Testament
It's very profound
But then later you have people worshipping that same thing and sometimes I wonder
Understanding what how human nature works is maybe they were kind of inclined to worship this brazen serpent
Because of the fact that it was associated with a particular man in Moses
and this is something that we can even see in our own selves sometimes if we're not careful is that people can tend to
Start to do things just because someone that they respect and duly so
You know does something or says something or is associated with something. They'll just start to
You know almost start to worship a man, okay
If you would go to 1st Corinthians chapter number 4 1st Corinthians chapter number 4
And look this is something that you know
Maybe is it all-out man worship isn't something that we see
but sometimes people will do things just because
You know, it's somehow it's associated with a particular individual or a movement
You know one example that came to mind was
Brother Jack Hiles if you don't know brother Jack Hiles was he's a great preacher great soul winner from yesteryear
You know generations before who would had the biggest independent Baptist Church
I believe or Sunday school at least in the nation and he was
running thousands seeing thousands of people saved he had a great soul winning movement and
Again, just like Moses kind of no fault of his own people started to elevate him, you know beyond
What they ought to even after his death they even went so far as to make if I understand a
Brazen statue of him and they wanted to set it up at the school a literal statue
He refused to have it done. I think they still set it up after he died. Am I right? Yeah, see
We've got a student that sat under
Brother Hiles right here so she can confirm everything I'm saying that you know, they did set that up
Now that I mean think about someone doing that for you
Wouldn't that be kind of like what are you doing?
Now I don't expect anybody ever to do anything like that for me
Like I would be truly shocked but you know, if someone did that for me, I wouldn't be like, well, that's nice of you
You know, thanks. I'd be like that's weird. Like what are you doing? Why are you setting up a me?
I mean I could barely stand to look at myself in the mirror and
You want to sit make everybody see this image every other day of their life or whatever?
You want to set it out here in front in the foyer? This is Deacon Russell
Yeah, he started this plant down here all those years ago and every time we walk by we just get a sense of pride
I'm if you ever do that, I'll be turning in my grave
I'll be squirming in heaven
And again, I'd be way more shocked than any will probably more than anybody else if anybody ever did anything like that
But this is what I'm talking about people sometimes
They'll just do things because it's associated with somebody
associated with a person
And they miss the mark of what's you know, what true Christianity is about what true worship of God is
And they don't have they don't have a real spirituality of their own sometimes. Okay?
Did it matter to them that Moses made it I would you know
I can't say for certain that it did but if you look at 1st Corinthians chapter number 4 look at verse 15
He said for though you have 10,000 structures in Christ yet. You have not many fathers for in Christ Jesus
I have begotten you through the gospel
So obviously the Corinthians are probably endeared to Paul to some degree because of the fact that he has begotten them through the gospel
He's their father in Christ and he said wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me
So look the idea of following a man of God is not something we shouldn't do. Okay, we should follow men of God
You know, we should follow those that have set an example for us those that are leading the way. Okay, because somebody has to lean
He said go to 1st Corinthians chapter number 3 he said be followers of me
Even as I am a father even as I am also of Christ. Okay, that's the distinction there
We don't just blindly follow men. We follow men as they follow Christ
That's why you know, there's an extra, you know layer of responsibility upon the leader
Upon the man of God because he is going to lead people
Whether he wants to or not people are going to follow his example people are gonna pick up on how he does things and start
to
You know do it themselves. Okay
And that's that's perfectly natural. There's nothing wrong with that. It's when we cross over into this weird almost idolatry of men
Where people can actually start to worship in a sense, you know their favorite preacher their favorite pastor and start to you know
Think of men above men that you know, which is written, okay
And the Bible says that this is a carnal attitude
And this is a very carnal thing
And look, I'm not against people having a favorite preacher and I don't even care if it's not me
Honestly, in fact if I was your favorite preacher
It would be almost as shocking as you making a brazen statue of me
Because there's a lot of very good preachers out there that are much better than myself and I know that
You know, I have my favorite preachers. I'm not gonna tell you they are
But I got them, you know, I have preachers that I prefer to listen to over others
You know
But what I don't do is worship those individuals or try to be like them in every or just do things because you know
That's just how they do them, you know, obviously we should look at you know
This is a good principle in life. Look at what other people around you are doing
They are having success learn from those people try those methods and kind of develop your own thing and work on that
you could definitely follow them as they follow Christ, but
We don't want to get this carnal attitude where we just do things because just some other man does it
If that's our only reason well, you know, we just worship this this brazen serpent because Moses made it
Why are you worshipping the brazen serpent? Well, it's been around a long time and they've been worse a long time
And did you know Moses made it? Well, that's I got to do anything who cares who made it. That's idolatry
You know, why why do why do we do things, you know, why do you do what you do?
Well, that's you know, that's what my favorite preacher does
You know why and look this is an attitude that's out there to people will
Attend a church and then they'll start giving the pastor of that church a hard time about the way he does things
Because their favorite preacher does things differently in his church. This is out there more than you might expect
Where people will come up and actually give a pastor a hard time about how he conducts things how he does things in the church
That God has set him over to be the overseer thereof and they'll say well, you know, that's not how this pastor does it
That's not how that preacher does it. No, I have a favorite preacher and he said something different thing than what you're doing
And look if it's if it's unscriptural, that's one thing right? But if it's just a matter of preference who cares
What's the big deal? So what and look if people are you know want that?
Now that man a particular man of God is their pastor that badly they need to go to his church
You know, they have to have it everything has to be done just the way this preacher does it this pastor does it then go
Join his church
Because you know the one of the great things about the local church is that yes
There are certain things that must be held to right there are certain things that we just aren't gonna allow in the church
Because the Bible makes it explicitly clear. This is allowed. This is not allowed
Right, but then there's a lot of things that we do because we have the liberty to do whatever, you know certain things
you know, as long as that simple we have the liberty to kind of conduct the services how we want to do things the way
we want to do them and
Therefore you can't say well this pastor does it this way and that pastor does it that way, you know, and who you know
Whoever's right is whoever I like the most that doesn't that doesn't fly and that's a carnal attitude when people have this this this
It just shows a lack of maturity and a lack of spirituality of their own
Because let's say, you know, maybe you're in a church where
The you know the leader there the pastor there the preacher there doesn't do things exactly the way
You know another preacher doesn't mean you don't like it. You know, what a big boy would do is just go along with the program
He would just get over it. You just say well, you know, that's how they do it over there
But this is the church I go to and I'm just gonna get on the program in this church and do it the things
The way they do them in this church. That's what you do
Look at 1st Corinthians chapter 3 verse 3 for your yet
Carnal your yet carnal you're in the flesh
For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions. Are you not carnal and walk as men?
You saying look if you have this strife and you have this division your carnal and you walk as men
You're just walking in the flesh is what he's saying and then he gets real specific about where the strife is coming from
What these divisions are what this source of carnality is?
It's a verse for for a while one sayeth I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are you not yet carnal?
So that what's the source of division?
What's the source of strife and carnality because people are getting puffed up over a man saying? Well, I'm a Paul
You know, I I do I want to do things exactly the way Paul doesn't well
I'm gonna do things the way you know Paul is baptized me. Oh, yeah
Well, you know Paul baptized me and look people get hung up even on this
The only person that could baptize me is you know, pastor Anderson
The only type pastor I can pass that could baptize me is, you know, pastor Roger Jimenez
The who are you really getting baptized for?
ain't Jesus
It shouldn't matter who baptized you if you're getting baptized for Jesus sake
Doesn't matter, you know, as long as it's a god-ordained man, does it matter who baptized you?
It shouldn't and if it does, you know what the Bible says you're carnal and
You walk as men and you get enough people in a church like that you get enough people who walk as men
You get enough people we're just gonna be carnal and just have divisions what you're gonna end up with is with strife
You're gonna have strife in that church because a church must have unity and in order to have unity
They need to follow the person who is in charge there as they follow Christ
Even if they have preferences even if they don't like the way it's being done there as long as it's not wrong
As long as it's not sinful if it's not the way you prefer it to be done. It doesn't matter
You know newsflash people do things all the time that I don't I would prefer they not do
But I don't go stick my nose in it
You know, I don't I don't go make strife over it. I
Just say well, you know, that's that's what they decided to do
People do things like that all the time
But you know, I just say well, let's not be carnal over petty little differences and just get over it and move on
First Corinthians chapter number three again
Verse five who then is Paul and who was a Paulist?
I mean look out. Look how Paul is talking about his own self. He's saying who am I?
Who's a Paulist?
But ministers by whom he believed even as the Lord gave to every man
You know, we're just he's saying look we're just ministers. We're just men
don't get caught up and just worshiping and following a man and
Just doing things because some man did them
It's like hello Israel. Hello, Judah put away that brazen serpent. I don't care if Moses made it
It's it's idolatry. It's sinful. It doesn't matter
That's what Paul saying first Corinthians chapter 4 verse 1 let a man so count of us as the ministers of Christ
You say you want to think something about me. You want to have an opinion about me you want to
you know
Put me on a certain pedestal. Here's the pedestal you put me on a minister of Christ
You know and minister is just another word for servant and
stewards of the mysteries of God
You know men of God are just that aren't they men
They're men of God men of God
And here's the problem when people put men up on a pedestal too far. They find out real quick that they're flawed
They'll put them up. They'll say oh, you know this preacher this pastor is the greatest
He's like a father unto me, you know, I I've moved all this way to be part of his church
I've seen it over and over again and
Then they find out that that person's not perfect in every every way that they're flawed just like the rest of us
and all of a sudden that idol that they've made in their mind comes crashing down and
You know because they're carnal because they're just been walking as men
They don't have any spiritual out of the own their spiritual life will fall apart
You know, there's that old saying never meet your heroes
Well, don't make a hero out of a man of God
Don't make them into some superhero. I mean, I I'm not saying don't look up
To you know people in your spiritual examples. I'm not against that
Have people that you look to that encourage you that maybe you take an example from but don't you know
Have your whole life wrapped up in an individual, okay?
Because they're just men of God now don't run the other extreme and just say well, they're just men
They are still men of God and they should be given their due respect
Do respect okay, and and none and nothing more and nothing less. Okay, and that's that's a whole sermon right there
But you know Hezekiah here and again, he's such a great character
I I had a whole nother sermon kind of studied out. I just said this there's just too much here
There's a whole there's just a lot on Hezekiah and I'm just kind of pointing out this one thing that Hezekiah did
In this chapter tonight, and what was that? He took this brazen serpent and he broke it
He cut it up and he destroyed it. He annihilated it. Okay, that's kind of the the last point there
It says in verse 4
He called it Nehushtan. So we saw its application. We saw its misapplication
We saw its association and lastly we're gonna look at its annihilation. It was destroyed
He called it Nehushtan, right?
And this is kind of a sub this is almost like another sermon right here, too
I try to make him about one thing, but you know, sometimes it's the way it goes
I love the fact that he named it. I love the fact that he called it out for what it is
He said it's Nehushtan. You say what's that mean? I really don't know. I don't speak Hebrew
I mean, I guess I could go and look it up and trust some other guy to tell me and it probably would be okay
But he put a name on it, right?
That's the that's kind of the leader's job sometimes isn't it to put his finger on it and say it's Nehushtan
And he's not saying he's not saying it lightly nicely. He's saying this but like
He's deriding it. This is a term that he's using with contempt. It's Nehushtan, right? He's despising this thing
There's nothing good to say about it, but Moses made it. So what it's an idol
You know, you're worshiping it. It's wrong
You're you're going to be a leader
You know, sometimes a leader has to put his finger on things and say it it's this you know what your problem is this
That's what a leader has to do
You know, that's you know, that's and that's not easy
Sometimes it's hard for the leader to say hey, you know what? This is the problem right here
Fix it right and he might even come along and bust it up in front of you and say hey
Let's fix it. Let's fix it. Let's fix it. Let's fix it. Let's fix it. Let's fix it. Let's fix it
Give me that serpent
Oh my serpent my pet little sin. What are you doing with my pet sin? Ah
It's Nehushtan
That's what a leader has to do
That's what a spiritual leader has to do
He has to put his finger on sin and call it out and give it a name and destroy it in front of your eyes
And that's important to keep in mind
Because sometimes I think people think that the preacher just gets up and just is just being mean because he wants to be mean
you know the leader has to get up and put his finger on things because if you don't
The people are gonna you know for centuries will just sit there and have sin in their life
Just year after year just some sin will just sit there and they'll burn incense onto it
They'll bow down to it and they'll just they'll venerate
They'll worship
Some sin in their life. They'll just leave it there like some false god
You know and then it brings the judgment of god that's what's going on in the whole story
God doesn't get is not going to put up with it. God's going to come judge you for that sin
You know, I'd rather have some man of god just come along and say hey, it's Nehushtan
Then have god, you know get angry at me and chasing me
I'd rather have somebody you know
Put their finger on it faithful are the wounds of the friend the bible says
So he destroys this thing and I love how he did it too he made it commonplace
Right, he gave it a name
He just you know, he kind of removed the mystique he removed the mystery around it, you know, this this ancient
Artifact that moses had made way back all those hundreds of years ago that you know, there's just all this lore around it
He's like, ah, it's Nehushtan
Break it up. He just brings that thing right down and he just removes the mystery
And that's kind of what paul was doing with the corinthians. I kind of got ahead of myself there
But he's saying look you're you're saying I am a paul am I have a policy said who are we we're just ministers
We're just commonplace. We're just men
Kind of remove the minister the mystery around it
You know, and it's important to point out too that
That hezekiah is obeying the lord here
You know the catholics might turn that say well, yeah, he did that but you know
Bible say you should have done that, you know, it doesn't say it was a good thing
But what does it say there in verse six?
For he claimed the lord and part of not from following him but kept his commandments which the lord commanded moses
It says he did that which was right
Verse three and he did that which is right in the sight of the lord and then it describes what he did and he broke up
That serpent he smashed it. He destroyed it. He called it out
You know that is the job of the leader the man of god to call it out when it's there
And to deal with it and to deal with it and to deal with it
Go to first corinthians chapter two, we'll close there
He said my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom
But a demonstration of spirit of the spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men
But in the power of god
You know, we'll get after the catholics for you know
Worshipping these false idols
But let's make sure that we're not in the power of god
Worshipping these false idols, but let's make sure that we're not doing the same thing in our own lives when we're venerating
Giving overdue respect to men to the point where you know, they can just do no wrong
Or you know, we're going to pit them against other men of god
You know, let's not do that either and understand that, you know, our faith needs to stand in the power of god
You say why would you why would you try to bring, you know, the the office of the pastor the man of god down
From that from that pedestal that people sometimes put it on because then their faith stands in that
You know in any sincere man of god wants your faith to what stand in the power of god
You know, that's that's what we should want and sometimes, you know, we have to
Help people bring other people down a notch in their minds and again, it's no fault of these men of god
It's no fault to some pastor some preacher somewhere who is doing a great job
And people are just excited. He can't help the fact, you know, moses couldn't help the fact that people
Kept worshiping this brazen serpent. I mean, it's not moses's fault
But you know, sometimes we have to put our finger on it say look you're going too far with this
You know, it takes more than just putting on a t-shirt
You know putting on some merch to have your faith stand in the power of god
Say are you against you know the t-shirts and that and i'm not
But i'm saying look if if that's all that's that's the depth of your spirituality
Is is a t-shirt you put on
You know, I got my new ifb t-shirt I got my new ifb hat i'm not against the new ifb I love i'm part of it
You know, I love what it stands for
But if that's as far as your spirituality goes your faith does not stand in the power of god
You know, i'm not against those things but you know what I think sometimes people get too carried away with this stuff
And they'll go into another church and they'll start saying well, that's not how this pastor does it and that's not how that pastor does it
So what
Get over yourself and you know and and don't think above men that which is written
I just understand that men of god are men of god given their due respect
But let's not make an idol out of
a man
a movement
Let's let our faith stand in the power of god because you know what all these things are going to fail
Movements are going to come and go men of god are going to die off
And what what you need is you need that next generation whose faith stands in the power of god and not of man to come
Up behind them and stand in that and have some a real depth their spirituality. Let's go and pray