WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:01.480 There's no way we're getting out of this. We're going 2 00:00:01.480 --> 00:00:04.280 into bankruptcy. There's no way to getting out of this. 3 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:07.839 We've heard the C word cancer. There's no way out 4 00:00:07.879 --> 00:00:10.800 of this. We're headed for a divorce court. There's no 5 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:14.640 And you are exactly where God wants you to be. 6 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:16.399 He wants to do a miracle. 7 00:00:16.719 --> 00:00:18.519 But there are five things you got to stop doing, 8 00:00:18.760 --> 00:00:20.519 and there are five things you got to start doing 9 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:24.039 stops and starts, stops and starts, and when you do that, 10 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:27.160 you get God's guidance and he shows you. 11 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.199 A pathway that nobody knew was there. 12 00:00:31.839 --> 00:00:36.799 You know, life is a series of choices. We make 13 00:00:36.840 --> 00:00:40.799 our choices and then they make us. We make our decisions, 14 00:00:40.799 --> 00:00:43.039 and if we make good decisions, we become successful. If 15 00:00:43.039 --> 00:00:46.960 we make bad decisions, then you know we're not. And 16 00:00:47.079 --> 00:00:51.119 every decision has a consequence, and the potential for error 17 00:00:51.200 --> 00:00:53.200 is great because obviously we're human beings. 18 00:00:53.200 --> 00:00:54.000 We're imperfect. 19 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:56.920 Some of you today are struggling with some kind of 20 00:00:56.920 --> 00:01:00.640 difficult decision about where do I move, what job do 21 00:01:00.719 --> 00:01:03.719 I take? Do I get married, do I stay in 22 00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:07.000 this marriage? All of these different Where do we put 23 00:01:07.040 --> 00:01:10.640 our kids in school? And and and indecision is one 24 00:01:10.680 --> 00:01:15.120 of the greatest sources of stress in your life. And 25 00:01:15.439 --> 00:01:17.879 yet your heavenly Father doesn't want you to be stressed 26 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:21.319 out by your decisions. But when you have this tension, 27 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:24.239 do I hold on or do I let go? Do 28 00:01:24.280 --> 00:01:25.840 I keep on doing what I'm doing? 29 00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:26.200 All right? 30 00:01:26.239 --> 00:01:30.560 Try something else? Do I move on? Do I get married? 31 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:32.879 The Bible tells us in the Book of James that 32 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:37.640 a double minded man is unstable in all his ways. 33 00:01:37.799 --> 00:01:41.000 And that word unstable actually in Greek means staggering like 34 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:45.079 a drunk. That's literally what it means that when you're 35 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:48.799 pulled in different directions by a decision because you just 36 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:52.000 can't figure out which way to go, it creates enormous 37 00:01:52.040 --> 00:01:54.959 tension in your life. And then even after a lot 38 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.920 of times you've made a decision, you start guessing, second 39 00:01:57.959 --> 00:02:02.040 guessing yourself did I make the right decision? And then 40 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:05.640 you just prolong the pain. Now what is the antidote. Well, 41 00:02:05.640 --> 00:02:10.039 the antidote is to let God guide you. And we're 42 00:02:10.080 --> 00:02:11.719 going to look at that as we come to our 43 00:02:12.039 --> 00:02:14.719 fifth message in this series on living in the goodness 44 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:17.039 of God. Where we're going verse by verse tough, Psalm 45 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:22.000 twenty three. And the Bible tells us that life is 46 00:02:22.039 --> 00:02:26.000 a journey and that God has given us a roadmap. 47 00:02:26.439 --> 00:02:30.080 It's this book, the Bible, this is our roadmap for life. 48 00:02:30.479 --> 00:02:34.000 That God has given us a compass, that's our conscience 49 00:02:34.879 --> 00:02:37.319 that keeps us headed in the right direction if we 50 00:02:37.400 --> 00:02:39.800 listen to it. And that God has even given us 51 00:02:39.840 --> 00:02:43.759 a personal guidance counselor, and he is the Holy Spirit. 52 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:47.000 And a personal guide is even the best thing all 53 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:48.879 that's better than a map. If you have a guide 54 00:02:49.000 --> 00:02:50.800 taking you through a city you've never been in, that's 55 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:52.360 a whole lot better than you trying to figure it 56 00:02:52.360 --> 00:02:53.080 out on a map or. 57 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:53.680 With a compass. 58 00:02:55.199 --> 00:02:59.000 Now, the Bible tells us that God wants to lead 59 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:03.879 us in the paths of righteousness. That means the right paths. 60 00:03:04.719 --> 00:03:06.520 God done wants you to mess up your life. What 61 00:03:06.560 --> 00:03:09.879 we're talking about in this message is am I going 62 00:03:09.960 --> 00:03:12.319 to waste my life? Am I going to spend my life? 63 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:14.599 Or am I going to invest my life? I don't 64 00:03:14.599 --> 00:03:16.159 want you to waste your life. And part of that 65 00:03:16.199 --> 00:03:19.400 means making right decisions. How do you get on the 66 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:22.520 right path? How do the Bible says he leads me 67 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:26.159 in the paths of righteousness. That means a modern translation, 68 00:03:26.439 --> 00:03:30.479 he keeps me on track. God wants to keep you 69 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.039 on track in your life. Now, I know some of 70 00:03:34.080 --> 00:03:36.120 you say, Rick, this just doesn't work for me. I've 71 00:03:36.159 --> 00:03:41.599 tried to let God lead my life. I don't get it. 72 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:43.599 How do you let God lead? 73 00:03:44.000 --> 00:03:46.520 Well, that's what we're going to look at this weekend, 74 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:49.400 because there's some things you need to start doing. There's 75 00:03:49.400 --> 00:03:52.680 some things you need to stop doing in order to 76 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:56.520 let God lead your life. But really the question comes 77 00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:58.840 down to why is it so difficult to figure out 78 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:00.520 what God wants me to do with my life? Why 79 00:04:01.360 --> 00:04:06.800 is God's will? Often it seems hidden? Is God playing 80 00:04:06.840 --> 00:04:09.719 games with me? Is God playing cat and mouse? Is he? 81 00:04:10.039 --> 00:04:13.159 Is he playing hide and seek? Does God enjoy confusing me? 82 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:16.639 Of course not, of course not. And then the real 83 00:04:16.680 --> 00:04:20.040 issue is we often look for the wrong thing from God. 84 00:04:20.279 --> 00:04:24.040 Now we are in this series of Psalm twenty three, 85 00:04:24.480 --> 00:04:26.920 and I told you we're going to memorize over ten 86 00:04:26.959 --> 00:04:30.439 weeks these six verses together. Now, many of you memorize 87 00:04:30.519 --> 00:04:32.319 us as a kid, And if you memorize it in 88 00:04:32.360 --> 00:04:34.480 the King James version, it's okay for you to say 89 00:04:34.519 --> 00:04:38.000 thee and thou and all at Elizabethan English. It's just 90 00:04:38.040 --> 00:04:41.279 four hundred years old. But it's okay as long as 91 00:04:41.279 --> 00:04:45.120 you memorize this important verse. Now, I told you a 92 00:04:45.160 --> 00:04:48.120 couple of weeks ago. This is the most quoted passage 93 00:04:48.199 --> 00:04:52.079 in funerals, Psalm twenty three. But it's not even about death. 94 00:04:52.120 --> 00:04:53.480 There's only one line in it. 95 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:54.680 Even though I walk. 96 00:04:54.600 --> 00:04:56.160 Through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 97 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.240 fear no evil, for thou art with me, you are 98 00:04:58.279 --> 00:05:01.720 with me. This verse is not This chapter is not 99 00:05:01.759 --> 00:05:04.519 really about death. It's the most famous psalm quoted to death, 100 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.399 but it's not about death. It's really about how God 101 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:09.879 wants to guide you and leads you all the way 102 00:05:10.079 --> 00:05:14.959 through your life. Now, because God is a good God, 103 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:17.639 and that's what we're looking at. God has good plans 104 00:05:17.680 --> 00:05:20.480 for your life, not bad plans, and God wants you 105 00:05:20.519 --> 00:05:23.759 to understand those plans. And because he's good, he has 106 00:05:23.879 --> 00:05:29.040 promised to guide. The good Shepherd doesn't just feed us, 107 00:05:29.399 --> 00:05:34.879 He leads us. He doesn't just correct us. He directs us. 108 00:05:36.319 --> 00:05:41.439 He guides us. And so this is part of leading, 109 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:45.399 feeding and meeting our needs, which is what the good 110 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.360 Shepherd does. Now, look at the top of your outline, 111 00:05:48.959 --> 00:05:52.319 and we're going to start with now the first three verses. 112 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:55.279 So let's say it aloud together. Remember trying to memorize this. 113 00:05:55.439 --> 00:05:57.519 Let's say it aloud. By the way, it's on either 114 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:00.439 side here at the Lake Forest campus, and many of 115 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:03.120 our campuses have already put this on their walls. Let's 116 00:06:03.120 --> 00:06:07.639 threat it together. The Lord is my shepherd. I have 117 00:06:07.800 --> 00:06:12.600 everything I need. He makes me lie down in green pastures. 118 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:17.879 He leaves me besides still waters. He restores my soul. 119 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:20.720 Now here's the verse. We're gonna look at this this weekend. 120 00:06:20.839 --> 00:06:23.959 Read it with me. He leaves me in the right 121 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:28.879 paths for his name's sake. As I said, because God 122 00:06:29.000 --> 00:06:31.120 is a good God, he promises to guide us. We're 123 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:33.480 not left out on our loan on our own. God says, 124 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:37.519 I'm going to give you my guidance. In fact, listen, 125 00:06:38.759 --> 00:06:43.959 if you've never felt guided by God, that's a problem 126 00:06:44.319 --> 00:06:48.600 because one of the proofs are one of the evidences 127 00:06:48.759 --> 00:06:51.240 that you do have a relationship with God, that you're 128 00:06:51.240 --> 00:06:54.199 in his family, is he guides you. Look at this 129 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:57.720 next verse there on your outline, Romans eight, verse fourteen. 130 00:06:58.040 --> 00:07:00.519 Only those people who are led by God God's Spirit 131 00:07:00.600 --> 00:07:01.560 are God's children. 132 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:06.079 Oh, let me read it again. Only those people who 133 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:06.759 are led. 134 00:07:06.519 --> 00:07:10.879 By God's Spirit are God's children. So it is absolutely, 135 00:07:11.120 --> 00:07:14.120 vitally important that you learn what we're going to talk 136 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:17.199 about this weekend on how do I get guidance from God? 137 00:07:17.519 --> 00:07:20.800 Or how do I be led by God's Spirit? Only 138 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:23.519 those people who were led by God's spirit, circle that 139 00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:28.680 led by God's Spirit are God's children, So you can 140 00:07:28.720 --> 00:07:32.879 see the importance of this. On Friday, I took a 141 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:35.560 couple of guys from our staff and we just did 142 00:07:35.560 --> 00:07:38.680 a little day hike. It was such a beautiful day 143 00:07:38.680 --> 00:07:41.519 after all the rain we've been having, and I noticed 144 00:07:41.560 --> 00:07:44.240 it was we were taking this hike that a hike, 145 00:07:44.480 --> 00:07:48.759 or a journey or a walk is a composition of 146 00:07:48.839 --> 00:07:54.240 both starts and stops. And when you're on a journey, 147 00:07:54.279 --> 00:07:56.439 you're not always walking. You stop, you slow down, you 148 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:59.160 look at things, you might pause, and there's some things 149 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:01.560 on a journey of life you have to stop doing, 150 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:05.079 and there's some things you have to start doing. Life 151 00:08:05.160 --> 00:08:10.120 is composed of starts and stops. And what I want 152 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:12.519 to do is take that little metaphor today and talk 153 00:08:12.519 --> 00:08:14.759 to you about how do you hear God speak to you. 154 00:08:15.160 --> 00:08:19.040 How do you learn to get God's will in your life? 155 00:08:19.079 --> 00:08:21.800 How do you get God's guidance, whether it's a business 156 00:08:21.879 --> 00:08:25.439 decision or a relational decision, or a financial or health decision. 157 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:29.319 How do I get God's guidance in my life? How 158 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:34.279 do I be led by God's Spirit? Well, there are 159 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:36.720 some things you need to stop doing in order to 160 00:08:36.720 --> 00:08:39.559 do that, and there's some things you need to start doing. 161 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:41.000 So let's begin with the negative. 162 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:45.679 This may not be comfortable, but it's necessary if I 163 00:08:45.799 --> 00:08:48.759 really want to be led by the spirit of God. Okay, 164 00:08:48.840 --> 00:08:51.440 so you might write these down. Number one, he's a 165 00:08:51.519 --> 00:08:54.080 right from God's word. If I want to be led 166 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:58.840 by God's spirit. First, I can't follow a culture that 167 00:08:58.919 --> 00:09:04.759 doesn't follow God. I can't follow a culture that doesn't 168 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:09.200 follow God if I'm trying to follow God, if I'm 169 00:09:09.240 --> 00:09:12.799 trying to be led by the spirit, So I've got 170 00:09:12.840 --> 00:09:16.960 to stop that. You can't run in two directions at 171 00:09:16.960 --> 00:09:18.840 the same time. You can't chase two rabbits at the 172 00:09:18.840 --> 00:09:22.080 same time. You can't serve God and money. You can't 173 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:24.159 serve God and anything else. You got to decide what's 174 00:09:24.279 --> 00:09:25.679 number one in your life? You can only have one 175 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:30.080 number one. In Exodus twenty three, Verse two, the Bible says, 176 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:34.080 do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. Now, that's 177 00:09:34.159 --> 00:09:36.879 important verse today, because the whole idea is if everybody 178 00:09:36.919 --> 00:09:44.000 else is doing it, it must be okay. 179 00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:43.919 If it's legal, it must be moral. 180 00:09:44.120 --> 00:09:48.200 Not necessarily, if everybody else is doing it, then I 181 00:09:48.240 --> 00:09:51.960 should do it. You can't follow a culture that doesn't 182 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:55.200 follow God. If you want to be led by the 183 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:58.480 Holy Spirit, do not follow the crowd and doing wrong. 184 00:09:58.600 --> 00:10:02.879 You know, most people make decisions in their life according 185 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:07.200 to what is acceptable, and I just want to fit in. 186 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:09.080 And if they're doing it, then I'm going to do it. 187 00:10:09.080 --> 00:10:10.480 And if they're not doing it, I'm not going to 188 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:11.879 do it because I don't want to stick out. I 189 00:10:11.919 --> 00:10:13.919 don't want to stand out. You don't want to rock 190 00:10:13.960 --> 00:10:17.200 the boat. When in Rome, you know, do as the Romans. 191 00:10:17.240 --> 00:10:20.720 And you know there are magazines that put out what's 192 00:10:20.759 --> 00:10:23.080 in and what's out to tell you this is now out, 193 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.639 stop doing that, this is now in, start doing that, 194 00:10:26.759 --> 00:10:29.200 wear this, don't wear that, say this, don't say that. 195 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:34.080 And there are great pressures to make you conform to 196 00:10:34.399 --> 00:10:39.440 our culture. You cannot conform to our culture and be 197 00:10:39.600 --> 00:10:42.320 just like everybody else and be led by the Holy 198 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:46.759 Spirit because he's going in a different direction. This problem 199 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:50.519 was Israel's biggest problem for two thousand, three thousand, and 200 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:53.360 four thousand years in the Bible, they kept trying to 201 00:10:53.399 --> 00:10:56.600 want to be like every other nation. God said, no, no, 202 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.320 you're supposed to be different. I don't want you doing that. 203 00:11:00.039 --> 00:11:03.279 Gave them all kinds of moral laws and civil laws 204 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:08.120 and ceremonial laws, and he said, this is going to 205 00:11:08.240 --> 00:11:10.840 just make you different from everybody else, and it's intentional. 206 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:13.799 God said, because you're my people, I want you to 207 00:11:13.840 --> 00:11:16.600 be different, and so don't copy what everybody else is doing, 208 00:11:16.600 --> 00:11:20.759 what other cultures are doing, what other people are doing. Today, 209 00:11:21.799 --> 00:11:26.360 many believers accept many of the standards simply because they're 210 00:11:26.480 --> 00:11:30.200 politically correct, culturally correct. They're what everybody else is doing. 211 00:11:30.399 --> 00:11:35.200 Here's what the Bible says Romans twelve, verse two. Do 212 00:11:35.360 --> 00:11:41.559 not copy the behavior or values of this world. Instead, 213 00:11:42.000 --> 00:11:44.720 let God transform you. I means you're gonna be different 214 00:11:44.919 --> 00:11:48.759 into a new person by changing the way you think. 215 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:50.720 So you're not going to think like everybody else does. 216 00:11:51.440 --> 00:11:55.440 Then you will know notice, then you will know what 217 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.159 God wants you to do. 218 00:11:57.360 --> 00:11:58.559 Now, let me pause right here. 219 00:11:58.759 --> 00:12:01.600 The reason you don't know what God wants you to do, 220 00:12:02.200 --> 00:12:04.799 it's because you're too inculturated with this culture and you 221 00:12:04.840 --> 00:12:08.960 can't think like the world and think like God thinks. 222 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:11.120 And so you have to decide to life, do I 223 00:12:11.120 --> 00:12:13.559 want to be popular with the world, or do I 224 00:12:13.600 --> 00:12:15.159 really want to do what God put me on this 225 00:12:15.200 --> 00:12:16.480 earth to do. Do I want to be who He 226 00:12:16.519 --> 00:12:19.120 made me to be, not try to be poor carbon 227 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:23.840 copy of somebody else. Don't copy the behaviors or values 228 00:12:23.840 --> 00:12:26.159 of this world. Let God transform you into a new 229 00:12:26.200 --> 00:12:29.399 person how by changing the way you think. Then, he says, 230 00:12:29.639 --> 00:12:32.480 then you'll know. You want to know God's will. Then 231 00:12:32.519 --> 00:12:36.039 you'll know what God wants you to do, and you 232 00:12:36.120 --> 00:12:40.039 will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will 233 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:43.039 really is. I want you to circle those three where 234 00:12:43.080 --> 00:12:44.879 its good, pleasing. 235 00:12:44.480 --> 00:12:48.159 And perfect. God's will for your life is good. 236 00:12:48.360 --> 00:12:50.399 It's not bad. God has good plans for your life, 237 00:12:50.519 --> 00:12:52.600 not bad plans. God's will for your life is good. 238 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:58.679 It's pleasing. That means it's enjoyable. It's not a not 239 00:12:58.759 --> 00:13:02.519 a bad deal. It's not painful, can't involve pain, but 240 00:13:02.639 --> 00:13:06.000 it's good. It's pleasing and it's perfect. That's what God's 241 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:08.679 will for your life really is. You see, one of 242 00:13:08.720 --> 00:13:12.840 the weaknesses of following culture is it's all temporary. Whatever 243 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:15.360 is in style now, next year is going to be 244 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:20.159 what yeah, out of style. So nothing is as worthless 245 00:13:20.159 --> 00:13:23.320 as yesterday's fashion unless you hold onto. 246 00:13:23.159 --> 00:13:24.200 It for thirty years. 247 00:13:26.320 --> 00:13:28.679 And then what goes around comes back, and ties get 248 00:13:28.679 --> 00:13:31.440 wide and narrow and wideness, hymn lines go up and 249 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:34.759 down and all of that. But the Bible tells us 250 00:13:34.759 --> 00:13:37.000 in One John two seventeen, the world and all of 251 00:13:37.039 --> 00:13:40.320 its desires passes away, but the person who does the 252 00:13:40.360 --> 00:13:44.639 will of God shall live forever. Really, you don't want 253 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.240 to care about whether I'm fitting in with culture or not. 254 00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:50.039 People will tell you, well, you're on the wrong side 255 00:13:50.080 --> 00:13:54.480 of history. For you, it's not important on whether you're 256 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:56.399 on the right side of history or the wrong side 257 00:13:56.399 --> 00:13:58.200 of history. It's important that you just be on the 258 00:13:58.279 --> 00:14:04.399 right side because history is often wrong. You ever heard 259 00:14:04.399 --> 00:14:10.399 anything called Nazism, communism, so many other History is often wrong. 260 00:14:10.519 --> 00:14:12.600 It's not important to be on the right side of history. 261 00:14:12.679 --> 00:14:16.440 It's important to be on the right side. And if 262 00:14:16.480 --> 00:14:18.360 you're gonna let God guide you you can't say, well, 263 00:14:18.360 --> 00:14:20.440 I'm going to try to let culture guide me what 264 00:14:20.559 --> 00:14:22.879 I do think can be and I'm gonna let God 265 00:14:23.279 --> 00:14:26.080 do that too. It doesn't work that way. Now, let's 266 00:14:26.080 --> 00:14:27.120 get a little more personal. 267 00:14:27.159 --> 00:14:30.200 That was pretty easy. This is getting a meddling in 268 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:30.840 your life. Now. 269 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:34.720 If I want to be led by God's spirit, I 270 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:41.080 can't follow friends who aren't led by God. If my 271 00:14:41.200 --> 00:14:44.159 friends are going the exact opposite direction that God is going, 272 00:14:44.399 --> 00:14:45.879 I have to make a choice. Am I gonna go 273 00:14:45.919 --> 00:14:47.759 to the direction my friends are going? Or am I 274 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:51.879 going to go the direction of God. It's one thing 275 00:14:51.919 --> 00:14:53.960 to say, well, you know, I'm going to be counterculture, 276 00:14:54.960 --> 00:14:57.279 but it's another thing to say I'm not gonna let 277 00:14:57.360 --> 00:15:01.000 my friends influence me. You got to stop letting your 278 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:03.679 friends set the agenda of your life. One of the 279 00:15:03.720 --> 00:15:05.840 reasons you don't hear God's will is because you're always 280 00:15:05.840 --> 00:15:09.840 hearing what their will is. Let's do this, let's do that, 281 00:15:09.960 --> 00:15:12.519 Let's drink this, let's eat that, let's go here, let's 282 00:15:12.519 --> 00:15:15.600 talk like this. Let's watch this TV show. There's some 283 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:19.080 shows you just shouldn't watch. Doesn't matter if they're the 284 00:15:19.120 --> 00:15:23.320 most popular shows on TV. You're filling your mind with garbage. 285 00:15:23.759 --> 00:15:26.240 We all worry about air pollution, water pollution. Have you 286 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:30.480 ever worried about mind pollution? Some people are so open 287 00:15:30.600 --> 00:15:37.399 minded their brains fall out, and you're just letting a 288 00:15:37.440 --> 00:15:40.039 freeway go through your mind of all kinds. None of 289 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:43.320 that stuff's forgotten. That's why you've had some of those 290 00:15:43.320 --> 00:15:47.200 weird dreams over the years. It's all everything you've seen, 291 00:15:47.559 --> 00:15:51.399 every rape, every murder, every violent act, every cuss word, 292 00:15:51.519 --> 00:15:52.279 it's all in there. 293 00:15:52.840 --> 00:15:53.440 It's all there. 294 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:59.279 I can't follow friends who aren't led by God. 295 00:16:00.919 --> 00:16:02.399 Why am I making a big deal about this? 296 00:16:02.679 --> 00:16:05.279 Because one of the things that causes people to miss 297 00:16:05.279 --> 00:16:08.559 God's will for their life, God's plan, God's perfect, good 298 00:16:08.600 --> 00:16:11.720 and pleasing plant is peer pressure. 299 00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:14.080 You can get it in school. 300 00:16:14.399 --> 00:16:16.320 You all know what that was like in school when 301 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:20.080 you felt pressured by the kids in your class. But 302 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.000 you also get it at work. There's a lot of 303 00:16:23.039 --> 00:16:26.399 peer pressure today, and you have to say, am I 304 00:16:26.440 --> 00:16:30.480 going to listen to my friends, my co workers, my teammates, 305 00:16:30.559 --> 00:16:32.399 or am I going to listen to what God says? 306 00:16:32.679 --> 00:16:32.879 First? 307 00:16:32.960 --> 00:16:38.279 John three seven says this, Do not let anyone that 308 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:41.559 includes friends leads you in the wrong way. 309 00:16:42.639 --> 00:16:43.960 Christ is righteous. 310 00:16:44.159 --> 00:16:46.799 That means he does what's right, so be like So 311 00:16:46.919 --> 00:16:50.039 to be like Christ, you must do what is right, 312 00:16:50.240 --> 00:16:55.039 not what's necessarily popular. And anyone who keeps on sinning 313 00:16:56.279 --> 00:16:59.360 is being led by the devil. So if I've got 314 00:16:59.399 --> 00:17:02.960 a friend who is habitually sinning, I mean they're having 315 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:06.119 one affair after another there, and they're bragging about it 316 00:17:06.160 --> 00:17:08.400 at work, and I'm you know, I'm listening to them. 317 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.079 I'm then I'm just following them. Who are they following? 318 00:17:11.119 --> 00:17:15.880 The devil? The devil, he says, don't let anybody lead 319 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:17.960 you in the wrong direction. What do you do? 320 00:17:18.039 --> 00:17:22.720 You got to be tender without surrender. Now, there's a 321 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:25.119 lot of bad advice floating around the world. 322 00:17:25.200 --> 00:17:26.000 Everybody agree with that? 323 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:32.160 Well, I mean, anybody could be a blogger today. Anybody 324 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.480 can write a column today. I'm not making this up. 325 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:39.079 Yesterday read an article called why Everybody should have an affair. 326 00:17:40.759 --> 00:17:44.119 Oh that's the best advice I've ever heard, right there, boy, 327 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:47.119 that's let me just tell you how man, how much 328 00:17:47.160 --> 00:17:52.799 destructiveness that creates in the lives of kids. Let me 329 00:17:52.839 --> 00:17:54.799 talk to the men for just a minute here, guys. 330 00:17:54.839 --> 00:17:56.440 You know what's the number one need that you have, 331 00:17:56.559 --> 00:17:58.440 you may have never even noticed it. If you're a daddy. 332 00:17:58.519 --> 00:18:01.599 If you're a husband and a dad, one of the 333 00:18:01.640 --> 00:18:04.039 biggest needs you have in your life is you want 334 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:10.960 your grown adult children to respect you. I don't know 335 00:18:11.000 --> 00:18:13.880 a man who doesn't want that. You want your grown 336 00:18:14.000 --> 00:18:17.559 adult children to respect you. That should have a hamper 337 00:18:17.799 --> 00:18:21.599 on the decisions you make now and a lot of 338 00:18:21.599 --> 00:18:23.480 other areas. Notice how quiet it got when I said 339 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:27.599 that I had every attention of every man in the 340 00:18:27.640 --> 00:18:28.680 house for one second. 341 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.160 All right, go back to your ballgame. All right? 342 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:35.640 Okay, I had a lot of bad advice out there. 343 00:18:35.839 --> 00:18:39.720 Proverbs thirteen, verse twenty look up here says this, keep 344 00:18:39.839 --> 00:18:43.799 company with wise friends, and you'll become wise. But if 345 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:47.759 you associate with fools, your life will suffer great hurt. 346 00:18:49.200 --> 00:18:51.480 You can't soar with the eagles if you're running with 347 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:56.359 the turkeys. Okay, so you know who you hang out with. 348 00:18:57.440 --> 00:19:00.880 You need to choose your friends wisely. Keep company with 349 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.480 wise friends, you're gonna become wise. 350 00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:06.039 If I want to follow. 351 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:09.640 God's direction, okay, I can't let culture get me off track, 352 00:19:09.880 --> 00:19:13.680 and I can't even let friends get me off track. 353 00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:19.160 Make sure your advice is from the right source, you know. Now, 354 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:23.240 it bothers me when people like get counseling. I've met 355 00:19:23.359 --> 00:19:26.559 believers who are going to non believers to get counseling 356 00:19:26.640 --> 00:19:30.519 for their life. I'm going to really, they have no 357 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:35.039 spiritual insight on that. The Bible tells us in First 358 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:37.359 John three seven, it says, don't just let anybody lead 359 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:40.759 you astray, because you'll miss God's will. Go ahead and 360 00:19:40.759 --> 00:19:45.200 get counseled, but get it from a mature believer. Now 361 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:46.920 that may be really clear. When I talk to this 362 00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:49.279 about friends, means I can't follow friends. You mean I'm 363 00:19:49.279 --> 00:19:51.359 saying I have to give up all my non Christian friends. 364 00:19:51.400 --> 00:19:52.160 Of course not. 365 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:55.200 In fact, you shouldn't do that. Listen to me loud 366 00:19:55.240 --> 00:19:59.440 and clear. God wants you to have friends who are unbelievers. 367 00:20:01.119 --> 00:20:04.480 First place, you're commanded to love everybody. You're not allowed 368 00:20:04.519 --> 00:20:07.519 to not love anybody. If you're a believer Christ, you 369 00:20:07.559 --> 00:20:10.079 are to love everybody. In fact, I'm even commanded to 370 00:20:10.079 --> 00:20:13.559 love my enemies. I'm commanded to love the people who 371 00:20:13.640 --> 00:20:17.039 hate me, criticize me, attack me. I don't get a choice. 372 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:19.839 If I call myself a believer, follower of Christ, I 373 00:20:19.880 --> 00:20:23.279 am to love everybody, and God wants to use you 374 00:20:23.599 --> 00:20:27.880 to bring them to Christ. But here's the difference. Look 375 00:20:27.960 --> 00:20:31.359 up here in the screen. Jeremiah fifteen nineteen says, you 376 00:20:31.400 --> 00:20:34.640 will be my spokesman to these non believing friends. You 377 00:20:34.720 --> 00:20:38.720 are to influence them, but do not let them influence you. 378 00:20:40.599 --> 00:20:43.359 Every day when you go to work, you're deciding, am 379 00:20:43.359 --> 00:20:49.920 I going to be a thermostat or a thermometer. A 380 00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:53.240 thermometer just reflects what the temperature is of the environment. 381 00:20:53.799 --> 00:20:57.000 They're being talking dirty, I'm going to talk dirty, they're 382 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:59.200 doing this, I'm going to do that. A thermometer just 383 00:20:59.240 --> 00:21:02.559 reveals what the call, just like a thermostat turns the 384 00:21:02.559 --> 00:21:03.720 heat up or down. 385 00:21:04.799 --> 00:21:06.279 God wants you to be in a thermistat. 386 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:09.160 He doesn't want you to influence them, to influence you, 387 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:12.519 but you to influence them. Now, as I said, God 388 00:21:12.599 --> 00:21:15.400 commands you to love everybody. Let me show you something 389 00:21:15.440 --> 00:21:20.039 that a lot of Christians and believers don't get. Let's 390 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:22.200 show you two verses that look totally opposite of each 391 00:21:22.200 --> 00:21:25.359 other up here on the screen. One John two fifteen. 392 00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:27.680 By the way, they're written by the same guy. John 393 00:21:27.759 --> 00:21:30.480 wrote the book John, and he wrote first, second, and 394 00:21:30.519 --> 00:21:33.319 third John letters, and in First John, chapter two, he 395 00:21:33.359 --> 00:21:39.319 says this, do not love the world or anything that 396 00:21:39.359 --> 00:21:43.720 belongs to the world. If you love the world, you 397 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:45.519 cannot love the Father. 398 00:21:46.119 --> 00:21:48.920 WHOA, that's pretty clear now. 399 00:21:49.079 --> 00:21:51.039 That same guy who wrote that also wrote this the 400 00:21:51.039 --> 00:21:52.960 most famous verse in the Bible, God so. 401 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:58.119