Breaking the Cycle

No family is perfect because no individual is perfect. However, some families are more moral than others. Some families are more godly than others. Some families are simply more rotten than others. Such was the case for the family of David after his death.

David was a sinner but he was a sinner who desired to serve and please God. He was not perfect but when he sinned, he ran to God and desired his forgiveness. That trait did not follow from David into his descendents.

Solomon started out well. He prayed for wisdom. He built the temple. But, once the temple was built, he changed his focus from God to women. He married pagan wives who led him into idol worship and he life ended with God telling him that the kingdom would be divided during his sons reign.

Rehoboam not only did not follow God, but his father’s wisdom did not pass on to him either. This is sad because the book of Proverbs is addressed to him. Proverbs 1:8, 10, and 2:1 start “My son”. Solomon tried to pass this wisdom on to his son but the foolish young king made poor choices that led to the dividing of the Kingdom of Israel.

After Rehoboam died, his son Abijah reigned. He too was neither Godly nor wise. He reigned for 3 years and died. Then his mother took over the rule of Judah and she set up an idol to be worshiped. Judah seemed to be spiraling downward, with no hope of recovery.

That is where we want to pick up today. Turn in your Bibles to I Kings 15.

King James Version Chapter 15

15 Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat reigned Abijam over Judah. 2 Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 3 And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless for David’s sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem: 5 Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 6 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life. 7 Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? *And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam. 8 And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9 And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah. 10 And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom. 11 And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father. 12 And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. 13 And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Kidron. 14 But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa’s heart was perfect with the LORD all his days. 15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

I. A New Day - A New Way

Idol worship had been a common practice in Israel and Judah since the days of Solomon. Yet, somehow, Asa knew to turn away from idol worship and serve God. The scriptures do not tell us how he knew this. We do know in II Chronicles 13 that Abijah says that Judah serves God. Apparently Abijah claimed to worship God while also worshiping idols.

God spoke through Isaiah the prophet and said:

Isaiah 42:8 I am the LORD: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

Somewhere along the way, Asa decided to depart from his families pagan worship and serve God.

Here is a list of the things Asa did in departing from the practices permitted by his father and grandfather:

Removed the sodomites (those who practiced sexual immorality)

Removed the idols his father had made

Removed his grandmother from being queen

Destroyed his grandmother’s idol and burnt it

Restored the dedicated things to the Temple

The Apostle Paul wrote, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” (II Corinthians 6:14).

a. Removed sinful practice

b. Removed sinful objects

c. Removed sinful influencers

d. Destroyed sinful heritage

e. Restored the things of God

One of the hardest things I have observed is for people to think of their family as sinful. They may not like some things that were done, but to label them as sin is taking it too far. Yet, that is exactly what has to happen to sinful practices.

Asa knew his father was a sinner. He knew that his grandmother was a sinner. This did not mean that he hated them. However, he had to disavow their evil practices. So must we.

There are times when we have to face the hard reality that some of our loved ones are in hell. No one wants to think about this. There is absolutely no indication that Asa’s father was saved. There is no indication that he grandmother was. There is also no indication that Asa hated them.

In order to serve God, he had to depart from their way of life. He had to erase much of their memories. Evil had to be removed. That even ment removing his grandmother. He had to sever a relationship.

Jesus said, “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me” (Matthew 10:37).

Breaking the cycle of sin

- Generational sins (passed down)

Breaking the cycle of addiction

- Drugs

- Alcohol

- Sexual

Breaking the cycle of abuse

- Physical

- Emotional

- Sexual

Breaking the cycle of false worship

- this could mean from a “Christian” church

- going to church without a relationship with Christ

- Cults

- Islam

- anything other than the true worship of Jesus Christ

II. How to break the cycle

a. Salvation

- plan of salvation

b. Relation

- walking with God

Prayer

Bible Study

Fellowship with church