The Destruction of a Promise 11/08/2020

Last week we heard a great message from Melissa Fross on the life cycle of a promise. If you did not hear it you should go watch or listen to that message. It can be found on our website at Branches.faith on the media page.

Today I feel that I am to stay with the theme of promises. God has been dealing with me for sometime about what I will preach today, I feel it is very timely for our church body. I pray this is a wake up call to anyone who hears.

This past year of tension and turmoil has been a very revealing year. There is nothing quite as revealing as chaos, tragedy, and pressure. This past year has revealed to me areas of my own life that need strengthening. I am sure it has done the same for you too.

I am very sure going forward the true church and true believer will be distinguished by God from the rest of the world. We are in a time and going into a time when what people have traditionally relied on to show them as spiritual is being taken off the table.

Coming to a time soon when emotionalism will not keep a person. Outsider will see through it.

Having good church on Sunday will not keep you through the week. Must have a personal walk with God.

The praying will be revealed, and the people who claim to pray will be revealed.

All substitutions will be shown to be what they are, substitutions. The authentic move of the Spirit, a commitment to God regardless of comfort, and resolve of the true believer in the face of pressure will become the identifier.

Today I want to preach to you about the destruction of a promise. The church is entering it’s greatest hour! We must be ready!

These are some things that will destroy the promise God has for you.

We will be spending most of our time in 1 Kings 12. But I will start by reading a promise that was given to a soon to be King of Israel in 1 Kings 11.

Promise

1 Kings 11:29–32 NKJV

29 Now it happened at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met him on the way; and he had clothed himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field. 30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new garment that was on him, and tore it into twelve pieces. 31 And he said to Jeroboam, “Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and will give ten tribes to you 32 (but he shall have one tribe for the sake of My servant David, and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),

Twelve tribes of Israel. Ten for Jeroboam. One for Rehoboam because of David. One, the Levites, were considered the Lord’s and were supposed to be loyal to God only.

1 Kings 11:37–38 NKJV

37 So I will take you, and you shall reign over all your heart desires, and you shall be king over Israel. 38 Then it shall be, if you heed all that I command you, walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you.

If you heed all that I command.

Walk in my ways. Follow me.

Do what is right in My sight…not your sight.

Keep my statues and commandments.

Result - I will be with you and build for you an enduring house, as I built for David.

God was removing the kingdom from Solomon because his heart had been turned by influences in the world.

1 Kings 11:1–2 NKJV

1 But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— 2 from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

It is a warning for all to not fall in love and be moved by the things in this world. What has your affection influences you… I may be the head of the household at the Coon residence but my wife is the neck. The neck can turn the head. She can influence my decisions.

What you love will influence you.

Because of the influences that Solomon entertained his heart was turned away from God.

Solomon wouldn’t repent, so God said wait a minute, I am not going to let my people be pulled away from me because of Solomon. So God would divide Israel into two kingdoms.

1 Kings 11:40 NKJV

40 Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam. But Jeroboam arose and fled to Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

For Jeroboam it had to seem as though what was prophesied and promised to him would never happen.

The promise will always be tested. You faith in the promise giver will be tested.

Solomon’s death.

Rehoboam made King.

Jeroboam returns to a dispute over taxes.

The kingdom split and Jeroboam made King in the north.

1 Kings 12:20 NKJV

20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

God caused to happen exactly what He had promised.

But there were still some promise killers working in the life of Jeroboam.

Promise Killers

1 Kings 12:26–27 NKJV

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

God promised that He would make him King over ten tribes and the kingdom would be safe under Jeroboam’s reign.

Jeroboam’s fear spoke louder than God’s promise.

In response Jeroboam creates a new religion.

1 Kings 12:28–29 NKJV

28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.

He appeals to the people thru convenience.

You don’t have to go so far… Here are your gods.

Set them up in Bethel, and Dan.

Dan was in the north close to where most of the people lived.

Bethel, which means the house of God, was in the south on the border that lead to Jerusalem where the people were supposed to take their worship.

Gave them new priests of his own choosing.

Built a new altar.

Substitution

Substitute for God.

Substitute for the house of God.

Substitute for the voice of God.

Substitute for God ordained leadership.

All the spiritual leaders abandoned the northern kingdom for the south because of this. The ten tribes lost all of their spiritual influences.

Substitute altar and sacrifice.

The two promise killers, Fear and Convenience.

Fear and convenience are killing the promises God has for his people… for you.

God has not given a spirit of fear… but power, love and a sound mind.

1 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

There is a spirit of fear that wants to take up residence in your life.

Convenience - Bethel and Dan, the high places of worship that were also established made it even more convenient.

Where did this all come from?

1 Kings 12:28 NKJV

28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

King asked advice… does not mean he went to other people for wisdom. In the original language it literally says “the king took counsel of his own heart.” It’s a third person verb, meaning he planned it.

Devised by self

Jereboam devised and shaped religion for his own purpose. True religion was of no interest to him, he wanted useful religion. A perversion of what is true.

If you never find that God’s instruction puts you at an inconvenience, you are serving a version of God. Your own version.

Another promise

1 Kings 13:1–5 NKJV

1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.” 4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

350 years before this promise would be fulfilled. But the day the promise is given there was a sign.

God gives signs with His promises, just as the torn garments were a sign that he would rule a kingdom of ten tribes. The broke altar was a sign that God would destroy the false religion. The withered hand was a sign that Jeroboam’s kingdom would come to an end.

Even with all of this Jeroboam could have repented… God’s unnamed messenger was a sign of God’s grace. Jeroboam could have heeded the message, instead he sought to silence the messenger.

Altar

If you have allowed fear and convenience to guide your spiritual decisions. It is time to repent.

If you have not followed God’s plan of salvation. It’s time for you to do it. The hour is getting late, God is closer than ever to fulfilling His promise of returning.

If you have not been baptised in the name of Jesus, it’s time to take action and get baptised. Wash away your sins.

If you have not received the promise of the Holy Spirit. It is time to seek for God’s promise to you.

Repent of sins. Ask Him to fill you with the Holy Spirit, then begin to praise Him for it… when you feel His presence and He starts to give you the Spirit you will begin to speak in tongues as the Spirit gives you the ability. Allow it to happen, this is a sign that God is doing a work in your heart.

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is the sign that God has sealed you for redemption.

Ephesians 4:30 NKJV

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

2 Corinthians 1:20–22 NKJV

20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

He will forgive you of your sin. Forgive you for your lack of faith. Fill you with the Holy Spirit.