Finishing Strong

• Christmas Story Scene 1 – https://youtu.be/OHn7CGutwWY?si=NJAylGhbJwU9GWwo
• Christmas Story Scene 2 – https://youtu.be/m-B93hwsQcs?si=Z0CFtPvsusYK6LOx

1 Kings 11:1-3 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter—Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. ² They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. ³ He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

What do you love that steers you away from Jesus?

James 1:13-15 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; ¹⁴ but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. ¹⁵ Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

• Sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go
• Sin will cost you more than you ever wanted to pay
• Sin will keep you longer than you ever wanted to stay

1 Kings 11: 4-8 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. ⁵ He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.

⁷ On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. ⁸ He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.

Ashtoreth – A fierce warrior goddess of love and fertility. They would set up poles in certain locations or under large tree canopies. The way to worship/ receive blessing from Ashtoreth was to have sex with someone under the canopy or touching these poles.

Molek – god of the Ammonites. A family would bring one of their children to the altar (Carved in stone with horns on each corner). They would have the child ritually killed and then offered up in fire to assure blessing and prosperity for the family.

Chemosh – god of the Moabites. Offer sacrifices to this god to assure victory in war and protection from surrounding nations. The sacrifices made were the enemies defeated in battle (Alive or dead). The more people they sacrificed the more favor they received from Chemosh

1 Kings 11: 9-13 The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. ¹⁰ Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s command. ¹¹ So the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates. ¹² Nevertheless, for the sake of David your father, I will not do it during your lifetime. I will tear it out of the hand of your son. ¹³ Yet I will not tear the whole kingdom from him, but will give him one tribe for the sake of David my servant and for the sake of Jerusalem, which I have chosen.”

So Solomon did not receive any punishment for his actions, but his kingdom and children did.

• Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king.

1 Kings 14:23-24 They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ²⁴ There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

How fast can sin and compromise destroy the good work done in a person’s life?

1 Kings 14:25-27 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. ²⁶ He carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including all the gold shields Solomon had made. ²⁷ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.

Within five years

• Rehoboam lost half the land.
• He lost 10 of the twelve tribes
• All the wealth his dad accumulated was taken.

The world’s wealth and success can corrupt good character.

Celebrities that lost faith.

• Katy Perry –
• Richard Gere –
• Britney Spears –

John 15:5-8 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.