Sermons
American civil rights leader and Baptist pastor Benjamin Mays said “The tragedy of life is not found in failure but complacency. Not in you doing too much, but doing too little. Not in you living above your means, but below your capacity. It’s not failure but aiming too low, that is life’s greatest tragedy.”
John Maxwell says Of all the things a leader should fear, complacency heads the list.
Last weeks passage in Proverbs 1:32 ends with “the complacency of fools will destroy them”. Tozer wrote “Complacency is the deadly enemy of spiritual progress. The contented soul is the stagnant soul.”
Complacency, or apathy because we think we are okay is dangerous to our faith. Today’s passage urges us to throw off complacency with our walk with the Lord and tells us why. Let us read the whole chapter together – Proverbs 2
Get real with God v1-4
I have a background in programming and still dabble – if… then… statements are a vital part of any computer program. Here the author of Proverbs uses if… then statements.
Verses 1,3,4 have ifs and the “then” comes in v5 forwards.
Notice how the verbs get more and more intense.
Firstly accept God’s words v1 – passive. Then store up, then turn your ear, apply your heart, call out, cry aloud, look for, search for. They get more and more intense and active.
Wisdom and living wisely is not automatic – by default we are foolish and often very complacent.
We will not drift into wisdom. So Proverbs calls us to pursue God, get real with God with increasing intensity.
It is like God is saying, I am so available to you, I love you. If you want me more than the status quo, I will be there!
Desiring God is like finding silver, like finding treasure – I wondered why Solomon used “silver” rather than gold.
In 1 Kings 10:27 we find that because of Solomon’s wisdom “the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones”, So on the one hand Solomon is urging us to throw off complacency in our pursuit of God and therefore wisdom. And on the other he is telling us that it’s not a heavy burden. Jesus is gently and lowly and promises us a light and easy yoke!
What is stopping you? What’s making you complacent or apathetic. What is telling you that you do not need to change, that you are okay how you are?
This first section is about desiring God – it’s the man who knows there is treasure in the field and sells everything to buy it.
God is calling you to accept Jesus, to store up His commands, to apply your heart to His word, to call out to Him, to cry aloud, to look for Him like silver to search for Him like treasure.
God delivers v6-11
v6 The Lord gives wisdom – when we ask Him for wisdom He gives it!
v6 He gives knowledge and understanding too – Father loves to speak to you about solutions to problems in all of life -in your work, at school, in the home
v7 He has success in store for you
v7 He has a shield of protection for your way.
v8 He will guide your course
In v 9-11. He says this
“Then you will understand what is right and just and fair – every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you and understanding will guide you.”
He is warning Adonijah, a step brother, who had pursued injustice and indiscretion instead of wisdom. Adonijah knew that Solomon was his father’s David’s heir, but lacking judgement he tried to claim the throne instead.
Wisdom gives both pleasure and sure-footedness in life. The more wisdom one learns, the more one desires and enjoys it. The protection wisdom gives, is that it keeps its follower from making decisions that will later bring only regret.
We get discretion that protects us. Discretion can be defined as the quality of having or showing discernment. We are also told here that discretion will guard us. According to a common English adage, each person has two ears and one mouth, so we should listen twice as much as we speak. That, in a nutshell, is a form of discretion that will guard us from many problems. Similarly, James 1:19 tells us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
Having discretion can keep us from all of the trouble that being rash or having knee jerk reactions may cause.
In v12-15 it’s a warning to Absalom, another step brother!
Absalom had been enticed by the crooked practices of wicked men and women. He was the son of David and an Aramean princess who had spent three years in the pagan kingdom of Geshur (2 Kings 13:37-38). He came back not just copying their ways but delighting in them. He ended up trying to usurp the throne before David died.
Peer pressure is often tough. Going along with the crowd makes for what may seem to be an easy life. They have perverse words – some commentators say the Hebrew word there isn’t just about rude and crude words, but when good words are twisted.
Listened to the news the other day and a Chinese diplomat was calling satellite images of Urghurs being carted off in trains to camps “fake news” – we watch out for fake news, but certain politicians and diplomats call truth “fake” and it’s hard to argue when they are essentially saying there is no such thing as truth.
These evil men Solomon is warning of leave the straight paths for darkness, delight in wrong and are devious. Run away!
Next Solomon warns of adulterous women (and men – but as the context is writing to his son, he talks of adulterous women!)
Amnon another step brother of Solon had been lead astray by sexual desire – thinking it would be hidden and have no long term consequences. All three of Solomons brothers Absolom, Amnon and Adonijah died – sin leads to death v18. Solomon (ironically it turns out later) urges us not to be like his older brothers and throw away our lives.
Watch out for sexual sin.
Adultery is so subtle – better attention than you may be getting, smooth words, grass is always greener – but it needs more mowing, watering and fertilising.
Adultery causes such mess – Jan and I have seen the pain of so many friends hurt by it.
Randy Alcorn urges people to rehearse the consequences of adultery – the loss of trust, the pain for children, the financial consequences. It’s not worth it.
Jesus has much grace for sexual sinners just like other sinners – you can find grace and mercy.
If you are married – look the in the eye, tell ’em you love them. Delight in them, rejoice in them (I love Prov 5:18-19!) The verbs are active, not just feelings. Work on loving your marriage partner.
If you are single, delight in Jesus and run from sexual sin.
Then lastly Solomon rounds up this section with a THUS
Getting rid of complacency – accepting, storing, turning your ear, applying your heart, calling out, crying alou, looking for, searching for Jesus WILL
mean you will walk in the ways of the good, keep to the paths of the righteous
You will live in the land, Inhabit the land, that’s the Old Testament version of abiding in Christ
Tsunami of sin and temptation – smashing over us constantly and people get hurt.
Come to Jesus – accept Him, turn your ear to Him, call out, cry out, search for Him!