Divided Community - 1 Kings 11-15
“With all my heart” - that is our prayer today as we come to 1 Kings 11. Turn with me there. We have been going through the highlights of the OT - looking in the kingdom stage, the time of David, the man after God’s own heart, and then his son Solomon ruling after him. And today we look at one of the most important times in the life of the Jews - the dividing of the nation of Israel. Let’s start with a little background of where we have come so far.
We saw in
We saw in
Genesis a book of Beginnings - how God chose to enter into a close relationship with man. Those who followed Him saw him lead them, guide them, and redeem them. We came to
Exodus, and saw how God brought deliverance to the people, and led them out of Egypt. In Leviticus we learn about “holiness” and all the requirements of the law.
Numbers teaches about the “testing” the Jews went through in the wilderness wanderings.
Deuteronomy teaches us about “instruction” and “wisdom” in obeying God’s word.
Joshua is a book that teaches us about “faith in conquest” or “stepping out in faith.” God chose to work through the line of Abraham, leading his descendants out of slavery in Egypt and unto a land he would give to them. In Joshua we saw the people cross the Jordan River, and step out in faith to follow God in claiming the land that was given to them. But in
Judges the key idea is “Chaos” as everyone did that which was right in his own eyes.
Ruth we saw teaching about Overcoming Love and how to unconditionally reach out to others. In
1 & 2 Samuel we saw the establishment of the Kingdom, as God established leaders over his people.
We saw Saul, David, and Solomon. For about 100 years these three men ruled the Jews. But following the reign of Solomon, the nation of Israel falls apart. It splits in two, into a Northern half that is called Israel, and a Southern half that is called Judah.
The Jews had a strong sake of Community - Common Unity - but it was broken, and the nation fell apart. We want to look today in 1 Kings 11-15, and look at some key factors that destroy community. It is possible to have unity without a common unity - when one is like a turtle and just gives in to everything someone else says. But we desire community - koinonia - being as committed to one another as we are to Jesus Christ. We want a oneness. So we need to learn
What destroys community?
First, we want to look at the example of King Solomon. And his his life we see
1. Loss of Passion - Loss of following God with all his heart. In 1 Kings 11:1-13 we see that Solomon, the wisest man of his day, failed to worship God as he should. 1 Kings 10:23 tells us that “King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.” Yet his wisdom did not keep him faithful to his God. 1 Kings 11 tells the end of the story - READ TEXT - 1 Kings 11:1-13 - Why is the kingdom split away? Because of the sin of Solomon - and where does that sin start? It starts by losing the passion for worshiping God. Worship becomes RITUAL. That’s the downfall of so many denominations: they allow ritual to take the place of true worship. How does God want to be worshiped? Only 2 requirements: in spirit and in truth. It doesn’t matter whether you wear suit and tie or only bluejeans - it doesn’t matter whether you worship here at church or in your car driving down the road - what matters to God is a passionate heart - a heart that is touched and moved by the greatness of our God. The first attack to the community of the nation of Israel is seen in the loss of passionate worship by King Solomon.
David all his life was a passionate worshiper. He had mistakes - adultery, murder, pride - yet he always worshiped God completely. Solomon, however, falls into the mistake of worshiping out of ritual. He marries wives who do not worship God, and Solomon is influenced by those women, and he ends up building them temples to worship in, and then he ends up worshiping in those temples himself. And verse 11 tells us that it is Solomon’s SIN that ends up destroying the community.
Here at Bethel, we need to look very carefully at how we worship. It is the area that the elders are considering and evaluating right now. We want to make sure that we aren’t just going through the motions, but that we as a church are a group of worshipers. One of the things we are considering is how we can facilitate more that just worship corporately on Sunday morning, but how we can be a group of worshipers throughout the week. Worship is not just a Sunday morning activity.
Worship must be in spirit - we put our hearts and lives into it passionately - and we worship in truth - it must be centered upon the truth of God’s word. Solomon strayed because he followed that which he knew was not true.
So, how do we keep our passion in worship? We focus on the heart. When we get up Sunday morning, we start preparing our heart to worship our God. Because worship is NOT what takes place up here on the platform Sunday morning, but worship is what takes place out THERE in YOUR HEARTS as you respond to being in the presence of the living God.
Solomon reminds us that Loss of Passion will destroy community.
Next we go to 1 Kings 12 and we come to the story of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. Solomon had engaged is massive building programs, and had developed the kingdom greatly, and as a result had imposed very high taxes on the people. When Solomon died, his son Rehoboam succeeded him and came to the throne. He was met by a delegation of Jews who wanted relief. In verse 4 we see their request. READ 1 Kings 12:4-16.
Rehoboam is our second example ofdestroying community, and his lesson is the
2. Loss of Humility and Respect. Rehoboam was given the right answer by the elders of Israel, but he wanted to follow the foolish advice of the young men. He gives a sharp, selfish answer to attack the men who were respectfully coming with their request. He takes a very “consumer-driven” approach - taking the course that is the best for himself.
We will always get into trouble when we seek to emphasize our own desires in worship to the exclusion of the others who worship with us. It is a sure way to destroy community. One of the beautiful features of Bethel is the variety of backgrounds and faces that we comprise. We come together holding to common doctrine, but with a great variety of desires in expression. We must always appreciate the differences as we come together to worship. Some of us like “Rock of Ages” and some of us like Rock and Roll. Some of us liturgy and formality and some of us like casual spontaneity. Some of us use the KJV, some the NIV, some the NASV, and some the Message. But that’s ok - that’s good - that’s diversity. God would much rather us read SOME version of his word that to be reading all the worthless publications the world offers us - or worse yet, not reading at all, but just channel surfing.
We need to appreciate the differences we have as brothers and sisters in Christ. We are different, but we are one. And we need to always show humility and respect when dealing with one another. Intolerance drives others away. It drives them to rebellion, which God hates.
Rehoboam was going to act quickly with the rebellion. 1 K 12:21-24 tells us - READ TEXT -
God doesn’t want his people fighting: he desires unity within the body. Psalm 133 tells us “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life for evermore.”
God desires his people to live together in unity. We may not always be in agreement - we may have differences - we may desire different things - but we can work together in unity to follow Christ. And whenever anyone can’t maintain the unity of the body, it is far better for them to leave and find another church than to stay and tear apart the body of Christ. God bless you if you stay, but God bless you as you go. When we lose respect for one another and tear apart the body of Christ, God is not pleased.
Rehoboam reminds us that Loss of Humility and Respect will destroy community.
We move on in 1 Kings to our third example: Jeroboam. And the lesson we learn:
3. The Use of Spiritual Manipulation will destroy community. Look in verse 25. Read 1K12:25-31
Jeroboam knew that a right heart in worship would produce unity: he knew if people did what was right they would not stay in the north, in Israel, but they would do as God had commanded, and go back south to Jerusalem to the temple to worship. And that would not have been good for his kingdom. So Jeroboam does what many today do, he uses spiritual manipulation. He attempts to control others actions with spiritual sounding words. He gives them other gods to worship so they can stay right at home and worship God conveniently, comfortably, without costing anything.
And many times we fall into the same trap: giving in to comfort and convenience, wanting a Christianity that costs us nothing. God never called us to that. Instead he called us to die to self, take up our cross, and follow him.
There are many today who seek to control and manipulate others spiritually. This is what we call legalism - seeking to cause others to live by a set code of rules and regulations that God never set up in his word. And they will tell you that you are not right with God if you don’t do everything they think you should do. That is dangerous and it destroys true community. Instead what it does is builds a CULTish system that worships the pastor or whoever is the leader.
Two dangers we need to avoid - legalism - forbidding what God allows, and
liberalism - allowing what God forbids. Did you see that the United Church of Christ just 2 weeks ago voted to endorse homosexual marriage. That is liberalism - allowing what God forbids to take place!
Don’t allow others or yourself to use spiritual manipulation. In high school Craig Cassatt, a boy in my youth group, kept trying to tell one of the girls that she was the one that God had picked out for him---she never believed it though. She kept saying that if it was God’s will they were to be together, then God would have told her about it or changed her heart.
At my last church, we were recarpeting the sanctuary, and two carpet patterns were selected. But in looking at them, two ladies said “God led us to this particular carpet pattern!” Well, who’s going to go against God? Well I did! Because I saw it for what it was - a sheer attempt to use spiritual manipulation to get their own desires.
In chapter 13 of 1 Kings, we see God sends a prophet to speak against Jeroboam, and Jeroboam sees the power of God. The prophet is told not to stop and eat or drink there, so he heads for home. But another prophet tries to persuade him to stay and eat, and tells the 1st prophet that an angel told him to bring the prophet to his house. He listens, and is killed as a result of it.
Even though others seek to manipulate us, we are always responsible for whether or not we follow God. Even if an angel from heavens speaks to you, and does miracles for you, you must never listen to anyone or anything that goes against the word of God. Paul says in Galatians 1:8 - But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
Instead of being swayed by the talk and manipulation of others, the answer is to walk in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16 NLT tells us “So I advise you to live according to your new life in the Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves.” Verse 25 continues - “If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Ezekiel 36:37 tells us “And I will put my Spirit in you so you will obey my laws and do whatever I command.”
Jeroboam reminds us that the use of spiritual manipulation will destroy community.
Jeroboam’s sin is seen further in 13:33-34 where he fails to have qualifications for spiritual leadership. “Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.”
In chapter 14 we are introduced to the son of Rehoboam, Abijah, and we see once again the destruction of community. Chapter 15 gives the record of his life. READ 1 Kings 15:1-5. Here we see
4. The Loss of whole-hearted commitment - destroys community. And this half-hearted commitment will characterize all the kings of the north, and most of the kings of the south. It was a problem for Solomon, as we have already seen. 1 Kings 11:4 tells us “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.”
God desires fully-devoted followers. 2 Chronicles 16:9 reminds us “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” God wants those who will follow him faithfully. But what is a fully-devoted follower? Those who are spiritually manipulated will have a checklist: you need to read the daily bread every day, pray 15 minutes, witness to five people a week, and on and on and on. And none of those things are wrong - those are good things to do. But spirituality is not measured by a checklist. We so often evaluate greatness by accomplishments and achievements: but God evaluates greatness by character. Fully-devoted followers don’t just have a checklist to follow: they live out of the passionate relationship with their Lord.
Ronda wouldn’t want me to tell her I love her because it was on a daily checklist: she wants me to tell her I love her out of the overflow of the passion of my heart. It’s the same way with God.
Sometimes we want to know exactly what God wants us to DO - but sometimes God really wants us not to do but to BE!
Those who are half-hearted in their commitment to follow God will go down the path of sin and disobedience before long. And when that happens, it destroys our community with one another. But those committed to being a fully-devoted follower will seek to be as obedient as they can be.
Abijah reminds us that Loss of Whole-Hearted Commitment destroys community.
And then our last example this morning comes in 1 Kings 15. We see Asa becomes king of Judah.
And the reminder is this:
5. Loss of Continuity destroys community. We are introduced to Asa in 1 Kings 15, but actually to find more about his life, we have a parallel passage in 2 Chronicles 16. For 35 years Asa reigns as a godly king, one who seeks to follow God. But in his 36th year of ruling, his heart turns from God. When he is attacked by the King of Israel, instead of turning to God for help, he turns to the Arameans. And as a result, God chastises him. READ 2 Chr. 16:7-13. Asa started out good, but he failed to follow all his life. He started well, but what matters is how he finished. Today, you may have made a good start. But how will you finish.
It is so easy to sit back and rest on our spiritual wisdom and think we have arrived spiritually. But that is deadly to our spiritual lives and that is deadly for community. When we develop spiritual pride and independence, we show our spiritual immaturity.
Let’s realize we need daily dependence on God. This morning, ask yourself, “Do I realize my dependence on God?” We need to follow continually, faithfully, committedly.
Asa reminds us that Loss of Continuity destroys community.
Let’s examine our lives to make sure that we do not have any of these dangers to community. Rather, let’s pray that God blesses our church with great unity and purpose as we faithfully seek to serve him.
This week, read 1 Kings 17-19, and we’ll be talking about Elijah and “holding the course” next Sunday. Let’s pray.
