Sermon Tone Analysis

Selected Verses from Proverbs

Introduction

Back to School, Back to Church!

Kids/teens: We want to encourage you to go and learn, make the most of the opportunity.

As you do, it’s a good time to remember the basics—the foundation and most essential part of learning and living.

Leaning Tower of Pisa - One of the most famous buildings, though not for the reasons its architects would have wanted.

1990’s - leaning some 15 feet from perpendicular.

They’ve since reduced the lean to 13.5.

The problem is not in the design, but in the foundation.

A well-built life requires a solid foundation.

It doesn’t matter what you study and apply yourself to in life - architecture, chemistry, medicine, law, agriculture, psychology - you need to pay close attention to the foundation.

And I’ll just tell you, it’s probably not in the text book.

The Fear of the LORD

This verse is the motto of the book of Proverbs.

Working backward: (1) obviously, none of us want to be a fool - don’t despise (hate) being taught, (2) notice the phrase “the beginning of knowledge” - in other words, the foundation (we’re talking about that crucial thing that affects all learning and living, (3) the foundation is “the fear of the LORD.”

We need to say something here about what the fear of the LORD is not.

It is not to be scared of the LORD.

Forgiveness doesn’t make us scared; it promotes relationship, closeness, respect, trust, and devotion.

I don’t think it is enough even to say that God is revered: he is trusted, obeyed, served, loved and known.

The fear of the LORD: life-rearranging awe and respect for God’s sovereignty, goodness, and mercy

Begin with God.

This proverb contradicts the popular view that what you think about God belongs in separate category from ‘real knowledge.’

“Keep them separate.”

BUT the book of Proverbs essentially says that any learning and living that is built on something other than right thinking about God will lean like the Tower of Pisa.

education - What happens when we study law without acknowledging the Judge of all?

Medicine without a thought of the Healer?

Psychology without recognizing the imago Dei? Science without the Creator, etc.? (Illustration: my brother using a grader blade that my dad designed.)

Inadequate

society without moral accountability - Without the fear of God, people lose their WHY.

(Why should we do right?

Who determines right?

I’ll determine my own “right” and wrong”).

To quote Oprah’s news-making comment this week: "I think what people are missing is a core moral center.”

It doesn’t matter if we are building a career, a family, a business, a nation — human knowledge, insight, and understanding is not adequate.

Don’t think so highly of your own ability to “get it” that you construct a life, career, and family on your own insight (or on the insight of those puffed up with their own insight!).

Instead, base it all on what God says; trust him with all your heart.

And in all your ways acknowledge God—he’ll lead you straight.

Lit.

“In all your ways, know him.”

To trust God with your all and to know him in all you do is another way of describing what it means to live in the fear of the Lord.

Here’s the thing I want most to say to you today: Your relationship with God should not be a little add-on to your life.

I heard it said this week: “You don’t invite someone like God to be your assistant.”

He is first.

He is your first and most important subject of study.

He is the one you look to, learn from, obey, imitate, and trust.

A Towering Scientist with a Solid Foundation

Dr. James Tour - synthetic organic chemist and professor at Rice University.

By many accounts, he is the leading nanoengineer of our time.

Named “Scientist of the Year” by R&D magazine and “One of the 50 most influential minds in the world.”

Achievements and accolades are too numerous to count.

As a nanoengineer, he works with really small things—building nanocars which are so small that it would take 50,000 to span the diameter of a human hair.

They use these cars to kill cancer cells and repair spinal cord damage.

But the most important thing he will tell you about himself: “I am a Jew who believes that Jesus is the Messiah.”

He is not just a scientist who believes in God on the side; he prays to God about his work, sees and marvels at God in it, and—with God’s help—just flat does good work!

Currently he is challenging the shoddy conclusions in the scientific community, pointing out that the common “scientific” explanations for origins of life are a leaning tower - they’ve got no base at all!

For 40 years he has read his Bible every day.

He begins the day early reading for 2 hours (“speak to me, prepare me and empower me for the day”).

At noon, goes to a quiet chapel to pray.

Then again in the evening, following the practice of Daniel.

Challenge

Read & Pray Every Day for 31 days (following outline provided.)

Begin this school year right, by beginning with God, gaining insight and understanding from him, cultivating a deeper relationship and life-rearranging awe and respect for his sovereignty, goodness, and mercy.

Invitation: