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Sermon
The Way of Wisdom

Three Rewards Of Wisdom

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April 2, 2023
Proverbs 3:1-8
Andy Naselli
professor

Wisdom & Discernment

The Bible

Sanctification & Growth

Transcript

0:11Let's pray together. father as we hear your words in Proverbs 3 Would you please teach us? reprove us Correct us. And train Us in righteousness so that we will be equipped for every good work. amen Please turn with me in your Bibles to Proverbs 3 Proverbs chapter 3. Proverbs 3 I saw a short video the other day that made me chuckle and and wince it goes something like this. A teenage girl just drove her dad's expensive car home parks it in the driveway. She proudly announces to her dad that she just filled up the gas tank. She mentions that the gas nozzle seems a little different than normal and that gets the dad on edge and he asks her. So what color was the gas nozzle and she says it was Green.

1:24And the Dad's face Falls and his mouth drops in horror because he realizes that his daughter put diesel into the gas tank instead of gasoline. Now. I'm guessing that video is not real because a typical diesel fuel nozzle is intentionally too large to fit into a gasoline filler neck. But doesn't it make you cringe a little bit just imagine that happening people who design a car prepare an owner's manual for that car. The owner's manual explains how to take care of the car. And if you don't follow basic instructions and the owner's manual like which kind of fuel to put in the tank, you'll damage the car one way to damage a car is to put the wrong kind of feel into it.

2:06So here's why this is important. For how we live. God designed and created us. And the Book of Proverbs, which we're preaching through right now and the rest of the Bible, especially the Book of Proverbs is God's manual to instruct us. How to live wisely if we don't do what God tells us. Then the consequences will be costly. But if we do it God says the consequences will be rewarding. Not I said rewarding I'm going to use that word reward and the word rewarding a lot as we look at Proverbs 3 1 to 8. So let me just explain right from the beginning here what I mean by that word reward. Here's one dictionary definition a reward is a thing given in recognition of one's service effort or achievement. Here's an example sentence. He's reaping the rewards of his hard work and perseverance.

3:04That's what I mean by reward it. If you do something well, then you receive a benefit for doing it and the benefit is an incentive. For doing the right thing. Here's an example from Proverbs 10:4 lazy hands make for poverty. But diligent hands bring wealth. So the principle is if you work hard. Then you receive wealth. Wealth is the reward. So all reward is a benefit you receive for how you live. The reward wealth is an incentive to live a certain way to work diligently. That's how I'm using the word reward. So now let's read our text Proverbs 3 1 to 8 and as we read it. Note that there are several wise commands and they're all connected to receiving a reward. It's a benefit for how you live. So these rewards are incentive to live wisely and I've underlined the parts that emphasize the rewards. So starting in Proverbs 3 verse 1 my son.

4:09Do not forget my teaching. But let your heart keep my Commandments. For length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you. So verse 2 is the first reward. For three let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you bind them around your neck write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man verse 4 is the second reward. Verse 5 trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes fear the lord and turn away from evil.

5:07It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. So that second line in verse 6. And then verse 8 is a third reward. To the main idea of Proverbs 3 1 through 8 is that wisdom is rewarding. Wisdom is rewarding. What does wisdom in the Book of Proverbs? It's the skill to live prudently and astutely. So if you obey these wise commands and Proverbs 3 1 through 8, you'll experience rewards that flow from that wisdom and specifically this passage presents three incentives three rewards of wisdom. So the title of this sermon is three rewards of wisdom. three rewards of wisdom the ESV helpfully formats this passage in three stanzas versus one to two three to four and five to eight. So that's how we'll look at it and for each one, we'll consider first the wise command and then the reward so let's start with that first stanza versus one and two Treat it again.

6:15At least the first part my son do not forget my teaching. But let your heart. Keep or comply with or guard my Commandments. Who's speaking and in the Book of Proverbs the father's the author and thus the spokesman for God. And remember what is a what is a proverb a proverb is a form of poetry. So the lines are logically relating to one another. How does English poetry relate to each other tends to rhyme words right? Rhyming words Hebrew poetry tends to Rhyme or develop thoughts. so these two lines in verse 1 are parallel in a negative and positive way not this but that the first line is negative. Don't forget my teaching.

7:05and the second is positive but keep don't forget but keep and you see the words teaching and Commandments are two ways of referring to the same thing. So what does it mean to to forget? the teaching in Proverbs What's the opposite? Of keeping the commands in Proverbs. So to forget the teaching doesn't mean that you can't remember it. It means that you don't follow it. It means that you don't value it. You don't obey it. So we can summarize the wise command like this. Obey what the Book of Proverbs teaches you that's a you could summarize the wise command verse 1 obey what the Book of Proverbs teaches you for example, the previous section in Proverbs 2 that Pastor Steven preached on last week.

7:57Tells us not to be seduced by The Forbidden woman. To Proverbs 2:16, it tells us to keep to the path of the righteous. That's a way to not forget the teaching but let your heart keep my Commandments. So that's the command now, let's look at the reward verse 2 4 Length of days and years of life and peace. They will add to you. So four indicates that verse 2 is the reason for verse 1 you should obey the wise command in verse 1 because then you get this reward and this reward consists of three benefits. Look at them Length of days is the first one. Years of life is a second. And peace is the third the first one length of days refers to a long life.

8:48The second years of life refers to a full life in the sense of a long time full of life. It's a life worth living. and that third benefit Is peace translates to Hebrew word? Do you know shalom shalom? Which means welfare? health Prosperity well-being than IV translates Shalom here as peace and prosperity. I like how the NLT translates the second line here. The NLT says your life will be satisfying. Your life will be satisfying that's good. So one way to summarize this benefit is that you'll have a satisfying life that their benefit so we can summarize the reward in verse 2 as a long full and satisfying life long full and satisfying life. So I put all together.

9:45We can summarize verses 1 and 2 like this. The reward of obeying what the Book of Proverbs teaches you. is a long full and satisfying life Now this reward here is similar to three other passages in the Bible. I'll mention them Exodus 20 says honor your father and mother remember what the incentive is that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God Is You? Deuteronomy five on your father and your mother as the Lord your God commanded you and what's the incentive that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that you're the Lord your God is giving you. And Ephesians 6 children. Obey your parents in the Lord for this is right honor your father and mother parenthetical statement. This is the first commandment with the promise with the reward.

10:40And here's the incentive that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land. That's Ephesians 6 and according to Proverbs 3 1 and 2 the reward of obeying with the Book of Proverbs teaches you is a long full and satisfying life. So I've got a question for you when you read that proverb. three one and two Do you think? Is that over promising?

11:08That will live a long full and satisfying life. Is this over promising is it always the case that if you obey your parents that you'll live a long life. And we could ask similar questions like this about other Proverbs in this book. So here's just a reminder about the style of literature of a reading. reading proverbs truths that are proverbial. So here's how I Define a proverb. It's a short pithy saying it expresses a general rule and a memorable and striking way. So here's an example from outside the Bible. early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise it's not in the Bible. It's attributed to Ben Franklin.

11:55And it's got some problems. For example, there are other more crucial factors to being wise like burying the Lord but that's saying does Express a general truth that is if you are deliberate and diligent and disciplined you'll be more successful in life. That's true. But there are exceptions to that rule. I can think of at least two one. There are some people who are Healthy and Wealthy and wise who don't go to bed early and get up early. And second. There are some people who do go to bed early and get up early who are not Healthy and Wealthy and wise so again a saying like that expresses a general truth. That's the way Proverbs works.

12:41So keep that in mind as we consider these Proverbs and Proverbs 3. So back to our question, is it always the case that if you obey your parents you'll live a long life. Old Testament scholar Bruce Wilkie has helped me with this question in Proverbs by suggesting a fourfold solution to this problem. So here's my paraphrase of of Walt key number one. Proverbs are generally true in our experience. number two a proverb is a short pithy saying that can't say everything. number three these Proverbs have the big picture in mind. And number four specifically regarding living a long full and satisfying life. The term life in Proverbs does not refer exclusively to physical life now.

13:36but includes the life after death life in Proverbs typically refers to more than just a long physical life. So what key explains it in Proverbs life refers to quote an abundant life of Health prosperity and social esteem life is essentially a relationship with the living and eternal God and quote. So I think we begin to experience that now in this life that eternal life but it doesn't end with physical death physical death is not the end for Christians because we have eternal life and for Christians, it is not death to die when we die and are with the Lord. Will be more alive than we've ever been.

14:22So based on how Proverbs work Proverbs 3:1 and 2 is not over promising again the reward of obeying what the Book of Proverbs teaches you is a long full and satisfying life. That's the first stanza now. Let's look at the second stanza versus three and four. verse 3 says let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. Let's stop there. First question here is what does steadfast love and faithfulness mean? steadfast love and faithfulness The nazbe translates this as kindness. and Truth kindness and Truth I think this phrase is alluding to a really important passage in scripture earlier Exodus 34 Verse 6, which says this the Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed the Lord the Lord a god merciful and gracious slow to anger and abounding instead fast, love and faithfulness.

15:33Steadfast love and faithfulness. It's exact same Hebrew phrase that Proverbs 3:3 has it's a hugely Exodus. 34:6 is a hugely significant passage in the Bible about what God is like and later Bible passages repeat that phrase steadfast love and faithfulness. So here In Proverbs, 3:3 steadfast love and faithfulness. I think we first to those same qualities. That describe God himself and they should also characterize God's people God is full of steadfast love and faithfulness. So we should too. Now we could combine these two terms into one as shorthand. Here's how I would do it. The two words would be loyal love.

16:23loyal love it's a loyal love should characterize it and I mean love in the best sense of the term not blindly affirming whatever someone wants. Love is not affirming. Whatever someone thinks he needs. This is a loyal love. This love is faithful. steadfast so what does it mean to let loyal love forsake you? It means to discard it as not valuable. discarded as not worth expressing So there are three connected pictures in these lines lines. One two, and three line one pictures steadfast love and faithfulness like companions. You should stay close to So don't let them leave you don't let them go away and then lines two and three explain how to obey Line 1 line 2.

17:21Pictures loyal love like this small object that you can tie around your neck to keep it safe. So you don't lose it. It's like wearing a necklace with a special ring on it. And if you do that you have a necklace on you have the ring on the necklace and also this is like an object you tie around your neck so that you you see it and you feel it often so that it reminds you to live in accord with loyal love. There's some people put their wedding ring on their on a necklace and put her on their neck sometimes because the ring doesn't fit under finger anymore. So the idea is that when you wear a wedding ring on your neck, it keeps it safe and it reminds a husband or wife to have loyal love.

18:02Playing two and then line three pictures loyal love like Precious wisdom that you write down so you can memorize it and meditate on it. But the picture is far away here than writing something down on typical writing material. Here you write it down on the tablet of your heart. It just struck me this morning that that word tablet might strike some young people differently than the rest of us that is not referring to an iPad. So the it's saying the tablet, which is your heart. Write it down on your heart. Your heart is the very essence of who you are. So loyal love should characterize your nature. You should always express loyal love if someone pokes you you should bleed loyal love.

18:54So we can summarize the wise command in verse 3 like this always express loyal love. always express loyal love Now, let's look at the reward in verse 4. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God. and man that word so indicates that verse 4 is the consequence or the reward of verse 3. and since good success is specifically in the sight of God and man. We could translate that Hebrew phrase like the nazbear the NLT. It says a good reputation. You'll find favor and a good reputation in the sight of God and man or the NIV says a good name. The CSP high regard so we can summarize the reward as a good reputation a good reputation.

19:54So to put it all together, we can summarize versus three and four like this the reward of always expressing loyal love. Is a good reputation? Now do righteous people? always have a good reputation among other people. The rights just people always have a good reputation among others. Well did Jesus? Did Jesus always have a good reputation among others? No, some of his fellow Jews hated him so much that they wanted him to be crucified. So there's a tension in the Bible regarding your reputation. Oh, Ms. Mentioned two passages that Express this tension. This is one. Here's another Proverbs 22:1 says this Proverbs 22:1 a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches and favor is better than silver or gold.

20:51So that sounds like a good reputation is valuable and we should want it. And then contrast that with what Jesus says in Luke 6:26, woe to you when people speak well of you. For so their fathers did to the false prophets. So so which is it should we? Desire a good reputation or should we be indifferent about our reputation? Which one as the Bible contradicting itself here? No, we should desire a good reputation in one sense. And we should be in different about it and another sense. So let me explain that on the one hand. We should desire a good reputation so that we can make much of God. We should desire a good reputation so that we can help others treasure Christ in all of life.

21:46That's the motor for wanting a good reputation. on the other hand We should be indifferent about our reputation if it means that others criticize us for Faithfully obeying God. We should courageously be faithful to God, even if that means others will disapprove of disapprove of us and we should care more about what God thinks of us than what other people think of us. And according to Proverbs 3 3 and 4 the reward of always expressing loyal love is a good reputation here. Three examples from scripture one is Joseph. Joseph found favor in potiphar site and attended him and and poted for May Joseph overseer of his house and put it put him in charge of all that he had the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the side of the keeper of the prison.

22:41That's the kind of reputation we're talking about proverbs 3. Here's another example from first single two the boys Samuel continued to grow both in stature. and in favor with the Lord and also with man and a third example is the boy Jesus Jesus according to Luke 252 increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man. So according to Proverbs 3 3 and 4 the reward of always expressing loyal love. Is a good reputation?

23:18Now we're ready for the final stands versus five through eight. Let's read it. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes. Fear the lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. So let's first consider the five lines here that constitute the command the ones that are not underlined. First two lines and verse 5 are parallel in a positive negative sense. So this not that trust the Lord. Don't trust yourself. Okay, positive negative.

24:07What does it mean to trust? in the Lord Well the Old Testament uses this word trust. And two basic ways you can trust an object. Or you can trust a person let me explain both first. You can trust an object. You can trust an object by relying on it for support. for help for protection. It's like relying on a bow and arrow or a sword psalm 44:6. It's like relying on riches Proverbs 11:28. Or I like this one best to illustrate this. It's like relying on a walking cane Isaiah 36:6 So imagine that picture of a walking cane because I like this because the next line says don't don't lean on your own understanding. So just imagine a walking came that splintered and ready to split. Well, it's gonna happen if you lean your full weight.

25:06on that splintered cane it's gonna split. And you'll fall. Your own wisdom is like a splintered walking cane you are foolish to lean on it. So that's what it's like to trust an object. Now here's what it's like to trust a person. You can trust a person by relying on him for support for help or protection. It's like relying on a close friend psalm 41:9. I love how proverbs 31 describes how a husband relies on his Godly wife. the heart of her husband trusts in her the person whom we should supremely and unreservedly rely on for life and breath and everything. is God himself God often exhorts Us in scripture trust in the Lord like in Psalm 4:5 or it's better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man psalm 118:8 so to trust in the Lord is to rely on him and not yourself specifically In this passage in Proverbs three five to eight.

26:18To trust the Lord is to rely on him for wisdom about how to live. So trusting the Lord is the opposite of trusting your own understanding apart from God's wisdom. on the illustrate this with sourdough bread. So my wife is really skilled at making sourdough bread. I've never tried to bake sourdough bread myself and I I don't even know how to do it on my own if I wanted to do it on my own. What should I do if my wife wrote out detailed instructions for me to bake sourdough bread? I think I'd be foolish if I thought Well, Jenny says to do all these specific things, but they don't seem that important to me. I mean, I'm just gonna do this my way. She says to add this muscle. I think we should double it and she says to let the dough rise for a certain period of time.

27:09The housing that's necessary. She says the way the dough so that the loaf of bread will be a particular size. I'm just gonna bake it all at once get it done faster and she says the bacon at this particular temperature, but you know, I'm very efficient. So I'm Gonna Bake It even hotter to get the dog done faster, right? I'd be foolish to think that way I asked her this morning what would happen? If I did that says well, you'd have a burnt crust on the outside and a lot of dough on the inside like okay. So the way of wisdom would be to follow my wife's instructions, even if I don't understand all the reasons for them. I should trust my wife enough to do what she says here when it comes to baking bread.

27:50Am I going to trust my own wisdom? or my wife's wisdom and that illustrates Proverbs 3:5 and 6 when it comes to how you live. Are you going to trust your own wisdom? Are God's wisdom? Do you trust God enough to do what he says? Do you trust God enough to do what he tells you in the Book of Proverbs? As we just saw in Proverbs 2 Verse 6 the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. So trust the Lord do what he says. Now to what degree? Should you trust the Lord verse 5 says trust in the Lord with all your heart.

28:39with your whole being fully unreservedly, trust the Lord Here's a way to illustrate that. imagine a guy who wants to walk across what he thinks might be a frozen lake. All right. It's typically safe to walk on ice when it's clear ice at least four inches thick but he doesn't know that and he slowly starts to crawl on his hands and knees. He's terrified that at any moment. He'll crack the ice and fall into the water. And he's about halfway across the lake and he suddenly Hears A noise and he turns and sees. It's a midsize pickup truck. Zooming past him to set up a nice fishing hole. So, how does he respond to that?

29:30He stopped crawling on his hands and knees and realizes this ice can hold me. He was trusting the ice reservedly. Now he's trusting the ice unreservedly. That's how we should trust the Lord unreservedly not like the guy crawling on the ice. trust in the Lord with all your heart What is heart refer to your heart is the core the essence of who you are to innermost being your heart directs how you think and treasure and choose it directs your mind and your desires and your will. A helpful parallel to Proverbs three five and six is the proverb in 28:26. Whoever whoever trusts in his own mind that word mind translates slave the same word this it's heart.

30:17So whoever trust his own heart is a fool but He Who Walks In wisdom will be delivered whoever trusts in his own heart is a fool. Don't be a Fool by trusting your heart walk and wisdom by obeying What God Says and just look at verse 5 and and think how does that compare with what our culture says? if our culture were to write that proverb in verse 5 What would our culture say? What is a trust in the Lord? Here's a trust in. Yourself trust in your heart trust in your feelings don't listen to anybody else. That that way you'll be happy. Lean on your own wisdom lean on your own feelings. Follow your heart be true to yourself believe in yourself.

31:10That's a lie, and the Bible tells us the exact opposite here. Don't follow your heart. Don't trust your own wisdom. Trust in the Lord lean on the Lord's wisdom. And he continues in verse 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him. What does that word acknowledge me? It means to know him submit to him seek his will and all you do trust and Obey him. Now should you acknowledge the Lord? only for huge life decisions Or just for churchy Stuff. What does it say? in all your ways acknowledge Him. We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things. Our church Mala was treasuring Christ. In all of life God's wisdom is not just for a slice a slice of your life. You should trust and obey God.

32:14In every room in your house. in your workplace when you're traveling and how you relate to your parents and siblings and children and neighbors and colleagues. And what you watch and read and listen to and write and where and eat and drink in all your ways acknowledge Him. And all your ways trust and Obey him. And the commands continue here in verse 7 be not wise in your own eyes. That means don't be impressed with your own wisdom. That's how the NLT translates the first line of verse 7 don't be impressed with your own wisdom. And that basically repeats do not lean on your own understanding. as Proverbs 26:12 says do you see a man? Who's wise in his own eyes?

33:09There's more hope for a fool than for him. Be not wise in your own eyes for seven is the opposite of the next line of verse 7. Fear the lord and turn away from evil. So the opposite of being impressed with your own wisdom is to fear God. and shun evil Here five short examples, I'm drawing from The Book of Proverbs that contrast trust in the Lord and his wisdom versus trusting yourself. You're wisdom. number one children you are being wise in your own eyes. If you disobey what your parents teach you. You think you know better than God you think your way is better that's being wise in your own eyes.

33:59That's what this passage is saying not to do. Number two fathers and mothers you are being wise in your own eyes, if you refuse to use the rod of discipline on your disobedient young children you think you know better than God you think you're always better. number three teens and adults You are being wise in your own eyes. If you have sex outside of the marriage covenant of one man, and one woman. You think you know better than God you think your way is better? It's been wise in your own eyes number four. This is for all of us you're being wise in your own eyes. If you refuse to work hard and instead loaf around and mooch off others.

34:47You think you know better than God you think your way is better? And number five you're being wise in your own eyes, if you attempt to find Ultimate Security and satisfaction in money and possessions. You think you're your way is better than God's you think, you know better than God. So we can summarize the wise command In this passage like this. on reservedly trust the Lord Unreservedly, trust the Lord not yourself. Now, let's look at the reward. It's a three lines. I have highlighted line two and verse 6 and then verse 8. Let's start with the second line of verse 6. So in all your ways acknowledge Him.

35:33And he will make straight your paths. That's the reward of in all your ways acknowledge Him. So the idea here is that God will clear out the obstacles for you. So that you can successfully go forward on the right path. in the Book of Proverbs There are only two paths you can go down. the path of the wicked or the path of the righteous. That's it. Those are the two paths. The wrong path is morally crooked. And the right path is morally straight. The straight path is the rewarding path. So for God to make your paths straight means that he enables you to live wisely and enjoy the rewards that result from Wise living.

36:22And the rest of the reward is verse 8, it'll be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones verse 8. Your flesh is your body. So your body and your bones are two ways of referring to your whole person and and verse 8 is reward of verse 7. Don't be wise in your own eyes fear the lord and turn away from Evil. Here's the reward it'll be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones that word refreshment. Translates a word that means drink. drink So why why the translation refreshment? Well when you're hot and tired and thirsty. What's it like to drink cold water? Ah, it's refreshing. It's refreshment. So drinking is the cause refreshment is the result and when you trust God instead of your own understanding Ah, it's refreshing.

37:22That's the result. That's the reward so we can summarize the reward in verses 5 to 8 like this straight paths. and refreshment When you unreserve the trust the Lord that's the reward so to put it all together. The reward of unreservedly trusting the Lord is straight paths. and refreshment Now there are two issues briefly to press in on here. guidance and verses 5 and 6 and healing in verses 7 and 8 So first, let's consider guidance as we look at verses 5 and 6 again. Do versus five and six. Promise that God will specifically direct or guide you. to make a particular specific choice when you are at a Crossroads.

38:16To Christians commonly cite this passage as their go-to Bible passage on how to know God specific will in a matter for a big decision. Like where should I go to college? Whom should I marry what job should I take should I go to a different place? Should I move to different place? Should I buy this car that car you know thinking is like this if I if I just trust in the Lord, they don't make it clear to me exactly what specific choice I should make. So the key to knowing what to do is not that I carefully use my mind to wisely analyze a situation based on wise principles that God has revealed the key is that I passively wait on God to film me with leadings and Impressions and promptings and feelings.

39:05That's what this passage Proverbs 3:5 and 6 means The reward of this passage is that God will make straight your paths. this passage Does not teach that God will direct or guide you with special Revelation outside the Bible. That's not what this one's teaching the the literary context of this passage is not about God directing or guiding you with fresh revelation. In this passage, the contrast is between using my mind my wisdom versus God's wisdom. It's not using my mind versus mystically waiting on God to bypass my mind. See the difference here. The contrast is between trusting. God versus trusting me. It's God's wisdom or my wisdom. So our problem is not that we think too much, but then we think badly we sinfully trust our own wisdom. It's like me trying to bake sourdough bread without following my wife's instructions.

40:08and when we insist on trusting our own wisdom We're being foolish and rebellious. We should trust God's wisdom. in the Book of Proverbs the way we know God's wisdom is by listening. To God's instructions. He's speaking to us. He's telling us wisdom and we need to listen. So we access that in the Bible. We trust God by studying what God has spoken and then by obeying it with God's help. That's why our church emphasizes the Bible memorizing the Bible singing the Bible praying the Bible prayer this Bible Bible. Why because that's where we get wisdom. That's where God speaking. That's how we hear from God himself. The Bible's our main source for knowing God's wisdom We Trust God's words.

40:57We lean on God's words. So that's that's issue one guidance. Now, let's consider a second issue healing. And here I'm thinking of versus seven and eight because it ends by saying it'll be healing to your flesh. And refreshment to your bones. Does that? Reward healing to your flesh does that mean? that if we fear the lord and turn away from evil. That the Lord will make it so that we never suffer. That we never have sickness or disease. Is that what this is teaching? No, the Bible soundly Rejects. the so-called Prosperity Gospel Have heard that term before the Prosperity Gospel. Says that God rewards our increased Faith with increased health and or wealth.

41:55But that teaching perverts the gospel. The gospel is the good news about Jesus that Jesus lived and died and rose again for Sinners and that God will save you if you turn from your sins and Trust Jesus. It's not true that God always blesses his obedient people with health and wealth and God's Providence his good Providence many godly people suffer. like job or Joseph or Daniel or Jeremiah or Paul? So how do we interpret Proverbs 3:7 and 8 we need to carefully understand what God's intending to communicate here. Let's not assume that the word healing. Here means that you will always have perfect physical health.

42:46It can't mean that because we all eventually die. So this is expressing a truth. It's just so different from how our culture today pursues Health. Our culture is obsessed with. physical and mental health but here's the irony when that kind of health is your main objective your main goal. You're less likely to achieve it. When fearing the Lord is your main goal, you're more likely to experience overall health not just physically and mentally but spiritually a person who fears the Lord should be stable secure. joyful not anxious Proverbs 14:12 summarizes this truth negatively. There's a way that seems right to a man.

43:34But it's end is the way. of death There's a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way of death in contrast when you trust God's wisdom instead of your own. It's end the reward is life. So what does it look like in everyday life to unreservedly trust the Lord and then receive the reward of straight paths and refreshment. I think of one of our faithful church members. The hard-working dad a stay-at-home. Mom. Empty nesters a young businessman a college student a child living at home with Mom and Dad. What do all of you Christ followers have in common? You trust God's wisdom without reservation.

44:26You don't value your own wisdom above God's wisdom whether the issue is money or sex or relationships or work or parenting you trust whatever God says because God is all wise. and trustworthy and the reward of trusting God is that God leads you down a morally straight path. That is God enables you to live wisely and enjoy the rewards that result from Wise living. You're not doing the equivalent of putting diesel into your gasoline tank. You're not destroying the engine by living contrary to the designer. And God is so kind doesn't he he gives you this type of healing and refreshment that those who rebel against God's wisdom can't enjoy So according to Proverbs 3 5 and 8 the reward of unreservedly trusting the Lord is straight paths and refreshment so to summarize the three stanzas.

45:30First the reward of obeying what the Book of Proverbs teaches you is a long full and satisfying life. Second stanza the reward of always expressing loyal love is a good reputation. And finally the reward of unreservedly trusting the Lord is straight paths and refreshment. Now I have one last comment before we conclude you might be wondering. Andy are you are you even preaching a Christian sermon? What's Christian about this would you get kicked out of a Jewish synagogue for preaching this? Was a good question. We are Christians who at this point in history have access to the Old and New Testaments.

46:15That does not mean however that we treat the Book of Proverbs and the rest of the Old Testament as law that we don't have to follow. Right after our passage comes Proverbs, 3:11 and 12 which Hebrews 12 cites as directly applicable to Christians today. So the Book of Proverbs is for Christians today. It's enduring wisdom from God. So how do we think about it as Christians? Mike Bull Moore one of my former pastors really helped me with this. He starts with Romans 8:32. He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him graciously give us all things. I love that statement.

47:02now all things Pastor Michael Moore Show showed me. That includes the Book of Proverbs. Never thought of that. Read it again. He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with his son with Christ graciously. Give us all things including the Book of Proverbs. Ah now we're clicking it in place. The wisdom in the Book of Proverbs is not opposed to Christ. Christ himself embodies wisdom and the Book of Proverbs tells us how to get wisdom. So with God's help. Let's get wisdom. And in God's kindness. Wisdom is rewarding. So, let's be wise and experience God's kind Rewards.

47:57Let's pray. Thank you Father for graciously giving us all things with Christ including the wisdom in the Book of Proverbs. Thank you for encouraging us to live wisely by offering us the incentives of Rewards. So would you please help us? Obey what the Book of Proverbs teaches? And then let us enjoy the reward of a long full and satisfying life. Would you please help us always express loyal love? And then let us enjoy the reward of a good reputation. And would you please help us unreservedly trust you? And then let us enjoy the reward of straight paths and refreshment. We want to live the way you designed us to live so that you get the glory.

48:54And we get the joy. Amen.

Jump to live

Jump to live

Sermon Text

Proverbs 3:1-8

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