Judges 19:6
And they sat down, and did eat and drink both of them together: for the damsel's father had said unto the man, Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry.
Many churches and believers have started a slow death by doing the same thing the Levite did in Judges 19. The Levite was determined to go home after reconciling his relationship with his wife. However, his father-in-law asked him to stay another night. Had this man left when he originally intended to leave, the remaining tragic story would likely not have happened.
Many believers who were once the picture of God’s blessings now flounder in worldliness and compromise. Many churches that once used to be the lighthouse for other churches to copy have now become a graveyard and closed their doors. I could take you to churches all over America whose aisles used to be filled every Sunday with sinners coming to get saved and baptismal waters being used by new believers obeying Christ’s command but are now churches where only a handful of people are trying to keep the doors open. How is it that thriving churches and champion believers become stagnant or dead? There are four actions this Levite took that every church or believer takes who ends up dying spiritually. Let me share these four steps.
First, he sat down. If you never sit down to consider letting up, you will never find yourself dying. There is no sitting down in the faith walk; there is always a forward motion. A faith walk keeps you from having a stagnant Christian walk because it is always moving forward, keeping everything fresh and exciting. The worst thing you could ever do is sit down to rest for any moment. If you never sit down for one moment, you will never consider the future steps that lead to death.
Second, he became content with where he was. If you never sit down, you will never be content with your present situation. There is no room for the believer to be content with what they have accomplished. Yes, we should be content with such things as we have, but we are never to be content with what we have accomplished. Paul said that we are to reach forth unto the things before. Never be content with what you have done. There is so much more to do, and to be content with what you have done is to start the signature on your spiritual death certificate.
Third, he tarried instead of moving forward. This Levite tarried to consider what he should do when he already knew what to do. Whenever you tarry in the Christian walk, you will always consider alternative ways to serve God, but there is never an alternative way to serve God but to walk forward by faith on the old paths. Nothing good comes by tarrying when you should be walking. Putting off until tomorrow the right that you should be doing today only wastes one day that could have been used to serve God.
Fourth, he lived for pleasure. When you start tarrying instead of moving forward, pleasure becomes what you search for instead of living for God. Pleasure-seeking believers always become worldly believers. A church or believer who seeks to live for pleasure will compromise and become like the world.
My friend, this all starts with sitting instead of marching. Never consider sitting for one moment and you will never end up living for pleasure out of the will of God.
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