SIN IS A HARD HABIT.

PREACHER: REV. DR. WILLY MUTISO.

TEXT: 2 CHRON. 14 : 4 – 13; 16 : 1 – 13. 1 KINGS 15 : 1 – 15.

INTRODUCTION:
A man came for confession and said, “Forgive me, father, for I have sinned. I stole this chicken to feed my family. Would you take it and settle my guilt?” “Certainly not! As penance, you must return it to the one from whom you stole it.” “I tried,” the sobbing man said, “But he refused. Oh, father, what should I do?” “If what you have said is true, then you can have the chicken for your family.” Thanking the priest, the thief left. When confession was over, the priest went to his residence. He did not find his chicken!
God had promised David that his descendants would always be on the throne. But the sin of king Solomon split the kingdom. The succeeding generation of kings weakened the kingdom. It took the young king Asa to make things right in Judah. Asa was a wise, godly, and responsible king. He took action to correct what others had done. Let us learn:

Never let things slide. Straighten things up at home (1 Kings 15:8-14).

King Asa was the great grandson of king Solomon.
He was the grandson of Rehoboam. He was the third king of Judah.
He was a zealous, decisive, and passionate king.
He overturned all that his father king Abijah had done.
He corrected all the wrongs his ancestors had done.
His father Abijah and grandfather Rehoboam were as bad as Jeroboam of Israel (2 Kings 13:11).
For 60 years, Judah was in decline spiritually (v.11).
He overcame the evils done by Solomon, Rehoboam, and Abijah (15:11).
The third king of Judah (Asa) broke new grounds and brought spiritual revival.
The first thing he did was to expel all the male shrine prostitutes that appeared in the land during his grandfather Rehoboam’s reign (1 Kings 14:24).
He removed the queen mother from the throne. She was an idol worshipper (v.13).

Never let things spread; spell things out to the people (2 Chron. 14:4-13).
The golden age of king Asa brought with it a spiritual revival.
He did not just clean things at home. The cleaning spread to the streets and the nation.
He removed idols. He smashed images.
Asa’s triumph at the palace and in the nation translated into victories on the battlefield.
Asa called upon the Lord in prayer. God answered him (2 Chron. 14:11).
Never let things simmer. Settle things in your heart (2 Chron. 16:1-13).
Unfortunately, Asa fell from the grace of God.
Asa’s downfall was his pride. Pride is the sin of sins: “the beginning of sin.” The most universal sin is pride.

It is said that what you want to learn is in the four stages of the learner:
Unconscious incompetent – you don’t know that you don’t know.
Conscious incompetent – you know that you don’t know.
Conscious competent – you know that you know.
Unconscious competent – you can do it without thinking.

It has been said, “Many people want to serve God, but only as advisors!”
Asa reigned for 41 years. One year longer than David and Solomon (1 Kings 2:11; 11:42).
However, the last 5 years of his reign were rocky and controversial due to Asa’s “MOU” with Syria (v.3).
His anger with Hanani (v.10). His arrogance in sickness (v.12).
He did not seek help from God. He took all the gold and silver from the temple and palace and gave it to Syria.
The bankrupt king became a fool. The treasury belonged to God, not the king (Joshua 6:19-24).
Asa became disobedient to God. He did not let God fight for Judah. He did not consult God concerning his sickness (v.12).

CONCLUSION:
For revival to occur, we must put our house in order, make society around us better, and humble ourselves before God.
Do not befriend your enemy, believe your enemy, and become your worst enemy.
Is your spiritual life in a decline? Get rid of the idols in your life. Make a difference in society. Make things right at home.