YAF – THE RIGHT CONNECTION

THE RIGHT CONNECTION

1Ki 12:3-14 KJV 3 That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. 5 And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed. 6 And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people? 7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever. 8 But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: 9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? 10 And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. 11 And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day. 13 And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men’s counsel that they gave him; 14 And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

in the text we read, Rehoboam had come into the reign and the people of the land came to solicit his understanding about the tax and tribute which the former king who happened to be his father imposed on them. He asked the counsel of the elders who were his father’s counsellors and later asked for the advice of hs peers and guys and they advised him contrary to what the elders said. He listened to his peers but the resultant of that was the revolt and rebellion that divided the once unified tribe into two.
This brought two questions who are your guys? Who are your advisers? Who do you listen to?

Pro 27:17 KJV Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Somebody says who you will be in five years is determined by the books you read and the people you associate with. This means readers are leaders.
People that you associate with matters, they can determine your success and failure in life.
One of the best selective people to move around with are people that carry grace.

Case study

Lot: God called Abraham alone Gen 12:1 but Lot followed him,

Gen 12:4 KJV So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

we don’t know why. whether it was Abraham that called him to follow him or it was Lot that saw something in Abraham that made him to follow Abraham. But we know is this and this is what Bible recorded these things about Lot

Gen 13:1 KJV And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

God blessed Lot also:

Gen 13:5-6 KJV And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. 6 And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

God delivered Lot because of Abraham’s intercession.:

Gen 19:29 KJV And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.

Lot as called a godly man in 2Peter:

2Pe 2:7-8 KJV 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

How did he become a righteous man? Because he associated with a righteous person. He used to be in idolatry before.

2. MEN OF JEPHTHAH: People that gathered around him were outcast but as the story of Jephthah changed their own story changed too. He became a captain over them.:
   Jdg 11:3 KJV Then Jephthah fled from his brethren, and dwelt in the land of Tob: and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.
3. MIGHTY MEN OF DAVID::
   2Sa 23:8 KJV These be the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite that sat in the seat, chief among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite: he lift up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

Many of them performed outstanding features; killed giants, lions, fought great battles, etc.
but before they were not described like this:

1Sa 22:2 KJV And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.

ELIJAH AND ELISHA:: He followed Elijah till they were separated

2Ki 2:2 KJV And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel.
he served Elijah:

2Ki 3:11 KJV But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may enquire of the LORD by him? And one of the king of Israel’s servants answered and said, Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, which poured water on the hands of Elijah.

5. THE DISCIPLES OF JESUS: They were called unlearned men but after associating with Jesus for a long time. This is what the body of Sanhedrin concluded about them::Act 4:13 KJV Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
6. THE LIFE OF APOLLO. He had limited knowledge of the doctrine of John only but when he became associated with Aquila and Priscilla who had been companion of Paul, his horizon changed, had better understanding of the gospel and he could preach better.
   Act 18:24-28 KJV 24 And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. 27 And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him: who, when he was come, helped them much which had believed through grace: 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

WRONG ASSOCIATION

Angry people

Pro 22:24-25 KJV 24 Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: 25 Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul.

the ungodly

Psa 1:1 KJV Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

workers of darkness

Eph 5:11 KJV And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

the wicked

Pro 4:14-15 KJV 14 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. 15 Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Conclusion:

Evil communications corrupt good manners:

1Co 15:33 KJV Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.
He that walks with the wise ut a companion of the fools shall not go unpunished

Pro 13:20 KJV He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Psa 119:63 KJV I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts.

Heb says be followers of them who through faith and patience inherited the promise.:

Heb 6:12 KJV That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

The greatest personality you can be connected to in life is the man of Calvary, Jesus the Son of God. There is more about Jesus that we can ever have time and opportunity to talk about but suffice me to say that He is the solution to the need of the whole world. He paid the price for our sin, in Mt 11 He said come unto me all that are heavily yoked. This morning connect to Jesus and become great.
He is not only the way maker but the way Himself

.Joh 14:5-6 KJV 5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

he is the way to your success, blessing, breakthrough in life, joy, marriage, education, career progress.

I commend you to God’s grace this morning..

Act 20:32 KJV And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.