Sermon Tone Analysis

*Wisdom for the Good Life, I (Inscription 43)*

*Proverbs: Living the Good Life/ /*

*Proverbs 1:1-7*

*/February 20, 2011/*

 

*Scripture reading: Proverbs 1:1-7*

 

Wisdom for The good life

 

Today we enter the “*wisdom* *literature*,” (Job to Song of Solomon).

The Biblical wisdom literature tends to be very *down* to *earth*, even when it gets philosophical.

We are going to approach them as a *four*-*part* *series* (or series within a series) that I am calling “Wisdom for the Good Life”:

 

1.

Proverbs: Living the Good Life

2. Job: When the Good Life Doesn’t Work

3. Ecclesiastes: The Good Life is Meaningless

4. Song of Solomon: The Good Sex-Life

 

 

Prayer: You are very interested in our daily life...

 

 

What is The Good Life?

What is “The Good Life”?

Is that anything like “The *High* *Life*”?

if so, I want nothing to do with it.

What do you think of when you think of the good life?

·         *Retiring* at 40, on the beach, drinking out of *coconut*?

·         Being the *top* of your *career*?

·         Winning the *lotto*?

·         Having a *hot* *young*, *compliant* wife?

·         *Self*-*help*, self-*actualization*, “The *Secret*,” things like that?

I want to be happy!

Q   What do all these things have in *common*?

They are all pursuing *happiness*.

And *I agree* with them on that.

In fact, my *biggest* *problem* all of these definitions is that they are *too* *half*-*hearted* in their pursuit of *joy*.

·         Any time you feel any joy, it is a reflection of God, no matter how weak of corrupter.

Q   Didn’t I say *last* *week* that one of the surest ways to become *miserable* is to pursue happiness?

Looking back, I wish I would have been *clearer* – what I was trying to say is that we are *really* *stupid*, and we usually pursue happiness in really *stupid* *ways*.

/...the trouble is, humans do have a /*knack*/ of /*choosing*/ precisely those things that are /*worst*/ for them.

/

Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

 

*Happiness* is actually a really *good* thing.

Everyone wants to be happy, that is a *God*-*given* *desire*.

In the words of *Lewis*, we were made for *infinite* *happiness*.

The problem isn’t that we seek happiness, but that we seek happiness in things that, at best, are *weak* and *temporary*, and, at worst, *destructive*.

The Good Life

 

Here is what I mean by “The Good Life,” it is to *pursue* the *happiness* that God gives, in ways that bring *him* *glory* and bring us *lasting* *joy* and *happiness*.

Maybe *you’re* *thinking*, “Ok, I got it.

By ‘The Good Life,’ you mean *Heaven*.

So I need to *give* *up* *everything* that makes me happy here on *earth* so that I can have some *eternal* *reward*.

Nice.

Forgive me if I *don’t* seem *too* *excited*.”

·         No, that’s *not* what I *mean*.

I mean, *yes*, *Heaven*, but *no*, you don’t have to *wait* for Heaven to be happy.

My grand theory of everything

 

Here’s my *foundational* *perspective* on *God*, *life*, and joy:

 

God is everything we *really* *want*, the *source* of all that is good and pleasing.

I *don’t* think I need to *prove* this with verses, it is evident in throughout the Bible.

At the same time, God has given us many *reflections* of his glory and joy: a *family*, *friends*, a *sunset*, a good *meal*.

These are all things he invented for us to enjoy.

(Also throughout the Bible.)

From what I see in the *Bible*, esp.

as I spend more and *more* *time* in the OT, I see God’s *preference* is for us to *enjoy* this life as *much* *as* *we* *can* without *distracting* us from the next.

·         Two vital points: *Preference* and “*without* *distracting* us.”

Few things delight me like watching my *daughters* *play*, but I will break it up to have them do there *chores*.

Why?

Because I know how vital *responsibility* is for their *future* *happiness*.

·         “*Reflection*” is the *key* *word*: Even as we enjoy these things, they are meant to *draw* us *to* *him* as the source above all else.

Q   How much more will I *stop* them if their play involves my *cooking* *knives*?

I want them to make to their future!

And that is what *sin* is, things you may *think* you *want*, but that *destroys* *you*, your *relationship* with God, and *others*.

To *sum* *up*: The Biblical idea of the good life is that by *obeying* *God* we may have the *most* *happiness* possible in this life without being *distracted* from the *next*, that is to say, from *God*.

·         This doesn’t mean things are *easy* (many have faced great *hardships*), and this *doesn’t* *always* *work*, as *Job* will show us.

Proverbs and the Good Life

 

The book of Proverbs is all about *very* *practical* advice for living the Good Life.

It’s all about “*Do* *this* to be *happy*” and “*Don’t* do this or you will be *miserable*.”

*Proverbs 1:29-33 *  29 Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD,  30 since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke,  31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.

32 For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them;  33 but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.”

Where’s the Gospel?

(A caveat)

 

Very, *very* *important*: This is different from *righteousness* in the NT sense.

Proverbs doesn’t talk about *grace*, but Bible is very clear that we can never be *good* *enough* to earn God’s favor.

·         You could do *nearly* *everything* in Proverbs and still be *lost* and *dying* in your *sins*.

If the Bible were a *car*, Proverbs would be the *tires*, because this is where the rubber meets the road.

·         It isn’t the *engine*, giving the *power* to live it.

·         It isn’t the *steering*, telling where you your *final* *goal*.

Four Principles

 

So far, I’ve just talked about what the good life is, but not how to get it.

There are 100’s of life changing principles in there, but here are four key ones.

*1.

**Seek Wisdom*

 

The *core* *theme* and *purpose* of Proverbs is *wisdom*, as we saw in the *opening* *verse*.

But *wisdom* and *IQ* are very different: I’ve known *smart* *fools* and people who are *dimwitted* yet *wise*.

·         Wisdom is the ability to understand and obey the moral laws of our world.

When I say *laws*, I don’t mean in the sense of *rules*, I mean in the sense of *governing* *principles*.

Q   What do we mean when we speak of “The *Laws* of *Gravity*”?

We mean that, *barring* *interference*, things fall when you drop them, that lighter things are attracted to heavier things.

That’s just the *way* it *works*.

·         In the same way, our world is *filled* with *moral* *principles* that govern our life and we ignore them to our peril.

*Proverbs* is a *collection* of these *principles*.

Sometimes they are *short* *reminders* of *cause* and *effect*:

 

NIV *Proverbs 15:1* A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Sometimes they are *humorous* *observations* on “how *things* *are*”:

 

*Proverbs 27:14 * If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the morning, it will be taken as a curse.

And sometimes they boil down *big* *ideas* into *memorable* *phrases*:

 

*Proverbs 26:11 * As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.

Q   Do you keep doing the same *dumb*, *destructive* things?

Guess what, you are a *fool*.