Sermon Title .

Making A Difference
Sermon Text.. 2 Kings 23:4-25
Invocation Scripture. . John 5:24-27
Main Idea: King Josiah made a difference because he
was willing for God to begin working in
him!
Objective :

Making A Difference Begins with Me

2 Kings 23:1-25

Point I :

The Covenant. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Kings 23:1-3

Point II:

The Cleansing .. . . . . . . . . . 2 Kings 23:4-21

Point II : The Commemoration. . . . 2 Kings 23:22-25

Making A Difference Begins with Me

2 Kings 23:1-25
We turn to the Old Testament today to consider an event
that was transformational for a young King. Josiah
ascended to power at the tender age of 8 years old. At the
age of 26, he commanded that the house of the Lord be
renovated and in the process a book of the Law of God
was discovered. Shaphan proceeded to read the book to
King Josiah, and after the King heard all of the laws and
the judgements, he realized how the nation had sinned!
So moved was he by this revelation and what he realized
was the impending doom of the nation that he tore his
cloths! An act that symbolized his deep grief and
repentance over what the nation had done.
Josiah sent the priest to inquire of the Lord
concerning all the calamity that was to come. God was
firm in that the nation would be judged and come to ruin,
but because of Josiahs penitent spirit and humble heart,
there would be a space of grace. During this time, the
King implemented sweeping reforms and sought to follow
the Lord with Zeal and Passion!!
I would like for us to recognize today that this is
exactly where America is! Like Israel and Judah, we have
rejected Gods hand in our nation, His laws, the moral and
ethical values from them that have shaped the fabric of
our nations culture, and not only have we cast them off,
we have adopted things that are in direct conflict and
opposition to His Holy Word!
We have rejected the God of the Bible and the
ominous warning in this book si that there IS a price to be
paid, and Judgement must come, however, as with the

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1) The Covenant 2) The Cleansing 3) The Commeration

days of Josiah, I am also fully aware that God can also

extend his hand of restraint and hold off on His
judgements if we, His people, will turn from our wicked
ways and reclaim His call and command on our lives.
Turn with me then today, to 2 King 23 and lets
look at an excerpt from King Josiahs life and see what we
can learn!
< < < Read 2 Kings 23:4-25 > > >
Point I : The Covenant. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Kings 23:1-3
What an incredible stand this King has taken! His
fathers before him would not do this! Both his
grandfather, Manasseh and his father Amon were wicked
and they seduced Judah to evil and led them to worship
false Gods and to act in incredible wickedness!
But somehow, the truth that Josiah heard in the
reading of the Word of God that was found touched his
heart and he had a humble and contrite spirit toward God
and he realized the magnitude and the weight of the sin of
his fathers and of the nation as a whole!!
So note what he did..
1.
He gathered the people...
2.
He read them the Word of God
3.
He Led them by Example! By making a covenant
with God before the people.
Listen my friends... when something is affecting the
whole, you must address it to the whole! The nation had
fallen into sin and the King realized that he had to address
everyone!

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1) The Covenant 2) The Cleansing 3) The Commeration

Josiah realized that it was the nation as a whole heat

had sinned! That it was a result of his father and his
grandfathers wicked leadership... So since the sin was
nationwide, the address must be nationwide!
Let me remind you that the general pattern for
Christian conduct set forth by Christ in Matt 18:15-17, is
that when there is a matter of sin, it is to be dealt with
privately at first, if that doesnt work then a small circle of
additional witnesses who can corroborate the facts is
called on, if there is no resolution at that point then it must
go to the church at large. This is a good and wise pattern
to follow in virtually every venue. Its good for Family,
for community, for business for organizations. The object
of confrontation is repentance and then restoration.
But when that which occurs is wide spread, when it
is impacting the vast majority, then it must be dealt with
in its venue... whether the whole family, the whole
church or in this case, the whole nation.
But not only did he GATHER the people, what
does it say in the middle of vs 2...
He read in their hearing all the words of the book
of the covenant which was found in the house of
the LORD!
Now friends... Listen to me... Hear me well... There
is NOTHING... NOTHING that is more important,
NOTHING that is more impacting, NOTHING that is
more transformational, NOTHING that is more
Revolutionary, nothing that is can LITERALLY bring
NEW LIFE than the reading of the Word of God to the

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1) The Covenant 2) The Cleansing 3) The Commeration

people!! Did you hear that Fathers? Did you hear that
Mothers, did you hear that Teachers, Did you hear that
Business Leaders, Did you hear that Elected Officials and
Government Leaders?
But pastor Ken, you cant just read the Bible in
School... // WHY NOT??? // You cant just read the Bible
at work? // WHO SAYS? // You cant just Read the
Bible as an elected official? // You used to be able to...
Thats Right... In all three of these Venues we used to be
able too!!! WHY CANT WE NOW? Because the
church has NOT done its job!! We have ceased to be Salt
and Light!!
You hear me beloved, King Josiah realized as those
words were read to him that GREAT judgement was
coming!! He accepted the truth that these Holy Words
were authoritative!! His call for the nation to change was
not based on his ideas, not founded on some human
ideology, not manufactured by his own opinions or those
of his counselors and advisors... It came from the very
Word of God!! And there is no AUTHORITY Greater!
The Word of God IS the Source! The Word of God,
IS the our authority!
In fact, THE WORD OF GOD this is the ONLY
authority!!
So how is it that we have allowed it to be kicked out
of our government, when our congress and senate
authorized, AND funded the first printing of Bibles in
America to evangelize the Indians...
And if we as Christians? (If we are?) Claim it as
authoritative, as the guide for our lives... WHY ARENT

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we living it... why arent we sharing it? Why is it that we

want only little doses of it, instead of heaping teaspoons...
We drink in the arsenic of the worlds wickedness and filth
in kegs!!! So that it runs out of our mouth and nose and
down our shirts and blouses!!! Drenching us with its
defilement... and then on Sunday morning, we want a 20
minute dose of goodness and somehow expect it to
counteract 6660 hours of the worlds influence! Did you
get that? 666... That blew me away that we have 24 hours
in a day, we are suppose to sleep 8, so we are awake 16.
16 Hours a day is 112 hours a week, if you pull one of
those out for worship that leaves 111 hours which 6,660
minutes a week... Thats scarey!!!
Listen beloved.. WE MUST EMBRACE THE
WORD of God!! We MUST stand on the Word, we must
Read the Word and we must Share the Word!
So serious about the Word of God was King Josiah
that he personally made a covenant with God to keep the
words of the Law... Look back at vs 3
< < < Read 2 Kings 23:3 > > >
Listen friends, King Josiah was serious about living
according to the commands of God! And he wanted the
people to know how serious he was. So he READ the
Word to them, I suspect in hopes that it would impact
them like it impacted him, and then in a public display of
commitment to God, he made a covenant with God.
What is a covenant friends?... It differs from a
contract. You see if one person breaks a contract, the
other is no longer obligated to comply. But in a covenant,
even if one person breaks it, the other is still bound to it.

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King Josiah was wise to make a covenant with God,

for as serious as he was in making this covenant, I am sure
he recognized that just as had happened in the past, it was
possible for him and for the people to fail!! But he knew
that God, if He accepted that covenant, would not break
His side of the agreement!!
Listen friends, we can depend on God, we can rely
on Him!! He is trustworthy to a T, faithful beyond fault!!
Perfectly Reliable in all He does!!
Num 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie,
Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He
said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and
will He not make it good?
We read in 1 Samuel
1Sa 15:29 "Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or
change His mind; for He is not a man that He
should change His mind."
Let me ask you a question my friend?.... Do you need
someone in your life who is reliable? Do you need a truth
that wont fail you? Do you need a place to which you
can anchor your life so that when the trials, tribulations,
storms and crisis come, you can weather them?
Then turn to God! Trust in Him! Let His Holy
Word, The BIBLE be your guide and your source for all
decisions in life!!
We must be the example just like King Josiah was!!
And as a result of him calling the people together, reading
them the Word of God, and making a covenant before
them, publically... what does the text say at the end of vs 3

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1) The Covenant 2) The Cleansing 3) The Commeration

And all the people entered into the covenant.

We must call those in our sphere of influence together
beloved! Have a cook out, have a desert night... Then
have a preselected Scripture you want to share and READ
the Word of God to your guests!! Pray for them and then
invite them to enter into an eternal covenant with God
through faith in Jesus Christ!!
It will make an eternal difference!!!
And you know what? Its just that simple!!
Gather them, (feed them) Read to them, Invite them...
God will do the rest!
What will you do?
Let us pray