The Backslider | Part 1

You love Jesus more today. Listen to Adrian Rogers was ever a time when you love the Lord Jesus Christ more than you. You are backsliding and you need to pay attention because the Bible says the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways. By the way many are backslider in heart before they become backslider in action, and the first step is to become a backslider welcome to love with finding the time was teaching the pastor and author Gabriel much at some point in our walk with Christ through the stone and experience setbacks in their growth even King David though a man after God's own heart was a great sinner backslider. But we also find that David was a great repent or he exemplifies the way back to God. After sliding into sin if you have your Bible turn to Proverbs chapter 14. Look at verse 14. As Adrian Rogers shares part one of the backslider take your Bibles and look in Proverbs chapter 14 and verse 14 are you ready Proverbs 14 and verse 14 the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

The backslider in heart.

I want to talk to you today about the backslider who is and what is like where you say preacher. I hope some of those old backsliders may be here to listen to you today a friend you may be the one I'm talking to know frequently backslider does not realize that he is a backslider. What is a backslider anyway what you sent backsliders a lost person who doesn't know the Lord will your own. I backslider someone who does know the Lord.

No unsaved person can be backslider, backslider, someone who does know the Lord, you have to go somewhere before you can slide back a backslider is someone who has known the Lord met the Lord and then has slid back from that relationship that he once had the Lord, you still saved, but he is out of fellowship with God.

As a matter of fact there was ever a time when you love the Lord Jesus Christ more than you do today you are backslider was ever a time when you trusted them, or there was ever a time in your prayer life was richer every time you love and enjoy the Bible more if there was ever a time when you were a better soul than you are now your backslider and you need to pay attention because the Bible says the backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, and by the way many are backslider in heart before they become backslider in action. The Bible says, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. And as a man think it in his heart, so is it in the first step is to become a backslider in heart, so I want us to pay very much attention as we talk about a backslider.

Now I want us to go for an illustration. I thought many illustrations of the Bible of what a backslider is in and what happens to backslider, but I could think of no better illustration than I have you turned right now in your Bibles to second Samuel chapter 11 and second Samuel chapter 11.

We have bear the story of David and he is committing adultery with Bathsheba is not a person who has not heard of David and Bathsheba, and the horrible terrible thing that David did when he committed adultery with Bathsheba, let me say, as were turning to second Samuel chapter 11 that David was one of the greatest man who ever lived. I have a profound admiration in my heart for David as matter fact I read and studied about David so much of the Bible that I think of David is one of my friends, I never met a mate I'm looking forward to couple thousand years of fellowship with David one afternoon and have as we sit around and talk about the things of God.

While a man was David. The Bible calls David a man after God's own heart. David was a courageous man. The Bible tells about how David slew a lion and how David slew of bear and we all know what it did Goldline. He was a courageous man what a gifted man was David David, the sweet sing of this room.

David, who was a musician David, who was a poet David was a prophet, David, who was a king David, who led the kingdom to such heights of glory that he perhaps was Israel's greatest king. Few people in all the world have ever been more singularly last and gifted and more talent and more ability, more natural, NA ability then did this man that we call David. Not only was he a courageous man.

Not only was a gifted man. It was such a humble man after he was anointed to be the king over Israel and what he did went right back out attending the sheet what a humble man was this man, David, few men have been more humble had genuine humility in this man, David, and then again what a noble man he was to remember reading in the Bible how Saul was trying to kill David. Saul. It was at that time, the king of Israel and David fled for his life like a partridge on the mountains of Israel, and yet there came a time when Saul was in David's hand and David had the ability to kill Saul. David didn't do it to. David said, God forbid that I should touch the Lord's anointed one nobility there was in this man, are you listening to me and yet they even fail and he fell hard and he fell long terrible and tragic was the fall of David.

That brings me to say something I want you to pay attention if David became a backslider, don't you think that out to be a warning to you.

I mean listen, you don't love God more than David did you not more gifted than they do not more humble and David still not more noble than David. David was a man after God's own heart and what a solemn warning solemn warning. This passage of Scripture to be that every one of us so I want you to give me your attention and don't you let the devil steal way to see this going to be sewn in your heart and in your mind today.

Now we go to find the story of David's sin here and look if you will. First of all, as we think of the calls of David's backsliding because of David's backsliding I'm reading here in chapter 11 verses one into and it came to pass after the year was expired at the time when kings go forth to battle that David sent Joab and his servants with him at all Israel, and they destroyed the children of Amnon and BCs Arava but David tarried still at Jerusalem, and it came to pass in an evening time that David arose from all his bed and walked up on the roof of the king's house and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

Now we're talking here about the cause of David's backsliding in the very first because I want to say is the cause of casualness. The sin of casualness. David now has become very casual about the things of the Lord.

Verse one tells us that it was the time when kings went to war. But David didn't go to war, David did not go to fight Israel's battles he did not go to fight God's enemies. David was the king David was the commander-in-chief.

He was a warrior king and in his younger days.

David would've been there, right in the forefront of the battle but you know what happened.

David is had braised piled upon victory.

David has known nothing but success and now he thinks he can send Joab and somebody else to fight for him. David now has decided he's going to live a life of E. You see, he's taking God for granted. He's taking the blessings of God for granted. He's taking the victories of God for granted any sending somebody else into the battle of the Bible tells us that we are to endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ and many of you here today are just like David God has blessed you in younger years, and you've known victory in human own power and you know God and God is been with you and that you will be getting to close now you're beginning to presume you just simply assume that God is going to be with you and your committing the sin of casualness.

If you notice in verse two. The Bible says it was at evening time. Are you watching that David arose from his bed, look at that is getting dark and David is getting out of bed. It's time to be going to bed. He's getting out of bed. David has been doing.

He's been lounging around being lazy and ending sound like they how casual this man has become is a cliché a little slogan, a proverb, as it were, I believe you herded an idle mind is the devil's workshop ever that, but I want a that's what happened. This man, David had television been lined up in bed watching television is simply taking it easy and not even time that he gets out of bed military something Frank God never intended for you to be idle in spiritual things and God never intended for you to get out of the battle spiritual never yes I will retire. One of these days where you may retire from your job. Would you like to retire from serving the Lord Jesus, and I want to tell you those of you who retired that only gives you more time to serve Jesus Christ. Did you know that but I want to you can pray better, you can witness all on a single not to go fishing and put in the yard all that but as far as your relationship with God, you better watch idleness here was a man who began to take God for granted.

Take the blessings of God in the victories of God for granted and some of you have been so blessed and it can happen to a church, a church can be so asked that we get casual about the blessings of God, but I want is sin of casualness turn to the sin of carelessness.

Look, if you will now as we continue to read here in chapter 2 and the Bible goes on to say, but David arose from office bed and walked up on the roof of the king's house and from roof he saw a woman washing herself and the woman was very beautiful to look at what you say pastor.

He couldn't help the fact that he saw her walking around. There she shall not been taking a bath out there like that through group and God holds the man accountable for lusting. He certainly holds a woman accountable for acting aggressing displaying herself in such a way as to cause a mandala's the ideas here that when the Bible says she was very beautiful to look upon the ideas that David just stayed there to gaze upon her. He looked on her.

As Jesus said several look at on a woman to lust after her, that committed adultery with her already is missing out David because he's casually getting care. I mean, had he been in the battle had he been in the forefront.

Had he been keeping his time with God. Had he not went when he saw that immediately a lot would've done it will look away, but now he's entertaining things in Paul's day has no right to entertain somebody as well. Say we can keep the birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from making a nest in our hair and here's what happened to David. Now this thing is getting lots down in his heart. You see, the Bible speaks of the backslider in far as the reason the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 4 in verse 23 keep my heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life as a man think of in his heart, so is a closer look at the woman to lust after. In his heart has committed adultery with her already is what Jesus said and so the man is getting careless.

He's dropped his guard.

He is not keeping his heart. The word, to keep the heart means to our your heart young man listen to me. Young ladies listen to me. You guard what goes into your mind and what goes into your ears and what you see with your eyes. The Bible says. Guard your heart with all diligence, you would put garbage in your mouth.

Why put garbage in your mind. Bible says in Isaiah 33 in verse 15 he that walked righteously and speak at the rightly he that despises the gain of oppression that shake of his hands from the holding of bribes. Listen to this that stop with his ears from the hearing of blood and shut his eyes from seeing evil he shall dwell on high. What is God saying God is said there's some violence there some sin, you better not look upon you seeking a man take fire in his bosom, and be not burned down a man go upon potholes and not affecting the Bible says that certain things that you close your eyes to the to the stop used to watch her not to listen, but many of God's people, and some of you because you gotten casual in these last days you getting so sophisticated you're watching things you have no business watching you listing the things that you have no business listing to your going places. You have no business going you associate with people that you have no business associated with you become careless. Now watch first.

It was casual just lolling around. Then he became careless. Not only was it the sin of casualness and carelessness. It was also sin of compulsiveness. Look, if you will now as we continue to read here in verse three and David sent, and inquired after the woman now. Compulsively he did that. That is, David had not planned to do this thing. It was the spur of the moment. He looked down. Then he said, she that woman then what your name find out for me. We now have enough land to say it was the spur of the moment, but it came out of a heart that was casual and careless. David had you told David a week prior to this, that he would've done such a thing he would've denied he never knew that he had this proclivity. This evil within his heart, but David did something that he was ashamed of doing that humiliated him, but he did it on an impulse he did it in a moment. Are you listening some of you are going to fall and you're going to fall hard and when you fall, you going to be surprised and amazed that God will not be surprised because you been casual about your relationship with God. Given careless in the things that you been saying and doing, and seeing and places you've been going and then when the devil had you right at the right moment. You are going down going down to fall and remain and you sit there right now you protest, you say, not me. I would never do anything like that that three-person sitting in the chair that you're in this morning. There's a person you are right now and the person you could be for God to you. Very few people realize what God can do through you if you would give them everything. I mean if you were just to get sold out for God. You cannot begin to bring what to do for you. I if he had average around every fiber of your pay one dime to do in your life, but I wanted something else is a person sitting in that seat that you occupy that you would hardly recognize that has a capability of evil and sin are usually not me. Yes, you issue that old life, that flesh is still there.

I want to tell you dear friend Paul said I know and be in my flesh well is no good thing and if you study the lives of God. St. almost every one of them is been a terrible horrible episode where they took their eyes off the Lord Jesus Christ and got in the sand and they went and you listen to me.

I told you the beginning of this message better than David wiser than David stronger than David God put this here in the 11th chapter of second Samuel as a warning to every mother's child among us, he committed the sin of compulsiveness.

He did something in a moment he did something that he had not intended to do you not thought about doing but the devil modem from casualness to carelessness to compulsiveness and now he moved to callousness in the same chapter you're going to find out and had I time I would tell you the whole story, but many of you know the story how David in order to try to cover his sin had Bathsheba's husband put today. Now what happened is this that David wanted everybody to believe that the child that was conceived was not David's but indeed Bathsheba's husband's name was Uriah, but what David did and by the way Uriah was one of the finest men in David's army, David, in order to try to cover for sin told Joab the commander-in-chief. Uriah out there in the hottest part of the battle and when the battle is real thick and when the hours of flying and when his great danger.

Tell the rest of the soldiers to withdraw leave Uriah out there stranded he will be slain. Nobody, nobody will know what has happened, they will all believe it was but an accident or an act of war, but it was at the best manslaughter at the worst. It was murder and David did this thing now pay attention with when David committed sin with Bathsheba that was a warm-blooded sin. But when David put Uriah to death. That was a cold-blooded sin. He had to think about this was not a sin of casualness. This was not a sin of compulsiveness. This was not a Santa carelessness. This was a sin that was can I was a sin that was planned. It was a Santa callousness. I can't believe that David is doing such a thing. David was Uriah's friend. He was Uriah's King. He was Uriah's commander-in-chief, and as such, he should have been his protector, but rather than being his protector.

He took his life and Uriah who would have died for David's on died.

David's hand, how could David do such a thing the devil knew exactly how to get David David a man after God's heart became careless and from that time on he went down. That's the clause by clause of David's backsliding.

Some of you have come to the part where it where David is right. David got so calloused and so hardhearted that he wouldn't even admit a sin in the sum of you that weight listening to me.

There those realistic know God and love God in the heart, but you have become so you're saying that you're actually now scheming and conniving and sitting with your eyes wide open. Second thing I want to see not only do I want you to see the calls of David's backsliding but I want to see the cost of David's backsliding wanted to do. I want you to see that God took the prosperity out of David's life. I want you to see what sin did to David because sin has its call and began to calls David very much what happened is this that David went for almost a whole year without confessing his sins. The Bible tells us about it and in the Psalm 32. Turn to Psalm 32 with me for a moment. Here's David's testimony. This was written after David got right with God and he said, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. While Morte want to backsliding is right with God will want to enjoy what a relief it is. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven of sin is covered. Blessed David says is a man whom the Lord imputed, nonequity, and in whose spirit there is no guile that is in noticing he's quit trying to cover his sin, and then he gives his testimony.

He tells what happened to him. He says when I Silenced my bones wax no I what happened to David in that year he aged. I imagine 10 years. Sin causes premature aging name Mary Hart doing good like a medicine but then he went on to say that sin causes brittleness. The dryness of the bones that's what he saying here he saying that the physical strength went out of me for here my bones. Wax told they look if you will, in verse three he says through my roaring all day long.

Now the word roaring bullet that fully what it literally means is through my groaning all day long all day long. David's heart is vexed with any because he sin I want to pay very much attention to me because if you don't pay attention.

Some of you go get misled.

Some of you who are living in adultery are some kind of sin say well of David when they have and I'm going to heaven to live a dear friend.

If you are living in that kind of sin the same thing is true about you was true about the you know what happened to David. I want to tell you David was having a turmoil in his heart. It was an expression eating his guts out my roaring all day long.

When God saves you Mr. God doesn't fix you up or you cannot send anymore but God fixes you were.

You cannot sin, and enjoyed in a more animals miserable man in the world is not a lost man most miserable man in the world is a saying man out of fellowship with God and David talks about the hand of God that was upon him. He goes on to say by hand. Verse four was heavy upon me night and day when you're a child of God, and you do this way the Bible says those in the Lord loves he chastens and God laid his hand upon this man. God had David in his grip God was shaking David and reminding David of his sin.

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