Our text is 1 Kings 1: 1 – 1 Kings 11: 43 – a summary of the life of Solomon
Last time: 1 Kings 2: 13-46
Adonijah makes a 2nd attempt to become King
Solomon deals with his enemies
Solomon’s Kingdom is now secure
Here’s the lesson from: 1 Kings 2: 13-46
If you want to be successful in Life and in your ministry, you must get some people OUT of your life and you must get some people INTO your life
Today: Let’s consider how to apply this lesson to our life
Firstly, there are people you need to get OUT of your life because they are ‘holding you back’ in Life and sabotaging your ministry
These people are:
1/ Christians who deliberately sin
1 Timothy 1: 19-20 ‘Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear. For some people have deliberately violated their consciences; as a result, their faith has been shipwrecked. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two examples. I threw them out and handed them over to Satan so they might learn not to blaspheme God’.
2/ Christians who cause division in the Church
Division about leaders in the Church 1 Corinthians 1: 10 – 13a
Division about Sunday Services/meetings in the Church 1 Corinthians 11: 17-22
Division by caring for some people in the Church but not for others
1 Corinthians 12: 25 (NIV) James 2: 9
Romans 16: 17 ‘Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them’.
3/ Christians who are ‘fake’
2 Timothy 3: 1-5
5 ‘They will do things to make it look as if they are Christians…Keep away from such people.’ (NLV)
2 Timothy 3: 6-9 these people can be very difficult to get out of your life
6a ‘work their way into people’s homes’ 8b ‘counterfeit faith’
Now, there are some people you cannot get OUT of your life – they hate Christ and will persecute you for because you are a Christian
But, in the End, Jesus Himself will ‘deal’ with these people and they will be OUT of your life forever! 2 Thessalonians 1: 7-10
Secondly, there are people you need to get INTO of your life because they will be a blessing to you, they will ‘push you forward’ and help you succeed in Life and in your ministry
These people are:
1/ Friends
These people are like Barzillai who was a friend to King David
(2 Samuel 19: 32-33)
King David advised Solomon to make friends with the sons of Barzillai
1 Kings 2: 7
Friends IN your life will help you get through tough times
2/ Benefactors
Bathsheba was Solomon’s benefactor – she helped Solomon become the King after David
1 Kings 2: 19
(Bathsheba was NOT Solomon’s advisor – he rejected her advice 1 Kings 2: 20-22)
Benefactors IN your life will help you achieve your God-given purpose in your life
3/ Fighters
Benaiah was one of King David’s famous 30 mighty warriors (2 Samuel 23: 20) and now Solomon’s top military Commander
1 Kings 2: 35a
Fighters IN your life will protect you from harm
4/ Pray-ers
Zadok was a priest, a man of God, a man of prayer
1 Kings 2: 35b
Pray-ers IN your life will lift you up to God, by name, every day, and persevere in prayer for you until those prayers are answered in your life
5/ Advisors
Zabud was the son of Nathan the prophet and an advisor to Solomon
1 Kings 4: 5b
Advisors IN your life will help you make the right decisions
Ideally, they are people who have a ‘history’ with your family – they know your family, they know you, they know your strengths and weaknesses and they know what truly motivates you – listen to them
As we close today:
Let’s consider some advice from Solomon about the people that we need to get INTO and people we need to get OUT of our life
Proverbs 13: 20 ‘If you want to grow in wisdom, spend time with the wise (IN). Hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces (OUT)’. TPT & MSG
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