Anton Beukes; Sarah Wheway – Oikos Outreach Kefalonia
1. Anton: We just want to share that we had. We shared with you before we went, and we want to thank you for all your prayers and encouragement. The outreach was in 2 parts. All 12 teams met at the camp site of Porto Astro for 3 days. And then the 12 teams went to different islands, towns and villages around Greece. Eight of us went to Kefalonia island. I’ going to ask Sarah to share a little bit about what happened there and some of her understanding of what the Lord wants.
2. Sarah: It’s good to share with you this morning. Our team had the privilege to go to Kefalonia to be with Trudy, ‘Hi Trudy’, and her daughter Elisabeth and Costa and Elena and Michaelena, and our team were 8 people from here and from England. I think our joy was not knowing what we were going to do. The whole purpose of this is to follow Jesus. Not go with our own plan. We did have a little bit of a plan, that we wanted to play games in the plateia and create conversations. But that’s not how the Lord led us. We did do that, but our main wonderful time was doing prayer walks around the different villages that we were in, in Kefalonia. It was so encouraging to see how Jesus led us and opened up opportunities to talk and become friends with people that we hadn’t met before.
3. We began in Trudy’s village, and as we walked around, one of the groups which split into twos, and so Aaron and Dillan, were invited by one precious old lady to come and sit with them. They didn’t speak any Greek. But they used Google Translate and it’s wonderful to see this friendship that they built through Google Translate. But Dilan had something very special on his heart, that he wanted to share, so he took Trudy and myself back to meet with this lady. This was on another day, so, when we went the next day, there were 2 other ladies with this lady. And Trudy has been sharing with these ladies, so, Trudy meets with them regularly. One of the ladies was a priest’s wife, and they all got so excited when Trudy explained to them that our group was prayer walking around their village. And when Dillan shared what God had put on his heart, he shared the Gospel message. They all had tears in their eyes and the priest’s wife said, ‘Well I’ve never heard it explained so beautifully to me before,’ as Trudy was translating this.
4. When we asked how we could pray for each of them, they each poured out requests for their family and friends. They love God. And what they are in need of, is discipleship. Trudy is there, God has placed her there and her family. And Trudy is doing that. We met other believers around the island, there were seven, I think we met, and in each of them in their own way, were reaching out. But each of them asked for more help, and they would love any of us to go and visit and we saw how important it was to be there, to encourage them, and this wasn’t the same just in Kefalonia. When I went back to Porto Astro and I heard the reports from the other twelve teams, everyone said the same that they encouraged the isolated believers throughout Greece.
5. If I can finish with one story, sorry for becoming emotional. There was one precious family, that I had the privilege to meet with one of the young men I was with, we were prayer walking on the very first day, and this man was sitting in his garden, and he said, ‘Come and have some water, it’s so hot.’ I thanked him and I said, ‘We’re just looking around your beautiful village, and maybe we’ll come back by.’ We really felt God leading us to go back and walk by his home again. And when we arrived at his village, he jumped up, he didn’t ask us if we wanted water this time. He just put 2 chairs out for us to come in. As we sat there talking to him, his daughter came out and she brought us some ice tea and some water, what beautiful hospitality. She and I got talking, because she studied psychology, the same as I have been doing, so, we had lots in common. I share this, because everyone of us every day wherever we are, God might just want us to get talking to the person we’re with on the street, or be invited into our neighbor’s house, and we’ll be surprised by the connection.
6. I share this because, in our own lives every day, God may surprise us as to how He wants to use us in our own neighborhood here, just to go and make connections. And as I was talking to her, about psychology, her mother called form inside, ‘Who is this? Who’s with you?’ She started to tell me that her sister had just passed away, five months before, and her mum was inside and was grieving. She hadn’t left the house for five months and her mum asked me to come inside. So, I had the privilege to sit with her and cry with her, we just hugged each other. She told me about the pain she was in. And I was able to tell her, how much God sees and how much God loves her and that He had a plan for her life. She was so open, she asked me to pray for her, and said, ‘Please come again.’
7. On the last day, I was going to take Trudy with me; Trudy was so excited, because they know of this sad loss on the island, this precious girl, 37 years old who just died in her sleep. But Trudy didn’t know that this family lived in her village. But Trudy had a brace on her leg and couldn’t come back with me. So, when I went back, it was amazing, because they weren’t sitting outside any more, and I was asking God, ’Should I go in?’ I had a New Testament, just in case. As I was waiting there, he opened the door excitedly, as if somebody had knocked on the door. So, I was able to say to him, ‘I’m leaving today, but Trudy wants to come back and see you all.’ I handed him the New Testament. I felt it was the right to do and I said, ‘This book has changed my life. This book is alive, God will speak to you through this book.’ I tears, I was telling him, how much God wanted to heal his heart, because he told me, ‘My heart is dead.’ And he didn’t want to live anymore. And I told him, that God understands this, because God’s Son died too, when Jesus was 33 years old. God knows your pain, and He wants you to know He loves you and He can give you hope again. He hugged me and in tears, he said that he was going to read this book.
8. I know that was an ordained appointment, and each of us can live that every day. That’s what ‘Oikos’ is all about. So, I just want to encourage you, that each of us just be ourselves, love people, and give a count for the hope that’s within us.
9. Anton Beukes: I just want to ask you, to continue to pray for those on the island, that the Lord will continue to work through them, but also pray for us as a church, as we ask the Lord how should we get more involved. We hope to send more teams, not large ones, but small ones, so pray and ask the Lord if you are a part of these teams.
10. Sarah Wheway: Also, Leto was with us, and if any of you have any more questions, Leto was such an encouragement and I know she has things to share with all of you as well.
Pastor Gail Stathis – Main Message:
1. We’re glad that you are all here today. And, again Sarah, it was a word from the Lord, what you said about the Word. Billy was supposed to minister today, but he has been not feeling well all week. I had already prepared this message about ago, and I didn’t know why. But the Lord knows. And if the screen stays on, then fine, if not, we’re fine anyway, right? We’re going to be talking about this Book today – the Bible, and how to protect the Book, the Book that Jesus loves. Because He is that Book; He’s that living Book. And I want to ask you today, if you need a Bible and don’t have one, please make sure you always see Leto or me, and we’ll make sure we’ll get you a Bible. It’s not the same on your phone, as one you can hold in your hand. There are some Bibles around the room, so, if you want, you can pick up, we’re going to be majorly reading today from 2 Kings 21,22,23.
2. I might talk through it just a little bit, because of the problem with the screen, and I want to make sure you hear these Words today. Did you know there was a time when this Book, not exactly this Bible that I’m holding in my hands, that this Book was lost. It is a library of 66 different books or letters, and we believe in this Church, that every Word between these pages, is inspired by God. It is God’s holy Word.
3. We know that there was a long period of time when people didn’t have access to the Bible. There weren’t any printing presses. And even before that, there were what’s called, scribes, and they would copy, very carefully, word by word onto scrolls, and would share these scrolls around so that people could have access to at least some of the Word. But there was a time, when God’s people lost the Book.
4. Today, I want us to look at how it was lost and how it was found. In 2 Kings 22:3-5,8, we’re going to begin to look at the reign of king Josiah, of Judah. “In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people. Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repair the temple of the Lord… Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.”
5. These 3 chapters right in here are, I think, the most interesting in the Bible. It will be written about king Josiah, that there was never a king like him, that he was so good, and the temple had not been used, because, two kings before him, were very evil. So, Josiah says, ‘Let’s clean up the temple.’ And as they’re cleaning it up, we have just read verse 8, which said, “I have found the Book of the Law”. It was probably, what we know, as the Torah, or the Pentateuch, probably the first five books of our Bible, or it might have only been the book of Deuteronomy.
6. Deuteronomy, was a very important book. Jesus quoted Deuteronomy, more than any other book except Psalms. He spent most of His time, in Psalms and Deuteronomy. And whether it was the five or just the one, Deuteronomy, had been lost and they found it in the temple. For those of you who speak Greek, you know, Deuteronomy, means the Second Law. It refers to the time when Moses gave the children of Israel, the Law, the second time, right before they’re getting ready to enter the Promised Land, they needed this Word.
7. Remember, when they came out of Egypt, at Mt. Sinai, they received the Law the first time, but they were full of rebellion and unbelief. They wandered 40 years in the desert; now they come and they receive the Law a second time, called the Deuteronomy. They were finally ready to enter into the Promised Land. The bottom line was, when Moses gave them the second time, the Law, if you want to prosper, if you want to live well, in the Promised Land that you’re getting ready to enter, keep the Words of this Book.
8. The people of Israel and now the people of Judah, had not done this. The Book had been lost, and it wasn’t lost out in the desert. It wasn’t lost in some random storage closet. It was lost in the temple of the Lord, the very place where it should have been held most holy. How did this happen?
9. Let’s backup one chapter, in 2 Kings 21:1-5, “Manasseh (father of Josiah) was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites. He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them. He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts.” Manasseh, literally, was bringing idols into the temple. This was the place dedicated to worship God. This was where His Word was to be taught and go forth, so that people could live with understanding.
10. We won’t take time to go there, but Deuteronomy 30, it talks about keeping God’s Laws. That word there in Hebrew, can have two meanings, and even in English and I think in Greek, when we say, ‘to keep something’, I give you something, you can keep it, it’s yours. But there is another definition which is the Biblical definition, ‘to keep’, ‘to obey’, ‘keep the Law’, ‘take it to heart’, ‘take the responsibility’, ‘to see that these Words are lived out in your lives.’
11. Manasseh did not keep the Law. He didn’t value the Book, nor the Words. He allowed false gods and idols into the building, the Temple; it would be like allowing them into your life. Idols, false gods, they represent the sins of the world. They represent the lies of the devil. He gave a place to these idols of sin. The Scripture is clear, it says, ‘An idol is a lie’, ‘An idol is a false representation of a deity’. In this world today we see many people who put other gods on the throne of their hearts. But there’s only one God and He reigns over all. And one day we will know for sure, as every idol bows down, to the King of kings, that there is only one Lord and God.
12. If we give place, in our lives, to the sins of the world, and the lies of the devil, then this Book (the Bible) becomes lost. It becomes lost in our life. I’m going to say that one more time. When we give place to the sins of the world, and the lies of the devil, then this Book becomes lost. I think it’s happening in too many churches today, in too many lives of people who call themselves Christians. They’re practicing, they’re allowing things in their lives that God hates. We’re allowing the sins of the world and the lies of the devil to come in and reign in our lives.
13. There can be a Bible on the pulpit or in the shelf of your home, but if we give place to the wrong things in our life, we will lose the Word. Manasseh moved idols into the temple. The Word got pushed to the background. It got buried under the clutter of the world. It was treated as worthless. When we begin to treat the Word just like it’s any other book, it doesn’t take long to get lost from your life. Deuteronomy 12:28-31, “Be careful to obey all these regulations I am giving you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God. The Lord your God will cut off before you the nations you are about to invade and dispossess. But when you have driven them out and settled in their land, and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.” You must not worship the Lord your God in their way, because in worshiping their gods, they do all kinds of detestable things the Lord hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods.”
14. God was telling His people, ‘Don’t be like the other nations, as He’s telling us today, don’t be like people of the world. They do things wicked in my sight.’ Did you understand what I said? They literally sacrificed their sons and daughters to the false god, Molech. That was how they worshipped. God had a particular hating for that. I believe we can see lots, this much in our world today. God is going to judge those that sacrifice children to perversion, to corrupt ways.
15. 2 Kings 21:4-6, “He built altars in the temple of the Lord, of which the Lord had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.” In the two courts of the temple of the Lord, he built altars to all the starry hosts. He sacrificed his own son in the fire, practiced divination, sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the eyes of the Lord, arousing his anger.” There’s a list here and you might check your own life, if you do some of these things. I hope none of you read the coffee grounds here in Greece. Don’t do that, don’t have your palms read.
16. Manasseh sacrificed his very own son. Because he had lost the Book, he lost sight of the truth of God, and he treated God’s truth as worthless. Men and women can forget the truth of God, but God never forgets His truth. The Word will stand forever because Jesus is the living Word. Even if people toss the Word aside, even if they lose it, they’re still going to have to answer to God. We are all accountable to God. This morning, I even wonder if this is one of the reasons we are having trouble with the screens. The enemy does not want you to realize that this is the guidebook to life, to everlasting life.
17. We’re all accountable to God. Whether people believe this book today, tomorrow or not, whether they believe it, it is true and it’s going to stand forever. Amen? Not a Word will fail, Hallelujah. After Manasseh did all of that, God pronounced judgement on him, and the nation. He had warned and warned and warned, and I think we see that happening in our world today to nations that will not follow God, to people He warns and warns and warns. And God said that judgement is coming.
18. But it didn’t come in the lifetime of Manasseh, we’ll find out why in a minute. You see God is merciful, but He is also just. There are two reasons why God forgave Manasseh:
a. The number one reason was that Manasseh repented. I love this, it’s so beautiful. The Bible says that, when he heard the Word, he repented. God is a merciful God. No matter what you’ve done in your life, the mercy of God is big enough to cover it all.
b. The second reason, He forgave him, is that he allowed the Book to be found again. 2 Kings 22:1-2, “Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah, daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath. He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.”
19. We are going to be taking communion in just a few moments, but I want to begin to close up with five observations about Josiah, about him keeping the Law:
a. Number one: He took responsibility. His grandfather was wicked, his father was no better. So, Josiah did not have a godly example in his father or grandfather. But he did not use that as an excuse. He purposed in his own heart, ‘I will take responsibility for my own walk. I have to answer for my own life.’ His dad died when he was only eight. Many of us maybe can have same excuse. But the Bible says, “He purposed to honor the Lord.” He said, ‘I want to be like David, my great, great, great grandfather.’ He was a man after God’s heart. I want to be like that, Amen? I think you should praise God all the time if you had godly parents. I did not. But I understood. I need to praise Him for my own life, my own walk. And He has a purpose for each one of us. We need to take notice of the Word that’s it’s personal for you. It 2 Kings 22:8-10, “Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the Lord and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.” How did Josiah respond? Would he respond like his father and his grandfather? Everything in his life, hung on that moment, when he heard the Word. Because God is a God of mercy. He brought His Word back to light. Josiah didn’t laugh at the Word like many people today. He didn’t say it’s old fashioned and out of date, like many people say in the world today. He didn’t ignore and just push it aside. But 2 Kings 22:11, “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes.” The Word is cutting me to my heart. He repented.
b. Number two: Josiah took God at His Word. It’s not just an old Book. But we know like that in Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Sometimes, you can be reading the Bible, and you may feel like, I’m not getting anything out of it. The enemy wants the Word to seem dry and not applicable to your day. But we as never before, need to keep our hearts open. Lord, You are asking me to live differently from the world. You’re telling me to watch how I speak, because You notice. I’m supposed to watch how I live my day, what I do with my time, what I do with my money, the career I have. Because, all of my life, should be settled on the living Word, Jesus Christ. All we need is in this Book; He anoints it. When you begin to feel like the Book means nothing to you, you’re not getting anything out of it, we need to be like Josiah, we need to ask the Lord, ‘Lord help me when I read Your Word, for it to come into my heart and anything not like You, I want to tear it off. I don’t want it to be part of my life.’ 2 Kings 22:13, “Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” He was saying, judgement was coming. The people had done the very things that God forbade, and we are accountable. You know, there are things that I’ve asked the Lord to forgive me, but it doesn’t mean that I sometimes must go and apologize. They even went to ask a prophetess, Huldah (2 Kings 22:14), “Is this really true?” And she confirmed it, yes. It’s ancient Word but it still applies. God holds us responsible, but she said, “But God has heard your prayer… Josiah, your heart was full of repentance, and your heart was humble.” (2 Kings 22:19).
c. Number three: Josiah took a stand for righteousness. We won’t take time to read it. You might take time to keep on reading to 2 Kings 23. The king called all the people together and he said, “Let’s read the Book of the Law. I’m not going to stand for lies that have gone on before.” (2 Kings 23:1,2). “The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord…” (2 Kings: 23:4). The apostle Paul says, “I want to die daily, so that the covenant, the agreement between God and I, comes alive every single day.” (1 Corinthians 15:31). When you take a stand for God, He will stand with you. The presence of the Lord was with them, Hallelujah. Can we believe for the work of the Lord to bring revival, and an awakening in our time? No matter how wicked the days we live in, horrible things are happening. People are sitting and thinking nothing about it and it’s just my life, I’ll do what I want. But do you believe, I do, that God can bring His Word to life in our day? All it takes is one like Josiah, to stand for righteousness, and say, ‘I may not look like the world, but I’m following the One that reigns forever.’
d. Number four: Josiah took immediate action. He wasn’t playing games; he knew God wasn’t playing games. He got violent; he took immediate action. When we hear the Word of God, we have a moment of time to take action. Don’t wait too long. I believe that even if you feel nothing emotionally today, you are hearing this, is His Word to you. The Word to give life. Don’t go home and just put it on the nightstand and leave it there. Don’t just put it on the cabinets. Even if it’s one verse a day, begin to read this love letter to you. When you leave today, you can leave different and say to the Lord, ‘I will follow You in obedience, because I love You. But I know You love me more. Things in your life that hinder; give them to God today. If we hesitate, if we play with sin, if we give sin place in our life, we’ll lose the Word. Lord, help us to live differently. Sometimes we have to take drastic measures for His Word to work in us. We can’t obey this Book, and also have the sins of the world in our life. Or else it would get lost again. When the Word comes to you, get violent with the lies, throw them out.
e. Number five: And finally, Josiah took his people back to the Lamb. You might remember when they came out of Egypt, the way they were delivered, they sacrificed a lamb. They put the blood on their doorposts, and when the death angel passed over, they lived, because they were under the blood of the Lamb. He had the nation observe this. They hadn’t observed this since king Hezekiah, 3 kings before. He told the story again. That they were in bondage. They said today, nation today, people today, there is a way for you to be saved; for you to be delivered. They had to take the lamb and slaughter that day when Josiah was king. But today, we celebrate every day, the Lamb who was slain, once and for all, once and for all, for every sin we ever commit, and we get to say to Him, ‘I love Your Word, oh, more of You Lord, more of You, more of You. Cover me oh Lord, with Your blood, with Your life.’ And that’s what He does. When we invite Him into our life, each and every day. ‘I’m here, I’m here and you can hide, under the shelter of My blood that was shed for you. I am a shelter for you in this time in which we live.’ Josiah reminded the entire nation about the Lamb. He was bringing them back to the Book. He was bringing them back to the Lamb.
f. Today the Lord is calling us back to love His Word; to love the Son of God, who gave His life for you. And in that love for Him, we will want to keep His Book. What did Jesus say? “If you love Me, keep My commands. Hold them, obey them, I’m inviting you.’
g. Where you’re at, just take a moment, bring yourself before the Lord. If the Bible has been boring to you, ask the Lord to forgive you and make it alive. If you believe there’s a sin in your life or a fault that’s hindering your relationship with the Lord, can you just take a moment to pray and give that to the Lord.