FBCWest 529 | No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Decisions - Rehoboam
Recorded On: 11/13/2022
Bulletin
Hymn # 503 “When We All Get to Heaven”
SCRIPTURE READING – Revelation 7:9 -17
Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
OFFERTORY MUSIC – Pru Hungate
Praise and Worship
“How Great Is Your Love”
“Promise Keeper”
“What I See”
Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Decisions:
”Rehoboam: Not Choosing the Wise Counsel”
PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“Build My Life”
Benediction “God Really Loves Us”
Sermon Notes
1 Kings 12:1 – 4 Israel comes and asks Rehoboam to act differently than his father and they would follow him as king
1 Kings 12:5 Rehoboam asks for 3 days to decide
1 Kings 12:6 & 7 He seeks counsel from the elders
1 Kings 12:8 - 11 He seeks counsel from his young friends
1 Kings 12:12 – 14 Rehoboam does decides to listen to the counsel of his friends
1 King 12:15 God predetermined the result
1 Kings 12:16 The disastrous consequences
Psalm 32:8 Seek God’s instruction and teaching
Proverbs 1:1 – 7 A person of understanding will acquire wise Counsel Rehoboam had 3 choices. Do as his father had done. Lighten the load his father had put on the people. Make the load heavier than his father.
Scritpures
Transcript of Service
Boy, the other Bibles turned to 1st Kings Chapter 12. Sign of verse one. Question I have why you're? Turning to blocking your Bibles. When you have a decision to make an important decision. But we do help you make that decision. Some people just. Make the decisions on their own. Other people will ask close friends. Family or what they think. But the question though is. Are you asking people their opinions and what you should do? Who both? Perhaps maybe agree you have the same worldview and thought as you do. But you also get opposing views or vision opportunity to make decisions that you might not ordinarily make because you're locked into the way you think about a situation. And oftentimes what we do is we find our friends who think like us to get us to reinforce the decision. We've already made. Now we're going to see. In this instance, our decision needs to be made. And he's given a couple of different opinions. And so in First Kings Chapter 12, it says this big whalebone went to Shechem for all Israel. Come to check him to make him king. Now Reuben was the son of Solomon, and Solomon died, so now what had happened was the people of visual are coming to this place where they anoint kings and are going to have a meeting too. Acknowledged that whalebone is going to be key. However, they have a question of him before they consent him. Being king is now when Jeroboam is sending me, but Nubat heard of it. He was living in Egypt, or he was yet in Egypt, or he had fled from the presence of the key of Solomon. So this is another one. The the name sounds familiar one is. Uh, whalebone, rather terrible. Two different people who have political connections, but it's whalebone who got the. Matter of being the next king. And then he sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the Assembly of Israel came and spoke to rebel, saying her father made our yolk hard. Now therefore lighting. The hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which you put on us, and we will serve you. And he said to them, depart for three days, then return to me so the people departed. So the people come in to say. We want you to lighten below to be, well, not require as much servers, not requiring much taxes, not require the the requirement of men serving in the military. We're saying we want you to lighten that load now. Well, one has three choices. Choice #1 You can do what they're asking to like below. And then on modern day someone says we're going to reduce taxes and those types of things. The second choice that he might make is that he could make it more burdensome. I'm going to increase the taxes I would make life a little more difficult for you because in the end it's it's better for you and the third option is. Keep the decisions and the policy the same as this one. But that doesn't seem to be an option. Anybody gives him, but he has three options.
Now he does have one wise aspect here he says let me think about this for three days. Anytime you have an important decision, I think it's important that you think about it and have time to reflect to make a good decision that you might receive counsel and then to assist you in making that decision. I also have a. General policy, I'm not saying I never violate it, but almost never is that if you're if you say to me. You have to decide right now. You'll see that oftentimes if you're trying to buy a vehicle or or some other type of investment, it's like you have to do it right now. And if you don't do it right now, the opportunity is withdrawn from my almost 99percent reflective operations will bend the decisions made, no. Thank you very much. I'm leaving because I generate them, but when you make a decision in haste and with time pressure, they're going to make the wrong decision. Now about the only time I. Change, that is when you're in litigation. When you're talking about potential settlement and the other side, or you say we'll settle for X amount of money today. But if you don't take it today, we'll. Offers off the table. Now I start to think more seriously about it. Because cost of litigation goes up. Now you got to do more discovery. You got to prepare for trial. You have all of those factors that now the cost is is an important part of the consideration. So I do in those instances. Give it some thought because it does have some impact as to whether you make the decision now. Also, because I've been in the legal practice long term, I also know that oftentimes clients will talk about it's the principle. And you'll try to get them to settle and they'll say, yeah, but it's the principle and the little cautious of money. Well, it's the principle until we get to the courtroom steps to go to trial, and all of a sudden it seems principles not as important because they now have to write a check for the legal fees, and they're going to take a look at. They might win. They might lose, you never know. You know stranger things have happened. Even if you think you're 95percent certain you're going to win this so that 5percent chance you won't, and so they're in that whole decision. Making that is when you say OK. Well time can be of. Important for Obama, least initially acts wisely because he says, well, let. Me think about it. But come back in three days, you know that gives me time to seek counsel and to think about it and to do what's necessary. So they agree and they depart. Inverse success, soaking whalebone consulting with the elders who had served his father, saw him while he was still alive, saying, how do you counsel me that answered this? People, he, seeks, counsel. He seeks the counsel that his father's. And now you would seem to think that because they were his father's counselors, they might say, well, just keep the the policies that your father had in place because you know we were the others. We were advising him and he thinks that's the best course of action. Would just keep things status quo, but that's not the Council they said. Then they spoke to him saying if you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words, then then they will be your servants forever. Now I find. Not so interesting. 'cause they they basically say if you'd be a servant to them if you'd be a servant king. And they'll be your servant. But oftentimes, people who are seeking power. I'm so interested in the servant model. Now that's exactly what Jesus was. Jesus is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and yet he came this old and not to be served. So the example that we have is this servant model. Many years ago and now. Elected official who? Uh, we did. This has now passed away so I won't say her name or whatever, but she was a part of the school board and my wife was very active in PTA and there was an event where the parents were at this event and some of the. School board members were there and they had. From refreshments and whatever, and I over heard this one. Board members say. But she was. Kind of irritated because they weren't. First in line. He said she wasn't what we call a civil servant. She expected the position that she held to give her privileges. We don't have and although they seem to be the new servant model, even pastures often time and passes wide. They tend to have the you Sylvie so that I can save you, but I'm not going to serve you and I. Have my power.
I mean some Pastor wives who get upset when people don't clean their house. Perhaps you can, but again, they think that the people are there to serve them, but their council is if you serve them. We care about their problem. We care about burning and they'll turn around and so. Now, to me that seems to be wise counsel. And they're from elders. And like I said. We had three choices. We could keep the policy light and the policy or make it heavier bear counsel. Which to me is unexpected is to lighten the burden. And so he said it in what counsel do you give me? I'm sorry for saying. But he forsook the counsel of the elders. Which they had given him and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. So instead of making a decision after his hurt other counsel, he outright rejects the counsel of his father. Again, to me very unwise. We listen to all sides. We barely make a decision. Some of the most successful administration, though both we don't have. Exclusively yes, when you have someone who disagrees, you may not make the decision following. What they suggest? But at least it gives you the opportunity to hear the other viewpoint. But before he moved the other viewpoint, he already made the decision to reject that. Which again, is a mistake. Often people make when making decisions on their own, they hear something they don't like, or they reject it. And now look for counsel, but more agrees with what they think. So we went to the young men who are. The group I think we you know we're going to have the same opinion and let's face it, because they're associating with him, they're thinking they're going to benefit from that association. This is what we don't. What Council do you give? But we may answer this. People who have spoken to me saying like New York, which your.
Father put on. Young man who grew up with him spoke to him, saying thus, you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying your father made all your heavy. Now you make it lighter for us, but you shall speak to them. My little finger is thicker than my father going my my little finger is even thicker than my father. Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke. I will add to your young my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with Scorpion. That's their counsel. To be a burden to the people and only as he says, to whip them which is hurtful. Scorpions can kill you. And so their counsel, you would think, would be just automatically rejected. Because it falls so far away from what the Council the algorithm without releasing in moderation said. Now just keep your father. Policies, but they know no. We're going to tax you. We're going to burn you. And it's going to be. Almost to death. Then Jeroboam and all the people came to lay down on. The third day. As the king had directed, saying returned to me. On the third day. The King answered the people harshly further before suit. The advice of his elders, which they had given him, and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying my father made New York heavy, but I will add to your young my father, disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline him with smoking. He quotes his advice given to him by his young imp. He doesn't. We've been moderated by saying no, no, I'm I'm going to make it heavier. He quotes. The offensive ideas that this Council was. And you would think, although. In our current politics today, very often people will make decisions that you kind of scratch your head and say or I would have never done that, but. But that's that's his decision. He takes the counsel of those who think like him. But the king do not listen to the people, but was a turn of events from the Lord that he might establish his word. It's a law that spoke through. They had the the show Mike who Jeroboam the son. Of new Ben. Basically what's happened here? Is that? Logan makes the decision. That decision is going to result. In something. But that result is going to be exactly what God had foretold. If you will, what's going to happen next is going to happen because God had determined it. But if Whalebone had made a better decision, it may have delayed it. Or there may have been other reason. With God, word would come through. But instead, because he accepts the counsel of these young men. This is what happened and all the usual 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 here. Tents always will now look after your own house. David for Israel departed Burton. But As for the Sons of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, whalebone reigned over there. But what happened is is basically the nation got torn in two? The 10 tribes of the north decided that they would succeed from the Union of Israel and establish their own Kingdom. With their own king and they would leave Judah and the other tribe of Benjamin alone and David. Successors this family would only be came in Judah. There was a split. Because of that split. In order to avoid people going to Jerusalem to worship as was. Required by the law. The king there in Israel set up places of worship. In Israel. So much so that during the time of Jesus. When he was talking to the Samaritan woman whose underwear we worship here and you worship Burr, and there's that. So there was that schism.
It happened eventually, Israel. Will be held into captivity and ******* and Judah will remain a little longer. But even then, Jew itself will be taken into captivity. In *******? But we see as a result of the decision that we've made. Far reaching consequences happen not just to the king. But to all the people, those rule in Judah. It seemed to be a decision. And maybe you would think that if he had thought it through. He would have decided differently. So again, that comes. Down through the day. You and me. We make. Paper focusing. Decisions that sometimes may. Influence the rest of our lives and sometimes maybe only have affect the next 15 minutes, but we are all confronted with decisions frequently. What we should take from this? Is a couple of things. One as well of them did correctly. He delayed the decision to give him time to seek them. For where horrible made a mistake, we rejected the Council before he got all of it. Once it had all the Council then he should have made a decision, but because the Council wasn't what he wanted to hear, he rejected it and then sought other Council so that it might. PM Passover he won. But you and I, when we're faced with difficult decisions, we were seeking counsel. We shouldn't reject counsel. Until we've had enough in here all. The people that we take a look at. We then we should look for people. Who are why? People who understand maybe people who have experienced the same situation as feeding. I know that there's this a financial person on the radio and he says, you know, if you want to be rich, find out what rich people do and do that. You want to find out what people who've been married a long time do. Go talk to people been married a long time and do that. That's the types of things that we should do that you seek wisdom. Find out from council what it is. People who have been successful in these difficult decisions in time and then try to emulate that. Or say maybe I should be a different course. I also caution you to maybe not always look at expert. If we have experts. In all kinds of things. Let me use an example of economists. I'm going to pick on them. Almost every time you hear a news story about the phrase should be. Higher or lower or the. Job report is better or worse. Almost every single time when they give the numbers, they say the experts didn't expect. The experts didn't. But soon you start to think well for these experts, 'cause they're always wrong. Perhaps it would be more helpful that they would say, well, 80percent of the experts were wrong. One example, right? So they go well. What were the 20? Percent so I can listen to them. But just because somebody claims to be an ex. Things to be a fishing counselor. Transylvania family. Person who mediate between. It's a. Division well, what's your success rate? Are you truly? An expert, we can just have. So I encourage you want to find. If you will turn to, I'm sorry Psalms. Chapter 32 verse 8. Here's a place that I highly recommend that you seek counsel. Times 32 verse eight says I which being God, will instruct you and teach you in. The way which you should go. I will counsel you with my eye upon. Nothing come to me big council for me. I have my eye on you. I know, I know, every bird on your head. I know when you rise up. And when you. Lay down I know the intentions of your heart and your mind I know you. Come seek counsel from me. And all too often. That's the last place we seek counsel instead of going to God, we go to expert or go to family member. We should seek counsel. In the war? Well, how do you do that? Either one you read the scripture? You read this scripture. #2 you pray? You seek bar counsel, you seek. With instruction Now, all too often we don't. Move to that point. Until we're desperate to make a decision. And I've heard people who say, well, you know, I had a spiritual problem. You know what to do? So I took my Bible and I flipped through the pages and stuck my finger. And then I read it. And lo and behold. I got good counsel. Oh wonderful. And the Bible is full of great counsel. Great with. But hoping. But you'll get counsel. From flipping the pages and sticking your finger, you may find yourselves in numbers. And this tribe had this many people, and drought tribe had that many people and you started saying, well, how does that help me doing that is like saying my retirement plan is playing the lottery. Now you might get lucky. The birth of a stone. But we need to read the scriptures and be committed to them. Too often when it comes. For making decisions. It's like. So now we're having the final exam. We haven't studied all of a sudden we cram. We try to put as much information that is in the books and on our notes into our head, but that we might remember it only 45 minutes or three hours or however long the test is and then regurgitate it and hopefully remembered it and then walk away and hopefully pass or or whatever. So I can tell you, by priming you might pass a test. But you didn't receive any information. Because you started in a short term memory and. It'll be a. Little used to you in the future. What we should be doing? Is preparing ourselves because we know that life is complete with decision after decision, after decision and so we should be studying the. Word of God. To see his counsel not cramming the night before, but having an overall wealth of wisdom and knowledge. But they winded us it time of decision as they you know what is wise counsel you know what it's foolish. Counsel and you know the way to go. In the last. Which I like to share with you is found in proverbs. Chapter one. Bible verse one. And again. It's interesting that. Powdered milk Known as the wisest man that ever lived. And as we saw in the previous message. Yeah, he was wise but he wasn't wise enough. We also seem to make. Another fate on this state. All the various schooling elementary, junior high high school college law school. Utah primary with all these things. None of that information. It's been genetically transferred to my children. Glad to go to school. Verb around what 2 + 2 is we had to learn that from the sale of the ocean blue in 1490. They had to learn and Bo had to meet their own tests in their own. Challenges when it came to school. I now have grandchildren. It didn't transfer from me, then transferred to my children. You didn't transfer to my grandchildren. Each generation must learn not only information, but must learn wisdom. We would teach that not in a cramming situation, but day after day, after, day after day. But that they might develop it, and here we see in one generation from Solomon the father, the whalebone, the son. Things will never picked up any waste. From this spot. So it says this the problem of Solomon, the son of David. King of Israel But no wisdom and instruction with the same, the same means of understanding. To receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity. We give prudence to the naive to the youth, knowledge, and discretion he's going.
You need to learn these things we need to do these things. It's not simply good enough to learn something. We need to practice it, and then we need to take the wisdom that we have leaned onto and. Pass that to those who are naive. Those who are simple and understanding and lack discretion. We are to pass wisdom on. A wise man will hear an increase in learning. Most people who are successful. The most people that I would say that I would rank as intelligent. They didn't stop learning when they stopped going to school. As a matter of fact, the learned people understood that all school did was give you the resources to find the information so that they could. Become knowledgeable. And why? If you think that as soon as you get your cap and gown and you stop learning. You stop growing, you stop understanding and you will make foolish decisions. Or wise men will hear an increase in learning. You never thought learning. And a man of understanding will fire wise counsel. All too often you think well, I'm a smart man. I'm why I'm going to follow my own counsel. The wisest man who ever lived, said, you know what you have to do, wise man. But other wise counsel. Now, I particularly noticed because I remember. When I was an associate past. And there would be things that needed to be done or decided. And I would. For one type of decision. Then later, when I became the pastor. Looking back at that little. I only said I had freedom. To give that counsel. 'cause I didn't have to. No, virtually no. The pastor figured that. And so when I became the pastor and had to live with the consequences of my decision, my decisions oftentimes were different than I would have advocated. But you need to understand that so when people give you counsel, they give you counsel because they don't have to follow the counsel Burr giving you, they go on to their homes and do whatever. We need to understand that as some people say. Have spin in the game. To understand that when you make a decision, there will be consequences. One of my favorite scenes and I'm sure maybe somebody else came up with it. So this is an unknown plagiarism. But my expression was. The only appropriate decision is the one you don't make. Because you have to live with. All they want to do. But when you seek wise counsel, both in the sense of people and the word of God and prayer, you're probably going to get excellent wise counsel. That you can depend on and know that when you make that decision, but you can live with it. Or understand a problem than a figure. The words of the wise in Bogota. Then he's gonna say something astonishly, correct? Full of wisdom and understanding. The fear of the Lord. Is the beginning of knowledge. Understanding this. Taking God series. It's just the beginning. And if you paid attention to the previous messages, you've seen that when people make decisions they have discounted the fear of God. They have purposely done with violated prescription. And yet following him, he does this very same thing for us. Of knowledge is fear of the. Both despise wisdom and. He says in the interim. Wise people seek. Wisdom they seek understanding. They start with a worldview of God. Do not. Matter of fact, they don't even want to listen to. Wisdom, and that's exactly the role of them here. Is it spies, instruction or the elder? Because it did not. Lend its support to what you want to do. But make sure. You make any decision. But you do so. Because it's in the best interest. Of all concerned. But most importantly. Now when you make a decision. You might want to ask yourself this simple question. If I make this decision this way. Does it make me closer to God or further funding? If the answer is further from him, then the answer should be clear. And the precision will bring you closer to God. You're probably making the correct decision. We need to build on life. On God. On the love of Jesus and his principle. Understanding that the fear of the Lord. It's beginning.
And all God’s people said.