Portrait of a King: Watch Your Step!

2015-10-11 
Dr. Ben Gutierrez 

“I thought It would never happen to me!”  
“How did I get to this place in my life?”
“I never saw this coming!”

So many people admit that they are in deep spiritual turmoil.  Many seek help from their pastor, friend, or other spiritual leaders to help them get out of their spiritual rut.  And these phrases are the most common words out of their mouths.  And after a review of the Scriptures, the struggling person quickly realizes that all their spiritual weariness all began by ignoring one small, little spiritual discipline in their life.  Dr. Ben Gutierrez rehearses the slippery slope of sin in the life of Solomon and reviews Ephesians 4:17-20 in order to learn how not to slide down the slippery slope of sin…and in the little things in life to always be careful to “Watch Your Step!”

“If left unchecked, sin will grow worse and worse!”

I Kings 3:9a NLT
Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong.

I Kings 3:10-14 NLT
10 The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. 11 So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— 12 I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! 13 And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life! 14 And if you follow me and obey my decrees and my commands as your father, David, did, I will give you a long life.”

I Kings 4:32-34 NLT
32 He composed some 3,000 proverbs and wrote 1,005 songs. 33 He could speak with authority about all kinds of plants, from the great cedar of Lebanon to the tiny hyssop that grows from cracks in a wall. He could also speak about animals, birds, small creatures, and fish. 34 And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.

I Kings 11:9 NLT
The LORD was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 

Proverbs 5:22 NLT
An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.

Proverbs 4:13 NLT
Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life.

Proverbs 9:12 NLT
If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit. If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.

“If left unchecked, sin will grow worse and worse!”

“IF left unchecked…”

Six-Fold Digression of Sin

Ephesians 4:17-19
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Ephesians 4:17-19
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

Step One – “futility of their mind” (v.17)
Produced by: Slight Dependence on Self!

Step Two – “having their understanding darkened…” (v.18)
Produced by: Frequent alienation from intimacy w/ God! 

Step Three – “blindness of their heart…” (v.18)
Produced by: An unpracticed Christian walk! 

Step Four – “who, being past feeling…” (v.19)
Produced by: A desensitized conscience! 

Step Five – “given themselves over to lewdness…” (v.19)
Produced by: A disdain for all that is holy! 

Step Six – “to work all uncleanness with greediness.” (v.19)
Produced by: A selfish desire for more!

“If left unchecked, sin will grow worse and worse!”

Ephesians 4:20
“But you have not so learned Christ!”

Proverbs 5:9-14 NLT
9 If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved. 10 Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor. 11 In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body. 12 You will say, “How I hated discipline! If only I had not ignored all the warnings! 13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers? Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors? 14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”

Watch Your Step!