The Disadvantages Of Backsliding: Lessons From The Life Of Solomon

The Disadvantages of Backsliding: Lessons from the Life of Solomon

What is backsliding? 1. Continued willful disobedience of the Lord I Kings 11:10-11 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.

I Kings 11:1-2 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter-- Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.

2. Turning of the heart away from God and following other gods I Kings 11:4-6 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the LORD; he did not follow the LORD completely, as David his father had done.

3. Loss of relationship with the Lord Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

4. “Sleeping” in the Lord Rev 3:2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God

5. Lukewarmness Rev 3:15-16 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!So, because you are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

The Disadvantages of Backsliding •

Far-reaching consequences of sin Because of Solomon the kingdom of Israel was divided

IKings 11:11-13 So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son.Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen."

Solomon loved the Lord at first David named him Jedidiah (beloved of the Lord) There was a time Solomon was so in love with the Lord, he wrote Song of Songs He pleased the Lord when he asked for wisdom instead of riches He was so full of wisdom

The Disadvantages of Backsliding 2. You can lead many people astray. Solomon-led an entire nation astray Solomon started Baal worship in Israel, he even built high places for the idols IKing 11:7-9 On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molech the detestable god of the Ammonites.He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

3. You end up neurotic and depressed and cynical – read the book of Ecclesiastes, which Solomon wrote “The Neurosis of Disobedience”-you know the truth, you have known the truth, but you don’t follow it; you make excuses for your behavior, you deny God, you deny His existence, His word. But deep inside you know you are wrong.

4. Nature never forgives Sexual sin leads to sexually transmitted disease, viral infections, bacterial infections, parasitic infections, fungal infections 1 Cor 6:18-20 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Drugs-damage brain cells Nicotine- damage blood vessels and cause blockage in blood vessels Alcohol- damages liver cells Anger, bitterness- increases cortisol, depresses immune system, causes autoimmune disease Cancer- starts from one cell that mutates and never dies

Life Application: • Follow God because you love Him. • Love the Lord with all your heart. • Don’t turn away from God. • Don’t follow other gods. • Don’t compromise. • Don’t let people lead you astray.

"Heart Back" One thing I want, I want is my heart back One thing I need, I need is to know that First love I lost, I lost now way back Some time ago, I don’t know, it’s just like that I don’t remember, how lost this first love I got so busy, I lost my intimacy with Love I got so busy, where is He, I don’t know Love God’s love, but I forget and I don’t know why?

I remember those days, when I was sky high I used to pray, everyday, and it felt so right But now, I don’t even know where my love went I need a miracle, man I need a God sent Angel, to come down and rescue me From this mess I made, man, this catastrophe Help me God, I need to get back right with you I want my heart again, to run hard after You!

One thing I seek, I want to get my heart back One thing I ask, I ask for that ancient path Back to the path, the path that I used to know Down on my face, going down that glory road Where your glory and Your presence used to touch me Where your power and Your fire used to burn me You keep telling me, calling me, come back Return to Me, come to Me, get your heart back

I don’t know, where I’ll go, where I’m gonna be I don’t know, all I know, is that I want to see The light again, all I want to be is Your friend Oh God, come back, this can’t be the end I just want to be, right here, with You In your presence, in your essence, just me-You

Life is beautiful, when I’m here, with You It’s true, eternal life is knowing You Knowing You, I wouldn’t trade it for anything I’m the Bride, You’re the Christ, here’s my wedding ring You’re all I want, all I need, you’re everything… Jesus Christ, right here, You’re everything!

Put yo hands in the air, get a soul clap Come on everybody, uh, get your heart back If you lost your first love, and you know dat Right here, right now, get your heart back