Participants: Terry Shelton
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000332
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00:29 Hello and welcome to another edition of Faith Chapel.
00:34 My name is Terry Shelton. 00:35 And I'm gonna bring you a message 00:37 today that is in entitled witch altar. 00:40 I like to ask you to bow with me just for a moment 00:42 as we invite the Holy Spirit to be with us. 00:45 Heavenly Father, we just thank you Lord 00:48 for giving us life today and we are about 00:52 to open and study your word now Lord. 00:54 And we know that your word has a message 00:56 for us and lessons for us to learn. 00:59 I just pray father that you would open our eyes 01:02 and our ears to receive your word with 01:04 gladness in Jesus name Amen. 01:07 Witch altar, you probably think what is 01:12 that mean, witch altar, I would like 01:14 to look today at two kings of the Old Testament. 01:18 The first king we are going to look at 01:20 is named Jeroboam, King Jeroboam. 01:23 Please look at first Kings Chapter 12, 01:27 First Kings Chapter 12 and beginning 01:29 with verse 26 we are going to read several 01:32 scriptures in a row. 01:37 And Jeroboam said in his heart, 01:39 "Now the kingdom may return to the house 01:42 of David: If these people go up to offer 01:46 sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, 01:50 then the heart of this people will turn back 01:52 to their Lord, Rehoboam King of Judah, 01:56 and they will kill me and go back to 01:57 Rehoboam King of Judah." 01:59 Therefore the king asked advice, 02:01 made two calves of gold, and said to the 02:05 people, "It is too much for you to 02:07 go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, 02:10 O Israel, which brought you up from the 02:12 land of Egypt!" And he set up one in Bethel, 02:16 and the other he put in Dan. 02:19 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went 02:23 to worship before the one as far as Dan. 02:26 He made shrines on the high places, 02:30 and made priests from every class of people, 02:33 who were not of the sons of Levi. 02:35 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the 15 day 02:38 of the 8th month, like the feast that was in Judah, 02:41 and offered sacrifices on the altar. 02:44 So he did at Bethel, sacrificing 02:46 to the calves that he had made. 02:48 And at Bethel he installed the priests 02:51 of the high places which he had made. 02:53 So he made offerings on the altar which 02:55 he had made at Bethel on the 15 day of the 02:58 8th month, in the month which he had devised 03:01 in his own heart. And he ordained a feast 03:05 for the children of Israel, and offered 03:06 sacrifices on the altar and burned incense. 03:11 What was Jeroboam trying to accomplish 03:14 here. Well he was worried, he was worried that 03:16 if the people were to travel this long distance back 03:20 to Jerusalem to offer sacrifice that they would 03:24 just decide may be to just stay there 03:26 and next thing you know his kingdom would 03:29 fall apart. So, what did he do 03:32 Jeroboam plunged the entire nation of Israel 03:36 into national apostasy. Blatant idol worship 03:41 you think how can something like this be, 03:44 how can, how can a man even a king 03:48 do something like this institute a national form 03:51 of worship. Different then what God has 03:54 specified for they were worshiping two 03:57 golden calves, two false images, two false Gods. 04:03 I'm gonna look today at this thing we call idolatry. 04:09 Now, what is idolatry, 04:12 I looked up the word idolatry 04:13 and I found two definitions, the first is the worship 04:17 of a physical object as a God. 04:20 These people were practicing idolatry. 04:25 They were bow and down to worship, worshiping these 04:28 calves, these golden calves, as if they were the 04:31 God who had brought them out of land of Egypt. 04:35 Well you know something like this just 04:38 God just couldn't let it go. 04:40 God could not just sweep this little thing 04:43 under the rug. So we continue to read 04:47 in First Kings now chapter 13 verses 1 to 3. 04:52 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to 04:56 Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam 05:00 stood by the altar to burn incense. 05:02 Then he cried out against the altar 05:05 by the word of the Lord, and said, 05:07 "O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: 05:10 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, 05:14 shall be born to the house of David; 05:16 and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of 05:20 the high places who burn incense on you 05:22 and men's bones shall be burned on you." 05:26 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, 05:28 "This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: 05:33 Surely the altar shall split apart, 05:35 and the ashes on it shall be poured out." 05:40 Here was Jeroboam sitting so proud over this 05:43 national apostasy, this natural form of worship 05:47 that he had setup but on come, on the scene 05:50 comes a man of God, a prophet when I told his 05:53 name just a man of God and all of a sudden 05:58 he pronounces a curse on Jeroboam. 06:02 And he prophesize the coming of one named 06:05 Josiah a king who would destroy the false 06:10 altars made to the heathen God's. 06:12 Oh! As you could imagine Jeroboam weren't too happy 06:17 about that this is something that he had done. 06:19 He had built it up and he didn't want anyone 06:21 speaking against it. He didn't want anyone to 06:24 say this is not the will of God. 06:27 How do Jeroboam respond we continue on with verse 4. 06:31 And he came to pass when King Jeroboam heard 06:34 the saying of the man of God, who cried out 06:38 against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out 06:40 his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" 06:44 Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, 06:47 withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 06:51 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes 06:54 poured out from the altar, according to the sign 06:57 which the man of God had given by 06:59 the word of the Lord. Then the king answered and 07:02 said to the man of God, "Please entreat the 07:06 favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, 07:09 that my hand may be restored to me." 07:12 So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the 07:14 king's hand was restored to him, 07:15 and became as before. See Jeroboam 07:20 decided that he was going to silence his man of God, 07:23 he was gonna stand for such blasphemy against himself, 07:26 he was gonna sin for this type of talk. 07:29 So, he decided to take the man of God into custody. 07:35 However Jeroboam received an instant judgment 07:38 from God. Instant judgment, the thing with his 07:43 hand; withered hand and of course God and 07:46 his mercy when the man of God entreated and prayed 07:49 for him; the man of God prayed for him 07:54 and Jeroboam was restored. 07:56 Well, you would think; you would think that 07:59 something like this might cause Jeroboam to 08:02 maybe have a change of heart, maybe to think 08:06 about this path that he was headed down. 08:09 This path that he was leading God's children down 08:14 a path to destruction. Did Jeroboam change his ways, 08:19 no. For in verse 33 we read that, After this event 08:24 Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but 08:26 again he made priests from every class of 08:28 the people for the high places; whoever wished, 08:33 he consecrated him, and he became one of the 08:36 priests of the high places. And this thing was 08:38 the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to 08:40 exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth. 08:44 Did Jeroboam change his ways? 08:45 No. He did not, he was unwilling, 08:48 he was unwilling to bend to the will of God. 08:51 This form of worship that he had set up, 08:54 he considered it of at most importance. 08:56 And he was not willing even to listen to the man 08:59 God who had pronounced such a judgment. 09:04 Now we skip ahead about 300 years 09:07 and sure enough just as was prophesized 09:11 a king by the name of Josiah came on the scene. 09:15 Lets look at that in Second Kings Chapter 22, 09:19 Second Kings Chapter 22, beginning at verse 1 09:25 it says, Josiah was 8 years old when he became 09:28 king and he reigned 31 years in Jerusalem. 09:32 His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of 09:35 Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right 09:39 in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all 09:42 the ways of his father David; he did not 09:45 turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 09:50 Josiah you see was a faithful servant of God 09:53 and a faithful king to his people. 09:55 Now think back with me in your mind 09:59 what was Josiah famous for, what is 10:03 Josiah known for in scripture. Perhaps our 10:07 children have learned it in Sabbath school class. 10:10 Josiah was the king who had a burden for the 10:14 temple to see the temple rebuilt. 10:17 It was falling apart, it looked disgraceful 10:20 and so he gathered together the treasury. 10:23 With the treasury he said I want to rebuild 10:25 the temple to make it good and strong again. 10:32 We continue that as we find that Josiah 10:38 commissioned the rebuilding of the temple 10:41 and one day something happened. 10:43 Some other guys have been working down 10:45 in the basement may be and they found 10:47 something. Let's look at that 10:50 Second Kings 22 and verse 8. Then Hilkiah 10:53 the high priest said to Shaphan the scribe, 10:57 "I have found the Book of the Law 10:59 in the house of the Lord." 11:02 And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he 11:04 read it. So Shaphan the scribe went to the king, 11:07 bringing the king word, saying, 11:09 "Your servants have gathered the money 11:11 that was found in the house, and had delivered 11:13 it into the hand of those who do the work, 11:16 who oversee the house of the Lord." 11:17 Then Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, 11:19 "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." 11:23 And Shaphan read it before the king. Now it happen 11:28 when the king heard the words of the book of the law 11:31 that he tore his clothes. What do you think 11:37 possibly Josiah was thinking, can you imagine 11:42 the king sitting there and he is sitting maybe 11:44 on his throne and the scribe comes to him and 11:47 says we found a book, the book of the law, 11:50 one of the books of Moses. We want to read it to you 11:53 king. The king Josiah sits and he listens with great 11:59 intent, all of a sudden maybe you see a tear 12:05 begin to roll down his cheek. Maybe he begins 12:10 to squirm in his seat a little bit. The things 12:16 that they were reading were not pleasant things. 12:18 They were judgment that God had pronounced 12:21 upon his people because they had loss side 12:25 of him because they had disobeyed time 12:29 and time and time again. What was Josiah's response, 12:34 did he take the words lightly? No he rent his 12:38 clothes, it made him sad friends. However 12:43 at that point he kind of made a little resolve in his mind. 12:46 See the king discerned in his volume a treasure 12:49 of knowledge, a powerful alloy in the work of reform 12:53 he is so much desired to see wrath in his land. 12:56 He resolved to walk in the light of its councils 12:59 and also to do all in his power to acquaint his 13:02 people with his teachings and to lead them 13:05 if possible to cultivate reverence and love 13:08 for the law of heaven. Well, he wanted to 13:11 know are the things in this book, are they 13:15 really going to happen. Is that really going 13:17 to happen the destruction coming upon 13:21 God's people is it really going to be as it says. 13:26 So, the first thing he did was he sent his man 13:28 to go find a prophetess by the name of Hulda. 13:30 She was known to have a relationship with God 13:34 and she spoke for God from time to time. 13:36 And he said to find out were these things really 13:40 going to happen, were the things going to happen 13:43 to his people was there anyway out of it. 13:47 We read her response in verse 15, it says, 13:53 Then she said to them, "Thus says the Lord God of Israel, 13:55 'Tell the man who sent you to Me, 13:57 "Thus says the Lord: 'Behold, I will bring 14:01 calamity on this place and on its inhabitants 14:05 all the words of the book which the king of Judah 14:08 has read because they have forsaken Me and burned 14:11 incense to other Gods, that they might provoke Me 14:13 to anger with all the works of their hands. 14:15 Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against 14:18 this place and shall not be quenched. 14:20 "But as for the king of Judah, 14:24 who sent you to inquire of the Lord, 14:26 in this manner you shall speak to him, 14:29 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel: 14:30 "Concerning the words which you have heard 14:32 because your heart was tender, and you humbled 14:36 yourself before the Lord when you heard what I 14:38 spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, 14:40 that they would become a desolation and a curse, 14:43 and you tore your clothes and you wept 14:45 before Me, I also have heard you," 14:50 says the Lord. Surely, therefore, I will 14:53 gather you to your fathers, and you shall be 14:56 gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes 15:00 shall not see all the calamity which I will bring 15:02 on this place." So they brought back word 15:05 to the king. This prophetess she confirmed 15:10 all that the Lord had spoken would come to 15:14 pass. There was no way around it, no getting out 15:17 of it, it was going to happen. However because of 15:22 his dedication to God it would not happen 15:25 in the lifetime of Josiah and his kingdom would 15:28 see much peace. I guess it must have been 15:33 a blessing for Josiah to hear this that he wouldn't 15:37 have to see the destruction of his people. 15:41 So, what did he do, what did Josiah do, 15:44 did he just sit back and enjoy life 15:47 and decide let things go as they were. 15:49 No, if you read the enter book of Second 15:53 Kings Chapter 23 you will find that Josiah 15:56 went on a holy quest to destroy all the heathen 16:00 worship places. All the false altars, the false God's, 16:04 false things. In fact it says that, he went throughout 16:11 the land, knocking down altars and burning everything 16:15 that he could. In verses 14 and 15 we find that 16:19 he actually did what was prophesized 300 years ago, 16:24 he broken pieces of the sacred pillars and cut down 16:27 the wooden images, and even destroyed the 16:29 high place that Jeroboam had setup. 16:31 He fulfilled this prophecy that had been foretold 16:35 300 years ago. I wanna look at this story if we 16:40 wrap it up in a nutshell a little bit. 16:41 How do this story go, first of all we find that 16:44 when Josiah read the word of God that he felt 16:48 his own guilt and his own shame and ashamed of 16:50 his people and he brought him to his knees. 16:53 It should be the same with us friends. 16:56 When we read this word, this word will point out 17:01 our failures and where we have let God down, 17:05 if we are not living in accordance with his will 17:09 then this word should bring us to our knees. 17:12 Should point out where we have failed God. 17:14 Well after hearing the word of God 17:19 from the prophetess, he resolved in his heart 17:23 to make a change for his people. He decided 17:27 that things weren't going to continue on as they 17:30 were that the people were going to continue to 17:32 worship these false God. He was going to send his 17:34 people throughout the land and even go himself 17:36 and destroy these false idols. Destroy this form 17:42 of national apostasy. His chief concern 17:47 was this idolatry that was being practice 17:50 by his people and he did this why, 17:53 because of conviction. Conviction that reading 17:57 the word of God had brought to him. 18:01 Have you ever been convicted of some 18:02 practice in your life, has the Holy Spirit ever come 18:07 to you and said you need to let this go. 18:10 You need to do away with this practice in your life. 18:13 What was your response? Did you cover away and 18:16 said no I must have this, I must hang on to it or did 18:20 you say, yes God, I give it to you, I give it to you to 18:24 do with what you will. How did you respond? 18:30 Is it possible that God's people today might still 18:34 be practicing some form of idolatry? 18:38 You see brother how can that be, how can that be 18:40 we don't bow down to golden calves anymore, 18:42 no that's true, we do not, but it's a possibly is a 18:46 possible that we could be practicing idolatry in a 18:49 different form today. I would like to look at 18:52 our second definition of idolatry. 18:55 Our second definition of idolatry says this, 18:59 immoderate attachment or devotion 19:02 to something or someone. Immoderate attachment 19:07 or devotion to something or someone. 19:11 What are you attached to today friend. 19:14 I have a paragraph I would like to read to you, 19:17 it's a bit long but we're gonna get through it 19:19 because I think there is some important; an 19:22 important message here that we need to hear today. 19:25 It's from a little article call the Home Missionary 19:27 it's dated December 1st 1894. The sad thing in 19:33 our churches today, is that Jesus is 19:36 misrepresented by in the character of those who 19:38 profess to be his followers. Many claim to believe in 19:43 and love Jesus, while they do neither. They advocate 19:48 the law of God, but are transgressors 19:51 of its precepts. The first four commandments 19:54 require supreme love to God. Parents, children, 19:57 wife, husband, houses, lands, or any other earthly 20:02 treasures whether of friends or property are not 20:05 to be loyal loved selfishly and thus become an idol 20:10 to divert the mind, the time, the service, from God. 20:15 He that loves and serves mammon, cannot love 20:18 and serve God supremely. When friends and 20:21 relations are loved with inordinate affection, 20:23 they are talking the place in the heart, where God 20:26 should be. "Ye, therefore, beloved, seeing ye know 20:29 these things before, beware lest ye also being 20:32 led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your 20:34 own steadfastness." Love not the world, neither the 20:37 things that are in the world. If any man love 20:39 the world, the love of the father is not in him. " 20:43 Know ye not that the friendship of the world is 20:45 enmity with God? Whosever therefore will 20:47 be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." 20:51 Here idolatry is plainly revealed, as existing in 20:55 those who claim to worship God. 20:58 The pure, refined ennobling love is buried 21:01 up by the love of carnal things. This is the true 21:05 witness represents as a fearful loss inexperience 21:09 and character building the loss of the first love." 21:12 Remember therefore from whence thou are fallen, 21:14 and repent and do the first works; or else I will come 21:17 unto thee quickly, and will remove thy 21:19 candlestick out of his place except thou repent." 21:21 The true Witness sends forth this warning. 21:24 Mercy and the love of God are the 21:26 attributes of his throne. While claming to be the 21:28 subjects of the kingdom of God, and yet refusing 21:31 to be converted from their selfish love, their stern, 21:35 iron will, their own perverse ways, many are 21:39 constantly bearing a false testimony of Jesus Christ. 21:44 You see today I'm wondering if there are 21:48 other forms of idolatry that might be grabbing 21:53 a hold of us. You see the Satan wants to, he wants 21:57 to throw anything at you that he can that will keep 22:01 you from spending time with God, things that he 22:05 can throw at you that will keep you from doing the 22:08 work of God, things that will keep you from 22:12 spending time in Bible study or in prayer, things 22:15 that will keep you from attending services at 22:18 church, from attending things like prayer meeting 22:21 and morning worship service, things that will 22:24 keep you from spending time with God and may 22:28 be witnessing and sharing, things that will 22:31 keep you from doing the will of God. 22:36 You know A.C. Nielsen reports that the average 22:40 American watches more than 4 hours of television 22:44 everyday. This is the average American okay. 22:48 In a 65 year lifespan that's about 9 years of TV 22:53 watching. In the year 2001 U.S. consumers 22:57 spent a record $19 billions in home movie 23:01 rentals and sales. Now, I'm I saying the TV is bad 23:06 no of course not, if you are watching this program 23:08 you probably watching TV possibly on the Three 23:11 Angels Broadcasting Network. Now I'm familiar with 23:15 those who lead out at Three Angels 23:17 Broadcasting Network. And I think that they 23:20 would never tell you that you should put this book 23:22 down and watch 3ABN. You believe that, I don't 23:26 believe that you would ever hear them say just 23:27 put this book down and watch 3ABN, no. 23:29 Those who lead out in this ministry would tell 23:32 you study this book. However, how many 23:35 hours in a week's time do we bow down at the altar 23:39 of the television instead of spending time in 23:42 studying God's word. A pole taken in 2005 23:48 shows that 35 percent of American adults log on to 23:52 the internet at least once each day. 23:56 What's on the internet can be a 23:57 blessing or it can a curse. Now am I saying the 24:01 internet is bad? Of course not there are ways of 24:03 reaching people with the gospel that possibly the 24:06 internet is the only thing they have. 24:08 These third world countries, where they are 24:10 able to turn their computer on and receive 24:12 the three angels messages, receive the 24:15 good news of the gospel, right there on their 24:17 computer that's wonderful and I'm not trying to 24:20 discount that, but if we spend too much time 24:24 sitting at the computer, instead of time in prayer 24:28 are we bowing down at the altar of the computer 24:31 instead of spending time alone in prayer with God? 24:38 I read a study that said 30 percent of adults in North 24:42 America suffer from compulsive overeating. 24:47 How many times have we bowed down the altar of 24:49 the kitchen table instead of maybe denying our 24:53 bellies a little more sort of food, so that may be 24:55 we might have a clear mind and be able to 24:58 discern the Holy Spirit speaking to us. 25:02 How many times have we done that? 25:05 Have we ever neglected the church service. 25:09 Have we ever neglected the Bible study group, 25:12 have we ever neglected the prayer meeting 25:14 service because we wanna spend time with 25:16 friends or family. Friends, I'm not saying there 25:20 is anything wrong spending time with 25:22 friends and family, but don't neglect the worship 25:25 service, don't neglect the prayer service, 25:27 don't neglect the Bible study service in order to 25:30 just glad to have fun with friends and family. 25:33 These things not ought to be. 25:37 I recently was listening to 3ABN radio and I was 25:41 listening to a sermon by Pastor David Asscherick 25:44 and Pastor Asscherick made this point that there 25:48 was a time in U.S., I guess he is talking 25:52 about the United States probably the world. 25:54 There was a time before Christian television; there 25:57 was a time before Christian radio, there was 26:00 a time before the internet, where the gospel is being 26:03 preached that God's people actually spent time 26:07 studying their Bibles. Has that time come and gone 26:12 or we contend to just pop in a good Christian video 26:15 and let it take the place of studying the word for 26:19 yourself or we contend to just listen to his sermon 26:22 on the internet instead of going into our knees and 26:25 spending time with God in prayer or we contend 26:30 to go and sit down at the kitchen table and feed our 26:33 stomachs and then later on find out that there was 26:37 no time for God. There was no time to spend 26:40 in prayer; there was no time to spend in possibly 26:44 fasting and seeking God's counsel. I'm not saying 26:50 there is anything wrong with any of these items. 26:53 But, my question today is who comes first in your life. 26:58 Which altar do you bow down to at a regular, 27:01 at regular times, at a constant basis? 27:05 Who is the top priority in your life? Where is your 27:11 devotion, where is your time mostly spent? 27:16 Satan loves to have us, he throws so many things at 27:18 us that keep us busy all the time. And the next 27:21 thing you know the day is gone and we have not 27:23 spent anytime in prayer. We have not spent 27:26 anytime in Bible study. We are not spent anytime 27:29 in witnessing. We have not spent anytime in quiet 27:34 devotional time. Friend today I would hope that 27:39 as you get up each morning that you would 27:41 bow down at the altar of the God of heaven instead 27:44 of the altar of so many things that come at us 27:47 from one side of the other. 27:49 Bow down to the altar of Jesus today and know 27:52 that he longs to save you in his kingdom. |
Revised 2014-12-17