1 Kings 13 Sermon – Shameful Disobedience of a Young Prophet
Categories: Biographical Sermon Outlines, Sermon Outlines Tags: Sermons on Obedience1 Kings 13 Sermon
(1 Kings 13:1-32)
INTRODUCTION:
A. Shortly after the death of Solomon the kingdom of Israel was divided
1. Jeroboam … Israel
2. Rehoboam … Judah
a. Followed bad advice
b. Partly responsible for the division
B. Jeroboam institutes false worship
1. 1 Kings 12:25-30
2. He wanted the people to forget Jerusalem
3. He wanted to make things easy for them
C. Soon after this a young prophet from Judah was directed by God to deliver a prophecy against Jeroboam’s altar
1. 1 Kings 13:1-3
2. This was literally and precisely fulfilled 330 years later
3. The fulfillment is seen in 2 Kings 23:15-20
D. Jeroboam was upset that the young prophet was there to cause him trouble
1. 1 Kings 13:4
2. To get rid of him, Jeroboam tried force, but the Lord was with the young prophet
3. Jeroboam next offers him money… 1 Kings 13:7
E. But the young prophet understood the Lord’s command
1. 1 Kings 13:8-10
2. God said do not stay in Bethel — they had turned from God in that place
3. God wanted His faithful remain so — so He says have no fellowship with them
4. This is a New Testament principal… 1 Corinthians 5:11
F. The terrible seduction (1 Kgs. 13:11-19)
1. The young prophet resisted the invitations of Jeroboam, and was on his way home by a different route
2. An old prophet had heard about the young prophet and went out to see him
a. 1 Kings 13:15-18
b. The old prophet lied
c. So the young prophet went with the old prophet
G. The Punishment announced
1. 1 Kings 13:20-22
2. The old prophet at this time did speak for God
3. The old prophet prophesied that the young prophet would never make it home
4. The young prophet was killed by a lion (1 Kgs. 13:29-32)
H. Let us now consider some valuable lessons
DISCUSSION:
A. The people of Israel first saw the sign of the prophet, then they saw the prophet as a sign (vs. 2-3, 29)
1. Can you imagine the wonder that the people must have felt in seeing the prophet being led into the city — dead — on a donkey?
2. They needed to understand that this man, even though he was a man of God, had to pay the penalty for his disobedience
3. But did they learn the lesson? — 1 Kings 13:33-34
4. The wise man will learn from the mistakes of others — he will not feel he has to make all the mistakes himself
5. There is nothing wise in learning the hard way
B. If Satan can’t get you one way — he’ll try another (vs. 4, 7, 28)
1. Satan’s tactics with the young prophet:
a. He tried force
b. He tried friendliness and money
c. He used a prophet
2. Satan is versatile in his temptations:
a. Ephesians 6:10-11 … “wiles” = deceit, trickery
b. 2 Corinthians 2:11 … has evil purposes and desires
c. 2 Corinthians 11:3 … cunningly tries to corrupt
d. 2 Thessalonians 2:9 … tries to impress us — lies
e. Revelation 12:9 … he deceives
C. Just because someone says something doesn’t make it so
1. Many today claim to be speaking the word of God
a. Are you listen to some, all, or none?
b. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
1) Today many are trying to make you think they are something which they are not
2) They lie!
c. The young prophet took the word of the old prophet without checking into it
d. “Trust not in lying words” (Jer. 7:4)
e. Will we be so gullible?
2. We must be careful to believe only the truth
a. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
b. Acts 17:11
c. 1 John 4:1
d. Galatians 1:6-10
D. A man must remain faithful
1. The young prophet started out great
a. Resisted force
b. Resisted money
2. But he dropped his guard
3. Remaining faithful is a constant battle
a. Revelation 2:10
b. Galatians 5:7
c. Matthew 10:22
E. The old prophet was where God told the young prophet not to stay
1. Have you ever wondered what possessed the old prophet to lie like he did?
2. Could it be that where he lived had begin to wear off on him?
3. In some places and with some people is found great evil
a. To the Pergamos was said… Revelation 2:13
b. Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom (Gen. 13:12-13)
c. 1 Corinthians 15:33
4. Be careful where you are and with whom you associate
F. The deadliness of the tongue
1. It was actually the tongue of the old prophet, not the lion, that killed the young prophet
2. The old prophet told a lie, he used his tongue for evil purposes
3. The Bible has much to say about the tongue, here is a sampling:
a. Open grave (Psa. 5:9)
b. Sharp razor (Psa. 52:2)
c. Sharp sword (Psa. 57:4)
d. Arrow (Psa. 64:3)
e. Burning fire (Pro. 16:27)
f. Bit in a horse’s mouth (Jam. 3:3)
g. Ship’s rudder (Jam. 3:4)
h. Untamable wild beast (Jam. 3:7-8)
i. Deadly poison (Jam. 3:8)
CONCLUSION:
Will you learn the lessons of the young prophet?