February 5, 2020

A Word to the Wise #

Proverbs 18:6-8

Introduction

Proverbs is FULL of wisdom. Reading, understanding, and applying the wisdom in the Book of Proverbs is of a great benefit to every person. This evening, we need to take just these few verses, and apply them to our life in 2020. It is a “Word to the Wise”.

Prov. 13:1 ¶ A wise son heareth his father’s instruction: but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

Prov. 15:31 ¶ The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

I’m not asking you to hear these words tonight because they are my words, I’m asking you to hear these words tonight, because these are greater than my words, and will make you wise in life.

I. Divisions (Pro 18:6) #

A. Contention (6) (Divisions) #

• A violent effort or struggle to obtain or to resist something.

• I love a good debate… unless it becomes turns contentious.

  • Difference between a debate and contention, is the spirit… the attitude, the heart.
  • Spanish Bible issue…

• Contention among the best – Acts 15:35-39

  • Missionaries tend to have strong personalities
  • Paul & Barnabas are good men!
  • Barnabas was John Mark’s Uncle.
  • John Mark or Marcus was a good man as well.
  • In Acts 13:13 he abandoned Paul & Barnabas in a time of need… that didn’t sit well with Paul..

• Contentions in church (1 Cor 1:10-11)

  • This happened in the Corinth church… this is not the only church it happened in.
  • This has happened many times over the centuries, and continues today!
  • A fool’s lips enter into contention...

• Concerning Contentious people (Titus 3:9)

  • Some people are contentious and simply like to generate strife and division. - Avoid it.

B. Calleth for strokes (6) #

• Fools don’t stop until judgment falls, they don’t know any better than to stop.
• A fool does not recognize the when they have good too far!
• Pro 19:29 Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

II. Destruction #

A. Destruction (7) #

• Foolish people often run their mouth in an attempt to destroy other people…

  • In Galatians that we are studying Sunday night, Paul alludes to the fact that he was slandered, and verbal attacked by others…

• A contentious person, often ends up a lonely, isolated person, that ends up destroyed because of the words of his mouth.

• Saul’s jealousy for David, ultimately ended in his own destruction and ruin...his own son Jonathon saved David. Michal, David’s wife, also saved David from the hand of Saul…

• Saul plotted, schemed, contentiously went after David… and failed!

• IN the end, Saul’s foolish proclamations left him friendless, out of touch with God, and sent him to the witch of Endore to consult the dead Samuel.

• A fool cannot keep his tongue, and often ruin’s his own life as a result.

B. Snare of his soul (7) #

• 1Sam. 18:28 And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal Saul’s daughter loved him. 29 And Saul was yet the more afraid of David; and Saul became David’s enemy continually.

• After David appeared on the scene… Saul’s life was a ruined disaster… not David’s fault, the fault lies with Saul’s mouth, and lips, which were as our verse says:

  • “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.”

III. Damage (8) #

A. Talebearer (slander, busybody, backbiting) #

• A person who officiously (busy, intermeddling) tells tales; one who impertinently communicates intelligence or anecdotes, and makes mischief im society by his officiousness. (busy body, gossip)

• Number 14:32-38, 36*

  • Slander – to defame; to harm the reputation of someone by false tales
  • This was a serious issue!
  • These people had been brought out of bondage in Egypt… freed, had a land promised to them…
  • Disregarded the Word of God, and could only see the difficulty!

B. Hurt and pain #

• They are described as going down into the innermost parts of the belly….

  • If you have ever had a bacterial infection in the stomach (food poisoning)… you know the pain that can be associated with stomach problems.
  • It can be on going, and continue for some time.

• Prov. 26:20 ¶ Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. 21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire; so is a contentious man to kindle strife. 22 The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

• Take away the problem… and the stomach heals quickly!

  • Contention will continue as long as there is someone to spill the foolish, slanderous, whispering words on the fire, and someone to listen to it.