When you were growing up, did your parents ever tell you to do something and you asked
why?
And they made that famous statement, because I told you to do it, because I told you so.
I'm going to guess the overwhelming majority of us in this room, we heard that numerous
times.
You do it because I said to do it.
Well, have you ever told your child the same thing?
Well, I have, and I'm going to guess a lot of you have done the same thing.
Let's think about that.
On one hand, it is not wrong for parents to say that.
As a part of their God-given authority, parents have the right to command obedience of their
children.
Of course, for appropriate things.
God does the same thing with us.
God authoritatively commands His people throughout His Word to obey Him.
I will give you an example when God gave the Ten Commandments.
God spoke, identified who He is, what He had done for those people.
And I'm telling you, you shall, and He gave the Ten Commandments.
Sometimes, as you read the Bible, God simply commands us, you need to do this.
Do not do that.
And God can do that.
He's God.
He has the right, He has the authority as Almighty God and our Creator.
But on the other hand, it's not wise for parents to always command their children to obey just
because they say so.
A better way is for parents to explain why.
Why it would be beneficial for the child to obey.
Why they are telling the child, commanding or asking the child to do this.
And our authority for doing it this way is also God.
The Bible reveals that God often, often explains why He commands us to do certain things.
The Bible often shows that God gives us incentives for obeying Him.
He lays out the benefits for His people to obey Him.
And again, let's turn back to the setting of the Ten Commandments.
After He gave the Ten Commandments, in Deuteronomy chapter 6 and verse 3, we read this.
Hear therefore, O Israel, and be careful to do them, that it may go well with you,
and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has promised you
in a land flowing with milk and honey.
You see, God's saying you need to obey these commandments that I'm giving you
because it'll make life better for you in the place that I have provided for you,
this land of milk and honey.
God, this is not isolated now.
God often says things like that to encourage us, to motivate us to obey Him.
And one of the clearest examples of this is Proverbs chapter 3,
where we're going to begin looking at this morning.
Turn with me if you would, Proverbs chapter 3.
This chapter has been referred to as one of the most positive chapters in all the Bible.
Here's some of the reasons why, or one of the main reasons why.
Throughout these verses, God never says, do this because I say so.
No, He repeatedly says, do this because it will help you.
And as you read through chapter 3, God provides all kinds of reasons why you should obey me
because it'll help you in this way, in that way.
It'll make a good, positive difference in your life.
As we go through these verses, I want to make it clear.
God is not saying, you do this and you'll be right with me,
and I'll take you to heaven when you die.
Proverbs is not trying to convey a message that we can work our way to heaven
or that we can make ourselves acceptable to God.
Proverbs is really written to God's people who already have a relationship with Him.
And God is instructing us in this book not on how to have a relationship with Him.
He's explaining how He wants us, His children, to live wisely
because it'll be the best for us.
We'll be glad to live His way if we'll do it.
Let's look at what He says.
Proverbs chapter 3, let's begin in verse 1.
My son, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments.
For a length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.
Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you.
Bind them around your neck.
Write them on the tablet of your heart
so you will find favor and good success
in the sight of God and man.
Verses 5 and 6 are probably the most well-known verses in this book.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge Him
and He will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes.
Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
It will be healing to your flesh
and refreshment to your bones.
We're going to focus mostly on verses 1 through 4 this morning
and come back later on.
And next week into verse 5.
What I want us to see in these first four verses,
especially the first two,
living life God's way
will result in living life the best way.
Living life God's way
will result in our living life the best way.
Solomon is writing.
He's writing from the perspective
of a wise, godly father
who loves and cares about his son
and wants his son to experience the best life possible.
When he says here in verse 1,
my teaching,
my son do not forget my teaching,
but let your heart keep my commandments.
He's referring
to what he has taught,
the wise father,
because it is based on God's law.
So,
Solomon is saying here,
I want you to listen.
As a wise father would say to a son,
I want you to listen.
I want you to pay attention
to what I have been teaching you.
I want you to let it sink in.
Don't just memorize the words,
but let it sink into your heart.
Now,
let me remind you of something.
We saw in chapter 1,
verses 2 through 7,
and in chapter 2,
that the teaching of Proverbs
is focused on teaching
godly wisdom,
godly character,
and how to experience right relationships
with both God and others.
The book of Proverbs
is a book of wisdom,
but not just any kind of wisdom.
The real focus
is that we experience
and use
the wisdom that God gives.
And if we will do that,
we will develop godly character.
And if we will do that,
we will have
the right kind of relationships
with God
and with other people.
Now,
the emphasis of these verses.
Son,
remember the wise teaching
that you have heard
as you have grown up.
Remember the wise teaching
that not only I have taught,
but that you have seen.
That would be the idea.
So I want you to think now.
Don't forget the truth
that you've been taught
throughout your life
by wise teachers.
Now,
I know
that everyone in this room,
everyone didn't grow up
in a Christian home.
Everyone was not brought up
in a Bible-believing church,
but most everyone
in this church was.
Most everyone,
if you look around,
the majority of us
had a Christian
father and mother
or at least
one parent.
The majority of us
grew up in this church
or a church
similar in that
it was a
Bible-believing church.
So,
most of us in this room,
we have been taught
the Word of God
in our homes,
in our church,
and maybe in other settings.
So what he says here,
don't forget my teaching.
He's talking to us
and telling us,
don't just think about
the words that have been spoken.
Take it to heart.
Think about what you have heard,
what you have seen.
Let it sink in.
He says,
let your heart
keep my commandments.
The idea is,
make it your own.
Believe it.
And if it's true,
accept it.
Take it to heart.
Live it out.
That's what he's trying
to get across here
in verse 1.
Now,
if you grew up
in that Christian home
and been involved
in a Bible-believing,
teaching church,
I want you to understand
that you have been blessed.
You have been favored
by God
to have been brought up
in such an environment.
But we need to be careful here.
Being exposed,
only exposed
to the Christian truth,
is not enough.
If it was just
word spoken,
if it didn't sink in,
if we didn't accept it,
if we didn't believe it,
I want to ask you,
have you taken
what you were taught
in your home
as a child,
in your church?
Let me pause here.
Even if you didn't
grow up in a Christian home,
by you being here today,
I'm going to assume
that there's very few
who are here
for the very first time.
If you didn't grow up
in a Christian home,
you didn't grow up
as a child in a church,
you probably
have been exposed
to Christian teaching
for a few years at least.
In a church,
read for yourself,
or something along that line.
Have you taken
what you have been taught?
What you have seen
in others?
And have you decided
these are no longer
my parents'
or my teacher
or my pastor's beliefs?
These are my beliefs.
And have you taken them
one step further
and said,
I not only hold
to these teachings,
but these teachings
now have a hold on me?
That's what a conviction is.
Have you taken
what you were taught
as you were growing up
at home,
at church,
and developed
not just strong beliefs,
but have you developed
firm convictions
that you're not
going to be moved,
you're not going
to be swayed from?
You know,
we get our beliefs
and our convictions
tested in this world
all the time.
if you're in
elementary school even,
especially middle school
and high school,
you have had people,
some of them
you would consider friends,
some of them
are just classmates,
some could even
be teachers.
You have had people
that have challenged,
that have opposed
what you've been taught
in your home
and at church.
And if you've made
them your own
firm beliefs
and strong convictions,
you've had people
that's tried to
persuade you
to stop believing
that or stop
living that way.
There's opposition
everywhere.
People are going
to oppose you,
they're going to oppose
the Christian truth,
the biblical truth,
because they oppose God
and anything related
to God.
the devil
will tempt us
to sin
throughout our lives
by tempting us
to disobey
what we do know
God's word teaches.
The devil
will work through
people,
he'll work through
situations and
circumstances
to test us
or to tempt us
and most of the time
the devil's going
to try to get us
to compromise
just a little bit.
Not go just
180 degree turn
but he's going
to get us
tempted to
compromise
just a little bit.
And when we
compromise
just a little bit
it opens the door
to compromising
even more.
The little compromises
sooner or later
turn into
greater compromises
if they're not
repented of.
If we don't seek
God's forgiveness
and help
in maintaining them.
Now,
I want you to
take a real
honest look
at yourself
right now.
I want you
to think
do I see
evidence
in my life
of how
I have
compromised
the truth
of God
that I was
taught in my
home
or that I was
taught in my
church?
Things that I
really have
said I
believed.
you think
about it.
How were you
what were you
taught?
I'm talking
about biblical
truth.
I'm not
talking about
just sayings.
You think
about the
biblical truth
you were taught
as you grew
up.
You think
about how
you have
heard and
understood
and believed
the word of
God taught
in your Sunday
school class
from me
and other
preachers.
have you
compromised
any of
those
beliefs?
Have you
stopped
living
that way?
Now let me
ask you
do you
think those
compromises
have made
your life
better?
We're
being real
honest.
are you
living
according to
the truth
the wisdom
of God
that you
were taught
as you
grew up
that you
said you
believed?
Have you
compromised
or have you
forsaken
some of
them?
Well
have they
made your
life better?
Let me ask
you a second
question along
that same
line.
Are you
proud of
how you've
changed?
Are you
proud of
the fact
that I
no longer
believe
or live
the way
that my
parents
taught me
to live
or my
son's
school
teacher
taught me
or my
pastor
taught me
I'm
proud of
the fact
that I
no longer
do
or live
the kind
of life
that the
Bible
says I
ought to
live?
Are you
so proud
that you
would tell
your parent
or parents
that you'd
go and tell
your son's
school teacher
pastor
or any
Christian who
has tried
to help
you?
Are you
so proud
of how
you've
changed
how you've
compromised
that you'll
go and tell
those people
that you are
better off
now
because you
have rejected
their teaching
which is based
on the truth
of God's
word?
now
if you
would do
that
so be
it
it is
what it
is
but my
guess is
that if
you're
honest
if you'll
be honest
with yourself
and with
God
you would
have to
admit that
rejecting the
biblical
wisdom you
were taught
has not
made your
life better
it's not
caused you
to experience
any real
joy
contentment
satisfaction
it's certainly
not drawn you
closer to God
and most likely
it's not helped
your relationships
with other people
either
and the reason
I say that
is because
God created
this world
and us
in such a way
that living
life his way
is the best
way
God's the
creator
God's the
master designer
of life
and he created
us to live
life his way
because that's
what works
best
that's what
will give us
the most
satisfying
life
and that's
what God
is actually
saying here
in verses
2
and most
of the
odd
numbered
verses
or the
even
numbered
verses
at least
down
through
verse 12
we see
here in
verse 2
my son
do not
forget
my teaching
but let
your heart
keep my
commandments
for length
of days
and years
of life
and peace
they will
add to
you
verse 2
one of the
results of
being faithful
to the
truth of
God
is a
long life
and peace
that's the
word
shalom
here
it's talking
about having
a sense
of wholeness
a sense
of rightness
a sense
that life
is the way
it should
be
life is
worthwhile
we sense
that
we experience
that
now
we need
to understand
that when
proverbs
says something
like this
it is not
a promise
God is not
making promises
that if you live
a certain way
life will turn out
that way
in the book
of proverbs
that's not
what Solomon
and the other
writers intended
that's not how
God led them
that's not the
kind of literature
that it is
proverbs
are
general
statements
about how
life
usually
works
proverbs
are basically
what wise
people like
Solomon
writing under
the inspiration
of the Holy
Spirit
observed
about life
and how it
works
in most
people's
lives
we can see
how verse
two
usually
works
the idea
of having
a long
life
and peace
wholeness
we can see
how verse
two usually
works
like this
a young
person who
lives according
to the truth
they've been
taught by their
Christian parents
by their
teachers at
church or
other Christian
teachers
a young
person who
lives according
to this
wisdom
is more
likely to
avoid the
kinds of
things that
will lead
to an early
death
or just
a miserable
life
let me give
you a more
specific example
most Christian
youth have
been taught
at home
and at
church
the most
important thing
for you to do
in your
relationship
with God
is seek
to know
His will
and then
do it
it's so
important
if you're a
Christian
seek to know
and do
God's will
in everything
that you
do
most
young
people
have heard
that
heard it
from their
parents
heard it
at church
most young
people have
heard things
like this
don't use
drugs and
alcohol
wait until
you get
married
to have
sex
honor God
by doing
your best
in school
and everything
you do
see the ultimate
purpose of life
is to glorify
God
in everything
now
if a young
man or young
woman ignores
those teachings
they will
usually experience
unwanted
consequences
sometimes
they are
fatal
every one
of us
in this
room
we
we know
someone
that may be
old
that may be
young
who chose
to ignore
biblical
wisdom
and instead
chose a path
just the
opposite
they may
have got
involved in
alcohol or
drugs
committed adultery
or be involved
with pornography
may just be
very greedy
and materialistic
may just be
just downright
dishonest
and one
or several
of those
things
as they
look back
now
they've
seen
that that's
what's
ruined
their life
it's hard
to argue
against the
fact that
rejecting
biblical
wisdom
it just
does not
add value
to anyone's
life
it actually
takes away
value
rejecting
biblical
wisdom
rejecting
God's
way
of living
has cost
many a
person
their job
their family
their reputation
just about
anything of
value
many people
have lost
because they
refuse
to listen
to the
Lord
accept
his word
as this
is what's
right
and then
seek
by God's
grace
to live
it out
give you a
quick example
go to a
high school
reunion
go to your
high school
reunion
especially if
you've been out
of school
20 30
40
50
years
and just
observe
just look
around the
room
and especially
if you
know a
little bit
about
your fellow
classmates
you can
look at
them
and you
can hear
just a part
of their
life story
and you
can tell
who sought
to live
according to
godly wisdom
and who
didn't
you can see
it in their
appearance
you can hear
it in their
life stories
living life
god's way
it does
add value
it does
make life
worth living
it does
make life
better
emotionally
physically
and
spiritually
look at
verse 3 and
4 quickly
let not
steadfast love
and faithfulness
forsake you
do you know
that steadfast love
and faithfulness
is the way
god chose
to reveal
himself or
describe himself
as he revealed
himself to the
people of
israel in the
book of
exodus in
chapter 30
god says
i am a god
of steadfast love
and faithfulness
some translations
say i'm a god
of grace
and truth
let steadfast love
and faithfulness
god's character
let not
let it forsake you
bind them around
your neck
write them on
the tablet of
your heart
internalize them
let it be a part
of who you are
on the outside
and on the inside
and just look
at what he says
so you will find
favor and good
success in the
sight of god
and man
again
what verse 2
and what verse 4
says here
these are not
promises
if you live your
life according to
the truth of god's
word
you're going to
live long
you're going to
be prosperous
you're never going
to be sick
or anything
like that
but the fact
of the matter
is
you see
in your life
and people's
lives around
you
that people
who develop
wisdom
character
and right
a right relationship
with god
and other people
they most
often
are the ones
who live longer
and better lives
and they certainly
live longer
and better lives
overall
than people
who live foolish
the people
who live
and act
immorally
and people
who have
poor relationships
with other people
you know
we're going to
look at verses
5 and 6
next time
but look
quickly here
in verse 6
after he says
to trust in the
Lord with all
your heart
and understanding
in all your
ways acknowledge
him and he
will make
straight
your paths
the book
of Proverbs
is filled
with that word
about how
we live
being described
in terms
of the path
or the road
that we take
whenever we
think about
the path
that leads
to right
and good
relationships
with god
or to a right
and good
relationship
with god
we need to
always remember
that it begins
with jesus
jesus is the
one who told
us in john
14 6
i am the way
and the truth
and the life
and no one
comes to the
father except
through me
so i want to
ask you this
morning before we
leave
do you really
and truly know
jesus christ
as your savior
and lord
that's the only
way having a
relationship with
him
that we really
can know god
and experience his
wisdom and experience
his blessing in our
life
if you don't know
christ i'm not
saying if you
profess faith or
been baptized do
you know him
have you truly
repented of your
sins and put your
trust in him
wholeheartedly and
are you following
him as the lord of
your life
if you have it
and you want to
start now
by turning from
your sin and
repentance and
trusting him and
calling upon him
to save you
it may be that
you are a christian
and you started
down the right
path with him
but you've strayed
the only way that
things are ever
going to be any
different be better
is for you to
come back humbly
repentantly
confessing your sin
and renewing your
commitment to the
lord jesus
you know the
christian christian
life really is the
best life
and god graciously
encourages us
in proverbs 3
to seek him and
his wisdom
so that we will
experience life
as he intends for
us
will you do that
will you listen to
the lord this
morning
and all these
incentives that we
find in proverbs
3 to live a
life that honors
him that obeys
him that does
things his way
let's pray together
father we pray that
right now that you
will help us to
honestly look at our
own lives and the
way the path that
we're on
father just drive
home this point
the living life your
way according to the
truth of your word
according to your
wisdom is the way
you intend for life
to be lived in the
most meaningful way
in the best way in
every way
so help us to
clearly see
ourselves
help us to
understand the
truth that you
have given us
this morning through
your word
show us now how to
respond
and in an attitude
of prayer you just
respond to the lord
if i could help you
i would be happy to
here at the front
i'll pray for you
share with you in any
way
would you listen to
the lord and
respond to him
you