Life Is A School
Notes
Transcript
Intro; Someone has said that life is like a school, except that sometimes you don’t know what the lessons are until after you have failed the examination. Another way to put it is “Hind sight is 20/20!”
This morning I want us to use hind-sight from the scriptures and learn how to navigate this life in the knowledge and wisdom of the Lord. I believe there is no better person to go to school with and learn from than the wisest man who ever lived, Solomon.
Let’s copy from the test papers of Solomon as we consider “Life Is A School”.
Text; Eccl. 12:9-12
9 And moreover, because the Preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yes, he pondered and sought out and set in order many proverbs.
10 The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright—words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, and the words of scholars are like well-driven nails, given by one Shepherd.
12 And further, my son, be admonished by these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is wearisome to the flesh.
Solomon was no doubt a scholar when it comes to life. The reason I say this is because he sought wisdom from God, but he also did a whole lot of research on life. Some of that research, unfortunately, wasn’t what God wanted him to do, but what makes Solomon so wise is, even in his faults/failures he learned from them and passes that wisdom on to us!
That’s what the Book of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs are all about. Proverbs is a Book of Wisdom with God and Ecclesiastes is a book of how vain/foolish life is without God!
1. A Wise Preacher; 9
1. A Wise Preacher; 9
Preacher- leader or speaker of an assembly; one who proclaims a message;
Solomon was king of Israel and was the leader/speaker of the nation [Preacher].
Wise preacher “still” taught the people knowledge. Why did Solomon use the word “still” concerning himself? Solomon reminds us that our life experiences, both the successes and failures, are “still” valuable lessons to grow from.
Someone has said that, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results!” Solomon says we need to learn/grow in life!
Knowledge- Knowledge gathers information, but wisdom interprets it and applies it for the good
Solomon gathered knowledge for us and put it in an orderly fashion as he wrote the Book of Proverbs, but only the wise will put it into practice.
1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:
2 To know wisdom and instruction, To perceive the words of understanding,
3 To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, and equity;
4 To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge and discretion—
5 A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,
6 To understand a proverb and an enigma, The words of the wise and their riddles.
7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Solomon gives us 31 chapters of orderly wisdom from the Lord to help us navigate this adventure of life. Life's experiences are God's classroom, and through them, we learn essential lessons that draw us closer to Him and enrich our wisdom.
It should be our desire as children of God who have received this knowledge, to impart this knowledge of God to the next generation, that they would live wise and fruitful lives in Christ!
2. Preach Words of Truth; 10
2. Preach Words of Truth; 10
Solomon desired to not only write words of truth, but to preach them as well.
Truth- faithfulness, absolute trustworthy, absolute firmness
Truth is righteousness;
1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.
Truth never changes;
19 The truthful lip shall be established forever, But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Truth sets one free;
John 8:31–32 (NKJV)
31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.
32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Truth is found in Jesus alone;
John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
This scripture says that Solomon sought “acceptable words” to express truth clearly. This doesn’t mean he tried to water down the truth or that he didn’t want to offend peoples feelings. He wanted to be wise in sharing truth. Turn to [1 Kings 3:16-28]
The truth Solomon clearly shared was righteous, unchanging, set people free and it is only found in God!
3. Preach Inspired Words; 11
3. Preach Inspired Words; 11
In this verse Solomon gives us the “Purpose of Truth” from the “Shepherd of Truth”.
Purpose of Truth- to be absolute firm in our faith in Christ.
To study the Word of God continues to increase our knowledge of God to be confident in the practice of the righteousness of God.
Truth is like “goads and nails”
Goads were sharp pointed sticks used to drive an animal in the direction required by its shepherd. The purpose of the Book of Ecclesiastes is not to drive us to despair, but to shepherd us into the presence of God.
Acts 9:4–5 (NKJV)
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
A nail is something that is used to fasten one thing to another. Scholars/preachers aim in life is to nail the truth of God’s word into our hearts and minds that we will not only remember it, but apply it in our lives daily.
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.
Shepherd of Truth- Jesus Christ
Solomon is not just drawing conclusions to life based upon what he thinks, but what is truth in God. Every thought, action, word or event recorded in the Bible is there by the express intent and purpose of God.
19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;
20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation,
21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.
If we who believe in Christ will preach the inspired/infallible Word of God, do not add to it or take away from it, then it will accomplish it’s purpose by leading us to truth, and His name is Jesus!
4. Preach A Warning; 12
4. Preach A Warning; 12
Admonish- to warn, to avoid
Solomon is reminding his readers of the sufficiency of Scripture and warning men not to be carried away by to much study of men’s interpretation of them.
It is not wrong to be well read but be careful what you believe when you read!
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
15 and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.
98 You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts.
Don’t test God’s truth by the “many books” written by men; test men’s books by the truth of God’s Word.
Close;
If “Life Is A School”, then the most apparent question to ask ourselves is “What have we learned?”
If your subject is God, and your textbook is the Bible, and your teacher is the Holy Spirit, then you will follow Jesus and graduate with flying colors.
But if your subject in life is self, and your textbook is the world, then your teacher is Satan and you will fail miserably.
