If anyone should have had the advantage to repeat successes and to reject failures, it was King Rehoboam, son of Solomon and grandson of David.  But instead of learning from those before him, he actually did worse than them because he fell into five common traps that many men fall in as well.

This sermon was preached at the Upstate Men’s Conference at The Church at the Mill.

The truth you preach today can be what you fail to practice tomorrow.

1 Kings 12

Avoids God’s Direction (12:1-5)

• At a pivotal time in Rehoboam’s life, we see no indication of Him seeking God at all.
• Don’t be surprised if God refuses to bless a path He never directed.

Mishandles Father’s Example (12:4-5)

• Rehoboam never dealt with the good and the bad of his father’s shadow.
• No boy will ever become a man until he addresses his father’s legacy.

Abandons Wise Counsel (12:6-8)

• The tragedy of Rehoboam was not ignorance but unwillingness.  
• If pride keeps you from learning from others, you will repeat unnecessary mistakes.

Reflects Peer Standards (12:9-11)

• Rehoboam gravitated toward the relationships that would tell him what he wanted to hear – not what he needed to hear.
• Our closest relationships will determine our critical standards.

Continues Tragic Legacy (14:21-24; 15:1-3)

• Rehoboam lowered the bar so much that he spiritually decapitated his family and community.
• Give those closest to you an example worth repeating.

Don’t focus on the devastation around you that you miss the drift within you.