Sharing our Wisdom with Others

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Welcome everyone!

It is good to see you all today. We will finish our study through Proverbs today and begin in the Gospel of John next Sunday.

Let me encourage you one last time to make this book a regular part of your Bible study

One place you can make Proverbs a regular discussion in your home is at the dinner table

Kids can understand and memorize Proverbs because they are practical.

OPENING PRAYER

Lord, would you help us today to see the greatness of Your wisdom? Would you help us to put our worldly ways of thinking away and replace them with your ways. And would You help us to come to Your Word today as a life giving substance that is worthy of our complete devotion. We ask that you would not only give us understanding, but help us to apply these truths directly to our lives and be faithful to this Word today. Amen.

Sermon Introduction

Our final message from this book in on sharing our wisdom with others. Part of having wisdom is sharing it with others. But are you surprised that not everyone wants to hear what you have to say?

You will meet people in your life who are blessed by the things you have learned from God. The wonderful thing about wisdom is that it can be passed on from one person to another. In fact, this is part of God’s training program for people to become wise.

Proverbs 12:15 “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.”

Proverbs 15:22 “Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.”

Proverbs 19:20 “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.”

Proverbs 20:18 “Prepare plans by consultation, And make war by wise guidance.”

So Solomon ends his address to his son by giving him some advice about who he should share his wisdom with. And we will see two kinds of people in our passage today: The scoffer and the wise man and principles on how to deal with them both in a godly way.

MESSAGE

Proverbs 9:7–8 (NASB95)

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself, And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you

“Correct” means to reprove, or admonish someone. The verbs in these verses essentially refer to the same thing: GIVING SOMEONE ADVICE FOR THE PURPOSE OF IMPROVING THEIR BEHAVIOR

Sometimes people think this should never happen anyways because who am I to judge another person’s actions?

But Scripture does not teach us to simply ignore our brothers and sisters in if we see them heading down a road that will bring them harm

There is nothing at all wrong with giving someone godly wisdom as advice

In fact, Proverbs would commend it and say that’s what true friends do:

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” (Prov 27:6)

Every one of us needs someone to whom we regularly say, “How can I improve?” And then we need to listen. Each of us should be pouring into less mature believers, offering them wisdom, offering them guidance, so that they may live life well.

SIDE NOTE: It is not our place to correct someone who does not have a covenant relationship with God.

The Bible says:

1 Corinthians 5:12 NASB95

For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Do you not judge those who are within the church?

We have stepped into dangerous territory when we try to correct or admonish those who are outside the church.

They are not living the ChristIan life because they have never been born again thereofre it is wrong to expect to do something that they cannot do

ON THE OTHER HAND: Those who profess the name of Christ, who have a covenant relationship with the Lord and the church are called to be accountable to one another and be open to wise counsel, correction, and admonition. It’s part of God’s plan for maturing the body of Christ.

And in every church that is committed to sanctification, there is also a commitment to accountability and discipline.

Openness and humility are how we grow.

SCOFFERS ARE NOT LIKE THAT

The scoffer’s problem comes down to pride

He does not think there is any room for improvement in his life therefore any advice given to him is offensive and rejected

Proverbs 21:24 NASB95

“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his names, Who acts with insolent pride.

Pride is what causes one to refuse correction

Pride convinces one his behavior is superior

Pride raises a scoffer above anyone who offers advice and even above the Word of God

The world is full of scoffers: both outside and inside the church.

There were religious people in Jesus’ day who mocked him:

Mark 15:29–30 NASB95

Those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads, and saying, “Ha! You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

Peter says there will be mockers in the last days

2 Peter 3:3 NASB95

Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts,

Scoffers come in two kinds: inward and outward

There are those who make it obvious they do not agree with what God says. They verbalize it. They express it. They laugh at it and joke about it, and ultimately reject it.

You will meet many people like that out knocking on doors.

These are often the ones who love to talk about the Lord, but not because they are interested but because they want to tell you 50 reasons why your wrong and your religion is false.

BUT there are others who will agree outwardly, but scoff inwardly

Those are the ones that will waste you time and energy because they really have no interest in what your wisdom!

The inward scoffers will leave you so frustrated and discouraged because you invest time and energy into them and they reject your advice over and over

HERE ARE TWO PRINCIPLES TO HELP US IN THE PRESENCE OF A SCOFFER

TRYING TO TEACH OR GIVE ADVICE TO A SCOFFER WILL ONLY BRING YOU HARM

“Dishonor” means: shame or humiliation. And the second term “insults” also means some kind of verbal attack

What happens when you offer a scoffer something from the Word of God?

They will tell you 500 reasons why you are wrong

They will claim scientific facts and try to prove you wrong and humiliate you

They will reference the national geographic channel channel, the presence of sin and suffering in the world, their own worldly philosophies and life experiences to try to make you look like a fool

They will discredit the Bible and all that it says, claiming contradictions, man’s manipulation, and that it is an unreliable resource to guide us in this life

In short, you can expect some kind of verbal attack

POINT: USE DISCERNMENT WITH WHOM YOU SHARE YOUR WISDOM WITH

Here is the best thing that you can do when you have a scoffer in your company: SAY NOTHING TO THEM

If you try to point someone towards God’s wisdom, and they respond with ridicule or anger, then say nothing else

You will rarely IF EVER win a person over to the Lord by arguing and fighting with them

You will never be able to teach an argumentative person what God has taught you

You will waste your precious time and energy and become so frustrated you will never want to help another person the rest of your life

That may seem unloving, but Jesus taught us the same thing in the sermon on the Mount:

Matthew 7:6 NASB95

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.

Jesus is referring to the truths of the Bible and compares them to precious pearls. Do not throw them to the dogs or hogs or they will trample them and turn and tear you into pieces

Jesus’ point here is to use some discernment about whom you share God’s truth with

God’s point in this passage of Proverbs is the same: Use discernment.

If we do not, we will only hurt ourselves.

Proverbs 9:8–9 (NASB95)

Reprove a wise man and he will love you. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser, Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

Wisdom is welcome in the company of a wise man

Who is a wise man according to these verses?

HE VALUES THE PRINCIPLE OF CORRECTION

(v 8) “Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you, Reprove a wise man and he will love you.”

A sign that we are on the wise path in life is our attitude toward correction.

That is we are willing to allow others to bring things to our attention about our behavior and lifestyles that need to be addressed

Do you know why some people hate the preaching of God’s Word?

Because it speaks against their way of living

Because it does not fit into their philosophy of life

Because it bring their sin to surface and forces them to see it for what it is

AND Because it calls for repentance and correction

The backslider loves preaching that never touches on their sin, but the wise man loves preaching that brings them to their knees!

They want to be different, they want to be more godly, they want to know what they can do to make them more like Jesus

WISE PEOPLE WILL KEEP THIS ATTITUDE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE!

There will never come a time when we are perfect in this side of eternity

There will never come a time when we are the wisest person on earth

There will never come a time when we do not need correction no matter how long we have been walking with Jesus

A WISE MAN IS TEACHABLE

“Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser”

Do you know what a teachable person must be willing to do?

He must always be willing to take what he knows and replace it with what God says

This is an admirable trait that we must all strive for.

You may have been taught something your entire life and believe it with all of your heart until it is brought to your attention that it is WRONG

What is the measuring stick to say what is right and what is wrong?

It is the Word of God

A teachable person will be willing to always discard a belief if it contradicts the Word of God

NO EXCEPTIONS!

NO MATTER HOW MUCH IT HURTS TO ACCEPT!

NO MATTER HOW MANY PEOPLE SAY IT IS TRUE, GOD’S WORD ALWAYS OVERRIDES EVERY BELIEF!!

And if we ever say something like this: yes God’s Word says this…BUT

We’re dead wrong!

And the correct response is to repent and adopt God’s truth and discard the lie we have believed

A WISE MAN IS RIGHTEOUS

This explains to us why wise people love you when they are corrected and why they are teachable: BECAUSE THEY DESIRE HOLINESS OVER EVERYTHING ELSE

When a man is corrected he becomes more godly

When a man is teachable and replaces lies with truth he becomes more godly

And the end result is to be righteous!

To be righteous simply do what is right!

And right not by the world but by God

IF God says its right then it its right

Verse 7 tells us who NOT to correct a scoffer lest we suffer harm and shame.

Verse 8 & 9 tell us who we should correct and we will receive love and see growth in another person’s life.

PRINCIPLE: It is our responsibility as believers to hold one another accountable. It is our responsibility to pour into one another, sharing wisdom with one another, helping each other make good decisions in this life!

And wisdom cannot be shared until it is first learned, and it it cannot be learned until it is practiced!

And this cannot only be the leadership of the church. It is our responsibility to help one another along in Christian love!

FINAL THING:

In the end, each of us will stand alone and give an account for our decisions and actions

Proverbs 9:10–12 (NASB95)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. For by me your days will be multiplied, And years of life will be added to you. If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”

This phrase is the motto of the entire book. It was introduced on the first section of the first chapter and reminds us again before moving into the section of Proverbs.

It reminds us again before we proceed into the individual Proverbs THAT NO ONE WILL BE WISE UNTIL WE FIRST FEAR GOD! No one will be on the path of wisdom until we fear God

What does it mean to Fear God?

It means that we know that every breath we take is in the hands of the ALMIGHTY GOD and because of that we have the upmost respect for Him because of who He is, and what He does

This fear does not make us run from God, but run to God and obey God, serve God, love God, put our hope and trust in God and LIVE LIFE THE WAY GOD CALLS US TO LIVE!

How could someone be considered wise if they do not know the most basic and important thing about the universe: That God is at the center of the universe, not humans (“those who are wise in their own eyes are fools in the eyes of God).

If you lack wisdom, start there

“If you are wise, you are wise for yourself, And if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

In other words, you are not responsible for how someone else responds to your advice

Don’t take it personal

Do not guilt yourself because someone will not listen to you

You cannot make someone become a believer!

You cannot make someone believe what you believe!

You cannot make someone live the way you live even if you follow God with all your heart and His blessings are evident in your life

The guilt is not yours to bear and the the blame is not on you

Samuel dealt with that kind of guilt when Israel demanded an earthly king

1 Samuel 8:7 NASB95

The Lord said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.

You are not responsible for the sins of another person, but you are responsible for your own rejection of the counsel of another

And many times God sends people into our lives who can see what we cannot to help us become wise.

If someone comes to you us and lovingly points out something that may make us more godly, we will be held accountable for how we respond

Each one of us will give an account

CONCLUSION

The very embodiment of wisdom is Jesus Christ

1 Corinthians 1:30 NASB95

But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption,

It was Jesus who became our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption

Jesus took our foolishness sinful lives that we once lived, died for us on the cross, that we may live for Him and become righteous in the sight of God

He set us free from the power of sin so that we may live life the way God designed it in complete devotion to Him.

To believe in God will not save you or make you wise

You must believe in Jesus, put your trust in Jesus, give your life to Jesus, follow Jesus, learn from Jesus, turn to Jesus with all your heart and to the one that does, Jesus will accept with open arms.

All wisdom comes down from God. To reject God’s wisdom is to reject Jesus Christ.

~PRAYER~