A Place for Proverbs (2)
Notes
Transcript
Announcements
Jessica did an outstanding job painting our entryway and getting our logo made.
We are moving our communion service and potluck to the 23rd (not Father’s Day, but the next Sunday).
We will have a members meeting on the 30th.
SERMON
Introduction
We are starting a brand new series today called “Live Life well”.
We are going to study the first 9 chapters of the book of proverbs which makes up the first section of the book.
The book of Proverbs is a wisdom book.
God gave us the book of proverbs so that He could make us wise
And God wants to make us wise, because God wants us to live life well.
Followers of Jesus Christ are not just promised a blessed life when we die.
Followers of Jesus Christ can live a good life here on earth
I didn’t say an easy life, I didn’t say a life where no one will hate you, or where you will be free of conflict, but you certainly can live a blessed life
All of us have one thing in common, we are all in this life together.
And we all struggle with many of the same things and experience many of the same difficulties just at different times in our lives.
Why is it that some people seem to be overcome by life and others seem to do so well?
The difference is wisdom. The wise are not free from all life’s hardships. But they have a much different outcome then those who live foolishly.
Our message this morning is going to focus on the place for proverbs in our life
Three points this morning:
The purpose for proverbs
Who they are for
And the Key to understanding this whole book
Proverbs 1:1-7
The Purpose of Proverbs
The Purpose of Proverbs
The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, To discern the sayings of understanding, To receive instruction in wise behavior, Righteousness, justice and equity;
These verses introduce the author of the book and tell us what the proverbs will impart to their readers:
THEY TEACH US WISDOM
What exactly is wisdom?
I want us to think about wisdom as “skillful living”.
Being wise is not knowing things
Being wise is not even knowing wise things
A fool can quote a proverb and it will do him no good
Wisdom is the ability to do life well; NOT according to the world’s standards, but according to God’s.
One who is wise is able to navigate this life with skill and success and be pleasing to God
And it does not take a high IQ to be wise, there is another key that we will see at the end of this message that is available to all
How do Proverbs teach us wisdom or how to live life well?
Proverbs are general principles about everyday life that when applied to our lives are true most of the time
Proverbs are not promises
Promises are always true, Proverbs are general principles that bring about a general result
Ex: Proverbs 15:1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”
That is true most of the time, but not always. Sometimes a gentle answer may make someone mad!
This is the way we must use this book, not as promises, but as general principles of every day living
Some topics Proverbs cover:
They teach us how to raise our children
They teach us about having lasting relationships
They teach us how to use our words with others
They teach us how to relate to God
They teach us how to use our money
They teach us how to avoid life’s pitfalls
They teach us how to be good neighbors
On and on.
To live a skilled life is to do so by how God created us!
God’s people are not to learn how to live this life from the world
The world’s way of doing things is at enmity with God. It is in contrast to God’s way!
So as followers of Jesus, we must fill ourselves with God’s wisdom; NOT man’s
Therefore to be truly wise, we need to make this book, and it’s teachings a part of our regular diet
THEY TEACH US DISCIPLINE
(v 2) “to know wisdom and instruction (discipline)”
The word “instruction” means “discipline”
Discipline is an exercise of control (Either from the inside or the outside)
Inside discipline is when one is self-disciplined to do what needs to be done
Outside discipline is when someone exercises control over another
We do this by spanking or disciplining our children to bring them under control
Discipline is essential to being wise
If wisdom is the skill of living, then discipline is inseparable from the character of the wise
Without discipline, you CANNOT do this life well
If we do not learn to be disciplined, then you will miss out on the abundant life that Jesus has made available to you
Examples of discipline from Proverbs:
Getting up out of bed at a decent time
Holding down a job and doing it well
Staying consistent in the little everyday responsibilities
Training your children to fear the Lord
Staying faithful to your spouse
Staying faithful to the basic things in our lives that God expects us to do: worship, evangelism, praying, and pouring into other people’s lives
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT DISCIPLINE!
Listen to Paul’s description of self-discipline
but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
Discipline is not allowing the flesh to rule our lives, but ruling the flesh
It doesn’t matter if our bodies are tired, we make them get up!
It doesn’t matter if our bodies do not want to read the Word, we make them because we know we need it
Discipline overrides the flesh
How do Proverbs teach us discipline?
All of us need to be corrected and shaped
Many of the Proverbs provide to us the results of a disciplined life as a form of motivation: both positive and negative
Positive results such as:
Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Negative results such as:
“A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest”— Your poverty will come in like a vagabond And your need like an armed man.
This the same method Paul speaks of in 1 Cor about his discipline:
“I make my body my slave, so I will not be disqualified”
Paul had his eyes on eternity, that how he pushed through!
It was the eternal reward that led him to be such a disciplined man
When we study this book, God has designed it so that it will shape us and mold us, by teaching us the results that we cannot see of our actions or lack of actions
We musty not read Proverbs and skill the consequences or think that will never happen to me!
They are most of the time, in most situations, and should be treated as such
THEY TEACH US TO UNDERSTAND INSIGHT
Verse 2b: “To discern the sayings of understanding”
lit: to understand the words of understanding
Another translation says, “to help them understand insights of the wise”
This is getting below the surface of something
Most people tend to read things on a surface level
We read it literally, superficially, and are satisfied with that
But the book of Proverbs is interested in getting below the surface and provides penetrating insight
Insight in the practical matters of life has to do with looking deeper at a situation to understand the heart of an issue
It is the ability to discern the differences at stake, and the nature of the choices being weighed
It is understanding the true nature of something
An Example
A man came to Jesus, who was rich, and wanted to have eternal life. The man asked Him, teacher what good thing must I do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. The man says he has kept them all from his youth.
This is surface level. Jesus is not surface level, He knows exactly what is going on in this situation, and he shows us penetrating insight into this man’s life
The man is rich, and Jesus knows what is really keeping him from heaven is his money. So He tells the man to go and sell all he has, give it to the poor, then come and follow Him, and He will have eternal life.
That is insight. It’s looking below the surface at the true nature of a situation.
We do not have the ability to read someone’s heart
Proverbs does not give us that ability either.
Proverbs teaches us insight into the true nature of everyday life situations.
Example:
Chapter 1 (next week): do not run with sinners, even when enticed with all the benefits one may think he gains from it:
They say you will find all kinds of precious things
They say you will fill your houses with good things
But the true nature of the situation is that they will bring you down to Sheol with them!
When we take in the Proverbs of Solomon, we gain insight into everyday situations of this world
THEY TEACH US HOW TO BEHAVE WISELY
Verse 3: “To receive the instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice, and equity”
All of these words are ethical terms
Proverbs shape our character
They teach:
righteousness: This simply means doing what is right
Not right according to the world; BUT what is right by God!
I think this is where many Christians stumble because we learn what is right from what others do
It is God who has set the standard of right and wrong!
And Proverbs provides us a good foundation for the right kind of living
justice: Justice means to have good judgement
It means we are able to make good decisions in a given situation
The ability to discern the consequences
equity: to be fair
To treat others in a way that would honor God
Why is wisdom connected to character?
Because foolishness and bad character go hand and hand
Doing wickedness is like sport to a fool, And so is wisdom to a man of understanding.
WE CANNOT BE WISE UNLESS WE POSSESS THE CHARACTER OF A WISE MAN
Wise people do what is right by God
Wise people use good judgement
Wise people treat people with fairness
Fools reject the shaping of one’s character in pursuit of other things that leads to folly
Who are the Proverbs intended for?
Who are the Proverbs intended for?
To give prudence to the naive, To the youth knowledge and discretion, A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,
THEY ARE FOR THE IMMATURE
Verse 4: “to give prudence to the naive, to the youth knowledge and discretion
We should understand this verse to teach one general truth
Much of proverbs uses parallelism to teach a principle
That is what is going on here.
The naive is also described as youth, both reused to describe the same thing
If we put the words: “naive” and “youth” together we can understand who this is referring to:
It does not just mean the one who is young, nor does it mean stupid, but the immature, or the inexperienced
Immaturity is not just defined by age but in terms of wisdom
Children are immature because they have not lived long enough to gain wisdom, BUT we should not think that all adults are mature…
There are many babies wearing adult clothes.
What is the point of this verse?
It is not derogatory!
It is simply saying that you do not have to be wise to glean benefits from the book of Proverbs!
This is not just a book for the wise, but will make the immature, or the youthful person, or the simple minded person prudent
It is an open invitation to anyone who wants to gain wisdom to come and feast from it
But if we come with pride in our hearts, it will be of no benefit to us
We must come to this book with a conviction that God is right and we are wrong regardless of what we have been taught
(v 4) to the youth: knowledge and discretion”
Knowledge: simply means “to know”
discretion: to carefully considering EVERYTHING before entering into a situation
Humility will allows these Proverbs to replace what we have learned from this world and grow in maturity
THESE PROVERBS ARE FOR THE WISE
Verse 5: “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel”
We say why does a wise man need to read them if he is already wise?
Because no one has ever reached the point where they have all the wisdom they need
Even those who walk in wisdom today, will benefit from this book
Notice a wise man “will hear and increase in learning”
That means his treasure of wisdom will grow even more when studying this book and he will life even better than he has in the past
Secondly, “Proverbs are your counselor”
Where should the man of understanding turn with everyday problems? The book of Proverbs
They will help you through everyday life problems.
They will teach us principles that we can apply in every day situations
And a great practice is to memorize them!
It is very motivating to read 31 chapters of Proverbs looking for an answer
But if we read them regularly and memorize them, they will be treasured in our hearts and available to us instantly in every situation
The Key to the book of Proverbs
The Key to the book of Proverbs
To understand a proverb and a figure, The words of the wise and their riddles. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.
This is the Key to the entire book
It is repeated in some aspect 20 times throughout the book of Proverbs
If we do not have this, then Proverbs will have no effect on our lives
There will be no benefit from its study!
There will be no wisdom, no Living Life Well for us
It ALL BEGINS with a fear of the LORD
“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge”
There is no “knowledge without fear of God”
That is because God is foundational to knowledge and wisdom
WHAT IS THE FEAR OF GOD?
Fear doesn’t mean shear terror
We should not be terrified of God as if he is against us
This fear means that we know that every breath is in His hands and we have upmost respect for Him because of who He is, and what He does
Wisdom doesn’t begin with facts, but a relationship with the living God
How could someone be considered wise if they do not understand the most basic detail about this life: That God created it, God sustains it, and God owns it.
The center of this universe is not ourselves, nor is it mankind as a whole, it is God who was an is and is to come
How could one “live Life well”, if they do not first come to the one who created them and listen to Him who gave life?
That is like receiving a piece of furniture shipped from china in 6,000 pieces and never giving respect to the instructions
That is like going to the doctor and been given medical advice on how to be healthy and never listening to a single word
What is the opposite of fear of God?
(v 7) “Fools despise wisdom and instruction”
A fool is one who chooses to go against God’s way
He rejects sound doctrine
He rejects the clear teaching of Scripture
He rejects God altogether and does life his way
Why is that?
Psalm 14:1 (NASB95)
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
Fools do not lack intelligence or education
The fool lives as if there is no God
Notice the fool does not say with his mouth, but in his heart
He says it with the way that he lives
Where we are to begin today is with a holy fear of God
Maybe you do fear God, but your fear needs to be renewed, renew it today
Maybe you have been living life your way and it is has left you in shambles, or depressed, or hopeless, begin to fear him again
Maybe you do not know what to do, then simply do this: come to Him like a little child and trust Him with all your life
Start there, then wisdom will come
~PRAYER~
