The Blessing Of Reproof Series

NOTE:

This is a manuscript, and not a transcript of this message. The actual presentation of the message differed from the manuscript through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it is possible, and even likely that there is material in this manuscript that was not included in the live presentation and that there was additional material in the live presentation that is not included in this manuscript.

› Engagement

This week I came across this quote which was attributed to Gloria Vanderbilt back in 2004.

“Every American has the right to make a fool of himself if he wants to, but too many folks are abusing the privilege.”

In the nearly 20 years since those words were uttered, I’m pretty sure that is even more true now than it was back then. Or maybe it just seems like that because social media has made that foolishness a lot more public.

› Tension

As we continue our Fool Proof sermon series in the book of Proverbs this morning, we’re going to get some good insight into why foolishness seems to have proliferated in our culture today.

As most of you know I have officiated volleyball and basketball at various levels over the last 20 plus years. And I always tell people that I’ve never officiated a perfect game or match. I also tell them that if I ever do, which is impossible, I’m going to quit because I’ll have nowhere to go but down from there. In fact, I’ve actually made some pretty big mistakes over the years. In a few cases, it was because I didn’t understand the rules correctly and in other cases, it has just been a result of not being in the right place or even poor judgment. But I learned from those mistakes and so I haven’t consistently made those same mistakes again.

But I’ve also worked with some officials who consistently make the same mistakes over and over. They often refuse to listen to those who point out those errors or some of them just don’t care because they are just in it for the money and they don’t really want to learn from their past mistakes.

From my perspective, that is exactly what is going on in our culture today. There are a lot of foolish people who never learn from their mistakes and so they repeat them over and over. This morning we’re going to see that one of the keys to “fool proofing” our lives is to make sure that we respond appropriately when someone points out our mistakes - especially those mistakes that come from either being ignorant of God’s Word or just choosing not to follow the principles we find in the Bible.

This week I came across a quote that was attributed to someone named Steven Denn. Even though I wasn’t able to even identify who this guy is for sure or verify that the quote originated with him, it accurately expresses the idea we’re going to develop more from our text this morning:

“You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it's not a mistake, it's a choice.”

? Steven Denn

› Truth

This morning, we’re going to finish up chapter 1 of the book of Proverbs.

Hopefully you’ll remember that two weeks ago we looked at the opening seven verses and focused our attention on verse 7, which is essentially the theme statement for the entire book. We learned that the way to fool proof our lives is to live according to the truth that God is God and I am not. We also defined a “fool” as anyone who rejects God’s ways.

Then last week we looked at the middle part of chapter 1 and developed some principles to help us deal with negative peer pressure.

Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 1 and follow along as I begin in verse 20 and read through the end of the chapter.

Proverbs 1:20–33 ESV

20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?

23 If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you.

24 Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,

25 because you have ignored all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,

26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when terror strikes you,

27 when terror strikes you like a storm and your calamity comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you.