KING MANASSEH 2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chron. 32:33--33:20 Jerm. 15:4

TURN OR BURN REPENT OR PERISH. CHANGE OR CONSQUENCES

A Man who went 1. from being one of the most vile and wicked sinners ever, to a renewed Jew 2. From an enemy of God to a servant of God. 3. From A man under God’s judgment to a man under God’s Grace and Mercy.

What did Manasseh do? 1. For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; 2 Chron. 33:3-9) 2 he raised up altars for the Baals, v.3 3. he made wooden images; 4. and he worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

5. He also built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall My name be forever." 6. And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD. 7. Also

8. he observed times,and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit,and with wizards… 9. He even set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God,v.7) Plus: Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more evil

The Lord spoke to King Manasseh and the people….. And the LORD spake to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not hearken. (Listen) 2 Chron.33:10

God through His prophets told those in evil what to do! Ez. 18:30-32 …30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin..

31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

THEREFORE; - HERE IT COMES...LISTEN... 2 Chron. 33:11 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria,which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.! As a man sows, so shall he reap. Gal. 6:7-8

How could God ever forgive him? ???? 1.He intentionally offended God by desecrating Solomon's temple with idols. 2. He worshipped pagan gods 3. He sacrificed his own children to idols. (Child sacrifice is a vile and pagan idolatry, and an act against both God and the people)

2. Second, He didn't listen. God punished him. He was defeated by the Assyrian army, and taken captive....bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. (2 Chron.33:11)

What does it take to get people Right with God?????

1. Do we have to get deathly sick before we consider and turn to God? 2. Does a calamity have to come upon us before we listen to God and live right? 3. Do we want to serve the Lord? Matt.16:24

When he is IN AFFLICTION.. 2 Chron. 33:12 “And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. and..v.13 And prayed unto him:

What does God do? 2 Chron. 33:13…And God was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. THEN: Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.

Do you know God? ( Gen. 1:1; Heb. 1:1 Do you serve Him. (Matt. 6:33) Are you living for Him. (Matt. 5:16)

3. Third, He repents and truly changes. He shows God he really is sorry, he is going to do better, he changes, and demonstrates that change.

We hear God’s call to Repentance No wonder we hear over and over in the scriptures the call to Repentance:

Repent…repent…repent 1. Lk. 13:3 I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all perish! 2. Acts 2:38 Repent and be baptized, every one of you 3. Acts 3:19..repent ye therefore and be converted,that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord

4. Acts 17:30,31 But now, he commandeth every one to repent. 5. Luke 24:47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

6. Acts 5:31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince, and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.

Acts 26:20..Paul to King Agrippa….but shewed first unto them of Damascus,and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

2 Cor. 7:9-10 “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner,that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. v10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh death…

Rom. 2:4 “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

God shows him mercy and made it possible for him to come back to Jerusalem.. Look what a changed person he became:

A changed Man....He was given a new start. From the depth of sin, to the height of fellowship with God once more.

King Manasseh: 1. It was in captivity that he came to his senses and cried out to God for help!. 2. God heard Him. He saw the change in this man:

1. Changed from one of the most vile and wicked sinners -to a faithful servant of God. IT CAN BE DONE...THAT'S WHAT GOD WANTS. BUT IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT??? SHOW HIM!!!

2. From an enemy of God, to a servant of God. 3.From a man under God's judgment to a man underGod's grace and mercy.

Look what Manasseh now does: 1. 2 Chron. 33:15 He took away the strange gods, and the idols out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.v.16 And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

but: 1. Too late for many of the people...they would not listen to him. 2. Too late for his son to follow him on the throne Amon. (at age 22...so wicked...only served 2 years.. and at the age of 24, died! 2 Chron.33:21-

There are some things we can not undo... There are some scars that we will have the rest of our lives There are some people, close to us, that we may never now win to the Lord....

But... We can get right! We can do what God wants US to do We can pray for them We can show them that we are trying very hard to live right We can...we must,...we will, because we Want to go to Heaven!

TURN OR BURN! repent or perish Change or get ready for the verdict at God's judgment...

Do you need to make a change in your life? Do you need to listen to God before it is too late? Do you want to be ready to meet the Lord? What will you do with this opportunity...? Will you repent? Will you turn or burn?

1. Be baptized into Christ. Mk. 16:15,16 You'll miss heaven if you have not been baptized for the remission of your sins. 2. Be restored to the Lord. I don't think there is a one in this building this morning that has ever reach the point of wickedness that Manasseh did...yet, sin separates you from God. Isa. 59:1,2. Get rid of it God's way. Repent, confess and pray. Then live right, do right, change, demonstrate your repentance.

Won't you turn to God today and obey him.