Be Wise

Sermon - Be Wise

Q- How many of us are familiar with the statement, look before you leap?

- It’s a great piece of advice, that many refuse to listen to.

- I remember the time that I was in a hurry to get to school. In my 83 Bronco, with a

351 Windsor v8 engine in it, I was skinning it back! I stopped at the red light to turn

right. As soon as the light turned green, my foot was on the floor. I turn right, &

immediately start to merge from the slow lane to the fast lane. I suddenly looked left

& realized I was merging directly into a car! I immediately shot back over, but it’s a

day I will not soon forget!

- If I had listened to the advice, I would have never tried to merge to begin with.

- God gives us the same advice through Solomon.

- Solomon strongly went away from the Lord, until he wrote Ecclesiastes.

- He pours into this book the, “What not to do’s. Why? It is because I’ve been

there done that!”

- Solomon, who foolishly followed his wives into Idolatry, looks back & thinks, if I

had looked before I leaped I would’ve never followed them.

- So now, Solomon adds to this wisdom,

Ecclesiastes 10:8-11

8 He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him.

9 Whoso removeth stones shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood shall be endangered thereby.

10 If the iron be blunt, and he do not whet the edge, then must he put to more strength: but wisdom is profitable to direct.

11 Surely the serpent will bite without enchantment; and a babbler is no better.

- Simple wisdom, but when not followed you can get hurt!

- Before we go deeper into this, let’s ask for God’s wisdom to lead us.

Prayer

> Patience. (www.bestcleanjokes.com/patience.htm)

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on? He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. By the time she got the second boot on, she had worked up a sweat.

She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and sure enough, they were. It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as they worked together to get the boots back on -- this time on the right feet.

He then announced, "These aren't my boots." She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off.

He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them." She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again.

She said, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots ..."

- Oh how we see the word patience placed before the firing squad & be obliterated!

- There are moments that arise & they press on every last nerve we have.

- Solomon imparted his worldly knowledge in an attempt to save people from a lot

of harm & heartache.

- We know if we set up a scheme to con someone we’ll inevitably be conned or hurt

ourselves.

- That’s digging a pit.

- If you destroy someone’s trust. You could get it back, but it will hurt, & will most likely

leave a mark.

- That’s breaking a hedge

- If you’re like me & too stubborn to ask for help. You are more than likely to get hurt

when you do something you have no ability, or knowledge of doing.

- That’s the stones (which stand for large stones), & the cleaves wood (which is

cuts trees)

- If I went to cut down a tree by myself. Well, let’s hope 911 is ready!

- Solomon is calling for people to live using wisdom.

- That’s verse 10 saying, wisdom is more profitable.

- Jesus calls for us to exercise the same wisdom in our lives too.

Matthew 7:24-27

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: