Changing Direction for God

1. Read: 2 Chronicles 15:1-7

2. About the Text:

1) After a long succession of wicked kings, Asa came to power.

2) Israel had been away from God for many years.

3) God sent His servant Azariah to prophesy to Asa to turn to God.

4) Asa was challenged to change direction for God.

5) It takes courage to do what is right and work for the Lord.

6) The Lord rewards those who on His terms seek to do His will in their life.

3. We need to get busy with reaching out to those in our community.

1) Those who have been here but are not here now.

2) Those who have never been with us.

3) God wants us to do this work.

a. Galatians 6:1

b. Mark 16:15-16.

4. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. Read 2 Chronicles 15:2

1) The Lord is with us if we are with Him.

2) We must seek Him to find Him.

3) If we forsake Him, He will forsake us.

2. Are we with God in the matter of reaching out to those in our community?

3. Read James 4:4-10

4. We must put away our worldly attachments and quit committing spiritual adultery.

5. To do this we must . . .

1) Submit to God.

2) Resist the Devil.

6. We must draw near to God so that He will draw near to us.

7. We can’t do this while taking solace in our sins.

1) Our laughter must be turned to mourning.

2) Our joy must be turned to gloom.

8. We must be humble in the Lord’s sight.

1) This means talking to those around us about Jesus.

2) It means approaching the out-of-duty and talking to them about coming back.

9. Are we with God on this?

10. Are we changing direction for God?

1. Read 2 Chronicles 15:4.

2. Times of trouble are opportunities for the faithful.

1) Pain helps people to change direction.

2) “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world” (C.S. Lewis).

3) People need God when they are hurting.

4) We must be courageous enough to broach the subject.

5) Visiting someone without talking about spiritual matters isn’t enough.

3. Read Matthew 25:31-46.

1) The hungry, thirsty, naked, stranger, sick, imprisoned are all people who are in trouble!

2) It is when we minister to others that we do God’s will.

3) This isn’t just meeting physical needs, but spiritual.

4. Remember what God told us in Psalm 82:3-4? “Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; Free them from the hand of the wicked.”

5. Are we in trouble? Do we need to seek God?

6. Are we changing direction for God?

1. Read 2 Chronicles 15:7.

2. We must be strong for the Lord.

1) Strength means doing the Lord’s will in our lives.

2) We know what the Lord’s will is: He wants us to tell others about His Son, Jesus.

3. We must not let our hands be weak.

1) Our hands are weak when we seek self-pleasure.

2) Our hands are weak when we seek self-entertainment.

3) Our hands are weak when we seek self-prosperity.

4) We self-medicate our lives to the point that we are numb to the other people around us.

5) This is weakness, and we must put it away from us.

6) There are no excuses. Eg: COPD man who evangelized the nursing home.

4. Our work will be rewarded if we are strong.

1) 1 Corinthians 15:58 – “Wherefore my beloved brethren . . . .”

2) 1 John 5:4 – “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

3) Jesus has overcome and is sitting on the right hand of the throne of God.

5. Are we strong or are we weak?

6. Are we changing direction for God?

1. We must change direction for God!

1) Let’s be with God so He will be with us.

2) Let’s allow trouble to move us toward God, not away.

3) Let’s be strong and not weak.

2. Invitation