Moral Advancement: full transcript and answers

▶ 0:00 In this lesson we’re gonna make a statement that leaders can encourage moral advancement and character development second Chronicles 28:27 Ahaz who encouraged moral decline died Hezekiah his son reingned became king he is a civil leader he is a father so he is a family leader ok he is an employer because he has hired people around him to help him do his job ok and he is a Jewish leader because he is a Jew like Ahaz was but he did right in the of the Lord just like jotham did he did right now in the eyes of the Lord not in my eyes I can’t do things because I think they’re ok I think they’re right I have to go to the standard of right the Bible and let it confirm that I am right could that be an amen we got to do what’s right in God’s eyes not our own eyes and it says that in the Bible three times that the people did what was right and their own eyes in their own eyes and it brought a

▶ 1:30 decline and it brought a lowering of the nation and plagues and enemies coming and so forth and we can’t do what’s right in special interest groups in second Kings 18:4 he removed the high places their images and groves he dealt with the plurality of gods right off the bat he dealt with “all roads lead to God” he made God’s religion the special unique religion that it is and he break the brazen serpent you know Moses had a brazen serpent God told Moses make a brazen serpent to stop the curse of the fiery serpents that were biting them in the wilderness and killing them well that’s human nature this worship the brazen serpent that hundreds of years have gone by and what does that mean to us today we worship our denomination we worship our charismatic speaker we worship something that God did what God did with wesley what God did with luther we worship it to this day like God has not added to his visitation at all are you with me and so he broken says it’s just a piece of brass it has nothing of value and a lot of things need to be broken in our life could that be an amen yeah we need to worship God we need to worship Jesus we need to be

▶ 3:00 in love with his word then he rebelled against Assyria who was the big government at that time the big empire trying to take over the world and he rebelled again when he was just a little nobody and they’re huge they had taken over many other nations he rebelled against them resisted them and he smote the philistines ok the philistines would be like al-qaida that attacked our twin towers attacked their ship and now the isis he went in and defeated that group they weren’t big and he wasnt’ gonna let them get big are you there he continued to do right in God’s eyes second Chronicles 29 :3 in the first year of his reign he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them ok he opened the doors he repair the doors now what you gotta understand we’re in the New Testament and you are the temple of God 1 Corinthians 3:16 and 6:18 says we’re the temple of God the spirit of God dwells in us and so Jesus said behold I stand at the door and knock where is he standing is he standing at our door cause we hold a service in a barn is he standing at the door of crystal cathedral because they have a service there no he is standing before you knocking on your

▶ 4:31 door to let him in and wherever he goes his word goes by the way you let him in you’re letting his word in so we have got to open up our door to our spiritual understanding our spiritual relationship it’s our responsibility we are the house of God we got to open up our door and let him come in and his word come in then we will have something to pour out he commanded now this is a civil leader and he’s part of the Jewish religion the Jewish worship of the real God I hate the word religion and he goes to the house of God the priest who are the ministers in the house of God ordained by God placed in by God and he tells them to get the filth out of the holy place clean up God’s house wouldn’t it be nice if a president said you ministers and pastors out there you bishops you priests clean up your house tell your people to repent tell you people to turn to what’s right tell your people to admit they’re wrong and God is right wouldn’t that be refreshing and instead of separation church-state separation of church and state yes it is a separation of catholic and state

▶ 6:02 Baptist and state but is not a separation of Jesus in the Bible and state there’s a big difference you gotta understand again in the New Testament Revelation 5:10 Jesus has made us to our God kings and priests and we shall reign on earth so we’ve. Gotta. Straighten. Our act up church. And ministers should be saying church you are priests you are kings you are you were born in the kingdom to be rulers and princes and priests to minister he’s looking for morality folks he’s looking for character he taught the Levites present statistics and issues did you hear that said he taught the Levites the ministers which we are every member of the body of Christ is a priest or minister unto him and they taught statistics and present-day.

▶ 7:17 Issues and this is what he told them our fathers trespassed they broke God’s law they did evil in the eyes of the Lord not in their own eyes but in the eyes of the Lord they did evil they forsook him they turned their faces they turned their back from the presence of the Lord they shut up the doors they put out the lamps spirit of wisdom and knowledge and understanding spirit of counsel spirit of fear the Lord spirit of strength and the spirit of the Lord the lamp the seven candles lamp in the holy place is the seven spirits of God and his word is spirit they put them all out no wisdom no counsel nothing no strength from God and no word they put out all the lamps they did not burn incense what is incense let my prayer come before you as incense and the lifting of mine hands as the evening sacrifice that’s why God said I want you to lift your hands instead of these stupid offerings I want you to pray and talk to me not burn incense incense is what I gave you to point toward what I want you to do and when you

▶ 8:47 burn incense where does the smoke go up when we pray where does our prayer go just trying to show you the logic of the Bible are you with me when we praise where should our praise go he’s the one and it says that in Revelations it says it plainly in Revelation the seven spirits and their prayers ascended into the presence of God where the seven spirits were anyway they didn’t offer burnt offering the burnt offerings were for sin I have to admit I’m wrong and I got to get before the forgiver and asked him to forgive me I have to do that it is backed up over and over in the Bible in the 1960’s regarding current issues they came out with God is dead then they took the Bible and Jesus out of public school public places they began to say that the Bible and Jesus are myths the Bible is full of errors you see this is what Hezekiah would be saying to you this morning in the seventies abortion as a contraceptive.

▶ 10:16 Divorce on demand homosexual agenda came out in 1972 I believe or seventy somewhere in the early seventies that had an agenda that their lifestyle will be accepted that they would be able to marry that they would be able to adopt children and that they would change laws that forbade homosexuality and they’ve got every agenda now but one Christians were censored during this time to speak about sin cause it’s declared a hate speech they try and tax the church and arrest ministers that speak the hate speech and they got most ministers scared to death to call homosexuality a crime a sin and they got most people because they go and they learn from their minister and they’re and they’re learning nothing churches replace repentance with prosperity positive thinking possibility thinking and purpose driven and prophecy depending what camp you’re in churches promote permissiveness.

▶ 11:30 All these p’s by way of faith and grace are you believe in Jesus you’re going to heaven you can be a homosexual be an adulterer you can be a thief because God looks at you through the blood because of your faith and the grace of God you’re going to heaven it’s not Bible it is one part of the bank the other part is we are to be a what to the world a light to the world that they may see our what good work does God say homosexuality is a good work does he say adulterery a good work no does he say stealing is a good work no does he say dishonoring godly parents is a good work that’s why we need the Bible as our standard wherefore the lord’s wrath was upon Judah and Jerusalem he delivered them to trouble astonishment hissing as you see with your eyes our fathers have fallen by the sword and our sons and daughters and wives are in captivity for this and I showed you our young people are in captivity to drugs which is also alcohol the king of drugs sexual permissiveness.

▶ 12:47 One out of four adolescents has a sexually transmitted disease and fifty percent of them will have the time they’re 25 ok why they can call the sexual revolution great and liberating all they want to but they are paying a tremendous price when God says that there’s a consequence for disobeying his word he means it and folks this is part of the consequence. We have a drought we have fires we had an attack on 911 by enemies we lost the war in iraq and afghanistan russia is advancing into the other nations now china’s putting up a man-made island in the south sea there and putting airports on them military airports pakistan-india north korea have nuclear weapons and we say nothing about it we didn’t put any sanctions on pakistan or india but we put sanctions on iran what’s the deal here and we are not exposing our enemies in the church pulpits and as citizens of America for the most part now we do have citizens at know this stuff and I’m boring them we have too

▶ 14:18 many that don’t iran and others have publicly declared north korea’s another one the destruction of the united states of America publicly declared it and we want to make a treaty with them it’s insane and I can give you scripture that you don’t make treaties with the ungodly God will bless you if you don’t get mixed up with them and he’ll bring them down that’s another message the king reminded the Levites of their responsibilities here is your responsibility remember you have a priest you have the ones that are servants in God’s house my son’s be not now negligent for the Lord has chosen you to stand before him to serve him that you should minister under him and burn incense what’s incense prayer and praise yes we’re supposed to assemble together we’re supposed to be hearing the word we’re supposed to be doing the things that God said told us to do that’s our responsibility.

▶ 15:30 So the Levites arose and sanctified themselves set themselves apart by cleansing themselves then they cleansed God’s house as the king commanded how many of you know if you’re going to help the homosexual if your gonna help the prostitute and and the thieves and the gangers out there that you’re gonna have to first clean your act up gotta start with us 1 Peter 2:9 you are a chosen generation a royal priesthood you are the Old Testament was illustration of what was to come the New Testament tells us exactly who we are we’re holy nation and a special people so it’s our job to gather together seek God preach the word pray worship him let the spirit move and deliver and set people free by his spirit and his word those are the two essential things in God’s house and we are vessels of those two things this king encouraged civil leaders church leaders religious leaders business leaders and family leaders to go to God’s house wow second Chronicles 29:20 Hezekiah the king rose early and gather the rulers now

▶ 17:00 remember there’s four areas of rulership. Civil, church and our understanding. Of this or religion as other people understand it family that mom and dad had they are responsible for that family and then you got the labor the the business world he gathered them all and he took them to the house of God he gathered them and they went up to the house of the Lord he set the Levites in the house of the Lord with cymbals psalteries and harps as the scripture said this guy had read his scriptures and he said you Levites get your instruments out you singers get your act together the scriptures say that’s what we’re supposed to do in God’s house and here’s Hezekiah getting back to God’s way of doing things will not be refreshing if a president encouraged the nation and pastors to get back to what God said to do in the Bible how.

▶ 18:07 Refreshing. That. Would. Be all the congregation how do I know the ruler all the congregation the kids came the wives came husbands came the businessmen came the civil leaders came everybody come to the house of God when he gathered them a bunch of them came to the house of God and how many will have many of these people worshipped all of them the royalty were bowing kneeling raising their hands worshiping singing the poor guy and his raggedy clothes right along the side up doing what God said to do and the singers sang the service of God’s house was set in order first Corinthians 14 gives us the order the singers are still in front the people that are speaking the message and in first Corinthians 14 it is prophecy speaking and singing by the inspiration of the spirit that is the high one Paul said he said that’s the

▶ 19:37 one that’s still the order and then you got praying in the spirit singing in the spirit with understanding everything we do has to be with understanding because everything must be done to edify it’s got to build people and people are built by the message and by the presence are you with. Me he gives us the order of a New Testament. Service right there and he gives us the example of it in the Old Testament and let me tell you something it’s not the music of the day you know a lot of these mega churches go to the popular music of the day to woo people in God’s music isn’t the popular music of the day if we’re gonna sing in spirit and with understanding.

▶ 20:29 What spirit has to birth that singing the Holy Spirit and what understanding has to birth the understanding what spirit has to birth the understanding my word is spirit so we gotta have it backed up by the word and we gotta have it backed up by the presence of the Holy Spirit it’s that simple and people are getting high on music in these churches and they think it’s God and it’s just music and what’s popular today bass guitar keyboard lead guitar and I right now there are you and then the Bible you got what an orchestra and orchestra. Orchestra.

▶ 21:22 Listen to this he didn’t stop there he invited the negligent believers to the house of God he went up to northern the northern kingdom Israel and he sent runners advertisement we’ve done a good job advertising our school and our school is busting at the seams he advertised in he said come to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to keep the Passover unto the Lord God why did he say keep the Passover because the Bible and the New Testament said Jesus is our Passover who was sacrificed for us so what’s he doing he’s inviting them to come to Jesus accept his death burial and resurrection on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins for the punishment for sin for the forgiveness of your sins come to the Passover come to Jesus he’ll forgive he’ll cleanse he’ll renew you he’ll strengthen you and you’ll go out a new person they laughed and mocked them now if you are going door-to-door witness and get on a street corner or go to the jails and all that minister you’re gonna have people laugh and mock at you and if you don’t have some spiritual strength you just gonna go home and people we can’t quit because people are laughing and mocking at us because the homosexual the liberals and socialists are mocking

▶ 22:52 and laughing at us that should just cause us to give rise up stronger. And look at this look at this yet some humbled themselves and came to the house of God in Jerusalem and kept the Passover is it worth sending advertisement out is it worth sending runners out with the message inviting them to come to the Passover to the feast of unleavened bread the feast of firstfruits it’s all about Jesus and what he’s done the feast of Pentecost the blowing of trumpets the day of atonement and the feast of in gathering is it worth it that they can come and they can experience ever one of these feasts in a good spirit led church service that’s in order let’s get the some all of them didn’t accept Jesus all of them didn’t except Jesus some but let’s focus on the some let’s get the ones that will come results it was great joy in Jerusalem Jesus said I’ll give you great joy that no man can take away joy is a possession joy is a fruit of the spirit something you possess not because you had a birthday not because your husband bought you a new

▶ 24:23 car or whatever joy is a possession just like wisdom is and understanding is and Jesus said I give you joy that no man can take away nothing in the world would disturb your joy because it is a possession you have you have it because you have it and joy and rejoicing is prominently. Mentioned more in the Bible than depression sorrow and mourning I love this next thing look at this this is powerful are how many are who went to the house of God for the Passover and worship all the congregation.

▶ 25:11 Went out and broke the sacred pillars in pieces cut down the wooden images threw down a high places and the altars until they were utterly destroyed it wasn’t just Hezekiah the people were so met with God they were so touched by God they united they went to their communities they went to their counties they went to their farms and their fields and their businesses and they tore down every thing that had to do with other gods and only Jesus the real God was worshipped in Jerusalem and judea isn’t that powerful when you like to see a visitation.

▶ 25:57 Like that yes and one man started this one man but it didn’t wind up being one man second Kings 19:14 Hezekiah prayed in God’s house he went into God’s house and he prayed didn’t offer incense he prayed and prayed a very humble prayer and an angel God sent an angel that slew 185,000 assyrian soldiers that had surrounded Jerusalem in one night the whole army was destroyed without one battle being fought by Israel Assyria got up the next morning and went back to Assyria folks that better than the atomic bomb that is better than an atomic bomb I submit to you if we will be like those negligent believers and humble ourself and come to focus on Jesus Christ his birth death resurrection.

▶ 27:11 And the things that he said to turn from I submit to you that God can do a work in America way beyond our capability of doing just simply because we come united together and we sought God and we went out with the message passed it on to others they saw the life they saw our life they saw our good works they saw our light to the world and America can be changed just like that and if God needs to he can destroy any army I don’t know if you’ve read about it but Israel in one of their wars bees got into the tanks of the enemies of Israel and the drivers and the gunners had to get out of the tanks and when the soldiers went up there wondering why they weren’t shooting and firing at them bees had come and set up residence in these tanks that’s modern-day.

▶ 28:15 Stuff I submit to you that yes the atomic bomb is powerful our bombs are powerful our jets are powerful our our aircraft carriers are powerful but I tell you we got something greater and that’s Jesus Christ he can send an angel to do anything anywhere he wants at any time and he is going to bless the righteousness of a nation righteousness exalts a nation and why did God do this he is exalting Israel because they come and change their ways that come to Jesus to forgiver and cleanser of sin the Passover they confess their sin and they turn from their ways and so God exalted them in front of their enemies.