TIME OUT with Pastor Ben Talley - Proverbs 9:10

Good morning. My name is Benjamin Talley. I'm the associate pastor at Witten Memorial Baptist Church, and this is another time out. It is a lovely day today. I believe we got thunderstorms coming, but hey, it's a good day to be alive in Jesus and It's another good day to dive into the scriptures and see what God would have us to Learn and to understand about him.

The Fear of the Lord as the Beginning of Wisdom

So our scripture comes from Proverbs 9 10 and It says this it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. So let's just dive in on that first part the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

A lot of people say you shouldn't fear God as of being scared of God. I Would I would kind of disagree you should? Be scared of Him in a sense. You should be terrified of the things that that he could bring upon you in disobedience.

That should that should drive you away from doing those things so being being scared in a sense to where you're Diving behind every bush and fear of every lightning strike and things like that that's that's a little unhealthy, but but a sense of awe and a sense of Respect and fear to where it drives you away from doing what's wrong.

I Do think that is necessary? That's what it's talking about here. He's somehow fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom the beginning of that fear of that all of that respect of that of that that that that that fear in your heart to to drive you away from from doing Anything that is disobedient to him.

To think twice about your actions that kind of fear. Should it is a good thing also a lot of people when they hear about the wrath of God they think oh well God's not really. You know God's not really gonna bring wrath on his people.

He loves his people you know God will bring wrath on on this world. We're safe from wrath his people are safe from wrath, but he will bring wrath on people disobedient people. Those who are in unbelief Says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

That fear should drive us to have all and respect and acknowledge God and and drive us to obedience out of love and and and and so I think Our our theology shapes everything that we believe every every every way I'm gonna let me word it like this our our theology shapes Everything we do.

The way we act the way we talk the way we think it has a lot more Dictation or or a lot more. It has a lot more to do with with the way we live Than what we really think it does it really has a Lot more impact on the way we live than the way we think it does.

The Knowledge of the Holy One and a Balanced View of God

So it says the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. I had a friend who When he was a kid he viewed his his dad was a independent Baptist and he would Man he would he would get beatings and just extremely legalistic dad.

You know and and he viewed God as a combat boot. You know God was a combat boot to him and he would crush him at any moment. So see that that theology of his was shaped at a young age. So he viewed God as a combat boot as a as a dictator.

That would that would smash him at any moment for other people you know for. For some people they they view God as a distant relevant relative. They're distant. They're indifferent. They rarely talk to him you know they they Rarely spend time with them whenever they do talk to him.

It's it's awkward you know. They some people view him as a cosmic Santa Claus, you know God. They asked God for all these things and then whenever he doesn't give him to him. They end up thinking Oh, where where is God?

Where is he when I need him you know, and then they end up turning away or Just rejecting Christianity in general or any Religion and then, you know, we got those who believe that Jesus is some Our God is some high in the sky lovely blue clouds Cosmic Embodiment of Sugar candies and cotton candy loving Father where everything is good.

Everything is lovely. All is great. What's up, Lisa and and and We can do no wrong and There's no wrath there's no judgment there's no There's no Rebuke. You know everything everything is love. Everything is good.

Everything is Positive. You know everything like that and and that shapes their worldview and then something bad happened and it distorts everything so I Mean you have to see how theology really shapes Someone's Belief.

What's up Lisa, so when he says the the the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. That means that the knowledge of the Holy One is is is understanding so He's saying that true knowledge of the Holy One is understanding is Understanding.

So when you have a true understanding of who God is That he is love that he is wrath. He does bring wrath on the unbelieving on the hateful on the on the mockers on the Disobedient, you know, I think I said that but on on the disobedient and he is just and he is Righteous and he is kind.

You know, if if you have an understanding of who God is from the Bible. And let that shape your theology then you really can't go wrong. You know and because it has you have to have a balanced view. You know so many people want to go from one end of the spectrum and and say that God is nothing but good and lovely and and then they then they something bad happens and they're distraught and then you know, they go to the other end and say God is Judgmental and he's a dictator and all this and they have a they have a wrong view of God.

You know, you really need to see the scriptures for what they say and see God who for who he really is and it says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom fearing the God of the Bible the true Holy One and the knowledge of him is Insight this brings understanding.

Seeing God in Jesus Christ

So where do we see this? Well You know John Actually paints this picture. If we want to know God if we truly want to understand who God is then you know a Disciple once put it this way in his book in his gospel in John chapter 9 when he who wrote the words of Jesus.

He wrote the words of Jesus. He said Jesus said to him I am the way the truth and the life. And then he said in verse 99 verse 9 Jesus said to him Have I been with you so long? You still do not know me Philip.

Whoever has seen me. Check that out. Whoever has seen me has seen the father. How can you say show us the father? Jesus said if you've seen me you've seen the father. That's who we need to shape our belief in God.

If you understand who the God of the Bible is. You'll understand who Jesus is. If you understand who Jesus is you'll understand the God of the Bible. The God of the Bible and the Old Testament is the same in the New Testament.

Letting Theology Shape Life and Counseling

Okay, so I just wanted you to have that understanding that the beginning of Wisdom is fear of the Lord and the knowledge of the Holy One is inside. Let your theology of God shape your beliefs. Let your theology of God shape your life.

Shape the way you move shape the way you act shape the way you think and it will. But have a have an understanding from the Bible. Not from your views not from the way you think. Not from not from the way you've been raised not from your experience but from what the Bible says.

Get an understanding of who Jesus is. Then you will truly know the God of the Bible. Because he says when you've seen the father. You've seen me or when you've seen me you've seen the father. So guys get to know who Jesus is.

Walk with Jesus today. Get to know him. Read his word get into the Gospels read the Gospels. There's no there's no better way to understand God than reading the Gospels reading the Word of God reading.

Reading and understanding who Jesus is. So in doing that. You'll get a good concept and a good understanding of God and let that shape the way you believe. Let that shape the way you view God. Because That can that can that can cause some devastating things especially in counseling.

I See it a lot in counseling if if you have a detrimental view of God a wrong view of God. It'll affect the way you live. It'll affect the way you believe and the cause of major problems. But view God as though as the Bible states get to know Jesus and have a right view of God.

Live holy lives. Pursue God with all your heart. Love him with all your heart with all your mind with all your soul with all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself. And you're doing good. I Love y 'all.