Sermon Tone Analysis

Why are we so prone to ignore warnings and the possibility of consequences?

The Space Shuttle

Healthy life choices

Cigarette packs - don’t smoke these.

They will kill you!

Adam and Eve

Foolish Choices Compromise Devotion to God

Foreign Wives

אָהַ֞ב נָשִׁ֧ים נָכְרִיֹּ֛ות רַבֹּ֖ות

The Hebrew word to pay attention to here is FOREIGN or NAV-RY-OTH

The foreigner designated by these terms is usually perceived as dangerous or hostile.

The nom. נֵכָר often appears in a construct relationship to indicate that which is morally unacceptable.

What did God say about a King’s behavior?

Deut 17

What is the ONE thing that is supposed to inform the King’s behavior?

The law of God!

How is our love or affection for fellow human beings related to our love for God?

Our affections for fellow humans can displace our affections for God!

Name some ways this can happen

We marry unbelievers.

We compromise the gospel with the misguided notion that we are loving our neighbor.

We do everything we can to take the sting out of sin.

We bring people into the covenant community who really do not know Christ.

And we don’t look close enough because it makes us uncomfortable that we might be making others uncomfortable.

NEWSFLASH Christian: inherent in the nature of being a Christian is the unavoidable affect of making God-haters uncomfortable.

If you really don’t want to make people uncomfortable, then you should stop being a Christian.

First Four: no other god, no idols, name of God in vain, Sabbath.

Last six: honor parents, no murder, no adultery, no stealing, no lying, no coveting.

On these hang the entire law and the prophets.

Why?

They are essence of the revelation of the nature of God to his image bearers.

What wisdom and encouragement would you offer someone whose devotion is being compromised?

It depends.

It could be a word of encouragement or it could be a stinging rebuke.

2 Sam

But we ignore these warnings somehow convincing ourselves they do not apply to me!

But what about the idea that we shouldn’t name names in public, that it is unloving, mean-spirited, or unkind?

Apparently Paul didn’t embrace modern western political correctness.

What about these gods that Solomon turned to all because of these women?

Molech is the most renown of these gods.

Canaanites offered their children in sacrifice to this god.

An unbelieving spouse will do everything they can to get you to embrace pagan philosophies and beliefs.

Homosexuality is a perfect example.

Christians must marry in Christ.

And if we are married in Christ, we are bound by Christ to remain in that marriage.

2 cor

Foolish Choices Come with Consequences

How do you tend to view the consequences of your sin?

Our biggest problem is that we either don’t think our sin merits consequences or some people think that every bad thing that happens to them means they committed some heinous sin.

Both of these ways of thinking should be avoided.

Sin is us NOT loving God with all your being.

Sin is lawlessness.

How did preserving the house of David in spite of Solomon’s sin fulfill God’s purpose?

How did preserving the house of David in spite of Solomon’s sin fulfill God’s purpose?

The foreigner designated by these terms is usually perceived as dangerous or hostile.

The nom. נֵכָר often appears in a construct relationship to indicate that which is morally unacceptable.

2 sam

Foolish Choices Create Problems for Others

Note v. 15: for it was a turn from the LORD.

To what end?

That he might establish His word!

This is a textbook example of reformed theology’s view that God is absolutely sovereign and human beings always freely act to carry out God’s purpose.

God’s purpose cannot be thwarted by this unbiblical concept of a radical autonomous free will that is somehow outside of divine sovereignty.

I am going to cover the last question of the lesson with some personal commentary because it is an attempt on the part of the author to slip in a pernicious cancer that is having far reaching consequences in the churches as it relates to the true gospel and even more devastating consequences in our culture.

Sin’s effects in the world: Sin does not only impact our relationship with God; it is also the root of broken relationships with the people around us.

Sin has infected and redirected the social structures of society, leading to injustice and oppression.

It is amazing to me that the wealthiest and most privileged country in the world talks more than anyone else about injustice and oppression.

The church is not called to fight or end oppression in pagan society.

The church is not called to fight or eliminate inequality in pagan society.

The church is not called to eradicate specific sins from pagan society.

Just like Rehoboam listened to the advice of the younger men whispering in his ear with disastrous consequences, many Christian leaders are doing the exact same thing today with the exact same disastrous consequences.

The cure for the woes of society is the same today as it was in the garden, as it was in Noah’s generation, as it was for Israel and as it is for us today: the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only hope.

And that gospel is NOT Jesus came to end oppression and hunger and suffering in society and make all men equal with equal pay, equal rights, or even equal opportunities.

Jesus Christ came to save sinners.