2 Kings #16: The Danger of Careless Faith
This is an exposition of 2 Kings 12:1-21. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, October 23, 2016.
Intro:
The life we are called to, as the people of God, is no walk in the park. It is a difficult, demanding life. After all Jesus said things like, “If you want to be my disciple you must take up your cross daily and follow me.” The cross is not a metaphor for inconvenience, it is a metaphor for death! Further, the context in which Jesus said, “Take up your cross and follow me,” was just after telling his disciples about his suffering and dying. Meaning, be prepared to follow me into death. To live a godly life in a godless world demands discipline, dedication and determination. You don’t just “fall” into it. There must be conscious effort. We are to strive for holiness. We are to be on guard. Paul says the Old Testament is written for our benefit (1 Corinthians 10). That we might learn from their example. That we might not fall into the same errors. As we work our way through 2 Kings we find plenty of bad examples. Kings who are generally faithful but do not follow the Lord with all their heart. We come upon times of renewal when the people turn from the worship of Baal but then leave the “high place.” As we work through 2 Kings 12 we will learn some valuable lessons from the reign of Joash. It is not a very exciting chapter. I did my best to skip it all together but there is something for us in this rather mundane summary. In fact we learn of the danger of a careless faith.
Text: 2 Kings 12:1-21
Have you noticed that times of crisis tend to strengthen your faith?
When times are tough you tend to pray more, read Scripture with urgency and strive to believe?
When things get better you tend to become lax?
2 Kings 11 was one of those crisis moments.
The promise of God was hanging on such a slender thread – a single infant.
Treachery, assassination, betrayal – intrigue, coverup – how would the nation survive?
As time passes, life becomes routine and faithfulness again is in short supply.
2 Kings 12 serves to remind us that…
Thesis: As the people of God we must constantly be aware of our natural tendency to become lax in our faith in times of relative ease.
I want to draw three principles from the reign of Joash that we would do well to note.
- The glory of God in the routine and ordinary is often overlooked. (12:1-3)
- The work of God is often hindered by simple neglect or lack of attention. (12:4-16)
- The things of God are too often sacrificed on the altar of expediency. (12:17-18)
Conclusion:
His story began so well. The last hope of a desperate nation. The thread that kept the promise of God alive. He persevered in the successful renovation of the temple. Yet his story ends on a sour note. He turned his back on God and His temple and pursued the worthless fertility gods of the peoples around them. He looted the temple of God in order to hang onto his own power. That proved futile because he was assassinated by his own servants (12:20-21).
His life should serve as a flashing yellow light wringing of the danger of a careless faith. You may be orthodox in your profession but unless you are kept by the power and grace of God – what will prevent your falling away?
Jehoash’s failure ought to cause us to lift our eyes to the Descendant of David who does not disappoint – the Lord Jesus.