November 6, 2012 Be An Asa

Be An Asa 1 Kings 15:9-11 In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah, 10 and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother's name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom. 11 Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as his father David had done. YOU might get confused. Israel, once the name of the country where all 12 tribes of Israel lived is now the northern kingdom consisting of 10 of the 12 tribes of the people known as Israel. Judah is made of 2 tribes, Benjamin and Judah, the tribe of David, the tribe from which Jesus is born. The capital of Judah is Jerusalem. Jerusalem no longer is in Israel. The list of Judah’s and Israel’s kings in 1 & 2 Kings tells you that most of Judah’s and Israel’s leaders turned from God. There were often wars between the two nations, and God’s once unified nation became like all the pagan nations around them. It is difficult in these conflicts to see God at work to continue his plan of salvation to the world. Unfortunately this could describe Jesus’ church today. We fight among ourselves over issues of music, preaching style, purpose, ministries, theology, building, tithing, evangelism and so much more. We get complacent about our faith. We act as the world acts, unforgiving, jealous and self-centered. We show to the unchurched we look just like them. It’s difficult sometimes to see Jesus’ hand on his church. Let’s consider being as Asa. He stands out in the litany of apostasy to be a man who faithfully followed God. He stood against the norm and did what was right in God’s sight. That’s the only way a church should be. It’s True! Jesus’ church must focus on Jesus.