Title: Uzziah's Pride: Famous King to Excluded Leper Meta: In King Uzziah we see the sad biography of how fame and pride destroyed him. He was unfaithful to the Lord and was rebuked by 80 men of valor for his actions, but rather than heed their warning, he responded in anger and defended himself. So also in our generation, we've sadly seen many pastors go from famous preachers to fallen adulterers. Uzziah's life is an example and warning to us of the danger of pride and thinking you are beyond criticism. Tags: pride,humility,Uzziah,prayer,2 Chronicles 26:16 1 00:00:01,838 --> 00:00:04,432 Go ahead and turn in your Bibles 2 00:00:04,432 --> 00:00:07,464 to 2 Chronicles 26. 3 00:00:07,464 --> 00:00:10,644 We're going to read the whole chapter 4 00:00:10,644 --> 00:00:19,143 starting in verse 1. 5 00:00:19,143 --> 00:00:23,252 "And all the people of Judah took Uzziah 6 00:00:23,252 --> 00:00:25,691 who was 16 years old, 7 00:00:25,691 --> 00:00:27,322 and made him king 8 00:00:27,322 --> 00:00:30,426 instead of his father Amaziah. 9 00:00:30,426 --> 00:00:33,379 He built Eloth and restored it to Judah, 10 00:00:33,379 --> 00:00:36,497 after the king slept with his fathers. 11 00:00:36,497 --> 00:00:38,416 Uzziah was 16 years old 12 00:00:38,416 --> 00:00:40,071 when he began to reign. 13 00:00:40,071 --> 00:00:43,271 And he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. 14 00:00:43,271 --> 00:00:47,453 His mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. 15 00:00:47,453 --> 00:00:49,022 And he did what was right 16 00:00:49,022 --> 00:00:50,670 in the eyes of the Lord 17 00:00:50,670 --> 00:00:54,133 according to all that his father Amaziah had done. 18 00:00:54,133 --> 00:00:57,163 He set himself to seek God 19 00:00:57,163 --> 00:00:59,150 in the days of Zechariah, 20 00:00:59,150 --> 00:01:01,938 who instructed him in the fear of God, 21 00:01:01,938 --> 00:01:04,610 and as long as he sought the Lord, 22 00:01:04,610 --> 00:01:06,711 God made him prosper. 23 00:01:06,711 --> 00:01:07,906 He went out and made war 24 00:01:07,906 --> 00:01:09,491 against the Philistines, 25 00:01:09,491 --> 00:01:12,260 and broke through the wall of Gath 26 00:01:12,260 --> 00:01:13,951 and the wall of Jabneh 27 00:01:13,951 --> 00:01:15,845 and the wall of Ashdod, 28 00:01:15,845 --> 00:01:18,924 and he built cities in the territory of Ashdod 29 00:01:18,924 --> 00:01:21,672 and elsewhere among the Philistines. 30 00:01:21,672 --> 00:01:23,469 God helped him 31 00:01:23,469 --> 00:01:24,894 against the Philistines 32 00:01:24,894 --> 00:01:26,535 and against the Arabians 33 00:01:26,535 --> 00:01:28,280 who lived in Gurbaal 34 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,363 and against the Meunites. 35 00:01:30,363 --> 00:01:34,726 The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah, 36 00:01:34,726 --> 00:01:37,293 and his fame spread 37 00:01:37,293 --> 00:01:40,042 even to the border of Egypt. 38 00:01:40,042 --> 00:01:43,677 For he became very strong. 39 00:01:43,677 --> 00:01:46,856 Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem 40 00:01:46,856 --> 00:01:48,649 at the Corner Gate 41 00:01:48,649 --> 00:01:50,163 and at the Valley Gate 42 00:01:50,163 --> 00:01:51,443 and at the Angle, 43 00:01:51,443 --> 00:01:53,126 and fortified them. 44 00:01:53,126 --> 00:01:54,901 And he built towers in the wilderness 45 00:01:54,901 --> 00:01:56,662 and cut out many cisterns, 46 00:01:56,662 --> 00:01:58,958 for he had large herds, 47 00:01:58,958 --> 00:02:01,791 both in Shephelah and the plain, 48 00:02:01,791 --> 00:02:03,700 and he had farmers and vinedressers 49 00:02:03,700 --> 00:02:05,754 in the hills and in the fertile lands, 50 00:02:05,754 --> 00:02:08,329 for he loved the soil. 51 00:02:08,329 --> 00:02:11,645 Moreover, Uzziah had an army of soldiers, 52 00:02:11,645 --> 00:02:13,551 fit for war, 53 00:02:13,551 --> 00:02:15,666 in divisions according to the numbers 54 00:02:15,666 --> 00:02:19,313 in the muster made by Jeiel the secretary 55 00:02:19,313 --> 00:02:22,810 and Maaseiah the officer, 56 00:02:22,810 --> 00:02:24,951 under the direction of Hananiah, 57 00:02:24,951 --> 00:02:26,846 one of the king's commanders. 58 00:02:26,846 --> 00:02:29,230 The whole number of the heads of fathers' houses 59 00:02:29,230 --> 00:02:33,086 of mighty men of valor was 2,600. 60 00:02:33,086 --> 00:02:39,103 Under their command was an army of 307,500, 61 00:02:39,103 --> 00:02:41,747 who could make war with mighty power 62 00:02:41,747 --> 00:02:44,209 to help the king against the enemy. 63 00:02:44,209 --> 00:02:46,808 And Uzziah prepared for all the army 64 00:02:46,808 --> 00:02:49,168 shields, spears, helmets, 65 00:02:49,168 --> 00:02:50,875 coats of mail, 66 00:02:50,875 --> 00:02:53,223 bows and stones for slinging. 67 00:02:53,223 --> 00:02:55,312 In Jerusalem he made machines, 68 00:02:55,312 --> 00:02:57,554 invented by skillful men 69 00:02:57,554 --> 00:02:59,970 to be on the towers and the corners, 70 00:02:59,970 --> 00:03:03,604 to shoot arrows and great stones. 71 00:03:03,604 --> 00:03:06,401 And his fame spread far, 72 00:03:06,401 --> 00:03:09,101 for he was marvelously helped 73 00:03:09,101 --> 00:03:12,057 till he was strong. 74 00:03:12,057 --> 00:03:14,081 But when he was strong, 75 00:03:14,081 --> 00:03:15,863 he grew proud, 76 00:03:15,863 --> 00:03:18,303 to his destruction. 77 00:03:18,303 --> 00:03:21,618 For he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, 78 00:03:21,618 --> 00:03:23,523 and he entered the temple of the Lord 79 00:03:23,523 --> 00:03:26,836 to burn incense on the altar of incense. 80 00:03:26,836 --> 00:03:28,629 But Azariah the priest 81 00:03:28,629 --> 00:03:30,632 went in after him 82 00:03:30,632 --> 00:03:33,759 with 80 priests of the Lord, 83 00:03:33,759 --> 00:03:35,660 who were men of valor, 84 00:03:35,660 --> 00:03:37,492 and they withstood King Uzziah 85 00:03:37,492 --> 00:03:39,350 and said to him, 86 00:03:39,350 --> 00:03:42,503 'It is not for you, Uzziah, 87 00:03:42,503 --> 00:03:44,492 to burn incense to the Lord, 88 00:03:44,492 --> 00:03:46,183 but for the priests, 89 00:03:46,183 --> 00:03:47,675 the sons of Aaron, 90 00:03:47,675 --> 00:03:50,294 who are consecrated to burn incense. 91 00:03:50,294 --> 00:03:52,479 Go out of the sanctuary, 92 00:03:52,479 --> 00:03:54,106 for you have done wrong, 93 00:03:54,106 --> 00:03:55,666 and it will bring you no honor 94 00:03:55,666 --> 00:03:58,551 from the Lord God.' 95 00:03:58,551 --> 00:04:01,572 Then Uzziah was angry. 96 00:04:01,572 --> 00:04:03,204 Now he had a censer in his hand 97 00:04:03,204 --> 00:04:05,040 to burn incense, 98 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:06,672 and when he became angry 99 00:04:06,672 --> 00:04:07,945 with the priests, 100 00:04:07,945 --> 00:04:10,774 leprosy broke out on his forehead 101 00:04:10,774 --> 00:04:12,439 in the presence of the priest 102 00:04:12,439 --> 00:04:14,001 in the house of the Lord 103 00:04:14,001 --> 00:04:16,288 by the altar of incense. 104 00:04:16,288 --> 00:04:17,942 And Azariah the chief priest 105 00:04:17,942 --> 00:04:20,472 and all the priests looked at him, 106 00:04:20,472 --> 00:04:23,565 and behold, he was leprous in his forehead, 107 00:04:23,565 --> 00:04:25,771 and they rushed him out quickly. 108 00:04:25,771 --> 00:04:27,877 And he himself hurried to go out, 109 00:04:27,877 --> 00:04:31,423 because the Lord had struck him. 110 00:04:31,423 --> 00:04:32,881 And King Uzziah was a leper 111 00:04:32,881 --> 00:04:35,071 to the day of his death, 112 00:04:35,071 --> 00:04:36,301 and being a leper, 113 00:04:36,301 --> 00:04:38,261 lived in a separate house. 114 00:04:38,261 --> 00:04:39,502 For he was excluded 115 00:04:39,502 --> 00:04:41,643 from the house of the Lord. 116 00:04:41,643 --> 00:04:42,731 And Jotham his son 117 00:04:42,731 --> 00:04:44,205 was over the king's household, 118 00:04:44,205 --> 00:04:46,698 governing the people of the land. 119 00:04:46,698 --> 00:04:48,385 Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, 120 00:04:48,385 --> 00:04:50,143 from the first to the last, 121 00:04:50,143 --> 00:04:53,280 Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz wrote. 122 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:54,934 And Uzziah slept with his fathers, 123 00:04:54,934 --> 00:04:56,725 and they buried him with his fathers 124 00:04:56,725 --> 00:04:59,004 in the burial field that belonged to the kings, 125 00:04:59,004 --> 00:05:00,013 for they said, 126 00:05:00,013 --> 00:05:02,184 'he is a leper.' 127 00:05:02,184 --> 00:05:06,930 And Jotham his son reigned in his place." 128 00:05:06,930 --> 00:05:11,341 Well, that's an interesting biography, isn't it. 129 00:05:11,341 --> 00:05:14,808 It starts out very positive. 130 00:05:14,808 --> 00:05:17,933 Even a young guy in his youth, 131 00:05:17,933 --> 00:05:19,360 put in the place of king, 132 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:20,910 and he set his face to seek God, 133 00:05:20,910 --> 00:05:23,347 and God prospered him. 134 00:05:23,347 --> 00:05:25,096 It's a really encouraging biography 135 00:05:25,096 --> 00:05:27,898 in the beginning. 136 00:05:27,898 --> 00:05:31,213 But he got taken out by pride. 137 00:05:31,213 --> 00:05:32,885 And the ending of his biography 138 00:05:32,885 --> 00:05:35,407 is very sad. 139 00:05:35,407 --> 00:05:37,623 He went from being a famous king - 140 00:05:37,623 --> 00:05:39,793 his fame all the way to Egypt - 141 00:05:39,793 --> 00:05:40,864 to being a leper 142 00:05:40,864 --> 00:05:43,287 who was excluded. 143 00:05:43,287 --> 00:05:44,791 He was a man who couldn't take 144 00:05:44,791 --> 00:05:46,498 criticism and rebuke 145 00:05:46,498 --> 00:05:48,245 in those latter years. 146 00:05:48,245 --> 00:05:50,826 And look what it cost him. 147 00:05:50,826 --> 00:05:56,121 Let's pray. 148 00:05:56,121 --> 00:06:00,310 Father, thank You 149 00:06:00,310 --> 00:06:03,526 for Your faithfulness to us. 150 00:06:03,526 --> 00:06:05,925 Lord, You have marvelously helped us 151 00:06:05,925 --> 00:06:08,672 to this day. 152 00:06:08,672 --> 00:06:11,370 Lord, You have kept us. 153 00:06:11,370 --> 00:06:14,585 You have been so gracious to us. 154 00:06:14,585 --> 00:06:17,396 You began a good work in us. 155 00:06:17,396 --> 00:06:20,191 We trust You'll bring it to completion 156 00:06:20,191 --> 00:06:23,448 at the day of Jesus Christ. 157 00:06:23,448 --> 00:06:26,309 Lord, I pray You'd help right now. 158 00:06:26,309 --> 00:06:29,373 Come, Lord, give us reality. 159 00:06:29,373 --> 00:06:32,902 Help us to learn from this man's mistakes 160 00:06:32,902 --> 00:06:36,082 and even from the things he did right. 161 00:06:36,082 --> 00:06:37,670 In Jesus' name, 162 00:06:37,670 --> 00:06:42,425 Amen. 163 00:06:42,425 --> 00:06:47,107 So how were Uzziah's early days? 164 00:06:47,107 --> 00:06:49,916 How did he get to this point of pride? 165 00:06:49,916 --> 00:06:52,508 And as v. 16 says, 166 00:06:52,508 --> 00:06:56,298 he was unfaithful to the Lord. 167 00:06:56,298 --> 00:06:58,700 Here he was being faithful. 168 00:06:58,700 --> 00:07:01,097 Then, he's unfaithful. 169 00:07:01,097 --> 00:07:02,722 Here he was the king. 170 00:07:02,722 --> 00:07:05,020 Here he's a leper excluded. 171 00:07:05,020 --> 00:07:06,431 How does that happen? 172 00:07:06,431 --> 00:07:09,479 It matters to you. It matters to me this morning, 173 00:07:09,479 --> 00:07:15,128 lest the same things that got him get us. 174 00:07:15,128 --> 00:07:20,192 We find here he reigned as a king at 16. 175 00:07:20,192 --> 00:07:22,847 Sixteen years old. 176 00:07:22,847 --> 00:07:25,263 Previously, his own father Amaziah 177 00:07:25,263 --> 00:07:29,052 had sinned and sought the false gods. 178 00:07:29,052 --> 00:07:33,173 And Amaziah refused counsel 179 00:07:33,173 --> 00:07:35,843 and went to war against counsel. 180 00:07:35,843 --> 00:07:38,596 And at war, he was taken captured. 181 00:07:38,596 --> 00:07:41,687 So that was Uzziah's father. 182 00:07:41,687 --> 00:07:43,990 You think when your father has certain faults, 183 00:07:43,990 --> 00:07:46,061 you'd learn from it to some degree. 184 00:07:46,061 --> 00:07:48,046 You'd take some of those things to heart, 185 00:07:48,046 --> 00:07:50,011 we would hope. 186 00:07:50,011 --> 00:07:52,391 Uzziah, we find in these first verses 187 00:07:52,391 --> 00:07:54,507 of 2 Chronicles 26 - 188 00:07:54,507 --> 00:07:59,647 verse 5 says he set himself to seek God. 189 00:07:59,647 --> 00:08:01,139 We have everything to believe 190 00:08:01,139 --> 00:08:02,856 this man was a man of prayer. 191 00:08:02,856 --> 00:08:03,923 He sought God. 192 00:08:03,923 --> 00:08:05,349 And it even says, 193 00:08:05,349 --> 00:08:08,653 "as long as he sought the Lord, 194 00:08:08,653 --> 00:08:12,650 the Lord God made him prosper." 195 00:08:12,650 --> 00:08:15,442 We find here he was instructed 196 00:08:15,442 --> 00:08:17,556 in the days of Zechariah - 197 00:08:17,556 --> 00:08:20,233 whether Zechariah was alive at that point - 198 00:08:20,233 --> 00:08:21,713 the fact is he was instructed 199 00:08:21,713 --> 00:08:23,601 in the fear of God 200 00:08:23,601 --> 00:08:26,100 in those days. 201 00:08:26,100 --> 00:08:28,779 He was sitting under solid teaching. 202 00:08:28,779 --> 00:08:30,242 He's not in a shallow church. 203 00:08:30,242 --> 00:08:32,223 He's under the truth. 204 00:08:32,223 --> 00:08:38,831 He's being exposed to truth. 205 00:08:38,831 --> 00:08:42,506 What does it mean to fear God? 206 00:08:42,506 --> 00:08:45,850 "...Instructed him in the fear of God." 207 00:08:45,850 --> 00:08:47,848 If you fear God, you don't take lightly 208 00:08:47,848 --> 00:08:50,319 His Word, right? 209 00:08:50,319 --> 00:08:52,102 You read something in the Word, 210 00:08:52,102 --> 00:08:52,950 and you realize, 211 00:08:52,950 --> 00:08:57,028 God forbid I go against that. 212 00:08:57,028 --> 00:09:00,457 God forbid if this position is not for me, 213 00:09:00,457 --> 00:09:02,271 or offering incense is not for me. 214 00:09:02,271 --> 00:09:04,921 God forbid I go and do that. 215 00:09:04,921 --> 00:09:07,115 If it's not for me, I'm not going to do it. 216 00:09:07,115 --> 00:09:09,634 That's part of what the fear of God produces. 217 00:09:09,634 --> 00:09:11,824 It produces a fear of going 218 00:09:11,824 --> 00:09:15,027 and offending the Lord. 219 00:09:15,027 --> 00:09:17,642 You take serious His Word. 220 00:09:17,642 --> 00:09:19,830 Uzziah was being instructed 221 00:09:19,830 --> 00:09:21,817 with that mindset. 222 00:09:21,817 --> 00:09:24,453 Yet, we saw his latter years. 223 00:09:24,453 --> 00:09:27,060 He obviously didn't have that mindset then. 224 00:09:27,060 --> 00:09:30,433 Something happened. 225 00:09:30,433 --> 00:09:31,944 His solid instruction 226 00:09:31,944 --> 00:09:33,871 led him to be a man of prayer. 227 00:09:33,871 --> 00:09:35,443 And God prospered him. 228 00:09:35,443 --> 00:09:36,498 Verse 8 says, 229 00:09:36,498 --> 00:09:39,601 "The Ammonites paid tribute to Uzziah 230 00:09:39,601 --> 00:09:40,943 and his fame spread 231 00:09:40,943 --> 00:09:44,847 even to the borders of Egypt." 232 00:09:44,847 --> 00:09:47,580 That's a decent distance away. 233 00:09:47,580 --> 00:09:49,728 Everyone knew his name. 234 00:09:49,728 --> 00:09:50,948 He had done such things 235 00:09:50,948 --> 00:09:52,609 and he had had victories 236 00:09:52,609 --> 00:09:55,788 that people knew who this man was. 237 00:09:55,788 --> 00:09:57,386 You know, he went from someone 238 00:09:57,386 --> 00:09:59,405 who was just the child of a king, 239 00:09:59,405 --> 00:10:00,673 to becoming king, 240 00:10:00,673 --> 00:10:03,488 and then being made well known. 241 00:10:03,488 --> 00:10:05,987 Being famous as it says. 242 00:10:05,987 --> 00:10:11,476 "His fame spread." 243 00:10:11,476 --> 00:10:13,865 We think about Uzziah - 244 00:10:13,865 --> 00:10:15,958 he was an innovative person. 245 00:10:15,958 --> 00:10:17,670 We saw that in v. 15. 246 00:10:17,670 --> 00:10:20,355 "In Jerusalem, he made machines, 247 00:10:20,355 --> 00:10:22,373 invented by skillful men 248 00:10:22,373 --> 00:10:25,732 to be on the towers and the corners, 249 00:10:25,732 --> 00:10:27,481 to shoot arrows and great stones." 250 00:10:27,481 --> 00:10:28,871 You can just imagine that. 251 00:10:28,871 --> 00:10:31,232 It looks complicated in my mind. 252 00:10:31,232 --> 00:10:33,738 Some type of trebuchet or something. 253 00:10:33,738 --> 00:10:35,859 A catapult. 254 00:10:35,859 --> 00:10:38,780 And his fame spread far 255 00:10:38,780 --> 00:10:41,947 because he was marvelously helped 256 00:10:41,947 --> 00:10:46,828 till he was strong. 257 00:10:46,828 --> 00:10:49,335 In the same way he made machines, 258 00:10:49,335 --> 00:10:52,618 the Lord raises up Christian leaders in our day. 259 00:10:52,618 --> 00:10:55,885 They do things that are very innovative. 260 00:10:55,885 --> 00:11:00,117 They do things to reach numbers of people. 261 00:11:00,117 --> 00:11:03,395 They have an impact on this generation. 262 00:11:03,395 --> 00:11:07,274 Their name becomes known. 263 00:11:07,274 --> 00:11:09,283 People used to not know who they were. 264 00:11:09,283 --> 00:11:12,031 Now people know their name. 265 00:11:12,031 --> 00:11:13,426 And it's a good thing. 266 00:11:13,426 --> 00:11:14,622 And they did it by being 267 00:11:14,622 --> 00:11:17,013 marvelously helped by the Lord. 268 00:11:17,013 --> 00:11:19,244 You see the progress was not something done 269 00:11:19,244 --> 00:11:20,716 by the arm of the flesh, 270 00:11:20,716 --> 00:11:24,066 it was by the power of God 271 00:11:24,066 --> 00:11:25,180 helping this man, 272 00:11:25,180 --> 00:11:27,039 who was a man who feared God 273 00:11:27,039 --> 00:11:29,015 and sought God. 274 00:11:29,015 --> 00:11:36,494 And he set himself to seek God. 275 00:11:36,494 --> 00:11:39,116 Yet, in the midst of all this happening - 276 00:11:39,116 --> 00:11:40,564 the growth, 277 00:11:40,564 --> 00:11:42,558 the victories, 278 00:11:42,558 --> 00:11:44,267 the inventions, 279 00:11:44,267 --> 00:11:46,773 the fame spreading - 280 00:11:46,773 --> 00:11:50,004 what's the big question that's being asked? 281 00:11:50,004 --> 00:11:53,311 What's going on in a man's heart? 282 00:11:53,311 --> 00:11:54,775 As there's outward progress 283 00:11:54,775 --> 00:11:56,284 and progress in the ministry, 284 00:11:56,284 --> 00:11:58,313 is there any progressive 285 00:11:58,313 --> 00:12:01,133 growth of pride in a man's heart? 286 00:12:01,133 --> 00:12:05,830 Are there any high thoughts of himself? 287 00:12:05,830 --> 00:12:07,065 Or is there a sense 288 00:12:07,065 --> 00:12:08,490 that I have nothing 289 00:12:08,490 --> 00:12:14,633 but what the Lord has given me? 290 00:12:14,633 --> 00:12:17,584 You know, you're not in the Christian life 291 00:12:17,584 --> 00:12:19,936 long before you realize it's not about 292 00:12:19,936 --> 00:12:21,953 how one starts the race, 293 00:12:21,953 --> 00:12:24,416 it's how one finishes the race. 294 00:12:24,416 --> 00:12:27,684 And in our social media generation, 295 00:12:27,684 --> 00:12:29,592 it's so easy to find out 296 00:12:29,592 --> 00:12:31,951 when well known men fall. 297 00:12:31,951 --> 00:12:34,113 And if you looked at the last five years, 298 00:12:34,113 --> 00:12:36,719 it's amazing how many men's ministries 299 00:12:36,719 --> 00:12:38,865 it appeared God's hand was on them. 300 00:12:38,865 --> 00:12:40,931 They were doing innovative stuff. 301 00:12:40,931 --> 00:12:42,354 Truth was being proclaimed. 302 00:12:42,354 --> 00:12:43,829 People were being converted. 303 00:12:43,829 --> 00:12:45,336 They were becoming "famous" 304 00:12:45,336 --> 00:12:46,475 and "celebrities." 305 00:12:46,475 --> 00:12:48,057 And you know what happened 306 00:12:48,057 --> 00:12:49,408 to many of those men? 307 00:12:49,408 --> 00:12:51,730 They fell. 308 00:12:51,730 --> 00:12:53,402 They fell. 309 00:12:53,402 --> 00:12:54,715 You can google it. 310 00:12:54,715 --> 00:12:57,787 It's easy to find. 311 00:12:57,787 --> 00:13:00,109 So that begs the question, 312 00:13:00,109 --> 00:13:02,815 not how did you start, 313 00:13:02,815 --> 00:13:05,276 but how are you going to finish? 314 00:13:05,276 --> 00:13:06,828 And how you're going to finish, 315 00:13:06,828 --> 00:13:08,090 to answer that question, 316 00:13:08,090 --> 00:13:10,862 you ask yourself where am I at today? 317 00:13:10,862 --> 00:13:12,574 Today, do I fear God? 318 00:13:12,574 --> 00:13:15,822 Today, do I seek His face? 319 00:13:15,822 --> 00:13:20,465 Do I have a right assessment about myself? 320 00:13:20,465 --> 00:13:25,933 Do I have a proper view? 321 00:13:25,933 --> 00:13:27,147 I am nothing apart from 322 00:13:27,147 --> 00:13:32,507 what God's grace is doing and has done. 323 00:13:32,507 --> 00:13:34,718 Think about us as a church, 324 00:13:34,718 --> 00:13:37,423 as individual Christians. 325 00:13:37,423 --> 00:13:41,189 Where are we going to be 15 years from now? 326 00:13:41,189 --> 00:13:44,989 Not where were we the last 15. 327 00:13:44,989 --> 00:13:47,020 Yes, where are we today? 328 00:13:47,020 --> 00:13:49,611 Where are we going to be? 329 00:13:49,611 --> 00:13:50,811 I think, like Uzziah, 330 00:13:50,811 --> 00:13:52,597 we're a church, we have men 331 00:13:52,597 --> 00:13:55,159 instructing us to fear God. 332 00:13:55,159 --> 00:13:56,767 We've got good teaching. 333 00:13:56,767 --> 00:13:58,510 He had that. 334 00:13:58,510 --> 00:13:59,889 We have prayer meetings. 335 00:13:59,889 --> 00:14:02,321 We seek the help of God. 336 00:14:02,321 --> 00:14:04,082 He did that. 337 00:14:04,082 --> 00:14:05,928 And God prospered him. 338 00:14:05,928 --> 00:14:06,925 We've seen that - 339 00:14:06,925 --> 00:14:10,522 the Lord prospering as we seek His face. 340 00:14:10,522 --> 00:14:13,988 It says, "Uzziah broke through the walls of Gath." 341 00:14:13,988 --> 00:14:15,216 We've seen that happen - 342 00:14:15,216 --> 00:14:16,191 not physical walls, 343 00:14:16,191 --> 00:14:18,038 but in the spiritual realm. 344 00:14:18,038 --> 00:14:19,294 There's been walls that are big 345 00:14:19,294 --> 00:14:20,717 and we've prayed, 346 00:14:20,717 --> 00:14:22,328 and there's been breakthroughs. 347 00:14:22,328 --> 00:14:23,524 We've seen that. 348 00:14:23,524 --> 00:14:30,440 Uzziah saw that. 349 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:32,676 He had a big military victory. 350 00:14:32,676 --> 00:14:34,077 And what happened? 351 00:14:34,077 --> 00:14:35,805 His fame spread. 352 00:14:35,805 --> 00:14:37,288 In our generation, 353 00:14:37,288 --> 00:14:38,975 someone preaches a powerful sermon, 354 00:14:38,975 --> 00:14:40,564 it gets put on the Internet, 355 00:14:40,564 --> 00:14:43,337 their fame spreads. 356 00:14:43,337 --> 00:14:46,186 Same thing. 357 00:14:46,186 --> 00:14:47,578 Even in 2 Corinthians, 358 00:14:47,578 --> 00:14:49,059 Paul doesn't say who it is, 359 00:14:49,059 --> 00:14:50,283 but in chapter 8, 360 00:14:50,283 --> 00:14:52,867 he says we're sending a brother to you 361 00:14:52,867 --> 00:14:55,724 who is famous among all the churches 362 00:14:55,724 --> 00:14:58,769 for his preaching of the Gospel. 363 00:14:58,769 --> 00:15:00,344 So in Paul's day, 364 00:15:00,344 --> 00:15:01,873 there was someone who was famous 365 00:15:01,873 --> 00:15:03,374 among all the churches 366 00:15:03,374 --> 00:15:06,061 for his preaching of the Gospel. 367 00:15:06,061 --> 00:15:08,816 Some would say Luke - who knows? 368 00:15:08,816 --> 00:15:09,909 It wasn't Paul Washer. 369 00:15:09,909 --> 00:15:12,107 He wasn't alive back then. 370 00:15:12,107 --> 00:15:13,885 But someone was famous. 371 00:15:13,885 --> 00:15:18,025 Fame and being well known is not a sin. 372 00:15:18,025 --> 00:15:22,872 But it can put you in a vulnerable spot. 373 00:15:22,872 --> 00:15:24,181 Or the same thing 374 00:15:24,181 --> 00:15:26,148 with some of these Christian bands 375 00:15:26,148 --> 00:15:29,366 and music groups. 376 00:15:29,366 --> 00:15:33,306 They start out in the fear of God. 377 00:15:33,306 --> 00:15:35,602 They start out in the Bible, 378 00:15:35,602 --> 00:15:37,628 being men of prayer. 379 00:15:37,628 --> 00:15:39,278 Then, they get famous. 380 00:15:39,278 --> 00:15:41,132 And you know what happens? 381 00:15:41,132 --> 00:15:42,679 Compromise. 382 00:15:42,679 --> 00:15:44,891 Things that are off limits for the Christian, 383 00:15:44,891 --> 00:15:48,103 they go and do. 384 00:15:48,103 --> 00:15:49,605 He went to offer incense. 385 00:15:49,605 --> 00:15:54,581 They do something different. 386 00:15:54,581 --> 00:15:58,563 Fame has been the death of many people. 387 00:15:58,563 --> 00:15:59,991 Whether you have fame or not 388 00:15:59,991 --> 00:16:01,423 is not the issue. 389 00:16:01,423 --> 00:16:02,462 The issue is, 390 00:16:02,462 --> 00:16:04,730 do you have a humble view of yourself? 391 00:16:04,730 --> 00:16:08,234 Do you have a proper view of God? 392 00:16:08,234 --> 00:16:10,283 There's a big Christian website out there, 393 00:16:10,283 --> 00:16:13,661 and I went to look on their staff page. 394 00:16:13,661 --> 00:16:16,430 And at the top of the staff page, 395 00:16:16,430 --> 00:16:17,929 the founder of the website - 396 00:16:17,929 --> 00:16:19,308 you know what it says? 397 00:16:19,308 --> 00:16:20,863 This is a good thing. 398 00:16:20,863 --> 00:16:22,176 It says this: 399 00:16:22,176 --> 00:16:24,375 "The founder of (the website) 400 00:16:24,375 --> 00:16:27,595 wishes to remain anonymous." 401 00:16:27,595 --> 00:16:29,806 I can't find out who he is. 402 00:16:29,806 --> 00:16:31,177 And it has Matthew 23: 403 00:16:31,177 --> 00:16:34,963 "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled." 404 00:16:34,963 --> 00:16:39,451 That's good. 405 00:16:39,451 --> 00:16:41,243 He knows. 406 00:16:41,243 --> 00:16:42,828 What happened to Uzziah 407 00:16:42,828 --> 00:16:44,348 and many of these other kings 408 00:16:44,348 --> 00:16:46,276 and many other Christians - 409 00:16:46,276 --> 00:16:49,176 this issue of becoming strong 410 00:16:49,176 --> 00:16:51,651 and pride growing and overtaking you - 411 00:16:51,651 --> 00:16:54,218 it's deadly. 412 00:16:54,218 --> 00:16:56,427 Many individual Christians and churches 413 00:16:56,427 --> 00:16:58,659 start out humbly relying upon the Lord, 414 00:16:58,659 --> 00:16:59,585 but they grow, 415 00:16:59,585 --> 00:17:00,641 their fame spreads, 416 00:17:00,641 --> 00:17:01,688 and pride creeps in 417 00:17:01,688 --> 00:17:03,164 and they collapse. 418 00:17:03,164 --> 00:17:05,397 What will come of us? 419 00:17:05,397 --> 00:17:08,113 Uzziah is just one case 420 00:17:08,113 --> 00:17:13,600 of a warning in the Bible. 421 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,950 His life was one of a prayerful leader 422 00:17:16,950 --> 00:17:20,395 who was helped by God. 423 00:17:20,395 --> 00:17:21,410 And it ended with him 424 00:17:21,410 --> 00:17:23,753 being an excluded leper. 425 00:17:23,753 --> 00:17:24,495 And in our day, 426 00:17:24,495 --> 00:17:26,477 you know what sometimes it is? 427 00:17:26,477 --> 00:17:29,018 A famous preacher - 428 00:17:29,018 --> 00:17:31,404 not to an excluded leper - 429 00:17:31,404 --> 00:17:33,074 but a famous preacher 430 00:17:33,074 --> 00:17:35,647 to a fallen adulterer. 431 00:17:35,647 --> 00:17:38,256 That happens all the time. 432 00:17:38,256 --> 00:17:39,062 And if you say, 433 00:17:39,062 --> 00:17:40,650 Oh, that will never happen to me. 434 00:17:40,650 --> 00:17:41,468 You know what? 435 00:17:41,468 --> 00:17:43,150 Who's the one man who said that in the Bible? 436 00:17:43,150 --> 00:17:44,006 Peter. 437 00:17:44,006 --> 00:17:45,220 I'll never deny the Lord. 438 00:17:45,220 --> 00:17:46,981 And that was a proud, arrogant boast. 439 00:17:46,981 --> 00:17:48,787 And that man did deny the Lord. 440 00:17:48,787 --> 00:17:50,308 Let anyone who thinks he stands, 441 00:17:50,308 --> 00:17:51,980 take heed lest he fall. 442 00:17:51,980 --> 00:17:53,788 Think about pride. 443 00:17:53,788 --> 00:17:56,994 For Uzziah specifically, 444 00:17:56,994 --> 00:18:01,087 it says, v. 15, 445 00:18:01,087 --> 00:18:04,506 his fame spread far, 446 00:18:04,506 --> 00:18:07,896 because he was marvelously helped by God. 447 00:18:07,896 --> 00:18:11,125 This was a work of God. 448 00:18:11,125 --> 00:18:17,012 "Till he was strong." 449 00:18:17,012 --> 00:18:19,576 Those early days of fighting and wrestling 450 00:18:19,576 --> 00:18:21,055 and no one knows who you are, 451 00:18:21,055 --> 00:18:23,700 and it's hard to get a fat, puffed up head, 452 00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:25,412 those days were gone. 453 00:18:25,412 --> 00:18:30,371 Everyone knew who he was now. 454 00:18:30,371 --> 00:18:31,584 He was strong. 455 00:18:31,584 --> 00:18:32,418 In other words, 456 00:18:32,418 --> 00:18:34,274 I think the writer is saying, 457 00:18:34,274 --> 00:18:36,280 he thought so highly of his achievements, 458 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:37,045 his position. 459 00:18:37,045 --> 00:18:38,635 Look at all that I've done. 460 00:18:38,635 --> 00:18:43,299 Look at all that we've accomplished. 461 00:18:43,299 --> 00:18:45,073 God gave him success, 462 00:18:45,073 --> 00:18:48,513 and that success led to his fall. 463 00:18:48,513 --> 00:18:50,318 It's like somewhere along the way, 464 00:18:50,318 --> 00:18:52,429 these boastful thoughts of himself - 465 00:18:52,429 --> 00:18:54,701 at one point, that he would destroy, 466 00:18:54,701 --> 00:18:55,950 put to death - 467 00:18:55,950 --> 00:18:58,209 now they went unchecked. 468 00:18:58,209 --> 00:18:59,700 Have you ever had that happen? 469 00:18:59,700 --> 00:19:01,521 Unchecked thoughts. 470 00:19:01,521 --> 00:19:03,441 Proud thoughts of yourself. 471 00:19:03,441 --> 00:19:04,975 Patting yourself on the back. 472 00:19:04,975 --> 00:19:07,015 You've done a good job. 473 00:19:07,015 --> 00:19:08,498 In some season in your life, 474 00:19:08,498 --> 00:19:10,869 you don't let them enter. 475 00:19:10,869 --> 00:19:12,014 But then some season, 476 00:19:12,014 --> 00:19:13,182 they start to creep in 477 00:19:13,182 --> 00:19:15,102 and you don't even notice it. 478 00:19:15,102 --> 00:19:16,067 Pride. 479 00:19:16,067 --> 00:19:17,603 It grows. It spreads. 480 00:19:17,603 --> 00:19:19,230 It catches you off guard. 481 00:19:19,230 --> 00:19:22,073 It even says here, v. 16, 482 00:19:22,073 --> 00:19:26,965 "When he was strong, he grew proud." 483 00:19:26,965 --> 00:19:30,113 He grew proud. 484 00:19:30,113 --> 00:19:33,089 It wasn't just all of a sudden. 485 00:19:33,089 --> 00:19:34,134 There was a growth. 486 00:19:34,134 --> 00:19:35,574 There was a progression 487 00:19:35,574 --> 00:19:37,482 of pride. 488 00:19:37,482 --> 00:19:40,862 High views of himself. 489 00:19:40,862 --> 00:19:44,883 Like cancer, pride grows and spreads. 490 00:19:44,883 --> 00:19:46,063 Your view of yourself 491 00:19:46,063 --> 00:19:47,600 increases and changes, 492 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:49,261 so often, with the more victories 493 00:19:49,261 --> 00:19:58,317 and success you have. 494 00:19:58,317 --> 00:19:59,919 And then we went. 495 00:19:59,919 --> 00:20:02,315 He went to this deadly point. 496 00:20:02,315 --> 00:20:04,577 He got strong. 497 00:20:04,577 --> 00:20:08,009 What did Paul say he boasted in? 498 00:20:08,009 --> 00:20:11,321 His weakness. 499 00:20:11,321 --> 00:20:13,664 You don't ever want to grow strong 500 00:20:13,664 --> 00:20:15,536 in that sense. 501 00:20:15,536 --> 00:20:17,702 You want to be weak. 502 00:20:17,702 --> 00:20:19,955 Paul boasted in his weakness, 503 00:20:19,955 --> 00:20:22,936 that Christ's power might be upon him. 504 00:20:22,936 --> 00:20:24,926 Meaning, if you don't have weakness, 505 00:20:24,926 --> 00:20:26,270 what does that imply? 506 00:20:26,270 --> 00:20:28,270 You're relying on your own strength, 507 00:20:28,270 --> 00:20:29,695 your successes, 508 00:20:29,695 --> 00:20:32,695 all that you've done. 509 00:20:32,695 --> 00:20:35,985 You go from looking to the Lord for help 510 00:20:35,985 --> 00:20:39,152 to this mindset of "I can do it." 511 00:20:39,152 --> 00:20:41,074 Look what all I've done. 512 00:20:41,074 --> 00:20:42,960 I don't have to be that prayerful now. 513 00:20:42,960 --> 00:20:44,416 This is easy. 514 00:20:44,416 --> 00:20:46,700 I mean, I've been doing this for so many years. 515 00:20:46,700 --> 00:20:49,186 It's easy now. 516 00:20:49,186 --> 00:20:51,166 Other Bible versions, they render this: 517 00:20:51,166 --> 00:20:52,813 "When he was strong, he grew proud 518 00:20:52,813 --> 00:20:54,006 to his destruction." 519 00:20:54,006 --> 00:20:55,180 Some it says, 520 00:20:55,180 --> 00:20:58,630 "When he was strong, his heart was lifted up." 521 00:20:58,630 --> 00:21:01,150 Or, "his pride led to his downfall." 522 00:21:01,150 --> 00:21:03,428 Or, "his heart was so proud, 523 00:21:03,428 --> 00:21:06,595 that he acted corruptly." 524 00:21:06,595 --> 00:21:11,636 One renders it, "he grew arrogant." 525 00:21:11,636 --> 00:21:13,922 This is a warning for us. 526 00:21:13,922 --> 00:21:15,540 We see a man who sought the Lord, 527 00:21:15,540 --> 00:21:17,957 and God made him prosper as king. 528 00:21:17,957 --> 00:21:19,662 And then we see his life end 529 00:21:19,662 --> 00:21:23,930 as an excluded leper. 530 00:21:23,930 --> 00:21:25,492 Fame spreading, 531 00:21:25,492 --> 00:21:27,144 your name being known, 532 00:21:27,144 --> 00:21:29,914 is fertile ground for the seeds of pride 533 00:21:29,914 --> 00:21:32,134 to rapidly grow upon. 534 00:21:32,134 --> 00:21:33,486 Think of pride. 535 00:21:33,486 --> 00:21:34,730 Some have said this, 536 00:21:34,730 --> 00:21:36,896 "if you want to please the devil, 537 00:21:36,896 --> 00:21:39,214 admire yourself." 538 00:21:39,214 --> 00:21:43,514 Someone said, "pride derails sound judgment." 539 00:21:43,514 --> 00:21:45,022 You're making sound judgment, 540 00:21:45,022 --> 00:21:46,410 you get pride, 541 00:21:46,410 --> 00:21:48,718 judgment goes out the door. 542 00:21:48,718 --> 00:21:49,810 Someone said, 543 00:21:49,810 --> 00:21:52,796 "Pride is the overestimation of oneself 544 00:21:52,796 --> 00:21:57,181 by reason of self-love. 545 00:21:57,181 --> 00:21:59,014 The humble man looks for authority 546 00:21:59,014 --> 00:22:00,834 and wants to get under it, 547 00:22:00,834 --> 00:22:02,281 but the proud man has trouble 548 00:22:02,281 --> 00:22:03,972 with authority. 549 00:22:03,972 --> 00:22:07,678 Insubordination is a mark of pride." 550 00:22:07,678 --> 00:22:11,376 Someone said, "high places are slippery places." 551 00:22:11,376 --> 00:22:13,275 Someone said, "The Lord would give us 552 00:22:13,275 --> 00:22:15,381 great things, if only He could trust us 553 00:22:15,381 --> 00:22:20,322 to not steal the glory for ourselves." 554 00:22:20,322 --> 00:22:22,874 Proverbs 16: "Pride goes before destruction, 555 00:22:22,874 --> 00:22:24,831 and a haughty spirit before a fall." 556 00:22:24,831 --> 00:22:29,990 Proverbs 29: "One's pride will bring him low, 557 00:22:29,990 --> 00:22:31,980 but he who is lowly in spirit, 558 00:22:31,980 --> 00:22:33,371 will obtain honor." 559 00:22:33,371 --> 00:22:36,705 That's what happened to Uzziah. 560 00:22:36,705 --> 00:22:38,731 His pride brought him low. 561 00:22:38,731 --> 00:22:40,347 What happened to Paul? 562 00:22:40,347 --> 00:22:41,749 One who is lowly in spirit, 563 00:22:41,749 --> 00:22:43,291 will obtain honor. 564 00:22:43,291 --> 00:22:44,830 Paul was lowly in spirit. 565 00:22:44,830 --> 00:22:47,542 He obtained honor. 566 00:22:47,542 --> 00:22:50,099 Now, let's ask this question: 567 00:22:50,099 --> 00:22:54,507 How was he unfaithful to the Lord? 568 00:22:54,507 --> 00:22:56,697 Adultery like David? 569 00:22:56,697 --> 00:22:58,872 Is that what he did? 570 00:22:58,872 --> 00:23:00,112 Nope. 571 00:23:00,112 --> 00:23:03,192 What does the text say? 572 00:23:03,192 --> 00:23:05,868 V. 16, "He was unfaithful 573 00:23:05,868 --> 00:23:08,168 to the Lord his God 574 00:23:08,168 --> 00:23:10,374 and entered the temple of the Lord 575 00:23:10,374 --> 00:23:14,695 to burn incense on the altar of incense." 576 00:23:14,695 --> 00:23:16,012 And Azariah comes in 577 00:23:16,012 --> 00:23:18,345 and he says it's not for you. 578 00:23:18,345 --> 00:23:19,764 It's for the priests. 579 00:23:19,764 --> 00:23:21,092 You're doing something that 580 00:23:21,092 --> 00:23:23,684 was not designed for you. 581 00:23:23,684 --> 00:23:25,784 This is not your office 582 00:23:25,784 --> 00:23:28,137 to be doing this. 583 00:23:28,137 --> 00:23:29,216 How would we say that 584 00:23:29,216 --> 00:23:30,255 in more simple terms? 585 00:23:30,255 --> 00:23:34,434 Uzziah did not keep his own place. 586 00:23:34,434 --> 00:23:36,867 He tried to do someone else's work. 587 00:23:36,867 --> 00:23:38,926 Now, I don't think he would have done that 588 00:23:38,926 --> 00:23:40,060 as a new king. 589 00:23:40,060 --> 00:23:41,555 And he didn't. 590 00:23:41,555 --> 00:23:43,412 He sought the face of God. 591 00:23:43,412 --> 00:23:44,912 We don't have any record 592 00:23:44,912 --> 00:23:46,149 that in those early years, 593 00:23:46,149 --> 00:23:48,732 he was trying to go in there and do that. 594 00:23:48,732 --> 00:23:52,603 Yet, when he grew proud, 595 00:23:52,603 --> 00:23:55,016 he didn't keep his own place. 596 00:23:55,016 --> 00:23:57,653 He wanted to do someone else's work. 597 00:23:57,653 --> 00:24:00,532 He wasn't as strict 598 00:24:00,532 --> 00:24:02,337 to fear God and His standards 599 00:24:02,337 --> 00:24:04,785 as he was early on. 600 00:24:04,785 --> 00:24:06,281 In his pride, 601 00:24:06,281 --> 00:24:08,198 his fear of God that verse 5 says 602 00:24:08,198 --> 00:24:10,876 he was instructed in, 603 00:24:10,876 --> 00:24:12,130 was no longer present 604 00:24:12,130 --> 00:24:14,529 to that same degree. 605 00:24:14,529 --> 00:24:16,745 A task that was meant for the priest alone, 606 00:24:16,745 --> 00:24:19,677 Uzziah now thought he was able to do. 607 00:24:19,677 --> 00:24:21,150 What on earth? 608 00:24:21,150 --> 00:24:22,447 What would get in your mind 609 00:24:22,447 --> 00:24:25,065 to think that you could now do that? 610 00:24:25,065 --> 00:24:27,168 Pride. 611 00:24:27,168 --> 00:24:29,181 The proud man who thinks he's arrived, 612 00:24:29,181 --> 00:24:31,380 he so often drops his standards. 613 00:24:31,380 --> 00:24:33,865 He's now above everyone else. 614 00:24:33,865 --> 00:24:38,216 In all the strictness and radical holiness 615 00:24:38,216 --> 00:24:39,531 that happened in his life 616 00:24:39,531 --> 00:24:41,285 to get to that point, 617 00:24:41,285 --> 00:24:42,705 where there was any fame 618 00:24:42,705 --> 00:24:45,155 because God's hand was on his life, 619 00:24:45,155 --> 00:24:46,680 then once he's to that point 620 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:47,829 where he's well known, 621 00:24:47,829 --> 00:24:52,232 he throws the standards out. 622 00:24:52,232 --> 00:24:53,517 But that's the very thing 623 00:24:53,517 --> 00:24:56,076 that he was maintaining - 624 00:24:56,076 --> 00:25:00,839 radical holiness as he was looking to Christ. 625 00:25:00,839 --> 00:25:03,173 The desperate fighting as in the early days 626 00:25:03,173 --> 00:25:06,397 of growing the kingdom was now over. 627 00:25:06,397 --> 00:25:07,992 He's strong now. 628 00:25:07,992 --> 00:25:09,857 He doesn't need the Lord as desperately 629 00:25:09,857 --> 00:25:11,952 but that's a lie. 630 00:25:11,952 --> 00:25:14,918 Think of how he might have reasoned. 631 00:25:14,918 --> 00:25:16,100 He could have thought, 632 00:25:16,100 --> 00:25:17,453 I'm famous now. 633 00:25:17,453 --> 00:25:18,831 Shouldn't every duty and task 634 00:25:18,831 --> 00:25:20,599 be within my reach? 635 00:25:20,599 --> 00:25:21,678 If I desire to do it, 636 00:25:21,678 --> 00:25:24,107 shouldn't I be able to do it? 637 00:25:24,107 --> 00:25:29,456 My fame is all the way to Egypt. 638 00:25:29,456 --> 00:25:30,818 He probably thought, 639 00:25:30,818 --> 00:25:33,483 you know what, those strict standards, 640 00:25:33,483 --> 00:25:36,322 I'm just getting worn out. 641 00:25:36,322 --> 00:25:37,252 Being this radical, 642 00:25:37,252 --> 00:25:38,232 fearing God, 643 00:25:38,232 --> 00:25:40,801 being in the Word all of the time... 644 00:25:40,801 --> 00:25:43,455 let's just have a couple easy years 645 00:25:43,455 --> 00:25:45,542 near the end of my Christian life. 646 00:25:45,542 --> 00:25:48,099 Let's coast some. 647 00:25:48,099 --> 00:25:51,324 Not being dominated by anything... 648 00:25:51,324 --> 00:25:53,969 boy, twenty years of that? 649 00:25:53,969 --> 00:25:56,175 Wait, doesn't 1 John 5:3 say 650 00:25:56,175 --> 00:25:57,521 this is the love of God, 651 00:25:57,521 --> 00:25:58,958 that we keep His commandments, 652 00:25:58,958 --> 00:26:00,324 and His commandments are not 653 00:26:00,324 --> 00:26:01,675 burdensome to us? 654 00:26:01,675 --> 00:26:03,318 It shouldn't be a burden. 655 00:26:03,318 --> 00:26:04,214 But you get proud, 656 00:26:04,214 --> 00:26:05,405 you don't get prayerful, 657 00:26:05,405 --> 00:26:07,272 you're not near Christ. 658 00:26:07,272 --> 00:26:10,530 It's very easy for it to creep in, 659 00:26:10,530 --> 00:26:12,518 that lie that it's a burden 660 00:26:12,518 --> 00:26:21,282 to be holy, to be strict for Christ. 661 00:26:21,282 --> 00:26:22,924 You could even ask this: 662 00:26:22,924 --> 00:26:24,677 What led to this proud thinking? 663 00:26:24,677 --> 00:26:28,687 What was at the root of this? 664 00:26:28,687 --> 00:26:31,500 What was at the root of this? 665 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,067 And I would say one thing 666 00:26:33,067 --> 00:26:36,027 is that he wasn't faithful in the small things, 667 00:26:36,027 --> 00:26:38,308 and what small thing am I thinking about? 668 00:26:38,308 --> 00:26:42,168 It's not something that's small. 669 00:26:42,168 --> 00:26:43,714 He was not faithful in something 670 00:26:43,714 --> 00:26:46,861 that is absolutely essential. 671 00:26:46,861 --> 00:26:48,007 And the answer to that 672 00:26:48,007 --> 00:26:51,483 is how did he see success? 673 00:26:51,483 --> 00:26:54,258 Verse 5: "He set himself to seek God." 674 00:26:54,258 --> 00:26:56,495 And look at v. 5, it goes on and says this, 675 00:26:56,495 --> 00:27:00,781 "and as long as he..." 676 00:27:00,781 --> 00:27:03,144 As long as something was present 677 00:27:03,144 --> 00:27:04,525 in his life, 678 00:27:04,525 --> 00:27:08,316 God made him prosper. 679 00:27:08,316 --> 00:27:10,527 And the moment that you could not say 680 00:27:10,527 --> 00:27:14,922 as long as, but it was no longer there, 681 00:27:14,922 --> 00:27:16,561 no prospering. 682 00:27:16,561 --> 00:27:18,810 And that was his prayer life. 683 00:27:18,810 --> 00:27:21,045 That was seeking God in prayer. 684 00:27:21,045 --> 00:27:23,442 And when you seek God in prayer, you're in the Word. 685 00:27:23,442 --> 00:27:25,105 When you're in the Word, you're fearing God. 686 00:27:25,105 --> 00:27:26,592 You have a right view of God. 687 00:27:26,592 --> 00:27:30,039 When you have a right view of God, you have a right view of yourself. 688 00:27:30,039 --> 00:27:32,928 And you realize you're really, really small. 689 00:27:32,928 --> 00:27:35,365 And the moment you want to think you're something, 690 00:27:35,365 --> 00:27:37,418 you think of 1 Corinthians 4:7 691 00:27:37,418 --> 00:27:38,746 and say what do I have that 692 00:27:38,746 --> 00:27:40,669 I have not received? 693 00:27:40,669 --> 00:27:43,093 And if I have received it, 694 00:27:43,093 --> 00:27:45,808 how can I boast? 695 00:27:45,808 --> 00:27:48,979 Who sees anything different in me or you? 696 00:27:48,979 --> 00:27:50,152 Whatever we have, 697 00:27:50,152 --> 00:27:54,396 it's by the grace of God. 698 00:27:54,396 --> 00:27:58,233 "When he was strong..." 699 00:27:58,233 --> 00:28:01,864 The strong man - he doesn't pray much. 700 00:28:01,864 --> 00:28:03,553 You know, someone comes and says, 701 00:28:03,553 --> 00:28:05,069 well, should we do this, sir? 702 00:28:05,069 --> 00:28:06,896 Yeah, let's do this. 703 00:28:06,896 --> 00:28:08,622 You know what I bet Uzziah did 704 00:28:08,622 --> 00:28:10,117 in the early days? 705 00:28:10,117 --> 00:28:11,780 Should we do this, sir? 706 00:28:11,780 --> 00:28:13,909 Let me seek God. 707 00:28:13,909 --> 00:28:14,789 Let me pray. 708 00:28:14,789 --> 00:28:17,742 Lord, the Bible says to acknowledge You 709 00:28:17,742 --> 00:28:20,051 in all of my ways, 710 00:28:20,051 --> 00:28:22,287 and You will make straight my path. 711 00:28:22,287 --> 00:28:23,906 It says all. 712 00:28:23,906 --> 00:28:25,807 All the ways. 713 00:28:25,807 --> 00:28:27,161 Committing it to the Lord. 714 00:28:27,161 --> 00:28:30,847 Trusting in Him that He will act. 715 00:28:30,847 --> 00:28:32,553 So when he was strong, 716 00:28:32,553 --> 00:28:33,631 he was self-reliant. 717 00:28:33,631 --> 00:28:37,222 He was not a man of prayer. 718 00:28:37,222 --> 00:28:38,910 Now, let's ask this question: 719 00:28:38,910 --> 00:28:40,099 How does the proud man 720 00:28:40,099 --> 00:28:47,505 respond to rebuke? 721 00:28:47,505 --> 00:28:49,131 How does the proud man 722 00:28:49,131 --> 00:28:51,376 respond to rebuke? 723 00:28:51,376 --> 00:28:55,326 As Uzziah went in the temple, 724 00:28:55,326 --> 00:29:00,829 it says Azariah and 80 men of valor. 725 00:29:00,829 --> 00:29:02,271 Eighty. 726 00:29:02,271 --> 00:29:04,693 Imagine if 80 of you all 727 00:29:04,693 --> 00:29:05,952 stood up right now 728 00:29:05,952 --> 00:29:07,338 to come and rebuke me. 729 00:29:07,338 --> 00:29:08,941 That's a crowd. 730 00:29:08,941 --> 00:29:10,933 It's not one. Not two. 731 00:29:10,933 --> 00:29:11,957 Eighty. 732 00:29:11,957 --> 00:29:13,509 Not just nobodies. 733 00:29:13,509 --> 00:29:18,201 Men of valor. 734 00:29:18,201 --> 00:29:21,151 They went and withstood the king. 735 00:29:21,151 --> 00:29:24,702 This is the man over them. 736 00:29:24,702 --> 00:29:26,827 It's not for you. 737 00:29:26,827 --> 00:29:28,403 It's for the priests 738 00:29:28,403 --> 00:29:30,081 who are consecrated, set apart, 739 00:29:30,081 --> 00:29:31,748 to burn incense. 740 00:29:31,748 --> 00:29:33,953 And they told him go out of the sanctuary, 741 00:29:33,953 --> 00:29:35,020 you have done wrong, 742 00:29:35,020 --> 00:29:36,532 and it will bring you no honor 743 00:29:36,532 --> 00:29:38,645 from the Lord our God. 744 00:29:38,645 --> 00:29:39,782 I don't know about you, 745 00:29:39,782 --> 00:29:42,057 but if 80 people were rebuking me - 746 00:29:42,057 --> 00:29:43,785 and in an abundance of counselors 747 00:29:43,785 --> 00:29:44,763 there is safety - 748 00:29:44,763 --> 00:29:47,956 wouldn't you listen up? 749 00:29:47,956 --> 00:29:50,543 Now, I can say that right now. 750 00:29:50,543 --> 00:29:52,896 But if I grow strong and proud 751 00:29:52,896 --> 00:29:55,337 and arrogant, 752 00:29:55,337 --> 00:29:57,351 and I'm convinced in my own mind 753 00:29:57,351 --> 00:29:59,128 I'm right and everyone else is wrong, 754 00:29:59,128 --> 00:30:00,469 it won't matter if 80 people 755 00:30:00,469 --> 00:30:04,050 or 80,000 people come and tell me I'm wrong. 756 00:30:04,050 --> 00:30:06,055 Pride can make you so deceived, 757 00:30:06,055 --> 00:30:07,446 so blind, 758 00:30:07,446 --> 00:30:10,043 you're unwilling to receive any criticism. 759 00:30:10,043 --> 00:30:12,793 You've already set it out in stone. 760 00:30:12,793 --> 00:30:13,706 I'm right. 761 00:30:13,706 --> 00:30:17,819 No one else is going to prove me wrong. 762 00:30:17,819 --> 00:30:19,715 Surely, he'd have some humility here, 763 00:30:19,715 --> 00:30:22,075 you would think. 764 00:30:22,075 --> 00:30:24,906 But what was Uzziah's response? 765 00:30:24,906 --> 00:30:34,274 V. 19, "Then Uzziah was angry." 766 00:30:34,274 --> 00:30:40,399 Angry. 767 00:30:40,399 --> 00:30:43,768 Mad. 768 00:30:43,768 --> 00:30:47,823 It was like he was thinking in his mind, 769 00:30:47,823 --> 00:30:52,045 don't you know who I am? 770 00:30:52,045 --> 00:30:55,473 Don't you know who I am? 771 00:30:55,473 --> 00:30:57,797 You're telling me to go out? 772 00:30:57,797 --> 00:31:01,334 Don't you know who I am? 773 00:31:01,334 --> 00:31:04,130 That's probably something that was in his mind. 774 00:31:04,130 --> 00:31:06,363 That's what's leading to it. 775 00:31:06,363 --> 00:31:07,334 He's mad. 776 00:31:07,334 --> 00:31:10,642 How dare you rebuke me! 777 00:31:10,642 --> 00:31:12,154 How dare you reprove me! 778 00:31:12,154 --> 00:31:14,614 Don't you know who I am? 779 00:31:14,614 --> 00:31:18,126 And you're humiliating me before everyone 780 00:31:18,126 --> 00:31:20,983 and trying to prevent me to do this. 781 00:31:20,983 --> 00:31:23,441 My fame has spread to Egypt. 782 00:31:23,441 --> 00:31:24,965 Look at all this success. 783 00:31:24,965 --> 00:31:27,795 Look at the past victories. 784 00:31:27,795 --> 00:31:32,947 How dare you rebuke me! 785 00:31:32,947 --> 00:31:35,009 I've constructed walls 786 00:31:35,009 --> 00:31:36,095 and with skillful men, 787 00:31:36,095 --> 00:31:37,867 we've put catapults and trebuchets 788 00:31:37,867 --> 00:31:39,810 and different things on the walls 789 00:31:39,810 --> 00:31:43,369 to protect the kingdom. 790 00:31:43,369 --> 00:31:49,024 Why are you interfering with me? 791 00:31:49,024 --> 00:31:50,208 You know what? 792 00:31:50,208 --> 00:31:52,738 Uzziah, his own estimation of himself 793 00:31:52,738 --> 00:31:53,475 was this: 794 00:31:53,475 --> 00:31:55,080 Do you know what the proud man's 795 00:31:55,080 --> 00:31:56,570 estimation of himself is? 796 00:31:56,570 --> 00:31:59,205 I'm above criticism. 797 00:31:59,205 --> 00:32:01,295 Brethren, none of us 798 00:32:01,295 --> 00:32:03,642 will ever be above criticism 799 00:32:03,642 --> 00:32:06,796 in this life. 800 00:32:06,796 --> 00:32:09,067 You better always - I better always 801 00:32:09,067 --> 00:32:12,348 be able to take a rebuke 802 00:32:12,348 --> 00:32:14,329 and constructive criticism. 803 00:32:14,329 --> 00:32:16,291 If I ever get to a point where I can't, 804 00:32:16,291 --> 00:32:18,108 it's pride. 805 00:32:18,108 --> 00:32:22,004 And pride led to this man's ruin. 806 00:32:22,004 --> 00:32:28,398 Pride is deadly. 807 00:32:28,398 --> 00:32:31,439 I've seen 70 year old Christians 808 00:32:31,439 --> 00:32:35,283 willingly take rebuke from younger Christians. 809 00:32:35,283 --> 00:32:37,398 And it wasn't them being hyper-critical, 810 00:32:37,398 --> 00:32:41,230 it was a valid reproof. 811 00:32:41,230 --> 00:32:42,194 That's why those men 812 00:32:42,194 --> 00:32:44,402 aren't going and committing adultery. 813 00:32:44,402 --> 00:32:50,586 Because they can take criticism. 814 00:32:50,586 --> 00:32:52,570 Uzziah was defensive. 815 00:32:52,570 --> 00:32:53,868 I love what Mack Tomlinson 816 00:32:53,868 --> 00:32:55,363 has said about defensiveness. 817 00:32:55,363 --> 00:32:57,891 He says, "not being willing to be corrected 818 00:32:57,891 --> 00:33:00,453 is defensiveness, which is rooted in pride. 819 00:33:00,453 --> 00:33:03,661 Defensiveness is that feeling I get 820 00:33:03,661 --> 00:33:06,351 when anyone challenges me on something, 821 00:33:06,351 --> 00:33:11,422 possibly exposing that I have blind spots, 822 00:33:11,422 --> 00:33:13,927 that they see that I don't see." 823 00:33:13,927 --> 00:33:15,396 You see, the proud man thinks 824 00:33:15,396 --> 00:33:16,583 no, that can't be right. 825 00:33:16,583 --> 00:33:17,929 I know my soul so well, 826 00:33:17,929 --> 00:33:19,475 whatever you're saying about me, 827 00:33:19,475 --> 00:33:20,892 it cannot be right. 828 00:33:20,892 --> 00:33:23,409 Because I've got myself figured out. 829 00:33:23,409 --> 00:33:25,422 No, that's why it's called a blind spot. 830 00:33:25,422 --> 00:33:32,129 You can't see it. 831 00:33:32,129 --> 00:33:34,348 And you know what? 832 00:33:34,348 --> 00:33:37,180 Look what the Lord does. 833 00:33:37,180 --> 00:33:40,745 Sin has consequences, brethren. 834 00:33:40,745 --> 00:33:42,916 Uzziah was angry, v. 19. 835 00:33:42,916 --> 00:33:44,236 He had a censer in his hand 836 00:33:44,236 --> 00:33:46,435 to burn incense, 837 00:33:46,435 --> 00:33:49,755 and when he became angry - 838 00:33:49,755 --> 00:33:51,311 notice it's at that point 839 00:33:51,311 --> 00:33:53,580 when he had anger in his heart - 840 00:33:53,580 --> 00:33:55,732 it's like God was giving him an opportunity 841 00:33:55,732 --> 00:33:59,088 to humbly receive correction 842 00:33:59,088 --> 00:34:02,449 and walk out the door and obey. 843 00:34:02,449 --> 00:34:03,957 And he had anger. 844 00:34:03,957 --> 00:34:06,810 When he became angry with the priests, 845 00:34:06,810 --> 00:34:08,118 at that point, 846 00:34:08,118 --> 00:34:11,341 leprosy broke out on his forehead 847 00:34:11,341 --> 00:34:12,994 in the presence of the priests 848 00:34:12,994 --> 00:34:14,865 in the house of the Lord. 849 00:34:14,865 --> 00:34:16,805 Brethren, imagine that. 850 00:34:16,805 --> 00:34:20,308 Imagine right here today 851 00:34:20,308 --> 00:34:21,350 that man doing that 852 00:34:21,350 --> 00:34:22,826 and leprosy just breaking out 853 00:34:22,826 --> 00:34:24,389 on his forehead. 854 00:34:24,389 --> 00:34:26,355 You know, that would make you fear God. 855 00:34:26,355 --> 00:34:29,587 I would hope. 856 00:34:29,587 --> 00:34:31,042 It would make you realize, 857 00:34:31,042 --> 00:34:33,022 the Lord and His Word 858 00:34:33,022 --> 00:34:35,717 is not that which we should toy with, 859 00:34:35,717 --> 00:34:41,524 but we should take dead serious. 860 00:34:41,524 --> 00:34:43,410 So in some ways, I believe 861 00:34:43,410 --> 00:34:47,621 God uses physical sickness to judge him. 862 00:34:47,621 --> 00:34:48,621 His head, 863 00:34:48,621 --> 00:34:52,494 where he's thinking lofty thoughts of himself, 864 00:34:52,494 --> 00:34:55,796 now has leprosy on it. 865 00:34:55,796 --> 00:35:01,019 Spreading we would think. 866 00:35:01,019 --> 00:35:03,647 It says they rushed him out quickly, 867 00:35:03,647 --> 00:35:06,891 and he himself hurried to go out. 868 00:35:06,891 --> 00:35:08,421 So it doesn't sound like 869 00:35:08,421 --> 00:35:10,258 it was just that they yanked him out. 870 00:35:10,258 --> 00:35:13,049 It says he himself hurried. 871 00:35:13,049 --> 00:35:16,232 I think he got the point. 872 00:35:16,232 --> 00:35:19,469 And it's because the Lord struck him. 873 00:35:19,469 --> 00:35:21,458 The Lord struck Ananias and Sapphira 874 00:35:21,458 --> 00:35:23,805 when they lied to the Holy Spirit. 875 00:35:23,805 --> 00:35:26,826 God struck them dead. 876 00:35:26,826 --> 00:35:28,235 What did this man do? 877 00:35:28,235 --> 00:35:29,472 Adultery like David? 878 00:35:29,472 --> 00:35:31,307 No. 879 00:35:31,307 --> 00:35:32,777 He put himself in a position 880 00:35:32,777 --> 00:35:34,319 that was not his, 881 00:35:34,319 --> 00:35:35,523 because of his pride, 882 00:35:35,523 --> 00:35:36,846 and somehow he now thought 883 00:35:36,846 --> 00:35:38,233 he could do that thing, 884 00:35:38,233 --> 00:35:40,490 which he should not be doing. 885 00:35:40,490 --> 00:35:41,861 Some would look at that 886 00:35:41,861 --> 00:35:43,305 and say that's a small thing. 887 00:35:43,305 --> 00:35:47,547 But again, remember, Korah. 888 00:35:47,547 --> 00:35:49,421 They were thinking God was 889 00:35:49,421 --> 00:35:51,084 withholding something from them - 890 00:35:51,084 --> 00:35:52,447 that Moses and Aaron were - 891 00:35:52,447 --> 00:35:54,404 and they sought a certain position. 892 00:35:54,404 --> 00:35:55,793 And God opened the earth up, 893 00:35:55,793 --> 00:36:01,772 and He consumed them. 894 00:36:01,772 --> 00:36:04,137 Sin has consequences. 895 00:36:04,137 --> 00:36:05,423 The text says this, 896 00:36:05,423 --> 00:36:09,661 it says, "he grew proud to his destruction." 897 00:36:09,661 --> 00:36:11,151 What does that mean? 898 00:36:11,151 --> 00:36:12,931 Did he physically die at that point? 899 00:36:12,931 --> 00:36:15,758 No. He lived on. 900 00:36:15,758 --> 00:36:17,846 So it doesn't mean that. 901 00:36:17,846 --> 00:36:19,055 What type of destruction? 902 00:36:19,055 --> 00:36:22,918 Some versions they render "to his ruin." 903 00:36:22,918 --> 00:36:24,272 It seems from this point on, 904 00:36:24,272 --> 00:36:29,238 his kingdom came to ruin. 905 00:36:29,238 --> 00:36:30,147 Someone said this, 906 00:36:30,147 --> 00:36:32,340 "Pride is the greatest demolition crew 907 00:36:32,340 --> 00:36:34,735 in the history of the world." 908 00:36:34,735 --> 00:36:35,548 You hear that? 909 00:36:35,548 --> 00:36:38,755 Pride, high thoughts of yourself, 910 00:36:38,755 --> 00:36:40,988 being unable to be corrected - 911 00:36:40,988 --> 00:36:42,814 it's the biggest demolition crew 912 00:36:42,814 --> 00:36:44,824 in the world. 913 00:36:44,824 --> 00:36:46,115 I don't know who said that 914 00:36:46,115 --> 00:36:48,325 and I don't know if that's completely right, 915 00:36:48,325 --> 00:36:49,765 but again, the proverbs say 916 00:36:49,765 --> 00:36:55,358 a haughty spirit comes before destruction. 917 00:36:55,358 --> 00:36:57,629 How do you respond to such reproof? 918 00:36:57,629 --> 00:36:59,898 How do I? 919 00:36:59,898 --> 00:37:01,577 Do you say, no, I have the right 920 00:37:01,577 --> 00:37:04,203 to offer incense? 921 00:37:04,203 --> 00:37:06,291 Or I thought about this, 922 00:37:06,291 --> 00:37:10,493 maybe someone says, 923 00:37:10,493 --> 00:37:13,746 well, this is the liberty I have. 924 00:37:13,746 --> 00:37:17,551 Don't tell me I can't do this! 925 00:37:17,551 --> 00:37:21,622 I've got my Christian liberties to do this thing. 926 00:37:21,622 --> 00:37:23,136 I don't care if all the pastors 927 00:37:23,136 --> 00:37:24,475 are telling me it's wrong. 928 00:37:24,475 --> 00:37:28,045 I don't care if they're all rebuking me. 929 00:37:28,045 --> 00:37:29,907 Don't tell me this. 930 00:37:29,907 --> 00:37:31,748 Pride. 931 00:37:31,748 --> 00:37:32,801 You know what? 932 00:37:32,801 --> 00:37:34,446 It would sober us up 933 00:37:34,446 --> 00:37:35,561 a whole lot more, 934 00:37:35,561 --> 00:37:37,306 if the Lord acted in such a way 935 00:37:37,306 --> 00:37:39,315 as He did then 936 00:37:39,315 --> 00:37:40,961 in our day now. 937 00:37:40,961 --> 00:37:42,893 I'm not wishing that upon us at all. 938 00:37:42,893 --> 00:37:44,705 But I think, as Charles Leiter said, 939 00:37:44,705 --> 00:37:47,442 the fact that Ananias and Sapphira type situations 940 00:37:47,442 --> 00:37:49,912 where people lie and they don't get struck dead, 941 00:37:49,912 --> 00:37:51,716 Charles said that's God's judgment 942 00:37:51,716 --> 00:37:54,023 that that doesn't happen to us, 943 00:37:54,023 --> 00:37:55,234 because if it did, 944 00:37:55,234 --> 00:37:57,328 it would put such a fear of God into us 945 00:37:57,328 --> 00:37:59,064 where we would realize, 946 00:37:59,064 --> 00:38:02,482 God does not take sin lightly. 947 00:38:02,482 --> 00:38:03,521 This King Uzziah, 948 00:38:03,521 --> 00:38:04,725 in the year he died, 949 00:38:04,725 --> 00:38:06,297 that's when Isaiah saw the Lord 950 00:38:06,297 --> 00:38:11,892 in Isaiah 6. 951 00:38:11,892 --> 00:38:13,230 God is big. 952 00:38:13,230 --> 00:38:15,440 The same God we see here 953 00:38:15,440 --> 00:38:22,236 is our God today. 954 00:38:22,236 --> 00:38:24,563 Such severe discipline - 955 00:38:24,563 --> 00:38:27,205 or you could even say judgment - 956 00:38:27,205 --> 00:38:30,361 God definitely makes His message clear. 957 00:38:30,361 --> 00:38:33,679 I think it's David in Psalm 141. 958 00:38:33,679 --> 00:38:35,568 Remember what he prayed? 959 00:38:35,568 --> 00:38:37,665 Let the righteous rebuke me. 960 00:38:37,665 --> 00:38:39,952 It is a kindness. 961 00:38:39,952 --> 00:38:41,392 It is oil for my head, 962 00:38:41,392 --> 00:38:44,261 but Lord, let my head not refuse it. 963 00:38:44,261 --> 00:38:49,636 That's what David prayed. 964 00:38:49,636 --> 00:38:51,415 We need to be like that. 965 00:38:51,415 --> 00:38:54,137 Luke 18: "Whoever exalts himself, 966 00:38:54,137 --> 00:38:56,122 will be humbled, 967 00:38:56,122 --> 00:38:58,546 but the one who humbles himself, 968 00:38:58,546 --> 00:39:00,879 will be exalted." 969 00:39:00,879 --> 00:39:02,017 Here, a man who humbly, 970 00:39:02,017 --> 00:39:04,086 did seek the Lord. 971 00:39:04,086 --> 00:39:06,614 But eventually, he switched it around, 972 00:39:06,614 --> 00:39:08,038 and he exalted himself 973 00:39:08,038 --> 00:39:10,915 and God humbled him. 974 00:39:10,915 --> 00:39:12,124 May we never think, 975 00:39:12,124 --> 00:39:14,849 who are you to reprove me. 976 00:39:14,849 --> 00:39:20,761 May we never lose a fear of God in our lives. 977 00:39:20,761 --> 00:39:26,360 This is a lesson for us to stay low. 978 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:27,735 This is a lesson for us 979 00:39:27,735 --> 00:39:30,591 to make it a priority to be seeking God. 980 00:39:30,591 --> 00:39:31,806 As I already pointed out, 981 00:39:31,806 --> 00:39:34,858 v. 5, "As long as he sought the Lord, 982 00:39:34,858 --> 00:39:36,451 God made him prosper." 983 00:39:36,451 --> 00:39:37,881 Brethren, if you and I 984 00:39:37,881 --> 00:39:42,488 stop truly seeking God, 985 00:39:42,488 --> 00:39:43,281 and in pride, 986 00:39:43,281 --> 00:39:46,177 our Christianity, it's not a desperate life 987 00:39:46,177 --> 00:39:48,282 of seeking God, seeking His help, 988 00:39:48,282 --> 00:39:50,480 committing our way to Him, 989 00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:53,638 pride's going to come in. 990 00:39:53,638 --> 00:39:56,986 We're not going to prosper. 991 00:39:56,986 --> 00:39:58,639 To seek the Lord, to fear God, 992 00:39:58,639 --> 00:40:03,367 is a life or death priority. 993 00:40:03,367 --> 00:40:07,465 Now, I wanted to think of some examples. 994 00:40:07,465 --> 00:40:08,302 One in the Bible 995 00:40:08,302 --> 00:40:09,627 and some out of the Bible, 996 00:40:09,627 --> 00:40:11,808 of men who in their earlier years 997 00:40:11,808 --> 00:40:13,409 would not have dared to do 998 00:40:13,409 --> 00:40:15,147 what they did in their latter years. 999 00:40:15,147 --> 00:40:16,351 You hear that? 1000 00:40:16,351 --> 00:40:19,605 Because that's what happened with Uzziah. 1001 00:40:19,605 --> 00:40:20,887 In the earlier years, 1002 00:40:20,887 --> 00:40:22,281 he wouldn't have dared to do 1003 00:40:22,281 --> 00:40:23,631 these things. 1004 00:40:23,631 --> 00:40:25,396 But in his latter years, he did. 1005 00:40:25,396 --> 00:40:27,268 And again, that's not beyond happening 1006 00:40:27,268 --> 00:40:28,996 to any of us. 1007 00:40:28,996 --> 00:40:30,479 We can't say there's no way 1008 00:40:30,479 --> 00:40:32,431 that's going to happen to any of us. 1009 00:40:32,431 --> 00:40:36,819 It could. 1010 00:40:36,819 --> 00:40:41,823 Especially if we have success. 1011 00:40:41,823 --> 00:40:43,515 We get famous. 1012 00:40:43,515 --> 00:40:46,298 Pride creeps in. 1013 00:40:46,298 --> 00:40:47,947 Because you become strong, 1014 00:40:47,947 --> 00:40:49,351 you rely on yourself, 1015 00:40:49,351 --> 00:40:51,561 on past victories... 1016 00:40:51,561 --> 00:40:53,359 So the first one of these examples 1017 00:40:53,359 --> 00:40:56,727 I thought of was from the Bible. 1018 00:40:56,727 --> 00:40:59,023 It's King David. 1019 00:40:59,023 --> 00:41:00,283 David had killed Goliath. 1020 00:41:00,283 --> 00:41:01,462 He had many victories. 1021 00:41:01,462 --> 00:41:05,049 He was living a very strict life. 1022 00:41:05,049 --> 00:41:07,108 But his fault was like Uzziah's 1023 00:41:07,108 --> 00:41:08,862 in some way. 1024 00:41:08,862 --> 00:41:11,929 He did something he shouldn't have done. 1025 00:41:11,929 --> 00:41:14,239 That something was him not going to war 1026 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,601 when the kings were to be out at war. 1027 00:41:16,601 --> 00:41:18,293 But 2 Samuel 11 says 1028 00:41:18,293 --> 00:41:22,065 David remained and sent Joab. 1029 00:41:22,065 --> 00:41:24,524 David should have been at war. 1030 00:41:24,524 --> 00:41:26,236 Now, I'm assuming this, 1031 00:41:26,236 --> 00:41:29,596 but, David must have had some pride. 1032 00:41:29,596 --> 00:41:30,921 Why not go to war? 1033 00:41:30,921 --> 00:41:34,442 This is when the kings go to war. 1034 00:41:34,442 --> 00:41:35,916 You went to war in the past. 1035 00:41:35,916 --> 00:41:38,406 You had victories in the past. 1036 00:41:38,406 --> 00:41:41,904 Why didn't you go now, David? 1037 00:41:41,904 --> 00:41:44,230 Why didn't you go to war? 1038 00:41:44,230 --> 00:41:49,168 Why did you send Joab and remain? 1039 00:41:49,168 --> 00:41:52,957 And then you end up laying on your roof, 1040 00:41:52,957 --> 00:41:54,816 idle and lazy. 1041 00:41:54,816 --> 00:41:56,211 You see Bathsheba. 1042 00:41:56,211 --> 00:41:58,459 You commit adultery. 1043 00:41:58,459 --> 00:42:01,441 Then you have her husband murdered! 1044 00:42:01,441 --> 00:42:03,486 If you just would have gone to war, David, 1045 00:42:03,486 --> 00:42:05,000 you wouldn't have put yourself 1046 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:09,370 in a place for all that to happen. 1047 00:42:09,370 --> 00:42:14,939 David - a man after God's own heart 1048 00:42:14,939 --> 00:42:17,715 had that happen. 1049 00:42:17,715 --> 00:42:18,741 There's others. 1050 00:42:18,741 --> 00:42:21,616 Christmas Evans, the one-eyed Welsh preacher. 1051 00:42:21,616 --> 00:42:25,188 He had a very fruitful ministry for 15 years. 1052 00:42:25,188 --> 00:42:26,780 Very fruitful. 1053 00:42:26,780 --> 00:42:28,381 Fifteen. 1054 00:42:28,381 --> 00:42:30,466 And then he fell under the influence 1055 00:42:30,466 --> 00:42:32,643 of a false teaching that was a type 1056 00:42:32,643 --> 00:42:34,262 of easy believism. 1057 00:42:34,262 --> 00:42:37,167 And all you've got to do is have this faith. 1058 00:42:37,167 --> 00:42:39,552 And there wasn't this evidences of regeneration 1059 00:42:39,552 --> 00:42:40,555 in a man's life. 1060 00:42:40,555 --> 00:42:42,729 He got deceived by this false teaching. 1061 00:42:42,729 --> 00:42:44,577 And he said this, 1062 00:42:44,577 --> 00:42:49,006 this was after he got out of the false teaching, 1063 00:42:49,006 --> 00:42:54,168 he said, "we thus, almost entirely took down 1064 00:42:54,168 --> 00:42:57,324 what had taken fifteen years to raise." 1065 00:42:57,324 --> 00:42:59,957 Just like that. 1066 00:42:59,957 --> 00:43:01,214 Pride. 1067 00:43:01,214 --> 00:43:02,901 Giving in to this false teaching. 1068 00:43:02,901 --> 00:43:04,461 Being deceived. 1069 00:43:04,461 --> 00:43:06,414 Not diligently seeking the Lord. 1070 00:43:06,414 --> 00:43:08,967 Not truly testing everything to the Word 1071 00:43:08,967 --> 00:43:11,305 and holding fast to what is good. 1072 00:43:11,305 --> 00:43:12,391 Another. 1073 00:43:12,391 --> 00:43:14,128 Hal Harris. 1074 00:43:14,128 --> 00:43:15,500 He was greatly used of God 1075 00:43:15,500 --> 00:43:17,351 in the Welsh revivals, 1076 00:43:17,351 --> 00:43:19,805 along with Daniel Rolands. 1077 00:43:19,805 --> 00:43:23,437 But in 1749, Harris, 1078 00:43:23,437 --> 00:43:25,487 who was a married man, 1079 00:43:25,487 --> 00:43:28,239 became friendly with Syndey Griffith, 1080 00:43:28,239 --> 00:43:30,721 and one writes this, 1081 00:43:30,721 --> 00:43:33,984 "She was the estranged wife of another man. 1082 00:43:33,984 --> 00:43:35,683 Confiding in his diary, 1083 00:43:35,683 --> 00:43:39,909 Harris thought that God had revealed to him 1084 00:43:39,909 --> 00:43:42,494 that his wife was about to die, 1085 00:43:42,494 --> 00:43:44,142 and that it would clear the way 1086 00:43:44,142 --> 00:43:46,863 for his marriage to Griffith. 1087 00:43:46,863 --> 00:43:49,170 Harris began to invest in her 1088 00:43:49,170 --> 00:43:51,427 with prophetic gifts and insights. 1089 00:43:51,427 --> 00:43:53,335 Harris began bringing Griffith 1090 00:43:53,335 --> 00:43:55,246 to the Methodist Association meetings, 1091 00:43:55,246 --> 00:43:56,840 demanding she was given a place 1092 00:43:56,840 --> 00:43:59,589 for special prominence." 1093 00:43:59,589 --> 00:44:01,646 He wouldn't take correction. 1094 00:44:01,646 --> 00:44:03,280 The man used in the Welsh revivals 1095 00:44:03,280 --> 00:44:04,916 thinking his wife's going to die 1096 00:44:04,916 --> 00:44:06,185 and he's going to marry another woman. 1097 00:44:06,185 --> 00:44:07,559 And he's taking another woman all around with him? 1098 00:44:07,559 --> 00:44:09,570 How could that happen? 1099 00:44:09,570 --> 00:44:13,096 I'll tell you it can happen. 1100 00:44:13,096 --> 00:44:15,831 At that point, parting of ways was inevitable. 1101 00:44:15,831 --> 00:44:18,332 George Whitefield was the first to act. 1102 00:44:18,332 --> 00:44:19,594 He dismissed Harris from 1103 00:44:19,594 --> 00:44:22,628 the Tabernacle Society in 1750. 1104 00:44:22,628 --> 00:44:24,367 Then Daniel Rolands 1105 00:44:24,367 --> 00:44:26,386 with the assistance of William Williams, 1106 00:44:26,386 --> 00:44:28,161 he kept the majority of the movement 1107 00:44:28,161 --> 00:44:29,310 under their control, 1108 00:44:29,310 --> 00:44:31,283 while Harris, with a small group 1109 00:44:31,283 --> 00:44:33,451 of his most devoted followers, 1110 00:44:33,451 --> 00:44:35,926 they retreated away. 1111 00:44:35,926 --> 00:44:38,338 A biographer of Harris says this, 1112 00:44:38,338 --> 00:44:40,118 "At this time, 1113 00:44:40,118 --> 00:44:42,256 he became very intolerant 1114 00:44:42,256 --> 00:44:45,152 and would take no interference, 1115 00:44:45,152 --> 00:44:46,974 and would accept no advice 1116 00:44:46,974 --> 00:44:50,029 from his friends and followers." 1117 00:44:50,029 --> 00:44:52,016 Does that sound familiar? 1118 00:44:52,016 --> 00:44:54,805 Uzziah had 80 men of valor 1119 00:44:54,805 --> 00:44:57,023 rebuke him. 1120 00:44:57,023 --> 00:44:59,129 And he didn't hear it. 1121 00:44:59,129 --> 00:45:03,522 Harris - God used him so mightily. 1122 00:45:03,522 --> 00:45:05,210 But he would take no advice 1123 00:45:05,210 --> 00:45:06,788 from his friends and followers. 1124 00:45:06,788 --> 00:45:08,531 Pride puts you in a place 1125 00:45:08,531 --> 00:45:12,819 where you're beyond criticism. 1126 00:45:12,819 --> 00:45:14,956 Eventually, Harris' friends denied him, 1127 00:45:14,956 --> 00:45:15,816 one by one, 1128 00:45:15,816 --> 00:45:19,619 and he was left almost alone. 1129 00:45:19,619 --> 00:45:22,461 Shortly after, the lady Griffith, 1130 00:45:22,461 --> 00:45:23,832 she died - 1131 00:45:23,832 --> 00:45:25,844 not Harris' wife. 1132 00:45:25,844 --> 00:45:28,619 He didn't have a word from God. 1133 00:45:28,619 --> 00:45:30,381 And over the next years, 1134 00:45:30,381 --> 00:45:31,692 Harris did improve, 1135 00:45:31,692 --> 00:45:33,028 but he was never the same. 1136 00:45:33,028 --> 00:45:34,938 And eventually him and Daniel Rolands, 1137 00:45:34,938 --> 00:45:37,495 they were able to hold meetings again together, 1138 00:45:37,495 --> 00:45:40,309 but it was never the same. 1139 00:45:40,309 --> 00:45:43,031 You see, here Christmas Evans, 1140 00:45:43,031 --> 00:45:44,941 here Hal Harris are - 1141 00:45:44,941 --> 00:45:48,412 God mightily used them. 1142 00:45:48,412 --> 00:45:50,177 I mean, Christmas Evans stood up, 1143 00:45:50,177 --> 00:45:53,015 there were 7,000 people in a field 1144 00:45:53,015 --> 00:45:56,632 where they just put him on the spot to preach. 1145 00:45:56,632 --> 00:45:57,936 He was a one-eyed man. 1146 00:45:57,936 --> 00:45:59,744 And he preached with such power. 1147 00:45:59,744 --> 00:46:01,199 Was that a thing of the flesh? 1148 00:46:01,199 --> 00:46:01,957 No. 1149 00:46:01,957 --> 00:46:04,166 Was Uzziah having great prosperity 1150 00:46:04,166 --> 00:46:05,268 a thing of the flesh? 1151 00:46:05,268 --> 00:46:06,510 No. 1152 00:46:06,510 --> 00:46:11,051 It was God. 1153 00:46:11,051 --> 00:46:13,726 One other. 1154 00:46:13,726 --> 00:46:14,962 Anthony Norris Groves 1155 00:46:14,962 --> 00:46:16,645 who I did a biographical sketch. 1156 00:46:16,645 --> 00:46:21,474 I didn't get to mention this thing in his life 1157 00:46:21,474 --> 00:46:22,854 when I did the study. 1158 00:46:22,854 --> 00:46:25,445 He was a missionary to Iraq and then India. 1159 00:46:25,445 --> 00:46:27,325 He always held to principles 1160 00:46:27,325 --> 00:46:34,727 of trusting God by faith to provide. 1161 00:46:34,727 --> 00:46:37,375 He had a silkworm farm in India. 1162 00:46:37,375 --> 00:46:38,828 It was a business by which 1163 00:46:38,828 --> 00:46:40,563 many native Christians were being 1164 00:46:40,563 --> 00:46:42,085 provided work. 1165 00:46:42,085 --> 00:46:44,316 God was blessing it. 1166 00:46:44,316 --> 00:46:46,736 When one day, out of the blue, 1167 00:46:46,736 --> 00:46:48,196 there came an offer of a loan 1168 00:46:48,196 --> 00:46:50,969 of 30,000 rupees from a military man 1169 00:46:50,969 --> 00:46:52,068 who had been converted 1170 00:46:52,068 --> 00:46:54,477 through the ministry of Groves. 1171 00:46:54,477 --> 00:46:56,435 And the military man wished to express 1172 00:46:56,435 --> 00:46:59,019 his affectionate appreciation. 1173 00:46:59,019 --> 00:47:00,105 So what do you do? 1174 00:47:00,105 --> 00:47:01,932 Your whole life, there's a principle, 1175 00:47:01,932 --> 00:47:03,310 trust God by faith, 1176 00:47:03,310 --> 00:47:04,655 don't take out loans. 1177 00:47:04,655 --> 00:47:06,120 Now one of your converts comes 1178 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:07,622 with 30,000 rupees and says, 1179 00:47:07,622 --> 00:47:08,719 "I'll loan it to you." 1180 00:47:08,719 --> 00:47:10,479 What do you do? 1181 00:47:10,479 --> 00:47:12,249 Do you stay strict 1182 00:47:12,249 --> 00:47:13,897 to the principles that God has 1183 00:47:13,897 --> 00:47:15,413 impressed on you? 1184 00:47:15,413 --> 00:47:19,113 That you believe are found in His Word? 1185 00:47:19,113 --> 00:47:21,259 Harriet, his second wife, and others 1186 00:47:21,259 --> 00:47:22,424 encouraged him that 1187 00:47:22,424 --> 00:47:25,361 this was the hand of God 1188 00:47:25,361 --> 00:47:26,744 to provide for expansion. 1189 00:47:26,744 --> 00:47:28,566 He went ahead with the loan. 1190 00:47:28,566 --> 00:47:30,023 They invested in more fields 1191 00:47:30,023 --> 00:47:31,383 and it was not long before 1192 00:47:31,383 --> 00:47:32,772 the disease of every kind 1193 00:47:32,772 --> 00:47:34,433 began among the crops. 1194 00:47:34,433 --> 00:47:35,624 They made fresh efforts 1195 00:47:35,624 --> 00:47:36,887 to restock the farms, 1196 00:47:36,887 --> 00:47:38,277 but after four years, 1197 00:47:38,277 --> 00:47:41,129 the attempts were finally abandoned. 1198 00:47:41,129 --> 00:47:44,471 Groves blamed himself for this happening. 1199 00:47:44,471 --> 00:47:45,642 But why? 1200 00:47:45,642 --> 00:47:47,767 And he gives us the answer. 1201 00:47:47,767 --> 00:47:50,572 Like Uzziah, he had not waited on the Lord. 1202 00:47:50,572 --> 00:47:52,689 It was said he became 1203 00:47:52,689 --> 00:47:55,214 too much engrossed with the external affairs 1204 00:47:55,214 --> 00:47:57,561 of the mission, 1205 00:47:57,561 --> 00:47:59,326 which had hindered his enjoying 1206 00:47:59,326 --> 00:48:01,455 his usual hours of retirement 1207 00:48:01,455 --> 00:48:03,915 and communion with God. 1208 00:48:03,915 --> 00:48:04,781 You hear that? 1209 00:48:04,781 --> 00:48:07,285 His prayer life was affected. 1210 00:48:07,285 --> 00:48:09,970 When did Uzziah prosper? 1211 00:48:09,970 --> 00:48:11,456 When he was seeking the Lord. 1212 00:48:11,456 --> 00:48:13,804 As long as... 1213 00:48:13,804 --> 00:48:18,403 As long as he sought the Lord. 1214 00:48:18,403 --> 00:48:19,329 He said this, 1215 00:48:19,329 --> 00:48:22,425 often we are beguiled in the worldly things 1216 00:48:22,425 --> 00:48:24,534 with an idea that we can make them 1217 00:48:24,534 --> 00:48:27,180 subservient to God's glory. 1218 00:48:27,180 --> 00:48:29,130 But the things we thought would bend 1219 00:48:29,130 --> 00:48:30,520 as a bow, 1220 00:48:30,520 --> 00:48:33,607 to shoot as arrows against the enemies of God 1221 00:48:33,607 --> 00:48:35,809 become the means of piercing us through 1222 00:48:35,809 --> 00:48:37,294 with many sorrows, 1223 00:48:37,294 --> 00:48:40,152 and leading us away from God. 1224 00:48:40,152 --> 00:48:42,833 Nothing requires more spiritual discernment 1225 00:48:42,833 --> 00:48:45,619 than to detect the snares of the enemy. 1226 00:48:45,619 --> 00:48:47,538 They are often so covered over 1227 00:48:47,538 --> 00:48:49,176 as to appear as if they're 1228 00:48:49,176 --> 00:48:50,835 leadings from God. 1229 00:48:50,835 --> 00:48:52,465 Grove put his finger on the point 1230 00:48:52,465 --> 00:48:54,063 where he felt he had gone wrong. 1231 00:48:54,063 --> 00:48:55,794 He said this - 1232 00:48:55,794 --> 00:48:57,003 listen to this: 1233 00:48:57,003 --> 00:48:59,086 "The prophet says, 1234 00:48:59,086 --> 00:49:03,033 'wait on thy God continually.' 1235 00:49:03,033 --> 00:49:04,787 In the beginning of departure 1236 00:49:04,787 --> 00:49:08,016 is found in only waiting on God 1237 00:49:08,016 --> 00:49:10,650 occasionally. 1238 00:49:10,650 --> 00:49:12,586 That's where Grove saw his departure. 1239 00:49:12,586 --> 00:49:13,851 He went from being a man 1240 00:49:13,851 --> 00:49:15,903 who continually waited on the Lord, 1241 00:49:15,903 --> 00:49:18,081 to being a man who only occasionally 1242 00:49:18,081 --> 00:49:19,513 waited on the Lord. 1243 00:49:19,513 --> 00:49:21,991 That's what we saw happen with Uzziah. 1244 00:49:21,991 --> 00:49:24,496 As long as he sought the Lord. 1245 00:49:24,496 --> 00:49:26,378 As long... 1246 00:49:26,378 --> 00:49:28,791 If you cease seeking God, 1247 00:49:28,791 --> 00:49:31,022 you're going to get in pride. 1248 00:49:31,022 --> 00:49:31,941 You get in pride, 1249 00:49:31,941 --> 00:49:33,679 you're not going to hear criticism, 1250 00:49:33,679 --> 00:49:38,923 rebuke. 1251 00:49:38,923 --> 00:49:42,296 Then he said faith was Norris Grove's strongest point. 1252 00:49:42,296 --> 00:49:43,767 But as his wife said, 1253 00:49:43,767 --> 00:49:49,022 this first departure in all those years... 1254 00:49:49,022 --> 00:49:51,197 that they could see, 1255 00:49:51,197 --> 00:49:52,739 from the way of faith, 1256 00:49:52,739 --> 00:49:57,442 was in the providence of God 1257 00:49:57,442 --> 00:50:00,170 followed by the most bitter consequences. 1258 00:50:00,170 --> 00:50:02,116 He lost five years of his life 1259 00:50:02,116 --> 00:50:06,304 trying to pay off that debt. 1260 00:50:06,304 --> 00:50:09,909 Because of one decision. 1261 00:50:09,909 --> 00:50:14,316 Now, I want to make an example up. 1262 00:50:14,316 --> 00:50:16,971 I hope that this - maybe it already is 1263 00:50:16,971 --> 00:50:18,001 in church history, 1264 00:50:18,001 --> 00:50:20,090 but I hope it won't be recorded 1265 00:50:20,090 --> 00:50:24,341 in our church history of our generation today. 1266 00:50:24,341 --> 00:50:25,962 Imagine this: 1267 00:50:25,962 --> 00:50:28,698 Imagine a generation of Christians. 1268 00:50:28,698 --> 00:50:30,393 They're zealous for Christ. 1269 00:50:30,393 --> 00:50:32,159 They're strict for holiness. 1270 00:50:32,159 --> 00:50:33,792 The right hand that offend thee, 1271 00:50:33,792 --> 00:50:34,701 they cut it off. 1272 00:50:34,701 --> 00:50:35,910 They throw it away. 1273 00:50:35,910 --> 00:50:38,419 They don't want to be dominated by anything. 1274 00:50:38,419 --> 00:50:39,916 If there's anything that causes 1275 00:50:39,916 --> 00:50:40,952 someone to stumble, 1276 00:50:40,952 --> 00:50:42,480 they don't seize their rights. 1277 00:50:42,480 --> 00:50:47,245 They give their rights up. 1278 00:50:47,245 --> 00:50:50,892 But then, compromise comes in. 1279 00:50:50,892 --> 00:50:52,988 They start allowing things in their lives 1280 00:50:52,988 --> 00:50:55,238 that are sinful. 1281 00:50:55,238 --> 00:50:57,009 But get this: 1282 00:50:57,009 --> 00:50:58,748 They deceive themselves to think 1283 00:50:58,748 --> 00:51:00,757 it is a liberty they have 1284 00:51:00,757 --> 00:51:05,098 and that it's not a sin issue; 1285 00:51:05,098 --> 00:51:08,706 when it is not at all an issue of liberty. 1286 00:51:08,706 --> 00:51:11,086 Then, 80 men of valor 1287 00:51:11,086 --> 00:51:13,338 come to reprove them. 1288 00:51:13,338 --> 00:51:15,549 They don't hear. 1289 00:51:15,549 --> 00:51:17,491 No, I'm not going to listen to you. 1290 00:51:17,491 --> 00:51:18,278 You're wrong. 1291 00:51:18,278 --> 00:51:19,537 You're being legalistic. 1292 00:51:19,537 --> 00:51:21,036 They get angry 1293 00:51:21,036 --> 00:51:22,772 that they are being told they cannot 1294 00:51:22,772 --> 00:51:25,523 do that which they want to do. 1295 00:51:25,523 --> 00:51:27,028 You see like Uzziah in pride, 1296 00:51:27,028 --> 00:51:29,323 they've walked away from seeking God; 1297 00:51:29,323 --> 00:51:32,988 away from the fear of God. 1298 00:51:32,988 --> 00:51:37,339 And they can't hear now. 1299 00:51:37,339 --> 00:51:42,779 But, no leprosy comes upon their heads. 1300 00:51:42,779 --> 00:51:45,744 And they continue on in their deception. 1301 00:51:45,744 --> 00:51:48,025 They think all is OK. 1302 00:51:48,025 --> 00:51:49,235 But they don't recognize 1303 00:51:49,235 --> 00:51:52,400 that they are defiling their conscience 1304 00:51:52,400 --> 00:51:56,078 and it's subtly taking place. 1305 00:51:56,078 --> 00:51:57,778 That's an example I thought of. 1306 00:51:57,778 --> 00:52:04,615 I hope it never happens. 1307 00:52:04,615 --> 00:52:05,919 Do you see, brethren? 1308 00:52:05,919 --> 00:52:08,078 We, like Uzziah, can be prayerful believers 1309 00:52:08,078 --> 00:52:10,471 humbly relying on God and prosper. 1310 00:52:10,471 --> 00:52:12,439 We can be genuinely helped by the Lord, 1311 00:52:12,439 --> 00:52:18,908 but what about fifteen years from now? 1312 00:52:18,908 --> 00:52:20,208 Will we not be as strict 1313 00:52:20,208 --> 00:52:27,392 as we were early on? 1314 00:52:27,392 --> 00:52:29,230 Will we be deceived like Hal Harris 1315 00:52:29,230 --> 00:52:30,780 who God used in revival, 1316 00:52:30,780 --> 00:52:32,687 but then he got emotionally attached 1317 00:52:32,687 --> 00:52:34,856 to a woman who was not his wife? 1318 00:52:34,856 --> 00:52:37,340 And he justified it as being from God? 1319 00:52:37,340 --> 00:52:40,267 And ignored the counsel of friends? 1320 00:52:40,267 --> 00:52:41,911 Will we compromise on doctrine 1321 00:52:41,911 --> 00:52:42,996 like Christmas Evans 1322 00:52:42,996 --> 00:52:44,670 and burn up the last fifteen years 1323 00:52:44,670 --> 00:52:46,425 of our work? 1324 00:52:46,425 --> 00:52:48,089 Will we go against our conscience 1325 00:52:48,089 --> 00:52:50,025 and a giving principle 1326 00:52:50,025 --> 00:52:52,131 to trust God and not get a loan, 1327 00:52:52,131 --> 00:52:54,139 like Norris Groves did? 1328 00:52:54,139 --> 00:52:55,167 And go and get a loan 1329 00:52:55,167 --> 00:52:59,520 for a building for our church? 1330 00:52:59,520 --> 00:53:01,548 Will we refuse the rebuke of 80 priests 1331 00:53:01,548 --> 00:53:02,779 who try to stop us from 1332 00:53:02,779 --> 00:53:06,251 doing that which God has forbidden us to do? 1333 00:53:06,251 --> 00:53:09,390 Will we get angry as Uzziah did? 1334 00:53:09,390 --> 00:53:10,953 Or will you receive it as oil 1335 00:53:10,953 --> 00:53:12,766 and a blessing on your head 1336 00:53:12,766 --> 00:53:18,693 as David did? 1337 00:53:18,693 --> 00:53:22,791 We need God to keep us. 1338 00:53:22,791 --> 00:53:23,867 To keep us humble. 1339 00:53:23,867 --> 00:53:25,601 To keep us reliant on Him. 1340 00:53:25,601 --> 00:53:30,110 To keep us seeking the Lord. 1341 00:53:30,110 --> 00:53:33,856 Deuteronomy 17 - "The Word shall be with him, 1342 00:53:33,856 --> 00:53:36,598 and he shall read it all the days of his life 1343 00:53:36,598 --> 00:53:37,549 that he may learn 1344 00:53:37,549 --> 00:53:38,843 to fear the Lord his God 1345 00:53:38,843 --> 00:53:41,605 by keeping all the words of this law 1346 00:53:41,605 --> 00:53:45,211 and these statutes and doing them." 1347 00:53:45,211 --> 00:53:45,927 Why? 1348 00:53:45,927 --> 00:53:47,817 Why be in the Word? 1349 00:53:47,817 --> 00:53:49,602 Why be doing the Word - 1350 00:53:49,602 --> 00:53:51,037 not just in it, but doing it? 1351 00:53:51,037 --> 00:53:52,642 Keeping it? 1352 00:53:52,642 --> 00:53:55,048 "That his heart may not be lifted up 1353 00:53:55,048 --> 00:53:57,592 above his brothers, 1354 00:53:57,592 --> 00:53:59,232 and that he may not turn aside 1355 00:53:59,232 --> 00:54:00,719 from the commandment, 1356 00:54:00,719 --> 00:54:02,495 either to the right hand 1357 00:54:02,495 --> 00:54:06,049 or to the left." 1358 00:54:06,049 --> 00:54:11,994 Let's pray. 1359 00:54:11,994 --> 00:54:14,133 Father, thank You 1360 00:54:14,133 --> 00:54:17,082 for Your Word 1361 00:54:17,082 --> 00:54:21,054 that is sharper than any double-edged sword. 1362 00:54:21,054 --> 00:54:24,880 Lord, thank You for the brethren in this church. 1363 00:54:24,880 --> 00:54:28,216 Lord, I think of 1364 00:54:28,216 --> 00:54:29,805 different brethren here who have 1365 00:54:29,805 --> 00:54:31,127 corrected me on things 1366 00:54:31,127 --> 00:54:34,102 I've said in my sermons. 1367 00:54:34,102 --> 00:54:36,478 Different rebukes that I've received 1368 00:54:36,478 --> 00:54:40,666 over the years. 1369 00:54:40,666 --> 00:54:46,499 Lord, thank You for working humility in us, 1370 00:54:46,499 --> 00:54:49,566 that we would not let our head refuse it, 1371 00:54:49,566 --> 00:54:52,115 but see that it is oil. 1372 00:54:52,115 --> 00:54:55,017 Father, I pray that 1373 00:54:55,017 --> 00:54:59,287 fifty years from now, 1374 00:54:59,287 --> 00:55:01,180 Lord, we will not look back and see 1375 00:55:01,180 --> 00:55:02,974 in the history of this church, 1376 00:55:02,974 --> 00:55:05,339 that we will not have a biography 1377 00:55:05,339 --> 00:55:07,394 that pride came upon us, 1378 00:55:07,394 --> 00:55:10,119 that we were strong in our own strength, 1379 00:55:10,119 --> 00:55:11,417 that we could not take 1380 00:55:11,417 --> 00:55:13,809 criticism and rebuke. 1381 00:55:13,809 --> 00:55:18,079 Lord, please, You have to keep us. 1382 00:55:18,079 --> 00:55:19,690 Lord, You have to keep working 1383 00:55:19,690 --> 00:55:22,614 humility in our hearts. 1384 00:55:22,614 --> 00:55:24,027 Lord, what do we have 1385 00:55:24,027 --> 00:55:26,465 that we haven't received? 1386 00:55:26,465 --> 00:55:30,140 Lord, we have nothing to boast in but You. 1387 00:55:30,140 --> 00:55:32,668 For God forbid we boast in anything, 1388 00:55:32,668 --> 00:55:36,201 save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1389 00:55:36,201 --> 00:55:37,677 Lord, we here this morning 1390 00:55:37,677 --> 00:55:39,985 determine to know nothing among anything 1391 00:55:39,985 --> 00:55:44,678 except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. 1392 00:55:44,678 --> 00:55:45,893 Lord, we humble ourselves 1393 00:55:45,893 --> 00:55:47,110 and ask You to forgive us 1394 00:55:47,110 --> 00:55:50,609 of times when pride has come in our mind, 1395 00:55:50,609 --> 00:55:52,838 when we've had high thoughts of ourselves, 1396 00:55:52,838 --> 00:55:54,490 and had any subtle thought 1397 00:55:54,490 --> 00:55:57,622 that we were something special. 1398 00:55:57,622 --> 00:55:59,421 Lord, You're the One Who's special, 1399 00:55:59,421 --> 00:56:02,433 Who's worthy of praise and honor. 1400 00:56:02,433 --> 00:56:04,723 We worship You this day. 1401 00:56:04,723 --> 00:56:06,691 Lord, You're worthy of worship. 1402 00:56:06,691 --> 00:56:08,222 We thank You for the positions 1403 00:56:08,222 --> 00:56:10,095 You've given us. 1404 00:56:10,095 --> 00:56:11,253 We do not want to 1405 00:56:11,253 --> 00:56:13,663 go against Your will. 1406 00:56:13,663 --> 00:56:14,696 In Jesus' name, 1407 00:56:14,696 --> 00:56:15,594 Amen.