The Unwise, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ, you can learn with experience. If you are through education, you're way ahead of the game. If you are to experience you have some very painful memories. That's what Solomon is saying you don't have to remain naïve you can actually learn wisdom. The psalmist wrote Psalm 119 is I have more insight than all my teachers why because I live my life on the basis of the framework of your word joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor William Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana going pastor will do for now is once again he shows us how God's word are there is a story that was told about academic meeting at a major university in writing the beginning of the meeting and Angel came into the Roman appeared in front of the academic Dean of the school and he told him that because of his unselfish and exemplary behavior that the Lord was going to re-ward him with a choice that would be his. He could have infinite wisdom or infinite wealth or beauty, and immediately, without a thought academic Dean said wisdom and Angel said Don and then Angel and puff of smoke a little bowl of lightning and he was gone and it was silent in the room and everybody set their numbers kind of aglow a little bit around the academic Dean, and he was just sort of sitting there pondering as he had all this acquired wisdom and notes I'm in school longer and longer. Finally, somebody said to him, please just just say something to us. So the academic deans rubbed his chin and said I should've taken the money. His answer resonates with us. See we live in a culture where wisdom is not cultivated or is it sought. Chuck Swindoll says in his book living on the ragged edge that wisdom is the God given ability to see life with rare objectivity, and to handle it with rare stability. I love the use of his word rare rare objectivity, rare stability. See, the Lord would love for you to live your life with wisdom but very few of us live our lives that way.

I started a series living a full proof life and I said the very first thing we must deal with is the most important question of all when it comes to making choices and decisions and that question is what is the wise thing to do and then we expanded that with the idea.

What is the wise thing to do in light of my past experiences. My present circumstances and my future hopes and dreams. The problem though is it takes a whole lot more than simply a question we resist wisdom. We are inherently resistant to wisdom. The question is why is that, would you open your Bibles to Proverbs chapter 1 the book of Proverbs is the book of wisdom. It's the heart of the wisdom literature. It's written by Solomon. The personification of wisdom considered the wisest man who ever lived, but Solomon right from the beginning of the book once to let us know just how important wisdom is. He says the Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, the king of Israel to know wisdom and instruction, to discern sayings and not of understanding to receive instruction in wise behavior, righteousness, justice and equity to give prudence to the naïve to the youth knowledge and discretion. I wise man will hear and increase in learning a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel to understand a proverb and a figure, the words of the wise and the riddles the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

Spies wisdom and instruction. When Solomon writes the book he basically is going to talk about two kinds of people all the way through the book and are easy to understand the wise and the unwise and he's saying you basically you fall in one of those categories, you realize you're unwise and if you're unwise, then you fall into one of three different groups. I would pray that you don't but I'm suspicious that you might fall into one of these groups and I want to deal with each one of them this morning. The very first one shows up in verse four of chapter 1 he says that if you have wisdom and will give prudence to the naïve prudence to the naïve, the naïve are unwise now than naïve are not necessarily by the way against wisdom.

They simply haven't lived long enough to know any better for our children, teenagers, young adults, they are naïve they are deficient with enough information in order to make a wise choice. That's the struggle for the naïve and there much too simple. Another way of translating that Hebrew word rather than naïve when it comes to discernment. Turn with me to chapter 14 and he certainly gives us another characteristic of the naïve. In verse 15 and he says the naïve believes everything. The naïve believes everything but the sensible man considers the steps the naïve or believe almost anything. You were teenagers.

Some of your store, but all of you were and you know what that means you can see this United is hanging around with a buddy in a guy comes by and said he's got his mother's car for the night. It's a Friday night and she said not to go too far away. But hey did you hear what's going on across the lake and is all you got something to good idea in your own and you pick up another friend and he got from his dad's garage, a six pack and not the all and this is going to be 11 big night this is going to be so cool. And then of course you know there's the calling and your parents come and pick you up. You have to explain all the things what happened your naïve your susceptible to that and I heavily can be much, much worse than by the way just simply a bad night on the town. Being naïve can be extremely dangerous turn back to chapter 7 of Proverbs and Solomon gives the most vivid picture of diameter you could ever see Proverbs 7 he speaking to his son and my thought is his sons, a young man and he's trying to spare his son experiences that he might have to face. He said my son keep my words and treasure my commandments within you keep my commandments and live in my teaching. As the apple of your eye pieces bind them on your fingers, write them on the tablet of your heart seed to wisdom your my sister is my son. What I wish for you is that you be wise who who wouldn't is apparent when a young person a young child of yours to be wise Solomon says I want you to be wise, he says: understanding your intimate friend so that you may keep it may keep you from an adulterous from a foreigner who flatters with her words.

Now he is going to be speaking about adultery but it's much more than that he's using the form of the adulteress with a young teenage boy to show what happens any time the naïve or faced with sinful temptation that can be extremely destructive to their life and so he starts this picture.

He says for out the window of my house. I looked out through my lattice and I saw among the naïve.

There's the naïve, I'd say 17-year-old boy hormone driven okay you 17 and discerned among the youths I young man lacking sense. He says, passing through the street near her corner and he takes the way to her house in the twilight in the evening in the middle of the night and in the darkness he's gone there many times he walks by. Many times he starts out a twilight than a ghost of the evening. Then he goes and Dartmouth the middle of the night. He's he keeps going by later and later by the way, one of the great principles of parenting teenagers. There's a word by the way of tremendous conflict, but sometimes between teenagers and parents of the words called curfew.

Okay, now teenagers naïve. They have no understanding but parents of been there and done that they do and as a parent you always would know and you know this to be true after midnight. How many good things can happen to see how many not many, but by the way, my friend has a 2 o'clock my other friend doesn't have a curfew. They come in the next morning if they want to the words of the naïve.

So you see of this progressed, behold, a woman comes to meet him dressed as a harlot coming apart. This is a woman to dress like a streetwalker.

She's not a streetwalker she's a wife see this in a moment but she dresses like a harlot now for anyone with wisdom. That is a danger, danger, danger situation, but not for the naïve it says she is boisterous and rebellious.

Her feet do not remain at home. She is now in the streets and now in the squares and works on every corner. See, he's talking about or personification of meaning any word terrible dangerous and good happen, not just adultery. He said so she seizes him, and she kisses him, and with the brazen face. He says to him, I was due to offer peace offerings, and today I pay my files. Therefore I've come out to meet you to seek your presence earnestly I found the what usually don't start back on a conversation out with religious talk.

But what is she saying she said I made my offerings today on the bows I have the meat and the food from all my offering I have to eat it today. You see, I have plenty of food that was offered. How would you like to come to my house for dinner and remember what she looks like. But remember, this is naïve.

I have spread my couch with coverings with colored linens. Egypt, I will sprinkle my bed with murder and alloys and cinnamon, let us drink our fill of love until morning.

Let us delight ourselves with caresses for my husband is not at home for my husband is not at home he is gone a long journey is taken a bag of money with them at the full moon. He will come home look this is a great way to talk to the naïve we can get away with this, you see there be no repercussions. We can get away with this husband is out of town when with her many persuasions. She entices him with her flattering lips.

She seduces you see this cultures a little different if her husband comes home early. He has the right to kill this young man.

If this is brought to the attention of the culture. They have a right to stone them both this night could cost him his life, but to the naïve. He doesn't even think about that.

You see doesn't give any thought to that, then this incredibly vivid picture that Solomon gives he says this to them. He says suddenly he follows her as an ox goes to the slaughter. What picture nothing of an ox to sacrifice an ox they going to kill it. Usually a tremendous blow to the head and they deleted to the slaughter. Now the ox is gone for the time it was a little And now it's a very large muscular animal and its fed every day and it probably walks around with the owner and get sleep now this gigantic auxin owner is bringing the ox for sacrifice and the ox could get away any time the ox wants to put the ox is too stupid to know what's going to happen. You see, the ox doesn't know. And all of a sudden, what is a typical walk is no longer a typical walk.

The ox walks right up gets the shot on the head. Next thing you know it's down the next thing you know it's guided and after that it's eaten. Is this just like this young boy he was too stupid to know it's an amazing picture that he gives he said. Or, as one in fetters to the discipline of a fool until an arrow pierces through his liver fatal blow.

He said he won't even know what he's doing until would cost him his life. Why is naïve.

It says as a bird hastens to a snare, so he does not know that it will cost him his life. Think of how many young people have died making really stupid decisions. Just some really ridiculous shortsighted decision. You see when he's naïve he can ask the question what is the wise thing to do, necessarily, and then say based on my past experiences. The problem of the naïve is you don't have any past experiences so you can't really go to that, then you could say, well, what is the wise thing to do in light of my present circumstances or weight of my friends here about this. I just spent a night with a lady. You see my present circumstances and the peer group pressure that I have it still seems like a pretty good idea, but what about in light of my future hopes and dreams. I may not have a future.

He never even considered.

Think of that.

Think of how many 17-year-old geysers driving a car hundred 30 miles an hour not thinking about anything.

How dumb it really is.

He says now therefore, my son, listen to me pay attention to the words of my mouth. Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways. Do not stray under pass for many are the victim. She is cast on a numerous or all her slain. Her house is the way to she'll it's the weight of the greatest sending to the chambers of death. He says don't you see what this is going to see the potential because it is naïve trying to chapter 22 chapter 22 of Proverbs and again the principal and notice what he says about the naïve piece of the prudent sees the evil and hides himself for the naïve go on a just go on and are punished for it.

You see what he is saying is signed. Don't go that route don't do that it could cost you way more than you're willing to pay. Think of how many dumb choices you made as a teenager. You look back on your life now and say what I do that. Why was I involved with that, by the way, you don't have to be naïve.

Turn to chapter 2 of Proverbs, and he says look there's a way to deal with the adulterous there's a way you can deal with it, son, and there's what Solomon writes verse one my son, if you receive my words and treasure my commandments within you, and you make your 10 of the wisdom incline your heart to understanding. For if you cry for discernment. He says lift your voice for understanding, if you see Kurt if you seek wisdom as silver, and search for her as hidden treasures.

Then you will discern the fear the Lord and discover the knowledge of God, for the Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright is a shield to those who walk in integrity guarding the paths of justice, and he he says preserves the way of the godly ones and then you will discern righteousness and justice and equity in every good course for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your sole discretion, will guard you and understanding will watch over you deliver you from the way of evil. He says from the man who speaks perverse things while you see a statement is you can get this you have to remain naïve.

I can remember all the years that both of our sons were teenagers and what my wife and I would say to them constantly is what were going to tell you is the truth now the thing is the remember is we can't make you act upon. You don't have to. We can't make you act a certain way you can do what you want with but if you don't act upon the truth then you're still going to learn the lesson lesson of wisdom, but you gonna learn it from experience. You see, you can learn from the consequences of your choices. You see, you can learn wisdom two ways you can learn through education or you can learn wisdom through experience.

If you are through education, you're way ahead of the game.

If you are through experience. You have some very painful memories. That's what Solomon is saying you don't have to remain naïve you can actually learn wisdom the psalmist from Psalm 119 is it I have more insight than all my teachers why because I live my life on the basis of the framework of your word. My teachers aren't as wise as I see wisdom for the naïve or something that can be gained, but the naïve is unwise.

There is a next group it's unwise. Solomon calls that group before a fool knows his choices are unwise, but a fool doesn't care.

Turn up Proverbs 26 Proverbs 26, and a description of the fool.

Solomon says in verse three that a whip is for a horse and I bridle for a donkey and the rod for the back of before. He says do not answer a fool according to his follies. He said are you will be like him. He said to try to point something out though fool is extremely difficult.

In fact, it's often even foolish to try these and answer a fool. He says as his folly deserves. He says that he not be wise in his own eyes.

He's limited. What a force like he cuts off his own feet and dreams, violence, who would never send a message by the hand of the fool. He said like legs, which are useless to the lame.

So was a problem in the model of so when you try to teach you education and was a full one was preferable if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like the listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio program, had Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible with all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly fourth is the one time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is of the sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at fellowship monitored visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and of LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds of possible sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sensors are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the message you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon on listening and anchoring. And remember all this absolutely free of charge.

Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt injuries and heart. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order