Ii Chronicles 12:14
King Reheboam's failure as a leader serves as a warning to us to seek God's wisdom and guidance in all aspects of life.
Chuck Smith discusses the failures of King Rehoboam, emphasizing that his downfall stemmed from a failure to seek the Lord for wisdom and guidance. Instead of relying on God's counsel, Rehoboam followed poor advice and trusted in his military strength, leading the nation away from the Law of the Lord. Smith highlights the importance of preparing one's heart to seek God, making Him the first recourse in times of need rather than the last. He encourages believers to trust in the Lord wholeheartedly, as true strength and guidance come from Him alone.
Text
"SEEKING THE LORD"
Intro: King Reheboam was a disappointment. Though his father Solomon was
wise, he was very foolish, and because of his folly the kingdom
was divided. When we see a man who has been given splendid
advantages and opportunities yet ends up a failure, the question
arises how did he fail?
I. "AND HE DID EVIL."
A. Followed bad counsel.
1. "Blessed is the man who walketh not..."
2. When he came into the throne of his father.
a. 10 northern tribes sought relief from
oppressive taxation.
b. Old counselors said yes, young said no.
3. He did not seek God for wisdom thus followed bad
advice.
B. He trusted in his military strength.
1. One of his first acts as king was to fortify the
cities.
2. He built strongholds and put garrisons in them.
3. When Shishak king of Egypt came against him, he sought
not the Lord for help, but trusted in his military.
C. "He forsook the Law of the Lord."
1. And the people followed him.
2. He was made leader.
a. He led them in the wrong direction.
1. Away from their source of strength.
2. Help.
b. So when the crisis came, they failed.
ll. WHY THESE EVILS? "HE SOUGHT NOT THE LORD."
A. In every case, a failure to seek God.
1. He sought men for wise counsel.
2. He sought to his military for strength.
3. He forsook the law of the Lord.
B. How often do we fail to seek God for help for our needs.
1. We turn to man for help.
2. We lean upon our friends for strength.
3. "It is better to put your trust in the Lord than your
confidence in man."
a. How often have men let us down.
b. How many times has God failed you.
III. "HE PREPARED NOT HIS HEART TO SEEK THE LORD."
A. If your heart is prepared to seek the Lord it becomes the
pattern of your life.
1. You don't need someone to remind you to pray.
2. One of the first questions our counselors are taught
to ask, "have you prayed about this?"
3. God becomes your first recourse instead of your last
resource.
B. We are instructed to "trust in the Lord with all our heart,"
what does this mean?
1. The heart is the deepest area of your being. The
very core of your existence.
a. Our minds are fickle, subject to change.
b. You may give God your mind for a moment but
when you give Him your heart, that's forever.
C. The importance of conditioning our hearts to seek the Lord.
1. The difference between the good path or the evil path.
2. The difference between life or death.
D. How to prepare my heart.
Sermon Outline
- King Reheboam's Disappointment points: - Followed bad counsel - Trusted in military strength - Forsook the Law of the Lord
- Why These Evils? points: - Failure to seek God - Turning to man for help
- Preparing the Heart to Seek the Lord points: - Pattern of life - Understanding the importance of the heart - Conditioning the heart to seek the Lord
Key Quotes
“Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.” — Chuck Smith
“It is better to put your trust in the Lord than your confidence in man.” — Chuck Smith
“He forsook the Law of the Lord, and the people followed him.” — Chuck Smith
Application Points
- We should seek God's wisdom and guidance in all aspects of life, rather than relying on human counsel or military strength.
- Preparing our hearts to seek the Lord is crucial in making Him our first recourse and not just our last resource.
- The heart is the deepest area of our being, and when we give God our heart, it's forever.