Sermon Tone Analysis
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Introduction
It is in the midst of summer and we are in the middle of another streak of 100+ degree days.
It is heard to imagine slipping and sliding around on ice.
(show sliding video while talking)
However, we know that it can happen.
One thing we know about sliding on ice, once you start sliding, it is difficult to stop on your own.
Many times you stop sliding when you fall, or when you hit something and fall.
Looking at this video, it can be funny watching others slip on the ice.
As you can see, many are laughing at themselves as they are slipping around.
Most of them are younger than most of us.
When you slide, most times you are going the opposite direction that you want to go.
There are even times when sliding can put you into a bad situation.
For us spiritually, backsliding has negative effects on our walk with the Lord and our witness to a lost and dying world.
The passage we look at today has a character who is backsliding in his faith.
His name is Elimelech, and his sinful attitude drove him away from the Promised Land for the rest of his days.
Elimelech disobeyed God when things got difficult in his life.
Moab was part of the wilderness experience for the nation of Israel.
It was a place of rebellion.
Moab would not help Israel in their time of need.
Because of this they were cursed and could not enter the Tabernacle for 10 generations according to .
Psalm
Simply put, Moab was a place that Israel should stay away from.
Yet, Elimelech goes there when things got tough.
Going to Moab, things did not improve for Elimelech and his family, instead it got worse.
Elimelech went sliding away from God and His promises into a place that was outside God’s will.
What can we learn for Elimelech, a back-slider?
Backsliders slide amid godlessness.
You will notice in verse one that the time frame “was when the judges ruled”.
It was a spiritually dark time for the nation.
We live in a culture that is godless.
It can be very easy to slide back into that sinful pattern in our life because it is all around us.
We live in an age of moral relativity instead of moral absolutes.
You see that there was a famine, but notice that the only one scripture names who fled the Promise Land was Elimelech with his family.
You see that there was a famine, but notice that the only one scripture names who fled the Promise Land was Elimelech with his family.
What may be moral or right for you may not be right for me.
There may have been a food shortage in Bethlehem, but there was a greater faith shortage in the life of Elimelech.
When your faith is weak, you are more likely to slide away from God when the going gets tough.
Know that the slide can happen when difficulty arises in your life.
Instead of trusting in God , you try to take care of the situation yourself.
Be careful that you do not slide when difficulty arises.
I dare say that there are more backslidden Christians in our world that committed Christ-followers.
Which are you?
2. Backsliders slide in the midst of lost trust in God.
When you get trapped in spiritual darkness you trust less in God and more in yourself just like Elimelech.
You see that there was a famine, but notice that the only one scripture names who fled the Promise Land was Elimelech with his family.
There may have been a food shortage in Bethlehem, but there was a greater faith shortage in the life of Elimelech.
When your faith is weak, you are more likely to slide away from God when the going gets tough.
Know that the slide can happen when difficulty arises in your life.
Instead of trusting in God , you try to take care of the situation yourself.
Be careful that you do not slide when difficulty arises.
3. The acts of backsliders affect those around them.
Look at verse 3 and verse 5.
Naomi was affected by Elimelech’s backsliding.
You see that there was a famine, but notice that the only one scripture names who fled the Promise Land was Elimelech with his family.
There may have been a food shortage in Bethlehem, but there was a greater faith shortage in the life of Elimelech.
When your faith is weak, you are more likely to slide away from God when the going gets tough.
Know that the slide can happen when difficulty arises in your life.
Instead of trusting in God , you try to take care of the situation yourself.
Be careful that you do not slide when difficulty arises.
She lost her husband and her boys.
Naomi became bitter
Bitterness and unforgiveness can cause you to backslide.
Be careful when others hurt you so that it does not cause you to slide away from God.
You may not have bitterness in your life, but know that if you are living in Moab, you will hit rock bottom.
Some of you are messing around with a little sin right now and you’re thinking it won’t hurt you.
And when you start backsliding, it doesn’t happen suddenly, it happens gradually.
Automobile mechanics will tell you that more tires go flat from a slow leak than from a blowout.
mechanics will tell you that more tires go flat from a slow leak than from a blowout.
Not many
Not many people have spiritual blowouts and run away from God. Backsliding is a gradual process.
people have spiritual blowouts and run away from God. Backsliding is a gradual process.
It is a
It is a gradual decline takes you away from intimacy with God and His people.
gradual decline takes you away from intimacy with God and His people.
It might begin with a
It might begin with a little sin that you think is harmless.
little sin that you think is harmless.
But sin is a poison that has a delayed effect.
There is no such
But sin is a poison that has a delayed effect.
thing as a harmless sin to God.
Sin killed His precious Son Jesus, so God hates all sin, and so
There is no such thing as a harmless sin to God.
Sin killed His precious Son Jesus, so God hates all sin, and so
should we.
Sin will take you further than you ever wanted to go.
It will keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay.
wanted to go.
It will keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay, and it will cost you more than
you ever wanted to pay.
4. Those who slide are invited back by a loving, Heavenly Father.
Naomi returned to God.
Have you slid away from God?
Maybe there was a time in your life when you were more faithful to God, you were living in the House of Bread and God was blessing you on a regular basis.
faithful to God, you were living in the House of Bread and God was blessing you on a regular
basis.
Get still and quiet and listen to your heart.
Do you hear the still small voice of your Father
Get still and quiet and listen to your heart.
Do you hear the still small voice of your Father speaking this invitation to you?
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