Walter Kaiser
February 5, 2003
9:30 am
Message Summary
How can a person actually seek God? What happens when a person pursues holiness? Walter Kaiser, serving as the Bible teacher for the Wednesday through Saturday sessions of Founder’s Week, provided some answers to those difficult questions by pointing his listeners to the narrative of King Asa in 2 Chronicles 14-15.
Before unpacking the actual story, Kaiser oriented the congregation to the theme of Chronicles, calling it a “revival book.” The command “Be holy just as I am holy” from Leviticus also provides a solid foundation for the author of Chronicles as his stories demonstrate the rewards of those pursuing holiness as opposed to the pain of those forsaking it.
Under this backdrop, Kaiser introduced godly King Asa, who initiated a great revival in Judah. Interestingly, Kaiser noted that this was one of the very few revivals not preceded by great economic and/or spiritual decline.“God often calls through the megaphone of tragedy,” Kaiser noted, citing several recent examples to demonstrate that God must still be seeking peoples’ hearts today.
Sadly, after Asa’s monumental reforms, the king made a terrible choice later in life. When threatened by an invading army, Asa looked to pagan Syria for help rather than God. “He thought he could purchase what God wanted to give him,” Kaiser said. And as he moved from God, the Lord withdrew peace from Asa.
Kaiser closed by challenging the audience to seek God like Asa did early in life. Seeking everything about his character and being should become norm in our lives,” he noted. “Do you want to know God? Then seek him with all your heart!”
Student Response
Sometimes I wonder what King Asa was thinking. The man had seen God transform a nation. Yet a flash of pride and some bad decisions brought a tragic end to an amazing story. God’s appointed leader had turned his back on God. I wonder if he sat on his throne remembering his former worship and felt a twinge of regret. I wonder if he felt lonely. Maybe he turned bitter and cynical. But whatever his final state, I know I never want to end up there. I want the exciting, vibrant faith that comes from actively seeking God… the faith that God uses to transform lives.
—Dale Harris, Senior, Pastoral Studies major