Deut. 4:22-31 The Curse of Backsliding Dec 10,
2005
Introduction:
A. Christians in America/the world
desperately need revival! But do we
want it? How badly and at what
cost? Beginning with whom? Would you be happy if it didn’t start in the
Baptist church? Or, in America?
B. The reason we need revival is that God’s
people have not become what He wants us to be.
Some who were on their way to becoming what God intended, have become
backsliders.
C. Background on the passage. Today, let’s consider:
Conditions – Consequences – Cure for
Backsliding
I. The Conditions of Backsliding, v-28.
“there you will serve gods...” Where is “there”? “There” is the place of backsliding.
A. The Impurity of a Careless Life, v-25. “remained long in the land”. “Slumbered in the land.”
1. Eve was
careless…Yielded to Satan’s temptation.
Adam was careless...Listened to
Eve rather than God.
Samson was careless…Listened to
Delilah’s seduction
David was careless… Stooped to
adultery & murder.
2. Impurity always starts
when we become dull, sleepy, & careless.
Only when we
walk in the light are we continually being cleansed by the blood.
1 John 1:7, “..if we walk in the light as He Himself is in the
light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son
cleanses us from all sin.”
3. Lost the vision of Christ? Neglecting prayer, the means of grace? Quiet time?
Witness? The impurity of a
careless life will lead to further backsliding.
B. The Idolatry of a Carnal Life, v-25.
“act corruptly & make an idol in the form of anything” Note: verses 12 & 15.
1. When a man loses awareness of the
presence of God, he creates a substitute, an idol.
2. Man was created with a need to
worship. If he doesn’t worship Yahweh,
he will form his own representative/substitute for God. This is Idolatry.
3. Man begins to write his own Bible. He will not accept/believe God & His
word.
Creates his own
interpretation. Sets his own standard;
plans his own future; WORSHIPS HIS OWN EGO.
C. The Iniquity of a Calloused Life, v-25.
“do that which is evil”
1. Rom 8:7-8, “..the mind set on the
flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God,
for it is not even able to do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please
God.”
2. Brash, brazen, & bold. Pity the person who can sing a song in a
strange land. Some can look you in the
eye, give a testimony, sing a song, while in their lives is absolute
defeat! Arrogance.
Illus.: Pete B. “I don’t have
to live it, I just have to preach it!”
Illus.: David A.
Was
caught after having stolen as much as $75,000.
When asked why, his answer was, “You just made it so easy!”
3. Corinth.
Incest in the church.
4. Calloused & presumptuous. I’ve seen them as I preached. They sleep, they talk, they smirk.
II. The Consequences of Backsliding, v-26 – 28.
A. Dispossession, v-26. Lose your blessing.
1. Canaan always symbolized the blessing of
God. A land of prosperity &
security. To backslide is to be
dispossessed of all that God had promised.
2. Of over 1 million adults who came out of
Egypt with Moses, ONLY 2 entered the land of God’s blessing, the land of
promise! They all died because of unbelief & backsliding.
3. While we can never lose our salvation,
Heb. 3-4 warns that Christians can miss out on God’s rest and the fullness of
God’s blessing. DIE in the
wilderness.
B. Dissipation, v-27. Lose your witness.
1. G. Campbell Morgan – “The world holds in
supreme contempt the man who has turned his back on God.”
Case in Point: Jonah.
2. Scores of people who at one time were
members of the churches I have pastored have turned their backs on God, and are
living in dissipation and waste. Wandering
in the wilderness.
C. Degradation, v-28. Lose your usefulness.
1. Serving the works of man’s hands.
2. Samson, guilty of Careless Life, leading
to idolatry, carnality, & the Iniquity of a Calloused life; was
Dispossessed of his great strength, Dissipated as a slave of the Philistines,
and was forced to grind corn among the mocking enemies of God.
III. The
Cure for Backsliding, v-29.
Allison Krause sings,
“Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die!” That seems to be true physically as well
as spiritually! If we’re ever to
experience revival, we MUST be willing to die – to sin and to self. There must be:
A. A Returning to God,
v-29. No Trifling.
1. Intellectual Repentance. The Prodigal son “came to himself”!
2. Spiritual Reverence.
Seek &
Search for Him.
3. Emotional Response. Not a Casual one.
1 John 1:9, “If we confess…” This doesn’t mean to simply “list or name” our sins.
4. Volitional Rededication.
Deliberately retracing the steps that led you away from God.
B. A Rejoicing in God, v-29.
“you will find Him”
1. Not finding a blessing or experience. You find a Person.
2. Prodigal Son. When he
came home, he didn’t rejoice to see the old home, his father’s servants, or old
friends.
He rejoiced to see the Father’s face, look into his
eyes, and hear, “Welcome home!”
Conclusion:
Are you as committed to God and His Word as you ever
were? Or, are you a “used-to-be”
Christian?
You know, the world isn’t in need of revival! The world needs salvation. The church needs revival.
The church doesn’t need revival because the homosexuals are taking over, or because liberal politicians are ruining the government. (I don’t mean to equate the two)
We need revival because Christians have been, and are backsliding.
2 Chron. 7:14, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”