so let's take a minute right now we're going to pray for our country all lead us but just find a humble position in your heart or if you want to next to you and let's lift up our country together let's pray father we thank you god for our nation and the ways you blessed it over and over again for so many years and god we thank you for those who have served and are serving we pray that you protect those in the military right now and give them encouragement and give them wisdom and lord as we think about our country there's many ways that we are stumbling as a nation in so father we don't take it for granted that things will always go well in our country but we're crying out to you god that you would have mercy that you would have forgiveness god that you'd be patient with us that we would turn back to you and there would be renewal in revival in our land and we would honor you god and we would come back to your word and so god thank you for the foundation you've laid in our country and we pray at this important hour god that we continue to cry out in pray to you that you would do wonderful things in your ask god remember mercy in father we humble ourselves and confess our sin and we seek your face and we know blessed as a nation god that seeks and fears you so you are god and we are your people and we follow you wholeheartedly pray you protect our land we ask and heal our land in jesus amen name amen all right we are starting a new series today and this is in the book of proverbs so please turn there in the old testament next to psalms there's proverbs and a proverb is simply a short statement or sentence that has deep insights and profound wisdom in sometimes the proverbs are poetic sometimes there's a contrast i'll be comparing two different ideas or concepts but really to a proverb is is is a to govern to guide us in life and it's not always like a straight promise as much as it is this is how life works the proverbs have these insights and this profound wisdom which is beyond simply knowledge holcombe is is the is the hebrew word hokum up with them and what's important about that is that it's far more than just intellectual wisdom or knowledge is the application it's living well it's living out our faith in still that's what the book of proverbs is all about that kind of wisdom that includes application and that wisdom for living life skills is far greater than silver or gold salutes start in chapter one verse one the proverbs of solomon son of david king of israel these are for attaining wisdom and discipline for understanding words of insight so solomon is the primary author for the book of proverbs of course the holy spirit is working through solomon solomon's the human instrument there are some others as well when you think a solomon he's the third king in the history of israel so starting with saul then david then solomon just more than nine hundred years before christ one important event in solomon's life in first kings chapter three is that in a dream lord appeared to solomon and said alright now that you're a king what do you want ask anything that you will yes and i will grant it to you i mean what a blank check right can you imagine if god showed up in a dream tonight and said what do you want i'm going to give it to you what do you want what would you ask and so a lot of choices and solomon said god please give me wisdom and discernment to lead your people well we use them in life insights to lead well in god was so pleased with his request that he said because you asked for wisdom i'm also going to give you some of things you didn't ask for you know he didn't ask for his own fame and honor he didn't ask for money he didn't ask for a long life he didn't ask for you know god would wipe out the enemies he just prayed for wisdom to lead well in god was pleased with that request and god gave him many other things as well so that's our author for the book of proverbs and as you think about this book chapters one through nine it will include a form where a father's giving advice to a son it will include wisdom personified lady wisdom then as you move into chapters ten to twenty nine you're going to get the short statements on so many different topics and when i'm reading through the book of proverbs i hit the brakes so often because there are so many layers to a proverb in all the stop and think about it maybe write it down for a while in so that's ten to twenty nine and then as the book wraps up in chapters thirty in thirty one there are some other authors egger and lemuel is there at the end of a can proverbs thirty one talks about a godly woman and that's how the book ends so thirty one chapters and we're going to take this time this month that we might come back to it next summer as well where we're going to focus on some of these particular themes and this is a book it's one of the most down to earth books in the bible it is very very much a buffet and wisdom if you like all you can eat buffets this is like the buffet of wisdom oh that topic that topic i think i'll get someday i think i'll take some there so we want to gain so much wisdom as we go through this book and one of the themes one of the contrasts in this book is between wisdom in foolishness anyone here ever made a couple of foolish decisions in life maybe so the book of proverbs helps us in our decision making wisdom in foolishness so i brought a visual just to kind of kick this off and here's a couple of cans my wife's gone for a couple days so i'm into the canned food group right here so i was listening to someone a friend here at church and he was telling a true story about a guy who want to play a practical joke and the prank was go to the pantry and remove all the labels from all of the cans so no longer tomatoes and no longer all lives but instead can you imagine if you opened up your pantry and there is just can't won't break and he now all of a sudden all the cans of no labels in you say well what are we going to eat tonight whatever can we open sounds good sounds good and in so here we go where we no longer know the cans and the bible says we are through the book of jonah and the bible says they don't know sometimes the right hand from their left in so sometimes in our culture it was wait what's right in what's wrong let's call wrong right and right wrong what is wisdom what is foolishness what is god's word say who is god in so we get it tangled up and then some people just dive into life whether it's finances family relationships dating marriage and they're just starting to open cans and they've opened cans and they've opened more cans and they realized i've just been opening cans of foolishness not really is them in so this is what the book of proverbs does it's as if we grab a sharpie and say oh ok yeah you don't know what that can is let me just write a big w so you know that said can of wisdom right there and then on this one let's put a big af because this is a can of food a sniffs you don't want to open up a can of foolishness in so you can tell and maybe you can't see in the back but if you really want to know we use them and you really want to know foolishness it's right there wisdom foolishness before you open the can and jack would see in the can we don't have to go through life not knowing our right from our left wisdom from foolishness no the book of proverbs is going to lay it out so that's our visual as we dive into this book mean wisdom in foolishness now take a look at chapter one verse twenty two saree categories right here as you think about making bad decisions in chapter one verse twenty two how long will you simple ones love your simple ways how long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge so three areas one the simple proverbs talks about the simple the naive lazy not motivated not thinking just going through life not seeking out wisdom in so that's one group the second group they're the mocker the mocker is opposing your nemesis the mocker is against god outspoken in the third one is the fool proud stubborn and so all three are there making bad decisions but different categories in that verse so what do we learn about foolishness from proverbs foolishness steals your peace foolishness steals your joy and it steals your closeness to god in so that's a foolishness attempts to do so have a little fun with this here's a foolishness test and let's see how we're doing in the area foolishness so let's turn to proverbs chapter twelve or sixteen if you want to just keep turning we're going to look at a lot of different proverbs they're spread out when you run a theme through proverbs the really spread out in so i encourage you to follow along but it is a holiday weekend so if you just want to take it easy just listen and that's fine too ok proverbs twelve sixteen says this a fool shows his annoyance at once but a prudent man overlooks an insult so the first foolish test is this are you easily annoyed are you someone who is easily annoyed you show it at once now in proverbs twenty verse three it says it is to a man's honor to avoid strife but every fool is quick to quarrel that's the phrase quick to quarrel annoyed at once in then one more proverb on this proverbs twenty nine eleven you can just write these down and look later if you want it says this a fool gives full vent to his anger but a wise man keeps himself under control full of it do you know anyone that gives fold vent to their anger they're quick to quarrel they still their annoyance at once that's the opposite of wisdom so how well are you doing at keeping your cool and what about self control are you high strong are you agitated are you bothered  annoyed you have a chip on your shoulder you carry that around proverb says that's the opposite of wisdom you know someone that was in the news this last week is tim tivo and he's got a lot of people criticize him i think he's handled it pretty well overall but this is an interesting story because he was flying first class and if you've ever flown first class or maybe just walked through there my experience is that the temptation in first class is sometimes you might be tempted to feel a little bit  entitle and say oh i can't believe you know whatever there's not more blankets that the seat is not more comfortable i can't leave a service is taking this long so there can be you know an entitlement temptation with first class in and here he is flying first class this is what happened the flight from atlanta to phoenix there was a medical emergency way back in coach where we're most of us flying an older gentleman began having what appeared to be heart problems and then he went unconscious so on the airplane people were gathered around they started an i v this this man richard who was on the plane he says i listen to shock after shock from the a t m machine and yet there was still no pulse so you can imagine the atmosphere on that airplane then all of a sudden i observed a guy walking down that aisle and that guy was tim thibeault and he met with family as they cried on his shoulder i watched him pray with the entire section of the plane for this man and then he made a stand for god in a difficult situation and when the plane landed in phoenix that was the first time they finally got the pulse back for the man incredible in it says this someone else report they said tim left his first class seat in moved to the back of the plane to support the wife whose husband was having a heart attack and then he made sure and transported the wife to the hospital upon landing and so you know it be easy in first class they all what's all this bother over what's all this commotion ah yes i've got to leave my seat and go back but i thought it's a good reminder whether we're in first class or whether there's a tragedy or wherever we find ourselves that god's call in our lives is to serve him not to be served christ jesus came to serve and not to be served so yes that means sometimes instead of being annoyed with is doing is we're looking we're quick to serve instead of quick to be annoyed quick to serve in a lot of times we need that internal change where it's like i could be annoyed right here but what would be the opportunity to serve and that's the difference in wisdom and foolishness played out very practical book the book of proverbs let's look at a second part of the quiz the foolishness quiz drop down to chapter twenty six and verse eleven verse eleven so far we're one for one right nothing foolish in this room one for  get twenty six eleven says this as a dog returns to its vomit so a fool repeats his folly kind of blunt right so the question here is are you repeating the same bad decision and so solomon noticed dogs have some disgusting habits have you ever noticed that i mean we could come up with a top ten right that the bible picks up that although dogs are great they have some habits that are pretty disgusting insult one of these habits is returning to its vomit are you serious have you had a dog that has done this ok hands up everywhere that had been the biggest name in the whole month so well the month is just starting so we had a dog and that's what he would do and monte use a poodle and he would get sick and he'd throw up he want to come back and say no no no i used to go go do not mind to go leave the room go go go nothing good is going to come over you returning to this mess monte nothing did move on go in so that's the clear message i'd send to the monte but if you ever done something and then return to it and then return i mean the can it says  know it says fall don't go back to this can don't open up this is folly you know it don't go back a fool keeps returning to the fall he can like a dog wants to lights in airing his own opinion and the fool keep bringing it twenty three nine says do not speak to a fool for he will scorn the wisdom of your words if you try to point out don't you realize that's kind of foolish kandil scorn the wisdom of that he keeps airing his own opinion if you ever been around someone that just keeps saying something saying it again sang it again and it's not right it's not even right it will say it again or another way of who can do it is to keep saying it and saying it in saying it and it is kind of right but they're completely saying it in the wrong way you can have something that's right but presented in the wrong way but a fool is not interested in learning a fool is not interested in changing a fool is not interested in running to the light a fool will continue to repeat the same thing again and again and again so wisdom is far more than intelligence wisdom is character wisdom is learning from our mistakes and going in a new direction wisdom is finding help when we need help when we feel trapped in stuck getting some new resources and some new help changing our ways in so that's the way of the wise and it's another part of the quiz here's the third part dropped down to chapter ten verse eighteen in again these are common temptations chapter ten verse eighteen we read this he his hatred has lying lips and whoever spreads slander is a fool proverbs twenty teen asked this question are you being two faced in your relations are you being two faced because of points out the foo will pretend like we're nice we're close i like you but inside there is bitterness and resentment and hatred but presenting like you are close in so lying in then when the person leaves then behind their back their slander there's put downs there is cutting the person down because those are the true feelings that the fool hands in so that's the two face that's created in so what's the alternative to that what is wisdom look like wisdom looks like having an honest conversation with the person matthew eighteen if there's trouble there between you if there sin then talk about it work through it together face to face being honest about how you were hurt how you were disappointed it with that person not with four others but with that person and not playing games but having the courage to have that conversation and then you say well you know what if it continues to be difficult another prayer out of that is god would you please change my heart so that i don't have resentment so i don't slander so i'm not to face god would you change my heart so that i could love that person like you love them got i'm going to choose to forgive i'm going to choose that path instead of two faced in slander i'm going to take the road of forgiveness that is used i'm in the book of proverbs now here's another one proverbs fourteen nine proverbs forty nine the last part of our foolishness  side of things then we'll get to the wisdom here we go fools mock at making amends for sin but good will is found among the upright so the fourth area is resisting responsibility and resisting apologies resisting apologies wisdom is to make a man's wisdom is to humble yourself drop the pride get real when you have wisdom then you can have restoration then you can have healing then you can have repairing of relationships but if you're going to be slow to apologize if you don't own up to what you've done how much healing can there be in so the fool is the one who has this false sense of security and proverbs one thirty two says the waywardness of the simple will kill them and complacency of fools will destroy them when you walk in wisdom see foolishness quicker you recognize it quicker the more wise decisions you make the quicker you see wisdom the quicker you see foolishness you grow in discernment and then you own up your own up are there any apologies that you need to make you know really always starts with god so if you're honest with god and you confess to god and you take responsibility with him you can be much more likely to then also take responsibility with others and so then you don't have to walk in guilt and shame you just walk in god's light again so those are some examples so a summary in the book of proverbs and being foolish there are three different words in the hebrew the first word refers to thick headed and stubborn and that's forty has to do with being arrogant and kind of flippant oh yeah whatever i need to apologize whatever's their fault anyways you know and so those are the breakdowns in the book of proverbs on the different parts of foolishness and you say i mean it's changing the labels but it's it's same can you can be a little different label you know stubborn flippin arrogant but it's the same can underneath and so what is god doing as we read the book of proverbs again like i said it's not just intellectual maybe already feeling some conviction today but it's instead a living out in terms of life living well doing relationships while doing the daily life well in our walk with god it's moving from foolishness to wisdom it's god saying let's eat out of a different can lead switch cans and let's open up this can of wisdom so as we move from foolishness to wisdom and all of us do and that's the grace of god that's his daily grace every day that moves us in that direction what about wisdom there's a couple turning points and i've already highlighted what wisdom looks like i want to highlight now one of the turning points in our lives here's a couple key principles and turning points so go back to proverbs chapter one verse seven in the beginning of this book dropping down to verse seven here's a key there are some some keys in the book of proverbs here's one of them the fear of the lord is the beginning of knowledge but fools despise wisdom in discipline in proverbs nine ten an exclamation point on that and it says this the fear of the lord it's the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the holy one is understanding one of the turning points in our lives in our walk with god is when we know him closely and we fear him thanks for watching our program today and i want to let you know about our website activate life died or you can send us your prayer request we are honored to pray for you we also have daily devotions and other resources you can sign up for and if you want to support us financially you can do that through the website now get back to the teaching as we get into god's word together you see the more you do the bible in trust god's word the more people can see that and see that love and that care and that wisdom in and they want to hear that bible that you see and you live in so examples of trusting god's word it's not so much you know it's you don't have to get a similar degree to know what's what you just get in that book of proverbs and it's plain it's clear so as we wrap up i want to just highlight thinking about god's wisdom at the start of our country and going back to the seventeen hundreds there was a great awakening and george whitfield was preaching and so many were turning to jesus you know was interesting about that time it didn't matter people didn't care if you were presbyterian catholic or baptist as much just are you a follower of jesus are you christian and it was incredible spirit of unity to that great awakening and i just thought out of the box would it be interesting if we just dropped all our denominations and we just said well we're just all followers of jesus and the main thing became the main thing so that's what was happening around the start of our country seventeen hundreds and then paul revere came in seven hundred seventy five and said the red coats are coming and you know what their cry was their cry was no sovereign but god no king but jeez that was the phrase in our land no king but jesus as as the red coats were coming and then as you think about the declaration of independence of the fifty six people who signed it fifth three were christians interesting twenty four were pastors and as you think about the start of our country how elevated jesus was how much love there was for jesus and honoring jesus and spurgeon said this about all heresies that all heresies tend to dishonor jesus intend to elevate or try to flatter mankind and in we have to be so careful a prosperous country that we're not elevating everything else and dishonoring jesus for our country from its start was elevating geez i'm not saying everyone is a christian i'm not saying that but christ was elevated and also it is our greatest need in our country today is to turn to jesus and honor jesus that's it don't don't don't think there's a going to everything anything ever more important than that in so we need to pray for that we need to be a part of that here's that the take omits from chapter three verse thirty two the lord detests  perverse man but he takes the up right into his confidence in other words walking in with them and growing closer to god we used him is not just an accumulation of knowledge wisdom is a relationship with god with other people but as you walk in wisdom you walk closer to god you enjoy his presence in new ways into his confidence he trusts you more he reveals more it just builds up it's it's like a dimmer switch the more light you keep turning the more the lie comes on the more you walk in wisdom the more you have god in your life the more full your soul is that relationship is enjoyed in a wisdom is so much better than foolishness silver and gold might go down stock markets they can go up they can crash housing bubbles can go it when it wisdom never goes down in value wisdom is always greater than silver and gold here's the take home when you walk in god's wisdom you enjoy new experiences of closeness with god let's pray father we want to be close to you we want to walk in wisdom help us to put aside foolish cans and open up new cans of wisdom to be hungry for wisdom to desire wisdom to honor you we pray to be healing in our lives healing in our what relationship would again make that decision today we commit to you in jesus name amen thank so i think today and i want to let you know about our web site activate life that org there are so many free resources to help you grow in your faith and if you've been blessed during the teaching please send us an e mail if you want to learn more about jesus we'd love to hear from you again our web site is activate life dot org and we'll see