Problematic Words
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
ME: Intro - Sacred vs. Secular
ME: Intro - Sacred vs. Secular
Are you familiar with the phrase, “sacred vs. secular divide”?
It summarizes this tendency that has been observed in many self-proclaimed Christians,
To compartmentalize the sacred parts of our lives and the secular parts of our lives.
The sacred part of our lives are the spiritual part of our lives.
That may include church on Sunday mornings or praying before meals.
The secular part of our lives includes everything else.
We as people have this tendency because we see most of life as morally neutral.
We think God is concerned with those sacred parts of our lives,
But not so much concerned about the secular parts.
We think God cares about us having a good quiet time,
But does not really care about our jobs or schools,
Outside of us trying to be a good witness there.
We think God is concerned about us being a good witness at work,
But not as concerned about us showing up on time or completing our tasks on time.
Proverbs does well at bridging the gap between this sacred vs. secular divide.
It corrects our misunderstood compartmentalization.
These secular parts or our daily lives are not morally neutral.
That’s really what Proverbs is getting at.
Wisdom is not just these tips for daily life.
Repeatedly we come back to the point that Wisdom is a Person, Jesus Christ.
But this morning we also see wisdom is a path that we are to walk.
If you lack wisdom in any secular part of your life,
It is not just that you are a fool in that area,
Though you are,
It reveals a bigger problem.
That you have a problem with Jesus.
What do I mean by this?
I mean that since wisdom is a path,
And since there is no separation between the sacred parts of our lives,
And the secular parts of our lives,
When we lack wisdom in a secular part of our life,
We are walking away from Jesus on the path of foolishness.
That is problem we have with Jesus when we are foolish in what we pretend to be the secular part of our lives.
What does this look like?
Well it could be a short temper,
It could be violent and contentious arguments,
It could be going a little too far with a boyfriend or girlfriend,
It could not be finishing an assignment your boss gives you.
These are not just minor character flaws,
Or shortcomings in the secular part of your life.
These are markers along the path of foolishness,
That reveal you have a problem with Jesus,
Because you are walking away from Jesus.
Friends, if you find yourself walking down the wrong path,
You are not just compartmentalizing the secular part of your life,
You are moving toward death.
That is what we are being taught in Proverbs 4:1-19 this morning.
Our passage this morning teaches us about Problematic Words.
Chapter four is broken up into three sections of instructional sayings.
Each section begins with an introduction from a father to his son.
The first section in vs. 1-9 sees wisdom as a precious acquisition.
The second section in vs. 10-19 contrasts the wicked path against the path of life.
And the third section in vs. 20-27 presents the way of uprightness.
This morning, we will be focusing on the first two sections in vs. 1-19,
And Lord willing next week, we will focus on vs. 20-27.
So, our outline this morning is a simple one;
Connect with Wisdom (vs. 1-9)
Grow in Wisdom (vs. 10-19)
If you walk the foolish path, you’ve got a problem with Jesus
Wisdom tradition is something that is a part of a variety of cultures and religions.
Elsewhere in the OT, the author of Proverbs discusses wisdom traditions with people from other nations.
Showing that wisdom was shared across national and religious boundaries.
The wisdom tradition within God’s people,
Is used within the framework of the covenant relationship between God and His people.
WE: Connect with Wisdom (vs. 1-9)
WE: Connect with Wisdom (vs. 1-9)
So, the first thing we must understand about wisdom,
Is that it is deeply relational.
We must have a relationship with wisdom.
In other words,
As we see in vs. 1-9,
We must Connect with Wisdom.
Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction, and be attentive, that you may gain insight, for I give you good precepts; do not forsake my teaching. When I was a son with my father, tender, the only one in the sight of my mother, he taught me and said to me, “Let your heart hold fast my words; keep my commandments, and live. Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”
Again, we hear our heavenly Father appealing to us to focus on and comprehend His instruction.
This instruction includes discipline.
So, pay attention to discipline and instruction,
That way you can gain understanding.
Wisdom is generally dispensed from a parent to a child.
In our case,
It is from our Heavenly Father to us.
He is saying to us, “Listen, I have good instructions for you, do not forget it!”
Vs. 2 shows that our Father gives us good precepts,
Or teaching.
This includes God’s law,
And it requires our receptivity as learners.
His curriculum is good!
A true child of God is obedient.
A tender child is teachable.
Solomon reflects on when he was a child,
Showing wisdom bridging three generations together.
Solomon is passing the wisdom he received from his parents,
Down to his child when he writes Proverbs.
Wisdom is passed on from generation to generation.
The wise continue this tradition by teaching their children what their parents taught them.
Age and experience are by no means on the same level as wisdom.
But they are important,
They are worthy of being regarded.
And those who love wisdom influence the generations after them by passing on a love for wisdom.
Instruction in wisdom should be a multigenerational thing.
Parents, you have been entrusted with the responsibility to pas this down to your children.
The question is not whether we will pass something down to the next generation or not,
Rather, the question is what will we pass down to the next generation.
Will we pass down patterns of foolishness,
Like laziness, addiction, abuse, or passivity?
Or will we pass down patterns of wisdom,
Like humility, responsibility, and righteousness?
Last week we ended with the warning and the encouragement of Prov. 3:33;
The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the dwelling of the righteous.
The hope of the gospel reveals that the pattern of wickedness has the opportunity to be interrupted in every generation.
Even though a child may have been trained up in wickedness,
If they recognize their problem with Jesus and pursue after Him,
They are blessed with everlasting life.
Tragically, the opposite is also true.
Even though a child may be trained up in wisdom,
They can interrupt the cycle and turn away from Christ and head down the wicked path.
Nonetheless, Scripture still calls parents to pass down godly wisdom.
Jimmy Scroggins says it well;
“The goal of Christian parenting is not just Christian children; it is Christian grandchildren.”
That is the pattern for making disciples.
The goal is not just to make disciples,
But to make disciples who make disciples.
Before we can pass wisdom onto others,
We must first receive wisdom.
That is what Solomon said he did at the end of vs. 4.
He received the words from his father, David,
To keep his commandments and live.
Likewise, we are to keep God’s commandments.
To keep God’s commandments, we must listen attentively,
So, that you can retain and obey them.
This again shows how wisdom is tied to the law.
Jeremiah 31:33 says;
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Likewise, Proverbs tell us to write wisdom on our heart.
Doing so offers true life.
In a practical sense,
Wisdom generally prolongs life because it avoids risky behaviors that have the potential to invite premature death.
For example, wisdom teaches us to avoid addictions, to follow the law, and to obey our parents.
When we do not heed wisdom’s counsel,
It increases the likelihood of life ending early.
But more importantly, wisdom gives life in an eternal sense.
The command to get wisdom and insight is simply a command to learn.
Wisdom and understanding are the most important things we can acquire.
And it is followed by the prohibition against forgetting or neglecting this wisdom.
Vs. 6 is a parallel verse.
The second line really says the same as the first with just a little more development of thought.
“Do no forsake” is the negative form of the command to love in the second line.
This is talking about wisdom here.
It is saying not to abandon or neglect wisdom,
Instead, it is telling us to love her.
Once again, Wisdom is personified in Proverbs as a woman.
On this side of the NT,
We understand that this is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus.
Jesus is wisdom in the flesh.
He fulfilled every Proverb.
The command to not forsake wisdom and to love wisdom,
Is a command to have a covenantal relationship with wisdom.
Marry wisdom and never be unfaithful to wisdom.
Connect with Wisdom.
Wisdom is so much more than accumulating facts or information.
Wisdom involves trust and commitment.
When we love wisdom,
And keep in godly wisdom,
Wisdom in turn watches over and guards us.
It preserves our lives.
What is not to love?
In all this,
We must always remember that Wisdom is first and foremost a person we are in a relationship with,
Not a set of ideas we live out.
We must Connect with Wisdom.
Vs. 7 is an odd statement in English.
The beginning of wisdom is a familiar phrase,
But the rest of the verse seems a little confusing.
It seems to say that the first step of getting wisdom is...
Getting wisdom?
That’s…helpful,
And to be honest does not seem all that wise.
To put it simply,
It is essentially saying that wisdom is of the utmost importance.
So, do not neglect it.
The most literal way to translate this phrase to English,
Is that wisdom is first in line.
The beginning is wisdom.
So, when it comes to learning,
Wisdom comes first.
The CSB translates it simply as “Wisdom is supreme—so get wisdom.”
Wisdom is ready and at the front of the line,
Anyone who wishes to learn wisdom,
Can do so immediately.
In his commentary, Derek Kidner translates it this way;
“What it takes is not brain or opportunity, but decision. Do you want [wisdom]? Come and get it.”
When we continue to remember that Wisdom is a person,
We can understand that the first step to being wise is to make a faith-based decision to commit to Wisdom,
Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the most important matter in all of life,
So, commit to Him!
Wisdom is the first thing to get.
The second part of this verse teaches that wisdom, like salvation, cannot be bought with silver or gold.
Rather, a person must stop desiring anything else,
And instead, acquire wisdom by loving, cherishing, and embracing it.
Listen to how Jesus explains this idea in Matt. 13:45-46;
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
So, whatever you do, learn wisdom and insight.
In all you purchase, purchase understanding.
Spend everything you have on understanding.
At any cost, even if it costs you everything you possess,
Get wisdom, get insight.
So, in a strange way,
This is saying that the cost of wisdom is both nothing and everything.
Vs. 8 says to cherish wisdom,
Desire wisdom and wisdom will exalt you.
Connecting with Wisdom is a multigenerational task.
Parents introduce your children to Jesus,
And introduce their children to Jesus.
Proverbs teaches that this is of the utmost importance.
Some simple yet practical ways to do this include reading the Bible to your children,
Pray with them,
Bring them to church,
Have a family devotional time,
Teach them your testimony,
Have them sit with you in church and let them watch you worship Jesus,
Let them watch you partake of the Lord’s Table and teach them about it,
And lastly, share Jesus with them.
Teach them the Gospel.
This is the model by which we make disciples.
Anyone you disciple who Connects with Wisdom needs to continue to be discipled.
So, even after a person connects with wisdom,
They need to continue to be taught practical wisdom.
For example,
Teach them how to be honest, how to overcome anxiety,
How to handle money, how to avoid scams, how to receive a rebuke,
How to give a rebuke, how to complete tasks given to them, and so much more.
But never forget that Wisdom begins with a personal relationship with Jesus.
We must first Connect with Wisdom,
Because Wisdom is not first a compilation of principles,
It is a Person to know and follow.
Jesus is the greatest prize!
He is worth forsaking all else to have a relationship with.
Prize Him, vs. 8 says,
And you will be exalted.
The Bible teaches that the humble are exalted.
The end of vs. 9 says you will be given a crown.
The same honor bestowed on the elders around Christ on His throne in Rev. 4.
Jesus Christ is Wisdom,
And you must Connect with Him above all else.
GOD: Grow in Wisdom (vs. 10-19)
GOD: Grow in Wisdom (vs. 10-19)
Two paths are set before us in vs. 10-19.
Vs. 10-13 describe the way of wisdom.
Vs. 14-17 contrast the way of the wicked.
Then vs. 18 and 19 contrast the two paths again.
If you listen to wisdom and follow the path of wisdom,
Then you will Grow in Wisdom.
Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.
This section begins with an exhortation to listen to the Father’s teaching in order to prolong one’s life.
This is nothing new in Proverbs.
Again in Proverbs we are seeing life referred to metaphorically as a path.
And God guides you on straight paths.
On the paths of uprightness.
This is the wise course of life.
It is the ethical path.
Once again we are seeing that wisdom is both a Person and a path.
After a person connects with wisdom,
You must continue to grow in wisdom.
This is accomplished by staying on the wise and safe path of morality.
The way of godliness truly is the best way.
Always!
Vs. 12 continues this thought by showing that walking the wise path keeps you from stumbling.
So, vs. 13 continues by commanding you to hold tightly to wisdom.
Never let go of wisdom.
Defend wisdom with all you have.
Because life cannot exist without wisdom.
1 Cor. 1:30 calls Christ our wisdom,
In Col. 3:4, He is called our life.
It is the norm for wisdom literature to contrast opposing ideas against each other.
Doing this here accentuates the path of wisdom by opposing it against the path of the wicked.
It says to keep off the path of the wicked.
Don’t travel on it.
Just pass on by it.
Avoid it at all cost!
Do not even try the wicked path.
Withdraw from the path of the wicked.
Psalm 1:1 says;
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
Again, wisdom is more than intellect,
And foolishness is not something that we are to be indifferent about.
There are two paths in this world.
The wise, righteous path that leads to life.
And the foolish, wicked path that leads to death.
Notice the repeated use of verbs in vs. 14-15,
Do not enter,
Do not walk,
Avoid,
Do not go on it,
Turn away from it,
Pass on.
This rapid-fire of verbs shows the urgency of opposing the foolish path.
We cannot be light-hearted about foolishness or it will lead to death.
Wisdom is a path,
Or, better yet,
It is a course of life.
It is a progressive thing,
Not something you arrive at.
It is the idea of the doctrine called sanctification.
Paul uses similar language in Gal. 5,
Saying that we “walk” in the Spirit.
This progressive “walk” is the active process of being conformed into the image of Christ.
This is a lifelong process.
When you Connect with Wisdom,
You connect with Jesus in a relationship built upon trust in Him.
But you also start down the path of wisdom through Jesus.
In John 14:6, Jesus explains that He is the way to the Father,
He is the way to the wise path.
As you journey down the wise path,
You Grow in wisdom.
This growth is what is referred to as sanctification.
It means you are being made holy.
These two points are what we have embraced as our mission here at FBC.
Connect is the first of our four pillars.
It encompasses loving God,
The same command we see in vs. 6.
Grow is the second of our four pillars.
It encompasses growing in Christ-likeness.
Since we understand that Christ is wisdom,
It means we Grow in Wisdom.
So, you must first Connect with wisdom to walk the wise path,
And Grow in wisdom.
Likewise, you must first Connect with God to grow in Christ-likeness.
The two paths are contrasted here because the path you walk down reveals who you embrace.
What I mean by this is that your daily decisions reveal if you are following Jesus down the path of wisdom,
Or if you are walking away from Him.
If you cannot control your temper,
Or you are constantly stirring up strife with those you work with,
If you bounce from relationship to relationship,
If you are disrespectful toward the authorities God has placed over you,
If you cannot follow through on the tasks that are given to you,
Then you have a problem with Jesus.
You have turned away from the wise path,
And are walking down the foolish path.
You have let go of wisdom,
And are not following Jesus.
Walking the wise path speaks of a lifestyle that avoids foolish things that invite death and destruction into one’s life.
Walking the wise path prevents stumbling.
It is a path of safety and security.
It avoids the obstacles that come about as a result of foolishness.
But fools are oblivious to how their foolish actions lead to their own stumbling.
That is why Proverbs warns us not to even enter the wicked path.
Remember, we are to avoid it, do not go on it, turn away from it.
If you are going through life and you come to a path that seems right to you,
But it takes you off the path God has revealed,
Keep on moving.
Do not take the path that seems right to you.
The majority of the book of Proverbs are the sayings we tend to think of.
These sayings contrast the wicked way of foolishness against the wise way of righteousness.
One of the common sayings is this idea that there are ways that seem right to us,
But they are not.
Do not follow these ways that seem right,
Because it is the wicked way.
And those who walk the wicked way live for foolishness.
Vs. 16 shows how wickedness has this addictive feature to it.
It is like a drug.
The more you embrace evil,
The more you find you need your fix just to be able to sleep.
It is a form of tragic irony of inverted morality.
Vs. 17 continues this ironic picture by showing that wickedness and violence is the diet of fools.
Evil becomes a source of refreshment or nourishment for the wicked.
They eat, drink, and sleep foolishness.
This brings the warnings against the path of wickedness to its highest concern.
The path of the wicked is not adventurous or exciting.
The path of the wicked leads as far as vs. 16-17 show.
The Bible makes it clear that you can become just as zealous for evil,
As you can for good.
Those who are zealous for evil want others to join them.
They will tempt you to join in on their laziness, or gossip, or quick-temperedness, or any other form of wickedness.
The contrast of path imagery shifts to the contrast of light and darkness.
The righteous path is like the light of dawn.
It is characterized as an ever-brightening light.
It is a progressive growth in holiness that will continue until Christ returns.
The imagery is like a clear morning sky that gets brighter and brighter as the day goes on.
Such will be those who walk on the path of wisdom.
As you grow in wisdom you will walk in greater wisdom until the day you are made fully wise in the presence of Jesus.
The wicked way, however, is a path of gloomy darkness.
A darkness so deep that it causes the wicked to stumble around,
Because the wicked are so fooled that they don’t understand how their sin leads to judgment.
But the dark does not overcome the light,
Because Jesus is the light of the world.
And Jesus, the Light,
Provides safety and certainty,
While darkness causes danger and bewilderment.
Jeremiah 23:12 expands upon this imagery.
Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness, into which they shall be driven and fall, for I will bring disaster upon them in the year of their punishment, declares the Lord.
YOU:
YOU:
Generally, I wake up before Stephanie while it is still dark out.
So, my routine consists of trying to open my dresser drawers and pick out my clothes in the dark.
Believe me, it is not a quick process as I feel along my dresser to open the correct drawer.
Then I am trying to feel through to pick out something that matches.
Holding up one article of clothing after another,
Squinting as I try to figure out what I am holding up.
Well, this is what life is like for the wicked.
And Proverbs says that wisdom is the remedy.
Foolishness is trying to continue to live life in darkness.
Living without ever really seeing things for what they really are,
Continuing to stumble and fall,
Inviting misery and ruin into your life.
But wisdom is like the light of the sun.
It shows you how things really are,
So, that you can follow the right path in life,
Progressively growing in wisdom.
The wise path is illuminated so you can see where you are walking.
But the foolish path is covered in darkness,
Causing you to stumble and eventually fall.
Wisdom is a lamp,
Showing you the right path to take.
If you do not have the light, you cannot see where to walk.
Foolishness will continue to keep you from seeing rightly.
You may think you are taking the right step,
It may seem right to you,
But you cannot see that you are about to stumble.
Wisdom grows,
Like the soft glow of the sun grows brighter as midday approaches.
And one day,
The light of wisdom will shine in all its brightness,
It is the day of the Lord.
But until that day comes,
We can get a taste of what that day will be like,
By walking the wise path,
And growing in wisdom.
WE: Conc.
WE: Conc.
Remember, Jesus is Wisdom.
As 1 Cor. 1:30 says,
He is wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification for us.
As Jesus said in John 14:6, He is the way, the truth, and the life.
Wisdom is found in Jesus,
It is found by walking with Him.
If there is a part of your life that is moving toward foolishness,
Understand that it is not only temporary consequences that await you.
The foolish path is dangerous because you are moving away from Jesus.
These are problematic words for you.
Because you can have an amazing quiet time,
Yet not control your tongue.
And you’ve got a problem with Jesus.
You can raise your voice in praise of Jesus,
And raise your hands against others in anger.
And you’ve got a problem with Jesus.
You can be in multiple Bible studies,
Yet constantly nag others to get your way,
And you’ve got a problem with Jesus.
You can teach in a Life Group,
But if you refuse to serve your family at home,
You’ve got a problem with Jesus.
Brothers and sisters,
Jesus is not just concerned with the “sacred” parts of your life.
He is concerned with every part of your life.
So, if you are walking down the foolish path in certain parts of your life,
Then you are walking away from Jesus.
And if you are walking away from Jesus,
Then you’ve got a problem with Jesus.
But the beauty of the Gospel teaches that despite these problematic words,
Jesus is both Wisdom and the way to wisdom.
So, connect with wisdom,
And grow in wisdom.
And you will love God and grow in Christlikeness.
That is our mission.
Pray.