FBCWest 528 | No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Decisions - Solomon
Recorded On: 11/03/2022
Bulletin
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Decisions: Solomon: The Wisest Man Was not Wise Enough”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Word of God Speak”
Benediction “God Really Loves Us”
Sermon Notes
Deuteronomy 7:1 – 11 Commanded not to inter-marry with those that are not your people for they will turn you away from god
1 Kings 11:1 – 11 Solomon marries many foreign wives who turn him away from God
1 Kings 11:11 – 13 The consequences
2 Corinthians 6:14 – 18 Do not marry unbelievers
1Corinthians 7:12 & 13 If you became a believer during marriage, stay married unless partner wants a divorce
1 Corinthian 7:39 Spouse dies may marry a believer
Proverbs 3:5 – 8 Do not lean on your own understanding
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
We took a look at people and oftentimes we think, well, if I had everything perfect in my life, then I would make bad decisions, but I don't need had pretty much a perfect setting. Perfect circumstances. I've made really bad decisions. Then sometimes we think well, if I. Just had enough courage. But I would not make bad decisions. But David was one who was incensed that the people of God were fearful because of a giant who was holding our God in contempt. We took as some people say, some. Rocks to a swordfight. Had no lack of courage. Yeah, he made some goofy really bad decisions. Today we're going to take a look at another one. And sometimes we think well, if I just have enough knowledge. If I just have enough wisdom, then I won't make bad decisions. Well, today we're going to take a look at Solomon, who is known as the wisest man. And the sermon, titled today is. The wisest man was not wise enough. And there's going to be a link between these three. But I hope I'll. Perhaps you'll kind of get as we go through, but if not, I will. Not leaving in suspense, I'll tell you what the common thread between all of these really bad decisions have been. We in our society tend to think that information and knowledge. Will get us through everything. The problem is is. In our culture today we have access to great information. You can ask Google for anything. You can ask Alexa on any further question you have and you can get information. But it seems that nobody has information in their head. They're always having to ask Google or somebody for that. But simply having information does not give you understanding or wisdom. There is a saying that says. If you know that a tomato is a fruit is knowledge. Not putting it in a food salad is understanding. And so we sometimes take information and we're not sure what. To do with it. And we see Solomon who's the wisest man who ever lived. And yet he seemed not to have enough wisdom. So when we think, well, if I were just wise enough that I wouldn't make bad decisions, we're going to take. If you have that excuse away. So an unusual place where to start, where to start on. Later on in the Chapter 7 verses one through 11. In the context is is that God in the Book of Deuteronomy is preparing his people to go into the promised line, and he's reiterated his laws, and he's reiterated things that dare to do and not do. And that's part of this, and so in doing Chapter 76, when the Lord your God brings you into land where. You are entering. And clear away many nation before you the Hittites and Ragusa sites and Amorites in the Canaanites. And the puzzle divides. And the Hittites and the Jebusites. 7 nations. Greater and stronger than you. When the Lord your God delivers them before you, and you defeat them, the notice God is saying, we're not going to do this. I'm going to do. It for you. Then you shall utterly destroy them. You shall make no covenant with them, and show no favor to them. Furthermore, you shall not intermarry with them. You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor shall you take their daughters for your son. So he tells them there not to do this. Now in but you gotta follow up. Basically tell him not to do it, and then he's going to. Give them a why? So oftentimes we, you know, parents, we tell our children not to do things like don't put your hand on a hot stove and and they don't listen to us until they get burned or whatever. And but God is going to tell them why they're not. To do this? Now before I show why them forever and we think, well, God tells us not to do things. 'cause he just doesn't want us to have fun. He wants his. He wants to be the ultimate buzzkill. It's like you know, but if if you didn't put all these restrictions in my way then I could have a wonderful life I could reach for all the gusto that there was, but God just just doesn't want me to have fun. But God knows because he made us. What our problems are, and so he puts up guardrails for us. Now the problem is, a lot of people think with a God way of being that you can go to the guardrail and. Then no further. Let's think about that. As you're driving down the road. Usually you don't see guardrails unless there is a dangerous spot. So in most freeways on this or it's straight you don't see guardrails. Just drive. If there's a bridge, or if they're if you're a mountainous road or whatever then you'll see guardrails. Now if you use guardrails to keep you on the road is what's going to happen to your vehicle. Depending upon how fast and how you hit it. We will at. Least scrape the paint. Or other damage to the vehicle, maybe Even so much so that you can't drive it because the guardrail is not there to keep you on the road. It's prevent you from going off the road. But we we want to use God's word everywhere as a guard will well I can bump up against it and I can bump up against it. And no wonder so many of us live. Lives of wrecks. Now, sure, I didn't fall off into the ravine, but my my vehicle, my body has been beat up because I've been bouncing against the guardrail. But God is going to say. You're not to intermarry. Not because he's prejudice, not because he doesn't want to have fun, he's going. To tell them. Or they will turn your sons away from me following following me to serve other gods. Then the anger below will be kindled against you, and he will. Quickly destroy you. But thus you shall do to them you shall tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars. And you down there Ashram and burn their graven images with fire or you are at holy people to Lord your God the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his own possession. Out of all the people around the face of the earth. He's saying, if you intermarry, if you do these things, then they're going to take your heart from me. And you're gonna go pursue bear God. Notice he's not afraid of them changing. Then to following him, he's worried that they will follow after the bear God, so he said, don't participate, don't. Even get close to that guardrail. Well, he would think the wisest man in. All the world. You know what he was doing? Return the First Kings Chapter 11.
Now, King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughters of Pharaoh, Moabite ammonite Edomite, Burtoni, and and Hittite women. From the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the Sons of Israel, you shall not associate with them, nor shall you. So they show associate with you, but they will surely turn your heart out. Away after they're gone. So the writer here. In teams is reminding us what got it, all them, but Bollmann chose not to listen. To the word of. God, and instead he decided to marry a number of different women, rich. He's going to go on before I say that. Oh man, how fast. Are these love? He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned his heart away. Now First off I would start question how wise Solomon is if he chose to have 700 wives. I'm going to get in trouble 'cause my wife's here. I have no trouble having. One woman tell me what to do. And when I don't listen to her, she then tells me I don't. Listen to her. Well, the time she's. Right, OK, it's not about being right or wrong. But Can you imagine having 700 women telling what to do? And 300 concubines, which is kind of a. It's their version of of. Common wild marriage. They didn't go through a ceremony, but they're kind of like his. Wife, he's got 1000 of. With some kind of suspect in my mind, but he has but notice what they did. They turned his heart from God. Even turned their heart to God, they turned his heart from God. So what's the most? To the virus. Moment in description. You shall love the Lord your God. It's all your heart. All your soul. All your might. With all your strength. They turned his heart from the most important man of all. And David violated the commands of God about. Coverting about adultery and about murder, and about lying. Finding his son. Most important. Amanda ball But when Solomon was old, his wives turned his head away after other gods. His heart was not wholly devoted to the. Lord his God. The heart of David his father had been. Now notice David father, David. His father had had been a man after God's own heart, he seemed. But when he seemed he would pinch it. But notice what happens. Or Solomon went after astronauts, regardless of the selonians, and after Milcombe the detestable, others of Ammonites, and Solomon did was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not follow the Lord fully as David his father had done. In Solomon built a high place for Chimos, but detestable auto mirror. With the mountain, which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molek the detestable idol of the sons of Amon. Thus also he did for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed. Her God not only here did his wives turned his heart from God, he started having built. Temples and offering of sacrifices for both gods. Now these bonds. Not just your running nuga. Be accepted. Sacrifice by sacrificing children. Through fire. Baldwin went so far as his. Lack of having a heart for God. To build altars. Is sacrificed to these foreign bonds. And how far away from God can you get? To do that? When did they say God, you know, leave me? Alone or whatever something to take. And create places of worship close to Jerusalem where God himself is to be ruthless people and to offer and as part of their worship they would have types of temple prostitutes.
The exact opposite of what broader causes people to be holy. They called the people to be unholy and unclean. People were no different than the world. We not only turned his heart. Not only be with God or neutral. But to go after these other gods. Now the Lord was angry with Solomon. Because his heart was turned away from the Lord. Without a visual, it appeared to him twice. Don't you understand something? Byron knew the. Word of God. What I just wrote you. In Deuteronomy follow me new. If God loved Solomon enough, he came to him a first time. So what you're doing is wrong. Then came to him a second time. It said, Solomon what? You're doing is wrong. You need to repent at least David when God sent aid. The Prophet Nathan repented and sought the Lord and that we read that sound of of the pendance and asking God to renew his heart. He brought himself, appeared to Solomon, the wireless man. And yet Solomon did not repent. They had commanded him concerning this thing. But he should. Not go after other gods. But he did not observe what the Lord had commanded. But the Lord said to Solomon, because you have done this, you have not put my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you. I will surely tear the Kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father, David. God is saying I'm not doing this now. Not because I'm not angry with you and not because you don't deserve it because. I'm going to honor. Your father, whose heart was after me. But because of my commitment to David. You're going to hold on to the Kingdom. In your lifetime. But I will tear it out. Of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away all the Kingdom, but I will give one five year son for the sake of my servant David. And for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen. Sometimes God blesses us. Even when we made bad decisions, not because of us, but because of his commitment to bless others. But don't think sometimes when you make a bad decision, everything doesn't turn out bad. It's because somehow gods happy with you. Maybe because someone in your family. God made a commitment. You're going to say to me, well, that's interesting, Pastor, God. I'm smart enough not to marry 700 women. Besides, it's against the law presently. Maybe in three weeks it won't be, but it as we sit here today, it's against a lot of Mary 700 women or or one woman to marry 700 men. But you say, well, you know I don't have to worry about that. It's funny how. With scriptures. So in. 2nd Corinthians Chapter 6 verse 14 says this. Do not be bound together with unbelievers. For what partnership have the righteous and the lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Bill or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Or what agreement has the Temple of God with idol, but we are the Temple of God the living God. 1st as God said, I would dwell in them and walk among them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separated, says the Lord, and do not touch what is unclean, or I will welcome you now will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters to me. For the Lord God almighty. God says you will be temple. The one that the Solomon had built as a building. You are now that temple I dwell in you and you are to be my children, my sons, and my daughters. You have nothing in common with unbelievers. But we were told not to marry unbelievers. This assignment was told not to marry foreign wives. We in the church and they were told not to marry being believers.
This is where we get depressed. It's just that sometimes God went to Solomon and told don't do this. People are going to ignore me. But I'm still obligated to tell the word of God whether you're going to listen or not. So what happens because of my experience? Being a believer for a long time and being. A pastor for. Long time not, as long as we believe it. But I have observed with this. Most frequently is young woman. Sometimes young men, big men, young women will say I want to. Marry a Christian. Our first mistake is they start dating non Christians. But they fall in love. Versus Solomon fell in love with his wife. But I love you. And so the moon most times sometimes we. In the case of a guy. She'll understand he'll understand the shoulder saying that they won't get married until the person makes a. Commitment to Christ. They know the game. The game is this, she won't. Marry me until I become a Christian. What do I need to become a Christian? Oh, I'm supposed to walk down an aisle shake the pastors hand and say I want to be a Christian, say a little center spur. I leave and go get in. The Baptist and get dumped. And that will satisfy her that I'm now a believer to go. He's not satisfied me that I'm a believer, but he's a believer when we get married and guess what happens? He never darkens the door of the church again. Because he did it all to get. Married to her. 'cause of his love or lust or whatever it is for her and her quote UN quote commitment not to marry another. So if you find yourself in that position at currently and you're going, but I love him. I can't see my life without him. And if he makes a commitment. And gets dumping the body into into water. Don't marry right away. Observe his life. Is his life consistent with a believer? Is he studying the word of God? Is he attending church? Was he trying to do ministry? Is he doing something other than say, well, I checked the boxes off of your list. I'm good now. But I know you won't listen to me because just. Like solvent, I love them. Makes my heart pitter patter. Earn if you will to buy those too. First Corinthians. Verses 12 and 13. Is this? But to the rest, I say not the Lord. But if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. When a woman who has an unbelieving husband and he consents. To live with. Her she must not send her husband away. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife, and sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Yet, if the unbelieving 1 leaves, let him leave the brother of the sister is not under
In such caused cases, but God has called us to peace. And how do you know life whether you will save your husband or how do you know or husband whether you will save your life only as the Lord has assigned? To each one. It's about as called each in this manner. Let us in walk, and so I direct. In all the churches. Was any man called when he was already circumcised and then goes on what Paul is basically saying is if you find if he became a believer after he got married. It's OK. If your spouse consents to staying with you because you now. You're giving your heart to Jesus and whatever they think, if they want to stay married then you stay married. If they want to leave. Did you let him leave? That's that's for you. But I don't see that many cases of people becoming paid. After they've already been married. It happened. But that's what he then says. But then he'll go on to say, what about? When you've lost a husband. Later in that chapter and verse 39 says the wife is bound as long as her husband lives. But if her husband is dead, she is sweet to be married to whom she wishes. Only in the Lord. For power saying. Once you've become married. And your husband or your wife is now an unbeliever, and he passes away. We're free to remarry. But your freedom is limited to a believer. Don't put the guardrails they in by heart. With this basic, if we're honest. The natural tendency of we people is to not to live the Christian life. We have our. Appetites, we have our sins. We do all sorts of things we're not supposed to do. How hard is it? We would have a believing spouse. At least there's two going in the same direction. But when you have a spouse who doesn't have the same commitment to. God that you. Do it is easy to follow them and not eat you, as Paul will say in in the book of Corinthians. Don't be seen. Bad company spoils the mole. You'll never take a fresh apple, dip it into a bunch of rotting apples. You get you up. It will cost the Apple lot you take. A single rotten apple and put it into a. A fresh apple. They were all locked. God knows who we are. And God is not saying, oh, it's not that I don't want you to have fun. It's not that I don't want to have a great life. In fact, that's what exactly what I want for you. I want you to have a life that is full. And meaningful. But when your heart. It's pulled against. It will never be that way. The last Picture I want to take. A look at we found. And father. I find very interesting. The reason why I want to read this. Is because it was written by the very person I'm criticizing this morning. The wisest man that ever lived. He was so wise we wrote an entire book that we called the Book of Proverbs. There's 31 chapters and a lot of people will do some certain things, but they'll be. They'll read one chapter with travels every day or the month because it talks about wisdom. You're going, maybe I'll pick something up. So here's this guy who wrote about wisdom. Is the most wise person, but yet wasn't wise enough, but sometimes we can still learn from that. In Proverbs Chapter 3, verse 5. 3/8 it says this. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Or that he would have done. Trust in the Lord with all your heart now. I am so thankful for this. And I'll tell you why. Because I stand up here and give you the. Word of God. Not the word of Joe. The great thing is, is whether I am a complete reprobate and a terrible person, and I am and all of those things, the truth of what I'm delivering to you is the word of God and it doesn't matter. Who I am. So if I turn out to be the most productive person that you've ever known, the word of God is still true. Knows at least enough to know. But we are to trust in the Lord with. All our heart. As he learned what it was not. And do not. Lean on your own understanding. But I love it. I want you to have a great.
Perfect life.
In all your ways, acknowledging. And he will make your path. Do not be wise in your owner. Fear the Lord. And turn away from evil. There will be a healing to your body and a refreshment to your bone. There's a saying that says, if you're the smartest person in the room. Find another room. Don't be wise in your own eyes, don't think you are the smartest person because even when Solomon messes up the way Solomon messed up, we can still learn from him. Sometimes the greatest lessons that we can learn is what not to do. I saw that. Person and how they conduct their lives. Don't want anything to do with it. Well, not a little bit. I never had any temptation take drugs. There were two reasons for that. Reason number one, I wanted to be a lawyer and I figured if I messed up in drugs and probably doing that possibility and I wanted to be a lawyer so that I could be president of the United States. Didn't work out. Too well became a lawyer, but not the rest. The second reason that I didn't want to get involved with drugs, as I saw my friends. Who were involved with Trump? They lied, cheat and steal and sell their own family. Which one? And so they would do that. Why would I want it? So what they did taught me not to do that. But sometimes you can learn even from the most foolish people. Not what to do or not, what what not? Trust in the Lord. Now we're part of your heart. Not sometime. Oh yeah. And even as we saw with David, that's still not a guarantee. Because he was a man after God's own heart and he still messed. But at least he got right when he did and was confronted with it. He would print it. Solomon the wisest man did. You do not lean on your own understanding, yeah, but I know him. He's a good guy who do the right thing. Not according to word. Lean on him besonders. It's more than making a fruit salad without meat. Lean on his unders. God mage. He knows exactly who you are. He doesn't know just about your fingers and your toes and yourselves. Who knows how they thought in your mind. He knows your intentions. He knows what makes you happy. He knows what makes you sad. He knows what makes you depressed and he knows these things. He's saying. You can pursue that. It will be short life. You can trust me. Today, tomorrow, you only turn it. In these last three episodes that has been the common link. In the bad decision. We violated the Internet. Adam and Eve. Were told not to eat the food.
They changed the word of God and. Then ate the food. They even knew about the 10th Amendment and he violated a whole bunch of. Solomon knew the word of God from Buddha, Ronnie and bought himself came twice. To warn him and he violated the order. Now you may make the wrong stock there. They make you may make you or or not as rich as you might want to have been. But you'll probably survive. If you violate the Vertigo. There are. Adam and Eve were thrown from the garden. It still had to work, but they had to work by the spirit of the brow as opposed to a really nice place to be. David family became a wreck. In solomon's. Kingdom is going to be torn from. Because they violated the word. Of God. So yeah, you know Paul wrote about whether we should bury or not married and not that big deal. Just telling you. Be careful you're confronted with the word of God. Would you do it? Because the decisions when you don't. Catastrophic awesome. And well, I like to be a loner. I care about. I want you to have a good life. Want you to be prosper? We should be happy. Which even more happy, don't you enjoy? Why don't you become? I can't believe what God has done for me today. And how? How only yell Hallelujah all the time 'cause being with the love our God is awesome. As opposed to man, I screwed up today. Now I'm not too sure if God is going to forgive me because. Or my decision? Amazing thing. Even in all these decisions that were wrong. I never said I'm taking your salvation. But I'm giving you concept. He's not here to take your salvation. He's here to give us barred wheels not to hit them, but to stay on the road. But we might have a wonderful. Prosperous life and I'm not talking about prosperity gospel. Talking about just following. The word ago. Because if. You are the first person who is hearing me, of all the people in the world. You're the poorest 1. You're a believer. Well, Richard than anyone. You have a house waiting for you, but it's made by God. But it's going to last voting trend. Love the war. All your heart. All your mind. Or yours. Is that? Which one is best for us? Is this? Word of God speak.
All down like.
Talk to me, God. But the second part is actually talk to me. God give me the strength and the ability. To do it.
And all God’s people said.