Bovine Basics Part 1
“Don’t have a Cow”
Text: I Kings 11:28-31; 37-40, 12:20; 26-33
A. Introduction
Interesting story. Jeroboam is described as mighty young man of valor. He had favor with the king, Solomon. And beyond that he has even received a powerful word from God about his destiny. He will one day become king. He will one day rule. He will one day fulfill the purposes, destiny, and plans of God for his life. You could simply say that he is a destined young man. You could say he is a purposed young man.
Isn’t that what you have heard? You are a chosen generation. You are destined for greatness. You are designed for destiny. You are a generation that will bring change, revolution, and even revival! You have received words from God. You are favored by God. You are hand picked to shake the nations! That is who you are.
B. Lesson One
But notice again Jeroboam. He is called, chosen, picked by God, but Jeroboam goes from favor to fugitive. Solomon hears about the prophecy and immediately tries to kill him.
Not everyone will be happy about your destiny or your call.
I wished I could stand here and tell you that when you get the word everyone will stop and rejoice with you, celebrate with you, clap for you. But the truth about relationships is that some folks will be jealous. Some folks will have their own plans for you and be disappointed with you. Ask Joseph if everyone will celebrate your prophecy, your promise, your destiny? Somebody, maybe even those closest to you will throw you in the pit or under the bus. Jesus’ own family questioned his call.
C. Lesson Two
So Jeroboam runs for his life and hides out in Egypt for the rest of Solomon’s life. He is forced to leave behind family, friends, the comfort of home. He is inconvenienced. He is out of place. Persecuted for his purpose. Just because your life is marked by destiny doesn’t give you a free pass into a life of no pain, no trial, no heartache. In fact, what you should know going in is that if you are destined, if you have a purpose, if you have a call you will also be faced with trials, tribulations, and sometimes everything will hit the fan. Sometimes you will cry tears. Sometimes your heart will be broken. Sometimes you will have to endure pain in order to fulfill purpose. Sometimes you will have to fight off despair to find destiny. Sometimes you will have to go through crisis to answer the call. You had better count the cost before you answer the call.
That is where we pick up the story in chapter 12. Solomon is dead. Jeroboam is back on the scene. He has come home from Egypt. It appears that it is his time. The prophecy is about to come to pass. His destiny is about to be fulfilled. It is his day. The people come and anoint him as king.
D. Lesson Three
Now remember I Kings 11 describe Jeroboam as a mighty man of valor. He stood out among his peers. He was a leader. He receives a word from God that he has been chosen to be the next king. He is even given instructions on how to rule. He is to rule like David. He is to listen to the instructions of God. Rule with compassion, love, and under the guidance of God. But now, one chapter later once he has been made king, Jeroboam becomes an evil task master, and even goes one step further by building 2 golden calves and causes the people to worship the calves as God.
I want to get to this change of attitude and heart in just a second. But first there is a lesson to learn here. Just because you have a destiny, just because you have a word from God and a call on your life doesn’t mean that you can do whatever you want. (Slide 22a) Destiny has demands. To fulfill purpose you must stay pure. (Slide 22b) Your call does not give you the freedom to make wrong choices. In fact, it requires you to be even more careful about the choices that you do make! Some of you think that just because you have a promise, and just because you have been prophesied over, and just because someone has said you will accomplish this great feat and that great exploit, just because someone referred to you as a might man of God or mighty woman of God that you don’t have to guard your ears, eyes, or mind and everything will still be OK. But Jereboam teaches us that (Slide 23a,b,c) destiny can be lost, purpose can become perverted, and a call can be compromised. The price of destiny, purpose, and a call is more discipline, more responsibility, and more careful living!
My question regarding Jeroboam is what changed? Word never changes. Prophecy didn’t change. Plan didn’t change. God didn’t change His mind about Jeroboam. However, something changed in Jeroboam. From valor to villain. Why?
I believe to figure out what happened we have to work backwards. He built 2 golden calves and set them up as Gods. He ran from Solomon and hid where? Egypt. Sound familiar? Remember the Children of Israel were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. When they finally escape from their evil task masters they begin marching in the wilderness. They get frustrated and discouraged. Moses is on the mountain seeking God. Aaron is in charge. The people begin to grumble and complain and guess what Aaron does? In Exodus 32:21- 24, he says he throws gold in the fire and magically a calf appears. However, in Exodus 32:4 the Word says he actually fashioned it into a calf. Ironic isn’t it, that after spending time in Egypt both Aaron and Jeroboam come up with calves as idols? It isn’t ironic it is obvious! Egyptian culture and history is marked by worshipping cows! Jeroboam and Aaron took what they had been exposed to in the idolatry saturated culture and made it their God. They cowed down! They suddenly have a cow!
D. Relationships vs. Revelation
I bring this to your attention to teach you a lesson. Write this down: Your relationships determine your revelation! You spend time with cow worshippers and you will most likely worship a cow. You spend time with those who are careless with their morals you will most likely lose your morals. You listen to those who are vile, haters, angry, low minded, and impure you too will struggle with those things. Who you hang with determines your mindset and your heart set!
Some of you are spending too much time with folks that are full of bull! You can usually tell because just like Jeroboam they will try to get your attention off of God, convince you to worship something else (intercept your worship), and convince you to worship only when it is convenient.
I can prove that to you in other portions of Scripture as well. Soldiers trained for battle. Equipped for battle. Proved in battle. But suddenly they can’t find it in themselves to go out to fight. Instead, every time Goliath calls out they huddle together in fear. Their relationships determine their revelation. They see no cause. They see no chance. Even the king’s revelation is regulated by those he is surrounded by. A deliverer walks right in front of the king and he can’t see David for who he really is – a mighty warrior. The soldier’s relationships cause them to have a cow.
In the New Testament, he is a bold, impulsive, ready to draw a sword at the drop of hat type of person. Surrounded by the other disciples and after spending months with Jesus he has a clear revelation. “Who do men say that I am,” is the question that is posed by Jesus and it is this man of clear revelation that speaks up and boldly announces that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God. Peter had clear revelation. Yet, this same man hanging out around a fire is challenged about his revelation and this one who could quickly draw a sword can only swallow and sweat. Rather than standing up and preaching with the power that has been his distinguishing mark he has a cow. He quickly mooooooves to the other side and denies he ever knew Jesus. Peter cows down.
Here me today! Your relationships will determine your revelation. Guard your relationships. Make sure you are with the right people. Make sure you listen to the right voices. Quit cowing down! Some of you need to understand that there is an expiration date on some relationships! For a season the relationship may have been productive and fruitful, but there comes a time when that same relationship will become poison and keep you from your purpose! Food is good unless it is pasts its expiration date. Then that which would have nourished you now will kill you. Some of you need to cuts some people out of your life. Friends, dates, music because they are causing you to cow down. They distract you from your purpose. They cloud your vision so that you can’t see clearly anymore. Don’t forfeit your destiny for anyone. Don’t hang out with those that will cause you to compromise your call. Don’t buy the lie that you are strong enough to endure it. Cut those things off before they poison you and you find yourself having a cow!
E. Close
An eagle had been captured when it was quite young. The farmer who snared the bird put a restraint on it so it couldn’t fly, and then he turned it loose to roam in the barnyard. It wasn’t long till the eagle began to act like the chickens, scratching and pecking at the ground. This bird that once soared high in the heavens seemed satisfied to live the barnyard life of the lowly hen.
One day the farmer was visited by a shepherd who came down from the mountains where the eagles lived. Seeing the eagle, the shepherd said to the farmer, "What a shame to keep that bird hobbled here in your barnyard! Why don’t you let it go?" The farmer agreed, so they cut off the restraint. But the eagle continued to wander around, scratching and pecking as before. The shepherd picked it up and set it on a high stone wall. For the first time in months, the eagle saw the grand expanse of blue sky and the glowing sun. Then it spread its wings and with a leap soared off into a tremendous spiral flight, up and up and up.
The eagle’s relationships determined its revelation. Eagles that hang out with chickens, behave like a chickens, even though they are eagle.
If you want to soar – guard who you hang with!
Prayer for relationships – strength to cut off that which needs to be cut off, strength to endure those who persecute us for our call, for purity that matches our destiny.
