A Name That Became a Warning - DJ Dickerson - 5/3/26

In your Bibles, I would encourage you to

go to the Old Testament book of First

Kings. First Kings.

Uh we're going to look at several

passages actually uh this evening. Now,

uh I have a lot of information to cover

as this is kind of encapsulating

everything that the kids have learned uh

in the life of Jeroboam. Now, it's quite

a bit of information. So, uh, hopefully

I can get all this in tonight, uh,

because we're covering a span, uh, First

Kings 11, chapter 12 through4 and 2

Chronicles 11, a few passages there. Uh,

one of the things I would note in in

this lesson right off is there are some

names in scripture that become more than

names. Uh, they become warnings.

uh when we hear the name Judas, one of

the words that we would associate with

his name Judas is scared is that of

betrayal, right? Uh when we hear the

word or the name Pharaoh, we think of

hardness of heart. Uh Achen, we might

throw his name out there and

automatically it comes to our mind,

hidden sin. You see how we have those

word associations with those names. And

when we come to the name Jeroboam,

that's another one where we

automatically think a lot of times

corrupted worship. Uh over and over

again, the Bible would later describe

wicked kings by saying they walked in

the way of Jeroboam. This is what our

kids have been learning about in the in

their class about the kings recently. uh

and that's one of the things that stood

out to them or or the fact that they

continued in the sins of Jeroboam the

son of Nebat who had made Israel sin. So

when I was thinking about how to title

this evening's lesson, uh is well came

down to this one.

A name that became a warning. That is

Jeroboam.

A name that became a warning. And and I

believe that the phrase that we see in

the way Jeroboam is recorded is is quite

sobering. Uh Jeroboam, he did not merely

sin privately. He made Israel sin. His

reign became a turning point in that

spiritual decline for of the northern

kingdom. He was a man who received an

opportunity from God. But instead of

trusting God, he tried to secure his

position by changing God's pattern of

worship. And that is why and that's

really what makes uh Jeroboam so

relevant to us today because Jeroboam

teaches us that worship can be changed

by fear. Worship can be altered by

politics. Worship can be reshaped by

convenience. worship can be made easier,

closer, more attractive, or more

pleasing to the people and still be

rejected

by God. You know, uh you hear me quote

this many times. John chapter 4, and

John 4 · chapter mention

I'll actually mention it this this

evening yet again in the uh an opening.

But the hour is coming, and now is when

the true worshippers will worship the

father in spirit and truth. For the

father is seeking such to worship him.

God is spirit and those who worship him

must worship in spirit and in and truth.

There John 4 and verse 23 and 24. And I

will submit to you that that word must

matters. A little word four letters must

has. It really does matter because Jesus

did not say worshippers may worship

however they prefer. He did not say

sincerity alone is enough. He did not

say worship is acceptable as long as

people just feel close to God. That

whole emotionalism type stuff. He said

true worshippers must worship in spirit

and truth. And when you look back to the

Old Testament, these examples that we

have like that of Jerobom, our topic

this this evening, Jerobom's great

failure was that he tried to keep the

appearance of religion while removing

the authority of God.

It reminded me of what the Proverb

writer says, and the kids were learning

this particular verse in their Bible

classes as well. Proverbs 29 and verse

two. Proverbs 29 and verse two, when the

righteous are in authority, the people

rejoice, but when a wicked man rules,

the people

groan.

Jeroboam's people though uh may not have

groaned at first.

They may have thought this uh change

were political. Uh they may have

appreciated not having to travel as far.

They may have welcomed a religion that

seemed easier and and more convenient,

but as time progressed,

the nation groaned beneath the weight of

a leader who led them away from God. So

the lesson before us is is really this.

When worship is shaped by fear,

convenience, and human wisdom instead of

the word of God, people may call it

progress, but the Lord calls it sin.

So, let's talk about Jeroboam, about

this opportunity that he was given by

God. Now a lot of what you'll see in a

small writing up here for that matter

but first kings chap 11 29-38 is the

passage that that we're going to see

here and which I'm mentioning uh that

talks about uh in first kings 11 how

Solomon's heart had turned away from the

Lord. The man who built the temple of

God also allowed idolatry to take root

in Israel. And because of Solomon's

faithfulness, as recorded in these

verses here for us, God declared that

the kingdom would be torn from his

house.

But God did not tear the whole kingdom

away for David's sake. You remember, one

tribe would remain with the house of

David.

the rest would be given to Jeroboam.

Well, remember that Jeroboam was not

originally a king. Uh he was actually a

servant of Solomon. He was industrious.

He had ability. Uh Solomon noticed him

and placed him over part of the labor

force, the house of Joseph. I I mean

there's there's some very interesting

things mentioned here. Well, in this

particular passage of verses 29 through

38, as it goes on, the prophet Egypt met

Jeroboam on the road there, right there

in verse 29. Some things that he did was

quite interesting as you go on down

through those verses. Uh, Ahij, took a

new garment and tore it into 12 pieces.

and he told Jeroboam to take 10 pieces

because because God was going to give

him 10 tribes. Now, that moment I I

thought that should have really humbled

Jeroboam, right? He was not stealing a

kingdom. He was he was not merely

climbing some kind of political ladder.

Uh he was being given an opportunity by

God.

And God's message to him was quite

clear.

If Jeroboam would listen, if he would

obey

and walk in the ways of the Lord,

well, that's what verse 38's talking

about,

right? God would be with him and

establish his house. That's important

because here's the thing about Jerobom's

future

did not depend on clever politics. It

didn't depend on manipulating the

people. It didn't depend on rewriting

worship practices. It depended on

trusting and obeying God.

And God was essentially saying,

Jeroboam,

I'm giving you this kingdom.

You did not have to secure by sin what I

have granted by promise.

But that's exactly where Jeroboam

failed.

There's a lesson here. before

he ever builds a golden calf.

Blessing does not remove responsibility.

Opportunity does not guarantee

faithfulness. A door opened by God must

still be walked through with obedience

to God.

Jeroboam had a promise, but he also had

a choice. And that same thing is is true

for us today. We have opportunities. We

have influence. We have homes and

families and congregation and talents,

abilities, responsibilities, and open

doors. Keep the list going there. But

every single blessing carries the

responsibility to use it under God's

authority.

Think about how a father can use his

influence to lead his family toward

heaven or away from it. A mother can use

her influence to strengthen faith or

weaken. An elder can shepherd according

to the word or according to personal

preference. A preacher can proclaim the

whole council of God or preach what is

easy to hear.

A Christian can use freedom in Christ as

an opportunity for service or as an

excuse for spiritual carelessness. You

see, there's a whole list I just went

through.

Jeroboam reminds us that being given

opportunity by God does not mean that we

will automatically

honor God with that opportunity.

So the first question we'd ask is, well,

what has God given me?

Yeah, we could use that. Yeah, what's

God given me? But I would give you even

a better question.

Am I using what God has given me in

obedience to him?

Now, this is where it kind of starts

going, right? He had opportunity. Well,

fear sets in. And Jeroboam feared losing

what God had promised.

Now after the kingdom divided, Jeroboam

became king over the northern tribes.

And remember Riaboam we talked about not

too long ago in one of the classes with

the children. Riaboam Solomon's son

remained king over Judah. Now at first

Jeroboam appears to act like any king

would. Look at first kings 12 in verses

25- 27.

Jeroboam built Sheckchham in the

mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there.

Also he went out from there and built

pineal. And Jerobo said in his heart,

"Now the kingdom may return to the house

of David, if these people go up to offer

sacrifices in the house of the Lord at

Jerusalem, then the heart of this people

will turn back to their Lord Riaboam,

king of Judah, and they will kill me and

go back to Riabom, king of Judah." You

see the fear that's setting in.

So we see that he built Sheckchham in

the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt

there. He he also built pine but then we

are allowed to understand to hear what

was happening inside his heart. Right?

That the kingdom may return to the house

of David. Here's the issue.

God had promised him what the kingdom.

But Jeroboam became afraid that if the

people went back to Jerusalem to

worship, their hearts would return to

Riaboam. So he reasoned within himself.

That can be some dangerous grounds,

right? If the people keep going to

Jerusalem, think about this. He's

working through this in his heart, his

mind, they they may remember the house

of David. If they worship at the temple,

the loyalty may shift. Uh if if their

loyalty shifts, then I may lose THE

KINGDOM. IF I LOSE THE KINGDOM, I MAY

LOSE my life. You see how fast that

happened? Wow.

Now, now pause and consider what

happened.

Jeroboam let fear preach louder than the

promise of God.

Because God had already told him what to

do, right? God had already told him how

his house could be established.

But Jerobom trusted what we would call

political calculations is the word that

I use. more than God's word. That's what

he did.

Fear is so dangerous.

Fear is so dangerous when it tells us

disobedience is necessary for survival.

Fear says if you do things God do things

God's way, you may lose something.

Fear says if you stand for truth, people

may leave. It fear says if you refuse to

compromise, you may not be accepted.

Fear says, "If you worship only as God

authorizes, others may call you narrow."

Fear says, "If you preach the whole

truth, some may be offended." But faith

says God knows what he is doing.

So friends, I think you can see as you

work through these passages that

Jeroboam's

sin began

before the calves were actually built

because it began in the heart of a man

who stopped trusting God.

That's where the departure begins.

Before worship changes outwardly, faith

often weakens inwardly. Before a person

changes the doctrine, he has often

already changed his confidence in God's

wisdom. Before a congregation changes

patterns, it has often already decided

that God's way is not enough. Before a

Christian compromises, he's often

already believe the lie that obedience

will cost too much.

Jeroboam in his life teaches us that

when we fear losing what God has

promised,

we may try to protect ourselves

by disobeying the very God who blessed

us.

And that, my friends, is a tragic

exchange.

Jeroboam was trying to save his kingdom,

but in doing so, do you know what he

did? He destroyed his legacy.

He tried to secure the throne by

compromising worship. But his compromise

became the very sin that marked his name

for generations.

The safest place for God's people is

never in the cleverness of human wisdom.

The safest place is always in obedience

to God. So what did Jeroboam do? Well,

we're quite familiar with Jerobom has

heard we've heard many lessons on that.

Again, the kids were just learning about

this just recently. And when you look

back to that of of Jeroboam, who changed

the object, place, priesthood, and time

of worship. That's a lot that's listed

there, isn't it? Look at that.

Because again, this is not a private

issue that he has. This actually is

policy. We might use that word policy.

Uh first kings chapter 12 goes on to

1 Kings 12 · chapter mention

record really one of the one of the most

tragic religious innovations in the old

testament actually because Jeroboam

changed really the entirety of wor the

worship of Israel.

Uh he made two calves of gold. He placed

one where in ba in Bethl and the other

one in Dan. He told the people, "It is

too much for you to go up to Jerusalem."

Look at that. How nice of him, right?

He's just thinking of them. Oh,

look at it. He said, "HERE ARE YOUR

GODS, oh Israel, which brought you up

from the land of Egypt." And he set one

in Bethl and the other putting he put in

Dan. Now, this thing became a sin for

the people went to worship before the

one as far as Dan. Those

words should make us tremble.

They echu they echo the sin. You know

where that echoes the sin from? Exodus

32.

Exodus 32. Because that was what

happened at Mount Si. Remember that when

Aaron made the golden calf, what did the

people say? Exactly what you find

Jeroboam saying here in First Kings

1 Kings 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12. You go back to Exodus 32 and

you're going to find Aaron saying the

the people said, "This is your God, O

Israel, that brought you out of the land

of Egypt."

Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

So, Jeroboam was not leading Israel

forward. He was dragging them backward.

And notice how much he changed. Friends,

God had revealed himself to Israel. He

delivered them from Egypt. He he had

given them his law. He he warned them

not to make what? Carved images. We know

that one. Yet Jeroboam gave the people

what? Two golden calves.

He may have tried to present this as

worship that was connected to God. He

may not have said, "Well, let us abandon

God." You know, well, he just didn't say

that like that did he entirely. False

worship often does not begin by denying

God's name. It begins by attaching God's

name to something God never authorized.

You see that throughout the Old

Testament scriptures for sure, and

that's still dangerous today.

People can use biblical words while

practicing unauthorized things.

People can claim to honor God while

ignoring what God has said. People can

say, "Well, this is for the Lord." while

offering what the Lord never requested.

Because friends, sincerity does not

sanctify disobedience.

Never has and never will.

Jesus said, "Worship must be in spirit

and truth." And truth is not determined

by human creativity.

Truth is revealed by God. So yes, he

went and he changed some things, didn't

he? He changed the object of worship. He

changed the place of worship. He placed

one calf in in Bethl and one in Dan.

Now, when you look at a map, you'll find

that Bethl was in the southern part of

his kingdom. Uh Dan was was in the north

and and sometimes we might say, well,

from a human standpoint,

uh this was brilliant. Uh he made

worship geographically convenient.

He essentially said, well, why would you

travel all the way TO JERUSALEM? WHY?

WHY MAKE the journey and why go through

the difficulty? Because you can worship

closer to home.

Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Because

that's the language of convenience.

It's too much for you. Remember that?

That's his words. It is too much for

you.

And that phrase has not died. Do you

know that? That phrase is still used

today. May not verbatim, but by the

actions, that's what's happening. It's

too much to insist on biblical

authority. It's too much to ask people

to follow a pattern of the New

Testament. It's too much to say baptism

is essential for salvation. It's too

much to worship without additions that

God has not authorized. It's too much to

expect Christians to assemble

faithfully. It's too much to preach

repentance and remission of sins. It's

too much to call people back to the old

path. You see, I could keep going. I

think you'll get the drift.

But here's the deal. Jeroboam understood

something about people.

If you make religion

convenient enough,

many will accept it without asking

whether it is right or authorized.

But convenience is not the measure of

acceptable worship.

The question is not is it easier. The

question is not is it closer. The

question is not well do people like it.

The question is has God authorized it?

So he changed those things. He changed

the priesthood. Even friends in verse 31

says that Jeroboam made priests from

every class of people.

Where's the priest supposed to come

from? Remember that was already that was

God had already told where the priest

need to come from and that was the tribe

of Levi, right?

Well, God had already spoken about that

or the law of Moses. But Jeroboam, what

did he do? He replaced God's order with

his own.

Now, there's some additional insight

when you go to 2 Chronicles 11:es 14 and

15. Uh, think about this. the the

Levites left their common lands and

their possessions and came to Judah and

Jerusalem. For Jerobom and his sons had

done what? What' they do? Rejected them

from serving as priests to the Lord.

Then he appointed for himself priest for

the high places for the demons and the

calf idols which he had made.

They just they they left for their

common lands their possessions. They

came to Judah and truth because Jeroboam

and his sons had rejected them from

serving as priests to the Lord.

That's strong language that's happening

there. Because when Jeroboam rejected

God's priesthood, he did not create what

some might call a harmless alternative.

He opened the door to corrupt worship.

And what a a lesson there again that

when men reject God's arrangement, they

do not by any means improve worship,

they corrupt it. Under the new covenant,

Jesus Christ is called great high

priest. Christians are holy priesthood

offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable

to God through Jesus Christ. Peter talks

about that in 1 Peter chapter 2. And

1 Peter 2 · chapter mention

friends, you go through all those

scriptures and and the whole point there

is we don't have the the right to

redesign the order of God's house.

The church belongs to Christ. The

worship belongs to the Lord. The

authority belongs to the Lord. And even

as Colossians 3 and verse 17 says, "And

whatever you do in word or deed, do all

in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving

thanks to God the Father through him."

And every time I see words like that,

what that just shouts to me when I see

in the name of the Lord Jesus, it is

saying by the very authority of Jesus

Christ.

But yet Jeroboam is acting in his own

name. And friends, again, that's always

dangerous. Dangerous.

What else did he change? We noted in the

chart. Well, he changed also the time of

worship. In verse 32 of First Kings

1 Kings 12 · chapter mention

chapter 12, you go back over there, you

see that he ordained a feast on the 15th

day of the eighth month, like the feast

that was in Judah, and offered

sacrifices on the altar. Well, he did

that at Bethl, sacrificing to the calves

that he had made. And at Bethl, he

installed the priest of the high places

which he had made. So, he's changing

some some dates around here. And again,

that phrase that you see uh in that in

that passage, the phrase that says like

the feast, that's important to note

there because it was similar but not the

same, right? It looked religious. It had

ceremony. It had an altar. It had

priests. It had sacrifices. It had a

feast, but it was not what God

commanded. You see, all that appearance

stuff is going on.

There's a lesson.

Here's the lesson with this. Something

can resemble true worship

and still be false worship.

It can be close and still be wrong. It

can be emotional and still be

unauthorized. It can be popular and

still be sinful. It can be

ancientlooking and still be man-made. It

can be done in God's name and still be

rejected by God. You see, that's exactly

what's happening in the days of Jer

because he created religion and looked

enough. It looked enough like the old

religion to satisfy the people but

different enough to serve his political

agenda.

And that's a danger of man-made

religion.

It often keeps enough truth

to appear spiritual,

to appear religious,

while changing enough truth to please

man.

Y'all remember Jesus in Matthew chapter

Matthew 15 · chapter mention

15 and verses 7-9.

Matthew 15 7-9. hypocrites. Well, did

Isaiah prophesy about you, saying,

"These people draw near to me with their

mouth and honor me with their lips, but

their heart is far from me, and in vain

they worship me, teaching as doctrines

the commandments

of men." Friends, I'll tell you, vain

worship is real. A person can worship

and not be accepted.

A person can be religious and still be

wrong. A congregation can be active and

still be drifting. A worship service can

be emotional and still lack authority.

And Jeroboam teaches us that worship

worship is not ours to redesign.

God seeks true worshippers.

He seeks those who worship him in spirit

and truth.

Let's look at something else. I told you

I had a lot that I'm trying to share

with you tonight. Jeroboam made sin

easier for the people.

Uh I think one of the saddest phrases

that's connected to Jeroboam is is what

I mentioned at the very beginning of the

lesson that I've highlighted here in

First Kings 14 and verse 16. This is his

legacy. This is what he's remembered

for. Every time I hear the name

Jeroboam, I automatically think of this

verse right here.

who sinned and who made Israel sin.

Friends, he did not merely sin. He

created a system that made sin

convenient, made sin official, and made

it national.

And that's what wicked leadership does.

Because Jeroboam's rule, as I mentioned

Proverbs 29:2 earlier in the

Proverbs 29:2

introduction, when the righteous are in

authority, the people rejoice. But when

a wicked man rules, the people groan.

And that's what they were doing.

Groaning spiritually, even if they did

not recognize it at first.

You know, they thought they were being

helped. Hey, no more long trips to

Jerusalem, guys, right?

No more crossing in Judah. Uh no more

concern about divided loyalties. No more

need for those Levites. Okay? Uh, no

more strict adherence to the old

pattern. Uh, no more inconvenience.

Right? See how that has that ring to it?

But what looked easier became deadly.

And that's Satan's oldest strategy.

He rarely begins by making sin look

destructive.

He makes it look reasonable.

You remember the serpent did not present

the forbidden fruit as rebellion.

Remember that

he presented it as desirable.

Jeroboam did not present the calves as

apostasy. He presented it as convenient

worship. Well, false teachers today,

think about that. They do not introduce

error by saying, "Let us abandon God."

You know, well, that might strike a

chord with folks.

They often say, "Well, let's let's try

some different things. Let's make things

more appealing. Let's make things

easier."

But whenever God's word is set aside,

I can assure you, and the Bible attests

obviously to this, and as we study this

evening, people suffer.

There are leaders who make righteousness

easier for people by pointing them to

God. And there are leaders who make sin

easier by lowering the standard. I used

examples earlier about a father can make

sin easier in his home by refusing to

lead spiritually.

A mother can make sin easier by excusing

what God condemns. A preacher can make

sin easier by avoiding hard topics, hard

passages. Elders can make sin easier by

tolerating

error for the sake of peace. A

congregation can make sin easier by

valuing numbers more than truth. Friends

can make sin easier by encouraging

compromise.

Culture, society itself can make sin

easier by calling evil good and good

evil.

See all of those things. And Jeroboam is

reminding us that influence is never

neutral.

Somebody is being led by the choices

that we make.

A a man may say may say, "Well, it's

just that's just my decision."

But Jeroboam shows that one man's

decision can become a nation's

direction.

That's why leadership matters.

The righteous use authority to point

people to God. The wicked use authority

to protect themselves, promote

themselves, and please people.

Jerobom's leadership, when you get down

to the root of it, he was about

self-preservation, was he not? He was

not asking, "What does God want?" He was

asking, "How can I keep this kingdom?"

That question corrupted him.

And anytime that we put

self-preservation above obedience, we

have reached the danger zone. How can I

keep my popularity?

How can I keep people happy? How can I

keep from being criticized? How can I

keep my position? How can I keep my

comfort? How do I how can I keep from

losing friends? Those questions can

actually become idols to us. I mean,

think about that. I mean, think about

the council. They were scared. They they

they would confess Jesus. They believed,

but they wouldn't confess him because

they were afraid of what? Losing their

seat in the synagogue.

See, they had that same problem. How can

I keep my position?

The better question is this. How can I

actually be faithful to God?

Oh, Jeroboam is such a powerful lesson.

Let me give you another one. Jeroboam

was warned by God, but he refused to

repent. Uh this one was always striking

to me because, you know, God didn't

leave Jeroboam without warning. I mean,

that's you know, over and over again,

prophets would come and, you know, there

were there was there was always this

back and forth, wasn't there? In first

1 Kings 13 · chapter mention

Kings chapter 13 in verses 1-10, we find

recorded for us a man of God who came

from Judah to Bethl. Uh Jeroboam was

standing by the altar to burn incense as

as noted in the passage. And and the man

of God carried it out against the altar

and prophesied that a child named Josiah

would one day be born to the house of

David and he would bring judgment upon

that false altar. Then God gave a sign.

The altar would split apart. The ashes

would be poured out. Jeroboam heard the

word of the Lord. But instead of

humbling himself, he stretched out his

hand and commanded the prophet to be

arrested. And immediately his hand, what

happened to it? It withered so that he

could not pull it back. Then the altar

split apart just as the man of God had

said. Friends, that scene is so powerful

because Jeroboam look at get just get

you in your mind this image. He is

standing at an unauthorized altar. He's

performing unauthorized worship in a

religious system that he designed. And

when God's word rebukes him, his first

response, not repentance, his first

response is resistance.

And he points his hand against the

messenger of God. But God withers the

king's hand. And Jeroboam asked the

prophet, "Oh, pray for me." Well, that

was strange, wasn't it? All of a sudden

now look, you know what? You got me on

that one. Okay, pray for me. And so

what's the man of God do? Well, he

intercedes and Jeroboam's hand is

restored. Now, we would expect, well,

after that, we're all lining up for

repentance. Okay.

No, surely this would change Jeroboam.

Surely the withered hand that would

humble him. Surely that split altar

would wake him up. Surely answered

prayer will bring him back to God. But

verse 33 says that after this event,

Jerobom did not turn from his evil way.

What?

That may be one of the saddest

statements in his life.

He saw the sign. HE FELT THE JUDGMENT.

He received mercy. And still,

what are you doing, Jeroboam?

Here's

what this tells me.

Miracles alone do not create obedient

hearts.

Warnings alone

do not create repentance.

And discipline alone does not change a

person who refuses to yield. That's what

it tells you.

A person can survive a warning and still

continue in sin. Jeroboam is proof of

that. A person can be corrected and

still harden their heart. A person can

still can receive mercy and still go

back to rebellion.

Again, Jeroboam's withered hand was

restored, but not his heart.

How many people are like that? They want

God to fix the consequences, but they

don't want to surrender the sin. I want

relief, not repentance. I want

blessings, but not obedience. I want

prayer but not transformation. I want

God's mercy but not his authority. See

the same issue still happens today

echoing all the way from first kings

because Jeroboam teaches us teaches us

this. Don't ever confuse momentary

concern with true repentance.

True repentance does not merely say help

me. True repentance says, "I have sinned

and I must turn back to God."

Jeroboam asked for intercession, but he

continued iniquity. How tragic that is.

A warning for every soul. When God's

word exposes something wrong in our

lives, we must not stretch out our hand

against the message. We must humble our

hearts before the Lord.

All of these things is is just steamroll

to disaster.

And that's what we find that Jeroboam's

sin brought judgment on his house.

The first four verses of First Kings

1 Kings 14 · chapter mention

chapter 14, Jeroboam's son became sick.

Jeroboam told his wife to disguise

herself and go to the prophet Abi. And

that's striking because Jeroboam uh had

rejected God's word when it corrected

him. We just talked about that, right?

But when trouble entered his home, he

wanted information from God's prophet.

Well, that's interesting. Turn of the

tables.

People still do the same thing today.

This is, you know, we ignore God and

prosperity, but when they going to seek

him when there's a crisis. Y'all see how

that works?

Going to reject God's authority in

worship, but want his help in suffering.

refuse his word when it confronts sin,

but desires his comfort when pain the

consequences come.

Exactly what you see in First Kings 14.

Jeroboam told his wife to disguise

herself, but no disguise can hide a

heart from God. Before she arrived, God

had already he already told the prophet

who was coming. And though Aai's eyes

were dimmed because of age, his

spiritual sight was so crystal clear

because God had spoken. And what goes

into verses 5- 16 is is is really

severe. It's so severe

that God reminded Jeroboam in this

passage that he had exalted him from

among the people and made him rule over

Israel. But Jeroboam had done evil in

above all who were before him. Even he

had made other gods and molded images

provoking God to anger and and and had

cast God behind his back.

And I think that phrase is so

heartbreaking.

Cast behind his back.

Because Jeroboam did not merely make a

mistake. He treated God as if God could

be pushed aside.

And judgment came upon the house of

Jerobom. His dynasty would be cut off.

His child would die.

Eventually, Israel itself would suffer

because of the sins Jeroboam caused them

to commit.

Jeroboam's sin did not stay with

Jeroboam. Friends,

his family suffered, his nation

suffered, and future generations

suffered.

Now I think about this when I read this

yet again is sin always reaches farther

than the sinner intends.

A man may think, "Well, that's my

choice,

but his children may pay for it. His

home may be weakened by it. His

congregation may be influenced by it.

His friends may follow him into it, and

his future may be marked by it."

Jeroboam wanted to protect his throne

and instead he destroyed his own house.

That's what sin does.

Sin promises security, brings ruin,

promises freedom, but brings bondage.

Promises success and brings shame.

Friends, it promises convenience and it

brings condemnation.

Jeroboam's life warns us that no

position, title, or influence can

protect a person from the judgment of

God.

And the king still answered to the Lord

of Lords, so do we.

And that's the Jerobom's legacy.

Just as the title of this lesson was,

friends, a name that became a warning, a

warning for generations that are still.

We live today as another generation that

has come into this world.

That Jeroboam reigned for 22 years, but

his influence lasted far beyond his

reign. After his death, king after king

of the northern kingdom continued in his

sins. His name became a spiritual

measurement of wickedness.

The Bible repeatedly says that later

kings did not depart from the sins of

Jeroboam. Think about that. Jeroboam

died, but his influence kept preaching.

It kept teaching. His false altars

remained. His unauthorized worship

remained. His corrupted system remained.

Friends, his compromise remained. His

name remained attached to sin.

And I thought about one day we'll leave

this world, but our influence will

continue.

What will our influence preach long

after we are gone?

Will it point people to truth or

compromise? Will it lead our children

toward Christ or away from him? Will it

strengthen the church or weaken it? Will

it teach reverence for Bible authority

or indifference toward it? Will it show

that worship matters or that man can

change what God has commanded?

Jeroboam's legacy says, "Do not

underestimate the long life

of a bad example."

But I'll submit to you friends that

thankfully the opposite is also true.

Faithful influence can outlive us too.

Abel being dead yet speaketh. As the

Hebrew writer says in Hebrews 11, Noah's

faith still teaches us. Abraham's

obedience still instructs us. Joshua's

declaration still challenges homes. As

for me, in my house, we will serve the

Lord. Paul's faithfulness still

strengthens preachers. Timothy's sincere

faith still encourages young servants of

God. Y'all see? So, the question is not

whether we will leave an influence. We

will do that. The question is what kind

will we leave?

So when it boils down to this

Jerobom and the question of worship even

a whole huge topic on that one

friends the reign of Jeroboam forces us

to ask serious questions about what

we're doing today.

questions that we have to answer. Is God

pleased with worship simply because

people are sincere? Is worship

acceptable simply because it is popular?

Can man change what God has revealed and

still expect God to accept it? Does

convenience have the right to overrule

authority? Can we call something worship

if it's not according to truth and

spirit?

Isn't that what John 4 we talked about

earlier?

That true worship involves the heart but

not the heart alone. It must be in

spirit and truth.

Friends, we must still ask what has God

authorized?

Not what would make worship more

entertaining. Not what seems harmless to

us. What does scripture say? Because

Jeroboam teaches us that additions are

not harmless when they alter what God

commanded.

He added calves, unauthorized priests,

unauthorized places, unauthorized feast.

He added a system that God did not

command. And God God did not say, "Well,

at least they're worshiping." He didn't

do it. God condemned it.

True worship makes everything about God.

Friends, I bring the lesson to a close.

I I I I want to make this last point

here that uh I think needs to be said

uh for the invitation is what Jeroboam

did. Jeroboam points us to the need for

a better king.

There's no doubt in our minds in reading

and looking briefly over what we have

and I say briefly because there's a lot

of passages that we we noted. There's

more that's there. But Jeroboam, I I

believe we can conclude, failed as king.

He failed. He was given a kingdom. He

didn't trust God. He led people, but he

led them into sin. He built altars. They

were false. He appointed priests. They

were unauthorized. He offered worship.

That was rejected. He He received

warning, refused to repent. He left a

legacy, and it was one ashamed.

And Jeroboam was reminding us that

Israel needed a better king.

And the kings that we go through and the

kids are learning all of this in their

Bible classes and their eyes are it's so

it's so interesting to hear them talk

about what they're learning in their

Bible classes. If you haven't talked to

your kids about what they're learning,

talk to them. It's it's you know to to

to hear these kinds of things and and

and and they have the same questions

even even at their age. They're like why

why what's wrong with these people,

right?

But all of these kings, what they're all

showing us even that there's a better

king

and his name is Jesus Christ.

Jeroboam ruled by fear. Jesus reigns in

righteousness. Jeroboam changed the

worship to protect himself. Jesus

submitted himself

to God to reconcile us. Jeroboam made

Israel sin. Jesus came to save his

people from their sins. Jeroboam's

kingdom was divided. It was unstable.

Jesus kingdom cannot be shaken.

Jeroboam created a false priest. Jesus

is the true high priest. Jeroboam stood

by a false altar. Jesus offered himself

as the perfect sacrifice. Jeroboam's

reign brought groaning.

Jesus reign brings redemption.

That's why our loyalty must be to Christ

above all.

He said, "He who believes and is

baptized will be saved." His apostles

preached repentance and remission of

sins through baptism. The early church

continued in the apostles doctrine of

the Lord added the church this those who

were being baptized those saved to his

church in Acts 2 and verse 47. Our

calling is not to be clever like

Jeroboam. Our calling is to be faithful

like Christ.

That's the lesson I told you I had a lot

to share with you. And I don't know how

the teachers in their Bible classes

summarized all of that and their their

time. They did a they had to do a lot a

lot better job than the way I did. But

uh

I want us to take away from this a lot

of points and I appreciate y'all y'all's

attention, but I hope that it hits home

with us.

Do not build Bethl when God has spoken.

Jeroboam's life is such a stark warning

about what happens when one thinks that

they can improve on the word of God.

Those words still ring out today. It's

too much for you. It's too much for you.

No, it's not. It's not too much for us.

Jeroboam built Bethl and Dan to keep

people from going where God had

directed. But today, Christ calls us to

come to him.

We are to worship in spirit, truth.

And I and I'm hoping that we look at our

lives and we look at God's word and say,

am I doing what God's word says and am I

doing to the best of my ability? because

there's other people all around us that

are in danger

of bad influences, the friends. It's

also the other way I mentioned earlier,

the good influences that we can do for

generations to come, starting with our

own homes. And with that, that's a name

that became a warning that still echoes

loudly today, as you can tell from all

the points that we looked at briefly

tonight. Friends, you get your your

hearts and minds thinking about what

we've studied, thinking about our life

before before the Lord. If you're

outside of Christ, do not follow the way

of society's definition of religion. You

come to the king on his terms, you

believe in him, you repent of sin,

confess his name, you baptize for the

remission of your sins to rise and walk

in newness of life as Romans 6 3 and 4.

That is the King of Kings and the Lord

of Lords. That's what he wants us to do.

If we can assist you with that tonight,

we will definitely do that. All things

stand ready. As a disciple of Christ who

may have drifted, don't let sin harden

into legacy.

Turn back now. Jeroboam was warned and

did not repent. Let his failure move us

to humility. Because when God speaks,

the faithful do not build calves. They

bow before the king.

The king that gave his life for us. If

you're sub invitation call, won't you

come as we stand? Sometimes we sing the

song that's been selected for