TITLE: EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL, SOMETIME
SCRIPTURE: PSALM 14:1
In the year 1972 a song reached the Top 40 in the United States by the R&B group the main ingredient. The group consisted of a trio with Cuba Gooding sr. -- Tony Silvester -- Luther Simmons, Jr. Their version of the hit song "EVERYBODY PLAYS THE FOOL" rose to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the fall of 1972, and would go on to reach Certified Gold.
You remember that song, don’t you? This song describes how everyone has their heart broken at some point, and the chorus goes like this:
Everybody plays the fool, sometime
There’s no exception to the rule
It may be factual, it may be cruel
Everybody plays the fool
I think that’s fairly true in the realm of romance, don’t you?
• At some point, most people have feelings for someone else that aren’t returned
• Or we try to initiate a relationship with someone and get turned down
• Or we have a relationship that falls apart
• In those moments we can sure feel pretty foolish
Well, I think that same idea is definitely true for all of us in the realm of life.
• At some point, everybody plays the fool
• Everyone has moments where they do something foolish or say something foolish
• Once it is out there you wish you could take it back, but it is too late
• Apart from Jesus Christ there really is no exception to that rule!
• Every mere mortal who has ever lived has made foolish decisions at some time
PSALM 14 is one of two Psalms which begin with the words -- “THE FOOL HAS SAID IN HIS HEART: ‘THERE IS NO GOD.” The other is PSALM 53:1 - The two very similar psalms each describe the characteristics of a fool.
• The Bible says the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom
• The contrast here is the root of all foolishness is the rejection of God
The term here is the generic word for God “Elohim” rather than the covenant name “YAHWEH.” This makes the application more broad than denying the existence of Yahweh, the covenant God of Israel, even though to deny the Lordship of Yahweh is to deny the one and only God. So, one should see the opposite fruit develop from one who has this atheistic or agnostic view of the existence of God than the blessings the LORD bestows on those who fear Him. And this is just the case. one’s view about God has implications.
Bible readers will recall with me when King David had an encounter with a man named NABAL who refused Him hospitality. Ironically, the Hebrew word translated "fool" is NA^BA^L, which is an adjective having the meaning of "stupid, wicked" or "vile person." It comes from the root verb NA^BE^L, which means to fall away.
Nabal did not recognize the LORD had anointed David to be the leader of His people and therefore treated David rather roughly. The result of this behavior is Yahweh struck him down dead. Likewise, the fool who refuses to acknowledge God and show Him the proper respect is marked for death. And this death is an eternal one. Jesus describes this place of the wicked as a place of eternal torment. What could be more foolish than going to hell not for a visit but for all of eternity?
I have noted over the years, Christians usually only quote the first half of PSALM 14:1 - I am sure most of us have and can quote that portion of the text. The second half of the verse deals with the fool’s characteristics. The second half of VS. 14:1 says "THEY ARE CORRUPT, THEIR DEEDS ARE VILE." At first, you might think the "They" are those who disbelieve in the existence of God. However, the end of verse says "THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES GOOD."
• One might still think that the verse is referring to atheists
• However, the following two versus make it clear that as God looks down on all people
• He can find none who are not corrupt
• Emphasizing it with "NOT EVEN ONE"
REVELATION 5:1-5 -- And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?
And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.
And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
ROMANS 3:10 -- As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one
The word fool refers not to mental inability but to moral and spiritual insensitivity. The phrase no God suggests ‘Practical Atheism,’ the view that if there is a God, it really does not matter to one’s life. Adam Clarke’s Commentary identifies three groups who in differing ways deny God -- his commentary was published in 1826.
1. There have been some, not many who have denied the existence of God
2. There are others who, without absolutely denying the divine existence, deny His Providence
3. There are others, and they are very numerous, who, while they profess to acknowledge both, deny them in their heart, and live as if they were persuaded there was no God to either punish or reward
THE FOOL HAS SAID IN HIS HEART, THERE IS NO GOD. It is right at the start, this Psalm says, it’s man’s foolishness that would have him to assert in his heart that there is no god.
• Not man’s wisdom or learning
• It’s his foolishness
• I CORINTHIANS 1:18 “FOR THE PREACHING OF THE CROSS IS TO THEM THAT PERISH FOOLISHNESS; BUT UNTO US WHICH ARE SAVED IT IS THE POWER OF GOD”
In the Bible, this description of a fool is a pretty broad label. For example, we see the book of Proverbs constantly compare the wise person with the foolish person.
• There we see the fool is someone that lacks Wisdom and Knowledge, in regard to Truth
• But that fool is also someone who lacks Wisdom and Knowledge, with regard to Morality and Ethics
In this era of Donald Trump we don’t like to say someone is lying – we want to now use the term DISINFORMATION.
• Misinformation refers to inaccuracies that stem from error
• Disinformation is deliberate falsehood promulgated by design
We don’t like the harsher but true terms. So, in our text, why call them foolish, instead of mistaken? Well, the Bible calls them foolish with good reason. And that reason is important for us to understand. The book of ROMANS, especially the first three chapters provides some excellent commentary on this Psalm. In ROMANS 1, PAUL makes the simple point that everyone ultimately knows that God exists.
• Paul is talking about what is called “GENERAL REVELATION”
• That the existence of God can be understood simply by looking around at the world around us
• It shows forth the work of a Creator
ROMANS 1:20 says, “FOR HIS INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES, NAMELY, HIS ETERNAL POWER AND DIVINE NATURE, HAVE BEEN CLEARLY PERCEIVED, EVER SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD, IN THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE. SO THEY ARE WITHOUT EXCUSE.”
• The Chapter goes on to say that people nonetheless suppress this truth
• The result is “CLAIMING TO BE WISE, THEY IN ACTUALITY BECAME FOOLS”
Add to this fact not only can God be seen through His Creation, His Existence is also testified to via special Revelation. I know I have lost some of you because I am talking about the Bible. This book contains many revelations of God over an extended period of time and has been confirmed by Supernatural Miracles - Fulfilled Prophecies - Eyewitness Testimony. And so why call the non-believers here foolish and not mistaken?
• If someone is genuinely convinced for good reason there is no God, but they are wrong, then maybe you would call them mistaken
• But if someone deep down inside has every reason to believe there is a God, and in fact has known there is a God but has turned a blind eye to it and ignored the truth — then that is foolish
Let me see if I can make this a little clearer this morning. We think of someone who says “THERE IS NO GOD” as an atheist, a person who denies God’s existence. That’s not the meaning here. This foolish person engages in practical atheism, not actual atheism. Ok, let me see if I can get closer to knocking on your front door. Anyone this morning ever get a speeding ticket and you knew you were speeding and subsequently were pulled over by the police? Let me break this down and explain.
--Imagine someone with an exaggerated sense of his own self-importance, maybe the richest and best known businessman in town.
--He drives off in his car knowing he has had one or two drinks too many. And he puts the pedal to the metal, driving well beyond the speed limit.
--His friend is with him. His friend says: “You’d better watch out the police don’t catch you!” “Huh!” says the businessman roughly, “There are no police, at least none who would dare to give me a ticket.”
--Our drunk and reckless businessman is not denying the existence of police, but he is discounting them.
--He knows the laws, but he’s flaunting them and disregarding those whose job is to enforce them.
--“They don’t count. They won’t change what I want to do,” he’s saying.
--This Psalm likewise addresses the dangerous folly of those who deny God, who live as they please, believing neither God nor anyone else will hold them to account.
--No wonder the Psalmist writes -- “THEY ARE CORRUPT, THEIR DEEDS ARE VILE.”
Let me ensure at this point in the message that you don’t think I am implying only those on the outside are foolish and does not apply to those of us on the inside of the Church. They are here within the Church as well. Those who make an experience with Jesus Christ secondary.
• Work and Business first! If any time is left, they give that unto the Lord
• They bend their "religion" to suit circumstances and surroundings and friends
• Those who are satisfied with a dry form and an empty profession, and have no vital or real experience with the Lord
• Those who play with sin and lower the bars –
o Like SAMSON - (Judges 16:20) "And she said, "THE PHILISTINES ARE UPON YOU, SAMSON!" So he awoke from his sleep, and said, "I WILL GO OUT AS BEFORE, AT OTHER TIMES, AND SHAKE MYSELF FREE!" BUT HE DID NOT KNOW THAT THE LORD HAD DEPARTED FROM HIM"
o Like DAVID - (II SAMUIEL 12:7) "…NATHAN SAID TO DAVID, "YOU ARE THE MAN…!" David was so blinded by his selfish, sinful condition that Nathan had to point out his sin to him
• Those who Preach one thing and Practice another
• Profess a high standard of love, but have a spirit of surmising the worst, critical and backbite
• Preach unity, but practice division
• Condemn others what you are guilty of yourself
If we want to avoid the path of foolishness, we must treat evil as a serious threat whenever we see it on the horizon. We are foolish if we allow ourselves to go into a tempting situation because we think we are too strong to give in. As Paul warned us in I CORINTHIANS 10:12 “LET HIM WHO THINKS HE STANDS TAKE HEED LEST HE FALL.”
We can gain wisdom by learning from the experiences of others. We can learn much by watching others and the lesson teaches us what not to do. Sometimes we see other people bring trouble into their lives through foolish choices, but for whatever reason we tell ourselves we can make the same choices yet avoid the negative consequences.
• We may think we are smarter than others
• We may simply believe those bad things won’t happen to us
• But my brothers and sisters, that is a foolish way of thinking
• We should learn a lesson from others and then take precautions so that we don’t end up in the same situation
Christianity is not a cookie jar from which you can take what you like and leave what you don’t. To be surrendered to God through Christ is to lay down your life every day --
• Every Decision
• Every Ambition
• Every Relationship
• Every Moral Standard
• Every Value
--The Psalmist said the Lord looks down to see if there are any who understand and seek God
--The warning is to be sure we are those who understand, and we are those who seek God
--The assurance in Psalm 14 is there is a God, and He is a Mighty God
--He is never Absent
--He is never Powerless
--He is never Neglectful
--He is always Seeing
--He is always with His People
--He is always our Refuge
--He is always ready to Save
--He is so ready to save that He sent his Son into the world
--Yes, all have sinned and come short of God’s standard, but we have a Savior, Jesus Christ
--Yes, we Fail
--Yes, we Sin
--Yes, our promises are too often not kept
--But Jesus died for these sins and all sins, and as people with a new life and God’s Spirit, our hearts are turned God-ward
--That was not the end of the story – He Got Up the Third Day morning with all power and has prepared a place for you and for me
--No matter how often we fail, we get up and we seek God again and reorient our life again to his will and his purposes
--We are Saved
--We are being Saved
--And we will be Saved
--We are a work in progress
--Praise God
--We know that God is Real
There are some things I may not know,
There are some places I can't go,
But I am sure of this one thing
My God is real for I can feel him in my soul
My God is real,
He's real in my soul,
My God is real
For he has washed and he made me whole,
His love for me is like pure gold.
My God is real for I can feel him in my soul
