Sis Alice Sunday School 10/2/11

Sis Alice Sunday School 10/2/11

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

When iniquity abounds we need our love even more.  He that shall endure to the end shall be saved.

Josiah did not turn to the right or the left; He sought God and sought God’s help.  He had a major reform and clean up of all the idols.  We must do the same.  We must clean out anything that does not agree with the Word of God.

In Acts, the Jewish people had books that were of the curious arts and they thought they were written of Solomon.  We don’t want to have anything that is strange no matter whom it was written by. 

Because people were melancholy and distracted, those of curious arts were able to attract them.  It is a duty of ours to keep the joy of the Lord which is our strength. 

We also need to have goals in order to not be distracted.  Some of those goals are to bear one another’s burdens and to be burdened toward the lost.  Christ is really truly the answer to heartache and turmoil. 

On Friday I felt emotionally and spiritually battled.  My brother asked me to go to a mountain lake and the scripture came to me that He will keep him in perfect peace whose heart is perfect towards Him.  Another scripture came to me too where Job, after God had restored his children to them, named one of them “He restores plenteously.”

2Ch 34:33  And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

Josiah took ALL the abominations and made all that were present to serve God.  In these days it is not politically correct to ask where a person’s heart is and if they are serving God.  Because we care, we need to ask others even if they become offended.

2Ch 35:1  Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.

2Ch 35:2  And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

2Ch 35:3  And said unto the Levites that taught all Israel, which were holy unto the LORD, Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David king of Israel did build; it shall not be a burden upon your shoulders: serve now the LORD your God, and his people Israel,

2Ch 35:4  And prepare yourselves by the houses of your fathers, after your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel, and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

2Ch 35:5  And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people, and after the division of the families of the Levites.

2Ch 35:6  So kill the passover, and sanctify yourselves, and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

2Ch 35:7  And Josiah gave to the people, of the flock, lambs and kids, all for the passover offerings, for all that were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks: these were of the king's substance.

2Ch 35:8  And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites: Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle, and three hundred oxen.

2Ch 35:9  Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for passover offerings five thousand small cattle, and five hundred oxen.

2Ch 35:10  So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place, and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.

2Ch 35:11  And they killed the passover, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

2Ch 35:12  And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people, to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

2Ch 35:13  And they roasted the passover with fire according to the ordinance: but the other holy offerings sod they in pots, and in caldrons, and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.

2Ch 35:14  And afterward they made ready for themselves, and for the priests: because the priests the sons of Aaron were busied in offering of burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves, and for the priests the sons of Aaron.

2Ch 35:15  And the singers the sons of Asaph were in their place, according to the commandment of David, and Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun the king's seer; and the porters waited at every gate; they might not depart from their service; for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

2Ch 35:16  So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day, to keep the passover, and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of king Josiah.

2Ch 35:17  And the children of Israel that were present kept the passover at that time, and the feast of unleavened bread seven days.

2Ch 35:18  And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

Not only did Josiah remove the abominations he also started true worship again.  We need to fill the vessel with good things after we have removed the bad.  It didn’t seem that the people were completely in the change.  It seems that Josiah was pushing for it and used all the influence of his throne and His position to push for true worship. 

No one had a Passover like this Passover clear from Samuel all the way through.  They used many animals.  It cost them something.  If we are going to give all our heart and energy to serving God then it will cost us something. 

The story of two barracks that were encouraged to keep their barracks clean.  One company was told to threaten the soldiers and tell them that it was going to be taken out of their pay if they didn’t keep it clean. 
Another company was told to encourage the soldiers to keep it clean and give positive input for their good works.  All the months that they used these positive and negative reinforcements, all kept the barracks clean. 
They then let three months go with no threats or encouragement to clean the barracks.  After the three months they checked and those that were threatened no longer had clean barracks.  Those that were encouraged still had clean barracks.

Josiah encouraged them that their position in the body was to serve.  If we are going to be successful then we need to find our position in the body and fill it and keep on keeping on even if we don’t feel appreciated.

Josiah kept the Passover according to the rule exactly.  He performed it with exactness, exactly as the word of God says.

1Ch 23:30  And to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at even;

1Ch 23:31  And to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD in the sabbaths, in the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number, according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD:

1Ch 23:32  And that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, in the service of the house of the LORD.

Thanksgiving and praise does a lot for us.  If we will sing a song and begin to praise Him it will help us.

Praise (in Strongs Concordance reference number 1984) means to be clear.  Praise is an admiration. 
Thanksgiving is to be grateful.  Praise puts the focus on God.  Thanksgiving has the focus on us in that we are thankful for this or that that God has done for us and our brothern.  Thanksgiving is to revere or worship with open hands.  Praise and thanksgiving is our joyful duty.

These men were instructed to praise and to thank God every morning and evening.  We need to find our place in the body and keep it faithfully with praise and thanksgiving.

1Pe 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

We are to show forth the praises of God.

Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Continually: the story of the enemy sowing seeds of doubt and having trouble because the barn was full of seeds of gratitude.

Col 3:15  And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Let the peace of God rule:  making fun of people is not godly. 

I hear people cursing God in public why should we not praise God in public?  I want to be free and liberal in praising and thanking God.

1Th 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

God will use everything in our lives to help us to serve and please God.  Pain is a great teacher; we can even be thankful for pain because of what we learn through it.

Isa 60:18  Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

There is nothing like salvation for security and nothing can take that from us.

Psa 147:12  Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.

Psa 147:13  For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

There is strength in praise.  The gates to go in and out to find pasture are praise.  Think of the beautiful green pastures of the paths of righteousness.  We can have a life of praise and encouraged because of salvation.  He meets those that rejoice and inhabits our praise. 

Psa 113:1  Praise ye the LORD. Praise, O ye servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD.

Psa 113:2  Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

Psa 113:3  From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised.

Psa 113:4  The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens.

Psa 113:5  Who is like unto the LORD our God, who dwelleth on high,

Psa 113:6  Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!

Psa 113:7  He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill;

Psa 113:8  That he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

Psa 113:9  He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.

He is worthy and is due our praise.  Josiah encouraged the Levites to serve God and to serve the people.  One way to do this is to have our hearts full of praise.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Isa 61:3  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

You think of the ashes of our loved ones that have gone on and the beauty of knowing that they served God.
 God will comfort us.  Knowing those we love are in sin and not seeking God is a heaviness and if we lift our heart to God he will lift that and give us praise.

The Lord’s Supper comes the closest to celebrating the Passover.  The Passover is symbolic of Christ’s blood being applied to our lives.  We want to make sure that we hold the traditions that have been taught us of the Lord’s Supper and of foot washing.

Prepare the brothern:  We each have a preparation to do in praying for the service and setting the past behind us so that we can have our minds free and clear of duties so that we can worship together coming with everything that we have to put into it.  We want to be a help to those that have studied.

The number of animals that Josiah gave was many more than those that David or Solomon gave.  He was wealthy but not half as wealthy as Solomon.  The princes followed Josiah’s example.   If we will give the example, others will follow.

To endure to the end:  be content in the season of life where we are, I’ve been challenged to not live just looking to retirement. 

Keep unspotted from the world.  Don’t be entangled with the things of this life, the affairs of the world. 

Hold fast that profession.  Provoke one another in love.  Don’t let any of the saints become common to us, hold them each with a special regard. 

Bear one another’s burdens, pray the Lord of the harvest that He would send out laborers.