Teach your children well

Title: Know your limits

Text: Ecclesiastes 7-8; Proverbs 3:5

D.T We cannot allow our understanding to be the ultimate authority on truth. 

Introduction: 

Continue in our “Extreme Faith Makeover” series 

We’ve been discussing our limitations over the last several weeks

If we want to give our faith a makeover, we have to be honest about our limitations.

Last week we discussed the limitations of our lives, and the inevitable nature of death.

This week we discuss the limitations of our knowledge 

Our scripture is going to be out of Ecclesiastes 7-8, however a supporting scripture will be Proverbs 3:5-6

Proverbs 3:5–6 ESV

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Today as we study the nature of our limitations, we’ll understand why this passage is so important

The limitations of our understanding (READ Ecclesiastes 7:15-20

Ecclesiastes 7:15–20 ESV

In my vain life I have seen everything. There is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who prolongs his life in his evildoing. Be not overly righteous, and do not make yourself too wise. Why should you destroy yourself? Be not overly wicked, neither be a fool. Why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of this, and from that withhold not your hand, for the one who fears God shall come out from both of them. Wisdom gives strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

In verse 16 Solomon tells us not to be overrighteous. What does this mean? Is he suggesting to be less dedicated to faith? Are we to be less dedicated to being mindful of sin? 

Solomon is more directly speaking to how we understand our righteousness (faith) He’s cautioning us to not unwavering in how we understand our faith

This is most notably found when people tend to believe their understanding of faith has given them the answers. Solomon cautions against this, because that is a rug which can quickly be pulled out from under your feet.

Sometimes good folks who are trying to be the best fathers, mothers, mentors, faithful servants die before their time in ways deemed meaningless. While the murders live to see old age. 

Sometimes people who are good parents lose their children, while others have healthy children but the parent leaves that healthy child in a dumpster. 

These situations pull the rug out from under our feet. What do you do in those situations? 

If your faith is built upon your understanding of righteousness, then your faith may become a house of cards. 

This is why Solomon asks “why destroy yourselves

Because many people are walking away from faith because they experienced something their understanding cannot reconcile. 

“A loving God would never allow xyz to happen. If left to our own understanding, the next conclusion will be “Then God must not be real or loving. 

We cannot allow our understanding to be the ultimate authority on truth. 

Solomon cautions us against being “overwise”

Because Solomon clearly tells us how personal experience and understanding are often beyond us. In verse 23 Solomon says this. We have a phrase for what Solomon is explaining, you are probably familiar with it. The more I know, the less I understand. 

Since we know our understanding can be shaky, Solomon says we cannot be overly reliant upon up. 

So what do we do? This brings us back to the passage in proverbs. Do not lean upon your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge him. 

My favorite thing about this passage is the command to not lean upon our understanding. The passage doesn’t say “don’t attempt to have understanding” because that is neither wise nor feasible. 

We are going to have a way to understand the world around us, but we have to leave room for mystery in our faith

We will never learn to leave room for mystery in our faith without surrender and submission. 

We must realize some things are beyond our understanding. God however does understand. In those moments, we should prayerfully go before God with something along the lines of “I don’t understand this, and my attempt to understand is leading me to anger and frustration. Help me lean upon your understanding.

This is often a hard pill to swallow, however the silver lining is this. Mystery keeps people invested. People return to the mystery hoping it will one day be revealed.

The mystery of our faith will one day be revealed. However until then let us remember to leave room for the mystery, and acknowledge God’s lordship over the mystery by submission and surrender.