I Have Taught Thee, I Have Led Thee (061624)

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Message: I Have Taught; I Have Led

Turn to and read Proverbs 4:1-11.

The book of Proverbs is one of the most practical - if not thee most practical - books of the Bible!

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it is a book of instruction from a father to his son.

Proverbs 1:8 KJV 1900

My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

Proverbs 2:1 KJV 1900

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, And hide my commandments with thee;

Proverbs 3:1 KJV 1900

My son, forget not my law; But let thine heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 4:1 KJV 1900

Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, And attend to know understanding.

Proverbs 5:1 KJV 1900

My son, attend unto my wisdom, And bow thine ear to my understanding:

Proverbs 6:1 KJV 1900

My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, If thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger,

Proverbs 7:1 KJV 1900

My son, keep my words, And lay up my commandments with thee.

The overriding theme of Proverbs; the overriding message of a father to his son is this…

Choose wisdom!

Turn to and read Proverbs 4:5-9.

Wisdom will protect and guard us from all manner of trouble and problems.

Wisdom will bring great blessing to our lives.

As one preacher said…

“How stupid are the multitudes who ignore the available wisdom of God? How smart are those who seek after and obtain such wisdom?” - Dr. David Sorenson

Fathers, have you chosen wisdom - Biblical wisdom? Or have you chosen - gone after - the world’s wisdom?

Biblical Wisdom - The accumulation; the assimilation; the application of Biblical truth!

Illustration: Hammer

Just memorizing a bunch of “Bible facts” does not equate to wisdom.

Just being able to expound upon the meaning of “Bible facts” does not equate to wisdom.

It is only as you make application of Biblical truth in your life that you can correctly say that you are wise!

On the flip side, you have Worldly Wisdom which, in the end is plain old foolishness!

Psalm 14:1 KJV 1900

The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, There is none that doeth good.

Romans 1:21–22 KJV 1900

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

Fathers, before you can ever challenge your children to choose Biblical wisdom, you must have chosen it for yourself!

Which now brings us to the verse that I wan to focus on for a few moments and with which I want to challenge our fathers this morning.

Proverbs 4:11 KJV 1900

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom…

Your children need to be taught.

They need to be instructed in the way of wisdom - Biblical wisdom!

The world does not want you - a Christian parent - to teach your children anything. The world wants to make it as difficult as possible for you to teach your children.

California Senate Approves Ban on Schools Informing Parents of Student’s Gender Identity

California lawmakers voted June 13 to advance legislation to ban school districts from notifying parents about social gender transitions at school without the student’s permission.

Sen. Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) said the bill aims to return schools to the task of teaching children and to “provide a supportive environment where [students] can figure out who they are.”

“That is one of the major developmental tasks that every single one of us has to do—is to begin to separate from our family of origin as we go out into the world and find our people,”

In other words, the world doesn’t want you to teach your children anything - especially Biblical truth - unless you teach them the things of this world.

This past Tuesday, I attended the Pineville Town Council Meeting. A local business owner made a presentation to the council asking them to, in 2025, officially sanction and promote Pride Month.

In her presentation, this business owner showed a crayon drawing made by a 6 year old child. In the drawing, the child wrote, “We can be gay. It’s OK.”

Again, the world doesn’t want you to teach your children anything - especially Biblical truth - unless you teach them the things of this world.

Your children need to be taught Biblical truth.

Proverbs 4:2 KJV 1900

For I give you good doctrine, Forsake ye not my law.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 KJV 1900

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

Fathers, we must take the lead in teaching our children Biblical truth.

Ephesians 6:4 KJV 1900

And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

It’s here that I will say that before you can teach your children Biblical truth, you must know Biblical truth yourself!

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 KJV 1900

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.

Fathers, we must take the lead in helping our children develop a delight for and in God’s Word.

Psalm 1:2 KJV 1900

But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Before our children will delight in God’s Word, we must delight in God’s Word ourselves.

Illustration: My children have developed a taste for AE Party Dip from Iowa. So much so that I have to bring it home with me any time I visit Iowa. How did they develop a taste for AE Party Dip? Because I already had a taste for - and delighted in - AE Party Dip.

If we do not have a delight for God’s Word and if we do not help our children develop a delight for God’s Word than I can almost certainly guarantee you that they will develop a taste for the things of this world.

Let me challenge you…Use every tool that’s available to you to teach your children Biblical truth and to develop a delight for and in God’s Word!

Be in church as a family.

Take advantage of the youth group.

Take advantage of the Christian school.

Back to Proverbs chapter 4…

Notice how Solomon contrasts the way of wisdom with the way of wickedness:

Proverbs 4:18–19 KJV 1900

But the path of the just is as the shining light, That shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: They know not at what they stumble.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom…

Then…

I have led thee in right paths.

There is a right path and there is a wrong path.

Proverbs 4:14–15 KJV 1900

Enter not into the path of the wicked, And go not in the way of evil men. Avoid it, pass not by it, Turn from it, and pass away.

And, as much as it is important to teach your children Biblical wisdom - Biblical truth - it is just as important to lead them in the right direction!

Fathers, what kind of example are you giving to your children? In what direction are you leading your children?

1 Corinthians 11:1 KJV 1900

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Our children are going to follow our lead; they are going to follow our example. The question - the challenge - is: Are we following Christ? Are we following His lead?

Fathers, what’s important isn’t how you are - how you act - on Sundays when you’re in church. What’s more important is the example that you give your children to follow from Monday to Saturday.

In fact, I believe that I can state that our children are going to follow our example more than they will heed our instruction.

Turn to and read 1 Kings 11:1-10; 43; 14:21-24.

Solomon certainly taught his son many wonderful truths - Biblical truths. Unfortunately, though, he led his son in the wrong path!

I don’t want to finish on a sour note, though. Go back to Proverbs chapter 4.

Turn to and read Proverbs 4:1-4.

Solomon here recounts the fact that his father, King David, had taught him!

Be thankful for Godly fathers!

Illustration: I am very thankful for my father! He was not perfect - none of us are - but he did the best that he could considering what he had to work with.

Not long before I was born, my father accepted Christ as His Savior. When he accepted Christ, he stopped drinking and smoking.

He took me to church as a boy.

He put me in a Christian school and encouraged me when I went to a Christian college.

I’m thankful not only for what my father taught me but also thankful for the example that he set for me.

If you have a Godly father - be thankful for him and make sure that he knows it!

If you didn’t have a Godly father or if your earthly father was not present in your life - be thankful for your Heavenly Father Who loved you so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for your sins.

If you have children, strive to be a Godly father - a father that strives to exemplify Proverbs chapter 4 verse 11:

Proverbs 4:11 KJV 1900

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

Let’s pray!