Alternate Endings series “Small Steps” by Pastor Tracy (notes & video)

Alternate Endings: Small Steps that Lead to Big Destruction

Sunday, July 22, 2012            Pastor Tracy Boyd

Review: Although we may not be where we want to be right now, we can have an alternate ending:

• OATS has shaped our choices, which determine our destiny. Our OATS have been manipulated by the enemy who pushes for lust of the eye, flesh and pride of life.
• God had a great plan for Samson’s life to truly lead and help the people of Israel but he cooperated with “I want it, I deserve it, I can handle it” which led to his down fall.
• Samson was emotionally led instead of spirit led; we’ve been given the privilege to pull on the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome anything negative attacking our life
• Failing forward; failure is an event not a person! Your mistake may be your stepping stone to your next level.

This week we are going to show that it is small steps that lead to big

 destruction.

• Whether positive of negative, where we are today did not happen over night. There were small choices that led to small steps. How many of us have replayed in our minds, “If I only would have done this instead of that.” Samson’s down fall did not happen all at once; there were small steps that led to his big destruction.
• We know he was given instruction how he was to conduct his life to be the most successful leader. We see however he did not follow.

Patterns in the Word:

David:

Small steps that led to His success- a worshiper in the fields, lion a bear then Goliath, refusing to touch the anointed to king even though he was trying to kill David, dancing wildly before the ark of the covenant that his clothes fell off!

• Called a man after God’s own heart, extremely successful

Small steps that led to destruction: didn’t go to war when suppose to, was bored and looked at a woman bathing, knew she was married but took her anyways, killed her husband and then tried to cover it all up.

• Samuel 11:1-11
• Somehow there was a shift from God dependence to self- preservation.
• Nathan the prophet exposes David and David quickly repents/he doesn’t make excuses as his predecessor did.
• Samuel 12: 13-14

 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”  And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.

• • Grace: death was required by the law for both murder and adultery, however, because of David’s deep repentance with out excuses, God’s grace was available.  His family, however, would experience the effects of his sin (Amnon rapeing Tamar, Absalom killing Ammon, Absalom trying to overthrow his father and eventually dying- David did not deal with his kids mistakes either!)
  • More Grace: Samuel 12:24 “then David comforted Bathsheba his wife and he went into her hear and lay with her. So she bore a son and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him.

Solomon:

Small steps- asked for wisdom to lead God’s people, worshipper, fair

Deut. 17:16-20

⁶ The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself⁽or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.” ¹⁷ He must not take many wives, or his heart will be led astray. He must not accumulatelarge amounts of silver and gold.

2 Chronicles 1:14
Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 1:16
Solomon’s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue —the royal merchants purchased them from Kue.

1 Kings 11:1-2

But King Solomon loved many foreign women, as well as the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites— ² from the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, “You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.” Solomon clung to these in love.

Ecclesiastes 2:8
I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man.

This is what we do! We know in our heart, “This is not good for me…” yet we still do it. Nothing happens so we do something else. We keep doing this then the hammer comes down!

James 1:13-15

 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires (lured away from the place of self restraint) and enticed (wanting something forbidden).  ¹⁵ Then, when desire has conceived, (made you a prisoner) it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

Example of Seeds of separation

If this works in the negative, it works in the positive as well

• The woman at the well.

• What’s your small step towards God?

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