It doesn't happen suddenly Week16, 2011

“It’s amazing how people change.” How do you mean? “See how people that were shouting hosanna on Sunday were either silenced or cried “Crucify Him” on Friday.” You think people fall like that suddenly? “Yes, it’s strange.” Well I have a different idea, it may not be apparent to people but decline often starts unnoticed, with uncorrected “errors” in the private life leading to eventual so called “sudden” collapse. Consider apostle Judas Iscariot. He was part of this crowd that cried hosanna, had performed miracles in the name of Jesus but Judas did not really care about the poor. He asked this because he carried the moneybag and sometimes would steal from it. Jn 12:6(CEV). Whilst Peter’s faults were glaring and openly rebuked he never was reported as bringing this to Jesus, no wonder Satan was able to put it into the heart of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray him Jn 13:2(ISV).
Did you notice it was right after he attacked Mary Magdalene that he went to the high priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I betray him to you?" They placed before him thirty pieces of silver, and from then on he began to look for an opportunity to betray Jesus Mt 26:14-16(ISV). “Why did no one warn him?” Jesus did, but he parried it (Mat 26:24-25) instead of confessing, even privately. So as soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him Jn 13:27(GNB). “Game over.”
Do you think David’s Bathsheba incident was out of the blues, without warning? David knew that the LORD had made him king of Israel and that he had made him a powerful ruler ... After David left Hebron and moved to Jerusalem, he married many women from Jerusalem 2Sa 5:12-13(CEV). “What was dangerous about that?” God had clearly warned the king must not have a lot of wives--they might tempt him to be unfaithful to the LORD Dt 17:17(CEV). I think this act was a flaw in David which went uncorrected. In the wilderness you could argue (wrongly) his wife Michal had been taken from him, but she had been restored by now. Multiple women and marriage do not eliminate the danger of adultery. “Lust for women got Solomon too:1Kg 11:3.” Often when a man is still connecting with heaven, being used of God for exploits, and people are being blessed we ignore imminent danger. Are you ignoring any?
“You like warnings a lot.” I like to think I enjoy freedom. Ever heard the saying “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty”? Be alert, stand firm in the faith, be brave, be strong.1Co 16:13(GNB). Do you take money entrusted to you saying “After I will return it”? Beware. “You too!”