“How Do I Recognize Good Advice? (Be Careful Who You’re Listening To! pt. 4)”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 05/21/23 (3rd Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Part 4 of “Be Careful Who You’re Listening To”
Proverbs 18:21
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
Words Are Powerful!
We know that the Serpent caused Eve to look at the tree in the garden in ways she hadn’t before.
The fruit would give you wisdom.
Words Can Plant Thoughts
What would it be like to have this?
How many ways would that be good for me?
Thinking About Something Too Long Can Cause You To Do It!
How much trouble do we get into when we think about it too long? The bible tells us to take our thoughts captive…why?
Because thoughts lead to actions. And because words plant thoughts…
Words -> Thoughts -> Actions
So knowing this:
We Have To Be Careful Who We Listen To!
People will always talk to you…
But you HAVE to pay attention to what you listen to.
Do they have any motives for anything?
Proverbs 2:1-2 (NCV)
My child, listen to what I say and remember what I command you. 2 Listen carefully to wisdom; set your mind on understanding.
Listen carefully to wisdom.
So how do we know wisdom when we hear it?
{Listening To Others}:
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What Is The Character Of The Person?
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What Is The Motive Of The Person?
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Will This Help You Achieve God’s Purpose Or Will It Cause You To Doubt It?
People will come up to you with advice… A word from the Lord.
Something “God told them” that you’re supposed to do.
How Do You Know If It’s Good Advice Or Not?
Exodus 18:1
Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.
Jethro was the priest of Midian and the father of Moses’ wife. he heard about what had happened in Egypt.
he goes to meet with Moses.
they meet, talk, have a good time.
Exodus 18:13
13 The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people.
THE judge…for all the people.
1 judge…for 2-3 million people.
This would be an all day job…
imagine a legal dispute between 2 people… there was one judge…
it could take months/years for Moses to even get to it.
Verse 14
14 When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
What’s going on here?
Verse 15-16
15 Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
Moses says HE is the leader.
the people trust him to tell them what God’s laws are and to settle disputes. Moses was not wrong.
He was operating in the role God placed on him. But question:
Who told Moses he had to do it all himself??
Verse 17-20
17 Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18 You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. 19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. 20 Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform.
Moses you aren’t doing a good thing.
you are going to kill yourself trying to do this alone.
Verse 21-23
21 But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22 Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
Yes this was his father-in-law.
This was family.
Last time we talked about being careful about taking advice from others. JUST because they’re family…doesn’t mean they’re always right.Our family can sometimes get it wrong…
some of us have messed up listening to family JUST because they’re family.
you HAVE to weigh whatever someone says up to what God told you. Peter, who was like family…said the WRONG thing to Jesus.
But Jethro might be saying something good. What are the things we want to ask?
{Listening To Others}:
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What Is The Character Of The Person?
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What Is The Motive Of The Person?
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Will This Help You Achieve God’s Purpose Or Will It Cause You To Doubt It?
What was his Character?
This was Jethro, Moses’ father in law. this was family.
His Motive was written in verse 22-23
Exodus 22(b) - 23:
That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. 23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
His motive was to make things easier. Would it help to achieve God’s purpose?
Yes!
Moses’ purpose was to lead the people.
to help others know God’s will for them. to live according to God’s laws.
But Moses was going to kill himself doing it HIS way. Jethro is offering advice to help him.
Make Sure The Help People Offer You Would Actually Help!
Sometimes people will try and help you feed addictions people will encourage you to do unhealthy things
encourage you to be with unhealthy people {they have money, make us feel a certain way}
encourage you to SAY unhealthy things.
It’s Okay To Think And Pray Before You Listen To Someone!
Jethro says something in v19.
Exodus 18:19
19 Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him.
Jethro is concerned with what God wants Moses to do.
He wants to make sure Moses does what God wants. he respects the call.
Be Careful About Taking Advice From Someone Who Doesn’t Respect Your Call!
That goes back into the character of the person. Joseph’s brothers didn’t respect the call God had for him.
so he should have been careful about taking advice from them.
But even while respecting Moses, he wanted 2 things.
He wanted Moses to be able to do what God called of him. He did NOT want Moses to kill himself while doing it!
How Many People Around You Are Giving You Words To Make You BETTER At God’s Job For You?
Many people may try and build you up… but does it line up to God’s plan??
Exodus 18:23
23 If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
This would help Moses become MORE effective for 3 reasons:
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Moses Would Still Be Their Leader
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Moses Would Have A Lighter Load
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The People Would Also Be Happy
Who actually told Moses he had to do all the work himself? How could he effectively hear from God if he was always working? These things would help Moses be more effective at his work.
AND he would have help!
God Places Some People In Our Lives That Can Help Us!
Many of us insist on doing things on our own.
We don’t want help.
Maybe we don’t trust others.
Maybe we just WANT to do it ourselves.
But it can cause problems.
We usually overwork ourselves. we usually underachieve…
because we don’t know GOOD help when we see it. But some of the people you are connected to are there to help you! Don’t think you have to do everything on your own!
Proverbs 15:22
22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
This is for the “move in silence” people.
You have to find the RIGHT people to let speak into you. Because not everyone is meant to be in your business.
{Eve and the serpent}
{Jesus and the tempter}
But with the RIGHT counsel, you can make better decisions.
Exodus 18:24-26
24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 26 They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.
It’s good to listen to advice.
We can sometimes be killing ourselves trying to figure out how to do everything. But there may be someone who has an answer to help you.
It’s Good To Listen To “GOOD” Advice!
Many of us are making our loads too difficult because we don’t know a good word when we hear it.
And we only do it OUR way.
Proverbs 12:15
15 The way of a fool seems right to him, but a wise man listens to advice.
Always be open to hear what someone might say to you…but know how to judge it.
Proverbs 19:20
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, and in the end you will be wise.
