Scads of Wisdom
(Proverbs 28:17-27)
1. The right word can make a difference. Sometimes the right word needs to be invented.
2. Here are some suggested new words:
CARPETUATION (kar pet' u a shun)n. The act, when vacuuming, of running over a string or a piece of lint at least a dozen times, reaching over and picking it up, examining it, then putting it back down to give the vacuum one more chance.
ELBONICS (el bon'iks) n. The actions of two people maneuvering for one armrest in a movie theater.
UNDUST (un dust')n. The small line of debris that refuses to be swept onto the dust pan and is eventually swept under the rug.
LACTOMANGULATION (lak' to man gyu lay' shun)n. The act of manhandling the "open here" spout on a milk container so badly that one has to resort to the other side.
PHONESIA (fo nee' zhuh)n. The affliction of dialing a phone number and forgetting whom you were calling just as they answer.
TELECRASTINATION (tel e kras tin ay' shun)n. The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.
3. The right word can be important. So can the right bit of advice.
Main Idea: Navigating through the complexities of life well requires us to accumulate wisdom. We need scads of it, including the bits of wisdom we will discuss today.
I. A BLOODY Conscience Has Its Consequences (17).
Some people have a clear conscience because they don’t use it. Most of us dl.
A. Many have followed in the pattern of CAIN.
Genesis 4:13-14, “Cain said to the Lord, ‘My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.’”
B. Helping a fugitive fleeing JUSTICE may seem kindly, but it is not right.
C. Even someone who has committed murder can find FORGIVENESS.
• People with this in their past usually struggle….
• Any sin can be forgiven when we repent and trust Christ.
• Cicero Bible Church had several former gangsters in its congregation.
II. We Must Approach WEALTH with Wisdom and Patience (19-20, 22-25, 27).
A. The most successful way to gain wealth is steady WORK over time (19-20).
Pr. 13:11, “Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it.”
1. In contrast to “worthless pursuits” (19) – non-workers can stay busy….and it is not through volunteering or helping others usually…
2. In contrast to ‘get rich quick” schemes (20)
3. Aesop’s fable: Tortoise and the Hare, slow and steady wins the race
B. GENEROSITY is part of properly handling wealth (22,27).
1. There is a big difference between being tight and being stingy (my Aunt/Uncle)
2. Some of the most generous people I have known were tight by generous.
3. Aunt Jo would mix powder milk with whole milk to save money.
4. To be stingy, according to Webster, is “unwilling to give or spend; ungenerous.”
5. It is good to be selective about being generous…
6. Proverbs warns of consequences
I Timothy 6:17-19, “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”
C. An OBSESSION with wealth harms others (24-25).
1. Taking advantage of one’s own parents or family: relational damage (24)
2. Creating strife and relational breaks (25)
3. The man who trusts the Lord is the man who is really rich (26).
III. Integrity is INDISPENSABLE (18, 21, 23, 26).
A. Integrity SAFEGUARDS us from many problems (18).
B. Integrity shows itself in FAIRNESS and impartiality (21).
C. Integrity shows itself in willingness to speak TRUTH into the life of another who needs correction (23).
The surprising consequence (often) is a closer relationship.
I have been confronted about a number of things over the years; some people are picky picky and their confrontation is part of an OCD issue or are agenda-driven; but other confrontations have been on the mark, and I am better for them.
Recently, I ran across an interesting story about the popular Christian worship leader, Matt Redman. Early in his career, Redman was singing with his church's praise band when his pastor confronted them. He felt the band was proud of their musical performance and were neglecting true worship. Without question, that was a stinging rebuke, a heavy dose of needed correction. Insulted by the charge, the members of the band left the church—all, that is, except Redman.
Redman responded wisely to the correction, and shortly thereafter wrote his hit song "The Heart of Worship." The song contains these powerful lyrics, "I'm coming back to the heart of worship, and it's all about you, Jesus." [source: rejoice969.com]
D. The person of integrity has learned not to trust in his own HEART (26).
1. Some versions translate heart, others mind. In OT, these terms are used interchangeably. You can think with your heart and feel with your mind.
2. This is perhaps the greatest attribute of a person with integrity.
3. This is an important issue. How often have we heard, “I like to attend that church because I feel God (or the Spirit) there. A few years later, disgusted at that same church.
4. I wanted to marry that person because my heart said to. A few years later, divorced.
5. Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”
6. Even secular psychology is beginning to understand this, According to Psychology Today, “Somehow, over the past few decades it's become conventional wisdom that we should put our faith in our feelings. That is, if we feel something—especially if we feel it intensely—then it deserves to be seen as valid, or truthful. The adage "trust your feelings" has by now become almost axiomatic. But ultimately, how logical—or, how safe—is it to conclude that if we feel something strongly, we should both believe it and permit it to control our behavior? [Leon Seltzer, Psychology Today].
We need God Word, which exists outside ourselves, to help us decide and make determinations about ourselves within ourselves.
