BEYOND REFORM: THE TRANSFORMING KING
Let me begin with a story.
Edward was just a young boy in 1547, but he was unlike other children around him. While most boys in Tudor England spent their days herding sheep, chasing each other through muddy streets, learning basic reading and catechism from the local priest, or playing ball and wrestling in the fields, young Edward was immersed in an intense world of royal preparation. From the age of six he had been placed under the rigorous tutelage of some of the finest Protestant minds of the age, who drilled him daily in Latin, Greek, French, Scripture, theology, history, and moral philosophy. While other boys learned to swing a wooden sword or help with the harvest, Edward was already composing Latin orations, studying the Bible in its original languages, and wrestling with the great theological questions of the day. Steeped in Scripture from such a tender age, this pious young prince became convinced that the Church of England needed to return more fully to the pure teaching of God’s Word.
In 1547, at just nine years old, Edward became king of England. While seasoned advisors guided him, Edward was no mere figurehead. He actively supported and at times personally drove reforms, one of the most notable being the first Book of Common Prayer – worship in the language of the people. Statues were removed from churches, clergy were allowed to marry, and many other reforms were made, all in a desire to establish a faith more directly rooted in Scripture.
For a shining moment, genuine reform had taken root in England. But at just fifteen years of age, Edward died—likely of tuberculosis. And here’s the thing about even the best reforms led by man, they are fleeting. Put simply, Human reforms don’t last.
Edward’s half-sister Mary took the throne and, in just five years, reversed nearly all of his reforms. She burned nearly three hundred Protestants at the stake, and hundreds more fled into exile. Upon her death, her successor, Elizabeth pursued a middle way – a blend of Protestantism and Catholicism.
Yet, unsatisfied with this compromise and facing increasing pressure under Charles I, waves of Biblically committed Protestants who were pejoratively called “Puritans” because they wanted to purify the church, fled England for the New World in hopes that they could take the principles of reform they had wanted to see in England and use them to establish a society more faithful to the Bible.
It would be amazing to say that the reform they desired took root and lasted. But, by the 1600s the holy ambitions began showing decline. Worldliness was on the rise in the new world. The fire was already fading.
Why? Because kings, queens, and even pious pilgrims can bring reforms, but they fall short of the kind of transformation that mankind truly needs.
If you trace the spiritual history of our nation, you’ll read of the revival in 1730s and 1740s, the First Great Awakening that erupted through the preaching of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and others. People were called back to vital, heart religion. And Decades later, the Second Great Awakening swept the frontier with camp meetings and revivals, stirring new life and fresh zeal.
Time and again, reform – yes even revival - has come. Time and again, it has flared brightly. But time and again it has dimmed.
Edward’s reforms lasted six years. The Puritan vision weakened. The Awakenings renewed for a season and then receded.
Church, as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, how many of you believe we need more than just reform? What we really need is transformation.
The Puritan vision of a society ordered by Scripture has faded. The fires of the First and Second Great Awakenings have long since cooled. What remains is a nation marked by deep spiritual darkness. We’ve exchanged the fear of the Lord for the worship of self, wealth, power, and pleasure. We’ve abandoned clear biblical teaching on marriage and sexuality, not only redefining what God has joined together, but also celebrating what Scripture calls sin. We have shed the innocent blood of an estimated 60 million unborn children - and today, these tiny lives can be ended by abortion pills that can be ordered online with a few clicks and delivered by mail like a pair of shoes or a pizza. Occult practices, spiritualism, and new age deceptions are openly embraced, while God’s Word is increasingly marginalized in our public life, schools, and institutions. Division, bitterness, and moral confusion tear at the fabric of our communities.
I know you feel the weight of this because while you and I are citizens of this land, our ultimate citizenship is in the kingdom of God. The values of those two kingdoms are increasingly at odds with each other. We know in our bones that change is needed. While it’s right to fight for human reform, to stand up for legislation that is righteous, to elect leaders that will walk in God’s ways, the truth is now human reform and now human leader will ever be enough. We need more than better laws, better politicians, and better presidents. We need the King of kings to do what only He can do. Because Kings reform, but only the King of kings transforms.
Before we turn our attention to Him, let me tell you about a lesser king who was still one of the best kings the ancient land of Judah ever had. Like Edward, he ascended to the throne while still just a boy, but in his brief rule, he took reform further than almost anyone before him ever had. His name was Josiah.
Read II Kings 22:1-13 & Pray
II Kings 22:1-13
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Jedidah the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left. In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people. And let it be given into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord, and let them give it to the workmen who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house(that is, to the carpenters, and to the builders, and to the masons), and let them use it for buying timber and quarried stone to repair the house. But no accounting shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.” And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.”Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying,“Go, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
Setting the Context
8 Year Old Josiah Ascends to the Throne
Josiah was only eight years old when he became king of Judah. Think about that for a moment. Eight years old — the age of a typical second or third grader in our day. Imagine a child that young sitting in the Oval Office, responsible for leading our nation in a time of crisis. That’s essentially what happened in Judah. Josiah’s father, the wicked King Amon, had been assassinated by his own servants after reigning for just two years. In the power vacuum that followed, the people of the land — likely a group of faithful citizens who still clung to the promises given to David — stepped forward and placed this young boy on the throne. He was just a child thrust into an impossible situation.
Josiah inherited a moral sewer.
This was the Promised Land — the land God had given to His chosen people, the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. This was the nation that had once known the Lord’s mighty deliverance from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and the glory of God filling Solomon’s temple.
The Israelites were not just another nation. They were God’s chosen, treasured possession — set apart for His glory and called to be radically different from the pagan nations around them. They were supposed to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. They were to be a light to the Gentiles. They were called to walk in God’s ways, reflecting His character: “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy”. They were the covenant people — redeemed from slavery, given the Law, led by God’s presence, and planted in the Promised Land as a testimony to the nations.
Instead, by the time of Josiah, God’s people had become indistinguishable from the pagan nations around them.
Josiah’s father, Manasseh had rebuilt the high places — hilltop shrines and local altars across the countryside where pagan worship thrived. On them he erected altars to Baal, the Canaanite storm and fertility god whose rituals often included sacred prostitution and child sacrifice in the desperate pursuit of rain, crops, and prosperity. He promoted the worship of Asherah, the mother goddess and consort of Baal, whose wooden poles symbolized fertility and were frequently paired with immoral sexual rites. He practiced child sacrifice in the Valley of Hinnom, burning his own sons to the demon god Molech. The land was filled with innocent blood and spiritual darkness.
This was the nightmare young Josiah stepped into. Humanly speaking, the odds were stacked against him. The apple rarely falls far from the tree — especially after generations of evil leadership.
But by the sovereign grace of God, this time the apple fell far from the tree.
Despite inheriting one of the most corrupt and idolatrous kingdoms in Judah’s history, Josiah did not follow in the footsteps of his father or grandfather. Our text tells us in verse 2 that “he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the way of David his father, and he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.” (2 Kings 22:2).
Aren’t you glad that we do not have to be defined by our family history?
Society will tell you that you are doomed to repeat the sins of your fathers — that generational patterns of abuse, addiction, anger, divorce, or moral failure are inescapable.
But I’m here to tell you this morning: anyone who tells you that doesn’t know my God.
I serve a God who is infinitely bigger than any so-called generational curse. My God’s grace isn’t defeated by disorders, diseases, disabilities, dysfunctions, or any darkness passed down through the generations.
My God delivers. My God redeems. My God restores. My God breaks every chain.
If He could take a little boy named Josiah — raised in the wicked shadow of Manasseh’s idolatry and bloodshed — and make him one of the godliest kings in Judah’s history, then He can break any cycle in your life.
No trauma is too deep. No addiction is too strong. No pattern of sin is too entrenched.
The transforming power of the King of Kings is greater.
His grace is stronger.
And in Christ, the curse has been broken — once and for all...
And that brings us to the story of young King Josiah.
Teaching the Text
By God’s grace, This boy king refused to repeat the sins of his fathers. In the eighteenth year of his reign, at the age of twenty-six, Josiah made a bold and decisive move. He turned his attention to the house of God.
He gave orders to repair the temple — the magnificent temple built by Solomon centuries earlier. This was no ordinary building. It was one of the wonders of the ancient world: overlaid with pure gold, paneled with the finest cedar from Lebanon, adorned with carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. It was the very place where the glory of the Lord had once visibly filled the Holy of Holies so powerfully that the priests could not even stand to minister. This was the temple where Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, with the train of His robe filling the temple and seraphim crying, “Holy, holy, holy” (Isaiah 6).
But that same glorious temple had become a spiritual sewer. Under Manasseh, it had been defiled with pagan altars to Baal and Asherah, vessels for false gods, and even male cult prostitutes offering “religious” sex in the courts of the Lord. The house that was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations had become a brothel of idolatry.
So Josiah said, in effect, “This must be made right.” Verses 4-7 give us the details. Josiah sent his secretary Shaphan with clear instructions: take the money that had been collected from the people and use it to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. They bought timber and quarried stone. The workers were so honest and trustworthy that the king’s officials didn’t even require an accounting of the funds.
And it was right in the middle of this ordinary, faithful obedience — this unglamorous work of repairing God’s house — that God did something extraordinary.
While the carpenters, builders, and masons were busy restoring the temple, Hilkiah the high priest made a discovery that would change everything. Verse 8 says that Hilkiah came to Shaphan the secretary and said, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD” (2 Kings 22:8).
Think about that. The Book of the Law — most likely the book of Deuteronomy or the entire Torah — had been lost in the very house of God. It wasn’t destroyed by enemies. It had simply been neglected, set aside, and forgotten during decades of idolatry. Perhaps it was hidden behind a statue of Baal or tucked away in some dusty cupboard, collecting dust while altars to speechless, powerless gods stood in its place.
It reminds me of that song by Josiah Queen many of us know: “We got dust on our Bibles, brand-new iPhones, No wonder why we feel this way. We walk with our eyes closed, blind leading blind folks, and I'm done with those idols and dusty Bibles.” Our idols today may be more subtle than Baal and Asherah — success, entertainment, comfort, politics, screens, and self — but they are no less deadly. The living Word of the living God is being displaced by things that can never speak life, never save, and never satisfy. Just like it was in Judah.
The text tells us that Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan. Shaphan read it. Then he brought it before King Josiah. Notice how he reports the news in verse 10. He doesn’t say, “Your Majesty, sit down — the living God has spoken!” He doesn’t say, you’re going to want to hear this King Josiah. He doesn’t fall on his face or tremble. Instead, almost casually, he says:
“Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.”
Just… “a book.” It’s almost as if the secretary has no idea what he is holding. He doesn’t grasp the power, the weight, or the glory of what has just been placed in his hands. The very Word of the living God — long neglected and forgotten — is brought before the king like it’s just another report or document.
But it takes the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and soften our hearts so that we can truly see and feel the power of God’s Word.
Then Shaphan read it aloud in the king’s presence. Unlike the secretary, the Holy Spirit immediately moves in Josiah’s heart.
Verse 11 tells us that “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes.”
In the ancient world, tearing one’s clothes was a dramatic, public expression of deep grief, horror, shock, and repentance. It was an outward sign of an inward reality — a heart that had been pierced and broken.
We see the same response at other pivotal, heartbreaking moments in Scripture:
Joshua and the elders tore their clothes after Israel’s defeat at Ai because of sin in the camp.
David tore his clothes when he heard that Saul and Jonathan had been killed in battle.
Job tore his clothes when he received word that his children had been killed.
Mordecai tore his clothes when he learned or Haman’s decree to destroy the Jews.
Even the high priest tore his clothes when he accused Jesus of blasphemy during the trial.
This is what happens when God’s Word breaks in.
In the 1520s, a young priest named Thomas Bilney was tormented by guilt. Nothing brought him peace. Then, on his very first reading of Erasmus’s New Testament, he came to 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief.” That single verse, through the work of the Holy Spirit, both wounded him with the guilt of his sin and flooded his soul with comfort and joy. His “bruised bones leaped for gladness.” He was never the same.
Centuries later, on May 24, 1738, John Wesley reluctantly attended a meeting in Aldersgate Street. While someone was reading Martin Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans, Wesley felt his heart “strangely warmed.” He wrote, “I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins.” That moment of conviction and faith launched the Methodist movement and helped spark the First Great Awakening.
More recently, in February 2023 at Asbury University, a routine chapel service ended, but a handful of students stayed to keep worshiping and praying. What began as simple obedience turned into days of confession, repentance, Scripture reading, and renewed hearts. Thousands came. Many left forever changed by a fresh encounter with God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.
When was the last time you were undone by the Word of God?
When was the last time the living and active Word — sharper than any two-edged sword — pierced your heart, dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and exposed the thoughts and intentions of your heart? When did it last convict you? When did it last comfort you?
Church, if you’re hungry for real transformation, turn away from the dead idols that promise everything but deliver emptiness, and return to the living God through His living Word. Dust off those Bibles. Open them again. Read them with an open heart. Because when God’s people rediscover God’s Word, the Holy Spirit can work in power.
Let’s look quickly at what Josiah does after he comes face to face with God’s Word.
Instead of making excuses, he immediately humbled himself and sent a delegation to inquire of the Lord through the prophetess Huldah. Her message was sobering: judgment was coming because of Manasseh’s sins. But because Josiah’s heart was tender and he had humbled himself before God, the Lord showed him personal mercy.
The Renewal: Covenant Renewal & Radical Reformation
Josiah didn’t stop there – he sets out to bring about radical reform. He gathered all the people — small and great, priests, prophets, elders, and ordinary citizens — and publicly read the Book of the Covenant to them. Then, standing by the pillar in the temple, the king made a covenant before the LORD to walk after Him with all his heart and all his soul. And all the people joined in the covenant (2 Kings 23:3).
What followed was one of the most sweeping, courageous, and thorough reforms in Israel’s history. Josiah purged the temple and the entire land of idols. He destroyed the high places, burned the Asherah poles, deposed corrupt priests, eliminated mediums and necromancers, and tore down the houses of cult prostitutes that had operated even inside the temple. He reached as far as Bethel in the north, destroying Jeroboam’s altar and fulfilling a 300-year-old prophecy. He defiled pagan sites with the bones of the dead so they could never be used again. And he restored the Passover — the greatest celebration of it since the days of the judges.
For a season, real reformation came to Judah. Worship was restored. Idolatry was confronted. The nation experienced a powerful return to the Word of God.
The Limitation & Gospel Fulfillment
Yet even Josiah could not ultimately save the nation. Josiah — the king of whom Scripture says, “Before him there was no king like him… nor did any like him arise after him” (23:25) was inadequate.
Despite his tender heart and sweeping reforms, the sins of Manasseh ran too deep. Judgment still came. And even Josiah himself was fallible. Later, despite a clear prophetic warning from God, he ignored the word of the Lord and went out to fight Pharaoh Neco at Megiddo. He was killed in battle. After his death, the nation quickly slid back into its old ways.
Kings reform, but only the King of Kings transforms.
Josiah was a great reformer, but he was not the perfect King. He points us forward to Jesus Christ — the sinless King of Kings who perfectly fulfilled the Law, tore the veil through His death and resurrection, and sends His Holy Spirit to give new hearts and lasting transformation.
We can and should pursue reform in our lives, our families, our churches, and our nation. But our ultimate hope is not in any earthly king, president, movement, or awakening. Our hope is in Jesus alone — the only King who can truly transform hearts from the inside out.
Application & Call to Action
Church, as we celebrate 250 years as a nation, let this story of Josiah land on us with fresh urgency. Here is what the King of Kings is calling us to do:
1. Elevate God’s Word in our homes. Make the Bible the most important book in your house — not just present, but open. Read it with your spouse. Read it with your children. Let it be the first voice they hear in the morning and the last voice at night. Dust off those Bibles. Replace dusty Bibles and brand-new iPhones with families who are hungry for God’s Word. This is where transformation begins — one household at a time.
2. Elevate God’s Word in our churches. Let the Scriptures be central again — not just in the sermon, but in our worship, our prayers, our songs, our counseling, and our discipleship. Let every ministry be shaped and saturated by the living Word. We do not need more programs. We need more of God’s Word, empowered by His Spirit. Let Calvary Church be known as a place where God’s people are regularly undone by the Scriptures — convicted, comforted, and transformed.
3. Live as faithful dual citizens with unshakable confidence in God’s sovereignty. We are grateful for 250 years of liberty and God’s kindness to this land. We should pray for our nation, vote with biblical conviction, speak truth in love, and work for righteous reform. But we must never forget: our primary citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20).
No matter who is in the White House, no matter how dark the spiritual and moral decay becomes, we do not have to live in fear or discouragement. As Daniel declared in the midst of Babylonian exile, “The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will” (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32). Our God is sovereign over every election, every administration, and every season of national decline. When the values of our earthly nation increasingly conflict with the values of our heavenly King, we must resolve in our hearts like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: “Even if He does not [restore our nation as we hope], we will not bow. We will serve the Lord.”
4. Cry out for the transforming power only the King of Kings can give. We can reform our habits. We can reform our churches. We can even work to reform our culture. But only Jesus can transform hearts. Only the King of Kings can break generational cycles, heal deep wounds, forgive sin, and make all things new. So humble yourself. Repent. Return to the Word. And ask the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do — ignite real, lasting transformation in you, in your family, in this church, and in our land.
Response/Invitation
Today we’ve seen that kings can reform, they can tear down idols, restore worship, and call people to covenant faithfulness. The same could be said of presidents. They can issue executive orders and appoint supreme court justices, but we all know that such reforms are often short-lived. Such reforms can be here today and gone tomorrow.
There’s only one ruler, one sovereign, one king who can do more than reform, rather truly transform. He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords. He is the one to whom Acts tells us ever knee will bow. He alone is perfect and powerful. He is able to do what no president, no legislation, no human effort can do – give new hearts, forgive sins, and renew a people for his glory.
Have you ever personally met this King? Have you ever come to Him in simple, humble faith — acknowledging your sin, trusting in His death on the cross for your forgiveness, and surrendering your life to His rule?
If you have never done that, today is the day of salvation. Jesus is not a distant ruler — He is a loving King who invites you to come to Him. He stands ready to receive you, to forgive you completely, and to begin the transforming work only He can do.
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and you want to do that right now you can pray with me right now:
“Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner in need of Your transforming grace. I repent of my sin and turn to You. Thank You for dying for me and rising again. Come into my life as my King. Transform me from the inside out. I surrender to Your rule. Amen.”
If you prayed that prayer, tell someone today — a pastor, a friend, or one of our prayer team members. We want to celebrate with you and help you take your next steps.
For believers: Humble yourself like Josiah. Confess the high places in your life. Recommit your heart, your family, and your citizenship to the King of kings. Ask Him to ignite fresh transformation in you that overflows to our nation.
If the Lord is stirring your heart — whether for salvation, renewal, recommitment, or prayer for our land — the altar is open. Come forward as the band leads. Respond right where you are. Or join me and our prayer team here at the front. Let’s seek the face of the King of kings together.
Discussion
Chaplain Manry opens by comparing King Edward VI and King Josiah. What similarities did you notice between their lives and reforms?
Why do you think human reforms, even good ones, are often temporary?
Why was the discovery of the Book of the Law such a significant moment in Josiah's reign?
Why do you think the Book of the Law had been neglected?
What are some modern-day "idols" that can push God's Word aside?
Have you ever experienced a passage of Scripture deeply convicting or encouraging you? What happened?
Josiah refused to repeat the sins of his family. What does his life teach us about God's grace and breaking unhealthy patterns?
What transformation has Jesus already brought in your life? Where are you still asking Him to continue His transforming work?
What additional notes did you make during the sermon?
How can we pray together for you today?
The most important decision you will ever make!
If you’re ready to trust in Jesus for salvation and eternal life, we encourage you to process this decision with a strong believer and, when you’re ready, say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I acknowledge and admit I have sinned. I see my need for Jesus Christ. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I believe I am forgiven and cleansed of my sin by His death. I also believe I have eternal life because of His resurrection from the dead. I repent, I turn away from my old ways, and I choose to live my life to worship you and follow Jesus, Amen!
We would love to know if you decided to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hope you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!