This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of the “Misc. OT Sermons” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, February 12, 1995.
About this sermon
Corporate America’s fondness for mission statements has crept into the church’s view of itself. God himself drives Josiah’s reform, as he drives Paul’s ministry, and that is the same test Satan once put to Eve. Zechariah 4:6’s ‘not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit’ names the real alternative.
Sermon transcript
Tonight we are looking at 2 Chronicles chapter 34, and we are beginning at verse 8. Now, in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan, the son of Azaliah, and Maasaiah, an official of the city, and Joah, the son of Joahaz, the recorder, to repair the house of the Lord his God.
And they came to Hilkiah, the high priest, and delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites, the doorkeepers, had collected from Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Then they gave it into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of God, and the workmen who were working in the house of the Lord used it to restore and repair the house. They in turn gave it to the carpenters and to the builders to buy quarried stone and timber for couplings, and to make beams for the houses which the kings of Judah had let go to ruin. And the men did the work faithfully with foremen over them to supervise. Jahath and Obadiah, the Levites of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Neshulam, the sons of the Kohathites and the Levites. all who were skillful with musical instruments. And they were also over the burden bearers and supervised all the workmen from job to job, and some of the Levites were scribes and officials and gatekeepers.
When they were bringing out the money which had been brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found the book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. And Hilkiah responded and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan. Then Shaphan brought the book to the king and reported further word to the king saying, everything that was entrusted to your servants they are doing. They have also emptied out the money which was found in the house of the Lord and have delivered it into the hands of the supervisors and the workmen. Moreover, Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest gave me a book, and Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.
And it came about when the king heard the words of the law that he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded Hilkiah, Ahicham the son of Shaphan, Abdon the son of Micah, Shaphan the scribe, and Isaiah, the king’s servant, saying, Go, inquire of the Lord for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah concerning the words of the book which has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord which is poured out on us because our fathers had not observed the word of the Lord to do according to all that is written in this book. So Hilkiah and those whom the king had told went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of the son of Tokah, the son of Hazrah, the keeper of the wardrobe.
Now, she lived in Jerusalem in the second quarter, and they spoke to her regarding this. And she said unto them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Tell the man who sent you to me. Thus says the Lord, Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its inhabitants. even all the curses written in the book which they have read in the presence of the King of Judah, because they have forsaken me and have burned incense to other gods, that they may provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place, and it shall not be quenched. But to the King of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus you will say to Thus says the Lord God of Israel regarding the words which you have heard, because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and against its inhabitants, and because you humbled yourself before me, tore your clothes, and wept before me, I truly have heard you, declares the Lord. Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in so your eyes will not see all the evil which I will bring on this place and on its inhabitants.’
And they brought back word to the king. Then the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, and the king went up to the house of the Lord and all the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the Levites, and all the people, from the greatest to the least. And he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the Lord. Then the king stood in his place and made covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul, to proclaim the words of the covenant written in this book. Moreover, he made all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand with him, so the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
And Josiah removed all the abominations from all the lands. to the sons of Israel, and may all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. Throughout his lifetime they did not turn from following the Lord God of their fathers.” Then he answered and said unto me, This is the word of the Lord, which is a rubbable saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.”
Let’s pray together. O God, your word is read before us week by week, and we have been even so blessed that we have copies of your word in our hands. Therefore, O God, we beseech you that we would respond to your word as Josiah responded, and as the people of his day responded, and that for your sake. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Tonight, in dealing with the subject of the Holy Spirit, and In the interest of furthering our consideration of Zechariah 4, verse 6, I want to take up the question of motivation.
It has become customary in Christian circles to talk about mission statements. and to structure the life of the Church for the purpose of realizing a number of very clearly defined, manageable, observable gains and goals. Now, as you think about all of this and the terminology that I have just thrown out in front of you, even specifically this phrase, mission statement, you must understand that you are not to think about church vocabulary. Instead, you are to think about a corporation, a business. For the phrase, mission statement, as it is currently used in much of Christianity, is not taken from the world of Christian theology, but from the corporate think tanks and company boardrooms where businesses contemplate business. Where they contemplate even strategies that will make for corporate success.
The interest, then, in the discussions that give rise to such mission statements, centers on what will cause consumers to buy the product, and ensure the company’s place in the arena of corporate players. When transferred to the church, the mission statement, or vision statement as it is sometimes called, is informed by consumer or seeker interests. The question is asked, how can we make our product more attractive to the religious consumer, and secure our place as a major player in the arena of ecclesiastical and para-ecclesiastical concerns? The question of motivation intrudes into this whole matter. when it is suggested, subtly sometimes but oftentimes not, that motivation in the Church must be identical to the motivation that we find at the corporate level. In other words, after giving the crassest reading on corporate America motivation, The Church jumps in line and follows suit, looking neither to the right nor to the left.
Our motivation, so it is stated—yes, once more, in the crassest terms—our motivation must be sales, consumer satisfaction, reinvestment, larger prophets and bigger churches. Give us quantifiable goals. Our motivation then spurred on and even defined by such goals. This our motivation then directed towards the multiplication of numbers, human and fiscal, for the good of our church enterprise, our ecclesiastical business, as we achieve preliminary goals on our way to the attainment of otherness.
The assumption in this approach to the church is most definitely that the Church, without such motivation, not only sacrifices significance and importance, but calls into question its commitment to the Gospel. That is to say, the Church that fails to tie into the modern Church-growth philosophy, The Church that lacks its view of motivation is Christian in name only, and is destined, so say some like George Barna, as if they were dinosaurs for extension under God’s displeasure. Well, as if you didn’t know, I beg to differ. In fact, I am bold before you to contend the exact opposite. I am bold to contend before you that those churches which have embraced the church growth and its view of motivation are far from God.
Let me say at the beginning of this critique, biblical motivation for proper action is always God himself. Period. Now, note that I did not say that proper motivation, biblical motivation rather, for proper action is always the glory of God. What I did say is that biblical motivation for proper action is always God Himself, period.
Now, I say what I have, not in order to downplay or speak disparagingly of the glory of God, heaven forbid, but only to make sure that God receives his due, that God himself receives his due. The church growth movement is overrun with glory-of-God rhetoric. The phrase itself has become camouflaged, beneath which all sorts of evils lurk, removes church structures, regardless of what the Bible says.
Therefore, we pursue it. Therefore, we follow it. Therefore, we invoke it. The new worship—should I even call it worship? They don’t. They call it celebration. The new celebration formats, the color-coded name tag systems, the multifaceted church programs, the overtly commercial outreach efforts. All of these are baptized under the excuse, the greater glory of God.
Therefore, in this discussion I contend for God himself, first of all, knowing that if God is most appropriately central, his glory will shine out in a proper way and be properly invoked. So I say again to you, biblical motivation for proper action is always God himself, period. And the intent of God’s Word, I would suggest to you, has that perspective on motivation from beginning to end.
This is the crux of the story of the Fall. Think once more about the temptation in the Garden of Eden. And I ask you to do that because you see from a certain point of view, not just Satan’s, from a very natural point of view, there is no reason not to eat of that fruit of the tree of knowledge. There’s absolutely no reason not to eat of it. The tree, from all appearances, is like every other tree, and even if it is distinguished by appearance, it is distinguished as a tree that is even more appealing, and therefore appropriate to partake of. Therefore, there is no reason not to eat of it. Reasonably speaking, there is no reason to conclude that this one tree can, in fact, confer death, while the other trees do not.
In the end of the matter, as the tree itself is viewed As it is presented to Eve and to Adam in the garden, the only motivation for Eve and for Adam not to partake of that tree must be God Himself, not the reasons that most naturally arise in connection with the tree.
The test, in the end, is whether the man and the woman will choose God for himself and place their confidence in him, even when everything else conspires to convince them of just the opposite. Satan will suggest to them other motivations. Eve acts on the basis of other motivations. Adam follows for the sake of those other motivations. But in the end, there is only one proper motivation that should direct Eve’s and Adam’s actions, and that is God himself. They are placed there for the purpose of choosing for the sake of God and God alone. that even after the fall, God does not stop testing his people along these lines, as I suggested to you before. The message with regard to motivation is the same in Scripture from beginning to end. Tests that rise repeatedly in the history of salvation will then bring into focus this this matter of supremest importance, that of motivation. But one of the most remarkable tests of all occurs in the reign of Josiah.
Josiah reigned at Jerusalem at the end of the seventh century B.C. As we have read this evening, upon discovery of the law in the temple, He sent for Haldah the prophetess to explain to him the meaning of the law. Haldah prophesied, as a result, the end of the nation of Judah and the destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its temple.
And there will be absolutely no remedy for this destruction. It is coming inevitably. That is the key to understanding the story in 2 Chronicles 34. This judgment, spoken of by Halter, is coming inevitably upon the nation, upon the city, and upon the temple. That means, you see, that no amount of repentance No measures of reformation will save the nation, the city, or the structure of the temple. Nothing will save these structures or this nation. No repentance, no reformation will accomplish it.
But I want you to note now the actions of Josiah in light of that message. I doubt if there is any passage that is so glorious as 2 Chronicles 34, and its conclusion in this regard. You see, after having this message delivered to him, Josiah leads the nation in repentance and reformation anyway.
But why? He’s not going to save himself, he’s not going to save the nation, he’s not going to save the city, he’s not going to save the temple. Why in the world should he repent and reform? What purpose does the Reformation and the repentance serve? Absolutely none, unless the goal is God, and God alone. He’s not going to save his house, he’s not going to save the city, but he repents and he leaves the nation, and repentance anyway, for the sake of God alone, period. by his repentance and reformation.
He will not secure for himself those statistics that will give him self-respect as he speaks with other nations and compares statistics with them. It will not guarantee him a greater national income by which he might boast. It will not build for him bigger houses or palaces. There is no other motivation for his repentance and for his own personal reformation, but God alone, God himself, period.
Josiah pursues repentance and reformation, then, for God’s sake, even though everything Now, with regard to this whole matter of motivation, we also turn to the New Testament story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. And there it would become apparent to us once more that the motivation at the heart of Jesus, our Savior, is God, and God only.
But let me move on to another text in the New Testament, one from Paul’s letters. It comes at this issue a little differently. and in such a way that Zechariah 4 verse 6 is brought into view. You see, the church growth mafia has told us that our motivation must be the posting of the posting of figures, and that we must look to those sales figures for the purpose of generating excitement within our churches so as to keep our memberships motivated and engaged. This means, of course, that the Church understood along these lines is market-driven. But if you turn to Colossians 1, verse 23, you find the Apostle Paul not only of another point of view, but of a completely contrary point of view. In fact, Paul, from his perspective, I judge, would not hesitate to anathematize the church-growth mafia. These ecclesiastical henchmen are no friends of the Church of Jesus Christ. They are motivated by envy and by greed. The basic motivation in their soul is lust. They are of the flesh. They measure everything by appearances.
The subject of this verse, as you look at it, is missions and evangelism. and Paul declares emphatically that the gospel heard in Colossae, note his language at the end of the verse, has already been proclaimed in all creation under heaven. Now has this man lost his senses? Or is he lying? Do you believe that? The gospel has been proclaimed, has been proclaimed already in all creation under heaven. Do you believe that?
Is Paul here telling the truth? Can he not be charged? with lying, falsifying the evidence. What Paul says here is meant in all sincerity, and he is stating here God’s truth. You see, Paul approaches the missionary and evangelistic task of the Church of Jesus Christ as if it were already done, finished, completed. But why in heaven’s name would he do that? Why would he even make a statement like this?
Because, you see, at the outset of his consideration of visionary and evangelistic efforts, He is determined not to think of himself nor to speak about himself too glowingly. He will not allow his soul to slip into vanity. He is determined not to think too highly of his own effort. or the effort of anyone else who would be engaged in the missionary and evangelistic tasks of the Church. The Apostle Paul, therefore, in setting out the missionary and evangelistic ministry of the Church in such terminology as this, is making it evident that the reason that he would be engaged in it is not for the sake of pursuing some sort of advantage to himself, or some sort of glory for himself.
The task is already done. The only reason, then, that Paul can pursue it is for his absolute, abandoned love for God. No other reason. There is therefore here nothing of that motivation that seeks to destroy the souls of Churches by causing them to lust for bigger harvests. Nothing of that motivation that is driven by the desire to put numbers on the board, to call attention inordinately to the ministry of a particular enterprise, or to call attention to what the Church or its ministers have accomplished, of which they might boast and brag.
For it is as if, as Paul makes this statement, it is as if already all the numbers are in, and the entirety of the task is completed, it’s done. The only purpose and motivation for the ministry, then, is not for the self-aggrandizement of those who would pursue it, but for God himself and him alone.
Here also you must see the magnification of grace. And it is this message that stands out so strikingly in Zechariah 4. For just as the Lord speaks through Zechariah to Zerubbabel with regard to the laying of the foundations and the completing of the temple structure, the Lord has previously set before Zerubbabel the pure accomplishment of all that is in view with regard to that man’s task in and by the Spirit. That sixth verse in the fourth chapter, then, sets the building enterprise before Zerubbabel as if it were already a completed task. In a sense, the accomplishment is in the promise. and Zerubbabel’s motivation in the Spirit must be then God only, God himself, as he is drawn into the work that from the most sublime point of view is already completed by God’s grace. What might we say about ourselves and our own lives? What motivation might there be for you in your Christian pursuits? Your own glory? Your own satisfaction? Posting a few numbers of your own? Greater security? Bigger something or other? The only genuine biblical motivation for proper action is God himself.
The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.