Losing Our First Love

Bible Text: I Kings 11 | Preacher: Alan Conner | Series: 1 Kings, 2006

Northwest Bible Church – March 26, 2006 – Worship Service – Alan Conner

1 Kings 11

Leaving Our First Love

 

 

INTRO

 

 

SOLOMON’S APOSTASY (vv. 1-8).

 

Solomon’s spiritual character.

 

1) Solomon loved God (1 Kings 3:3).

 

2) God loved Solomon (2 Sam. 12:24-25).

 

3) Solomon was a spiritual man.

 

 

Solomon’s spiritual corruption.

 

1) He left his first love (11:1).

 

2) He multiplied wives ( 1 Kings 11:1-3; cf. Deut. 17:17).

 

3) He married pagan women (1 Kings 11:1-3; cf. Deut. 7:3).

 

4) He worshipped their many idols (1 Kings 11:4-8).

 

 

How do we explain this?

 

1) The doctrine of perseverance of the saints.

 

2) Unanswered questions about Solomon.

 

 

God’s anger and discipline (1 Kings 11:9-40).

 

1) God’s anger toward Solomon (vv. 9-13). Divided heart – divided kingdom.

 

2) God’s discipline (vv. 14-40) – three adversaries.

 

 

The warning to the church.

 

 

 

LOSING OUR FIRST LOVE

 

Two things that will not prevent it.

 

1) Great blessings will not prevent it.

 

GODLY EXAMPLE (v. 4).

GENUINE EXPERIENCES (v. 9).

GOOD EDUCATION (v. 10).

 

2) Great spiritual giftedness will not prevent it.

 

 

Two things that cause it.

 

1) Bad company is a cause.

 

2) He did not guard his heart.         Heart – 5 times in vv. 2-4.

 

The digression:

 

– From loving God to loving pagan wives (v. 2c),

– From loving his wives to worshipping their gods (vv. 3-4),

– From worshipping their gods, to building their high places (vv. 7-8).

 

The drift:                 

 

 

 

III. RESTORING OUR FIRST LOVE

 

Rev. 2:4 ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love.

Rev. 2:5 ‘Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent.

 

1) Remember.

 

2) Repent.

 

3) Do.

 

 

 

CONCLUSION