What If We Didn’t Go Back

by | May 3, 2020

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Americans are notoriously busy people, consumed by checking off the next thing on the list.  This singular focus on productivity was born in the 1920s.  World War I had just ended, giving way to the Spanish flu.   Minimum wage laws forced companies to work their employees less, in the twenties the push became “productivity”.  Gone were the days of seasonal rhythms to work and rest.  The mill now churned 24 hours a day, and soon, 7 days a week.  100 years later, we are stuck in the same, all-consuming cycle.

The next 10 years needs a better version of you; a more powerful version, spiritual, Godly, version.  If the next decade requires a tougher, stronger, more patient version of you, what are you going to do to get there?  We can try to resuscitate something that is dead, or embrace something new.  Or, better yet, what if we embraced something old?

Ecclesiastes 1:8-9 (NLT)  Everything is wearisome beyond description. No matter how much we see, we are never satisfied. No matter how much we hear, we are not content. 9 History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. 

The Inheritance of Rehoboam (2 Chronicles 10:1-11:4)

Solomon Was a Hard Act to Follow

He took Israel to heights of wealth and success previously and since unknown.  However, his success came at the detriment of his people.  They were essentially in slavery to the nation.  While Solomons people enjoyed the wealth and success, they wanted their freedom back.

2 Chronicles 10:4 (NLT) “Your father was a hard master,” they said. “Lighten the harsh labor demands and heavy taxes that your father imposed on us. Then we will be your loyal subjects.”…

Rehoboam Rejected His Reality

Rehoboam liked the status quo just fine; if it worked for his dad, it should work for him.  He figured he was King and the people were there for his bidding.  Just like Soloman and Rehoboam, governments are foolish when they believe they can control their people.  The people rose up against Rehoboam and he was preparing to go to war to get his status quo back.

2 Chronicles 10:8 (NLT) But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men and instead asked the opinion of the young men who had grown up with him and were now his advisers.

But God Said, “No, it’s time for a new thing.”

Rehoboam had to let go of his status quo and venture into the unknown.  The age of amassing great wealth and comfort was over.  The People of Israel (and now Judah) also began a journey into the unknown.  During this journey, nobody made great choices.  They got caught up in their politics, circumstances, their escapes and they forgot they were God’s people.  That is what would ultimately destroy the Nation of Israel. Forgetting God.

2 Chronicles 11:4 (NLT)  ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, for what has happened is my doing!’” So they obeyed the message of the Lord and did not fight against Jeroboam.

What If This Is Our “Do-Over”?

What if We Stopped Believing in the World?

This world is broken; it promises to meet our expectations, but it never does.  When are we going to STOP BELIEVING in it?  We need a better rule book to guide our lives.

Matthew 16:24 (NLT) Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow Me. 

What if We Gave the Rest of Our Lives to God?

We could stop waiting and making excuses.  TODAY is the day of salvation and the day to start living a different way.  We could start a cycle of obedience, today.  We could start speaking plainly, but kindly.  We could teach our children a better way.  Blessed are those who hear. More blessed are those who act.

John 4:34 (NLT) …Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent Me, and from finishing His work.

What if We Discovered Real Satisfaction?

Things that serve as an escape to your problems only result in guilt and shame.  The enemy uses these distractions to build strongholds.  Anything without Jesus, will bring no satisfaction.   The will of God is satisfying. The Commands of God are satisfying. They are rewarding and are your treasure in Heaven.  Don’t spend your life on the wrong things, only to find you have robbed yourself in the end. 

We Could Rechart our Future Starting Today

What we are going through is unprecedented.  If we come out of this unchanged or on the same course as before, it will be wasted.  The lesson could be lost, and we would be no better for the experience.  Jesus is the only thing in life that is worth anything.  How could we obey these words today? Talk about that with a friend.

Talk About It… 

  • Review 2 Chronicles 10:1-11:4. What do we learn about God in that story? What do we learn about people in that story? 
  • What do you think about Rehoboam’s actions? What did he do right? What mistakes did he make? How do people try to breath life into a dead future?
  • Read 1 John 2:15-17, 1 John 3:23. What do we learn about “the world”? What do we learn about God? What could you do this week in response to this passage?
  • Read Matthew 16:24-26. What does this verse teach us about Jesus’ expectations of us?
  • Review John 4:34. What does Jesus mean when he says he has nourishment they didn’t understand? What kinds of things “nourish” us?
  • What should we do this coming week in response to these scriptures. Name a person with whom you could share your insights regarding this study?

For The Kids

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