DIVIDED ALLEGIANCES
“Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” —1 Peter 5:8 NIV
“Be alert and of sober mind.” —1 Peter 5:8 NIV
“Christianity with discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer
“Hurry, is arguably, the number one challenge you will face should you decide to take following Jesus seriously. Like an enemy, it won’t just stand in your way; it will actively fight against you.” —John Mark Comer, Practicing the Way
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“Slow down. Take a deep breath. What’s the hurry? Why wear yourself out? Just what are you after anyway?’
But you say, ‘I can’t help it. I’m addicted to alien gods. I can’t quit.’” —Jeremiah 2v25 Message
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God
“You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.” —Exodus 20:4-6 NIV
“You must worship no other gods, for the Lord, whose very name is Jealous, is a God Who is jealous about His relationship with you.” —Exodus 34v14 NLT
“King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter––Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. They were from nations about which the Lord had told the Israelites, ‘You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.’
Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God, as the heart of David his father had been.
He followed Ashtoerth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites. So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not follow the Lord completely, as David his father had done.” —1 Kings 11v1-6 NIV
“The Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, Who had appeared to him twice. Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord’s commands.” —1 Kings 11v9-10 NIV
“So the Lord said to Solomon, ‘Since this is your attitude and you have not kept My covenant and My decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.’” - —1 Kings 11v11 NIV
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” —Matthew 6v24 NIV> “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth.” —Matthew 6v19 NIV
“Now fear the Lord and serve Him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates Rive and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land your are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” —Joshua 24v14-15 NIV
we can’t be
Sermon Summary
In this message, we confront a challenging truth: busyness isn’t just a schedule problem—it’s a spiritual problem. We often blame the devil for our struggles, but is he really the one filling our calendars, overloading our lives, and distracting us from Jesus? Or have we done that to ourselves?
Our hurry and busyness expose our allegiances—revealing what we truly prioritize. The Israelites in Jeremiah’s day insisted they “couldn’t quit” chasing after other gods, and we often do the same, whether through work, success, or endless commitments. But God demands our devotion (Exodus 20:3-6). We cannot be devoted disciples with divided allegiances (Matthew 6:24).
Solomon’s downfall (1 Kings 11) warns us of what happens when our hearts become divided. When we try to serve God and… (money, status, success, or even good things like family and ministry), our spiritual lives suffer. But Jesus calls us to a life of intentional discipleship, where our time, focus, and energy reflect true devotion to Him.
Key Points
Busyness Exposes Our Allegiances
Our overloaded schedules don’t just happen—they reveal what we truly prioritize.
Like the Israelites in Jeremiah 2:25, we often say, “I can’t quit,” when in reality, we are chasing after modern-day idols.
God Demands Our Devotion
Exodus 20:3-6 reminds us that God will not share His place with anything else.
Jesus made it clear in Matthew 6:24—we cannot serve two masters. True discipleship requires undivided allegiance to Him.
Devoted We Stand, Divided We Fall
Solomon’s downfall in 1 Kings 11:1-11 shows that divided devotion leads to destruction.If we aren’t intentional about making space for Jesus, our hurry and distractions will take us further from Him.
We Can’t Be Devoted Apprentices with Divided Allegiances
Discussion Questions
What does your schedule reveal about your priorities?
If someone looked at how you spend your time, what would they say matters most to you?
Have you ever blamed the devil for something that was actually a result of your own choices?
How does taking responsibility for our busyness change our perspective on spiritual growth?
What are some “good things” in life that can still become idols and compete with our devotion to Jesus?
How can we discern when something has taken a higher place in our hearts than it should?
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24). What are some common “masters” people struggle with today?
What practical steps can we take to fully devote ourselves to Jesus?
If hurry is one of the greatest enemies of spiritual depth, what changes can you make this week to slow down and be more present with Jesus?
What obstacles might get in the way, and how can you overcome them?
Practical Application
Schedule Time with Jesus First
Before filling your calendar with commitments, block off intentional time with God—whether it’s reading Scripture, praying, or simply being still in His presence.
Challenge: Start each day with at least 10 minutes of undistracted time with Jesus.
Practice Saying “No” to the Non-Essential
Identify one thing on your schedule that’s keeping you unnecessarily busy and choose to say no or cut back this week.
Ask: Is this truly necessary, or is it just adding to my hurry?
Do a “Busyness Audit”
Take 5-10 minutes to review your past week and write down where your time went—work, social media, family, rest, entertainment, etc.
Ask: Does my schedule reflect my devotion to Jesus, or is something else taking priority?
Identify one area where you can create more margin for God this week.