4.3.30 6.18.2023 The Beginning of Wisdom Proverbs

Wisdom Literature: Faith Begins to Work  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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Start:
Entice: It is best to begin at the beginning and the beginning of all knowledge, understanding, and wisdom is a faith relationship with the Lord.
Proverbs 1:7 ESV
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Engage: We all know very smart people who have great difficulty functioning in the “real world”, and we know people with little education but a vast storehouse of common sense.
The book of Proverbs is God’s Word at its most obvious.
It is unique in that a book sermon, summarizing and highlighting it’s content can do it justice.
Expand: Several basic concepts to keep in mind this morning, and as you allow the book of Proverbs to continue to enrich your life.
First, proverbial wisdom is about lived experience.

A proverb is not a delivery system for an idea but a window onto the world.

Next, proverbs are generalizations.

A proverb has been popularly accepted as a general truth. In other words, proverbs are generalizations drawn from experience

And most importantly, regarding interpretation—we need to know what proverbs are not.

Confusing a proverb with either a law or a promise is a basic interpretive mistake.

Additionally, the book of Proverbs reminds us that Scripture has variety. God uses our common human experience to reveal Himself as well as the nature of His creation.
Beyond law,
historical saga,
songs of faith,
and the
critical truths of the Gospel
there is an abundance of faithful, lived human experience to help guide our lives. Solomon’s output was huge.
1 Kings 4:32 ESV
32 He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005.
God did not use all those 3,000 proverbs to reveal inspired truth. And he used proverbial expressions and observations of others.
All to remind us that the faith we share is not just about attaining the final prize—it’s about living. We can live a fulfilling life, a holy life, a satisfying life while bringing honor to God.
Explore:

Wisdom means embedding and applying Godliness and basic Biblical principles to our daily living.

Expand: Several principles for applying for Godly wisdom.
Body of Sermon: the first principle is

1 Priority of Religion

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 13:9 ESV
9 The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.
Proverbs 15:3 ESV
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
Proverbs 19:21 ESV
21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.
Proverbs 14:12 ESV
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
The next principle is

2 Personal Relationships.

Family

Proverbs 1:8 ESV
8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
Proverbs 5:18 ESV
18 Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
Proverbs 12:4 ESV
4 An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.

Friends

Proverbs 18:24 ESV
24 A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Our Neighbor

Proverbs 14:21 ESV
21 Whoever despises his neighbor is a sinner, but blessed is he who is generous to the poor.
Proverbs 14:31 ESV
31 Whoever oppresses a poor man insults his Maker, but he who is generous to the needy honors him.
Next, each of us deals with

3 Practical Responsibilities.

Work

Proverbs 6:6–11 ESV
6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. 7 Without having any chief, officer, or ruler, 8 she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest. 9 How long will you lie there, O sluggard? When will you arise from your sleep? 10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest, 11 and poverty will come upon you like a robber, and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 12:27 ESV
27 Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.

Seeking good Counsel

Proverbs 15:22 ESV
22 Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.

Humility

Proverbs 16:18 ESV
18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 19:20 ESV
20 Listen to advice and accept instruction, that you may gain wisdom in the future.

4 Profitable Reason.

Know your roots!

Proverbs 30:11–14 ESV
11 There are those who curse their fathers and do not bless their mothers. 12 There are those who are clean in their own eyes but are not washed of their filth. 13 There are those—how lofty are their eyes, how high their eyelids lift! 14 There are those whose teeth are swords, whose fangs are knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, the needy from among mankind.

Know your place

Proverbs 30:24–28 ESV
24 Four things on earth are small, but they are exceedingly wise: 25 the ants are a people not strong, yet they provide their food in the summer; 26 the rock badgers are a people not mighty, yet they make their homes in the cliffs; 27 the locusts have no king, yet all of them march in rank; 28 the lizard you can take in your hands, yet it is in kings’ palaces.
Shut Down
Ultimately our experience should humble us. We will be constantly reminded that we are fallen and in need of grace. If we spend enough time with Godly people we will have examples of right living. We will get to know people who embody some of the most famous words, not only from the book of Proverbs but in all scripture:
Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
In a crooked world we need guidance. We need clarification. We need to have our paths straightened.
Human wisdom shared by Godly people can only get us so far. You remember what Jesus said about wise men?
Matthew 7:24 ESV
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Ultimately, Jesus is our wisdom.
1 Corinthians 1:30 ESV
30 And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption,
And wise living is faithful and fruit bearing.
James 3:17 ESV
17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.
We need gospel because we need grace.
We need guidance because we stray.
We need encouragement so that we don’t lose heart.
We need doctrine so that we correctly understand our faith.
And we need wisdom. Because God has used the lives of holy people to show us how to honor Him in daily living
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