1. 369 – Mended And Whole 654 – Are You Weighed Down? Opening Prayer 157 – At The Cross S-57 – Thank You, Lord! 683 – Sing And Be Happy Sermon “Shine” 300 – I Am Coming, Lord 361 – In His Time

2. Isaiah 53 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

3. Matthew 27:28-31 28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head. 31And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.

4. 369 – Mended And Whole 654 – Are You Weighed Down? Opening Prayer 157 – At The Cross S-57 – Thank You, Lord! 683 – Sing And Be Happy Sermon “Shine” 300 – I Am Coming, Lord 361 – In His Time

6. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain” (Galatians 4:11). “You were running well; who hindered you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7) “Some will fall away from the faith” (1 Timothy 4:1) “The time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine” (2 Timothy 4:3) “If any among you strays from the truth” (James 5:19) “And many will follow their sensuality” (2 Peter 2:2).

7. “Is it Easier to Sin These Days? Maybe. But Not Always.” Some feel that one reason may be that we live in a very wicked era. One could argue: – It is easier to commit various sins today, for sin at times is far more accessible. – Many sins in our culture are no longer viewed as being shameful, rather the person who is shamed is the individual who voices opposition to them. – There is essentially an unofficial “support group” just waiting to welcome and encourage people in their unbelief and apostasy. – Church discipline is lax in many congregations, and one can live in sin, yet still be supported by family and friends. Thus, there doesn’t seem to be any immediate “cost” to leaving the faith.

8. “Is it Easier to Sin These Days? Maybe. But Not Always.” There have been other wicked eras. Jeremiah spoke of a time when people could no longer blush (Jeremiah 6:15; 8:12); Paul said to the Ephesians that “the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16); yet every generation has spiritual advantages and disadvantages.

9. I. The Opportunity To Be Exceptional Instead of getting disheartened we need to realize that “evil days”, as society moves farther and farther away from God, are a great opportunity for Christians to shine that much brighter, like diamonds showcased on a black velvet background. Thus, such times are great opportunities to grow, and have always produced some of the greatest, most durable believers: – “Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time” (Genesis 6:9) – “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). – “That you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).

10. II. Thank God For The White Water “One should expect that at a certain level of training, in whatever discipline, the tests would become more difficult. No one begins white water rafting on a Level 6 course. The able teacher will start the neophyte on a Level 1 river, placid waters with minor ripples. As the student masters first sporadic choppiness and then larger waves, he will be ready for the rapids. The goal is perfection of skills and the subjugation of the body and mind and will. God leaves no guesswork regarding His goal – ‘This is the will of God, your sanctification’. Let us say a person were to pass God’s piddling baby tests – What kind of tests would follow? How would He ratchet up the course to a level 2, or 3, or 4, or 5? I looked into the pit of despair and, uncharacteristically, I recognized it for what it was – white water for my training.”

11. Without doubt Solomon started out faithful to God: – He started out life with a very clear mind considering right and wrong, good and evil (1 Kings 1:52). – He could see through a plot or deception (1 Kings 2:23), and He dealt decisively with the wicked. – He starts out humble, and his greatest concern was the ability to discern good from evil, so he could be an effective ruler (1 Kings 3:7-9). III. Staying Strong: A Lesson From Solomon

12. “For it came about when Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away after other gods; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.” (1 Kings 11:4). – Age only brings wisdom when a person remains grounded in the word of God. – Young people need to be humble and willing to listen to the aged, but at the same time, young people can sometimes see some things more clearly. – The Hebrew writer said that mature Christians have their senses exercised to discern good from evil (Hebrews 5:14). IV. Prepare for the Dangers of Later Years

13. How could such a wise and godly man end up an avid supporter of idolatry? Making exemptions in God’s word will always come back to haunt us. [1 Kings 11:2] It is so easy to think that it “Won’t happen to me”, and that “I can handle this small departure from the faith”. “But they are such nice people”. As long as Solomon stood firm in the worship of the true God, he was not very popular with many of his wives. When you surround yourself with the unfaithful, it just becomes a lot easier to go along. V. Avoid What Happened To Solomon

14. Rather than causing someone to stumble, we can clear the way as a living example of victory. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. [Matthew 23:14] 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. [1 Cor. 15:58] VI. The Blessings of Hanging in There

15. Conclusion By our God-centered life, we can express to God our love and appreciation for taking very good care of us, a love that will never be severed. 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. [Romans 8:37-39]