“But he forsook the counsel of the elders” (1 Kings 12:8). That is not the beginning of a story that ends well. Ignoring the advice of godly people never leads anywhere good. In this message, Dr. Stanley tells us how to avoid bad counsel, listing its hallmarks and encouraging us to seek the Lord first in all things. No one is called to go it alone in their walk with the Lord, but be careful who you listen to.
I don’t know who you’ve been listening
to don’t know what you’re going through
but I know that wisest counselor is the
Lord Himself and through the Holy Spirit
his primary responsibility is to reveal
the true nature of God to us and
secondly to give us guidance and
leadership and help and strength and
power and energy for what he wants us to
do in life
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four decades ago we started in touch
ministries to lead people worldwide into
a growing relationship with Jesus Christ
throughout the years we’ve seen God’s
greatness his love and his blessings in
such awesome ways that we just want
everyone to know him so let’s open God’s
Word and seek Him together next on
InTouch seeking godly counsel well life
is really just one continuous series of
decisions we all maintenance visions in
that life many times during the day and
one good thing is that God knew about
that so he made his a promise he said
trust in the Lord with all your heart
lean not to your own understanding in
all your ways acknowledge him and he
would direct their path and he says I
will instruct you and teach you in the
way which you should go I will guide you
with my eye upon you so whatever
decisions we need to make in life we
have the promise of Almighty God to give
us guidance and direction if we listen
to him but you have to be cautious to
realize that we need godly advice we
need godly direction because advice is
very cheap and sometimes it’s good
sometimes it’s not so good so I would
simply ask you this when you are looking
for advice where do you go where do you
go when you really want some help and
you’re looking for advice well I want us
to look if you will in first Kings
chapter 12 and I want to give you the
background of what are we going to talk
about first Kings chapter 12 and we’ll
just read a few verses and I’ll explain
what’s happening here and King David has
died his son Solomon’s died now his son
reborn is king he is putting hard labor
on the Israel
and that there having ever a difficult
time of it and so they called for a
convocation and they want to talk to him
about intense labor and higher taxes and
so forth and so they have a confab about
all that in his his response he said
King rib om consulted with the elders
who had served his father Solomon while
he was still alive saying how do you
counsel me to answer these people then
they spoke to him say if you will be a
servant of his people today and will
serve them and grant them their petition
and speak good words to them they will
be your servant forever that is if you
cut out some of this hard labor high
taxes will serve you forever but he 4:6
the Council of the elders which they had
given him and consulted with a young man
watch this young man with whom he grew
up and served him and so he went for
three days and he asked them what they
thought the young men who grew up with
him spoke to him saying increase the
labor increase the taxes and so forth
and the King answered the people harshly
for he forsook the advice of the elders
and had turned to the advice of those
younger ones who had grown up with it
listened to the wrong people now listen
carefully to this sermon because all of
us listen to other people at some time
in the other and oftentimes people get
in serious trouble because they listen
to the wrong voices listening to the
right voice is very important so when
you are seeking counsel you ask your
question am i seeking godly counsel or
on yelling what
what kind what kind of counsel that I
want do I want somebody to speak to me
and tell me what I want or do I want to
know the truth and many people want a
confirmation of what they’re thinking
and what they want to do rather than
what God wants to do and so if you
desire to do what’s wrong I guarantee
you can find somebody who will agree
with you do you want to do what’s right
you want to do that god
the thing if you really search you’ll
find people who’ll tell you what God
says in his word so we have the promise
of God’s direction in their life if we
will just listen to it so what I want to
answer is this how do you detect unwise
counsel from wise counsel what I want us
to do right now is whisper a very short
prayer Heavenly Father I pray the Holy
Spirit will speak to every single person
here and every person who listens to
this message to be honest with ourselves
honest with you and we pray that you’ll
give us a godly counsel and that we’ll
each be willing to commit ourselves to
seek Him first of all what does the Lord
say about this matter
in Jesus name Amen well how do you
detect bad counsel first of all there’s
a little a no mention of God of the
Bible they never mentioned that they
tell you what they think you ought to do
but no mention the God of the Bible of
Jesus secondly there’s usually an
absence of prayer lots of talk no prayer
thirdly oftentimes there’s a subtle
defense of the person you’re talking to
about not using any scripture well you
don’t need that anybody with common
sense knows this is what you ought to do
then sometimes they will suggest actions
that you know that are not scriptural
didn’t come from God and came from their
own ideas instead of listening to God
that is they suggest something would be
a violation of God it may sound right it
may look right it may feel right but the
question is is it right from God’s
perspective then of course sometimes the
response is the people you listening to
they’ll be very critical of Christian
leaders are very critical of godly
people well that’s just what they think
but this is this is the truth you should
listen to me
when somebody starts telling you that
you have a reason to doubt the council
that they give and this is why we’re
talking about unwise council all of us
at times no matter who we are we wanted
to sound something off to somebody and
to say what do you think it’s not that
you have to do what they say but it’s
always good to sound it off but you have
to choose Who am I gonna sound that off
to who do I really trust and do I get
Yardley counsel do I get counsel that
matches the Word of God or is this
something that would profit them is it
something that they want me to do for
their sake I think I’d say then of
course suggesting reading that ignores
God’s Word and there are counselors by
the thousands and thousands and probably
by the millions who people go to them
every day maybe they don’t go every day
but people go every day and they’re
willing to point them to something to
read that has nothing to do with a will
of God nothing to do with the Word of
God nothing to do with what’s best for
you but just something that they suggest
you have to be very careful and what
they suggest to you and then oftentimes
the person you’re talking to watch this
carefully
they will counsel you to do what they
think you want to hear and a wise
counselor never considers that it’s not
what you want to hear is what is the
truth and so when you’re asking someone
or what would you do in this situation
what about this you have to ask yourself
the question are they suggesting things
to me that think I want to hear if I if
I want God’s will I don’t want to hear
what I want to hear I want to hear what
God wants me to hear and then of course
sometimes people want to answer you
because they want to control you now
watch that well here’s what I think you
ought to do and so they want to control
you in some fashion by saying this is
what I think is it wise this thing to do
or they would say to you this is what I
would do and they wouldn’t do that at
all and there are people who want to
suggest to you some means
the situation that you’re facing because
they want to control what you do where
you go who you do it with and why you do
it and then of course there are councils
who want to create a dependency upon
them and instead of saying let’s pray
let’s find out what God says what does
God think what would Jesus do here’s
what I think you ought to do and so you
find yourself under their control and
they create a sense of dependency and
this is why godly people should be in
the Word of God listen to what God says
believing what he says and acting
accordingly
trust in the Lord with all your heart
lean not to your own understanding in
all your ways acknowledge him seek his
advice listen to what he say and he will
make your paths straight
now I either believe that I don’t if I
ask you this morning are you saved and
you say yes and I say to you that you
really believe that you’re saved yes and
if I ask you why you’ll say because the
trust of Jesus is my saving that’s what
the Word of God says that if I trust
them as my Savior I’m gonna be saved
therefore I’m safe okay let’s go from
being saved
finding godly advice I will instruct you
and teach you in the way she which you
should go I will guide you with my eye
upon you now the question is if I’m
willing to believe him from a salvation
am I willing to believe him for godly
counsel amen so if you really internally
believe him then you will go to his word
first of all and I think there are many
people who would find very wise counsel
in God’s Word if they’ll just get in the
Word of God that they know where to find
it and if you don’t know find somebody
who is godly and asked them where do you
read in the Word of God when you’re
looking for an answer to a decision and
they’ll probably give you those two
passages that I mentioned a few minutes
ago many other passages of course but
you want to know what got listed first
of all God knows you perfectly he knows
your situation perfectly and nobody
knows a circumstance like God so nobody
has the ability to give you the answer
you need that’s better than God’s answer
it may take longer but you see when God
gives you an answer usually not always
usually it takes time it depends upon
the nature of the issue some things you
can ask God about you get it right now
because that there are some principles
and in your life that you already know
you
nobody has to ask you is it okay to
steal it’s okay to lie okay to cheat
okay to come in adult you don’t even
have to ask God about that you know the
answer that should I steal should I
should not manipulate no and so God has
the answer to our questions this is not
to say that in some situations a person
doesn’t need some help it depends on
Hamlet who you are in your life it
depends upon how long you’ve lived the
Christian life what you’ve seen God do
and so therefore when it comes to
seeking advice God will show you when
you need advice about for example things
sort of financial whatever it might be
or maybe in the situation of marriage or
what that might be there may be times
when you need godly counsel but just not
any counsel but godly counsel find out
who the person is how do they live how
they living out their life where they go
to church who their pastor is what do
they believe about the Bible then of
course the thing you’ve got to look at
is the ungodly lifestyle of the
counselor if somebody’s counseling you
and living in a way that’s not in
keeping with what they’re saying to you
you need to leave that you don’t walk
away from it I’m not just talking about
official counsel sometime but your
friends are who everything maybe you’d
asking somebody to give you godly advice
and they’re not living a godly life if
they’re not living a godly life
I doubt it they’re gonna give you godly
counsel they’re going to say well here’s
what I think you ought to do here’s what
other people do here’s what I’ve
counseled other people who are doing his
hats our work that you want to know what
is God’s answer to your situation or
circumstances especially if you’ve only
been a Christian a short period of time
and you don’t know the Word of God and
maybe you’re making decisions about your
job about your finances failure
relationships and you don’t have a lot
of experience in any of that and so
you’re asking God to give you direction
the ideal thing would be to be able to
go to somebody in your life that you
know you’ve watched you listen to you
know where they go to church what they
hear you know how they live their life
you know what’s going on in their life
you know they’re praying people people
who love the Word of God who believe the
Word of God if somebody tells you well I
can give you wise counsel but but that
Bible stuff I can’t
I got didn’t have all the answers yes he
does he created us he knows the mess we
make the message we’re in and he knows
exactly how to get us out of it so when
somebody suggests you go somewhere else
you stop and think then of course
they’re people who want to give you an
out listen God does not always have an
Allen for my problems he may want me to
walk through them he may desire that I
suffer he made this hard that I’ll be
misunderstood he may be in the process
of teaching me something that I don’t
want to learn necessarily he may be in
the process of forgiving me understand
that I’m not gonna have any other way
but hurt have pain and suffering and
disappointment all of us are gonna face
some of that if you’re trying to
eliminate that in your life you probably
won’t be able to and so think about your
own life you have lived long enough to
listen to your neighbors and your
friends and the people you’re
associating with make wrong decisions
forget God excuse God but don’t believe
God don’t read the Word of God you have
watched them make enough mistakes that
you and I should not make of them and
that is we ought to be so sinner than
the Word of God and listening to him and
praying that whatever God wants that’s
what we want whatever God wills that’s
what we will does that mean it’s the
easiest way no Christian life is not
easy they’re difficult times hard times
disappointing times and people betray us
and we hurt as a result of that does
that mean that all of that God did
intend for us to have any event
No and so there will be times when
there’s no quick answer there’ll be
times when the only answer we’re going
to get is all Farnese God or do you want
me to do can listening to anybody else
because of watch this no one else is
omniscient
no one knows all the facets of your life
and it may be that God has allowed you
to go through some suffering that only
he knows why he knows the hurt and the
pain in his suffering is doing something
also menu I don’t know how you’ve been
listening to don’t know what you’re
going through but I know the wisest
counsel is the Lord Himself and through
the Holy Spirit his primary
responsibility is to reveal the true
nature of God does and secondly to give
us guidance and leadership and helping
strengthen power and energy for what he
wants us to do in life we have God
inside of us God who’s willing to show
us God who’s one of the teachers God
who’s willing to lead us and protect us
so don’t go running off to somebody else
till first you run about 18 inches
that’s how far it is probably from your
knee to the floor and ask God what you
honor there
so you’ll remember that 18 inches is the
closer you got that ma’am you got it 18
inches to the wisest counsel you’ll ever
go to then they’re people who want to
accounts with you who really want your
approval and this is the problem with
friends they want to counsel you and
deep down they don’t even realize it
sometimes what they’re looking for is
your approval so them naturally gonna
say the things they think you ought to
hear and that you want to hear yeah
that’s right
and that if I were you listen if
somebody starts telling you if I were
you here’s what I’d if I were you
you’re not me so don’t tell me what you
would do because you don’t know what you
would do if your circumstances were the
same as mine so you have to be careful
with people who really and truly want
your approval then sometimes you will be
talking to somebody and in the midst of
that you’ll have a check in your spirit
now how many of you know what a check in
your spirit is well that’s bad now wait
a minute a check in your spirit means
that you are heading in a direction
talking to someone considering something
that you are facing in life and all of a
sudden there’s this little glitch that
sort of goes on in your heart in your
mind in your spirit
listen watch this Kevin when you walk in
the spirit the Spirit of God is always
willing to give you a check in your
spirit when you head in the wrong
direction think the wrong thing or make
a decision that’s not right I’ll give
you a perfect example I was going to
preach something entirely different this
week that’s that it all week long at
most all week long and and I was just
down praying and all of a sudden I
thought god that’s not your message and
I had all these notes that that’s not
your message what’s your message so I
got back down on my knees and I said
Lord I’m gonna stay here til I get it
from you I want to say what you want me
to say and so what you’re hearing is
what God told me after all my
preparation to do something else
entirely so so you know we all make
mistakes but God knows their heart now
watch this I could have said well I’m
just gonna ignore that and listen I’ve
prepared all this other than I’m gonna
do this no no no no no no because you’re
listening to every word Amen because all
of us go through times when we need
godly advice not just in the advice but
on the advice then there are times when
people like going to counsel you’ll give
you knowledge meant some sort in a way
that profits them and this is why if you
go to a counselor who charges I’m here
to tell you they charge and I know they
give that time I’m not questioning that
but the issue is they are they
counseling you for money they counts
from you because they love you because
they care for you the money is a side
issue but they really want what’s right
in your life this is why you as a parent
or grandparent
should be very very careful to send your
parent your husband your wife or anybody
else to any counselor that you don’t
know about the kind of life that they
live what they believe whether you’re
the church and all the rest so I ask you
something question if I had a question
in my mind
who would I go to who can I go to that I
fully trust that it will really pray for
me and give me wise gum the scriptural
counsel well there are times when people
have gone to councillors and they still
do and the counselor gets involved with
the person they’re counseling that
happens all the time and it happens in
the church
it happens with pastors it happens with
people who are not passes it happens
with all kind of councillors a counselor
should be a counselor should be a
servant of God so that there is a
barrier between that person you know and
the person who is doing the counseling
now sometimes you’re talking to someone
and what happens is they will give you
advice and they’re projecting on you
their own hurts their own
disappointments things in life that
they’re sorry for and the next thing you
know they’re unloading on you and
they’re telling you all about themselves
and maybe they don’t even realize
they’re doing it and the next thing you
know we don’t know whether it’s them or
us they’re talking about and and so
because they haven’t settled issues and
they’re like that doesn’t mean you only
go to perfect people there goes no
perfect person but if you’re gonna see
counseling and wisdom from someone be
sure they don’t get involved in your
life and the next thing you know you’re
counseling them when you went to them
for advice and asking for godly counsel
that’s because they’re very weak and
then the last thing I would say have you
got all these down amen then then you be
careful that you don’t go to an
unbeliever for godly counsel and the
world’s full of people counseling of
unbelievers I’m not against counselors
I’m against you go into a council whose
non-believer doesn’t leave the word of
God doesn’t go to the church that
preaches the Word of God whose
lifestyles not in keeping with our world
I’ve got a lot of other things that I’ve
already covered so the bottom line is be
careful who you talk to be careful he
talked to be carefully listened to think
about this many people have died lost
because of ungodly counsel many
marriages have been broken and shattered
on Yardley counsel many young people
have gone astray listening to ungodly
counsel or some professor many homes
have been destroyed totally as a result
of somebody listening to ungodly
counselor some people’s businesses have
been lost
listening Don Yardley counselor and many
people today are living in bondage
because they listen to somebody who did
not listen to God listen to what the
scripture says trusting the Lord with
all your heart lean not to your own
understanding in all your ways
acknowledge him listen to him pray to
him wait upon him trust him he will make
your paths straight here’s the
difference
ungodly counselors like this godly
counsel was like that and I remember
this that godly counsel comes 18 inches
from your knee amen amen
father we love you in prision thank you
this morning that you sent the Holy
Spirit to give us direction and guidance
in our life you said he came to comfort
us strengthen us goddess you said he
came to indwell us and so we thank you
for his presence and I pray that every
person who hears this message will
recognize have vitally important it is
to have a listening ear to you
that listens clearly continuously
courageously boldly and is willing to be
obedient to whatever you say I pray for
somebody here today who is lost they’ve
listened to bad counsel they’re lost
that they died today they beat Ernest
separated from you
bad counsel that people here today Lord
who know that they’ve made wrong
decisions already and just listening to
this message that’s brought into their
mind and they’re acknowledging right now
quietly as they sit here made the wrong
decision remind them that you are
willing to correct wrong decisions you
willing to forgive for wrong decisions
and you willing to guard them to make
the right decision and I pray that
decision-making they become very very
paramount in our life daily because
we’re living out the life that you’ve
given us and living it out we’re going
to make decisions all day long we love
you and we praise you and we thank you
dear God for loving us enough to hear us
in Jesus name Amen
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