[0:00] Well, God is faithful. Anytime we start sharing testimonies like T. Wayne was doing and being excited about rejoicing, we never exhaust, you can turn to Proverbs 6, we never exhaust all that we could say about the faithfulness of God. We only just choose to stop and speak about something else, right? We could continue. And I would like to just take a moment before I jump into this passage, share many prayer requests and praises. I mentioned my childhood pastor, but it would really be fitting of me to let you know the church gnome. You know, Brother Austin, former pastor, earlier this week he had surgery and the surgery removed the cancer, and I believe 100%, and that's an answer to the prayer. Hopefully a prayer that all of us have been praying, and now we get to rejoice together. So I want to say a word of prayer and thank the Lord for that before we jump into Proverbs tonight. Heavenly Father, you have been so good to us. Thank you for the talents and the gifts and the willingness of those that just sung that song to remind us of the faithfulness of your promise. Lord, I think about Courtney and how she's now living out the dream you placed in her heart there in Bolivia. You provided a land and a building in Detroit when it seemed against the odds. Lord, you have allowed Brother Austin to be cancer-free once again, and we praise you, Lord.
[1:16] We see you working in this world, and we recognize it, and we rejoice in it, and we are so very grateful. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. We're going to look at Proverbs tonight. I didn't finish the summary on Sunday night. We're going to head to the book of Limitations. Really enjoy Psalm 119, and I miss being there tonight, but I want to get us to a summary of Proverbs, and we're looking at Proverbs 6, and in it we're looking at these things that the Lord hates, and we're seeing that how through the book of Proverbs he mentions it in a positive manner, that where he hates pride, he loves those that have humility in their eyes, and if you, those topical studies, each one of these things that I'm going to look at of the six deserve their own service. They deserve their own series, but I'm giving you a summary of the book of Hebrews. Before that, Proverbs. All right, I looked at Brother Sam.
[2:07] If you wouldn't have laughed, I would have just kept running with it. A book of Proverbs. I couldn't give you a summary of Hebrews very easily. That takes a little bit more work. God bless you, Brother Sam. I'm glad you're teaching that, but I've been teaching the poetic books at the training center, and this may surprise you, but I love poetry. I really do, and some of you looked at me odd, just like a friend of mine looked at me not long ago odd when I looked at him and I said, I don't like poetry, and they looked at me and said, well, that's kind of weird because you teach Psalms on Thursday nights, and you teach Proverbs on Sunday night, and you love the Bible, and the Bible is a lot of poetry. It seems like you do love poetry, and I said, like I said, I love poetry, right?
[2:51] And so if you put an opportunity to learn about God on another side of, on the other side of a discipline, you'll learn to love it. Like I learned loving about the different ways to understand poetry because I get to know more about God, right? So every one of you in here, if you don't think you do, you do love poetry. Now, after reframing my way of thinking and looking at it, I love poetry, and then Ben introduced me to George Herbert. I love poetry even outside of the Bible. Not all of it, some of it though, all right? And so three kinds of poetry, Hebrew poetry. You have lyric poetry, like Psalms that we've been looking at, normally accompanied by music, and you know we have in the book of Psalms, we even have things that are telling you about the way the music would be played, or a list of instruments. You have the written to be sung. It's a song book, right? You've heard that.
[3:41] Didactic, that's what Proverbs would be. These are sayings and principles of life, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and then dramatic. It's a story. It's a Job. It's the Song of Solomon. Those are three different forms, and they're all of poetry. Do you ever remember remembering a poem in school? Any of you remember one? I won't have you say it if you raise your hand, all right? You remember learning something, usually for a grade. That's why you did it. I chose this one thing by Romeo and Juliet. I just knew when I saw the person that I was going to marry, I would say it to them. Oh, she does teach the torches to burn bright. It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear, beauty too rich for earth too dear. That was my game plan. But when I met Stephanie, you know what I said? Hey, I'm your boyfriend's roommate. Nice to meet you, all right? I didn't know, you know?
[4:28] She wouldn't have been dating somebody. She's in the nursery. If you wouldn't have been dating somebody, dear, you might have heard that awesome poem. But you were, and so you don't. And you're not in the nursery now. You won't get to hear it then either. She doesn't even know that I know that, all right?
[4:39] And so you have these poems that you either learn for a grade or something, and it doesn't seem very relevant in your life now. There's nothing ever irrelevant about the poetry you learn from God's Word. We think of old mother Hubbard who went to the cupboard to give her dog a bone, right? And when the words are rhyming, that kind of scheme, and A, B, B, A, and kind of something like that. But what we have here are the parallel truths together. Sometimes they're synonymous. Proverbs 18, 7, a fool's mouth is in his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. Same truth stated to you twice so that you give it, all right? Your parents do this. Kids, you know what we're talking about right here. I'm going to tell it to you once, and then I'm going to tell it to you differently.
[5:22] The same truth so that it drives it home. Antithetical, it's where it's emphasized by contrasting. Proverbs 18, 23, the poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly.
[5:34] And so contrasting the way poor people would speak to the way that rich people would handle, speak with other people. Synthetic, this is an explains or further develops an idea. Psalm 1, 3, and it shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water. And then it gets explained farther, that bringing forth fruit in a season, as a leaf shall not wither. Another form is climactic. It's where the second line is a lot like the first one, but it adds emphasis. Psalm 29, 1, given to the Lord, O you mighty, given to the Lord glory and strength. And the emblematic, where one main point is illuminated or illustrated by an image. Psalm 42, 1, as the heart paneth after the water brooks, so paneth my soul after thee. O God, that's just poetry. It's helping you. You can read it, and you could say, my heart desires to know God, and then you could meditate a little bit. You could think about a deer, a heart, that is, or any animal that you've ever known before when it gets to the brook, and how thirsty it is, and say, that's a picture for it. So in the book of Proverbs, the original recipients, it says in verse 1, 5, is a wise man, and then several times it says, my son. And that's the way that they're written, as to a father, to a son. Solomon wrote the majority of them, the majority of the ones we looked at, but he didn't write all of them. And these are the ones that were, it says in Proverbs 25, 1, that the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied out. But we learn in 1 Kings 4, 32, that Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs numbered 1,005. How many of you think proverbs have 3,000 proverbs in it? It doesn't, all right? I think Brother Jeff memorized most of the proverbs, and he's glad it doesn't have 3,000, all right? So that leads to a question, right? Why not, why don't we have all of them? And I'll let somebody answer that for another day, but I'll give you a little bit about that. Why do we, why do we have that? First of all, we can rest assured that we have everything that God wanted us to have preserved for us today. Why do we have the proverbs that we do?
[7:43] Because these are the proverbs that God wanted us to have recorded in His Word. And we trust the promise of God and not the capability of men. In this series on You Can Understand the Bible, I'll probably have somebody in the weeks to come come up and give a more fuller, explanation of how we got the books that we got. I love what Ben said we were talking about before the service. It's not just a list of inspired books, but it's an inspired list of books that God preserved for us what He would have for us in Scripture. 1 Peter 1, 24, For all flesh is as grass, and the glory of man as the flower of grass, the grass withers, and the flower thereof falleth away, but the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you, that we were given a promise that God would preserve His Word. And so we can study it, and we can rejoice in how it happened, but our confidence isn't found in our understanding of the process. Our confidence is found in Him telling us that He would preserve the Word. And then in Proverbs, genuine wisdom is built upon the fear of the Lord.
[8:46] Now let's get to verse number 16 of Proverbs 6. These things that the Lord hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him, a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, and heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. So in these six categories, said negatively of what God hates, now we're stating it positively in the rest of the book. Eyes of humility, a tongue of truth, hands of honest work, a good heart, feet of caution, and then creators of right relationship.
[9:25] And those six categories, you're going to find make up the majority of the book of Proverbs. That's what He's teaching us. The things that God hates, He's now teaching us as His children to live them out. Solomon's speaking to his son about how we ought to live our lives. And we say praise God for that, that we are not limited in our understanding of how we are to live our lives, because in God's commands, come God's blessings. We're not just kind of left to wing it, right? Just wing it from here, right? Wouldn't that be discouraging? We read the gospel, then after that it says, just wing it from here. That would be a real problem for us, right? But we have the Word of God to lead and to guide us.
[10:02] And so just reviewing real quickly, it says, the first one is a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. So we said a proud look is something that God would have us to have. We should not be wise in our own eyes. The Bible calls this arrogance, see, and that the pride makes a fool of himself by living in this way. And so eyes of humility have a right view of God. We have a right view of ourselves. As it's said again, once by Holy Spirit, the author of the Word of God in James 4, 6, he giveth more grace, whereof he saith, God resists the proud, but give us grace unto the humble. A tongue of truth, we should be, have a commitment. Proverbs 8, 7, from my mouth shall speak truth. As Job made a commitment to his eyes, we should make a commitment to our tongue. And then the last one we looked at was the hands of honest work, which it says, a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood. Not just one to shooting people, as we said earlier when we're praying for our missionaries, right? And not shooting of people and killing them, that would be the shedding of innocent blood, but it would be giving of our hands to do anything that's in rebellion to God. And that's really what's at the heart of murder, right? Is that it's taking what God made and it's taking, it's rebellion against him. Our hands could be used in rebellious manners outside of that, which gives us our last three tonight. A good heart, feet of caution, and creators of right relationships. Verse 18 to Proverbs 6, a heart that devises wicked imagination. That is something that God hates. A heart that devises wicked imaginations. God made our hearts for himself. Our reason for existence is the fear, to love, and the honor, and to enjoy him forever. Our mission in life is to discover from the depths of our heart the richness of his love for us and for others. And over and over again in the book of
[11:52] Proverbs, it speaks about the condition of our heart. We're told to keep it with all diligence. I mean, if you've ever put security on anything in life, if you've ever changed your password on a website, if you've ever put money in a bank, if you've ever locked your doors at night, if you've ever taken any ounce of prevention on anything, it ought to be so much more for the heart. Because that is where all areas of life are coming. We have the potential to be either a delight to him or an abomination.
[12:22] Proverbs 11 20, they that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the Lord, but such are an upright or the way of his delight. What is the difference between something that'd be an abomination to him? And will it be something that'd be a delight to him? It'd be matters of the heart. And it creates a distorted way of thinking that he despises. Proverbs 12 8, a man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised. In the New Testament, in Luke chapter number 9, where I believe Jacob was at the night, it says in verse 41, and Jesus answering saying, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring thy son hither. It's a perverse heart is a faithless one. It's one that will lead to a twisted mind. It's one that says, I do not see the world according to the way that God defines it. I see it, which is the opposite of having faith. And God cares about us completely, our heart and all. And so we should be more concerned about it than any of the other things.
[13:22] More than our circumstances in our lives, we should be concerned about our heart. And God's emphasis on our heart is seen clearly in the attitudes and the teaching of Jesus. And our greatest need is not needs of family, workplace, bank account. Our greatest needs are matters of this heart. Because our tendency is to use our imagination for evil rather than for good. And we would be lost without Christ's payment for our sin and his spirit to create within us a clean heart. So we go like David and say, God, search my heart, renew within me a right spirit. And without the shedding of Jesus Christ, we would be without hope. There would be no chance that we would never be that new creature that he has made us to be. So that's the fourth one. The fifth one here, feet of caution.
[14:11] Feet that's swift and running to mischief. Sound like your younger siblings in here, anybody? They're swift to run to mischief. God values self-control and caution. In all relationships and areas of life, he values feet that sense danger and stay clear of trouble. He warns that the feet walk in a path of wickedness and edge curiously and dangerously close to temptation. The friend that you have that's always wanting to know, how close can I get to wrong before it is wrong? That is a dangerous friend. Those are not the kind of conversations we should be having. The Lord made feet to enable us to walk throughout earth in his service, not to be carrying out trouble and mischief. He's made feet to enable us to run from temptation and to not chase after evil.
[14:59] And we're listed in Proverbs. All the times we have a choice. Proverbs 4, 14, enter not into the path of the wicked and go not in the way of the evil man. We're constantly being seen. You have a choice in the direction of these feet. Which way are you going to go? And before you go somewhere, Proverbs 4, 26, ponder the path of thy feet and let all thy ways be established. Ponder, think about it before you take that step. Because quick steps are often misleading steps.
[15:28] Quick steps can be misleading steps. Proverbs 19, 2, Also that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good. And he that hasteth with his feet sinneth. Person who doesn't ponder, person who doesn't ask the Lord what should be done, is a person that is likely to make the decisions that will be leading them in the wrong path.
[15:50] So cautious feet don't just happen, but they're the results of the other factors, the wisdom. If you don't have eyes of humility, if you're a proudful person, if you don't have a tongue of truth, if you're not working honestly, if you don't have a person that is guarding their heart, then you're going to have no chance on the direction of your feet. As has been said here many times, the B level of your life, who you are, is going to determine what you do. Your beliefs affect your behavior. You're never going to be taking the right steps consistently if you're not viewing the world through the way that God would have us to, if you're not guarding your heart and the things that led up to that. So let God guide your steps. From his perspective, God can see much farther down the road. We can trust him. God wants us to develop a spirit of caution and self-discipline in everything that we do. I think I saw, I don't know, Wayne Cook used to say this with the expression, paralysis of analysis. You ever hear your dad say that? All right. A paralysis of analysis.
[16:49] And I may not get to the last one tonight, but that, have you been in that place before where you just don't feel like you can move at all? You're like, I'm so afraid of making the wrong decision. I just, I don't want to make the wrong decision. And you went from pondering now to just being paralyzed by fear. If you'll agree with me, we'll move on and you'll get out of here. All right.
[17:10] Anybody, thank you. All right. And so I was speaking to a friend this week about that. And I just said, I know that if I live so fearful of always making any type of decision, I'll never move forward in my Christian walk and in the ministry that I do. And he showed me in the, in the Bible, in the book of Psalms about the word valor. You know, valor is courage on behalf of other people. Sometimes you have to make a decision. Sometimes you don't get a chance to survey everybody and figure out what the consensus is. Sometimes you don't have that option. If you're a husband in the home or, or a mother with children, you know, you don't, you have to make decisions. Sometimes you don't get to make a decision that's a, that allows yourself to make as long a decision at the time as you want. And the valor says, I am going to act on the benefit of other people. I'm not going to act in a selfish manner. And so, um, I was encouraged by that because I find myself falling into the ditch on both sides, making decisions, not listening to the Lord and asking him. And then also getting to the point where I just feel like I can't make any decision. What do you want for dinner? Don't ask me there. I've already answered too many questions today. I'm out of answers. No more questions for the day.
[18:16] And, um, but we, um, we ponder and then we take our, our steps of faith. And so let God guide your steps. God's ability to see dangers. We are apt to miss a scene in Christ warning about the Pharisees who were some of the most religious and reputable people of the day, constantly telling the disciples on Sunday, well, this is the way that the Pharisees think about Jesus come, about the kingdom coming. Don't think like that. All right. He's like, this is the attitude. Don't have that attitude. He's constantly contrasting those. And so here's the challenges we face.
[18:46] We are more inclined to follow our heart and our desires than to think about where those unexamined and untested desires are taking us. And because of our emotions, we often take off walking towards sin where we should ponder and allow God to guide our steps. And we continually lead Christ, not only for forgiveness, but for his spirit of guidance, um, and direction, um, in our lives.
[19:11] And next time we get together and have time in Proverbs, we'll look at verse 19, which speaks about a false witness that speaketh lies and he that soweth discord among his brothers and having that right, uh, relationship, uh, together. Proverbs six, these verses here, we look at them and we ask ourselves, we apply them to our hearts and say, God, I want to live according to your wisdom.
[19:35] And as we look at each one of those, if you're not a living in those ways, you're, you're forfeiting the blessings that God provides to us. He has given us very clear guidance in life. It is not difficult to understand, but our Proverbs should be a part of all, all of our Bible, Bible reading, Bible reading, right? It ought to be part of it. It ought to be something that's constantly brought into it.
[19:57] It's just as clear as can be. And it doesn't take much, uh, Proverbs one or two of them is something that would cause you to meditate, um, all throughout, uh, today, which is what you want to be doing with that. So let me read to you our passage, uh, tonight and let me pray it with you.
[20:13] As we often do when we're in the book of Psalms, uh, we'll do this with the book of Proverbs. And then Stephen, if you want mine, we will sing, um, any of the songs that you, we sung earlier, uh, before we leave. Um, let's pray. Heavenly Father, I come, and I'm grateful that you would just tell me and what are the things that you hate or it says six things, the a seven things that, uh, you use this, um, means of communication, this poetic form to hide in my understanding that there are things in this world that I can be part of that you hate.
[20:49] And Father, as your child, as a person who wants to live my days in faith, I do not want to be found living out, uh, my life in this manner. I want to be somebody that loves what you love and hates the things that you hate. Father, you tell us that you hate a proud look. So Lord, Lord, we hate a proud look. We want to be people that have eyes of humility. Father, you tell us that you hate a lying tongue. So Lord, we make a covenant with our mouth. We will speak the truth. We will hate lies. We will understand that those are destructions, that they are something that brings misery in this world. And we want our mouths to be given. Give us words of grace, where may we only use what you have given us and yield our members to you for the works of righteousness. And Father, you hate when we use our hands for rebellion, to shed innocent blood, to do things that are not pleasing to you. So Father, we recognize that you are the Lord of our eyes and of our tongue and of our hands. And Father, you tell us that when a person runs and goes and advises evil, that that is something you hate.
[21:54] Lord, help us be people that would ponder our next step, to be people that live knowing that you are watching, people that live for an audience of one, not being driven by our emotions, but people that would ponder what is right and do it. And Father, help us as we create relationships that would be honoring, glorifying to you, that we would never use people for an end to a means, that we would love people as you have loved us, that the relationships we would have, the benefits of friendship would be something, Lord, that would be pleasing to you. And tonight, Father, I want to thank you for giving us such clear and wonderful and beautiful guidance in your word. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.