June 5, 2019

Wisdom Shining Out #

Proverbs 3:27-25

Intro.

Solomon gives us the outward actions of the wise to those around them.

I. Good to Others (27-28) Helping #

A. Do Good! #

B. To whom it is due #

1. Pay our just debts without fraud, or delay. 2. To give wages to those who have earned them. 3. To provide for our relations, and those that have dependence on us, for to them it is due. 4. To render dues bot to church and state magistrates and ministers. 5. To be ready to all acts of friendship and humanity, neighbourly, 6. Charitable to the poor and necessitous, for needs of life. - Matthew Henry

C. When possible #

Not always possible!

We don’t need to feed the ’entitlement’ mentality, everyone today thinks they are entitled to a handout.

(1) Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man To Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime

a) Be sensitive to God’s leadership!

1. Spiritually -

   a) We all have something to give spiritually!

D. Don’t delay! (28) #

E. Lost Opportunity #

a) Delay could result in lost opportunity. Don’t miss the opportunity!

F. Lost Time #

1. Why waste the time? #

G. Shines #

1. Good works define christianity, and ultimately glorify God #

(1 John 3:17) “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?”

1. Christians help Christians. Our church does good!

(Matt 5:16) “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

II. Grappling to withhold (29-31) #

A. Devising Evil (29) #

1. 1 Kings 21 - Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard. Naboth clearly told him “The Lord forbid it me.” Ahab went back and pouted. Jezebel decided she would devise an evil plan to get the land for Ahab. Plans were laid, and in the end Naboth was executed! His land was then taken by Ahab!

2. Don’t devise evil against your neighbor!

(Matt 22:39) “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”

3. I know sometimes your neighbor can be hard to love.

4. Sometimes your neighbor can even be mean, but Jesus is VERY CLEAR, we are to love our neighbor!

B. Striving (30) #

1. Strive - contend; struggle in opposition to another #

Gen 26:20 “And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac’s herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him.”

(Prov 29:22) “¶ An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.”

a) Some people like to fight!

2. Without cause (30) “is there not a cause?” - David #

a) There are some causes to fight for! So there is a clause in there to not rule out.

(Matt 5:22) “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

3. Modern translations omit without a cause. Jesus was angry when he turned over the tables in the temple! #

(John 2:13–17) “And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, 14 And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: 15 And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

4. Some people are angry, and want to fight about everything! #

5. No harm (30) #

6. There is a clause for self defense as well. #

(Prov 21:31) “The horse is prepared against the day of battle: but safety is of the LORD.”

(Ex 22:2–3) “If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.”

7. Some think christians should be a doormat, and just let everyone walk all over them. We should not be known as ‘fighters’ there is Biblical grounds for self defense. #

8. Even in Court, Paul made his defense! #

9. Suffering for God, persecution is different. #

C. Oppressor (31) #

1. Don’t envy their Power #

a) Some people may look at a powerful person, and want the kind of power they have… they don’t realize that person is an oppressor! He had to step on a lot of people to get the power he has!

(1) *Don't step on people on your way up the ladder, you may need
    them on your way back down!*

2. Don’t envy their Possessions #

3. Sometimes it seems like wicked people have a lot of possessions! #

(Luke 12:15) “And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.”

4. Don’t Choose any of his ways! #

5. Be very careful, “choose NONE OF HIS WAYS.” #

III. Grounds or Reason #

A. Wicked #

1. Abomination to the LORD (32)

2. Cursed of the LORD (33)

3. Scorned of the LORD (34)

B. Righteous #

1. Have access to His Secrets (32)

2. Have His Blessing (33)

3. Have Grace (34)

Pro 3:35 “The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.”