Calvary Chapel North Phoenix

He Sees All that is Done

calvary-staff — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:42:33 +0000

“He Sees All that is Done”

2 Thessalonians 1

Introduction:
-this is Paul’s second epistle to this small group of believers in the city of Thessalonica, Macedonia
-a few months may have gone by between Paul’s first epistle and the writing of this second epistle
-after receiving Paul’s first epistle, the Thessalonian believers were still troubled about the unfolding of events leading up to and including that final period of God’s judgment
-these events were to fall upon the earth prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth
-the believers in Thessalonica had radically changed since they had trusted Christ for their salvation
-they had been made a new creation in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit; but they had also suffered much persecution from some of the Jewish leaders and others in town
-they had been ostracized and had probably lost their source of income; this had impoverished them
-their outward lives had been made very difficult because of the persecution for their faith
-some of the believers were even wondering if what they were going through was really what the Bible teaches as the final Great tribulation
-this was the name for that coming judgment that was to befall the world prior to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ
-Paul writes this epistle to comfort them concerning their life condition
-he also desired to give them a little more detail on the Biblical time table of the unfolding of the Great Tribulation period of seven years; we will see this in ch. 2 and 3 in the next couple of weeks
-today we will cover the first chapter; it forms the introduction to the epistle
-it can be divided into two main sections: praise and prayer
-Paul gives praise and thanks to God for their endurance under persecution, and speaks of God’s coming retribution on their persecutors
-then he prays that God would count them worthy of their calling, fulfilling all the good pleasure of His goodness in them
-read 2 Thes. 1 ; pray

I. Paul’s Praise vv. 1-10
A. Growing Faith and Abounding Love vv. 1-4
-the first two verses of this epistle show that Paul, Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy were there together in Corinth when the epistle was penned
-Paul states that the believers there in Thessalonica were in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; they had placed faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ
-He was now their Lord and Master; they were now His disciples; and they were also fellowshipping in the sufferings of their Master
John 15:18-21
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. NKJV
-in v. 2 Paul includes his normal greeting of grace and peace; I believe it was put in that order for a reason
-one can never experience the peace of God until he first has accepted the grace of God
-notice also that both the Father and the Son are the authors of such a privilege
-grace here mean ‘divine favor’; this not only applies in the offer of salvation through the work of Christ and not your own good deeds
-it also applies to the divine favor poured out during every moment of your life as a believer in Christ Jesus
-I liken it to oil in an internal combustion engine; that grace keeps things flowing smoothly and hinders overheating and seizing up spiritually
-in v. 3 Paul expresses the thanksgivings he continually raises to God for how these young believers are flourishing in their faith and love
-the persecution that was intended to squelch their faith turned into the seedbed that caused their faith to grow exceedingly
-one thing is for sure: persecution will sift out those who are not genuine in their faith in the Lord Jesus and in the hope of eternal life through Him
Mark 4:16-17
16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. NKJV
-not only was their faith strong and growing, their love for one another was abounding
-persecution seems to sift out the petty issues of personality quirks and incidental offenses that can occur
-under persecution you are so appreciative of your brother or sister who is hanging in their along with you; you are soldiers together in this spiritual warfare
-the patience, endurance and faith of the Thessalonian believers was cause for much praise to God among the other newly established churches
-when we see other believers enduring through their trials and persecutions, we are strengthened to buckle down and press on through our own trials

B. God’s Righteous Judgment of God vv. 5-10
-the ill treatment that these believers were receiving from their persecutors was being observed and recorded by God Himself
-that persecution was counted as a crime against heaven itself; and God had appointed Jesus as the Judge of all things
-Jesus told His disciples that tribulation would take place in their lives
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” NKJV
-the reason for this persecution was because they were now following Jesus
John 16:1-4
1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. NKJV
-yet even though the troubles were coming down upon the disciples, God would use those troubles to refine and reward those who were enduring such sufferings
-v. 6: this verse has been misunderstood by some to say that God is a hateful God
-shouldn’t He just wave His hand one that last day and say, “Awe, shucks, why don’t you all just go in. I was only kidding!”
-let’s consider this scenario for a moment and maybe we can get a little perspective
-we are so troubled when we hear of those who abuse little children
-we want justice, we want to see punishment inflicted upon them for causing the pain, the confusion, the deep destructive patterns that are left in their soul
-so why, then, should we think it a strange thing for the God who has redeemed us from all destruction to not have a greater sense of outrage and justice against those who harm His own children?
-verses 7 and 8 say that the coming judgment meted out against the persecutors would bring a kind of rest to those who had endured such persecution for their faith
-these verses are troubling and unsettling for some; yet the reality is there is a coming day of judgment upon the world for their wickedness
-this is where the term ‘brimstone preachers’ comes from, a reference to those who dare to speak that there is coming a day of judgment upon the world for their iniquity
-God the Creator will hold all people accountable for their actions; He sees everything
Prov 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. NKJV
Job 34:21 “For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps. NKJV
Jer 17:10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. NKJV
Ps 7:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. NKJV
-look at verses 9 and 10 again in our text; when the Lord Jesus returns to this earth to set up His earthly kingdom (the Second Coming), He will purify His kingdom
Acts 17:31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” NKJV
-His return will also prove the faithfulness of those who have endured such suffering for their faith
-His return will also bring forth a certain rejoicing in that those who have trusted Christ for their eternal salvation
-but as Paul mentioned in his first epistle (ch. 4), before that Second Coming of Jesus to this earth, He will gather His church to Himself and meet them in the clouds
-this will take place approximately seven years prior to that Second Coming

II. Paul’s Prayer vv. 11-12
-I like how the NLT puts these verses:
2 Thess 1:11-12
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. NLT
-what does it mean to be ‘counted worthy of this calling’? does that refer to some standard of holiness to which one must attain before he will be accepted?
-the Bible teaches that our acceptance before God is based entirely upon the righteousness of One man: the Lord Jesus Christ
-that acceptance is ours as well when we trust Christ with our whole being
-counted worthy of this calling refers to the living out of that faith in everyday life
-it is putting feet to your faith by choosing daily to follow the counsels of Scripture–the Word of God–and if need be, suffering the consequences from the world
-the enabling to do this doesn’t come from the flesh; it comes from the grace supplied by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
-your supply is ready at all times; that supply is more than sufficient to enable you to not only endure but abound in faith and love, as it was seen in the Thessalonians
-this living out of your faith in everyday life proves the reality of your calling as His disciple
-it isn’t a reference to perfection in the flesh; when you fail, you repent and get up and get back on track
-when we go to meet the Lord in the air, the only thing that will matter at that moment will be this: how has my life glorified Him who died for me?

The Four Foundations of the Early Church

calvary-staff — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:21:50 +0000

Acts 2:42-47
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
NKJV

Practical Daily Living for the Believer - Part 2

calvary-staff — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 20:55:37 +0000

1 Thessalonians 5:16-28

Introduction:

-as we come to the close of our study of 1 Thessalonians, we see these exhortations and encouragements to love God through consistent steps of faith

-these steps of faith touch upon rejoicing, prayer, thankfulness, being sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit, being careful not to live in such a way as to bring reproach to the name of Christ

-then Paul closes with an encouragement about just how ready and willing God is to do everything He has promised

-we need these exhortations today; it does matter how we live on a daily basis…it matters to God, it should matter to us; it is part of our witness to the world of His love working among us

-read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-28 ; pray

I. Loving God through Consistent Personal Life Habits vv. 16-18

A. Consistent Rejoicing v. 16

-verses 16-18 all have a common denominator: consistency and frequency

-these three exhortations require a choice on our part

-there must be a step of faith to enter each of these things initially

-this is not dependent upon feeling or emotion; this is dependent on doing the right thing before God

-but it isn’t merely an act of the free will; it is the Holy Spirit who is ready to empower us to do so

-there are so many reasons for the Christian to be constantly rejoicing

-it’s really a matter of perspective; the trouble we often face is that we get so focused on what’s not going right, or what is that great need of the moment that we lose sight of the goodness of God

-in consistent rejoicing, one is not merely proclaiming positive things hoping that by the mere proclamation things will change

-it is putting yourself in remembrance of all He has done, is doing right now, and will do in the future BECAUSE OF HIS PROMISES IN HIS WORD

B. Consistent Prayer v. 17

-pray without ceasing: this is a mindset that brings the Father and the Son into every involvement of every hour

-it is like bringing a close friend along on with you when you are doing your daily tasks

-relationship is so important to God; you cannot have a relationship with rules or codes; that is a life of dead orthodoxy and dogma

-we have been allowed to enter into something very precious as believers: we can have fellowship, communion, open friendship with the Living God Himself

1Jn 1:3 NKJV that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

-let the Word of God be used by the Holy Spirit to bring you into a closer fellowship with the Father and the Son; this is the joy of God’s heart

C. Consistent Thanks v. 18

-‘in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you’: again this is a matter of choice, a step of faith on our part, on a regular basis

-again, this is not positive confession where your words are creating some new reality

-this is simply an acknowledging of God’s hand in absolutely everything that is going on in and around your life

Rom 8:28 NKJV And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

II. Loving God and the Work of His Spirit vv. 19-22

A. Do Not Quench the Spirit v. 19

-I would like to tie these four verses together; they seem to center on the active role of the Holy Spirit within the congregation

-to quench something means to extinguish it; the Holy Spirit is spoken of in Scripture in terms of both fire and water

-to quench a candle means to blow it out or cap it off; to quench the Spirit means that you shut off its desired movement in the life of the congregation

-now, some see this only in the context of coming against any free-flowing expression of prophecy or the speaking out in tongues in a service

-but quenching the Spirit is also when someone is arrogantly forcing their spiritual gift within a meeting, interrupting how the Spirit of God is ministering at the time

-one can quench the Spirit by always looking at what is going on with a critical spirit

-they are always ready find some fault with the order, or the words, or the references, or the pattern of service

-I believe they would have extreme difficulty following Jesus during the time He was walking in Israel during His ministry

-everything was different from day to day; He was following the leading of His Father, not a program or some proven methodology of previous Rabbis

B. Do Not Despise Prophecies v. 20

-‘do not despise prophecies’: prophecy in Scripture is used to describe both a foretelling of future events and a forth-telling of Biblical truth

-to limit prophecy to one or the other is to not consider all that was spoken by the prophets in the Bible

1Co 14:3 NKJV But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.

-despising prophecies is an attitude of the heart whereby one thinks that his own opinion and life experience set the standard of how things should function

-there is an immediate block in their mind on allowing the Holy Spirit to use someone else to bring forth an inspired exhortation or encouragement or warning

-what is spoken from the pulpit every Sunday morning or Wednesday night can be put under the category of prophecy

-why? Because it is the ‘forth-telling’ of God’s word to our daily lives

-there are times when, in sharing from the word, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind certain life situations that seem to clarify the principle being shared

-it ‘just so happens’ that the life situation is exactly what this person or that person is going through at the time; that is prophecy in action!

C. Do Test All Things; Hold Fast What is Good vv. 21-22

-how can you really know if a supposed prophecy is actually from the Lord, or it’s merely something that was made up in the heart of the person?

-this is where the leadership of a congregation comes in

-the first way to test a supposed prophecy is by the older revelation of God’s word in context cover to cover; does it line up with Scripture?

-the second way to test a supposed prophecy is to examine the manner in which it is presented; is it spoken in an arrogant, condescending tone? Is the person merely ‘showboating’ their gift? Apply the attributes of God’s love from 1 Cor. 13

-that is indeed a judgment call on the part of the leadership; but it is a decision that still must be made for the sake of the flock, for security and peace

-some believe that it is quenching the Spirit to stop someone from standing up in the middle of a teaching from God’s Word when they loudly proclaim some ‘word from the Lord’

-rather what is happening is that the Spirit has already been quenched by the selfish action of interrupting the Spirit’s working through the Word

-Paul stated in 1 Cor. 14 the prophets could speak one by one, and to let one finish before the other would speak; this is an orderly way of sharing

-he also said that if there was no one with the gift of interpretation of tongues, that the one with the tongue should hold his peace in the congregation

-there is so much that is going on today in the name of the Spirit’s leading and influence

-some today are going through extreme gyrations of bodily movements in the name of being under the Spirit’s influence

-this is unfortunate and confusing at the least, and carnal and undermining at the worst

-one has to merely put those expressions against the pattern left in the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles to see if those things were done by them as a precedent

-‘abstain from every form of evil’: in the context of these verses it would have to do with unbridled expressions of what is supposed to be under the influence of the Spirit upon someone

-but some of those supposed expressions are bizarre and self-glorifying; they actually hinder the power of the Gospel

-abstaining from every form of evil also points at how one lives out his daily life

-is there a dabbling with sin in daily practice? Is there a tempting of the Holy Spirit by purposely going into places and arenas that are saturated with lust?

-maybe there is nothing going on outwardly, and that is the justification

-but the witness to the unbelieving world is that they conclude if you are going in there, you are participating in the activities that go on in there

-the same can be said about couples living together under the same roof who are not married; it is so commonly accepted in our society today, so much so that it is almost looked upon as prudish, Victorian or legalistic to separate until marriage

-what is the overall witness to the unbelieving world? That is the idea behind this

III. Loving God Who Preserves Us vv. 23-28

A. Faithful to Preserve Us Blameless vv. 23-24

-here we have the closing of the epistle; Paul is writing an overall blessing and comfort to the believers there in Thessalonica…and to us as well

-there are really two separate desires Paul reveals here: 1. that they might be completely made holy in character (sanctified), and 2. that they might be preserved blameless at the coming of the Lord Jesus

-but notice that Paul doesn’t wholly depend upon them to bring these things about

-our God is the God of peace; He brings us to the place where we enter that glorious condition of being at peace with God

-this is when we humble ourselves and surrender to God through faith in Christ

-the war with God is over; we surrender; we let Him take us captive to His plan

-when we enter that condition of being at peace with God, then we get this marvelous life experience of the peace of God

Php 4:6-7 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (7) and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

-our part is to believe in His promises with all our heart; His part is to do the rest; yet He even gives us the faith by which to believe, so no one can boast

-notice also who does the work of making you holy: may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely

-this is the constant work of the Holy Spirit who indwells every believer

-but not only so; it is the work of the God of peace who Himself works to make our whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

-notice that all three are included: spirit, soul and body; man is a triune being

-when the Lord redeems you and me, He does so wholly; not one component is left out

-God does not ‘timeshare’ His temple with the devil; a believer cannot become demon possessed; demonic oppression is possible, but only from the outside

-He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.

B. Final Greetings vv. 25-28

-these last four verses are the final greetings; they appeal to the brethren to pray for Timothy and him

-then Paul encourages them to greet one another with a holy kiss; this of course is that greeting so natural in the Middle Eastern-European custom of a kiss on both sides of the check

-we have gone to either a hand-shake or a hug; the idea is one of openness of heart to one another in love; the custom here isn’t more spiritual than our custom

-Paul wanted this letter to be read by other believers; so here we are 2000 years later

The Iniquity of the Fathers Undermines Security

calvary-staff — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:13:52 +0000

1 Kings 16

Introduction:

-as we read through the accounts of the various kings of the northern ten tribes of Israel, we find a picture of what happens when iniquity is left unhindered in government

-there was not one king of the northern kingdom of Israel who did right in the sight of the Lord

-they may have accomplished some social good within the kingdom during their reign

-but because Israel was in covenant with the Lord; He was the One all would be accountable to

-Israel’s first king after the civil breakup of the kingdom was Jeroboam

-he was not a descendant of David; he was given a great privilege and responsibility before God to shepherd His people in the way of righteousness

-but out of fear and unbelief, he established his own designer religion to keep the people from coming down to Jerusalem to worship at the temple according to the Law of Moses

-he built two worship centers—one on the northern border and one on the southern border of his kingdom; he established priests of anyone who was willing to take that upon himself

-he molded two calves (probably as a representation of that upon which the Lord rode) and they became a stumbling block to the people for the next 300 years

-every king thereafter continued worshiping at these centers no matter how they felt about Jeroboam

-Jeroboam even set up different celebration days from those established under the Law

-this was all done in defiance to the original covenant with God; and as you examine the history of the many kings that reigned during those 300 or so years, all of them were influenced by the sin

-at the end of the 300 years or so, in 722 BC the army of the Assyrian Empire came across Israel and took the entire region captive, thus ending the northern kingdom

-Paul the Apostle stated that ‘a little leaven leavens the whole lump’ (1 Cor. 5 ; Gal. 5 ); this is indeed just what took place in an ever increasing way, king by king

-the overall lesson for us tonight is this: when we give way to sinful actions and behaviors, it definitely will have an effect downward, not only upon our future, but upon those under our care

-every king had the same opportunity to repent and return to the Lord; but none of them did, and it brought destruction upon the entire kingdom of Israel

-tonight we will be looking at six kings of Israel who followed in the way of Jeroboam; all of them reigned within the timeframe of King Asa of Judah

-while Judah had relative peace, the northern kingdom was in constant upheaval and insecurity

-this is why we have entitled this message, “The Iniquity of the Fathers Undermines Security”

-whenever you depart from the fear of God and His word, it becomes a ‘slippery slope’ that just picks up speed the farther you go

-pray

I. Rise of Baasha, King of Israel – (1 Kings 15:25-34 )

A. Nadab, the Son of Jeroboam vv. 25-26

-Jeroboam had already lost one son; the Lord had removed him from the evil household of Jeroboam; he was the only one that the Lord had found righteous

-yet here we have another son of Jeroboam; he took the throne after his father died, and all appeared normal for the first couple of years

-“so much for that crazy prophet who pronounced doom on our family!”

-but the Scriptures are clear here: he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin by which he made Israel sin.

-notice that he didn’t receive the truth of God’s word; also see that he was responsible to the Lord for his own sin; thirdly, he stumbled the rest of Israel by his own sin

-it completely removed any hedge of protection around his reign

B. Baasha, the General of Nadab’s Army vv. 27-31

-we don’t really know where Baasha came from; the text doesn’t say specifically

-the implication of the text though is that he was probably in a position of leadership if not the commander of the army as they were besieging the town of Gibbethon

-Baasha turn on Nadab and killed him, and took over the throne of Israel

-it was all about power rather than any specific leading of the Lord

-then Baasha went back to Tirzah and killed all the house of Jeroboam; in doing this he fulfilled the prophecy spoken by Ahijah the prophet, although he had no ambition to walk in obedience to any prophecy

-the Lord in His own foreknowledge knew of Baasha’s heart and potential; and only a few years later the curse fell upon the house of Jeroboam

-but notice here in v. 30 that Nadab was killed because of his own sin, and because he had continued to stumble Israel toward idolatry

-it was considered provocation to the Lord and according to the terms of the covenant with Israel in the days of Moses, chastening must ensue

C. Continuation of Spiritual Confusion vv. 32-34

-here we see that Baasha himself was no better really than Nadab, even though he wasn’t of the household of Jeroboam

-the very same sins that brought down the household of Jeroboam were participated in by Baasha; even though he reigned 24 years, it should be seen as God’s merciful opportunity for him to repent

II. Reign of Baasha, King of Israel – 1 Kings 16:1-7

A. Rebuked by Jehu the Prophet (vv. 1-4)

-even though Baasha had no real relationship with the Lord, God had used him to accomplish His purposes

-even though he was used as an instrument to carry out punishment upon the household of Jeroboam, we see that he was still responsible to the Lord for his actions

-the boldness of this Jehu is something to be noted; Baasha had no trouble killing people; and here is Jehu being faithful to the Lord to deliver this message

-this Jehu would also prophesy to the southern kingdom of Judah many years later

B. Retribution Verified Against Baasha (vv. 5-7)

-after 24 years of reigning over Israel, it all comes to an end; we read last week about his attempts to block his people from going down to Judah

-maybe this extra effort was because of the prophecy spoken in vv. 1-4

-v. 7 reiterates why the Lord spoke those words by the prophet Jehu, adding that the murder of Nadab and all the household of Jeroboam was sin

III. Reign of Elah, son of Baasha, King of Israel – 1 Kings 16:8-14

A. Conspiracy of Zimri, Commander of Half the Chariots (vv. 8-9)

-now here is Baasha’s son coming to the throne of Israel; he only reigns two years before he is assassinated by one of his commanders

Pro 29:12 NKJV If a ruler pays attention to lies, All his servants become wicked.

-there is just no security when wickedness is allowed to come into the place of authority

-here is a commander who is following the footsteps of Baasha, Elah’s father

-the conspiracy took place while the king was getting himself drunk at the capital

-I wonder if Arza, steward of the king’s house knew about it

B. Complete Wipe-Out of Baasha’s Household (vv. 10-14)

-here again we have an imitating of the pattern of completely wiping out the household of the former king so that there would be no threat to the new throne

-even though Zimri fulfilled prophecy by his actions, his actions were still sinful

-as a matter of fact he already had been in the practice of going after the same sinful, idolatrous ways of his former kings

IV. Reign of Zimri, Commander of Half the Chariots – 1 Kings 16:15-22

A. Shortest Reign in the Bible (v. 15)

-here we have the shortest reign in the Bible; all that attempted purging of the former king’s household only to have it fall apart within a week!

-there is no rest or security for the wicked

-notice that Zimri, the commander of half the chariots in the army is not out in the field

-he is back in Tirzah the capital basking in his new position

B. Suicide of Zimri (vv. 16-22)

-when the rest of the army heard what Zimri did, Omri the main commander of the army took things into his own hands and led the troops to the capital

-when Zimri knew that he was had, he committed suicide by burning down the king’s house upon himself; if he only would have stopped to seek the Lord!

-and yet even in his short week, his pattern of life was still steeped in idolatry

V. Reign of Omri, the Commander of the Army of Israel – 1 Kings 16:23-28

A. Moving the Capital to Samaria (vv. 23-24)

-after six years Omri moved the capital to Samaria, where it remained until the fall of the nation in 722 BC

B. More Sinfulness that Previous Kings (vv. 25-28)

-things are getting more desperate and wicked as time goes on; Omri personally walked in all the ways of Jeroboam, and continued the stumbling block of idolatry

-although he was a strong ruler, still his rule came to an end and he had to give account to his maker for the ungodly life he lived

-not only so but he raised one of the most wicked kings in all of Israel’s history: Ahab

VI. Reign of Ahab, son of Omri – 1 Kings 16:29 -

A. Increase in Overall Sinfulness (vv. 29-33)

-this is now the seventh king in Israel within about a 60 year period; Ahab did evil in the sight of the Lord more than all who were before him

-as we will see in future studies, he increased the idolatrous practices in Israel and was responsible for the slaying of many prophets of the Lord during his reign

-his marriage to Jezebel, the daughter of the King of Tyre, brought in tremendous wickedness through her

-this was going to be a 22 year reign bringing Israel to the worst state spiritually in their history since King Saul

-yet in the midst of it all God raised up prophet after prophet to appeal to the king and the people of Israel

C. Indifferent to Curse Upon Jericho (v. 34)

Jos 6:26 NKJV Then Joshua charged them at that time, saying, “Cursed be the man before the LORD who rises up and builds this city Jericho; he shall lay its foundation with his firstborn, and with his youngest he shall set up its gates.”

-although this took place around 550 years after Joshua’s pronounced curse, the Lord still honored it and Hiel paid dearly for choosing to ignore the word of Joshua

-does the word of the Lord have an expiration date? When we read the New Testament do we have the right to ignore its counsels and patterns now that we are a couple of thousand years later?

-Jesus said this:

Mat 24:35 NKJV Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.