R1254 Leadership that Matters

It's hard to believe for some of us but everyone is leading you are leader people following you. So what's your responsibility will discover that together with the Bible-based printing of Dr. Don Wilton on today's edition of The Encouraging Word about leadership matters. Again, there are people following you, watching you learning from you whether you realize it or not. Sometimes there is a very most delicate of Eisenhardt and we want to be creating leadership in our lives that matters. That's today's message for Dr. Don Wilton in just a moment Dr. Don Wilton remind you that as we study we love to pray with you.

Would love to take a break and pray with you right now at 866899 word that's 866-899-9673 or me this online keyboard keyboard@encouragingword.org not today's message with Dr. Don Wilton that I am going to show you something remarkably, all skewed open your Bibles to second Chronicles 2nd Chronicles want to give you just a minute to be able to find it because it's not always that easy. In the Old Testament. I want you to turn the second Chronicles chapter 7 today's journey through the story as you heard lost week is my brothers student shared the gospel as they shared about the life of Solomon and today I want to speak to you about leadership that matters leadership that matters.

There is only one life to live and that will soon be possible. It is only what is done for Christ that were lost.

You place more value as a person in Clemson and Carolina football then you do and what God is asking you to do. Do you are not place more value in our bank balance. What we doing without children and our grandchildren. What you parsing on to those who look to you what is critically important to you and I want you to know that as you travel around the holy land. One of the many things that you become impressed with is that God uses people. Men and women just like you and me and everything in this story you will always be going back to people kings and queens in people from every walk of life, and God is using someone like you and I want to show you very briefly today here in in in this section, in which we are in which God's kingdom was divided into two. Remember that Solomon was this great King. This man of exceptional wisdom and God didn't write things to Solomon but he also grieved the heart of God. He let God down and off the Solomon died.

The kingdom became divided diamond.

I'm going to say some pretty strong things today and I love you but I'm going to share some truth with you because God is saying these things to my heart.

What I do as a spiritual leader is going to carry a consequence like a dozen nations nations get who they elect to serve that nation you put the wrong person in place. You get what that wrong person brings to the table.

I want to say a word to all the dads here today if we really understand spiritual leadership. Your children will bear the consequences of your poor leadership. If you teach your kids that what's valuable in life is just a ballgame.

They will grow up valuing just a bowl. If you teach your kids and you lead them that the bottom line is money. They bottom line most certainly will just become money if you speak to your wife like she comes out of the bottom of an oil well in South Louisiana. The chances are your sons will speak to their wives in the same way you disrespect woman, your sons will most likely disrespect woman you use four letter words in your conversation. Most likely your children are going to use for little you teach them to get drunk by getting drunk yourself. They gonna drop and get drunk you teach them to become party animals they gonna most likely grow up and become party animal of these all these trees now what clearing here today is and I'm just touching on something leadership that matters big assignment is an so what I've done is I've just pulled out a few verses that I wanted to share with us and I want you to listen. Then I'm going to call you today to examine your heart before the Lord as a man as a woman as a teenager I tell you what I find myself being so chimes don't you often wish that you could wind the clock back just a little bit. There are some things I just wish I had never seen. I wish I'd never done. It's only, but by God's grace. So just a few verses your second Chronicles 7 beginning with Solomon as soon as Solomon finished the spray of fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord food temple bits go to second Chronicles chapter 12.

Just remember that as soon as Solomon died, his kingdom was divided into two Rehoboam was his son Jeroboam, it was divided between these two and I'm gonna lick your life group leaders and Sunday school teachers that you gathering small groups today and there are thousands of us were doing that they going to teach you all the different smaller details on gonna leave that up to second Chronicles 12 just look at verse 14. This is talking about King Rehoboam and he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord go to chapter 13 verse six chapter 13 verse six. Yet Jeroboam the son of me back to the servant of Solomon the son of David rose up and rebelled against these Lord. Now watch this. This is this is classic and certain worthless's down rules gathered about him. I'm gonna say something about that in just a minute.

I love that by the way, if your mama called your worthless scoundrel.

You can take it from the to the bank. She got it right out of the bottle. Chapter 15 verse 16 even make his mother, King Asa removed from being Queen mother because she had made a detestable image for Sharad so ASIC cut down her image crushed it and burned it at the brook Kidron now hold on this Lindsay's grandmother all right gutter second Chronicles 18 verse one second Chronicles 18, verse one. Now Jehoshaphat had great riches and honor, and made a marriage alliance with the if you want to read all about. I have yet to go back to the book of first King. Remember, Ahab was this King who married a lady by the name of Jezebel verse two off some years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. It's just north of Jerusalem and I have been killed in an abundance of sheep and oxen for him and for the people who were with him and induced him to go up against writing with Gilead and Gilead is over toward the mountains in the Galilee region. I was they just this week, the mountains of Gilead that wonderful passage that talks about. There is a balm in Gilead. The soothing balm of Gilead go to chapter 21 verse 20 but so many passages here that I wish that we could really get into details but this one is a tough one to read. This is talking about a king by the name of Joe Foran. He was 32 years old when he began to rain and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

Watch this and he departed with no one's regret. He died and evidently nobody was particularly concerned. They buried him in the city of David not in the tombs of the king just a couple of things I want to share with you today that are profound. Leadership that matters. Number one, Solomon right leader Bible tells us he laid the people in worship leaders lead people in worship. That's a very hard thing to do with all of Solomon's failures and shortcomings that passage that I read back there in chapter 7 and right throughout when he built the temple. Solomon constantly got on these needs called the people together called them to pray some of you are going to look at me today and say to me will pasta. I am such a scoundrel, myself.

I lit my family down I don't live by any means a perfect life. How can I lead in worship. I tell you how you can lead in worship, no different to how I lead in worship because I have no right to stand here this morning and say anything to anybody.

I try, I don't always succeed, but I try very hard, especially on Sunday mornings when I'm driving in my Moto call coming to church very early on Sunday mornings I talked to the Lord and part of my prayer every time I get you on Sunday morning as Lord please forgive me for my sin. Please cleanse me as I confess to you, and please permit me and allow me to speak to your people from a pure heart today.

Not because of Don but because of what Christ has done for me. You think you can do that don't lead your family in worship for those men all or serve in that capacity, and think that the only time you can do that is because you perfect because you're not God makes us who we are in Christ. Solomon leading worship number two Rehoboam never cities halt on the Lord. If we told my leadership that matters. The Bible tells us concerning King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon that throughout his reign. He never fixed his eyes on the things that mattered. As far as God was concerned as you will pasta and I love you very much and you and I look at each other. There are some of you that I've known for many years and you just never set your heart on the things of God. You're in one minute out the next minute it doesn't take much for you to step apart from God.

That's what that's the picture we get concerned that that's why he struggled all his life. He just never that word to set your heart on God it's ascribing isn't doing battle with that so much I back away that we all better with it because we have so much going on in our lives and we are sinners saved only by the grace of God and it's a daily discipline. It's the discipline of talking to the Lord every day and studying his word, confessing your son to him every day asking God to forgive you and the claims you and to be gracious to you.

It's a constant refresh. It's like marriage. You know you you and I must constantly be reminded that we ought always to be revisiting coming back to that covenant. A ring on the finger is not an eternal right. It's a symbol of that covenant. And it's a wonderful thing to go to your spouse and don't ever forget to say I love you how easy it is for us when we go out in the morning we go to work or we are engaged in summing up.

You know you just getting to the flow as those little things and that's what God Rehoboam never cities halt on the Lord number three.

Jeroboam Jeroboam in chapter 13 verse seven allowed worthless scoundrels to surround him. You know when I was studying this passage that just really jumped out at me, worthless scoundrels never succeeded as a leader because he surrounded himself with the wrong people. Maybe you doing that so it comes down to that question know where were you lost not, but here's the big question.

What kind of company do you keep and who's advising you who's telling you to do what you doing, who is that the Hollywood star is Oprah Winfrey is a Tom Cruise Lord forbid is Lady Gaga I better stop right here while I'm ahead. Jeroboam allowed worthless scoundrels to surround me was going to the wrong people for advice.

Some of you got the most godly people your parents or grandparents people that matter right there with you and you are turning your nose up at the pushing them away saying no, I draw the get my counsel out there from the streets or from a movie screen number four Acer opposed his grandmother. Oh, that's what chapter 15 verse 16 says you know what struck me about the fact that a sitting Acer whom God used greatly in his leadership capacity.

He recognized that his grandmother was a pagan worshiping a pagan God and he said grandmother you around. That's difficult those of the top things in life. It's very hard to love our son, our daughter when they all not living for the Lord to love them, and yet at the same time let them know I'm equivocal believe that what they are doing is not acceptable in this time and it's not acceptable according to the Lord our God, your behavior is on acceptable behavior, not love you I will always be there for you I will love you unconditionally. But I do not accept your pagan worship number five Ahab married a pagan second Chronicles 18 takes us back to Kings the whole story about Ahab and Jezebel summing the young people need to be very careful about who you hanging around with because you just might end up marrying and becoming unequally yoked and don't kid yourself. It's one thing today tend to go visit the child and to accommodate and that's okay I'll change them. Often we get married but it's another thing once you married Bible says don't be unequally yoked precious young people. Most likely you will find the person you will marry at the places that you go to most often. So where you hanging around nobody will bring you down quicker than a pagan spouse and these things are very important. My friends, nobody wants to talk about them. Nobody wants to say anything and it is extremely difficult to talk to people when they are in love. I'm not sure that I know how to do that as a pasta. One of my most difficult things is when a couple comes in Aust me to marry them and one of those two is a person who just simply is not interested in spiritual things will overtired me if I said to them, well then, I'm not going to marry. I'd probably have a section of the church walkout people get so upset. I'm just sharing with you folks.

These things are very important. And parents you all some of you are opting out of your responsibility.

You're not teaching your kids that you not warning them and the practice of life tells us these things and these all this is part of God's instruction and it's difficult to come to grips with and let me just tell you, summing gods on his throne.

I have seen countless numbers of people who have married spouses you don't know the know Christ and and whose heart and affections are on anything but on the Lord and I've seen God do great. There is hope.

Never give up gone on since prayer. I'm telling you, God will use you mightily in the life of that person that you married to you marry a person who doesn't know the Lord Jesus Christ and his heart is safe on anything you will have a tremendous predicament in your marriage that nobody wants to talk about with your children go to water they where is your affection when you spend your time how you spend your money which church do you go to if you go to church at all. How do you bring up your children. They children get caught between a rock and a hard place. Bible says don't be unequally yoked any questions this morning.

I will look forward to getting at least 10 letters on the subject. Ahab married a pagan and Jezebel contributed greatly to his already weakened state, and then number six drawer and pasta way with no one's regret. Your nose' NASA husband and a father and a friend. Probably my least favorite thing to partner with and be part of is when people parse away and go to be with the Lord one incredible thing to see the friends and the honor and the love that surrounds so many people at the end of their life, but folks, what about when we die in that wonderful innocent over silver kind of a hard way is wonderful when someone goes to be with that has been so precious and so loving and being such a leader has given away so much spent a lifetime building people up and serving the Lord Jesus and you know all is wonderful things in you know and and you come to us had time not can you say Lord Jesus, thank you for this man for this lady and and and these this massive group. It's not about the numbers is baseless family and the support in the love and the fellowship in how we can ever live without this person in that empty seat at the table and and and love that just never goes when the witness and there are so many young people that have grown up saying, and I'll never forget my grandpa and I'll never never forget my grandmother and you know my mother died when I was pretty young but you know who sweet fragrances lived in my heart all these years and you come to a passage like this with the Bible sees Johor and pasta way and nobody regretted his policy. I got another seven points on the stop right there. So what is the Lord Jesus saying to you and me today what he saying to me today is you know, Lord, I know that you've used men and women over the years in every capacity to leave behind sweet fragrance for your glory. You know, we stood in the garden of Gethsemane on Thursday.

We had all our folks around and opened up the Bible and said you know the Lord Jesus made it very clear that he had one purpose really as he went to the cross and he gave his life for us and it's this that the father would be glorified affecting John 17 in the garden of his betrayal. Jesus said, father, would you accept me into your presence that I might glorify you. You know you don't think that that should be our prayer as people Lord man I want my team to win and and I'm going to yell with the best of them and and and I'm looking forward to my vacation and Lord, I want my children to be well educated, teach them how to earn money and to do it well. I want them to be able to boot houses and and I and and man I want my son to be a marksman to be a would be a bow hunter and and we can have so much fun and we got it to this and we going to do that we gotta get out the bicycles and the playthings and the toys and and and we can we going to have the time and I Lord is just wonderful. But Lord Jesus. Above all of these things would you take my life and later be consecrated, Lord, to the would you take my moments of my days and let them flow in ceaseless price would you take my voice and let me sing always only for my King, would you take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful. The Lord would you let my life count with my days be numbered in your presence. Would you allow me we would always say that when our time comes whenever that is that people would gather around with a great in the heart all know what I love my mama you not to miss her so much but for a mom mama she just she was more precious to me than one could ever imagine.

And I just I love my grandpa and I miss my grandpa so much that based frame them on. But you know this is the appraisers what they did in my life and double bottom line. They live just glorified the name of the Lord just glorified the name of the Lord, you know how that happens, it happens when you surrender all you go to just give it to him.

Some of you might say to me today will pasta. Is it too late know it's not this story is food with people who realize that it's never too late today can be the first day of the rest of your life. If you've never given your life to Christ.

Give your life to Christ today. What is the Lord told you what he wants you to do is just to bow down, Lord. I will bow to you I will bow to you to know other God. No other God just to you alone and God doesn't take away our toys in our vacations and good food in our fellowship and I love. In fact, he just gives it to us a hundredfold of what he wants from us is our everything. If you haven't trusted him. Give your life to him today and if you are a believer like me you going to be reminded like me today that the only difference between the best of us in here and the worst of the mouth is the grace of God and God is raising up of people.

It's hard for you and me who know and trust.

In this God to speak truth. It's not speak truth that speak God's truth. Sometimes it's hard to listen to truth you've heard truth today. Absolute truth.

God's not asking us for the court of public opinion. It's time and I invite you today to bow down and worship him and I would ask you today to surrender your life in your heart to him because I love you because I love you, but my love for you is nothing compared to the white which God loves us we would you not be today without him. Folks, we had, I invite you today to come to terms used to come to give it to him turn it over to him surrender to him now down to him and to know other God to God alone just to watch what he does. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ. Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now.

Dear God, I know that on the center and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross today, I repent of my sin and by faith I receive you into Martha Jesus name, my friend. I welcome you today into the family of God. This is exciting new that number again is 866-899-WORD 866-899-9673 or meters online. Add The Encouraging Word.org I been watching for several months. Always learn something every reason means investment in Jesus and thanks to God's grace and mercy.

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