Gtcotr/ss030319
Do
you remember the “The Far Side” calendars? The Far Side series is a collection
of comics featuring cartoon drawings with dry humor captions that make the mind
jump to an obvious but nonetheless humorously unrealistic conclusion.
Brenda likes The Far Side humor and she used to share some of the cartoons with me. Occasionally I would remember one in just the right moment to make it work. Such was the case a few years ago when I went to Boise, Idaho to preach and do some consulting work at a Church that was having some trouble. The Pastor and his wife who were hosting us took us to dinner and then drove us to a high point on a mountain overlooking the city. It was a very beautiful view on that clear cool night. The Pastor talked with me about the problem the Church was experiencing as we walked along and slowly stepped up onto a huge rock that was jutting out and overhanging a cliff. We stopped and comfortably stood maybe a foot or so from the very edge … neither of us seemed bothered by the height but one more step would clearly have been our last.
Brenda likes The Far Side humor and she used to share some of the cartoons with me. Occasionally I would remember one in just the right moment to make it work. Such was the case a few years ago when I went to Boise, Idaho to preach and do some consulting work at a Church that was having some trouble. The Pastor and his wife who were hosting us took us to dinner and then drove us to a high point on a mountain overlooking the city. It was a very beautiful view on that clear cool night. The Pastor talked with me about the problem the Church was experiencing as we walked along and slowly stepped up onto a huge rock that was jutting out and overhanging a cliff. We stopped and comfortably stood maybe a foot or so from the very edge … neither of us seemed bothered by the height but one more step would clearly have been our last.
Eventually
there came a natural break in our conversation and we just stayed there, almost
shoulder to shoulder, quietly taking in the view. After a moment, continuing to
look straight out into the distance, in a somber, reflective voice, I said to
the Pastor, “Jim, have you ever been standing at place like this and hear a
little voice inside your head saying, ‘Go ahead … Go ahead … Why not … Go ahead
… push someone!’”
When
I said push someone, it startled Jim and he jumped backwards about three steps
and put his hand out towards me as slowly I turned my head to look him in the
eye with that little mischievous grin on my face. We both
broke out into such laughter, him in anxiety relief and me in that little
devious satisfaction a person gets when they know they’ve gotcha!
We
laughed till we cried. It was cathartic for the both of us. Jim Powell was the
founding Pastor of Church on the Rock, Boise, Idaho. I counseled and encouraged
Jim to merge his congregation with another larger Church in that city and we
remained great friends and co-workers in Christ. What a caring shepherd Jim was
to the families he loved and led.
Voices
… we all hear them … some are loud, some quiet, some encouraging, and some are
just down right scary. How do we know which ones to follow: which ones are the
voice of God?
There
is an eternal truth that cannot be denied: If we listen
to the wrong voices, we will make the wrong choices. Let’s turn our attention to a pivotal
account in the book of 1 Kings chapter 12 this morning.
We find a clear pattern in the Bible with
details about people who listened to the wrong voices and made the wrong choices.
We see it in the very beginning of the Bible with Eve. She listened to the
wrong voice and she made the wrong choice. But it didn’t end there.
·
When Abraham listened to the wrong voice, he
made the wrong choice. (Genesis 12)
·
When Isaac listened to the wrong voice, he
made the wrong choice. (Genesis 26)
·
When Jacob listened to the wrong voices, he
made the wrong choices. (Genesis 27)
·
When Judah listened to the wrong voices, he
made the wrong choices. (Genesis 38)
·
When Lot and his daughters listened to the
wrong voices, they made the wrong choices. (Genesis 19)
·
When the Children of Israel listened to the
wrong voices, they made the wrong choices. (Numbers 13)
·
When Moses listened to the wrong voice, he
made the wrong choice. (Numbers 20)
·
When Aaron listened to the wrong voices, he
made the wrong choices. (Exodus 32)
·
When King Saul listened to the wrong voices,
he made the wrong choices. (1 Samuel 15)
·
When David listened to the wrong voices, he
made the wrong choices. (2 Samuel 11)
·
When Absalom listened to the wrong voice, he
made the wrong choice. (2 Samuel 15)
·
It’s not just an Old Testament problem …
·
When Judas listened to the wrong voices, he
made the wrong choices. (Matthew 27)
·
When Peter listened to the wrong voices, he
made the wrong choices. (Matthew 26)
·
When the young rich ruler listened to the
wrong voice, he made the wrong choice. (Mark 10)
·
When anyone listens to the wrong voices, they
make the wrong choices. (Acts 9; Acts 8; Acts 19; Acts 23; 3 John; 2 Timothy;
Revelation 13; Daniel 9:27))
It
goes back so much farther than that … when Lucifer and the angels of God
listened to the wrong voice, they made the wrong choice!
Have
you found 1 Kings? Let’s begin reading with the last verse of chapter 11 before
we conclude by discovering how we can know the right voice.
1 Kings 11
43 Then Solomon rested with
his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father. And Rehoboam his
son reigned in his place.
1 Kings 12
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem
to make him king.
3 … Then Jeroboam and the
whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 “Your father made our yoke
heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his
heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 So he said to them, “Depart
for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam
consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived,
and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”
7 And they spoke to him,
saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and
answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants
forever.”
8 But he rejected the advice
which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up
with him, who stood before him.
10 Then the young men who had
grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people
who have spoken to you, … ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my
father’s waist!
11 ‘And now, whereas my
father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised
you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ”
12 So Jeroboam and all the
people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, …
13 Then the king answered the
people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;
14 and he spoke to them
according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke
heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I
will chastise you with scourges!”
18 Then King Rehoboam sent
Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with
stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to
flee to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel has been in
rebellion against the house of David to this day.
Talk
about listening to the wrong voices!!!
People
tend to follow:
o Loud
Voices –
(Exuding Passion, Authority & Confidence)
o Close
Voices –
(Family & Friends & Counselors)
o Constant
Voices –
(Demanding & Unrelenting)
o Confirming
Voices –
(Agreement & Support)
Three Loud
Voices
1. The Voice of Self
a. Jealous
b. Envy
c. Pride
d. Anger
e. Addiction
f. Abuse
g. Money
h. Me
Whether
appealing to logic or emotion, these voices can be very loud but just because
they are loud and just because they are passionate or confident, does not mean
they reflect God’s will.
2. The Voice of Others
a. Advice
b. Counsel
c. Manipulation
d. Intimidation
e. Control
f. Threat
g. Promise
These
loud voices often make their approach on the basis of relationship, saying
what’s best for you – when it might really be what’s best for them …
3. The Voice of the devil
a. Fear
b. Worry
c. Guilt
d. Shame
e. Regret
f. Revenge
g. Retaliation
h. Temptation
i. Enticement
j. Division
k. Defeat
l. Death
These
were some of the last voices Judas heard just before he threw his 30 pieces of
silver at the priests and went out and hung himself.
Not
every voice you hear in your head is leadership from the Lord.
Not
every scripture that comes to you is leadership from the Lord.
Not
every prophecy you receive, even from a prophet of God, is leadership from the
Lord. (1 Kings 13)
Even
Jesus heard the wrong voice, but He made the right choice. He didn’t follow what
He wanted, what others wanted, or what the devil wanted, but rather, He
followed the Word and the Will of God.
When
people, or the devil himself, quoted the Word of God to Jesus, He listened but
He judged it to know if it was in or out of context. Jesus didn’t blindly
follow someone else’s proof text or bad doctrine.
How
can we know which voices are the right voices?
The Voice
of God and the Voice of Godly counsel will be a voice of:
·
Integrity
·
Humility
·
Challenge
·
Correction
·
Agreement
with the Word
·
Self-denial
·
Repentance
·
Restoration
·
Resolve
·
Wisdom
·
Forgiveness
·
Life
·
Love
John 10:27 “My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
Which
voice will you follow?
Which
voice will you be?
Conclude
with prayer to discern the voices in our head and judge them accurately by the
whole counsel of God’s Word and Spirit.
