A Place for Proverbs
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
The use of masks
We are encouraging people to wear them
But we are not enforcing it
I believe the correct thing for us to do is follow the governors orders so long as it doesn’t violate our faith
Business meeting next Sunday night 5:00
We will be voting on selling the parsonage
We are going to begin a series through the book of Proverbs
We are going top begin in Proverbs ch 1
Were not going to go through the entire book
Our focus will be on the first 9 chapters
The main idea of Proverbs is wisdom.......and that will be our theme this morning
We often equate wisdom with someone who has lived a long life
We think of someone who has the right answer to everything in life
We think of someone with common sense ion everyday living
But you don’t have to be old to be wise
The reason God inspired the book of Proverbs is to give us wisdom
And if you are young and you want to be wise then study this book
And if you are old and want wisdom then study this book
A proverb is not a promise it is a general truth
It’s a principle that when followed brings about a general result
Its something that comes true most of the time but not every time
If we treat Proverbs as promises we will end up questioning God’s Word
Example: “Train up a child in the way he should go and he will not depart from it”
This does not mean in every single circumstance that every child will end up serving the Lord if we train them to
It means most of the time this is the result
Our message this morning is going to focus on the place for proverbs in our life
We will talk about their purpose
Who they are for
And the Key to understanding this book
Proverbs 1:1-7
The Purpose of Proverbs
The Purpose of Proverbs
Proverbs 1:1-2 “The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: to know wisdom and instruction”
THEY TEACH US WISDOM AND INSTRUCTION
What exactly is wisdom?
Job 28:23-24 “God understands its way, And He knows its place. For He looks to the ends of the earth And sees everything under the heavens”
It is the ability to understand life from God’s perspective
It is seeing things like God sees them
A wise man understands life from a biblical view
And God inspired the book of Proverbs to give us godly wisdom
“to know wisdom and instruction”
Wisdom cannot be known apart from instruction (wisdom and instruction are inseparable)
Many things instruct us:
Teachers
Parents
Experience
God’s word is the only source of pure instruction
To be instructed we must possess teachable spirit
If we do not approach the book of Proverbs with a desire to be taught then we juts as well not read it
All have a waywardness about us
“Prone to wander Lord I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love”
Human nature is to drift from God
So if we do not like to be corrected then wisdom is going to be out of our reach
If we think we have it all together we will never be wise
Obtaining wisdom takes a level of submissiveness or humility in our lives
It is being humble enough to receive instruction
Its swallowing our pride at times and admitting we were wrong
Pride has made many fools over the last 6,000 years, Satan one of them
Prov 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, But he who hates reproof is stupid”
We must have a teachable spirit
THEY TEACH US INTELLECTUAL DISCERNMENT
Verse 2b: “To perceive (discern) the words of understanding”
It is the ability to read something and truly understand
Is is the ability to get to the heart of a matter
It is not just hearing it, but truly understanding
We walk away from the study of this book with a certain level of discernment
It is knowing what is true and what is not
It is the ability to see life and understand good and evil
When you let the book of Proverbs impact your life you will do what they say
Think about this verse: Proverbs 13:24 “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly”
How many people truly follow this teaching today?
Now if you study the book of proverbs with a humble and teachable spirit you will be able to discern this truth into your life
It’s the ability to take the truths in Scripture and actually knowing they are truths
It is saying yes I know that is true in such a way I am going to do them!
They make Scripture applicable!
THEY ARE A PRACTICAL TEACHING
Verse 3: “To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgement, and equity”
They easily relate to our everyday life
It is a practical book
This is why so many can relate to them
Even lost people can relate to the proverbs
They help us to get a grip on life and how we approach it
It is understanding why good things happen to bad people
It is the realization that everyday belongs to the Lord
It is the knowing that the fear of God is a good thing!
Its knowing how to be a good friend
It knowing what a virtuous woman is
It’s a guide for everyday living!
Proverbs teach you to apply what you know
They teach us how to act in certain situations
justice: righteousness
They teach us how to do what is right
the act of doing what is required according to a standard
This is being honest
judgement: this is the ability to make decisions
Do you know someone who needs to make better decisions?
Tell them to read and study the book pf Proverbs
Solomon had the ability to discern
Remember when the mother came to him with a dead child
Two women lived in the same house
They both had children just three days apart
One of the mothers rolled over on her baby and killed it
She stole the others baby and they brought the child to Solomon
Solomon wasn’t sure who wasn telling the truth so he
In his wisdom he said he would divide the baby in half and the real mother
The real mother cried out and said no give my baby to the other mother to save the child
equity: being free from difficulties
this speaks of smoothness, path of righteousness
In other words they help you dodge the potholes of life
Proverbs show you the right way to walk through life
The Intended Audience for Proverbs (Who are they for?)
The Intended Audience for Proverbs (Who are they for?)
They are for children
Verse 4: “to give prudence to the simple”
Prudence means good sense!
I wonder how much better our world would be had their mothers taught them this book?
I wonder how many adults need to learn this book?
If you want your children to have good sense teach them this book!
Your child will get much more from Proverbs than from Paul’s theology of the cross
Proverbs are practical teachings you child can understand
If they don’t want to learn Proverbs there is a Proverb for that too!
Proverbs 13:24 “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly”
I heard a man say he would teach his kids the book of proverbs by the day
How many chapters are there in this book? 31
How many days are in a month? 29-31
Each day you read one proverb from that chapter
July 12: ch 12:1
July 13: ch 13:1
They are for teenagers and young adults
Verse 4b “To the young man knowledge and discretion”
Knowledge: in this context it has a focus on morality
How much do our young people need to know morality
They’re not going to learn it in schools
Its up to the parents to teach it
discretion: to make responsible decisions
How do you teach your teenager to make responsible decisions regarding morality?
You teach them the book of Proverbs
You help them understand its teaching
You live this book out in your own life
They are for the wise
Verse 5: “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will attain wise counsel”
Proverbs should be a part of our regular study
“A wise man will increase in learning”
In other words the well never runs dry from this book
You will never read this book and not learn something
It keeps giving and giving
Secondly, “Proverbs are your counselor”
They will help you through everyday life problems
Anyone ever have any problems in here?
The best place you can turn is this book
The key to Proverbs
The key to Proverbs
We Receive from proverbs:
We Receive from proverbs:
“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction”
No one can begin to understand God’s ways apart from God’s revelations
The book of proverbs is an insight into the things of God
All human attempts at wisdom will ultimately fail
It is only possible to understand through a holy fear of God
Fear of God prepares the way for wisdom
It is the fear of God that reveals the knowledge in this book
And notice it says the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge
Fear of the Lord comes last not first
WHAT IS THE FEAR OF GOD?
Fear doesn’t mean terror
We should not be terrified of God and afraid to walk out of the house because He will strike us dead
Fear means we know that every breath is in His hands and we have upmost respect for Him because of who He is
It is a reverent obedience
It is made up of our adoration and devotion to the Lord
Fear of God understands every minute is the Lord’s minute
Every gift is given from the Father of lights
Every duty is the Lord’s command
It is giving all glory to God because without Him we can do nothing
I love this sum of it all:
FEAR OF GOD: IT IS TRUE LOVE OF GOD THAT RESULTS IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS COMMANDMENTS
Does your fear of God result in godly living?
Do you obey the commandments of God?
If we truly fear Him then we will at the least obey Him
What is the opposite of fear of God?
“Fools despise wisdom and instruction”
A fool is one who chooses to go against God’s way
He rejects sound doctrine
Psalm 14:1 “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God”
They do not lack education or intelligence
The fool has rejected wise counsel
Her has rejected biblical wisdom
The first step of wisdom is
It begins with giving your heart to Jesus Christ
You cannot fear God until you have trusted Him with your life!
It begins by handing the keys to your life over the One who can save it
Only Jesus can wash you clean
No preacher, no church, no amount of good deeds can take the place of the blood of Jesus
You come this morning and make Him your Savior
You will instantly become a wise man
~PRAYER~