THE DANGERS OF BACKSLIDING

Text- Jeremiah 2:1-19

Introduction

In Helen Steiner Rice's book entitled, "Climb `Til Your Dream Comes True", she tells a story about a man who lived on a mountain. Every day when he looked down into the valley he could see the windows of a house in the town below sparkle like gold. One morning he decided he would go down the mountain and see these windows of gold. He traveled all day and the journey was very hard. When he came into the valley about dusk he noticed that the windows were no longer shining. And when he turned around to look back up on the mountain he noticed that the setting sun was now reflecting off the windows of his own house and like the windows he had come to see, they were sparkling like gold.

I am sure that most of us from time to time have thought that the grass was greener on the other side of the fence, only to realize when we climbed over that it was just the same.

Sometimes as children of God the glitter of the world can become so attractive to us that we turn away from God and turn to the world.

1 John 2:15-16 Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.   16 For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does--comes not from the Father but from the world. (NIV)

Satan is always trying to tempt us with the things of this world.

Matthew 4:8-11 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.   9 "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."   10 Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"   11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. (NIV)

This morning the title of my message is, "The Dangers Of Backsliding" and our text is found in Jeremiah 2:1-19.

Within every New Testament Church there are those who are backslidden.  Not even our own church is exempt.

1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons. (NASB)

Perhaps you are very close to that point right now in your own life.  Or maybe you have been thinking about going your own way or perhaps you are already backslidden.

This morning I would like us to look at five dangers of characteristics of backsliding.