Sermon Tone Analysis

The Way of Wisdom

Studies in Proverbs

Grace Church at Willow Valley

August 5, 2018

Intro: Please turn either your print or digital Bibles to Proverbs chapter four.

Intro: Please turn either your print or digital Bibles to Proverbs chapter four.

As you do so … since a number of you have asked, I thought it would be simpler to give one update on my health rather than a couple of dozen!

This past Monday I saw the nephologist (kidney specialist).

He confirmed what my urologist had already told me … no one can really say why I lost the function of my left kidney.

So … going forward … the focus will be on the health of my right kidney.

Therefore, he has put me on a low sodium diet (which is far more complex than merely keeping the salt shaker on the shelf … sodium is EVERYWHERE) - My nephrologist told me that one of his patients, groaning about the fact that he had to cut down on his sodium intake … told the doctor “salt is what turns a cook into a chef!”

In addition to the low sodium diet, I have to monitor my bp … and also go for blood work twice before I see him again in October.

Intro:

All of us are on a journey … aren’t we?

It is called life!

From the feedback I am getting, most of you are finding great help for your life journey from our study in the book of Proverbs.

Not surprising, given that it is a book of wisdom .. which we have defined as being skilled at life.

Now of all the passages in the book of Proverbs … I believe this one is among the most important in all of Proverbs.

So let’s pray and ask God to give us attentive minds and receptive hearts.

Speaking of journeys, all of us are on one!

It is called life!

And the Proverbs is a book about wisdom .. which we have defined as being skilled at life.

Now of all the passages in the book of Proverbs … I believe these last 8 vvs in the book are among the most important in all of Proverbs.

So let’s pray and ask God to give us attentive minds and receptive hearts.

And the Proverbs is a book about wisdom .. which we have defined as being skilled at life.

Now of all the passages in the book of Proverbs … I believe this one is among the most important in all of Proverbs.

So let’s pray and ask God to give us attentive minds and receptive hearts.

READ --- PRAY!

Now as I studied and meditated on these verses … three words came to mind …

Now as I studied and meditated on these verses … three words came to mind …

I believe this passage is one of the most important in all of the book of Proverbs.

So let’s pray and ask God to prepare our hearts to recieve his Word!

Reality

Reality

Priority

Strategy

A fundamental REALITY (vv 20-22)

Proverebs 4:20-22

What we have here in chapter four (as well other passages in the book) is a father addressing his sons.

The father, as we have seen, is King Solomon:

Proverbs 1:

Now Solomon, as we pointed out three Sundays ago was arguably the wisest man to ever live (with the exception of the Lord Jesus, of course!).

So here in the book of Proverbs Solomon is doing what many fathers have done across the centuries … take his best shot at passing on his wisdom to his son.

Now … just where did Solomon get his wisdom?

Obviously from God.

When Solomon began his reign, God appeared to him and offered him what amounted to a blank check:

1 Kings 3:

And how did Solomon respond?

Well, he did not ask for riches, or power, or fame.

He asked for wisdom … right??? Well, not quite … note his request:

ESV

Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?

Solomon does not ask for wisdom directly … rather he asks for a receptive heart … and understanding mind.

The Hebrew word here translated “receptive” … “understanding” is the word SHEMA … it is often translated with the English word “hear.”

But it also is translated as “listen,” “heed” and “obey.”

Ancient Hebrew did not have a specific word for obeying … to communicate the idea of obedience, this word, Shema, was used.

The implication - in the Hebrew mind, to hear God was not just to hear the words he spoke … but to really listen to them … and to obey them by building them into one’s life!

So Solomon was asking God to help him to SHEMA … to hear, listen, and obey … what?

To receive what?

To understand what?

The answer to this is found in Deut chapter 17 — where Moses lays down certain requirements for any future king of Israel ..

Deuteronomy 17:

In asking for a receptive heart/understanding mind - Solomon was asking God to help him to hear, heed and obey God’s Word!

The Bible of his day … which he would have copied for himself, and would have been reading from every day!

In doing so … he would have God’s wisdom!

And it was this wisdom gleaned from God’s Word which Solomon was intent on passing on to his sons.

NOW — what is this fundamental REALITY which we see in vv 20-22?

Solomon is driving home to his son that he has a choice to make.

He can either choose to embrace what he was teaching him … or he could walk away from it!

Note what he says in the previous two verses:

“Two paths are before you, my son.

You can choose to walk the path of righteousness which is full of light … or you can choose the path of the wicked which is so dark when you stumble, you won’t be able to even see what caused you to fall!”

A fundamental REALITY: We all have a choice to make to either walk the path of righteousness or to walk the path of wickedness.

There is no other option!

Why does he talk of the path of righteousness in terms of light that shines brighter and brighter?

Because if we choose to walk this path .. we choose to follow the one who said

So we follow Jesus … we walk in light.

And the further down the path we walk, the brighter the light becomes (because we are drawing closer to him!).

But, as Jesus implies, if we choose not to follow Jesus, we will be in darkness!

A darkness that grows increasingly dark!

Just as Solomon was urging his son to make the right choice, the choice of following God … I urge you to do so as well!

- If you are here this morning … having never admitted to God that when the Bible declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God … that includes you!

And you have never come to grips with this truth which is clearly taught over and over again in the Bible … that because of your sin and rebellion against the God who has made you … you are destined for his judgment … one which, the Bible says, will last forever!

If this describes you … then right now … right here I call on you to confess your rebellion against God .. repent of that sin … turning from it and turning to God … and reach out with the empty hands of faith in Jesus Xs … believing that he died in your place, paying the penalty for your sin … which you could never ever pay yourself!

Ask Jesus Christ to forgive you your sins … knowing that tho your sins they are many … God’s mercy is more!

- NOW - if you have already done so, then let me call on you to renew right now .. .right

here … your commitment to follow Jesus!

A call that he asks us to renew each and every day!

PRAY

NOW - if you have already done so, then let me call on you to renew right now .. .right

here … your commitment to follow Jesus!

PRAY

PRAY

So in vv 20-23 we see a

REALITY: We all have a choice to make to either walk the path of righteousness or to walk the path of wickedness.

There is no other option!

REALITY: We all have a choice to make: to walk the path of righteousness or the path of wickedness.

There is no in between!

In vs 23 we come to our second word:

An vital PRIORITY