Wisdom In Discerning The Truth Series

Wisdom in Discerning the Truth

Series: Wisdom for Life (Proverbs)

Brad Bailey – July 21, 2018

INTRO…

Would you like to be known as a judgmental person?

Most of us don’t. In fact it has become nearly a defining virtue of our current times: Like we have to say “Hey …I don’t like to judge anybody.”…often followed by … “but did you see what that guy did?”

I find we in our current culture seem a bit in conflict. We denounce any form of judging… while every form of public communication is almost nothing but judging.

I believe God calls out to us today.

This morning we are continuing in our Summer Series entitled Wisdom for Life… in which we are engaging areas of wisdom as communicated to us in the Biblical Book of Proverbs.

First week… there is a difference between knowledge and wisdom.

As many have noted…we live in a time in which we have an overload of knowledge…information…but may be at a loss for wisdom.

Wisdom is an understanding of how life really works…and what is needed.

Much wisdom has to do with how relating to others works.

Last week… words…can speak life…and death.

So the wise person will care about what they say.

Today… we are going to continue to allow God to speak to us about wisdom in relating to others.

I want to encourage each of us to open ourselves to what God may want to do in us…and in particular… in relationships…ways in which we have allowed judging others or being judged to develop.

In Proverbs 18th chapter… this theme runs… several statements that speak to how we relate to developing a fair understanding…including a fair understanding on one another.

Proverbs 18:2 (NIV)

A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.

The Hebrew word that is translated opinion in the ESV is leb - which simply means, "heart", "mind", or "the inner person." In other words, verse 2 of Proverbs 18 ascribes to the fool the quality of neglecting and despising objective truth in favor of believing what he wants to believe. His opinion may or (most likely) may not be based on any kind of fact or evidence. More likely, the fool's "opinion" is a conclusion that is convenient to his own inner, self-serving feelings and desires.

Verse 13 of Proverbs 18 reinforces this wisdom and points to the damage it causes, saying,

Proverbs 18:13 (NIV)

He who answers before listening-- that is his folly and his shame.

The worst things I have said… came from allowing my opinion to speak ahead of enough understanding.

What comes out is ignorance… and it comes not caring enough about our words…but ultimately by a lack of caring for understanding.

The contrast — and remedy — is given in Proverbs 18:15.

Proverbs 18:15 (NIV)

The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out.

That word discerning describes the skill of examining… the deliberate, close examination of all the available facts.

Verse 17 brings the point home…

“The first to present his case seems right, till another comes forward and questions him.” – Proverbs 18:17

All the concerns for judging wisely lead to the need to recognize… we tend to be drawn to conclusions before hearing the whole picture. [1]

[Showed humorous Cat Commercial for Ameriquest Mortgage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4SpQqP2zuU]

We can have humorous moments where we rather quickly discover the real picture of what was going on.

But there “jumping to conclusions” is often not such a simple matter.

One thing that our tendency is not… it’s not good for true understanding.

A few months ago… I got one of those special letter in the mail… a summons for jury duty. End of the first day… I got called onto a huge pool of jurors. There was little chance I would end up on this jury. Jury selection continued into the next day…and I was the last juror selected.

That was the beginning of a few days … in which you develop some fun comradery …

One thing became very clear… why? The issue being judged seemed totally without merit for the resources of time.

When the time came… this group was going to have no patience for deliberating. I wouldn’t want to have to be the foreman of this jury.

I was made the foreman.

While everyone was frustrated by lack of significance in this case...it became clear that everyone was equally surprised by how hoard it was to discern.

Why? Because what was initially presented … became less clear…..

And the whole process of becoming a juror was defined by the continual question: “”

That was the mandate. It is essential to the pursuit of justice…is the need to hear all the evidence.