The Spirit of a Man

Prayer for the Congregation and Missionary Needs

All right, so for tonight if you would and Have your Bibles if you would open up to Proverbs chapter 18 Before we look at God's Word. We'll just take a moment or two for prayer and again If we were to mention all the things that we ought to mention we'd be here quite a while and still would not have Completed what we ought to pray for so Again those very things that we continually ask for and certainly at this time praying for Keith and Jennifer God will bring Theo shortly and All will be well and then again remember The other needs that that are so present with us whether it be sickness Whether it be Situations finances.

I mean it just goes on and on or just really just through struggling through the issues of life because again We know for sure that we entered the kingdom through much tribulation In our lives bear witness to that.

So remember one another in our prayers remember The needs as we know them of one another certainly again. Remember Scott as he Seeks to. I always am amazed when I pray for Scott that this man is that dedicated to a people that you and I have very little at best understanding of and yet he's given his whole life and his family over to bringing the gospel to to people who apart mainly apart from from someone like Scott would be In many ways still in darkness so Just so many things to remember anyone have any other thing present that Needs public prayer.

Okay, if you do have something certainly we can include it in a bulletin so All right, before we go to God's Word, then let's just take a moment come before his throne. Let's pray Our Father in God again, we we come.

Because Lord even as Peter said where else are we gonna go? You have the words of eternal life because you are life. And so we come before you in the name of the Lord. Jesus Christ. May we never seek to approach you apart from him his righteousness his work on our behalf Lord his work has brought us into a relationship with you that has been Severed by sin and yet you and your great mercy even when we were dead in sin and trespasses you made us Alive in Christ by your great grace.

And so we thank you Lord that we gather tonight as your people as those who? Desire us to see you glorified. We pray Lord that that is what's in our hearts that we we desire to see you lifted up and Lord as we go on in this most holy faith and As we press on in life Lord help us to have a holy hatred for sin.

Help us to despise those very things that we once took so much pleasure in. Help us to to put to death more and more the old man and put on a new man who's created in righteousness After the image of you Lord.

Thank you for your word Lord. Thank you that we have a sure word a word that shall never fail a word that shall come to pass for you have said that What you have spoken will surely come to pass and there is none that could Hinder you from fulfilling your purposes.

We thank you Lord that you saved us for your own. Holy namesake. May we not lose sight of that Lord. May we not think that this world was created merely for our enjoyment But really that we would glorify you Lord and enjoy you forever.

Bless us tonight as we open your word and Lord Come again and again and again Holy Spirit and do it only you can do love him. We never open your book your revelation Without understanding that you are the one who quickens so quicken us tonight Lord that we might grow in the grace and in the knowledge of that one who So loved us that he gave himself for us and we ask it in his name For his glory and for our own eternal good.

Proverbs as a Woven Book of Repeated Themes

Okay, as I asked you to open up to Proverbs chapter 18 and if you remember brother Keith was in there last week and so I'm double dipping if you will in Proverbs 18 and who knows we might triple dip here going forward but brother Keith did Bring to us a message last week from verse 1 and 2 and from a couple of the other verses and I want to Tonight look at the chapter and and again, I want to focus on one particular verse and I think there's plenty in the verse to to cause our minds to think.

But I do want to make a point Before we look at at one verse in particular I hope you've noticed that as we've been going through Proverbs we have Come upon repetitive themes and not just the wise man in the fool But but also themes and doctrinal themes that have been presented to us By the writer and at certain times in certain portions one stands out more than another.

I mean if you just think about it There were messages and times when we looked in in a certain chapter and it talked about the dangers of a harlot and then there were other times we looked at and it talked about the tongue and then it would seem to take us down a little bit of a Many different proverbs and then we'd come back to a theme.

And if you remember even as we looked in chapter 16, it was about the sovereignty of God. It was a group of verses together there. So What I'm trying to get us to think about is that as we read the book of Proverbs and some people might think it's Disconnected it's not disconnected.

It's actually woven together by the Spirit of God in that many times you and I If we will sit with it and sit under it We will be able to see these themes and these are again things that we need to hear over and over and over again.

So I wanted to make that point and to also say this in this chapter in chapter 18. I found something that I Thought was interesting and perhaps you will. And it goes along what I just said about certain times in the Proverbs the writer seems to focus on a particular thing or a particular subject and as I Was just looking at what I wanted to talk about tonight I noticed something and it really is to me a little bit of A theme and it's about a man.

And I want to show you this and brother Keith brought it up last week because he spoke about verse 1. It says a man who isolates himself Seeks his own desire. He rages against all wise judgment. But as I read through the chapter and again, not knowing that the chapters are not inspired and all that but nevertheless, I I want to just point this out that These verses that Solomon gives us here.

They have a lot to do about a man and let me just show it to you I'm just gonna read the verses and maybe you'll see it. So in verse 1 a man who isolates himself seeks his own desires and he rages against all wise Judgment then look at verse 4 the word of a man's mouth are deep waters.

The wellspring of wisdom is a flowing brook then drop down to. Hmm. Just looking at my verses here. Oh, there it is. Verse 12 before destruction the heart of a man is hearty and before honor is Humility.

Look at verse 14 the spirit of a man Will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken? spirit. Look at verse 16 a man's gift makes room for him and brings him before a great man. I almost use this as a textbook.

It just I held back for a number of reasons verse 20 a man's Stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth and from the produce of his lips. He shall be filled. And then verse 24 a man who has friends must himself be friendly.

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. I just thought that was interesting that That thought of a man and the things of a man and the characteristics of a man and the actions of a man Are repeated over and over again through this chapter and again I just I would suggest as you study and as you read on your own that when you begin to see repetitive Thoughts or even in that sense repetitive words.

That it's there for emphasis certainly as the Lord Jesus himself at times would say truly truly. So just something to think about okay. The verse I want to look at tonight is verse 14. So let me read it to you.

The Spirit of a Man Over the Body

In the New King James, it says the spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness. But who can bear a broken spirit? Spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit? I Would think I would hope that you would agree with me that if we would begin to consider man in In what he is made in the image of God certainly.

But as we would consider man as created in the image of God I hope you would agree that that we could make pretty much a Dichotomy and say that well the two essential parts of a man are number one the bottle the body the tangible the touchable the the things that that are flesh and relate to the flesh and.

Then that there is also a second part and that would be the invisible part or if you will The that part which is not seen and that might be considered as the heart and the soul. And perhaps we could even bring the thought of the conscience into that.

So and again, I think you would agree with me and we could get into a big bigger discussion because there are a number of different ways in which those who seek to understand these things break them down and.

And Maybe some of you have heard it. I'm sure many of you had that if you were a dichotomous die being to and dividing it a dichotomous would say man is basically made up of body and soul and Then you could talk to a trichotomous and a trichotomous would say no.

No, man is made of body soul and spirit. That's not the discussion. We're gonna have tonight because that would that would take us down a different path but I would hope that you would agree with me that at least we could agree that there's a Visible and an invisible part that there is something that is tangible touchable Fleshly and and there's that part which is the unseen or if you will inside of us that that invisible part.

And so I want to speak tonight about that. I want to ask us to think about these two essential parts and As I ask you to look at verse 14 I want to consider the reality that the spiritual part or the invisible part is the part of man that has the priority over The other part the visible part now and I know I need to clarify that and I hope to to do it.

But that's what I'm seeking to do tonight to consider that the spiritual part of the invisible part of a man Has the priority and carries the greater weight because as I looked at this verse. That's what I what was presented to me in my mind that if our spirit is right and I'm gonna try to address that a little bit that that that will carry us and Enable us to be sustained even though the bodily part might not be functioning correctly.

So just something to think about it again not whether it's the soul the spirit or all those different things because that is a lovely discussion, but that the spiritual part rules and holds sway over the body.

Now I also realize that Many will say well, wait a minute. Many people are just subject to their flesh. I'm not trying to deal with that specifically when I'm trying to get us to think about tonight. Is that even by common grace.

Which I believe everybody has everybody has a measure of common grace by by God's goodness and by God's grace and God's mercy. That that even in those who are not in a right relationship With God through Christ by the Spirit still have a measure by which They have a spirit within them and that if that spirit is Functioning somewhat the way God in his grace has purposed it that that will enable them To overcome many things that they will have to go through in the body.

And again, I'm not trying to cloud this I'm trying to to get this trying to clear a little bit of thinking so we can look at it. And here's the way I thought about I thought about if you remember how God in the beginning made two great lights and he made the greater light to what to rule the day and he made the lesser light to do what to rule the night and.

And the reality is if you were to to consider the both of them, which one has the priority which one is in that sense Of greater weight and and which one holds sway over the other. Well, interestingly enough right as we have come to find out that the moon in and of itself has no light, right?

It's all the light that the moon has is merely a reflection from the Sun and so in that sense the Sun the greater light is the one that is the thing that holds sway and That's not right. Well, then certainly The lesser light will not be right.

So again, I'm trying to get us to think about these thoughts inside of man and How we ought to deal with it because as I look at this verse, that's again What struck me was the spirit of a man the invisible part of a man That which is within will sustain him in sickness, but and there's the contrast that Continually is presented to us in Proverbs, but who can bear a broken spirit?

So again, if the spirit ain't right ain't nothing right mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy. So I want us to think about that and and to consider and I'm not Trying to say that there are not many if you will who are merely in such great bondage.

And and in that sense their spirit even the spirit of by God's common grace that men have outside of Christ. That many of them are so given over to bodily things that the spirit in them can't even sustain them.

They're just so far Gone in their passions and in their desires. So I want us to think about that and I want and I want to show that the common grace is Is a great blessing of God when the spirit is working it will help overcome many other things.

Here's a little thought that I had I thought about What a great witness there is by church history, especially when it comes to the martyrs. Again I if you read through The Book of Martyrs Fox's Book of Martyrs or any of the histories of the early church Tragedies that took place.

It's amazing to me that so many because they were over right spirit and I'm not saying it wasn't special grace. But I'm saying even with that but how many of them were able to endure such bodily issues like being torn apart burned at the stake boiled in oil crucified and yet their body was Ruled by the spirit so that they sang some of them sang hymns in the flames.

And then I if I remember rather there was one Priest at that time who as they were burning Christians at the stake. He turned to The soldiers and he said you better get more wood because the more we burn them the more they come and so To me it's a testimony how even that thought of being able to endure so much physical Issues it is really the result of having a right spirit and again not trying to say that everyone has the Holy Spirit.

And I'm not trying to say there isn't special grace. But even in the in the norms of life, which I hope to show you and think about. So many were able to overcome and sustain Issues because of that fact that they had a right spirit within them so the words before us really helped to clear if you will this thought of the superiority of one over another and and that when that Spiritual part of us is out of order.

The pain the anguish the peace is gone. I Was thinking about this as I was driving here tonight and I had thought about it before but often think about How we today are so Taken up with the idea of mental health the newspapers the news reporters the opinionists the column writers the op-ed writers.

Everybody's talking about mental health. And what I find really interesting is no one ever really defines what they mean by mental health. They'll say it's mental we have mental health issues in our country and if we could just solve mental health issues.

Things where we could eliminate crime and we could eliminate pop. I mean we can eliminate everything. And yet they never really can define what they mean by mental health and in many ways I think of it as I Think of this verse that the reason why there's so many issues is because the spirit of the people are wrong.

There they can't be sustained in their lives, it's not just a matter of. You know, they weren't they weren't potty trained, right? Or they were. Because I've heard that Freud was. Freud was a weird dude.

You ever read Freud? He's pretty strange guy. He had some real crazy thoughts about things but this whole idea of mental health I Believe it's it's really because in part what has been stated in this verse that men's spirits are not right and Therefore they can't function in in in many of the ways of this world even in their own bodies and now I could go off on that and and I don't really want to do that, but I really believe that if we could Get to the point where we realize that the issue is not in Mental health per se.

But rather in the spirit of a man, which of course we all would say needs to be renewed and he needs to be born again. But even that the spirit of a man in and of itself Needs to be stable in order for him to be Stable in his life in a sense if you will I think even I thought of mind over matter has a lot of truth in it.

That that if the invisible part is working and functioning Then that many times will enable the other part to sustain even through the issues that it comes to. The first half of the verse I'm going to look at let's look at the first half of the verse for a few minutes and Think about it.

So the first half of the verse Addresses how in normal course of life things happen things of sickness things of pain things of discomfort the spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness and and I would think you would agree with me that that That that is in a sense having a right spirit about things Is a great blessing from God.

And that even in those normal things that we all face. That if the spirit is operating, right? That we will be able to sustain. And again, it is a gift by God's common grace and and it's I'm not so sure I like common grace because it makes it sound like it's not that important.

But certainly it is a great grace given to us by God, but This let me put it this way. With few exceptions and there are some that have these exceptions, but with few exceptions I would think that the way God has made us and given us a measure of the spirit that most people if They get a cold if they get a runny nose if their throat is sore.

Do not think they're gonna die in the morning. Why. Because they have by that spirit that's in them whether it whether it be The spirit of God dwelling in them or even outside of that just by common grace that they have a sense of hope.

They have a sense that they will recover. I mean now again, there are There are people who think that as soon as they sniffle that they're about to expire. And we use terms like hypochondriac and things like that and.

But I would think that most people That are not totally dysfunctional if they're going to the doctor do not think that they're leaving the house for the last time. They don't take the will out and put it on the kitchen table and say I'm never coming back.

I mean the reality is we might not ever come back, but you get my drift. I mean God has given to us in Great mercy and grace the ability and with some thought even for an unbeliever of hope of recovery of God's compassion of God's new mercies every day so that What do you think about it?

If that spirit of a man is right is operating as it should that we don't again become so overwhelmed and overcome by the thought of This is my last breath that I'll ever take in this world. And so we were able to to go through the discomfort and again the sickness and the pain which certainly is Painful to go through.

I think of it not only in in the sense of sickness and pain, but I also thought about. How many people and even people apart from God even people part from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit? They have such a spirit within them that they're able to sustain themselves, and they're very courageous and they're very bold and they're very valiant and they're willing to Put their own bodies in harm's way.

Because the spirit within them Gives them some sort of strength and comfort and hope again that the invisible part. That which is not always seen. That it it is working and that it allows for for Us and for them to put themselves even in bodily harm for the sake of Perhaps others you think of those who go out to war.

You think of those who are? First-responders you think of those who who in a sense put themselves in harm's way. The reason for that is simply because Again by God's great mercy and great grace. They have a Spirit that's operating as it should Not always again thinking.

What was me? This is my last day. This is my last breath. This is the last thing I'll ever do. Hmm something to think about. I really believe that is that again We don't necessarily Need to. Well, let me put this way.

We ought to believe that everything that we have that is good is from God, right? And that even apart from Christ, there is so much goodness that God has extended To man even those that hate God even as as God is what God is good to the just then who?

Unjust he sends rain on the good and he sends rain on the evil and God has given in so many ways man for which he's accountable, but a spirit that operates and allows him to sustain himself and to carry on and and to have some sort of a thought of Continuation again, and there are others of course, as I said who you know.

As soon as the wind blows they're ready to honk it down and in the cellar and and you know Wait for the wind to pass. So when you think about it you think about this verse I do believe in some part. That's what what's being emphasized for the spirit of man will sustain him in his in his sickness, but then let's look at the second half of the verse and There's where again is a contrast and I think the contrast is is is rather clear, but Who can bear a broken spirit again?

There's a right spirit and a broken spirit that there are those that are operating correctly if you will and then there are those. Those are the ones that have the mental health issues whatever that means but Who can bear a broken spirit?

A Broken Spirit and the Need for Inner Maintenance

So the word in the in the King James, I believe is wounded. Is that right? Yeah, that Where it says but who can bear a wounded spirit and it really the word really means afflicted stricken. Kind of set aside Hampered there's lots of ways to understand that and in the New King James says that it is a broken spirit.

So I looked at a couple of the Proverbs about this idea of a broken spirit. Let me just don't turn to him. I just read you three of them, but in Proverbs 15, it says a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance but by sorrow of the heart.

The spirit is broken and there are many people and one of the things that that I think about with this is. And I'm not I'm not advocating for just this thought of positive thinking believe me I'm not because I know it is.

There's so many issues with pride and arrogance and foolishness in that however when you think about it and you think about. As it says here a merry heart makes a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

There we're walking around with many broken people friends. The matter of fact the truth is anybody outside of Christ is what broken? But even in the in the in the mass of people When we meet someone who has a broken spirit It almost you could almost see it in their bodies.

You could see it in their eyes. You could see it in their action. You could see it. Sometimes the way they carry themselves in Proverbs chapter 17 again. It says this a merry heart does good. Like medicine.

But a broken spirit dries the bones. Merry heart does good like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones and again. Many people can function on. Little sleep little food. Little of this little of that, but once their spirit is broken It's all over.

I Think of it sometimes and I remember When I was out there trying to make every penny I could make. And sometimes I would work 24 hours 26. I can't even imagine doing that today but I would work 24 26, whatever it was, whatever it took I would work and.

And then I remember getting to and I at that time this going back in the 70s I was driving a tractor-trailer and I'm in New York and New Jersey Connecticut. And I realized once my spirit was broken, you know what?

I mean, I mean when my spirit was broken was when I couldn't remember whether I fell asleep at the wheel or not I'm gonna tell you what that'll wake you up. When you try to figure out did I really fall asleep or no was I was I awake?

And again once that spiritual part Malfunctions for whatever reason it's all over and I and I got to the point I shut it down. In Proverbs chapter 25. It says whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down without walls.

Again, does this not teach us that. The maintenance of the invisible part is the part that we ought to give the greater Consideration to now again not to the neglect of the body but there should be there should be an understanding within us and and that Many people and isn't that in a sense?

Isn't that what? Much of the world tries to do. Psychologists and psychoanalysts and and Landers and whoever else is out there. Trying to talk to the spirits and you know, if you come to counseling for the next seven years, maybe we can get you straight.

Just bring your checkbook for the next seven years. And so there's a reality of all that. But but of course their counsel is really not the right counsel. So if you garbage in garbage out. So just something to think about but when the spirit is broken I I think that helps us to understand that the maintenance of our invisible part Ought to take precedence in our lives.

Listen if I had to choose between having The greatest body and the greatest things of the body or the things of the spirit. It's a no-brainer it's the things of the spirit, isn't it? What's a little profit a man if he gained the whole world and what?

Lose his own soul. What's a little man give an exchange for his soul? And yet many people as I say many people so given over to the flesh. They have no consideration for the spirit and then on the opposite side.

Some people have realized that if you can control the spirit of a man that you control his body. And so people have tried that people have tried that even in interrogation and and and in those kinds of things where they they noted just because they Torture someone's body doesn't necessarily mean they will break.

Well, what do they do? They break the spirit. Don't let him sleep. Don't let him eat. Play with his mind because once that spirit is broken the body's gonna follow. So something to think about brothers and sisters it's Again, and it adds the weight that how God has created us in such a way that that which is invisible is that which needs the most consideration by us.

And I and I say that not just to the people of God, but to all people and again when people's spirits are operating as Even by God's grace in a right way. They can sustain themselves through many issues and we see that we see people who live in In terrible situations and yet we read about them press it on.

And you talk to about Christ and they have no interest in Christ. But yet they press on why because there's something inside them that drives them. And that's my grace, isn't it? But nevertheless, that's the part that Has the the greater value so we're really in great need if you think about it for Secret maintenance if you will of our souls.

Always think of that the Proverbs chapter 4 Keep your heart wide with all diligence for out of it Flows the issues of life wouldn't be different if if out of your arm flowed the issues of life. I Mean we would definitely take care of our arms if that were the case.

Nobody would a fool would think that. But keep our hearts with all diligence keep the spirit in in right condition and certainly for us. It's the Spirit of God within us and it's yielding ourselves to the Spirit and it's submitting to the Spirit it's not grieving the Spirit and it's not only that but it's Adding in that sense to our spirit.

Again, I hope I'm not confusing because I'm not trying to be confusing but We need to have a balance between divisible and invisible. But we also need to realize that the invisible That spiritual part whether it be whether we break it down into mind soul heart Conscience, whatever it is that that needs to be the one that We know will help us sustain the other.

Because again, my arm can be working fine and my heart's broken, but many times when my heart's broken my arm won't work. Again our bodies are affected by the spirit so Before I close I want to just I wanted to at least close with some some thoughts of okay.

So then what do we do? Let's put it in the realm of us as the children of God. Let's put it in the realm of how we need to maintain our spirits and certainly we need to maintain our spirits, right? I mean we realize greater is in you than he is in the world.

And so the Spirit of God is in us. He's the down payment for our redemption. He's not gonna leave us nor forsake us. But at the same time we ought to what we ought to grow in grace and in the knowledge.

We ought to to persevere in the faith. We are not to as I said grieve the Holy Spirit. So I just closed with three quick thoughts on the importance of maintaining our spirits and the first one is this and it's the importance of Personal prayer the importance of personal prayer.

My friends we ought to spend great amount of time in prayer. They don't want to occupy as much time as possible. And I will say this and I'll say it because I'm convicted of it. I believe in the Word of God would support me.

That praying over your own Maintenance of soul is is not a greedy thing. It's a right thing and that many of us. Do not neglect that very thing that will help us in our spirit. And that is communing with God who is spirit through the Spirit.

How much time listen how much time do you and I spend on our own souls? In every aspect of it. Whether it be confession. Whether we petition whether it be Thanksgiving. Whether it be supplication whether it be praying for others or even praying for our own self.

Because I'll say to you this if as we go on in the faith if sin our own sin Doesn't become more and more hideous to us. Then we don't have a right spirit our own sin Should disturb us more and more not less and less.

One of the ways is to come before God in prayer search me O God and try my heart. See if there be any wicked way in me lead me in the right way. That you and I in order to maintain our spirit or to give great diligence.

To maintaining our own souls in prayer again, it doesn't always have to be praying for me. But it's praying for the things that that I know. Affect me and so certainly that's my family. My physical family my spiritual family.

Praying for for leaders praying at all so I suggest to us to consider in order to Not have a broken spirit. We need to maintain ourselves in prayer. Our prayer life should grow friends if it's not growing there's something wrong with us.

The Importance of Scripture, Grace, and the Means of Grace

If you find yourself with less desire to pray you need to pray. I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to me just in my way right now. All right second thing. And it's in order to maintain a right spirit within us and not have a broken spirit.

We need to give great diligence to the study of God's Word personal study to know what God Has said about the maintenance of our souls. You know, there's a there's a verse and I'm gonna bring this up a couple times.

We go through proverbs. I think it's Psalm 111. I think it's psalm 11 verse 2. I think where it says the works of the Lord are great studied By all those who take pleasure in it. You want to know why and you get mad at me.

But you want to know why some of us don't study as much as we do. We don't find pleasure in it. Because the Word of God says that the works of the Lord are great and it's and it's studied by all those who take pleasure In it, if you don't have pleasure in the study of the Word of God, you got to ask yourself What am I really trying to find pleasure in things of the flesh things of the body one of the best ways to Hurt ourselves if that's what you want to do neglect the Word of God.

Oh, I'm not a theologian. I'm not asking you to be a theologian. I'm not a theologian. But I know this I know in order to maintain my spirit. I need to be in the Word of God and Not just when everybody's looking.

Probably more so when nobody's looking because God's looking so prayer Study and Then just in closing just to consider the importance of if you will the means of grace that in order to maintain our spirit.

To sustain us through the issues of life. Which we all go through because we enter the kingdom through much tribulation. That we need to understand the importance of the means of grace. And we could spend a whole lot of time on that putting yourself under the preaching of God's Word Fellowship with the Saints having Gifts according to the Spirit to using our gifts.

To the ordinances to baptism to the Lord's Supper to meeting together that you and I need to understand that there are many Not and I say it reverently many tools that God has given to us. And that we ought to make use of them.

And if we're not making use of them Then when when the hard times come and sickness comes and trials come and tribulations come. What can we expect but a broken spirit. So I say to you this there's a lot in this verse that we could we could open this up and just keep opening it up.

But as we close I trust I hope I pray that you and I will begin to understand Exactly what he says that the spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness and you and I could put up with a whole Lot, I guess I've been thinking about it cuz Jennifer's gonna have a baby.