How many of us want to raise a foolish child? How many think their already raising a fool?
No one is born a fool; fools are self-made! Usually with a little help from the people in there lives.
The Bible says, “Foolishness is bound up in a child’s heart.”
If parents aren’t careful, there are seeds of foolishness that get planted in them at the earliest age and the seeds get watered day in and day out and soon or later foolishness will sprout!
The Big Three Seeds Planted in The Average Child:
· The seed of demonic evolution. That says, “If I come from scum, why not act like scum. If there’s no value to life why not take a life!”
· The seed of dirty entertainment.
· The seed of defective ethics.
Situation ethics are taught everywhere!
LifePoint: When the Bible talks about a fool it is not talking about a person who is mentally deficient but morally defective.
The Formula For The Fool
It starts with…
1. The Ignorance of The Fool.
a. He loves simplicity. Vs. 22a
He’s easy going, no responsibility, no problems, never really thinks a serious thought. Never considers the weightier things of life.
A Greek philosopher named Demostraphe could not speak very well, so he would put small marbles in his mouth and argue the ocean, rebuke the wind and waves. This is how he overcame his speech problem. He soon learned how to articulate wonderfully. Then he began to speak to large about the vital issue of life like…death, eternity and the judgment.
But he would notice that the crowds were not really listening to his serious topics, so one day he said to the crowd, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I want to tell you a story.”
Once there was a man that was carrying a large pile of wood on his back and he had to cross over a huge mountain range. Another man came along side of him and said, “Why don’t you let this donkey I have carry that load of yours and I’ll rent it to you very cheap. The man said, “O.K. “I’ll do that.” So they worked out a price and away the man when with the donkey carrying all the wood.
Later in the day the sun was very hot and the man stopped to get some rest in the shade that was made by the big donkey.
Then the man who rented the donkey came along and pushed the man out of the shade and said, “sorry but there’s no room for two of us under this shade.” The man who rented the donkey said, “I’m not moving over, I paid to rent this donkey and I don’t have to move.” The owner of the donkey said, “This shade is mine because I own this donkey, so the shade legally belongs to me.”
“Oh no it doesn’t, it’s my shade because I have the rental agreement that says I have it for 3 days.” Then the owner said, “I didn’t say anything about the shade, therefore both the shade and the donkey belongs to me.”
So a great argument took place for some time between the two men over who had the rights to the shade. Then Demostraphe walked off the stage without finishing this incredible story. The crowd goes nuts and starts shouting, “We want to ending of that story” the shouts got loader and loader. Finally he comes back on stage and says to the crowd, “Earlier I was talking about the most important issue of life concerning eternal life and judgment and all of you could care less and tuned me out completely. And now all of you are in suspense over who owned the shade of the donkey.”
Folks, that’s a simple person! Try to take about the more important issues of life and there’s no interest, but put that child in front of T.V. and he’ll watch it until his eyes are the size of coconuts and his brain is the size of a peanut!
b. He lacks understanding.
Proverbs 9:4 “Whoever is simple let him turn in here…”
The child that has a high I.Q. but still lacks understanding... is in trouble! This goes for spiritual matters especially!
c. He is led easily.
Proverbs 14:15 “The simple believes every word…”
“Simple” = Hebrew for open and gullible.
Remember the seeds of foolishness…Demonic evolution, dirty entertainment and defective ethics? These areas of a child’s life are open for the worst kind of philosophies and worldview.
Children don’t always know when they are being led in the wrong direction that why they need sound parenting and a solid pathway. Otherwise they are sitting ducks in for Madison Ave., cults and Satanism.
Satanism is a growing religion in America and a Satanist will do his best recruiting with 13 or 14 year olds!
Parents say to junior, “Stay away from drugs and alcohol but when you get old enough I’ll let you pick you own religion! Like it there’s some Hometown buffet for religion out there!
Christian parents don’t ever say that to your child or you’re the BIGGER FOOL!
Proverbs 22:6 “Train up (discipline) a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
2. The Indifference of The Fool.
Maybe your asking what traits are there in a scorner? He’s the teenager he’s a smart alic. If he’s in a university, he’s a mocker!
What Are His Characteristics:
a. He delights in his scorning. Vs.22b
He gets his jollies and joke about his attitude!
b. He defies instruction. 13:1
c. He despises the godly. 15:12
Never argue with a fool! He hates it!
Proverbs 9:7,8 “Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get a smart answer…so don’t bother rebuking mockers, they will only hate you.” NLT
3. The Immovability of The Fool. Vs. 22c
Notice the digression so far of the fool! First he…
a. Rejects wisdom. 1:7
Hates truth!
LifePoint: Wisdom is the power to see truth and the power to choose the best and highest instruction!
b. Ridicules righteousness. 14:9
This child laughs at sexual purity, thinks homosexuality is hip and talks his girl friend into getting an abortion!
c. Rejoices in sin. 15:21
Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to him who calls evil good and good evil. Who puts darkness for light and light for darkness…”
Proverbs 26:11 “As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.”
>>> To a fool, sin makes him sick to his stomach, but so many times he returns for more of it later!
A teenager came home lat one night after drinking and fighting. He sneaks in the house and is very quite about it. He goes to the bathroom to see his face with the cuts and bruises, and then tries to put band aides on his face.
He gets to his room and he’s laughing to himself because he thinks he’s got away with. Well in the morning he rolls over and his mom is standing over him and she says to him, “Son, you were out drinking last night weren’t you? He says, “No mom really I wasn’t.” Then she says to him, “If you weren’t then who put all those band aides on the mirror?”
So Consider These Facts With Your Child
· The simple child at the right age can be taught.
Start early in their life! Don’t wait until their 200 pounds and 17 years old!
Mom and Dads, master the book of proverbs and then let the book of proverbs master your family!
Remember “simple” = open, so get hold of their plastic mentalities early and mold them with love, compassion, discipline and have lot of fun in the process!!!
Key: Children are like wet cement; whatever falls on them makes an impression!
Teach your children how to get a grip on sin before it gets a grip on them!
Them see a traffic accident and the consequences of wreckless driving! Take them to a homeless shelter and let them see the empty lives trying to hang on another day. Studies are showing that the “Scared Straight” programs are making a huge impact on teenager’s lives!
Ecclesiastes 8:11 “When crime is not punished, people feel it is safe to do wrong.”
It’s sending the wrong message to our children when crime is not punished or it takes years to finally go to jail because of the appeals!
· Children learn by example.
A mother took her son to school for the first time and said to the teacher, “If Johnny acts up at anytime, just hit the kid next to him and he will straighten up right away!”
That’s a bad example!
Get this research from James Dodson…
>>> Children who see physical violence between their parents are 39% more likely to abuse their own spouse.
>>> If parents hit their children they are 55% more likely to abuse their own children later.
Homosexuality is on the rise because parents are abusing their children physically and sexually like never before on this scale!
The example we can be for our children is awesome! Children need to see the love that you have for your spouse and they need to see and feel the love you have for them!
· Guard your child’s friendships.
Proverbs 22:10 “Throw out the mocker and fighting, and then quarrels and insults will disappear.” NLT
Most of our homes would be more peaceful if we got rid of the troublemaker’s kid’s hangout with! You have the right to pick and choose your kid’s friends! If that friend doesn’t abide by your lifestyle and believes…kick them out!
Two families were out on a camping trip together and a couple of the teenagers got permission to go scouting further up the mountain and campout there for the night.
They got up the next morning and all of the sudden they both see this huge grizzly bear getting ready to have them for breakfast. They’re both freaking out and then one boy starts putting on the other boys $150.00 tennis shoes.
Then the boys says, “Hey, those are mine, you can’t wear them and besides do you really think you can out run that bear?”
The other boys says, “I don’t have to out run that bear, I just have to out run you!”
Let me leave you with this…I don’t know who said this but it pretty good. There are 4 kinds of children in the world…
- The child who knows not, he’s dangerous, keep your child away from him.
- The child who knows not, but he knows not that he knows not, he’s simple, teach him.
- The child who knows but has forgotten he knows, he’s asleep, wake him.
- The child who knows and knows he knows, that a fool, watch him.
