“A FATAL MISTAKE” 2 CHRONICLES 36:11-16 INTRO: We all make mistakes. But some of our mistakes cost us more than others. In fact, some of our mistakes in life are fatal mistakes. Two men and a youth—Arnold Dobson, Harold Most and his son Harold, Jr.—perished in the blasting summer heat of the Death Valley area. Sheriff deputies found their bodies seven, fourteen and seventeen miles from an abandoned car. “They were kind of strung out like a black line. The heat turned them black,” said deputy Red Landergram. In leaving their stranded car to seek help, the three had tragically headed in the wrong direction, going toward a ranch house they had passed thirty miles back. Just a mile in the other direction was a grove of willows and a spring! What a fatal mistake! In 2 Chronicles 36:11-14, we read about a young man who in his life made a fatal mistake. This mistake cost him everything. Sin always has a price tag! The problem is that we are oblivious to it till many times it is too late! A scene of an awesome tragedy was in Georgia at Stone Mountain, the largest boulder in the world. Atop the mountain, a young man walked unsuspectingly along, oblivious of the gradual and almost imperceptible downward curvature of the dome like mountain. Suddenly, he became aware of the fact that he was powerless to retrace his steps to safety. He had gone to the point of no return. Frantically, he cried, “Help! Help!” His piteous plea was to no avail. Horrified spectators saw him hurtled to his death below. We seem to believe that we can sin and get away with it. We see to believe that there are no consequences for sin. The man on Stone Mountain made a fatal mistake. He kept walking on a path that led to destruction! Many today are making a fatal mistake. They are on the road that leads to destruction and are oblivious of that fact. Jesus said in Matthew 7:13, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” I want to speak on this subject today, “A Fatal Mistake.” Zedekiah made a Fatal Mistake and it cost him his reign, his Kingdom, and his life. Not only that, but it also led to Judah’s Babylonian captivity. Sin will always cost us in our lives! I want us to see how we can avoid making a Fatal Mistake: (1) WE MUST NOT DO EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD 2 Chronicles 36:12a—“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God...” A. THE CHOICE OF MANY. Zedekiah chose to live a life of wickedness. How did he do evil in the LORD’S sight? He failed to let God have the proper place in his life. Any time we are doing anything contrary to righteousness and godliness we are doing evil in the sight of the LORD. Friend, God sent His Son to die for your sins. Jesus has paid the price by shedding His own blood that you might be forgiven and have a home in Heaven. But if you fail to repent of your sin and receive Christ as your Savior, you are doing evil in the sight of the LORD and making a Fatal Mistake. A mistake that could send your soul to Hell for all eternity! Today is the day for you to come and be saved. Today is the day for you to receive Him in your heart and stop heading down the broad way that leads to Hell! B. THE CHARACTER OF MANY. Let us not think that only lost mankind does evil in the sight of the LORD. Because we are all more wicked than we think we are! How do we know? :

 Treatment of God’s Church (Hebrews 10:25). People give all kinds of reasons why they don’t come to Church, but the truth is that the reason they don’t come is because of the wickedness of their hearts! ILLUS: The following was reprinted from a Catholic bulletin as a sobering reminder to us all:

“Don’t wait until the hearse hauls you to Church. If you do, you will go, regardless of the weather. There will be beautiful flowers there, but you won’t enjoy them. The Pastor may say some good things about you, but you won’t be able to hear them. There will be beautiful music, but you won’t be enjoying it. There will be heartfelt prayers, but they will not touch your heart. There will be friends and relatives there, but you will not worship with them. You will go, no matter how many hypocrites are there. You will go, no matter how much you are needed at home. You won’t be concerned about whether you’re dressed right. After that trip you will never have to decide whether to attend Church or not. You’ll never get another chance. Aren’t you glad to be alive and well and have the choice of whether or not to go to Church?” (Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. pp. 47-48). ILLUS. Someone has said, “If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then some people must really love the Church!” (Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. p. 47). Another has said, “The great task of the Church is not only to get sinner into heaven, but also to get saints out of bed.” (Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. p. 47).  Treatment Of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15). We are living in an age where we have more access to the Word of God than ever before, and yet, it is read less and obeyed less than ever before! Why? Because we are all more wicked than we think we are!

The average US child will, by age 65, have spent 9 years of 24- hours sitting in front of a TV set. But if he goes to Sunday School every Sunday during those years, he will have spent only 4 months studying the Bible. We are suffering like the people did in Hosea’s day, when God said, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge..” (Hosea 4:6). The reason God’s work is suffering today is that instead of God’s people studying, living, and obeying the truth, we are, through the wickedness of our hearts, neglecting and rejecting the only source of truth set before us!  Treatment Of God’s Day (Psalm 118:24). The LORD’S day is the day that we come together to worship, praise, and adore the one who loves us and died for us on the Cross, but to many it is just another day. God gives us six out of seven days to do the things that we must in this life. ILLUS: Charles Spurgeon told this story, “One man traveling on the road saw a poor man in distress, and having but seven shillings, the generous person gave the poor man six. But when the wretch had scrambled to his feet, he followed his benefactor to knock him down and steal the seventh shilling from him. How many do this! Sunday is their day for sport, amusement, for anything but the service of God. They rob God of His day, though it be but one of seven. This is base unthankfulness. (Charles H. Spurgeon. 2200 Quotations From The Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon. pp. 119-120). The Scripture tells us that Demas was a fellow laborer with the apostle Paul. It is written of him in 2 Timothy 4:10, “for Demas hath forsaken me, having loved the present world.” Folks, we have many “Demases” in our Churches today! ILLUS: Something You Should Know

5% of reported church members do not exist; 10% cannot be found; 20% Never pray; 25% Never read the Bible 30% Never attend church; 40% Never give to any cause; 50% Never go to Sunday school; 60% Never go to church Sunday nights; 70% Never give to Missions; 75% Never engaged in any church activity; 80% Never go to prayer meeting; 90% Never have family worship; 95% Never win a soul to Christ. —Crusade Contact Before Demas went back into the world he first refused to allow God to have His proper place in his life. That brings about rejection of God’s Word, forsaking of God’s house, and God’s work.  Friend, you are making a fatal mistake if you are lost and will not come to Jesus to be saved. Friend, you are making a fatal mistake if you are saved and are not obeying God’s Word! For the lost, their fatal mistake will send them to Hell for all eternity. For the Christian, their fatal mistake will result in lost rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ!  Saved or lost, we are doing evil in the sight of the LORD if we fail to give Him the proper place in our lives! It is a Fatal Mistake! (2) WE MUST HUMBLE OURSELVES TO THE WILL OF GOD 2 Chronicles 36:12b—“And [he] humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the LORD” A. THE PRIDE OF THE OBSTINATE. Zedekiah as king was a leader of God’s people and their shepherd. The LORD would speak to the king thru the prophets. As the prophets revealed God’s message the king and the people were to humble themselves and obey. But Zedekiah would not humble himself. He was elevated by Pride and Position. Pride always gets us in trouble (Proverbs 16:18). Pride defies God and His Word! Pride values self’s will and way above God’s will and way! Zedekiah refused to yield or submit to God. Charles Spurgeon said, “It is a wild, strange thing to think that a man should be proud when he has nothing to be proud of. A living, animated hump of clay-defiled and filthy, a living hell-and yet proud.” (Charles H. Spurgeon. 2200 Quotations From The Writings of Charles H. Spurgeon. p. 165). Many times we, as God’s people refuse to humble ourselves before the LORD. We began to think we are worth more than we really are. Someone has said, “An easy way to become rich is to buy some people for what they are worth and sell them for what they think they are worth and pocket the difference.” (1 Corinthians 10:12; Romans 12:3; John 15:5). ILLUS. A rabbi was preparing for the Day of Atonement. He paraded around beating his breast and saying, “I am nothing, I am nothing.” A cantor followed suit and did as his rabbi. The two marched through the synagogue demonstrating their “humility”. The janitor witnessed this ritual and was reminded of his own sinfulness. He too began to beat his breast and cry out in contrition, “I am nothing.” When the rabbi heard the janitor, he turned to the canter and smugly said, “Look who thinks he’s nothing.” As we approach the Cross of Christ, we do so with one of these two attitudes. We are either like the rabbi who only pretended to need God, or like the Janitor who truly saw himself as nothing without Christ. (Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. p. 198). B. THE POTENTIAL OF THE OBEDIENT. The LORD wants us to humble ourselves before Him (James 4:6). We, as God’s people, are to be submissive to the LORD. We are to give ourselves a sacrifice unto Him (Romans 12:1). We are to yield our members to Him as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13). How great and wonderful it would be if God’s people would just hear God’s Word and obey it! What a blessing it would be for this pastor for him to preach on Hebrews 10:25 and Ephesians 3:21 and all of our members who are able show up Sunday and Wednesday evening. If I preached on working for and serving the LORD (2 Corinthians 5:14-15) and all of our members called Monday morning wanting a job to do!

Some might say, “Preacher quit dreaming, you know people won’t do that.” But when God’s Word is preached, God expects His people to yield and submit to Him (James 1:22). The Lord delights in our obedience! "The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him. ." – Henry Varley, who inspired the great evangelist Dwight L Mood

 If we refuse to humble ourselves unto Him and His will, we are making a Fatal Mistake. Friend, if you are lost your refusing to humble before him and receive him is a Fatal Mistake which will cost you all eternity if you leave this life without Him as your Savior! Saved friend, If you refuse to humble yourself to His Word and will, it will cost you joy and rewards in Heaven! (3) WE MUST NOT REBEL AGAINST THE KING 2 Chronicles 36:13a—“And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God…” A. THE PRIDE OF DISOBEDIENCE. The Israelites had violated God’s Law. They had rebelled continually. Israel had already been carried away in captivity. But Judah still had a King. They were admonished to endure the Captivity that was coming because of their disobedience and submit to it because it was God’s will. Zedekiah received his crown on the express condition of taking a solemn oath of fealty to the king of Babylon (Eze_17:13); so that his revolt by joining in a league with Pharaoh-hophra, king of Egypt, involved the crime of perjury. His own pride and obdurate impiety, the incurable idolatry of the nation, and their reckless disregard of prophetic warnings, brought down on his already sadly reduced kingdom the long threatened judgments of God. (Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary. e-Sword. Version 7.6.1. Copyright 2000-2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide). Zedekiah refused God’s man, rejected God’s Word, and now chose to rebel against Nebuchadnezzar, God’s agent of punishment for Judah’s disobedience (v13). Nebuchadnezzar came with his army and killed the young and old without compassion. Zedekiah was taken. His sons were slain before him and his eyes put out (v17).

B. THE PRICE OF DISOBEDIENCE. In 2 Kings 25:1-7, it tells us that Zedekiah made a decision to do evil before God and he influenced others to do the same (v14). He rebelled against God and others suffered because of it. It was a Fatal Mistake. We also can rebel against the LORD. We can resist His will for our lives. When you will not allow the LORD to have His rightful place in your life and you will not humble yourself before the LORD and you ignore the messenger and the message, the next thing that follows is open rebellion and defiance of God! If you will not surrender to Him, you will strive against Him. If you will not help His cause, you will hinder it!  The LORD’S people can rebel against Him. The LORD will allow us to go our own way and do our own thing, but He reminds us that a day of reckoning is just around the corner (Revelation 22:12). (4) WE MUST NOT STIFFEN OUR NECK AND HARDEN OUR HEART 2 Chronicles 36:13c—“...But he stiffened his neck, and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel” A. THE ATTTIUDE. Zedekiah chose to do evil. He humbled not himself. He ignored the prophet and his message. He rebelled against the King. But now he makes his last and Fatal Mistake. He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart. What does this mean? The Hebrew word for “stiffened” here means “to grow hard.” Stiffening the neck is a sign of making a decision out of pride. Nehemiah said in Nehemiah 9:16-17 that his Fathers dealt proudly, hardened their necks, and refused to obey God’s commands. Zedekiah took the attitude, “This is what I am going to do regardless of what God or His Word says.” Friend, that is a Fatal Mistake! To harden your heart simply means you have made up your mind and cannot be reasoned with. You will run your own life the way you want to. So many in our world today have that attitude. Friend, if you choose that path it will only end in destruction (Proverbs 29:1). B. THE ATROCITY. It is bad enough for a lost person to give no thought whatsoever to God in His life but also the LORD’S people can so live that the LORD’S punishment is swift and certain (Hebrews 12:6). Hebrews 12 deals with chastisement. The LORD chastises us primarily for correction. God does not go out of His way to punish us, but His desire is that we love Him and serve Him. It is sad indeed for a person bought by the blood, created in the image of God, and professing to love God to take that attitude, “this is my life, I will do with it what I want!” All that God desires of those who are His is that we love HIM and serve HIM! If He can speak to us and we obey Him that is enough. But if we will not listen, He will use stronger measures to get our attention and obedience. God always promises blessings for obedience and punishment for disobedience. His desire is to bless us beyond measure, but He is sure in chastisement. ILLUS: Who loves his child more—the father who allows the child to do what will harm him, or the one who corrects, trains, and even punishes the child to help him learn what is right? It’s never pleasant to be corrected and disciplined by God, but His discipline is a sign of His deep love for you. When God corrects you, see it as proof of His love and ask Him what He is trying to teach you. (Living Letters From The Life Application Bible. p. 225).

CLOSING: The decision is yours. Blessing or cursing. Heaven or Hell. Eternal bliss with God or Eternal separation from Him in the lake of fire. You will personally make a choice and you will receive just recompense for your choice you made. You can turn your life around today by His help. As He speaks to you allow Him to have His way with you. Surrender to Him. Give up. Give in. Give over to the LORD Jesus. Please don’t make the Fatal Mistake Zedekiah made.