(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

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