Nble Cunsel But the nble man devises nble plans; And by nble plans he stands. Isaiah 32:8 Many are the plans in a man s heart, But the cunsel f the Lrd, it will stand. Prverbs 19:21 Last lessn we studied and defined a nble man and his nble plans. We learned that Gd s definitin f a nble man is the man wh lves the Lrd with all f his heart, mind, sul and strength, and is selflessly cmmitted t fllwing Jesus wherever he leads. We learned that the plans f a nble man are fcused n Gd s interests, nt man s, n eternal things, nt tempral things. We applied these principles t ur businesses, desiring t be nble businessmen implementing nble business plans, starting with a visin r purpse statement fr yur business that reflects Gd s interests. This lessn we will study hw the nble man devises nble plans, fcusing n nble cunsel fr the nble man. Prverbs 20:18 18 Prepare plans by cnsultatin, and make war by wise guidance. Prverbs 15:22 22 Withut cnsultatin, plans are frustrated, but with many cunselrs they succeed. Prverbs 11:14 14 Where there is n guidance, the peple fall, but in abundance f cunselrs there is victry. Lets bserve what Gd says abut the rle f cunselrs in ur planning. Leader: Read the CONTEXT bx and read Prverbs 20:18, 15:22 and 11:14 and have the grup say alud and mark cnsultatin, cunselrs, and guidance. CONTEXT Remember that wisdm literature such as Prverbs describes Gd s general design hw things will usually wrk ut thus, it is wise t fllw these principles. Prverbs is nt a bk f prmises t be claimed r dctrine t be insisted upn. Generally speaking, what happens t ur plans with, and withut, cunsel? 1
Prverbs 12:5 5 The thughts f the righteus are just, but the cunsels f the wicked are deceitful. Prverbs 10:31-32 31 The muth f the righteus flws with wisdm, but the perverted tngue will be cut ut. 32 The lips f the righteus bring frth what is acceptable, but the muth f the wicked, what is perverted. 1 Crinthians 3:19-20 19 Fr the wisdm f this wrld is flishness befre Gd. Fr it is written, He is the One wh catches the wise in their craftiness ; 20 and again, The Lrd knws the reasnings f the wise, that they are useless. Hw is this cunsel described? Lets dig a bit further int the kind f cunsel the Lrd is advising us t seek in making ur plans. Leader: Read Prverbs 12:5, Prverbs 10:31-32, 1 Crinthians 3:19-20, Psalm 1:1-2, and have the grup say alud and mark cunsel(s) and als wisdm. Take a cuple f minutes and cmplete the chart belw n yur wn. What kind f peple shuld we seek cunsel frm, and whm shuld we avid? Why? List what yu learn frm the fur passages that we just read, fllwing the example given. Prverbs 12:5 Prverbs 10:31-32 SEEK Frm the righteus (thse in right standing with Gd) because their thughts are just (right). AVOID The wicked (thse in wrng standing with Gd) because their cunsels are deceitful (nt right). Psalm 1:1-2 1 Hw blessed is the man wh des nt walk in the cunsel f the wicked, nr stand in the path f sinners, nr sit in the seat f scffers! 2 But his delight is in the law f the Lrd, and in his law he meditates day and night. 1 Crinth 3:19-20 Psalm 1:1-2 2
Psalm 16:7 7 I will bless the Lrd wh has cunseled me; indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. Leader: Read Psalm 16:7, Psalm 119:24, Jshua 1:8, and Jhn 14:7 and say alud and mark cunseled, cunselrs, and Helper. What, and Whm, shuld be ur primary cunselr? Psalm 119:24 24 Thy testimnies als are my delight; they are my cunselrs. Jshua 1:8 8 This bk f the law shall nt depart frm yur muth, but yu shall meditate n it day and night, s that yu may be careful t d all that is written in it; fr then yu will make yur way prsperus, and then yu will have success. Jhn 14:26 26 But the Helper, the Hly Spirit, whm the Father will send in My name, He will teach yu all things, and bring t yur remembrance all that I said t yu. 2 Chrnicles 18:1-13 1 Nw Jehshaphat had great riches and hnr; and he allied himself by marriage with Ahab. 2 And sme years later he went dwn t visit Ahab at Samaria. And Ahab slaughtered many sheep and Hw d we receive this cunsel? Lets lk at an example frm the life f Jehshaphat, king f Judah. Leader: Read the CONTEXT bx, and then read 2 Chrnicles 18:1-13 and have the grup say alud and mark inquire. CONTEXT The natin f Israel was divided int tw kingdms after the reign f Slman, with the ten nrthern tribes calling themselves Israel, and the 2 suthern tribes calling themselves Judah. Ahab king f Israel was exceedingly wicked, and Jehshaphat king f Judah was gd in the sight f the Lrd. 3
xen fr him and the peple wh were with him, and induced him t g up against Ramth-gilead. 3 And Ahab king f Israel said t Jehshaphat king f Judah, Will yu g up with me against Ramthgilead? And he said t him, "I am as yu are, and my peple as yur peple, and [we will be] with yu in the battle." 4 Mrever, Jehshaphat said t the king f Israel, "Please inquire first fr the wrd f the Lrd." 5 Then the king f Israel assembled the prphets, fur hundred men, and said t them, "Shall we g against Ramth-gilead t battle, r shall I refrain?" And they said, "G up, fr Gd will give [it] int the hand f the king. " 6 But Jehshaphat said, "Is there nt yet a prphet f the Lrd here that we may inquire f him?" 7 And the king f Israel said t Jehshaphat, "There is yet ne man by whm we may inquire f the Lrd, but I hate him, fr he never prphesies gd cncerning me but always evil. He is Micaiah, sn f Imla." But Jehshaphat said, "Let nt the king say s." 8 Then the king f Israel called an Evaluate hw well bth Ahab and Jehshaphat fllwed the principles we have learned abut seeking nble cunsel. Principle Ahab Jehshaphat Wise t seek cunsel when making plans fr war. Seek first the cunsel f the Lrd. Only seek cunsel frm gdly cunselrs. D nt heed the cunsel f men when it cntradicts the cunsel f Gd. Ask a member t read 2 Chrnicles 18:14-34 fr the rest f the stry. Did Jehshaphat heed the cunsel f the Lrd? What happened t him? Did Jehshaphat learn frm this mistake? Ask a member t read 2 Chrnicles 20:1-4 and 20:14-15,24. Understanding nw that nble cunsel is always rted in the Wrd f Gd, and in men rted and wise in the Wrd f Gd, and that it is wise t seek such cunsel, is there ever a time nt t heed r even seek the cunsel f gdly men? Leader: Read the CONTEXT bx and then read Acts 20:22-24, 21:4 and 23:11 and have the grup say alud and mark Spirit and Lrd. 4
fficer and said, "Bring quickly Micaiah, Imla's sn." 9 Nw the king f Israel and Jehshaphat the king f Judah were sitting each n his thrne, arrayed in [their] rbes, and [they] were sitting at the threshing flr at the entrance f the gate f Samaria; and all the prphets were prphesying befre them. 10 And Zedekiah the sn f Chenaanah made hrns f irn fr himself and said, "Thus says the Lrd, 'With these yu shall gre the Arameans, until they are cnsumed.'" 11 And all the prphets were prphesying thus, saying, "G up t Ramth-gilead and succeed, fr the Lrd will give [it] int the hand f the king." 12 Then the messenger wh went t summn Micaiah spke t him saying, "Behld, the wrds f the prphets are unifrmly favrable t the king. S please let yur wrd be like ne f them and speak favrably." 13 But Micaiah said, "As the Lrd lives, what my Gd says, that I will speak." CONTEXT The apstle Paul felt cmpelled t g t Jerusalem. As he was making his way there, gdly and Spiritfilled men in every city warned him that bnds and afflictin awaited him. Their earnest cunsel was fr Paul nt t g! Did Paul s cunselrs crrectly discern what was ging t happen t Paul in Jerusalem? Why didn t Paul heed the cunsel f these gdly men? What principles regarding giving and receiving cunsel d we learn frm this example in Scripture? INSIGHT Oswald Chambers, authr f My Utmst fr His Highest, wrte Never ask the advice f anther abut anything Gd makes yu decide befre Him. If yu ask advice, yu will nearly always side with Satan. 5
Acts 20, 21, 23 20:22 And nw, behld, bund in spirit, I am n my way t Jerusalem, nt knwing what will happen t me there, 20:23 except that the Hly Spirit slemnly testifies t me in every city, saying that bnds and afflictins await me. 20:24 But I d nt cnsider my life f any accunt as dear t myself, in rder that I may finish my curse, and the ministry which I received frm the Lrd Jesus, t testify slemnly f the gspel f the grace f Gd. 21:4 And after lking up the disciples, we stayed there seven days; and they kept telling Paul thrugh the Spirit nt t set ft in Jerusalem. 23:11 But n the night immediately fllwing [his arrest and cnfinement in the Rman barracks], the Lrd std at his side and said, Take curage; fr as yu have slemnly witnessed t My cause at Jerusalem, s yu must witness t me at Rme als. D yu think Paul wuld agree with Oswald Chambers? Leader: Ask a member t read frm his Bible Galatians 1:11-18, Acts 11:1-2, and Matthew 16:21-24. 6
BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES DISCOVERED This is a list f the truths that we discvered inductively frm Gd s Wrd: A Nble man devises Nble plans by Nble cunsel. It is wise t seek cunsel in making ur plans. We shuld first seek the cunsel f the Lrd thrugh prayer, the study f Gd s Wrd, and the teaching and leading f ur primary cunselr, the Hly Spirit. Seek cunsel frm nble men, men whse cunsel is rted in the wisdm f Gd s Wrd, nt the flish wisdm f the wrld. Nble cunselrs are thse wh pint yu t the Wrd f Gd and use their wisdm and experience t help yu apply the principles therein. D nt seek a secnd pinin frm men when Gd has clearly cunseled yu, especially when the cnventinal wisdm says therwise. D nt heed the cunsel f men, even gdly men, if it cntradicts the cunsel yu have received frm Gd. Gd prmises that a Nble man will be able t stand by his Nble plans, because nble plans are Gd s plans, and Gd s plans cannt be frustrated. Recgnize, hwever, that Satan will nt sit idly by and let yu carry ut Gd s plans withut a fight. BUSINESS APPLICATION 1. Spend time every day in Gd s Wrd, pray specifically and earnestly abut yur business plans and decisins, ask fr Gd s wisdm, and diligently d what He shws yu t d. 2. Select yur cunselrs carefully and seek cunsel frm them when yu make yur business plans t execute Gd s nble plan fr yur business. Take advantage f yur Frum brthers a primary purpse f this ministry! 3. Test all cunsel with the Wrd f Gd des it cntradict the Wrd f Gd and is it rted in the Wrd f Gd? 4. When yu are asked t give cunsel, seek first the cunsel f the Lrd in prayer and the Wrd f Gd, and then share Gd s cunsel n the matter. Carefully discern between yur cunsel frm Gd s Wrd (This is what the Bible clearly teaches ) and yur cunsel n hw t apply it in a particular business situatin (Yu might cnsider applying that biblical principle by ding ). 7