Step Four - Seek Godly Counsel
Notes
Transcript
Steps:
Refuse to trust yourself - Write out your plans - don’t trust
Seek and surrender to God’s will - Yes, Lord. Now tell me what You are asking
Pray about your decision - listening to God - putting myself into the place where my heart is listening to the voice of God
Timeline of waiting upon God and your heart is ready for when He shows the next step
This is not a removal of the right to make the decision or the removal of responsibility of the decision
The decision is between God and you
Priesthood of the believer - Jesus is your Mediator
The Bible is our authority. If the Bible is not our authority, then we can fall prey into the snare Peter warned about regarding “lording over the sheep”
Yet, we are to align ourselves with the principle God gives un in His Word for counsel.
Is not some type of follow-ship that leads unquestioningly no matter what the leader says
We hear of too many stories today where people fall prey to this and it ends very badly
Golden Gate Bridge - being built - slow - so many died
230 meters from the top of the towers
75 meters from the deck
Fall from the deck - 95% die
Drown because of injuries or exhaustion, die of hypothermia, and, in some instances, have been attacked by sharks trying to get shore
Safety net
Stringing up a safety net
This is the step where God is going to expose a bad decision process
Biblical counsel is God’s method of a safety net
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;) That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:
Israel under David & Solomon - one nation
Southern tribes - Judah
Northern tribes (10) - Israel, Ephraim
Counsel - advice
Lead softly and speak softly
These young men are positioning themselves
Something to prove
Power to grab
Tainted
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Rehoboam sought bad counsel
Step comes between praying and making the decision
Prayed and listened, sermons, Bible, songs, conversations, and seemingly random circumstances are going to start pointing or directing you a direction
Am I hearing what You are saying?
Is this correct?
How do I know? Am I missing something?
Cup - John Woulfe - standing on the other side
Bible, surrendered, seeking, and listening - it seems like God is directing to this
Ask John to come on this side
What should I do? I’ve replaced John with God
Pastoral models out there that place the pastor an ultimate authority on what you should do: Silver car or red car
This type of authority is not Biblical and puts a pastor in some sort of mystical dependence over others
Passing of responsibility
Godly counsel will not make the decision for you, but help you vet the process
Vet with counsellor until I have this in my hand
Holding it loosely -
Wedding - support me or else there will be WW3
Yes, this is good!
This is not going to end well
Neither version is good:
I want the counsellors to make my decision for me
I’ve made my decision and you can’t change my mind
Counsel is following God’s voice to a decision, and then holding it loosely in case God wants to expose something
Vetting God’s voice
God’s want to confirm His purposes through a multitude of counsellors
Veto power - don’t give control of your decision to anyone, but God
Pro 20:18
Every purpose is established by counsel: And with good advice make war.
Need strong decision
Pro 21:30
There is no wisdom nor understanding Nor counsel against the Lord.
Passing the pure heart test
You need to get advice - I don’t want to get any advice
I know what he is going to say
You are not willing to get counsel - if you are afraid of getting counsel from people that love you and want God’s best for you, then this should be a moment of instant warning and sirens that your heart is not where it should be
I know I’m doing the wrong thing, and I hope I beat the odds
Be objective about your decision
Pro 19:20-21
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, That thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. There are many devices in a man’s heart; Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand.
Multitude of counsellors that don’t like this
Vet Godly counsel
Average age of counsel was over 60
Ps 1:1
Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Biblical and neutral is the type of the counsellor
Unbiased people
Pro 12:15
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
Validate a strong decision
Confirmation
Pro 15:22
Without counsel purposes are disappointed: But in the multitude of counsellers they are established.
Pro 11:14
Where no counsel is, the people fall: But in the multitude of counsellers there is safety.
Ps 1:1-3
Blessed is the man That walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor standeth in the way of sinners, Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
Hiding yourself under the authority of the Word of God
Poke holes in my decision process
Show me where I’ve gone wrong
Marry Holly? Josh Westall - no - If only I had listened!? Lol
Validation!
Why? It’s about to be tested.
Satan - what have you done?!
This is when you need to look back on the Bible, His voice in prayer, circumstances, and validated through counsellors
This is an airtight decision that God has lead through
I got here through obeying God
The testing must be by design
I don’t need to second guess my decision, but rather the testing is for me to grow
Testing is like the setting of concrete
Ps 119:105
NUN. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, And a light unto my path.
Ps 119:133
Order my steps in thy word: And let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
3 things that come out of counselling
The right decision
The right time
The right way
If there’s no consensus among my counsellors than I would not make a decision