"What a Fool Believes"

Seatbelts can be a hassle. Some people just don't want to be bothered even when the law requires them to buckle up. According to the Associated Press, a New Zealander named Ivan Segedin took it to an extreme. The police ticketed him 32 times over five years for failing to use his seat belt. Even though this was costing him big money, Segedin refused to buckle up. Finally, instead of obeying the law, the man decided to rely on deception. He made a fake seat belt that would hang over his shoulder and make it appear that he was wearing a seat belt when he was not.

His trick worked for a while. Then, he had a head-on collision. He was thrown forward onto the steering wheel and killed.

Discussing the accident, the coroner described the fake seat belt: "Though his car was fitted with seat belts, an extra belt with a long strap had been knotted above the seat belt on the driver's side, providing a belt to simply sit over the driver's shoulder."

Folly. Foolishness. Wow it really is real. Many of us know this. Unfortunately we see foolishness all around. It always seems to find its way into our lives, whether it is other people of even ourselves. But foolishness is a reality. We even have to assume foolishness in life. Many companies do.

The following warnings were found on consumer products:

On a Duraflame fireplace log: "Caution—Risk of Fire."

On a Batman costume: "Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly."

On a bottle of hair coloring: "Do not use as an ice cream topping."

On a cardboard sun shield for a car: "Do not drive with sun shield in place."

On a portable stroller: "Caution: Remove infant before folding for storage."

Yet foolishness seems hard to identify. But its so easy to define? Can we really identify foolishness? Identifying folly is a bit harder to identify that we think. Well, Solomon was no fool when it came to foolishness. He’s gonna help us today. Lets take a look.

Ecclesiastes 10:1–4 NLT

As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor. A wise person chooses the right road; a fool takes the wrong one. You can identify fools just by the way they walk down the street! If your boss is angry at you, don’t quit! A quiet spirit can overcome even great mistakes.

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.

Beware of Foolishness

Defining Foolishness

Delivered from Foolishness

The first thing we will look at today is a very graphic description of this thing called foolishness and how all it takes is a little bit. Second, we will see the simple yet difficult definition of foolishness given by Solomon. Finally, we will see how the right path is not right or wrong but the only. Christ is the way the truth and the life.

Thesis: Though sin and the pattern of this world cause us all to be affected by or be the cause of foolishness in this life under the sun, but it is the wisdom of God, our Lord Jesus who will give us a new heart to see Christ as the way the truth and the life.

I. Beware of Foolishness

- “All it takes is a little bit?”

“Am I living wisely or foolishly?”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

A. Oh My Lord… Something smells. This is the imagery used by Qoheleth to describe this thing called folly.

Ecclesiastes 10:1 NLT

As dead flies cause even a bottle of perfume to stink, so a little foolishness spoils great wisdom and honor.

B. The image is so strong that we can catch a whiff of the stench of the rancid perfume. There really was nothing wrong with the perfume, it just had attracted some flies. As a result, some of the flies died, and the stench of their carcasses had turned the smell rancid.

The image is so strong that we can almost catch a whiff of the foul perfume. Although there was nothing wrong with the fragrance itself, it had attracted a swarm of flies. Some of the insects had died, and the stench of their carcasses had turned the perfume rancid.

C. At least to me, what is worse than a horrid stench is a horrid stench mixed with somthing that smells good. This is kinda the idea. I had a roommate in college who did not like to take a shower, instead like to spray wis body with cologne. Ugh that made it so much worse. I used to tell him it does not work. The cologne is not hiding the smell, its just mixing with it. Now instead of body oder, it is body oder and cologne. Rancid… at least for me.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 231). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. Yeah Solomon never forgot that smell, and he uses it here as an analogy for foolishness. Metaphorically, Wisdom is sweet, like fragrant perfume. But it does not take much foolishness to turn things sour because foolishness stinks. All it takes is one harsh word, one rude remark, one hasty and impulsive decision, one foolish pleasure, or one angry outburst to spoil everything. It just takes a little bit. A little to make something the opposite of what it is.

The Solomon of Ecclesiastes never forgot that smell, and he uses it here as an analogy for folly. Wisdom is sweet, like fragrant perfume. But it does not take much foolishness to turn things sour because folly stinks. All it takes is one rash word, one rude remark, one hasty decision, one foolish pleasure, or one angry outburst to spoil everything. As Derek Kidner observes, “It is easier to make a stink than to create sweetness.”

E. Derek Kidner writes, “It is easier to make a stink than to create sweetness.”

F. So you see here, the fist thing he writes, concerns the diffusive and pervasive nature of foolishness and just how leaven like it is. And all it takes is a little bit. Just a little. It did not take very long for the foolish teaching in Galatia to cause the people to turn. Foolish cause ruin in one hour what it took ten years to build. Beware of Foolishness.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 231). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

G. All it takes is a little bit. See this is the problem today. We are compromising in just little increments that we do not realize that it is spreading throughout. Its ok this one time, oh its not that big a deal, its just a little compromise here and there, a little bit of foolishness and now it is stinking up modern evangelicalism. Beware of Foolishness

H. We got false prophets behind the pulpits, we got false teachers and heretics on TV and radio. Christian music radio has singers who deny the Trinity, believes that God being a woman is helpful, and denying the fact that homosexuality is a sin. Oh common Shane lets not overreact over all this, its not that big a deal. Its not that big a deal. This is happening not just in the church, but our families, our marriages, our friendships, our very lives. Beware of Foolishness.

Galatians 5:9 ESV

A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

I. A little leaven leavens the entire lump and a little bit of foolishness will foul up the entire perfume. Sure the perfume smell is still there, but the carcasses of foolishness will mix in it and make it smell worse than before. Beware of foolishness.

J. Foolishness will make shiny, dull. Will make something good, bad. Will make something beautiful, ugly. Will make something holy, common. Beware of foolishness.

II. Defining Foolishness

- “Am I living wisely or foolishly?”

“Am I living wisely or foolishly?”

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

A. To start. It is vital to know the difference between wisdom and foolishness. Many of us can distinguish between good from evil. We know that some things are morally right, while others are morally wrong. So we try to do the right things instead of the wrong things. This kind of thinking is fine, but it only goes so far. The trouble is, some of the most important decisions in life are not between good and evil but between wisdom and folly.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. To understand the difference, we need to know the Biblical definition of folly. A “fool” in the Biblical sense is not really someone with below-average intelligence. Folly does not always show up on the low end of the IQ scale. Think about it. Don’t we know some smart people who make some of the most foolish decisions. The term refers primarily to someone who lacks the proper fear of God and therefore is prone to go the wrong direction in life.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

C. To be sure, folly is often closely associated with wickedness. Nevertheless, foolishness is not exactly the same thing as wickedness. For instance, many wicked people are deliberately malicious. But the fool is characterized instead by impulsive disobedience, self-centered arrogance, and rash disregard for the holiness of God. In the words of Dan Allender, he or she is guilty of “hot anger (directed at self or others), self-centeredness, and hatred of discipline and wisdom.” Not deliberately malicious, but irresponsibly malicious.

To be sure, folly is often closely associated with wickedness.

However, folly is not exactly the same thing as wickedness; it is an important Biblical category in its own right. Many wicked people are deliberately malicious. But the fool is characterized instead by impulsive disobedience, self-centered arrogance, and rash disregard for the holiness of God. In the words of Dan Allender, he or she is guilty of “hot anger (directed at self or others), self-centeredness, and hatred of discipline and wisdom.”

D. Man Solomon has told us much about the fool already. He is lazy, ill-tempered, and morally blind. He refuses to take advice. His life is not pleasing to God. Now the Preacher adds that the fool is directionally-challenged: “A wise man’s heart inclines him to the right, but a fool’s heart to the left”. This verse defines folly with a short, memorable contrast—what a literary scholar would call an antithetical proverb.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

E. The Bible generally treats the right side as the good side: “The right hand was associated with a strength which saves, supports and protects.” This does not mean that left handers are cursed. In the scriptures, the right hand was used to convey blessing, such as the time that Jacob crossed his arms to place his right hand on Ephraim’s head and thus give him the greater blessing. The right hand was also associated with authority, which is why Jesus sits on the right hand of the Father. Given this background, it is not surprising that at the final judgment, the sheep will be on the right, but the goats will be on the left.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 232). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

F. When the Preacher says that the fool is on the left, therefore, he is telling us that the man is going the wrong direction in life. There are plenty of examples in the Bible. Think of the contrast between Abraham and his cousin Lot. When the two men divided the land of promise, Abraham was content with what God provided. Lot, on the other hand, chose the better territory for himself (or so he thought). Foolishly, he moved to Sodom, an evil city that was later destroyed by God. There is a similar contrast between Ruth, who remained faithful to Naomi and the people of the one true God, and her sister-in-law Orpah, who abandoned Naomi and went back to the worship of pagan idols.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 233). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

G. Which direction are you going in life? Are you moving toward temptation or away from evil? Are you moving the right way in discipleship or falling away spiritually? Are you drawing closer to the people of God or going off by yourself? Only a fool would go the wrong direction in life.

When the Preacher says that the fool is on the left, therefore, he is telling us that the man is going the wrong direction in life. There are plenty of examples in the Bible. Think of the contrast between Abraham and his cousin Lot. When the two men divided the land of promise (see ), Abraham was content with what God provided. Lot, on the other hand, chose the better territory for himself (or so he thought). Foolishly, he moved to Sodom, an evil city that was later destroyed by God. There is a similar contrast between Ruth, who remained faithful to Naomi and the people of the one true God, and her sister-in-law Orpah, who abandoned Naomi and went back to the worship of pagan idols ().

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 233). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Which direction are you going in life? Are you moving toward temptation or away from evil? Are you moving the right way in discipleship or falling away spiritually? Are you drawing closer to the people of God or going off by yourself? Only a fool would go the wrong direction in life.

H. Notice the reason why the fool goes this way: it is because his “heart” is leaning in the wrong direction. The heart is the core of a person’s being—the inside part of every person that either loves or does not love God. Charles Bridges defined the heart as “the center of affection—the seat of knowledge—the source of purpose and emotion—the very soul of the spiritual life.” Everything in life follows the heart. The wise man goes the right way because his heart leans the right way, but the wicked man’s heart leans in the opposite direction, which is where he ends up going. Wisdom and folly are inclinations of the heart.

Notice the reason why the fool goes this way: it is because his “heart” is leaning in the wrong direction. The heart is the core of a person’s being—the inside part of every person that either loves or does not love God. Charles Bridges defined the heart as “the center of affection—the seat of knowledge—the source of purpose and emotion—the very soul of the spiritual life.” Everything in life follows the heart. The wise man goes the right way because his heart leans the right way, but the wicked man’s heart leans in the opposite direction, which is where he ends up going. Wisdom and folly are inclinations of the heart.

I. Which way is your heart leaning—toward God or away from him? Do you have a growing appetite for the Word of God, or does the Bible taste stale? Are you moving toward or away from God in prayer? Are you getting more serious about sin, or have you stopped pursuing personal sanctification? Understand that the leaning of the heart determines the direction of the life.

J. Many people want to know which way to go in life. They are looking for direction. Well, the place to start is by making sure that our heart is in the right place—or at least that it is leaning in the right direction—because if it is, we will end up in the right place on the right road.

Many people want to know which way to go in life. They are looking for direction. Well, the place to start is by making sure that our heart is in the right place—or at least that it is leaning in the right direction—because if it is, we will end up in the right place on the right road.

K. The fool is on the wrong road completely, but sadly, he does not even realize it. According to verse 3, “Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.” This is part of the definition of a fool: he seems to be the only person who does not know that he is a fool!

L. Dan Allender says it well: the fool “will follow a path that seems to be right, even when the blacktop gives way to gravel and gravel to dirt and dirt to rocks and debris. Almost nothing will stop the fool from plunging ahead into peril.”

M. There are at least two ways to take the second half of verse 3 (“he says to everyone that he is a fool”). One is to take it literally, in which case the fool is always busy telling other people that they are fools. He is not saying that he himself is a fool, but rather that everyone else is foolish. This certainly is what fools usually believe—that they alone are wise and that everyone else is a fool (which, of course, is a very foolish thing to think!).

The fool is on the wrong road completely, but sadly, he does not even realize it. According to verse 3, “Even when the fool walks on the road, he lacks sense, and he says to everyone that he is a fool.” This is part of the definition of a fool: he seems to be the only person who does not know that he is a fool! According to an ancient Malayan proverb, “A fool is like the big drum that beats fast but does not realize its hollowness.” Dan Allender says it well: the fool “will follow a path that seems to be right, even when the blacktop gives way to gravel and gravel to dirt and dirt to rocks and debris. Almost nothing will stop the fool from plunging ahead into peril.”

There are at least two ways to take the second half of verse 3 (“he says to everyone that he is a fool”). One is to take it literally, in which case the fool is always busy telling other people that they are fools. He is not saying that he himself is a fool, but rather that everyone else is foolish. This certainly is what fools usually believe—that they alone are wise and that everyone else is a fool (which, of course, is a very foolish thing to think!).

M. It is also possible that verse 3 should be taken metaphorically. The fool does not literally “say” that he is a fool, yet this is exactly what his words and his actions communicate. He (or she) has such an obvious lack of spiritual good sense that his (or her) folly is evident to everyone. Fools have a way of refusing to listen to good advice (see ; ; ) or of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time (see ) or of doing something else that shouts, “Look at me, I’m a fool!” As it says in the book of Proverbs, “a fool flaunts his folly” (; cf. 12:23).

N. The application of these verses is simple: Don’t be a fool! One of the reasons why the Bible defines the difference between wisdom and folly is so we can choose well how to live. Do not be the kind of person who refuses to listen to constructive criticism or ignores what godly people are trying to say or erupts with disproportionate anger every time something goes wrong. Instead turn your heart toward God and ask him for the grace to go the right way rather than the wrong way—his way rather than your own way.

Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 233–234). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

III. Delivered from Foolishness

- The straight and Narrow path.

A. What is the way of wisdom? What is the right way?

Matthew 7:13–14 ESV

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

B. What is the right way?

John 14:6 NLT

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

C. Jesus is here. Jesus is calling. The fool turns to the wrong way because they reject the Lord. We all know that the Lord is Lord. We all know His eternal glory and divine power. Today do not exchange truth for a lie. Do not be a fool.

Psalm 53:1 NLT

Only fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!

D. We do not call people fools who know better. The fool says in his heart there is no God, he is a fool because he knows better. But we continue to rebel against the wisdom of the Lord because our hearts, our desires are corrupt. Our hearts are bad, thats why we needed a new heart.

Ezekiel 36:26 NLT

And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.

E. This is the beauty of the Gospel. We no longer need to dwell in the realm and fortress of foolishness. Christ has set us free. And who the son sets free is free indeed. The wisdom of God has brought to us salvation and we can be saved from the folly of sin and the foolishness of rebellion. Salvation is here.

F. Jesus died for our sins according to the scriptures… The saying is trustworthy deserving of full acceptance… It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4 and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.

G. This is the right path to take. We all know it. The wonderful promises continue today. All who call upon the name of the Lord… If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord...

H. This is the the beauty of Christ. The beauty of the wisdom of God. There is no foolishness in Christ. No folly in His name.