“Dreams”
Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 20 viewsNotes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
I imagine you're familiar with the phrase "ship of fools." It was a common medieval motif used in literature and art, especially religious satire. One such satire is Hieronymus Bosch's famous oil painting by the same name, which now hangs in the Louvre in Paris. [See an image of "Ship of Fools."] This marvelous work, which is filled with symbolism, shows ten people aboard a small vessel and two overboard swimming around it. It is a ship without a pilot (captain), and everyone onboard is too busy drinking, feasting, flirting, and singing to know where on earth the waves are pushing them.
They are fools because they are enjoying all the sensual pleasures of this world without knowing where it all leads. Atop the mast hangs a bunch of dangling carrots and a man is climbing up to reach them. Yet above the carrots we find a small but significant detail: a human skull. This is the thirteenth head in the painting, unlucky in every imaginable way. The idea is that these twelve fools, who think all is perfect, are sailing right to their demise. The only pilot on board, the only figure leading the way, is death.
Preaching the Word: Ecclesiastes—Why Everything Matters Chapter 23: A Word to the Wise (Ecclesiastes 10:12–20)
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of our own ignorance.” This oft-repeated remark of Charles Spurgeon puts us in our proper place and helps us know where to begin the pursuit of wisdom. We are not as wise as we think we are. If we are honest with ourselves and humble before God, we have to confess that we are not always wise in what we say, what we do with our money, or how we respond to temptation. We are prone to make foolish comments, unwise expenditures, and foolhardy decisions. If we want to get any wiser, we need to start by admitting our folly. Only then will we be ready to grow in the wisdom of God.
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of our own ignorance.” This is a quote from Charles Spurgeon. The point puts us in our proper place and helps us know where to begin the pursuit of wisdom. For many of us, we are not as wise as we think we are and if we are honest with ourselves, if we are humble before God, if we confess that we are not always using wisdom when we speak, we will see that we are prone to make foolish comments, unwise expenditures, and foolhardy decisions. If we want to get wiser, we need to start by admitting our folly. Only then will we be ready to grow in the wisdom of God.
Solomon inspired by the Holy Spirit invites us to enter the temple of divine wisdom. He is gonna help us out here.
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of our own ignorance.” This oft-repeated remark of Charles Spurgeon puts us in our proper place and helps us know where to begin the pursuit of wisdom. We are not as wise as we think we are. If we are honest with ourselves and humble before God, we have to confess that we are not always wise in what we say, what we do with our money, or how we respond to temptation. We are prone to make foolish comments, unwise expenditures, and foolhardy decisions. If we want to get any wiser, we need to start by admitting our folly. Only then will we be ready to grow in the wisdom of God.
Ecclesiastes invites us to enter the temple of divine wisdom. The Preacher has been showing us the difference between wisdom and folly in daily life, helping us in the many practical situations where wisdom is required.
Ecclesiastes 10:12-20
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 241). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Wise words bring approval,
but fools are destroyed by their own words.
Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions,
so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
they chatter on and on.
No one really knows what is going to happen;
no one can predict the future.
Fools are so exhausted by a little work
that they can’t even find their way home.
What sorrow for the land ruled by a servant,
the land whose leaders feast in the morning.
Happy is the land whose king is a noble leader
and whose leaders feast at the proper time
to gain strength for their work, not to get drunk.
Laziness leads to a sagging roof;
idleness leads to a leaky house.
A party gives laughter,
wine gives happiness,
and money gives everything!
Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts.
And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom.
For a little bird might deliver your message
and tell them what you said.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 241). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever.
Words of the Wise
Words of the Fool
Wise and Foolish Leadership
Working with Wisdom
The Wisdom of God
The first thing we will look at today is how the wise person will speak wisdom bringing lots of favor. The second thing we will uncover is the reality of foolishness and how its talk is destructive. Finally we will see how we can have victory over our words because the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Thesis: Though the chords of sin continue to fuel the folly of the tongue it is the wisdom of God and the Word made flesh, our Lord Christ Jesus, who will by grace, give us a new heart which will lead to speak wise words that bring the favor of God.
I. Words of the Wise
- The Acid Test of Wisdom.
A. It is understood by Michael Eaton that the way we use our words is “the acid test of wisdom.” If we understand that the mouth speaks what is in the heart, then every time we say something, we reveal the wisdom or the folly inside of us.
B. Verse 12 makes it very clear… the wise person speaks wisdom.
the way we use our words is “the acid test of wisdom.” If the mouth only speaks what is in the heart, then every time we say something, we reveal the wisdom or the folly inside.
Ecclesiastes 10:12
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 241–242). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Wise words bring approval,
but fools are destroyed by their own words.
C. Wise words are great, but does it not seem that the words we use today seem to do the opposite. What I mean is… Words have power. Not in a mystical Word of faith kind of way, but words have ability. Potential. Words have the potential to help us get what we want. We use them to get a laugh, or to get attention we are pining for, or to manipulate someone to do something. We use our words to get the promotion or to get a girl or a guy. For the most part, many times we use our words to build ourselves up and tear other people down. Do we speak for the good of others or as a way of achieving our own agenda?
Words have the power to help us get what we want. We use them to get a laugh, or to get attention, or to get someone to do something for us. We use our words to get a job or to get a girl (or a guy, as the case may be). We use our words to build ourselves up and tear other people down. But do we use our words as instruments of grace? Do we speak for the good of others or as a way of achieving our own agenda?
D. A wise person is slow to speak we see that clear in Jame 1, but did we know that sometimes it is better not to say anything at all. Are we choosing our words wisely today? What will it take for us to be wiser in what we say? Here is the secret which is not a secret.
E. Jesus says, it is “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks,” therefore wise speech requires a heart overflowing with the wisdom of God. Remember what Solomon said at the beginning of this chapter: a wise heart inclines us to do the right thing (). Therefore, wise speech can only come from a wise heart. Our speech will change with a change of heart.
Since it is “out of the abundance of the heart” that “the mouth speaks” (), wise speech requires a heart overflowing with the love of God. Remember what the Preacher said at the beginning of this chapter: a wise heart inclines us to do the right thing (). Therefore, wise speech can only come from a wise heart, and this is a gift from God, whose Son lives in our hearts through faith ().
F. A wise heart is a heart that hides the Word of the Lord. A heart that fears God and puts other people first. When we have such a heart, it is only natural for us to use our words to give praise to God and to speak his grace to other people. A wise heart is a heart that inclines to the truth. A heart that will move our lips to speak the truth. A wise heart is a gentle heart: A heart that will make our speech tender and mild. A wise heart is a loving heart—a heart that does indeed speak words of affection.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 243). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
A wise heart is a humble heart: it fears God and puts other people first. When we have such a heart, it is only natural for us to use our words to give praise to God and to speak his grace to other people. A wise heart is a true heart: it moves our lips to speak the truth. A wise heart is a gentle heart: it makes our speech tender and mild. A wise heart is a loving heart—a heart that speaks words of affection.
G. A wise person has the heart of Christ and will speak words that demonstrate his grace and bring him glory. If ever a man uttered words of wisdom, it was Jesus Christ. Jesus spoke this way because his heart was perfectly humble, loving, and true. When we ask the Holy Spirit to give us the heart of Jesus, he will empower us and enable us to speak words of his wisdom and grace.
II. Words of the Fool
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (pp. 243–244). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
-The Words of a Fool are NOT so Wise.
A. The Apostle James said...
Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.
B. What we see here in Ecclesiastes is some of the characteristics of foolish talk. First of all, it is self-destructive. Rather than winning him favor, like the wise man, “the lips of a fool consume him.” Literally, Teballenu… his words eat him up. When the fool opens his mouth to say something, the words are rubber and glue it bounces back and sticks to you.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 244). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Are you choosing your words wisely? Unfortunately, most of us are not as wise with our speech as we ought to be. What, then, would it take for us to be wiser in what we say?
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 242). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
A wise person is slow to speak (; cf. ) because sometimes it is better not to say anything at all. Wisdom chooses each word carefully. But when we do speak, there are many wise things to say.
C. The fools words can destroy. Sometimes a fool says things that get him or her into trouble. The rash words that make someone angry, and that person retaliates. Sometimes a fool says something that ruins a relationship. He or she carelessly reveals something that would be better left unsaid, but once it is said, the damage is done. There are thousands of ways for foolish words to destroy the person who utters them. The Preacher gives us one specific example at the end of the chapter:
Rather than winning him favor, like the wise man, “the lips of a fool consume him” (). Literally, his words eat him up. When the fool opens his mouth to say something, the words that come out turn right around to swallow him whole.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 243). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 242). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts.
And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom.
For a little bird might deliver your message
and tell them what you said.
The Preacher gives us one specific example at the end of the chapter: “Even in your thoughts, do not curse the king, nor in your bedroom curse the rich, for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter” ().
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 244). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 244). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
D. One risky thing for foolish people to do with their words is to criticize people in authority—in this case, people with power and political influence. Did you know that in some countries, criticizing the government is treason. Cursing political leaders is wrong in itself, which is something Christians who live in a democracy need to remember before, during, and after every election. According to the Law of Moses...
“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
“You shall not … curse a ruler of your people” (). But in addition to being wrong in themselves, our foolish criticisms may come back to haunt us.
“You shall not … curse a ruler of your people” (). But in addition to being wrong in themselves, our foolish criticisms may come back to haunt us.
E. Here Qoheleth uses the ancient and familiar image of a bird overhearing what is said and then repeating it to someone else. He is not claiming that flying animals have the power of speech, of course, but is using a familiar metaphor: “A little bird told me.” Say something foolish, and before you know it, the whole world knows about it.
Here the Preacher uses the ancient and familiar image of a bird overhearing what is said and then repeating it to someone else. He is not claiming that flying animals have the power of speech, of course, but is using a familiar metaphor for the rapid dissemination of foolishness: “A little bird told me.” Say something stupid, and before you know it, the whole world knows about it.
F. Use wisdom in speech! Sooner or later what we say to one person will get repeated to another person, with varying degrees of accuracy. Once the words leave our mouths, we lose control over where they go. How easy it is to send a quick electronic message, but how difficult it is to undo the damage done.
G. Not only are foolish words self-destructive, but they are also evil.
Fools base their thoughts on foolish assumptions,
so their conclusions will be wicked madness;
At first the fool’s words were merely foolish, which was bad enough, but then things went from bad to worse. By the time he was through, the fool had degenerated into “evil madness”—a phrase that indicates both moral depravity and mental disability.
H. It is important not to make a habit of using unwise words. At first a fool’s speech may simply be silly, but it will not stay that way for long. A person who is foolish enough to tell a “little white lie” or say something behind someone’s back will not stop there. Soon the fool will be using words in ever more destructive ways.
It is important not to make a habit of using unwise words. At first a fool’s speech may simply be silly, but it will not stay that way for long. A person who is foolish enough to tell a “little white lie” or say something behind someone’s back will not stop there. Soon the fool will be using words in ever more destructive ways. If we are wise, we will guard our speech carefully, knowing that folly is the gateway to depravity.
I. Think about it, we don’t let foolish words go uncorrected when they come from the lips of our children. Paul Tripp offers wise counsel in his book War of Words, a practical guide to knowing the difference between wise and foolish speech. Here is Dr. Tripp’s list of questions for self-examination:
- Listen to the talk that goes on in your home. How much of it is impatient and unkind? How often are words spoken out of selfishness and personal desire? How easily do outbursts of anger occur? How often do we bring up past wrongs? How do we fail to communicate hope? How do we fail to protect? How often do our words carry threats that we have “had it” and are about to quit? Stop and listen, and you will see how much we need to hold our talk to this standard of love, and how often the truth we profess to speak has been distorted by our sin.
J. There is yet another problem with the words of a fool: they are presumptuous. In other words, fools make arrogant and boastful claims about what they know and about what they will do, but they are unable to back up their words with knowledge or action.
Listen to the talk that goes on in your home. How much of it is impatient and unkind? How often are words spoken out of selfishness and personal desire? How easily do outbursts of anger occur? How often do we bring up past wrongs? How do we fail to communicate hope? How do we fail to protect? How often do our words carry threats that we have “had it” and are about to quit? Stop and listen, and you will see how much we need to hold our talk to this standard of love, and how often the truth we profess to speak has been distorted by our sin.
they chatter on and on.
No one really knows what is going to happen;
no one can predict the future.
So the Preacher says, “A fool multiplies words, though no man knows what is to be, and who can tell him what will be after him?” ().
K. Fools can be very opinionated; they tend to talk big. Whatever the reason, a fool is not content to keep his foolishness to himself but wants to share it with others. Fools go on and on, even when they do not know what they are talking about. Plato once said, “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.”
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 245). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
Fools are usually quite opinionated; they tend to be big talkers. For some reason, a fool is seldom content to keep his folly to himself but insists on sharing it with others. Words multiply. Fools go on and on, even when they do not know what they are talking about. Plato once said, “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.”
L. One of the many things that foolish people like to talk about is the future. No one knows what will happen in days to come, but for some reason this does not stop the fool from predicting the future. They have big plans for the future. To hear them talk about it, they are always one lucky break from striking it rich or landing their dream job. They boast about a “done deal” before the deal is actually done. This is all very foolish, because if there is one thing we can never presume, it is to know the future.
M. If we are wise, we will follow the counsel of James, who sounds as if he must have been familiar with Ecclesiastes:
Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.”
If we are wise, we will follow the counsel of James, who sounds as if he must have been familiar with Ecclesiastes:
Preaching the Word: Ecclesiastes—Why Everything Matters Foolish Words
Winning the war of words involves choosing our words carefully. It is not just about the words we say, but also about the words we choose not to say. Winning the war is about being prepared to say the right thing at the right moment, exercising self-control. It is refusing to let our talk be driven by passion and personal desire but communicating instead with God’s purposes in view. It is exercising the faith necessary to be part of what God is doing at that moment.
III. The Wisdom of God
James
- Winning the war of words involves choosing our words carefully. It is not just about the words we say, but also about the words we choose not to say. Winning the war is about being prepared to say the right thing at the right moment, exercising self-control. It is refusing to let our talk be driven by passion and personal desire but communicating instead with God’s purposes in view. It is exercising the faith necessary to be part of what God is doing at that moment.
Winning the war of words involves choosing our words carefully. It is not just about the words we say, but also about the words we choose not to say. Winning the war is about being prepared to say the right thing at the right moment, exercising self-control. It is refusing to let our talk be driven by passion and personal desire but communicating instead with God’s purposes in view. It is exercising the faith necessary to be part of what God is doing at that moment.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 246). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
III. The Wisdom of God
- The Word made flesh and dwelt among us.
A. We can win the war on words, because the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. In other words, Christ Jesus the very wisdom of God. Remember it is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. If we want to speak words of wisdom, our heart needs to be changed. But changing our heart is not something we can do.
Can an Ethiopian change the color of his skin?
Can a leopard take away its spots?
Neither can you start doing good,
for you have always done evil.
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
B. So why does foolish talk abound from our mouths? Because our hearts are full of sin. What we need is a new heart. That is what the Lord has promised to give us.
- Winning the war of words involves choosing our words carefully. It is not just about the words we say, but also about the words we choose not to say. Winning the war is about being prepared to say the right thing at the right moment, exercising self-control. It is refusing to let our talk be driven by passion and personal desire but communicating instead with God’s purposes in view. It is exercising the faith necessary to be part of what God is doing at that moment.
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.
Ryken, P. G. (2010). Ecclesiastes: Why everything matters (p. 246). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.
C. Christ has come to give us a new heart. Christ has come to renew our souls. Christ has come to resurrect our spirits. Christ has come to make all things new. Christ has come to be the way, the truth, and the life. Christ has come has come to seek and save that which was lost so that we can receive the favor of the Lord. Christ has come to bring us life and life more abundant.
D. In our folly and sin, we were destined to face the wrath of God in eternal darkness. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. But because Christ came we have been delivered. Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures and he was buried... The saying is trustworthy… Jesus lived the life we should have lived and he died the death we should have died.
E. For those hearing this for the first time the promises continue.
F. It would be folly to ignore the reality that Jesus is the King of kings. He is the Alpha and Omega. Jesus is the true wisdom of God.