First and Father, we thank You for the opportunity to be at the presence again this morning. We pray just like this, our next prayer. Let's hope on my highs that I miss see the wonderful things in Your Lord. We pray that Your hope on the highs of our heart and here is our heart today so that we might see how loving You are as a Father, how caring You are as a Father.
We pray for these in Jesus' name, Amen. First I would like to appreciate the leadership of my book by the chapel, forgive me the opportunity to stand before You this morning to share my thought and to bring the Word of God to us. I can say that I walked into my Bible, not Bible chapel, more than five years ago and I wasn't the same person that had entered into my book. I've grown and I'm still growing.
The Word of God is real here. So if I just like me, all you need to do is keep coming, read your Bible, ask questions. I pray that we'll all continue to grow in God's presence in Jesus' name. So this morning, just like most of us when we are lost in our thoughts, I was once lost in my thoughts and it was in the book of Isaiah chapter 6 verse 1 and then Isaiah said that in the year King Zaire died.
I saw the Lord and I was like, Isaiah, King Zaire, who is this King? I got stuck on that and I wanted to know more about King Zaire and I can tell you that I learnt a lot from the life of King Zaire which I would like to share with us this morning. And we opened our Bible to 2 Chronicles chapter 26. So I'll be reading quickly from verse 1 to the last verse which is I think 23.
Now all the people of Judah took Uzziah who was 16 years old and made in King in the place of his father, Uzziah. It built, held and restored it to Judah. Half of the King laid down with his fathers. Uzziah was 16 years old when he became King and he reigned for 52 years in Jerusalem.
And his modest name was the K'liar of Jerusalem. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord in accordance with everything that his father and Isaiah had done. He continued to seek God in the days of Zechariah who had understanding through the vision of God and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him successful. Now it went out and fought against the Philistines and broke down the wall of God, the wall of the journey and the wall of Hashtad and it built cities in the area of Hashtad and among the Philistines.
God helped him against the Philistines and against the Ariadians who lived in the Gaul Bal and in the new knights. The Hammonites gave tribute to Uzziah and his fame extended to the border of Egypt for it became very strong. Moreover, Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Kona gate, the Valgate and at the Kona Botress and if fortified there. He also built towers in the wilderness and carved out many systems for he had much lifestalk both in the lowland and in the plain.
He also had plow men and vine dresses in the hill, country and the fatile fields for eloved the soil. Moreover, Uzziah had an hand and hand already for battle which he entire converts by divisions according to the number of their masters. Recorded by Gio described and Mazaya the official, on that the direction of Hanania, one of the king's officers. The total number of the heads of the household of the brilliant warrior was 2600.
Hondaya direction was on the Hammon of 307500 who could wait war with great power to help the king against the enemy. Moreover, Uzziah prepared for all the Hammon shields, spirits, helmets, body hammer, vowels and slings stones. In Jerusalem, he made machines of war invented by skillful workmen to be on the parroids and corners for the purpose of shooting harrows and great stones. So his fame spread far for it was marvellously held until it was strong.
But when he became strong, his heart was so proud that it had to have been corrupted and it was untrue to the Lord for the head-tide, the temple of the Lord, the born incense, on the altar of incense. Then, Azariah the priest entered after him and within hated priests of the Lord, the valiant men. They proposed, they opposed Uzziah the king and said to him, it is not for you, Uzziah. To born incense to the Lord, for the priest, the sons of Aaron, who have been consecrated to born incense.
Leave the sanctuary for you have been untrue and will have no honor from the Lord God. Because Uzziah with a sensor in his hand, for born incense was enraged and while he was enraged, the priest with the priest lepros the broke out of his forehead in the presence of the priest, in the house of the Lord beside the altar of incense. Azariah, the chief priest and the holy priest looked at him and behold it was lepros on his forehead and they quickly removed him from there and he himself also hurried to get out because the Lord has creaking in. Then, Uzziah had lepros to the day of his death.
He lived in a separate house afflicted as he was afflicted as he was afflicted as he was with lepros for he was caught off from the house of the Lord and his son, Jotam, was over the king's house, judging the people of the lion. Now the rest of the act of Uzziah, the first to the last, the prophet, Azar the son of the moths, as written. So Uzziah laid down with his father and buried in with his father in the field of the grave, which belongs to the king's, for they said he had leprosy and his son, Jotam, became king in his place. So this morning, we will take a lot from that passage without even saying anything.
I believe we can pick a lot. It started well, but it doesn't seem like it ended well. So first of all, I'm not sure that the picture of Uzziah, that's what I got from the internet and it's kind of fitting. So let's run a quick background of King Uzziah.
He was 16 years old when he was crowned as a 10th king of the Asian Kingdom of Judah. He reign for about 52 years. His parents, his father's name is King, and his son is king, and his mother's name is Jekolaya. Let's look at his achievement.
So the first one is a rebuild a town of Helat and restored it to Judah. With God's help, he was able to win battles and wars against the Philistines, the Arab of God and the Muneites. The Muneites paid tribute to him, and his fame spread even to Egypt for it had become very powerful. With his love for Ozzvandry, he promoted Hachurizin and agricultural and built forth in the wilderness.
He established a well-hammed, well-trained and strong military base, fortified and strengthened Jerusalem. He had fame that spread far and wide, for it was marvellously helped until it was strong. So what was the first lesson I learned from the life of King Uzai? The first one is the Tatebogor.
And the fact that it took over the throne as a young boy, and I don't even know if I can call him a young boy or anything longer, because I was 16 years old, and the weight of Judah is already on his shoulder at 16 years old. So there's a sift assumption from my side that it's that Tatebogor at a very young age. I was with my father-in-law back in Nigeria, and some few years back. And I love engaging in my life.
It's filled with wisdom. It's an handsome-looking man. And I'm not saying that because my wife is here, so he's handsome. And we were talking, and we started talking about some events that took place in his life.
And someone that keeps documenting is very, you know, to describe him now, very meticulous. So he ran into his room, and he came out with a newspaper of 1963 or something like that. And I said, yeah, yeah, yeah. And he started showing me some of his siblings actually made how they won in AShanah or no other things on them.
At some point, he told me that, you know what? I even don't know how I became 80 years old. He said, I can still remember, like, vividly in my hair what happened when I was 40 years old. And you know, he said it casually.
Well, I didn't let that slide in me. I almost had a sleepless night at home, because it taught me how time can fly just like this. And in my struggle, trying to find many to what he said, I stumbled on a passage in the Bible. And he said, Pro V.
12, chapter 12, from verses 1 to 7. So I prepared my studies in New Living Translation, like that's what I'm used to. But I discovered we don't have it in the past, part of the list of the versions we have. So he says, don't let the excitement of youth cost you to forget your creator.
Online aim in your youth before you grow old and say, life is not pleasing anymore. Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars, is deep to your old highs. And rain, clouds continually ducking the sky. And what I remember, remember him before your legs, those strong legs, the guards of your house start to tremble.
And before your shoulders, the strong men stoop. You know, it wasn't like a probability. It was like a certainty. Those strong legs will soon become to tremble.
Those were shoulders, were still. Remember him before your feet, your feet remaining seventh, stop grinding. And before your eyes, the women looking through the windows, see dimly. Remember him before the daughter life's opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades.
Now you rise and the first shipment of the birds, but then all the sounds will grow thinned. Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets. Remember your head tones white like a hormone tree in bloom. And you drag along without energy like a dying rasophane.
And the capaberry no longer inspires a girl's desire. Remember him before you nearly grave your everlasting home, when the monans will weep at your funeral. Yes, remember your crater now while you're young. Before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bull is broken.
In other words, before death comes. Don't wait until the water-gah is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the heart and the spirit will return to God who gave it. I was listening to a preacher during this week and he said something, time is short.
But the good thing is time is not hope. Time is very short. But if you can still hear me, if you can still see me, still have time. Don't wait till tomorrow.
So Uzaya started with God. And one thing about this is one thing that I enjoyed so much from this story is that God demonstrated how it backs his word if we had. So let's see what happened again to Uzaya. That's five of...
I'm very sorry. I hope you can see what is on there. Okay. So as long as he sought the Lord, God made him successful.
We all love success. Me, it makes us feel good. What's the secret to success? Uzaya found it in his helly years on this planet and God demonstrated through his life that you know what?
If you hold on to that secret, I will play my own part. Look, let us. The Bible says he continued to see God in the days of the karaya who had understanding through the vision of God and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him successful. To me, success in that context is God glorified himself through him.
And that was why I was able to achieve that much right from his young age. Another Bible verse that jumped to me when I was reading these passages, Proverbs 3, 5. He says, Frost in the Lord with all your heart, just like how my brother used to say, or do say, brother me may say, the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. I mean, it's a common quote here.
Do not depend on your own understanding. There is a tendency for us to depend on our own understanding. I mean, we all go to school, you know, we've got something in here. And sometimes it pushes us.
You know what? Is that Bible in your hand? Oh my God, don't bring it to me. If you are like that, you're making a great mistake.
The creator of heaven and heaven made it easier for us by giving us a manual to live on this planet. And that's the Bible. That's his word. He says, do not depend on your own understanding.
He said, seek is will in all you do. And it will show you which path to take. That's promise number one. If you do this, this is what I will do.
If you trust in the Lord with all your heart, you do not depend on your own understanding. If seek is will in all you do, it will show you which path to take. Brother, we are in a very, very dark world right now. We are in a world where the good is now evil and the evil is now good.
You know, not even good. It's celebrated as good. We all need a word of God to reaffirm us the will of God. It will show you which path to take.
And I just shot in there to guidance and direction. And I'm just a popular, there's a popular, I think we had a memory vest like two years ago. Is it two or one year ago? Some 109 verse 115.
Like what is like a lamp onto my feet. Do you remember? Proverb 14 verse 12 says, there is a way that seems right to remind. Body hand is the way of that.
Our understanding sometimes if we rely on it, it picks away. That might not be the right way. God wants us to rely on it in all we do. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom.
It can feel. I had it at, it's not in the Bible that way. I had it. It can feel.
It's that fear the Lord and point away from evil. That's another direction. Fear the Lord and point away from evil. And there's another promise to that.
Then you will have healing for your body and strength for your bones. The world is a lamp to my feet and light to my path. Psalm 119 verse 105. So, as I understood this in his years.
And the Bible said, as long as it sought the Lord, as long as it continued to do that. God made him successful. If you keep doing it, I'm not going to back off. And it's a lesson for us.
In all we do, our marriages, our whole raising of kids, our education, our daily lives. In all we do. Now let's move to the next one. Next lesson I have for all of them.
Oh, for it was marvellously held until it was strong. I love that word. We might still see it's here again. Now for it was marvellously held until it was strong.
So verse 16 of 2 Chronicles chapter 26, but when it had become powerful, it also became proud, which led to its downfall. Most of the time, when we, like I head from the preacher again, like it's easier for a broken man to understand what God wants from him sometimes than an unbroken man. When you are strong, you know, sometimes when we are weak, we are very vulnerable, we're looking for solutions. But when we are strong, that lies the true test of our character.
Zaya King Uzair became very powerful. NASB does, Americans and that says he hacked it corruptly, something corrupted his mind. So let's see how it happened. Says, but when he had become powerful, he also became proud, which led to his downfall is seen, okay?
Seen, okay? So seen is not in the picture. If the Lord is God by entering the sanctuary of the Lord's temple and personally burning incense on the incense altar, let's assume King Uzair forgot what the rule is when he comes to the temple of God. He had the opportunity of the high priest as a writer running out of time.
King, you forgot something. And as a writer, the high priest went in half time with 80 other priests of the Lord, like that's almost the full army. All brave men, you know, I believe all brave men had to be included because they had to find a very diplomatic way of calling his attention like, it's excellency. I think you are wrong.
I'm not sure, you know, I don't think you should be doing this. But King Uzair, they said, they contacted him, Uzair, it's not for you, Uzair, to bond incense to the Lord. That is the work of the priest alone. The descendants of Eri, who has set a path for this work.
They are out of the sanctuary for you are sent again. The Lord will not honor you for this. Uzair, who was holding an incense burner, became furious. But as he was standing there, raging at the priest before the incense altar in the lost temple, he left the cross and suddenly broke out of his forehead.
So before we proceed, in Numbers 18, verse 7, the high priest did the right thing because the path of instruction given to the high priest is that what you, this is God talking to Eron, was like a forced priest with forced high priest. So but you and your sons, the priest most personally, handled all the priestly rituals associated with the altar and with everything behind the inner cousin. I am giving you the priest's ood as your special privilege of service. Any unauthorized person who comes to near the sanctuary will be put to debt.
So I want to believe this is what he was reading to King Uzair. No, he became proud in his hand. And what we have in the Bible, concerning pride. Proverbs 16, verse 18, it's a popular one.
It says, pride goes before destruction and hotiness before it fall. Pride brings opposition and only to bring self. Most of the time, when we hacked with pride in the presence of God. What we are doing is we are opposing, we are like, why are you to give me that command?
I know your better way. And you don't want to see the wrath of God. Nobody wants to see that. Pride brings opposition.
Humility brings help. When you surrender yourself to him, you give yourself to him. One of my favorite verse when I was joined by the study is when Jesus Christ was walking on the streets and he beg your calling, Jesus, son of David, half messy on me. Jesus passed.
Like, who are you? He calls me, like you know me. He waited and he had messy on him. Humility brings help.
We have to be humble before him. He created us. He knows everything about us. It is an our humility that we understand him.
So if you are praying for me, or maybe I'm praying for you, we shall all include one prayer, which is in Psalm 139, verse 23 to 24. You say, such me, oh God. Know my heart. Test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life. That's a good prayer. The Bible says the heart is very deceitful. Sometimes you don't even know what your heart is planning against you.
Warren Wesby is a preacher. He's an American. He says, you've got put something in my hand without force doing something to my heart. My character will lag behind my achievement.
And that's the way to knowing. That's the way to destruction. This is the last I had for. This is the last lesson.
He says, get out of the sanctuary for your scene. But my attention here is the fact that he himself was eager to get out of the sanctuary. Okay. Okay.
I'm going to make it easier for you guys. He says, but as it was standing there, raging at the priest before the incense altar in Lord Stempo, Leprocy suddenly broke out on his forehead. When Azaria the high priest and Holy God of the priest saw the leprosy, they rushed him out, and the king himself was eager to get out before the Lord had struck him. So King Uziah had the prophecy until the day he died, he lived in isolation in a separate house, for it was excluded from the temple of God, was excluded from God's presence.
So he lived in isolation. His son, Jotham, was put in charge of the royal palace, and it governed the people of the land. And the king himself was eager to get out. And when I was going through that, something dropped in my mind.
It looked like what happened in the garden of Eden, which in God and Adam and Eve. Genesis chapter 3, verse 10. That was when God hacked Adam. Where are you?
Adam replied, I heard Joachim in the garden. So I hid. I was afraid because I was naked. One of the biggest, not even one, is the biggest problem of humanity.
It's sin. God is just and holy, and we are sinful, like default. Joostan, one of my favorites, he says, God is responsible for the consequences of our obedience. But we are responsible for the consequences of our disobedience.
So before we, Joach came to Zaire in our heart, like, he should have known. Why will he do that? Let's see how we used to be. Now, to me, it is a good news, because it's all about Jesus.
It's all about Jesus Christ for me. Good news, what is good news? The news of salvation, librations from sin, brokenness, and extringing from God. It addresses the most serious problem that you and I have as human beings.
And the problem is simply just, God is holy and just. And we are not. It comes to me, it's just impossible. And for Zaire, King Zaire, on that, the old covenant, does the end of him.
That's it. Don't understand. That's it. As a matter of fact, the Lord says, if you, an unauthorized person in the temple will be struck today.
But this time around, it was leprosy. And while I was reading, why he didn't die? It's called, I said, even leprosy is tagged living dead. Because you're not useful for anything.
You are isolated. Now, this is whatever King Zaire was. We used to be there as well. Someone would say, well, you are not a king.
Yes, I'm a king. And I don't have any root attack to a king or any kingdom. But high and King Zaire share is we shared one thing and come like, there's one thing and come and we have together. And that's we have our root in Adam.
And it is true Adam that's seen entire the world. I've listened to that line so much that anytime I say, guess who pops up in my head? But I don't wealth. It's one of his favorites.
Like true Adam, seen entire the world. So because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. That many includes you and high. But it's not finished.
Just one other person obeyed God. Many will be made righteous. That's Romans chapter 5 verse 19. So by default, before you come to Christ, by sin.
So I love how efficient chapter 2 went about it. It says, once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. You used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obey in the devil, the commander of the powers in the unseen world. So if you are wondering what went wrong with King Uzair is in the next line.
He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. So anytime you pop up in your mind, you know where the signal is coming from. All of us used to live that way following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. But by our very nature, we are subject to God's hunger.
Just like everyone else. But God, when I said, but God, one person came into my mind again. That's what I did with my go now. But God, God, God, God.
It's a popular one here if you come to not do by whichever. But God is so rich and messy and he loved us so much. That even though we were dead because of our sin, we were dead like cut off from God's presence. He gave us life and erased Christ from death.
When erased Christ from death. So it is only by God's grace that you and I have been saved. It has nothing to do with our work. It has nothing to do with our achievement.
It has nothing to do with our intelligence. It is only by God's grace and that's good news. If we go outside there, our board, our church board outside there has a message. John chapter 3 verse 16, For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
And another verse that I love so much I think in a moment, it says, if he can give his only son, you know, what else? Can't he give to us? Can't he give to us? So Romans 3 verse 23 to 24.
He didn't even say anyone. Like there's no maybe I'm part of it. He says, For everyone has sinned. We are all for a shot of God's glorious time death.
Yet God in his grace freely make us right in his sight. How? It did this through Christ Jesus. When it freed us from the penalty of our sins.
Remember, under the old covenant, it is done for King Uzair. Here we are under the new covenant. And let's see what Jesus did to keep us alive in his presence and God's presence. Jesus Christ became three in one.
For us, like we must be very, very important to God. What are the three things? The first one is, it became sin. Second Corinthians chapter 5 verse 21 says, For it made him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in a first Peter chapter 2 verse 24 says, He personally carried our sins in his body.
He's not his sin. On the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right by his wounds we are healed. So spiritually, how the leprosy came up from the king's head. That's how we used to be.
We are sick. But Jesus Christ healed us with his own. That's what that verse is talking about. We used to be isolated.
We can't even hear God. How dare you? And the second one is Jesus Christ became the sacrifice. He says in John chapter 1 verse 29.
And that was John the Baptist talking day. He said, Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The sin, the sacrifice. And now the last one, coordinator, like a coordinator holding new covenant.
The place of the Lord in Canada. Every lasting high priest. He says in Hebrew chapter 7 verse 23 to 25, there were many priests under the old system. For death prevented them from remaining in office.
But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. Therefore, he is able once and forever to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on our behalf. So the high priest.
The high priest played a significant role in the life of King Uzair. They wanted him. They told him that it is not your place to go into the presence of God. Even though they themselves don't last forever, as a matter of fact in the book of Hebrew, which I would advise us to lay our hands on if we can, said they themselves need to do what they are doing for people, to do it to themselves.
They have to atone for their own sins as well with the blood of the Lamb. So when Jesus Christ becomes our high priest, what are the benefits to us? The first one is in Mediates, the new covenant. You see, in Hebrew chapter 12 verse 24, you have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance, like the blood of the bell.
And then once he pleads, Romans chapter 8 verse 34 says, oh, then we'll condemn us. No one for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us and is sitting in the place of honor at God's right hand, pleading for us. He is the part to God, not our good works. And as a third one, John 14 verse 6, this is one of my favorite.
It's okay, Christa, Kneesah, Jesus told him, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. Now on, you do not aim and have sinning in conclusion.
I saw this prologue from one of the book I picked up during the, I think, towards the end of the COVID period, we had some books at the kitchen site and I picked one of them. And I love the prologue so much that I have to write it down somewhere. It says, Jesus is the hair of all things, the agency of creation, the radiance of excellence, and the exact representation of God's being. In short, he's not ordinary man.
If you want to see Jesus, if you want to see God, you look at Jesus. If you want to hear God, you listen to Jesus. That looks like summary of Galatians 1 verse 15. The image of God is perfect in the humanness of Jesus.
Jesus is a climax of God's faithful love and self-revelation. He is love supreme in world and work. There is no greater is the final word of God to human family and the embodiment of the new way to the human. Most critically is the means by which we enter into a renewed relationship with God.
This pure and perfect cross-laden sacrifice for sin is the care that says us from the inevitable fruit of our mistrust and rebellion against God. The book is written by Charlie Pickock, New Way to the Human, a provocative look at what it means to follow Jesus. So here is my own conclusion. No matter how sincere and golden they look, our good works and achievements are not good enough.
To make us right with God, Jesus Christ made it clear to us in John 14 verse 6, he is the way through and life. No one can come to the Father except through him, just as King Uzair couldn't bypass the high priest to the presence of God. It is also impossible for us to bypass the supreme and everlasting high priest, which is Jesus Christ, to the presence of God. It is our belief in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, born unto us, who walked on this heart like us.
Bruce and humiliated for our sin. He died and resurrected on the party that we, on the party that will move us from death to life, from condemnation to redemption, from slavery to sonship, from place of high isolation and dejection to the presence of ever-loving God. Therefore, if you are still alive just like I am, the time is now, please don't hurt like King Uzair. We had the voice of the high priest, but refused to obey them.
We all see how he handed. God doesn't want us to hand like that. His hand is only Son to deliver us from the wages of sin, which is death. His Son, our everlasting high priest, is calling you, is calling us today like those priests.
Please listen to his voice and move from the position of a desolated sin to an ever-joyous child of God. I believe with the word of Jesus Christ in John chapter 5, verse 24, he says, I tell you the truth. This is the truth, telling us the truth. Those who listen to my message and believe in God, who sent me, have eternal life, they will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.
We say, just believe, believe in Jesus Christ. He loves you, doesn't want you to perish. He paid a prize on the cross of cover. It was immediately attacked because of us.
He wanted us back into the presence of God. If you have done that, you're on the right path. If you are thinking about it, now is the time. That was free.
Father, we thank you for the opportunity to learn from your world this morning. We pray that you teach us by yourself and you open our eyes of understanding to outgracious you and how loving you are to us. We pray that you be with us this week and you help us to showcase who you are to people around us. All this we pray for in Jesus' name, amen.