The other day my two oldest kids were starting to watch a show that I would rather they not watch (Disney channel has got some pretty crappy programming sometimes) so I asked them to turn the channel. They told me that mom (i.e., my wife) has let them watch it in the past, so they felt like they should be able to watch it now. My wife and I usually agree on programming choices and I'm pretty sure neither one of us wanted them watching this particular show. Before I could even reply to that comment one of them said, "Well, dad, we'll just watch it when mom's home and you aren't."
Seriously?
Most of you who were raised by both of your parents can remember a time when you bounced the same question off of both of them, hoping to get the answer that you wanted. If dad said 'no' then maybe mom would say 'yes.' Grandparents can be an even easier target for kids who want what they know their parents probably won't let them have. We as humans have this way of trying to get what we want when we want it. I don't deprive my children of their desires because I'm mean or stingy, but rather because I want to protect them from what could be harmful decisions. Nevertheless we continue to seek out the opinions of others who will say only what we want to hear.
A long time ago there was a king in Israel named Ahab (1 Kings 22). This guy was pretty lousy in the realm of morality, seeking after false gods and pretty much neglecting any kind of relationship or direction from the one true God. One day he decided that he needed to go to war with a country called Aram because they had taken some land that had once belonged to Israel. He contacted Jehoshaphat the king of Judah to see if they could form some kind of alliance against Aram, and when they came together Jehoshaphat (who feared and obeyed the one true God) suggested they seek the counsel of the prophets before they went into battle to make sure that this was something the Lord wanted them to do.
Around 400 mean who were believed to have the gift of prophecy came before the two kings and gave all sorts of grand reports of how they would easily have victory in battle, but Jehoshaphat wasn't so sure. You see none of these prophets served the one true God but rather were "prophets" of the false gods that many of the Israelites had begun to follow. Jehoshaphat asked Ahab if there was a "prophet of Yahweh" who might give a report to them instead. With a huge sigh Ahab said there was one more who they could ask, "but I hate him because he never prophesies good about me." In other words, this prophet speaks for the true God and therefore that he has no problem speaking the truth against Ahab's wicked desires.
Nevertheless Jehoshaphat insisted they consult him so the prophet Micaiah was sent for by one of the king's officials. When the king's official approached Micaiah he told him to give a good report to the king since all the other "prophets" had spoken favorably. In other words, tell the king what he wants to hear not what God has to say. I love Micaiah's response: "As the Lord lives, I will say whatever the Lords says to me." Sure enough, when Micaiah stood before the two kings he predicted disaster on their armies if they chose to attack Aram. True to God's word, when they unwisely decided to go into battle the armies of Jehoshaphat and Ahab were routed with king Ahab also losing his life.
Being a proclaimer of God's truth can be a pretty tough and thankless job. Often when you break open the word of God to declare His truth, many people turn away in disgust because they don't want to hear the truth. Instead they want their ears to be tickled and their lifestyle choices to be stroked. There are plenty of "preachers" who will be willing to do just that in order to keep their flocks happy and the money rolling in. That's the easy way out and that is most certainly not what God has called us to do.
If you are entrusted with teaching God's word to God's people - whether you are a pastor, small group leader, or one who disciples individuals - then you have the awesome responsibility of proclaiming the truth of God's word. Your opinions may be important but they do not take precedent over the word of God. And if you are a member of a church or small group then you must be diligent to sit under the teaching of those who will not shy away from teaching the true message of God's word and not just nice little stories that make you feel better about yourself as if worship is nothing more than a self-help therapy group.
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