Proverbs 1:7 – October 28, 2007

Introduction

• For the last 6 weeks we have been in a series entitled; “Lessons from the Richest Man Whoever Lived.”
• We have been focusing our attention on the book of Proverbs.
• Proverbs is in your face.  If you don’t want to know about reality, don’t study Proverbs.  It tells is like it is.
• We began our study with this key verse. It is the key verse for the entire book of proverbs.

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

• As we have found out.  Proverbs are often contrasts of two different people.  In this verse there is the person that is wise because He fears the Lord, and the fool who despises wisdom and instruction.

·        The word “Fool’ or “Foolish person” is not a person who is mentally incapable, or simple minded.  It has nothing to do with IQ or mental abilities.

·        There are 3 words used for the word “fool” in the book of Proverbs

1.     Someone with a dull or closed mind.  He is thickheaded and stubborn.  It is the most common usage.  49 times.  He is shortsighted and lazy.  Therefore he rejects instruction or information from others.

2.     One who lacks spiritual perception.

3.     Arrogant and flippant as well as mentally dull.  It is used 19 times.  He rejects God and wisdom. 

This is the fool who has rejected God, who has an arrogance and flippancy about Him.  This is the person who refuses to listen to instruction from anyone.

·        Do you know anyone like that?

·        You can’t tell me nothin’  I don’t want to hear it!

As we conclude our series, I want to just talk with you about choices.

When it all comes down to it.  The book of Proverbs, and is learning how to make wise choices.

·        Anyone ever made a foolish choice!  (Don’t point to your husband ladies!)

·        God wants us to learn to make wise choices.  And then to follow through with those choices.

Life is about choices.  When we make right choices, things go well for us.  When we make foolish choices, things go poorly for us. 

We are the results of our choices

·        For the most part, everything about us is a result of our choice.

·        We are here today because you choose to come to church.  No one made you come today. (Unless you are one of my kids)

·        What you have on today is a result of your choice.

a.      What you look like for the most part is a result of your choices.

b.     Your clothes, what you drive, where you live, even how much you weigh is a matter of choice.   Some of us have chosen wisely and others of us have chosen poorly.

c.     Wisdom is learning to choose wisely.

One of the greatest challenges we have in our society today is accepting the fact that I am who I am, and where I am because of my choices.

For the most part; I am responsible for where I am today

·        Do you understand how contrary that is to our world today?

·        We live in a world with a victim mentality.

·        It is always someone else’s fault.  We want to blame someone else.

·        It’s McDonald’s fault that I am fat.  I didn’t know that the double cheeseburger with extra large fries and large chocolate milkshake and fried apple pie I had today for lunch would make me fat.  – It’s not my fault.

Wisdom understands that for the most part I am where I am today because of MY choices.  Not someone else’s, but mine.

But Billy, you don’t understand where I came from.  You don’t understand my past:

·        Listen, you cannot control your past.  You may have been abuse, you may have suffered as a child, you may have had the worse possible upbringing anyone can imagine, but

·        YOU CONTROL HOW YOU RESPOND TO IT.

My brother says, you are exactly where you want to in your relationship with God.

·        You don’t understand, I really want to know the Bible.  No you don’t because if you really wanted to know the Bible, you would read it – and then you would know more.

·        Most Christians know more about their favorite TV show than they do about the Bible.

·        Why because we choose to!  We came home from work, we plopped down on the couch and watched 3 hours of TV.. Then when we can’t hardly keep our eyes open, we stumble into the bedroom, brush our teeth, get in bed and then decide to read the word.  5 minutes later we are out like a rock. – Now am I lying?

·        Why don’t we pray more?  Because we choose not to!

That’s why Joshua told the people:

Joshua 24:15 - choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

The wise understand that yesterday’s choices created today’s reality and today’s choices create the future.

Why Do We Make Foolish Choices

1.  We Want it Now!

·        Remember the fool is shortsighted.

·        We live in a shortsighted world.  Only think about today, not tomorrow. 

§        Most Americans live from paycheck to paycheck.

§        Last year Americans save -.5%.. In another words we spent more than we made.  This is the first time this has happened since the depression.

§        1981 Americans saved 11% of their income and owed 4%

§        In 2000 we saved Zero!  And we owe 12% of our income.

§        Why?  Because we are making poor choices.

§        Why wait til tomorrow, when I can afford it?  Let’s buy it today and put it on credit!

·        The wise person sees past today.  He looks to tomorrow.

2.  We Deceive Ourselves

The worst deception isn’t some con artist on the street.  The worst deception is self-deception

·        We think that we are different than the rest of the world.  We think we are special.

·        How many times have we believed a lie that we created, so that we can justify the decision we want to make.

·        The fool refuses to see reality.

·        It’s always amazing how many people think that something magic is going to happen to get them out of their life situation.

·        Just look on any Saturday night at 7 – 11.  They are buying their lotto ticket thinking that if they win it will change their life.

·        They are deceiving themselves.

You see the problem is that most of us want change without having to make any changes.

·        We want to loose weight, get rich, and live the good life without any personal cost.

There are entire industries based on the fact that we deceive ourselves and will buy anything that promises things can change without us having to make any changes.

·        You can eat all you want and take this little pill and still loose weight!

·        Buy our program and with only 4 hours a week, you can make $5,000 a month

·        A friend said yesterday, isn’t it interesting that you don’t see any books entitled; “How to work 60 hours a week in a cubical for $60,000 a year.”

·        And we are stupid enough to buy all of it hook line and sinker! 

·        We are foolish!  We have deceived ourselves.

To see any true changes in our lives, we have to change. 

And change is hard.  None of us like it.  We all hate it.

But if things are going to be different, then things are going to have to change.

3.  We Refuse Discipline

You see we want it all without having any cost.

·        The verse we looked at earlier says the fool despises discipline.

·        This not the discipline from the end of a stick, but the discipline that creates the champion.

·        We think I can have success without cost.  - -  Success always has a price

·        Wisdom is making the right choices, even if it is going to cost me something.

Making Wise Choices

So how do we begin to make wise choices?  Let’s look at how we can add wise choices into our daily living.

One of the most important things we can do is to make the commitment to wisdom.  Make the commitment to add God’s insight into our lives.

1.  Take responsibility for our lives.

·        Responsibility is the ability to respond

·        I am in control of my situation.  Whatever happened yesterday doesn’t matter, what matters is what I do today.

·        I am not a victim, I have the power change!  (Say that with me.)

·        What I do today, affects what my life will be like tomorrow.

2.  We Need to Live for Tomorrow

·        Most of the problems we run into are self inflicted.

·        The bad choices we made yesterday have created the problems we face today.

·        We are in debt up to our eyeballs because of the poor choices of yesterday.

·        We don’t need to rebuke the credit card, we simply need to stop charging on it.

·        What we need to begin doing is living for tomorrow.

o       Will this please the Father?

o       What will the true cost of this choice be for tomorrow?

Most Christians are praying for God to the miraculous to get them out of the fix they are in from the decisions they made yesterday.

·        What are the affects of the decisions I am making today.

3. Embrace Discipline

Nobody likes discipline, but the wise man embraces it.

Brian Tracy has a wonderful book entitled; “Eat that Frog.”

He says, if you have to eat a live frog every morning.  You have the satisfaction of knowing that things are going to get better the rest of the day. If you have something hard to do, do it first, then you have the hard part done.

·        The wise person understands that sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do.  Just do it and get it over with.  That is the beginning of discipline.

·        I am praying for more discipline in my life.

o       I am a better starter than finisher.

o       I have more projects and ideas than I can ever accomplish.

o       The problem is I get a little ADD and begin the next project before I finish the first one.

o       Not too long ago I committed to try and finish one book before I begin another.  I am trying.  Usually I have about 4 books that I am reading at any time.

·        The wise man embraces discipline.  The foolish man despises it.

·        The book of proverbs is filled with instruction to the lazy person.

·        Success never comes to the person who refuses discipline.

4.  Look to the Father

·        God’s grace is always available to those who are seeking after wisdom.

·        God will go out of His way to come to the aid of those who fear Him and are attempting to live according to His word.

1 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

·        God has already made a way for us.  All we have to do is look to Him.

2 Timothy 1:7
7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I am asking God to give me the wisdom to make discipline a part of my life.

Our strength can only come from Him

Someone gave me a wood plaque this week with this verse on it.

“Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

When we cry out to Him He give us wisdom.

James 1:5
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Conclusion

·        As we conclude this series on wise living.  Let’s ask the father for wisdom.

·        Anyone hear willing to confess with me that you need wisdom?

·        Let’s join together and ask the Father for his help and wisdom to make wise, right choices.