#Light #Lighthouse #Fading #Shipwreck #Backsliding #FinishingWell #Race #Faith #Galatians5 #2Chronicles #Sermon #GrahamGreen #Bible #Teaching #Christian #Christianity #Jesus #ChartridgeMissionChurch #Chesham
Graham Green delivers an engaging sermon on finishing your Christian journey well. Graham looks at examples in 2 Chronicles and identifies the common reasons for the shipwrecked faith of many of its characters. Your Christian light can fade at any age; stay vigilant and finish the race God has set before you!
Graham Green YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLtfVhcCUFtm3wyQblD9cnw-XuwSSSiQ
Chartridge Mission Church, a beacon of faith, was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a warm and welcoming fellowship and would be delighted to have you visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is fully accessible, with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet, ensuring everyone can participate in our services.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
The village Church with an international audience.
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Please make cheques payable to Chartridge Mission Church and send them to the address above, for the attention of Pastor Barry Kempson.
Recorded on Sunday, 27th September 2026.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
Graham Green delivers an engaging sermon on finishing your Christian journey well. Graham looks at examples in 2 Chronicles and identifies the common reasons for the shipwrecked faith of many of its characters. Your Christian light can fade at any age; stay vigilant and finish the race God has set before you!
Graham Green YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeLtfVhcCUFtm3wyQblD9cnw-XuwSSSiQ
Chartridge Mission Church, a beacon of faith, was founded in 1844 and remains in the village of Chartridge, just outside Chesham, in the picturesque Chiltern Hills of Buckinghamshire, England, UK.
We are a warm and welcoming fellowship and would be delighted to have you visit us in person. Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm, followed by refreshments.
Our Church is fully accessible, with wheelchair ramps and an accessible toilet, ensuring everyone can participate in our services.
Chartridge Mission Church, Chapel Lane, Chartridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire, HP5 2TH
The village Church with an international audience.
Support our work at Chartridge Mission Church:
Donations via Stewardship.org.uk:
https://www.stewardship.org.uk/partners/20005300
Please make cheques payable to Chartridge Mission Church and send them to the address above, for the attention of Pastor Barry Kempson.
Recorded on Sunday, 27th September 2026.
Join us for our Sunday service at 6 pm.
www.Chartridge.UK
The Friendliest Fellowship.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
00:17Good evening everyone, it's lovely to see you. Thanks for tuning out on quite a damp night.
00:24Well, we're going to go through a lot of chapters in the Bible tonight, but we won't be reading that
00:30many, but I'm just going to be skimming through.
00:33So we're going to see how we get on. I'm going to be covering 26 chapters of Chronicles.
00:39That's not a joke, so I really am.
00:42And we're going to start off by, in the New Testament.
00:46See, the Apostle Paul was very concerned that the new Christians in Galatia were getting misled, and were not fully
00:56following Jesus.
00:58And so he writes to them, and he says in Galatians 5 verse 7,
01:02Listen, you were running a good race, who cut in on you, and kept you from obeying the truth?
01:23We're going to be coming back to that later.
01:26But that's what I want you just to keep your minds in.
01:29Pauline asked me, what was my subject tonight?
01:31And I said, I don't really know.
01:33And I don't really know.
01:34But it's something along the lines is, I want to just try to think about how easily we can get
01:40off track in our Christian lives.
01:44So that verse sort of helps me to think through that a little bit.
01:49You were running a good race.
01:50Who cut in on you, and kept you from obeying the truth?
01:56For my daily Bible readings, this year I'm using this, the Bible in one year.
02:03I've done it before, but I haven't done it for a few years, so I got it out of the
02:08drawer again, and started using it.
02:11What it does is, you do a few chapters of Old Testament, you do some New Testament, and you do
02:17either a psalm or a proverb.
02:19And if you do that every day, you'll get through the whole Bible in one year.
02:25Now, I must admit, that when I got to 2 Chronicles, having done Kings, I wasn't getting all that great,
02:33to be honest.
02:37I really wasn't.
02:38It's a tough book, 1 Chronicles.
02:41Well, so I got to end of 1 Chronicles, because it ends up a lot with David.
02:48And so the end of 1 Chronicles, David, we're told, has died.
02:54He did well.
02:55He followed God, mostly, didn't he?
02:58And served God.
03:00Had a few women troubles, of course, but we find that quite a lot as well, as we look through
03:05the Old Testament.
03:06And none of them do have come into that.
03:11And then we turn over the page to 2 Chronicles, and Solomon takes over as king.
03:19Solomon, son of David, established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him, and made
03:26him exceedingly great.
03:30And it says, I'm just going to be reading lots of little bits, so you can either just listen, probably.
03:37It's going to be easiest.
03:38That night, God appeared to Solomon and said to him,
03:42Ask for whatever you want me to give you.
03:45Solomon answered, God,
03:46You have shown great kindness to David, my father, and have made me king in his place.
03:54Now, Lord, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people
04:01as numerous as the dust of the earth.
04:04Give me wisdom and knowledge that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people
04:12of yours?
04:13God said to Solomon,
04:15Since this is your heart's desire, and you have not asked for wealth, riches, or honor, nor for the death
04:24of your enemies,
04:25and since you have not asked for a long life, but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over
04:32whom I have made you king,
04:33Therefore, wisdom and knowledge will be given you, and I will also give you wealth, riches, and honor,
04:43such as no king who was before you ever had, and none after you will have.
04:52Solomon starts off well.
04:55He's close to God.
04:56He speaks to God.
04:57He's trying to follow the example of his father, David, and we flick through.
05:05We find he built the temple.
05:07He furnished the temple.
05:10The Ark of the Covenant was taken into the temple,
05:14and we find, in chapter 6, he says,
05:18Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
05:21who with his hands has fulfilled what he promised with his mouth to my father, David.
05:28O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like you,
05:33or in heaven or on earth.
05:39He came to God regularly.
05:41He prayed to God.
05:43He says,
05:44Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy.
05:49O Lord my God,
05:50hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence.
05:57Keep that in your mind, because we'll be picking that up again at the end.
06:01When Solomon had finished praying,
06:05notice a man of prayer,
06:09God says to him,
06:10I heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a temple for sacrifice.
06:20So Solomon was a man of God.
06:22He followed God.
06:24He walked in his ways.
06:26He spoke to God.
06:27He listened to God.
06:29He didn't get it all right.
06:33Because, as I mentioned earlier,
06:35we find in 1 Kings,
06:37as Solomon grew old,
06:38his wives turned his heart after other gods,
06:42and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God,
06:46as the heart of David his father had been.
06:50I thought I'd just throw that in,
06:51just as a...
06:54Didn't get it right all the time.
06:55We don't get it all right all the time.
06:57So, God...
06:59But still, God used him.
07:03So, he became wealthy.
07:07He'd asked for wisdom,
07:08and God said,
07:09Well, I will give you wisdom,
07:10but I shall give you wealth and riches as well.
07:13And the Queen of Sheba came and visited him,
07:15and she said to the king,
07:17The report I've heard in my own country about your achievements and your wisdom is true.
07:24But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes.
07:28Indeed, not even half of the greatness of your wisdom was told me.
07:32You have far exceeded the report I heard.
07:36How happy your men must be!
07:38How happy your officials,
07:40who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!
07:44Praise be to the Lord your God,
07:46who has delighted in you
07:48and placed you on his throne
07:50as king to rule the Lord your God.
07:56And King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom
08:01than all the other kings of the earth.
08:04All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon
08:07to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
08:12Solomon reigned for 40 years,
08:16and then his son, Rehoboam, took over.
08:21We see, I'd enjoyed reading those first nine chapters of 2 Chronicles,
08:27but it's a big downer now because we've got to do Rehoboam.
08:32And what I've written in my Bible here is
08:35he didn't consult God.
08:38Rehoboam didn't consult God.
08:42I don't know why.
08:43Well, he had everything, I guess, as he grew up,
08:48because he'd seen all the wealth and the riches
08:50and the splendour of his father Solomon.
08:56But he didn't follow the faith of his grandfather David.
09:00He didn't follow the faith of his father Solomon.
09:07And we find that he didn't even listen to the elders.
09:12But it says in chapter 10 now, verse 8, if you're following at all.
09:17But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders that they gave him,
09:22and he consulted young men who he'd grown up with.
09:29That was it.
09:31He'd become king, because that was the norm.
09:35He'd taken over as the son.
09:39But he didn't listen.
09:41And he didn't consult with God at all.
09:46And in chapter 12, it says,
09:49After Rehoboam's position as king was established,
09:53and he had become strong,
09:56he and all Israel with him
09:59abandoned the law of the Lord.
10:03How sad.
10:05Grandfather, father, used by God, did great things.
10:10But here we are, another generation,
10:13completely the opposite.
10:16King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem.
10:22And then it says,
10:34And as you read through some of these verses in the Old Testament,
10:39and of course you can see in the New,
10:41in some ways as well,
10:42but in the Old Testament,
10:44really up and down.
10:45Really up and down.
10:48If you're doing what I'm doing,
10:49and you're reading pretty big passages at a time,
10:53you go up and down with emotions,
10:56thinking,
10:56Whoa, what's happening?
10:59But you know,
11:00it challenged me,
11:01because I think,
11:03well,
11:04if a book was written about my life,
11:06it would be very up and down.
11:08You know,
11:09you'd be able to read about my good times,
11:11and my bad times,
11:13my times when I'm close to God,
11:14and maybe not so close.
11:17And,
11:18and so maybe we're not so,
11:20so different.
11:23Abijah,
11:24chapter 13,
11:27he was,
11:27he was mostly good.
11:29Got it right most,
11:30most of the time.
11:32Asa,
11:32the king,
11:33got it right most of the time.
11:35And we can go,
11:36flick through several chapters.
11:39And I'm now going to pitch in at chapter 24.
11:43So it's not too bad,
11:44don't worry.
11:45When I said 26 chapters,
11:47I did mean it,
11:47but I wasn't going to go into every one.
11:51And we come to Joash.
11:54Joash.
11:58Now Joash,
12:00he did what,
12:01what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
12:04we're told.
12:07But there's a little,
12:09this is chapter 24,
12:11verse,
12:11verse 2.
12:13There's a little proviso there.
12:16Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
12:19all the years of Jehodiah,
12:24the priest.
12:26Bear that in mind,
12:28because what we'll find is,
12:30in chapter 17,
12:33after the death of Jehodiah,
12:35the priest,
12:37the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king,
12:41and he listened to them.
12:43They abandoned the temple of the Lord,
12:46the God of their fathers,
12:49and worshipped Asherah poles and idols.
12:57So who was he following?
13:00Was he just keeping the priest happy?
13:04What was it,
13:05what was it,
13:06what was his intent?
13:07What was in his mind?
13:09Because he was following God.
13:12But when the priest died,
13:14it said that he,
13:16basically went off the rails.
13:18He abandoned the temple.
13:20And he worshipped idols,
13:23Asherah poles,
13:24and idols.
13:25Asherah poles are like,
13:27wooden,
13:28can be wooden poles,
13:29things made of wood,
13:31um,
13:34idols can be made of wood,
13:35stone,
13:36could be all,
13:37all sorts of things.
13:40And in my notes,
13:41I've just written,
13:43homemade gods.
13:45Homemade gods.
13:48Because,
13:48truthfully,
13:49that was what was going on.
13:54He made,
13:57gods to worship,
14:00just going to refer you now
14:01to Exodus 20.
14:05You'll,
14:06you'll be familiar
14:07with all these verses.
14:09God says,
14:10you shall have no other gods
14:12before me.
14:14Verse 3.
14:15You shall not make for yourself
14:17an idol
14:18in the form of anything
14:19in heaven above,
14:21or on the earth beneath,
14:23or in the waters below.
14:25You shall not bow down
14:27to them,
14:27or worship them.
14:29For I,
14:30the Lord your God,
14:31am a jealous God,
14:32punishing the children
14:34for the sin of their fathers,
14:35to the third
14:36and fourth generation
14:38of those
14:39who hate me.
14:40But showing love
14:42to a thousand generations
14:43of those who love me,
14:45and keep
14:47my commandments.
14:51That's what God says
14:52about idols.
14:54You shall have
14:55no,
14:55no gods
14:57before me.
15:01I always love
15:02reading about
15:02the Apostle Paul.
15:04If ever there's an example
15:06of an evangelist,
15:07it's the Apostle Paul.
15:08And I love that part
15:09when he's in Athens
15:10in Acts chapter 17.
15:12And he sees all these
15:14idols everywhere.
15:17And the trick
15:18of a good evangelist
15:19who's led by
15:20the Holy Spirit,
15:21they can find
15:22that link word,
15:24that something
15:25that they can
15:26communicate
15:27with people.
15:28And it's something
15:29we all need to
15:30practice and learn.
15:31First of all,
15:32we often
15:33don't listen enough
15:34to find out
15:36where people
15:36are coming from.
15:37We often
15:38don't listen enough
15:39to find out
15:40the question
15:41that they're
15:42asking.
15:43and sometimes
15:44be trying to
15:44answer a question
15:45that they're
15:46not asking.
15:49But Paul
15:50has seen all
15:51these idols
15:51everywhere.
15:53And he saw
15:53that they'd got
15:54one,
15:54the unknown
15:55God.
15:56Great,
15:57isn't it?
15:58So he picks it
15:59out and he says,
16:01I see you've got
16:02one,
16:03you're obviously
16:04very religious,
16:04he says,
16:05so he didn't
16:06put them down.
16:08But I see
16:09there's one
16:09that says
16:10the unknown
16:11God.
16:11and I'm
16:12going to
16:12tell you
16:13all about
16:14it,
16:15all about
16:15him,
16:16sorry.
16:17Isn't that
16:18great?
16:19Just as
16:20something for
16:20us to
16:20think about,
16:22but the
16:22unknown
16:23God,
16:23there's
16:23so many
16:24gods.
16:27Isaiah
16:27chapter 44,
16:29this is my
16:30favourite
16:31passage
16:33about
16:33idols.
16:37Maybe it's
16:37because I'm
16:38a practical
16:38guy who
16:39worked with
16:39my hands
16:40all my
16:40life.
16:41I had
16:42my own
16:42workshop
16:43and could
16:43make more
16:44or less
16:44anything I
16:45wanted to
16:45make.
16:46When I
16:47retired,
16:48people said
16:48to me,
16:49you could
16:49make
16:50miniature
16:50steam
16:51engines
16:51and things.
16:52I thought,
16:54I could,
16:54but I'm
16:55retired.
16:56That would
16:56just be
16:57work to
16:57me.
16:57Of course
16:58I could
16:58make it,
16:58but I
16:59don't want
16:59to do
16:59it.
17:00Anyway,
17:00there we
17:00are.
17:03But what
17:04it says
17:04in Isaiah
17:05chapter 44,
17:07and I'm
17:08going to
17:08pick out
17:08the verse
17:09which speaks
17:10about the
17:10carpenter
17:11in verse
17:11from 13.
17:13Previously,
17:13it's talked
17:14about people
17:14who make
17:14idols of
17:15metal and
17:16other
17:17materials.
17:18But the
17:19carpenter,
17:20this is
17:21great,
17:21because what
17:22it does is
17:23it puts as
17:24bluntly as
17:25you possibly
17:26can the
17:27folly of
17:28making an
17:28idol out of
17:29a piece of
17:30wood.
17:31We'll read
17:31it in a
17:32minute, but
17:32just to give
17:33you a little
17:33praise say.
17:35It tells
17:35you, you
17:35get a
17:36bit of
17:36wood, you
17:37cut the
17:37bit of
17:38wood, and
17:39some of
17:40the wood
17:40you can
17:40use as
17:41firewood,
17:41some of
17:42the wood
17:42you might
17:43use as
17:43something else,
17:44and some
17:44of the
17:45wood, the
17:45same, off
17:46the same
17:46plank, you'll
17:47make an
17:48idol and
17:48then worship
17:49it.
17:50How mad
17:50is that?
17:51Let's
17:51read it.
17:52The
17:52carpenter
17:53measures with
17:54a line and
17:55marks an
17:55outline with
17:56a marker.
17:57He ruffs
17:58it out with
17:59chisels and
18:00marks it with
18:01compasses.
18:02He shapes
18:03it in the
18:03form of
18:04man, of
18:05man in
18:05all his
18:06glory, that
18:07he may
18:07dwell in
18:08a shrine.
18:10He cut
18:10down cedars,
18:11or perhaps
18:12took a
18:13cypress or
18:13oak.
18:14He let
18:15it grow
18:16among the
18:16trees of
18:17the forest,
18:18or planted
18:18a pine, and
18:19the rain
18:20made it
18:20grow.
18:22It is
18:23man's fuel
18:23for burning.
18:24Some of
18:25it he
18:26takes and
18:27warms
18:27himself.
18:28He
18:28kindles a
18:29fire and
18:29bakes bread.
18:31But he
18:31also fashions
18:32a god, and
18:33worships it.
18:34He makes
18:35an idol, and
18:37bows down
18:37to it.
18:38Half of
18:39the wood he
18:40burns in
18:41the fire, over
18:42it he
18:43prepares his
18:44meal, he
18:45roasts his
18:45meat and
18:46eats his
18:46fill.
18:47He also
18:48warms himself
18:48and says,
18:49Ah, I am
18:51warm, I
18:51see the
18:52fire.
18:53From the
18:54rest he
18:54makes a
18:55god, his
18:56idol, he
18:56bows down
18:57to it and
18:57worships.
18:58He prays to
18:59it and
19:00says, Save
19:01me, you
19:02are my
19:02god.
19:03They
19:04know
19:04nothing, they
19:05understand
19:06nothing, their
19:07eyes are
19:08plastered over
19:09so they
19:09cannot see, and
19:11their minds
19:11closed, and
19:13their minds
19:14closed so
19:15that they
19:15cannot
19:15understand.
19:17No one
19:18stops to
19:18think, no
19:20one has the
19:21knowledge or
19:21understanding to
19:22say, half
19:24of it I
19:25use for
19:26fuel, I
19:27even bake
19:28bread over
19:28its coals, I
19:30roasted meat
19:31and I
19:31ate, shall
19:33I make a
19:34detestable
19:34thing from
19:35what is
19:35left, shall
19:37I bow
19:37down to
19:38a block
19:38of wood,
19:39he feeds
19:41on ashes, a
19:42deluded
19:42heart misleads
19:44him, he
19:46cannot save
19:46himself or
19:47say, is
19:49it not
19:50this thing
19:51in my
19:51right hand
19:52a lie?
19:54I love
19:55that because
19:56it just
19:56shows how
19:57ridiculous it
19:58is to
20:00have a
20:00God that's
20:01man-made,
20:03man-made,
20:04what is
20:04he going to
20:05do for
20:05you?
20:08You know,
20:09so I
20:10thought about
20:10that, I
20:10thought, well
20:11do I?
20:11Do I in
20:14some ways
20:16have gods
20:17that you
20:17worship,
20:18things that
20:19distract you
20:20away from
20:21following the
20:22living God?
20:24Could it be a
20:25habit or a
20:26superstition?
20:28even?
20:29You know,
20:30don't wear
20:30number 13
20:31or whatever.
20:42I can remember
20:43when I was
20:43young, people
20:44used to say,
20:44oh, you must
20:45never open
20:45an umbrella
20:46indoors.
20:47I used to
20:47think, why?
20:48What does
20:48that make?
20:50Apparently it
20:50comes from
20:51Victorian times,
20:52apparently,
20:53where the
20:53umbrellas used
20:54to spring
20:54open and
20:55there had
20:56big strong
20:56wires in
20:57them and
20:58people got
20:58hurt by
20:59them being
20:59opened,
21:00so I'm
21:00told.
21:01But that
21:02was supposed
21:02to bring
21:02bad luck
21:03or misfortune.
21:04Well, I
21:04suppose it
21:04would be
21:05misfortunate
21:05if you got
21:06a poke
21:06in the eye
21:08wire from
21:08an umbrella,
21:09but there
21:09we are.
21:11Broken
21:11mirror, don't
21:13break a
21:13mirror, you
21:13get seven
21:14years, bad
21:14luck, apparently.
21:17And then I
21:17thought to
21:18myself, how
21:19many Christians
21:20say, oh, that
21:20was lucky?
21:21What do you
21:22mean if it's
21:23lucky?
21:23It wasn't
21:24lucky, because
21:25if you believe
21:25in luck, then
21:27that can
21:27become an
21:28idol in
21:28itself.
21:32One of the
21:33ones that I
21:35find happens
21:36still quite a
21:37lot to some
21:38people I
21:38know, is
21:39you'll be
21:39talking to
21:40them, or
21:40they'll be
21:41talking to
21:41you, and
21:42they'll
21:42suddenly wander
21:42off and
21:43go, touch
21:43wood.
21:44What do
21:45you mean,
21:45touch wood?
21:45Where have
21:46they gone?
21:47Why did
21:47they do that?
21:49What does
21:50it mean?
21:51What did
21:51it do?
21:52It did
21:53something for
21:53them, but
21:53it didn't
21:54do anything
21:54for me.
21:55But they
21:56went and
21:56touched wood
21:57because they
21:59felt that
21:59that was
22:00some security.
22:02It gave
22:02them hope.
22:05We must
22:06be very
22:06careful with
22:07idols and
22:07images from
22:08other
22:09religions.
22:11Don't have
22:11anything to
22:12do with
22:12them, is
22:13what I
22:13would
22:13encourage.
22:15Don't have
22:16anything to
22:16do with
22:17them
22:17whatsoever.
22:18They
22:19cannot help
22:20you.
22:22But they
22:22can take
22:23away your
22:25relationship
22:25with God
22:26in some
22:27way, shape
22:27or form.
22:34Miniature
22:34lighthouse.
22:36My father-in-law
22:37was also an
22:38engineer, much
22:40better one
22:40than I was.
22:42And he
22:43made this
22:43miniature
22:43lighthouse.
22:44He made
22:44lots of
22:44things, lots
22:45of things much
22:46more complicated
22:47than this, but
22:48I wasn't
22:49prepared to
22:50bring you
22:51a miniature
22:52spinning wheel
22:52up and all
22:53sorts of
22:54other things
22:54that he
22:54made.
22:56Now this
22:57lighthouse, if
22:59you wanted to
23:00have it as an
23:00idol, well it's
23:03got some good
23:04things it could
23:04teach you.
23:05It could teach
23:06you a
23:07lighthouse is
23:08warning, isn't
23:09it?
23:10Warning of
23:10danger.
23:14you could
23:15say, well it
23:15gives you
23:16direction.
23:19You could
23:20make all
23:21sorts of
23:21things up,
23:22which is what
23:22people do
23:23with idols.
23:25But it
23:25wouldn't do
23:25anything for
23:26me, because
23:27why wouldn't
23:27it do
23:27anything for
23:28me?
23:28Well it's
23:29because I
23:31know that I
23:31gave him
23:32this PVC.
23:34I gave him
23:35this stainless
23:35steel.
23:37I gave him
23:39the perspex
23:40to make
23:41the lens
23:42from out
23:43of my
23:44workshop and
23:45the stainless
23:45steel to
23:46make the
23:46cap.
23:48And the
23:49point I'm
23:49making is
23:51I'd seen
23:52him make
23:52it.
23:53I knew
23:53what it
23:54was made
23:54from.
23:55I know
23:56it's not
23:57a god.
23:59And I
24:00know that
24:00if I
24:00prayed to
24:01it, it
24:02wouldn't
24:02be able
24:03to hear
24:05idols.
24:09And we
24:10found that
24:11Joash
24:14just
24:15followed,
24:16went downhill
24:17when he
24:17found the
24:18idols.
24:19Just to
24:19finish off
24:20about
24:20Joash.
24:22Because
24:22Judah had
24:23forsaken
24:23the Lord,
24:24the god of
24:25their fathers
24:26judgment
24:27was executed
24:29on Joash.
24:33the next
24:33person we
24:34read about
24:34was Amaziah.
24:36He did
24:36what was
24:37right in
24:37the eyes
24:38of the
24:38Lord,
24:39but not
24:40wholeheartedly,
24:41we're told
24:42at the
24:42beginning of
24:42chapter 25.
24:45So he
24:46was serving
24:47God, but
24:47not
24:49wholeheartedly.
24:50And at the
24:51end of
24:52chapter 25,
24:52it says,
24:53from the
24:53time that
24:54Amaziah
24:54turned away
24:55from following
24:56the Lord,
24:57they conspired
24:58against him
24:59in Jerusalem,
25:00and he
25:01fled to
25:01Laish,
25:03and they
25:04sent men
25:04after him
25:05to Laish
25:06and killed
25:07him there.
25:08He was
25:09brought back
25:09by horse
25:10and was
25:11buried
25:11with his
25:13fathers
25:13in the
25:14city of
25:15Judah.
25:19Now,
25:22to tell
25:23you the
25:23truth,
25:24by now,
25:25I was
25:26getting
25:26pretty
25:26despondent
25:27reading
25:27through
25:282 Chronicles.
25:31I thought,
25:32surely there's
25:32someone going
25:34to finish
25:34the race,
25:35someone's
25:36going to
25:36stand the
25:37test of
25:37time,
25:38someone's
25:39going to
25:39be able
25:41to go
25:42for it
25:43and follow
25:43God
25:43throughout
25:44the whole
25:44of their
25:45reign.
25:46And I
25:47got to
25:47chapter 26,
25:49and Usiah
25:50takes over.
25:51Usiah.
25:53He was
25:5416 years
25:55old when
25:56he became
25:56king.
25:57Chapter 26,
25:59and reverse,
26:00where are we,
26:00about three
26:01now.
26:0216 when
26:02he became
26:03king and
26:03he reigned
26:04in Jerusalem
26:04for 42
26:06years.
26:09His
26:09mother's
26:09name was
26:10Jekola and
26:11she was
26:11from Jerusalem.
26:12He did
26:12what was
26:13right in
26:14the eyes
26:14of the
26:15Lord,
26:15just as
26:16his father
26:17and Messiah
26:17had done.
26:19I noticed,
26:19I put a line
26:20underneath,
26:21had done.
26:21Most
26:22of the
26:22time he
26:22did,
26:23but then
26:23he messed
26:23up at
26:24the end.
26:25He sought
26:26God during
26:26the days
26:27of Zechariah,
26:28who instructed
26:29him in
26:30the fear
26:30of God.
26:31As long
26:32as he
26:32sought
26:33the Lord,
26:33God gave
26:34him
26:35success.
26:40Verse 8,
26:41the Ammon
26:41the Ammon
26:41Ammonites
26:42brought
26:42tribute to
26:42Uzziah
26:43and his
26:44fame spread
26:44as far
26:45as the
26:46border of
26:47Egypt
26:47because he
26:48had become
26:48very powerful.
26:50Uzziah built
26:51towers in
26:53Jerusalem.
26:54He also
26:55built towers
26:56in the
26:57desert.
26:57He dug
26:58wells,
26:59cisterns as
26:59they're called
27:00and he had
27:02a very well
27:02trained army.
27:04I was
27:05enjoying reading
27:05this.
27:06This is a
27:07man who's
27:07following God.
27:08This is a
27:09man who's
27:10going to
27:10go the
27:11whole way.
27:12And you
27:12know,
27:13it says
27:13in verse
27:1715,
27:17the end
27:18of verse
27:1815,
27:19that's
27:19right,
27:21his fame
27:21spread far
27:22and wide
27:23for he
27:24was greatly
27:25helped.
27:25And I
27:26turned over
27:27the page
27:27of my
27:27Bible
27:29until he
27:29became
27:30powerful.
27:31And I
27:32thought,
27:32what?
27:33What do
27:34you mean?
27:34I've just
27:34read that
27:35and I
27:35was thinking
27:36this man's
27:37going to
27:37carry through
27:39but
27:41unfortunately
27:41I
27:42turned over
27:43the page
27:43and when
27:44it got
27:44to verse
27:4415,
27:45he was
27:46greatly
27:46helped
27:48until he
27:49became
27:50powerful.
27:54But
27:55Uzziah
27:56became
27:56powerful,
27:57verse 16,
27:58his pride
27:59led to
28:00his downfall.
28:01He was
28:02unfaithful
28:04to the
28:05Lord
28:05his
28:07God.
28:08Do you
28:09know,
28:09God
28:10really
28:10spoke
28:10to me,
28:11I just
28:12couldn't
28:12get my
28:12head
28:13round it,
28:13I thought,
28:15here we
28:15are again,
28:16here we
28:17are again.
28:19Do you
28:20know some
28:20powerful
28:21people?
28:22Are we
28:23powerful?
28:24I had to
28:24think to
28:25myself,
28:25am I
28:25powerful?
28:27And if
28:27so,
28:28would that
28:28have the
28:29same
28:29effect on
28:29me?
28:32And as I
28:33thought about
28:33it,
28:34I thought,
28:34in some
28:35ways I
28:35am
28:35powerful.
28:37You
28:38see,
28:38I have
28:38some
28:39money,
28:40I have
28:41a house
28:41to live
28:42in,
28:43I have
28:44a car
28:44to drive,
28:46I don't
28:46really need
28:47anyone else
28:48to provide
28:49my food,
28:51so that
28:52does give
28:52me power,
28:53doesn't it,
28:54over others
28:55who aren't
28:56in such a
28:57good way,
28:59those who
28:59can't just
29:00say,
29:01well,
29:01I need
29:02this,
29:02I'll go
29:03and buy
29:03this,
29:03or actually
29:05have a
29:05choice,
29:06not to,
29:07as the
29:07case might
29:08be.
29:12And I
29:13thought we
29:13need to
29:13think about
29:14that,
29:14about
29:15powerful,
29:16how powerful
29:17are we?
29:18As
29:18Christians,
29:19we can
29:23forget that
29:24in some
29:24ways,
29:25becoming a
29:25Christian,
29:26in some
29:26ways,
29:27can make
29:28you
29:29better off.
29:30because if
29:31you learn
29:32to stop
29:33wasting
29:33money,
29:34you might
29:35be able
29:36to have
29:37better
29:37means,
29:38for example.
29:41What about
29:42the leaders
29:43in this
29:44world,
29:45who think
29:46they're
29:46powerful,
29:48they think
29:50they're in
29:50command,
29:51they think
29:53they're in
29:54control.
29:57are they
29:58powerful?
29:59Well,
30:00in a way,
30:03but that
30:04power is
30:04only lent
30:05to them,
30:05isn't it,
30:06for a very
30:07short time.
30:09Are they
30:10self-sufficient?
30:12In a way,
30:14are we
30:15self-sufficient?
30:16I guess,
30:17maybe,
30:17we could
30:18think we
30:18might be.
30:22people say,
30:23I don't
30:23need God,
30:25I'm
30:26independent.
30:28You hear
30:28that word
30:29quite a lot
30:29these days,
30:30I want to
30:30be
30:30independent.
30:33I thought
30:34to myself,
30:35what does
30:36that actually
30:37mean?
30:38So I
30:39looked it
30:39up in
30:39the Cambridge
30:40Dictionary,
30:42and this
30:43is what it
30:43is to be
30:44independent,
30:45not
30:46influenced,
30:48or
30:48controlled,
30:50in any
30:51way,
30:52by other
30:53people,
30:54events,
30:56or
30:57things.
30:58Just read
30:59it again.
31:00Not
31:00influenced,
31:01or controlled,
31:02in any
31:04way,
31:05by other
31:06people,
31:07events,
31:09or
31:09things.
31:14Well,
31:15far be it
31:16from me
31:17to question
31:17the Cambridge
31:18Dictionary.
31:22That's
31:22a load of
31:23rubbish.
31:24Because what
31:25that actually
31:26means,
31:27nobody can
31:28be independent.
31:30Nobody.
31:33Because,
31:34I'll give you
31:34a very simple
31:35illustration,
31:35this is how my
31:36mind works
31:36anyway.
31:37If I'm in a
31:3860 mile speed
31:39limit,
31:40and the person
31:41in front of me
31:42uses their
31:43absolute right
31:43to go 40,
31:44I have to
31:45go 40
31:46behind them.
31:48It tells
31:48me that
31:51I can't
31:51be influenced
31:52in any
31:52other way
31:53by other
31:54people.
31:54Oh,
31:55yes,
31:55I can.
31:55I can be
31:56very influenced
31:57by other
31:58people.
31:59It says,
32:00I wouldn't
32:01be able to
32:01be influenced
32:02by events.
32:04Oh,
32:04you'd be
32:05influenced
32:05by events
32:06when water
32:08and mud
32:08was flowing
32:09through Nepal.
32:11You wouldn't
32:12be independent.
32:13It would
32:13take you
32:14just as it
32:14would somebody
32:15who thinks
32:16they're not
32:16independent.
32:19And I've
32:20looked at
32:20this and
32:20I don't
32:21know,
32:21you have
32:21a look
32:22at it.
32:22You look
32:22at it in
32:22the dictionary
32:23when you
32:24get home,
32:24if you
32:25want.
32:26And I
32:27thought,
32:27I really
32:28can't see
32:29how anybody
32:30on earth
32:30can be
32:30independent.
32:32We need
32:33each other.
32:33We are
32:35interdependent.
32:36But most
32:37of all,
32:37we need
32:37God and
32:38we need
32:38to depend
32:39on Him.
32:44So,
32:49as we
32:50skip
32:51through
32:51two
32:52chronicles,
32:53we've
32:53seen the
32:54ups and
32:54downs.
32:55We've
32:56seen the
32:56pitfalls
32:57of power,
32:59of wealth,
33:00and so
33:01on.
33:04But as
33:05Christians,
33:06Christian
33:06believers,
33:07we must
33:07also be
33:08very careful
33:09to
33:10wholeheartedly
33:12daily
33:12acknowledge
33:13and rely
33:14on our
33:15living God
33:16and Saviour,
33:17the Lord
33:18Jesus Christ.
33:22And I
33:22was thinking,
33:23well,
33:23it's so
33:23easy to
33:24get
33:24sidetracked,
33:25isn't it?
33:27But with
33:28the help
33:28of the
33:29Holy Spirit,
33:30we are
33:30more than
33:32conquerors,
33:33we read.
33:35I said I'd
33:36come back
33:36to the
33:36verse in
33:37Galatians
33:38that I
33:38read at
33:38the beginning.
33:40And now
33:40perhaps it
33:41will make
33:41more sense.
33:42you were
33:44running a
33:44good race.
33:45Who
33:46cut in on
33:47you and
33:48kept you
33:48from obeying
33:50the truth?
33:52We can see
33:53illustrations
33:54through all
33:55these kings,
33:56how they
33:57stumbled and
33:58fell,
33:59how somehow
34:01their belief
34:03in God
34:03changed.
34:05so just
34:06very quickly
34:07to round
34:07things up,
34:09I want us
34:10to think
34:10about what
34:12the solution
34:13might have
34:13been.
34:16And it
34:16seemed to
34:17me that
34:17the antidote
34:19to being
34:20knocked off
34:20course
34:24might well
34:25be prayer.
34:27it's
34:28when they
34:29stopped
34:30seeking
34:31the Lord,
34:32when they
34:33stopped
34:35asking
34:36his will
34:37and just
34:37went and
34:38did their
34:38own.
34:41And
34:42Jesus
34:42said this,
34:44very familiar
34:45words,
34:46when you
34:47pray,
34:48Matthew
34:486,
34:50do not
34:50do like
34:51the hypocrites
34:52do,
34:52for they
34:53love to
34:53pray,
34:53standing in
34:54the synagogues,
34:55etc.
34:56You know
34:56that passage.
34:58He says
34:59that this
35:00then is
35:00how you
35:01should pray.
35:02Our
35:03Father in
35:03heaven,
35:04hallowed
35:05be your
35:06name,
35:07your
35:07kingdom
35:08come,
35:09your
35:10will
35:10be
35:11done.
35:12I won't
35:13read it
35:13all because
35:14I'm going
35:14to just
35:15go through
35:15it.
35:16Because
35:16what that
35:17does is
35:18incredible.
35:19Our
35:20Father in
35:21heaven
35:22immediately
35:23takes us
35:24away from
35:24thinking,
35:25how great
35:25we are.
35:27There's
35:27one of
35:28greater
35:28authority.
35:30It doesn't
35:30matter
35:31whether the
35:32king has
35:33all the
35:34armies,
35:35it doesn't
35:36matter.
35:36There's
35:37one greater,
35:38our
35:38Father in
35:39heaven,
35:40holy is
35:41your name,
35:44your kingdom
35:45come,
35:46not mine.
35:48It doesn't
35:49matter, as I
35:49said, if they'd
35:50have gone back
35:51to that thought
35:52pattern.
35:52they've
35:53amassed
35:54these great
35:55armies,
35:56your kingdom
35:57come,
35:58your will
35:59be done,
36:00not mine,
36:01your will be
36:01done on
36:02earth as
36:03it is in
36:04heaven.
36:06And instead
36:07of thinking
36:07that we're
36:08self-sufficient,
36:09if we pray,
36:11give us this
36:12day, our
36:14daily bread,
36:14we're
36:15acknowledging
36:15that everything
36:17that we
36:17have comes
36:19from him.
36:21Forgive us
36:23our debts
36:24as we
36:25forgive our
36:26debtors.
36:27And lead
36:28us not
36:29into temptation,
36:32but deliver
36:33us from
36:34the evil
36:35one.
36:38And as I
36:38dwelt on
36:39that, I
36:39thought,
36:40do you
36:40know,
36:41when I
36:42was younger,
36:45the church
36:45I used to
36:46go to in
36:47East Anglia,
36:48just so you
36:49don't think
36:49it's around
36:50here,
36:52we wouldn't
36:53have recited
36:53the Lord's
36:54Prayer hardly
36:54ever.
36:56That was
36:57like for the
36:57Church of
36:58England,
36:59perhaps,
37:00I don't
37:00know,
37:00I didn't
37:01know.
37:02But as I
37:03got older,
37:03I thought,
37:04wow,
37:04the words
37:05there,
37:06so concise,
37:08just a few
37:08lines,
37:09but don't
37:10they say
37:10a lot.
37:14Anyway,
37:15I've said
37:16enough,
37:17go home,
37:19don't read
37:19two Chronicles,
37:21it'll only
37:21depress you.
37:23ha, ha, ha,
37:24ha, ha, ha,
37:24When we walk
37:26with the Lord
37:28in the light
37:30of his word,
37:32for the glory
37:33he stands
37:34on our way,
37:37for we do
37:38his goodwill,
37:41he lies with us
37:43still,
37:44and we know
37:45who will trust
37:47and obey,
37:49trust and obey,
37:52for there's no
37:53other way,
37:55to be happy
37:57in Jesus,
37:59but to trust
38:01and obey.
38:03Not a shadow
38:05can rise,
38:07nor a cloud
38:09in the skies,
38:11but he's
38:12small,
38:12weakly,
38:13trust in the way,
38:16not a doubt
38:17nor a fear,
38:20not a sign
38:21nor a dear,
38:23cannot bind
38:24while we trust
38:26and obey,
38:28trust and obey,
38:31for there's no
38:33other way,
38:35to be happy
38:36in Jesus,
38:39but to trust
38:40and obey.
38:42not a burden
38:45we bear,
38:47nor a sorrow
38:49we share,
38:51but our toil
38:52he doth
38:53richly repay,
38:56not a grief
38:58nor a loss,
39:00nor a frown
39:01or a loss,
39:03but his blessing
39:05we trust
39:06and obey,
39:09to lust
39:10and obey,
39:12for there's no
39:13other way,
39:16to be happy
39:17in Jesus,
39:20but to trust
39:21and obey.
39:24But we never
39:26can prove
39:27the delights
39:29of his love,
39:32unto the Lord
39:33of the altar
39:35we lay,
39:37for the favour
39:38he shows,
39:40and the joy
39:42he bestows,
39:44unto them
39:45who will
39:46trust
39:47and obey,
39:49trust
39:50and obey,
39:53for there's
39:53no further
39:55way,
39:56to be happy
39:58in Jesus,
40:00but to trust
40:02and obey.
40:05And in fellowship
40:07sweet,
40:09we will
40:10sit at his
40:11feet,
40:12hold a walk
40:14by his
40:15side in the
40:16way,
40:18for he says
40:19we will do,
40:22where he says
40:23we will go,
40:25never fear,
40:27only trust
40:28and obey,
40:31trust
40:32and obey,
40:33for there's
40:35no other
40:36way,
40:38to be happy
40:40in Jesus,
40:42but to trust
40:44and obey.
40:47Amen.