Part 4: On The Horizon
Life in Transition Part 4 • Sermon • Submitted
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· 5 viewsSometimes you know what’s coming next—graduation, wedding, new baby, new job, retirement. But there’s no correlation between knowing what’s next and being prepared for what’s next. So, how do you prepare for the next season when you can't see what’s coming?
Notes
Transcript
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Introduction:
We are currently in this series “Life in Transition.” There are transitions we all face in life. Some are expected transitions (wedding, new baby, graduation, retirement, etc.) and some are unexpected (loss of job, loss of loved one, bad health report/diagnosis, etc.). What are some things we can prepare for what’s next? Each week we have looked at what we can do to prepare for what’s next.
In the first week, we talked about how we can prepare for transitions in life whether they are expected or unexpected and that is by being a doer of God’s Word. Not just listening or reading the Word but applying it to our everyday life.
In the second week, we talked about the importance of anchoring our life to God in order to keep us from drifting in life and help us to weather the storms/transitions in life. Anchoring our life to God helps us because we have His presence (never alone), His protection (He will work everything out for good and holds everything in His hands and He hasn’t forgotten us), and His promise (He keeps His word and will never go back on it).
Last week, we talked about the importance of counsel and advice and making sure we are surrounded by others who have been through what we are going through. We also need to not only ask the right people the right questions, but we also need to listen to their answers whether we like them or not.
This week we are staying with King Solomon and he’s going to give us some advice that he didn’t take for himself!
We have all known some smart people who make poor decisions. Sometimes we see it and they don’t and we wonder how they don’t see it coming. We end up thinking are immune to making bad decisions which is a terrible mindset to be in.
Solomon is going to talk about two different people dealing with the same situation but made different decisions. Solomon didn’t apply this advice to his own advice (being a doer).
9 So I became greater than all who had lived in Jerusalem before me, and my wisdom never failed me.
10 Anything I wanted, I would take. I denied myself no pleasure. I even found great pleasure in hard work, a reward for all my labors.
11 But as I looked at everything I had worked so hard to accomplish, it was all so meaningless—like chasing the wind. There was nothing really worthwhile anywhere.
Body:
I. Prudent people
I. Prudent people
12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
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A. Prudent/wise people understand that life is connected.
A. Prudent/wise people understand that life is connected.
A. Prudent/wise people understand that life is connected
A. Prudent/wise people understand that life is connected
The decisions I make now will affect my future
B. We see what we are looking for and we hear what we want to hear.
B. We see what we are looking for and we hear what we want to hear.
Confirmation Bias: the tendency in all of us to look for information that confirms what we already know (filter out all opposing view or info)
Confirmation Bias: the tendency in all of us to look for information that confirms what we already know (filter out all opposing view or info)
Confirmation Bias: the tendency in all of us to look for information that confirms what we already know
Confirmation Bias: the tendency in all of us to look for information that confirms what we already know
We filter out all the opposing views or info and only pay attention to what supports what we think.
We see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear because that’s what we want.
C. Prudent/wise people acknowledge what they desperately don’t want to see and don’t want to hear and they respond appropriately.
C. Prudent/wise people acknowledge what they desperately don’t want to see and don’t want to hear and they respond appropriately.
____________ appropriately.
Wise people see what they don’t want to see and take appropriate action.
Solomon contrasts with another type of person: simpleminded, naive, stupid, etc. depending on translation. No one wants to be taken advantage of or sold something they don’t want. They live in the moment.
II. Simpleminded people
II. Simpleminded people
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12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
A. The simpleminded live as if life is not connected.
A. The simpleminded live as if life is not connected.
The present is in the past but won’t affect the future. Goes blindly, only see what you want to see. They don’t see things the way others see and don’t think it will happen to them.
B. By the time the simpleminded acknowledge the danger it’s too late.
B. By the time the simpleminded acknowledge the danger it’s too late.
Get to the place where they realize they should have listened to the warning.
Illustration:
Class 4-5 rapids ahead
The river is calm at the time and danger is not seen.
Ignore the sign, there will be a point of no return and find ourselves in a bad situation.
C. There are natural but avoidable consequences to some of our decisions.
C. There are natural but avoidable consequences to some of our decisions.
12 A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.
Proverbs
We should want to live as the prudent/wise person.
III. Being Prudent
III. Being Prudent
A. One of the best ways you can live your life to prepare for what’s next is to live as if life is connected.
A. One of the best ways you can live your life to prepare for what’s next is to live as if life is connected.
live as if life is connected.
live as if life is connected.
The present becomes the past and affects the future.
B. If you choose to be prudent there are four words that will describe your experience:
B. If you choose to be prudent there are four words that will describe your experience:
1) Action
1) Action
experience:
experience:
1) Action
1) Action
The ball is in our court and we have to do something.
2) Sacrifice
2) Sacrifice
Cut up the credit cards, end the relationship, etc.
3) Embarrassment
3) Embarrassment
3) Embarrassment.
3) Embarrassment.
Others may not see what you see.
4) Relief
4) Relief
It is never a regret.
When you see trouble coming, don’t ignore it, but do something about it.
C. Pray: “Heavenly Father, help me see trouble coming long before it gets here. Then give me the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.”
Help me see the danger coming in my relationships, finances, etc. and help me to respond to that and give me the courage to do it.
Conclusion:
Personal illustrations:
1) mia
2) credit cards when we got married
mi
Is there anything you are desperately trying not to see or working really hard not to hear? Now is the time for action!
Wordking really hard not to hear
Do you want to be a prudent person or a simpleminded person?
simpleminded people
Pray something like this during a transition:
“Heavenly Father, help me see trouble coming long before it gets here. Then give me the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.”
“Heavenly Father, help me see trouble coming long before it gets here. Then give me the wisdom to know what to do and the courage to do it.”