The Enticement of Sinners

Introduction

TIMER: Open your Bibles to Proverbs 1:8-19, Proverbs 1:8-19. page 527. If movies like The Godfather, Godfellas, The Departed, Gangs of New York and their wild success have taught us anything about our culture it is this. The draw to be a part of a gang is stronger than we might initially think. These movies glorify gang life and gang violence. They stir our imaginations to imagine what it would be like to be a part of such a tight knit family. The us against the world mentally draws us in and makes desire to experience the thrill of gang activity. However, what movies fail to do is capture reality.

The book of Proverbs draws us in as well. It engages also engages our imaginations. It challenges us to imagine what life will be like if we should fallow the path of wisdom, and it invites us to imagine what like would be like if we choose the path of folly. The difference is the vision that Proverbs cast is vision of life that is consistent with reality. Proverbs tells us if you choose the way of wisdom, the life will ultimately go well, but if you choose the path of folly you will be destroyed. We are to use our imaginations this morning as we read our text. Imagine in your seat what life will be like if you heed God’s instruction and imagine what life will be like if you fail. Let’s read Proverbs 1:8-19.

The Attractiveness of Wisdom v. 8-9

EX: Solomon pleads with his son to listen to him and his son’s mother. Hear their instruction and their teaching. Parents are a gift. Ephesians 6:1–3 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”” Now, I love my parents and I am a parent. Most of my advice is simply common sense. It is wisdom won threw life experience.

ARG: Under parented, non-believing parents, or not present. Spiritual parents through the church, and heavenly father. Look for life experience and cling to it. Adults, career advice, older Christians. Never have too much wisdom. Ultimately all wisdom comes from the Lord. Listening to parents is a way we listen to God’s wisdom.

What does this wisdom do? Makes us attractive. Graceful garland and pendant around your neck. Wreath of prestige and beautiful necklace. Wisdom allows us to be humble and confident. Wisdom makes us attractive because it keeps us from being foolish. Graceful garland or lie in wait for your own blood. This is why must imagine.

Galatians 6:7–8 “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”

APP: How will you live? Where will you sow? Know that whatever choice you make, God will not be mocked. You will either choose wisdom and be seen as wise or choose folly and be embarrassed. If you are blessed. Embarrassment is God’s discipline in your life on a rescue mission to save you from yourself. Hebrews 12:5–6 “And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”” God is on a mission to make you wise because in you becoming attractive you glorify him. Our attractiveness is not a reason to boast in ourselves, the wisdom comes from above. It is a reason to boast in the Lord. Jeremiah 9:23–24 “Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.””

T/S- Listen to wisdom and enjoy the graceful garland and pendant around your neck. But let you boast be in the Lord the giver of wisdom. Know that wisdom is a result of fearing God. Knowing the one who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness. If we are to boast in the Lord we must know the tactics of our enemy.

3 Enticements of Sinners v. 10-14

EX: The word for sinners suggest habitual sinners, people who make their life about sin. Three ways these sinners entice Solomon’s sons. 1) Violence/power. Action movies, combat sports, video games, even reality shows like the Bachelor of Survivor where there is a lot of backstabbing. Think about that word. Why do we like it? Exert our will. Might not join a gang, but bully, mistreat a subordinate, get loud with your spouse or kids, silent treatment.

ILL: Contrast those who ambush the innocent without cause Isaiah 1:18 ““Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.” God reasons and forgives. Ephesians 4:31–32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

EX: Greed. Love of money and wealth is enticing. 1 Timothy 6:9–10 “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” Wealthy is not the problem it is the unruly desire for wealth. What we do with money and how we get money that is the problem. No unjust gain. Money is a justification for immorality.

APP: What is your bottom line? Would you lose money to tell the truth.

EX: Sense of belonging. v. 14. The promise that they will look our for each other. Lie! Those who lie in wait for blood will not look out for the interest of others. Steal from others, they will steal from you. Yet, the sense of belonging is strong even when it is false. Peer pressure works for adults too. Complaining about the boss, lying to your parents, casting off godly authority makes a false promise of camaraderie.

All three enticements make false promises. They misuse the imagination telling you a version of the future that will not match reality. Wisdom and folly are both storytellers, whose story will you believe.

T/S- I must warn you, folly’s story is a lie. It will implode.

A Deadly Warning v. 15-19

EX: Solomon tells the truth about the gang’s enticements he sheds light on Folly’s lie. v. 15-16. Then gives an illustration about a bird trap. read 17-18

ILL: Ben and the bird. Solomon is saying they are fools, they are birdbrains. They trap themselves with their sin. V. 19 EVERYONE!

ARGU: Really? What about good guys that loose their business or bad guys that get rich? 1) Generally not true. Those bad guys are not as happy as they appear. 2) Eternal perspective. What is the bottom line? Stand before God. Psalm 92:5–9 “How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever; but you, O Lord, are on high forever. For behold, your enemies, O Lord, for behold, your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.”

If you are not is Christ that is terrifying. God will not be mocked, he will destroy his enemies. That is the promise. But that is not all God has promised. Exodus 34:6–7 …The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, …. How? How does God ensure that all are punished and yet so grace? 1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Conclusion

Jesus is the perfect human. He lived in a way to show us what life would look like if someone were to choose the way of wisdom every time. And yet, Jesus suffered for our sins. Jesus was not violent, was not greedy, and he did nothing just to belong. If fact, he was the victim of senseless violence. He was innocent and his blood was shed. It was shed because a greedy man named Judas, one of his disciples, betrayed him to violent gang for 30 pieces of silver. The gang took him and beat him and turned him over to the Romans to be brutally crucified. And if the story ended there then this passage today would total nonsense.

The gang would win and Jesus would lose. You might as well just give up and go seek unjust gain through senseless violence. But it didn’t end there. This proverb was proven true as Jesus rose from the dead and conquered sin and death. He will return again as the righteous judge over all of the earth and all who do not repent will be subject to him at his feet and all who follow him will rule the nations with King Jesus. The way of wisdom will lead to eternal life. Even when things seem hopeless and even when it seems like wisdom will never work in a broken world. We must remember that this is not true. Choose the way of wisdom and know that in the end you will wear a graceful garland and pendants on your neck.