The Path of the Fool

Intro.

One of the challenges and opportunities that my wife and I face as parents is teaching our kids about the important things in life (please & thank you) or avoiding the many pitfalls (don’t text and drive or don’t play music too loud through your headphones).

Often times, out of love and concern, we will use repetition to get our point across.

In the Bible there is passage that is repeated three times: Psalm 14 is repeated in Psalm 53. The Apostle Paul repeats portions of Psalm 14 in Romans 3.

When God says something three times that means that it is very important.

Anything God says once demands attention.

Anything he says twice demands our most intent attention.

How then if he says something three times, as he does in this case? This demands our keenest concentration, contemplation, assimilation, and even memorization.” James Montgomery Boice

Scripture Reading: Psalm 14

“1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. 4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread and do not call upon the Lord? 5 There they are in great terror, for God is with the generation of the righteous. 6 You would shame the plans of the poor, but the Lord is his refuge. 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.”

Prayer:

Clarity & understanding.

Open hearts and minds. Keep the enemy from stealing the word.

Holy Spirit boldness & conviction.

Transition. In the next few minutes I would like to point out to you why this passage is so important that is repeated 3x in the Bible. Our lives are stake. Eternity is at stake.

Let me give you a profile of the fool in Psalm 14. As I do that, I want to see if you can think of someone who fits the profile.

The fool says in his heart:

“I have no room for God in my life.”

V. 1 literally says, “Fool says in his heart, “No God.”

Psalm 14 is not only about those who embrace a philosophical atheism that denies the existence of God, but about those who who are practical atheists who live as if there is no God.

You can religious and believe that there is a God and yet live as if he doesn’t exist.

James 2:19 “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”

In the Hebrew Scriptures (OT), a fool is not someone who lacks intelligence, but someone who rejects God’s wisdom.

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Because the fool says, “I have no room for God in my life,” then it is only natural to pursue a lifestyle that says:

“I don’t want God to tell me how to live my life.”

Psalm 14:1a, “They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.”

David points out that out of the heart flows corruption.

Jesus said something similar in Matthew 15:18–19 “18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.”

Why would a fool reject God and his wisdom?

The heart of the fool says, “I know better. I don’t need anyone, including God, telling me what to do.”

Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”

Proverbs 14:16 “One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.”

The wise are cautious and avoid danger;

fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. (Prov. 14:16, NLT)

Proverbs 15:5 “A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.”

Proverbs 18:2 “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion.”

Proverbs 26:11 “Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly.”

Proverbs 28:26 “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.”

In Psalm 14, the fool is someone who doesn’t want God to intervene in his life. He wants to do what he wants to do without any accountability.

The antidote:

Proverbs 3:5–7 “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. 7 Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”

In addition, the fool says in his heart:

“I only want God for the benefits.”

Psalm 14:2 “2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.”

To seek after God is a life of complete surrender, but the fool wants none of it.

To seek after God is to care about what God cares about, but the fool wants none of it.

To seek after God is worship God and love him for who he is, but the fool wants none of it.

Imagine: successful business woman. Engaged. Lost everything. Fiance breaks up with you saying, “I only wanted you because of your money.” How would you feel?

Next, the fool says in his heart.

“I don’t care about others except to use them or exploit them.”

Vv. 4 & 5 describes the fool as:

Someone wicked who eats up God’s people as bread. This is a natural everyday occurrence.

Those who take advantage of others, specially the poor.

The fool only cares about themselves. They failed to love God and to love their neighbor.

Last, but not least.

“I deeply resent those who desire to follow and please God.”

The fool, in his wickedness eat up God’s people. Since the fool is someone who rejects God’s wisdom, it is only natural that the fool resents and seeks to destroy God’s people.

God’s people here are described as those who, “call upon the name of the Lord.” They seek to please God, but the fool wants to destroy them.

[Slide] “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,” (2 Timothy 3:12)

[Slide] Graphic about morality & the Bible

Is there anyone you know that fits the profile of the fool in Psalm 14?

Don’t say a name unless is your own. Here’s what I mean by that:

[Slide] Psalm 14 is a description of all humanity corrupted by sin: we are the fools!

I wasn’t talking about your friend or relative. This whole time the Psalm was talking about you and me!

Look at how David puts it in vv. 2&3:

[Slide] “The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:2–3)

[Slide] “God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 53:2–3)

The Apostle Paul takes the words from Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 to establish that everyone needs the gospel of Jesus. In Romans 3, he writes the following:

[Slide] “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”” (Romans 3:9–12)

IN 1908 The Times asked a number of authors to write on the topic, “What is wrong with the world?” (what would you write?)

G. K. Chesterton’s answer was the shortest one submitted. He simply wrote:

Dear Sirs,

I am.

Sincerely yours,

G. K. Chesterton

I’ve been a Christian for almost 3 decades and I still need Jesus everyday because my heart is prone to wonder:

“I have no room for God in my life.” I’m too busy to pray today and spend time in God’s Word.”

“I don’t want God to tell me how to live my life.” “I’ll let God worry about world hunger and not who I sleep with.”

“I only want God for the benefits.” “Bless me Lord, but don’t ask me to completely surrender my time, my resources, my sexuality, my thought-life, my temper, my whole life to you.”

“I don’t care about others except to use them or exploit them.” “Of course I can’t say it that way, so I’m going to use people to get me to my “God-given” vision.”

“I deeply resent those who desire to follow and please God.” “I’m a good person, so I don’t need community or accountability.”

Psalm 14 is a picture of all humanity apart from the saving power of Jesus.

[Slide] Psalm 14 warns of the coming judgment.

“There they are in great terror (Heb. “terrified with great terror ” , for God is with the generation of the righteous.” (Ps 14:5)

“It is a description of sudden horror when people will find out that they have been foolish, but it will be too late. They will then see that the God they have been denying will come to vindicate the people whom they have been devouring.” Allen Ross

Revelation 20:15 “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

[Slide] Psalm 14 offers hope and salvation.

“Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.” (Ps 14:7)

David looks forward to the day when God would bring salvation from Zion.

According to Psalm 2:6, Zion is God’s holy hill. Zion is another name for Jerusalem where the temple was located.

Salvation came from Zion. It was in Jerusalem where Jesus died for the sins of humanity.

How can someone be saved. David declares that we are saved by calling upon the Lord. To call upon the Lord is to place your faith in Jesus by repenting of your sins and completely trust in his finished work. They are covered with the righteousness of Jesus.

To call upon the name of the Lord is to simply say, “Lord, I no longer want to reject you, but completely surrender my life to you.”

To the world, the cross sounds and looks like foolishness.

1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1 Corinthians 1:21–24 “21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

A fool is someone who rejects God’s wisdom. Jesus is the wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:24)

Psalm 14:7 “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.”

[Slide] Inviting the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts:

Is there an area in my life where I might be living as if God doesn’t exist or cares how I live?

Is there an area in my life where the Lord is speaking correction or conviction? Am I willing to repent and change, or do I harden my heart and hold on to my foolish, stubborn attitude?

How am I treating the people around me? How am I using my God-given resources (time, money, skills) to love and serve others?