Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, I want to invite you to open your hearts and minds as we explore His truth together, encouraging your faith, strengthening your walk, and drawing closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Let's get into the wonderful Word of God and see what He has for us today. Amen. Thank you for tuning us in here Sunday night. Here, as we look at the wonderful Word of God, amen, the Lord is so good to us. And so, when we look here Sunday night, May the 4th, the 6th of Ar, 5785 of the Hebrew calendar, we look, if you would, to take your Bibles with us to 2 Chronicles chapter 15, verses 3 & 4 2nd Chronicles chapter 15 verses 3 & 4 Amen, I'm glad there's nothing like get into the Old Testament, which is the great foundation for the New Testament Many never even look over into the Old Testament, preach the Old Testament, but it is the foundation that holds all the theology together for the New Testament. Here in the 15th chapter of 2nd Chronicles, verses 3 and 4, if you would, will you read of the Word of God as we honor the reading of the Word of God. As you turn over there with us and read along with us as we get into, we want for just a little while, talk to you about the God who waits. The God who waits. The Word of God says, actually, when we look at chapter 15, that entire chapter, we're gonna highlight verses three and four. The Bible says, now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. But when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel and sought him, he was found of them. Amen? And so, as we'll be talking about the entire 15th chapter of 2 Chronicles, amen, I'm glad that uh... we'll open up with a time of prayer and ask the Lord to bless the scripture as we get into it. Heavenly Father, we acknowledge that like Israel, we have often lived without the true God, without a teaching priest and without law. We confess our sins, we ask for that forgiveness on a daily basis that many of us, Lord, just do our own thing every day. We don't pray, we don't read the word, we don't take any time for you whatsoever. But Lord, in all of our distresses, we turn to you, the Lord God of Israel, and we seek you, knowing that you may be found by us. Guide us through this message to understand the importance of returning to you as Israel did in Jesus' marvelous mighty name. Amen. You know, when I look at this, the God who waits I'm looking at the secrets to successful living. You see, true success in life is not measured by fame or fortune or followers, but by faithfulness, fruitfulness, and fellowship with God. The world chases success through self-promotion, shortcuts, and shallow pleasures, but God's word reveals a better way, a sacred path lined with eternal principles. The secret to successful living begins with a surrendered heart. Number one. There are three things to success, secrets to successful living. Number one, and that it begins with a surrendered heart. Number two, but before I say that, Psalms one shows us that the blessed man delights in the law of the Lord, meditates on it day and night, and his success is not found in circumstance, but is rootedness in God's word. So, Living successfully begins with a surrendered heart. But number two, success is fueled by steadfast obedience. Joshua chapter one verse eight reminds us that prosperity and good success come not from strategy, but from meditating and doing all that is written in God's book. Obedience is not a burden, it's the pathway to peace and progress. And so there are three secrets to successful living. Number one, It begins with a surrendered heart, number two, fueled by steadfast obedience, and number three, it's shaped by a spirit-led life. Galatians chapter 5, Paul says that when we walk in the spirit, we produce fruit that endures love, joy, peace, and more, because this kind of success is not manufactured by effort, but born through intimacy with Jesus. And so, I'm glad Jesus is not just the giver of success. He is the success. And when he's the center, everything else falls in place. So if you're searching for the secret to successful living, stop searching and start surrendering. Because the secret isn't a principle. It's a person and his name is Jesus Christ. And so I'm glad we see the God who waits in 2 Chronicles chapter 15 verses 3 and 4. Here in 2 Chronicles 15 is the God that waits with Jesus because that's the heart of the message. 2 Chronicles 15 tells the story of a nation that had drifted far from God. Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, without law. And it was a time of moral confusion, spiritual famine, and natural distress. But in that darkness, God sent a prophet by the name of Azariah to King Asa with a message, the Lord is with you while ye be with him. But if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." I'm glad that when we look and realize, the warning became a wake-up call. And Asa responded with repentance. He tore down the idols, he repowered the altar of the Lord, and he led the people in a covenant renewal. And so the heart of this story is a God that waits, not with anger, but with open arms. And despite the rebellion, God was not finished with them. He longed for their return. And when they sought Him, He was found of them. In verse four, the Bible says, but when they in their trouble did turn unto the Lord God of Israel and sought Him, He was found of them. While Israel needed a faithful king, a teaching priest, and a true law, Jesus is all three in one. He's the true God of John 1 and 114. He's the high priest who teaches and intercedes for us in Hebrews chapter 4. He's the fulfillment of the law and the giver of grace in Matthew chapter 5 and John chapter 1. When we see Israel returning to the altar, we see a shadow of the cross, the ultimate altar where God's mercy meets man's failure. And Jesus is not only the answer to Asa's revival. He's the invitation in your wilderness, the voice calling you back, the covenant renewed in blood, the joy that follows repentance. He's the proof that the God who waits also came, came down, lived among us, died for us, and now invites us home. I'm glad that the book of Revelation chapter three, verse 20 said, behold, I stand at the door and knock. We're here in second Chronicles. Chapter 15, we see a king returning to God. And in the gospel, we see the king of kings coming to us. You know, I was reading about a man that recounted how he got lost in the woods during a hike. He had a map and a compass, but he ignored them, thinking that he knew the way. Well, hours later, exhausted, and disoriented. He finally consulted his tools and he found his way back. Well, that story mirrors all of our spiritual journey. When we ignore God's guidance, it leads to confusion and distress. And so let me ask you something. The God who waits. What happens when we live without the true God? Without guidance and without His law? First of all, let me tell you what happens when we live without the true God and without guidance and without His law. First of all, we see the absence of the true God. Because what do we see in verse 3 of the wonderful Word of God that he tells us, amen, and that he says, reading from 2 Chronicles 15, verse 3. He said, Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without the law. And so what we see is the absence of the true God. There's a spiritual void. Living without acknowledging God leads to a void that nothing else can fill. Not only the absence of the true God, of a spiritual void, but also a false substitute. Because in God's absence, people often turn to idols. be it money, be it power, or be it pleasure. They look at the false substitutes in their life to try to take the presence of God. And then, in the absence of a true God, not only spiritual void and false substitutes, but thirdly, the consequences that comes with it, because it leads to moral decay and societal issues. And so, we see the God who waits. Because here, not only we see what happens when we live without the true God and without guidance and without his law, the absence of a true God, but secondly, the lack of guidance. Because he goes on and he says, and without a teaching priest. Oh my goodness. We see that lack of guidance. First of all, the importance of leaders out there today. teaching priests were essential for guiding people in God's way. And then, that lack of guidance is not only the importance of spiritual, good, heartfelt, born-again leaders, but modern-day parallel because today the absence of spiritual leaders leads to confusion and misdirection. When we see that lack of guidance of the importance of leaders and the modern parallel, we see thirdly the responsibility and that is it's crucial to have and to support leaders who teach God's truth. I wonder, again, what happens when we live without the true God, without guidance, and without his law? Well, first of all, we talked about the absence of the true God. Secondly, we talked about the lack of guidance. But thirdly, we see the neglect of God's law, because in verse three, again, he says, and without law was what he said. Boy, how sad it is today to know that how many out there are operating outside the parameters of God. Because what did he tell us when we read? He said, for a long time Israel was without the true God and without a priest to teach and without the law. Here is the absence of the true God. Here is the lack of guidance. But thirdly, the neglect of God's law. And without that law that we read in verse three, We have the moral compass that God's law provides as standard for right and wrong. When you have the neglect of God's law, you don't have that. And so we have the moral compass of God's law that provides a standard for right and wrong. Secondly, the societal impact, because when you ignore God's law, it leads to chaos and injustice. And thirdly, we see restoration, because when you return to God's law, it brings order and it brings peace. Are there areas in your life where you've been living without acknowledging God? Do you have a spiritual mentor guiding you in God's truth? Are you aligning your life with the principles found in God's word? Well, just as Israel found God when they sought him in their distress, we too can find our way back to him. It's never too late to return, to seek guidance and to embrace his laws. And so, as I close out, Let us remember the story of 2 Chronicles chapter 15. It's not just about an ancient king named Asa. It's about a God who waits, not with folded arms, but with open hands. A God who longs for repentance more than punishment. A God who still whispers to modern nations, modern leaders, and modern hearts, return unto me and I will return unto you. As I close with an illustration, one that is bold and one that is unmistakably American, in the recent years of President Donald Trump became one of the most talked about leaders in the world, loved by many, criticized by others, but undeniably used by God in ways that baffled both friends and enemies. And during his presidency, there have been moments when the world saw something unusual. A president standing in front of a church holding a Bible, a man who for all his flaws surrounded himself with prayer warriors, openly called upon God, defended religious liberty when it was under attack. His journey was far from perfect, even he would admit that. But in the midst of political chaos, there was a picture of a man who was not the savior of America, but a signpost pointing to the savior. And President Trump was not our redeemer, but God waited for him too. God used him not because of his strength, but in spite of his weakness, as the nation of Israel had benefited from President Trump and his inauguration and from his first term. That's what scares the living daylights out of people across the country today. And those liberal son of guns that's out there right now. But just like King Asa, God stirred something in him that brought a nation to prayer, a people back to their knees, and churches back into conversation. One Christian author wrote, God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called. So don't miss this. If God can use a businessman turned president to stir a nation, don't you think he can use you? The same God who waited for Asa, waited for Trump to fill the White House. And he's waiting for you right now. He waits not because he's powerless, but because his love is patient. He waits not because he forgot, but because his mercy is great. He waits not because he needs us, but because he wants us. And so. I'm glad in 2 Peter 3, 9, the Lord's not slack concerning his promise, but his long suffering to us, we're not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. And so today, if you're wondering if God still wants you, if you're asking whether you've gone too far, listen to me. If you're questioning whether revival is possible in your life, just look up. The God who waits is still waiting on you. and Jesus is still the way home. If you recognize that you've been living without the true God and you have been living without the wonderful blessings of knowing a savior like Jesus. Listen, let me ask you something. Every one of us as we go through life today, what happens when we live without the true God, without guidance and without his law? The absence of a true God, the lack of guidance and the neglect of God's law, that's what happens. And so, listen, I invite you to come forward. to seek him right now this very moment and you Listen, he will be found by You if you would as I leave that altar call open to you at this very moment as I close out Lord We thank you for being a God who waits for us to return. Forgive us for the times that we've strayed. Help us to seek you earnestly, to value the guidance of spiritual leaders, and to live according to your laws. And may we find peace. May we find purpose. in you, the Savior of us all. Thank you, Father, for giving us what no one else could ever give us, and that is an eternal security, salvation, where our name's been recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life, and there's no one in this world that can change what you have given us and the promise that you've made to us to be the keeper of our soul. Lord, I pray for that sinner right now. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I pray during this time that someone, Lord, would say, yes, Lord, I'm tired of waiting. I want you, Lord. I want you because you're still the way home for me. In Jesus's marvelous mighty name we pray.