Discernment In Sharing Wisdom

Discernment In Sharing Wisdom

Proverbs 9.7 

He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,

And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.

8 Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,

Reprove a wise man and he will love you.

9 Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,

Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom,

And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Jesus said, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." Matthew 7.6

Wisdom is a double edged sword.  It is the Word of the LORD. Wielding a sharp sword is to be done carefully. 

If you share with wisdom with a  wicked man or a scoffer they are going to get them mad. They will attack the messenger. They will trample down the message.

Wicked= guilty and condemned

Scoffer=talk arrogantly, boast, inflated

He is full  of hot air. He  thinks he knows it all. He is puffed up with pride. 

No one can tell him anything.

Side note- I have appreciated the 2 District Superintendents we have had. Both strong men but willing to take advice and even ask for it. Both teachable spirits. Teachable- the ability to learn  and to share.

Back to the mocker...

What is a reproof?

It is an act of correcting in way of reasoning with another person.

The Proverbs are full of reproofs! Knowledge of them is power. You have to be careful how you handle this power, this insight, this understanding... that is what Solomon is saying before he gives out one nugget. These are not be taken lightly and are only to be shared with people who will receive them.

If you hide God's Word in your heart you will have a sword in your hand, a double edged sword... 

Hebrews 4.12 

For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Even Jesus spoke in parables to hide the meaning from those who would mock.

Solomon is warning his son and God is warning us to be careful who we share these truths with. They can cut deeply into a person's life and if their heart is not open they will lash out. A person who is not open will dishonor you, insult you and hate you.

As it is with all of God's Word

So it is with the Proverbs...

1. Look At The Lifestyle of a Person Before You Offer Counsel.

Are they following Christ?

If not do not seek to impart wisdom. 

Keep your mouth shut/just pray for them

How do they regard the things of God?

Do they have reverence and awe for the LORD and things sacred?

Are they are person of the Word?

Does their conversation indicate they have been with Jesus, that they are with Him regularly?

Do they have a teachable spirit?

Sometimes hard to detect...

Do they listen?

Do they have a heart to learn. 

Body positions arms and eyes... eye contact

Do they ask questions?

Are they humble?

Jesus said of the Pharisees: Matthew 15.14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

This is difficult to leave them alone. That is why Jesus is telling us to do so. We may have a Proverb that would apply, it may have even been proven true in our lives and we may have an account ready to share abut that. You are being told here, "Leave them alone."

2. Pray, Talk to God Before You Talk To Anyone.

Too many blurt out things with  little thought and no prayer.

We need to become more contemplative.

expressing or involving prolonged thought.

synonyms: thoughtful, pensive, reflective, meditative, musing, ruminative, introspective, brooding, deep/lost in thought

Spiritual advice, sharing wisdom when it is  done needs to be considered carefully, prayerfully, with discretion and in the fear of God. It may be good to read what James says about the tongue in chapter 3.

Galatians 6.1-2 Brothers , if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

Talk to the LORD about others before you talk to them about the LORD and their walk with Him.

3. Let Your Conversation Be Seasoned With Salt. Colossians 4.6

A spirit of humility

A genuine concern for the soul

Listening

Tasteful, palatable 

Wisdom shared with the wise, those who fear the LORD, is beautiful

The foundation of understanding is the knowledge of God.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

They will love you.

Become wiser still.

Increase their learning.

When you think a word of wisdom from the Proverbs is appropriate think, pray and if your heart is clear share it.

Psalm 37.30 The godly offer good counsel;

    they teach right from wrong.

31 They have made God’s law their own,

    so they will never slip from His path.

Personal Testimony: I am thankful for all the rebukes I have received. I remember some:

*You spoke so fast the first time it was hard to keep up with you. This time was better.

*Don't forget to make time for your family. As the pastor set the example!

*Make sure you take time for God. - Fenelon

A book with many rebukes.

Over the next 10 weeks we will be going through this wonderful book, these saying of the wise, this portion of the Word of God. This would be a good time to reengage in Bible Studies during the week. Dig into God's Word. Become wiser. These times call for discernment. 

Jesus told us: For false Christs and false prophets will appear and they will provide great signs and wonders, so as to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24.24

I am appalled at what Christians are falling for these days, showing very little if any discernment.

In these Last Days...

Revelation 13.11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb and he spoke as a dragon. 12 He exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence. And he makes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose fatal wound was healed. 13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men. 14 And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who *had the wound of the sword and has come to life. 15 And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, 17 and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

The Wisdom of God In Creating This World

The Wisdom of God In Creating This World

Proverbs 8.22-31

The wisdom of man is Darwinism. It is foolishness!

It is a deliberate rejection of God, forgetting what He has done II Peter 3.5

It is ridiculous.

It does not stand up.

The wisdom of God.

It is orderly.

It holds the worlds together.

It was used in creating this earth and all the heavens. Genesis 1.

Creator, Grand Designer, Chance?

"endowed by their Creator..." Declaration of Independence Capital "C"

They knew. 

How our country needs to rediscover our roots today! As we approach Memorial Day and the Fourth of July we need to remember this and many other things. So much is resting on this -foundation of God's Word and the foundation of our nation. If you cannot accept chapter one if Genesis there is no sure foundation.

Wisdom was the craftsman at His side (v.30)

1. The First Chapter of Genesis Has Been Under Attack Viciously.

This is nothing new.

II Peter 3.3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ He promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s Word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water. 6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.  7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.

This is prevalent.

This is sad.

It wasn't a big bang. It was not a beginning with fire. It began with water!

6 Then God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the [g]expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8 God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

Genesis 1.9 Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so. 12 The earth brought forth  vegetation,  plants yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit with seed in them, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13 There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

We are learning more about how very important water is on this earth.

God created this earth and everything on it and above it. He is the Creator.

This offers us an opportunity to intelligent debate.

Waiter in Rhinebeck with Kim Richardson

Make them think!

We need to talk about this. Genesis 1 and 2, Proverbs 8.22-31, John 1

 

2. The Design of Earth Is Amazing!

Seasons

Growing season- most amount of sunlight.

Soil resting in winter.

Deep freeze makes plants sleep

Psalm 104:19 

He made the moon for the seasons; The sun knows the place of its setting.

Genesis 1.14

Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years;

Day and Night

for sleeping, darkness, nocturnal animals

Replenishing itself.

Leaf mulch

Composting

Handprint of God is all over creation.

He has tied it into His promises- the rainbow

It is in our DNA and the Earth's

We have scriptures that speak of the relationship between the earth and our souls. We were formed from the earth.

We can see things in the world, This is My Father's World, that will speak to us spiritually.

3. The Earth Is Sustained By God's Goodness.

He makes all things beautiful in His Time.

Agricultural year as a basis for the feasts of israel.

Winter festival of lights- Hanukah speaks of light in the darkest times.

Harvests... 

He causes the rain to fall and the sun to shine.

Psalm 108

Psalm 74.15 It was You who opened up springs and streams;

    you dried up the ever-flowing rivers.

16 The day is Yours, and yours also the night;

    You established the sun and moon.

17 It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth;

    You made both summer and winter.

He causes the seeds to grow.

1 Corinthians 3:7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.

Life in the seeds

There are spiritual analogies that the Word of God makes, but they are much more than that. Wisdom was with the LORD  as He set the heaven in place. The wisdom and the order and the Word of God have been written into creation.

God's principles, His laws are written into His creation.

You will reap what you sow.

You won't reap unless you sow.

You cannot sow to the flesh and reap eternal life.

With the measure you sow so will you reap.

Not only is the earth sustained by God's goodness we are too!

Psalm 73.Yet I am always with You;

    You hold me by my right hand.

24 You guide me with Your counsel,

    and afterward You will take me into glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but You?

    And earth has nothing I desire besides You.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,

    but God is the strength of my heart

    and my portion forever.

The Beauty of the Earth

1 For the beauty of the earth, 

for the glory of the skies, 

for the love which from our birth 

over and around us lies. 

Refrain: 

Christ, our Lord, to you we raise 

this, our hymn of grateful praise. 

2 For the wonder of each hour 

of the day and of the night, 

hill and vale and tree and flower, 

sun and moon and stars of light, [Refrain ]

This Is My Father's World

1. This is my Father's world, 

and to my listening ears 

all nature sings, and round me rings 

the music of the spheres. 

This is my Father's world: 

I rest me in the thought 

of rocks and trees, of skies and seas; 

his hand the wonders wrought. 

2. This is my Father's world, 

the birds their carols raise, 

the morning light, the lily white, 

declare their maker's praise. 

This is my Father's world: 

He shines in all that's fair; 

in the rustling grass I hear Him pass; 

He speaks to me everywhere. 

Great Is His Faithfulness!

“Great is Thy faithfulness!” “Great is Thy faithfulness!”

  Morning by morning new mercies I see;

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—

    “Great is Thy faithfulness,” Lord, unto me!

2.

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

God's wisdom was at work in creating the earth. He is at work in you today! His wisdom is at work. Submit to His plan and rest in His love!