Wisdom in Life
Notes
Transcript
Announcements:
Announcements:
OC Youth this Wednesday
Fliers
Introduction:
Introduction:
We are in our 2nd week out of 5 talking about biblical wisdom literature
And the reason we’ll be studying these books is because I believe there are timeless truths that have the potential to change our lives contained in these words
These books have changed my life—and I hope as we take time to go through them, that you would read them and be changed by them as well
I mean really… who doesn’t want to be wise?
I think there is a natural allure to books that classified as ‘wisdom literature’
But as you read these books you’ll find out that these aren’t books that are concerned about hidden knowledge but more about how we actually live our lives
And last week, we opened up this series last week setting the groundwork for the coming weeks
We talked about how we need to make room for wisdom in our lives
We can listen to a sermon series on it, but if we don’t actually take the time to apply it in our lives—it won’t make a difference
So today we are going to be taking a fly-over view of the book of proverbs: The Book of Wisdom in the OT
And we’ll be looking at some of its major themes and what they mean for us today
Scripture Reading:
Scripture Reading:
10 Listen, my son. Accept my words,
and you will live many years.
11 I am teaching you the way of wisdom;
I am guiding you on straight paths.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;
when you run, you will not stumble.
13 Hold on to instruction; don’t let go.
Guard it, for it is your life.
14 Keep off the path of the wicked;
don’t proceed on the way of evil ones.
15 Avoid it; don’t travel on it.
Turn away from it, and pass it by.
16 For they can’t sleep
unless they have done what is evil;
they are robbed of sleep
unless they make someone stumble.
17 They eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
18 The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
shining brighter and brighter until midday.
19 But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom;
they don’t know what makes them stumble.
Wise vs Fool
Wise vs Fool
As you read Proverbs—it is abundantly clear that there are two paths for each and every one of us to walk down
The way of wisdom
The way of foolishness
And us, as the reader, are constantly being told to stick to the path of wisdom
Those that live wisely—live well
They prosper, God blesses them, they enjoy life
Those that live foolishly—live poorly
They struggle through life, God opposes them, and they are always seeking more (never satisfied)
And we talked about this last week but the way of wisdom isn’t just about being ‘smart’ but it is about living the way we were created to
Going with the grain of creation
So the wise person is living as God intended us to live
And the foolish person seeks to live their life on their own terms
Who knows best, what the purpose of something is, other than it’s creator?
As I was prepping I was reminded of time last summer where my family had an Airbnb in Northern CA
No can opener
I had to use a kitchen knife
And thank God I didn’t get hurt
But the can was messy—and the job got done
There’s nothing wrong with a knife
It is an extremely useful tool
But it’s not meant to open up cans
And I think often, we walk through life like this
We are not walking according to our purpose, but we’re just getting the job done
And as a result, our lives are messy and dangerous
So today I want to look at both of these paths
I want us to look at what Proverbs has to say about the fool
And then I want to look at what it has to say about the wise person
Then we’ll end on what this means for us more practically
So for the fool and for the wise — I have compiled 7 different defining traits of each
Along with the verses in Proverbs we get it from
Again this is an overview of the book
But I encourage you all to read and meditate on these proverbs
A proverb a day
The Way of the Fool
The Way of the Fool
Rejects Correction/Discipline
12 A mocker doesn’t love one who corrects him;
he will not consult the wise.
Does anyone know someone who never admits to being wrong and refuses to be corrected?
This is foolish behavior
In a sense, you are saying—I am perfect—I have no more room for growth
And we all know that is not true
Example: Rehoboam
Taxes
Older Counsel vs Younger Counsel
Lead to rebellion and splitting of the kingdom
Speaks Recklessly
6 A fool’s lips lead to strife,
and his mouth provokes a beating.
7 A fool’s mouth is his devastation,
and his lips are a trap for his life.
Example: David & Goliath
Subjective Morality
15 A fool’s way is right in his own eyes,
but whoever listens to counsel is wise.
Example: Samson
Lack of Self Control (Quick Tempered/Easily Swayed)
11 A fool gives full vent to his anger,
but a wise person holds it in check.
28 A person who does not control his temper
is like a city whose wall is broken down.
Example: Esau
Repeats the Same Mistakes
11 As a dog returns to its vomit,
so also a fool repeats his foolishness.
Example: Pharaoh in Exodus
Is Marked by Laziness
13 The slacker says, “There’s a lion in the road—
a lion in the public square!”
14 A door turns on its hinges,
and a slacker, on his bed.
15 The slacker buries his hand in the bowl;
he is too weary to bring it to his mouth!
Example: Jonah
Pride
2 A fool does not delight in understanding,
but only wants to show off his opinions.
Example: Nebuchadnezzar
The Way of the Wise
The Way of the Wise
Seeks Instruction/Correction
1 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
but one who hates correction is stupid.
Jesus:
8 Although he was the Son, he learned obedience from what he suffered.
Controls their Tongue
18 There is one who speaks rashly,
like a piercing sword;
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
3 The one who guards his mouth protects his life;
the one who opens his lips invites his own ruin.
23 The one who guards his mouth and tongue
keeps himself out of trouble.
Jesus:
He used his words to bring healing, blessing, and point people to the father
Even under intense pressure and false accusations—He didn’t fight fire with fire
Works Diligently
4 Idle hands make one poor,
but diligent hands bring riches.
5 The son who gathers during summer is prudent;
the son who sleeps during harvest is disgraceful.
Jesus:
Worked hard in his ministry—He was not lazy by any means
He knew his mission and set out to accomplish it
This doesn’t mean he didn’t rest—but he worked with discipline
Walks with Integrity
7 A righteous person acts with integrity;
his children who come after him will be happy.
Jesus:
He is exactly the same person inwardly—that he presents outwardly
There is no hypocrisy—no acting
Exercises Self-Control
27 The one who has knowledge restrains his words,
and one who keeps a cool head
is a person of understanding.
28 A person who does not control his temper
is like a city whose wall is broken down.
Jesus:
In the wilderness temptations
Chooses Wise Companions
20 The one who walks with the wise will become wise,
but a companion of fools will suffer harm.
Jesus:
He didn’t associate with the hypocritical religious leaders
But with the humble (lowly) poor and insignificant
These people knew their need for a savior
Humility
23 A person’s pride will humble him,
but a humble spirit will gain honor.
2 When arrogance comes, disgrace follows,
but with humility comes wisdom.
Jesus:
His whole life is summed up with humility
5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus,
6 who, existing in the form of God,
did not consider equality with God
as something to be exploited.
7 Instead he emptied himself
by assuming the form of a servant,
taking on the likeness of humanity.
And when he had come as a man,
8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient
to the point of death—
even to death on a cross.
Conclusion
Conclusion
There are several responses when reading proverbs
You can read it in theory—detached from the world you live in today
You can read it justifying yourself and condemning the people you don’t life
I’m obviously wise
They are obviously foolish
Or… the more you sit with this book—You become more aware of the foolishness and folly in your own life
If we come to this book with humility we realize that each of us have taken the path of the fool
And even as we’ve seen—the Bible is full of example of fools
And not just the ‘bad guys’ but God’s very own people and servants
And while there are some people to look up to: every one of them at one point or another takes a detour down the road to foolishness:
Abraham — Acting on Impatience with Hagar//Letting fear cause him to lie
Moses — Killing a man // Striking the rock twice
David — Bathsheba // Census
Elijah — Fleeing from Jezebel // Isolating himself
And the list goes on
Jesus, however, stand out among them all — he never goes down the path of foolishness
And that is because Jesus is showing us the true path of wisdom
Not just in theory but practically
In the way he speaks
The way he views people and treats them
The way he gives his life for us
And as we wrap up Proverbs—I think this is what we have to sit with
That each of us—left to ourselves—take the path of foolishness all of the time
Whether its:
Rejecting correction
Speaking recklessly
Doing what is right in our own eyes
Lacking self-control
Repeating the same mistakes
Laziness
Pride
And Jesus has come to save us from this way of living
Because it goes against the way we were meant to live
And ultimately it leads to our destruction
I really encourage you all to read this book—to be acquainted with God’s wisdom
But as we finish up—We end with communion
Knowing that Jesus died so that we might walk the path of wisdom with him
5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.
So maybe in this time of reflection there is a particular situation you need wisdom in
Future decisions
Friendship problems
Family problems
Stressful situation
Whatever it is
We can invite God in—and seek his wisdom
And Bianka and I are also here as that wise counsel
Wisdom isn’t just this think between us and God
Often he speaks through other people
Let’s Pray
Small Group Questions
Small Group Questions
Icebreaker: What is some of the best advice you’ve ever received? (Did you follow it)
What area of foolishness stood out to you? Why?
(Rejecting correction, speaking recklessly, doing what is right in our own eyes, lacking self-control, repeating the same mistakes, laziness, pride)
What area of wisdom stood out to you? Why?
(Seeking instruction/correction, controlling the tongue, working diligently, walking with integrity, exercising self-control, choosing wise companions, humility)
What makes the path of foolishness so enticing?
