CCOG 7-20-25 Sunday morning service: Just a Piece of Brass

What sacred relics have you turned into objects of worship? At Caywood Church of God, a powerful sermon titled "Just a Piece of Brass" challenges us to examine whether our religious traditions, symbols, and heritage have become idols that distract from true worship.

The message centers on King Hezekiah, who at just 25 years old initiated a radical reformation of Judah's worship practices. Among his most controversial acts was destroying the bronze serpent Moses had made in the wilderness – a sacred relic that had become an object of idolatrous worship. As the pastor powerfully states, "Hezekiah said that brazen serpent that you're burning incense to and that you're worshipping and that you're giving more homage and respect and prayer to more than God, is Nehashtan" – meaning "just a piece of brass."

Through a masterful connection between Numbers 21, John 3, and 2 Kings 18, we see how this bronze serpent was meant to point to Christ's sacrifice, not become an object of worship itself. Jesus referenced this very serpent when He said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life."

The sermon doesn't stop with ancient history but boldly addresses modern "pieces of brass" in our churches today – memorial trees with brass leaves bearing names of deceased members, pews with family nameplates, denominational pride, and religious practices that have become ends in themselves rather than means of connecting with God. With both humor and conviction, the pastor challenges us to "take a sledgehammer to everything that does not lend itself to the worship of God."

Perhaps most importantly, the message warns against the dangerous notion that religious effort alone can save us. True salvation comes not through religious observance but through faith in Christ, who was "lifted up" on the cross for our redemption. Everything else – our church buildings, our ministers, our worship forms, our creeds – are ultimately "just pieces of brass" if they come between us and God.

What are you burning incense to that needs to be destroyed? Join us at Cawood Church of God as we pursue authentic worship that focuses solely on God Himself.

Chapters

• 0:35 Introduction to the Church Service
• 1:56 The Brass Serpent in Numbers 21
• 8:38 Jesus Referencing the Serpent in John 3
• 10:27 Hezekiah's Radical Reformation
• 19:16 The Problem with Religious Heritage
• 28:31 Destroying What Takes Worship from God
• 40:02 Just a Piece of Brass - Final Message
• 53:52 Service Closing and Contact Information

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:20

Music Outro. I've been reborn, I can see. Yeah, I can see now, I can really see now. Hey, you're listening to Cadewood Church of God's live audio recording of the Sunday morning service on the 421 Show. Hey, go check out our website at hor421showbuzzsproutcom for more content and information. You can stream the show on Apple, Spotify or whatever platform you're choosing. If you'd like to support the show, you can support it through PayPal slash HOR421 or you go through our website, hor421showbuzzsproutcom. For more information. You can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502.

Speaker 2: 1:56

I was blind, but now all I can see. Marker right there and then get ready, because we're going to read out of the book of John, chapter 3, and then we'll be spending most of the time in 2 Kings, chapter 18. So, first Numbers, chapter 21, and then John, chapter 3, and then 2 Kings, chapter 18. As was already said today, if you are visiting with us, god bless you, we love you and we're thankful that you're here. We want you just to make yourself at home, and I'll be the first to tell you from 1979, this was the church I was born and raised in. My grandfather pastored this church for seven years, from 1970 to 1977. And my mom had me at 1979 and it's been my home man. I've seen some miracles take place in this church Now, granted, it was the old church at the end of the parking lot, but then, when we moved over here, I saw God do some great things over here too. It's not a building. Amen, it's a body. Amen, it's not a building, it's a body. And I'm thankful for the next year, should the Lord tarry, 2026. We will celebrate 100 years from 1926 to 2026 of soul-saving amen and Pentecostal moving Holy Ghost moving right here on this plot of land and I honor it and I respect it and I thank God for it. But I do want to share my heart. If I could give it a title today, it would be just a piece of brass. Just a piece of brass. Numbers, chapter 21,. If you'll stand with me for the reading of God's word, we're going to read a couple of verses here and then we're going to go into John, chapter 3, and read a couple verses there In Numbers, chapter 21,. That says 2 Kings 18. Numbers, chapter 21,. There we go, verse number 4, we're going to begin in verse number 4.

Speaker 2: 4:00

And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to come past the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. Anybody ever been discouraged in the way? You got to be truthful with me today, or this is going to be painful Anybody ever been discouraged in the way? And the people spake against God. I know nobody here has ever done that. Man, are we live today Christian Good? Are we in a Baptist church or something? Amen, you're going to have to get with me today. And the people spake against God. You ever been there? Come on, I said have you ever? I've been there, I've been there. And not only did they speak against God, but they spake against Moses the leader. Wherefore, why, in other words, have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? Anybody ever been in a wilderness? Well, glory, I said, sounds like I'm preaching to the right place today, for there is no bread, neither is there any water, and our soul loatheth this light bread.

Speaker 2: 5:17

Verse six let's keep going. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people. In other words, god got tired of listening to them complain. In other words, god got tired of their belly aching and complaining. God got tired of this bunch of spoiled brats. I'm just telling you like it is. We have been spoiled brats before. And the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people and much people of Israel died. Did you hear me? Let's keep going. I don't know if I gave it to you, but let's keep going.

Speaker 2: 5:58

Verse 7. Therefore, the people came to Moses and said we have sinned, duh. Sometimes you got to get to the place where you realize you've sinned, and sometimes it takes fiery serpents to bite you and pump venom in you, and it might even take God forbid a few people to die to realize, oh my Lord, we have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord. I want to tell you right now I'm going to let you sit down in just a minute you better be careful who you speak against. I said you better be careful who you speak against. They said we've spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray unto the Lord that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people. Let's just keep going. And the Lord said unto Moses make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole. And it shall come to pass that everyone that is bitten when he looketh upon the serpent on the pole shall live. Let's just keep going. And Moses made a serpent of brass and put it upon a pole. And it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived. So in other words, if the snake bit you, if you looked upon that serpent on the pole and you would look at it, the venom would reverse in your body and you would be healed and you would live, but only if you looked upon the serpent on the pole that was lifted up. Let's go to John, chapter 3, verse number 14. Let's go to John, chapter 3, verse number 14.

Speaker 2: 7:52

My family and I we've gotten together and we've started watching the series the Chosen. Now I get it. There's some parts of that show that you know probably. You know it's not biblical or whatever, but the gist of it. But we watched a part last night and I didn't say anything, but it was the part where Nicodemus came to Jesus. Nicodemus, the ruler of the synagogue and one of the most religious and churchy people in all the world. Y'all ever met any of those people, religious and churchy but didn't have a lick of power. I said religious and churchy but didn't have a lick of power. Amen.

Speaker 2: 8:25

So Nicodemus came to Jesus by night because he really didn't want anybody to see him.

Speaker 2: 8:30

And they have a little conversation and finally Jesus said and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, verse 14 says even so, must the Son of man be lifted up? Can I tell you what that word lifted up means? It means crucified. Just as Moses lifted up the serpent, the Son of man must be crucified. Verse 15 says that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have eternal life. The only way you can believe on him. The only way you cannot perish, the only way you can have eternal life, is if the son of man is lifted up, is if the son of man is placed on that blood-battered beam.

Speaker 2: 9:12

Amen, called the cross and lifted up from the earth, and because he was crucified and because he was lifted up, just like moses lifted up the serpent, and if you looked in the eyes of the serpent, the venom was reversed and you were healed. But now here comes a man named Jesus who is lifted up on the cross, and if I look upon the cross, my sin will be reversed and I shall live and not die. I'm looking for somebody today that says I've been to the cross. I was dead in my trespass and sin, but thanks be unto God, he saved my soul and now I have life and have it more abundantly. Hallelujah, you can be seated. Hallelujah, glory. Now most of the message today will come from 2 Kings 18. So go ahead and be turning there in just a moment, one of those blink and you'll miss it moments.

Speaker 2: 10:25

The writer of the book of 2 Kings gives us an exceptional example of what it looks like when God's grace and God's truth are defaced, demeaned and degraded. Amen, man, I tell you I love Sunday school. We have really been learning a lot of good stuff in Sunday school. We did our section on Job and it was great Boy. I tell you what. We started talking about Paul and his ministry and Thessalonica and talked about how our Sunday school teacher talked about how, when Paul showed up on the scene, it either brought a riot or it brought a revival.

Speaker 2: 11:09

Hey man, I remember hearing an old preacher man years ago and he said something like this. He and I forget the name of his church so I'll use our church name just for sake of time. He said there'll either be a revival in the Cawood church or there's going either be a revival in the Cawood church or there's gonna be a funeral in the Cawood parsonage. He said, because we're either gonna have revival or I'm gonna die, amen, let me tell you what revival does. You got just a minute. Can I share this with you? Can I get off topic for just a moment? Can I tell you what revival does?

Speaker 2: 11:43

Amen, a real, authentic Holy Ghost move of God. You know what it does. Yes, it saves souls. Praise God. Yes, it heals sickness. Praise God. Yes, people get filled in the Holy Ghost. Praise God. Yes, signs, miracles and wonders take place, praise God. But it will incite a riot in hell, amen. Hell doesn't like a move of God. It might be your mother, it might be your father, it might be your brother, it might be your sister, amen. But I'm telling you, when God moves and the power of God falls in the midst of the people, amen.

Speaker 2: 12:25

Religious devils arise. I said religious devils arise, and he don't like it. When things are happening, my God, I cut teeth on Church of God pews. I've seen mighty moves of God, church of God pews. I've seen mighty moves of God, but I ain't never seen what we've got going on since Mother's Day. I said I ain't never seen what's been going on in this place, on Highway 3001, since Mother's Day, amen. It's been nothing short of heaven that's come down. I said it's been nothing short and I can tell you we've seen the spiritual results. But there's also devils lurking. There's devils stirring. There's discord sowing. There's jealousy flowing, there's envy stirring.

Speaker 2: 13:23

There's animosity that's rising. But you know what I gotta tell you today? Set your face like a flint, put your shoulder to the plow and don't look back, baby, because God is not sinning so, thank you, lord, thank you, lord, lord, thank you, lord. Ever since the garden, that God-forsaken serpent has been in the business of falsehood. I'm just going to tell you right now there's a serpent of falsehood that's trying to speak to some of you right now. I rebuke that lying spirit of falsehood in the name of.

Speaker 2: 14:15

Jesus, amen. I'm not telling you not to try the spirits, whether they be of God. You better try the spirits. But there is a spirit of doubt and a spirit of falsehood that wants to creep, and he's been doing it since the garden. Instead of manufacturing lies, his industry has been one of tainted truth. You know what I mean by that. The end result is the same To convince you of some new truth, he takes what the Lord says and adds a little bit of corrupting twist to it.

Speaker 2: 14:55

Brother Jason, I heard brother Alex Green. How old is he? 18?, 19? He preached on there at New Life the other night. We went to hear him. I'm telling you that young man, he preached like a pro boys, amen.

Speaker 2: 15:13

And he said something that'll stick with me and I'm just going to go ahead and tell you and him and everybody else, I'm going to take it and I'm going to run with it and I'm going to act like I made it up Amen. I made it up Amen. But he said the devil and religious people are scripture contortionists where they twist and they bend and they turn to fit the scripture, to appease your lifestyle, to fit the scripture, to appease your lifestyle. It ain't wrong if I do that. The Bible says blah, blah, blah. Yeah, but you took that straight out of context. You need to read what he said before it and you need to read what he said after it. You need to know who he's talking to and why he's talking to, because the devil Listen. The devil's not just going to come out and lie to you. He's going to give you a lot of truth with a little bit of deception. It's what it does. Keep going with me, don't let me lose you just yet. I promise this is who Satan is. He's a trafficker of half-truths, which is what we're about to read about in 2 Kings 18, where he twists and bends and manipulates scripture to fit his agenda. To fit his agenda. Oh god, help me, jesus. So, king hezekiah, you can go ahead and turn to uh, uh, first kings. Hold on, I'll tell you, I got second king there. You go verse one. Just go ahead and turn to verse 1. We're going to go there in just a minute, because what's happened is king Hezekiah, being one of the good kings, begins his reign with a bang. He decrees that Judas worship you. Ready, king Hezekiah steps on the scene. Brother Paul, I feel like you're the only one looking at me, king Hezekiah steps on the scene and he don't waste any time. He decrees and declares that Judah's worship wasn't worth a grain of Egyptian salt. So you know what he did he set out to reform every religious fixture in Judah. This effort began right away. I didn't give her this one, I don't think, but I'm going to read it to you, this one's free of charge.

Speaker 2: 18:01

2 Chronicles 29.3 says he, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. I need you today. I need you today, just a couple more minutes. As soon as they placed the crown on his head, sister Sherry, and he was king. In the same day, in the same month, in that same moment, brother Tim, he got up off his throne. He didn't sit on a throne, he didn't wear his crown, he didn't wear his robe. He got up off his throne, he went to the front door and he started repairing the door of the temple.

Speaker 2: 18:47

How did he do it? How did he do that? He started taking everything there that did not lend itself to the worship of God and he didn't throw it out. You hear me, he didn't throw it out. You hear me, he didn't throw it out, he smashed it. He destroyed it Beyond repair.

Speaker 2: 19:17

You see what some of us do. Oh, I'm getting holiness today. Is that all right? Amen. I ain't gonna preach on your clothes, I promise Amen, amen. But I'm going to get old school on us, because that's what this world needs is the old school gospel. Amen, we've laser beamed it and fog showed it and fog machined it and disco balled it. Amen, we've made it like a rock concert and we've tried to win a generation by being like the generation. When he clearly said come out from among the world and be separate. Would it be alright if I preached a little old school today? Anything that did not lend itself to the worship of God? He destroyed it beyond repair. You know what we do A lot of times. What we do, we throw it out. We just throw it out. We just throw it out. That's good. I mean, keep throwing it out. We just throw it out. We just throw it out. That's good. I mean, keep throwing it out. You know what I'm saying. He just threw it out. Here's the problem with that. When you throw it out in your mind, you know that all you got to do is go to where you threw it at and pick it right back up.

Speaker 2: 20:55

Jc was how old when we lived in the basement with your mom for a while? He was six. He was mortified of baby dolls. We took him into a vendor's mall yesterday and it had lots and lots of baby dolls, to where he said Dad, these are Wiggin. I didn't find him. The rest of the time I had to call him and say we're leaving, son. Sister Barbett I'll never forget bought Leah Kate a real looking baby doll. Anybody ever seen them that look? They kind of wig me out a little bit too, the ones that look real.

Speaker 2: 21:47

So I got this bright idea living in the basement of my mother-in-law Is she here today? I feel safe to continue. So I thought I got this bright idea Brother Brock, I'm going to get this baby doll. He was in the shower and I took can I borrow one of your babies? I promised I got this bright idea that I was going to because as soon as you opened the shower there was the vanity Vanity and I set it on the sink just like that and I sat patiently on the couch in the basement waiting, and then it happened.

Speaker 2: 22:47

And then it happened. He slipped and fell and banged his head on the side of the bathtub and came running. Who was it in the Bible that went running naked through the town? That's what he did as a five-year-old little boy. He came running streaking right through that basement. After he fell down and knocked his brains out, amen. Here I heard coming down the steps was a mother-in-law. What are you doing to my baby? Amen, to it, to my baby. You talk about the fear of God. Come upon a brother. I'm scared to death. Amen. So we had to take that baby dog, throw it over the hill, and that was good enough for a short period of time. But when we were getting ready to move out of the basement into our new home, he was moving a box. And guess what was under that box? The sock of that baby dog, which reminded him it wasn't destroyed, it's just over the hill. And I wondered why he, when he would go outside, he wouldn't go too far to the hill because he knew just over that hill was a baby doll. Amen, amen.

Speaker 2: 24:33

So I'm afraid what we do a lot of times is we throw things out but we don't destroy it. Before we throw it out. I came to tell somebody, you can rid yourself of sin from now until the end of time, but you've got to destroy it before you get rid of it. You can't just throw out the booze, you've got to get rid of it. You can't just throw out the booze, you've got to pour out the bottle. You can't just throw out the drugs, you've got to smash the needle, you've got to destroy it before you get rid of it. So there's where we were. There's where we were.

Speaker 2: 25:14

So he's faithfully. He gets up off the throne, takes off his crown, rids himself of his robe, he opens the door of the house of the Lord and he immediately gets busy repairing what the enemy had destroyed. Hold on, he was faithfully committed to God and as the king of God's chosen people, he was resolved that they too would rekindle that commitment to God. And also, there's some people in this room. You had the fire.

Speaker 2: 26:01

I'm going to say it again because I felt the resistance. Let me rephrase that it's not you had the fire, you've got the fire. It's not that you were anointed, come on. But, preacher, I'm half backslid on care. The call of God upon your life is without repentance. I've had preachers say I'm a backslidden preacher. You know what I say, then you better get back right with God, because if you stand before God as a backslider, you'll stand before God as a backslidden preacher. Because once that calling and that anointing, you've been anointed to sing, you've been anointed to prophesy, you've been anointed to teach, you've been anointed to work. That's how you're going to be judged because the anointing doesn't leave.

Speaker 2: 27:12

Oh, hezekiah said I've been appointed king To resurrect not only the temple but the people in the temple. Come on. So that's his mandate. That's his goal In chapters 29, 30 and 31. Mandate, that's his goal In chapters 29, 30, and 31,.

Speaker 2: 27:43

The writer informs us in 2 Chronicles at length that Hezekiah left no corner of God's house untouched. He put his hands on everything. I said. He put his hands on everything I said. He put his hands on everything. You listen to me. You put your hands on everything. You lay hands on that seat you're sitting in. I can assure you that that seat you're sitting in has already been had, had, had, had, hallelujah. I don't know what I'm about to do, but I'm about to have fun. Amen. Your seat has had hands. Say that ten times. Your seat has had hands laid on it already and if you're not where you need to be with God, my prayer was, is and forever will be that you are a miserable wreck until you turn it all over to God. Somebody praise him. Praise him.

Speaker 2: 28:50

Go through your house. Go through your house. Go through your house. Go through your house. Go through your house. Lay hands on the remote, lay hands on the microwave, lay hands on the refrigerator. Lay hands on the washer. Lay hands on the dryer. Lay hands on the steps. Lay hands on the couch. Lay hands on the recliner. Lay hands on the bed Some of you in here, you don't even know that there are prayer cloths in your pillow already. Amen. Lay hands on the bed. Some of you in here, you don't even know that there are prayer cloths in your pillow already. Amen. Lay hands on everything in your house Touch the doorknob, touch the door facing, touch the threshold, touch the wall, touch the toilet, touch the mirror.

Speaker 2: 29:25

Touch it all it's time that we lay hands on everything.

Speaker 1: 29:30

I believe in the laying on of hands, lay hands on it.

Speaker 2: 29:38

Hezekiah left no part of the house untouched, beginning with the priests and Levites. Every facet of worship in the kingdom was reviewed. Church leaders, it's time we get a clue. It's time we get a clue and know who it is that's teaching our classes. Know who it is that's singing these songs. And if you're alive outside of this place, you ain't ready for this.

Speaker 2: 30:32

Today I'll take this straight over to Wise. You know I got to go to Cumberland in a couple weeks, then to Wise, amen. Then to Central City, then over to Hartford and then back over to Oak Grove and then I head back over to Russell Springs. I'm going to preach it everywhere I go that we need to lay hands on everything. I'm just going to get me a five-gallon bucket of oil, is going to get me a five-gallon bucket of oil and I'm going to take it with me and we're going to lather up every door we go and we're going to lay hands on everything that moves Amen. If it's the preacher, we're going to lay hands. If it's the singer, we're going to. I don't care if they're singing out of that red book. I don't care if your book's red, green or blue. I don't care If you sing a hymn. We got to get a clue as to who's leading our people into worship. You ain't living it out there like you're living it in here. You, a hypocrite. You, a hypocrite. Facet of worship in the kingdom was reviewed and reoriented back to where it rightfully belonged, aimed squarely at the glory of Jehovah, god. If it brings glory to anybody or anything other than God, it's got to go. When this church first merged, I was cleaning out my closet at home and I found the letter from, at that time, our state overseer, bruce Rabin, from August the 14th no, august the 24th, I think 2014. That merged the lounge with the church of God in Kaywood.

Speaker 2: 32:27

One of the first things I was asked, steve wasn't, wasn't? It wasn't. What's the vision, pastor? What's the mission, pastor? What's the goal, pastor? Not. How many souls are we going to see saved, pastor? Not. How many water baptisms are we going to have, pastor? Not, we're praying for revival, pastor, not. We're praying that God, just move in a special way, pastor. None of that.

Speaker 2: 33:03

You know what it was. You ain't going to take down our tree, are you, pastor? Any of you remember the tree? It was right about where brother JD's sitting. There was a wall there and there was a tree with little pretty brass. It's just a piece of brass brass leaves on them. Here's the thing about it. I was one of the very few people in that room that knew a majority of the names on those brass leaves and if you could dig them up and you could ask them why, you think they'd say I couldn't care less if my name was on a brass leaf on the wall of the church. Well, daddy's name was on that brass leaf.

Speaker 2: 34:04

You know what I was really thankful for? That when we came in there wasn't name plates on the pew. Anybody know what I'm talking about. Anybody ever been to the church where the pew was great grannies or great papas or that was a family pew. Some of you just don't know. The old church had pews with nameplates. I don't know how in the world he managed to get out of that Amen. But guess what? Those nameplates were made out of Brass and that did not go along with this message. But I like it when the Holy Ghost does stuff like that, don't you? Amen?

Speaker 2: 34:45

So he destroyed everything that did not belong. He destroyed everything that took worship away from God, part I'm almost done already part of this reformation effort included the destruction of an array of idols and fabricated images that had been set up by those who ruled before Hezekiah. When Hezekiah walked into the temple, there was a lot of shrines that had been set up by the people prior to Hezekiah's rule and reign. By this time, judah had become a hotbed for religious icons and relics, just like all its neighboring nations, and when Hezekiah came to power, then it must have felt like a bull in a china shop, as he smashed to bits every place of worship which had grown to replace God himself. I'm going, I'm going, I'm going, I'm going. They got mad when Hezekiah came in and started destroying all of their shrines. Hold on. It just so happened, though, that one of the icons which fell to the ground in tiny pieces was a beloved relic from Israel's heritage.

Speaker 2: 36:17

Somebody say heritage Heritage. Nobody does heritage like the church of God. I was here a couple weeks ago. Here we are again. Folks, we even got a song that says we're right. You want me to play it? The church of God is right, hallelujah to the Lamb. The church of God is right, hallelujah to the Lamb. You know we don't like songs that repeat the church of God is right. Hallelujah to the Lamb. Hallelujah to the Lamb. Hallelujah to the Lamb. I'm saved and sanctified, hallelujah. You know what we say? These new songs. All they do is repeat when the roll is called up yonder. When the roll is called up, yonder. When the roll is called up, yonder. When the roll is called up yonder. When the roll is called up, yonder. But we don't like them. New songs that repeat. We've got a song. We even got a Wednesday night.

Speaker 2: 37:34

We are the young people's endeavor and we will fight, fight, fight forever and we will take our stand for holiness, for that's the only way the Lord will surely bless, That'll preach and when he comes, he'll take us back with him, for we have won the victory over sin, and we will shout and sing and praise his name, praise his name, k-wood-y-p-e. We've got a song about that. We got minute books, don't we, sherry? We got minute books from the 50s and 60s.

Speaker 2: 38:16

I can tell you how wrong it is to cut your hair and drink coffee. We've come a long way, baby, amen. We do history and heritage better than anybody. Oh, you can't move that pew. That's where whoever sat, okay, it's yours, take it home, sit on it, lay on it, live on it, I don't care, it's yours Because what happens is we get our eyes so fixed on the baby grand that we don't give the Yamaha a chance. It ain't about a baby grand, it ain't about a Yamaha, it ain't about a tambourine, it ain't about a drum, it's about worship to Almighty God. So, speaking of y'all, come back, hurry Second.

Speaker 1: 39:22

Kings real quickly, 18.

Speaker 2: 39:26

Second Kings 18 and 1. Now, somebody say now. Somebody say now, it ain't later, it's now. Now it came to pass, in the third year of Hosea, son of Elah, king of Israel, that Hezekiah, the son of Ahaz, king of Judah, began to reign. Now, my favorite part is verse 2. 25 years old was he. How old was he? I can go ahead and tell you right now. There's people in the churchy world that ain't going to listen to a 25 year old. 25 years old was he when he began to reign? Look here, and he reigned 20 and 9 years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abai, the daughter of Zechariah, verse 3. Look here, and he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according stop here to all that David, his father did. Finally we got a king that lives right.

Speaker 2: 40:54

But I'm going to tell you the problem with that it's hard to go back to living right when you've been used to living wrong. Amen, Four, four. So here's Hezekiah Jason. He's smashing everything he can get his hands on. He's breaking everything. He's a bull in a china shop. He's breaking everything he'd get his hand on. That does not lend itself to the worship of God. I'm telling you right now, it's time we go home and we take a sledgehammer to everything that does not lend itself to the worship of God. I'm telling you right now we need to come into the house of God and take a sledgehammer to anything that takes our worship away from God. If I thought for a minute that you all were worshiping these TV sets, we'd take a hammer to them. You know why. I found out why they ended up taking that picture of Jesus down out of the old church Because some of the people they didn't want it taken down. Because some of the people they didn't want it taken down. Why would you care? Because some people, I think, worshipped the picture instead of worshipping the person.

Speaker 2: 42:31

Hezekiah comes in. He's destroying everything. You know what he notices. You know what he notices. You know what he sees over in the corner some smoke. They're burning incense over in the corner. Read verse 4 to yourself while I'm paraphrasing it for you.

Speaker 2: 42:50

Hezekiah noticed that over in the corner there was some smoke rising. So he asked the question what are y'all worshiping over there? You know why there was smoke rising they were burning incense to that thing. They were burning incense to it. He removed the high places. He broke the images. He cut down the groves and break in pieces the, the, what he broke into pieces, what the? What he broke into pieces, what the, what? The brazen, what the brazen serpent? We ain't got a pole or a cane or anything right here? Do we, the brazen serpent he destroyed, got a pole or a cane or anything? Right here, do it, the brazen serpent? He destroyed? The brazen serpent? You mean the same brazen serpent that God told Moses to make and to lift up? And to lift up. We marched around the walls with that thing, we marched through Jordan with that thing, and when we forgot that thing, we turned around and we went and got that thing, because we can't do anything without that thing, and break in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made Moses.

Speaker 2: 44:42

Wow, moses. If Moses made it, then surely to God it was a good thing. It can be a good thing, but the minute you start worshipping it it becomes a God thing to you. A little G, that is. For unto those days, the children of Israel did burn incense to it. You know what Hezekiah said. Hezekiah said I call it Neheshton. If you want to look it up, I'll give you a minute. If not, I can tell you what it means. Hezekiah said that brazen serpent that you're burning incense to and that you're worshipping and that you're giving more homage and respect and prayer to more than God, is Nehashtan. Nehashtan means just a piece of brass, just a piece of brass. Those golden leaves on that back wall, they were just a piece of brass. Those nameplates on those pews, those are just a piece of brass. I'll even take it a step further those tombstones in these graveyards, although I know it's stone, but for sake of going along with what I'm saying, it's just a piece of brass, of brass. God never intended for us to worship anything other than Him. When Moses erected it, it was just a piece of brass. When it was lifted up. It was just a piece of brass. Even Jesus knew it was just a piece of brass. No doubt you don't have To imagine too hard the looks Hezekiah received as he smashed it into pieces. Here was this freshly Coronated, hot shot young king not only openly mocking but also actively destroying a timeless and priceless piece of Israel at lower.

Speaker 2: 47:20

Because we do history really well. What in the world are you doing? Every now and then I'm closing God has to remind us that our heroes have clay feet, that our systems are just that systems, that our programs they're just programs. Our organization, it's just an organization. Our denomination it's just a denomination. And yes, god uses it and yes, god gets glory from it. And yes, it stood the test of time for a hundred years here in Cawood. And yes, that tree back there that used to be on the wall had some great names on it. And yes, we have a goodly heritage and yes, I honor my heritage. But we cannot burn incense to it, we cannot worship it, we cannot bow down to it. We have to realize that God is ready to pour His Spirit upon us if we'll stop worshiping just a piece of brass. We've got to get back to worshiping Him, and only Him, would you stand.

Speaker 2: 49:01

You can understand, then, why Hezekiah did what he did. It didn't matter what the statue might have meant to his grandma, it didn't matter how universally beloved the relic was to auntie and uncle. That brass snake was an object that was demeaning the glory of God by stealing the hearts of the people of God, and it needed to be crushed. You see, while Moses and Hezekiah were not aware of what the brass serpent truly meant, we are. We know, because Jesus tells us what I just read to you all ago In the third chapter of John's gospel, which records the dialogue between the curious Pharisee and the Galilean teacher.

Speaker 2: 49:48

And during the course of that twilight conversation, we're told by Jesus Himself what is the true and everlasting significance of the snake made of brass. Jesus said no one has ascended into heaven except for he whom descended from heaven, the Son of man. I'm going to say that one more time no man has ascended into heaven except for the only one who descended from heaven heaven, the Son of man. I'm going to say that one more time no man has ascended into heaven except for the only one who descended from heaven, which is the Son of man. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, and whosoever believes in him may have eternal life. Lifted up means crucified. The Son of man must be crucified so that we can have eternal life, and if the Son of man had to be crushed, then so does the brazen serpent.

Speaker 2: 50:35

There is no greater hoax in this world that Satan has pulled off than duping droves of men and women into thinking that they can save themselves by being religious enough. Do you hear me? There's no greater lie that Satan has put out there than the one that believes you can earn your way to heaven. You can be holy enough to get to heaven. You can be holy enough to get to heaven. The notion that our efforts and our disciplines can lead to eternal life, it's baloney. That's nothing but a ludicrous lie from the father of lies himself.

Speaker 2: 51:22

The devil's tactic is to take what is good and contort it into a scheme by which he hoodwinks humanity into false schemes of security, assurance, pleasure and peace. What am I saying? Religion, according to the Word of God, is meant for one thing to worship the Creator, who redeems and reconciles His creatures. That, and that alone, is the good news of God around which His church gathers. Everything else is just a piece of brass. The things you lay aside to live better are just a piece of brass. The offerings you give, the tithe that you pay, that's just a piece of brass. I'm going to close you with G Campbell, morgan, and I quote look and see that the cunning artifact of brass is not a serpent, it is brass.

Speaker 2: 52:28

He said then, name it Nehashtan, a thing of brass. Call the church you with me. Call the church a building of bricks and mortar. Call the ministers a man, and remember that he is none other, and if he is other he ought not be in the ministry other, and if he is other he ought not be in the ministry. Call the exercises of worship forms, and remember that form without power is a curse. Call creeds and systemized theology human opinion and respect it as human opinion and in no other way. If any or all of these things are coming between your soul and God himself, break it into pieces, because it's just a piece of brass, with every head bowed and every eye closed. A piece of brass With every head bowed and every eye closed. What are you burning incense to? That needs to be destroyed? I'm asking you that what is it that you're worshiping?

Speaker 1: 53:46

We're waiting, we're waiting and we're waiting, oh, we're waiting. Hey, you've been listening to the Catewood Church of God's live audio recording Sunday morning service. Hey, if you're looking for a church to attend, you're local, far away. Please come and visit at the Catewood Church of God located in Catewood, kentucky. Service time Sunday schools at 1030 am. Sunday morning worship service. 1130 am Wednesday, 630 pm nightly. And go check out our website for more content and information at hor421showbuzzsproutcom. You can also find us on Facebook. The show is recorded live edited at the 421 studio. For contact information for all your studio needs, you can email at hor421ministries at gmailcom. Phone number is 239-849-1502.