Solomon

SERMON NOTES (click arrow to the right to open)Main Idea: We need a strong finish as well as a strong beginning. The key to a strong finish is an undivided heart.Sermon Notes: God offers Solomon a request for any thing he wants from God. Solomon requests wisdom. 1 Kings 3:5Wisdom could be defined as seeing and responding to life from God's perspective.After the temple is built God responds to sacrifice with fire. 1 Kings 8Solomon finds himself at a crossroad, obey or believe God's laws really don't matter. 1 Kings 9:4-7Solomon doesn't listen. 1 Kings 11:1-10. He marries many women who worship other gods. Deuteronomy 7:3-6, 9 God warns against marriage with these women.Solomon PERMITTED their worship, PROVIDED places for their worship, an later PARTICIPATED along with them. Downward progression.Solomon becomes a man with a divided heart. His sinful choices to please himself and others drew him away from God. John 14:23Sin is rebellion, slavery, and hardens hearts. Ultimately leads to a difficult life.After his life, his kingdom is split in two.Later, as God had said the temple Solomon built was destroyed. Jesus cleansed the temple. John 2:16, claimed that he would rebuild the temple, Matthew 27:39-40, makes his claim good as we are the temple of God with indwelling Spirit. There is glory in the temple! John 1:1&14, glory in Jesus, and glory in us because of him. The resurrection is not the finish line for Jesus. He is returning!Invite God to deep clean us! Proverbs 9:10REALIZING God's greatness RESPECTING his authority in your life RESTRAIN yourself from evil God say "you can do it," you can finish well! What we need is an undivided heart.Application Questions: 1. What are some examples of the tension we experience that pits God's wisdom against worldly wisdom. 2. Why is it difficult at times to trust God's wisdom? 3. Have you ever experienced the progression that Solomon did when he permitted something, then provided something, then participated in that something? 4. Share practical ways we can protect ourselves from a divided heart, when we are with others as well as when we are alone.