Proverbs - Wisdom For Troubled Times

We're gonna turn to the bible now. And if you have a bible, turn to Proverbs chapter 3. It's sort of like in the middle of a bible just after the Psalms. If you haven't, it should come up on here the reading and we're going through this amazing book of wisdom full of proverbs you know, sayings and pithy sentences. And we're on chapter 3 and we're gonna start reading at verse 21.

To the end of that chapter. And Tom is gonna come up after our next hymn and and open that passage up to us. So Proverbs chapter 3 and verse 21. My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight preserve sound judgment and discretion. They will be life for you.

An ointment to grace your neck, then you will go on your way in safety and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down, you will not be afraid. When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet. Have no fear of sudden disaster. Or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked for the lord would be at your side, and will keep your foot from being snared.

Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, come back tomorrow and I'll give it to you. When you already have it with you, do not plot harm against your neighbor. Who lives, trustfully near you. Do not accuse anyone for no reason.

When they have done you no harm. Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. For the lord detests the perverse, but takes the upright into his confidence. The Lord's curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks the proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

The wise inherit honor but fools get only shame. Please have a seat. And if you bought a bible with you, then do turn back to Proverbs chapter 3. And we had verses 21 to 35 read to us, but we're going to be focusing mainly on verses 27 35, that very, very end of the chapter. A couple more notices, there were a couple of couples in the church who were had had wedding plans, which were frustrated by the coronavirus and by lockdowns.

And Josh and Jeremiah, who members here were 1 of them and but have now got married, haven't you? Yes? And this is is this your first time at Cornerstone? Since then. Oh, great.

Well, welcome. Should we give him a round of applause that's married now on here with us? Great to have you. And just to say again about those those big summer home groups, let me encourage you to come along to those. So the first 1 is going to be this Wednesday, and we're gonna start at 7 45 at the hub.

And normally, we take a break from our regular bible study series, and we tend to do something topical or we look at something a bit different. And last year, we did the topic of self control. And I think we had 5 or 6 weeks thinking about the gift of self control. And this summer, we're going for spiritual warfare. So we're gonna be having 5 sessions in Ephesian 6, verse 10 to 20, that famous section where Paul talks about the armor of God, and why it is necessary for every Christian to know what the armor of God is to put it on by the grace of God so that we might stand in the days in which we live.

So really important. Trust it, we're a really helpful series for us all. That's kicking off this Wednesday the hub. Should we pray together? Let's pray.

Father, we do thank you for the amazing grace of which we've just sung. And we thank you for the grace which saves us, for the grace which transforms us, for the grace, which will bring us home 1 day to be with our Lord and Savior Jesus. And we thank you that every new Sunday, is a day of your grace to us, that we can even be here together, and hear the living words of God read to us is an amazing grace that we can stand and sing songs, which help us to see the riches of the gospel, is an amazing gift of your grace. Lord, we are incredibly privileged. You have given us access to so much that is true and wonderful.

And we just pray that you would help us this morning as we look at This section from the end of Proverbs 3 help us to see what it means, but more than that help us to be moved in our hearts and our minds towards you, our living God, that we might pursue wisdom, and we ask it in Jesus' name. Our men. Our men. I want you to think for a moment about all the people that you see on a regular basis. Or if that is just too difficult, then try to think about all the different networks of people that you have the types of people that you see from week to week.

So think about those in your family network, your direct family who you see all the time. And then a bit more widely than that, there are those in your neighborhood, and perhaps the people that you live above or live below or you live next to, your neighbors, those you see from time to time, week to week. Then there's those in your workplace, The colleagues that you have to interact with, day by day, and maybe online or back in person now, Then you have your sort of friends network, so people that you might see for recreation. I might play football with during the week or have over for dinner, your friends. Then there's those you engage with online, so people that you talk to over games, perhaps, or in online forums or threads of different kinds, discussions that you have, people you engage with online.

Then there's those you see in shops, you know, a kind of commercial network. Those people who you go to, and they serve you at the pub or they help you at Tesco, those people you interact with in a commercial setting. And then there's church. There's the people that you see every week or occasionally here at church. And when taken together, if you think about all the different people that you see from week to week.

There's a lot of them. There's a lot of them. And 1 of the things that is very plain in the bible, all, is that the Christian life is to be lived in all of those different networks and those different settings. So we cannot just divide them up and say, well, at church and with my family, I make it obvious and plain that I want to follow they all know that. That's what I'm about.

But when I'm in Tesco or playing call of duty, that's not really who I am. You know, I've got no interest in being a Christian there. That's not what I'm there for. It's not what I'm about to follow Jesus. You just don't find that way of carving up our lives in the bible.

Instead, you see that how we live in all of our different networks matters greatly, very greatly to the Lord. On 1 occasion, a teacher of the law said to Jesus, of all the commandments, which is the most important. The most important 1 answered Jesus is this. Hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is 1. Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.

The second is this, to love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment that is greater than these. The Apostle Paul says in Romans chapter 13, The commandments, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet And whatever other command there may be, whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this 1 command to love your neighbor as yourself. And so the love of God and the love of neighbor is the Christian life. It's quite an amazing statement from Paul, isn't it?

Whatever other command they may be, there may be. Is summed up in this 1, to love your neighbor as yourself. And therefore, think again about your networks. Family, street, friends, online, work, commercial, wherever we are, Whatever different neighbors that God has given us to engage with, in all these different settings, it really matters how we live. Before all of them.

And that relationship between the love of God and the love of neighbor has been right here in Proverbs 3. Just turn back with me to Proverbs 3 verse 5, if you've got the chapter open. We looked at this last week. Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. And as we've seen last week, there is that vertical dimension, that vertical side to wisdom, trust in the lord.

Look upwards, and know the lord, and love him, and know him in all of your ways. There's a vertical plane to wisdom. But then, verse 27 to 31, we've just had read. What does that vertical wisdom before God produce? A wise life with our neighbors.

The love of God and the love of neighbor is at the heart of the law, wise before God and wise before neighbor is at the heart of Proverbs chapter 3. In every network and before every person, they always go together. And so that really is where this chapter has been leading. If we're going to understand what wisdom is, we need to know that it has both that vertical and that horizontal aspect to it. Why is before God in trusting and knowing him, produces a wise life before the different neighbors that God has that God has given us And so as I say, last week, we focused on the vertical, and this week we're focusing on the horizontal.

And there are 5 if you noticed in that reading, there are 5 do nots. There's a do not, do not, do not, do not, do not. There are 5 do nots, and that is the emphasis. That's repeated phrase. Do not.

And so that's gonna be our the heading of our first point. First point this morning is this The father says to the son, do not be a foolish neighbor. I think that would be how to summarize it. The father says to the son, do not be a foolish neighbor. And so let's just work through those do nots 1 by 1, and notice Just notice they are all to do with other people.

They're all to do with who we engage, how we engage. So firstly, do not withhold good from those to whom it is due when it is in your power to act. So here is a neighbor without limitations. Yeah? This is a neighbor who has both the power and the opportunity to bring about good.

They see a real need, a deserving need, and they have the power to bring about change for good in that situation, but they withhold it, and they choose not to use their power to bring about good for their neighbors. Verse 28, do not say to your neighbor, and again, think about all these these are not just those who we live next to. Think about all the people in your networks. Do not say to your neighbor, come back tomorrow, and I'll give it to you when you already have it with you. Or in other words, don't lie.

You see, this is a person who wants to appear kind, but that is as far as it goes. Like the previous person, they have both the power and the resources and the opportunity to act to bring about good, they choose not to, but worse, they lie about the reasons. They then lie in order to save face, because they don't want to look like a sting. Come back tomorrow, they say. They have no plans to help tomorrow.

Verse 29, do not plot harm against your neighbor who lives trustfully near you. Perhaps you've heard of that old scheme neighborhood watch or a more recent 1, which is an app called Next Store. Then if you've got that app on your phone next door, it's a it's like an online place where neighbors can interact and talk about life in their particular community. Or if not, that often streets will have WhatsApp groups for the neighbors, and they get together again and talk about life on their street. Behind that, and I think it is a very good idea, is this belief that local people have got each other's back that there is a kind of duty that we have to our neighbors, to look after them, to take care of them, and to care for the common interests that we might have as neighbors.

But not with this neighbor. This is no online scammer from some distant corner of the world. This person thinks The people in my network think I'm an ally. And that makes them the perfect victim. They live trustfully near me.

There's a sort of trust that we have. Therefore, they'll be perfect to plot harm against. Verse 30, do not accuse anyone for no reason when they have done you no harm, which is like a double nasty, isn't it. You accuse them for no reason, and there is no previous. They've done you no harm.

They've done nothing to you, and yet you accuse them for no reason. Verse 31, lastly, do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways. And we'll spend a little bit more time on that 1 because I think it kind of summarizes the others. Because if you look back across the list we've just read. In every single example, there is a type of aggression.

And a type of violence. It is in some way showing violence towards your neighbor rather than love, seeing a need and fusing to help. That's like a good Samaritan situation, isn't it? You know, you walk past someone on the road, and they're beaten to a pulp. Half dead.

You have, in that moment, both the opportunity and the power to help, but you choose not to and walk by That is a type of violence to that person, isn't it? It's sticking the boot in 1 last time while they're on the side of the road. Violent behavior to see a need and to ignore it. Accusing a neighbor when they've done nothing wrong, is like a violence against a reputation, isn't it? If you accuse someone who's done you no wrong, it's an attack on a name.

It's like taking a knife to a name. You accuse them for no reason, plotting ways to harm people. Revenge, spreading malicious gossip about them. Again, it may not be physically beating them. But violence takes many, many forms, doesn't it?

Plotting to harm them in some way. Proverbs 26 verse 18, says this, like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death. Is the 1 who deceives their neighbor and says, I was only joking. Like a mania Shooting flaming arrows of death is the 1 who deceives their neighbor and says, I was only joking. Unfortunately, it is quite funny to think about.

But it's not funny at all, is it? Not really. You think about all the people, all the personalities, all the characters from the playground to the office, who have been murdered, their reputations have been killed in the name of a joke. It was only joking. Proverbs 25 verse 18, like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow, is 1 who gives false testimony against a neighbor.

1 who lies about a neighbor. 1 who accuses them for no reason, is like 1 who takes an axe to their head. It is a violent of violence to them. There's loads more that we could look at. Violence is a huge thing in the book of proverbs.

And you can see why Because if what we looked at at the beginning is true, and if love for neighbor summarizes every command of God. And if wisdom is blessing neighbors and defending the weak, and standing up for justice, then plotting violence against them in whatever way. Is so far from God's heart, is so far from his vision for his people. It is disgusting to him. Look at verse 32, for the Lord detests the perverse, but takes right takes the upright into his confidence.

I was reading a story this week about a a father who's got a son at a local primary school in telling the story of when his son took his Pokemon cards into school. At break time, they were sharing them around and looking at the Pokemon cards And 1 of this boy's friends was feeling particularly unwell on that day and thought that that would be a good time to vomit all over the Pokemon cards. And so this poor boy had these dripping Pokemon cards with his mate's vomit all over it. And of course, the thing with vomit is it contaminates thing that it touches, doesn't it? It it gets everywhere, it's disgusting, and it stinks, and it turns the stomach of all who see it.

The Lord's stomach is turned by violence. For the Lord detest the perverse, but he takes the upright into his confidence. And if that is the case, the question we should be asking is, why would anybody envy that way of life? Why why would anybody think that that is an attractive way to live? Presumably, the reason that we need to told do not envy the violent or any of their ways, is because there is something that is enticing about that way of life.

Well, have a look back with me to Proverbs chapter 1. This is from a sermon that Pete preached the other week, which was really worthless. 2 and downloading. Proverbs chapter 1, and we'll pick it up at verse 10. The father is speaking, and he says, my son of sinful men entice you, do not give in to them.

If they say come along with us, let's lie and wait for innocent blood, let's ambush some harmless soul. Let's swallow them alive like the grave and hole like those who go down to the pit. We will get all sorts of valuable things, and we'll fill our houses with plunder. Cast lots with us. We will all share the loot.

And here's the thing, If if nobody ever got rich from violence, that argument would have no power, would it? That wouldn't be an enticing argument. That would be a stupid argument because everybody would know that never works. But it can, and it does happen. And therefore, there is an attraction to it.

Proverbs is very honest with us, in this sense, that in a God ignoring world, God ignoring ways will sometimes work for a while. But also, we can envy violence because it brings power, doesn't it? Even on a very small scale, if somebody has upset me, Somebody's upset me. There is so much that I could do to show them aggression. I could ignore them.

I could start putting them down before other people. I could start very creatively sharing untruths about them, I could give them the cold shoulder. There are loads of things that I could do to let them know that I'm not happy. And with that comes a kind of power, doesn't it? Because I'm now the 1 with the power in this relationship, and I can make you feel hurt I can do something aggressive, a microaggression even, just to let you know.

And that's that's heady. There's something heady about that because it puts the power back in my hands and I can be aggressive. Or you think about a colleague who is incredibly successful. They've made it right to the top of their business. But to get there, they have been ruthless with other people, and everybody knows it.

We might envy that way of moving up in the world, embracing the idea that to get up, you've got to throw some people under the bus. That's just the way it works. You've got to tread on a few spines in order to get to the throne. That's the way the world works. And we can begin to embrace that way of living because it's, again, it's heady and it's powerful, and it takes us to the place where we want to go, status.

First 31 says, do not desire any of their ways. Not just the violent side, don't desire any of their ways. It's interesting, isn't it? You think of the popular person at school or in the family or wherever it is. They've just got a magnetic funny character.

People wanna be around them. We enjoy spending time with them. They make us feel good, we want to be like them. But Proverbs would say to us that if most of their laughs come at expense of other people. And if their name is built on violence to others, don't envy a single thing about them.

Well, very sadly, you take some of the religious leaders in the broader church, which we've seen recently, who seem to be Christians in name only. Excellent bible teachers. Excellent reputation for bible teaching. But a culture of abuse and violence. Do not desire any of their ways.

Nothing about them. They might pull in the crowds. Verse 32 says, for the Lord detests the perverse, but he takes the upright into his confidence. So what is a foolish neighbor? And what do they look like in their different networks?

I think you could summarize it like this, It is 1 who is characterized by a mistreatment and abuse of other people. 1 who is characterized by a mistreatment and an abuse of other people, which is just so completely out of sync with wisdom, with God, with love. That is what the father is saying to his son, my son, my daughter, do not let wisdom out of your sight. If you want to enjoy all the peace and the blessings of wisdom, then my son reject these violent ways, reject these ways, and wisdom will be a blessing to you. The first point is do not be a foolish neighbor.

The second point is do not be a foolish neighbor because It's not a very creative point, I'm afraid, but that is just how the passage breaks down. So do not be a foolish neighbor, do not be a foolish neighbor because And now let's spend a bit more time on verse 32 to 35. 4, because The Lord detests the perverse, but he takes the upright into his confidence. The Lord's curse is on the House of the Wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous. He mocks proud mockers, but he shows favor to the humble and the oppressed.

The wise, inherit honor, but fools get only shame. And here is 1 of those choices that we've been getting used to in proverbs. There are 4 verses here, there are 8 pairs, and there are just 2 basic roads. There is the path of wisdom and love, which is blessed by the Lord, and there is the path of folly and violence which he curses. And what is interesting about these motivations is how God centered they are.

Do you see that? Notice, he doesn't say This is not how he reasons. He doesn't say, do not choose any of their ways because people won't like you if you live like that. Or if you live like that, you're not going to be very popular in your neighborhoods. Now, as ever with problems, that is a true statement as well, most of the time.

But The reason is, look at verse look at the verses again, it says, do not envy the violent for the Lord detests the perverse. It's an fence against him. That's the reason And it's strong language, isn't it? His Proverbs 6. If you've got a Bible, you might want to turn it over to Proverbs six:sixteen.

There are 6 things that the Lord hates, 7 that are detestable to Him. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, FE that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. And you notice how many of those are related again to violence. There are 6 things that the Lord hates. So hold on a minute.

The Lord doesn't hate anything, does he? Not the God I believe in. He doesn't hate anyone. He doesn't test any ways, he loves everyone, and he's basically okay with all that we choose and all that we do. What sort of God would hate anything?

This 1. This 1. He does. And the reality is, if we don't have space in our minds to face up to the God of the Bible, then it's not the God of the Bible who's in error, it's us. It's our understanding.

The Lord detests not only violent ways, but people who stir up conflict in the community. Violent people. And again, when you think about it, that has just got to be true, hasn't it? It's got to be true. If Jesus Christ really said, that love for God and love for neighbor was at the heart of the law.

And if love is the summary of every command. And if God is love, and if there is a God who is really actually there, And if his love means anything at all, how could he not hate those things? Which are so totally opposed to him. I don't mean the kind of hate that we might experience, flying off the handle in a moment of rage, and doing stupid things in hatred, but a settled opposition to the violent and all of their ways. That is what the father is saying here.

My son, to choose violence in whatever form, even the very subtle forms, is to set yourself up against the Lord. Is to invite his curse upon your house, is to cover yourself in shame. Do not envy the violent or choose any of their ways, the Lord says, for he detests. The perverse. But then the other side of these verses, look at the fruit of a wise, peaceful loving life.

But he takes the upright into his confidence. That means the Lord takes them into his close counsel. He takes them into the place of trust and relationship and love. But he blesses the home of the righteous, but he shows favor to the humble and the impressed, the wise inherit honor. You get in.

You see, it doesn't say, look, be a good neighbor, and everyone's going to love you. And you'll be the most popular on the next door app. And you'll be the best, the best neighbor, super popular. Again, true as true as that perhaps may be, the motivations are so God centered. My son do not let wisdom out of your sight.

Walk in the ways of love. Trust me, and live a life of wisdom and love before your neighbors, and you will live long in the smile of God. You will know his blessing upon your life. You will be clothed in honor blessed are the peacemakers. Jesus says, that is the deepest reason in all of our networks to be a wise neighbor.

Because God loves and he blesses and he lifts up those things. Which are close to his own heart. And so as we close, what are we to take away together from all of this? Well firstly, I want to make it very clear to whoever is listening that this is not just a list of morals. This is not just God saying to us, right, everybody.

Here's how to be a good neighbor. Go and do likewise, and God is going to bless you. In the end, that is just a hopeless message. It is a hopeless message for a number of reasons. Firstly, because I actually don't have the power in my own heart to live this way.

So it's hopeless for me just to be commanded because I can't find in myself the resources to do it. And secondly, what about the little acts of violence that are already all over my record. What about all that has gone under the bridge? All the violent ways that I've indulged in? We need a better message than that.

I mean, look at this list and just say to yourself, honestly, honestly, Who of us can say that we've got a clean record with this? Never lied to say face. Never withheld good when you could have done it. Never plotted some kind of harm against a neighbor. Never accused a person without evidence.

Never done something to stir up fixed. I can't. Not a chance. And that is why before I even think about pursuing this life. I need a savior who can make me right with God.

And then 1 who can change my heart. I need someone who can fulfill this list, don't I? 1 who used his power to do good all the time, 1 who never plotted to harm, but planned to save. 1 who did not accuse falsely, but was accused for no good reason. 1 who can deal with my violent ways and make me new again.

That lovely 1. Is Jesus Christ. He is the perfect and best of neighbors who lives this perfect neighborly life in all of his networks, and yet he goes to a violent death at the hands of violent people for me, and for you. He knew all of your violent ways and yet he loved you enough to take them on himself. So that when we ask him for the sort of peace and forgiveness that he can offer, We go through the transitions at the end of this chapter.

We move from God's curse to God's blessing, We go from his scorn to his favor, we go from the disgrace of sin to the honor of salvation. And that is an offer for anybody, whoever they are, wherever they've come from today. Jesus can take our violent ways and bring us into the place of blessing. The first point was to not be a foolish neighbor. The second point was to not be a foolish neighbor because But in order to live this life, we need the grace of Jesus Christ both to save us and then to change us.

So that we can live this way. And so as we close 1 more time, think seriously about your networks. Your family and your neighbors, your online engagements, your work, your social life, think about all the neighbors in your world. Have you done violence to them? Let's repent from these things which set us up against the Lord, and instead let us go to Jesus.

To find the help and the grace that we need, both to save us, and then to turn us into the wise loving neighbors, which are at a beating heart of his very law.