The Walk of a Christian is to be with wisdom as we go through
this life for the great Apostle, Paul said in Ephesians chapter 5
and beginning there in verse 15 he said see then that ye walk
circumspectly. I understand that word to mean
exactly or accurately and so Paul was saying that a man must
walk exactly or a man must walk Accurately.
And then he says not as fool's, but as wise Redeeming the time
because the days are evil, wherefore be ye, not unwise but
understanding what the will of the Lord is the Apostle Paul
says because time is fleeting and because the days are evil we
must make the very best use of our time you know?
Very sadly too many people today are wasting not only Time but
they're wasting their lives by failing to exercise.
Wisdom from day-to-day a passage of scripture that were very
familiar with, I'll quote, at this time, and then make a
comment or two about it. But in second, Timothy chapter 3
in verses 16 and 17, the Apostle Paul writing to be young
evangelist said, that all scripture is given by
inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for
reproof. For correction for instruction
in righteousness. That the man of God may be
perfect or complete thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
We quoted that verse of scripture to say this that since
the word of God claims to equip man unto every good work then it
is only natural to assume that it provides for you and I some
Sound Advice concerning daily living and indeed it does.
Especially in the Book of Proverbs as found, in the Old
Testament, the purpose of our study, this evening is to
introduce the proper Book of Proverbs as a wonderful tool as
a source of great wisdom, and also to encourage Christians to
utilize this Source in our efforts to walk wisely from day
to day, in understanding the purpose of the Book of Proverbs.
We find that it's clearly stated.
In the first six verses of the book that we read in our
introduction, just a moment ago, but we'll sum it up this way.
What we read about itself is that is this purpose to know,
wisdom and instruction to perceive the words of
understanding to receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice,
judgment and Equity. It is designed to give the
simple or the naive Prudence it is.
Time to give the young man knowledge and discretion.
And it's also designed to give the wise man, increased
learning, and the man of understanding wise counsel in
summary or simply put it is designed to make a person Wise
by learning how to act wisely. And how to act righteously day
by day. The Book of Proverbs teaches us
how to treat others and to treat.
Others with fairness to give the ignorant, some common sense to
give the young man, sound advice, and give the wise even
more wisdom than he has. So the question is, what then is
wisdom, and why is it so valuable in our lives, with
reference to the decisions and choices that we make as defined,
the 20th century Encyclopedia of religious knowledge, defines
wisdom like this. It says, it is a realistic
approach to the problems of life.
You know. I don't believe that we are
oversimplifying the act of wisdom, or the idea or the
concept of wisdom to say. It's so simply is that a
realistic approach to the problems of Life?
Homer Haley? Offered this definition of
wisdom. He said, wisdom is insight into
the underlying causes and Nificant or consequence of
things which Insight enables one to apply to the best end the
knowledge which he has, you know, it is true that a person
cannot go through life without knowledge, especially with
reference to Bible knowledge. The Bible says that there was a
people that was destroyed for lack of knowledge, it is very
important that we study and study diligently.
All the things that are Going to equip us in our life that is
found in God's word. Second, Timothy 3:16 and 17
says, the word of God is sufficient.
The word of God is all that we need with reference to that but
knowledge is not wisdom. Knowledge is something that we
must have, but wisdom is teaching us how it is that we
would apply the knowledge that we have from day to day and we
just say this You could have the knowledge on a subject.
You can have Bible knowledge about a religious matter from
God's word and be right? And you can go without wisdom
and not take it to the lost in a rightful way and do more damage
than good. You see, we need to learn by
wisdom how we're going to take the knowledge that we have and
apply it to the circumstances in life.
That's what wisdom is all about. Something that is so, sadly
lacking today. Like one man said one time
though, it's not difficult. One man said you don't have to
be listed in. Who's who to know what's what
people are lacking as Daryl used to say all the time.
And I know some of some of The people our parents age would say
that people are lacking, good old-fashioned common horse
sense, you know, that is true today.
Young people, let me just say this don't look at those that
have gray hair and look at them as people that have just old
fogies, and don't know, right from wrong.
And possibly could not possibly understand what young people are
going through with reference to our decisions.
Listen. And they have more common sense
and perhaps we may ever have in our life because it is sadly
lacking today. We need to feed off of their
wisdom because of their experience and I'll get back to
that later in Greater detail. But let me talk to you about the
concept of applying what we know very best to every situation.
Say for an example you go to work one day, you're a Christian
and your boss is not a Christian, you go.
To work and your boss unjustifiable e yells at you
creates a big scene belittles. You does something to you that
you did not deserve. How would you handle that?
What if a husband came home? After A Hard Day's Work.
All he worked hard all day long. He walks in the door.
He didn't deserve this. He didn't have this coming, but
his wife comes at him with both cannons as he walks in the door.
How we going to handle that? Let's flip it over though.
The poor wife. She could be at home to doing
nothing wrong. The husband can have a Rotten
Day. Could have had everything happen
in his life rotten that day and walk in the door and beat up his
wife, verbally How's she going to handle that?
All the circumstances? What if your brother in Christ
comes to you in an unfriendly Manner and belittles you in some
way? My point is this, you cannot
change what is done to you that somebody else chooses to do you
have nothing, you can do about that.
So we need to not focus on what another does.
The only thing that we have control over is, how are we
going to react? How are we going to respond?
What are we going to say? Let me just say this though.
I freely admit that I don't always respond properly.
There are times if Tina says something to me that I might say
something back that I probably shouldn't have been so harsh
about, I'm not saying that I always handle it, or respond
correctly. What I do know is what the Bible
teaches and the Bible teaches how you and I need to respond to
those. Those that come at us in an
unfavorable fashion. Well, here's the choices.
When someone wronged Us in any way, shape, or form and it
matters, not who it is, you have a choice to respond in one of
three ways. Number one, you can Strike Back
You know, there's two ways to strike back, both are wrong.
Striking back is not responding you can respond and not strike
back, okay? But notice this you can Strike
Back physically and we know that Christians can't do that.
We know that Christians are passive people Christians don't
fight. In fact it goes against the very
nature of what Jesus Christ is and was on this Earth.
And so if we are going to be christ-like a disciple of his
following Jesus, we can't be A brawler.
We can't be one. Who's going to strike back
physically? But you know, we can also Strike
Back verbally. And that could be equally as
destructive striking back verbally.
You know, there's another choice we can choose to do, absolutely
nothing. And that's our choice.
If someone wrongs us, we can do absolutely nothing.
There's nothing wrong with that. I know the world says, stand up
for yourself. It really does.
You got to stand up for yourself?
You got to take care of number one in your life.
I don't see that there. There's nothing wrong with
responding and I'm going to tell you, just exactly what the Bible
says, on how you respond. But if you don't want to
respond, that's okay too. But notice the very best way to
respond is like this to react with the soft kind reply and
brother, sister, that is a hard thing to do.
I don't know if there's anything more difficult than that right
there. When somebody comes at us and
they're verbally attacking us and we want to strike back.
We want to do it so bad, we can't stand it.
And then we often times, though we'll go ahead and give a sháá.
Dancer because that's what the Bible teaches, but we want an
ulterior motive. You see, it's like pouring coals
on their head, that'll get them. No, that's not the heart or the
attitude behind it. The Bible says though, when one
would do us wrong, when we are kind back it is true.
It's like pouring hot coals on their head, you know why?
Because they want to fight. They want you to respond to.
They can get matter so they can Strike Back more forcibly.
So they could Cause them to get worked up into a frenzy and win
the battle against you. But here the words of Solomon
and Proverbs chapter 15 and verse 1.
When he said a soft answer turneth away wrath, but Grievous
word. Stir up, anger.
Wisdom is the Insight, which helps us decide, what's the very
best thing to do on all of those occasions?
And so, let's look at the value. Now of wisdom, the first nine
chapters of the Book of Proverbs are actually discourses
extolling. The value of wisdom, for
example, we find the virtue of wisdom is seen in the prosperous
life that it can produce it. Proverbs chapter 3 beginning
there in verse 13. It says this happy is the man
that findeth wisdom. And the man that getteth
understanding for the merchandising of it is better
than the merchandise of silver and the gain their of than fine
gold. Listen, she is more precious
than rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be
compared unto her Length of days is in her right hand.
Hand and in her left hand riches, and honor.
Look at the prosperous. Life of the person that has
wisdom in their life, greater than the value of all the jewels
in the world combined, if he has her that's wisdom.
Happy is he? He goes on, to say this, her
ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her.
And happy is everyone that retain it with her.
I wonder if in all the aspirations and the goals and
all the things that we have in life, I wonder where wisdom
comes into play of all the things that we really want to
retain or acquire. I wonder if wisdom is truly at
the top of our list. Wisdoms value is also found in
that. It guards us against the Al's
that are out there. You know there are many pitfalls
that I can talk about tonight. I'm going to mention three
pitfalls that are found in the Book of Proverbs.
We can't go through that. We could preach many sermons on
this subject of wisdom we could talk about many of the pitfalls.
We could talk about a lot of those things, I'll just mention
three. Number one, there's a pitfall
that wisdom will Aid Us in or help us from falling into and
that is evil companionship. You know, how many times have we
either said or heard it say they just got tied up or they got
tangled up or they just got mixed up with the wrong crowd.
How many times has a good person?
A good. Christian been LED astray
because of the wrong crowd. Well, I'm going to tell you
something, the Bible, clearly states, how to not fall into
that trap, how to not fall into that pit fall.
It is very important. And yes, it does matter who we
hang out with in our life. In Proverbs Chapter 1 beginning
in verse 10, Hear these words of old, my son.
If Sinners entice thee consent doubt, not if they say come with
us, let us lay wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the
innocent without cause let us swallow them up alive as the
grave and whole as they, that go down into the pit.
We shall find all precious substance.
We shall fill our houses with spoil cast in thy lot Among Us.
Let us all have one purse. My son walked not thou in the
way with them and refrain thy foot from their path.
Let me just say this, I know we touched on this not too long ago
about Temptation, not talking about that specifically now
talking about evil companionship now, You ever have a friend that
was living in sin? And that friend wanted you to
partake of, or participate in, or hang out with them, I have
never had, I've got a lot of worldly friends.
I surely have in my life. I have never had a worldly
friend that wanted to live in sin.
That was happy for me because I was a Christian no misery loves
company. Another thing to they don't want
the righteous life of the Christian to constantly remind
themselves of what they are not. So what do they want?
They want you to cast in your lot with them.
They want to say look let's all have one purse.
Let's be together, let's go do this.
They are more concerned with pulling you.
You away from the Lord then they are in supporting you as you
live the Christian Life they don't care about you in that way
and anybody of all the people in the world and I've had people
that have told me, I love you, we're going to be together
forever, friend Pals, no matter what all the days of our life.
If a person loves you, if a person wants to be your friend,
they will never wish eternal hell on you.
And that is what a person is destined for when they partake
in those evil and sinful things. The life of a Christian condemns
The Sinner. How many have ruined their lives
because of unwise choices. And when one is made the
decision to follow those who are living in sin, have paid the
price for the rest of their life.
You know, that's sobering to me this morning, we talked about
forgiveness, and absolutely, there is not a sin in this world
that a person cannot be forgiven of, but there's a difference
between forgiveness and consequence.
If a person goes out and destroys their body and uses IV,
drugs, or participates, and other illicit relationships,
they should not make and they get a disease, it's going to
take their life. Chances are they're still going
to die. Die forgiveness by the blood of
Jesus does not take away the disease or the sickness or the
consequence of what you've done. And so wisdom, keep somebody
from falling into that pit fall and running with the wrong crowd
and then turning into the person that they should not be.
How sad is it when a person ruins their entire life because
of the choice to follow evil companions?
Secondly, though Proverbs the fifth chapter verses 1 through,
8 talks about the immoral woman and notice what he says, he says
my son attend unto my wisdom and bow Vine ear to my
understanding, that thou mayest regard.
Ian and that thy lips, may keep knowledge for the lips of a
strange woman drop as a honeycomb and her mouth is
smoother than oil, but her end is bitter as wormwood sharp as a
two-edged sword, her feet. Go down to death, her steps
take, hold on. Hell, let's now should have
Ponder the path of Life. Her ways are movable, that thou
canst not know them. Hear me.
Therefore O, ye children and Not from the words of my mouth,
remove thy way from her, and come, not nigh, the door of her
house. I'm going to tell you something.
There are people in this world, boys and girls, men and women
alike, who the Christian has no business being in a relationship
with. I'm going to tell you something.
When you talk about relationships, especially the
marriage relationship, that is the closest tie and close.
Just relationship that a person will ever have with another
person. You know, one of the beautiful
things about being married is there's a lot of beautiful
things about it. That's this.
Living in a Christian home. Tina knows me.
Better than anybody in. This world knows me.
She knows what you don't. You know what's beautiful about
that? Even in my weaknesses, she still
loves me and chooses to be with me.
In a relationship that governed by God.
Where God is number one in the home?
Oh, we're not perfect. We're just trying to follow that
book. When you do that, the marriage
relationship is a wonderful, wonderful blessing, but I'm
going to tell you something. If you choose somebody out of
the world, because the physical attraction, or any other false
idea of what love is, I'm going to tell you something, use your
head, use your head, think with your head, because I'm going to
tell you something, you get the wrong one.
Hear what he said about that, although it looks sweet on the
outside. It looks like it's going to be
good. Oh no, she's as bitter as
wormwood Pretty sobering, isn't it?
Relationships with these types might appear, exciting and even
harmless, but immorality is one of the quickest ways to destroy
oneself physically, emotionally and spiritually as well.
But on the other hand and it is just this easy, the exercise of
wisdom, spares one from Total ruin, one more though that he
talks about. In Proverbs Chapter 6, verses
six through 11, you know what he says?
He says, one of the pitfalls also is laziness.
He ever stop to consider that laziness is wrong.
Notice what he says in Proverbs Chapter 6, verses 6 through 11,
he said go to the ant thou, sluggard consider her ways and
be wise, which having no guide overseer or ruler provided.
Her meet in the summer and gathereth her food in the
Harvest. How long wilt thou sleep?
O. Sluggard.
When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep, yet a little sleep, a
little Slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep.
So shall thy poverty. Listen come as one that traveled
with and thy want as an armed, as an unarmed man.
What happens when you're a sluggard and that's a lazy
person. A person that is Idle a person
that is not taking care of their responsibilities.
I'll tell you this, though. You can be a sluggard in the
physical world, and you can also be a sluggard in the spiritual
world. And I simply say it that way,
talking about with your service to God, being a sluggard, being
lazy is not acceptable. In the eyes of God.
Let me just say this. He says, when you're lazy,
Poverty is coming and it's going to overtake you like an unarmed
man in battle. Can you imagine if all of a
sudden you were being attacked and guns were on you and say,
for example, you were Soldier and here comes the attack of the
enemy and all the weapons. You would be completely
helpless, you would be unarmed and helpless.
That's what he said. It's like here you are.
You're a sluggard, you're lazy. And poverty is going to attack
you. As sure as an attacker would an
unarmed man. Something else he says, though,
you know, I can't fathom this. I'd never thought this of all
the days of my short life, I have never considered this.
Until I read that verse of scripture when he said,
considerest vow the ant. I don't know about you but I
don't like ants. I don't like him at all.
Answer a nuisance you ever be in a picnic and all of a sudden,
there's ants attacking your food, you ever lay down under a
tree somewhere to take a nap on an afternoon and the Cool Breeze
blowing and you're enjoying your your time there and all of a
sudden you get feeling. Like there's things crawling on
you and it's ants what a horrible thing.
They are. That's what he says to the
sluggard. You look at the ant as your
example. And the ad is your example.
Why is that they're busy? What else do they do?
They work when they're not being guided when nobody watches.
I'm going to tell you. That's a great example for you
and I to work. It's easy to work when
somebody's going to watch us. Let me just say this.
All that are here in this room that have a job.
Let me just ask you a question. I know that if your boss is
standing there, we all want to impress our employer.
Do we do sure. But when the employer leaves,
would you work just as hard? Would you work as hard?
You should. you need to give everything you have, and in
fact, you need to do it like service unto the Lord, the Bible
says, The ant is described as one, who is an example to the
lazy sluggard, because the ant will work without guidance, he
will work without credit, he will work without praise, he
will be smart, he will be diligent and what does it say?
He'll go out and get the Harvest.
He'll go out and get the food when he needs it and store it
for a time when he will not be able to do so That's the
example, he gives to the sluggard to the lazy person.
Think about that. Think about how you would work
in your life. If no one watches.
He says to the lady laser to the lazy.
Go watch that Aunt. And so on a lazy man is one who
is destined for poverty and again wisdom provides a much
better way of life. A man said one time Then a man
would never lose his shirt, if he's not afraid to roll up his
sleeves, you do. I tell you, I've seen Christians
from time to time do this kind of sit back and want to pray
real hard for God to give them what they need but they failed
to do their part. You see you pray.
Absolutely. You pray.
Pray hard but pray within the rows with the hole in your hand,
pray while you're working That's what we have to do.
We have to work. Like, everything depends on us
and pray like it depends on God and give everything.
We've got, don't be the sluggard.
Don't be the lazy. Finally, wisdom provides a much
better way of life. That is not poverty.
That is not destined for all of those failures.
Let's ask ourselves. Now the value of Proverbs with
reference to wisdom, how then is wisdom, gained wisdom is So
important, we've talked about that question is, how do you get
it? Wisdom is normally gained
through one of two sources, or a combination of the both.
Number one through years of trial and error, everyone that's
here has gleaned or gained some wisdom in their life because of
decisions that you made that were wrong and you failed and
what happens? You pick yourself up and you
learn a life's lesson. Yes.
Indeed. When you Do that, then you have
wisdom. But notice this is a person
though or a person that only gains wisdom, and that way,
That's not smart. Because that's a person that's
not willing to listen to the failure of another to learn a
lesson. That's a person that says, I
don't care what your advice is. I don't care.
What your advice is. I'm going to do it all on my
own. I got to find my own way sad,
isn't it when people do that. One man said, one time
experience comes from what we have done.
But wisdom comes from what we have done badly.
How else do you get it? Well, first of all, there are
disadvantages of gaining wisdom in this way.
First of all, much of life's, much of one's life time can be
wasted trying to learn through trial and error in doing.
So one is forth to live with the consequences of Error and very
sadly, very sadly. Some folks, never survive that
error to get the blessing of wisdom.
What's the better way? What's the better way to get
wisdom then and that is number one through the proven
experience of others. This is Possible only if one is
willing to heed the advice of another Advantages of this,
though are very wonderful and blessings to us advantages of
getting wisdom this way, is this you can avoid wasting years and
years of life through trial and error.
Secondly, you will be able to experience life unburdened with
the consequences of earlier mistakes that you have made in
your life. Like one said, one time a wise
man, learns from the Stakes of others because nobody lives long
enough to make them all themself The Book of Proverbs is so
valuable. It's a valuable tool in our
attempt to be wise. We don't have to constantly try
to reinvent the wheel. We can go straight to the Book
of Proverbs and find that in it. We find provided the wisdom of
God himself in Proverbs Chapter 2 beginning in verse 1, hear
these words. My son.
If thou Wilt receive my words and hide my Commandments with
thee, so that thou incline, thine ear unto wisdom and apply
thine heart to understanding gay.
If thou Christ after knowledge, and lift us up by voice for
understanding, if thou, seekest her as silver and searched for
her. As, for Hidden Treasures, then
shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord and find the
knowledge of God for the Lord. Lord giveth wisdom out of his
mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
You know, the Bible says that we must seek after but also we must
pray for wisdom. God gives it liberally.
It says, but also the things that we learn from our knowledge
of God's word pointing toward the things that are the wisest
choices in our life if we will diligently seek after the wisdom
that's described in God's word and pray to God, that we would
have it. We will have it liberally as he
has promised it to us in James chapter 1 beginning in verse 5.
It says, if any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that
giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not.
And it shall be given him, but let him ask in faith, nothing
wavering for he that waiver. If is like a wave of the sea
driven with the wind and tossed for.
Let not that man. Think he shall receive anything
of the Lord a double-minded, man.
Man is unstable in all his ways. Finally, though you cannot have
wisdom in your life without Jesus Christ.
If Jesus Christ is not in the equation, then you do not have
the wisdom that the Bible speaks of, for Paul said in Colossians
2 and 3 in, whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom.
And knowledge in conclusion. Somebody who said this, I wrote
it down, thought it was worth passing on.
He said, wisdom is the reward that you get for a lifetime of
listening when you'd rather talk.
Man, how hard it is to not talk. How hard it is to not have an
opinion, that's hard to do we all like to talk?
I love doing it. It's difficult.
But wisdom comes when you listen, when you read, when you
understand, and when you pray and you seek after Council, that
is Wise from those that have already made such mistakes.
That's a person that has wisdom because they've been silently
listened when they'd rather talk.
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