It May Seem Right | Proverbs 14:12

Summary

In this episode of 'Sermon in Seven', Pastor Tim addresses the common misconception that a path seems right just because it feels right. He warns against relying on feelings and the crowd's opinion, citing Proverbs 14:12 to emphasize that the way that seems right can lead to destruction. Instead, he encourages seeking truth from God's Word, as it provides the true compass for life, guiding believers away from the deceptive paths of society towards the narrow path of righteousness.

Takeaways

• 🧭 The main theme is that just because a path seems right to us, it doesn't necessarily mean it is the right path, as stated in Proverbs 14:12.
• 🚶‍♂️ People often choose paths based on their feelings, which may not reflect reality, leading them astray.
• 💔 The heart, as described in the Bible, is deceitful and wicked, so it's not a reliable guide for making decisions.
• 👥 Many follow the crowd, assuming that a large number of people believing or doing something makes it true, which is a misconception.
• 📚 A lack of knowledge about what is truly right can lead to wrong conclusions; the Bible provides guidance for the right way to live.
• 🔍 The size of the crowd does not equate to truth or righteousness; in fact, the Bible suggests the opposite may be true in the end times.
• 🚫 The preacher warns against following feelings, public opinion, or the size of the crowd as they are unreliable indicators of what is right.
• 🌟 The true north for Christians should be the Word of God, which serves as a compass and light for the path they should follow.
• 🙏 The power of the Holy Spirit living inside believers can guide them, but they must be grounded in God's Word to be led correctly.
• 📖 Being educated in God's Word and around godly people is crucial to understanding and following the right path.
• 🌐 The preacher encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and share the message, emphasizing the importance of spreading the truth about the right way.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the 'Sermon in Seven' episode discussed in the transcript?

The main theme is the exploration of the idea that just because a path seems right to an individual, it doesn't necessarily mean it is the right path, drawing from Proverbs 14:12 for its message.

What does the host, Pastor Tim, suggest is a common mistake people make when choosing their life paths?

Pastor Tim suggests that people often make decisions based on their feelings, which may not accurately portray reality, leading them down paths that seem right but could ultimately be wrong.

According to the sermon, why do people tend to follow their feelings even though it can be misleading?

People follow their feelings because society often emphasizes the importance of personal emotions and the idea of 'following your heart', despite the potential for these feelings to be deceptive.

What does the Bible say about the human heart according to the sermon?

The Bible describes the human heart as 'deceitful above all things and desperately wicked', indicating that it is not a reliable guide for making decisions.

Why do people often base their decisions on the opinions of others or the size of the crowd?

People base decisions on the crowd's opinion due to fear of ostracism for holding different views or because they believe that the majority's view is more likely to be correct, even though this is not necessarily true.

What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between the size of a crowd and the truthfulness of a belief?

The sermon suggests that the size of a crowd does not equate to the truthfulness of a belief. In fact, it implies that in the latter days, the crowd going the wrong way would increase, while those going the right way would be fewer.

How does the sermon describe the importance of knowledge in discerning the right path?

The sermon emphasizes that without knowledge of what is truly right, people are likely to guess and come to the wrong conclusions. It suggests that understanding the right way is outlined in God's word and should guide believers.

What does Pastor Tim recommend as the best source for guidance in life decisions?

Pastor Tim recommends the Word of God as the best source for guidance in life decisions, rather than public opinion, the size of the crowd, feelings, or the heart.

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in guiding Christians according to the sermon?

The Holy Spirit, living inside believers, plays a crucial role in guiding Christians towards the right path, as mentioned in the sermon.

How does the sermon conclude and what message does it leave the audience with?

The sermon concludes with a reminder for the audience to remember their identity as Christians, their belonging to God, and the importance of following God's Word as the true guide for life, ending with a blessing.

Outlines

00:00

🚶‍♂️ The Illusion of Righteous Paths

In the first paragraph, Pastor Tim addresses the misconception that a path can be considered right simply because it feels right. He emphasizes the importance of not being misled by personal feelings or societal trends. Using Proverbs 14:12 as a reference, he explains that what seems right to individuals may lead to disastrous outcomes. He critiques the modern focus on feelings over truth and highlights the deceptive nature of the human heart, as described in the Bible. The summary underscores the need for guidance beyond personal emotions and the importance of discerning the true path through divine wisdom.

05:01

👥 The Folly of Following the Crowd

The second paragraph delves into the fallacy of basing one's beliefs on the size of the crowd or the popularity of a path. Pastor Tim warns against the assumption that a large following equates to truth or righteousness. He cites biblical teachings that suggest the opposite, indicating that in the end times, the majority may stray from the right path. The summary points out the importance of seeking knowledge from God's word and not being swayed by public opinion or the fear of isolation. It concludes with a call to follow God's guidance rather than succumbing to the pressures of conformity or ignorance.

Keywords

💡Inspiration

Inspiration refers to the process of being mentally stimulated to feel and act enthusiastically about something. In the video's context, it is the driving force behind the sermon, aiming to provide a 'daily dose of inspiration' to the viewers. The host, Pastor Tim, seeks to inspire through the word of God, emphasizing the importance of receiving divine guidance in a short period.

💡Path

A path in the video symbolizes the course of action or way of life that an individual chooses to follow. The script discusses how people often believe they are on the right path, but the proverb shared warns that what seems right may lead to negative outcomes. The 'way which seems right to a man' is a central theme, illustrating the potential for self-deception and the importance of seeking divine wisdom.

💡Deception

Deception in this context is the act of misleading or being misled. The video emphasizes that people can be deceived into following a path that seems right but ultimately leads to destruction. This concept is tied to the idea that feelings and societal trends can mislead individuals away from the true path, as defined by the word of God.

💡Feelings

Feelings are the subjective states of consciousness where individuals experience emotions and sensations. The script critiques the modern emphasis on making decisions based on feelings rather than objective truth. It suggests that feelings can be deceptive and do not always reflect reality, leading people astray from the right path.

💡Heart

The heart, in the script, is used metaphorically to represent the innermost desires and inclinations of a person. It is described as 'deceitful above all things and desperately wicked,' cautioning against following one's heart without discernment. This concept is central to the message that one should not be led by emotions or personal desires but by divine guidance.

💡Truth

Truth, in the video, is presented as the objective reality or fact, often contrasted with personal feelings and societal opinions. The sermon argues that truth has been sidelined in favor of feelings, leading to a society that is misled and astray from the right path as defined by God's word.

💡Crowd

The term 'crowd' is used to represent the majority or the consensus of many people. The video warns against the assumption that what is popular or widely accepted is necessarily true or right. It suggests that large crowds can be misguided, and the right path may often be less traveled.

💡Knowledge

Knowledge, in the context of the video, refers to the understanding of what is true, right, and good. It is presented as a crucial element in discerning the right path. The lack of knowledge can lead to deception, as people may guess or follow incorrect paths due to ignorance of the teachings of God's word.

💡Scripture

Scripture in the video represents the sacred texts, particularly the Bible, which provide guidance and truth. Pastor Tim encourages viewers to turn to scripture for direction, rather than relying on feelings or the opinions of the crowd. The scripture is portrayed as the ultimate source of truth and the right way to live.

💡Guidance

Guidance in the video is the act of leading or directing someone toward the right course of action. It is closely tied to the concept of receiving wisdom from God's word. The sermon emphasizes that true guidance comes from aligning one's life with the teachings of scripture, rather than being led astray by personal feelings or societal pressures.

💡Destruction

Destruction, as mentioned in the video, refers to the negative outcome or end result of following a path that seems right but is not. It is used to illustrate the potential consequences of being misled by feelings, the crowd, or a lack of knowledge. The term serves as a warning against the dangers of straying from the path outlined by God's word.

Highlights

Introduction to the episode's theme: receiving a word from God in a short time.

The prevalence of people being led astray in various paths, believing they are on the right path.

Emphasizing the importance of discerning the right path despite what seems right to individuals.

Scripture reference from Proverbs 14:12 to illustrate the deceptive nature of seemingly right paths.

The danger of basing decisions solely on personal feelings in a feelings-driven society.

Feelings do not always represent reality, leading to misguided paths.

The Bible's view on the heart as deceitful and wicked, cautioning against following it blindly.

The influence of the crowd in shaping beliefs and the potential for conformity to lead astray.

Contrasting the size of crowds with the truthfulness of beliefs, emphasizing that truth is not determined by majority.

Scripture's teaching on the increase of those going the wrong way and the decrease of those on the narrow path.

The importance of knowledge and education in discerning the right way.

The role of God's word as a guide and the necessity of being educated in it to avoid deception.

The contrast between being guided by public opinion, the crowd, feelings, and the heart versus God's word.

The call to Christians to be led by the Word of God, not by worldly influences.

Encouragement to subscribe, share, and remember one's identity and belonging in God.

Closing remarks emphasizing God's ability to show the right way and His reliability.

Transcripts

just because it seems right

doesn't mean that it is right

[Music]

what's up everybody welcome to another

episode of sermon in seven your daily

dose of inspiration and the place where

we prove beyond the shadow of a doubt

that it's possible to receive a mighty

word from god in a short period of time

i'm your host pastor tim listen in this

world that we live in today you and i

both know there are so many people who

are being led astray for one reason or

another this one is going down this path

that one is going down that path and the

craziest thing about it is that

everybody believes that the path that

they're on is the right path and that

that reality has come about for a whole

lot of different reasons and we don't

have enough time to address them all

today but there is a particular passage

of scripture that i want to share with

you on today

it's very short just one verse get your

bibles and come with me to the book of

proverbs proverb number 14 and verse

number 12. let's go there now

and the word of god says this

there is a way which seems right to a

man

but its end is the way of death

now the writer of this particular

proverb is letting people know yeah

there's a way that seems right

but just because it seems right it

doesn't mean that it is right and it

also doesn't mean that it's going to end

in the way that most people believe that

it's going to end

now let me take a moment and just look

at a couple of reasons why

this way that the proverb writer is

talking about

seems right to other people the first

reason is this

this way seems right because people are

making their decision

based upon their feelings

you and i both know in the world today

everything is about your feelings how do

you feel how does this make you feel do

what you feel etcetera etcetera etcetera

follow your heart

these kinds of things we live in a in a

very feeling based society right now

it's almost to the point that truth is

has been completely thrown out the

window and everybody is going with their

feelings now there are some major

problems in dealing with life based upon

your feelings and again i don't have

time to address them all but i will

address a couple of them right here the

first big problem in addressing a

situation according to your feelings is

that number one your feelings don't

always portray reality

all right

you can feel however you want about

whatever situation but just because you

feel a certain way

it doesn't mean that your feelings are

portraying reality

and so many of us are led by our

feelings and what happens is we end up

abandoning reality to run with how we

feel

and that's why they get on this road and

this path on this way that seems right

because their feelings tell them that

it's right but your feelings don't

portray reality and this other idea

about following your heart follow your

heart

look at what the scriptures say about

the heart the heart is deceitful above

all things and desperately wicked

now if i'm gonna follow anything i don't

think that i'm gonna follow something

that is deceitful above all things and

desperately wicked but this is how the

bible describes the human heart we're

all bent in the direction of sin we'll

do the wrong thing at the drop of a hat

and the last thing that you want to

follow is that organ that is bent in the

direction of evil which can lead you to

do the wrong thing at any time of day

that's the first problem the second

problem or the reason why people are

following this way that seems right is

because there are a whole lot of other

people who are following that way

or feel the same way all right we often

base our decisions on the size of the

crowd and we come to the conclusion that

if there are a lot of people who believe

it if there are a lot of people who feel

that way then it's probably true a lot

of people live their lives that way now

some people go along with the crowd

because they're afraid of being

ostracized if they hold a different

opinion a lot of people can sway the

mindset of a weak-minded person or

someone who's not willing to take the

heat so sometimes because i'm not

willing to take the heat i'll go along

with the crowd and other times i go

along with the crowd because i think

that the crowd

indicates that it's true

scripture will teach you large crowds

mean nothing it only means that it's a

large crowd it has nothing to do with

what's real what's true and what's right

in fact the bible teaches us the

opposite that in the latter days the

crowd of those that will be going the

wrong way would increase and the crowd

size of those going the right way would

decrease even the lord himself talked

about uh there is a road that leads to

destruction that was broad and there

were many that found it but there was

also a road that led to life and the

road was narrow and there were few that

were on it so don't get caught up in the

size of the crowd thinking that that's

the true indication of something being

right

and finally the last reason why these

people are deceived is because they

don't know what the right way is

when you have no knowledge of what is

actually right you'll sort of guess

and you'll come to a wrong conclusion

because you don't have all the

information if no one has ever taught

you the right way if you've never been

educated in the direction that you

should actually go then it makes sense

that you would come to the wrong

conclusion now we understand that the

right way is spelled out in the word of

god the lord has let us know how we

should live what we should do how we

should treat other people it is spelled

out but if you have never spent any time

in god's word if you've never been

around god's people enough that their uh

mindset and mentality can have an impact

on you then you'll make your decisions

based upon other things but if no one

has ever taught you the way then of

course there's a way that's going to

seem right because you don't know what

the right way is

god has given us a guideline in his word

we know what we should do

we know how it can happen through the

power of the spirit that lives on the

inside of us but we know what we should

be about as christians we need to be

guided by the word of god not public

opinion not the size of the crowd don't

be following your feelings and certainly

don't be listening to your heart the

word of god is the true foundation the

word of god is the compass that lights

the way and if we allow ourselves to be

led by god's word we won't be in that

way that seems right we'll be in that

way that is right amen goes right there

listen everybody i'm all out of time for

this particular video so you already

know what to do give me a thumbs up give

me a like subscribe to the channel and

share it with somebody else go ahead and

have yourselves a wonderful day remember

who you are remember who you belong to

and most importantly never forget that

this god that we serve the one who can

really show you the right way

that god he can do anything but fail

join me for another episode of sermon in

seven god bless you

[Music]

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