The
Wisdom of God - Proverbs 3
July
15th, 2007 Mike Barnett
Proverbs 3:1-12 (pg. 450) says:
1
My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they
will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
3 Let love
and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you
will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
5 Trust in
the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all
your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight. [a]
7 Do not be
wise in your own eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
8 This will
bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.
9 Honor the
LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
10 then your
barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new
wine.
11 My son,
do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because
the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father [b] the son he delights in. Proverbs 3:1-12
V.
1–2, “My son, do
not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart” for they
will prolong your life many years and bring you prosperity.
·
The steps of
the young man are now steps of responsibility.
·
He has left
the home and has moved out into life where he is coming into contact with
reality.
·
The advice
that is given to him is that his steps need to be ordered according to the Word
of God and not according to the mindset of this world.
·
Wisdom is
depicted as a woman.
·
Wisdom is ________________________(personified)
in the Lord ____________________(Jesus) Christ.
1
Cor.
30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,
who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and
redemption.
·
The best
motive for following God’s Word is out of
___________________________(obedience) for Him but there is a secondary motive
of having a prosperous and
___________________________(fruitful) life.
Psalm 119:11 says:
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
John
23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my
teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home
with him.
·
Jesus said if
you love me, you will obey me.
·
God promises
long life and prosperity to the person who reads and received God’s wisdom.
V. 2 - for they will prolong your
life many years
and bring you prosperity.
·
The obedient student
of God’s Wisdom is promised ________________________(long) and
________________________(prosperous) life.
·
Jesus is the
Word and wisdom of God made flesh and he said: “I have come that you may have
life and have it to the full”. John 10:10
·
When Solomon
prayed for wisdom, God promised him riches as well as long life if he obeyed
God’s commands.
1 Kings 3:13-14 says:
13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked
for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among
kings. 14 And if you walk in my ways and obey my
statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long
life."
·
Many times
the _____________________(righteous) who pursue God’s wisdom are ______________________(prosperous)
and _________________(happy) throughout their elongated lives.
Proverbs
21 No harm befalls the righteous,
but the wicked have their fill of trouble.
·
But sometimes
the young do die young and the book of Job also shows how disaster and death
can strike a godly person.
·
It is
important to remember that a proverb by definition is a ____________________
________________________(situational truth) that does not apply in every
circumstance.
·
Many Godly
people have bee martyred for their faith at a young age, but in may incidences
Solomon recognized that the righteous live a prolonged life.
V.
3 “Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart”.
“bind…neck”.
Like a beautiful necklace, write them on the tablet of your heart.
Jeremiah
31:33 says:
33
"This is the covenant I will make with the house of
after that time," declares the LORD. "I
will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their
God, and they will be my people.
·
The law was
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
·
The Law was
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.
·
V. 3 reminds
us to receive the lavish love he has for us in the form of Jesus Christ.
Illustration:
The teacher asked a little girl the difference between kindness and loving
kindness. The little girl answered, “Well, if you ask your mama for a piece of
bread with some butter on it, and she gives it to you, that’s kindness. But if
she puts a little jam on it without asking her, that is loving-kindness”
·
God put’s a
little jam on for us – which we are to receive and never let leave us.
·
4 Then you will win
favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
·
A person who
is _____________________(faithful) and __________________________(loving) will
be ___________________(respected) by others.
V. 5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all your
heart
and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways
acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. [a]
QUESTION: ARE YOU PATHS STRAIGHT? THEN
YOU PROBABLY HAVE TRUSTED THE LORD AND HIS WISDOM.
QUESTION: ARE YOUR PATHS CROOKED,
SIDEWAYS, UPSIDE DOWN, ALL OVER THE PLACE? THEN YOU HAVE PROBABLY TRUSTED YOUR
OWN WISDOM.
“Trust
in the Lord” – commit your way to the Lord, like
Psalm 22:4-5 says:
4 In you our fathers put their trust;
they trusted and you delivered them.
5 They cried
to you and were saved;
in you they trusted and were not
disappointed.
“with
all your heart”
David challenged Solomon to serve God
with whole-hearted devotion.
1 Chronicles 28:1-20
“Acknowledge
Him” – Be ever mindful of God and serve him with a willing and faithful heart.
·
God’s wisdom
is written down throughout the pages of scripture and personified in the Lord
Jesus Christ.
·
Jesus
compared the life of man who applies God’s wisdom to his life to a man who does
not apply it.
Matthew 7:24-27 (pg. 686) says:
24"Therefore
everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a
wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain
came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house;
yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put
them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and
beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
·
Those who
hear the word of God and put it into practice are wise people who are _________________________(protected)
from ____________________(harm), but the foolish man who trust his own wisdom
will __________________ _________________(self destruct) and fall with a great
__________________(fall).
·
Wisdom is
trusting God and his word, even when you do not see the
_________________________(manifestation) of God’s truth spoken to you.
·
Foolishness
can be defined as trusting our own ______________________(intellect) and ______________________(senses)
instead of trusting God.
·
When you
___________________(think) God’s wisdom, ___________________(speak) God’s
wisdom and ___________________(apply) God’s wisdom to your life, God will
remove the ____________________(obstacles) from your _____________________(pathway)
and bring you to your God appointed ________________(goal).
ILLUS. What we think is
important because scientist have confirmed that our (thoughts) and (Words) give
off vibrations that move molecules and create (energy) – whether (positive) or (negative).
But Jesus knew the power of words a long time ago.
Mark 11:22-25 says:
22"Have[a] faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain,
'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes
that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore
I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it,
and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if
you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven
may forgive you your sins."[b]
ILLUS: Scientist have
proven that positive thoughts radiate from a persons brain at a higher lever (frequency)
than do negative thoughts and it is believed that higher) frequencies have
potential to move and influence) matter. Scientist also believe the Universe
was created by thoughts and Words. And although they will not specify who
thought and spoke these words…We know it is all powerful God!
·
The most
positive and powerful thoughts in the Universe are ____________________(God’s)
- He _________________________(created) the universe and everything in it by
speaking it into being.
Genesis 1:1-3 says:
1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the
earth was [a] formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God
said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Likewise….
·
When a person
thinks God’s wisdom and speaks God’s word, it moves _________________________(mountains)
of ______________________(problems) and _____________________(creates) God’s
purposes.
·
When we know
and trust God’s wisdom our lives become what God wants them to be.
·
When we trust
out own human thoughts apart from God, our lives become what the Devil and
world wants us to be – separate from God.
·
The Bible
tells Christians to __________________ _______________________(think rightly)
because our thoughts make things happen for the better or for the worse
depending upon what we focus on.
Philippians 4:4-8 (pg.
832) says:
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is
pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things.
TRUTH: YOU WILL
________________________(ATTRACT) MORE OF WHATEVER YOU
____________________(THINK) ABOUT WETHER YOU ____________________(WANT) IT OR
NOT.
TRUTH: SINCE YOU WILL
ATTRACT ____________________(MORE) OF WHAT YOU ______________________(DESPISE)
AND DO NOT WANT BY _____________________THINKING ABOUT IT,
______________________(REPLACE) THOSE DESTRUCTIVE THOUGHTS WITH THINKING GOD’S
WORD / HIS ___________________(WISDOM)!
·
Christians
are urged to manage their thoughts and make sure they are in alignment to God’s
Word – Jesus Christ!
2 Corinthians 10:5 says:
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.
Proverbs 28:26 says:
26 He who
trusts in himself is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
V. 7 – Do not be wise in your own
eyes;
fear the LORD and shun evil.
V. 8 – This will bring health to
your body
and nourishment to your bones.
·
Bones” refers
to the whole body.
·
Medical
science has now confirmed what the Bible has said for centuries - It will
improve your ______________________(health) to ______________________(trust) in
the Lord.
·
Medical
science has documented the affects that _________________________(thoughts) and
_________________________(words) have on a patients ill body in the
_____________________(recovery) process.
·
It has been
well documented that Christians who pray trust God for healing have a high a
much higher rate of complete healing and deliverance form the disease than
people who do not pray to nor trust Him
for healing.
·
I wish there
was more studies regarding emotional healing.
·
It is
wonderful trust in God rather than in yourself.
·
Elsewhere in
the bible we see that good news and pleasant words bring health to the bones.
Proverbs
30 A cheerful look brings joy to the heart,
and good news gives health to the bones.
Proverbs
24 Pleasant
words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the
bones.
Proverbs
22 A
cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.
·
FOCUSSING ON
GOD’S WORD/WISDOM BRINGS _______________________(HEALING) TO OUR
_______________________(BODIES) WHEREAS THINKING THE WORD’S WISDOM CAN BRING
_______________________(DESTRUCTION) AND DISEASE.
V. 9 - 9
Honor the LORD with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;
V. 9 – “firstfruits” – The
Israelites were required to give the priest the first part of the olive oil,
whine and grain produced each year.
Lev.
10 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'When
you enter the land I am going to give you and you reap its harvest, bring to
the priest a sheaf of the first grain you harvest.
·
When God gave
the Israelites the Promised Land he demanded a tithe – meaning at least
10percent of all their harvest that He gave them.
·
At the very
beginning of the Harvest, they gave God the first fruit – the very first
harvest – not the last….not the leftovers- but the first harvest.
·
Don’t tell me
you are totally committed to the Lord until your pocket book is committed to.
The Lord gave you everything.
·
Some people
says, “But this is my hard earned money that I worked for”.
·
But who gave
you your ability to earn money? God did!
·
Who gave you
the health to earn money? God did.
·
Who gave you
the job opportunity you have now? God did.
·
God has made
it possible for you to make the money you have.
·
The Bible
says to honor God and acknowledge that He is your provider by giving him a
firstfruits tithe offering to God.
V.
10 – 10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new
wine.
“Filled to overflowing” – For those
who bring to the Lord his tithes and offerings, God promises to pour out more
blessing than they can have room for.
Malachi
10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that
there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty,
"and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so
much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.
·
Even secular
business men who are not religious people see the value of tithing their money
to charities.
·
Almost every
success book that gives a formal for being rich has giving money away to church
and charities as one of it’s major prerequisites for being rich.
·
These
millionaires have realized that the more money they give away, the more money
they receive.
·
Even business
men who do not love God see the value and wisdom of God’s Word when it comes to
giving money away.
·
It’s too bad
it is for selfish reasons, but even they see that the work of God works – you
reap what you sow.
·
A Christian
who does not give God a first fruits ___________________(tithe) of their income
as an offering through their church…. is a Christian that does not really
___________________(trust) God’s infinite _______________________(Wisdom)!
·
God’s Wisdom
says give at least 10% of your income to me and trust that I will provide for
your family and take care of every bill!
11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
and do not resent his rebuke,
12 because
the LORD disciplines those he loves,
as a father [b] the son he delights in.
·
When God’s
children do not apply God’s wisdom to their lives, He is motivated to ______________________(discipline)
then out of ____________________(love) because he cares for their long term
safety.
Job
17
"Blessed is the man whom God corrects;
so do not despise the discipline of the
Almighty. [a]
Psalm 119:71 says:
71 It was good
for me to be afflicted
so that I might learn your decrees.
Hebrews 12:5-6 says:
5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement
that addresses you as sons:
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a
son."[a]
Hebrews
10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they
thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his
holiness.
V.
12 – “As a father” – God disciplines his son
·
God is going
to discipline you as you go along in life.
·
God does not
whip the devil’s children, but he certainly spanks his own.
·