The Wisdom in a Multitiude of Counselors

One of the reasons I love the Bible so much is its ability to focus on a topic and how you can go through that topic throughout the Bible and not have any contradictions. And it just adds more to the argument, more to that principle, until it enriches our understanding of things. I love to do that because the Bible is like this great big tapestry and has all of these threads crossing horizontally and vertically. And guess what? We can only see a certain amount of those threads. We can't see the entire tapestry, but it's something to catch that thread at the beginning and then just follow it through. And notice how something that might seem small and significant actually becomes a great lesson in our lives, something practical that we can apply, that we can improve and better our lives. Let's see one of those examples. This is a very practical and important topic to go over. Unfortunately, it is one that is not used sufficiently, that it is not practiced as much or else our lives would be so much better. And it is just a simple principle that if we integrate it, if we assimilate it, if we use it in our daily lives, how much better, how much more is it going to improve the decisions that we make? Have we ever made an impulsive decision, taken a decision that we didn't think very much of, kind of a brash and quick decision, and then later on you say, oh, I wish I would have thought through this. I wish I would have taken a bit more time because now I'm suffering the consequences of actually not having made the best decision.

So here is the biblical principle I am talking about. And it is so important it is repeated several times in the Bible. And as you know, when God repeats something, He wants to get our attention. He realizes this is important for us. It's found in Proverbs 11, verse 14. It says, Where there is no counsel, the people fall, but in the multitude of counselors, there is safety. A modern version, the message Bible says, Without good direction, people lose their way. The more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances of things going right. Another proverb along the same line, Proverbs 15, verse 22, it says, Without counsel, plans go awry. But in the multitudes of counselors, they are established. They are firm. They become wise decisions. The message Bible says of this verse, Refuse good advice and watch your plans fail. Take good counsel and watch them succeed. Two Bible commentaries also bring out a little more meaning to these verses. In the Believer's Bible commentary, it says, Without wise leadership and statesmanship, the people are bound to fall into trouble. On the other hand, there is safety in having the combined judgment of many good counselors.

A second commentary, the Bible knowledge commentary, adds, Guidance, which is used here in Proverbs 11.14, in the Hebrew, is a nautical term used of steering a ship. The, quote, steerings or counsel of advisors can be helpful. A wise person is open to others' opinions and counsel. Without such counsel, he may make serious mistakes. So what it's talking about, just like when you're steering a ship, there are many different angles that you can move this ship around. But with the counsel, you narrow the path. You're able to narrow it down to where you can make the right decisions.

I just finished reading a book called Leadership Under Duress, Under Difficulties, and the author mentioned four different presidents that went through turmoil and difficulties, and how they had to decide some of the worst situations in history. The first one was Abraham Lincoln. Can you imagine, after he was elected in 1860, immediately, because he was elected, the southern states began seceding from the Union because they did not back him. So how would you like to be a president that is going to be blamed for the separation, division of this country? And if they would have succeeded, we would have had two nations, maybe more, and we would have ended up losing the strength of unity and purpose that the United States has. 50 states now, instead of segmented groups here and there fighting and competing against each other. And thankfully, Lincoln got some of the wisest men to be part of his cabinet. He didn't choose his nice little friends. He actually chose some from the opposing party, and he chose some that had run against him. But he said, these are the best men for the circumstances. And he had such varied perspectives. They would give him different points of views. And finally, when he came to make the decision, he had already considered all the different possibilities. Also, Theodore Roosevelt was another one that was mentioned there, and how he had also very varied number of counselors. And he was very careful to listen first before deciding things. Now, once he decided them, he didn't go back, but he made sure he got things right. And these men were humbled before coming to those positions. Now, Lincoln lost his first several elections. He never gained what he wanted at first. He also went into a big depression because he was a man of his word, and he had promised to marry his fiancé. And then later, he just thought he couldn't afford, he couldn't give her anything of a life. So he had to break the engagement. And he went into a great depression because he felt he had failed his word. And he was a man that was known to keep his word time and time again. Theodore Roosevelt talked about being humbled in the same day that his wife was giving birth. And his mother was quite sick. And before the end of that day, both his wife died and then his mother on the same day. And of course, he went into a depression. He went out west to be a cowboy for a while. But you know what? He got his senses back. He learned so many things that when he came back, he was a different person. He lost the vanity. And he had been a wealthy man and had gotten through life with a lot of support from others. But he really hadn't been tested as such. And so sometimes you have to go through that crucible of a fiery trial before you are purged and purified to be able to do greater things. And so we have here some of these presidents that had a wide range of counselors, men that were experienced, and that they were just going to give them him just one point of view. As we will see in the Bible, where some kings had counselors that were inept, they were foolish men, they didn't give them the right type of advice. Now, even the Sabbath thought that we had today that mentioned about those that are foolish leaders, they just want to hear nice accolades and praises. And the Bible says, no, you should get wise counselors.

The principle here is that there is wisdom when seeking a wide range of advice from others instead of relying solely on one's own understanding. Considering others' points of view and drawing on the experience of others is good.

What does it take? First, it takes humility to ask with an open mind in the first place. In Proverbs 25 verse 12, Proverbs 25 and verse 12, it says, Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear. God's word, version, says, like a gold ring and a fine gold ornament, so is constructive criticism to the ear of one who listens, who is willing to listen. I love the Spanish version. It says, the person who has a docile ear, an ear that is willing to yield, to reason, to advice. It's a wonderful thing when you have a person willing to listen to the advice of others. So, considering other points of views and drawing the experience of others is profitable in our lives. Sometimes it can be as simple as getting new tires in your car. Some people say, well, I need new tires. I'll just go down to the latest shop here and say, well, what do I need? And I'll sell you the most expensive ones. Usually they're not the best, but you didn't choose to check things out. Talk to a mechanic. Talk to some dealers before. Check things out. You can save hundreds of dollars many times if you're willing to have an ear that listens and yields to it. So I'd like to go through the Bible now and see how well this principle applies throughout the Scriptures. This can help us now and in the future. I'll tell you a little humorous story that back a couple of decades ago, sometimes people would get new tires and guess who they would go to? The minister! They wanted to know what color truck would they go to? The minister is not an expert on tires. He's not an expert on paint in a car. But people just were focused that the minister was all-knowing. He kind of had this encyclopedic knowledge of all things. And unfortunately, some ministers believed it, too.

And ended up with egg on their face. Because ministers know God's Word. They know the principles. If somebody asked me about their tires, I would say, go see a tire expert. He knows if you've got a health problem and you want to see what kind of situation you're in and what's going on in your system, go see a specialist. I'm not going to prescribe grape juice or something like that. It can be the worst thing. The person can't have diabetes, and you're prescribing things. And so the wisdom in the Bible is you have counselors that know what they're talking about. They have expertise. Now, certainly a minister can guide you in spiritual things and principles. Sometimes we have widows that don't know exactly what to do. Where to fix their cars or something like that, and they'll ask for help. I'll say, okay, well, you can check here and you can check there. And sometimes they were taken advantage of. They were being taken advantage of. And now they found a good place and a good mechanic that doesn't steal from them. Because, of course, women don't know that much about mechanics. And so mechanics can take advantage of them. But again, the minister should orient and guide the person to those who have the expertise, not ourselves. So let's start at the beginning to see the importance of having wisdom by consulting a multitude of counselors. Let's start off with Adam and Eve. God knew Adam wasn't going to know everything, so what did he do? He got him a wife. He was going to tell him exactly what he didn't know. No, I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding.

Yeah, we got all these jokes about, you know, that was the only time Adam actually had silence before Eve was created and things like that. But we're not going to go there. Okay, Genesis 2, verse 18, it says, It says, So the basic meaning is that they both would have the same nature, human nature. But what man lacked, she supplied, and what she lacked, he supplied. And of course, in marriage, a woman is a good counselor. We should listen. They have our best interests in mind, and many times the woman has to live the consequences of what decision the man made. So it's always good to consult her before and not after, because, again, she is going to live with the person and also has to sometimes suffer the consequences. So in the multitude of counselors starts with the people around you. Family, if you're married, you have a wife or a husband, sometimes the wife is the one who asks, Well, I've got this issue to come up, and the husband gets involved as well, but God created us to help counsel each other. We can't see everything in the future. Sometimes a woman's point of view and feminine perspective is very helpful, because men basically see the masculine view of things, and women add the feminine view to it. And where was the first mistake? Breaking this biblical principle. What was the first mistake that was made there in the Garden of Eden? What do you think? Anybody? Yes, Bill? Okay. Eve didn't seek Adam's advice. And which was the other one? Even more important? Yes. Yes, Drenda? Okay, she listened to Satan. And, yes, Carolyn? Okay, Adam didn't do anything. Who should Adam have consulted? God! They had God there! If you ever have any questions or doubts, he could have gone and said, Father, this is what Satan said to the serpent. We want your advice. You know what? They would have passed without any problem. Flying colors. They forgot. Why? Because human beings are basically self-centered. Oh, God gives me the right to decide. Okay, God, goodbye. I'll take care of things from now on. Lack of experience, lack of understanding, lack of wisdom. So the first big mistake was not consulting with God. Eve should have done that. She should have said, okay, time out. You said this. I'm coming. I'm going to talk with Adam. But guess what? Maybe Adam didn't have all the answers. Let's go to our Father, God. That would have solved the problem. And that's a good principle for us. We have God the Father, Jesus Christ, and we should consult with them. Especially major decisions, life-changing decisions. Consult with them before deciding something. Who was the second one? Cain. Okay, in Genesis 4, verse 4. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock. It says, And their fat, and the Lord respected Abel and his offering. But he did not respect Cain and his offering, and Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. Have you ever seen somebody's countenance fall? Yeah. I mean, he got grumpy. I mean, he got mad. He was no longer cheerful. He was angry. He was burning in wrath. And so then God intervenes.

And so the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, if you have good actions, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door, and its desire is for you. Sin wants to take over you. But you should rule over it. You shouldn't let sin get away with it. And then now Cain talked with Abel, his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field far away from his parents that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. So, okay, the second big mistake is the same as the first big mistake. Cain did not ask God for guidance. He refused God's counsel. And boy, did mankind ever get into trouble after that, the first assassination. But we do have good examples as well. One of them was Noah. I can't go over every one. Of course, we have Enoch as well. In Genesis 6, verse 9, what does it say about Noah?

Genesis 6, 9, this is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man. That's a key phrase. The term just from Sadik in Hebrew means someone considered just or righteous because he conforms to God's standards. He's following God's standards. And so, you think Noah was involved with all the people in the world and following the world? No. He was consulting with God. He was following God's way. He was asking about God's way. He was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. Yes, he meditated. He prayed. He received God's guidance because he asked for it. That was a key to Noah's righteousness. Notice in chapter 7, verse 1. Then the Lord said to Noah, Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous, Sadik. You are righteous before me in this generation. Yep. You're the one that has been consulting with me. And so, we should consult with God. Part of our prayers is consulting with God about major decisions that we are making. Make sure he is behind us. He is guiding us. Don't try to do it on your own. Sometimes people will just make a hasty decision, and all of a sudden, it's too late. They can't turn around. They're already headed the wrong direction. Happens all the time with children, don't they? You teach them, and all of a sudden, they make a hasty decision. They make something off the cuff, and all of a sudden, they're off to the races in the wrong direction. And it's very hard to bring them back after they've decided that. So, let's go to another good example. Abraham. Was he saddiq? Was he just? Genesis 18, verse 19. Genesis 18, verse 19.

God, speaking of Abraham, says, The term righteousness comes from the root saddiq. That the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has spoken to him. God wants us to consult him, to open our hearts, for him to guide us, to open the doors when it's his will, to close the doors when it isn't. I remember just an example of that when we first came to this area. As you know, it was very expensive, very high income, as far as going. And we were at a loss. We must have seen 50 houses. And we started with some that were just at the bottom. They were all trashed. And then half trashed, three-fourths trashed. We were thinking, can we get to a little bit better? And we were just barely going up. But we asked God, we need a house that is going to be right for us to serve the brethren, right for us, the right income and the right area. And he closed the door on several that we thought, this is it. This is what God wanted. And all of a sudden, boom, the door closed. And we would say, well, I guess God has something different. And he found us a place that we enjoy up to this time. They're in Anaheim. Can't get any farther south. It's too expensive. But we love that place. We're able to meet with the brethren. Just about everybody's been able to come. And we would love to have everybody else that hasn't come sometime around. But it was an example of consulting with God about important decisions.

What about Moses? Well, Moses had a problem with seeking counselors. What happened in Moses' case? Let's look at Exodus chapter 18. Exodus chapter 18 verse 13. By the way, we're ever so thankful that God helped us as he has in many other ways. Exodus 18 verse 13. It says, And so it was, Remember Jethro, his father-in-law was there, visiting. And so it was on the next day that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. That means all the daylight hours.

So when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, Boy, Moses, that's great! You're doing a great job here! No? This is constructive criticism that he gave Moses. And Moses had a yielding ear.

He says, What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit and all the people stand before you from morning until evening? And Moses said to his father-in-law, Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another, and I make known the statutes of God and His laws. So Moses' father-in-law said to him, The thing that you do is not good. So here's a counselor saying, You're not doing things right. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. Can you imagine waiting hour after hour, and poor Moses just exhausted from judging people from the morning until evening? For this thing is too much for you. You are not able to perform it by yourself. Listen now to my voice, in other words, advice. I will give you counsel, and God will be with you. Stand before God for the people so that you may bring the difficulties to God. And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. And this is what we do in church. We teach about God's laws and how to apply these principles in your lives, because we can't live your lives for you. You've got to do it for yourself. You have to be a wise counselor and apply these principles so you can help your children and help your neighbors and friends and family, whoever it is.

He goes and says, verse 21, Moreover, you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness, and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all those people will also go to their place in peace.

So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. So he applied this principle. He learned to have wise counselors under him ruling different cases of gravity or seriousness. Now, in a sense, we have this system today in the church. You have ministers and pastors, and basically the problems can be brought in the local level. And if we can't resolve them at our level, we'll go to the regional pastor, who has more experience, knowledge, and then he gets involved. And if he can't resolve it, then he'll take it to the church administration, to the president, and he and his team will try to solve the situation.

And if they can't, they will come to the Council of Elders. And if the Council of Elders can't resolve it, they will go to Christ. And Christ will have to resolve it as the head of the church. So the Council of Elders is not the final voice Jesus Christ is. But this is the way we distribute the responsibilities and how people can meet their needs at a local level.

That's why it's so important to have a pastor flesh and bone. He's there. He can take care of people. He can, at any time, day or night, somebody is there. You can have your needs. You don't have to be out there thinking, well, the pastor's in the three states across the country, and I need him right away. So it's a real blessing. That's why United, one of the first decisions is we're going to have pastors to serve the people at a local level.

So they will be taken care of. We don't want this pastoring by email or by phone or whatever, and it's much more difficult. So let's continue on. We have in the Bible, at that time, a division of government between who would be the head of the church. The congregation, as far as dealing with the physical matters, judging, and then the other side would be the religious head. So you actually had Moses as the head over the physical Israel, leading them, guiding them, correcting them, but you also had Aaron with the religious part.

Moses did not collect tithes. It was Aaron who collected tithes. Aaron was the one that had the whole worship service, the training of the Levites, and these were two separate domains, because God has never wanted one man to be on top of everything, just becoming state and religion at the same time.

The problem that arose after Joshua, because Joshua was the successor of Moses, and then you had Aaron and his sons and his children eventually be successors of him. The problem was, as we see in Joshua 2, verse 8, Joshua 2, verse 8, and going on here, 8 and 9, it says, Now therefore, oh, I'm sorry, it's Judges 2, 8 and 9. That's why it didn't look like the Scripture was correct. Judges 2, verses 8, it says, It says, And they buried him within the border of his inheritance at Timna, in the mountains of Ephraim on the north side of Mount Gash, when all that generation of Joshua had been gathered to their fathers.

Another generation arose after them, who did not know the Lord, nor the work which he had done for Israel. Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals, and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers. So we have problem of leadership here. As long as Joshua was there, as long as they had the high priest, things were basically held fast.

Joshua died, and then afterwards were the men who had been under Joshua. They continued the leadership, along with the high priest. But once this generation all died, there arose the next one. They had never been through the experiences that Joshua had gone through in the conquest of the Promised Land. And so this was the children who had been a bit spoiled, they had not seen the effort, and had not applied their hand to sustaining it. And so we have the problem of government here.

There was a vacuum. There wasn't really a secular leader to guide them, as Moses and Joshua and those elders around Joshua.

And so we come now, a little later, to Saul, the first king of Israel. Unfortunately, he forgot to have wise counselors. He started making decisions on his own, and made serious mistakes, and finally was rejected by God. Notice in 1 Samuel chapter 15, 1 Samuel chapter 15, verse 16, Samuel visits Saul, and Saul is telling him, oh, look what I've done, and I've followed God, and I've been faithful. And of course, he was talking about himself. He wasn't letting Samuel, who was the one who had anointed him, who was the one used by God.

No, Saul was already full of himself. He let power get to his head. He started becoming very vain. And so what did Samuel have to say? Then Samuel said to Saul, be quiet. You're speaking beyond what you should say. And he says, and I will tell you what the Lord said to me last night. And he said to him, speak on.

So Samuel said, when you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? There was a time when you were nobody, and you were elevated. And did not the Lord anoint you king over Israel? Didn't you receive a great blessing from God? Now the Lord sent you on a mission and said, Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed. There were the terrorists of their day. Why, then, did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the spoil and do evil in the sight of the Lord?

And immediately Saul, giving excuses, and Saul said to Samuel, But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord, and gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and brought back Agag, king of Amalek. I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. I left King Agag alive. So he wasn't obeying God. But the people, now you start blaming the people, the excuse for that, took of the plunder, sheep, and oxen. And so Saul could have stopped it. It starts the blame game, as they say, which should have been utterly destroyed.

So Samuel said, Has the Lord has great delight and burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, that's talking about before God. And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he also has rejected you from being king. And of course, Saul already had shown that pattern.

He just wouldn't do things as God expected. He did not follow counsel properly. And that's a key point, that when you're being given counsel, either at work or wherever it is, follow what is being said. Don't try to add to the mix and start doing things on your own. It's part of understanding what instruction is about. Many years ago, at the beginning of my ministry, I had to learn that painful lesson about staying within the authority that is given you.

You have a bottom part of the authority and you have an upper part. Fill it. Do everything. But don't go above it. Don't go under it either. Just stay there within the authority that is given. It's just a big blessing. Because there, you have freedom, innovation. You can do so many things. It's when people want to be the boss. They want to jump over and begin to take authority that hasn't been given, that they get into trouble. Just as Saul did here.

We've seen that with the church problems. Ministers, all of a sudden, they want to lead people and they want to become the head chief and all of that. It causes all of this damage when we're all under authority. We all are like that centurion that knew just with God's word was sufficient. I'm under authority. I know how to follow orders. That's what the centurion said. We have to have that spirit of the centurion. So let's continue on.

David, although he had a lot of problems, was the one when you go through the Scriptures who most consulted in God. Notice 1 Samuel 23, verse 2. Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up and attack these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and attack the Philistines and save Keelah. Another example, and there are a number of them. 1 Samuel 30, verse 8. It says, So David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue this group? Shall I overtake them? And he answered them, Pursue. God answering. So David was one that was careful to consult with God before making a decision. And God praised them and blessed them for it.

Now, let's see some wrong examples in the Bible, taking the wrong type of advice. 1 Kings 12, verse 6. This was Solomon's son, Rehoboam. 1 Kings 12. Remember, after Solomon had died, the twelve tribes were unified. They were still in that golden age of Israel.

The prosperity, everything was going. Of course, they had a lot of taxation, and people were concerned. And so, young Rehoboam, the new king, comes up. Verse 6 of 1 Kings 12.

It says, So here, some of the wisest counselors that you could find, have been trained by Solomon himself. And so he consulted with them and said, How do you advise me to answer these people? So we have a good example from Rehoboam. He consulted with the advisors.

But you have to do more than that. Verse 8, verse 7.

Notice the servant leadership concept.

Then they will be your servants forever. You're starting out with the right foot. Gain their trust. Gain their appreciation.

Verse 8.

So here's his little group of young men. Inexperienced, basically spoiled, because they've been reared in the palace. And boy, they just wanted to swing, right? They just wanted to go and have a good time. Let's party. We're in charge now. This is our man.

What a day advice. And he said to them, What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, Lighten the yoke which your father put on us? Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us. Thus you shall say to them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's waist. In other words, it's going to be a lot tougher. I'm going to require more taxes. And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke. My father chastise you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges, which is a lot worse. So Jeroboam and all the people came to Reoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, Come back to me the third day. Then the king answered the people roughly and rejected the advice which the elders had given him. And he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father chastise you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges. So the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of events was from the Lord that he might fulfill his word, which the Lord had spoken by a high, silent night to Jeroboam, the son of Nebed. And so it caused a split in the nation.

And God was working things out, but I tell you, Reoboam helped God out with a foolishness. He had done at that time. He did not respect the elder counselors, and he took advice from basically adolescents, young men. And it's an example. When you're going to seek advice, seek advice from people that are experienced. The Bible says if you are with the wise, you will become wise. If you surround yourself with fools, you're going to get foolish advice, and that's what you're going to follow. Let's go to another example of a man who did not consult the right type of counselors. 2 Chronicles 22, Ahaziah. 2 Chronicles 22, verse 2.

It says, Ahaziah was 42 years old when he became king, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Amri. He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother advised him to do wickedly. Therefore he did evil in the sight of the Lord like the house of Ahab, for they were his counselors after the death of his father to his destruction. He also followed their advice and went with Jiran, the son of Ahab, king of Israel, to war against Hazl, king of Syria.

And so again, if you follow wise and righteous people, they're going to give you wise and righteous advice. But if you follow the way of sinners and people that are worldly, they're going to give you worldly advice. Although there are good people out there that have good moral principles, and certainly if there are experts in their field, by all means, seek their counsel.

Now in the New Testament, Christ also, growing up, was subject to his parents. He followed their advice. He was a wise person. Notice in Luke chapter 2 verse 52. Luke chapter 2 in verse 52. Luke 2, 52. It says, And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men. So people were impressed with him.

He was humble. He was open, searched the Scriptures, wanted to know answers to things. But as far as spiritual matters went, whom did Jesus consult? Well, with the blessings of having God's Spirit without measure, he soon outgrew all of his counselors, all of the advice. So basically he consulted with God the Father in heaven. In John chapter 8 and verse 28, Jesus said, When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself.

But as my Father taught me, I speak these things. And he who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him.

Christ seeking God's will, he was humble. He wasn't trying to do things on his own. Thankfully, that's the case. He was able to overcome Satan's wiles because he never took his own person and forgot about God the Father. He refuted Satan in those temptations, time and time, using his Father's words against Satan. What about the apostles? Let's go to them. How about their seeking counsel? In Matthew chapter 19, verse 27, Then Peter answered and said to him, See, we have left all and followed you.

Therefore, what shall we have? So Jesus said to them, Assuredly I say to you that in the regeneration that's better translated as the rebirth, the period of rebirth from physical to spiritual, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Just like Moses would have his team judging Israel, Christ has his team. And so we see here Christ designated twelve from among all the disciples to basically, once he died, to take care of the church, they would consult among themselves and they would have counselors as well.

But it's very important to know Christ did not put one apostle above all the rest. They had different responsibilities, but they worked together. They were all counselors. They determined decisions. Notice in chapter 20, verse 26, here's the reason why Christ did not put one man over the entire church at that time. Revelation, I mean, Matthew 20, verse 26. Let's start in verse 25. When Jesus called them to himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them and those who are great exercise authority over them, yet it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to become great among you, talking about those twelve, let him be your servant.

And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. This is the son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

So we see the composition of the church at that time, not composed of just one man with all the power and authority, but twelve men that all have power and authority. Notice in Acts, chapter 15, when they had to make a big decision in Jerusalem, Acts, chapter 15. In verse 1, it says, And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.

That was a big issue. Circumcision. It wasn't about the Sabbath or eating unclean meats or something like that. That's never discussed here. It was the right of circumcision and all that had to do with the ritual law. Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

It doesn't say Peter. It doesn't say James. It doesn't say John. The apostles. Verse 6, Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. There wasn't this dictator in charge of everything making all of the decisions.

They had the humility of Christ. They sought counsel. They discussed things. And what is called the Jerusalem decree in verse 23, this is what was decided, says, they wrote this letter by them, the apostles, the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings. And so it goes on here, what it says. And then in verse 25, it says, It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you to do this.

And so, chosen church can run, not on a one-man basis, but on a basis of several men that appoint a president, the operation managers. They are subject. They are being evaluated. If the president doesn't work out, he can be replaced. He can be changed. It's not something that no matter what the man does, whatever he preaches, he remains in power. And so it divides the whole church up and can cause a complete collapse.

No, there is safety in the multitudes of counsel. Even as far as we see in heaven, in Revelation 4-4, as I finish, Revelation 4-4. Notice that God also has these angels, which He asks for advice. He is instructing them. He is educating them. Revelation 4, verse 4, it says, It says, It just marvel at God's decisions. But guess what? He wants to get opinions, to train them. It's not that God needs it. They need it. And we will also be counselors under Jesus Christ one day. And so we need to apply these principles to lead people with the correct advice. So there is, brethren, wisdom in the multitude of counselors.