'loans, Laziness & The Lord’s Heart'

SERMON OUTLINE:

Loans (vs 1-3)

Laziness (vs 6-11)

Lord’s heart (vs 12-19)

SERMON BODY:

iLL:

• A father and son went fishing one day.

• After a couple hours out in the boat,

• The boy suddenly became curious about the world around him.

• He asked his father, “How does this boat float?”

• The father thought for a moment, then replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”

• The boy returned to his thoughts

• Then turned back to his father and asked, “How do fish breath underwater?”

• Once again the father replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”

• A little later the boy asked his father, “Why is the sky blue?”

• Again, the father replied. “Don’t rightly know, son.”

• Worried he was going to annoy his father, he says,

• “Dad, do you mind my asking you all of these questions?”

• His dad replied,

• “Of course not son. If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never learn anything!”

• TRANSITION: This passage is not about a son asking questions to his father,

• But a father giving advice to his son concerning three important topics.

• Loans, Laziness & the Lord’s heart.

Note: This section of Proverbs (chapter 6 verses 1-19) may seem out of place,

• Last week we looked at the topic of adultery and warnings that a father gave to his son.

• That theme reoccurs in the second half of chapter 6, and again in chapter 7,

• But here in these verses what we get today are three mini-messages,

• About loans, laziness, and what God hates (Lord’s heart).

• This is a pattern in some Bible books and Proverbs follows this pattern,

• It talks about a subject then goes off on a tan gent,

• Before returning to that subject later on.

Ill:

• Spiral staircase,

• Although you encounter new steps you still end up in the same place,

• Just a little bit more forward than before.

• Today’s passage we see Solomon address his son about three every-day situations,

• That require God’s wisdom and guidance.

(1). Loans (vs 1-3)

3 So do this, my son, to free yourself,

since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands:

Go—to the point of exhaustion—

and give your neighbor no rest!”

• The principle here is in this section is,

• Do not sign papers (make a loan) without reading the fine print!

• Quote: A rabbinic proverb says,

• “When a fool goes to market the merchants rejoice.”

FIRST: The father warns his son about taking the debts of friends or strangers (vs 1-2).

“My son, if you become surety for your friend,

If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger,

You are snared by the words of your mouth;

You are taken by the words of your mouth.”

• The warning is about guaranteeing the debts of others,

• Promise to pay the debts of the friend or stranger if they failed to pay.

Quote: American Proverb

“Before borrowing money from a friend,

Decide which you need most.”

Ill:

• If ever you have watched an episode of Judge Judy.

• (Judge Judy is an American arbitration-based reality court show,

• Presided over by former Manhattan Family Court Judge Judith Sheindlin.)

• Again and again and again, almost every episode,

• Some borrowed money and failed to pay it back.

• As a result friendships are ruined and families are divided.

• Judge Judy is always saying,

• “Where is the proof?” “Did you write it down?” “Is there a contract?”

• If you did the case is easy to settle, but if you didn’t then it’s a tricky one!

Note:

• Bible scholars seem to agree that this loan is more than a simple average loan.

• That we might think of in financial terms.

• It was more like guaranteeing someone an open line of credit.

• i.e. It would be like you giving someone your credit card and pin number.

Ill:

• The letter to Philemon is a short New Testament letter written by the Apostle Paul,

• It is the only personal correspondence in the New Testament.

• Philemon, a wealthy Christian of Colossae,

• And he had problems with a runaway slave called Onesimus.

• While, ‘on the run’ Onesimus encounters the apostle Paul and becomes a convert.

• The apostle Paul writes to Philemon to take back,

• And more, to take him back as a brother in Christ, and to forgive him of any wrongdoing.

• If you read the short letter,

• The apostle Paul accepts Onesimus’s past liabilities,

• i.e. he is willing to pay his debts (vs 18-19).

• But the apostle does not say he will pay any future debts.

• TRANSITION: The loan here refers to, guaranteeing someone an open line of credit.