“Be Careful Who You’re Listening To!”

Pastor Jim Lowe III

Sunday Morning,  9:30am Stream

04/02/23 (1st Sunday Message)

 

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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}

 

Let’s talk about words.

 

Proverbs 18:21

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 

 

We have to be careful of our words.

 

Words Have The Power To Either Pick Up Or Crush Someone

 

They can either affect those who hear them…

 

But they also have an impact on those who speak them…

 

Proverbs 18:21(b)

…and those who love it will eat its fruit.

 

This is saying that people reap what they sow.

 

What we say has an impact on the way others treat us.

 

When You Speak “Life” By Encouraging Others, More Want To Be Around You

 

When you are an encouraging and inspiring person…

 

 more people want to be around that type of energy.

 

When You Speak “Death” By Discouraging And Degrading Others, Less People Want To Be Around You

 

Don’t you want to be around more positive people?

 

Don’t you want to be AWAY from negative people?

 

Why?

 

Because the energy is addictive.

 

Words have power.

 

Genesis talks about the power of words.

 

How nothing became something because of the words spoken by God.

 

Let there be…those were words.

 

And the same power is given to us.

 

Genesis 1:27 (AMP)

27 So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them.

 

Being created in God’s image means we look like him…

 

 but we are also created in his likeness.

 

Genesis 1:27 (MSG)

God created human beings; he created them godlike, Reflecting God’s nature.  He created them male and female.

 

We are created God like…

 

God gave us some of his traits.

 

This is why words have the power of life and death.

 

Words Are Powerful!

 

The things you say can give life…

 

The things you HEAR can give life.

 

The things you say can wear you down.

 

The things you HEAR can wear you down.

 

But this is why it’s important to make sure you have the right people talking to you.

 

Be Careful Who You Let Speak Into Your Life!

 

Genesis 3:1-6

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 

 

This is written as the fall of man.

 

The first 2 chapters talk of God’s creating all this beauty of the heavens and the earth.

 

The things we see…

 

He created Adam and Eve in the 2nd Chapter.

 

By the 3rd Chapter…they messed it up.

 

How’d it happen?

 

Eve Was Listening To The Wrong Influence!

 

How?

 

Could this have been prevented?

 

What Were The Signs?

 

Was it something he said she should have paid attention to?

 

Let’s read it again.

 

Genesis 3:1

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 

The bible says the serpent was more crafty.

 

Here’s how crafty is defined:

 

Crafty: (adj)

1. clever at achieving one’s aims by indirect or deceitful methods.

 

It doesn’t just say that the serpent was crafty.

 

The serpent was MORE crafty than any of the wild animals.

 

An example of crafty animals.

 

 lions that hunt their prey.

 

  they hide in anything that can mask their appearance.

 

   until they get close enough…then they strike.

 

 alligator snapping turtle.

 

  it’s a turtle so it can’t chase it’s food.

 

   it lays in the water and looks like a rock.

 

    opens it’s mouth and wiggles it’s tail like a “worm.”

 

   when something sees the worm and goes to eat it…

 

    the snapping turtle closes it’s mouth…killing it’s food.

 

So this crafty serpent says to the woman.

 

Genesis 3:1 (b)

He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 

The serpent asked a question.

 

Did God really say?

 

There’s the first red flag…

 

What DID God say?

 

Genesis 2:16-17

16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”

 

The Lord commanded the man.

 

He doesn’t create Eve until after this event.

 

But he tells THE MAN.

 

Eve coming from Adam…

 

 The command was for them both.

 

 It was between Adam and Eve and GOD.

 

But what did the serpent say?

 

Genesis 3:1 (b)

He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 

Some points we see from this conversation:

 

 The serpent was asking about something that was none of it’s business.

 

{From Genesis 3}:

1. Make Sure To Check The Character Of Who Is Speaking To You

 

Who are you talking to?

 

Do they have any motives for anything?

 

Be Careful About The People Trying To Get Into Your Business

 

1 Corinthians 15:33

33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.

 

That is made CLEAR here.

 

What did whatever information God told Adam and Eve have to do with the serpent?

 

People will come up to you trying to figure out what you know.

 

 they want to know what you have.

 

  not because they want to help you.

 

   but because they want you to lose it.

 

The serpent had no “skin in the game.”

 

It didn’t change anything for the serpent based on this.

 

Not Everyone Needs To Know What God Told You

 

Jeremiah 29:11

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

 

God has plans for YOU.

 

He has plans for everyone…but.

 

What God Has Planned For You, Is For YOU!

 

You have to “protect” what God told you like a secret agent.

 

Because talking to the WRONG people can cause you to lose what God has for you.

 

Psalm 119:9

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

 

 Living according to what God has told us.

 

Many of us have been wasting time and resources talking to the wrong people.

 

This is why you have to check the character…what’s the motivation?

 

How is this serpent going to HELP Adam and Eve?

 

Genesis 3:2-3

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

 

We have taught before that God didn’t say anything about touching it…

 

 but the problem is she is talking too much.

 

Genesis 3:4

4 “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 

You will NOT surely die.

 

But God said you would…

 

The serpent is calling God a liar.

 

Who do you believe?

 

{From Genesis 3}:

2. The Wrong People Will Have You Questioning What God Said To You

 

There are men and women of God in scripture who can help you with what God said.

 

But not everyone.

 

They tell you to be careful who you share your dreams with.

 

You Need People Who Think Like You Around You!

 

It’s hard to remain active when you have lazy people around you.

 

Why do we share what God’s plan is for us with people who don’t even know God?

 

They will have you doubting what God said to you!

 

Genesis 3:5

5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

 

For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened…

 

The serpent is inside the head of God.

 

 ‘God KNOWS this…’

 

 you will be LIKE God…

 

He is attempting to cause doubt in Eve’s mind.

 

Deuteronomy 11:18

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds;

 

We have to make sure to keep what GOD says in our minds.

 

Don’t forget what the Lord told us!

 

Hebrews 2:1

We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.

 

When God’s Words Are FIXED In Your Heart, It’s Harder To Let Doubt In

 

The serpent said you could be like God.

 

 Eve could have responded saying

 

  God already created them in his image.

 

If she paid closer attention:

 

 she would know that God who created all things…

 

  is telling her NOT to do it.

 

 and this random serpent…

 

  in business that is NOT his own.

 

   has now planted a worm Eve can’t resist. (snapping turtle)

 

She was listening to the wrong person.

 

Now she is doubting the whole thing.

 

Are The Things You’re Listening To Causing You To Doubt God?

 

Genesis 3:6

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

 

This tree had been there all along.

 

But now after talking to the wrong person…

 

She SAW that the fruit of the tree was good for food.

 

 She SAW that the fruit was pleasing to the eye.

 

But NOW she believes that she can gain wisdom from this.

 

And now what God had planned for her…

 

Is all destroyed because she was talking to the wrong source.

 

The Wrong People Can Cause You To Lose What God Has In Store For You

 

So we have to be careful who we all to advise us.

 

Are they always negative?

 

Are they always draining?

 

Do they encourage you or discourage you?

 

Are they secretly trying to derail you?

 

Luke 8:18

Therefore consider carefully how you listen.

 

This means to pay CAREFUL attention to who and what you pay attention to.

When it comes to listening to other people:

 

{Listening To Others}:

1. What Is The Character Of The Person?

2. What Is The Motive Of The Person?

3. Will This Help You Achieve God’s Purpose Or Will It Cause Doubt?

 

We talked today about the power of words.

 

Words that can help us or hurt us.

 

We have to be careful of who we are listening to…

 

Because they can cause us to doubt God’s plan for us.

 

1 Corinthians 15:33

33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.

 

Be careful who you’re listening to.

 

The serpent was just another animal until the conversation started.

 

Mark 4:24 (a)

24 “Consider carefully what you hear,”

 

This Week:

1. Review This Message

2. Ask God For Discernment In Identifying Those Around Us

- If we’re slacking off on what God has for us…

 we should make sure those in our corner aren’t helping.

3. Make Sure That Those We Talk To Don’t Cause Us To Doubt God’s Plan For Us

- God has plans for us.

  those plans are for US.