“When Bad Advice Sounds Good (Be Careful Who You’re Listening To! pt. 2)”

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}

This message continues from the 1st Sunday. “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!

They can give life or wear you down.

HEARING words can give life or 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 Listen To!

People will always talk to you…

But who are you listening to?

Do they have any motives for anything?

1 Corinthians 15:33

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

Having the wrong people around you can and WILL change you.

The wrong company will corrupt who you are.

Luke 8:18

Therefore consider carefully how you listen.

This means to pay CAREFUL attention to who and what you pay attention to. From last time:

What do we look at?

{Listening To Others}:

• What Is The Character Of The Person?

• What Is The Motive Of The Person?

• Will This Help You Achieve God’s Purpose Or Will It Cause You To Doubt It?

Mark 4:24 (a)

24 “Consider carefully what you hear,”

People talk to you all the time.

People speak and give advice and opinions all the time.

How Can You Tell If It’s Good Or Bad Advice?

Genesis - God specifically told Eve not to eat the fruit.

Anything suggesting she SHOULD is bad advice.

What about when the suggestion isn’t so clear?

Matthew 4:1-3

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

Immediately we hear this and “christian alarm bells” go off. But why?

What is wrong with this advice?

Verse 2

After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

It would make sense that if you are in the desert and have been fasting… You’d be hungry.

turning the stones to bread means he can eat.

Sometimes Even Bad Advice Can Sound Good!

Mark 4:24 (a)

24 “Consider carefully what you hear,”

Satan tells Jesus to turn the stones to bread. If we aren’t careful…we can fall for this trap.

Make Sure The Things You Hear Don’t Turn You From God’s Original Plan For 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.

Jeremiah 29:11 -> God’s PLAN”S” for you. it’s not just one “plan” you get in life.

it’s multi steps to prosper you and not harm you.

God Has Continuous Thoughts And Plans For You That END With You Winning Each Time!

yes he has an endgame plan for you… but it’s not JUST the end…

He’s not just the alpha and omega…beginning and end.

He’s everything in between!

So his “plans” are designed to KEEP you prospering and not in harm!

With God You Move From One Win To The Next!

Sometimes you might have to look for it… But if you are with God…you are prospering. When God reveals ANY those steps to you:

Ask yourself do these things we hear from others go against what God wants for me.

Just Because It Might Make Sense Doesn’t Make It Good Advice!

“Seemed like a good idea at the time!”

Abraham messed up when God TOLD him he would have a son. After years of trying…no child.

His wife says maybe she’s too old.

she says hook up with her young, Egyptian servant who will do whatever you ask.

Abraham says…”sounds good to me!”

And he makes a decision that goes against God’s plan.

Was that good advice?

“Seemed like a good idea at the time…”

If The Advice You Hear Goes Against God’s Plan For You, It’s Bad Advice!

WHY?

to be tempted by the devil.

The whole purpose was to pass being tempted. That’s all?

That’s the reason he was there.

No bigger purpose??

Some of us are led but can’t pass the temptation.

Even Jesus had to fast for 40 days and 40 nights to be ready for this temptation.

Remember Jesus was the Christ… but he was a man.

And BECAUSE he was a man…

Verse 2

2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

Why is that in there?? “(He was hungry)"

Because It was not easy…

the bible says he was “hungry.” Meaning…after 40 days…he wanted badly to eat.

How many days can you fast before you are hungry?

this was over a month.

But he was led to be tempted by the devil.

The TEST was the temptation by the devil.

Meaning matter what the advice was…

as soon as the tempter suggested it: it was bad advice.

Because the tempter was NOT for his good!

Even If It Sounds Good, Make Sure It Doesn’t Go Against God’s Plan For You!

The temptations get less subtle as they go on but the easiest was the first one. “Turn the stones to bread.”

(Sure it was easy and no one would know…)

But the MAN Jesus would have used his power for his PERSONAL needs.

…at the suggestion of the devil.

…and ONCE Jesus began to use his power for himself… when it would come time to die on the cross…

It would have been EVEN harder for Jesus to do that.

because he KNEW what it would be like to give into temptation.

So what were the 3 ways to “check” the advice you receive?

{Listening To Others}:

• What Is The Character Of The Person?

• What Is The Motive Of The Person?

• Will This Help You Achieve God’s Purpose Or Will It Cause You To Doubt It?

In this case, the character was called the “tempter.” {No guessing} The motive of the devil was to tempt Jesus. {No guessing} Although the advice seemed good…

The advice would cause Jesus NOT achieve God’s purpose and cause doubt later.

People will always suggest things.

People will always have something to say.

Sometimes it’s with a good heart… sometimes not.

But how do you know if you should listen or not?

{Listening To Others}:

• What Is The Character Of The Person?

• What Is The Motive Of The Person?

• Will This Help You Achieve God’s Purpose Or Will It Cause You To Doubt It?

Possible next message:

Next Message:

Sometimes Bad Advice Can Come From Good People

This Week: (Same as last time)

• Review This Message

• 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.

• 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. Don’t let someone else mess that up.