“Directed by the Lord”

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Proverbs Series: Proverbs 20:18-24

Introduction: If you have ever played checkers, you probably know there are 2 kinds of players. On the one hand, you have those who play for fun. They don’t come into the game with any real strategy. They make each move almost independent of the other moves. Each time it is their turn, they try and move in a way that doesn’t get themselves in trouble. The fun is in playing, not in winning or losing. ON THE OTHER HAND, you have those who are more competitive. They have a strategy. They try and think 2 and 3 moves ahead. They refuse to move their pieces off of the back line, unless it is absolutely necessary. Their goal is to win.

Now, somewhere in the middle of these 2 ways of thinking, is a good strategy for life. This morning, as we continue our sermon series in the book of Proverbs, we look at how it is important to allow God to direct our ways; to give us a strategy for life.

I. Taking Advice- (Proverbs 20:18; Luke 14:31; 1 Peter 5:8)

a. Seeking Advice- Our passage starts off in Proverbs 20:18

with these words: “Plans are established by taking advice…” One of the great tragedies in life is to think that you can make it on your own. In fact, there is nothing more discouraging than to be in trouble, and to not have anyone to whom you can turn.

DEMONSTRATION: Invite someone forward to shoot a ball into a basket. If you make it, you will receive $5.00. Just before they are to throw it, stop them, and then ask the congregation: “She isn’t just throwing for fun, she is throwing to make some money. Do you think she should just walk up and throw it, or should she ask for some advice about the best possible throwing strategy?…Explain a strategy, and then allow her to throw the ball.

In life, when we can gain knowledge from others by seeking their advice, this is advantageous. To think that we have to know everything ourselves, without any help from anyone else, is foolishness. Seeking advice is wise behavior.

So, who should you seek advice from? Well the answer to this will differ from situation to situation. If you have a health problem, you don’t go to the gas attendant, you go to a doctor. If you have a financial problem, you don’t go to a doctor, you go to a financial consultant. If you have a spiritual problem, hopefully you don’t go to an electrician, but to your pastor, or someone who is mature in the Lord! To get advice, you seek out those who have experience in that area.

b. Waging War- The Proverb goes on to say: “…wage war by

following wise guidance.” A war is a serious event. Lives are at stake. So, you don’t enter into a war without much information. Jesus Himself even talked about this in Luke 14:31- "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?” When a king sits down in this way, it is not by himself, but with his many advisors. And as they contemplate whether or not to go to war, they consider whether or not they have the manpower and the means to be victorious should they decide to go to war.

Life is like a war in many ways. I’m not talking about people, as much

as the spiritual battles and spiritual enemies we face. Whether we realize it or not, Satan is at war against us. Many places in the Bible it tells us that Satan is seeking vengeance against God by coming after God’s people. 1 Peter 5:8 tells us: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

If Satan is at war against us, then we should make ourselves ready to be at war against Satan. Most people forget we are in a spiritual war, and so they do not prepare. And in this war, we cannot do it on our own. We need to seek wise guidance. That is why the proverb tells us to follow “wise guidance.”

But on top of all of this, we are at war against God with our sin. Some of our sin is “sin of omission,” meaning that we sin without really realizing it. But most of our sin is willful sin; meaning that we know we are sinning, and we choose to do it anyway. We know what God wants us to do, and how God wants us to live, but we choose to ignore this information, and follow the path of sin. It is like a defiant child, who knows what is right and wrong, but chooses to do the wrong. When we are in our sin, we are at war with God because God cannot work His will and His way in us.

II. Waiting for the Lord- (Proverbs 20:22; Ecclesiastes 7:8;

Colossians 1:11, 3:12; Isaiah 40:31)

a. Patience- They say that “patience is a virtue.” Or maybe you

have heard the saying “Good things come to those who wait.” Have you ever found out a gift before it was time to open it? EX. I remember a few Christmases ago, I was sitting with my kids, and a commercial came out for a movie that I had asked for, for Christmas, and the commercial talked about how it was coming out on DVD. At the end of the commercial it said: “Be the first in your neighborhood to own it.” And one of my kids shouted out: “We got that.” And then they realized that I wasn’t supposed to know…..When you find out a surprise like this before you are supposed to know, then it takes away some of the joy.

In life, God has designed it so that part of the joy of life, is having to wait. Patience is included in the fruit of the spirit; it is 1 of the nine. The Bible talks a lot about the importance of patience; here are a few examples:

Ecclesiastes 7:8- “The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience

is better than pride.”

Colossians 1:11- “being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”

Colossians 3:12- “Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”

These are just a few of many verses that remind us that God desires for His people to have patience, and to live with patience.

Patience is another part of the plan that God has for our lives. That is why it tells us in Proverbs 20:22, “Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’;…” For those who don’t have a plan in life, they tend to be more reactive. When they are wronged by someone, their tendency is to seek revenge. When life is a struggle, they want to quickly see it go away. When they pray for something, they expect God to answer it right away, and answer it with the answer they expect.

People without patience are people who will struggle in life. They will struggle to enjoy life, because their idea of a good life is having everything nice, and good, and tidy. But life is the struggle; life is the heartache; life is the trials.

EX. Let’s say you are going on a hike. You drive to the start of the trail, park your car, put on your backpack, and start off. You know that the hike will take a while, and will be physically challenging. When you have finally finished the hike, and returned to your car, you are tired, and sore, and sunburned. If given the choice of going on the trail on a motorcycle, would this person have chosen this route? I DON’T THINK SO! (Well, maybe some of you would J)You see, part of the experience of the hike was the struggle it took to do it. If you take away the struggle, you take away a major part of the experience…..It is the same with life. Life can be challenging, but if we accept this as part of the experience, and gain some patience through it, then we will enjoy life so much more, and gain so much more out of it!

b. The Lord’s Help- But another part of patience, is that it

leads us to trust the Lord. TO WAIT ON THE LORD TAKES PATIENCE. Isaiah 40:31 is a good reminder of why we should do this: “but those who hope in the LORD, will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Learning patience in life helps us to have patience in the Lord. As we learn how to wait for the Lord, we will be able to see how the Lord does renew our strength; but it takes time. The Lord does help us to not grow weary, but to persevere; but it takes time. The Lord helps us to not faint, and to keep going; but it takes time.

As Proverbs 20:22 says: “…wait for the Lord, and he will help you.”

POEM: Ruth Harms Calkin wrote a poem entitled “Could You Hurry a Little?”:

“Lord, I know there are countless times when I must wait patiently for You.

Waiting develops endurance. It strengthens my faith

and deepens my dependence upon You.

I know You are Sovereign God—not an errand boy responding to the snap of my finger. I know Your timing is neatly wrapped in Your incomparable wisdom.

But, Lord You have appointed prayer to obtain answers! Even when David

the psalmist cried with confident boldness: ‘It is time, O Lord, for You to act.’

God, on this silent sunless morning when I am hedged in on every side, I too cry boldly.

You are my Father, and I am Your child. So, Lord, could You hurry a little?”

(….the Tardy Oxcart, Swindoll, p. 427)

Our tendency is to want God to hurry. It is indeed difficult to wait on the Lord. But trust me, there is much good that will happen when we wait. When we wait on God, we will build our trust in Him, and not in ourselves. When we wait on the Lord we will develop an enduring spirit. When we wait on the Lord we will see the Lord being able to help us, because we hold back doing it ourselves.

III. Let the Lord Order Our Steps- (Proverbs 20:24)

a. Our steps are ordered- As we get to the end of our passage,

we see verse 24 telling us: “All our steps are ordered by the Lord…” This is a common theme in scripture as well, that God knows about our life and orders our life. Psalm 139 tells us in verses 1-4 and verse 16: “¹ O LORD, you have searched me, and you know me. ² You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. ³ You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. ⁴ Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD. ¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me, were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

So why is it that we don’t always live according to the ways that God has for us? For the answer to this, we have to go back to our sin. Because we choose sin over God, we choose to not live out the days that God has for us to live. This is why people are so lost in life. This is why people struggle so much. This is why people feel a lack of purpose. It is because they are not living the life God created them to live!

Illus. A number of years ago I was working as the Youth Director at Bel Air Presbyterian Church. I struggled to fit into that church and the job I was asked to do. Out of frustration with the job, I left after only 15 months. I was so frustrated by what I experienced, I began to question whether or not to even stay in ministry. At the time I was in seminary, seeking to become ordained. Instead of looking for another ministry position, I went on a vacation to Japan (to see some friends), and then when I got back I went to work for my dad painting and varnishing boats. After about a month of doing this, I realized that I truly missed ministry. After a couple months of searching, I was hired as the Director of Youth Ministries at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Camarillo, CA. Once I was back in ministry, I knew that was where God wanted me to be.

b. Understanding- I believe these are the questions everyone is

asking: Where does God want me to be? What does God have written for my life?

A couple of years ago we started a process called “Focused Living.” It was a 2 year process to help individuals in the church, and to help the church itself, discover God’s will. For those of you not familiar with it, it seeks to help bring clarity to our future by understanding how God works in our past. God is always there, always calling out to us to join Him in what He is doing. But sometimes we can get lost in the things of life. When we do this, we become unfocused to the will of God.

So, we took the time to write out timelines of the past, and analyzed these timelines to see how God worked in our lives, and shaped us, through the good and the bad of life. From this, we sought to understand that the purpose for our existence is to know God, and be in relationship with God. This is difficult to understand, because we are so trained to think that we are loved for what we do. But until we understand that God loves us as His creation, for who He made us to be, we will not be in the right place to live for Him.

After this, we began to learn about the important values we need to have in our lives. Since our values shape our behavior and our decisions, it is vital that we have values that lead us to live the life God created for us.

Lastly, we sought to understand the vision that God has for us. This goes along with Proverbs 20:24, “…how then can we understand our own ways?” And the answer is that we can only do this by understanding who God is, and how God is seeking to order our lives. Through understanding what gifts we have, and the passion that God gives us in our life, we can then began to get an understanding of who God is calling us to be, and how He wants to order our steps.

There are many of you who have gone through this process. In fact, some of you are currently going through this process now. But it isn’t enough to just go through it. At the end of the “Focused Living” seminar, it talks about the importance of having a mentor or a coach. A mentor is someone who seeks to help you stay focused, and continue to live out your vision. A mentor is someone who lovingly keeps you accountable in your walk with God.

Those who went through the Focused Living process, are you still living it out?

Are you still focused on the vision God has for you?

If not, then I encourage you to get a mentor, so that you can continue to understand and let God order your steps….. And if you haven’t gone through this process, I encourage you to talk to me about going through it. Because it is very helpful in helping you to live the life God created for you. It is very helpful in taking you to that place that allows God to guide you forward.

Conclusion: The truth is that we need to have a constant dependence upon God. When you really think about it, all of our natural actions depend upon God’s grace, and God’s presence, and God’s power. The best person is only as good as God makes him or her. And God can only make us into what God wants us to be when we humble ourselves before God and let God mold us. We cannot see the future, and so we cannot understand much about our own way. But God can see far beyond what we see. Therefore, we need to commit our way to the Lord. Don’t think that you have to know it all yourself. Don’t think that you have to live your life alone. Don’t think that there is no future… Seek after God, and let God direct Your ways. Seek after God, and let God straighten your path. Seek after God, and let God help you. Wait on the Lord, and let the Lord do some of the work. Amen.

"A Gentle Answer"
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Series on Proverbs: Proverbs 15:1-4, 7-8

Introduction: In life, there is much that excites us, encourages us, enrages us, and causes us to respond bitterly. Last week, Proverbs 10 touched on the mouth, and the need to use our words as a “fountain of life.” This week, Proverbs 15 challenges us even more in this endeavor. And even though our mouths are referred to by the Bible as “poison” and “a restless evil,” I do believe with God’s help we can do great things with our mouths. So, this morning I want to look at 2 stories, and see how each chose to use their mouth, and see the result of their actions.

I. Story 1-

The first story is “Good Will Hunting. ” It is a story of a janitor at MIT, whose

name is Will Hunting. Will has a gift for math; in reality, he is a genius with a photographic memory. This gift can take him light-years beyond his blue-collar roots. But the problem is that he was an orphan. And because of this, he grew up in foster homes. And even worse, he was abused terribly in these foster homes. So he grew up angry, and bitter, and not trusting anyone. He grew up thinking that if those close to him, the ones who were supposed to love him, hurt him, then why let anyone get close to him?

Will’s talent is discovered by a Fields Medal winning Professor who eventually tries to get Will to turn his life around with the help of his psychiatrist friend Sean Maguire. How this happens, is that the professor puts an almost impossible math equation on the hallway board for the students to try and solve. Will comes along one day and is writing on the board trying to solve it. As the professor sees Will, he thinks that Will is writing graffiti on the board and shouts out at him. Will starts to walk away, swearing at the professor. You see, Will’s response to everyone is to be mean, and rude, and vulgar with his words.

But then the professor realizes that Will actually solved the equation. So he tries to seek him out, but finds out that Will has been arrested for fighting. The professor works a deal with the judge, that Will can be released, as long as he studies math privately with the professor, and that Will gets counseling. In the end, Will reluctantly agrees.

As Will attempts to see a psychiatrist, he is verbally abusive, not wanting to reveal anything about himself to anyone. Will goes through psychiatrist after psychiatrist, with none of them wanting to see Will after one visit because of his verbal abusiveness. Finally, the professor turns to a psychiatrist friend of his (Sean Maguire), who starts to form a friendship with Will. He realizes that Will has been hurt, and doesn’t trust anyone. Even with this understanding, it is still a challenge for Sean, because Will challenges Sean in the way he is living his own life. But Sean perseveres, and starts to make some headway with Will.

At the same time, the professor is starting to get Will some job opportunities because of his amazing math talent. But like everything else in his life, Will blows off these interviews, not wanting to move himself out of the blue-collar lifestyle he knows so well. This causes anger in the professor, which causes Will and the professor to get into a shouting match. Again, we see Will being verbally abusive.

On top of all of this, Will meets a girl, and starts to date her. In time, he finds himself really liking her (maybe even loving her), although he won’t allow himself to even think about this. This girl is going to be moving to California to go to Stanford at the end of the semester, and she realizes she has fallen in love with Will, so she asks him to go with her. Not wanting to trust anyone, he lies and tells her he doesn’t love her, and walks out on her. He does this knowing it will hurt her, but he doesn’t care, because that is all he has ever known to do, hurt people with his words.

Near the end of the movie, there is a powerful scene with Will and Sean. Their counseling sessions have officially ended. Sean tells Will he will be making a report to the judge. They talk a little more about the abuse Will suffered as he was growing up. And then Sean walks over to Will, and says to him: “I want you to know, it wasn’t your fault.” Will doesn’t take these words too seriously, and simply responds: “I know.” But then Sean repeats these words: “It wasn’t your fault.” Again Will says, “I know.” Sean repeats them a third time, then a fourth time, then a fifth time. At this point Will is starting to get really mad. But Sean continues. Until finally, you see Will’s defenses go down, and he starts to cry, and Sean takes him in his arms. And Will just lets out all of his pain, as he lets Sean care for him.

After, this encounter, Will has a breakthrough, and realizes that there's more to himself then he thinks there is. And Will realizes that he can let people into his life; he doesn’t have to be verbally abusive. And so he thanks the professor and Sean for all that they did for him. And then he gets in his car to drive to California, to try and restore his relationship with his girlfriend.

And this is how the movie ends, with Will driving away. And yet, you know that there is so much more to the ending, because of who Will has now become.

II. Story 2- (Colossians 4:6; Proverbs 15:4)

a. Words of encouragement- There is another story I would like to tell, a

story of two men, both seriously ill, who occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back. The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window. The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity of the outside world……The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the man by the window portrayed it with descriptive words.

Days and weeks passed. One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone. Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed, astonished to discover that it faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who to describe such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse told the man that his old roommate was blind and could not even see

the wall. And then she said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

b. A gentle tongue- Proverbs 15:4 tell us: “A gentle tongue is a tree of life,

but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” Isn’t it true that we can choose between breaking the spirit of another, or offering them life. The blind man had words that brought life to his sick roommate. Who knows if the roommate would have even lasted that long without those daily stories. Those stories gave him hope, and joy, and something to live for.

The tongue really can be used for healing. It can be used to lift up those who are lost. It can be used to help instruct those who are confused. It can be used to challenge those who have lost purpose. It can be used to remind others of their worth. The tongue can be quite virtuous when used gently.

In the New Testament, the apostle Paul tells it to us like this in Colossians 4:6- “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” When you think about salt, you understand that one of its important purposes is to season food. With just the right amount of salt, the taste of the food is enhanced tremendously. So when our speech is full of grace, it seasons our speech in a way that enhances the other person tremendously.

And yet, as we learned from James, chapter 3, last week, and proverbs 15 this week, the tongue can become harsh and troublesome.

STORY: “Xanthus, the philospher.” (…the Tardy Oxcart, Swindoll, p. 575)

There is a story of the philosopher Xanthus who ordered his servant Aesop to prepare his best banquet for a certain important occasion. He told his servant to go to the market, and get for dinner the best thing he could find. The feast consisted of only the tongues of many animals, cooked in many fashions. Upset at his servant, the philosopher summoned him and asked him why they were only eating tongue. The servant defended himself by saying: “I did get the best thing in the market. Isn’t the tongue the organ of sociability, the organ of eloquence, the organ of kindness, and the organ of worship?” "Well," said Xanthus, "if that is the case, make haste and prepare another feast; and give us this time the very worst you have."

The steward obeyed, but the second time he again prepared tongues. "Why is this?" asked the angry Xanthus. "Master," said the wise steward, "the tongue is the worst as well as the best. By it comes treason and lying and slander. It is the organ of anger and every passion. It cheats and scolds and wheedles. It is frivolous and boastful and sensual. All evil is in the tongue.”

III. Relationships- (Proverbs 15:1-3)

Where the tongue affects us the most, is in our relationships. When we seek to

relate to others, the way we talk to others matters greatly. There are many ways we can speak, and each way will have a different result in our relationships;

a. Speaking adversely- speaking adversely: the first is speaking adversely.

To speak adversely means to speak antagonistically against someone. Last week I told you the story of how I had to tell this girl, Minata, that she couldn’t park in our complex anymore without a sticker. Both she and her mother (Hye) got so angry with me, that they didn’t speak to me anymore. What I didn’t tell you was that a couple of days after I told Minata she couldn’t park in the complex, Hye would go out at night and check all the cars to see if they had stickers, and then tell me about it. Her sole purpose for doing this was to prove to me that others parked there without stickers. The truth was that they had stickers, they just weren’t being displayed. But I got so frustrated with her that I said to her: “You can get as mad at me as you want. This is the right thing to do!”

Now, looking at Proverbs 15:1, we read: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Hmmm? Do you think part of her reaction to me was because of the harsh words I spoke? I’m sure there is truth to that.

Now contrast this with what happened last Sunday. Last Sunday, at the service, I said that if Hye would talk to me, I would not hold her animosity toward me against her. And sure enough, as God will give us opportunities when we pray, I was out playing with the kids, when lo and behold Hye comes walking toward me to take out her trash. So I took the opportunity to say to her: “How are you tonight?” And she responded to me: “I’m fine thank you.” WOW, she spoke to me! So I took a chance and continued to talk to her about her health, because not too long ago she had almost died of an illness. She told me that she was feeling as good as ever. And on the conversation went. “A soft answer turns away wrath.” THIS IS TRUE.

b. Speaking for knowledge- The proverb then goes on to say in vs. 2: “The

tongue of the wise dispenses knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.” Folly; silliness; sarcastic talk. It has been said that Winston Churchill was very sarcastic, and good at insults. In fact, he had a running feud with Lady Astor. On one occasion, they found themselves in an elevator together. Lady Astor looked at Churchill and snapped: “Sir Winston, you are drunk.” To which he replied: “My lady, you are ugly. But, tomorrow I will be sober.” (…the Tardy Oxcart, Swindoll, p. 573)

That kind of talk with another person is certainly folly, and will never be helpful. And it is surprising, because it is said that Winston Churchill had one of the largest vocabularies of anyone in the history of our world. It would have been much better for him to have used his vocabulary for dispensing wisdom and knowledge. And for you and me, it is always more helpful to seek to pass on knowledge than to pass on words of folly, sarcasm, or insult.

c. Speaking with words of forgiveness- And we are also told in Proverbs

15:3, “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” There is no greater good than passing on words of forgiveness to another. In fact, this is probably one of the most powerful things we can do for another person. When we have been wronged by someone, and we can forgive them, this is powerful for our lives. But when we can inform that person that we forgive them, that is powerful in their life. And it really isn’t until we learn to forgive others, that we can understand the good that comes to our lives by God forgiving us.

Another aspect of this, is helping people to understand that they are forgiven. It is easy for me to tell people that God forgives them, but it is not until they believe it, that the power of forgiveness transforms their lives. I can’t tell how many times I’ve talked to people who know that God forgives us, but they don’t really believe that God forgives them. When we can speak words that bring this understanding to people, it is indeed good; a good that I believe surpasses many other kinds of good we can speak.

Conclusion: When it comes to your words, where do you struggle? Do you tend to let your anger get the best of you, and then you lash out? Are you sarcastic? Do you gossip? Do you cut people down? Do you have difficulty telling people you forgive them? Where is your struggle? Give it to God, and ask God to give you a soft answer and a gentle tongue……….On the other side, where do you do good with your tongue? Are you an encourager? Do you make people laugh? Do you help to bring knowledge to people? Are you able to help others receive and understand that God forgive them? Take joy from the Lord, as He speaks words of encouragement to you. Take with you this day the knowledge that God wants to dwell with you. But God does not want to be in you when your mouth is full of folly and harsh words. Give God control of your mouth, starting now. Make the commitment. Turn it over to the Lord. And see if God doesn’t work good in and through you this day and always. Let us give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! Amen.

"The Wise in Heart"

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Series on Proverbs: Proverbs 10:7-11

Introduction: The summer has become a time for television to try out new shows. Two new shows, of similar themes, are trying to make it on Fox and NBC. The shows are called “The Singing Bee,” and “Don’t Forget the Lyrics.” The object of the show is to be able to recall lyrics from a song. So they play a part of the song, and then stop and ask the contestants to finish the verse or chorus.

I thought we might play a little “Don’t forget the lyrics” ourselves. So here it is, first song: Shine Jesus Shine- Lord, the light of Your love is shining, in the midst of the darkness shining, Jesus, light of the world, shine upon us…. What are the next 10 words? (SET US FREE BY THE TRUTH YOU NOW BRING US).

SONG 2: “My Way,” sung by Frank Sinatra “…..Regrets, I’ve had a few; But then again, too few to mention. I did, what I had to do. What are the next six words? (AND SAW IT THROUGH, WITHOUT EXEMPTION)…”

One more. Song 3: Kool and the Gang, “Celebrate.”

There's a party going on right here, a celebration to last throughout the years.

So bring your good times and your laughter too…. What are the next 7 words?

(WE’RE GONNA CELEBRATE YOUR PARTY WITH YOU).

There are many things that we put into our brains; lyrics from songs, sayings from movies, jokes, and on and on. But the words of the Bible and the wisdom of Proverbs is something that we should be putting into our brains as well.

I. The Memory of the Righteous- (Proverbs 10:7)

a. Memories- Probably one of the most special things we can do in

life is build memories. I know for me, I appreciate all the many times I have had with my family. Trips, vacations, baseball games, breakfast with my daughter. And we try to keep these memories by pictures and videos. I appreciate the work that Tami has gone through, to make our photo albums special. About once a quarter she will sit down and put pictures in a photo album, and then she will write thoughts about the picture next to each picture. This makes it all the more special when you go back and look at the pictures. AND it is a joy to pop in a video and watch Tyler and/or Tiffany when they were younger. As I said before, these memories are precious.

In Proverbs 10:7, the verse tells us, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot.” When I think about my kids, only good thoughts come to mind. This verse is telling us, that if we live a righteous life, then our name will be a blessing to others when they think of us.

Now, this can be a challenge, because not everyone we meet and get to know will think good of us. I try to live my life loving others, and being a giving and kind person. But there are times in my life that I have caused others to dislike me.

EXAMPLE- Currently I am the president of our condo unit. Not too long ago the board met and made a decision to enforce the rule that says only one car per unit can park in the outside parking stalls. Each unit has a sticker which allows them to park their car in the stall. So I was the one chosen to tell this one girl that she couldn’t park in our unit area anymore. I was very nice about it, and explained why. But her mother got very upset with me (even though I wasn’t the only one who made the decision). Now, even though this woman is a Christian, she refuses to speak to me anymore. I’m sure when she hears my name, she doesn’t think of me as a blessing!

b. Living righteously- I think the key here is to live righteously. We

cannot control how others will respond to us. But we can control how we live our lives. We can choose to be vengeful, or forgiving. We can choose to be truthful or deceitful. We can choose to be giving or selfish. We can choose to be dependable or irresponsible. And in the end, when God observes our lives, we hope that what is seen is that we sought to live righteously.

Another aspect of this, is to look at the example of how Jesus lived. Jesus was one that made time for all people, especially those who were outcasts. Jesus was one who made sure that people knew of God’s love and forgiveness, and cared about their eternal well-being. Jesus was one who when people talk about Him now, think of His name and His life as a blessing. To do this though, we have to allow ourselves to be challenged by others who we see living in this way. As we see the way they live, it gives us a live example of how to be like Jesus in every day life.

As I think about living like Jesus, I continue to try and be nice to this woman who is angry with me. Whenever I see her I wave to her. If she were to try and resolve the situation with me, I would be very willing to sit down and talk to her, or not hold against her the animosity she feels towards me. Hopefully, by living in this way, I will have more people than not, who think of me as a blessing.

II. The Wise of Heart- (Proverbs 10:8; Hebrews 11:8)

a. Heed- Solomon then moves on to being wise of heart. He says in

verse 8: “The wise of heart will heed commandments…” To heed commandments means we must be obedient. There are many examples of obedience in the Bible. And these stories would probably cause us to say that they exhibited blind faith. When Jesus called His disciples, He simply said: “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” And they left their employment to follow Jesus. In Hebrews 11:8 we are told: "By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going." It simply says that Abraham “obeyed.”

Abraham was given a command by the Lord to leave the place he knew as home, and to travel to a land God would show him, and Abraham did it. Why would Abraham do this? We have trouble understanding this kind of obedience, because we are taught to question everything; especially authority. We have to think things through, and we have to analyze, and we have to question. Then, maybe we will be obedient to what is being asked of us. But this is not the example in the Bible.

Going back to Proverbs 10:8, we are told that the wise heed commandments. There isn’t analyzing, or questioning, or thinking things through. There is just obedience. Which leads us to understand that if we want to be wise, then we should follow what God tells us to do. Would this be so bad to follow what God tells you to do? Do you really think that you have a better plan than God?

b. To be wise- There’s a story about a proud young man who came to

Socrates asking for knowledge. He walked up to the philosopher and said, "O great Socrates, I come to you for knowledge." ….Socrates led the young man through the streets, to the sea, chest deep into water, then he pushed his head under. Twenty seconds passed. Socrates let him up and asked, "What do you want?" "Knowledge, O wise Socrates." said the young man./ Socrates pushed him under a second time; thirty seconds later Socrates let him up. "What do you want?" he asked again. "Wisdom," the young man sputtered….Socrates pushed him under a third time; thirty seconds passed, thirty-five. Forty seconds passed. Fifty. "What do you want?" The young man gasped and shouted out: "Air! I need air!" Then Socrates looked the man in the eye and said, "When you want knowledge as you have just wanted air, then you will have knowledge."

The problem is, we want to be wise, but only for our own selfish endeavors. God wants us to be wise so that we can lead the life He has created us to live. To be wise, we must crave this wisdom for the purpose of good and for God’s glory. To be wise, we must need it as the air we breathe. To want it in this way will cause us to be determined enough to seek God, and listen to God, and follow God. Then we will have the wisdom of the heart.

III. Walking in Integrity- (Proverbs 10:9; 2 Chronicles 14:1- 16:14;

Daniel 6:1-28)

a. Adversity- In life, there is much adversity. Adversity is a good test

of our resiliency; our ability to cope or recover from misfortune. On the other side of the coin is prosperity. The truth is, prosperity is a tougher test than adversity. Thomas Carlyle (the Scottish essayist) agreed with this when he said: “Adversity is hard on a man, but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity.”

The reason is that when we experience prosperity, it challenges our moral and spiritual equilibrium. It is because when adversity strikes, life becomes rather simple. Our need is to survive; to make it through one day at a time. But when prosperity comes, life gets complicated. Invariably our integrity is put to the test. Our integrity is put to the test, because prosperity often causes us to compromise.

Now I’m not suggesting that we aren’t meant to be successful. What I am saying is that being successful, having much in our life, these things cause us to have to make choices. And many in this situation struggle to let God continue to guide their ways and their decisions. In times of prosperity, it is what will continue to allow them to be successful, hich drives their choices. They often choose compromise.

You can search the scriptures of the Old Testament, and see king after king who followed God in the beginning, but as they prospered, they turned from God. One such king was Asa. As king, he established the Lord over the people again. He listened to God. He prayed for God’s guidance and help. He became prosperous. But then he feared he might lose this status and inheritance, and so instead of trusting God, he made a pact with King Ben-hadad of Aram. And with this, Asa began to lose control of his kingdom, and his integrity.

b. Integrity- But there are many who have found success, and still

stood strong in their integrity. Daniel is such an example. Daniel was lifted up from a lowly peon in a boot camp at Babylon to become a national commander in charge of one-third of the kingdom. But the other leaders in the kingdom became jealous of Daniel, and sought to discredit him. So they talked King Darius to set an edict that people could only pray to King Darius. We turn to Daniel 6:10 to pick up the story:

“Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel continued to be a man of integrity by praying to God alone, even though it cost him. Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den for punishment, but God protected Daniel and did not allow the lions to kill Daniel. Then we are told the result of Daniel’s integrity in verses 25-26, “Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land: "May you prosper greatly! ²⁶ "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. "For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end”

Integrity is giving your word, and then doing it. Integrity is sticking to what you believe, even under pressure. Integrity is not changing your beliefs to fit the situation. Integrity is being able to stay balanced because God is your center.

IV. The Mouth of the Righteous- (Proverbs 10:11; James 3:8-10;

Philippians 4:8-9)

a. Encouragement- At the end of our passage, Proverbs 10:11, we are

told: “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but violence overwhelms the mouth of the wicked.” The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life. Why is this? How is the mouth of the righteous a fountain of life? This verse is telling us that the mouth of the righteous have good and encouraging things to say. The mouth of the righteous lifts up others. The mouth of the righteous doesn’t seek to hurt others with their words.

There are people in this world that I just don’t like being around. Maybe it is because they only want to talk about themselves. Maybe it is because they are always negative. Maybe it is because they love to point out to you all your faults. Maybe it is because they are so down on life. Whatever it might be, they do not have a mouth that is a fountain of life.

How do you know if you have a mouth that is a fountain of life? Well, for some it might be very easy to know for yourself. But another way that is simple, and yet difficult, is to ask someone. Ask others who know you well, and who will be honest with you, if you have this kind of a mouth.

Charles Swindoll, the great preacher from the Evangelical Church in Fullerton, once said this about encouragement: “The lack of encouragement is almost an epidemic. To illustrate this point, when did you last encourage someone else? I firmly believe that an individual is never more Christ-like than when full of compassion for those who are down, needy, discouraged, or forgotten. How terribly essential is our commitment to encouragement! Is there some soul known to you in need of encouragement? A student off at school? A young couple up against it? A divorcee struggling to gain back self-acceptance? A forgotten servant of God laboring in an obscure difficult ministry? A widow who needs your companionship? Someone who tried something new and failed? Encourage generously! ENCOURAGEMENT! A new watchword for our times. Shout it out. Pass it around.”

b. The mouth- We have to be careful with our mouths, don’t we? In

the New Testament, in the book of James, chapter 3, it has much to say about how difficult it is to control our mouths. Verses 8-10 tells us: “⁸but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. ⁹With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. ¹⁰Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.” We have a tendency to say something nice, and then in the next breath, we can lose control and be very mean. It is not easy to control what we say. It is not easy to keep everything that comes out of our mouths to be positive.

So what are we to do? One of the best things is to dwell on the things of God. As Philippians 4:8-9 says, “8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Also, it is helpful to learn self-control. You’ve probably heard the statement: “If you have nothing good to say, then don’t say anything.” That is good advice. And even more, because as Christians we have the Holy Spirit within us, and the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God, we too can know the mind of God. That is why the mouth of the RIGHTEOUS is a fountain of life, because the righteous are those who regularly seek God, and seek to be like Christ.

Conclusion: Being wise in heart is being able to do what you know God wants you to do, and say what you know God wants you to say. This is possible. But only if we dwell on God; only if we allow God to guide us; only if we seek God’s presence and power. The book of Proverbs is a powerful book, because it causes us to look at our lives, and see where we fall short. We are not used to doing this. We are a society that likes to pretend things don’t exist. We don’t like accountability. We don’t like to have to change. And so consequently we will struggle to live lives of wisdom and integrity. Let us commit ourselves today to put God’s words and wisdom into our memories, so that we can be remembered as those who sought to live righteously. And in doing so, we can be a blessing those around us, and to God. Amen.

"Six Things the Lord Hates"
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Proverbs Series; Proverbs 6:16-19

Introduction: Hate is a strong word. In fact, if you are like me, you might have even told your children (or been told by your mother), not to hate. And yet it is a word that is used in the Bible. This word is used in the Bible well over 100 times. The challenge is that if we are to love others, how can we hate them. And I think the focus for our hate needs to not be on people, but on the actions of people. I believe it is good and right to hate the evil actions of others.

In today’s lesson, we are told that there are 6 things that God hates; 7 which are an abomination to Him. And then we are told of the 7 things: pride, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a wicked heart, feet that run to evil, testifying falsely, and one who sows discord. Now I don’t believe this is an exhaustive list of that which God despises, because last week we learned that God despises injustice. But they are 7 things which we need to avoid, and if they are in our life, we need to rid ourselves of them.

I. Pride- (2 Chronicles 26:16; Psalm 10:4; Proverbs 13:10, 16:18)

First, we are told that God hates pride. Why is this? Well, let me

share a few Bible verses that will help us to understand.

2 Chronicles 26:16- “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led

to his downfall. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, and entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”

Psalm 10:4- “In their pride the wicked do not seek him; in all their thoughts there is no room for God.”

Proverbs 13:10- “Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.”

Proverbs 16:18- “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Just in these 4 verses, we see that pride can keep us from God, can bring about strife, and can lead to our downfall./ For Uzziah, his pride led him to enter the temple to burn incense on the altar. This was in direct opposition to God, who had made it clear that only the high priest was to enter the temple to do this. In acting in this way, Uzziah was making a statement that he didn’t need to follow God’s directives. Uzziah’s pride made him think he was above all laws, even God’s.

God desires for us to be mindful of all. EXAMPLE- There is a story of a college math teacher who gave his class a pop quiz one day. The students seemed to do well on the exam until they got to the last question, which asked: "What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?" One by one they looked up at the professor wondering if this was a joke. Nobody could answer the last question correctly. Sensing what everyone was thinking, the professor stopped the exam for a moment and said to the class: "In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say ‘hello.’” After that, many learned that her name was Dorothy.

In the Psalm I read, we are told that our pride can make it so that there is no room for God. That is because pride causes us to lift ourselves up, and in doing this we become full of ourselves. You have probably met people like this; people who are full of themselves. They are not fun to be around, and they usually have no room for anyone or anything else in their lives.

On top of this, pride can bring about strife. Whenever pride is exhibited, it causes people to treat others unjustly and unfairly. This brings about strife in relationships, and groups, and even in churches.

God hates pride, because pride does not bring about God’s will!

II. A Lying Tongue-

The second thing we are told that God hates is lying. When someone lies,

they become untrustworthy. When someone lies, they lose people’s respect. As followers of God, God wants us to be respected and trusted by others.

You are probably familiar with the Aesop fable “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”

EXAMPLE- There once was a shepherd boy who was bored as he sat on the hillside watching the village sheep. To amuse himself he took a great breath and sang out, "Wolf! Wolf! The Wolf is chasing the sheep!" The villagers came running up the hill to help the boy drive the wolf away. But when they arrived at the top of the hill, they found no wolf. The boy laughed at the sight of their angry faces. "Don't cry 'wolf', shepherd boy," said the villagers, "when there's no wolf!" They went grumbling back down the hill…….Later, the boy sang out again, "Wolf! Wolf! The wolf is chasing the sheep!" To his naughty delight, he watched the villagers run up the hill to help him drive the wolf away. When the villagers saw no wolf they sternly said, "Save your frightened song for when there is really something wrong! Don't cry 'wolf' when there is NO wolf!"….. But the boy just grinned and watched them go grumbling down the hill once more. Later, he saw a REAL wolf prowling about his flock. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet and sang out as loudly as he could, "Wolf! Wolf!" But the villagers thought he was trying to fool them again, and so they didn't come. At sunset, everyone wondered why the shepherd boy hadn't returned to the village with their sheep. They went up the hill to find the boy. They found him weeping. "There really was a wolf here! The flock has scattered! I cried out, "Wolf!" Why didn't you come?"

An old man tried to comfort the boy as they walked back to the village.

"We'll help you look for the lost sheep in the morning," he said, putting his arm around the youth, "Nobody believes a liar...even when he is telling the truth!"

Powerful words: NOBODY BELIEVES A LIAR, EVEN

WHEN HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH!

III. Shedding Innocent Blood- (Matthew 5:21-22; James 1:20)

The next thing that God hates is “hands that shed innocent blood.” Now, this

is like the sixth commandment which says “You shall not murder.” And with this statement, we can think that we are free from having it as a part of our lives. But remember how Jesus took it a step further, when He said in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment. But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.'”/ What Jesus is telling us is that anger that cannot be overcome or forgotten, is wrong. Why? Because as we are told in James 1:20, “The anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” God is love, and desires for us to love all and to be able to respond in love. When we have anger towards another (not their actions, but them as a person), we cannot do the work of God, and we do not exhibit the presence of God.

This anger can lead us to sin. We have to put it aside and not desire wrong against another or revenge against another. This is not easy, but it is possible. EX. A number of years ago there was a number of students killed at Columbine high school, in Littleton, Colorado. After this happened, Darrell Scott, a father of 2 victims of the shooting, came before the House Judiciary Committee in the U. S. House of Representatives. This is what he said: “Since the dawn of creation there has been both good and evil in the heart of men and of women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher and the other children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers. The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart. In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter’s death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent. I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy – it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of that blame lies here in this room. Much of that blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that express my feelings best. This was written way before I knew l would be speaking here today.

Your laws ignore our deepest needs Your words are empty air. You've stripped away our heritage. You've outlawed simple prayer. Now gunshots fill our classrooms. And precious children die. You seek for answers everywhere. And ask the question "WHY"? You regulate restrictive laws. Through legislative creed. And yet you fail to understand. That God is what we need!

Men and women are three part beings. We all consist of body, soul, and
spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our makeup, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc.
We do not need more restrictive laws. Eric and Dylan would not have been
stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our OWN hearts. Political posturing and restrictive legislation is not the answers….We do need more religion….We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God…..To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA - I give to you a sincere challenge. Dare to examine your own heart before you cast the first stone!”

IV. A Wicked Heart- (Ecclesiastes 8:11-12)

In our world, we would like it to be perfect, in that when we do good we are

rewarded for it, and when we do evil there is a just punishment. But this is not how it always is. Criminals get away with doing wrong. Evil people become rich and powerful through unjust means. Those who do good, don’t always prosper. As we are told in Ecclesiastes 8:11-12, “When the sentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, the hearts of the people are filled with schemes to do wrong. Although a wicked man commits a hundred crimes and still lives a long time, I know that it will go better with God-fearing men, who are reverent before God.”

In the long run, those who fear God and seek God, will have a good heart, and will ultimately live a much better life. But even more, when we die and come before God, in heaven, we will have a blessed eternity.

V. Running to Evil-

Which leads us to the next thing that God hates, and that is those who run to

evil. There is much evil in our world. And not all evil is evident. It is not just the evil people who run to evil. Those who are good can be led to evil as well. We can see good, God fearing people,+ run to evil. People who get caught up in adultery; people who get caught up in gambling; people who get caught up in drugs or alcohol; people who get caught up in the “I want it all” lifestyle.

In fact, in the Bible, evil is anything that goes against the laws and the will of God. Our world is more prone to running to evil than we realize. We often don’t honor God with our decisions and our choices. We are more worldly than we could possibly imagine. This has happened slowly. Satan has gotten us to buy into so many aspects of the world, that we don’t realize the ways we have forsaken God.

The Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once said: “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?” Until we realize that we are prone to run to evil, because of the sinful nature within us, we will not be able to avoid the evil that bids us to come!

VI. Testifying Falsely- (Ephesians 4:29)

Next we come to “testifying falsely.” When someone goes into a court to

testify, they are asked these words: “Will you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” Why are they asked this? Because the design of a trial is to find out the truth. If someone lies, it negatively affects the whole process. On top of this, it can cause an innocent person to go to jail, or can free someone who is guilty.

But if you think about it for a moment, why should we even have to be asked this? It is because people are so willing to give a false testimony, especially if it will help them to get their desired outcome. We are more concerned with what we want, than with telling the truth!

This happens in every day conversation as well. How often does someone say something about another person, regardless of whether they know it to be true? More times than you or I can count. People are so willing to gossip about another without any regards to the truth. And when this is done, the damage done to another person’s reputation is very harmful.

Shame on us for being willing to do this!! God hates a false testimony, because it can do terrible harm to another person. It is in essence a way to kill a person’s image and reputation. As we are told in Ephesians 4:29- “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, except that which is good for edification, according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.” And I would add, grace to God’s ears as well.

VII. Sowing Discord- (Matthew 5:9)

How many relationships have been destroyed because of a person

coming in between 2 others? Obviously I could not know the answer to that question, but I’m sure the answer is huge. This is why God even mentions this idea of “sowing discord” in the list of the seven deadly sins; the list of things that God hates. If it were not a great problem, it would not have made the list.

The issue here is like the issue of so many other things, and that is that we can sow discord without even realizing we are doing it. Have you ever been hurt by another person, and then went to someone else and shared your feelings of anger in regards to them? But the problem with that, is that we tell the story from our own myopic view. Meaning, that we only tell our side, from our point of view. And in doing this we often color this other person’s perception against the person with whom we are angry.

This not only doesn’t bring peace to the situation, but in fact, creates more discord, and makes it all the more difficult for peace to be found. God is a God of peace, and does not wish for us to create any more unrest than already exists in the world. As we are told in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Notice it doesn’t call those who create discord “children of God,” but those who seek to make peace.

Conclusion: Now this is a long list, and I know that I haven’t gone in depth with any of them. But the point I am trying to make to us today, is that God has made a list of things He hates to see in His people. On this list are several things that you and I do at times. What we need to do is to make a commitment to looking at each of these characteristics (pride, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a wicked heart, feet that run to evil, testifying falsely, and one who sows discord), and look into our hearts to see where we might be missing the mark. THEN, ask God to give you the wisdom and the strength to overcome this issue. Psalm 139:23-24 gives us a good challenge: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Don’t leave here today thinking none of this applies to you. We all need to let God search our hearts and point out to us where He needs to work. Wisdom comes from giving ourselves fully in reverence to God. Let it start with giving God the opportunity to point us in the right direction, and lead us in the right behavior. Amen.

"For Gaining Wisdom"
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Series on Proverbs; Proverbs 1:7

Introduction: “The Dash Video”

What matters most is what we do with the life we have been given. And yet, God can help us make even more of it. Today we start a series in the book of Proverbs. The design is for us to gain wisdom to live a life that counts.

I. Learning About Wisdom- (Proverbs 1:1-2, 9:9, 22:6; Isaiah 46:9)

a. Ways we learn- God has given us the ability to learn. We are not

born with all that we need to know. In fact, the opposite is true. We are born knowing very little. That is why it is so important to teach a child the important things of life. Proverbs 22:6 tells us, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” And Proverbs 9:9 says: “Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.”

So as we come to the book of Proverbs, we are told that this book, these Proverbs, are worthy to learn; the Proverbs of Solomon are for “learning about wisdom and instruction, for understanding of insight.”

But let us seek to understand for a moment how we learn. There are several ways: One kind of learning is Trial and Error learning. This is where we try something, and if we get it right, we remember it for the next time. And if we get it wrong, we try it a different way until we find the right way. It has been said that the definition of insanity is: “trying something over and over and expecting different results.” Our mind has the ability to learn from our mistakes.

A second way that we learn is by insight. Now insight is the “power or act of seeing into a situation or into oneself.” As we encounter problems, there are times when we can look into that situation, and begin to instinctively see a way to solve the problem. It doesn’t require a trial and error period. We are simply able to “see” the solution. A third way that we learn is by classroom situations. Now this tends to be the way we think learning happens the best, because we have banked our whole education system on “classroom learning.” Of course we are familiar with this kind of learning since we have all been through it. The classroom becomes then an environment created for the purpose of learning. In this type of learning, it is believed that we learn in small increments, and so each day we come to add a little more learning to what we already know.

b. Learning and memory- Of course, without our memory, our

learning we be futile. Without our memory we would have to learn the same things over and over again. And in fact, those who have suffered damage to their brain by a stroke or some other kind of event, in fact do have to learn many things over again. In the movie “REGARDING HENRY,” Harrison Ford plays a man named Henry. Henry is a lawyer who survives a shooting only to find he cannot remember anything. He has to learn everything over again, including who his wife and daughter are, and also his speech and mobility.

And so our memory plays an important role in not only the learning process, but in our ability to move forward in our lives. Our memory is what allows us to remember how to walk, and how to talk, and how to carry out all the basic functions of life. But our memory also allows us to move to the farthest point of our knowledge, so that we can continue our learning from there.

For example, the Rubik’s Cube. Explain what it is…. I was actually taught how to do the Rubik’s cube by a junior higher. I had figured out several of the steps, but the farther along you get into solving the cube, the more complicated the moves get. If you don’t do the right moves, you will undue what you have already done. And so each day he would teach me another move. My memory allowed me to start at the point of what I had learned last, and then move forward from there until I learned to solve the cube.

And so this memory helps us in our faith and living out our faith for God. In Isaiah 46:9, we are told, “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” It is because we remember our past, that we can remember who God is, and what God has done for us. There is the good of the past that God has done for us, and there is the bad of the past that we have done, and God has forgiven us.

II. Gaining Wisdom- (Proverbs 1:3; 2 Chronicles 19:7; Jeremiah 22:13)

But we have to understand that there is a difference between knowledge and

wisdom. Knowledge is the information we have accumulated into our brains. We have knowledge from our a,b,c’s, to the knowledge of how to cook a meal, to the knowledge of how to drive a car. But there is a good amount of knowledge that we possess that we don’t necessarily use.

Wisdom is knowing how to take this knowledge we have, and put it to use.

a. Wise Dealings- So King Solomon, in Proverbs 1:3, tells us that the

instruction we gain, is for wise dealings and for righteousness and justice.

SHOW MOVIE CLIP FROM “BRUCE ALMIGHTY.” (In this movie, Bruce [played by Jim Carrey] is given the powers of God by God Himself [played by Morgan Freeman]; At one point in the movie, Bruce starts hearing these voices in his head, and realizes that they are prayers from people. He is so overwhelmed by all of the prayer requests, that he decides to answer yes to all of the people’s prayers. Answering yes ends up not being a good thing to do, but rather creates a great amount of problems. The scene we are going to see is Bruce talking to God about this).

God has wisdom that we need, to know how to live our lives, and how to respond to life when we don’t get everything we want.

b. Righteousness and justice- But God also gives us wisdom to know

how to be righteous and how to show justice. Living in a right way, living righteously, isn’t always so easy. Going back to the movie “Bruce Almighty,” there is a deleted scene on the DVD which shows the outcome of some of Bruce’s answered prayers. One situation was a woman who was broke. She was praying that God would help her in her situation. Bruce’s answer was to have her slip and fall on some spilled milk at the market, and a lawyer was present to see the accident and sue the market on her behalf. She ended up having a lot of money, but was miserable in her life. God’s answer would have been for her to have to go to her estranged sister to ask for money, which would have restored their relationship, and given her a greater appreciation for money and life.

We think we know the answers to our life, but only God knows, and we must seek God for answers. This is true when it comes to showing justice as well. All too often, we are content in life as long as trouble doesn’t come to us. But the problem is, that there is trouble in this world because of injustice. The Bible speaks often about how God despises injustice, and how as His people we are to fight against injustice.

Injustice is violating the rights of another; the absence of justice; or

the act of doing wrong to another. 2 Chronicles 19:7 tells us, “Now let the fear of the LORD be on you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery." In Jeremiah 22:13 we read, "Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his subjects work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.”

Injustice happens when people are unfairly paid, unfairly treated, or when partiality is shown. Injustice happens when one person is thought to be more important than another, or when someone is unfairly imprisoned. Injustice happens when education isn’t available to all, or when someone is not given the same chance as another. God does not like to see injustice, and calls to His people to see that injustice is spoken out against, and not accepted.

III. Fear of the Lord- (Proverbs 1:7)

a. Proper Understanding- But really, wisdom for life all starts with

“the fear of the Lord.” This is clear in our passage this morning, as we read in Proverbs 1:7- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Now the “fear” that is referred to here is having “reverence” for God. Reverence is showing respect for someone who is in a higher position than you are./ As we understand God’s place over this world, and as we understand God’s place in our lives, then we should show God reverence.

Until we have this proper understanding of who God is and who we are, then we will not be able to live for God, because we will not understand what God desires of us, and we will not be able to live in that way. Until we have this holy reverence for God, the ways of God will seem foolish to us; “fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Both of my kids, Tyler and Tiffany, at about age 7, when they were in first grade, both went through a time when they thought they knew it all. It is amazing to me that a seven-year-old can think this, but they did.

In the same way, we go through periods when we think we know it all; at least when it comes to our own lives. We think we know how to best make decisions. And even in those times when our decisions don’t turn out good, we think we can still make the best decisions for ourselves.

b. Brother Lawrence- Most of you know that I have a blog on the

internet, where twice a week I write to provoke thoughtful discussion. I am currently doing a blog series on a book that profoundly affected my life, starting when I was 15. The book is “The Practice of the Presence of God,” by a monk named Brother Lawrence. This last Monday I wrote this:

It is wonderful to see someone like Brother Lawrence remind us of what is important in life. We tend to take life and ourselves too seriously, and make ourselves the center point. But Brother Lawrence states that it is important to our faith to understand the exalted position of God; God is far above us. Because of this all that we do should be for the love of God. As we live in this way, we open the door to receive God's blessings upon our lives. The goal for Brother Lawrence was to think of nothing but God. As he became more and more accustomed to this, when there would be times when he wasn't thinking about God, it would cause him to feel unhappy. In this way he could begin to have his unconscious control his conscious mind. Whenever he would bring himself back to God, the evil thoughts of his mind would vanish right away. In terms of dealing with the difficulties of life, Brother Lawrence knew that the Lord would provide the strength he needed to endure it. In this way he wasn't afraid of anything. Brother Lawrence knew to depend upon the grace of God, which made his life easier. Brother Lawrence wanted us to understand that it doesn't take skill or knowledge to go to God. "All that is necessary is a heart that is dedicated entirely and solely to Him out of love for Him above all others." How wonderful it is to know that we don't have to hold a certain position, or degree, or level of understanding to give ourselves to God and receive the presence of God into our lives.

We don’t have to hold a certain position, or degree, to receive the wisdom of God either. To receive the wisdom of God, we just have to understand that there is greater wisdom out there than we have, and that wisdom comes from God. In respecting who God is, and seeking God’s wisdom, He will freely give it to us.

Conclusion: No matter how much, or how little of education you have received in your life, you still need the wisdom of God. And no matter how long or how short you have been a Christian, you will always need God’s wisdom. As we are told in Isaiah 55:8-9- “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” I challenge you to leave here today committing yourself to revering God, and seeking the wisdom of God. I pray that you would allow the wisdom of God to penetrate your thinking, so that it would affecting the way you live. Let us be thankful for the wisdom of God, and how it is available to us. Praise be to God. Amen.