LEADER OF THE POSSE
PROVERBS 4:1-4
INTRODUCTION… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOKuSQIJlog&feature=kp
Today is Father’s Day and we celebrate “Dad Life” and we honor the dads among us and those that have gone before us. We celebrate fathers are the leader of the posse. Most fathers are those men who take the lead, make decisions, manage tools, and provide. If families were a posse, they are the sheriff leading the band!
We celebrate those that have been our father’s, but also those men in our lives who took an interest in us and have made a difference in our lives whether they were an uncle, a family friend, or an older person that has loved us. On Father’s Day Weekend our minds are in many places; you can’t just pin down one place to settle. Those of us who are dads think about ourselves and how well or poor we are doing as a father. We think about our own dads and how they have influenced us in our own lives. Sometimes we even celebrate and focus on the role our Heavenly Father takes in our lives.
The book of Proverbs covers all of these areas and more. We have been looking at the Book of Proverbs and learning the wise ways of life with money, work, relationships, and so on. Today is no different. We will take a look today at Proverbs 4 which focuses on some instructions from a father to a son. This passage settles on one aspect of fatherhood which is a needed part of fatherhood… that is the role of teacher. Father’s are teachers whether they realize it or not. Fathers are perhaps the first teachers we ever have as leaders of our posse called the family. The lessons our father’s teach us stay with us our whole lives. King Solomon knows this and in Proverbs 4 passes on some lessons he has learned to his son.
READ Proverbs 4:1-4
“Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. 2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. 3 When I was a boy in my father's house, still tender, and an only child of my mother, 4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands and you will live.”
Solomon tells his son four important things in these verses before he ever starts speaking wisdom into his life:
First, “pay attention.”
Second, “gain understanding.”
Third, what he is about to say is “sound learning.”
Fourth, “lay hold” of what I am about to tell you and “keep” the lessons on your “heart.”
Solomon says these things to get his son’s attention. Sometimes kids can tend to wander in their attention. We know that! Sometimes we wander in our attention as adults. So, Solomon’s beginning words are for us as well. “Pay attention” and “gain understanding” for the “sound learning” we are about to talk about is to “lay hold” of our “hearts.”
I want to make mention and remind you of one other thing before we set off into the three lessons Solomon imparts to his son in this passage of Proverbs 4. None of this wisdom Solomon got from his own father. Now I’m not saying that David was an unwise man and didn’t teach Solomon anything, but in terms of taking advice from David, I personally might shy away from that. If you want advice about loving and seeking God, being a military general, infiltrating enemy camps, truly repenting before God, forgiveness, loving your enemies, and making music, David is your man! If you want advice about marital relationships, speaking to your wife, raising up boys, keeping your children safe, honoring friendships and other relationship issues, we should pass David on by as someone who had no clue. I want to remind you that the wisdom Solomon expresses in the Book of Proverbs comes directly from our Heavenly Father… He is the source for Solomon.
1 Kings 3:11-12 says, “So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.” Our lessons today come from the Heavenly Father to Solomon, an earthly father, directed to his son. So, in view of all that; “Pay attention” and “gain understanding” for the “sound learning” we are about to talk about is to “lay hold” of our “hearts.”
I. LESSON ONE: MIND YOUR PATH (verse 14)
One of the first lessons Solomon imparts to his son in chapter 4 after his initial instructions can be summarized with the words: mind your path. Proverbs 4:14 says, “Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men” (NIV 1984). The Message version says, “Don’t take Wicked Bypass; don’t so much as set foot on that road. Stay clear of it; give it a wide berth. Make a detour and be on your way.”
The word “path” or “paths” are used over 100 times in the Old and New Testaments and there is something that is so plain about this life when you look at these verses. Let’s just look at a few verses about paths and see a great truth that Solomon was teaching his son:
Job 24:13 "There are those who rebel against the light, who do not know its ways or stay in its paths.” (NIV 1984)
Job 38:19-20 "What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? 20 Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings?” (NIV 1984)
Psalm 119:104-105 “I gain understanding from your precepts; therefore I hate every wrong path. 105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (NIV 1984)
Psalm 119:127-128 “Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold, 128 and because I consider all your precepts right, I hate every wrong path.” (NIV 1984)
Proverbs 2:12-15 “Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, 13 who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, 14 who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, 15 whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways.” (NIV 1984)
These verses remind me of a passage that Jesus Christ our Lord taught in Matthew 7: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (7:13-14, NIV 1984).
What are these verses telling us? What are these verses echoing of Solomon’s teaching to his son? I see in them a great truth that there are two paths in this life. The first path is the righteous and good path which is lined with the precepts and morality of God. The second path is the unrighteous and evil path which is lined with the precepts and immorality of the world.
You are on one or the other.
There is no middle ground.
You are on one or the other.
ILLUSTRATION… Ski Trip (p)
I have been on exactly one ski trip my entire life. I went when I was a junior in high school. Our youth group packed up skis and Bibles and we were off into the wilderness for some wintery fun. The youth group was divided into two groups for this ski trip. There were the students who liked to ski and knew how to ski and there were those of us who had no interest in skiing. I’m not sure why I went given that I was in the second group, but I was there nevertheless.
As on all ski trips, those who wanted to ski… uh… went skiing. Imagine that. Those of us who were left decided to go on a hike through the wilderness. There were many paths around the cabins that our large group was occupying so it seemed like a good idea at the time. We planned an hour and a half hike before lunch.
Our group of about 10 set out on our wonderful morning hike. Somehow, my memory is a little fuzzy, but we ended up off the beaten path because we were adventurous teenagers with very little sense. We ended up at the bottom of a gorge with steep rocky surfaces on either side. We decided, rather than turning around, to go up one of the steep walls of rock.
It wasn’t until half of our group was stuck about 20 feet off the ground, most of them girls, on this wall that we realized it was in fact a frozen waterfall and several people were getting frozen to the side of this cliff. There was real danger of falling, breaking legs, and having serious injury. There were many tears. There were a couple “we’re so dumb” and blaming looks that passed between us all. I am sure there were some prayers. Several of us who made it to the top looked down and realized the girls were quite stuck. We climbed down and eventually made it to the top.
We got back to the cabins 3.5 hours after we set out. As a side note, if you help a young ladies out of a harrowing experience, they are usually extremely grateful and extol your virtues before the other fellas and tend to hug you a lot and kiss you on the cheek. So it wasn’t all bad… from a teenage boy’s point of view.
From our view, as wise adults, we would say to those adventurous teenagers that they should have stayed on the path!
Our father of the day Solomon says to us in verse 14 that the path of wickedness leads us to no where good. We will end up hurting others, stuck, full of tears, full of emotional baggage, and have a broken relationship with God.
From A-Z wicked path can be characterized as:
Apathy
Blasphemy
Closeness with someone who is not your spouse
Drunkenness
Envy
Fits of rage
Gossip
Hateful attitudes
Idolatry
Jealousy
Knowing good and not doing it
Living together before marriage
Mediums and horoscopes
Neglecting to read the Bible
Obscenity
Prayerlessness
Quarreling
Revenge
Sexual immorality
Theft
Unforgiveness
Vanity
Wallowing in self-pity
Xuberance for impurity
You never rest
Zeal for sin
Solomon shares with us that God would have us on a different path keeping in step with Him on His designed path and staying completely out-of-step with the world on its path and shortcuts. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that the path God would have us on is lined with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” He says in the verses right after that, “Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:24-25, NIV 1984)
In the end, the first lesson Solomon shares with his son is “mind your path.” That is definitely a worthy lesson for fathers to teach their sons and daughters. It is a worthy lesson for us to accept and hold on to from our Heavenly Father. Take stock of your life… where are you headed?
II. LESSON TWO: GUARD YOUR HEART (verse 23)
The second lesson Solomon imparts to his son in chapter 4 after his initial instructions can be summarized with the words: guard your heart. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (NIV 1984). The VOICE version puts 4:23 like this, “Above all else, watch over your heart; diligently guard it because from a sincere and pure heart come the good and noble things of life.”
Our heart is seen as important all throughout Scripture (570x in OT and NT; “hearts” 207x). I was studying the word “heart” and I noticed how many times Jesus Christ Himself mentioned the heart. It is prevalent in the Gospels and especially in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” (NIV 1984)
Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (NIV 1984)
Matthew 12:34 “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.” (NIV 1984)
Matthew 13:15 “For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes.” (NIV 1984)
Matthew 15:18 “But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'” (NIV 1984)
Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'” (NIV 1984)
Jesus Christ echoes the wisdom Solomon is giving his son in Proverbs 4:23.
ILLUSTRATION… adapted from “Healthcare For The Heart,” Mart DeHaan, Our Daily Bread
If you're over 40 years old, your heart has already beat more than 1.5 billion times. Our heart is the power that makes our blood flow and keeps our organs alive. Our heart keeps our hands and feet nourished and functioning. Our heart is very much the engine of our bodies. We also think of our “heart” as the center of our emotions and even our spiritual lives.
Solomon in Proverbs 4:23 is speaking of our spiritual heart. It too has throbbed millions of times with thoughts, affections, and choices. Our “heart” is the seat of our motivations and feelings. In the “heart,” we determine how we will speak, behave, and respond to life's circumstances.
Solomon in Proverbs 4:23 shares with us the importance of keeping our spiritual heart healthy. Are we doing that? Are we guarding our hearts? Are we keeping our spiritual and emotional hearts fit? 4:23 gives us sage divine advice to care for our heart.
Are we keeping our heart spiritually fit and are we guarding it properly? To answer that question we need to look at four areas. I have to tell you, I love these four questions and I have been thinking and praying about these for my own heart all week. If you get nothing else out of this sermon today, please note these four essential questions about your heart… which is so very important to God:
Weight: Do we need to lose the weight of unnecessary burdens and cares?
Pulse: Are we maintaining a steady rhythm of gratitude and praise?
Blood pressure: Is our trust greater than our anxiety?
Diet: Are we enjoying the life-giving nutrients of the Word of God?
After looking at these four areas we will know whether or not we are on guard duty at our heart’s door or if it is open to attack. In the end, the second lesson Solomon shares with his son is “guard your heart.” That is definitely a worthy lesson for fathers to teach their sons and daughters. It is a worthy lesson for us to accept and hold on to from our Heavenly Father. Take stock of your heart… are you guarding it?
III. LESSON THREE: WATCH YOUR MOUTH (verse 24)
The third lesson I saw from Solomon in chapter 4 which imparts to his son after his initial instructions can be summarized with the words: watch your mouth. Proverbs 4:24 instructs us, “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” (NIV 1984). I love how the ASV puts this verse, “Put away from thee a wayward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.” Whether it is perversity, waywardness, frowardness (KJV, YLT), carelessness (MSG), deceitfulness (NASB, OJB), or crooked speech (RSV), Solomon charges his son to watch his mouth.
Whenever I think about passages that talk about our mouths, I cannot help but think of the Book of James. James 3:5-12 shares with us so poetically, “Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8 but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.”
The mouth/tongue is a spark that can make a great fire. Imagine yourself standing in a forest of drought ridden trees. The ground is piled with dried up leaves and fallen dried branches. All of this around you is your life and your relationships. You open your mouth. Now out of your mouth is the potential to light the whole place ablaze. Do sparks come out of your mouth? Do you light your life on fire with your words and bring destruction? Do you cause harm to others because of the sparks that fly from your trap?
The mouth/tongue is an untamable wild poisonous animal. Whenever I read these verses I cannot help but think about a strange question: if you tongue were an animal, which animal would it be? Now I know that sounds strange, but it is an interesting question. Based on the words you use, how you treat others, and the manner in which you speak… what animal would you be?
A poisonous scorpion A roaring lion A tightening boa constrictor A butterfly
A lazy sloth A fluffy bunny An ever changing chameleon A busy bee
A tricky fox An ADHD prairie dog A wallowing pig A hyena
The mouth/tongue is either a flow of harmful salt water or life giving fresh water. Imagine going to the grocery store. You are picking up all kinds of groceries for breakfast and lunch and dinner. You decide that you need bottled water. You end up at the bottled water aisle with Gatorade and tea and all sorts of soft drinks. You walk up to the bottled water section. What kind of water do you find? You find fizzy water and spring water and far-too-expensive tap water… but you never find bottled salt water or bottled sea water! Why? ‘Cause salt water is nasty. If your mouth were a spring, what kind of water would be flowing out if it? Could they bottle what comes out of your mouth and sell it?
In the end, the third lesson Solomon shares with his son is “watch your mouth.” That is definitely a worthy lesson for fathers to teach their sons and daughters. It is a worthy for us to accept and hold on to from our Heavenly Father. Would you want to drink from the spring that is your mouth?
CONCLUSION
Today is Father’s Day. An official holiday where we celebrate the influence of fathers, grandfathers and those men who have been great influences in our lives.
ILLUSRATION… http://www.askmen.com/entertainment/mrtech_100/144_tech_gadgets.html
It is traditional to get a father a gift on father’s day. Askmen.com came out with their top list for gifts for fathers:
A Watch
Michael Symon’s Carnivore Cookbook
Amazon Fire TV
Baxter of California Kit
Panasonic Wet/Dry Shaver
A Chillsner
MeUndies
Frank & Oak Cufflinks
Bespoke Post Subscription
Healthtracker
Club W Subscription
The list goes on for the leader of your posse. Whatever the gift you give your dad, or wish you could give him, we can all honor fathers and our Heavenly Father by
First, “pay attention.”
Second, “gain understanding.”
Third, what he is about to say is “sound learning.”
Fourth, “lay hold” of what I am about to tell you and “keep” the lessons on your “heart.”
About what exactly?
Mind your path
Guard your heart
Watch your mouth
