Consequence of backsliding

The Bible Calendar for 19th September 2024.

1 Kings  11

Jeremiah  19 & 20

Philippians  4: 2–23

POINTS:

1. Consequence of Backsliding

2. Unrepented People

3. Commendable Church

1. CONSEQUENCE OF BACKSLIDING

Many will usually think about the past before they react to whatever someone did, but God cannot compromise His rights with anybody. He severally told Solomon that if he compromised his faith, he and his people, Israel,l, and the works done should suffer, but Solomon was driven away from his God by the women that he married from other abominable nations. We might recall the decision of God to break the nation from the descendants of David, but God would have removed the barrier if all his descendants had served God with their minds. But Solomon ended badly by allowing his wives to bring and serve their idols in the Israelites’ lands. This is the result of the unconverted wives in the Christians’s homes; they will divide the home and the people therein, and they always change the minds of their husbands and the children back to the world. Marrying unbelievers will either change their husbands to the world or the husband that refuses to change will suffer many things. Leaving God paved the way for the enemies to punish Solomon; even the enemies that had been sent away by his father started fighting back. That is the danger of backsliding and apostasy, it allows the spiritual and physical enemies to attack. Jesus said that a devil, after being sent out, will come back after some period to check if the place is empty and will hire many powerful evil spirits to dwell with him in such an empty heart, and the end of such a person will be woeful than the beginning. Solomon’s kingdom was torn in prophecy and was given only one, yet he did not do anything to it, unlike David, his father, who would have fasted sorrowfully and prayerfully tried to change the evil prophecy. This should be a lesson to all, prophecy can be changed either way, and those that can change it are the people concerned and God. He told Israelites through Prophet Jeremiah that if he tells someone that he will die if that person repents and prays, He will change His decision. The dream, vision, or prophecy against you is not bound to you; some are still to warn you, but if you do not take a necessary step, it will happen. Instead of Solomon changing to his God, he wanted to kill Jeroboam which was not the best option at this time, if he got him killed, the verdict of God would remain, this is the same mistake Saul made, you don’t need to kill or get rid of the one set as a tormentor. David did not kill Ahithophel but prayed to nullify his counsel, but when we pray and settle with God He will remove any tormentor from our ways. Solomon died and left many problems behind, many mountains and many altars, and many strange gods that provoked God; these problems were left to the generations coming.  We also need to try our best not to leave generational problems to our incoming generations while on transfer or death; we need to be careful and deeply think about what to leave behind for our successors.

2. UNREPENTED PEOPLE

It is something good to see the unbelievers changing from their evil ways but it’s obvious to see the believers remaining adamant;  the message of Jeremiah here can be likened to that of Prophet Jonah to Nineveh, those that repented and fasted but the Israelites received the message of Jeremiah yet refused to change, rather they beat and afflicted the man of God to the extent of ridicule. Many truthful people are suffering for delivering the true message of God; some are starved of basic needs, while some are made to lose valuable things, many are lied against, and some are oppressed. All these sufferings would have been nothing to the messenger if the people received the message and repented from their ways. But many are the lamentations of the ministers after fasting, praying, sweating, and sleepless nights, yet the people still walk on the verge of becoming the man of God. This sympathetic situation of Jeremiah here raged to the extent of cursing his birthday and the announcer of his birth. The believers are to be careful about the treatment they give to the servants of God. They are also human beings, and they are what they are because of the calling of God on them; their punishment is not in your hand, whether you are their boss or leader, don’t behave like Parsur. It is sympathetic to hear that some ministers’ wives beat the ministers under their husbands or their wives; whether in words or physically, they are supposed to be treated as co-servants with you. Paul told the Philippians Church Leaders to checkmate Eudias and Syntiche to stop quarreling in the church. Let’s stop the bad treatment we give anyone with us, at home, in the community, in the office, and the church. Also, treat your housemaids well so that they can see the love of Christ through you, they are also servants of God to help you achieve your well-being, and our Rules of Conduct (number 3) tell us they also have souls to be saved; we are called to be good to all; so that our characters may evangelize than our speech and that we can raise the faithful believers in our home and ministry.

3.  COMMENDABLE CHURCH

Some churches cannot be easily forgotten by some ministers and some people as well as on both sides of life. Paul commended the Philippians Church for her care for him, saying not because he was carried away with their gifts but by the zeal found in them. That’s how many ministers cannot forget the care of some churches when they were with them and after their transfer. The question is how are you remembered by your ministers, the former and the present? Many people like the blessings in Philippians 4:19, but they result in 419 prayers for those who failed to care for the minister of God with them. Caring messages are not easily preached by pastors that they may not become beggars on the pulpit, but the elders and church officers should know how to encourage the members to care for the church and her ministers, some elders will capitalize on their predicament and they will put their ministers in hunger, some will say his caller will feed him, yes He will, but the blessings will go to those people used for His ministers caring. Let’s turn our church into a special church of blessings by taking care of the ministers; our numerical status does not matter; it is not how much or quantity that matters but the heart of giving as if given to Christ. Not until you spend millions, but the little you have can meet their needs; your prayers and services can also go a long way; giving cannot be too small or too big; only give according to your ability. Think of how the ministers have been sustained in your local assembly amid the unstable situation and hiked the price of materials in the market. Think of how to put smiles on the faces of some people in the church so that all may rejoice together and remove anxiety from them. Some questions were asked about this teaching sometimes, asking what will happen to those ministers who do not appreciate the gift of the members for one reason or another, the answer is that the giver shall be blessed since he or she has done it to his or her ability, you may be rated higher than whom you are by your minister, but God sees you and He is the rewarder of all deeds; just be happy for your reward is in heaven, don’t cease doing good, but do more and more without listening to any side talks. May the peace of God be with us and bless us to have what to give and sanctify our minds to know what to do at all times in Jesus’ name.

Pastor M. O. Shodipe.

For question: 08056044717