Osceola Sermon Bible Proverbs April 21 st, 2013 / Pastor Bob Vale In Proverbs: April 21 st, 2013 Book Theme: He is your wisdom, helping you make sense of life and live it successfully. Sermon Title: Wise up about your life. Sermon Topic: Four wisdom principles to build a successful life. Sermon Text: Proverbs 1:7; 3:19-20 Speaker: Pastor Bob Vale Biblical Focus: Proverbs 4:12 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Scripture Lessons: 1. Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. 2. Proverbs 26:11. "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." 3. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 4. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. 8:30 a.m. Traditional Worship Service: Hymn of Praise: # 117 Our Help in Ages Past Prayer Hymn:# 454 Open My Eyes That I May See (Verse # 1) Hymn of Response:# 451 Be Thou My Vision 11 a.m. Solid Praise Worship Service: *See The List From Matt Boggs. Show Video about a T-Ball Faith:
When we think of the word, Proverbs, many of us think of Confucius. The ancient 4 th Century Chinese Philosopher, who gave us so many one or two sentence lines of wisdom. 1. Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it. 2. Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. 3. Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. However, the Bible has a great list of Proverbs as one of the 66 books of the Bible written mostly by: King Solomon. Solomon's proverbs were written around 900 B.C. During his reign as king, the nation of Israel reached its pinnacle spiritually, politically, culturally, and economically. As Israel's reputation soared, so did King Solomon's. Foreign dignitaries from the far reaches of the known world traveled great distances to hear the wise king speak. What is the definition of a Proverb? A Proverb is a short, written or verbal statement of a general truth, which condenses common experience into common sense truth. Another way of saying this is: A proverb is a short sentence based upon a person s long experience. Proverbs are: 1. Usually Short. 2. Easy to Remember. 3. Allow us to see things differently than at face value. Our own American culture has everyday proverbs that we use: 1. The Early Bird Gets the Worm 2. People who live in glass houses should not throw rocks. 3. Where there is a will, there is a way 4. Don t spit into the wind. 5. A Friend in Need...is a friend indeed.
I have always liked the proverbs and wisdom sayings. I have used them often to my children as I was raising them. Here are a few of the wisdom sayings I remember telling my children as they were growing up: 1. Always look twice when you cross the road. 2. Never eat dried up bubble gum on the bottom of a chair. (It s not free candy!) 3. Don t put that fork in the light socket. 4. Never pass up an opportunity to keep your mouth quiet. 5. Real beauty is fleeting, but stupidity last forever. 6. I don t care if all your friends are staying out past midnight and going to a party if they all decided to jump off a bridge, would you follow them to jump as well? 7. Don t be so open minded that your brains might fall out. Today I would like to share with you, four wisdom principles to build a successful life taken from the book of Proverbs. They are: 1. Get Some Wisdom. 2. Don t Repeat Old Mistakes 3. Grow with other likeminded Christians!!!! 4. Stay away from a prideful heart & attitude. 1. Get Some Wisdom: a. How do I get wisdom? Proverbs 1:7 :The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.: Many Christian people might think the first step to being knowledgeable is to simply know God. But it isn't enough to just know God. It's not until you fear the Lord that your knowledge begins because that is when you acknowledge that God is who he says he is. You must respect God enough to begin to study the Bible and other Christian writings to become wise. Godly wisdom does not come
naturally from age. It comes from study and experience and even in making mistakes!!! Sometimes making mistakes is the best teacher. I have often told my children when they make mistakes: The best thing you can do next is learn from this error and not repeat it. I will often ask them: what have you learned about this? A wise man learns from the mistakes of others. Nobody lives long enough to make them all himself. Remember that God gave Solomon the option of anything he wanted and he requested Wisdom. Illustration: An angel of God appears at a college faculty meeting and tells the dean of the university that in return for his unselfish and exemplary behavior, the Lord will reward him with his choice of infinite wealth, wisdom or beauty. Without hesitating, the dean selects infinite wisdom. "Done!" says the angel, and disappears in a cloud of smoke and a bolt of lightning. As he is in front of all his fellow professors, all heads turn toward the dean.. There is stunned silence for a moment until one of the professors say, say something wise. The dean of the college looks at them and says with a crack in his voice, "I should have taken the money." *If there is one thing I have learned in my life, it is this: You don t have to be listed in the educational Who s Who to know What s What!!! b. How much does wisdom cost? Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. i. It seems to me God is telling us that wisdom is very important to have in life. Proverbs 8:11 says, for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
ii. What would it cost to be wise? (Time to study, time to read, time to listen, time to learn, time to reflect, & time to pray.) Time seems to be the common denominator. Illustration: Detroit Automaker Henry Ford asked electrical genius Charlie Steinmetz to build the generators for his factory. One day the generators ground to a halt, and the repairmen couldn't find the problem. So Ford called Steinmetz, who tinkered with the machines for a few hours and then threw the switch. The generators whirred to life--but Ford got a bill for $10,000 from Steinmetz. Flabbergasted, the rather tightfisted car maker inquired why the bill was so high. Here is Steinmetz's reply: For tinkering with the generators, $10. For knowing where to tinker, $9,990. Ford paid the bill. i. How do I keep Wisdom? Proverbs 3:5 & 6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, & lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. This one verse has been my life s verse. I have trusted it over and over throughout my life. (I ve trusted this verse with my career, marriage, children, and everyday decisions.) It has served me well. Whenever I stumble across a difficult situation in my life this is one of the verses I go to.
Illustration: Years ago I raised two small boys. In playing with them as toddlers, there were times when I would take them outside and toss them up in the air as high as I could throw them. Generally about three to four feet above my six foot body. Typically their eyes got as big as fried eggs. They cheered, laughed and asked me to do it again and again until my arms got tired. I have a favorite picture of me throwing Joshua up in the air and it was a bit scary to look at the picture and see just how high I was tossing him. One time during one of those fun times together, I asked little four year old Joshua, aren t you afraid when I throw you up in the air so high? His quick childlike answer was, nope, I m never scared. I asked him why he was never scared and he also quickly responded, because you re my daddy! Joshua knew I loved him deeply as a father and would never let him fall. As I thought about that for a moment, I wondered why I sometimes don t trust the Lord in that same way. If I dropped my young son at 10 feet in the air, he would be greatly hurt, yet he was not concerned, knowing I would always catch him. Perhaps there is a spiritual lesson in this for all of us adults to trust our heavenly father.our abba father better. (Who will catch us when we are falling)
2. Don t Repeat Old Mistakes: a. Proverbs 26:11. "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." While it is gross this verse makes a lot of sense. Repeating a mistake you've made in the past is like a dog returning to his vomit. Ick! i. We all make mistakes the key is to learn from them and strive not to repeat them. Here are three key things to remember about mistakes. 1. A mistake is an event and never a person: Don t let a mistake define you! 2. A person who never makes mistakes never takes any risk in life. Don t be afraid to take risk. 3. God is always there to forgive you for the spiritual mistakes you commit and allow you to start over with a clean slate. (That is the good news my friend!!!) Illustration: I ve been a pastor and in ministry long enough to see people who have given up on life because of past failures. As much as I remind them that we serve the God of 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th chances, the words just seem to not take effect in their lives. As a pastor, I have noticed the difference between what happens when a man says to himself; "I have failed three times," and what happens when he says, "I am a failure." The difference is huge and the healing process takes much longer to help them be whole again. b. Watch the mistakes of a foolish tongue: Prov. 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit. i. The fruit of gossip and speaking ill of others can be both bitter and sour. Illustration: There was a wise elementary school teacher, who sent a note home to all parents on the first day of school. It read: "If you promise not to believe everything your child says happens at school, I'll promise not to believe everything your child says happens at home."
c. Watch out for the old mistake of laziness: Proverbs 26:14 As a door turns on its hinges, so does the lazy man on his bed. I love these pictures as the definition of laziness: I believe God s best plan for us as humans it to be fruitful and not lazy. Amen i. Ann Frank once said, Laziness may appear to be attractive but work gives satisfaction. I find that to be so true. Hard work is very rewarding. ii. I have found that laziness is nothing more than the habit of resting in my easy chair before I get tired. 3. Grow with other likeminded Christians!!!! a. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. i. The men of our church have adopted this verse for the men s ministry of the church. It helps us understand that as men we need each other to grow and make each other better in our Christian lives.
b. Prov. 13:20 He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed. c. Eccl. 4:12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. It has been my experience to see the men or women of the church do incredible things for God when they are like minded and moving in the same direction. Great things can happen when two or three are gathered in Jesus name. (Matthew 18:20)
4. Stay away from a prideful heart & attitude. a. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Illustration: It is interesting to see how pride can get a hold of us. Much of America runs on pride and what others think about us. There was a very successful car salesman who understood this type of pride in our lives. He closed hundreds of car sales with this one line: "Let me show you something several of your neighbors said you couldn't afford." b. The opposite of Prideful is Humility: Proverbs 22:4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches and honor and life. Illustration: Although the great preacher George Whitefield disagreed with another great preacher, John Wesley on some theological matters, he was careful not to create problems in public that could be used to hinder the preaching of the gospel. Both were great in their own right, but there were some differences in the way they interpreted the Bible. When someone asked George Whitefield if he thought he would see John Wesley in heaven, Whitefield replied, "I fear not, for he will be so near the eternal throne of God and myself at such a great distance, I doubt I shall hardly gain sight of him." c. Proverbs 4:12 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (Perhaps the most important verse for the Christian striving to be like Christ. We must guard our mind, eyes, ears, thoughts and things that affect our heart. This may be the most important proverb of the morning. We need to guard our hearts, for it is the wellspring of life. The Heart is used in Scripture as the most comprehensive term for the authentic person. It is the part of our being where we desire, deliberate, and decide. It has been described as "the place of conscious
and decisive spiritual activity," "the comprehensive term for a person as a whole; his feelings, desires, passions, thought, understanding and will," and "the center of a person. It is the place God turns to both listen and speak to us." Listen to these familiar scriptures that help us understand the heart. 1. Psalms 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. 2. Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 3. Matthew 22:37 Jesus replied: " `Love the Lord your God with all your heart 4. Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, 5. Ephesians 1:8 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened 6. Ephesians 5:9 Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord 7. Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, I think God is asking us to be careful about our heart and listening to Him. Illustration: I have lived in Osceola now for going on five years. You may not know this, but the first week or two of living in Osceola were a bit difficult. You may wonder why living here was difficult for me. The parsonage home is wonderful, the people of the church are wonderful, I dearly love the area and living close to the water. Then why was it so difficult you may ask? In my honesty, I must tell you my first two week in Osceola were difficult because..of because..of Rail Road trains and their late
night horns that blast as they cross over our roads. I am a short distance and can hear them clearly. About midnight of our first night in our home, a train came through, blasting its horn. It didn t just wake me up, but also nearly gave me a heart attack! Every night when the train came through, it blew the horn. At first I thought about placing ear plugs in my ears, but then I started getting used to the nightly awakenings. In time, I would wake up for a few seconds, then go right back to sleep. Eventually I got where the train horn didn t even wake me up. I eventually hardened my heart to the train and couldn t hear it any more. The same hardening process occurs when God speaks to our hearts and we don t respond. Eventually, we stop hearing His voice because our hearts have become hard to His voice. God is asking you to guard your heart. (Hebrews 4:7). Today if you hear God s voice, listen and keep your heart soft. Let s Pray, Heavenly Father, we thank you for the many wisdom sayings given to us in your scriptures. May we not only be a people who reads the Proverbs with wonder, but may we be a people who obeys them with joy in our hearts. In doing so, we will become a people of obedience, holiness and goodness in our hearts. Amen. Wisdom Quote: The Serenity Prayer: God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr Benediction: Jude 1:24-25 Now to him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy-- 25 to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
Pastor Bob s Sermon Notes 1. Get Some Wisdom: Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. 2. Don t Repeat Old Mistakes: Proverbs 26:11. "As a dog returns to his own vomit, so a fool repeats his folly." 3. Grow with others likeminded Christians: Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. 4. Stay Away from a prideful heart and attitude: Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.