Our Deepest Desire H a rd to Find Two Completely Different Outcomes - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Our Deepest Desire

Hard to Find

Two Completely Different Outcomes

The Story

2 Kings 16–18

The Beginning

• f the End

Story One

• A. Everything is a Mess

Besieged

“The king of Assyria invaded all the land and came to Samaria; for three years he besieged it. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria captured Samaria; he carried the Israelites away to Assyria.” 17:5–6

• B. The Reason

“This occurred because the people

• f Israel had sinned

against the Lord their God.” 17:7

• 1. Having other “things”

determine my life

• 2. Doing what everyone

else is doing

• 3. Ignoring His will
• 4. Deciding what He

wants

• 5. Missing the purpose
• f your life
• 6. Doing pure evil

“They had worshiped other gods and walked in the customs of the nations whom the Lord drove out before the people of Israel… The people of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the Lord their God.” 17:7-8

About a Person

Ignoring God

• C. God Had Enough

“…they sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger. So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.” 17:17–18

• D. Grace?

He Warned Them

“Yet the Lord warned Israel and Judah by every prophet and every seer, saying, ‘Turn from your evil ways and keep my commandments and my statutes, in accordance with all the law that I commanded your ancestors and that I sent to you by my servants the prophets.’ They would not listen but were stubborn, as their ancestors had been, who did not believe in the Lord their God.” 17:13–14

Story Two

Hezekiah

“Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, the God of Israel. He held fast to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given

• Moses. And the LORD

was with him; he was successful in whatever he undertook.” 18:5–7

• A. It Is A Mess

“The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours? You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?’”

18:7, 19–20

• B. The Reason

Evil in this World

“‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king

• f Assyria: I will

give you two thousand horses —if you can put riders on them!’”

• vs. 23

• C. Pressure from

the World

“Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; Choose life and not death! “Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?” 18:28–33

• D. The Response

“When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, you alone are God over all the kingdoms of the

• earth. You have made

heaven and earth. Give ear, LORD, and hear;

• pen your eyes, LORD,

and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.” 18:14–16

• E. Who God Is

“Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed? Against whom have you raised your voice and lifted your eyes in pride? Against the Holy One of Israel! By your messengers you have ridiculed the Lord. This is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria: ‘He will not enter this city or shoot an arrow here.’” 19:20, 22, 32

• F. Life Continues

“In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’ Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, ‘Remember, LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.’ And Hezekiah wept bitterly.” Isaiah 38:1–3

“I have heard your prayer…”

“Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: “Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God

• f your father David, says: I have

heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria.” 20:4–6

A Story of Life and Salvation for All

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Faith Recognition Obedience