A sermon preached on July 4, 2010 at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana by Pastor Joe Alain.
Louisiana has lost 1,900 square miles of land since the 1930's due to coastal erosion. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita alone transformed 217 square miles of marsh into open water in coastal Louisiana. Erosion of our coastal wetlands occurs naturally but it can also be accelerated by how we manage our wetlands. Between 1990 and 2000, wetland loss was approximately 24 square miles per year – that is the staggering equivalent of approximately one football field lost every 38 minutes.
Spiritual erosion occurs naturally but it too can be accelerated. Rehoboam, king of Judah and the nation were experiencing accelerated erosion. In this story, we discover the tragedy of an eroding life and nation. The great preacher F. B. Myer said “No man suddenly becomes base [corrupt, worthless, immoral].” It’s a gradual process of spiritual erosion. Chuck Swindoll tells the story of a tree in his neighborhood that had stood as a landmark for many years. He thought that the tree would be there forever, but one day without notice the tree fell. Upon closer examination, it was discovered that inside the tree it was pithy and diseased. It rotted from within. It never looked diseased on the outside but once it fell it was obvious to all that it was sick. The process of erosion had taken its toll and was now on display for all to see.
Webster defines erosion as “The process of where something is diminished or destroyed by degrees. To eat into, or to eat away by slow destruction of substance, to deteriorate.” Erosion is slow, silent, and secret but after the collapse you can see plainly. Today, we will examine a life that has long since fallen, and in doing so, we can also see how to avoid spiritual erosion in our lives.
Rehoboam’s Roots
(1) Rehoboam enjoyed an enviable heritage. He was the son of Solomon who followed his father’s reign as king of Judah (1 Ki. 11:41-43). Rehoboam was 41 years of age when he began his rule (1 Ki. 14:21) and he ruled for 17 years.
(2) Rehoboam grew up surrounded by wealth and privilege (see 1 Ki. 10:14-27). Solomon says about his own pursuit of pleasure, “I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure” (Ecc. 2:10).
(3) Rehoboam lived in a dysfunctional family. He was a neglected child. Solomon was too busy for his family. How could Solomon spend time with Rehoboam when Solomon “loved many foreign women” 700 to be exact (1 Ki. 11:3). Along with them came their gods and their children. Rehoboam was one of them, a son of an Ammonite woman named Naamah (1 Ki. 14:21). Rehoboam grew up in an a-moral culture.
What were the causes for this national and spiritual erosion? And what can be done to stem erosion in our spiritual lives and in our nation?
1. He Listened to Unwise Counsel (1 Ki. 12:1-15)
The people (v.4) said, “Lighten our load and we will serve you.” Rehoboam consulted with the elders (vv.6-7) who concurred with the request of the people. However, he rejected the counsel of the elders in favor of the counsel that his young advisers offered (vv.8-15). Rehoboam like Solomon before him got into trouble because he believed in the divine right of kings which caused him to arrogantly throw his power around. Whose advice are you listening too? Listening to unwise counsel leads to erosion.
2. He Followed His Parents’ Weak Example at Home Rather than the Truths of Scripture (1 Ki. 14:21-24)
Rehoboam did evil and participated in idolatry (v.23). Judah became immoral as the other nations (v.24). It is true, you become like the god that you worship. Where did Rehoboam learn to live like this? He was influenced by his mother, an Ammonite (v.21) and Solomon his father (1 Ki. 11:1-8). Rehoboam could not filter out the good from the bad influences. Parents, what kind of example are you setting for your children?
3. He Substituted the Authentic with the Synthetic (14:25-28)
Shishak, King of Egypt attacked Jerusalem (v.25) and the temple was plundered (v.26). Rehoboam had bronze shields made to replace the gold (v.27). These inferior shields were kept in the “guardroom” not the temple. Bronze shields are easier to make but they require continual shining. Instead of admitting that he’s wrong, admitting that the nation is under God’s judgement, admitting that their broke Rehoboam covers up, fakes it. Keep the shields shining, don’t let anyone know anything different. You do that when spiritual erosion sets in.
You haven’t started doing that have you? Do you remember when life was pure, authentic, real, fresh? When Adam and Eve sinned, the first thing they did was try to cover up, pretend nothing’s wrong, we do the same.
4. Rehoboam Refused to Seek the Lord (2 Chron. 12:14)
He was unwilling to seek the Lord with his whole heart. He dabbled just enough in religion to be dangerously content and smug feeling that he was ok. The result of all of this was that Rehoboam and the nation experienced continuous wars during his reign (14:21, 30). He lived in chaos, turmoil, and there was no peace. There is no peace for the wicked.
Your life does not have to erode. Our nation does not have to go the way of Rome. America is great because of its people. And if we will continue to be great, it will also be because of her people!
So how do we eradicate spiritual erosion?
The Eradication of Erosion
First, we must recognize that . . .
1. Any life can erode
How can you tell? There are signs of erosion. What are they? Here are some signs that spiritual erosion is evident in your life.
(1) A diminished interest in studying or reading the Bible.
(2) Rationalizing sin.
(3) An unhealthy attachment to material things.
(4) Not consulting God on major decisions.
(5) Accepting the influence of others who couldn’t care less about God.
Are any of these signs of erosion present in your life?
2. Surround yourself with godly counselors
Prov. 11:14; 12:15; 13:20; 15:22
3. Emulate godly examples
Pattern your life after godly examples, aspire to greatness.
4.Guard your heart (Prov. 4:23)
From the heart flows everything else; therefore, guard your heart. Along our coast embankments are being built to keep the oil out of our fragile marshes. It is imperative that the oil be kept away. And so it is with our lives. It is imperative that we keep sin away from our heart. We need to establish a spiritual embankment that will allow no ungodly thought or action to find a place in our heart.
For His Glory!
Pastor Joe
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