Wisdom In Self-Control
Lessons From Proverbs • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
The last few weeks we have been studying from the book of Proverbs with the goal of gaining better insight into living more “wise lives.”
Considering the book of Proverbs is also called the book of “wisdom” this makes sense.
Also, as you and I know, the world doesn’t seem to be getting “wiser” but more foolish.
Having studied the need, as Proverbs 4:7 says, “Get Wisdom” and the dangers of not “Fleeing Foolishness” as Proverbs 9:13-18 tells us we now come to that point in our lessons where we are going to focus on specific “wise decisions” we should be making.
Today that begins by looking at “Wisdom In Self-Control.”
Before we can really get into this lesson we first back up a moment remember a might man of God.
Nehemiah was the cupbearer for Artaxerxes during the Medo-Persian rule after Babylon fell.
In the opening pages of the book of Nehemiah we find a message received by him.
3 And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
This news was so devastating to Nehemiah that he “wept, mourned, prayed, and fasted for several days until he was finally able to lay his sorrow before the king.
Nehemiah’s desire was to go back and help Israel rebuild their walls.
Now out of all the things Nehemiah could have focused on “why the walls.”
During these ancient days walls played a vital role in the defense of a city.
Cities were surrounded by great walls sometimes 15 to 20 feet thick.
Some even had “double walls.”
When attacks were imminent the surrounding villages would hurry inside the city walls, the gates would be shut and security would ensue as it was typically very difficult to bring down a cities walls.
Why start a study on “Wisdom In Self-Control” talking about “walls?”
Because our main text for today requires and understanding of the importance of walls and the role they played during this time.
28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
In other words, our best defense against evil, other than God himself, is our “wall of self-control.”
So with this in mind let’s examine our lesson on Wisdom In Self-Control.
The Walls Of Men
The Walls Of Men
The Crumbling Lack Of Self-Control.
The Crumbling Lack Of Self-Control.
Society encourages a lack of self-control.
You and I know that our society today like it has been since not long after the fall of man is all about a “lack of self-control.
19 And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” ’
9 Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.
32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.”
Without a wall of self-control and the ability to restrain our appetites and avoid temptations our lives crumble like the walls of Jericho against God.
When we lack self-control we are subject to all sorts of disasters and to the shame and humiliation that goes with them.
A lack of self-control carries distinct disadvantages and consequences.
The Proverb writer in Proverbs 23:29-35 demonstrates this point perfectly when it comes to consuming alcohol.
29 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? 30 Those who tarry long over wine; those who go to try mixed wine. 31 Do not look at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly.
32 In the end it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder. 33 Your eyes will see strange things, and your heart utter perverse things. 34 You will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. 35 “They struck me,” you will say, “but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I must have another drink.”
The false prophets are brought to light when God tells of their promotion concerning people’s lack of self-control.
10 Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, 11 say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. 12 And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’
13 Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. 14 And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord.
Summary
Summary
The walls of men whitewashed and nothing as they offer not self-control but a lack thereof.
Though the idea of “eat, drink, and be merry” sounds good it is but a lie that has not root nor depth.
So, what then is…
The Reason For Self-Control
The Reason For Self-Control
It Produces Great Benefits.
It Produces Great Benefits.
Security: We are safe from many self-inflicted ills when we are guided by self-control.
Think of how different David’s life would have been if he had used self-control upon seeing Bathsheba bathing on the rooftop?
He wouldn’t have lost his baby by Bathsheba nor his sons Amnon, Absalom, and Adonijah.
5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” 7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
Built-in Boundaries: Each time wisdom is instructed it is telling us where the safe limits are in our behavior.
Whether it be food, sex, working, or any other area God’s wisdom tells us where the limits of safe behavior is confined to.
When God says the “marriage bed is to be undefiled” he is setting wise limits.
4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
How many marriages could have been saved if they had listened to the benefits of “self-control” i.e., the limits God put on marriage and the wondering eye (Matthew 5:28).
When we know the boundaries of safety, it’s much easier to enjoy your life.
Community: A third benefit of self-control is community with “like minded people.”
It’s easier to keep one’s eyes, actions, and anything else within the boundaries of wisdom if you are with others that understand those same boundaries and their security.
This is the reason God is constantly saying “rely on each other” for help with sin and self-control.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
Summary
Summary
We must value the wisdom of self-control because of the…
Security, built-in boundaries, and community we benefit from it.
So what is…
The Solution To Self-Control
The Solution To Self-Control
Cultivate & Practice It.
Cultivate & Practice It.
Rather than making excuses for our excesses, the wise words of God, advise us to take a cold, hard look at reality and then act according to wisdom.
It isn’t only in Proverbs we see this being displayed.
Paul urges wise judgment when it comes to marrying or, in light of the current circumstances, using self-control and stay abstain from marriage.
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. 9 But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul declares self-control is something you “attain” a habit you develope.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
The reality is without self-control we will never “see God” (Hebrews 12:14) as he would like us to.
Therefore, we should never forget…
It’s Never Too Late.
It’s Never Too Late.
What if our walls have already been torn down does God tell us it is too late to become wise and rebuild our walls.
28 A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls.
No, like the Israelites under Nehemiah, we too can rebuild our wall of self-control.
If we are willing to repent, come back to God, and strive to gain self-control we can rebuild our walls.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
This rebuilding is based on our love for God and willingness to follow him.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Summary
Summary
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Conclusion
Conclusion
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Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.