Sermon Notes
Pastor Jeff Stanfill

"One's Life Pursuit - Part 2"
Asa
September 24th, 2006 - AM Service

ONE'S LIFE PURSUIT - PART 2
ASA
TEXT: 2 CHRON. 14:2-16:13
INTRO:
REVIEW

Three marks of pursuing God:
Reliance on God
Respect for God's Word
Renewal

We must understand that these are not demands of God to pursue Him. These are marks that will appear on our lives when we seek God. Asa's life describes pursuing God and what his life was like as he did. We also see these marks disappear when he stopped pursuing God.

Three other marks today:
I. WHOLEHEARTEDNESS (15:12)
1. The OT describes wholeheartedness in these terms, literally. Deut 4:29. But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deut 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Wholeheartedness is complete and total commitment. It is holding nothing in reserve. It is abandonment to God.

2. Wholeheartedness marked Apostle Paul, the greatest human example of a disciple of Christ. Rom 1:9. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you.

3. Jesus taught wholeheartedness. Luke 9:57-62. As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go."
58 Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head." I am wholehearted for Christ when I am free from domination by concern for my own comforts.
59 He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
60 Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God." In this time the proper burial of the dead, especially one of the prominence of one's father, took precedence over the study of the Torah, service in the Temple, killing the Passover lamb, or even the performance of circumcision. I am wholehearted for Christ when the demands of the Kingdom of God are more urgent than anything else. Wholeheartedness forgoes a deferral in obedience. Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Saying good-bye to those at home seems reasonable. But a heart wholly set upon Jesus Christ never negotiates the conditions of following Him. Never does it say I will serve you when ... or if ... or providing ....
62 Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

II. A CERTAIN TYPE OF RADICALISM (15:13)
1. Verse 13 is a problem for me. It reads more like the doctrines of Islam than the doctrines of God. Is this convert or die? Is this purging the population? While this does relate to the times that God commanded the Israelites to kill the entire population that is another story. In this verse they were not commanded to kill. This verse is saying something far deeper and we think harder about it. It is illustrating something of the people's pursuit of God. This was a decision they made on their own. The ethics of it is not a point in this verse. The point is something I am calling a 'certain type of radicalism.' Radicalism is an extreme departure from the usual or traditional. It is not what most others do or say or think. It may be rooted in what others do or say or think but it is extreme. What extreme statement is being said by a people that consider the pursuit of God a matter of life or death? They are saying that He is more precious to them than life itself.

2. The life of one who is in pursuit of God is marked by a radicalism that says Jesus Christ is more precious than life itself. Immediately we begin to think in terms of dying for Jesus. And well we should. For every generation has had its martyrs who by the letting of their blood, the torturing of their minds, the mangling of their bodies have all proclaimed that Jesus Christ is worth more than my limbs, more than my health, more than my sexual sanctity. In their death they have proclaimed that He means more than life to me.

3. But it is we who live for Christ that must pursue Him with our lives in a way that declares that He is more precious than life. I must borrow words from one wiser than I. John Piper in addressing an issue so similar to this that his words more than relate they apply. We ask "What's wrong with it? What's wrong with this movie? Or this music? Or this game? Or these companions? Or this way of relaxing? Or this investment? Or this restaurant? Or shopping at this store? What's wrong with going to the cabin every weekend? Or having a cabin? This kind of question will rarely yield a lifestyle that commends Christ as all-satisfying and makes people glad in God. It simply results in a list of don'ts." "The better questions to ask about possible behavior is: How will this help me treasure Christ more? How will it help me show that I do treasure Christ? How will it help me know Christ or display Christ? The Bible says, "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." (1 Cor. 10:31). So the question is mainly positive, not negative. How can I portray God as glorious in this action? How can I enjoy making much of Him in this behavior?" (Don't Waste Your Life, pgs. 118-119).

4. This certain type of radicalism should not have to suffer bearing the label radical. This is normal Christianity. This is 'regular-Joe discipleship'. A life in pursuit of God will bear the mark of a certain type of radicalism that proves "He is more precious than life." (Piper).

5. Of what does your life consist? Classes at LSU? Work for the state of Louisiana? Collecting MP3 downloads? Planning for retirement? Having a bigger list on MySpace? Watching the grandkids grow up? Remodeling the house? Adding more numbers to your savings account? Of what does your life consist? None of theses things are evil. But when one pursues God, these "normal" activities and interests are radicalized and show that Christ is more precious to us than life.

III. EXUBERANCE (15:14-15)
1. Those who were set upon pursuing God were joyously unrestrained and enthusiastic. Their exuberance became a celebration. Who doesn't like a celebration? They were loud, they were vocal, they were celebrative for the right reasons. Instead of taking to the street because the local basketball team won the Ancient Near East tournament, they blew the horns and trumpets for God was being pursued and being shown for the worth that He is. Exuberance is not the noise, not the music, not the celebration itself. It is a joyous unrestraint, an enthusiasm. It is the lack of indifference.

2. Indifference is a major feature of the landscape today. The church, too. Now, they are excited about their church - its building, its school, its vision. But instead of wining others to Christ, today the emphasis is on winning someone to your local church, your way of doing things, your brand of church activity. It is good that people can gather and hear a good moral lesson and an encouraging word. But what we learn of Asa's flawed life is exuberance in the pursuit of God Himself.

3. In his exuberance Asa deposed his grandmother from her position of influence because of her sinful compromise. He brought into the Temple the gold and silver he and his father had collected and set aside for just such a reason - to be joyous and enthusiastic in their pursuit of God.

4. Jesus is condemning of indifference. Rev 3:15-16. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm-neither hot nor cold-I am about to spit you out of my mouth. While our emotions vary by degrees from one day to another, is our life marked by a God - seeking exuberance for Jesus Christ? Does Jesus stir a passion for righteousness within me? Am I moved to action for God's glory? Do I become joyful at the testimony of other's enjoyment of Jesus Christ?

5. If so, then I am in pursuit of God as my life is marked by exuberance for Him.

CONCL:
At the end of Asa's life, when he relied upon others instead of God and he lost his respect for God's Word mistreating the prophet and the people, God's grace was severe. READ 16:11-13.

A God-sent disease came upon Asa to discipline him to renew his pursuit of God.

Two practical truths for us to close today and respond:
1. Our lives are not going anywhere unless we seek God. It is significant that Asa's feet are diseased. Asa can't go anywhere. He can't walk the streets of his city. He can't stroll through the garden on a cool morning. He can't ride out among the people. He's stuck at home. Why the feet? God is telling Asa, "You aren't going anywhere until you seek me." And that is life. Do you think you aren't getting anywhere? Maybe it's your pursuit of God. Some Christians mutter, "My life is going no where right now." If you pursue God, you will be going somewhere!

2. We must regularly renew our pursuit of God. On any given Sunday, there are people here who need revival in their life. On any given Sunday it may be you or me that needs the renewal. Please do not look at any other time in your life other than today as the time you were most in pursuit of God. Older Christians talk about how they once prayed, how they once couldn't hear enough preaching. If that's not now then you need renewing.

May our lives be marked by reliance on God, respect for God's Word, renewal, wholeheartedness, a certain type of radicalism, and an exuberance for God!

These marks - reliance on God, respect for God's Word, renewal, wholeheartedness, a certain type of radicalism, and exuberance - are not demanded of us. When we pursue God these marks become us; they are noted in our lives. Why is Jeff so exuberant? Jesus Christ. Why does Jeff seem so radical about things? Jesus Christ. What is Jeff wholehearted about? Jesus Christ.

A life lived in pursuit of God is never plain vanilla. It is wholehearted, radical, and full of life!

The greatest treasure has been seen by you and you aren't the same. No one who has seen Jesus Christ is ever indifferent toward Him. He is either their Lord and Savior or their greatest mistaken rejection ever.