Sermon Title: Avoid the Wrong Path
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This Week’s Theme: Don’t Follow Your Heart
Memory Verse: Proverbs 14:12 “12 There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.”
This Week’s Word is Rebellion: A state of revolt against established divine or human authority. Scripture condemns rebellion against God and indicates the futility of Israel’s frequent rebellions against him.
Essence of the Text in a Sentence: Trying to secure his reign over the northern kingdom, Jeroboam perverted the worship of the LORD by implementing unprescribed methods.
Sermon Objective: I want those in attendance to respond to God’s Word by identifying and dealing with actions rooted in self-preservation and self-promotion rather than God.
Sermon Text: 1 Kings 12:25-33
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.
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.”
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.
30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.
INTRODUCTION:
TRANSITION:
Sermon Proposition:
Saints should
I. AVOID THE PATH OF SELF-RELIANT
I. AVOID THE PATH OF SELF-RELIANT
1 Kings 12:25-26;
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David:
EXPLANATION: He looked within for answers.
Look at Ecc 9.3
3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
Look at Jer 17:9
9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Look at what Jesus said in Mark 7:21
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
ILLUSTRATION:
APPLICATION: Look at Gen 16:2
2 So Sarai said to Abram, “See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.
Rather than trust both leaned to their own understanding. They followed their heart
APPLICATION: Remember Jesus words after presenting His disciples the model prayer. In the prayer He taught them to say in Matt 6:11 “11 Give us this day our daily bread.” Then He illustrated it. Look at Matt 6:25-29
25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?
28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
Look at Matt 6:31-32
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
Saint of God, you are of more value to God. Therefore you should follow God’s Word in Matt 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Just because a decision seems right does that indicate that is the right direction.
Just because a decision seems right does that indicate that is the right direction.
Are you guilty of following your way instead of God’s way?
Write down the event or scenario that you need to confess and repent of today?
What is the difference between following the LORD and leaning to your own understanding?
How can you avoid following your heart?
II. AVOID THE PATH OF SELF-PRESERVATION
II. AVOID THE PATH OF SELF-PRESERVATION
1 Kings 12:26-27;
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.”
EXPLANATION: He created a problem
2 And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
15 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you; therefore I command you this thing today.
34 Thus the children of Israel did not remember the Lord their God, who had delivered them from the hands of all their enemies on every side;
How many times have you went the wrong way in life because you failed to remember?
Will you right now confess your sins to the LORD?
Will you repent (turn from) of your sins today?
Actions speak louder than words, name the Christians you will tell your sins to and those who you will look to for accountability
III. AVOID THE PATH OF SELF-PROMOTION
III. AVOID THE PATH OF SELF-PROMOTION
1 Kings 12:28-32;
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.
30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
EXPLANATION: HE FOLLOWED HIS WAY. HE LOOKED OUT FOR NUMBER 1.
He disregarded that the temple Solomon built was God’s place for offering and sacrifice
He disregarded Numbers 3:10
10 So you shall appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall attend to their priesthood; but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.”
He disregarded God’s feast and set up his own.
LOOK AT Prov 2:15
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths;
Look at Prov 12:15
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But he who heeds counsel is wise.
Wait in verse 28, didn’t he ask for advice or counsel? Yes, it was not wise. Deut 7:18
18 you shall not be afraid of them, but you shall remember well what the Lord your God did to Pharaoh and to all Egypt:
1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.
1 Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;
2 and they rose up before Moses with some of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty leaders of the congregation, representatives of the congregation, men of renown.
3 They gathered together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much upon yourselves, for all the congregation is holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them. Why then do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the Lord?”
ILLUSTRATION:
APPLICATION:
Name a time within the last year that you received bad counsel? What was the counsel? Did you follow it?
Name a time within the last year that you received godly counsel? What was the counsel? Did you follow it?
Are you following your heart or the LORD?
How do you follow the LORD?
What is the difference between following the LORD and leaning to your own understanding?
Will you right now confess your sins to the LORD?
Will you repent (turn from) of your sins today?
Actions speak louder than words, name the Christians you will tell your sins to and those who you will look to for accountability
CONCLUSION