In Genesis chapter 34 of course you have the real familiar passage, a real familiar story
to those that have read their Bible a few times, you've probably heard this preached
several times, regarding this going out of Dinah and of course the horrific story that
kind of plays out there with the treachery of Simeon and Levi, they are beguiling these
people into getting circumcised and then while they're still sore they go out there and they
slay this entire village, Jacob obviously becomes very upset with them and rightfully
so and says hey you're making me to stink in the eyes of the heathen and he's very upset
with them and it's interesting because this all starts really with just one person, it
starts with Dinah just kind of going out there and obviously she had the best of intentions,
she wasn't going out there to make all this happen but one thing just kind of led to another
and what we really see, the root of the problem is the fact that Dinah was naive and I want
to preach a sermon this morning entitled don't be naive, don't be naive, being naive obviously
is something that we're all going to be for some length in our time, in our life but it's
something that we have to grow out of, it's something that we have to at least in the
meantime while we are the one that might be considered naive, at least understand that
it's a reality, that it's something that we all have to grow out of and I want to help
us with that this morning, you might not know that term naive even what that really means
but really naive just simply means showing a lack of experience and you can't really
fault people for that, you can't really fault people for a lack of experience, obviously
experience is something that comes with time, something that comes with life but also it's
a lack of wisdom but it's also a lack of experience but it's also a lack of wisdom and of judgment,
this is the danger of being naive, when people are naive they lack wisdom or judgment and
again it's not to call somebody stupid or dumb or ignorant, that's a separate sermon
but being naive does entail the fact that because you are naive you lack wisdom, you
lack judgment, you lack experience, you lack discernment, that is the dictionary definition,
to show a lack of experience, wisdom or judgment and it's interesting, often when you look
at a dictionary they'll put that word in a sentence to kind of give you a sense of the
meaning and it's interesting in the dictionary it says the rather naive young man had been
totally misled, that was how they used that word naive in a sentence and it's interesting
to me that the dictionary specifically said the rather naive young man because being naive
is something that is often attributed to people who are young, it's an attribute of those
that what lack experience, so when you're young, when you're a young person you cannot
help but be naive to some degree and obviously with time and experience you grow out of that
and with wisdom and with help and with instruction you grow out of that but it's something that
we all go through, so when I say don't be naive obviously I'm saying, I'm not saying
if you are naive that there's something wrong with you but you have to understand that that's
something you have to grow out of, that there's people in your life that want to help you
to navigate those waters of when you are a naive person simply through lack of experience.
Being naive again isn't necessarily something we should fault people with, it simply means
being innocent, it means being inexperienced, it means being childlike, it means being trusting,
we would say hey that person's kind of naive they just kind of trust that everybody has
their best interests in mind and what we find out is that that's not the case, often in the world.
They're unsuspecting, they're over trusting, they're unsuspicious, they're deceivable,
they're dupable, they're immature, that's what it means to be naive, it means to be all of these
things. In the Bible I believe the term that we're going to see, if you would go over to Proverbs,
we're going to spend a lot of time in Proverbs this morning, Proverbs chapter 7, the biblical
word that we would use for naive is simple, simple. The Bible talks a lot about people who
are simple and what does it mean? I mean that's literally another word that they use for naive in
the dictionary, it's synonymous. You go to a thesaurus, you look up the word naive, you're
going to see that word simple there. Again being simple just simply means you know to have a
childlike, just kind of trusting, gullible, inexperienced kind of outlook on life. The
Bible says in Proverbs chapter 1, and again I'm turning to Proverbs because when you're dealing
with issues like this, you know Proverbs is a great book because again when we're talking about
naive people we're talking about what? Young people, people who are young, people who are
inexperienced. And the Bible, the book of Proverbs in particular, is a book that's really geared
towards young people. In fact if you, I'll read to you from Proverbs chapter 1, it says in verse 3,
to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity, to give subtly to what? The
simple to the young man, knowledge and discretion. So again there's that correlation between being
young and being simple. Again notice it's to give subtlety to the simple to the young man. So the
Bible is even expressing this. That when a person is young there is a certain level of naivete or
being naive and it's unexcapable. You can't get around it because it's a lack of experience. The
Bible is telling us in Proverbs chapter 1 that it's written to give people who fall into that
knowledge and discretion. So again what does it mean to be simple? To lack knowledge and to lack
discretion or discernment. Proverbs chapter 7 verse 6, it says therefore at the window of my
house I looked through my casement and beheld among the simple ones. I discerned among the
youth. So again notice every time you're seeing, a lot of times you're seeing this word simple
brought up, it's used to describe those that are young, those that are of the youth. I discerned
among the youth, a simple one, a young man void of understanding. So the Bible really is the best
dictionary for these words. It gives us this understanding of what this word simple means. To
be young, to be without understanding, to not have the wisdom and discretion that you need. It's to
be simple, it's to be naive. I want to just look at three points this morning and that's this,
that being naive is natural. I've kind of already expressed that. It's a very natural thing to be
naive. It's something we all go through but also those that are naive need to not be naive about
the fact that being naive is dangerous. I know that's a mouthful but basically being
naive is a very dangerous thing. We don't want to be naive at any stage in our life,
in any area of our life. We should not be naive about certain things. And the good news is,
is that being naive is not permanent. Meaning you can grow out of things. Now you're gonna grow out
of it one way or another. The good news is that it's not permanent but you know it could also
turn into something else. It could turn into just being plain ignorant, okay. Let me start with my
first point that being naive is natural. Being naive is natural. We begin as newborn babes,
both you know literally, physically, you know we're all born in this world. Obviously every
child has to learn certain things about life. Just the most basic simple things. They are
without wisdom, they are without discretion, they are without knowledge. I mean children have to be
taught literally everything except how to do, you know, how to be bad. That's the one thing that just
seems to come to them naturally. Or how to misbehave, how to do wrong, right. That's something
that's because we're all sinners we just know how to do. But in order to learn how to do right,
in order to learn how to behave, in order to, you know, have manners and be polite and all that,
those are things that you have to teach children. Those are things that they're not just gonna pick
up on their own. They're naive about these things. They lack the wisdom and the knowledge and
discretion. They don't have the experiences. It'd be foolish to expect a child to, you know,
know everything and to understand everything. They have to be instructed and brought up in
those things. That's pretty obvious. You know, naivety is just being, is an unavoidable part of
youth. It's something that you just can't avoid. Again, I pointed out it's the young man that it's
being addressed here. And not just a young man, young man, young women, youths in general. Just
anyone who's young, inexperienced in any way, shape, or form is going to be naive about things.
Even a grown man who's been around for decades, if he goes into a job where he knows nothing about
it, you know, you'd say he's naive about what's entailed with this job. It's just natural. They're
unexperienced. It's an unavoidable part of life, particularly youth. We all start out as babes,
both physically, literally, but also spiritually. And the Bible warns us, hey, that we need to grow
in grace and the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. That's something that you have to put
effort into. You don't want to live your whole Christian life being naive, spiritually. You
don't want to grow up, or excuse me, not grow up in your Christian life and just remain a perpetual
child as a Christian. And that's possible. Obviously with children, you know, physically
speaking, they're going to grow up one way or another. You know, they're not going to remain
children. Now they might, they might grow up to be, you know, maybe not the best children,
maybe not the best adults, maybe they're malnourished, maybe they suffer physically,
you know, but the thing with the spiritual child is the fact that you can remain a child. That if
you don't, you know, if you neglect the word of God, if you neglect to grow as a Christian,
you will remain a child spiritually. It can happen. That's why the Bible tells us,
as newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow thereby. You know,
we should desire what? The sincere milk of the word. It's the Bible that is going to help us
grow. It's the Bible that is going to give us the spiritual nourishment that we need to grow
as Christians from being newborn babes in Christ. I mean, that's why Christ, you know, said you must
be born again. It's a literal, you know, it's a spiritual rebirth that takes place there. We
are spiritually babes. We have to grow out of that. Okay. But we all start out as babes, don't
we? And again, there's nothing wrong with that. The problem is when we remain babes. Okay. The
Bible says everyone that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.
Okay. And here's what I want to get across before I really get into some more of the practical
application of the sermon is that, you know, why I'm preaching this is because God cares about the
simple. You know, God cares about simple people. God cares about those that are young. God cares
about those that are inexperienced. God doesn't just throw us to the wolves and just say figure
it out. You know, God cares about us. God gives us instruction. God gives us knowledge. God gives us
people in our lives to guide us out of our youth, out of, you know, being a naive person. Okay. God
cares for the simple. Go back to Genesis chapter 34. I should add to keep something there. Hopefully
you caught that. I think I failed to mention that, but we are going to go back to Genesis 34. But God
cares for the simple. The Bible says gracious of the Lord and righteous. Yea, our God is merciful.
The Lord preserveth the simple. I was brought low and he helped me. God preserves the simple. God
looks out for them. God protects them. The law of the Lord is perfect. The Bible says converting the
soul, the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple. The testimony of the Lord, the
Word of God, the Bible will make the simple wise. Just like it said in Proverbs that it was given to
give instruction, justice, knowledge, discretion. That's what the Proverbs are there for. The law
of God, the commandment of God will make a simple person wise. It'll help them to be what? Less
naive about life, about spiritual realities. Okay. The Bible says the entrance of thy words
giveth light, it giveth understanding to the simple. Again, it's the Word of God that gives
us that understanding. So being naive is natural. We all start out that way. There's nothing wrong
with that. The problem is when we don't recognize that as naive people. When we're young, when we're
inexperienced, when we're in our youth, when maybe we're new to the faith, maybe when we're new to
anything in life and we don't have the experience that's needed, if we get puffed up and think,
well no, I already know it all, you know, that's when being naive becomes dangerous. That's my
next point, that being naive is dangerous. An example of this is Dinah. Because really,
when you look at it in Genesis chapter 34, her intentions are very innocent, aren't they? It says
in verse 1, and Dinah, the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters
of the land. I mean, we would read that and say, well yeah, naturally she wanted to go make some
friends. She wanted to go out in the world. It seems like a very innocent thing. Her intention
wasn't, hey, I'm gonna go commit fornication and upset my brothers and then have all these people
killed. That's not what she intended, obviously. But that's part of being naive, isn't it? Not
seeing the unforeseen, you know, consequences of your actions. That is an attribute of being naive,
of being somebody who has no, cannot see ahead, has no foresight, cannot look ahead, cannot
consider the consequences of what might happen, right? They're short-sighted. They might be
innocent, but that's really just being naive. And really, naive people, they fall prey to people who
want to take advantage of them. That's the danger of being naive. When you're a naive person, you're
gonna fall prey to those who will take advantage of you, okay? And in the story, we have a real
good example of this, okay? We have some real, for a real specific intention, right? Sheikham had
intentions that were wicked from the start. Verse one, she went out to see the daughters of the
land. Verse two, and when Sheikham the son of Hamor, the Hivite prince of the country, saw her,
he took her and lay with her and defiled her. And notice the progression there. He saw her,
he took her, he lay with her and defiled her, okay? A couple things you can learn from that. One
is that when you go out and commit fornication, you're defiling yourself. You know, that applies
to anybody. You know, any kind of physical relationship outside of marriage, the Bible
either calls adultery or fornication, okay? And when you're committing fornication, you are defiling
yourself. That's what the Bible says. That's why the Bible tells us that this is the will of God,
even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should
know how to possess his vessel in honor. The Bible commands that we abstain from fornication.
That's not really the point of this sermon, but you know, I'm throwing it in there because of the
world we're living in. I got to hit that, ring that bell as often as I can these days. But notice
again, that's what it ended up with, with Sheikham. You know, Dinah goes out in her innocence, she
goes out in just being naive, just kind of not very wise about the things of the world, just kind
of goes out there, and then she's seen by this individual. And then he takes her and he lay with
her. Okay. Again, this was not her intention. But what this tells me is that, you know, and anyone
who's lived, you know, and is honest, will admit that people can be naive about the intentions of
others. And women can be naive about the minds of men. Okay. I'll say that again, women can be naive
about the minds of men, and you can't really blame them because they're not men. You know, and I'm
just going to kind of pull back the veil a little bit and let the ladies in a little bit about how
the minds of men work. Because you kind of see it here, right? What's the, what, we didn't just go
from Dinah went out to see the daughters of the land and got defiled. Okay, we saw Dinah went out
into the land to see the, to see the daughters of the land, right? And then she was seen. Okay,
Shekham saw her and he liked what he saw. This is how the men's, excuse me, the minds of men work.
It's visual. They look and they're attracted. Any man who's honest would have to say it's,
you know, we'll say that that's exactly how a man's mind works. That men have to bring that
under control. They have to bring their eyes and their thoughts under control. If men don't do that,
they will, they will let their eyes wander wherever they want and look at whatever they
want and think about whatever they want and just drink it in. Okay. And I'm trying to,
I'm trying to not cross the line of being inappropriate here, but again, this is the
problem is that women, especially young women who maybe don't have the experience of others,
don't understand how the minds of men actually work. And they go out and they can go out in the
world and then they can think, oh, this guy's so nice to me. He's paying me compliments. He's
saying sweet things. He's after one thing. Oh, you know, I mean, we see later that Shekham,
he taught, it says he talked very nicely to her, right? He spoke to her. He said nice things. He's
after one thing. And it's not, you know, it's everything that's below the neck. Okay. This is
how men work. And I'm just being honest. Any guy who's honest knows that this is true. So I don't
know about that. Then why is it that when we go to scripture, we see so many men, godly men, even
men like Job, having to say things like I made a covenant with my eyes. Why then should I think
upon a maid? If that's not how the mind of a man works, then why does Job have to say I made a
covenant with my eyes? I came to a place in my life where I said, look, this is the way we are.
This is the way we're wired. This is how we're geared. I'm going to make a point in my life. I'm
going to make it a purpose in my life to not just sit there and look at women and lust after them
in my heart, which the Bible says is adultery already. That's what Christ said. If you look
after a woman to lust, you have committed adultery with her already. And obviously he was making the
greater point that, you know, even if you kept the whole law, we've already offended. We're already
guilty. Okay. That was Christ's point. But my point is this, is that that's how the minds of men work.
And look, naive young people, naive women can go out there and think that's not how the minds of
men work. You know, this is something that I've noticed over the years too, is that women who go
out and dress a certain way, they just think they look cute. They just think that they're, you know,
they're wearing the trendiest, most fashionable thing, and they have no idea why it's so popular.
Why men like what you're wearing so much. You know, what's, what's, I don't know, is it's,
I don't know, hopefully it's still not a thing, but I remember when these things first came around,
these, these, these really tight leggings that, the basically tights, I mean, I don't know what,
I don't remember what you call them anymore. The yoga pants. Thank you. I mean, just the name
itself, right? You know, when those first came around, like, you would only see them on like
ski slopes. I remember, you know, I would go skiing in Michigan, and there was an older guy,
and he's, and he's doing this. You know, we call that miracle fabric. That's how, I'm just being
honest folks, that's how the minds of men work. Ladies, don't be naive about it. Oh, why do you
guys have such dress standards? So you're not out there just parading yourself and watching men
having men just lust after you in their heart? Well, that's their fault, their fault. The Bible
says that, you know, because of the fact that, you know, women behave, and I'm paraphrasing
grossly here, that the women who go out and are loose, that they increase the transgressions
among men, the transgressors among men. I don't have my notes. I wish I'd put it in there. But
because women behave a certain way, it actually increases the transgressors among men. So the
Bible holds the women accountable for that, just as much as the men. I'm not saying the men are
off the hook. My point this morning is that I'm just trying to get women to understand that men
ought have a certain way of thinking if they don't control it. And it's not like, and it's,
it's not like Job, I think, just one day said, well, I made a covenant in my eyes. You know,
that's a covenant you got to make and keep every single day, and not get backslidden. Well, that's
just one guy. Well, David said, I will set in a wicked thing before mine eyes. I hate the work
of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me. It's a wicked thing to sit there and just lust.
But this is how men, the minds of men work. Don't be naive about it. The Bible says in Matthew,
chapter five, we'll just read, or 15, I'll read to you, for out of the heart proceedeth evil
thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. All these
things come out of the heart of man. Fornications, adulteries, thefts, these wicked things. They're
in there. And this is what's out there in the world. Now, here's the thing. If you're saved,
you have the Holy Spirit, you know what the Bible says, you know, you're going to be more like a
Job, hopefully, and temper these things. You're going to be on the guard against this in your
life. But newsflash, the unsaved out there, the sheikhs of this world, they don't have the Holy
Spirit. They're going to see, and they're going to take, and they're going to lay, and they're
going to defile, because that's just what they do. That's what they're into. There's nothing stopping
them. They're not trying to control their minds. Being naive is dangerous. This is the example of
Dinah. Just going out there and thinking that, what's the worst that could happen? Well, read
the rest of the story. It gets pretty bad, doesn't it? It does say in verse three that he loved the
damsel, right? But here's the thing. It doesn't always work out that way. It doesn't always work
out that way. You know, he could have just gotten with her and then just said, on to the next one,
just another notch in my belt. That's the world today. How does this happen? Well,
it's flattery, really. Go to Proverbs chapter seven. I should have had to keep something there
in verse 21. It says in verse 21, with her much fair speech, she caused him to yield. So it's
talking about this adulterous woman, this loose woman of Proverbs chapter seven, who's going after
the precious life, the naive young man, the simple young man among the youths, who lacks wisdom and
knowledge and discretion. She's coming to him and with her much fierce speech, she is causing him
to yield. You know, I'm not going to take the time to read the whole chapter, but she's telling him
all these things, how she sought him, how she's looked for him, how she's, you know, gotten
everything ready. The good man has taken a long journey and he won't be back. And it's this fair
speech that causes him to give in. And it's somebody who's trying to deceive the simple,
somebody who's taking advantage of somebody being naive. And they do it through flattery.
It says in verse 22, go to Proverbs 14, he goeth after her straight way as an ox goeth to the
slaughter. That's such a picture of what's taking place when people are just being taken advantage
of by others. When they're just taking everything from you that's precious. It's like an ox going to
the slaughter or as a fool to the correction of the stocks. Proverbs 14, look at verse 15, it says
this, the simple believeth every word. The simple believeth every word. This is part of being naive.
This is the danger of being naive, is that people will tell you things that aren't true and you just
believe it. Either about yourself so that they can get something out of you that they want or
maybe they're just trying to sell you something. I mean, think about the snake oil salesmen. They've
got their tonic, their cure-all. If they're selling it, it's because people are buying it. And this
hasn't gone away, it's just taken on different forms today. It's all these miracle this and
wonder that this product is going to change. If you just get on the TV, they're going to be
selling you things. Get on the radio, they're selling you things. Get on YouTube, I'm going to
tell you how to make six figures in six months. Step one is find a bunch of suckers on YouTube
and make a video and pay for some advertising. That's step one. Of course, that's not what he's
going to tell you. But you know, like PT Barnum said, there's a sucker born every minute. There's
another naive person coming down the pike that we're going to be able to take advantage of.
People get taken advantage of, they believe every word, they find out not every word is true, then
they wise up and it's like, well, on to the next one. On to the next one. There's a sucker born
every minute. They use their speech to flatter people. I'll read to you from Romans chapter 16.
It says, Now I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause the visions and offenses contrary to
the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord
Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple. How do these men deceive the hearts of the simple? Through good words and fair speeches.
And this is kind of what Shechem did. I believe Shechem did. He's probably saying a lot of nice
things to Dinah. He's probably telling her how beautiful she is and how she's the only one and
la da da da da da, whatever. He's sweet talking her. Right? This is how this kind of thing works.
You know, and people can be naive about other people's intentions while they're flattering
them. And this is something you have to be on guard for in your life. People that are trying
to flatter you. People that are trying to, you know, get something out of you by using, what,
good words and fair speeches. And it works because it does say that it deceives the heart of the
simple. Because people hear that, the simple hear that and they go, Oh, I really am that way. Oh,
yeah, finally somebody else recognizes it besides me. You know, well, they're older, they're wiser,
they're wealthier. It must be true. No, they're just trying to get something out of you,
whatever it might be. The Bible says in Proverbs 19, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not
good. And he that hasteth with his feet, sinneth. That the soul be without knowledge, it is not good.
It's not good to be a naive person. Obviously, again, we all start out that way. But this is the
warning this morning. Don't, you know, understand that if you are a naive person, there's dangers
there. Don't be naive about other people's intentions. Don't be naive about what people
want to get out of you. The good news, and there is good news, is that being naive is not permanent.
It's not a permanent thing. You know, hopefully we grow out of this. How are you going to grow
out of being a naive person? You have to exercise prudence through experience,
exercise prudence through experience. And I'm going to give this to you how to do that,
how to exercise prudence in ascending order. Okay, so from like the least, most useful way
to exercise prudence to the most, you know, successful way to exercise prudence. First,
what is prudence? It's wisdom. It's judgment. It's common sense. It's the complete opposite
of being naive. It's being a wise person. Not being naive means you are prudent. It also means
to be cautious or careful, to be wary. Here's a great Bible word, to be circumspect, right?
The Bible tells us to not walk as fools, but to walk circumspectly, to have our eyes open,
to be looking around, to be alert to what's going on around us. Not as fools. To have
foresight, to have forethought, to have discretion. That's what it means to be prudent. It's the
opposite of being naive. Go to Proverbs chapter number 22. Proverbs chapter number 22. How are
you going to not be a naive person? You're going to exercise prudence through experience. You're
going to become a more prudent person. And obviously, people today, they hear that word
prudent and they might think of that the phrase, oh, don't be such a prude, right? And usually
people that say that, oh, you're such a prude. Or people are trying to get you to do something
you know you shouldn't do. Oh, just come with us. No, I don't want to go there because I know what
goes on in those places. Oh, stop being such a prude. Quit being so uptight. Well, what are
you saying really? Be loose. Be carefree. Don't use caution. Is that what you're saying? Don't
use wisdom, discretion and foresight. Why would anyone want to do that? For one reason, to fit in
and to be cool. They just want to go along with the crowd. Look, if you're going to be somebody
who isn't naive and somebody who exercises prudence, you know, and you're going to have to
maybe stick out like a sore thumb every now and then. You might have to have the reputation of
being a little straight laced. You know, but I'd rather be straight laced than, you know,
bound in sin. I'd rather be a little uptight than, you know, be a little stiff or starched
or whatever people want to call you than to have sin make a mess out of my life. Because look,
those same people that are going to talk you into doing things, they're not going to be there when
it all goes wrong. I mean, in the story we see that with Sheikah, but it doesn't always work out
that way, does it? I mean, Sheikah at least is like, well, hey, at least I want to marry her.
I know I went about things wrong, but I love her. I want to marry her. That's not like a proof text
for, okay, so it's all right to just go out there and be naive.
Look, the people that are trying to talk you into doing things, they're not going to be there
when it all goes wrong. They're going to be a million miles away.
Are you in Proverbs 22? Look at verse 3. The Bible says, a prudent man foreseeeth the evil.
Sounds to me like being a prudent person is a good thing.
It's a good thing to see evil, to see harm, to see sin coming, isn't it?
He seeeth it, he foreseeeth it, means he sees it coming. He says, you know, I'm not going to be
naive about this. I know if I, if I listen to that person, if I go to that place, if I go down that
road, if I partake in that activity, I know where it can lead. I know what could happen if I go
there and I'm going to avoid that. He foreseeeth the evil and hideth himself. He sees the harm
coming and he's just like, well, let me get out of the way. A naive person is just going to go
out there and be like, huh? And then just wham. You know, the prudent guy is going to look both
ways before he crosses the road. The naive little child is the one that just runs out into traffic,
just runs out into the, you know, the street without looking.
The prudent man, the person who's going to, you know, exercise prudence in their life,
they're going to have some foresight. They're going to see the evil coming and they're going
to hide themselves. Notice there, it says, but the simple pass on and are punished. People who
are not prudent, people who remain naive, people do not recognize the dangers of being naive are
going to be punished. They're going to suffer as a result. So what are some of the ways you can
exercise prudence in your life? How are you going to get this? How are you going to gain the
experience that's going to lead you out of being a naive person? Well, one is going to be just the
experience of life. And remember, these are in ascending order, meaning we're starting with like
probably the least, the least beneficial way to go about doing this. The experience of life is just
going to happen. Okay. You know, as long as you manage to keep yourself alive on this earth,
you're going to become less naive. You're going to become, you're going to start to learn things
about how the world works, but that doesn't necessarily mean that just every birthday that
ticks by all of a sudden, you know, everyone gets done seeing happy birthday to you and it's just
like boom, you know, and all of a sudden I'm just, I'm just hit with this wisdom, you know, like it's
some kind of biological mechanism that every time I turn a certain, you know, gain another year
in life, I gain wisdom. No, the experience of life is really the school of hard knocks. That's what
I'm talking about. It doesn't have to be that way, but that's why it's really not the most
trustworthy way or the best way to go about, you know, gaining experiences just through life in
general. Because a lot of times, you know, experience through life, the wisdom that you gain
is just learning what not to do. Just going, well, that didn't work out for me. I shouldn't do that
again. I shouldn't do that again or a third or fourth or fifth time. You know, that, that's
usually how that goes. The Bible does say that the hoary head is a crown of glory if it be found in
the way of righteousness. You know, when we see somebody that's older, that's lived longer,
if it be found in the way of righteousness, you know, that's a crown of glory. You know,
they're going to have certain experience, certain knowledge, certain wisdom to impart because,
just because of life experience. They've just gone through different seasons of life that others
haven't. The other way you could learn is through the experience of others. And this is a good way
to learn, I think. This is a good way to exercise prudence in your life. It's through the experience,
not just of life itself, but through the life of other people. You know, people who are younger
and naive should start to look around at the other people in their life and start to examine
what kind of life those people have. And think about the decisions that other people have made
in their lives and where it's led them. Because, you know, that's the same route you're going to
go down. If you make those same decisions, that's where you're going to end up. For better or for
worse. It's good to look at somebody and say, hey, this person is in a good place in their life,
I could see that they're successful in this area, that they're doing well here in this area of their
life. I wonder what it is that they did to get there and learn from that. Or the opposite. Look
at somebody who has made some mistakes and is suffering for it and say, well, what did they do
to get there? Let me not do that. That's another great way to gain experience, to gain, you know,
prudence, to become more wise, to be less naive about the world.
Go to Proverbs chapter 21. Proverbs chapter 21. This is what the Bible teaches when it comes to
this. That we can look at other people, we can look at their lives, and I'm not saying to
criticize them or to tear them down or make them feel bad, but just, you know, inwardly we can just
perceive some things and just take note of some things in our own minds and our own hearts and
say, well, let me not do what that person did or let me do what they're doing because I want
to end up like that. The Bible says in Proverbs 19, I'll just read to you verse 25, smite a
scorner and the simple will beware and reprove one that hath understanding and he will understand
knowledge. When you smite the scorner, the simple will beware. Meaning when they see the scorner,
when they see the person who's just scoffing at the things of God and they're just scoffing at
the things that they've been taught, scoffing at the wisdom and knowledge and instruction that's
trying to be imparted on them, when they see that scoffer be smitten, when they see them get
punished, when they see them start to have to deal with hard things in their life, the simple,
the naive would look at that and be what? Beware. That's a good way to learn. That's a good way to
gain experience to look at what's happening to somebody else and go, well, I don't want that.
Then don't do what they do. You can't do the exact same thing other people are doing and expect a
different outcome. Look there in verse 11 of Proverbs 21, when the scorner is punished,
the simple is made wise. So again, the simple will beware. The simple will be made wise. It's
a wise thing to beware. The prudent man foreseeeth evil. It's a very wise thing to be on your guard.
It's a very wise thing to have foresight and to not be naive. But again, it's the same principle
that when the scorner is punished, when the person who's scoffing at these things is punished,
the simple, the naive would do well to look at that and say, well, let me not be like them
and let me be wise. And when the wise is instructed, he receives knowledge.
Go to 1 Corinthians chapter number 10. We'll come back to Proverbs one more time.
Those are great ways to learn. Obviously, again, in ascending order. The experience of life,
you know, I wouldn't just count on that. Well, let me just go out there and just try this and
see what happens. Let me just not have any counsel. Let me not go to the Bible about anything. Let me
not listen to anything anybody's ever taught me or instructed. And let me just go out there and
just kind of figure this out on my own. What you're going to find out is what doesn't work.
You're going to make a lot of mistakes that you didn't have to make. It'd be better to just look
at the experience that others had. It'd be better just to listen to people who already have gone
through things and saying, don't do it that way. Here, do it this way. That would be a much better
way to learn. That'd be a much better way to be less of a naive person.
But, you know, another great way to learn in ascending order, the best part,
would really just be the experience that's from Scripture, just from the instruction
from the Word of God. That's what you'll find. I mean, anybody that's, if you're going to rely
on the experience of others, it's all, for good or bad, anyone that's succeeding, it's because
they're implementing biblical principles in their life. Look at 1 Corinthians 10, verse 6.
Now these things were our examples to the intent we should not lust after evil things as they also
lusted. These things were our examples, meaning the things that were written of Old Testament
Israel, the things that are written in the Word of God. Why do you think God wrote us a book?
Why did God put that story about Dinah in there? Why does God give us all these stories in the Old
Testament so that we could learn from it, so that we could receive instruction?
For an example to us, he says in verse 7, neither being idolaters as were some of them,
as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication as some of them committed and fell in three, excuse me,
and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them also
tempted and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmuring as also some of them murmured and were
destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them four in samples.
All these things have happened and been recorded in scripture just so God could humiliate people.
He put the story of Dinah in there because he just wants to humiliate Dinah. He just wants to expose
Simeon and Levi for being so cruel. Is that why it's in there? Because God just didn't have
anything better to talk about in that chapter. He's like, well, let me just make that up. Let
me just throw that in there. Why not? No, these things are written for our in samples. They're
for our in samples and they are written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the world are
come. These things are there in scripture to teach us. And if we're wise, we'll take heed to the
things that are written in the word of God. We will conduct ourselves and live our lives in
accordance with the Bible. A naive person would do well to just trust what the word of God says
and just believe it and just follow it and obey it. Even if it doesn't make sense.
I like how it ends there in verse 12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest
he fall. We often quote verse 12, don't we? And we often quote verse 11. But notice how they're
tied together. All these things happen and then for our examples, like God's warned us, God said,
this is the way it goes. Do this. This is what happens. This is how the world works. Don't be
naive. I'm warning you right now. But people can get this attitude of, well, I don't believe that.
People get this attitude of, well, I know better than God. They would never say that,
but that's what their attitude is. The Bible says, well, this is how you should have a marriage. This
is how you should raise your children. This is how you should conduct yourself as a young man. This
is how you should conduct yourself as a young lady. This is, you know, all these things that
are written for our examples, the Bible is just explaining, explaining, explaining, and people
just go, well, I think I know better. Wherefore let him that thinketh he stand to take heed lest
he fall. It's interesting those are tied together. So again, what are we talking about this morning,
about not being naive? Again, being naive is very natural. It's unavoidable. You can't help but be
naive in life. If you're young and inexperienced, you're naive. You just can't do anything about it.
The problem with being naive is not being naive in and of itself, but the fact that it's dangerous
to be naive. I mean, it would be dangerous to leave the kids at home, wouldn't it?
It would be dangerous to leave all of, you know, all the single digit children at home by
themselves and just be like, well, you know, they got this. You know, me and mom need to get
away for a little while. So we're just going to leave all the little kids there and just,
I'm sure everything will be fine because they've been around. Obviously, they've been paying
attention to everything we do. Yeah, they know how to turn the oven on. And they know how to go out.
They know where the guns kept. They know where the matches are. They know where the toys are hidden.
They know all of it. It'd be a very dangerous thing, wouldn't it? Why? Because children are
just such evil little creatures because they're just these little hellions that are just, you know,
bent on destruction and mayhem. No, it's because they're naive. That's it.
It's dangerous to just leave kids unattended. It's dangerous. You don't know what they're going to do.
That's what's so bad about it. It's not that, you know, that the fact that they're children
makes them evil or something. It's the fact that they're naive and it's dangerous to be naive.
And people are naive about the way the world works sometimes. And look, we don't want to learn about
how the world works through just life experience by just, you know, one hard knock after another.
It'd be better to just look at the experience of other people. Look at the experience of Scripture
and learn from that and just trust it. And just acknowledge the fact I'm naive. I'm inexperienced.
I don't have the wisdom and discernment and foresight. Others do.
Let me just trust, you know, the experience of others. Let me just trust the Scripture.
You know, because being naive is not permanent. You know, it's something you can grow out of.
Go to Proverbs chapter 27. Proverbs 27. We'll close there.
It says in Proverbs chapter 8, oh simple, oh ye simple, understand wisdom and ye fools,
be of an understanding heart. Here for I will speak of excellent things and the opening of my
lips shall be right things. It's like God is opening his lips in the Scripture. Wisdom in
Proverbs is just saying, listen to what I have to say. I'm going to impart unto you wisdom,
knowledge and instruction. It's going to be an ornament of grace upon thine head. It's going
to be chains about thine neck. It's going to adorn your life. It's going to help you live
a good and righteous life. You will not regret it. And this is the thing. People who are naive,
they think that, especially the youth, they can sometimes think that they're missing out
on something. That the Bible is just holding them back from some, like they're being teased
or something. Like there's something that God just doesn't want them to have because he's just mean.
That's not the case. God's guarding us from these things. God wants us to understand these things
so we're not foolish. And in time you'll understand that. Even if you don't understand that right now
as a young person, in time you will. As you gain experience, you'll go, oh that's why
my parents said that. That's why the preacher preached that. That's why the Bible says this.
That makes perfect sense. Wow, I really dodged a bullet there. Look at Proverbs 27 verse 12.
A prudent man foreseeeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple are passed on under
punishment. You say you're repeating yourself. Nope. That was Proverbs 23 earlier. It's being
repeated here in Proverbs 27. And look, obviously we should pay attention to every single thing that
the Bible says, but when the Bible is repeating itself explicitly, we should probably pay a little
bit more attention. And we need to be people who are prudent. Don't be naive. We need to be people
who foresee evil and understand that maybe you don't understand all the evil that's out there.
Maybe you lack the ability, the discernment to see what's out there, what evil really lurks in
this world, what men are really like, what women are really like out in the world, what they're
really after. Maybe you lack that. You know what, you should at least be able to look through
scripture and foresee it that way. Say well let me look through the lens of the Bible and say okay
this is the way the world really is and let me hide myself and not be somebody that's just simple,
passes on, and is punished in life. Don't be a naive person.
Look, I know this wasn't the most eloquent of messages, but this is a truth that needs to be
preached. That we cannot be naive people about the world and how it works. We cannot be naive
about those that are around us, the intentions of other people. We can't be naive about the
consequences of ignoring scripture, ignoring what it teaches. Ignoring the Bible, ignoring
the realities that I've tried to express this morning. It's gonna doom you. It spells doom
in your life. You're gonna suffer because now we just read the simple pass on and are punished.
But some of them squeak by unscathed. Some of them manage to skate around the pitfalls of life.
Nope. It says those that do not hide themselves, that lack the foresight, that do not hide
themselves from evil, they are punished. The simple pass on and are punished. Ignoring this
is just gonna doom you to failure. It's gonna doom you to a life of failure and all its consequences.
And you don't want to wise up when it's too late. You don't want to wise up after the fact and go,
oh yeah I shouldn't have done that. It'd be better to just trust God's word, trust what you're being
taught from Godly instruction and just say that's the way it is. I know I'm a little
naive about these things but I'm just gonna trust what the Bible says. I'm gonna foresee
the evil through the eyes of others, through the eyes of scripture and not be punished.
Let's go ahead and pray.