Prayer and Praise.
2 Kings 3 – Spiritual Compromise and Spiritual Clarity.
So tonight – spiritual compromise . Next time, it will be about ‘’spiritual clarity.’’
We will read the scripture as we go. It is 2 Kings 3.
1 Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. 3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them. 2 Kings 3:1-3
These verses – about spiritual compromise and man made beliefs.
First of all.
King Joram was the a descendant of King Ahab. Ahab had encouraged the worship of local Canaanite gods.
Joram took a good step. He reacted against what his father had done. He ‘removed the sacred stone’’. He was removing symbols etc and worship and breaking the hold and starting change in the nation.
BUT.
V3 Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam.
Who was Jeroboam? Well he was the first king of Israel after the kingdom was divided after Solomon died. Jeroboam did not trust God’s promise that the two kingdoms could thrive; he instead created rival centres of worship, and he also built two golden calves. Golden calves was a Canaanite fertility symbol – ie it was connected to the worship of Canaanite local gods.
Jeroboam stepped into syncretism. And years later Joram continued what he had done.
Blending truth with another religion or worldview, is syncretism.
Syncretism is where we put together the best or most attractive to us features of two
incompatible systems of belief.
Syncretism takes different forms. It can be, as in parts of the world, where Christianity has become established yet practices from the local cultural beliefs or customs are blended in.
Yet Syncretism faces all of us. We are constantly being formed – as John Mark Comer puts it – through what we see, hear, read, watch, example of others, life experience etc. There is influence constantly coming in. The worldview around us wants us to take on its views without change.
And there is another type of formation.
God wants to form us, as Christian disciples. He wants to form us more like Jesus – he wants us to have Jesus shaped lives, to be sanctified. So what is the dominant force within us?
So what can happen – these outside views, outside messages can be merged in with our
Christian beliefs – syncretism. The two of them living within us.
Let’s think a little more.
It has been said that our society – Western – is experiencing three crisis.
And it is worth thinking – how much of those messages have we absorbed into our faith…
Crisis of Trust.
Since 2000s, the trust in institutions has declined increasingly. Trust in banks, trust in politicians, trust in economics – as the cost of living shot up when the Ukraine war began, even trust in the church has been shaken in many places due to scandals, or as it moves in a further liberal direction etc. A UK survey in the last couple of years said – the most trusted person was – a nurse. Bottom – politicians, advertiser and estate agents!
Trust was shaken when war began – a belief that there would never again be a major European war and yet only a few hours away is a war in Eastern Europe.
Things that seemed trustworthy, are no longer…
So this crisis can lead to a message being shared to us.
The message – you cannot trust.
You will be let down even by what you thought was dependable.
Crisis of Anxiety.
Researchers would say, the 2010s was a decade of disruption which led to a growth in anxiety Covid – our health shaken; racism, lack of acceptance of others different from us,
the growth of AI and what that all means for work and truth, Brexit and EU, social media etc …
Sadly a report issued before Covid said that as many as 1 in 6 people in the EU had struggles to some extent with mental health.
Anxiety has been generated further by events – terrorism attacks, wars, nuclear threats etc.
When some of our teens were sharing about life, they mentioned worries about the future ‘’is it all going to be okay?’’
The message that comes from that crisis – you should be anxious. There is no way around it.
Crisis of Relationship.
Third crisis spotted has been crisis of relationship.
Society over many years, has encouraged us to be individuals and so we should live free from unjustifiable limitations. Freedom is the message to live as I want as long as it does not hurt others.
But then comes the limitations.
So in my garden I want to set a nice little fire. I want to be free to burn my wood.
But I think about the neighbours – they will object – so I cannot.
My freedom is limited – I am not really thinking of them, just how it limits me.
Or they set a fire, and it affects my freedom to have clear air as I sit in my garden.
My rights, my freedom. Our neighbour is not seen as someone to be cared for or we have a responsibility towards, but instead it is someone one who can limit my freedom.
The message – my life, my rights, in fact my point of view, is most important.
So our faith can be infused by – who can you really trust – a church, a life group, God?
anxiety – in an unstable world. No one knows what the future holds.
relationship – my rights, freedom, my faith, my interpretation of faith etc.
Those are, and there are other, messages wanting to form us. But what can be an alternative…
In many weddings we hear 1 Cor 13 – faith hope and love.
The Christian response to a crisis of trust is faith.
Trust is eroded when we are let down or when promises are not kept. Trust is built when people keep their promises. How many places do we read of God’s faithfulness? I remember William and Michelle’s wedding last month and how we heard Psalm 136 again and again say – his mercy or his love endures forever. All those situations described in that psalm, yet God remains faithful.
As we learn to trust in God, it may lead us to trust in his people.
A crisis of anxiety – response is hope.
To trust in human leaders there is that risk of failure. Of being let down. The language of hope is ‘’I hope it will be okay’’
But Christian hope – is outside of human control – it is fixed on the Lord Jesus – his death resurrection, his ascension, his promise of return.
In the darkest moments we have hope – because of a Lord who has been in the darkest place yet the darkness could not overcome him.
In the darkest moments – when a Jesus is handing on a cross as darkness is on the land – God is at work bringing something incredible out.
Christian hope – I do not know what the future holds but I do know who holds the future.
Crisis of relationship -Love.
We are loved – each – by God. You are. So is the person beside us. And Jesus invites us to not to live individual lives, but connected – love one another as I have loved you he says. Love your neighbour. In fact – when you become a Christian you are automatically in Christ and you are part of the Body of Christ – you have no choice. God puts you in a community, his people.
Love is to be the bedrock of life towards others.
And we realise again that Jesus says – love one another as I have loved you – his was a sacrificial love, willing to put the other first…
So syncretism. Merging two worldviews together.
Are the messages of our world – lack of trust, anxiety, individualism shaping you, or become part of your faith; or is Christian truth transforming those messages, faith, hope and love are becoming in charge?
The next points are briefer!
Man made priorities
4 Now Mesha king of Moab raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5 But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7 He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fight against Moab?” “I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.” 2 Kings 3:7
Moab – had for 150 years being paying 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. Ahab dies and so the current king sees the time to end this paying.
Like protection money you hear in films – do this, pay this and nothing bad will happen to you.
Joram is unhappy. He summons the army. He builds an alliance with two other nations.
But why.
His concern is materialism, possessions, wealth – he does not care about God’s glory.
He was putting first the kingdom of man – his kingdom – and its prosperity than the kingdom of God and its righteousness.
His unity with others is based only on what he needs / wants.
So what about us?
Does a scratch on our mobile phone screen, or the theft of our bike, or a rise in mortgage interest payments, or struggles at our favourite football club, cause more passion is us when we see Jesus name used as a swear word or our God is mocked publically, or how the church declines in our nation?
What are our priorities? To help us.
Ask yourself.
What are your most important values? Write them down.
They will probably help you see your priorities.
And you will see what is shaping your life…
Then ask yourself – are those the values, the priorities you want to shape your life?
John Blanchard years ago said: ‘’It is perhaps the greatest sin of the greatest number of
Christians that in so many details of life, they put God second.’’
Man Made Strategy
8 “By what route shall we attack?” he asked.
“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.
9 So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom. After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.
10 “What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the LORD called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?” 11 But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?” 2 Kings 3:8-11
Joram – part of God’s People.
Yet he makes plans without God.
That challenge – the risk – that as God’s people we – individually or as a community – make prayer- less plans, yet expect God to Bless them.
You would have thought – on such significant matter – an invasion and a war – God would have something to say on the matter. But Joram did not ask.
They end up in the desert facing disaster. ‘’Has the Lord called us 3 kings together only to deliver us.’’ Now God gets a mention, God is focused upon.
They only consult God when they get into trouble – they did not consult him when they
planned. They only consult him when they are in trouble.
The shout of Jehosphaphat ‘’Is there no prophet of the Lord here?’’ should have been the question once the kings got to together to plan the campaign.
You may not be a person planning a war, but are there plans you are making, decisions you are making about parts of your life, without involving the Lord.
We may ask God to provide us a home – a flat – and that is good, but have we consider asking God – where do you want me to live – or ‘where do you want me to live?’
Are there other areas of our life where we realise we are planning without the Lord?
To finish.
The temptation of spiritual compromise
Our faith can become a mixture of the messages of the world merged with our faith.
Our faith can become dominated by our priorities and not that of Gods.
Our faith is shaped by our strategy and plans and not by committing our paths to the Lord.