The Danger of Being Misled (cont'd)

You are taking leave from the careful who you went to with influencing your decision in influencing your lifestyle choices can follow any old body and end up in the right place and so he gives a word of admonition excision writing that woman Jezebel hello and welcome to this Friday edition of Destin for victory wherever you are and how we may be listening. Thanks for making this part of your day is less message Pastor Paul Sheppard began looking at the church. If I retire, the fourth of seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation. In case you missed it, you'll find that message on demand. Pastor Paul.net today we come to a problem that plagued an otherwise healthy faithful body of believers for all the good the church was doing. It had what we might call the tragic flaw it was destroying his members from the inside out just who was this first century, Jezebel, and how had she let the children of God astray answers come your way. Next in Pastor Paul's message the danger of being misled. Let's listen. Be careful who you let speaking to you. You are taking the lead from which you then influencing your lifestyle choices that can follow any old body and end up in the right place and so he gives a word of admonition excision, tolerating that woman Jezebel interesting interesting use of the phrase here you're tolerating Jezebel. Now if you're familiar with your Old Testament. You know who he's referencing. And here he's calling someone in the first century, the by the name of someone who lives before in the days when King Ahab reigned over Israel, and he had a wife named Jezebel if you remember about Jezebel you need to take some time and check this out. You begin to see your name in first Kings 16 and in subsequent chapters, you'll find her spoken of right in the second King and you will find that this sister was so far out of the will of God are one funny but yet she had tremendous influence over God's own people and led many of them astray and here you have in the first century church. Tyra, you have the Lord saying through John Lawler tolerating a woman any calls or Jezebel would mean that this lady's name in the chart.

Actual name was Jezebel but me she had the very spirit and dynamics of Jezebel. And that's not paying her complement. There are some scholars who speculate that it was the Bishop's wife who was in this place of authority but we can say that with any certainty because the text doesn't give us that information if it was the pastor's wife. That's really bad anytime. The teaching pastor the teaching out of the bishop of the church is married to a hellion that would be horrible. I'm so glad I married a godly woman full delay married somebody who love the Lord even more than she loves me that's saying a lot love a brother get it twisted now. The girl loves ourselves some basketball message with will be a shame if we don't know who it is. We know there is an influential woman in that church who was leading people astray. I want to just draw from from this passage just a few practical lessons that we can learn from the situation. The dynamic that the church in five Tyra's in number one careful who you allow to play a significant role in your life. Be careful, be careful who you allow to play a significant role in your life.

You can't just hitch your wagon to any old star and think you're going to get where God wants you to go there. Some people if you hitch your life your wagon to them. They'll fly you all some confusion and take you so far out of the will of God you don't know how you got there. People who are gifted at leading others astray. So you have to be careful on them. You have to be careful about the people you allow to play a significant role in your life. It certainly speaks to people and when it comes to Marion and I talk about an awful lot because I'm sick of bad marriages developed in the church.

Some of the same thing. Bad marriage is called a 100 good teaching before they got married a whole lot of people so asked if I had you as a pastor before I got my mom to say right now but they know all five had some. Listen well, we can do is pray for one another and stream to one another. Those that are no situation. What I'm trying to do is rescue the crew of folks who haven't passed the leg listen to me. Somebody don't don't get your wagon just because he's not you always dreamed of the complexion you always dreamed sex and trucks and things you all see got that brother could you not to marry a person and if they don't have godly values and scared to break God's heart. You don't want to book your life up with while it won't matter how they built after while, it won't matter what they look like because they can get you into a world of misery. Don't hitch your wagon to the old star you're trying to live a thoroughbred life. We can meet up with a mule absolutely, and this principle goes beyond marriage, it's about every influence in your life. Be careful what books you read as a whole Lotta mixed up philosophy out and I were and it sounds good and it's on the New York Times bestseller lists, but it's garbage and it's presented this and you need to stay away from it. I know things sound good to get acquainted with your Bible so that you have us, you have the ability to say is not true because according to Matthew got a bit better, so that's what you get in the fellowship. You look up with other going in the same direction that they can walk with you and starting with you when I am with you and teach you how to get the CD myself. This goes beyond just the key relationships you really have to begin the live a discerning life.

So be careful who you allow to play significant role in your life. Second, practical lesson I take away from this passage. Not all leaders carry titles, not all leaders carry titles.

This woman called herself.

Did you notice the language calls herself a prophetess.

That means the church didn't recognize her, and that Rusty would've said the prophetess in your church, she would've had official recognition. It said you got to stop tolerating Jezebel, who calls. A prophetess who says she is from God, and nobody who is really under God's authority can bounce for you have to realize that not all leaders have titles in fact I've seen more people led astray by people with no titles than I've seen with people with titles because the people with titles you tend to hold them to a higher level. You didn't expect them to come correctly but sometimes we can get by people on the phone on the email with them and they don't carry a title you don't realize that they're influencing you and your away from the shore of spiritual safety because of their spiritual influence, not every leader has a title. I told you many times before.

Leadership is not about titles. I know a lot of people title they could lead you will be right back with more of today's destined for the true message from Pastor Paul Sheppard was senior pastor destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont, California listen to the broadcast on demand.

Pastor Paul.net that's Pastor Paul.net for you. Find a host of great resources in our online store.

Pastor Paul joins me after today's message but first let's join him for the rest of today's teaching danger of being misled you ever been on a committee when chairperson know how to leaders and called to lead the league you send up their body around the table.

Notice meanwhile you find somebody on that committee who have a real true gift of leadership and they just live a learn how to lead without being conspicuous, they say have you have you considered going in this direction.

Perhaps we should think about that. They plant the seed in the person who's not really a leader in the next leadership in about a title leadership is influence solely the person who influences the house so you the leader matter whether they have a title influencing other people and causing people to follow their lead and accept their premise and move in that direction and not being motivated and chastened by that person. That is the real leader. Not every leader carries a title so you have to be aware of the fact that some of the people who can have tremendous influence. Do it under the radar.

In fact, I've been around churches a long time.

Whenever I see confusion break out in churches more often than not is because this someone name leadership that's influencing things and not in a good direction and when that happens you're supposed to stand up this bishop and this church should've taken their stand and said we will not tolerate ungodliness in this church you gotta stand up, take a stand. It was his wife own well baby I love you but you're wrong you just got to take a stand in matters of faith, we have to be more hurt your feelings because you are one of the best gear was in the chart. Don't take your money and people long enough that good money would go.

When I was but I fear God more than the faces of people so you have to be aware that not all leaders carry titles. Leadership is about influence to watch the people who are influencing you third practical lesson I take away from this section of the letter is sound.

Leaders are people under authority sound. Leaders are people under authority. In fact, is very interesting that one of the meanings of the name Jezebel is on the husband, one of the meanings of that name meaning someone who isn't under any authority who operates with a sense of independence and non-restraint person who said you can't tell me what to ever met him some woman here right now and I send a man a grunt there, thinking he's up there tripping because they don't like the whole idea that there is somebody who has to sign off on what I do and Jezebel would when you read in the Old Testament. She was a married woman but she was the husband that she was married to the King. His name was and she was the real ruler in Israel. During that time he was the record which she was running the show.

She was a Canaanite. She was not an Israelite, so he married the wrong person to begin with and then instead of leaving her into the worship of God. She led him into the worship of bail and not only did she leave home.

We need milquetoast husband not more disgusting to me than a husband who came to gotta get permission to do by doing everything that's just a waste of a man right now think I like this message. Do we honey sound leaders are people under authority. A person with authority must also be a person under authority that when you read the story of the century, and in Matthew Matthews gospel chapter 8 you find essential in coming to Jesus because he is a servant whose grievously ill is the century and this is a Roman is not a Jew is a Roman coming to Jesus, a Roman soldier since Shari and I met about 100 people will report to him at least 100 becomes to Jesus says I need you to heal my servant Jesus said okay I'll go with you and he said no I'm not worthy to have you come to my house. They listen to what he says. He said I am a man of authority I say to this one company, growls, he says I'm not worthy to have you come under my roof. He's a man. He understands authority and he understands me out right me to submit to your authority and I'm not going to ask you to humiliate yourself by coming to know, Jim, I know that you are a man who matters in the habit he said please sir, just speak the word.

Don't embarrass me know humiliate me by coming to my house. He's a man of authority who recognizes these gotta be under and when Jesus spoke the word before he spoke the word he turned around to his disciples. He said you will have things like this. We have to learn to be people under authority can be autocratic. Nobody can speak and no one can chasten you. No one can admonish you all you do is the barking orders you don't do the listening and submitting who can say I'm sorry scatter people just say you're right I'm wrong. People don't know how to deal with this. Would you please help me gotta be a person under authority. You gotta be able to have not just high-ranking people are going to be in the synagogue will have people who might not have a whole lot a cloud, but they have wisdom from God. You gotta be willing to let them speak in your life. That's why please and 521 six submitting one to another in the fear of God.

You have to learn that in the kingdom of God. God might put the word of wisdom you need in the mouth of any believer you have to be willing to submit CSS a word from God do that in this church. The elders sit with me regularly and I don't just block to them and tell them everything about what I see in the way we need to do what I listened and I say help me do so let's understand what God's will is. Let's not move until all of us are in agreement when somebody says I'm not quite sure that's the way to Golden. We stop and pray on the man of God up and hair.

That's the way churches get in trouble when nobody can speak into your life that he says I gave her time to repent. The lesson I take away from this is God is merciful, but we must be willing to yield to his leading.

Gotta give you time to work on your stuff is long-suffering but God is not to be marked can't play games with the gotta be willing to realize he is Lord and he said I've given her time to repent she hasn't so I'm going to chasten her with suffering, you know, there are times when the suffering we go through is not just being in this sinful world.

Sometimes it is the result of our own disobedience when that happens. You gotta realize God is loving you enough to give you old-fashioned spanking and I know that I can't go there so y'all would need to hear the message if I went there so I'll just leave it there were limitations and sometimes where, under God's discipline and it's all meant to bring you to a place of repentance and the final word there is. He says to those of you who haven't fallen in an art living in sin with this woman and following her teaching. He said I got one simple word for you. Hold on, hold on Chilean keep on doing what you're doing what's offering some doing the will of God.

The Bible says whole world might be going through a tough season, but if you're in the center of God's will in his own time and in his own way. Thanks so much for joining us for today's message. The danger of being misled.

Always glad to have you with us as we wrap up another weekend destined for victory pastor Paul's been kind enough to join me from a studio in California pastor love the name of the series. You've got mail that old AOL slogan and romantic comedy movie that came out you've got mail is also the title the series a great title string about the seven letters. John wrote to the churches in Revelation 2 and three Winterson Revelation as much about the future but there's something in this meal for us as well and you believe that I do. I want people to get it that back in the first century of the church's existence. The apostle John got direct mail for the churches in Asia minor and he shared it when he was released from his exile on the Isle of Patmos. And as a result, we are able to be blessed because what I found out is that those messages were not just for those seven physical churches. Those messages were for the church down through the ages. When you look at every message. There's something in there for each of us today. And so my attempt in this series is to unpack those things and help us understand that Revelation is in the scary book is a book to help you get your act together and become the person God has destined you to be as we often say here that broadcast in Christ, you are destined for victory. Thanks for those words of encouragement pastor justice reminder before we leave you this week. As you may know, destined for victory as a listener supported ministry depends on your prayers and financial support to keep these messages airing the whole year through and for your generous gift today. Give a gift of her own to share with you a booklet from Pastor Paul called traits of a virtuous woman pastor wrote this booklet to honor mothers in particular and godly women in general. As you follow along, you discover several important traits that all women should embody that's traits of a virtuous woman booklet from Pastor Paul based in Proverbs 31 in our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift destined for victory. So, call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift is always to destined for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 give that again. It's destined for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538 time in our lives when we knew the Lord better when we were closer to him when we were more intimate with him, then we are right now that should not be that you have to look backwards to see your best time in Christ. That's next time in Pastor Paul Shepard's message checking your spiritual vital signs. Until then, remember he who began a good work and you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory