Wise Up!

Wise Up! - Choose
Isaac Martin, Counselor
July 25 & 25

Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.  She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine; she has also set her table., She has sent out her young women to call from the highest places in the town,  “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”To him who lacks sense she says, “Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight.”  Proverbs 9:1-6 ESV

The woman Folly is loud; she is seductive and knows nothing. She sits at the door of her house;  she takes a seat on the highest places of the town, calling to those who pass by, who are going straight on their way, “Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!” And to him who lacks sense she says, “Stolen water is sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” But he does not know that the dead  are there,that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.  Proverbs 9:13-18 ESV

The invitation is to you and to me.

Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury. Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you; reprove a wise man, and he will love you.Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. For by me your days will be multiplied, and years will be added to your life.  If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; if you scoff, you alone will bear it.  Proverbs 9:7-12 ESV

How is wisdom the opposite of simplicity?

“Every ounce of you is submitted to God and to the word of God.” – Nathan Hazel

A reorienting of our lives to God’s reality:
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.In all your ways acknowledge him,and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes;  fear the Lord, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV

1.Not overanalysis = complicated

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is folly with God. For it is written, “He catches the wise in their craftiness,”  and again, “The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile.” ²¹ So let no one boast in men.  1 Corinthians 3:18-20 ESV

2.Not education= only answers ignorance.

 If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know.  But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.  1 Corinthians 8:2-3 ESV

                     1. Seek God with all your heart, forsaking all others.

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

“Satan has always deceived by promising more freedom than God.”  -David Niednagel

                      2.Practice the art of remembering

My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.  Proverbs 7:1-3 ESV

                      3.Obey immediately                 

“The golden rule for understanding spiritually is not intellect, but obedience.  If a man wants scientific knowledge, then intellectual curiosity is his guide; but if he wants insight into what Jesus Christ teaches, he can only get it by obedience. If things are dark to me, then I may be sure there is something I will not do.  Intellectual darkness comes through ignorance; spiritual darkness comes because of something I do not intend to obey.”  - Oswald Chambers, July 27^th , My Utmost for His Highest

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction.  1 Thessalonians 1:4-5

 

Wise Up! – Fear
July 18 & 19
Nathan Hazel – Student Ministries Director

"All who fear the Lord will hate evil.  Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech."  Proverbs 8:13

"God in your mind, is so powerful, so holy, so awesome that we dare not run away from Him but only run to Him.  Fearing the Lord isn't just another thing to do, it's how we live" -John Piper

Fearing the Lord:

-It is something that happens in our understanding - we need to know Him.
Psalm 25:14, "The Lord is a friend to those who fear him.  He teaches them His covenant."

-It is something that happens in our will - we need to obey Him
Psalm 112:1, "Praise the Lord!  How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commandments."

-It is something that happens in our heart - we need to trust Him.
Psalm 115:11, "All who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!  He is your helper and your shield."

A dictionary would define evil as "morally reprehensible, sinful, wicked"

Bible defines two ways, "evil against one another (murder, theft, adultery, lying) and evil against God (unbelief, idolatry, blasphemy)

1 Peter 1:14, "So you must live as Gods obedient children.  Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires.  You didn't know any better then."

1 John 3:8 says, "But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning.  But the son of God came to destroy the works of the devil."

4 Dangerous Rationalizations:

1) JUST THIS ONCE, I CAN HANDLE IT

2) NO ONE WILL KNOW

3) EVERYONE IS DOING IT

4) GOD WILL FORGIVE ME

7/12/15  Wise Up! Keep
Proverbs 7

 

Proverbs 7:1-5

1 Follow (keep) my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.
2 Obey (keep) my commands and live! Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.
3 Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
4 Love wisdom like a sister;  make insight a beloved member of your family.
5 Let them protect (keep) you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.

 

Proverbs 1:8  “My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.”

Proverbs 2:1  “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.

Proverbs 3:21 “My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them.”

Proverbs 4:10 “My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life.”

Proverbs 5:1 “My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.

Proverbs 6:20 “My son, obey your father’s commands,  and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.”

 

Proverbs 7:21

21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech and enticed him with her flattery.

 

Sin assaults the senses: Sight, Sound, Taste, Touch. (vss. 9-18)

Sin appeals to justification. (vs.14)

Sin amplifies the ego (vss. 15, 21)

Sin assures secrecy (vss. 19-20)

 

Proverbs 7:22-27

22 He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter. He was like a stag caught in a trap,
23  awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.  He was like a bird flying into a snare, little knowing it would cost him his life.
24 So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words.
25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her.  Don’t wander down her wayward path.
26 For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims.
27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.

 

Keep your heart away from a fantasy view of life.

Keep your body away from a undisciplined walk of life.

Keep your future away from a regrettable story of life.

 

“Oh mothers tell your children not to do what I have done,
Spend your life in sin and misery in the House of the Rising Sun.
Well, I’ve got one foot on the platform, the other foot on the train
And I’m going back to New Orleans to wear that ball and chain.
Well, there is a house in New Orleans they call the Rising Sun
And it’s been the ruin of many a poor boy and God, I know I’m one.”

 

Romans 3:20-23

20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the obligation to do right. 21 And what was the result? You are now ashamed of the things you used to do, things that end in eternal doom. 22 But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

 

Wise Up! – GO
July 4 & 5
Kris Holzmeyer

 “Go to the ant, you slacker! Observe its ways and become wise.   Without leader, administrator, or ruler, it prepares its provisions in summer; it gathers its food during harvest.”           Proverbs 6:6-8

“But ask the animals, and they will instruct you;
ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
Or speak to the earth, and it will instruct you;
let the fish of the sea inform you.”         Job 12:7-8

 “who gives us more understanding than the animals of the earth and makes us wiser than the birds of the sky?”           Job 35:11

“You got a real attitude problem, McFly. You’re a slacker. You remind me of your father when he went here. He was a slacker, too.”
-Vice-Principal Strickland  Movie: Back to the Future

“Without leader, administrator, or ruler.”          Proverbs 6:7

Lesson #1 - The Ant Has No Commander

When a man goes to the employment agency and he needs somebody to work for him, he ought to say, “By the way do you have any Christians? If so, send them over. Those are the kind of people I want.”  Pastor Adrian Rogers

Lesson #2 – The Ant Prepares for the Future

 “the ants are not a strong people, yet they store up their food in the summer”        Proverbs 30:25

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.  Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

Lesson #3 – Ants Work As a Team

“According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.”  Romans 12:6-8

 “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts.  For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.  Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm?  And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

A-Attitude of Initiative (Ants don’t need a commander to tell them to get started)
N-Nature of Integrity (Ants work faithfully and need no outside accountability to keep them doing right)
T-Thirst for Industry (Ants work hard and will replace their anthill when its gets ruined)
S-Source of Insight (Ants store provisions in summer)
-John Maxwell

 

Wise Up! – Drink 
June 28 & 29

 

Proverbs 5:1-4

1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom; listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2 Then you will show discernment, and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison, as dangerous as a double-edged sword.

 

Psalm 109: 103-104    

103 How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey. 104 Your commandments give me understanding;  no wonder I hate every false way of life.

 

Hebrews 4:12   

For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

 

Proverbs 5:5-8

5 Her feet go down to death; her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.   She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
7 So now, my sons, listen to me. Never stray from what I am about to say:
8 Stay away from her!  Don’t go near the door of her house!

 

1 Corinthians 6:18    

“Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.”

 

“We are never, never so much in danger of being proud as when we think we are humble.”  C.H. Spurgeon

 

James 1:14-15    

14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

 

 “Be killing sin, or sin will be killing you.”  John Owen

 

Proverbs 5:9-14

9 If you do, you will lose your honor and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10 Strangers will consume your wealth, and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11 In the end you will groan in anguish when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!   If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?  Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
14 I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.”

 

v.9   Lose respect and become even more vulnerable
v. 10  What you should have protected is lost to others
v. 11  The results of guilt and shame take a physical toll
v. 12-13 We live in regret
v. 14  Our shame is made public

 

DRINK water from your own well-- share your love only with your wife.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3-6      

3 God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. 4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— 5 not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways. 6 Never harm or cheat a fellow believer in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.

 

Proverbs 5:16-20

16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets, having sex with just anyone?
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.  Never share it with strangers.
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.  Let her breasts satisfy you always.  May you always be captivated by her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,  or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?

 

1 Corinthians 7:5

Do not deprive each other of sexual relations, unless you both agree to refrain from sexual intimacy for a limited time so you can give yourselves more completely to prayer. Afterward, you should come together again so that Satan won’t be able to tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

 

Proverbs 5:21-23

21 For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins; they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;   he will be lost because of his great foolishness.

 

Psalm 51:4  

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;   I have done what is evil in your sight.

 

John 7:37-38       

37  “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Wise Up! – Guard
Kris Holmeyer
June 20 & 21

“Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
Proverbs 4:23

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
I Samuel 16:7

Perimeter #1  Your Eyes and Ears

“Your eye is a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is good, your whole body is filled with light.”  
Matthew 6:22

Perimeter #2    Right Relationships

“The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” 

Proverbs 13:20 (HCSB)

Perimeter #3       Godly Activities

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” 
Colossians 3:17

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”
Galatians 5:22-23

“SEEK”  •  Proverbs 2  •  June 13 & 14, 2015        
Part 2, WISE UP!
David Niednagel, Founding Pastor    

 

Prov. 2:1     “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.” 

We don’t like commands, but if they save us pain and suffering they are worth it!

For instance:

1 Peter 3:10  (quoting Ps 34) “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; 

:11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. 

:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

 

“My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.” 

We treasure what is valuable. And what we will want in the future.

 

Prov. 2:2    “Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.” 

We concentrate on what we most want to hear.

 

:3  “Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.”

No longer a secret. We don’t care who hears.

:4         “Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.”

We search and sacrifice more for what we value more.

Matthew 13:44   “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while He may be found.” 

Israel waited too long and went into captivity.

Jeremiah 29:13 “You will seek me and find me when you seek for me with all your heart.”  

Half-hearted seeking won’t yield much benefit.

Prov. 2:5

“Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God.” 

We don’t like to fear anything and we don’t want restrictions.

Satan has always deceived people by promising more freedom than God. 

We believe God is real and He knows more about the situation than we do, and we choose to respond in faith and obedience to whatever He says.

:6  “For the LORD grants wisdom! 

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 

:7  He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. 

:8  He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.

:9     Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. 

:10  For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy. 

:11  Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.

:12     Wisdom will save you from evil men, from those whose words are twisted. 

:13  These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths. 

:14  They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil. 

:15  Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong. 

Prov. 2:16     Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman. 

:17  She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God. 

:18  Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave. 

:19  The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life. 

Prov. 2:20     Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.” 

Whose voice do you listen to most?

How much would you value it if God actually spoke to you?

How much do you want to be like Jesus?     

“LISTEN”  •  Proverbs 1         
June 6 & 7, 2015 Part 1, WISE UP!     
David Niednagel, Founding Pastor

 

Prov. 1:1    These are the proverbs of Solomon, David’s son, king of Israel. 

Proverbs are short, carefully worded sayings, designed to stick in the brain to teach principles of successful living.

They are written in Hebrew poetry, which rhymes not in sound, but in thought.

Normally the second line says the same thing as the first line in different words, or it may say the opposite of the first line.

 

Prov. 1:2    Their purpose is to teach people wisdom and discipline,  to help them understand the insights of the wise.

Wisdom  •  Skill in life choices

Discipline  •  It is not easy or natural. It will take determination and work.

Understand  •  To make distinctions between, to discern. Living in a world of sound bites does not develop critical thinking.

Insights of the wise  •  Others know more, and we can learn from them.

 

:3    Their purpose is to teach people to live disciplined and successful lives, to help them do what is right, just, and fair. 

Right … fair – measuring to a standard, straight. 

  The opposite of short cuts, cheating. 

But our culture no longer believes in standards of right and wrong.

 

:4    These proverbs will give insight to the simple, knowledge and discernment to the young. 

Simple, young – naïve, don’t understand long-term consequences.

 

Prov. 1:5    Let the wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. Let those with understanding receive guidance 

:6    by exploring the meaning in these proverbs and parables, the words of the wise and their riddles. (like steering a ship in a storm) 

 

Prov. 1:7    Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true knowledge, 

Fear of the Lord is realizing that everything we think and do is known by the Lord and He will deal appropriately with us. 

 Wisdom is looking at all life through God’s eyes.

It causes us to hate evil (8:13) and it prolongs our lives (10:27). It is a combination of fear, respect, awe and love.  

 

Ps.103:11    For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 

:13    The LORD is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him. 

:17    But the love of the LORD remains forever with those who fear him.

 

Prov. 1:7b    but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Prov. 12:15    Fools think their own way is right,  but the wise listen to others. 

Prov. 15:32   If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding.

 

:8    My child, listen when your father corrects you. Don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. 

Because none of us get it right all the time. We all need correction!

 

:9    What you learn from them will crown you with grace and be a chain of honor around your neck. 

 

Prov. 1:10    My child, if sinners entice you, turn your back on them! 

:11    They may say, “Come and join us. Let’s hide and kill someone! Just for fun, let’s ambush the innocent! 

:12    Let’s swallow them alive, like the grave; let’s swallow them whole, like those who go down to the pit of death.

:13    Think of the great things we’ll get! We’ll fill our houses with all the stuff we take.

:14    Come, throw in your lot with us; we’ll all share the loot.”

Others will try to influence you to do wrong. Decide ahead of time what you will do.

 

Prov. 1:15    My child, don’t go along with them! Stay far away from their paths.

:16    They rush to commit evil deeds. They hurry to commit murder. 

:17    If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. 

:18    But these people set an ambush for themselves; they are trying to get themselves killed. 

:19    Such is the fate of all who are greedy for money; it robs them of life.

They are ignoring the obvious consequences.

 

:20    Wisdom shouts in the streets. She cries out in the public square. 

:21    She calls to the crowds along the main street, to those gathered in front of the city gate: 

:22    “How long, you simpletons, will you insist on being simpleminded? How long will you mockers relish your mocking? How long will you fools hate knowledge? 

:23    Come and listen to my counsel. I’ll share my heart with you and make you wise.

Will we listen to Wisdom, or to those who entice us to sin?

 

Prov. 1:24    “I called you so often, but you wouldn’t come. I reached out to you, but you paid no attention. 

:25    You ignored my advice and rejected the correction I offered.

:26    So I will laugh when you are in trouble! I will mock you when disaster overtakes you— 

:27    when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when disaster engulfs you like a cyclone, and anguish and distress overwhelm

 

Prov. 1:28    “When they cry for help, I will not answer. Though they anxiously search for me, they will not find me.

:29    For they hated knowledge and chose not to fear the LORD. 

:30    They rejected my advice and paid no attention when I corrected them. 

:31    Therefore, they must eat the bitter fruit of living their own way, choking on their own schemes. 

:32    For simpletons turn away from me—to death. Fools are destroyed by their own complacency.

Fools are content they way they are and see no reason to change. So they will suffer the consequences of their foolish complacency.

 

:33    But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”

We all listen to somebody.  Wise people LISTEN to:

Parents
Teachers
Employers
Friends
Spouse
God  •  individually, and
         ?•  as a whole congregation