around acting like idiots you know and you know let's not even go into half of
it the you know the state that people get themselves in with alcohol it's a
mockery wine is a mocha and strong drink is raging now what does raging mean it's
acting with violence or fury strong drink is the stuff with higher alcohol
content okay that's what it's talking about here in this context thing of
spirits like whiskey vodka gin you know 35 40 percent plus stuff now according
to the world's largest online survey of legal and illicit drug and alcohol use
amongst adults this is global drug survey survey or GDS spirits but also
the least likely types of alcohol to be associated with feeling relaxed 20%
claim that this is based on anonymized responses so anonymous basically from
30,000 18 to 34 year olds that's quite a big survey from 21 countries that was it
just amongst one country one sort of society the study published in the BMJ
open journal that's a British medical journal their open journal included
specific questions on alcohol consumption and the feelings associated
with drinking beer spirits and red or white wine when at home all went out
drinking spirits was more likely to draw out negative feelings and all the other
types of alcohol with nearly a third 30 percent of spirit drinkers associated
associating this tipple with feelings of aggression compared with about two and a
half percent of red wine drinkers so that's a third of these boozers that
admitted to the fact that it makes them leery a third admitted openly that yeah
it makes them feel more aggressive because strong drink is raging yeah
don't worry we didn't need the survey God told us this thousands of years ago
it's raging who on earth wants that wants to have elevated levels of anger
aggression fury let alone when drunk when you're less able to deal with
whatever you we're basically you're less physically able and you're more
likely to do things that you're regretting that you know the next morning
it's I'll tell you who fools fools wine is a mocker strong drink is raging and
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise they're foolish if you're deceived
into think that being a mockery and or a raging idiot is a good thing you're
definitely not wise okay you're an idiot and a theme that we've seen throughout
this book of wisdom is that being wise is a good thing
12 hours for seven said wisdom is a principal thing therefore get wisdom
with all they're getting get understanding okay it's what we're
craving what we're trying to find what we want to have and you're not wise if
you're deceived by alcohol it's a mocha it's raging wine is a mocha strong
drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise well one
easy way of forsaking being not wise is by not drinking diluted poison one easy
way of being wise is don't drink diluted poison stop being an idiot stop being a
fool the lesson is simple if you drink alcohol you're an idiot okay verse 2 the
fear of a king is as the roaring of a lion who so provoketh him to anger sinner
against his own soul now a couple of weeks ago we looked at Proverbs 19 12
which was the king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion but his favor is as
Jew upon the grass what does it mean that his wrath or the fear of him is as
the roaring of a lion I suppose that it said it's a pretty awesome sight and
sound I think experiencing the lion roaring must be pretty awe-inspiring if
you've ever experienced it I mean even when you just sit on a nature show it's
pretty pretty amazing isn't it to hear that roar it's gonna you know give you
maybe especially if you're nearby you hear it probably a bit of fear and we
looked at how it applies ultimately to the king of Kings we looked at that last
time or at least two weeks ago and with that wrath okay we should fear him like
we would if we heard that big old lion roaring I think that's the point yeah
with the wrath of God should be respected as that lion roaring would
would gain respect even amongst people but definitely amongst other animals but
you could also apply it to proper government as well evil doers need to
fear punishment or that they will just do worse and worse yeah so a proper
government should that the punishments should be feared and within reason okay
obviously recently we've seen some pretty ridiculous punishments coming out
for things and it's just a hypocrisy that the difference in you know in what
you get punished for for turning up to some sort of protest as opposed to doing
something heinous and you know all sorts of sexual sort of crimes and things is I
mean let's not even go into that however there should be a fear of punishment for
real crime for things like you know for serious crime especially and you could
also apply it to the home I suppose as well so not just a government should
punish crime properly the king of the home needs to have a level of respect
don't they okay and I say that you know you know with with fathers especially
I'm not talking about with your wives okay you know your wife I do you should
be fearing you but your kids should be fearing punishment your kids should fear
some punishment and again we need to get the balance right with that if your kids
are just there's all there's all punishment and no love you've got the
balance wrong but there should be some level of fear the king's wrath should be
as a roaring of a lion like in Proverbs 19 12 the fear the king is as the
wrong of the line okay people should fear the authorities in their life for
good reason and like I said whether it's the highest power of God it's the
authorities of a nation or the home don't provoke the authorities in your
life to anger yeah you know you should you should respect authorities in your
life shouldn't you that's how we do well in life God puts authorities and
puts a leadership structure in the home in in in various areas of life and we
should respect that because in reality the powers that be are ordained of God
it's ultimately you are fearing the king of kings you're hurting yourself we
shouldn't want God angry at us and we shouldn't therefore what the
authorities he's putting our life angry either the fear of a king is as the
roaring of a lion who so provoked him to anger sin if against his own soul the
lesson is to get some healthy fear of authority for your own good it's for
your own good yeah get some fear of the authorities in your life verse 3 it is
an honor for a man to cease from strife but every fool will be meddling so hear
that it's an honor our goal shouldn't be strife hey that again it's an honor for
a man to cease from strife but every fool will be meddling okay our goal
should be to stop strife where possible to cease from it to prevent it to find a
way of dealing with it to stop it we should be those peacekeepers of God
wants us to be that should be our goal shouldn't it be peacekeepers that's what
God wants us to be in fact he said blessed in the peacekeeping peacemakers
didn't it now remember that the Romans 12 18 says if it be possible as much as
life then you live peaceably with all men so if it's possible we should try to
live peaceably with people and I say that because a lot of people kind of get
this wrong a lot of people think it's an honor to to try and find strife and
then claim its persecution or tribulation or something else often
there's just a way out of strife there is a way to avoid it isn't it okay there
is a way to avoid it in love sadly so many look for it they seek it they want
to prove themselves with strife in various ways okay and prove their
boldness prove their this prove they're not but it's an honor for a man to cease
from strife but every fool will be meddling and that's the other problem is
that when the strife is happening fools come in to meddle with it okay they come
in to to make things worse the division causes love to exacerbate it they want to
stir up the problem and there's a lot of people like that around if you ever
notice if you have a bit of strife some people just want to come in and just
stir it up make it worse start getting involved and everything else
Proverbs 17 14 said the beginning of strife is as one is as when one letteth
out water therefore leave off contention before it be meddled with so have you
got some ongoing contention going on someone's going to come in and meddle
with it you best to leave it off before that point try and cease it try and find
a way out of it as much as as as possible we should try and live
peacefully with all men we want to avoid strife before the fall comes in and make
sinks ten times worse it is an honor for a man to cease from strife but every
fall will be meddling the lesson is to remember that it's more of a virtue to
be able to diffuse problems that's a virtue that's a good thing if you're
able to diffuse problems in life and it's important to do so before the
meddlers get involved verse four the sluggard will not plow by reason of the
cold therefore shall he beg and harvest and have nothing so back to that sluggard
again the lazy person and here he's got his excuse for not working it's too cold
out to plow the ground okay his excuse is the cold it's just too cold to go to
work some people you notice they'll say it's too hot to go to work there those
out there it's too cold it's too hot sometimes it's phantom illnesses and
injuries and everything else a lot of people just make excuses for these things
yet people work all over the world if you've ever noticed in heat and cold I
mean there's some hot nations where the work carries on there's some cold
nations where the work carries on there are people that work through injuries
they they they they work okay because guess what life isn't about having the
perfect comfort all the time and I think a lot of people sadly people grow up
just believing that you know they're just trying to find that perfect comfort
level and without that comfort level they complain there's a party you know
not gonna go to work not gonna do this not gonna do that sometimes you might be
cold you know that sometimes you're gonna be colder than comfortable
sometimes you're gonna be hotter than comfortable sometimes you're gonna be
more tired than comfortable sometimes you can be a bit run down and you know
most the time you just need to crack on now I'm not talking about people that
have chronic illnesses chronic problems chronic issues but there's a lot in this
nation a lot of people I've noticed throughout life and people just trying
to find excuses because it's not the optimum for them then it's as if you
know they're under some sort of tribulation because it's a little bit
cold out or something and something I was talking about this a while back with
someone about how I believe that and again I'm not saying you know people
take this too far and put it up here and it becomes an idol but I do believe
sport helps with this a lot for kids okay people that generally have played
sports especially if they've done sport to at least an okay level in whatever
sport it is a lot of the time just get an understanding that you're gonna be
outside your comfort level in in life and they get used to just being outside
of their comfort zone and get used to being fatigued and having to crack on
used to being you know having to push themselves when they feel like they just
want to stop and people I don't know I've just found a lot in life that
people that have done that are generally more able to just keep going and crack
on and do and not all the time and I'm not knocking anyone that you know has
never been into any sports or anything else I do think it's usually quite a
good thing to get your kids into something like that get them into sports
get them to understand that they're not always going to be in that just optimum
comfort level and that when you're out doing stuff and you're trying to carry
on and achieve to maybe win something and you've got a bit of effort in it's a
good life lesson and you learn from that and you get used to the fact that life
isn't always comfortable whatever helps solve this temptation the flesh is
important so if you think no nonsense well find a way because you know what I
see a lot of lazy people out in the world a lot of lazy people and we need
to avoid that because it just wrecks your life it's gonna ruin your spiritual
life because you're gonna be lazy in your spiritual life it's gonna ruin
your working life it's gonna ruin you can even ruin your married life your
family life could ruin your childhood being lazy the sluggard will not plow by
reason of the cold therefore shall he beg and harvest and have nothing because
the result is sort of farm work it is the same in so many areas okay in other
areas as well if you're a sluggard at work if you're
sluggard at work you'll miss a promotion you'll miss a better job roles you'll
miss the pay rise you'll miss the appreciation from your boss and maybe
slightly you know sort of just a nicer working atmosphere you're gonna miss
you're gonna miss out on things because of that in fact you could end up losing
your job, couldn't you? If you're a sluggard you could end up with no job you
couldn't have losing a job that you had if you're sluggard in your education
kids you're not gonna get the grades so kids if you're if you're a sluggard if
you're lazy when you do your work whether you're homeschooled whether you
go to school if you're lazy with that you're not going to get the grades and
if you're not gonna get the grades you're not gonna get the job that maybe
you could have got and you're just gonna be affected you're not gonna benefit
from that if you're a sluggard as a parent as a house your relationship
your family won't be a success. You're going to have a problem if you're
a sluggard in any area of life, and you could apply this to soul winning, couldn't
you, as well? If you're making excuses not to go soul winning,
you're like, right, you know, let's be honest, the winter's going to be quiet
here. That's the fact. I've noticed this in now coming up to four years of
ministry, and the reality of it is, is winters, less people are out of soul
winning. Now, again, get the level right. When it's freezing outside, don't take
your little children out of soul winning, okay? You know, they're going to suffer from the
cold more. That's not a good idea, but a lot of the time we just see people drop
off when it comes to the winter, when it's darker out, when it's colder out, and
if you're making excuses not to go soul winning, well, you're not going to be
getting so much in harvest time, are you? Because, you know what, soul winning, a lot
of it, I was talking to someone today, I was saying, yeah, great, go away, look at our
eight-hour series on how to win souls, but you know what, ultimately, the best
thing to do is it's practice, isn't it? The more you soul win, the more you're out,
the more you learn, the more you learn how to handle situations, learn how to
handle people, and if you make excuses, if you're not going, if you've got a reason,
you've got an excuse all the time, well, we looked at Psalm 126, 6 of Wednesday
night, he that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless
come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him. You go out, you do it,
you're going to rejoice, you're going to bring the sheaves with you, don't make
the excuses. Verse 4, the sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold, therefore
shall he beg in harvest and have nothing. The lesson is to put effort into all
areas of life to receive the rewards. Verse 5, counsel in the heart of man is
like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. So when
we were in Proverbs 18, we saw how deep water was a peril or a danger.
Psalm 69 2, you don't have to turn there, David said, I sink in deep mire where there is no
standing, I am coming to deep waters where the floods overflow me. And in
verse 14 of that same Psalm, he said, deliver me out of the mire, we saw this
Psalm this morning, remember, and let me not sink, let me be delivered from them
that hate me and out of the deep waters. And I was looking recently, just
something completely random, about how the wreck of the HMS Hood is in the
Denmark Strait, okay, it's well over a mile and a half down, apparently it's 2,800
meters down, okay, the wreck of HMS Hood from the Second World War, it was sunk by
the Bismarck. I mean, that's some deep water, isn't it?
It's about a mile and three-quarters down, I mean, can you imagine that, swimming
downwards for nearly two miles, that's a long swim, just straight down for that
long, that is some deep waters, isn't it? Okay, and I think, look, just the reason I
say that is because it adds a lot more peril than just being out of your depth.
So I think, you know, you just say, oh, does it just mean deep, I mean, does it
matter whether it's a mile and a half down or whether it's, you know, three
meters down, you're out of your depth, you can still drown. Well, when you add that
extra deep water, you add a load more currents, you add a load more weird
creatures, you're far from land when it's that deep as well, okay, it doesn't
get that deep when you go straight off, you don't walk out, walk off the beach
and then suddenly it's nearly two miles down, and you add a lot more waves
and all sorts of things. It's, it's, it's a peril, it's a danger being in that sort
of deep water. He said, counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a
man of understanding will draw it out. It's saying that the counsel of our
hearts is a danger, it's a peril, the counsel of our hearts.
Jeremiah 17 9 says the heart is deceitful above all things are
desperately wicked, who can know it? And in Proverbs 19 21 we saw though that
there are many devices in a man's heart. So it's a, it's a peril, it's danger, but
there are many devices in it. Nevertheless the counsel of the Lord
that shall stand. So there are many devices, ideas, plans, counsel you could say,
but it's deceitful, it's wicked, it's like deep water, it's a peril, it's a danger to
us. So we need to separate what's the counsel in the heart, or we might say the
emotions, what, what's the counsel, what's the advice that the, you know, the ideas
we are getting from our emotions and what's of the Lord. And here it says a
man of understanding will draw it out. He'll recognize what's his own heart and
what's of the Lord. And we'll draw out and we'll remove what's of his own
heart and then hopefully therefore receive and act upon the counsel of the
Lord. Because the knowledge of the holy is understanding. Psalm 119 1 and
4 says, through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every
false way. So you can only recognize and draw out that counsel of the heart if
you know what the Word of God says. When your wicked heart is persuading you to
chase the money, to forsake the things of God, to disobey clear commandments from
the Word of God, to act impulsively, to react angrily, to use guile, to use deceit,
a man of understanding will draw it out. A man of understanding will recognize
that because he's just regularly in the Word of God, he knows what the Word of
God says and he can see the contrast between what his heart is saying, what
his heart is counseling him to do, and what the Word of God says. Counseling the
heart of man is like deep water. It's a peril, but a man of understanding will
draw it out. The lesson is to not trust your heart, your emotions, and get the
understanding from the Word of God to recognize when that's what that counsel
is that you'll basically receive, you're giving yourself. Verse 6, most men will
proclaim everyone is on goodness, but a faithful man who can find. So a lot of
people have a very high opinion of themselves, in fact most do, okay, and it's
something you realize in life, and it's the same amongst Christians, a lot of
people just think they're great people, they're so good, they don't do things
wrong, and there are a few ways that you can apply this, okay. You can apply it
obviously aside from Christians to salvation, because most people, let's be
honest, most people you speak to you think they're good enough to go to
heaven, don't they? The majority of people, the ones that say, yeah I believe in it,
yeah I think I'm good enough, I think I'm a good person, yeah, yeah, oh yeah, well it's
about being a good person, so you say to them, oh do you know for sure you're going to
heaven, you know, oh okay, and these ones you don't even get much further than this
with, and you go, okay, well what do you think someone's got to do to go to heaven?
Just be a good person, so translation, I'm a good person, I'm good enough to get
into heaven, and that's, sometimes that's as far as you get with people, oh no I
don't have the time when he's trying to explain to them, well how, you know, that's
not what the Word of God says. So you can apply it to salvation, but someone,
who actually has true faith, someone who is saved, okay, and obviously that's
different, a faithful man you could say who can find, right, so someone who's
really saved, that's one way you can look at it, however I believe here that the
context is honesty, trustworthiness, most proclaim that they're good people, but
where are the faithful ones? And sadly this doesn't just apply in the
world, like I said, where of course in the world loyalty is rare, people sell each
other out for a bit of cash, or sell each other out for many reasons, it's
sadly also the case in God's house as well, where so many have such an inflated
opinion of themselves, but you couldn't trust sadly so many people as far as you
can throw them. So there are many people who are like thinking, yeah I'm a good
person, I turn up to church, I go soul winning, everything else, but are they
loyal? Can you really trust them? You really trust what they say, can you
really trust what they do, can you really trust them to have your back, can you
really trust sadly so many people, can you sit there and say yeah I'm loyal to
my friends, I'm loyal to my spouse, I'm loyal to my children, I'm loyal to my
parents, kids, I'm loyal to my employer, I'm loyal to my church, I'm loyal to the
Lord. Can you really say that? Can everyone sit there and go no that's me?
And if you do, you're probably just proclaiming your own goodness. But if you
could really say that, you are one of the few it seems. If you could honestly say
that, yeah I am loyal, I am loyal, I'm loyal, I'm faithful to my spouse, I'm
faithful, I'm loyal, I'm not just gonna be slandering, I'm trying to blame
everything on her every time I can, you know to people, subtly, I'm loyal to my
parents, yeah anyone says anything about my mum, my dad, I'm gonna defend them,
I'm there, I'm there for them, I'm gonna protect them to my
children, I'll never badmouth my children to people, I'm loyal to my children, I'm
there for them, I'm loyal to my employer, I'm not just constantly slandering or
maybe not even slandering, just whispering about him with all my
colleagues, I'm loyal to my church, yeah I'm gonna defend my church no
matter what, I'm loyal to the Lord, I'm not gonna pretend that you know I'm not
a Christian or you know I have to kind of keep you know just pretend I don't
really believe, well I believe some of the Bible or something else, when people
are slandering God or something else. If you could really say that, you are one of
the few. Most men will proclaim everyone is on goodness but a faithful man who
can find it. The lesson is both to stop lifting yourself up to others and
to instead work on being faithful in all areas. That's what we should be working on.
Verse 7, the just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after
him. Right, who is a just man? Because Ecclesiastes 7.20 says, for there is not a
just man upon earth that doeth good and sin if not. Well firstly there's
justification that comes solely from trusting Christ, okay. Romans 5.1 says
therefore being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord
Jesus Christ. So we're justified by that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in God's
eyes we become just, okay. But do all saved people walk in their integrity? Of
course not. Are all their children automatically blessed after them? Are all
saved people just full of integrity and their children are blessed? No, after
salvation we can choose to try to be just by being honest, upright, morally
sound. Now without it you'll never be seen as just and you're seen just in God's
eyes by Christ's righteousness imputed unto you but after that we want to try
and live like a just man, don't we? We want to try and be just, we want to try and be
honest, we want to try and be morally upright. Having integrity, walking in
integrity, so living according to honesty, to trying to do the right thing, to not
being a fake, to not being a fraud, to not, you know, just being, you know,
one thing in front of people but I ain't closed doors, you're the opposite.
If you're morally just and you're walking that integrity, not just on a
Sunday and Wednesday, okay, not just maybe in front of your work colleagues
or whoever else, if that's you, you're trying to walk in that integrity, you're
trying to walk in honesty, again not, it's not the, oh just, I'm ultra serious, I
never make a joke, not that sort of person but someone who's just who they
are, they are who they say they are and they're trying to live honestly, trying
to live with integrity. If you do that you and your children will be blessed.
So the just man walks in his integrity, his children are blessed after him, okay,
so it seems like they're both blessed. Why will your children be blessed?
Wouldn't they be more blessed if you conned your way to a better inheritance
for them maybe? If I could just get a bit more money, pull a few strings, duck and
dive a little bit, wheel and deal, then they'll have some extra cash when I'm
gone. Would they be more blessed if you blagged some some posher holidays each
year by doing something a bit sneaky on the side, a bit of cash in hand, if you
conned your way to a bigger house, are they more blessed? No, they're blessed
because with time they'll learn that dad isn't a fraud, okay, that's a blessing
for children when they, and look, obviously you can apply this to mum as
well, okay, but look, when they learn that their parents aren't frauds, when they
learn that they are who they say they are, they won't experience that traumatic
pedestal collapse like I've talked about before, which can be traumatic for kids
and that's why I've said many times, don't try and knock dad off his pedestal,
mum, and with time that pedestal will lower because kids will learn that yeah,
dad is human, that is a normal guy, dad is a regular guy, however if he walks in
his integrity there will still be some level of pedestal, rather than that
dramatic collapse when they realise actually they're a complete joke, they're
a con, they're not who I thought they were, but they will learn that
they can trust dad as well, that's important for a kid, isn't it? They can
trust their father, that they will do what they say they'll do, they'll be where
they say they'll be, they'll behave, you know, they can trust them, that they're
not, they're not just some sort of liar, they're not just constantly trying to
con their way here, there and everywhere, it is another thing is that kids learn a
lot from watching and they're more likely to have integrity too, aren't they?
Kids see integrity in their father, kids see integrity in their mother, they're
more likely to grow up to have integrity themselves, more likely, doesn't mean it's
automatic but more likely, it doesn't mean that a child without that can't
grow up to have integrity, but they're just more likely and what an
advertisement to live right, to live according to integrity. If you love
your children, that we should all love our children, shouldn't we care about our
kids, shouldn't we therefore want them to be blessed and my Bible says that if you
walk in your integrity, your children are going to be blessed along with you, so
that's a good advertisement for me, that's a good hopefully incitement for
everyone here to want to live right, to want to live with integrity, to want to
be honest, to want to not be constantly trying to shift and sneak and duck and
dive and you know and con your way through life and just live with some
integrity because those children that you love are going to be blessed because
of that. So the just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after
him, the lesson is to not just talk the talk but to walk the walk, be upright, be
honest, have and live by integrity. Verse 8, a king that sitteth in the throne of
judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. So again it's the importance of
there being judgment of evil and as before we can apply it to the king.
Hebrews 10 30 says for we know, for we know him that say that have said sorry
vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense there for the Lord and again
the Lord shall judge his people. So we've just seen a king that sitteth in the
throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes. Jesus Christ paid the
price for our sins eternally but God still judges us on a daily basis doesn't
he? So God will judge you as one of his children, as a parent will judge their
children in many areas of life. Okay obviously we're saved for eternity if we
put our faith in Christ but that truth, remembering that he sits in the
throne of judgment, should encourage us to live right. That's the idea isn't it?
Because without that the sad truth is you're you look great you're saved but
most people here without any threat of any repercussions for anything because
that's what people trying to accuse us of don't they? They're going out it's a
license to sin. No but we know for well if we did have a license to sin the sad
truth is a lot of us probably would start doing worse and worse things, pretty
much everyone, without any repercussions at all but we know that God's going to
whoop us, God's going to chastise us and that should encourage us, that should be
one of the things that encourages us to live right. Hebrews 12 6 says for whom
the Lord loveth he chaseth and scourgeth every son who may receive it. Why is it
who he loves? I tell you why because it's for our own good, because it helps us,
because it encourages us to live right, to do the right thing which will
ultimately bless us in the long run. So that reality okay of that, that the
Lord's eyes it said here in it said in verse 8, a king that sitteth in the
throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes okay, his eyes being
everywhere beholding evil and the good should scatter away that evil. So God's
eyes being everywhere, God's eyes seeing that, he's sitting in the throne of
judgment it should scatter away that evil and that's how it should work with
other areas of leadership as well. So a king that sitteth in the throne of
judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes, the threat of judgment and
punishment should deter our children from evil shouldn't it? Okay and he said
he's scattereth away all evil with his eyes and you know we should be aware, you
can add to that, for example in the home, mums and dads, we should try and be aware
of what our kids are doing shouldn't we? Our eyes should scatter away evil, should
stop them doing things because they should fear the punishment, there
should be a punishment that they have some fear of and therefore our eyes
should scatter away that evil, that we should be aware. If you leave a child to
his own devices well he's going to bring shame unto that mother isn't he? Okay but
as well the threat of, for example, legitimate church judgment and
discipline should scatter away evil shouldn't it? That's one of the ideas of
it, it should scatter, people I get, I've said this many times, people get really, they get
the wrong idea with this. Don't get me wrong, we want to restore people but
that's not the ultimate goal of church discipline. Church discipline and
punishment is to try and maintain standards to have a place where people
are not, it's not just full of poison, full of wickedness and everything else
and the threat of that church judgment and discipline should prevent a certain
level of wickedness. The threat of judgment and punishment for, in case
anyone's going what is this church discipline? Has he got like some sort of
cane or something? No, it's just getting kicked out but that's a bad thing because
you get kicked out of church you're gonna end up getting chastised by God
okay. So there is that and obviously look you know with some people yeah if they're
able and it's not for like things which which is kind of write-off stuff then
you want to restore them as well but ultimately the first thing is it is to
prevent evil because a little leaven leavens a whole lump and the threat of
judgment and punishment for crime should scatter away evil shouldn't it? That's
one of the ideas of a government punishing crime of God even setting up
that institution is to scatter away evil. So a king that sitteth, excuse me, in the
throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes the lesson is to both
fear judgment in life and to appreciate its importance to okay. Verse 9, who can
say I've made my heart clean I am pure from my sin and the answer is no one or
at least no one could say that and it be true. Many people say that if I hadn't,
like I said I had that guy the other day claiming that he's made his heart clean
he's pure from his sin but no one could say that and it actually be an honest
thing to say okay it's impossible because a lot of people do say that okay
and like I said that guy for example people just say that stuff they claim
that yep they're pure from sin we've had them on the door. I had a kid you know on
the door just earlier started off by saying that yeah he's not a sinner he's
not a sinner and I mean when I say kid he was probably I don't know maybe 10
years old or something maybe a little older and maybe even older maybe you're
like a young teen and just claiming yeah I'm not a sinner and I mean that's weird
isn't it and sure enough as I start going through the gospel with him you
just got to the point where he wasn't really interested anymore can you come
back another time I've got some chores to do because as far as he's concerned
I'm a good enough person I mean of course he went to some false church he
went to a Baptist Church actually thought you had to be good to go to
heaven it's a funny old game isn't it but anyway a lot of people do say that
okay yet first John 1 8 says if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves
and the truth is not in us if you think you have no sin and that would include
people look again I'm not saying if you think that God hasn't paid for your sins
yeah God paid for your sins if you think you don't have any sin you think that
you're some sort of sinlessly pure person now you're deceiving yourself and
the truth's not in you you you ain't saved okay look how many people
convince themselves like that and that's the epitome of pride isn't it
whether they say it was with the help of the Holy Spirit or not so you know they
try and go well God washed away all my sins yeah no because the Holy Spirit he
dealt with me and dealt with all that sin that is the epitome of pride isn't
it because let's be honest you're basically saying whether you're saying
it's with the help of God or not you're saying I am now sinless I mean how
bizarre is that and how wicked is that to even think that but isn't it
frustrating having those sorts of conversations with those types of people
because they always go back with oh no of course it's by God's grace but shall
we continue in sin God forbid and it's like yeah we shouldn't but you still do
you clown and but they are a bit frustrating because they always like
they if you notice they'll always agree with the verse oh yeah yeah features to
however oh no I agree with you yeah yeah yeah but and it's like you honestly are
trying to stand there tell me you don't sin and and they try some sort of bad
interpretation of verse obviously a verse out of context some human
philosophy about abusing grace or something you show them what the Bible
says and then they agree before the next attempt to discredit it you can't make
your heart clean you can't be pure from your sin and once you accept that you
ready to put your trust in the one that became sin for us so that's needed to be
saved isn't it to accept that who can say I've made my heart clean I'm pure
for my sin once you accept that that no one can say that you're more likely to
get saved and I suppose this is another thought another angle with this is that
we need to accept that about each other as well okay we need to accept that
about each other about each other in a church for example now of course there
are levels okay there are sins at a church disqualified but even with many
of those we want to give people a chance to change don't we okay and
that's something we do do as a church I think some people think we're just like
looking for anything like get out never see you again no I have done I'll
continue to work with people with things and try and help people to try and give
people a chance and everything else but but with each other okay aside from that
stuff we we want to accept that none of us are pure from our sin we all have
different struggles we all have different weaknesses if you're walking
around here go I just can't believe that so-and-so it I've just noticed them
being a sinner in this way or that way if it's not a church disqualified thing
that's life and I think the quicker you understand if you can say well who could
serve made my heart clean I'm pure for my sin you might be more able to get on
and and get by with just people in a church because guess what everyone is a
sinner every single one of us is a sinner and and praise God that he's paid
for our sins and look we don't take it lightly it's not to say well I'm just a
sinner so there we go let's crack on okay however once you accept that you're
more likely to get on with other sinners then if you kind of if you're trying to
put everyone like right these are my standards I'm up here I'm so I do so
little sin to anyone who's guilty of anything don't want anything to do with
them look we're all sinners all right okay but we should take it seriously
still at the same time with ourselves so who could serve made my heart clean I'm
pure for my sin the lesson is to accept that none of us are perfect just accept
that okay no one's perfect verse 10 divers weights and divers measures both
of them are alike abomination to the Lord so weights are measured are used
for trading things from grain to gold and obviously many things in between
measures can be both quantity and length in size you know size in different ways
as well divers are different okay they're inaccurate it's talking about
cheating people it's conning people there are people all over the world who
cheat people cheat people with dishonest business practices all over
the world people conning you ripping you off just finding a way to rip you off in
one way or another and of course this applies to all kinds of dishonest
business but it would also include personal non-business deals and things
as well so when he said divers weights and divers measures both of them are
like abomination to the Lord basically whatever kind it is it's abomination to
the Lord he hates it he despises it and there are many things that we talked
about being abomination to God okay that may be a bit more probably up you
know at the forefront of your mind where when you think about things at
abomination but how many might focus on some of those whilst maybe cheating
someone in business cheating someone when they try and sell something when
they buy something you know divers weights when it comes to the tax man
maybe that's an abomination it's an abomination to the Lord divers measures
when it comes to some sneaky cash in hand work that's abomination it's
abomination to the Lord or worse divers weights when it comes to tithing to God
that's abomination isn't it it's all abomination to the Lord God hates it all
and if something is an abomination to him we should do our best to avoid it
shouldn't we something's an abomination if just dishonest practices in all areas
trying to cheat con your way out and obviously it's here really financial
dealings it's all abomination to the Lord whichever way you want to look at
it so as much as he hates that mechanic and I say mechanic is if anyone knows
that on this mechanic please let me know because I don't know that seems it seems
pretty hard to find okay and I'm not looking at the guys that do a bit of
mechanics here because they don't consider themselves mechanics right but
but it's hard to find right and as much as that's that is an abomination to God
when those those guys when you drive your car in there and they start asking
you a couple of technical questions so they can start to decide how much they're
going to charge you straight at the beginning and then soon off the
technical questions and you've gone they start claiming they found this and they
found that and everything else and and they just start adding on money and
everything and they do it look if you go to the mechanic and you're like oh you
just tell me what it's worth you're an idiot all right okay because they're
just you've got to play the game with that because they just said a con you
but but but as much as he hates that he hates just even that little sneaky that
little few pence off that that little extra it's all abomination it's all
dishonesty God doesn't like it divers weights and diverse measures both of
them are alike abomination to the Lord the lesson is don't justify just accept
that God hates all dishonesty verse 11 even a child is known by his doings
whether his work be pure and whether it be right now a couple of takes I'm here
okay take home sorry firstly that children's behavior specifically their
righteousness is judged by others kids look people notice pretty quickly if
you're sneaky around they notice that if you're dishonest if you're a bit
light-fingered if you're a bit envious if you're a bit of a bully people notice
it quickly and bear in mind you know we're a family integrated church we're
a church where we say don't leave your children unattended which means that
parents are noticing their children interacting with you and everything else
so that people notice that stuff quickly now of course there are no perfect kids
okay but you'd be surprised how much people notice kids and sadly let
sometimes there be without a looking to notice things they want to find fault in
kids they want to find fault in whoever's kids it is and everything else
but people just notice okay but but also there's another take home here as well
so aside from that and just understand look that's the way it is also that
you're already building a reputation from young okay your reputation is being
built from young and of course that's even more important for the older
children obviously okay because the older you get the more that reputation
is going to stick for you but he said he said even a child is known by his
doings whether his work be pure and whether it be right so teens that's
something you really need to think about you need to abstain from all appearance
of evil because people have long memories they really do okay people have
long memories and you're gonna be known by your doings whether you work be pure
and whether it be right are you are you are you trying to look pure and I would
say that with everyone whether you're and obviously it applies to adults as
well but here especially even a child is known by his doings and we need to be
aware that as adults and parents we need you know we need to teach our kids to be
able to maintain purity and obviously with that the appearance of purity as
well because they could quickly start to earn a reputation can't they okay and
you can obviously imagine in what areas and and and how to how to help them with
that in a world where it's the opposite are you doing the right thing those are
are you trying to live for God okay are you are is your work right are you are
you in church and behaving as you should be or are you in church and treating it
like like you know it's a get-together and everything else is a write-off but
the other take-home it and again look we don't need to force our kids with that
but we're trying to encourage them and help them and just know that they're
starting as they get older especially to build up a reputation but the other
take-home is it if even children are known by their doings how much more so
adults so if the child is known by their doings if people are looking at your
kids and judging them and judging everything they do and everything they
say and everything else and trying to build some picture of them and they're
definitely doing it with us as well and that said people across the world people
that's people outside when you go outside in the street look we're known
by our doings as well so is your work pure right or are you up to all sorts
now we shouldn't do give kids leeway but adults will get less leeway so if the
kids are known by their doing whether it be work whether it be pure and whether
it be right by their doings and it's going to be more so for us as well right
you'll be known by your doings people form opinions pretty quickly and we
don't want to shame the name of Christ are we okay and that's the embarrassment
to do that embarrassment on the name of Christ so even a child is known by his
doings whether his work be pure and whether it be right the lesson is that
all of us should want to be a good testament ensure therefore that our kids
are too verse 12 the hearing ear and the seeing eye the Lord have made even both
of them now firstly okay just the fact that we have eyes and ears proves the
Creator and if someone made you you'd be wise to use those ears and eyes to
discover who he is and what he wants from you wouldn't you I mean that should
be an obvious take home if if something you've got an ear and you got and and
it's pretty amazing the air in the eye well there's a creator that made those
so it's worth finding out what he wants who he is etc the army here are
considered by the way miraculous by many you know you know you know the the kind
of science he types okay and it is seems to be one of the many miracles you know
the human eye for example so therefore consider how miraculous the creator of
them is if there's a miraculous eye whoever made that is even more
miraculous yeah but also consider that how whatever you've seen and heard in
life that has made you who you are God takes any credit if any is true okay so
if you think well I'm really good in this area so bad in that area well it
probably came from what you saw and what you heard well God made you okay he
takes credit and something else consider that if God made them if God made those
ears and those eyes don't forget that he also sees and hears as well Psalm 94
9 says he that planted the ears shall he not hear he that formed the eyes shall
he not see so don't forget that God made the ears and the eyes and God hears and
sees everything okay that's a good take home for that as well but here's another
thought and by the way that's wherever you are whatever private you know sort
of you think on my mind no one can see what I'm doing now God sees it right now
here's another thought God made that hearing ear and that seeing eyes so
perhaps we should think about what we use them for as well shouldn't we and
I was thinking about this analogy so I made one of my kids some really cool
binoculars unless ours that type and I'm not good at making something so I did
yeah and I just you know got together some good different you know good
different focus type bits of glass I made this really cool amazing pair of
binoculars but say they then use them to watch the neighbors TV who's just
watching filth on TV all the time yeah or to cause trouble with the neighbors
they were just spying on them the whole time and causing grief causing me a load
of stress with these really cool binoculars I made them they're using
them to get themselves in trouble they were even lending them out to people
that openly hate me as well you know they were just like giving them out to
all the people that hate their dad I'm gonna be pretty pretty upset about that
aren't I they pretty annoyed I'm gonna think I made those things and you're
using them to get into trouble you're using them for wickedness you're using
them for the wrong purpose those ears and those eyes is the analogy God made
us something much better than those binoculars didn't they yeah and when we
when we use them to see and hear things that we know we shouldn't it's even more
disrespectful isn't it God God has made us our eyes he's made us our ears and
then we use them for things that we know full well that God doesn't want us
looking at God doesn't want us hearing and I'm thinking obviously about the
many things people cast in front their eyes through phones laptops TVs and
things that they put in their ears through speakers different forms of
music which is just filth we use them to get us into trouble we use them to cause
our Lord to be disappointed and we use them to please the enemy himself don't
we okay and the hearing here and the seeing our Lord has made even both of
them maybe the lesson is to appreciate and respect what God has given us and to
use them for the right things verse 13 love not sleep lest thou come to poverty
open thine eyes and now shalt be satisfied with bread now we see
multiple problems about being a sluggard about the slothful and the reason is
that it's a fleshly temptation why in the book of wisdom are we being told
time and time again about being lazy because it is definitely a struggle for
so many people this is a problem it's a fleshly temptation he hasn't just hit it
once he's hit it countless times already and one of those one of those temptations
is excess sleep now of course we need sleep okay and depending on your age
your activity levels your body type even your stress levels maybe and don't use
that as an excuse okay the amount varies okay different there's not like a right
you need this amount and that's it otherwise guess what the Bible would
have told us that and it varies depending on what you do who you are you
know and a few other things like that so so when we would go well how do I
know how much I should get how much sleep should I get a simple solution is
to get up at the same time every morning engage what time you feel tired in the
evening that's pretty simple isn't it get up look if you're having trouble if
you haven't and again I know it's not always as simple as that I know some
people have some legitimate sleep problems but a really easy way is set
your alarm at the same time every morning get up at the same time every
morning day after day week after week month after month and in the evening
start to wind down engage how tired you feel and your body will start to tell
you when you need to go to sleep that would probably solve a lot of people's
problems especially if you avoid stimulants like coffee in the evening
strict screen time adrenaline promoting video games and things like that right
and you just get in a habit and then you start to learn what you need what you
work well off and everything else now the problem is then when people don't
get up this is a problem you see all over the world they don't set an alarm
and guess what happens that warm cozy bed just becomes too attractive doesn't
it especially in the winter so you don't get up you don't set an alarm you have
no reason to get on maybe you have a reason to get up but you just keep
delaying it and becoming later and not getting out of bed they sleep in more
and then guess what happens they just become more tired and what I've noticed
with with people that do this stuff he said love not sleepless I come to
poverty open our eyes and now shut me satisfied with bread is that they they
they then can't go to bed at night they then need to go to bed later a lady
because they're getting up later late and they just can't work it out and then
it's like well I try to go to bed early but I just get into sleep yeah you know
why because you got up ten hours ago you got up twelve hours ago just get up early
get up early get up early every single day and yet guess what eventually you
will be tired at night if you're active and you do other things which are health
promoted as well usually again I'm not if anyone suffers from insomnia for
reason that they can't solve I'm not having a go at you okay but what happens
then is that the lion start to affect work life he said let's not come to
poverty open our eyes and now shut me satisfied with bread the employed are
often late aren't they when this becomes a problem for people they're staying up
later they start to get to work late they start to have problems in their
work life the self-employed get less done because when the self-employed and
they get staying up late and they're getting up later in the morning then
they start to get up even later then they make excuses not to go to work
excuses to get in late for work the traditional mum can't keep on top of the
home because she's getting up later she's not getting as much done she's
spending more time in bed the unemployed find it harder to get employed because
they're spending more time in bed they're getting up later love not sleep
lest thou come to poverty open our eyes and now shall be satisfied with bread
the students don't achieve what they should what they could have done had
they just got up instead of the excuse well I'm a teenager I must need 12 hours
sleep no you just need to get up and go to bed earlier at night instead of
getting up later in the morning the answer to it all is love not sleep open
our eyes and be satisfied with the bread of life first thing I'll be satisfied be
satisfied with it because you can even add can't you when it comes to
spiritual things as well that if you get up if you open your eyes you shall
be satisfied with bread and the best time to read the Word of God and to be
satisfied with the bread of life with the Lord Jesus Christ with it with the
with the Word of God itself is in the morning open your eyes and be satisfied
with it because you know what happens when you sleep in when you lie and
everything else guess what goes out the window as well your Bible reading love
not sleep lest thou come to poverty open our eyes thou shalt be satisfied with
bread the lesson is to swerve the lions if you want to succeed in life verse 14
it is naught it is naught saith the buyer but when he has gone his way then
he boasts it so this is a reminder I think of just how most people are when
it comes to buying and selling and I suppose the warning here is for those
that would maybe be too trusting that would be maybe persuaded by this sort of
tactic just remember this and and maybe it's just like a good bit of good little
bit of advice here for buying and selling everyone it seems is trying to
get a deal aren't they everyone out there is trying to rip you off in so
many areas of life they're trying to rip you off they're trying to con you they're
not honest just people are just basically I I think without any shame
just shamelessly dishonest when it comes to trying to get deals trying to get
something cheaper trying to get more money out of you whatever it's just it's
it's pretty bad isn't it and you've got to remember that however nice someone
might seem however well they just seem to be such an honest person look they're
just another one of these peace people that's going to blag you and claim that
something is worth nothing but when they're gone their way they'll then
boast about how they ripped you off and they boast of achieving it okay they're
both they boast of ripping you off and you could balance out with verse 10 here
about divers weights and measures okay no we shouldn't be ripping people off
but also be aware that most people are trying to rip you off just in life
everyone's just trying to get something out of you it's not a lot but in general
isn't it people are just trying to rip you off isn't frustrating it's annoying
and although we shouldn't be covetous okay we also don't have to just let
ourselves be conned either you can decide well whatever I'll just give them
everything I don't care just pay what they've asked for yeah but then you're
not a good steward of God's money and you just being an idiot okay don't don't
let yourself be conned easily be aware that people will say things like it is
no it is no and then when they've gone their way they'll be boasting about how
they conned you the the proverb is to help us to be wise in this area of life
I think okay last one for today verse 15 there is gold and a multitude of rubies
but the lips of knowledge are a precious tool so like with a few previous
problems okay and on the back of a proper warning about not being ripped
off we're being reminded that more important than any of that is knowledge
so again that's more important than the rest of it you can have all the gold in
the world you can have a multitude of rubies but more precious and all of that
are the lips of knowledge and for even the beginning of true knowledge you need
salvation Proverbs 1 7 says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge
but fools despise wisdom and instruction so the unsaved can parrot things the
craftiest can mimic others but without salvation you will never have legitimate
knowledge Proverbs 2 6 says for the Lord giveth wisdom out of his mouth come
the cometh knowledge and understanding so knowledge of worldly things pales in
comparison to the knowledge of the of the things of God so turn to Proverbs
chapter 5 though here Proverbs 5 there's being saved to read in the Bible and
then there's having the lips of knowledge so two separate things I think
okay you can read your Bible through but do you have the lips of knowledge
Proverbs 5 says in verse 1 my son attend unto my wisdom a bow thine ear to my
understanding that thou mayest regard discretion and that thy lips may keep
knowledge so it takes an active effort attending to the wisdom bowing the ear
to the understanding it's receiving it and applying it regarding it in your
life for your lips to keep it and when it's there when you do that when you're
applying it when you receive it you're attending to it you want it you're
trying to apply it to your life it's on the tip of your tongue it's like a
precious jewel then you're able to use it there is golden a multitude of rubies
but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel so you can have all the money in
the world and hundreds of problems that could have been solved by the words of
God really that money ain't gonna buy you out of all the many issues of
problems that the Word of God can solve for you by knowing them by being able to
access them easy and by taking heed to them and that is an ongoing effort but
with that ongoing effort it can become an ongoing blessing verse 15 says there
is gold and a multitude of rubies but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel
the lesson is to put the knowledge of God in its right place okay the
knowledge of God is the most important thing so put it up here and everything
else beneath that and on that we're gonna finish in a word of prayer thank
you father for the book of Proverbs thank you for the wisdom all the
practical wisdom the things that we can learn from it Lord help us to apply them
to our lives help us to be more knowledgeable Lord to just really try
and attain that that knowledge from your from your word Lord to try to
attain it to try and apply it to our lives to bow our ears to it Lord to want
to be wiser to want to be be more knowledgeable in the important things
the things of that that you you you know show us who important in life the
knowledge of you and your statutes your commandments help us to think about
these that we go into this week now as we go into our work working week our
family week into our lives away from the church and help us Lord to do all those
things with you at the center of them help us to return on Wednesday for the
midweek service and in Jesus name pray all of this Amen