Notes from a sermon on Sunday 2 December 2012
1 Kings 12 verses 25 – 33
If we want to get a full understanding of the word of God we
need to delve into the history of Israel.
God’s own people were under the kingship of Saul, the first King of
Israel. Then came David and Solomon. Solomon sinned and fell short of what God
would have him to be. God had decided
his kingdom would be divided when his son came to the throne, Rehoboam. Jeroboam was a young man who stood for
election and he was voted in by the people.
There were now 10 tribes in the North and 2 little tribes in the
South. It is to the North I want to look
to tonight. Verses 25 and 26 see the
success of Jeroboam. The strategy of
Jeroboam, the only thing could keep this people together was a false
profession. Religion must be the
greatest tool in the enemy’s ploy.
The devise of such a religion.
Verses 26 and 27 tells us Jeroboam said in his heart “now shall the
kingdom return to the house of David. “if
this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem.” Each year the people made a pilgrimage to
Jerusalem to worship God of heaven.
Jeroboam could see a problem in the making. If he allowed them to go down to Jerusalem they
would stay there and give allegiance once again to Rehoboam and he would lose
his power. The only thing he could do
was devise this religion. Devise in his
heart. The word of God tells us
something of our hearts – “the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked above
all things who can know it.” The heart
is the centre of all decisions you will ever make. The word of God has a religion set out in his
owrd that will lead a man to salvation. Paul
said to Timothy “the scriptures are able to make you wise unto salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ.” That is
all you have got. You have to be saved
and the only way to be saved is through the precious word of God. The word fo God takes me right back to the
Garden of Eden. God breathed into man
and man became a living soul. Then he looked
at man and thought “it is not good that man should be alone.” None could be a help mate for man. God caused a sleep over man took a rib out of
man and created a woman. Then the enemy
enters into the Garden and takes Eve to one side. He begins to ask Eve all God has placed in
her heart. All these trees in the Garden
of Eden – hast God said you cannot eat of these? Eve replied “there is only one we are not
allowed to eat of, in that day we shall surely die.” The devil had here where he wanted her. The devil is no match to the Lord. The devil will want ot hold you in the
darkness of your sin. He will come to
you at the end of this meeting and say like he said to Eve “you shall not surely
die, you will become wiser than ever.”
When Eve heard that she took of the fruit and she ate of the fruit. When she did so sin came into the world. What do you do with that sin? You are born with it. The only one thing you can do is come to the
cross of Calvary. God has a plan, he
sent his son into the world that he might take away your sin, to deal with it
and only he can deal with it. Have you
ever come to Christ? Verse 28 he took
counsel, he made it out it was for the good others – “it is too much for you to
go up to Jerusalem.” He introduced 2
calves for them to worship. The device
of this religious system. It comes
short. The devil didn’t care about
Jeroboam’s plans. The moment we turn to
Christ that is when the devil comes.
The description of this religion.
It was a well thought out plan.
Jeroboam knew in his heart that this religion had to look genuine and
real. Jeroboam invented 2 calves for the
people to worship. Matthew Henry said “within
every man, every woman, every boy, every girl there is a huge vacuum that
cannot be filled until God fills it.” In
verse 31 he gave them a house to worship in.
It is important this religion had to be really genuine. In verse 32 he gave them their own priests to
minister to. In Acts of the Apostles we
read of Paul visiting Ephesus. The 7
sons of the priest of Sceva could see Paul laying on hands and demons were
being cast out. Sicknesses were being
healed and they wanted to be involved in this ministry too. The demons cried out “Paul we know, Jesus we
know but who are you.” In verse 32
Jeroboam gave the people an altar and a feast day on which they could
sacrifice. Which religion are you
following? Is it very close to what God
has in the word of God. “There is a way
that seemeth right unto man but the end thereof leads to destruction.” Maybe that is the road you are on.
The destruction of such a religion.
He went up to Dan in the north and set up an altar there. Then he went to Bethel in the South. The lengths he went to. A false religion will step you short of
coming to the cross. If you stop short
you will never be saved. The devil doesn’t
mind us sitting here tonight, singing hymns, listening to the preaching of the
word of God but will stop you getting saved.
We will find 1000 excuses to stop you coming to Christ. What about it tonight?
The danger of such a religion.
Verse 30 “this thing became a sin”.
The very religion they were involved in became a sin. The moment they began to worship the calves
they were taking their eyes off God and it became a sin. “The wages of sin is death but the gift of
God is eternal life”. What about
you? God has a plan to save your soul
and it begins at Calvary. You have got
to come to Christ, confess your sin, trust Jesus as Saviour and Lord, accept
what he has done for you.
2/12/2012 LIMC pm
No comments:
Post a Comment