Reliable Maps

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ who have been there. See other destinations in your life you want to get you listening to you listen people who have been there were no people like you never trust yours joining us today on this additional fellowship in the world. Pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words radio ministry Fellowship Bible Church, located in Metairie, Louisiana. Let's join Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows us how God's word meets our world.

We have our own we have places we want to go, relationally, personally, spiritually, financially, there are places we want to get destinations to be single and a single person was several bad habits, your desired destination.

You want to be happily married, you might be a part-time worker with school loans and credit card debt what your desired destination. Complete financial security question is who do you call see who do you call. I mean, you could call your peers, but often they are people of never been there either is sort of like getting lost in your car and asking another guy lost in his where you need to go or you might not go to anyone you might be completely on your own.

You might be the captain of your own ship unit might be the kind of person that says look I don't need to rely on anybody but me. By the way the Bible does address you. The Bible calls you a fool or you might go to reliable roadmap for wise counsel to God's word backs up this idea that if were ever going to get to where we want to go we need reliable roadmaps. Open your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 1 the book of Proverbs chapter 1 survey a few of these Proverbs that reinforce this point that we need reliable roadmaps in our life.

In verse five of Proverbs 1.

Solomon writes this, he says a wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel will notice I wise man. He's got a description here. In other words, there are wise people who seek out wisdom.

Wisdom can be acquired from the wives. You see, I think we often say you can only become wise to experience but if you're already a person a makes bad decisions. You know what you do with experience multiplied. You just keep making the same mistakes and by the way, the ever done that made the same mistake over and over again. He says a wise man can actually acquire wisdom. How he says he will hear in other words, he listens. He said a man of understanding will acquire wisdom, they will solicit it.

You solicit wisdom. If there's a group among us that needs wisdom. The most it has to be teenagers and twentysomethings because he loves a group that's kind of becoming independent but has no idea what that really means anything about it when you were a teenager, were you really good at soliciting wisdom is that what you did.

You remember doing that for example someone asked you what you want have a really good job someday. Yes, I want a really good job. What you know to get a really good job. You need a really good education I yeah I really need a good education and get really good education you really really need to get good grades and wider high school and yes, how many teenagers you know, walk up to teachers people have given their lives in the profession of education devoted themselves to it and said I like to seek your counsel. I would like you to help me in the learning process. I would like you to help me get the most of my education so I can get to the destination in life that I'm seeking yeah right you see that's not what you do is know why and by the way, we would have in high school. Lisa may date myself and I don't know what they're called today, guidance counselors, these are people that are paid by the state actually counsel your guidance.

What a waste of time. That was what the guidance counselor say well the guys compass that I ought to be an account because I like math yeah but I hate routine oil and come up seek will listen. That's the problem, and by the way choosy about your mid-20s. Hopefully some people mid-30s. Some people mid-40 some people never but you had to go. My parents were right. They were actually right about the stuff you see that's the problem because I won't listen well moving on chapter 11 of Proverbs, Solomon wants to make another point in verse 14 he says where there is no guidance, the people fall but in the abundance of counselors there is victory you see where there is no guidance or counsel at all the people fall or fail.

But in the abundance of counselors there is victory. He said without guidance.

You will fall in other words, if you don't get wise counsel your pay the price.

The New Testament says you will reap what you sow.

Now Solomon spent his whole book than writing good counsel.

I mean if you just drop out of the first 19 he was steadfast in righteousness will taint a life he will pursue his evil will bring about his own death. It's better to live rightly them wrongly, that makes a lot of sense. Verse 21 assured me the evil man will not go unpunished. But the descendents of the righteous will be delivered.

You even pass righteousness down there descendents. Verse 22. You gotta love this verse as a ring of gold and a pig snout so was a beautiful woman who lacks discretion. Gotta love that is all a beautiful woman is it doesn't have any discretion at all is just like a pig with a gold ring and its nose looks better than the other pace, but it still just a pig. He said the desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

He said there is one who scatters, yet increases all the more, and there was one withholds who is justly due you submit results only and want. He said the generous man will be prosperous and he who waters himself be watered. He withholds grain, the people will curse him but blessing will be on him who sells it sharing is that is a wonderful thing to do with holding is a very bad thing to do. These are just little things about life the way life actually work. That's what he devoted his life to. Could you imagine growing up in Solomon's house. One of his kids and dad what you doing I'm writing wisdom for the ages and screaming I'm writing this all down. I'm inspired by the spirit of God. For thousands of years people will read this about the way in which they should live. When that be a big advantage when it happened. Something withhold your thought on that a little later in the message. Chapter 12 verse 15 the way of a fool is right in his own eyes. There you go. That's the problem with fools.

See the way of a full is obvious to everybody else but not to him the way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man is he who listens to counsel, and otherwise acquires wisdom.

Chapter 13 in verse 10 through presumption comes nothing but strife, but with those who receive counsel is wisdom through presumption or assumption.

Well, I just assumed this is how it would turn out how many bad decisions we made like that. I just assumed that be able to pay for. I just assumed it… I just assumed that our love would carry the day.

I just assumed it.

I just assumed that Mary could be nothing but bliss.

Every day when you got up. I just assumed that I just assumed that my children to be angels.

Genetically they would just be predisposed to be angelic. I assume that this don't be presumptuous. He said if you do that. He said that comes nothing but strife. Chapter 15 verse 22 without consultation plans are frustrated but with many counselors. They succeed one of the things that we say around the office with our staff. Is this all of us are smarter than anyone of us with our staff. It kind of tough. All of us are smarter than anyone of us. That's true in life.

Abundance of counselors really helps to make a good wise decision. Chapter 19 in verse 20.

Solomon says listen to counsel and accept discipline that you may be wise the rest of your days. While there's a lifers. In other words, if I will listen to counsel good counsel follow good roadmaps to be wise the rest of my days notice in verse 21.

Many are the plans in a man's heart but the counsel of the Lord it will stand.

You see, it's just like saying there is a way that seems right to a man, but it ends in destruction a few weeks ago we dealt with our own human heart. The heart of a man. According to Jeremiah is desperately wicked is deceitful above all things. In other words good is my heart to see me there is a way that seems right to me without any counsel at all. I know what I want to do but I reap often what I so you see the whole key here is shown verse 20 is the principal and then the problem see the problem is listen. That's the problem.

Do you listen and we do here. I mean do you listen you abide by the Council you hear do you listen to wise counsel. Have you listened to wise counsel. You see the whole name of the series is the road less traveled. We don't listen well. Only a few only a few really listen to wise counsel is not easy and is not a matter of saying yeah but you know the people around me. I don't have anyone wise Robin help me. My parents and have any wisdom. No one I've ever met scored anyone. No one has wisdom that's not the problem. Probably the problem is you. You can have Solomon every day and might not make any difference at all to me not of first Kings chapter 12 Emmett still was Solomon's son Rehoboam. This whole context is set up by the last verse of chapter 11, Solomon slept with his father's and was buried in the city of his father David and his son Rehoboam reined in his place. Solomon I just finished 40 years of being King of Israel is now dead and Rehoboam is about to take over. Now you would think that Rehoboam will have his tremendous advantage misread what happens then Rehoboam went to Shechem for all Israelite come to Shechem to make him king now came about and Rehoboam, the son of Jeroboam, excuse me, the son of me, but heard of it that he was living in Egypt where he was in Egypt where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and then they sent me call him and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel. He said came and spoke to ratable Jeroboam is an honorable man at this stage of his life.

He is a man that was a valiant warrior and a right-hand man of Solomon, but he warned Solomon that he was putting too heavy a yoke on his people and he said the amount of taxation that you're giving them and how your backbreaking each of these people with the work that you're making a put in for your building projects.

This is not good. Solomon got mad at him so he fled. So he comes back and notice in verse four. They offer some advice. Your father made are your card now therefore lighten the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us and we will serve you good advice. Good advice. No ratable measures advantage you grew up Solomon so should be a very wise young man to see what he does and then he said to them depart for three days and then returned to me and so they departed. While that's good that's good big decision. I need time to think about this, not to make a really fast decision on this.

I want three days to think about this before I decide. That sounds really good.

Verse six, King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who observed his father Solomon while he was still alive saying how do you counsel me to answer this people he soliciting counsel. That's good. He's doing exactly what problems one said he soliciting it. He wants good counsel. Okay verse seven.

They spoke to them and they said this, if you will be a servant to this people today and will serve them, he says, grant them their petition and speak good words to them and then they will be your servants forever. There is one good speech.

Listen to what people said and they will be your servants forever.

It sounds all good right now. The next word, though tips it off is the most disappointing word in the Bible, but but almost every time you see it something bad happens but he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and he consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. He's going to his buddies. I don't need these guys. I got some buddies. I meant to go with them. There's nothing quite like a buddies. Not a very young warrior buddies. They met they got it all down your 19-year-old dime you got five or six friends they know everything is amazing what they know. He said to them what counsel did you give that we may answer this people of spoken to me saying like me yoke which her father put on us, he solicits the counsel and now may be the dumbest word you ever read in the Bible. This is just pure stupidity. The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you saying your father made are yoke heavy. Now you make it lighter for us, but you shall speak of them start out this way. My little finger is thicker than my father's warnings, there's a good way to win friends and influence people. My finger how how immature is that. Sounds like really wise counsel not done whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke. I will add to your yoke my father disciplined you with whips I will discipline you with scorpions my way. Even that stupid Dragon to the guidance material scorpions around the disappointing jobs that came in a basket, you gotta pick him up Panama someone so which is ridiculous. They thought it was cool see these are young, I think these guys have good advice. I'm going to insult my father who's been King for 40 years was Solomon. I'll insult him first and then I'll threaten you some advice. Imagine something so ridiculous it would be funny if it weren't so sad. Then Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day is the king a directed saying return to me on the third day, and the king answered the people harshly for he forsook the advice of the elders which they'd given him, 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 disciplined with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions, and so the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of events from the Lord, that he might establish his word, which the Lord spoke through a high shot but shyly a night. Jeroboam the son of me by Jeroboam is from the tribe of Ephraim and what happened to him in the previous chapter is a high shot, a prophet came to him and said I have fabric. In high should cut it up into 12 pieces and he gave Jeroboam 10 of them and he said you will be king over these 10 tribes, and he was he became the king of the 10 tribes of Israel, which became the 10 lost tribes. Rehoboam became the king of the tribe of Judah, which included Judah and Benjamin notice when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them.

The people answered the king saying what portion do we have in David we have no inheritance in the son of Jesse, to your tense over Israel, now look after your own house David were here so Israel departed to their tents. But as for the sons of Israel who live in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Gorham. He says who was over the forced labor. He's the foreman and all Israel stoned him to death got real trouble now and King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot and flee to Jerusalem is there. So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David. To this day. They never got back together again. Ever.

What are the consequences of one really bad decision. 10 lost tribes of Israel divided forever an amazing set of consequences and he had good advice he got good advice, but he didn't listen. I'm sure over the years.

He probably said to those who ask my friend said my friend said this is what I should do your many regrets. I got your life. People wise told you you can listen, see, that's one of the things are so important here. We need reliable roadmaps. That's what we need.

We need people who have been there to see if there are destinations in your life you want to get to. Who are you listening to who do you listen to people who have been there or no one or people like you that have never been there before. The choice is yours this past week I read of a young man who took this principal so seriously that he broke his life up into each category. Spirituality relationships, marriage, fatherhood, career education, health, he broke his life up into that and then decided that he would seek wise counsel in every area and so he put together a list of the people that he knew to be the wisest people in each and every one of those fields. People who had been there and he wrote them a letter saying this to them I will pay you $100 for one hour of your time to give me wise counsel in this particular area. Whatever was what was amazing about it is this not one person turned him down. Not one person. The wise were more than happy to give him one hour of their time and not one person charged him hundred dollars because it relies. They saw the value in somebody was going to solicit wise counsel.

You see, seeking out reliable roadmaps in your life doesn't mean you lack is your hiring Pastor Brueggemann the radio ministry fellowship Lord, if you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just take a listen to the message one more time. Remember the little green website called in one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio program, had Fellowship in the Word.

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